Chapter 19 Allie
August 1925
Allie reached for the trio of framed pictures that sat on her dresser, then sat on her bed for a moment to reflect. The center picture was of her mother, Colleen. She was the spitting image of her mother. Tall, long neck, same brown colored hair. Her memories had dwindled of her over the years, but she was blessed that her dad helped keep the memories alive for her as much as he could. She knew how blessed she was to have the amazing family that she did.
Her eyes drifted to the picture to the left of the one of her mother. It was from her parents' wedding day. It was of her and her parents. The three of them had been doing an old-fashioned reel dance with the guests, which none of them knew how to do, and the three of them were holding hands and laughing uncontrollably, with Allie in the middle of Elise and Nathan. That had been an amazing day, but that was her favorite moment.
There were pictures from that day all over their home. The picture of the never-ending kiss was in her parents' bedroom. The one of Elise giving Allie the locket that always hung from her neck was on the fireplace mantle. Photos of friends were intermingled through the house with the pictures of their family, because as Elise says, our friends are family by choice, and just as much a part of who we are.
As much as her parents had wanted to keep it simple, Hope Valley did not let that happen. In true Hope Valley style, they stepped up and went behind her parents backs and created a day to remember. The emotional stuff was 100% her parents, the fun was the towns. Lucas Bouchard out did himself. Supposedly it was for publicity, but you could tell that he was not worried about expense. When they had finally walked under the tent, the aroma from the flower centerpieces filled all their senses. They were made of wildflowers, but were elegant, more than even the most beautiful roses would have been.
The wagon containing her dear friend Angela Canfield's piano was pulled just outside of the tent, the horses disconnected, and Angela was joined by the rest of the Hope Valley Band! The group of 4, plus Angela, resurrected just for this occasion. Every note may not have been perfect, but the love that they did it with was all that mattered!
Unknown to her dad, who had walked through the tent that morning, Lucas had a big barbeque pit built earlier in the week near the woods. His staff made the reception dinner there - steak, chicken, potatoes, and so much more. Over the years that pit had gotten a lot of use out of it and would for years to come. Her dad built a huge table and benches near it, allowing them lots of space to be able to enjoy it. Her parents loved having friends over for a great meal and even better conversation.
One memory of that day that always left Allie a little sad was that of Mrs. Thornton and Mr. Bouchard. For one dance, a waltz, they joined on the dance floor and appeared to have a conversation. At the end of it, Mr. Bouchard bowed to Mrs. Thornton, kissed her hand, and walked away. Allie suspected what that conversation was about because no one had ever heard or seen anything romantic between them again. They were good friends, much like the friendship between Mrs. Thornton and her parents, but that was it. She thought that Mrs. Thornton was just like her mom - never settling for less than the perfect love that you felt for someone else. Mom had said to her, that she could never imagine loving someone as much as she did Nathan, and if something happened to him, being in a relationship with someone else and not having that fire and passion would be unfair to that person, and a slap in the face to her dad and the life that they were building together. She said she would rather be alone with her memories then try to fake happiness, and that's how Elizabeth Thornton was. Instead, she threw everything into Jack, her students, friends and her writing, and her life appeared to be exactly what she wanted.
"A Single Mother on the Frontier" sold extremely well, so well that when Allie finally learned of the trust that Elizabeth had set up for her, there was more than enough money in it to pay for her education, plus anyone else in their family that wanted to go to school, and it was still growing from multiple reprints. After that, Mrs. Thornton started a new project, a series of books about tales from a frontier classroom. It was incredibly popular, and that popularity rose with each new book she published. She was making more money than she had ever dreamed of from her writing, so she did the same thing she had done for Allie, but on a larger scale. Mrs. Thornton and her mother developed The Thornton Scholarship. It was there to help pay for any Hope Valley child to go to college if that is what they chose. If they chose not to further their education, it was there to help offset the cost of buying or building a home or act as seed money to start a business in Hope Valley. Elizabeth had one hope for it - that the kindness would be paid forward at some point. This was going to be her enduring legacy to the community she loved so much, and if all went well, the act of kindness would continue, even after the money from it was long gone.
Allie's eyes drifted to the last photo in the frame. Unsymbolic to many, but full of so many emotions for her - it was the day that the shingle in front of her mom's office was changed. It was bigger than the previous sign, and all three of them held it up in the photo. It now said
Grant Family Law
Hope Valley, AB
EST 1920.
