Disclaimer: I do not own the characters within this story. All rights and much respect go to Crown Media, Hallmark, Brian Bird, Michael Landon, Jr., the actors, creators, and writers of the show "When Calls the Heart."
Chapter 20- Are You My Daddy?
"Well Jack, I love your name," Elizabeth stated as she knelt down and placed herself at eye level with him.
He surprised her as he leaned in and kissed her cheek, "I love you Miss Elizabeth."
"I'm quite fond of you too, Jack," she responded.
Elizabeth stood; "My fiancé's name is Jack," she mentioned to Margaret. "I guess it's a popular name."
Margaret took Jack by the hand, "Young man, we need to wait by the car. Aunt Emily will be done any time now." She started to walk away but turned to face Elizabeth, "It was very nice meeting you dear. We may see you again some time."
"It was very nice meeting you as well, Mrs. Harris. I hope to see you again. Have a nice evening," Elizabeth called out as they headed for the parking lot.
A few minutes later, Elizabeth observed Jack's truck pull into the parking lot. The barn help needed the aisle way clear, so Elizabeth returned Bugsy to his stall. She completed grooming him, and checked him over for nicks, cuts and any other out of the ordinary injuries.
Elizabeth wondered where Jack had gone, as there had been plenty of time for him to reach Bugsy's stall. She looked out the stall door and observed Jack talking with Margaret Harris. Aunt Emily approached and hugged Jack before climbing in their car and leaving.
"Hmm, that's odd," she thought.
Elizabeth stood at the door listening to Bugsy munch hay as she watched Jack walk across the courtyard to the barn area.
"You are such a friendly person. Have you ever met a stranger?" Elizabeth asked.
Jack was hesitant, but knew it best not to hide anything, "That was Jamie's mother and her sister, Emily. I had no idea that Emily had taken up riding again." Jack stepped into the stall, grabbed a brush and began to groom Bugsy.
"Does Jamie have any more sisters?" Elizabeth asked, praying all the while that the answer would be a resounding "YES!"
Jack continued brushing, "No, it's just Jamie and Emily."
"What about the little boy that was with them?" She asked, her demeanor quickly moving toward desperate. She leaned up against the wall of the stall, trying to keep from collapsing.
"What little boy? Are you okay? Elizabeth, what's wrong?" Jack dropped his brush and grabbed her arms as she started sliding down the wall.
"Jack, they introduced me to the little boy. His name is Jack; she's his Nana; Emily is his… no Jack that makes Jamie his mother," she barely managed to release the words, as she felt the air beginning to suffocate her.
"I didn't see a little boy. What are you talking about?" His words were rushed.
Elizabeth had difficulty releasing her breath to speak. "Jack, their sweet little boy was introduced to me as 'Jack.' He's four years old. Emily is his aunt, and if they have no brothers or sisters, then Jamie would be his mother. His name is Jack…a coincidence?"
Jack stood motionless, counting back the years to see if the time line fit. For the first time since they had met, she saw a look of fear in his eyes.
"Jack…Jack…" she called out to him.
"I'll see you later. I'm going to get some answers," Jack stated as he rushed toward the door leaving Elizabeth feeling broken.
Elizabeth sat against the wall as she twirled her engagement ring around her finger. Somehow she just knew that Jamie would impact her life in some way. She didn't understand her keeping a child, his child, a secret from Jack. Now she wondered what changes this new information may have on their plans.
Elizabeth attempted to complete her barn chores, periodically taking time out to check on Onyx. She must have looked devastated, as several people came to make sure she was okay.
"Elizabeth, when you're done with Bugsy, would you mind turning him out for the evening?" Stacey asked as she made one final trip out to the field to release horses.
"No problem," Elizabeth replied, "I have nothing else to do," she whispered. She was, however, happy to get away from the watchful eyes in the barn. All she wanted to do was get home, and close herself up in her room. She finished grooming Bugsy then quickly headed for the field and a little piece of solitude.
