Chapter 5
Elizabeth was waiting at the entrance to school the following morning feeling rested and excited to talk with Allie. As she looked across the school yard her eye was immediately drawn to the tall figure in the red serge walking with his daughter. As had become their habit they hugged each other goodbye at the edge of the school yard. Allie went to join up with her friends Emily, Opal and Anna. Allie looked so happy today. Elizabeth thought that was a good sign for how the rest of the day would go.
As the cowbell rang, Allie and her friends climbed the steps into the school. Rather than ducking behind Elizabeth's back to enter Allie walked right up to her and handed her a note. Elizabeth recognized the handwriting as Nathans. All it said was, 'Mrs. Thornton, Allie and I would like to meet with you after school today. If that is a problem please let Allie know and we can schedule for another time.' It was signed Constable Nathan Grant. Elizabeth questioned the formality of it but was so happy that they wanted to sit down with her she had high hopes that their reconciliation could begin sooner rather than later.
At 3:30 the cowbell rang and the students raced out of school trying to enjoy the last hours of a fall day that felt more like late summer rather than mid-fall. Elizabeth was finishing up at her desk while Allie waited in her seat. A light knock on the door alerted them to Nathan's arrival. Elizabeth couldn't help but think how good he looked in his red serge, even better than Jack had given Nathan's tall, muscular build.
Elizabeth started "Nathan, it's so good to see you. I'm glad we could meet today. What did you want to discuss?"
Nathan shot a look to Allie who gave him a quick smile and a small head nod encouraging him to tell her teacher what she and her dad had decided. Nathan began "Mrs. Thornton, Allie and I have had several conversations stemming from your decision a few weeks ago. Given the demise of our relationship Allie and I have decided that, for now, the most important thing for the two of us is to be able to move forward in a manner that allows each of us to heal from the pain we have felt." Any hint of smile on Elizabeth's face quickly disappeared and the look on her face changed to one of sadness. Nathan continued "to that end, Allie and I have drawn up a list of boundaries that we both agree need to be established that will enable us to move forward." Holding back the tears that were stinging her eyes Elizabeth broke in "Nathan, is that really necessary?" The look on Nathan's face told her that yes, for them, it was necessary. "Mrs. Thornton, please let me finish. Moving forward I will refer to you as Mrs. Thornton and I would appreciate you referring to me as Constable Grant. Allie and I will of course be cordial with you but our interactions with you will be limited to school related matters only unless you have a situation that requires Mountie assistance. We would also appreciate that you would refrain from giving Allie life advice. Allie is my daughter and I want her to come to me with any questions she may have. While I don't know the answers to all the questions a 13 year old girl might have, Allie has a strong support network of mothers and women in Hope Valley that she will always have someone she can talk to. This list of boundaries is not extensive but we do ask that you respect our wishes. Allie and I have agreed to review how things are going after a few weeks to see if we're comfortable softening or eliminating any of these boundaries."
Elizabeth was at a loss for words. She looked from Nathan to Allie and saw the resolve on both their faces. She knew that trying to contradict anything Nathan had said would not go over well. After taking a deep breath, Elizabeth finally found her voice. "Allie, this is what you want too?" Allie nodded without reservation telling Elizabeth that this "boundaries list" wasn't just something being dictated by Nathan. Still struggling to find her voice, Elizabeth quietly agreed to what they had shared. "I will do my best to respect your decision. I would ask your forgiveness should I forget to follow any of these as it will take me some time to get used to the boundaries you're establishing." Nathan nodded and thanked Elizabeth for her time. He got up to leave and he and Allie walked out together arm in arm.
Once they were on their way back to their row house, Nathan asked Allie how she was feeling. "Dad, I think we did what was right for us. I don't think we did it with any intention to be hurtful. I know you're always focused on what's best for the people of Hope Valley but sometimes we have to do what's best for us."
As happened more and more frequently, Nathan was blown away by Allie's maturity. Dinner at the Grant house that evening was happier than it had been in a very long time. Both Nathan and Allie felt as though they were now in a position to move forward and find their happiness again.