Elise had said it was now a family business since Allie was working there too. She had learned so much about the law, was acting more as a paralegal, and she fell in love with it, just like her mom did. So much so, she decided she wanted to follow in Elise's footsteps, and make Grant Family Law a true family law firm.
Allie placed the trio of photos carefully in her suitcase between the clothes that would be traveling with her in her staterooms on the trains she would be traveling on over the course of the next five days. She was starting to close the new suitcase her parents bought her when her four-year brother came running into the room. "Can I help, Ahwee?"
"Do you think you're big enough, Caleb?"
"Me big boy". Allie put the suitcase on the floor and Caleb tried to pick it up, but he could not even budge it. "Me not big 'nough".
Allie laughed and said, "You will be someday. Here let me help you." She bent over and picked up the bag, and the little boy put his hand on hers, and they moved out of the room together. As Allie walked out the door of the room that had been hers for the last four years, she took in the purple walls and bedspread and the four-poster bed her dad had built for her. Her parents had surprised her with it when they moved into the house, and she loved spending her final years in it. Her bookcase was still full of books, but her favorites had been put in her trunk, including Anne of Green Gables.
As Allie and Caleb exited the hallway into the great room, she could hear her mom and two-year old sister, Isabelle, in the kitchen. Elise had put Issy on the counter and they were packing a basket for her so that she would have food to snack on during the trip. She watched them fill it with fruit, crackers, and cheese, and then Issy touched Elise's stomach and said "Baby".
"Yes, sweet girl, that's a baby." Elise was in what they thought was her sixth month of pregnancy. This one had been hard on her. She had been sicker than before, and tired most of the time, but then her and dad were chasing three children under the age of 5 around.
That is when her dad walked in, with Caleb's twin sister, Colleen, on his shoulders. Her dad said that the twins are spitting images of him and her mother when they were little, just like Allie looked like her mother. Putting the two of them next to each other, you would never know they were actually cousins and not full-blooded sisters.
Her dad walked up to Elise, touched her face, and leaned in and slowly kissed her. He then touched her stomach, then pretended to take Issy's nose as she burst into giggles. He was an amazing father, and somehow doted on each of his children equally. He pulled Colleen down from his shoulders, and "flew his little bird" through the great room to where she and Caleb were. He brought her down to the floor, kissed Allie on the forehead, and looked down at Caleb. "Do you need help with that young man?"
"Yes!" Caleb exclaimed. Nathan picked the boy up in one arm and the suitcase with the other and carried it out the door to the car. He was not dealing with Allie's decision very easily, and he blames himself for putting the seed in her head.
When the twins were two, her parents decided to take an extended vacation to Prince Edward Island, where Elise had grown up. Now that there was another Mountie in town and dad had been promoted to Inspector, and the fact her parents never took a proper honeymoon, they were able to take the time to go to the other side of the country. That trip was the only time she had ever seen her parents argue, but it did not last very long. Elise had said they needed to get a family car so that the toddling twins would have some space. Nathan debunked that idea and said a sleeper car would be just fine. About an hour into the trip, the twins were bouncing off the walls and her dad was beside himself. Her mom said, "I told you so". He proceeded to go find the conductor, and luckily there would be a family car available in Edmonton. He made sure he arranged for a family car for the rest of the trip.
That trip was the trip that changed Allie's life. From the window of the family car, Allie saw the beautifulness of Canada, maybe not as beautiful as their beloved Hope Valley, but she saw opportunity everywhere she looked. She was in awe of Toronto and laughed to herself when her dad said to hold on to one of their hands so she would not get lost when they made a stop at the station. As they rode toward PEI, Allie looked at the St Lawrence, and once again was amazed at how one country could be so big and different. After five days, they boarded a ferry to Prince Edward Island, and then boarded one last train for Cavendish. Elise had contacted one of her childhood friends looking for accommodations in the area for a few days, and her friend invited them to stay with them. The Grant family spent their time there trekking in the footsteps that Elise took as a child. Allie loved everything - the red roads, the white caps as they broke on the beach, the way the green grass moved in the wind. To Allie it was magical, like walking in a dream.
