Elizabeth awoke at six o'clock in the morning on Valentine's Day and couldn't fall back asleep. She and Nathan had enjoyed a wonderful pre-wedding dinner at Yost's the night before. The dinner had taken place following a rehearsal ceremony at the church with just the bridal party and both sets of parents. Additional guests had been invited to the dinner so Elizabeth was still on cloud nine between the dinner and now the wedding later today. After checking to make sure Jack was sound asleep, she quietly went to the kitchen and made a cup of green tea. She then sat at the kitchen table with the tea, her journal, and her cell phone.
It's so hard to believe that today is my wedding day! I am nervous, elated, and numb at the same time. I'm not nervous to marry Nathan–I know I'll always worry about him and his job but, I would still rather be with him than not be with him at all. I am at peace with that. And I know we will work through any fears together. But I am nervous about our wedding night. It has been over three years now since I was intimate. Nathan and I haven't really discussed his experience level but perhaps we should. But I'm hopeful that once we are alone together, all of those nerves will melt away quickly just like they did with Jack.
So, I'm elated to become Mrs. Nathan Grant later today. I do love the sound of Elizabeth Grace Grant. I'm numb because part of me cannot wait for the festivities to begin while the other part of me wants to take things slow so I can savor the day. I never thought a day like this would ever come again yet here we are. I am excited for Nathan to see me in my wedding dress and I'm excited to spend four interrupted days with him as well. Though I know we will miss Jack and Allie terribly. Thank goodness for video chats. I just hope Jack isn't too much trouble while we are away. This will also be the longest Jack and I have ever been apart so although he is a very easy going toddler, I do worry about being apart from him for so long.
Elizabeth was interrupted by the text alert on her phone.
"Good morning and Happy Wedding Day! I get the honor of becoming your husband today."
"And I get the honor of becoming your wife. Is it four o'clock yet?"
"I'm sure it is somewhere. But just a few more hours until it is for us."
"I love you, Nathan Grant and I cannot wait to marry you."
"And I cannot wait to marry you, my sweet Elizabeth. You'll find a special surprise on the porch."
Elizabeth smiled and quickly walked over to the front door and opened it. Two dozen red roses inside a beautiful crystal vase sat on the top step. A small narrow box wrapped in red paper with a gold bow sat next to the flowers. Elizabeth took both items back to the kitchen. She placed the flowers in the center of the table and then opened the card that was attached to the box.
Dear Elizabeth,
Just because it's our Wedding Day, I didn't want you to think I forgot that it's also Valentine's Day. The flowers are for Valentine's Day and because I love you. The gift is a rite of passage as you officially become a member of the Grant family today. I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed purchasing it for you.
Love always,
Nathan
Elizabeth gasped as she unwrapped the gift and lifted a gold charm bracelet out of the box. It was exactly the same bracelet that Allie had except this one had different charms on it. The first charm was a heart engraved with NG & ET and the date. The second charm was a microphone. Elizabeth guessed it was because of her performing career. Crying, she picked up her phone to text Nathan.
I love you more than words can describe. Thank you for the flowers and the beautiful bracelet.
I love you too, sweetheart. Glad you like the bracelet. See you soon!
Nathan smiled as he looked at the three heart emojis that Elizabeth responded with. Somehow he just knew that she'd also be awake early today so he had quickly driven over to the house and left the items on the porch. Nathan took a sip of his coffee and turned back to his laptop. He was working quietly in the kitchen while Allie and his parents were still asleep upstairs. Nathan knew that he should relax but given that he'd be away from work for the next five days, he wanted to tie up any loose ends rather than leave it all to Gabe to handle. Nathan compared the lists of stolen items from the now four homes that had been robbed and tried to find some type of pattern. So far all he knew was that the homes each had property values of over three million dollars and they had been robbed while the occupants were away on vacation. He continued to peruse the lists for another hour until he felt loving arms come around his shoulders. Nathan smiled and closed his laptop and then placed his hands over the loving arms.
"Good morning Mom"
"Good morning sweetheart. I checked on Allie and noticed she was tossing and turning a bit so it seems we are not the only ones awake early today."
