The trading of Valentine's Day story had easily led Maggie and Joe into talking about other elements of their past. The talk gave them insights into the other that had not been there before. Soon, Joe's misgivings of being with Maggie had dissolved. She was simply someone that he was trying to get know and not someone he was trying to replace Lissett with.

Maggie had made apple fritters for dessert. The moment that Joe bit into it he thought he had never tasted anything that good. He told Maggie so, the compliment rolling easily off his tongue.

"Thank-you," Maggie said. "It is actually a recipe my mother taught me?"

"Are you in contact with your parents?" Joe asked, knowing that like Maggie, her parents had left England behind and had been traveling the world.

"I got a letter a few weeks ago," Maggie admitted. "It was in response to the letter I had written to them that I had bought a place here in Brookfield. My mother opened the letter with asking whom the guy was I had stayed for?"

Joe swallowed the fritter awkwardly, causing him to cough. Grabbing his napkin he covered his mouth as he coughed.

"Are you okay?" Maggie asked. The scrape of the chair on the wood floor told him that Maggie had gotten to her feet.

Joe nodded in response, hoping to put her worries at ease. A few moments later, he managed to speak. "I'm fine," he said, reaching for the glass of ice tea. He took a swallow of the liquid to finish getting rid of the scratchy feeling in his throat. "I just swallowed that bite wrong," he assured her further.

Across the table, Maggie sat back down. Looking across the table, Joe could see the concern in her expression even as questions went through his mind.

Was her mother right? Had Maggie stayed simply for him? He didn't think he wanted that added pressure? Things were hard enough as it was? Joe did not want to be the reason she had stayed when he wasn't even sure he could give her the type of relationship she wanted. Was he being presumptuous to think he had even factored into Maggie's thought of staying?

"Why did you decide to stay in Brookfield, Maggie?" Joe asked.

"Well, it wasn't for any particular one person like my mother suggested," Maggie told him. "Not that these last couple of weeks getting to know you better have not been a nice bonus, but this was not why I chose to stay," Maggie told him.

Joe felt a weight lift from his shoulder. It was a relief really. He could handle being a factor in Maggie's decision or even a bonus, as she said.

"I think it is safe to say that I came to Brookfield when people were at a low. People were hurting and had lost so much. You had lost your store."

Joe nodded. "I almost left Brookfield," he admitted.

Maggie gave him a sad smile. "I heard. I actually remember seeing you with Pearl's flowered bag at the hotel," she admitted. "What made you stay?"

"The fact that people donated time and items to help me make the new store more than just dreams. Gabe and Eleanor tried to convince me not to go. Their words did very little to change my mind. However, when Eleanor took me to the building I had been thinking about making the new store and I saw what they had done in so little time. They had turned my dreams into a reality. I knew then that I couldn't turn my back on that."

Maggie nodded.

"That is a good reason to stay put," Maggie conceded. "Helping patch people up after the fire, I felt like I was making a difference. That I was a part of the rebuilding process. I liked that feeling. It also felt like it connected me to people here. I mean, I am a nurse. Helping people is my job but for the first time I was doing more than just helping heal physical wounds. I was helping with the emotional as well. I guess it made me feel like a part of the community."

"You are a part of our community," Joe told her.

Maggie nodded. "I am aren't, I," she commented, thinking of her day. In other places she had simply been the nurse. That was her interaction with people, other than perhaps the people who had given her a place to stay. Here in Brookfield, people were just as likely to stop in and say hi as they were to actually need her services. It was a nice feeling.

"Anyway, that is why I stayed. I felt a part of something. For the first time, I feel welcomed as a person, not just a nurse. I don't feel a pull to leave just to see what is around the next bend. Not that I don't want to travel again. There are other parts of Canada that I would like to see, but I think I want to do it knowing that I still have my place here."

"Being a part of a community is important, especially when family is far away."

"That it is," Maggie agreed.

The two of them continued to chat while finishing their dessert. When they were done, Joe started helping Maggie clean up. For Joe, the act of sharing in the everyday activity felt natural. However, once the dishes were cleared, the enormity of the occasion settled in on him again.

The cameo in his pocket seemed to become heavier and Joe knew that he couldn't give it to Maggie. Not yet. A gift like the cameo meant more than flowers and chocolates. It meant more than Joe knew if he was willing to give. He did not want to lead Maggie on. Like with all relationships, the potential of one or both people getting hurt was there. Nothing could change that. However, Joe knew if they took things slowly and Maggie knew he was struggling then at least he wouldn't be crushing false hopes that he had helped create.

Perhaps one day he would give Maggie the cameo. That would not be tonight though.

"I think I am ready to call it a night," Joe said as he put down the towel he had been drying dishes with. "Dinner was delicious and the company has been wonderful but I think the day has left me emotionally drained," Joe confessed, hoping to convey to Maggie that she was not the reason for the early night.

"Of course," Maggie conceded, walking with Joe toward the door. She reached the coat rack first and removing Joe's coat from the hook handed it to him.