She sat on the edge of the water trough watching the horses play, but not really seeing them. Her eyes saw what was before them, but her mind was visualizing Jack and Jamie. She checked her watch. Jack had been gone for an hour and a half, "certainly enough time to resolve this issue," she unrealistically thought. She pulled out her phone, but quickly realized that she had no texts.
"Jack, what's happening…?" Before she knew it, she had pushed SEND!
She sat watching the screen on her phone for what seemed like a lifetime. There was no response. Her mind ran wild. Were they arguing; did they decide that they really did care about each other, or did he realize that being a father to Little Jack meant saying goodbye to her?
She dragged herself back to her Jeep. She did her best to keep the tears from falling, but she was worried; she was angry and she was scared that her life was on the verge of blowing up in her face.
She returned home and found that Rosie was out for the evening with Lee. Part of her was happy to have the apartment to herself, but the other part of her wanted someone to talk to.
"Looks like it's just the two of us, baby girl," Elizabeth said as she and Onyx headed down the hall to her room.
Elizabeth felt empty, lost, as if she had been dropped into the middle of a maze with no way out. She pulled out her journal, finding the need to understand the jumbled thoughts clouding her brain. She sat back on her bed and read her most recent entry…
"Feelings, thoughts, dreams and desires, move us forward, occasionally changing our course, forcing us to wonder why we made certain choices. We rush through life heading for what we believe is our destiny, only to be saddened by the disappointing inevitable outcome. We lose hope as we realize that we are constantly kissing frogs, when all we want is that one illusive Prince Charming. Does he exist? I used to wonder myself. I quickly realized that I could not spend my life searching for someone I wasn't certain even existed. We can't depend on someone else to bring us happiness as that has to come from within. Being comfortable in our own skin; knowing what we want in life, and choosing to take life's adventures as they are handed to us, allows us the opportunity to grow, expanding our horizons. God places us where he wants us to be. He knows better than anyone who and what are right for us. Do I believe Prince Charming exists? I do now, and nothing and no one will ever prove to me otherwise."
She couldn't help but wonder how this new person, this precious little boy would impact their relationship. As much as she loved Jack, there was possibly a child involved and he would need to come first. She flipped to the next page, wiped her eyes before the tears could dampen the paper and then began to convey her feelings…
"Why is being a grown-up so hard? It seems that all of the planning, worrying, and wondering gets in the way of living. As children we think that our lives are so hard, even unbearable at times. To a child, being told to go to bed at 8pm, being the last person picked for Red Rover Red Rover, or worrying that a boy's touch on your skin will transfer cooties are problems which often seem too immeasurable to fathom. As we mature our life's concerns take on new dimensions, pulling us in different directions, requiring us to consider others besides ourselves. What we want often takes a backseat to what is right and necessary. Giving up what you want most in the world for the benefit of another is by far the most unselfish act imaginable. Love survives all; they say…I'm not so sure!"
Elizabeth closed her journal and again wiped the tears from her eyes. She pulled Onyx up into the bed with her, holding her tightly. She glanced at her phone…still no messages. How could he leave her in the dark?
"Jack, what's happening…?"
"Please call me…"
"I'm worried about you…about us…"
She sent off text messages in rapid succession, then sat back to await a response.
*Knock, knock, knock…
"Hey," Rosie stated as she entered Elizabeth's room. "I just wanted to let you…what's wrong?" She quickly asked, observing Elizabeth's tear stained cheeks.
Elizabeth told her what she knew, which wasn't much. However, it was enough to cause them both to worry, and Rosie to feel equally heartbroken for her friend.
She couldn't sleep. Every time she closed her eyes she saw that sweet little boy…Michael. No, he was no longer Michael. He was Jack, and as small and sweet as he was, she couldn't help but wish that she had never seen him. But she had, and now her life could be forever changed as a result.
She lay awake waiting for him to call, to text, to stop by…anything, but yet there was nothing. Finally, at 1 am her phone chimed…
"U awake…?"
"Of course. Been waiting to hear from u. What did she say…?"
