The strung popcorn and glass balls on the colorful tree brings back memories for Lucas as he takes a second to breathe after tonight's festivities. A long day of memories he never wanted to end, but is happy it did. Overseeing such affairs may be part of running a business, and his way to give to the citizens of Hope Valley, but the ordeal has left him fatigued and ready for some well deserved rest. But before Lucas retires for the night, he notices a name in front of him. A Wish, so carefully scrawled onto the glittery wood of the figure of an angel. A name he has come to care about. She fascinates him, an aura from not of this world eminates from her every day. Lucas has gotten to know her, and has seen her pale blue eyes ignite with passion over the tiniest of things. Her spontaneous spirit has kept him on his toes, but her drive is well balanced with hard work and honorable dedication. She can be so gentle, yet course with stubborness. Not one moment did she shy away from him because he is a saloon owner. Lucas reads the angel to himself. The words are simple, but Lucas catches onto the longing in it.
"I wish to marry the love of my life." Lucas removes it from the tree, and conceals it within his coat pocket, held by hope. His lungs swell at the thought of fulfilling this request one day. Lucas thinks of Elizabeth, and the same regard her had for her when they first met, but this thing with Miss Sutton felt different somehow.
Nathan attempts to wind Allie down enough for her to be willing to go to bed, before finally becoming firm-willed around ten o'clock. Nathan could not get Nyrah out of his head. Jealousy. When she confided in him during the floating lantern send-off, he smiled, and offered her whatever advice he could, but in honesty, his emotions were crushed into powder. Jude Wesley. Nathan will do a background check on him, for obvious reasons. Where did he come from? What are his intentions? Nathan does not trust him. The mountie fumbles Miss Sutton's gift from his pocket. He'll still give it to her. It's a charm bracelet. The same that Nathan got for Allie, except there are charms on it that reflect Nyrah's personality. For some reason. Nathan got it into his head that both his niece and Miss Sutton would have fun with the idea. They seemed like instant best friends when they all "fished" at the pond. The three of them wrangled in blue gill on six more separate occasions since then. Nathan recalls Elizabeth, and the responsibility he owed her, and this idea gives him pause. Perhaps his interest in Nyrah is only a phase, even though he is not certain of it. He actually had interest in Elizabeth before this other woman came into his life. He will never forget the first time they met, watching her fall from that boat, brings another smile to his lips. Nathan makes a call, and he waits for someone to pick up.
"Hi, Constable Nathan Grant requesting a background check. The name is Jude Wesley."
The syrupy scent of roasted chestnuts steams and swirls a magical dance into my nostrils. This will be the first time eating them, for me. Anticipation fuels my tongue into action. The flavor is not what I expected. It isn't bad. But it isn't good either. Even in the late hour, I just brought these chestnuts from the tail end of the festival. My bones ache and moan within me, but I still manage to trudge behind the Coulters, heading for home. Lucas brought in Clara for extra help. Between all of us employees at the Queen Of Hearts, we still ran out of food and raced faster than a fluffle of bunnies, which I knew about, but forgot to mention to Lucas that it would be a good idea to stock up with more supplies. But, I'm not complaining. The pot luck was enough to dissolve any regrets. Lee's pocketwatch says eleven at night, and I still have until tomorrow to finish those final two sketches. He checked it four seconds ago
"Did you have a good day, Nyrah?" Rosemary asks. The couple slows, allowing me to catch up to walk with them in sync. I beam in response.
"Those floating lanterns were magic! I wish there was a better way to capture their ethereal beauty in charcoal drawings. In my opinion, no matter how beautiful or perfect they turn out, they never do the real image justice." The air is filled with the splendor of Jack Frost, but my coat is flying beside me as I twirl in excitement, the warm paper bag in my palm, crackling.
Lee laughs at me, and Rosemary smiles. "What has you so excited?"
"Nothing," I lie, when in reality, my nerves are aglow with the energy of the sun. This is a chance to move on from my fantasies, and finally take a step forward with someone who has actually shown genuine interest. I'm tired of the games and the constant unknowns, wondering if a man is interested in me or not. Nathan inquired about whether I was fulfilling any wishes on the tree, since he removed Allie's from its branches. As he is a new friend, I confided in him. I don't know why, but something snapped open inside of me, as if I finally realized that I have a right to be loved, instead of pining over an event that may never happen. Jude is a handsome, established young man. Rosemary and Lee would be happy for me, but I don't want to say anything yet. I continue, changing the subject back to art. "I'm just excited about the work I have ahead of me tonight. I'm making a Christmas present for the two of you."
"You're still working? Young lady, we don't mind if the present is a little late. You need your sleep. Underneath all that glee, there is a tired person about ready to collapse." Rosemary frowns at me, taking my chin into her hands, squinting at the circles beneath my eyes. I remove her hand gently. "It's alright Rosmary. If I just have some coffee, I promise this will be the last night I do this until next year." Rosemary purses her lips.
"I'll brew the coffee for you." Lee, takes his wife's arm, and reigns her in from fussing over me, and we head inside, so I can trip on the rug and take a delicate lamp right with me. My hip strikes a floor board.
"Nyrah!" Both of them shout out at me. "Are you alright?" Pain stabs me from my toes to my neck, with the source in between. I don't think it's broken. It doesn't feel broken; I didn't even cry out.
"Yeah, just embarrassed; Your lamp though..." The clattered mess beside me is just that...a mess. Lee waves it off like a mosquito. "It's just a thing. The important thing is that you are not hurt."
"I'm not hurt."
"Good." Rosemary and I clean the glass up, while Lee brews some coffee. I follow the scent, and it is divine.
