I have no idea why this chapter was so hard to write, but it didn't help that my 2 year old was sick and didn't want me to do anything but hold her and sit in the rocking chair with her.
I think there will only be one more chapter to this particular story, but I don't feel like my muse is done with these characters, so we'll see what's next. =)
Allie was practically out the door and down the porch steps before Elizabeth had finished knocking.
"Oh," Elizabeth said in surprise.
In the doorway, Sarah Weiss laughed. "She's been watching for you out the window since she woke up. Constable Grant comes home today, doesn't he?"
Elizabeth smiled and nodded. Three days in the infirmary was the longest Carson and Faith had been able to get Nathan to stay without handcuffing him to something, and even those three days had been a battle. Carson and Faith had probably only won on that front because Nathan spent the first two out of those three days mostly sleeping. A good thing, Faith had informed Elizabeth, because sleep was important for healing bodies.
Convincing Allie to let her dad sleep had been more difficult. She understood that he was injured, and that he needed to sleep, but she struggled with actually letting him do any sleeping. She wanted to be right where he was, even if that meant that she was sitting inside the infirmary for hours reading a book. Elizabeth had spent more hours than she would have liked sitting next to someone and worrying about the next time they woke, and the waiting was awful as an adult. She couldn't imagine how hard it was for a child - especially a child like Allie, who was concentrated energy in a young woman's form.
So, between Elizabeth and Gabe, they had been doing their best to keep Allie busy. They stopped by the infirmary a few times a day - usually around mealtimes - and spent the rest of the time doing anything Elizabeth could think of that would keep Allie's mind off of how Nathan was doing.
"Come on, Mrs. Thornton!" Allie called.
Elizabeth laughed and motioned to where Allie was waiting in the road behind her. "I'll be by with Allie later to help her pick up her things."
"Sounds good," Sarah agreed.
Behind Elizabeth, she heard Allie call out, "Gabe!"
By the time Elizabeth had made her way to Allie's side Gabe had gotten close enough to call out a greeting. "Morning, ladies!"
"Constable. Where are you headed?"
"I was on my way to find the two of you, actually."
Elizabeth barely had a second to think of an answer before Allie jumped in. "Is my dad okay?"
"Oh, he's fine," Gabe assured her with a big grin. "He was still sleeping when I left, the lazy bones. Actually, I was hoping we could go fishing. Your dad wouldn't stop talking about what a fisher you are, and I have to go back to Brookfield soon, so I thought we could go today. Besides, whatever we catch you can make your dad for dinner."
"That sounds great!" Allie had the biggest grin on her face that Elizabeth had seen since she'd returned from Calgary, but it dimmed a few moments later as she glanced between Gabe and Elizabeth. "But Mrs. Thornton and I are supposed to go for a ride."
Allie looked so crestfallen that Elizabeth had to bite her cheek to hide her smile. Over Allie's head, Gabe didn't bother trying to hide his.
"Fishing sounds wonderful, Allie. Why don't we go get your fishing poles. You and I can go for a ride later."
"Really?"
"Really," Elizabeth confirmed.
Allie tore off down the lane to her house with an excited squeal, leaving Elizabeth and Gabe to follow at a more moderate pace. Elizabeth reveled at the changes the last several days had wrought in her relationship with Allie: they were well on their way to being back to the level of comfort they had enjoyed before everything had become complicated, and the wariness that Allie had first regarded Elizabeth with when she returned from Calgary was mostly gone. Part of that was due to the steps that Elizabeth had taken to reaffirm her care for and investment in Allie as a person, and part of that, she knew, was because the scare of Nathan's return home had made everything else pale in comparison. Elizabeth herself had been made to face the fact that losing Nathan would not hurt less for not being in a relationship with him. In some ways, it would hurt more.
