As Robert finished reading his second place essay, the audience broke out in applause. As Robert rejoined his parents in one of the pews, Elizabeth walked back to stand in front of her desk.

"We have one more essay to be read tonight. While all of the students did a wonderful job with their essays, I thought there was a little bit more depth to this student's essay, as did my fellow judges on the panel. Our first place essay belongs to Ally Grant," Elizabeth announced. As another round of applause broke out. "Ally, would you like to come up and read it."

Getting slowly to her feet, Ally looked over at her Uncle Nathan. With a look and a nod toward the front of the room, he encouraged her to go join her teacher. Ally, made her way to the front of the classroom, feeling nervous.

"Do I have to read it, Mrs. Thorton?" Ally asked quietly as she took the paper her teacher held out to her.

"I take it you still haven't told your Uncle what you wrote?"

Ally shook her head. "I know he likes to keep to himself. What if he gets angry with me for reading it?"

Elizabeth placed her hands on Ally's shoulders as she looked down at her pupil. "I won't make you read it if you don't want to, but I assure you Ally, your Uncle won't be angry with you."

Ally nodded. "Can you at least stay here with me?"

Elizabeth smiled. "I'll be standing right behind you," she assured the girl.

Ally turned around and looked out at the audience. Her eyes found her Uncle Nathan sitting in the audience. She could see the pride on his face as he waited with the rest of the gathered townsfolk to hear the essay. She felt Mrs. Thorton's hand resting on her shoulder as she took a deep breath and then let it out slowly. Looking down at her paper Ally began to read what she had wrote.

"My hero is my Uncle Nathan. He's a Mountie and he's good at his job. He risks his own life to keep others safe, whether it be from elements of nature that we can't control or people who do bad things. Many people think that Mounties are brave, aloof, resourceful, kind, responsible and loyal. My Uncle is all of those things. However it isn't his job that makes my Uncle my Hero."

"Uncle Nathan is my hero simply because he wanted me. When my mother died my father left. I don't know why. Sometimes I even wonder if it was because there was something I did. Or perhaps because there was something about me that made him not love me."

Ally paused, willing herself not to cry in front of the gathered crowd. She felt Mrs. Thorton's hand give her shoulder a reassuring squeeze. Looking up from her paper she found her Uncle in the sea of faces. She could still see the pride in his face though his expression had a bit of sadness in it.

"Go on," he mouthed silently to her.

Finding her place on the paper, Ally continued.

"However, then I think about my Uncle Nathan. He didn't have to take me in and raise me but he did. I'm sure that suddenly raising a little girl changed his plans. I know he has made different choices in life because he wants to do what is best for me. I also know that I try his patience at times, and do things to disappoint him. However, even when he's angry with something that I've done or I'm angry at him because of a choice he's made that I don't like, I never doubt that I am loved."

"Uncle Nathan is my hero because he chose to be a father to me," Ally said, finishing the essay.

Looking up from the paper, Ally saw her Uncle Nathan stand up and come forward. Reaching her, he knelt down and pulled her into a hug as applause broke out throughout the little schoolhouse.

Standing behind Ally, Elizabeth saw the tears in Nathan's eyes as he hugged his niece tightly. Knowing that the two needed this time together, Elizabeth stepped to the side and addressed the gathered group of students, family and friends.

"As that concludes our reading for tonight, I invite you all to make your way to the Saloon for some punch and cookies," She told the audience.

As the townsfolk started talking amongst themselves as they got to their feet and headed for door, Elizabeth glanced behind her. Nathan was still hugging his niece. She wasn't sure if Nathan would find the courage to join the rest of them for refreshments after all of this, but as Ally had said, their was no doubt that he loved the niece he was raising as if she were his own.