Jack stumbled up the steps of his front porch. Unable to continue on, he sat heavily on the top step, head spinning. He placed his head in his hands with a groan.
His phone vibrated. Jack reached for it automatically. "Thornton," he said, his voice raspy.
"Jack." Henry's voice greeted him. "I have some news, but I think it might be better delivered in person."
"Let me guess," Jack said, giving a humorless laugh. "Lee is my brother. Allie is my daughter."
Silence met him. He could picture the look of shock on Henry's face. "How did you know?" his friend asked, sounding stunned.
"Long story," Jack said stoically. "I need to process this, Henry. I'll call you later."
Hanging up, he let the phone drop from his hands. It clattered onto the porch. Burying his face in his hands once more, Jack hunched over, trying to draw air into his lungs. It didn't seem to be working.
He felt soft arms slide around him and a head rest against his shoulder. He didn't have to look to know Faith had joined him. She didn't ask any questions; she simply sat with him and held him.
Sobs began to shake Jack's body. He clung to Faith, accepting the lifeline she offered. So much had changed in such a short time, but he was the only one who knew that. The emotion poured from him in a way it never had before. Jack wasn't one to cry, much less weep, but for the first time in his life, he wept in the arms of the woman he loved.
He didn't know how long he cried, but eventually his sobs lessened. In their place, a pounding headache formed, a side effect of his extreme burst of emotion. He slumped against Faith, his head resting in the crook of her neck. He felt her shiver involuntarily, and in that moment he realized just how cold it was outside. Neither of them was wearing a coat. Gathering himself, he stood, pulling Faith up with him. "Let's go inside," he said, his voice shaking from his outburst.
Faith complied. They stepped into the warm house, and Jack shut the door firmly behind them. He turned to look at Faith. She was wearing a look of compassion, her eyes soft. "Do you want to talk about it?" she asked.
Taking a deep breath, Jack shrugged helplessly. "I don't know," he said, his throat working. "This is some heavy stuff, Faith."
Faith stepped forward, sliding her arms around him. "Jack, we love each other. Part of loving someone means sharing their burdens. Please, talk to me. Let me share your load."
Jack felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude for the woman in his arms. "Thank you, Faith," he whispered. He bent down to gently press his lips to hers. He meant for the kiss to be short and sweet, but in his emotional turmoil he found comfort in Faith's love. His kiss soon became deep and passionate.
Faith gasped as his lips moved against hers hungrily. "Jack," she said, sounding breathless when he finally gave her some time to breathe.
Jack's lips moved to her neck as he pulled her to him tightly. "Let me love you, Faith," he whispered. "Please. We won't go too far, I promise." He could feel the heat of her skin and the racing of her heart. His lips pressed hard against the pulse beating wildly in her neck.
"Jack…" Faith said again, her tone softly pleading.
He lifted his head, looking into her eyes. He suddenly flashed back to another place and time, where the woman in his arms hadn't been hesitant but eager. He closed his eyes against the memory with a groan. To think of Grace - Colleen - while he was holding Faith felt like a slap in the face. He abruptly let go of Faith and slumped onto the couch, his head in his hands. Tears burned his eyes once more.
"I'm sorry," he said, looking up at her in apology. "I wasn't thinking, Faith."
She sat beside him, placing a hand on his back. "It's okay," she said gently. "You clearly need comfort, Jack. I want to offer you that, but I want to offer it in a way that neither of us would end up regretting."
"I know," Jack said softly. "And honestly, Faith, your presence here is a huge comfort to me."
Faith studied him intently. "You froze when you saw Colleen's nickname," she stated. "You said she looked familiar before that. I'm guessing you had a connection to her."
Jack inhaled sharply. Faith's hand gently rubbed his back. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to," she said. "I'm just mentioning what I observed."
He nodded. "You're right," he said, his voice barely over a whisper. With halting words, he related the story of how he'd met Colleen and how their night together had ended. Faith's expression showed no surprise or pain, just empathy. When he finished the story, he felt surprisingly lighter.
"I'd never had a one night stand before, and I never intend to again," Jack said, looking into Faith's eyes. "That was a huge mistake." He bit his lip, breathing harder. "I assumed that was the end of it. But apparently, Colleen got pregnant."
Faith's mouth dropped and her eyes widened. "Jack," she breathed, understanding in her tone. "You are a perfect match for Allie. And from what you said, the timing of your night with Colleen was about nine months before Allie was born…" She trailed off, shaking her head. "Oh, wow."
"Yeah," Jack said, letting out a long breath. "Wow is right." He paused. "There's more."
Faith tilted her head, nodding for him to continue. Jack shook his head. "Turns out, I have more family in Hope Valley than just Allie. Lee Coulter is my twin brother."
"Lee?" Faith exclaimed, surprise evident in her voice. She stared at him, mouth agape. "Jack, that is insane. The fact that you moved to this tiny town only to find family…" She gave a small laugh. "They say miracles happen here for a reason."
"Miracles?" Jack asked. "This doesn't feel miraculous. It feels overwhelming."
Faith leaned forward, framing his face in her hands. "Jack," she said softly. "You came into Allie's life at a time when she most needed you. This upcoming transplant could very well save her life. Lee has been longing to know his family, to find a connection with those he never knew. Rosemary came back into your life, and the two of you found forgiveness." She smiled, leaning forward even more to brush her lips to his. "And we found each other. We found love. That is always something miraculous."
Jack folded Faith into his arms, once more amazed at the fact that they had been fortunate enough to find each other. His mind was still reeling, but she had helped to calm him a bit.
He knew they wouldn't find any answers tonight. He knew he had a lot to process. But he also knew it was good that he had told her everything.
Together, they would figure out how to move forward.
"Are you ready?" Nathan asked, clasping Jack on the shoulder.
