"Are you ready, Jack," Elizabeth cooed. "Are you ready to go over to Nathan and Ally's house?" Jack clutched his toy horse. "We're going to have quite the busy day little man! Breakfast with Nathan and Ally, lunch with Uncle Lee and Aunt Rosemary, dinner with Grandpa Bill and Jesse and Clara and Henry….lots of people, huh! We have so much to be thankful for."

Jack smiled. "Mama go…."

Jack's vocabulary was starting to increase. Truly, Elizabeth's son was growing up. He was going to be two in just a few short weeks. Time had certainly flown.

"Yes, let's go!"

Elizabeth tried to contain her excitement walking to Nathan's house. She truly was looking forward to seeing him.

Ally opened the door before Elizabeth even had a chance to knock. "Happy Thanksgiving Miss Elizabeth! Happy Thanksgiving Little Jack!"

Elizabeth smiled broadly. "And a very Happy Thanksgiving to you too Ally!

"Uncle Nathan is making pancakes!" Ally practically bounced on her heels. "It's one thing he actually cooks reasonably well."

"Hey!" Nathan yelled from the kitchen. "I make a couple of things well!"

"Chicken and dumplings is one of them," Elizabeth responded. She smiled broadly. "How can little Jack and I help?"

"I actually found some of my toys from when I was little," Ally looked sheepishly at Elizabeth. "I was hoping I could not help with making breakfast and play with him instead."

"Play!" Little Jack began wiggling out of Elizabeth's arms.

"Okay, my little man, you want to play with Ally?"

"Aleeee"

"That's right, Little Jack," Ally beamed. "That's my name! Let's go play!"

"Ally," Nathan walked over to his niece. "You take good care of Jack, okay?"

"Of course Uncle Nathan," Ally was tempted to roll her eyes but she refrained. "You just take care of Miss Elizabeth." Ally then snuck up the stairs.

Nathan and Elizabeth were alone.

Elizabeth smiled "So you are to take care of me, huh?"

Nathan chuckled. "I guess so." Desire filled his eyes. He lowered his head and kissed Elizabeth. He felt Elizabeth's body quiver in his arms which made Nathan kiss Elizabeth even more deeply. He gently rested his forehead on hers.

"That's a great start," Elizabeth whispered breathlessly.

Nathan kissed her forehead. "You deserve nothing less than a deep and abiding love, Lizabeth. I am thankful that you are willing to explore that with me"

"I find myself having a lot to be thankful for this Thanksgiving Day," Elizabeth replied. "I wrote about it in my journal this morning."

"What all did you write about?" Nathan wanted to stay lost in Elizabeth's eyes.

"What was in my heart." Elizabeth looked up. "So, Nathan Grant, you were what I wrote about."

Nathan playfully kissed Elizabeth once more. "I like the sound of that."

"Do you want help with breakfast?" Elizabeth swayed from side to side.

"Do we have to?" Nathan teased back.

Elizabeth led Nathan over to the stove. "I said I would help."

Nathan sighed. "Honestly, Elizabeth, you don't have to help me. Just you and Little Jack sharing breakfast with Ally and I is enough."

"Nathan Grant," Elizabeth put her hands on her hips. "Don't spoil me."

Nathan once more looked deep into Elizabeth's eyes. "Lizabeth, I am not trying to spoil you. And even if I were, you deserve happy moments and special moments and someone to take care of you. You always take care of others; you take care of this town. For so long I have wanted to take care of you—so let me. Let me make breakfast."

Elizabeth realized there were so many layers to the man standing in front of her. If he wanted to do show his care with a kind gesture, she wasn't going to stop him.

"Alright," Elizabeth held up her hands in mock surrender. "I won't help….this time."

Nathan kissed her once more. "Thank you."

Ally sat in front of her mirror, brushing her hair. It had been a really wonderful morning with Miss Elizabeth and Little Jack. Uncle Nathan had made pancakes and dusted them with powdered sugar. The three of them had hot chocolate with marshmallows. They talked about the upcoming Thanksgiving dinner….and Ally had caught her uncle kissing her teacher right before breakfast.