"Talked to her parents. They said no. Have to talk 2 Jamie…"
"I hate doing this by text. We need 2 talk in person…"
"I need 2 think. I'll c u B4 school. Taking leave 2morrow…"
"Jack…?"
She waited for a response, but there was none. He had shut her down, and she was afraid that he was going to shut her out. She stretched out in bed with Onyx sound asleep tucked under her arm and lying across her chest, but sleep would remain elusive.
Jack sat at his kitchen table, a glass of scotch in his hand. He felt the need to lose himself in the alcohol, but chose wisely against it. He looked wildly about the room, unable to focus on any one object. He looked down at his phone and saw the text from Elizabeth, but he couldn't respond. He knew she would have questions that he was unable to answer. He hoped to know more when they spoke later.
Both Jack and Elizabeth remained awake all night, neither one able to sleep.
Elizabeth was very thankful for the early morning sunrise as it finally gave her a reason to crawl out of bed. She took Onyx outside while her puppy food soaked slightly. Once back inside, she fed Onyx and quickly got ready for school, wishing she wasn't so anxious to see Jack this morning.
Elizabeth pulled into the school parking lot, expecting to see Jack's truck parked next to her usual space, but it was empty. She sat in her Jeep as she watched teachers and support staff alike arrive and enter the building. She could wait no longer and she gathered her supplies for the day and headed inside. Sitting at her desk she pulled out her phone…no texts or messages.
"I thought I would c u this morning…"
A few minutes later her phone chimed…
"Sorry, forgot. Left early 4 Charlottesville…"
"Thanks for the consideration…"
"Sorry. Wish me luck…"
"I don't even know what that means…"
"I'll c u 2night. I love u Rebecca…"
"Not n a joking mood, Jack…"
"Me either, I'm sorry…"
"Drive safe and maybe I'll c u 2night…"
"Don't b like that…"
"Like what? U r the 1 pushing me away…"
"We'll talk 2night. I promise…"
Elizabeth did her best to put on a happy face for her students. She did well until their quiet reading time when she was left alone with her own thoughts. The tears flowed easily, and when questioned, she simply attributed it to allergies. The children were easy to fool, her teacher friends knew better.
Jack pulled into Jamie's driveway. The address provided by her parents was the same one he had remembered from before. Unfortunately he remembered spending many nights there. However, to be fair, if Little Jack turned out to be his son, could he really view it as something bad? Children are blessings, and he would need to see the positives in what he and Jamie shared together.
Jamie was advised by her parents that Jack was on his way. He rang the doorbell, and as the door opened, Jack saw Jamie and a handsome green eyed boy standing shyly behind her.
"Hi Jack. I guess we need to talk," Jamie invited him inside.
She reached down and picked up Little Jack, "Jack, this is Mr. Thornton. He is a very good friend of mine."
Little Jack stuck out his arm to shake Jack's hand, "Pleased to meet you sir."
Jamie placed Little Jack on the floor. She then squatted down to his level, "Mommy needs you to go to your room and play so Mr. Thornton and I can talk."
They both watched as the child headed down the hall to his room.
"Would you like some coffee or something?" She asked.
"No, I just need some answers," he replied.
"I'm sorry Jack. I had no intention of you finding out like this," she stated.
"Don't you mean that you had no intention of me finding out at all?" He asked.
"That's why I came down to visit. I had heard you were living in Virginia Beach, and I wanted to talk to you. You were too busy with, oh what was her name…"
"Elizabeth and she's my fiancé now," he quickly remarked.
They talked for hours; their conversation was broken up several times by Little Jack who would enter the room seeking attention before disappearing again down the hall.
Jamie admitted to Jack that he was Little Jack's biological father. "If you recall, we had talked about having a child together."
Jack exhaled hard and shook his head at the thought, "Jamie, I don't know who you had that conversation with, but it certainly wasn't me. We used protection to keep this from happening. Or at least you said you were on the pill. Was that not true?"
