Jack was thoroughly enjoying his day off with Elizabeth. They spent the morning curled up on the couch watching TV, sipping coffee and enjoying breakfast Jack had picked up from his aunt's café downstairs.
"I could get used to this," he said with a grin. He kissed the top of Elizabeth's hair. She looked absolutely adorable curled up at his side under the big fleece blanket wearing his hoodie. Her hair was a bit frizzy and curling in multiple directions, even pulled back in a loose ponytail. The thought of waking up by her side for the rest of his life was beyond anything he could imagine.
He could ask her, right then and there to marry him, but with things still so complicated been them and Elizabeth's father, it wasn't right. Jack wanted to give William another chance to accept them.
Elizabeth laughed at something said in the show they'd been binging all morning, Property Brothers.
"How have I never seen this show?" she asked. "Its great."
"Yeah, the brothers are cool."
"Yeah, especially the cute one."
"What?" Jack sat up a bit. "What one is the cute one?"
"Um, Drew." she blushed a bit.
"So you like the realtor, not the contractor?"
"In the show sure, but in real life, I love my very handsome fireman contractor boyfriend."
"Nice save there, angel. Nice save." Elizabeth giggled as he tickled her side, then pulled her close into his arms, kissing her sweetly. "I would love to renovate a house for us someday. I'm thinking open concept, large kitchen, big backyard."
"Sounds pretty great."
"What about you? What do you want in our future home?"
Elizabeth loved dreaming of their future together. "I've thought about it some. Maybe a porch with a swing. A quiet road where we could go for walks out of the main flow of traffic."
"That's doable."
"And maybe a big comfy chair in our bedroom. One where I can read and cuddle with our children."
"I can't wait to see you as a mother." He kissed the top of her head. "You'll make a beautiful mom."
"I hope I'll be good at it."
"Are you kidding? I've seen you with your students. You show them so much love. I can just imagine that love for a child that's ours to raise."
"I like how you phrased that, "ours to raise."
"Well I figure we don't know how our family will come to be. Back at Hopes Landing, there are so many beautiful, funny, loving children that are without parents. It's impossible to see that and not think about adopting one day."
"How the child comes into our lives doesn't matter, we both have more than enough love to share."
"You bet." Jack smiled. She really was perfect for him. "That's one of the things I love about you, Elizabeth. Your love has no bounds."
"Neither does yours. I see you with the kids too. They adore you."
"I adore them too."
"If we adopted, would you want it to be from there? Or somewhere in the states?"
"I don't. I'm open to anything. I certainly wouldn't turn down an opportunity to stay connected to Hopes Landing forever. We'd want to take the child back to give them a chance to see their culture and what not."
"True. Oh that sounds so exciting!" She laughed, "Look at us. We aren't even engaged and here we are talking about kids."
"I guess it's a bit silly, huh?"
"Maybe, but I love it."
Jack's phone dinged from the coffee table. Picking it up, Jack saw a text from Carson.
"Carson wants to know if we want to go to lunch today."
"Sure. It would be fun to see him."
"Okay, I'll let him know."
They stayed curled up under the blanket for a another couple episodes before finally deciding to leave their warm cocoon and get ready for the day.
In the early afternoon, they hopped into Jack's truck and drove down to Pikes Market Place, a very iconic area of the city that overlooked the Elliott Bay waterfront. Apparently Carson and Jack's favorite Mexican eatery, El Borracho was down there.
On the way to the restaurant, they passed a cute little flower shop. Elizabeth made a mental note to stop by on their way out and pick up some flowers for Jack's mother. Despite Jack's constant reassurance, Elizabeth was still nervous.
Carson was standing outside the restaurant as they approached. He was smiling at the couple walking hand in hand.
"Good to see you two back together!"
"Thanks, man. Too bad Faith isn't here too."
"Tell me about it. I keep thinking about hopping on a plane myself."
Carson held the door open for them. The hostess directed them to a table back by the expansive bar. The guys already knew what they wanted, Elizabeth needed more time. In the end she took the guys recommendation for the marinated shrimp taco and a bbq beef taco. For a special treat, she ordered herself a margarita. The guys ordered themselves each a Carona.