"Hopefully, she will fall back asleep for a bit. There's no need for her to get up this early."
"She's excited for you." Carole said as she poured herself a cup of black coffee. She then took a seat across from a smiling Nathan. Carole took a sip of her coffee and then placed her hand on Nathan's arm.
"Are you nervous, Nathan?"
"A little bit." Nathan said with a chuckle. "But that's not why I have the computer out. I had a few work emails to finish up for Bill and Gabe and I also wanted to do a little work on my current case before leaving it in Gabe's hands for a few days."
"Your dad and I are so proud of you and all of your accomplishments. And we are so happy that you're marrying Elizabeth. You two are a perfect match and you're going to have a beautiful life and family together."
Carole squeezed Nathan's arm as she watched him blush.
"What's wrong, Nate?"
"I was just thinking about what it takes to create that family. Elizabeth is more experienced."
"Oh my dear boy. Trust me when I say that none of that will matter once you're alone together. You two love each other and that love and trust will help you through anything."
"Thanks Mom. I pray you're right." Nathan choked up as he reached over to hug his mother.
Carole hugged her son for a few minutes while also rubbing his back. "And Nathan, I am really glad you didn't marry that awful Ronda. I know it was a really rough time for you after the breakup but that woman was so selfish and had no business being around you or Allie."
Nathan pulled back and stared at his mother. "Why didn't you say something at the time?"
"Oh sweetheart, you're so stubborn and we were afraid you'd cut us off entirely. We had just lost Colleen and we were grieving and you were adjusting to having a four year old. So, we didn't want to stir the pot because we figured it wouldn't be welcomed."
"Mom, I'm sorry if I ever gave you the impression that your input wasn't welcome. Please forgive me."
"All was forgiven a long time ago. We were all grieving in our own ways."
"I miss Colleen so much. I wish she could be here today. She would have loved Elizabeth."
"She absolutely would have and sweetheart, she is here today. She's in your heart and I do believe she's watching over all of us too. I can feel her presence."
Mother and son hugged until they got interrupted by Allie.
"Good morning Grandma. Good morning Dad." Allie said as she hugged them both.
"Good morning sweetie! How about some heart shaped pancakes?"
"That would be nice. Let me help."
Nathan chuckled and kissed Allie's head. "I won't argue that."
"I think I hear your father shuffling around upstairs. I'm going to go say hello while you two work on breakfast." Carole said with a wink as she took her coffee cup and a second one for Archie and headed upstairs to their new master bedroom.
"How are you feeling. Allie-girl?" Nathan asked as he plugged in the griddle pan.
"I'm excited that my wish came true. We are becoming a family with Elizabeth and Jack today. I'll have two parents and a brother and hopefully more brothers and sisters…"
"Allie"
"I know. Don't rush things. But I feel like I'm finally getting what I've always dreamed about and I almost can't believe it."
Nathan pulled Allie into a hug. "Sometimes I have to pinch myself too. The past few months have been such a whirlwind for all of us but, I cannot imagine us living without Elizabeth and Jack in our lives. You three are my entire life and you will always be my little girl. You know you can still come to me anytime you're upset or need something?"
"I know, Dad. Thanks. I hope you and I can still spend time alone together."
"You can count on it, sweetheart. Now let's get these pancakes made so we can start getting ready for the wedding!"
A few hours later, Fiona Miller-Bouchard, owner of Fiona's Salon & Spa, put the finishing touches on Elizabeth's hair. Fiona and her team had worked on Rosemary, Faith, Julie, Viola, Victoria, Grace, Carole, Allie, and finally Elizabeth. The bride wore her hair down with soft curls and then the veil was fastened to the gold Thatcher family tiara at the top of Elizabeth's head. Allie's hair was fashioned in an identical style minus the tiara however, she did have a beautiful gold barrette pulling her hair back off her face. It was fastened at the top of her head.
Elizabeth looked at herself in the mirror and had to fight back tears as she took in her makeup and special hairstyle.
"You look beautiful, Elizabeth." Fiona leaned down and whispered in her friend's ear.
"Thank you Fiona for letting us rent out the place and thank you for the discount today. I'll definitely spread the word about the salon once the wedding photos are available. I know how hard it can be to get a new business up and running."