"I didn't lie to you then and I'm not lying now," she said sternly. "How could you refer to our precious son like he was an accident?"
Jack apologized, "I don't mean it the way it sounded. He certainly wasn't planned, but I do believe that all children are a blessing, no matter how they enter this world. Jamie, I'd like to think after everything that I could believe you but I hope you understand; I'd like a DNA test done."
She reached out and took his hand, but just as quickly he pulled it away. "I loved you, Jack. I still do."
"If you cared about me, and he is my son as you say, you would not have kept me away from him for four years." He walked down the hall and peeked in the room to watch this little miracle playing.
"I was keeping tabs on you," she stated.
Jack turned back around and returned to the den, "What does that even mean? Are you doing this now because I'm involved with someone?"
"Jack we were good together, and we have this precious little boy to show for it," Jamie approached, her hands touching him.
Jack stepped back, "Jamie, this (he signified a finger pointing between the two of them) is not ever happening. I love Elizabeth, and if she'll allow me to repair what I've done, my future is with her." He was adamant, and she quickly felt the cool brisk chill in the room.
"Every time I look in that little boy's eyes I see you. You don't trust me?"
Jack didn't see it; maybe it really wasn't there, or a part of him was simply hoping that it wasn't there. "He's four years old now and this is the first time I've seen him. You expect me to believe you?"
"By the time I found out that I was pregnant, we were having problems. I wanted to tell you so many times, but then you walked away from us. I figured that I had something of you that no one could take from me," she tried to explain.
Jack became angry, "How dare you make decisions for me. I have missed so much time with him; time that I will never be able to get back."
"You didn't want to stay together," she yelled.
Jack snapped back, "That doesn't mean I couldn't have been his daddy. You owed me the truth. That is if he is mine."
After many harsh words, Little Jack again stepped into the room. "Mister, are you mad at my mommy?"
Jack squatted on his knees, bringing himself to Little Jack's eye level, "I'm sorry. I'm not mad at your mommy. Why don't you tell me a little bit about yourself?"
Jack maintained his composure until Little Jack told him about this wonderful lady named Elizabeth who gave him a pony ride. "She is so nice, and I bet everyone loves her. Well, I sure do."
Jack wiped his eyes, "No doubt you are right about that."
Jack spent several hours with Little Jack before acknowledging the need to return home. "I want to spend more time with him," Jack stated as he stepped out onto the porch.
"I'll be in town tomorrow afternoon. Why don't we have dinner? We can talk more then." She suggested.
Realizing that Elizabeth would be heading to Boston for the weekend to work on wedding plans, he saw no problem. "I switched shifts, so I'll be off at 3pm. Are you staying at your parents' place?"
"Yes, but we can meet you some place, unless you would like to have dinner alone…I mean to talk," she offered.
"Jamie, I'm not interested in rekindling our relationship. I want to get to know my son. That is if he is my son," he admitted. "If I set it up, will you allow him to be DNA tested tomorrow?" Jack pushed.
"Jack, he's just a little boy. Do we have to put him through all of that?" She asked.
"There's nothing to it. You know just as well as I do, it's a simple cotton swab," he reminded her.
"Let me think about it," she hedged, trying to put him off.
"Jamie, I can get a court order if necessary," Jack advised her.
"I'll be in town tomorrow. We can discuss it then," she stated as she stepped back inside and closed the door.
Jack stepped off the porch as he tried to calm down his breathing. It was already 3pm, and he had a three hour ride home, He had promised Elizabeth that they would talk, but he didn't really know what to tell her.
Back at home, Elizabeth was thankful for the end of the school day. She drove by the apartment and picked up Onyx, changed clothes and headed for the barn.
Several of the boarders were heading out on a trail ride…
"Do you want to go, Elizabeth," she was asked.
"Thank you but I think I'll stay here. I'll be meeting up with Jack shortly.
She held her cell phone in her hand, fearful of missing a call or text from Jack. She had checked her phone multiple times, but nothing. "How could he leave me hanging," she thought. She didn't want to call him in case he was busy. Although impersonal, she sent him a quick text…
"R u on ur way home yet…?"