Elizabeth had come so close to losing Nathan. By her own actions, yes, but particularly through circumstances that she wasn't sure she'd ever fully understand. Gabe had not given her the information she sought, and she knew without asking that Nathan would not tell her. He would underplay what had happened, and whatever his role had been, just as he'd tried to underplay his injuries. But Elizabeth knew without knowing: she could see it in the fading bruises that echoed the fingers that had been clasped around his throat, and the wince of pain Nathan couldn't quite hide whenever he moved the wrong way. It didn't lessen her fear to see it - to know it - but neither did it lessen her resolve.
She had lost Jack to a senseless accident, but she had not lost everything they had built or the love they'd shared. Elizabeth had their son to remind her of that every day, and a handful of pictures, and the imprint that true love couldn't help but leave on a heart it had touched.
If Elizabeth had lost Nathan, she would have none of those things. Nothing but a pile of regrets and missed chances; a declaration of love that she had chosen to let go unanswered.
"I have the poles!" Allie yelled. "You can use my dad's."
When they were close enough, Allie handed the longer fishing pole to Gabe, who studied it quickly. "This is quite the fishing pole."
"Thanks," Allie said brightly. "We made them."
"You and your dad?" Gabe asked.
Allie nodded. Elizabeth had never seen their fishing poles, but at this new information she narrowed her eyes at the poles. They were simple but beautifully made, and clearly well-loved and well-cared for. It shouldn't have surprised her since she had proof of Nathan's remarkable craftsmanship in the form of a plaque in the library, but it did. Elizabeth found herself wondering what else Nathan had made.
"I didn't know you knew carpentry, Allie," Elizabeth said conversationally as the three of them turned and headed for the pond.
Allie shrugged. "A little. I'm not as good as my dad, though. He says it's because I don't have the patience for it yet."
"I have a cousin who does beautiful wood work," Gabe told them. "He's the most patient person I know. Some of his work takes him weeks to do. He'll work on it for hours at a time, every day, until what started as a lump of wood turns into something beautiful. I've never understood how he does it."
Elizabeth smiled to think of Nathan quietly shaping wood for hours in his spare time.
"My dad says it helps him think," Allie offered.
"I bet. What else do you and your dad like to do, other than fish?" Gabe asked.
Allie shrugged again. "We read a lot."
"You do?" Elizabeth asked, perking up. She distinctly remembered Nathan telling her at one point that he had never been particularly engaged with school, and that as a child he had tried to bribe his sister to do his math homework. Knowing that he liked to read was something of a surprise; she had simply assumed that he was someone who preferred to be always doing something. It made Elizabeth realize all over again that, for all that she did know about Nathan, there was still a lot that she didn't know.
"What about you, Elizabeth?" Gabe asked. "Do you fish?" When Elizabeth sheepishly admitted that she didn't, Gabe laughed. "No, I didn't think so. How about I take Allie fishing for a little while, and we'll come find you when we're done so you can go for your ride?"
Elizabeth hesitated. It wasn't that she had anything else to do - Elizabeth had cleared her day to make sure she had ample time to spend with Allie - but she wasn't particularly interested in fishing, and she did want to check on Nathan.
"You don't mind?" Elizabeth asked of both Allie and Gabe.
"Nope," Allie said with an exaggerated pop on the 'p' and a smile.
"Go on," Gabe said by way of an answer. "If Nathan is awake, tell him to get his lazy bones out of that bed already."
Elizabeth snorted. "I will do no such thing."
"I know, but it would be funny. Anyway, we'll see you soon. What do you say, Allie? Should we race to the pond?"
"But you don't know where you're going!"
"Then you have the advantage. I'm warning you, though: I'm quick."
"Bye, Mrs. Thornton!" Allie hollered over her shoulder as she and Gabe took off at a sprint in the direction of the lake.
Chuckling quietly to herself, Elizabeth changed direction and headed into town. She tried to decide as she walked whether or not to go straight to the infirmary, or stop by the café for a cup of coffee first. It wasn't quite mid-morning, but Gabe had indicated that Nathan was still asleep when he'd been at the infirmary. If he was still sleeping then Elizabeth didn't want to wake him; if she stopped by the café first she could not only get a cup of coffee, but she could bring Nathan something to eat.