The food arrived not long after. It was delicious!
"Hey, Elizabeth," Carson asked between bites. "You wouldn't happen to have Faith's parents number?"
"I do. What's up?"
"I've been thinking about this for a while. Actually since we said goodbye. Now seeing you two together, I want to do this even more. I need to see her. I think I have a plan to surprise her."
"Then I will definitely give you their number. I know she misses you like crazy."
"Yeah, same here. We talk everyday and text most of the time we aren't talking. It just isn't enough."
"Look at you," Jack teased. "All in love."
"Yup. Didn't plan it but I would regret letting her slip through my fingers."
"She won't, Carson. She's crazy about you." Elizabeth put her fork down. "Now if you excuse me, I need to go to the ladies room."
"We'll be here," Jack grinned and watched as she disappeared around the corner.
Carson chuckled at his friend, so in love. "So Romeo, I couldn't help but notice there's no ring on that pretty ladies hand."
"In time, my friend. Believe me."
"What's holding you back?"
"You know how I feel about it all. I want her dad to be somewhat okay with the idea."
"That's noble, really; but don't let that man get between you two."
"I'm not."
"Maybe now. Just don't wait forever for that guy to come around. You need to be open to the possibility that you may have to ask her without his approval."
"I just don't want to make it so he never trusts me."
"But is his trust worth losing Elizabeth over?"
"I'm back!" Elizabeth plopped down into her seat. "I miss anything?"
"Nope." Jack smiled, taking her hand. "To answer your question, Carson, no it's not. Thanks."
"Anytime."
….
That evening, Charlotte sat at the counter with her soon to be son-in-law watching her daughter cook. Since this was the first night she'd be meeting her possible future daughter-in-law, she decided to take Rosie up on her offer to cook. No reason to make a first impression by having to call the fire department or poison control.
Confirmation came out loud and clear when Rosie opened the over and the aroma of home cooking filled the kitchen.
"Well, whatever you're making, it sure smells better than what I'd come up with," Charlotte teased.
"It's a simple roasted chicken with a red wine demi glaze over parmesan spinach polenta."
"Simple, she says," Charlotte laughed. "Nothing about that seems simple."
"You forgot to mention the asparagus, sweetie," Lee grinned. "My fiancé knows how to cook."
"Not sure where that trait came from, but I'm happy for you," Charlotte teased. While Rosie went on cooking, Charlotte fussed with the napkin holder sitting in front of her. Lee watched her intently. He'd been around the Thornton's almost his whole life. First as Jacks friend, then as Rosie's boyfriend.
"Mrs. T, you doing okay?"
"Of course, Leland. Why do you ask?"
"You seem nervous, that's all."
Charlotte sighed. "I guess I am. This is a big night."
"You've met your children's significant others before," Rosie pointed to Lee, who waved with a grin.
"That was different. Leland has always been like another son to us. Same with Carson," she laughed. "You boys were so much fun to watch grow. I don't know Elizabeth at all."
"Try not to worry, Mrs. T. Jack has always been a good judge of character. I'm sure Elizabeth is great. Besides, she'll love you. You've always been a second mom to me. Why do you think I'm marrying Rosie?"
"Watch it, Coulter!" Rosie giggled, shaking the wooden spoon in her hand at him.
"You're right, Leland. This is an exciting night."
Just before 5:30, Jack pulled his truck in front of his cozy two story childhood home. The lights inside gave off a warm, inviting glow that extended past the front porch."
"Jack, it's so nice!"
"Thanks. We loved it here." Jack got out of the car and hurried around to Elizabeth's side to open her door. "You ready?"
"I guess."
"Don't be nervous."
"I'm not."
Jack gave her a funny look. "You changed your outfit five times and redid your hair twice."
"So I wanted to look presentable for your mom? Does that make me nervous?"
"No, that doesn't but the way you went about it does," he teased.
"This is a big deal, Jack! I want her to like me. Your sister too."
"They will. You're amazing, angel. Please don't worry about it, okay?" He pressed his lips to hers. "Everything will be fine."
"Alright. I'm trusting you."
