Nathan opened the door of the Queen of Hearts for Elizabeth to walk through. He was holding Jack, and Allie was right behind them.

All four were dressed as they had been for their wedding. They were so grateful to all those who had stayed behind for all they did in their absence, that they wanted to give them the full experience of a real wedding reception.

Of course, Clara and Rosemary were thrilled when Elizabeth had made the suggestion, because they were so pleased with the results of their sewing. But no one was more thrilled than Jack. If Elizabeth would let him, he would sleep in his Mountie pants.

Elizabeth wasn't sure what to expect when they first walked in, but she thought there might be some reaction. As they entered the large room, however, they realized that no one had their eyes on the door. The party guests were all looking at the long wall on the right, just under the long banner that had greeted them at the railway station.

The new Grant family wandered over quietly, puzzled. Elizabeth came up behind Faith and said, "What's going on?" But as she asked, Elizabeth looked up on the wall and saw what had everyone so interested.

Wedding photos. Photos of Airdrie and the ranch. Pictures of friends and family. Elizabeth gasped and moved closer. In the center of a group of smaller photos was a large one.

Fiona was standing next to it, and Elizabeth came up behind her. "Did you take this, Fiona?"

Beaming, Fiona said, "Elizabeth! Hi! Yes. It's actually one of my first color photographs. I'm so glad it turned out well. It was such a fantastic moment, and you never know if it will translate to film."

Elizabeth hugged her tightly. "You can't know what this will mean to Nathan," she said, looking at the photograph again, "And to me."

Nathan came up behind Elizabeth and whispered, "Jack is with Mom. I had to... Oh." Nathan looked up and then he slowly put his arms around Elizabeth. Both of them were transfixed.

The photo had been taken the second that Elizabeth had kissed Nathan under the blueberry elders. The moment that Nathan had said he'd known Sarah was there with them. Seconds later they would step through the trees and go to the Summer Cabin, but in this instant, the camera had captured something so beautiful that no one could take their eyes off of it.

They were at a slight distance from the camera. Elizabeth was up on her toes and her arms were joyfully around Nathan's neck as he leaned down with his arms around her waist.

The graceful kiss was lovely enough on its own, but Elizabeth's long brown hair was curling behind her into the wind, as was the cream chiffon skirt of her wedding dress. In the background was the green of the summer hemlocks and the profusion of color from the wildflowers in a semi-circle beyond their feet. The sky was just turning pink.

The branches of the elder above them, heavily laden with blossoms, had blown almost into a canopy over their heads, and it did indeed look as if they were in a small snowstorm blowing sideways. Nathan's dark hair, his bright red serge, and Elizabeth's chestnut curls were all speckled with the blossoms and some even seemed to be swirling in spirals in the air.

Nathan smiled and whispered to Elizabeth, "Sarah always was a show-off." He sighed softly. "It looks like it's painted, doesn't it?" Elizabeth nodded. He kissed her gently on the neck. "And your hair and your dress... Are those angel's wings?"

Elizabeth laughed, delighted. "We'll have that picture forever, Nathan. To remind us of that perfect moment," she said.

"Who took it?" Nathan asked.

"I did," Fiona said. "Carson took one at the same time, in black and white. It's down there," she said, pointing down the wall.

Nathan put his hand on Fiona's shoulder. "It's incredible, Fiona. Can we get one to frame for the house?"

She waved her hand toward the wall. "These are all yours. To keep, to give away, whatever you want to do with them," Fiona said. She leaned in to both Elizabeth and Nathan, "But before you go giving too many to Rebecca, Carson and I made a book of the best ones to take back home with her. It's got the wedding, but also Airdrie and the ranch."

Elizabeth said, "Fiona, how can we thank you for all this?"

Fiona shrugged, "No thanks necessary. When you have the photography bug the way I do, you're always looking for things to take pictures of. You gave me the most beautiful day, and that enchanted place, and the ranch, and your happiness... I should be thanking you!"

