Chapter 44: Reflection on the Journey

Elizabeth sat at her vanity table, putting on her dangling earrings and clipping back a portion of her hair on both sides. Once that was done, she glanced at her reflection in the mirror. Not your typical first date look, but she was pleased with her appearance. As she stood, she walked over to the full-length standing mirror in the corner of her room for one more last look at the whole effect. As she smoothed her beige skirt and she admired the way that her beige lace blouse coordinated so well with her skirt, she recalled something. This outfit was the one that she wore when Nathan saw her and Jack at the pond so many years ago. When he asked her the question that stirred her so much, she moved forward with her writing.

She covered her mouth, suddenly realizing just then as if the memory of this moment in this specific outfit jarred a whole series of memories. It was Nathan's prompting that was the key that got her writing again. Lucas may have allowed her to pursue it seriously. But it was Nathan who got her to examine herself and find the writer that she was meant to be. She smiled to herself and then looked slightly over to the left to see the wooden disc etched with two hearts hanging from the knob of her mirror. She flipped it over and read the Emerson quote, "Give all to love; obey thy heart."

She finally started listening to her heart and not running away anymore. It was Nathan; it always had been. He was the inspiration behind her writing her novel and he was the one in her heart. She thought to herself, "How fitting is it that I'm wearing this outfit on our first date?" Once again, she looked at her reflection before her and smiled, pleased with the outcome.

Allie and Robert had both said that they were busy at the time of the date, so Elizabeth asked the Coulters if they could keep an eye on Little Jack for the evening. Rosemary came over to pick him up and was chatting with Elizabeth at the doorway when Robert came up the steps with a bright smile on his face.

The women and Little Jack greeted him warmly, and then Elizabeth wore a confused look on her face as she asked, "Robert, what are you doing here? Do I have mail?"

Robert grabbed an envelope out of his carry bag and responded, "Well, sort of Mrs. Thornton. My services are being used today to deliver some other things. Listen, I've got to go. I have another delivery to make and it needs to be on time. See you, Mrs. Thornton. Mrs. Coulter. Jack."

Robert ran down the steps and onto the path towards town. Elizabeth and Rosemary exchanged puzzled looks before laughing out loud.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Open it, Elizabeth!", Rosemary encouraged as she gestured towards the letter.

Elizabeth smiled and looked down at the envelope. "Wait a minute, she thought to herself, this is Nathan's writing. Oh no, he's changed his mind and he's canceling." Her smile dropped all of a sudden, and Rosemary looked concerned and said, "What is it, Elizabeth? You haven't even opened it yet."

Elizabeth gave her friend a concerned look, took a deep breath, and answered, "It's from Nathan, Rosemary. It's after 3 o'clock, and he sent a letter instead of being here in person. What does that tell you? He's changed his mind."

"Oh fiddlesticks, Elizabeth! He has not! Now, will you just open the letter and see what he has to say for himself!" her friend expressed in a stern voice.

Although tears were forming in her eyes, Elizabeth inhaled and exhaled a few times and gathered the courage to open the envelope. Then, she read it.

Welcome to our first date.

Honestly, I promise that it will be great.

On an adventure, you will go

This is a test of what you know.

It's all about you and me.

Look around at what you see.

Each location will have a clue.

The first one is standing right in front of you.

"What in the world, Nathan Grant?!" Elizabeth read the poem again but still stood there looking at it confused. "Rosemary, I don't...", Elizabeth started to say as she looked up. But there, her best friend stood, holding her son in one arm, wearing a wide grin on her face and holding another envelope in her free hand.

"You! You're in on this?" Elizabeth said in shock as she swatted the first little note at her friend's arm. Rosemary giggled and nodded excitedly, handing her the second envelope. Elizabeth gave her a playful scowl and snatched the envelope out of her hands. She opened it and read the next clue.

This first location is an interesting place.

Part of the reason we've moved at a snail's pace

We have had good and bad times and times that are ugly

But it's all part of our very own journey

It was where we first met that one memorable day.

However, it's also where you chose to walk away.

She looked up at Rosemary thoughtfully and said, "The jail? Why in the world?"

Rosemary put her free hand on Elizabeth's shoulder, looked at her friend intently, and answered, "It's a part of what has made the two of you who and what you are, Elizabeth. Trust Nathan. He won't lead you astray, I promise."

Elizabeth sighed, nodded her head, and looked at her friend. "I know that he wouldn't. I'm confused, but I trust him and I trust you." Elizabeth answered.

Rosemary grabbed Elizabeth's basket off the table, handed it to her friend, and said, "Maybe you might want to take this. You have a few more stops to make. And with that, I will bid you adieu, because I've already said too much. I love you, my dear friend. Enjoy this adventure and your love. Ta-ta!". Rosemary waved her hands and then waved Jack's as they exited the rowhouse.

Elizabeth shook her head, placed the two envelopes into the basket, and headed towards the jail to see what awaited her there.

When she arrived at the jail, she grabbed the doorknob, took a deep breath, and walked in slowly. But Nathan wasn't there, so she walked over to his desk, thinking that she'd see her next clue there. Although there was no clue, she saw that there were two photos in hand-carved frames there instead. The first thing her eyes fell upon was the same photograph of Nathan and Allie that he had given her during their time apart. Next to it was the photo of her and Jack in Hamilton that she had sent to him. She touched the frames carefully, knowing his brilliant craftsmanship at first glance.