"Thank-you," Joe told her, pulling his gloves from his pocket. After he had put them on, Maggie took a step closer to him and put his hat on his head.

"Goodnight, Joe," Maggie told him, her hands dropping to her side though she didn't put more room between them.

"Goodnight, Maggie," Joe told her. Leaning in, he placed a quick, kiss to her lips. "I did enjoy your company tonight," he assured her, wanting to make sure she knew as some of his actions may not have conveyed that.

Maggie smiled back at him. "I did as well," she told him. "Joe, I want you to keep something in mind. Healing and moving on is about taking steps. Sometimes those steps are forward and sometimes they are backward. Neither are a bad thing as all of those steps will eventually lead you to your goal. I'm grateful that I could take this step with you, but you need to decide for yourself what it accomplished."

Joe nodded, letting Maggie's words sink in. With a final nod, Joe opened the door and started the trek back toward town and his rooms above the store.

When Grace walked into the house, Gabriel was seated on the settee with Billy on one side and Sophia on the other. Vincent and Christian sat on the floor in front of him as all the children listened to him reading. Lillian had taken the two younger girls upstairs to bed.

"I'd ask you if you enjoyed yourself, but the fact that you spent the last ten minutes on the porch trying to say good-bye tells me a lot," Gabriel teased, looking up from the book.

The children giggled at the comment as Grace blushed. She didn't bother trying to contradict the Mountie's observation.

"How was your night?" Grace asked instead as Lillian came down the steps.

"The children made it very pleasant," Gabriel replied. Looking over at Lillian, he added. "Lillian gives very sweet kisses," he teased.

"Did you and Chuck enjoy yourselves, Grace?" Lillian asked, choosing to ignore the teasing comment.

"We did," Grace replied. "I will tell you about it later and apparently you have something to share as well," she told her sister with a sly smile.

Gabriel watched as Lillian's cheeks turned a little pink. "Perhaps," Lillian replied, and Gabriel knew Lillian would be discussing their dinner with Grace, which he was totally fine with.

Gabriel looked at the children. "I will finish reading this chapter and then Billy and I need to head home," he informed him.

Three groans followed this declaration. Beside him, Billy sat silently.

"It is getting close to your bed time anyway," Lillian informed them even as she crossed over to one of the wingback chairs in the room as Grace headed upstairs.

Gabriel went back to reading the book. Finishing the chapter a short time later he closed the book and looked around at his audience.

"And that is all for tonight," Gabriel informed the children.

"Will you read to us another night?" Vincent asked.

"We could keep this book just for when you can read to us," Christian added. "That way Billy will not miss any of the story as well."

Beside Gabriel, Sophia was nodding her agreement with the two boys.

"That sounds like a good plan," Gabriel told him, even as he looked down at Billy. "What do you say Billy? Are you okay with making visits occasionally to hear more of the story?"

Billy looked up at Gabriel and nodded.

"Then that is settled," Gabriel said getting to his feet. "Miss Lillian, could you find a place for our book?" he asked looking over at Lillian.

Lillian stood up as well. "We can place it on the top of the piano," Lillian said, closing the distance between her and Gabriel.

As Lillian took the book and placed it in the aforementioned place, Gabriel and Billy said good-bye to Christian, Vincent and Sophia. He then helped Billy bundle up against the cold. Gabriel was finishing with the buttons on his own coat when Lillian joined them near the door. Reaching for Gabriel's scarf, she looped it loosely around his neck.

"Thank-you for spending Valentine's Day with me even if we were watching the children," Lillian told him, as she let her hands rest on his shoulders.

"I will take time with you no matter how I can get it," Gabriel assured her. He leaned in close and pressed a quick kiss against her lips. "Goodnight, Lillian."

"Goodnight," she replied, letting her hands fall. As Gabriel put his winter hat on and pulled on his gloves, Lillian turned to Billy. "Goodnight, Billy. Thank-you again for the Valentine's Day surprise you and the children gave us."

"You are welcome, Miss Walsh," Billy told her.

Lillian knelt down in front of the boy. "Billy, I just want you to know that when it feels comfortable to you, you may start calling me Miss Lillian like the other children do."

"I do not think I am there yet," Billy admitted in a quiet, apologetic voice.

"That is fine," Lillian assured him. "Like I said, whenever it feels comfortable."

Billy nodded.

It wasn't long before Gabriel and Billy were trekking across the snow-covered ground toward their home in town. Billy slipped his hand into Gabriel's as they walked, the only sound in the still night was the crunch of their shoes on the snow beneath their feet.

A few minutes into their walk Billy spoke up.

"What happens to me when you and Miss Walsh do get married?"

"What do you mean?" Gabriel asked, wondering exactly what fears Billy was harboring right now. It wasn't that he did not want to answer the boy's question, but he did want to make sure his answer addressed the specific issue.