Three days later they boarded the train to Charlottetown where they stayed in the fanciest hotel Allie had ever seen. They spent several days there, reliving more of Elise's memories and visiting with her friends. The family also went to see where Elise went to college before she went on to law school. The campus of The Prince of Wales College was not huge, but it was beautiful with big buildings, and she liked that it was one of the oldest colleges in the country. Simply, she fell in love with it, she fell in love with Charlottetown, and she fell in love with Prince Edward Island.
After a week on the island, the family boarded the train again, heading back to Toronto. It was the largest city Allie had ever been in, and once again, her father being his protective self, told her to always hold hands with one of them. He seemed to forget she was 16, not a little girl anymore!
They visited friends, museums, restaurants and Osgoode Hall, which Allie was also very impressed by. This is where her mom became a barrister.
One evening, Elise told her to put on her nicest outfit, that the two of them were going out for a night on the town. Her dad and the twins were staying at the hotel, and as her and her mom walked out the door, he told her to have a wonderful time with his crooked grin on his face. They went down to the lobby where the bellhop got them a cab, then whisked them off to their destination. About 10 minutes later, they arrived in front of a bookstore. They joined the line out front, and a short while later were sitting in chairs in a large room with a podium in the front. A woman walked out and spoke. "Thank you for joining us tonight. It gives me great pleasure to introduce to you the author of the newly published Emily of New Moon and the beloved Anne of Green Gables novels, Lucy Maud Montgomery''. Allie looked at Elise in shock, her eyes wide and her mouth dropping. She threw her arms around her mom's neck, whispered "Thank you", then turned to pay attention to her favorite author. She held onto every word and was excited to read the book. At the end of the reading, they got in line to meet the author. Elise told Allie to stay where she was, and she snuck off, and brought back a copy of Emily of New Moon. When they got to the front of the line, Elise introduced herself, and told the author she probably did not remember her, but she would her parents. Lucy said she did remember her, but that she had been much younger. She came around the table and gave Elise a hug, then Elise introduced her to Allie - her biggest fan. Lucy laughed, and said it was a pleasure to meet her. Allie was tongue tied for a moment, then started talking a mile a minute about how they had just been on Prince Edward Island and had seen all their old haunts. Lucy said, "You remind me of Anne'', and Allie was speechless after being told she was like Anne. Lucy signed her book "To Allie, from your kindred spirit, LM Montgomery''. Allie held the book to her chest all the way to the restaurant that they were going to have dinner at, and then she carefully put it in the purse that Elise had bought for her from the dress shop before the trip. She looked at her mother and thought how fortunate she was to have her in her life, and in her dad's life. The book was the second greatest gift she had ever received, only second to the locket that Allie always wore around her neck.
They headed home the next afternoon, and the motion of the train proceeded to make Elise sick, or so they thought. Once they were home, she was still sick. Doctor Faith confirmed that there would be an addition to the Grant family in about 6 months, and just before Christmas, Isabelle came into the world.
Luckily, they had moved into the house in the meadow shortly before the twins were born. When her parents were looking at designs, they loved the look of the Craftsman style, but they wanted everything on one level, especially knowing they were expecting a baby. Even though it was cramped, they all loved being together in the Grants rowhouse. Over that winter they became even closer. Construction on the house in the meadow started as soon as the snow broke, and once again, Hope Valley came out for the Grants. Grant's Meadow, what they called the rambling ranch, was ready before the twins arrived. The day they were born, Allie waited patiently in the great room with Uncle Bill, and numerous friends who came and went throughout the day, bringing food. It was a very long delivery. Elise and Nathan had not told her they were expecting twins, so she thought it was just one. Her dad never left her mom's side, even while being pressured to do so, and Doctor Faith was assisted by Mrs. Coulter and Mrs. Thornton. They were concerned that Elise was too small, but after what felt like days, Mrs. Thornton walked out of the bedroom and invited Allie in. Her mom was sitting up in the bed, a tiny baby bundled in her arms. She said, "Come meet your brother, Caleb". Then her dad, who had been behind the door, came out and said, "And your sister, Colleen". Allie was speechless and cried when she heard the name Colleen.
Allie looked around the great room, trying to ingrain every inch of their home to her memory. The big fireplace that kept them warm in the winter, the comfortable furniture that was already becoming worn out from toddlers jumping around on it. The back and front walls were full of windows, so that in the summer the breeze would help keep the house cool. Her dad had even designed movable walls that would cover the windows in the winter to keep the heat in and the cold out. While they did not have electricity like she would have at school, her dad did design an indoor bathroom that would make both his and Elise's life easier with babies. He designed the tub to be able to be drained and the water ran outside away from the house. He put in a small stove in the bathroom, along with a water pump, so all they would have to do is pump the water they needed, heat it on the stove, then put it in the tub. It made it so much easier than having to haul water in from the kitchen, which was at the other end of the house.
