Rosemary sat on the settee next to Lee, her shoulder resting on her husband's shoulder. She was looking at the Christmas tree and remembering everything that had happened that day.
"It's been a nice day, hasn't it?" Rosemary commented.
"It has," Lee told her. "One of the best Christmas I can remember," he added. He glanced over his shoulder at the steps. "And it was a tiring one for those two girls. I bet they don't make it through one page of a story tonight."
Rosemary smiled. "You're probably right. Ivy looked like she was half asleep already," she commented. "I'm just glad they cheered up a bit after dinner again. I'm sure visiting their mother's grave was sad, but I hate to see them upset."
"I know," Lee said, placing a kiss on the top of her head. "But just remember, you've brought a lot of joy into those two girls' lives when they needed it the most."
Rosemary smiled, as she continued to look at the tree and enjoying the quiet moment with her husband. The two stayed that way until they heard footsteps on the stairs. Sitting up, both Lee and Rosemary looked toward the stairs to see Brian coming downstairs. Though the two girls may have cheered up, both Rosemary and Lee could see the strain that was still visible on Brian's face.
"I take it the girls went right to sleep," Lee ventured, figuring that the topic of Bridget and Ivy was a safe one for them all.
Brian nodded as he moved to the empty chair not far from where Lee and Rosemary were sitting. "I have a feeling I was reading to myself for a bit," he said sitting down.
"I don't blame them," Rosemary said. "It's been busy day. I'm about to call it a night myself."
"It's probably a good idea," Brian agreed, a note of hesitancy in his voice. "I was hoping I could talk to the two of you about something first though. I wasn't planning on bringing up this topic on Christmas but it came up with the girls today and I get the feeling they're anxious for things to be settled."
"What is it?" Lee asked, reaching out for Rosie's hand.
Beside him, Rosemary had to remind herself to breathe. She was thankful for Lee's hand in hers as it gave her something to anchor her swirling thoughts and emotions as she anticipated Brian bringing up the topic of what would happen to the girls when he left Hope Valley. Rosemary wasn't even sure which way she wanted this conversation to go.
"I love my sisters," Brian said as if he felt he needed to convince people of that.
"No one doubts that, Brian," Lee replied reassuringly. "The fact that you're struggling with this choice is evident of that."
"As much as I would like to keep them with me, I don't know anything about raising a child let alone two girls who have recently lost both their parents. I do know that moving around and me being away, maybe days at a time, is not going to help any emotional issues that are already there nor do I know how to deal with those issues. I think my sisters would be better off with someone who can offer them a more stable lifestyle. People like the two of you."
"How do Bridget and Ivy feel about that?" Rosemary asked.
"They like the two of you and they like it here in Hope Valley," Brian replied. "I know it's a big ask and I still need to talk to Judge Avery about what kind of arrangements are possible. I don't plan on just handing them over to somebody's care and then disappearing. I want to be apart of their lives. I want to be able to come visit them, or maybe have them come visit me wherever I'm at when they're on break from school."
"I'm glad to hear that, really," Lee said. "Those two girls do need you just as much as they need stability in their lives."
"So would you consider it?" Brian asked.
Rosemary looked over at Lee. She knew what her answer was. She would love to keep the girls with them. She had grown quite attached to them. She also liked that Brian wanted to stay in the girls' lives. She gave Lee a small nod.
Lee nodded back before looking at Brian. "There is one concern I have. The longer Bridget and Ivy are with us the more attached we're going to become to them and them to us."
"I give you my word that I won't come back in a year or two years and decide I want to take the girls myself," Brian replied, figuring out where Lee was going. "I'll even put that in a legal document if you want. I know that you and your wife can raise those girls better than I could."
"Okay," Lee said, believing the young man. "We would be happy to take custody of Bridget and Ivy if you're sure that is what you want to do."
"I think it's what is best for them," Brian replied. "That's what is important to me," he assured them. "I'll talk to Judge Avery and get the legal details figured out after I check in with Dr. Shepherd on Monday. Until then, I'd prefer not to say anything further to Bridget and Ivy."
"Of course," Rosemary replied. "I know this is a hard choice for you," she told the young man, "but we'll take good care of Bridget and Ivy. They'll be a part of our family, as will you."
"Thank-you," Brian told her, getting slowly to his feet. "I think I'm going to call it a night now."
"Of course," Rosemary said, letting go of Lee's hand and standing up as well.
Taking the few steps needed to close the distance between Brian and herself, Rosemary reached out and gave the young man a hug. Though he was tense at first, Rosemary felt him relax a bit as he returned the gesture.
"You're not alone in this," Rosemary told him. "I know none of this is easy for you but Lee and I are here for you just as much as we are for Bridget and Ivy."
"Thank-you," Brian said again softly before taking a step back.
Though she wanted to hold the young man long, Rosemary took a step back himself. Though he was young, Brian wasn't a child any longer. Like the girls, he had lost his mother but he had been on his own before that loss. The situation was different.
