December 1929

Nathan watched as Harper twirled Allie around the dance floor. Their first dance as husband and wife made tears well in his eyes. His little girl now belonged to another. Though she'd been dating Harper for the past two years, she had been living at home, working alongside Elizabeth at the new schoolhouse. As the town grew, the number of pupils outgrew the little schoolhouse. The people of Hope Valley had come together to build a school close to the church, keeping the location close to where it had always been. Allie and Elizabeth each had their own classrooms, with their daughter teaching the younger students and Elizabeth teaching the older ones. The system worked well for them. Mother and daughter were excited to spend many more years as the town's teachers. That, at least, wouldn't change. Allie wasn't leaving town. Harper had built her a house on the land his father left him. They would see their oldest daughter frequently.

But it still felt like they were losing her.

An arm slid around his waist. He turned to see Elizabeth at his side, looking up at him with understanding in her eyes. "It's hard, isn't it?"

He nodded, unable to find any words around the lump in his throat. His wife leaned her head on his shoulder. "I wonder if this is how my father felt when he watched me leave Hamilton for the frontier. There's something very hard about letting a child go."

Nathan finally found his voice. "That, my dear, is an understatement." He took in the glow in Allie's brown eyes, the joy radiating from her face. "But she's happy. That's what matters."

"Indeed." Elizabeth looked up at him, her blue eyes twinkling. "I thought for sure you were going to break into tears when you gave her away."

He snorted. "I did. I just managed to hide it from everyone." He gave her a little smirk. "And if I remember correctly, I wasn't the only one hiding tears."

Her cheeks flushed prettily. "You certainly weren't. I didn't expect to get so emotional." She looked at their daughter as the dance came to an end. "Our first child to leave the nest." A little sigh escaped. "I'm rather glad we won't have to worry about this again for some time. We still have at least four years with Jack, more with the rest of the children."

Nathan's eyes sought out said children. The lump in his throat grew. They might have plenty of years left with them, but all of them were growing so quickly. Jack would be fourteen in a couple weeks. He was taller than Elizabeth now and becoming a young man in his own right. Amy was ten and blossoming into a beauty. Already, boys were noticing her, much to Nathan's dismay. He automatically put himself between his daughter and any staring boys when he saw it happen - which was much too frequent for his peace of mind. Jude and Jordan had turned eight in September. Though the boys were identical, differences in their personalities made it easy to tell who was who. Jordan was outgoing and curious, while Jude preferred to stay near home and read a book. The twins had their own friends and their own interests, but they frequently spent time together, and when they did, the family kept an alert eye out for their practical jokes. April remained the baby of the family. At six years old, she had developed an active and playful personality of her own. She loved tagging along with her brothers as much as she loved having her hair brushed and styled by her sisters. At the moment, she was chasing the twins around in circles as all three of them laughed.

The music changed. Nathan shook himself from his thoughts, turning his attention to his beautiful wife. "Will you dance with me, sweetheart?"

She smiled, accepting the hand he held out. "It would be my pleasure." They stepped onto the dance floor. Nathan held her close as they swayed to the music. He couldn't stop gazing at Elizabeth. It never ceased to amaze him how much he loved this woman God had brought into his life. She held his eyes for nearly a minute before pink dusted her cheeks. "Is something wrong?"

He shook his head. "Not at all."

She raised a brow. "You have that intense look in your eyes. What are you thinking?"

He smiled, pulling her closer. "I was just marveling at the fact that we've been married for eleven and a half years, and I'm more in love with you now than ever before." He punctuated his words with a kiss. By the time he pulled back, Elizabeth's cheeks were fully flushed. He grinned. "And I love the fact that I can still make you blush when I kiss you."

"Only when we're in public." She chuckled. "Not that I mind, of course." She lifted herself on tiptoe to initiate another kiss. He happily obliged.

"Alright, break it up, you two, or I might be duty-bound to lock you up for the night."

Bill's teasing words made them look his way. He danced by with Amy, grinning at them. "What do you think, Amy? Should I arrest them?"