Jack was pulling out of Jamie's driveway. He didn't know what to say, so he unfortunately chose not to respond.
An hour later…
"Jack, R u still there…?"
Ten minutes later…
"R u OK…?"
"Jack, please don't shut me out…"
Elizabeth finished taking care of Bugsy. She didn't feel like riding, so she put his blanket on him and turned him out in the field for the night. She gathered Onyx from the play area, and headed for her Jeep. Again she checked her phone, but nothing. She was worried, but she was quickly becoming angry.
Elizabeth arrived home. She fed Onyx and placed her in the crate for a nap.
"I'm tired of sitting around waiting on Jack. I'm going out for awhile. I have my phone if you need me," she advised Rosie on her way out the door.
Elizabeth got in her Jeep and started driving. She eventually found herself in front of Jack's apartment. He was home, but according to her phone, still had not responded to her texts. She parked her Jeep and headed for his apartment. Hesitantly she rang the bell and waited. She had never been this nervous to see him before. The door eventually opened, and she saw him, emotionally drained, but the same man nonetheless.
"Elizabeth…"
"Are you okay?" she asked as she walked inside and quickly wrapped him in her arms.
"I'm so sorry for all of this," he stated as they walked inside and he closed the door behind them.
"What did she say?" Elizabeth was anxious and found herself fidgeting with her hands while awaiting his answer.
"She said that I'm his father, but…"
"But what?"
"I have my doubts. I want a DNA test, and she's balking. There are some things she said that makes me wonder. She expects us to be a family. I don't want you to worry about this," he advised. "What time does your flight leave tomorrow? You go and enjoy your time with your family, and I'll take care of this."
"Excuse me… are you listening to yourself? Not worry? How do you figure I can keep that from happening? As for my flight, it leaves at 5:30, but Jack we need to resolve this before we move forward with the wedding," she stated sadly. "I love you, but I won't come between you and your…I'm sorry, I can't even bring myself to say it."
"My son?"
"He's just a small child, a precious gift from God. How he got here is not his fault. Jack, when you were seeing Jamie, were you two exclusive? I mean, is it possible that she was seeing someone else during that same time?" She asked.
"I have never been one to see more than one person at a time, but Jamie…I just don't know," he replied.
She lowered her head, unable to make eye contact. "Once you get the results and you figure out what you're doing, let me know. Just remember Jack I do love you," she stated as she rolled her engagement ring around her finger. "But if he turns out to be your son, he has to be the priority; not Jamie, not me, and not you."
"Elizabeth, I can do both. I can be with you and still spend time with the boy," Jack reached out and took her hands in his.
"His name is Jack," Elizabeth corrected him quickly. "I'm just not sure where I fit in right now."
Jack took her left hand and brought it to his lips. "You belong right here," he remarked tapping the left side of his chest.
"I'm not so sure," she stated as she stood to leave.
Jack stood and took her arm, "Please don't leave."
"Jack, I have been trying to get you to talk to me since this started, and you refused to include me. I have a stake in this, or at least I thought I did." Before he could respond she asked him for a glass of water.
"Here you go," Jack returned from the kitchen to find the den empty, her purse and jacket gone, but her engagement ring was left sitting in the center of the coffee table.
He rushed to the door, but the hallway was empty. He stepped back inside, ran to the window and watched as she opened the door to her Jeep and looked up. Seeing him she wiped the tears from her eyes, climbed in her Jeep and drove away.
Her phone immediately rang, but she didn't answer. It then chimed…
"Please don't do this…"
"I won't get in the middle of everything…"
"U r my everything…"
"U need to work this out w/o me n mind…"
"I can't do this w/o you n mind…"
"I love u, Jack. Once u figure out what u want let me know…"
"I want to reverse time, keep this from happening…"
"But it did…"
"I love u, Elizabeth…"
"I know. That's y this is so hard…"
Jack held her engagement ring in his hand, finding it hard to believe that just a few weeks ago he was on the top of the world. Now his world was spinning out of control.