Unbeknownst to Elizabeth, Nathan was awake and that very moment attempting to dress himself in the infirmary. After the third failed attempt he simply decided that he would have to walk home in his long sleeved undershirt and uniform pants. There was no way he was going to jacket back on, and he certainly wasn't going to make another attempt to put it on. Truthfully, he felt awful. He hadn't bathed in days, and though he'd managed to keep himself fairly clean on his walk home he had still been wearing these clothes for the last few days. The dirt from the journey felt gritty in the places it clung to his skin. Nathan hadn't thought about it until right then, but he didn't know how he was going to manage the work of bathing on his own.
"Wasting no time, I see." Carson had appeared from the other side of the folding screen, and Nathan had a sudden thought.
"Actually, Carson, I ... well, I might need your help with something."
"Sure, Nathan. What is it?"
"A bath?"
Nathan said it so plaintively that Carson snorted. Carson had treated more than one set of cracked ribs in his time as a doctor, but he knew that Nathan would face an interesting set of challenges that most of his other patients had not. With a daughter to care for, but no wife to help him, life was going to feel like quite the challenge for the next few weeks.
"I can help with that," Carson assured him.
So, Carson put up the closed sign on the infirmary door and then set about the task. The tub had to be brought in, and the water boiled before it could be put in the tub, but that was the easy part. Trying to help Nathan out of his clothes without causing him further pain was an exercise. In fact, there was no way that Nathan could have managed the feat on his own. He couldn't have carried the tub, or the water, or even raised his arms high enough to wash his hair without causing himself significant pain.
If Nathan were a different, less humble man, the whole thing might have wounded his pride as much as it did his body. But Nathan was not a different man, and by the time they were done it was clear that finally being clean again had considerably lifted his mood.
"If memory serves, I have a clean set of clothes in my saddlebag. Well, maybe not the pants. Did my saddlebags make it?"
By the time Nathan was clean and dressed, and his wounded arm rebandaged, he felt as though he'd just run several miles. He did feel better, though, and he made sure to thank Carson for his help as the doctor cleaned up and removed the tub. Nathan could already tell that he was going to have a hard time remaining inactive for the next few weeks. He felt terrible not being able to help.
"You look like a man who's ready to go home," Carson said when they were done.
Nathan chuckled. "You could say that. The walk home will feel like an afternoon stroll after this."
"About that," Carson started. "I've spoken with Lee and asked him to drive you home from here. I know it's not far, especially considering how far you walked to get here, but the ride will be smooth enough that it shouldn't hurt any more than walking, and it'll take less time. The less stress you put on your body for the immediate future, the better."
"I appreciate that, Carson. Thank you."
"Don't mention it. We're just glad to have you home."
Just then, the door to the infirmary opened and Lee, Elizabeth, and Faith filed in one after the other.
"Well, isn't this a party," Carson said.
"We are party people," Lee pointed out.
"Are we?" Elizabeth retorted doubtfully.
Everyone laughed. The bath had been wonderful, but seeing Elizabeth's smiling face lifted Nathan's spirits in a way nothing else could.
It was reassuring to see Nathan awake and sitting on the edge of the bed the way he was. There was also the fact that he was in a state that Elizabeth had never seen him in: his hair, clearly still wet, was falling forward onto his brow instead of being brushed back; what had been a five o'clock shadow a few days ago had progressed into the first stages of a beard. Despite being in a room with several other people, Elizabeth felt suddenly as if she were seeing something private. Without prompting, her imagination took her somewhere she hadn't anticipated: to some morning in the future, in the warm light of a bedroom with Nathan perched on the edge of the bed, just as he was now ... but it was their bed, and Elizabeth had won the battle of who was going to get up first and start breakfast, and it was the first time Elizabeth had allowed herself to picture what a future with Nathan would really look like.