"Goodnight, ma'am," Brian told her. He gave a nod to Lee as he headed for the stairs again.
Rosemary gave a sigh as she watched Brian retreat upstairs. When he disappeared from sight, she looked down at Lee.
"I want to be happy about getting to keep the girls but I feel so bad for that young man," she said. "He's clearly struggling with this."
"I think I'd be more worried if he wasn't struggling with this," Lee commented as he got to his feet. Crossing to his wife, he took her hands in his. "It's clear to me that he loves his sisters and wants what is best for them. That's important. I'd hate to see him make the same mistake that I did. I left home barely saying a word to any of my family. As a result I missed saying a good-bye to my father and twenty years of my sister's life."
"But the important thing is you and your sister have mended that bridge."
"You're right," Lee replied. "However, I would prefer if the Petersons never have to experience that at all."
Rosemary nodded. "We'll just have to make sure that Brian feels like he's as much a part of our family as Bridget and Ivy are."
"Somehow, I don't think that will be a problem for you," Lee told her. "Do you feel like a moonlight stroll with your husband?"
Rosemary nodded. "That sounds like a wonderful way to end Christmas," she agreed, as both of them headed toward the coatrack.
Elizabeth looked down at her sleeping son. Though it was still early, she realized how tired she was herself. If it wasn't for the fact that Nathan and Ally were still downstairs, she would be tempted to stretch out in her bed herself.
"Sweet dreams, Jack," Elizabeth said softly before slipping out of her son's room.
Heading downstairs, Elizabeth paused on the last step. While she had been upstairs, Nathan had set about cleaning up from their dinner. He was at the sink finishing up the dishes.
"I was going to take care of that," Elizabeth commented, stepping off the last step.
Nathan looked back at her. "Ally and I ate here too tonight. I don't mind cleaning up," he told her. "I do hope I got things in their proper places."
Elizabeth chuckled. "If you didn't, you won't hear a complaint from me," she assured him. "I'm so tired that I'm just thankful that it's already done. Where's Ally?"
Putting the plate he was drying away, Nathan nodded toward the settee. "Fast asleep," he replied.
Elizabeth glanced that way and smiled. Ally was curled up on the settee, Elizabeth's copy of The Greatest Christmas Wish opened next to her.
"She said she was going to read. I think she may have read one page before falling asleep."
"I see that," Elizabeth said before turning back to Nathan. "What about you? You ready to call it a night?"
"It's been a long day," Nathan admitted. "However, I'm enjoying the company too much to feel tired. I put water on for tea, but if you're too tired, I can wake Ally and head home."
"Tired or not, I don't think I'm ready to say goodnight quite yet," Elizabeth told him moving to retrieve a couple of tea cups.
A little while later, Nathan and Elizabeth were settled at the table with cups of tea in front of them. Elizabeth had also brought the tin of cookies that Lucas had given her to the table, placing them between the two of them.
"I have to admit, I didn't have you figured as a tea drinker," Elizabeth commented as she watched Nathan take a sip from the tea cup.
"I can take it or leave it, to be honest," Nathan told her as he placed the tea cup back on the saucer. "However, my mother always liked to have a cup of tea at the end of the day. She said it helped her unwind and provided the opportunity to talk things over before bed. Colleen enjoyed that ritual as well, and I joined them on more occasions than I can count."
"Well, its nice that you would join them. My father always heard the word tea and headed the other direction."
"Then perhaps I won't tell him I'm willing to sit at the table and sip tea with the woman's folk," Nathan replied.
Elizabeth laughed. "I won't tell him, if you don't want me to," she assured him. "Though I can promise you that I will take advantage of that information in the future. I love enjoying tea over difficult or important conversations myself."
"I will share a cup of tea with you whenever you would like," Nathan promised her, leaning over for a quick kiss before selecting a cookie from the tin. "Was this a gift from some of the school children?" he asked, looking at the decoration on the cookie before taking a bite.
Elizabeth laughed, although it wasn't a bad guess. The cookies did look like children had done the decorating. "Actually, they were a gift from Lucas," Elizabeth said. "He had Fiona help him bake them."
Nathan nodded. "If he hadn't looked so content with Fiona practically sitting in his lap, this morning at church I might be jealous that he's still giving you gifts."
"They weren't that close," Elizabeth commented.
Nathan gave her a knowing look. "They were as close as you and I were when you threw your arms around me in the middle of the street a few months back," he told her, enjoying the slight blush that came to Elizabeth's cheeks at the reminder. "I'm happy for both of them. They both deserve to be happy."
"They do make a sweet couple," Elizabeth agreed as she reached for a cookie of her own. "I suppose you're going to tease Lucas about his cookie decorating skills at the first opportunity."
"Not a chance," Nathan replied. He looked down at the rest of the cookie. "To be honest, I don't think I could do much better."
"Ally and I will have to do something about that," Elizabeth replied.
"Or I could just let you two do the baking and the decorating."