"I wouldn't trade it for the world. I loved doing hair on Broadway and I'm so glad that we met while doing Waitress all those years ago but I always knew I wanted more so opening my own salon seemed like a logical fit. I love being my own boss. With Lucas basing his restaurant chain out here and us having so many friends in the area, Hope Valley seemed like the perfect spot for my first salon. And I'm so glad you never gave up on finding love again, my friend. You deserve to be happy and Nathan seems perfect for you."
Elizabeth hugged Fiona as she noticed her mother approaching.
"Sweetheart, do you have something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue?"
Elizabeth chuckled before replying. She held up her right wrist. "Nathan dropped off this new bracelet this morning. Charm bracelets are a Grant family tradition. I have the Thatcher tiara which is old. Rosie gave me a blue garter which I'll wear under the dress of course. I suppose the tiara can also count as something borrowed."
"I might have a solution for that." Carole chimed in as she held out a small square box to Elizabeth who promptly opened it and gasped.
"Carole! These are beautiful." Elizabeth said as she stared at a pair of beautiful diamond earrings that dangled from gold hoops.
"I'm glad you like them, my sweet Elizabeth. My mom gave them to me as a wedding gift and then Colleen wore them on her wedding day too. I'd be honored if you'd wear them today. I know you're wearing the diamond necklace Nate gave you for Christmas so I figured these would match somewhat."
"They're perfect and I'd be honored to wear them. Thank you, Carole."
"It looks like we are all set. I think it's time to get dressed and then move over to the church. The limo will be here in thirty minutes. This is it!" Rosemary said happily as she clapped her hands together.
The group used every available minute to get dressed then thanked Fiona once again and with a promise to see her and her husband at the wedding, the group headed off to the Hope Valley church.
Less than thirty minutes later, a very nervous Nathan stood at the altar awaiting his bride. Gabe periodically reached over to rub his back and to remind him to breathe. Lee and Bill stood closely by lending silent support to their friend. Nathan had walked his parents down the aisle already so they sat attentively in the front row, carefully watching their son.
Viola, Victoria, Grace, and Charles sat in the front row on the opposite side. Nathan scanned the room and was comforted by so many familiar faces close to the front of the room. Carson and the kids sat behind the Thatchers along with Charlotte Thornton and her son Tom. Lillian was seated next to his parents along with Bill's girlfriend Tess Stewart. Various other friends were scattered throughout the two sides. Nathan was suddenly interrupted by Pastor Joseph walking out from the rectory and taking his place next to him.
"It's time, Nathan. You're about to join the married club." Joseph said with a warm smile.
Nathan took a deep breath as the music started to play.
Spencer and Abby entered holding hands. Spencer had a small pillow in his other hand and Nathan hoped that whomever had given it to the little boy had secured the rings tightly. Abby slowly dumped rose petals from a flipped over basket using her free hand. It was quite the adorable scene. Once the kids got to the altar, Abby sat on Viola's lap while Spencer sat on Lillian's lap. Gabe quietly squatted down and took the ring pillow from his son for safe keeping.
Allie and Little Jack walked down the aisle next and Nathan had tears in eyes as he took in how grown up she looked. Allie gave her dad a quick hug and then stood next to where Elizabeth would stand in a few minutes. Little Jack stood in front of Nathan, his free hand now clutching Nathan's leg. Julie walked down the aisle followed by Faith and then Rosemary. As everyone took their places, the first few bars of The Wedding March began to play and suddenly Elizabeth and William appeared up the aisle. Nathan held his breath and Gabe nudged him again.
Once Elizabeth reached Nathan and Joseph asked who gave her away, William nodded and placed her hands into Nathan's while handing her bouquet to Rosemary. Allie moved over so that she was standing directly behind Elizabeth but also directly across from Jack. She and Gabe quietly kept their eyes on Jack.
"You look so beautiful." Nathan said with tears in his eyes.
"And you look so handsome in that suit." Elizabeth smiled and squeezed Nathan's hands.