Amy rolled her eyes as she often did at her parents' public displays of affection. "Uncle Bill, you know they would get even more mushy if you did that."

He winked. "I could put them in separate cells."

Nathan chuckled. "Being locked up by you once was enough for a lifetime."

Amy stared up at Bill. "You put Dad in jail?"

Bill cleared his throat. "In my defense, I thought he was interfering where he shouldn't."

Nathan laughed. "Good luck explaining that one!" He twirled Elizabeth away, chuckling at the look in Bill's eyes as Amy peppered him with questions.

"He's never going to live that down." Elizabeth's comment was accompanied by a grin.

Nathan shook his head. "Nope."

The music changed, alerting Nathan to the fact that it was time for the father-daughter dance. His heart hitched. Elizabeth squeezed his hand. "You've got this, sweetheart."

His throat worked as he looked down at his wife. "I don't think I'm ready to let her go."

She placed a hand on his cheek. "I know."

Nathan sought out Allie in the crowd. She stood in a corner with Harper, smiling up at him. The two shared a tender kiss. Nathan turned his eyes back to Elizabeth, giving the newlyweds privacy. Though it hurt to lose his daughter, there was no doubt that Harper loved her with his whole heart. It was obvious in every look, every touch, every word. Nathan felt completely comfortable giving his blessing when the young man asked for it. Allie would be in good hands with her new husband.

That didn't make the sting of loss any less painful.

When he glanced her way again, she was walking toward him, a smile on her face. She embraced Elizabeth when she reached them, then looked up at Nathan. "Are you ready, Dad?"

"Define 'ready'." His voice was thick with emotion as he held out his hand to her.

Her smile became empathetic. "I know this is hard for you." She slipped her hand into his, and he led her to the dance floor.

"It is." The admission wasn't a difficult one. Allie knew how much he struggled with the fact that his oldest child was leaving the nest. "But I want you to know how happy I am for you. Harper is a good man."

The smile that bloomed on her face could only be called besotted as her eyes found her husband. "He is." She looked back at him, her smile turning tender. "Thank you for everything, Dad. You showed me what a good man should be, what a loving relationship should look like. Watching you and Mom make me realize what I wanted in my own marriage. I've found that with Harper." She leaned her head against his chest. "I love you, Dad."

He closed his eyes, resting his head against hers. "I love you too, Allie-girl."

As they swayed to the music, Nathan treasured this dance with his daughter. Things might be changing, and he had a feeling the adjustment would be a hard one for their family, but he was proud of her for chasing her dreams. She was happy, and that made him happy.

In the wee hours of Christmas Eve morning, Elizabeth woke suddenly. Unsure of what jolted her from a perfectly good dream, she rolled over to snuggle into her husband. Her body met nothing but empty sheets. Blinking, she sat up. The room was cold and dark. Nathan was nowhere in sight. She frowned. Shivering, she got out of bed and quickly donned her fleece robe and fur slippers. She padded quietly out the door. A glow came from the direction of the living room. She made her way there.

The sound of quiet sobs reached her ears before she could see anything. She picked up her pace, suddenly worried. Was Nathan trying to comfort an upset child? Jude experienced sporadic nightmares and required reassurement when one occurred. It had been a while since the last one. Maybe Allie leaving home had triggered sadness in her tender-hearted son.

But when she got to the living room, it wasn't Jude crying in front of the fire. It was Nathan. Shocked, Elizabeth stared for a moment in mute silence. She'd seen her husband cry, but never had she seen him like this. Gut-wrenching sobs shook his body. He was clearly trying to keep some semblance of control and quiet, likely to keep from waking her or the children. She knew he had struggled with the concept of letting Allie go, but she hadn't realized it would have this kind of impact. He'd seemed okay over the two weeks since the wedding. Heart breaking for him, Elizabeth hurried forward and wrapped him in her arms from behind.