"Now where is the fun of that," Elizabeth said, reaching out for Nathan's hand. "Perhaps next Christmas, we'll be doing all the holiday activities under one roof?" she asked.
"Are you saying you don't want a long engagement?" Nathan asked, giving her hand a gentle squeeze.
Elizabeth shook her head. "I don't. Not this time. I think I've lost enough time with you already, "she replied. "Would you be okay with that?"
Nathan held her gaze with a steady gaze of his own. "Elizabeth, if I thought you would go along with it, I would get Lee and Rosemary right now to serve as witnesses and go knock on Pastor Zeke's door tonight."
Elizabeth laughed. "That might be a bit too rushed for me," she admitted, though she had to admit it was a story that Julie would like hearing. "Perhaps we can plan on a June wedding," Elizabeth ventured. "I'm already taking time off of school for the trip to Hamilton, I think I'd like to wait until school is out to have the wedding."
"That sounds like a more sensible plan," Nathan admitted. "It'll also give you time to plan."
Elizabeth nodded. "I'd like to keep things small, though I'm not sure that's going to be possible with Rosemary."
"Well, Ally has informed me that small might be better for me so I don't get tongue tied," Nathan told her.
Elizabeth laughed. "I take it she's already been asking questions."
"The night we got engaged," Nathan told her.
"I'm glad she's excited about it," Elizabeth told her. "I want to make sure she's involved. Were you planning on asking Gabriel to be your best man."
"I think he would be offended if I didn't," Nathan told her. "Why?"
"I think I'd like Ally to be my maid of honor," Elizabeth said. "If Gabriel's the best man, I don't think she'd feel uncomfortable. In fact, I was thinking perhaps it's just them standing up there with us and perhaps Little Jack as the ring bearer."
Nathan thought it over for a little while, before nodding. "If that's what you would like. I think it's a good idea."
"What about you? Is there anything you've ever envisioned for your wedding?"
Nathan took a sip of the tea, before answering the question. "Not really," Nathan told her. "Before I met you, I never even considered getting married before."
Elizabeth felt the heat rising in her cheeks. That admission told her just how much Nathan cared for her that his feelings toward her could make him change his view on marriage.
"Are you one of those Mounties who believed that if the force wanted you to have wives they would have issued you one?"
Nathan chuckled. "I take it you've heard that particular sentiment held by some in the force."
Elizabeth nodded. "Jack mentioned it when I first met him."
"Apparently you have a knack for making Mounties change their minds about marriage, Mrs. Thornton," Nathan commented, enjoying the blush the comment brought to Elizabeth's cheeks. "However, it wasn't being a Mountie necessarily that made me not want to get married. I guess after seeing all the mistakes my father made, and the heartache he caused, I didn't want to take the risk of repeating all that. You know what they say, father like son."
"I don't think you have to worry about that," Elizabeth said. "From what I've seen you've been careful not to repeat your father's mistakes."
"I've tried," Nathan agreed. "As for what I would like for the wedding, the one thing that would matter to me other than marrying you of course, wouldn't really be feasible."
"Why not?" Elizabeth asked, thinking it might have something to do with Colleen but not wanting to jump to that conclusion.
"I know how much it would mean to my mother to be at my wedding," Nathan told her. "She's always said she wanted to see me find someone to make me happy. She was thrilled when I called and told her about the engagement. With her arthritis though, I'm afraid the trip from Spruce Grove to Hope Valley might just be too much on her. When I took Ally to see her last summer, she couldn't take more than a few steps on her own."
"What if we have the wedding in Spruce Grove?" Elizabeth suggested without hesitation.
"Elizabeth, you've never even been to Spruce Grove. Why would you want to get married there?"
"So my future mother-in-law can be at her son's wedding," Elizabeth told him. "If my family wants to come, they'd already be traveling. Hope Valley or Spruce Grove won't make too much of a difference. Lee and Rosemary would probably make the trip, as would Bill. I told you I wanted to keep it small. This might be the perfect way to keep Rosemary from going overboard."
"Are you sure?"
Elizabeth nodded. "I'm sure," she replied. "Besides, I know how much it'll mean to you and your mother."
"What would you think about doing a reception here in Hope Valley when we returned after our honeymoon? That way everyone else will feel like they are still a part of the occasion."
"I like it," Elizabeth said. "As you and Lucas are on speaking terms now, perhaps he'll let us have the reception at the Saloon."
"I'll be happy to ask him," Nathan told her. "It's the least I can do, because I promise you I won't be much help with the rest of the planning."
Elizabeth smiled. "Just make sure you show up. I'm sure I'll have plenty of people willing to help me do the planning."
Nathan and Elizabeth continued to chat while they finished their cups of tea. The conversation continued even after the cups were empty. It wasn't until Elizabeth tried to stifle a yawn that Nathan suggested he get Ally and head home, promising he would see her the next day. Even though she wanted to protest, Elizabeth had to admit the day really had worn her out.
