"Neither one of you is to blame for what happened yesterday," Abigail said, looking at both her son and Robert. She had finally gotten both boys to sit down with her and talk about what had happened the day before. It was not the first time she had said those words but Abigail felt like they were ones that needed to be repeated, even though Cody had not expressed feeling guilt. He just felt scared and worried about his new schoolmate.

Robert on the other hand had said several times that he should have stopped Ally from walking on the log. That he should have tried to protect her more.

"Sometimes we do things that in hindsight we realize was not that safe to do."

"Like going to search for the cabin Ally claimed was haunted at night. Opal got hurt then but not as badly as Ally this time," Robert supplied.

"Exactly," Abigail said, having heard about the incident in a letter from Elizabeth. "Part of life is learning lessons. Sometimes those lessons are learned through listening to others or seeing things happen. Other times those lessons get learned through making bad choices sometimes resulting in someone getting hurt. This is one of those latter times. I have a feeling none of you will be trying to walk a snowy log, near a partially frozen pond anytime soon."

"No ma'am," both boys replied with a shake of their head.

"Do you think Constable Grant will still let me see Ally after this?" Robert asked.

Abigail smiled. It was well known that Robert and Ally were infatuated with each other. Only time would tell if it would last and develop into something further or if this was one of those young loves that went away over time.

"I think that as soon as Ally is able to have visitors, Constable Grant will welcome anyone who wants to come see Ally and so will she," Abigail assured him.

"Good," Robert said. "Can we go see Opal now?" Robert asked. "We all want to do something special for Ally but we need to figure out what that something will be."

Abigail smiled. She knew right now the kids needed to be each other to heal from this rather than spending time with the adults, no matter how strong the feeling of being overprotective was right now.

"Go ahead. Be back for dinner, Cody," Abigail instructed.

"Yes, Mom," Cody replied.

The two boys stood up from the small table and hurried downstairs. She heard them say something downstairs, presumably to Minnie who was downstairs cooking. Abigail was glad that Ally's friends were thinking about nice things to do for the girl. Ally was going to need people to help keep her spirits up, especially with the development of the paralysis. Abigail remembered how disheartened Becky had gotten when she was in the wheelchair. For Becky it had simply been a matter of being sick and needing to regain strength by using the muscles again. However, her daughter had been afraid to try walking for fear that she would not be able to. Ally would be facing her own fears whether the paralysis proved to be temporary or permanent.

Ally had a long recovery ahead of her. Abigail knew there were plenty of people ready to help her with that recovery. Her son and his friends were proof of that. Abigail herself was already finding a way to help. She had gone over to the infirmary this morning and talked to Faith to see if there were any restrictions on Ally's diet. Faith had told her that Carson felt it was best to have her try broth that morning and then if her stomach handled that well to try her on soft foods and to go from there. Abigail had taken broth over for Ally at breakfast time along with breakfast for Nathan and Gabriel who was still at the infirmary. She had told Faith that she would make Ally whatever she wanted for lunch to just let her know. Ally had requested apple and cinnamon oatmeal and she and Minnie had prepared just that for the girl. While Ally was in the infirmary, Abigail planned on providing meals for her and Nathan.

As it was just about lunch time, Abigail moved for the steps. Minnie had been preparing something for Nathan and Abigail had intended to make the trek to the infirmary with the food.

"Everything is ready," Minnie said, as she finished arranging things on a tray. "I even put some butterscotch pudding on the tray for Ally. She often orders it when she and Nathan are in here."

"That was nice of you to think of it," Abigail replied. "Faith said they could only get about half of the broth in her this morning."

"I am sure the girl is tired and in pain. Food is probably not something she is interested in right now, no matter how important it is," Minnie replied.

Abigail nodded in consent as she headed toward the coat rack to retrieve her coat. Before she could lift it from the hook, the door of the café burst open. Abigail turned and just barely registered Elizabeth's presence before the young woman rushed forward and threw her arms around Abigail, sobs already wracking her body.

"Elizabeth, what is wrong?" Abigail asked as she wrapped her arms around the younger woman. She patted Elizabeth's back in a motherly fashion as she waited for an answer.

Though Elizabeth tried to speak, the words got lost in her tears.

"I will take lunch over to the infirmary," Clara volunteered coming in from the dining area. "I won't be gone long," she told Minnie, knowing it would leave the cook to handle everything alone.

"I will be fine," Minnie said, the words meant to assure both Abigail and client.

"Thank you," Abigail told her as she began to lead Elizabeth upstairs.