More than that, their home was full of a lot of love. Toys filled the corners, warm blankets to keep them warm, flowers to smell and lots of space to play. Her dad had built a wooden train set that ran along the floor and rocking horses for all three. Just the night before the house and fire pit had been filled with their friends, gathering for food and memories as they got ready to send her off. She was glad to spend the time with her friends, and she knew she would miss them desperately, but she wanted to figure out her own path through life.
Allie had not heard her mom call her name repeatedly until she was in front of her. "Allie honey, we have to get going or you're going to miss the train." Allie nodded then walked towards the door, giving the large room one more look before she walked through the threshold. Her dad was outside, corralling toddlers with the help of the new nanny her mom and dad had recently hired. Claire Tackaberry had recently graduated like Allie had, but wanted to become a teacher, and was not fortunate enough to be able to afford it yet, so she took the job to help pay for school. She was from the orphanage in Brookfield, and her parents took to her immediately when they met her. Her mom was very hands on with them, but when her parents realized they were about to be overrun by miniature versions of themselves, they knew they needed help. Having four babies under the age of five was probably not the smartest decision her parents had ever made, but they rolled with it and felt they were very blessed to have their family and that God trusted them with their children. When the babies were little, they went to the office with her for half the day, then would have a sitter the other half so she could meet with clients. In the winter, she worked from home most days so she would not have to take the babies out. Her home office was nice, but not nearly as spacious as her office in town. She still believed in not bringing her work home with her, and she did everything she could to avoid it. Her family always came first. Allie and Claire crawled into the back seat with the twins, and her parents up front with Issy between them. Her mom put her trademark sunglasses on her face, exclaiming how bright it was out. Allie knew her better than that, and suspected she was trying to hide the tears forming in her eyes. As her dad pulled away from Grant's Meadow, Allie looked out the back window, taking in every square inch of the land she loved.
The drive into town was quick. The streets of Hope Valley were very quiet, which was odd for the time of day. Allie took it all in, as her memories of the last eight years flashed before her. Every inch of Hope Valley held a memory for her. As they drove by the new schoolhouse for the upper classes, she thought of the hours she spent filling out college applications. She applied to most of the schools in the country that accepted women, and most of them accepted her. She was at the top of her class, and in the top 10 of all of Alberta, but she felt the pull to go east, to the home of her mom.
As the car pulled up in front of the station, Allie noticed that Mr. Bouchard's new bus was sitting in front of the depot. He was probably there picking up or dropping off a group of visitors. The business that his mother had helped him develop five years before was a huge success, so much so he was in the process of developing a resort a little further out of town. His goal was to develop a hotel a lot like the one in Banff. The designs she had seen were amazing, and she was excited to see it when she came home again. Once prohibition had ended in 1923, he never went back into the saloon business, but he did offer libations within the restaurant in the Queen of the Valley. He insisted that everything he did had to have her mother's stamp of approval, and he paid handsomely for it.
Her family unloaded from the car as they heard the train whistle in the distance. Her dad went around to the trunk and took out the suitcase, basket, and bag that she would be carrying along with her. Her trunks had been dropped off that morning and were waiting to be loaded into the luggage car. She grabbed her bag, while her dad carried the suitcase and basket. Her mom was carrying Issy and had Colleen by the hand while Claire took Caleb by the hand. All three of the children were squealing about the incoming train, and the twins were pulling the adults along to get a closer look. Allie and her dad brought up the rear, knowing that in just a couple of minutes, this was going to be it. He was going to let his little girl go.
"So, an account has been set up in Charlottetown, and if you need any money, all you have to do is call and it will be wired to you. You remember everything I told you about being safe, right?" He was rambling on and on, and she could tell he was nervous. He was normally a man of few words, but today was different. He was trying hard to be the tough guy, the inspector, but he was failing miserably.