The sweetness of it - and how much she wanted it - took her breath away.
"Your chariot awaits to carry you home, brave sir," Lee said, and everyone laughed.
"What was that?" Faith teased.
"My wife has finally rubbed off on me."
The humor had given Elizabeth a chance to regain her composure. She smiled now, glad to see that everyone was in high spirits.
"I just happened to show up at the right time," Elizabeth hedged shyly. "This will be a great surprise for Allie, though. Gabe took her fishing, so you'll be home by the time she gets back."
"Just don't let her jump on him," Carson warned her. Then he looked at Nathan. "Understood?"
Nathan sighed and smiled. "Understood."
"Come on, then!" Lee said enthusiastically. "Let's get you home!"
Gathering Nathan's saddlebags and few other belongings took relatively little time. Lee had retrieved it all before Elizabeth could do more than think about it, and Carson and Faith were helping Nathan slide carefully off of the bed, so there was little for her to do in that moment. In fact, she wasn't sure whether she should let Lee handle taking Nathan home by himself or not when the decision was made for her.
"Sorry, Elizabeth, but you'll have to climb in the back," Lee informed her. "When we get to the house you can get out on my side, and we'll help you out of the car, Nathan."
So, she climbed into the back of the car, and Faith and Carson helped Nathan into the front seat as Lee went around to climb behind the wheel. He drove slowly and kept up a steady stream of chatter as they went; Elizabeth wasn't sure if it was just because Lee was a talker by nature, or if he was trying to keep Nathan's mind off any pain or discomfort he might have been feeling. Elizabeth couldn't see his face to determine how he was faring.
When they pulled up to Nathan and Allie's row house, Rosemary was waiting on the porch.
"Welcome home!" Rosemary said with a sweeping gesture and a bright smile.
"Thank you, Rosemary," Nathan answered.
Lee had already parked and exited the car, and he held out a hand to help Elizabeth out of the back before the two of them circled around to the other side of the car. Either by chance or by design, Lee had opened the door which meant that Elizabeth was the one to hold out a hand for Nathan. He unfolded himself slowly from the car, but when he took Elizabeth's hand and started to pull himself up and out of the seat he audibly caught his breath at the way the movement pulled on his body. Lee quickly stepped to the other side and took Nathan's other hand and then put an arm around his lower back so that he could assist with bearing his weight.
When Nathan was finally standing outside the car, the three of them simply stood there for a minute. Nathan needed a minute before attempting the stairs. As take-charge as ever, Rosemary had already opened the door to Nathan's house and was waiting just off to the side to offer whatever help was necessary.
There wasn't enough room on the stairs for the three of them to go up at the same time, so Elizabeth let go of Nathan's hand and let him and Lee take the stairs first. If Nathan stumbled or started to fall she would not have the strength to catch him, so it made more sense for Lee to help him for this part. Still, it was hard to watch Nathan navigate the stairs with halting steps and know that it caused him pain to do so, and that there was nothing Elizabeth could do to make it easier.
By the time everyone was inside and Lee had helped Nathan take a seat on the couch, Elizabeth could see Nathan's energy flagging. He needed food - she had spied Lee before she'd gone to the café, so she hadn't brought him anything to eat - and more sleep. Rosemary had clearly made the same observation. She began to shoo Lee toward the door with a light hearted wish for Nathan to get better and a promise to bring dinner by the following evening to make sure that Nathan didn't have to cook; all of a sudden, it was just Nathan and Elizabeth in the quiet of his home.
"Can I get you anything before I go?" Elizabeth offered. She wanted to stay with him - talk to him, maybe, or simply sit in silence and keep him company - but they weren't there yet, and she had no idea how to broach the subject.
Nathan wanted to decline, but thought better of it. He was so tired after such simple exertions that it was hard not to feel disheartened. Carson had said it would only last for a few weeks, though, and he'd endured worse conditions for longer.