Upstairs, Abigail led Elizabeth over to the settee. Sitting beside Elizabeth on the piece of furniture, Abigail held her friend as she continued to cry. Though she intended to get a good long explanation from Elizabeth, right then, she just let her friend cry. She had known even before she returned to Hope Valley that Elizabeth had been struggling. Abigail had gleaned that from her friend's letters. Since returning to Hope Valley, Abigail had observed the strained relationship between Elizabeth and Bill and to a lesser degree to Rosemary and Lee. She had also noticed that Elizabeth only really seemed happy when teaching and when she was with Little Jack. All previous attempts at getting Elizabeth to bare her heart had been avoided. Abigail was determined that would not happen today.

Minnie slipped up quietly while Elizabeth was still sobbing. The woman placed a tray of tea things on the small table and slipped back downstairs.

Abigail waited for Elizabeth to deplete her tears. She had a feeling that this bout of tears was a long time coming and one that was much needed. Eventually, Elizabeth's tears came to an end and her breathing began to return to normal. As Elizabeth reached up to wipe her face, Abigail pulled a handkerchief out of her pocket and put it in Elizabeth's hand.

"Thank you," Elizabeth murmured in between two quick breaths. She sat up and cleaned up her face a little.

Getting to her feet, Abigail went to the table. As Elizabeth got her emotions under control, Abigail made her friend a cup of tea. She could smell the peppermint scent to the tea and smiled at Minnie's thoughtfulness. The smell would be soothing to Elizabeth's emotions as much as having something warm to sip was.

Abigail gave Elizabeth the cup of tea. Elizabeth murmured a thank you as Abigail returned to get her own cup. A short time later, Abigail was sitting on the settee next to Elizabeth, sitting on a diagonal so she could see her friend.

"Now that you have had a good cry, how about you tell me what is in your heart, Elizabeth."

The words had an unintended effect on Elizabeth whose eyes immediately filled with tears again.

Holding her tea cup in one hand, Abigail reached out and laid a hand on Elizabeth's knee. "Did I say something wrong?" Abigail asked.

Elizabeth shook her head, reaching up to wipe tears away again. She took a few moments to collect herself before finally speaking. "Nathan asked me what was in my heart one time. I can't believe that was almost two years ago now. When I could not answer, he told me to let him know when I figured it out."

"Have you figured it out?" Abigail asked.

"I thought I had. I thought Lucas was the one that was suppose to be my lifetime but I think I made a horrible mistake and have hurt people in the process. I don't believe I like myself very much right now. I don't think Jack would love the person I have become. Nor do I think he would have approved of the choices I made for our son."

Abigail gently squeezed Elizabeth's knee. "We all make bad choices at times, Elizabeth. Especially when we are still grieving."

"I don't think I can blame this on grieving," Elizabeth said. "It has been three years."

"Grief does not follow a time line, Elizabeth," Abigail said quietly. "Each person needs to travel their own path. Some of those paths are longer than others. Some of us, like Clara, find a new love quickly and without too much turmoil. Some never do find a new love and that may be just fine for them. Some of us need to have a relationship or two that are not right in order to work through our feelings."

"Like me."

"And me," Abigail echoed. At Elizabeth's questioning look Abigail continued. "Don't you remember when Bill first came into town? There was an attraction between us. An attraction that scared me. When things about his ex-wife started coming out, I saw it as a way out. I did not listen to his explanations because I did not want to. My feelings for Bill scared me, and so I took advantage of his past to put distance between us."

"I never realized you were scared," Elizabeth said.

"I was terrified, Elizabeth," Abigail told her friend. She took a sip from her tea cup before continuing. "I found myself attracted to Bill Avery not long after I met him. He was the only man I ever had those feelings for other than Noah. I felt like they were a betrayal of Noah's memory. That it was too soon to be feeling like that about another man."

"You said Bill was the only man other than Noah that you had feelings like that for. What about Frank?" Elizabeth asked.

Abigail smiled. "Frank was a good man and I did have feelings for him beyond friendship. I cared for him and he did me. I think I could have been happy with Frank, but there was never the deep passion that I felt for Noah. Part of me even convinced myself that it was supposed to be that way. That what I had felt for Bill was simply a longing to be with someone again. That I would never love someone the same way that I loved Noah and I was okay with that. When Frank said his calling was elsewhere, I was sad to see him go but my heart was safe. I did not want him staying in Hope Valley for me and I did not feel the pull to need to follow him. Have you maybe been trying to protect your own heart, Elizabeth?" Abigail inquired gently.

"My relationship with Lucas is definitely not right," Elizabeth admitted, to her friend. It was the first time she had admitted it out loud and as the words passed her lips, Elizabeth relaxed slightly. "I can finally admit that to myself. I appreciate Lucas' friendship. I appreciated that he could identify with the world I grew up in. I appreciated the way his romantic gestures made me feel. How they reminded me of the happy memories I had with Jack. Much like Lucas was trying to orchestrate moments into dates that were not really dates, I think I had convinced myself that I wanted my relationship with Lucas to work because I did not want to face the fears that come with loving Nathan. The fear that I could lose him exactly like I lost Jack."