"Welcome friends. We are gathered here today to witness the joining of not only Elizabeth and Nathan in marriage but also the joining of Elizabeth, Nathan, Jack, and Allie as a family." Joseph beamed as he looked around the church and smiling faces looked back at him.
Jack chose that moment to let everyone know he was getting restless. Before Gabe could catch him, the toddler bolted forward towards his mother and hugged Elizabeth's legs.
"Up pwease, Mama!"
Elizabeth laughed and looked from Nathan to Joseph. Both men nodded back at her with smiles. Elizabeth lifted her son into her arms and quickly kissed him on the cheek.
"Now Jack, you can only stay up here with Mama if you are quiet." Elizabeth quietly told her son as she noticed her father sitting back down in his seat. She figured that William must have stood up to try to take Jack from her.
"Ok Mama," Jack said as he rested his head on Elizabeth's shoulder. He didn't fall asleep though. Instead, he joined his mother in looking directly at Nathan.
"Shall we continue?" Joseph asked.
Elizabeth and Nathan nodded.
"I perform a lot of weddings in this church but this one is extra special. Both Elizabeth and Nathan have traveled through some broken roads in order to be here today. But those broken roads have been blessed and have brought Elizabeth and Nathan together. Now, you two have only known one another for less than a year but I believe that you're both mature enough to know what you want and who you want. Having spent time with both of you and your children, I can honestly say that I think you're perfectly suited for each other. You balance each other well and I cannot wait to see what roads you now travel on together."
"Elizabeth and Nathan have asked Lillian Kinslow to do today's first reading. Lillian?"
Lillian sat Spencer down in the chair and stepped up to the podium. "This is Elizabeth's favorite poem and I'm so honored to be able to read it today. I truly think these are good rules for marriage too."
Lillian smiled at Elizabeth and Nathan and then began to read.
"This Is My Wish For You by Ralph Waldo Emerson
This is my wish for you:
Comfort on difficult days,
smiles when sadness intrudes,
rainbows to follow the clouds,
laughter to kiss your lips,
sunsets to warm your heart,
hugs when spirits sag,
beauty for your eyes to see,
friendships to brighten your being,
faith so that you can believe,
confidence for when you doubt,
courage to know yourself,
patience to accept the truth,
Love to complete your life."
"Thank you Lillian." Joseph said as Lillian took her seat. "Now we will have our second reading from Dr. Carson Shepherd, a good friend of the couple.
Carson walked up to the podium and spoke. "This is a reading that has always held special meaning for Elizabeth so she was happy to learn that it also held special meaning for Nathan as well. So they decided to include it today and I'm honored to read it."
"A Reading from 1 Corinthians 13:4-8:
Love is patient, love is kind; It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no records of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails."
"Thank you Carson." Joseph said as the doctor returned to his seat.
"And now Elizabeth and Nathan have chosen to write their own wedding vows. Elizabeth?"
Using her free hand to squeeze Nathan's, Elizabeth spoke her vows from memory.
"My darling Nathan, you and Allie have brought me joy that I never expected to feel again. I was so broken when we met six months ago but somehow, you managed to help me put the pieces of my life back together again. I love you and Allie beyond words and I bless the broken road, otherwise known as Lee Coulter, that brought us together. I look forward to traveling down many more roads together as a family."
Nathan squeezed Elizabeth's hands again as he blinked back tears.
"My precious Elizabeth, you and Jack have quickly broken down the walls of my stubborn heart. And for that, I'm forever grateful. Thank you for taking a chance on another detective–I know that it wasn't and still isn't easy for you. But sweetheart, perfect love casts out fear and I truly believe we have that. We are better together and I can't wait to walk through life with you and however many kids we are blessed with. I love you."
Elizabeth didn't even try to hold back her tears. She was full on crying which triggered Nathan to start crying too. After another quick hand squeeze, Joseph continued with the traditional vows. He then led Nathan and Elizabeth through the exchange of rings, a band encircled with diamonds for Elizabeth and a simple but thick gold band for Nathan. Both were engraved with their initials plus the wedding date.
"By the power vested in me, by the great state of NY, I now pronounce you husband and wife. Nathan, you may kiss your bride."