"A glass of water, if you don't mind."
Nathan closed his eyes and listened to the sounds of Elizabeth moving around behind him. His body ached, but it was manageable; the exhaustion was annoying. Carson had repeatedly impressed upon him the importance of taking it easy, and how much longer his healing would take if he didn't listen, so Nathan was going to do his best to follow the doctor's orders.
They were approaching noon, and the sunlight streaming through the windows had warmed the room. With his eyes closed and the sound of the water pump being worked behind him, Nathan's mind began to wander. Is this what it would be like? To share a life with someone - with Elizabeth? This easy quiet that had settled around them, and the sun warming the back of his head, and this ... sense of peace? The thought made him sigh. Yes, he thought, it would be like this ... and it wouldn't, because Allie would be sitting at the table telling them about her day, and how Robert may have finally decided that he like-liked Allie after all, and little Jack would be scattering his toys from one end of the room to the other as he dragged them over one by one to show his big sister, and Elizabeth would come and tuck herself into his side ...
"Nathan?" Elizabeth said again.
But Nathan's only response was a quiet sigh. Elizabeth smiled to herself and set the glass of water down quietly on the table. She'd perched on the couch next to him the first time she'd said his name and he hadn't answered, worried that something was wrong, but now realized that he'd simply fallen asleep. Nathan was too tall to fit on the couch and Elizabeth wasn't sure how comfortable he could be, but there wasn't much to be done for it. Elizabeth stood and retrieved a throw blanket that had been draped over an armchair. Elizabeth covered Nathan, smiling a smile as she did so that would have made his heart stutter to see it, and then let herself out of the house on silent feet.
She'd go find Allie and Gabe, and maybe if they hadn't had any luck catching fish they could still go for that ride together.
"I'd hug you, but I might break you," Gabe teased.
Nathan snorted a laugh as he shook his friend's hand. "Keep telling yourself that, Kinslow. Don't find any adventure on your way home, huh? I won't be there to save your skin this time."
Gabe grinned. "Says the man who was shot," he retorted quietly. He turned to Allie, who was standing next to her father with a long face. "Your dad wasn't kidding - I've never been out-fished before."
"Do you have to leave already?" Allie asked plaintively.
Gabe and Nathan smiled at each other over her head. "I do. But maybe, if you ask him nicely, your dad can bring you to Brookfield for a few days. You can see Lillian and Grace again, and play with the children. And I can show you my fishing spot."
Allie sighed and nodded. She had taken to Gabe the way Nathan had always imagined she'd take to having an older brother. Then, perking up, Allie handed him a small brown bag. "I made you lunch!" she told him in a happier tone.
"Let me guess: grilled fish?"
"No," Allie said with a giggle. "Just a sandwich. Dad said it'd be easier to eat in the saddle."
"And your dad was right. Thanks, Allie-gator."
"Allie-gator?" Nathan repeated.
"Only Gabe gets to call me that," Allie said quickly.
Gabe winked at Allie and then shot Nathan a mischievous smile. "Our secret. Sorry."
"Sure you are," Nathan groused under his breath.
Gabe made his way back down the porch steps, and Nathan and Allie followed. He'd said goodbye to the other friends he'd made in town, but had ridden out to Nathan's house to avoid making him walk all the way into town. Now, Allie hopped down the steps to stand next to Gabe's horse while he tucked the sandwich she'd made him into one of his saddlebags.
When Gabe was settled in the saddle, he grinned at Nathan and said, "Hey, Grant, tell that schoolteacher of yours -."
"Gabe," Nathan interrupted warningly.
But at the same time, from somewhere behind Gabe, Elizabeth's voice said, "Tell me what?"
Gabe pulled his horse around and there was Elizabeth, who had apparently made her way unseen down the lane while everyone was saying their goodbyes. Jack was next to her, his little hand in hers, and she had her basket in the other hand. For a moment, the three of adults simply stood in a mixed silence: Gabe looked like he wanted to grin but was trying not to, Elizabeth had something of a blush spreading over her nose and cheeks, and Nathan was too stunned to do anything but stare at Elizabeth.