As the two of them rounded the corner and stepped up to the platform, Allie stopped, and the sight in front of her brought her to tears, tears she had been trying to stop all day. In front of her was what seemed like every citizen of Hope Valley. All her friends were there, the Coulters, the Thornton's, the Flynn's, the Canfield's, Uncle Bill, the Yost's, Mr. Bouchard, the Wolf's, the Weiss's - everyone. There was a huge banner that was hanging from the overhang of the platform that said, "We will miss you Allie".
Her friends came forward to her, all surrounded her, and tried to give her a group hug. She promised to write to them as often as she could and reminded them to write to her to keep her abreast of what was going on here in Hope Valley. Many of them would also be leaving for college in the coming days, thanks to The Thornton Scholarship, but she was by far the one going the furthest away.
As the train pulled in, she started hugging as many people as she could, many of the women kissing her check, the men shaking her hand. They told her to be careful, to make them proud, just like she had always been doing.
She finally made her way up to her parents and their group of friends. Mrs. Coulter had taken Issy from her mom, and Mr. Coulter was holding onto their 3-year-old son Andrew. The Coulters adopted him two years before, but you would never know that he was adopted. They doted on him even more than her parents doted on their children! Mrs. Thatcher had taken Colleen, and she was between her and Little Jack, who was not so little anymore. He was growing up to be a fine boy, more and more like his father every day. Not to mention, at 4, Colleen seemed to like Little Jack and tended to follow him around everywhere.
Allie hugged Rosemary and Lee and kissed and tickled little Andrew. She then stepped over to Mrs. Thornton and Little Jack. Elizabeth told Jack to hold on to Colleen, then took Allie's hands. "You aren't that little girl who skipped school her first day in Hope Valley anymore. I am so proud of you Allie. You are going to do some amazing things; I just know it. It has been a pleasure to watch you grow into the extraordinary young woman that you are. Go make your mark on the world, but never forget where you are from. There is no place on earth like Hope Valley."
"I know Mrs. Thornton. And thank you for everything you have done for me, and this town. I promise I will do what I can to do my part."
Elizabeth touched her check, kissed her on the forehead and said, "I know you will".
Allie moved on to Little Jack, ruffled his hair and said, "Take care of my brother and sisters". He nodded, sad to see one of his first friends and his "big sister" leave.
Suddenly, Allie heard Fiona say, "We need a picture!" Everyone in the immediate area gathered as close as they could and squeezed in for a picture with Allie. Moments later the conductor yelled "All aboard". Allie looked around and found her parents, and quickly moved to them.
"I have to go." Her mom nodded her head, and Allie bent over to give one of her favorite people in the world a hug and kiss goodbye. Allie was at least six inches taller than Elise now, and Elise took her hands up to Allie's face, and told her "Don't forget the road will always bring you home."
"I know momma." She kissed Caleb, who was standing between her parents, and Colleen and Issy escaped who had them and ran to her legs, asking her not to go. She bent down, kissed them both, as Rosemary and Elizabeth retrieved them.
She moved into Nathan's arms, who held her tighter than he ever had before. "I love you, Allie. Don't ever forget that." He looked down at her and whispered, "Colleen would be so proud of her girl."
"I love you dad."
The conductor yelled "All Aboard" for the final time, and Allie let go of her dad, grabbed her suitcase, bag and basket, crossed platform and stepped on to the train. She did not turn around as she entered the door. She quickly found her stateroom and went to the window and peered out. Through the glass she heard someone yell "There she is", and they all turned to look at her. Allie put her hand against the window, tears starting to fall from her eyes. The train started to pull away from the station, and everyone still on the platform waved, except for her mom, who put her hands to her mouth and started crying. Then Elise started to move, following the train until she reached the end of the platform, and then her arm went up into the air. Nathan was right next to her, one arm around her, his other arm waving. They were still there until Allie could not see them anymore, and she was sure they would be there until they could not see the train anymore.
Allie sat down on the sofa and reached into her bag and pulled out a gift from her mom. They were a pair of sunglasses just like hers. She put them on her face, then stared out the window at the passing countryside. In the distance she watched Hope Valley slip away, and the beautiful Canadian Rockies and she knew without a doubt she would always know the road back home.
Thank you to everyone who has been on this journey with me! I have loved seeing this family come together, and hope someday that TPTB at WCTH gives the Grants the happiness they so deserve! I do hope to do one more time jump piece and that will wrap it all up. If you enjoyed this, please leave a review! If not, please leave a review! Please also check out my one shot, WCTH finale rewrite "More Then A Kiss".