"Good. Now let's go. With any luck, Rosie did the cooking tonight."
"I heard that, son!" A tall, beautiful, dark haired woman now stood on the front porch in a light pink sweater and jeans. Her arms were wrapped tightly across her chest to keep warm. "Come on, Jack. You can sass me more when we're inside and warm."
Jack laughed. Taking Elizabeth's hand, they hurried up the wide steps to the porch and into the home. The inside was even more inviting than the outside. From the entryway, Elizabeth could see into the large living room with its furniture angled towards a wood stove. The floors were all hardwood floors even up the beautiful staircase.
Jack took both their coats and hung them up in the entryway closet. He wrapped his arm around Elizabeth and turned to his mother.
"Mom, I'd like you to meet Elizabeth Thatcher."
"It's so wonderful to meet you dear. You're even more beautiful in person then in all of Jack's pictures, and he's showed us a lot!" Charlotte winked.
"It's wonderful to meet you as well. Jack thinks the world of you."
"Well, come on in. Rosie says dinner's almost ready. She and Leland are in the living room. They're very excited to meet you."
As they entered the living room, Elizabeth saw a beautiful window seat with comfy looking pillows placed on it. From its position, she could only imagine it faced out to the trees. What a beautiful place that must be during the daylight.
"Your home is so beautiful, Mrs. Thornton!"
"Why thank you. I can't cook but I'm not half bad at interior decorating. That right there," she pointed to the window seat. "That's my favorite spot."
"I can see why. Looks like a perfect place to curl up with a good book."
"Mom is a whiz at home decor!" A bubbly young woman with dirty blonde hair that was slightly curly said from the couch before she and the handsome dark haired man beside her stood. "I'm Rosie, the little sister."
"Hi, Rosie, I've heard a lot about you."
"And I you! I can't wait to dish all about Jacky over here!"
"Watch it, Roseberry," Jack warned.
"Jack! You know I hate that name!"
"And I hate Jacky. Fair is fair."
"No matter how old these two get I swear they are still 10 years old." The man with Rosie teased. "Hi, I'm Leland, but you can call me Lee. Welcome to the circus."
"Hi, Lee, nice to meet you." Elizabeth laughed as she and Lee watched and listened to the siblings banter back and forth.
"Alright!" Charlotte clapped her hands. "I feel like I never left the classroom. Rosie, do we have time to sit here or should we move to the dining room?"
Rosie checked her watch. "We have time. Let's sit!"
Jack took Elizabeth's hand and led her to the window seat. Unphased by the others in the room, he wrapped his arm around her and pulled her close. Charlotte studied their body language. She couldn't remember ever seeing Jack like this.
"So, Elizabeth," Charlotte began. "We've heard a lot about Haiti from Jack's perspective, I'd love to hear from you. Especially you being a teacher."
"Of course! Jack told me you taught for many years."
"Yes, I loved it. I'm still involved in the district now. What's it like there?"
"Goodness, I don't even know where to start. It's better than I ever imagined."
Elizabeth went on to explain the sheer joy she had teaching so many children of various ages all at once. She talked about the literacy program she'd started that wasn't just helping the kids, but the parents and others in the village as well.
As she shared her experiences, Charlotte's heart couldn't help but swell listening to the unbridled love this young woman had for all the people in that little village. The other thing that was impossible not to notice was how her son was hanging on Elizabeth's every word. Nothing but sweet, tender love was in his eyes as he watched her.
"Then of course there's the interesting factor of getting to teach in both English and French," Elizabeth continued. "I had to thank my mother for making me continue with my language studies."
"Her French is great," Jack added. "Mine still needs some work."
"You were pretty pathetic back in the day," Lee teased. "Have you been working on it down there?"
"Oui. J'ai étudié mon français."
"Wow!" Lee laughed. "You have gotten better."
"Yup. I have a great tutor." He kissed Elizabeth's cheek, making her blush.
A timer in the kitchen went off and Rosie leapt to tend to it.
"Dinner is ready!" she called from the kitchen.
Soon they were all sitting around the table enjoying a lovely meal. Rosie was very proud of herself for it.
"Rosie, this meal is wonderful."