"Uh, goodbye. I thought I missed you."
Elizabeth smiled and swung the hand of hers that was holding little Jack's. "Someone insisted on walking on his own."
"As he should," Gabe said indulgently, smiling and giving Jack a wave.
"Allie said she was making you a sandwich for the trip, but I thought I'd add a snack." She held up the basket. "Blueberry muffins."
"The whole basket?" Gabe asked delightedly.
Elizabeth chuckled. "Sadly, no. I packed three for you, but the rest are for Nathan and Allie."
Gabe rolled his eyes dramatically and stage-whispered down to Allie, "Lucky."
Allie grinned and popped over to where Elizabeth was standing to help. She reached for little Jack's hand, who babbled happily at her and wrapped his toddler hand around Allie's fingers and followed her happily toward the porch stairs. Elizabeth retrieved the muffins she'd set aside for Gabe and moved to store them in his saddlebag.
"Be safe," she told him. "And thank you. I hope the next time we meet it'll be under better circumstances."
Gabe tipped his head at Nathan. "Maybe between you and Allie you can talk this one into taking a little vacation. Brookfield has a great fishing spot, and I know Lillian and Grace would love to see you again."
Elizabeth smiled. "I'll keep that in mind." She glanced at Nathan and felt her heart flutter to see how intently he was watching her.
When Gabe waved and rode off, Elizabeth turned back to the assembled group to see that Allie was helping Jack navigate the stairs up the porch. He was getting better and better at the going up part, but still struggled with going down. Allie waited patiently until Jack had made it up the last step and then the two of them simply disappeared inside. Nathan had only been home from the infirmary for three days - Elizabeth wondered if it meant anything that she'd been by their house enough in the last few days that Allie didn't even bother to ask her if she was staying.
Elizabeth smiled shyly at Nathan as she moved into the space next to him on the porch.
"Hi."
"Hi. Blueberry, huh?"
"Allie said they were her favorite," Elizabeth told him.
Nathan smiled, but there was a humor to it that Elizabeth couldn't place until he said, "Well, that's not entirely wrong."
Elizabeth chuckled when she realized what he was saying. "Let me guess: blueberry is your favorite." Nathan nodded and they shared a smile.
"She does like blueberry, though."
For a minute they just stood on the porch staring at each other while the sounds of their children floated out through the open door. Nathan was reminded of his dream from a few nights ago: him and Elizabeth cuddled up on the couch watching Allie and Jack play on the floor. He'd woken alone on the couch hours later to the sound of someone in the kitchen, and the way his heart twisted when he realized that it was Allie and not Elizabeth had been bittersweet. He hadn't even heard Allie come home.
Now ... Gabe had called her his schoolteacher, and Elizabeth hadn't even tried to correct him; she'd held his hand that day in the infirmary and said that she wanted to talk to him over dinner. What did those things mean? Nathan knew what he wanted them to mean, but after everything they'd been through - after watching her ride away from him - he was determined not to make any assumptions. Elizabeth had said she couldn't be with him, and Nathan had taken that to heart. He'd left in an effort to learn how to be impartial; if anything, he feared he was less impartial now than he had been.
But Elizabeth hadn't said anything about that moment in the infirmary, or the dinner, and though she'd been particularly warm and open with him, Nathan had done his best to write it off as a natural consequence of her concern over his injuries and nothing else.
"Mrs. Thornton," Allie called from inside the house. "Can we have a muffin now?"
In response, Nathan shucked his head at the door. "Come on."
When they were inside, Nathan shut the door as Elizabeth moved into the kitchen and went about unpacking her items. Nathan pointedly did not let himself think about how she was able to retrieve a knife, and the butter, and plates; when she had cut a muffin into pieces for Jack and there were three separate plates on the table she called them into the kitchen. Nathan hung back and shoved his hands in his pockets as he watched them all gather.