The door opened and Elizabeth stood up straight. There in the doorway was Robert, with an envelope in hand.

"Hi again Mrs. Thornton, I have another delivery for you. I'll see you later." he said, as he quickly handed her the envelope and rushed out of the room. Elizabeth chuckled and said to herself, "I'm sure you will, Robert. I'm sure you will."

She opened the next envelope, not quite sure what to expect at this point.

Now that you've found your way over here

You'll be onto your next stop soon, don't you fear

It was here that I learned about the writer you are.

As you should know, it isn't very far.

I asked you an important question there.

A hint, to show you back then, that I did care.

At the bottom of the message, Nathan drew a heart with a question mark inside. She giggled and shook her head. "Like I didn't know that you meant the pond, Nathan Grant." she said out loud and rolled her eyes. She put the message back into the envelope and placed it in the basket. Elizabeth went to the jail door, looked back around the room, and paused for a moment. She thought to herself about how far the both of them had come since the first day that they met, or even that awful day two years ago. With a heavy sigh, she closed her eyes and whispered a quiet prayer of thanks for all the moments that they had had, where she was now, and dedicated the next chapter of their journey together to the Lord. When she opened her eyes, she walked out of the jail, onto the boardwalk, and closed the door behind her. Next stop... the pond.

Elizabeth got to the pond, but there was no one there. She went up and looked out onto the water. Elizabeth thought again about how fitting her outfit was for this date. Just then, she heard the rustling of approaching footsteps. Elizabeth turned and was half expecting to see Robert again, but she was surprised to see Allie. When she saw the young girl, she smiled. Allie, in return, smiled back at her teacher.

"Let me guess, Allie, you're part of this little adventure too?" Elizabeth inquired, chuckling.

"You bet! So, I have your next message here. I can talk more after you read it. I'll just be over there until you're ready.", Allie said as she handed Elizabeth the envelope and pointed off to a nearby tree.

Elizabeth nodded and immediately opened the envelope to read the next message.

This is where we had our first fight.

And both of us believed that we were in the right.

But we both knew, deep down, that there was so much more.

Little did we know the journey that was in store.

I think I realized how I felt and the intensity

And that is why later, I said you mattered to me

Elizabeth held the message to her heart for a moment as she reflected on that time. The fight in the cabin came after being so scared of the storm. It was full of such passion that they couldn't have and didn't understand back then. She was too afraid and blind to see it, and Nathan, well, he was too new to it all. This was such new territory. Elizabeth smiled, thinking of it all, but then she realized that the cabin was a bit of a journey and that it was later in the day. How would she get up there in an appropriate amount of time at this later hour by foot?

Just then, she heard something in the distance. There, under the tree, where Allie was waiting, were Newton and Sergeant, tethered to it. "Of course, he thought of everything," she mumbled to herself as she walked over to where Allie and the horses were.

Allie and Elizabeth rode through the forest to the cabin in no time. Elizabeth was sure that Nathan would be there waiting for her. Both of them got off the horses and tethered them to the posts outside of the cabin. Allie told Elizabeth that she'd wait there outside, and although confused, Elizabeth nodded and walked into the cabin.

There in the cabin, on the table, lay another envelope and two red chrysanthemums next to it. She took them in her hands and smelled them. She returned the flowers to the table and read the next message.

The next stop is an interesting one.

And something, that may not be much fun.

But once again, it is a very big part

You could say, in a way, how we got our start.

It is time to go pay a short visit

To honor some loved ones for just a bit.

He's thoughtful and technically correct; as difficult as it is to visit the jail and cemetery, they are an important part of what makes our journey what it is. Funny, he says we started at the cemetery. Wait... he came to Hope Valley to look after Jack and me. And he made those things for Lucas' memorial spot and then he found me there and took care of me. ", Elizabeth thought to herself as she reflected.

She placed the envelope into the basket along with the two flowers and headed over to Allie. "So, we are off to the cemetery." she told Allie. Allie nodded and got onto Newton. Elizabeth handed her basket to Allie as she mounted Sergeant, reaching for the basket afterward.

The ride to the cemetery was a quiet one as the two somberly rode the horses. When they got there, once again, Allie chose to stay behind. Elizabeth smiled sweetly at Allie and then made her way to the two graves. There, laying on top of Jack's headstone, was another envelope. But before her attention went to that, first she went to the basket and took out the two red mums. She laid one on each of their graves and stood back, looking between the two markers.

Thank you for the love you both gave me in this life.I am who I am today because of that love. You will both always be in my heart for that. Thank you for giving me Nathan, Jack. He has stepped in and done his job well. He has looked over Jack and me with total dedication and loyalty and has loved us wholeheartedly through every season these past few years. You'd be pleased with him.

Lucas, thank you for being the companion that I needed at a certain point in my life. You were a joy to be with, and you pushed me beyond my comfort zone when it came to my writing. Just know, I loved you too, in my way. Elizabeth spoke over both graves. Then, when she finished, she kissed her hand and placed it on Jack's grave, and they gently touched Lucas's marker.

Elizabeth grabbed the note on top of the gravestone, opened it up, and read it.

I hope that was not too rough, my love

Keep looking for His strength from above.

It is time for Allie to say goodbye for now

And you go where there's lots of grass for a cow

You opened your heart to me here

You know the place, Lizbeth, my dear.

"Jack's land?", Elizabeth asked Allie, and Allie nodded, mounted Newton, and waved goodbye. Elizabeth mounted Sergeant and headed in the direction of Jack's land.