Nathan sat on the porch, watching the sun come up. He had agreed last minute to a sleepover and just like last time, Ally and the girls had kept him awake most of the night. So when the sky started to lighten, Nathan had just decided to get up. Sitting in his wicker chair, with a cup of coffee, Nathan's mind drifted to where it usually did these days—Elizabeth.

He hadn't seen her last night after all. Opal mentioned seeing the teacher riding somewhere on Sargent. And when Nathan had mentioned this fact to Bill, Bill had seemed nonchalant. He had something along the lines of "I know where she is. And she's fine." What in the world did that mean?

Nathan wanted nothing more than to protect Elizabeth from all harm. Had something happened that he wasn't aware of—not even as the concerned suitor but as the town Mountie? Or did Elizabeth just have a lot on her mind?

Things were certainly moving quickly since the public display of affection. They had had family dinners, their own romantic dinner in the woods, admitted their feelings….for people who had taken two years to get out of their own way, they were certainly making up for lost time.

Nathan took another sip of coffee. Should they slow down? "Funny thing is," Nathan thought to himself, "I don't think we're intentionally going fast. We're doing what makes sense."

The last thing Nathan wanted to do was make Elizabeth uncomfortable in any way. As he had told her, she mattered to him. Oh, how she mattered to him.

Ally had told her friends all about her Uncle Nathan and Mrs. Thornton; Nathan had heard it last night in the midst of squeals and laughs. She had said it with such happiness and pride. Clearly Elizabeth mattered to his niece as well. Elizabeth was one of the people Ally had let into her life. She had broken down walls thanks to her teacher. Nathan would always be indebted to Elizabeth for that.

If Nathan had learned anything in regards to Elizabeth, he needed to trust her. So whatever had resulted in the horseback ride was going to be okay.

Elizabeth, Rosemary, and Ally were spending the day together making pies. Fresh apple pie. Pumpkin pie. A peach pie with summer's canned peaches. With Little Jack commandeered by his godfather, it was girl's time! Faith and Clara were going to join them for lunch momentarily-when they could get away from the dress shop and the Infirmary.

"Alright," Rosemary conducted. "Ally, you are on mixing. Elizabeth, you're on rolling out the dough…"

"And what are you going to do Mrs. Coulter," Ally asked.

'Why, Ally." Rosemary replied. "I am going to do the filling. The ratio of filling to dough is crucial."

Elizabeth winked at Ally. "So you always say."

"Honestly, Elizabeth," Rosemary twirled a spoon in the air, as if she were the maestro of an orchestra. "One of these days you will not doubt me."

"I assure you, I never do," Elizabeth chuckled.

"And Ally," Rosemary looked at the young girl. "You can call me Miss Rosemary, you know. A special friend of Miss Elizabeth's is a special friend of mine."

"Yes, Mrs….I mean….Miss Rosemary," Ally swallowed. "It's going to take time for me to not to mess it up."

"Never you fret, dear," Rosemary patted Ally's head. "Now, get to mixing!"

With music on the phonograph, the women twirled and danced. Flour was ending up in places besides the bowl but none of that mattered. The fun, the happiness, the memories, that was more important.

"Miss Elizabeth," Ally gestured towards Elizabeth's hand. "Did you lose your ring in the dough?"

Elizabeth swallowed and blushed. Ally was very perceptive.

"No, I didn't lose it."

"What happened to it?" Ally had always thought the ring looked pretty. Her classmates had told her all about Mountie Jack's giving it to Elizabeth. He apparently had pulled out all the stops—candles everywhere!

Rosemary's eyes met Elizabeth's. As only friends can, the two communicated silently. Rosemary's eyes filled with tears. They were happy tears but tears nonetheless. Seeing Faith and Clara approaching, Rosemary moved towards the door.

"I'm going to go greet Clara and Faith." Rosemary nodded towards the window. "I'll leave you two alone."

Elizabeth mouthed thank you and then turned her attention to Ally.

"Ally," Elizabeth encouraged Ally to sit down. "I took my rings off."

Ally did not need any explaining beyond that. "Did Uncle Nathan ask you?"

"No," Elizabeth promptly said. "I chose to on my own. Your uncle doesn't even know that I have."

"Was it hard to do it?" Ally stood up to hug her teacher. "Mr. Thornton sounds like he was a really cool guy."

Elizabeth's eyes glistened. "He really was. And yes, it was hard to take my rings off. They remind me of special moments in my life. And of someone very special to me." She took Ally in a hug. "But you know why I took them off? Do you want to know?"

"Yes, I'd like to know—if you are willing to tell me."

Elizabeth looked into Ally's eyes. This young woman, for that was quickly what Ally was become, had gone through so much in her life. She needed the truth and nothing less. "I took them off because I look forward to making special memories with your uncle. But in order for that to happen, your uncle needs to know that I am fully his….does that make sense?"

"I think so," Ally scrunched up her nose. "You want him to feel like there's a blank slate."

"Exactly," Elizabeth nodded. "So that is why I took my rings off. It's why Mr. Avery brought Sargent to me. I needed to go to a special place."

"I understand going to a special place," Ally looked like she was transported to a land far away. "Do you know why I like the fishing pond so much?"

"No," Elizabeth realized she was sharing a special moment with Ally. "Why do you like the fishing pond?"

"Mom and I enjoyed fishing together," Ally whispered. "When I fish, I feel close to her." Ally allowed a few tears to fall. "I don't have a grave to visit here or anything….but when I need space, or have heavy thoughts, I go fishing." Ally stopped for a moment. "So I understand you wanting to be somewhere by yourself."

Elizabeth hugged Ally closely. "Thank you for sharing that with me."

"Thank you for sharing with me," Ally returned the hug. "I promise I won't say anything to Uncle Nathan."

"If you do, it's okay," Elizabeth laughed.

"No," Ally said firmly. "This is something I shouldn't put my nose in. My uncle is a dunce and sometimes needs a kick in the pants. Or people to stop interrupting him when he tries talking to you. And he says dumb stuff sometimes. But when it is something serious—he's a good read on people. He appreciates those conversations."

The two were interrupted by the opening of the front door. "Sorry you two, but we have a delicious basket of food out here! Are you able to join us?"

Ally stood up and outstretched her hand. "We are, aren't we Miss Elizabeth?"

"We definitely are," Elizabeth took Ally's hand.