Was she waiting for him to extend an invitation to dinner? Was that why Elizabeth hadn't mentioned it again - because she had been waiting for him to do so, and he had missed that chance just as he'd missed so many others?
Weren't they past all of the missed opportunities that lay behind them? Or were they just going to start that awkward dance all over again?
"What is it?"
Elizabeth had crossed the room to stand in front of him, and though he could see Allie and Jack enjoying their snacks at the table they were far enough away that Nathan thought he might be able to have a (mostly) private conversation with Elizabeth.
"I was just thinking of that dinner you mentioned," Nathan explained. He waited to see if Elizabeth would hesitate, or try to explain it away.
Instead, Elizabeth inhaled deeply and nodded once. "When I said we should talk."
"Do you still want to have it?"
"Very much," she answered earnestly. "But your injuries have made you so tired, and I didn't want to take your focus off of healing, and Allie ..." Elizabeth trailed off for a moment and once again they were simply watching each other. Then, with the slightest hesitation that hinted at the courage it took for her to do so, Elizabeth reached across the distance that separated them and took Nathan's hand in her own. "Before you left you said that maybe we all needed some time, and I've been doing my best to give us all that. But, I also want you to know that Lucas and I parted ways, and that I am ready to have that talk whenever you are."
Nathan studied the small, feminine hand now grasped in his own as he took in her words. Elizabeth's hands were soft and warm, and Nathan subconsciously rubbed his thumb in small circles over the back of her hand. He'd assumed that she and Lucas were no longer courting, obviously, because her behavior would have unacceptable otherwise, and Elizabeth would never do that. To him or Lucas. But hearing it relieved a weight that Nathan hadn't been entirely aware of carrying.
Suddenly, with the possibility of everything he wanted literally staring him in the face, Nathan felt incapable of waiting. They had done enough waiting and second guessing.
"Tonight," he said.
"What?" Elizabeth asked in surprise.
"Let's have dinner tonight. You and Jack are already here, and Allie and I can cook for you."
Elizabeth's mouth opened in surprise. The delay was understandable because he had sprung the idea on her, but Nathan felt that familiar tightening in his chest as he prepared himself for the let down.
"Only if Allie and I make dinner," Elizabeth responded after a moment. "You're supposed to be taking it easy."
Nathan couldn't help it: the smile that lit his face was impossible to reign in. "Deal," he said quickly.
Elizabeth's heart leapt. Nathan's face was incandescent, and in that moment he smiled at her as though he hadn't experienced a single moment of sadness or doubt in his life. He was a handsome man, but in that moment he was the most attractive person she'd ever seen. Happy, open, honest; she could think of so many adjectives to describe Nathan in that moment, yet they all paled in comparison to the reality of him.
"Mama," Jack said from the kitchen.
Nathan finally released Elizabeth's hand - though he very much did not want to - and Elizabeth smiled before returning to the kitchen to clean up the mess her son had made. Galvanized and excited, Nathan finally moved in to the kitchen as well and began clearing the kids' empty plates.
"You still have to eat yours, dad," Allie reminded him.
"And I will," he told her. "Why don't you take Jack to the back yard and let him run out some of his energy. I think your kick ball is still out there."
"It is," Allie agreed. When Elizabeth had pulled Jack out of his high chair Allie held her hand out to him and then helped him outside, running back in when he was on even ground to snatch up a few of her toys that were more suited to his age and then running out again.
"Leave the door open!" Nathan called as she went.
And that was how they spent the day. Nathan sat down to eat his muffin, which he swore up and down was the best muffin he'd ever tasted, and then he and Elizabeth stood together at the sink and cleaned the few dishes to the sounds of Allie and Jack playing in the yard.
Elizabeth had not anticipated spending the day at Nathan's house, so when she professed the need to go home to retrieve what she would need for Jack for the rest of the day Nathan immediately offered to keep Jack with him and Allie to make the trip easier. Jack had been so preoccupied with Allie outside that he'd hardly noticed when she left.