"Well, I know you told me that we would be moving out to the orphanage, but will I stay with the other kids or would I have my separate room? Would Miss Walsh become my guardian as well? What if you and Miss Walsh have kids? Would they be my siblings like Ally and Jack are?"

Gabriel gave the hand in his a gentle squeeze, feeling that there was something more that Billy didn't want to put into words. Billy had to be wondering if he would be as important as children he and Lillian had or if he would be viewed as one of the children with the orphanage. It was a valid concern for the boy who was finally finding a place with him, but Gabriel new that the upcoming wedding would unsettle Billy's life once again. Gabriel knew he couldn't do anything about that. The upcoming weddings would unsettle all of their lives for a time as new roles were defined and figured out. What he could do was reassure Billy that he was important.

"I can't answer all those questions for you right now, Billy. The thing about life is that it changes, and even when plans are made, those plans get changed. I can promise you one thing though. I assumed guardianship of you with the intentions of treating you like you were my son, whether you choose to call me dad or not. Nothing will change that - not me marrying Miss Walsh or if five more kids come along. You are a part of my family and will be just as important as every other member of the family, no matter what titles we choose to define our family with. However, that does mean that Miss Walsh will become your guardian as well after the wedding. Do you understand?"

Walking beside Billy, Gabriel looked down at the boy. Billy looked up at him and nodded.

"Ally said she struggled with calling Mrs. Grant her mother at first because she did not want to replace her birth mom, though she said Mr. Grant was the only father she ever knew. She said Mrs. Grant told her that having a second mother did not replace the bond that she had with her first mother. I've been thinking about that and trying to convince myself of it. Do you think my Mom and Dad would be upset if I one day thought of you and Miss Walsh as my mother and father?"

Gabriel shook his head, blinking back tears.

"I don't think it would upset them, Billy. I think they would be happy to know that you felt a part of a new family unit. Even though they are not with you, they still want what is best for you. However know that if you choose to continue to call me Gabe that won't hurt my feelings or make me love you any less. It is like Miss Walsh told you tonight - use the titles that feel right to you, Billy."

Billy nodded. "I think I still need to sort things out inside me. Does that make sense?"

"It makes perfect sense," Gabriel told him. "As for your questions about living arrangements after the wedding, those are the plans that are going to be fluid. Lillian and I want to have a living space attached to the orphanage but separate for the three of us before the wedding, but there is also a house for Chuck and Grace to be built. It could be that it won't be ready when we move out there. In that case, you may need to share a room with Christian and Vincent or whatever boys are there at the time for a bit. Eventually though, you will have your own room and though part of our day will coincide with the children in the orphanage, it will be separate as well. Only time will tell exactly what that will look like."

"Okay," Billy replied, even the unsettled arrangements making things feel a little less scary.

"I promise to make sure that you are aware of any plans that Miss Walsh and I are making and you can share any fears you have about them with me. You are a part of this process as well and your feelings are valid."

There was a soft sigh from the boy beside him as Billy rested his head against Gabriel's arm.

Tess sat in the main room of her home. She had tucked Fred into bed. The two of them had enjoyed a special Valentine's day dinner together. It had been the first time Tess had truly felt like she had celebrated the day since Matthew's death. Yes, Chuck had always given her either flowers or chocolates to commerate the day since his father's death but they had never done anything special. Today, Tess and made a special meal for her and Fred, using special dishes and decorating the table. The boy had been excited about it. Fred had also given her flowers just like Chuck had. Fred had also made her a card. A card in which he had called her his new Mom.

It was the first time that Fred had referred to her as Mom and Tess had found she liked it. As Tess took a sip of her whiskey, she thought of the short exchange she'd had with the boy when she tucked him in.

"Would you want to call me Mom instead of Mrs. Stewart, Fred?"

"Could I?" Fred had asked, the eagerness of his voice matching his expression.

"I think I would like that," she had told him.

Fred had beamed as he spoke the next words. "Goodnight, Mom."

"Goodnight, son."

It was nice to have someone to take care of again. Yes, Chuck was her firstborn son. That would never change. What had changed was the fact that Chuck did not need her quite so much anymore. Fear of being alone had made her cling to Chuck a little more than she should have. It had made her want him to follow her dreams and not his own.

That needed to change. Chuck would always love her but he needed to find his own way. As Gabriel had tried to tell her, she needed to accept Chuck's choices for his own life, both professional and personal.

Tess looked down at the folder on the settee next to her. The folder that contained the report she had hired a private investigator to create on Grace Bennett. A report that contained information that could cause trouble, though there was nothing that was any proof of a crime. She had considered tossing it in the fire earlier. However, she had stopped herself, feeling like if she was truly going to accept Grace as part of the family then she needed to confess her actions and ask forgiveness. After that, she would let Grace decide what to do with the report.

Tess took another sip of her drink. She was waiting for Chuck to come home. She wanted to see how his night had gone as well as tell him that she would like to arrange a time for the three of them to meet privately.