"I think so," Jack said, giving Nathan a wry smile. "I'm not looking forward to the pain, but since it's for Allie, I'd do it a hundred times over."
Nathan knew his friend meant those words. Jack had been quiet, almost withdrawn, ever since he had stumbled from Nathan's house several days ago. At Elizabeth's advice, Nathan hadn't pushed for answers from Jack. The detective in Nathan wanted to investigate, especially since it concerned his sister, but he had promised Elizabeth he would give Jack time to tell them on his own before he tried to find answers.
A nurse walked up and smiled at Jack. "We're ready for you in the prep room, Mr. Thornton," she said.
Jack took a deep breath, then gave Nathan a smile. "This is it."
Nathan wasn't an impulsive man, but he couldn't help pulling Jack into a tight hug. "Thank you," he said, his voice hitching. "Because of you, my Allie is getting a second chance at life."
Jack hugged him back, then stepped back a little self-consciously. "It's the right thing to do," he said with a small smile. "I'll see you in a bit, Nathan."
Turning to follow the nurse, Jack disappeared down the hall. Nathan returned to the prep room where Elizabeth was sitting with Allie. Their little girl was blinking sleepily, the anesthetic slowly putting her under. Nathan knelt beside the bed and took his daughter's hand. "Hey, munchkin," he said softly. "How're you feeling?"
"Good," Allie murmured, her brown eyes trying to focus. "I love you, Daddy."
Tears welled in Nathan's eyes and a lump formed in his throat. "I love you too, baby," he whispered. Allie smiled, then her eyes slowly closed, the medication having taken effect.
Nathan felt Elizabeth's arms slide around him. "She's going to do great, Nathan," she said. "This could be the turning point."
He gripped her hand in his. "I hope so," he said, smiling at her through his tears. "She has to turn a corner."
A doctor walked into the room, giving them a sympathetic smile. "Mr. and Mrs. Grant, I'm afraid you're going to have to wait in the waiting room now. We're about to take Allie to the operating room."
Nathan got to his feet and nodded. It was the hardest thing he had ever done, walking out of that room and letting his precious child out of his sight. He sat in the waiting room for what felt like hours, holding tightly to Elizabeth's hand. He knew his wife was just as nervous as he was, but she was being his rock.
"I love you," he said against her hair, pulling her close to his side in one of the uncomfortable waiting room loveseats.
Elizabeth smiled up at him, pressing a kiss to his cheek. "I love you too," she said. No further words were needed. Elizabeth curled in close to his side, and they sat like that until a nurse came to see them. Both Nathan and Elizabeth stood, anxious for news.
The nurse smiled. "Allie is in recovery," she said. "You can see her now, though she'll probably be sleeping for a quite a while."
Going into the recovery room, Nathan saw Allie laying still on her bed. She seemed to be resting peacefully, and he was thankful that at least for the moment she was out of pain. He sat beside her, taking her small hand in his large one. He just watched her breathe for several minutes, thankful that Jack had given her such a precious gift. He felt hope that Allie would beat the cancer, that she would return to herself again.
He started talking to Elizabeth, though his eyes never left Allie. "I remember when Colleen brought Allie home from the hospital. I had never seen such a tiny person before. I was so afraid that I was going to do something to hurt Allie, because I was so big and she was so small. But I took one look at her face and fell completely in love. I also felt the weight of responsibility. I knew I was the only father figure she would have in her life, so when Colleen asked me to automatically adopt Allie if anything were to happen to her, I said yes immediately. I never imagined it would actually come to that. I thought Colleen would live for years to come. But I knew that whatever happened, I would be Allie's father in the ways that mattered. When I actually adopted her, things didn't feel much different because we were already bonded. It felt like the most natural thing in the world for her to call me 'Daddy' instead of 'Uncle Nathan.' She has been a bright light in my life, even through her grieving process. I love this little girl more than I ever thought possible." He blinked back tears. "I never thought I'd have to face cancer, Elizabeth. There's no history of it in our family. I thought the worst might be Allie falling from a tree she had climbed or something else along those lines. This - the weeks of chemo and the wondering and the waiting - this has been just as hard as losing Colleen." A few tears did slip down his cheeks. "I have hope, Elizabeth, but I'm still scared. What if Jack's marrow doesn't work? What if, despite the fact that he's a perfect match, Allie's body rejects it?"
Elizabeth leaned her head on his shoulder. "We'll cross that bridge if we come to it," she said softly, taking his free hand in hers. "But I'm hoping for the best. I'm hoping that Jack's marrow helps Allie beat this cancer. The doctor said we have reason to be optimistic. Choose hope, Nathan. For now, that's all we can do."
Nathan smiled, pressing a kiss to his wife's forehead. "You're right," he said. "We will choose to hope."
Elizabeth nodded with a smile. "I think we should start planning that trip to Disneyland," she said. "Once Allie is all better, that would be the perfect gift for her."
Heart filling, Nathan drew Elizabeth fully into his arms. "You're the best," he said, holding her tightly. He started laughing as an image came to mind, and Elizabeth looked up in bewilderment.
"What?" she asked, blinking.
He chuckled, shaking his head. "Bless Mrs. Jennings," he said, his voice full of mirth.
Elizabeth's brow wrinkled. "The teacher you didn't like? What on earth are you blessing her for?"
Nathan cupped her cheek. "If she hadn't been so hard on Allie, I never would have met you," he said. "We wouldn't know of each other's existence, much less be married. So yes, bless her." He smiled again. "Have I mentioned how much I love being married to you?"
She smiled, resting her head once more on his shoulder. "Maybe a time or two," she said casually. "But you can say it all you want. Because I feel the same way about you."
"Get used to hearing it, Mrs. Grant," Nathan said, resting his head against hers. "Because I will never tire of saying it."