Nathan's ribs still bothered him; his arm was sore around his wound, but that seemed to be healing faster than his ribs. Still, when Jack and Allie came inside and Jack indicated that he wanted to climb into Nathan's lap he didn't hesitate. Jack had brought a wooden dolphin that Nathan had carved for Allie and a small rubber ball with him. He was unwilling to put either toy down for even a moment to climb onto the couch, and Elizabeth wasn't around to scold him, so Nathan took a seat and then leaned forward and lifted Jack up into his lap despite the pain it caused him.
Now that Jack was occupied with Nathan Allie opted to sit at the table and color. That was how Elizabeth found them when she returned: Nathan seated on the couch with Jack perched on his knees and a lap full of toys, and Allie beyond them both contentedly coloring away.
Jack glanced up and said her name by way of greeting and then went about playing. Elizabeth grinned and shook her head. Her son was maturing by leaps and bounds seemingly overnight, and it was both a joy to watch and bittersweet. More than that, however, stepping in to such a scene had tugged at Elizabeth's heartstrings in a way that made her feel as though she were falling and flying simultaneously.
Elizabeth placed her items on the floor near the couch and moved to sit next to Nathan and Jack. The latter didn't look up from the dolphin he was playing with; the former offered her a tender smile.
"I think this couch is too high for little Jack to have navigated climbing up here on his own," Elizabeth said with a knowing look.
"No," Nathan replied dramatically. "He did it all on his own. He was very determined."
"Dad lifted him up," Allie deadpanned from the table.
Elizabeth snorted. Nathan's brows drew together in a frown and he shot a feigned look of hurt over his shoulder. "Really? You gave me up just like that, huh?"
"Are you ready to be outnumbered?" Elizabeth teased.
"We're not really outnumbered, are we, Jack?" Then Nathan fixed her with a serious gaze and said, softer, "I'm ready for whatever you're ready for."
Elizabeth breathed deeply. "Are you? Because," and here she extended one hand and rested it palm up on the couch between them, "I'm ready for this. For us."
The hand of Nathan's that wasn't holding Jack by the waist covered her own and squeezed it gently. "Me, too. We can go as fast or as slow as you want, Elizabeth."
"Thank you, Nathan. That means more than you know."
Unaware that he was interrupting a moment, Jack said, "Ball!" and then foisted it at Nathan so quickly that he had to snatch his hand away from Elizabeth to catch it before it hit him in the face. The sudden motion had Nathan making a face, which Elizabeth did not miss, and she rose to pull Jack off of Nathan's lap and set him on his feet with instructions to go play with the rest of the toys that Allie had dragged out for him.
"Allie," Elizabeth called, "how would you like to help me with dinner?"
"What are we making?"
Though he wanted nothing more than to sit down with Elizabeth and keep talking, Nathan knew that it was getting closer to dinner time and that Jack would start to fuss as he grew hungrier. He stood and went to offer his help in the kitchen but was resoundingly turned away. He chose to stay close by, however, and for some time the house was full of the sounds of laughter and good natured chiding as Elizabeth and Allie took turns trying to shoo Nathan and Jack out of the kitchen by turns.
It was the best dinner Elizabeth had had since losing Jack, and though she and Nathan didn't get another chance to really talk that evening she wasn't worried. They were finally on the same page at the same time, and not even the fear that had kept them apart for so long could dim the joy in their hearts.
So, when Nathan and Allie walked Elizabeth and Jack home after dinner and Nathan quietly asked if they were officially courting with just a trace of that awkwardness that Elizabeth had seen so often in their early friendship, she lifted up onto her tiptoes and pressed a lingering kiss to his cheek.
"Absolutely," Elizabeth answered with a quiet happiness.
For the first time in months, time no longer felt like Nathan's enemy - it felt like a gift.
Because now, they had all the time in the world.