Upstairs, I change into comfortable clothes. I have been practicing my sewing. So far I have managed a very crinkley and wonky pajama shirt like the ones back home, so I don't wear that. A nightgown and my black robe will have to do even though I don't plan on doing any sleeping. As I begin to pull out the art supplies I purchased today, I catch the pictures from memory. I have five of them to complete, and all of them will take at least a little over an hour and a half. I begin with Lucas' and bullets ricochet in my heart, but I commence the outline, ignoring the pull to reminisce about our past and dream of our future. I already finished Nathan's sketch last night. I am eating lunch at Abigail's Cafe with Jude in the morning. One of these days I will sit down and eat breakfast with Lee and Rosemary. I am guilty as charged for doing things at all strange hours.
Another reason I don't sleep is because of the nightmares. I dreamt of Nathan dying a gruesome death two nights ago, only to discover that I was the one twisting the sword between his ribs. I shake away the night-terror and work on the deep onset of Lucas' brown eyes, shading the contours of his face, when my bedroom door opens.
"Sorry, but when I knocked, there was no answer." Lee ushers in a glorious pot of the best roast around these parts, or so I imagine.
"I apologize. I didn't hear. I must have been too focused."
"That must be our Christmas present."
"Actually, this one is for Lucas. I will be drawing yours next." Lee follows the trail of charcoal down my arm, to the page on the desk.
"Lucas, huh?" His michevious smile causes me to blush.
"What is that supposed to mean?"I ask.
"Nothing at all." Lee sets the pot and tin mug down before he writhes beneath the glare I offer him, watching the man sneak out of the room. I want to chase after him, but I maintain my fragile composer. I am too close to changing my mind, canceling everything with Jude, and waiting for the next twenty years for Lucas to ask me out on a date. This is why I have never dated in my entire life. Love is complicated, and I'm not certain I have the patience for it. It is pure agony so far. I knew that Lee suspected something. My face must have betrayed something at some point.
When I lean back in my chair, done with the first of five, I am already down a third of the steaming pot, and I munch on some more chestnuts. They grow on you.
I then start on the shape of Rosemary's wedding dress from memory, with Lee standing beside her. In the corner of this one, I write something to them.
From the past, to the present, and most certainly to the future. Our dreams are not forgotten or undesired; they sparkle with hope of fulfillment, and they can only reach higher.
I wish that saying was from something, but I made it up this time. It's a personal note from me to the couple, sharing in their desire for a child of their own. I would love to see them be afforded that joy. Of course, they don't know that I know that, but this is my subtle way of telling them, without telling them.
I draw a picture for Bill Avery next. Both him and Jack on a job together, side by side. Jack Thornton on his horse, Sargeant, leading the way with his compass, and Bill on his own horse, pistol at his side. It is three-thirty in the morning.
Now, the next sketch is also technically a Christmas present, but this one is for Gowen. Since his son has not arrived in town yet, I am going to wait to give it to the business owner until the boy does. When it is not Christmas. A sketch of Gowen and his son, each of their hands on each other's shoulder out of respect and care, lies before me. I think I was able to capture the tenderness there. The forgiveness.
At five in the morning, I have one more to complete. It is as if every emotion I have ever experienced while watching this show is in this room, baking into the walls, soaking into the curtains, branding into empty sheets of paper until they overflow. My knuckles cramp, so in attempt to regain some blood-flow, I straighten them. The last one. At six-thirty, my eyes droop, and long to be quenched by tears, but they have been open so long, they are dry as deserts. Two days and nights of hard labor and determination. What have I done to myself? I crawl into bed. I meet with Jude at ten-thirty, so I have time to sleep for two hours. Just two hours. Just...
When I roll over, tucked into a boritto of blankets, my bleary vision focuses enough for me to see what time it is. It is fifteen minutes until ten! All of the blankets fly into the air as I jump from the mattress in panic. Clothes. I need clothes. A simple, normal outfit, but elegant at the same time, obviously. I choose a white blouse with black skirt. To be honest, I look like Elizabeth in the mirror. Of course, this is only after I comb through my short locks and wash my face. An Elizabeth with short hair. Weird.
I am going to be five minutes late, and I stampede down the stairs. Rosemary and Lee must be in town already, living their lives, loving their work. Work. Wait. It's Christmas. All the shops are closed after noon. That is when the Coulter's walk into the house from outside, snow dusting their coats.
"Someone is finally awake," she beams, "we were about to come over and wake you up and see if you would like to join the two of us at Elizabeth's today. Christmas dinner is nothing to shy away from."
"Oh," I have been so busy, I haven't even thought of what is going to happen on Christmas day itself, "I would love to, but I need to meet with someone for an hour first if that's alright." I grab the doorhandle.
"Yes, that's totally fine. We will wait to open presents till you get back." Rosemary walks closer. "Nyrah, how long did you stay up last night?"
"Not too long. I'm sorry, I really am not meaning to be rude, but I am late as it is. Please, forgive me." I rush out the door, and I pray that they are not offended as I trounce off to the Cafe, not even bothering to grab a jacket.
Well...now we know what Nyrah wrote for her wish. I know some of you in the comments were wanting to know. I left it an open door on purpose because of this chapter. I'm thinking we will have one more
holiday chapter because we never found out what the last picture she drew was. I cannot take complete credit for some of my ideas. My sister tells me all the time she is my number one fan, so she reads all of my work before I send it off for all of you to read. of course, I have not done serious editing on this story, so you get the raw content I write. It takes me a while to finish a chapter for that reason. I strive for things to be perfect, even though I know they are not, so I think carefully about every sentence I write. other times, it just flows out of me, like this chapter did. I hope I continue to stay close and true to every character's personality, but I do hope Nyrah takes this time to grow and expand in her character. Have a good day wherever you are! Stay wonderful!