He curled up on the sofa, feeling like he had been swallowed whole, with tiny pieces of himself being strewn everywhere. He needed to gather himself and think. Something wasn't quite right, but he couldn't put his finger on it.
He picked up his phone, "Hey, this is Jack. Yes, I know you know who I am. Sorry, I'm a bit rattled. I know it's late, but I need some help…"
Elizabeth returned home. She took Onyx out for a walk before heading to bed. She glanced down at her left hand and now found it to be incredibly bare. She wasn't tired, but all she wanted to do was curl up in a ball and wither away. She was upset with herself that she had allowed Jamie to get under her skin. By giving Jack the engagement ring back, did that just provide Jamie with a clear shot at Jack? If Jack was the father, wouldn't it be logical that they would want to make their family work? The more she thought, the more nauseous she became.
Elizabeth reached into the drawer of her bedside table and pulled out her journal. She wasn't certain that writing down her thoughts would resolve her nausea, but it certainly couldn't hurt.
"The reality of life is that it is far too easy to be selfish; to put what we want over and above everything else; to push for that which will make us the happiest, even if others are left numb. However, once true love enters the equation, selfishness often dissipates. For love is an extremely powerful emotion. It will lift you to the highest of highs, but when unappreciated will take you to the depths of despair. The success of any relationship will weigh heavily upon each person's ability to place the needs and desires of another before their own. Giving up that which you desire the most for the betterment of another is noble, but it certainly does not diminish the pain."
The following morning Jack reported to work as usual. At 10:30 he received the information he needed…
"Need to talk 2 u. R u on a break…?"
"No, spelling test…"
"I'm off at 3. Please don't leave b4 I see u…"
"Jack, I meant what I said last nite…"
"I know and maybe u would be right if he was mine, but he's not…"
"Elizabeth…?"
"Sorry, dropped phone. How do u know…?"
"Debbie at Juv. Ct ran info thru computer. DNA done 3 yrs ago thru Roanoke Ct… 99.996% chance"
"Chance of what…?"
"That it's someone else…Someone else is already paying child support…"
"That B****..."
"Watch ur language. U r in school…"
"Meet me at our tree, 3:30…?"
"I'll b waiting…"
Each one in their respective places took cleansing breaths. Each one in their respective places was angry. Elizabeth because Jamie had attempted to push her out of Jack's life, and Jack, because Jamie took her son, also known as Jonathan from one man, and attempted to give him to another.
"How could someone be so cruel?" He thought.
School let out at 3:05 and Elizabeth hurried her students down to the bus ramp. She had someone special to meet, and didn't want to be late. She pulled up to Lake Smith and saw his truck among a spattering of vehicles in the parking lot.
She rushed over the small hill and saw him standing by the tree. It was now their tree as it would forever contain their initials.
"I'm so sorry, Elizabeth," Jack greeted her.
Elizabeth rushed right to him, said nothing, but her lips covering his spoke volumes. Her arms wrapped around his neck pulled him close. His arms around her waist brought her even closer. He pressed her against their tree, holding her tightly. He didn't want her to leave. She didn't intent to leave.
His arms were strong and his lips were soft. His body ached for hers as his fingers traced the outline of her body from her hips upward. His finger ran gently across her lips as her teeth nibbled slightly, and her tongue touching his fingertip sent a feeling of warmth throughout his body. Oh the things he wanted to do with her; to her, for her.
Jack stepped back slightly, "Elizabeth you have a flight to catch. I have to meet Jamie…"
"Excuse me?" Elizabeth pushed him back so she could slip out from his hold.
"Don't be upset. We had set a…we were going out on a… we have a dinner…"
"Date? Is that the word you're looking for?" Elizabeth quickly sounded disgusted.
"Elizabeth, wait. She has no idea what I found out today. I just need to confront her," he stated.
Elizabeth calmed slightly.
