Chapter 7: At a loss

Elizabeth and the Sergeant arrived at the cemetery fairly quickly. Elizabeth tied Sergeant's reins to a tree near the cemetery gates. She got her satchel with her journal and pen and the scone bag out of the saddle bags and removed her blanket that she had tied to the saddle as well. She looked up at the sun and took a deep breath. She thought of Minnie's statement that sunshine and fresh air are the best kinds of medicine, and how true that really was. She needed today and was thankful that Laura was available to babysit Little Jack during this time.

As Elizabeth walked through the cemetery towards Lucas's and Jack's graves, she looked around at the other headstones that she passed. There were some other fresh graves due to the epidemic as well.

The first set stood to the right of Joe Montgomery's grave. They were the new ones of Gabe and Rachel Montgomery, and then Miles and Amelia Montgomery, both fallen victims of the epidemic that found its way into Hope Valley. Elizabeth remembered her old students fondly and tears started escaping down her cheeks. Cat would now have her hands full with their sons, Donny (Gabe's and Rachel's 4 1/2 year old) and Marshall (Miles' and Mia's 18-month old). Emily, the youngest of her family, would now become the oldest "sister" of her nephews. Cat would continue with her side business of candle making as a supplement for the family. Over the past few years, Cat had developed quite a little nest egg in that side business at the mercantile and in personal orders. Elizabeth touched the headstones and whispered goodbye once again to her former students and continued her walk through the cemetery.

Next, she walked by the grave of Mary Graves. Mary was the first to pass away from the flu. Dewitt had a hard time with all the memories in Hope Valley after Mary passed, so he took his son Caleb up on his offer to join his family in Brookfield. Elizabeth smiled at the memory of when the sweet blended family came together and that had been so much a part of the Hope Valley community over the last 10 years.

When Elizabeth came to the next grave, she sighed deeply and brushed back the tears that were flowing steadily down her cheeks at this point. There, next to Patrick Sullivan's grave, were the graves of Albert and Rosaleen Bickley. These two were such a sweet story. They were childhood sweethearts, and they married soon after graduation. Their 6 month old baby daughter, Rena Lillian, was the spitting image of her mama with her copper locks and big blue eyes, and was now with Molly to stay. Elizabeth placed her hand on the headstone and stroked it for a few moments, whispering sweet words as if the two former students were sitting right there.

By the time that Elizabeth finally approached Lucas's and Jack's graves, she was already emotionally spent. This town has been through so much loss, with first the mining accident of 1910 and now the epidemic. Elizabeth wondered how people like Molly and Cat had the strength to go on the way they did and were doing now. She felt defeated herself. Elizabeth never thought she'd suffer another loss like she did when she lost Jack. When she chose Lucas last year, she thought it was the "safer" choice and that she and Little Jack wouldn't have to suffer another loss like she had faced with losing Jack. But she was mistaken, and now she stood by the graves of her first love and the one she chose. She was alone again, and she didn't know what to do next. Elizabeth fell to her knees at Jack's graveside and sobbed like she hadn't since she first lost him five years ago. She stayed that way for the longest time, and by the time the tears stopped flowing, Elizabeth was not only emotionally spent but physically as well. She got up enough to roll out the blanket next to Jack's grave, and she lay down on it. Maybe, she thought, if she closed her eyes she could imagine Jack's loving arms around her once more. Shortly after she laid down, Elizabeth fell asleep, dreaming of Jack and happier times. And that is how Nathan found her at the cemetery when he arrived a little later that day.