"So you do love Nathan?" Abigail asked.

Elizabeth paused. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

"I do love Nathan," Elizabeth said, saying the words out loud. "I cannot pinpoint exactly when I started loving him and Ally but it happened. Being with them made me happy. I could laugh and joke. I felt alive again, Abigail."

"That is a good thing," Abigail told her. "It is what Jack wanted for you."

"When I thought Nathan had been the one killed last fall, it felt like a knife had pierced my heart. Just like when I was told that Jack had been killed. I was so relieved when I saw him walking into town. I could tell he was hurting but he was alive. After the shock of that moment wore off, the fear crept in again. I think I was afraid that the next time it might actually be Nathan."

"Love can be scary because when something happens to someone we love, it hurts more deeply than when that person is a friend or a neighbor. When we love someone, they have a piece of us and when they leave, they take that piece with us."

Elizabeth nodded at Abigail's words.

"The thing is though, Elizabeth, even if we try to ignore that love, that person still has a piece of us with them. Bill still has a piece of me. Every time he is in danger, my heart feels like it is being constricted."

"You still love, Bill?" Elizabeth asked. Abigail could hear the surprise in her voice.

"I do," Abigail admitted. "I never stopped loving him. On occasion I have considered admitting that to him, but part of me is scared to hear him say that he does not love me. If I remain quiet, I can pretend that Bill does still have feelings for me. At least right now, he is in my life as a friend. Given all we have been through, perhaps it is better not to dig up the past again."

"I have hurt Nathan and Ally so much these past few months that I do not even have their friendship anymore."

"But you still do have Nathan's love, Elizabeth," Abigail told her.

"How can you say that?" Elizabeth asked, disbelief in her voice.

"Because I have seen it. Others have too. Nathan holds his tongue out of respect for you and the choice you made, but his feelings have not changed. It is why he will offer you help when he sees the need. It is why he stiffens every time he sees Lucas behaving inappropriately."

"I thought him and Faith . . ."

Elizabeth did not finish the thought. Abigail did not need her too.

"Nathan and Faith are just friends. Faith still cares for Carson. She had not quite let go of that relationship and I do not believe that Carson has either. They were both hurting because of rejected love and I think they drew comfort from sharing with one another."

"I felt jealous when I saw Faith and Nathan spending time together," Elizabeth admitted. "I really have been a fool."

Abigail shook her head. "Not a fool, Elizabeth, just a grieving widow who has been scared to truly open her heart to love again."

"And now it is too late," Elizabeth lamented, siting aside her tea cup.

"Why is it too late?" Abigail asked. "You are allowed to change your mind about a relationship, Elizabeth. You simply tell Lucas what it is you feel. If he is a true gentleman, he will respect that choice."

"It isn't just Lucas. Nathan hates me now. He blamed me for Ally's accident."

"Nathan is hurting, Elizabeth. He struck out and blamed the first person that came to mind. That was you. Give him time and I have a feeling Nathan will be apologizing for whatever he said."

"I am the one that should be apologizing to him. He told me he loved me, Abigail. That he would give up the Mounties for me when I said I could not lose him like I had lost Jack. I did not even try to talk about the situation I simply ran. I ran straight to Lucas. Straight to a relationship that was superficial and safe."

"Then perhaps both of you need to apologize and let the healing begin. Who knows what might happen. If something was meant to be, it is never too late."

Elizabeth nodded as she took in Abigail's words.

"Perhaps those words hold true for you too, Abigail."

Abigail smiled, knowing exactly what Elizabeth meant by that. She wasn't seeing anyone and neither currently was Bill. Maybe there was a reason for that. However, that was not the reason for this conversation.

"We were not talking about me. We were talking about you," Abigail said gently. "I think the first thing you need to do is put an end to the relationship that has been making you unhappy."

"Has everyone been able to see that?"

"Those who know and care about you, yes."

Elizabeth sighed. "I sometimes wonder if that is a blessing or a curse," she admitted.

Abigail laughed. "I think we have all had those moments," Abigail admitted.

"Lucas is expecting me for lunch. He lined the path with candles and roses and Jack's proposal came back to me. I finally realized what I was doing when I saw those candles and I could not go there. I came here. I still do not want to go there," Elizabeth said. "I cannot talk to Lucas on his turf. Could you bring him here?"

Abigail smiled. She patted Elizabeth's knee before getting to her feet.

"Go splash some water on your face," Abigail instructed. "I will bring Mr. Bouchard over here even if I have to get Bill to help me drag him over here."

The comment brought a smile to Elizabeth's face despite the situation. As Abigail headed downstairs again, she had hope that Elizabeth was finally on the path to finding true happiness again.