Okay so for all of you who asked for this story to be continued…. Here you go. And I hope you enjoy.
Allie, who was walking into the schoolhouse with the other children could not believe the scene unfolding in front of them. Was this for real? Did Mrs. Thornton just tell Uncle Nathan she was in love with him. Allie was furious.
Allie: How dare you?
Nathan: Excuse me?
Allie: After everything Elizabeth has done to us, said to you, or more importantly not said up until now, how could you just say you love her too?
Elizabeth was mortified. She knew Allie was right for feeling this way and she understood why she was getting so protective over Nathan, she just wished that Allie would not have started all of this in front of the rest of the children.
Elizabeth: Allie, I understand you are upset with me right now, but perhaps we can finish this conversation in private, later once school has finished for the day.
Allie: So, it's totally okay for you to hurt my uncle, hurt me and let everyone in town know that you chose Lucas instead of Nathan but its not okay for me to get upset in front of the precious children who look up to you.
Elizabeth: Allie, it's not like that. You have every right to be upset, but now is not the time or place for this conversation.
Allie: You disgust me.
And with that she turned around walking straight down the steps of the schoolhouse leaving the rest of the students staring at Elizabeth completely speechless. Elizabeth attempted to run after her when Nathan put his hand on her shoulder.
Nathan: Let me talk to her.
Elizabeth: Okay.
Nathan: I'll find you later.
Elizabeth: Why don't you come over for dinner, and if Allie is okay, she is more than welcome as well.
Nathan: I would love that.
Elizabeth: See you later.
Elizabeth gave him a look that said I love you and Nathan losing himself in the moment began to lean in for a kiss when they heard the children chanting.
Children: Kiss, kiss, kiss, kiss
Nathan: That's my cue. Children, please behave for Mrs. Thornton. Elizabeth, have a great day.
Elizabeth: You too.
Nathan turned around and began running towards the lake to find Allie. As he had assumed there, she was fishing, lost deep in thought.
Nathan: Allie, I know you are upset and don't completely understand but will you at least let me try to explain?
Allie: There is nothing to explain. You told her you loved her, you wanted to be with her, that you would give up your job to be with her and despite all that she ran away crushing your heart. I tried talking to her, telling her how much you loved her, and she still didn't care. Not about you and not about me. She can't just wake up now and decided to be with you and you ignore everything she put us through.
Nathan: You are right that she acted in a way that was hurtful and deceitful and disrespectful. And maybe she doesn't deserve a second chance after what she did. But I love her Allie, I really do. And despite her earlier actions I really want to try and give her a second chance. Allow her to open up to me, for me to be with her, properly court her officially. And for maybe one day for us, all of us. You, me, Elizabeth, and Jack to all be one happy family. But Allie, I can't do this if you don't support me, but most importantly I need you to know that I won't do this to you if you are not okay with it. But Allie, I'm begging you. I know it is hard but please allow me to let her in, give her a second chance and let's see where this goes. We both know that I would never be able to find a better mother for you than Elizabeth.
Allie: I understand all that Uncle Nathan, I really do. But I can't hurt like that again and when she hurt you earlier, and I saw how much it broke you, I vowed to myself that I would never let another woman take advantage and hurt you the way she did. I really want to allow myself to forgive her like you seam to be able to. But I'm not there yet. I can not stop you from living your life in a way that feels right to you, but I also can't give you my blessing to be with someone who I do not trust to not hurt you.
Nathan: So, what do you want me to do?
Allie: I don't know?
Nathan: Do you want me to tell Elizabeth that it's over between us? That for now, I just can't do it. Is that really what you want?
Allie: I'm not sure what I want right now. I guess I just want to feel confident that she won't hurt you, and right now that confidence is nowhere to be found.
Nathan: How about I give you until dinner to decide?
Allie: What's by dinner?
Nathan: Elizabeth invited us over to her house for dinner.
Allie: Me also?
Nathan: Of course, your invited! Why wouldn't you be?
Allie: Even after the way I spoke to her this morning she still invited me?