"Are you packed?" He asked. "You need to catch your flight. The sooner we make wedding plans, the sooner we can get married." He held her hands in his bringing them to his lips. "Oh wait," he dropped down to one knee. "Will you marry me, please?" He reached in his jacket pocket and pulled out her engagement ring.
"Yes," she said softly as the tears flowed easily.
He stood and slipped the ring back on her finger. "That ring belongs there. Please don't take it off again. Come on, I need to get you to the airport," he took her hand and started to pull her toward his truck.
"No Jack. I don't want to leave you. If you need to confront her, I want to be with you," she demanded.
Through his own misty eyes, he could see tears pooling, beginning to slip down her cheeks, "I love you so much. I want you with me, but the sooner you plan the wedding of your dreams, the sooner we can make us a true reality."
Jack pulled out his phone. I don't really want to see her, and I can say what I need to say here…
"Jamie, I won't make dinner 2nite. DNA already done. Jonathan Marks is his father. Don't ever contact me again…"
Jack took her arm and they ran for the parking lot. Jack pulled her suitcase from her Jeep and placed it in his truck. They rushed to the airport, but she still missed her flight.
Elizabeth approached the Customer Assistance desk, "I need some help…"
She eventually made her way onto the plane and took her seat. This flight would take longer as they would have to fly west before returning east. She never understood the many layovers contained in flying, but this time she would accept the change, embrace it, and look forward to new adventures that would come as a result of it.
"Good evening Ladies and Gentlemen. I am Captain Robert Copeland, and seated beside me is First Officer Anthony Saunders. We would like to thank you for flying American Airlines. Sit back and close your eyes and we will be on the ground before you know it."
As the plane took off, she dug her nails into the arm of the passenger beside her, "I'm so sorry," she said as she jerked her hand away. "I've never liked take-offs."
"Apparently," he replied with a smile as he attempted to rub the nail marks from his arm.
She felt like they had been in the air for hours, and really all she wanted to do was arrive and finalize her plans. She was at the point where they could not get married fast enough for her.
Her ears began to pop and itch, telling her that they were beginning their descent.
The flight attendant walked the aisle collecting trash, stopping momentarily at Elizabeth's seat, "Are you okay ma'am?"
"Yes, why?" Elizabeth replied.
"You just seem a bit flushed," the flight attendant remarked.
"I'm fine. I've just never been a fan of flying," Elizabeth smiled softly.
The flight attendant held out the bag to collect Elizabeth's empty coffee cup. "Oh my, what a beautiful ring!"
Elizabeth held it up for closer inspection, "I'm getting married."
"Well, you've come to the right place," she stated as she continued up the aisle way.
Suddenly the pilot came over the loud speaker, "Ladies and Gentlemen, we have begun our descent, and will be arriving in Las Vegas in about twenty five minutes. The temperature is a very comfortable 62 degrees and you should see a beautiful sunrise in just a few hours. Thank you for flying American Airlines, and we hope you enjoy your stay in the city that never sleeps."
"That's funny. The city that never sleeps," she thought as she looked to her left and observed Jack sound asleep. He was oblivious to how quickly their lives were about to change.
She leaned over and pressed her lips to his, awakening him enough to passionately kiss her back, but not enough to realize that they were still on the plane and surrounded by lots of passengers.
"I love you. Thank you for saying 'Yes' again," he brought her left hand up to his lips, kissing the finger that held the symbol of their bond.
"Thank you for asking me again," she snuggled into his shoulder.
The plane taxied up the runway eventually stopping at Gate A-22.
"Are you okay?" Jack asked.
"I'm more than okay. We're finally on the ground, and I'm with you…"
The exit door opened and the passengers began to file out of the plane. Jack pulled Elizabeth's overnight bag from the overhead compartment and they followed the rest of the passengers. Standing inside the airport with Elizabeth's bag in his hand, Jack had a realization…It's a good thing that I'm not planning on needing any clothes during this trip!"
"Jack…" she laughed shyly.
To be continued…