Her uncle was happy. Really happy. Which made Ally really happy. For six years they had moved so many times and honestly, Ally hadn't expected roots in Hope Valley. But she had made friends. She had loved school. And they had called Hope Valley home for almost two years now. Mrs. Thornton, or Miss Elizabeth as Ally was trying to remember to call her, had been a big reason why Hope Valley had become home for her uncle. Ally was more than okay with that.

Ally allowed herself to dream the same dream she had been having lately. It was a dream she wouldn't tell her uncle about. Not yet anyway. But with moments like this morning, Ally felt like her dreams could come true.

Her dreams of becoming a family.

For so long, it had been Ally and Uncle Nathan. Her mother had died when she was four. Her father had walked out—she didn't even remember him. Grandpa Archie had not been in her life until recently…..Uncle Nathan was her whole world. Now, they both were welcoming Little Jack and Elizabeth into their circle. Maybe one day it would be permanent? Maybe instead of Miss Elizabeth, Ally would be calling her Aunt Elizabeth?

Ally said a silent prayer. Maybe it could be a Christmas wish come true?

Elizabeth fastened her coat. Time to go to Jesse and Clara's for Thanksgiving Dinner. She fastened up Little Jack's blue wool sweater. With her periwinkle blue shirtwaist and her darker blue skirt, Elizabeth and her son were matching. Though he wasn't in town, Carson had left his camera with Lee. Elizabeth thought it would be the perfect opportunity to get a mother/son photograph.

Elizabeth walked slowly to Nathan and Ally's row house. Little Jack was wanting to be mobile more and more and Elizabeth encouraged this. This meant Elizabeth would go at her son's speed.

"Somebody looks really handsome," Ally's voice called out. "I like your coat Little Jack! The color matches my dress…" Ally briefly unbuttoned her coat to show her blue outfit. It's like we are matching!"

"It does seems like that," Elizabeth smiled. Her smile became bigger as she saw Nathan step outside as well. He was wearing the same shirt he had worn on their first date—the blue checkered one. "We all wore blue, I see."

Nathan grinned. "One would think we planned this or something."

"I planned Jack's and mine," Elizabeth teased. "I had no say over what you two wore."

"I like it!" Ally said.

Little Jack toddled over to Ally. "Alleeeee"

Ally reached out for Little Jack's hand. "Want to walk with me, Lil' Jack? Or do you want me to pick you up?"

"Up! Up!" Little Jack lifted his arms in the air.

Elizabeth helped Little Jack get situated in Ally's arms. "You sure you want to hold him?"

"Totally sure, Miss Elizabeth!"

Nathan took Elizabeth's hand and intertwined his fingers with hers. He kissed her temple. "I could get used to this sight."

Elizabeth leaned into Nathan. Watching her son prattle along to Ally….Ally holding Little Jack carefully….the strong man by her side. "I could too."

Bill was thankful for the task of carving the turkey. It gave him the opportunity to observe the people gathered together for Thanksgiving dinner.

There was Jesse and Clara. Newlyweds celebrating their first married Thanksgiving. Jesse was completely at ease helping Clara host. Then you had Lee and Rosemary, always good for support and laughs. In so many ways these two were the heart of the community. Lee's sawmill had revitalized Hope Valley after the coal mine disaster. Rosemary sought to bring culture and excitement. Fiona was there; she had chosen to stay in Hope Valley even though she did had lost her job with the telephone company. And there was Elizabeth, Nathan, Ally, and Little Jack.

Bill had watched the four of them arrive together. Nathan had eyes only for Elizabeth. She had been holding his hand and laughing. Ally was having fun with Little Jack, almost like a big sister would take care of a little brother. The four of them were all in shades of blue. It was like they looked like a family.

The Grant Family.

Something told Bill it wasn't going to be long before that truly became a reality.