Nathan: Allie, Elizabeth understood why you reacted that way this morning. Don't get me wrong I was extremely upset and despite your good intentions, I did not appreciate it. But Elizabeth is a wonderful woman, an amazing mother and a phenomenal teacher who unfortunately lost someone who was pretty much a part of her heart and soul. And sometimes when people lose someone so close to them that they feel their heart has been ripped out of their chests they don't always integrate well back into their lives. Elizabeth struggled a lot after Jack died, Allie losing a husband is not something that anyone should ever have to go through. But she did. Yes, unfortunately she hurt us both in the process, but it wasn't targeted at us. She just didn't know how to properly deal with all her emotions.
Allie: I get that, but is she really ready to move on? I mean she still wears her rings from Jack as if she is still married to the guy and he has been dead for 3 years.
Nathan: I want to believe that she is ready, and that in the right time she will remove the rings, but how will we ever know when she ready if we don't give her a chance because our feelings got hurt?
Allie: I don't know.
Nathan: Look, take the time between now and dinner to think it over. If you are okay, we me and Mrs. Thornton courting and the potential for the four of us to become a family then show up, if you are not okay with it. Then don't come. Dinner is at 6:00 if you are not there by 6:30 I will come back to the lake where we will discuss our next steps. Deal?
Allie: Deal
Nathan and Allie hugged and then they both walked back to their house together so Nathan could get ready for dinner with Elizabeth and Allie could give thought into weather or not she was really okay with it. After Nathan left for Elizabeth's Allie decided to go take a walk and ended up accidentally bumping into Rosemary.
Allie: Oh no! Mrs. Coulter, I'm so sorry! I didn't see you there.
Rosemary: It's okay Allie, but maybe next time you should watch where you are walking.
Allie: I usually do, I guess I was just so focused on my decision that I wasn't focusing on the street.
Rosemary: Is everything okay?
Allie: Mrs. Thornton told Uncle Nathan today that she loves him.
Rosemary: I know. How do you feel about that? I know you really love Mrs. Thornton.
Allie: I really do like her. I'm just having a hard time moving past how much she hurt my uncle.
Rosemary: Can I share with you my honest opinion?
Allie: Please do.
Rosemary: Mrs. Thornton will most likely hurt your uncle again in the future. But is that a real reason for him to miss out on the chance of his one true love?
Allie: I don't understand?
Rosemary: Let me try to explain this better.
Allie: Okay
Rosemary: Love is a very strange thing. For many people we don't choose whom we will fall in love with it just randomly happens on its own. Sometimes people fall in love after knowing the other person for so long that it just appears to seam right but then life continues and eventually you realize how wrong you are for each other. Like Jack and me.
Allie: You and Mr. Thornton loved each other?
Rosemary: Yes, I had known Jack my whole life, and we had gotten engaged. I really thought we would be together forever. I really did love him, but we just didn't see the world the same way, didn't share the same dreams and values. And only years after I broke off our engagement did, I get the feeling that maybe I had made the wrong decision and so I came here to hope valley with the dreams of getting him back, but by then he had already met Elizabeth, fallen in love and me and Jack were history. Sometimes people fall in love for a while so that they will be in the right place and right time to really fall in love with their soulmate. If not for me loving Jack, I would have never come here and I would have never met Mr. Coulter.
Allie: Wow! So, you believe that it's a good thing Jack proposed to you.
Rosemary: I have never once regretted loving Jack. But Jack wasn't meant to be my forever love. Love is scary Allie but loving someone with all of your heart is one of the most amazing things a person will get to do during their lifetime. Your uncle loves Elizabeth, and she loves him back. Many times, when people are hurting, they act rudely to those around them they truly love. The real question is how those people will treat them when they come asking for forgiveness.
Allie: So, you think I should give Mrs. Thornton a second chance?
Rosemary: I think that Elizabeth loved Jack with all her heart and therefor when she was given two choices, she chose the safer option regardless of what her heart really wanted. But Allie, by not letting your uncle get close to Elizabeth because you don't want to hurt him again, he will be hurting but not by her.
Allie: By me. How could I be so dumb! How could I not see that by trying to protect him I am only hurting him further?
Rosemary: The same way Elizabeth was able to hurt him in order to protect herself.
Allie: Thank you so much Mrs. Coulter for putting this in the right perspective. I'm sorry for not watching where I was walking but I'm glad I bumped into you. I really should be going now; I don't want to be late for dinner. Do you know what time it is?
Rosemary: It is 7:30.
Allie: 7:30! Oh no, no, no.