Nathan gently lifted Jack from Elizabeth's arms while rubbing his back. He turned around and peacefully handed him over to Gabe. Nathan then turned back to Elizabeth and kissed her slowly and passionately. They finally came up for air once they started to hear all the chuckles around them.
"I love you, Mrs. Grant. We will continue this later." Nathan whispered in Elizabeth's ear.
A beaming Elizabeth took her new husband's hand as he took Jack from Gabe. Elizabeth took Allie's hand on the other side.
"Ladies and gentlemen, for the very first time, I present to you the Grant Family. Please help us celebrate over at the Brookfield Inn." Joseph said.
The new family walked out of the church to many bubbles and applause and piled into their waiting limousine for the short ride over to the Inn. Once there, they greeted each of their guests individually as they formed a receiving line. After a cocktail hour complete with champagne toast, dinner was served. The new Grant family had their own table at the front of the room. Elizabeth had insisted on keeping the children with them much to Rosemary and Grace's chagrin.
After Rosemary and Gabe finished their speeches, Gabe asked the newlyweds to head to the dance floor for the first dance. Allie hung back with Jack while Elizabeth and Nathan headed to the dance floor. Elizabeth smiled up at her new husband as Bless the Broken Road by Rascal Flatts started to play. After the first dance, Elizabeth took Jack in her arms and whirled around the dance floor as he giggled. Meanwhile, Nathan danced with Allie and then Carole and then Grace and then Lillian and then Viola and finally Julie. Elizabeth danced with William and then Archie and then Gabe and finally Charles. Lee and Rosemary had insisted on only dancing with each other but they made sure to stay close to Elizabeth and Nathan.
Once Elizabeth was back in Nathan's arms, she leaned her head on his shoulder as they danced to Tonight I Celebrate My Love by Peabo Bryson and Roberta Flack.
"Lizbeth, this has been the most incredible day and I love that our friends and family are here…"
"But…"
"I'm ready to spend some quiet time with my wife. Is that selfish of me?
"What a coincidence. I'm ready to spend some quiet time with my husband. Things seem to be winding down here and some folks have already left so I think it's a good time for us to say good-night to the children and our parents and then head up to our suite."
"Let's do that!"
Fifteen minutes and multiple toddler tears later, Nathan quickly opened the honeymoon suite door and then lifted a squealing Elizabeth into his arms. Once safely in the room, he set her down and locked the door.
"I hope Jack will be okay tonight. I felt so torn leaving him in that state."
"I know sweetheart. But you deserve some time on your own too. And I promise you he's in great hands with your parents. Lee and Rosemary are right next door if they're needed."
"You're right."
"How about this? Why don't we swing by the house on the way to the airport in the morning? This way we can see the kids one more time before we leave."
"That sounds perfect, Detective! Always a pro at solving problems."
Nathan frowned. "I'm afraid I'm not a pro at everything." He led Elizabeth to the cushioned bench at the foot of the four poster bed.
"What is it, Nathan? Elizabeth asked as they sat down. Nathan took her hand in his.
"You've been married before and I haven't. My ex, Ronda, and I had talked about intimacy back when I thought I'd propose but then everything happened so fast with Colleen passing and me taking Allie. And next thing I knew, she left me and I put up walls around my heart until I met you. Anyway, I don't want to dampen our night but I just don't want you to be disappointed in me. At my age, I feel like I should know more about this than I do."
Elizabeth put her hands on Nathan's cheeks.
"Sweetheart, I'm just as nervous as you are."
"Really?!"
"Yes, really! It's been almost three years for me and even when I was married to Jack, he was often gone for long stretches of time working undercover. It's a wonder I even got pregnant."
Nathan smiled. "That road you spoke of in your vows earlier? How about we start traveling on it together?"
Elizabeth leaned in and kissed Nathan. It was gentle at first but gentle quickly turned to urgent. Nathan undid the zipper on Elizabeth's dress as she kicked off her heels. She then undid Nathan's tie and started to unbutton his shirt. A few minutes later, Nathan carried his new wife to the bed and set her down gently. He carefully laid on top of her and together as a married couple, they blessed the broken road that led them straight to each other.