There were other photos that Elizabeth knew would be on their walls for as long as they lived. The four of them standing together, with Jack laughing because Rosemary stood behind Carson making faces as he took the picture. There was one of Nathan and Elizabeth that neither of them knew was being taken, just gazing into each other's eyes. One looking up into the clematis and honeysuckle, and one of the circle of chairs around the pergola. Many photos of the people there, smiling in groups and pairs. In the wagons, on the porch swing, riding horses. Rosemary and Lee laughing, so evocative that you could almost hear them. One of Rebecca and Charlie with Nathan in between, his arms around both.

A big crowd-pleaser was the best of Fiona's photos of Jack and Nathan in the wagon on the way to the ceremony. She had captured Nathan with Jack on his lap. Nathan was pointing to one of the horses and he was talking to Jack about it, close up against his ear. Jack's eyes were serious and focused in the distance, looking exactly where Nathan was pointing. The stripes on their pants were perfectly lined up, and Nathan's hand was protectively around Jack's middle. Elizabeth couldn't stop looking at it.

They walked down the line with the other guests looking at each photo in turn, remembering. While they did, they greeted those that had come to celebrate with them, one by one. Those who had been in Airdrie told stories to those who weren't there, using the photos as illustrations.

The food, a collaboration between Bill, Lucas and Gustav, was delicious. Bill followed Rebecca around half of the food table as she put samples on her plate and took bites. She would taste something and he would lean in front of her and raise his eyebrows. Rebecca would nod, or say "Not bad," or "Needs salt." Finally she stopped teasing him and just threaded her arm through his. "Good thing somebody in this town knows how to cook. I thought I might have to stay," she said, winking at him.

Lucas broke out champagne for those who wanted it and apple cider and lemonade for those who didn't. Gustav had outdone himself with the cake; a delectable white fondant masterpiece with fresh strawberries on top that was large enough to feed everyone.

Rosemary had set out a fishbowl with pencils and paper and asked people to write a wish, a memory, or a story that they wanted to share with Nathan, Elizabeth, Allie or Jack. By the end of the evening, the bowl was nearly full, as even the children had joined in the fun.

There were toasts, some serious, some funny. People told their versions of Nathan and Elizabeth's courtship and for those who hadn't been in town while it unfolded, the stories were a revelation.

Julie and Rebecca had drifted together for precisely that reason. Each had long memories of one-half of this new relationship, but very little of the other. Bill's recounting of Elizabeth and Nathan literally saving each other's lives was a little harrowing to listen to, but there were also the sweet stories from Clara and Molly of watching the creation of a family as the four of them had tentatively walked through town in the early days.

Sighing, Julie whispered to Rebecca, "You're as proud of your son as I am of my sister. I can see it."

Rebecca reached over and took Julie's hand in hers. "You don't have children yet, Julie, but when you do you'll know what a powerful day this has been for me. We all want to be loved, it's natural. But what we want for our children... it's more than what we want for ourselves."

Julie squeezed Rebecca's hand gently. "With everything going on, I never had the chance... I just want to say that I'm so sorry about Sarah, Rebecca." She saw a shadow quickly come and go across the older woman's face, and then Rebecca sighed.

"Thank you, Julie." She smiled at her. "And it's hard to explain, but I think I felt worse for Nathan than I did for myself when she died. Losing the other half of himself. I wasn't certain he'd ever find his smile again, but he found it in Elizabeth. I'm so grateful."

Julie nodded. "It was the same for Elizabeth when Jack died. Much as we may want to, we can't go through that grief process for those we love. At first it was pure grief, but then I got the feeling from Elizabeth's letters that she had to give herself permission to love someone again. Nathan was very patient with her."

Rebecca laughed. "He is patient. Some might say relentless. And he's quiet, but up here..." She tapped her forehead, "...it's always going. I saw it from the time he was a little boy. When Nathan sets his eyes on something, he'll just outlast it." Rebecca laughed. "Not to compare our beautiful Elizabeth to a horse, but I've seen him break some unbreakable ones."

Julie laughed too. "She never had a chance, did she?"

Rebecca nodded. "Not a one."