"Thank you! Do you like to cook?"
Elizabeth choked on her bite of chicken. "Um, not yet. I'm quite bad actually."
"Aunt Abigail is going to give her some pointers," Jack stated.
"Really?" Charlotte laughed. "Good luck with that. I love Abby but she could stand to have a little more patience in the kitchen."
"Oh, Mom," Rosie laughed. "Aunt Abigail was fine. You on the other hand…"
"What do you mean, me on the other hand?"
"Oh, I don't know. You did throw a meatball at her."
"More like eight," Jack added.
"Okay, okay, enough about that," Charlotte laughed. "I'm sure you'll be great, Lizzie."
"Its Elizabeth, Mom."
"At ease, Jacky, it's just a nickname," Rosie teased. Typical little sister.
"I don't mind." Elizabeth placed her hand on Jack's leg under the table. "Besides, its not like you don't have a nickname for me."
"Does he now?" Rosie giggled. "And what is that?"
Elizabeth could feel the heat of her blushing. She hadn't realized what information she was volunteering with that comment.
"If you must know, Roseberry, I call her angel. It goes back to the first night we went. She looked so beautiful. Like an angel. As I've gotten to know her and love her I'm even more convinced its the perfect nickname for her."
"Awww," Charlotte and Rosie said together.
"Dang, Jack!" Lee laughed. "You're making me look bad."
"Why's that?" Jack asked.
"Well, I do have a nickname for Rosie. It's real funny. I call her…"
Rosie covered Lee's mouth with her hand. "Don't you even think about it, Leland Coulter."
"Alright alright, squigget. I won't tell," he said with a wink.
"Squigget?" Jack said with a laugh.
"Yeah. She calls me honey bunny around my friends so I call her squigget."
"Honey bunny is even better than squigget!" Jack laughed even harder.
"Eat your food, Jacky."
"Yes, Roseberry." Elizabeth just shook her head and laughed. The teasing was almost nonstop between the siblings. It was certainly different than her and Julie.
After dinner, Charlotte asked Jack to help her with dishes so Elizabeth stayed in the living room to talk to Lee and Rosie.
"I'm pretty sure I'm the only grown man who lives out of the country that still has chores when he visits his mom's house," Jack told her.
"Maybe but I really just wanted to have a talk with you."
Charlotte opened the dishwasher and started rinsing plates.
Jack handed her a glass. "Why do I get the sense that I'm about to be grounded?"
"Alright, sassy. I know I can't ground you. But, do you think its wise that you and Elizabeth are living together while you are here?"
"Wise, I'm not sure. When she arrived here, I really didn't think we had much of a choice. If it makes you feel better, I gave her my bedroom."
"I guess it does a bit. But I've seen how you two look at each other. There's plenty of spark there. And sparks can turn into wildfires pretty fast."
"Yes. I know. We are being cautious, Ma. Don't worry."
"How cautious?"
"Cautious enough. You know I would never take advantage of her, right? I love her and everything she believes in."
"That's good, son. I'm glad."
"Let's get these done. I want some of that chocolate cream pie."
"Ah, you saw that, did you?"
"Yup!" Jack grinned like a little boy. "Hey, Ma, can I ask you something?"
"Anything, honey."
"What do you think?" Jack tilted his head in the direction of the living room.
Charlotte put the last dish into the dishwasher and smiled. "I think she's wonderful. Perfect for you, Jack. Your father would have loved her too."
"Thanks, Mom. She's the one."
"I'm happy for you. Both of you."
"Oooh….come see what we found!" Rosie called from the living room.
"Oh boy." Jack peeked into the living room and groaned. "Home movies? Really?"
"I want to see them, hon," Elizabeth told him. "I didn't know you as a child."
He sat next to her and slipped his arm around her shoulders. "How much can I pay you not to show these, Rosemary?"
"Not enough money in the world, dear brother." Rosie hit play. "Oh good. This is our brother sister talent show. I was the ventriloquist and Jack was my puppet. We got first place if I recall."
"Oh, honey," Elizabeth said, laughing into his shoulder. "You were so cute!"
"Yeah. Whatever you say, babe."