"Neither did he, you know," Julie said. "Can you imagine the strength it took for Elizabeth to leave our pampered life in Hamilton, get on a stagecoach and travel all the way across the country, against the wishes of our parents, and come to this town? It's become a lot more civilized in the years since."

Laughing, Rebecca said, "Oh, I see them clearly, Julie. Both headstrong and stubborn as rocks. That will be their mountain to climb together, that stubbornness. But their love softens it. They stretch for each other." She looked over and smiled at Julie. "And it seems there is another Thatcher sister who has traveled here to make a new life. A harder one than you left?"

Julie shook her head slowly. "Rebecca, I don't have the faintest idea what I'm doing. I may last a week here, and I may last the rest of my life. I only know that I need to be different."

Smiling, Rebecca said, "Different takes courage, Julie, and you've got that in spades." She winked at her. "I know fine stock when I see it, and you and Elizabeth have the goods."

Laughing, Julie said, "If someone had told me a month ago that I would take that statement as a compliment, I believe I would have been surprised. Now I can't think of anything I'd like to hear more."

The music had started – and the combination of Rosemary and Ned's record collections would keep the guests dancing far into the night. But for now, there was no one on the floor because they were waiting for Nathan and Elizabeth to have the first dance.

Very deliberately, Elizabeth tapped Nathan on the shoulder and smiled when he turned around.

"Would you like to dance?" she said, raising her eyebrows.

Nathan immediately knew exactly what she was doing. They were both transported back to the Founder's Day Dance. That night that he had thought was the end of his future with Elizabeth.

Taking a deep breath, Nathan nodded. "I'd like that very much." He smiled and looked down at his feet. "But I warn you, the number of times I've danced can be counted on one hand, with a few fingers left over."

Elizabeth smiled back at him, taking his hand while he put his other one at her waist. "Well," she said, whispering, "We Hamilton cotillion girls were taught at a very early age to keep our toes safe. And don't worry," she said, looking around and raising an eyebrow, "No one is watching us."

The entire room had stopped what they were doing, even those looking at the photos. They were all turned to the center of the room, gazing at the newlyweds as they smiled and whispered to each other, moving as if their feet were barely touching the floor. So easy together, so very much in love.

One by one, couples joined them on the dance floor. Though Nathan and Elizabeth started out dancing formally, with each turn they moved closer together, until their dance was really just an embrace set to music.

Nathan kissed her cheek and held his lips there, feeling the softness of her skin. "If not having that dance so long ago meant I get to have this one, I'm glad to have given it up. But walking away that night, I swear I couldn't see a future for myself."

Elizabeth held him tighter. "That's because your future was with me, even if it didn't make sense at the time."

Nathan smiled and looked at her. "I wish I'd known then that it would end like this."

Laughing softly, Elizabeth said, "Oh, don't we always. But that's the mystery," she said, touching his face. Her eyes went very soft. "I love you very much, and I feel that whatever comes, I have you beside me."

Nathan stopped moving and took her face in his hands. He kissed her softly, not caring who saw it. "I thank God for you every day, Elizabeth, and I'll never stop."

They held each other again, moving slowly in time with the music. For everyone else in the large room, it was impossible to look at them without smiling.

Elizabeth and Nathan had listened to all the stories told tonight along with everyone else. They'd laughed and Elizabeth had blushed, Nathan had acknowledged his quirkiness with good humor, and he'd held Elizabeth tightly as they remembered - both of them silently filling in the spaces between the stories with the feelings and conversations that no one knew but them.

They'd been through so much together. Some might think this was the happy ending, but they both knew there was so much left to write.

They had to finish their house and the house out back, love and raise Allie and Jack with wisdom and direction, fill the bedrooms with more children, navigate complicated and deep relationships with parents, find the joy in everyday life together, keep Nathan safe in a dangerous job, keep Elizabeth creative in her molding of children, love and support Julie in finding her future, dream with Rosemary about a child of her own, and continue to be a part of the life of the town they both loved so dearly.

Yes, so much more to write.