Nathan turned, fiercely engulfing her in an embrace. The desperation in his touch must have been similar to what she felt when she'd run into his arms after thinking he'd been killed all those years ago. Nathan had always been her rock. Seeing him like this was a little discombobulating, but she was thankful he didn't try to hide his grief from her. If anything, his tears came harder now that she held him close.

She reached up with one hand to stroke his hair. It was a motion she knew he found comforting. As she hoped, it proved to be soothing. Nathan's cries slowly lessened. His body stopped shaking. With a long, shuddering sigh, he slumped against her.

"Come sit, sweetheart." She led him to the settee, making sure he was situated before starting to sit beside him. Instead, he tugged her into his lap.

"Let me hold you, please." The raspy request was accompanied with a pleading look. Elizabeth simply nodded. His arms settled around her as she leaned her head against his. She tenderly wiped the tears from his cheeks. They sat together for a long time. Nathan stared into the fire. Elizabeth didn't try to engage him in conversation. She knew he needed time to think and process his emotions. Over eleven years of marriage had taught her that sometimes all he needed was her presence. It wasn't always easy, since she liked to process her feelings out loud, but that wasn't Nathan's way. He would talk when he was ready.

It might have been minutes or it might have been hours, but eventually Nathan let out a sigh. "I miss her, Elizabeth. I didn't expect to feel this sucker-punched. We've known this was coming for months. I thought I'd prepared emotionally to give her away. But when I walked past her empty room tonight, I lost it. She's gone. She'll always be a part of our family, but her new family will come first, as it should." His voice broke. The tears began falling again. He pressed his face into her neck, thoroughly wetting it in the span of thirty seconds.

Elizabeth let him cry. She knew this release of emotion was much better for him than keeping it bottled up inside. Silently, she prayed for him and for their whole family, knowing the days ahead might be rough. Christmas tomorrow, but with Allie still on her honeymoon, it would be an adjustment celebrating without one of their children. A sense of sadness threatened to engulf her at the thought, but she pushed it away. Right now, Nathan needed her. She could journal her feelings later.

The pattering of little feet alerted Elizabeth to the fact that they were no longer alone. She glanced up. Amy and April stood hand in hand beside the settee, staring at their father. April looked stricken.

"Mama, what's wrong with Daddy?" The fear in her eyes was palpable.

Nathan lifted his head when he heard his daughter's voice. "Daddy's fine, sweet girl. I'm just sad."

April's lip trembled. "Because Allie left?"

He nodded. Elizabeth slipped from his lap. "Come, girls. Your daddy needs some hugs."

April climbed onto his lap while Amy sat on his free side. Both of them wrapped their arms around him and hugged him tight. Nathan slid an arm around each of them. He kissed their foreheads one by one. "My girls." The soft whisper was full of fatherly love. Elizabeth watched as his sadness was pushed aside briefly while he held his daughters. Maybe this was exactly what he needed. Amy and April would be home for years to come, a fact that they were both thankful for.

Amy's tentative voice broke the silence. "Are we still getting a tree today?"

Nathan nodded. "Of course. We can't break tradition." He found a smile.

Amy looked uncertain. "But Allie isn't here. She always finds the best trees."

Elizabeth felt a lump in her throat. Amy was right. Not sure what to say, she was relieved when Nathan answered.

"That's true. But our traditions won't change, Amy. We might have to change how we go about some things, but that just means we can make new memories together. Allie will be making Christmas memories with Harper now." He hugged the girls closer. "But we'll still see her often. She isn't far away."

"I miss her." April's voice held a definite note of sadness.

"We all do." Nathan's whispered words held some pain, but they also held a bit of hope. "Who do you think will find the perfect tree this year?"

"Me, of course."

They all turned to see Jack walk into the room. He chuckled as he sat beside Elizabeth on the settee. "I think it's high time I get a chance to find the tree."

"No, I'm going to find it!" Amy sat up straight, rising to the challenge in her brother's voice.

"Me! Me!" April refused to be left out.

"No, we're going to find it!" Jude and Jordan came running into the room, sleepy-eyed and tousle-haired, but full of energy.

Nathan's smile lost all hints of sadness. Elizabeth knew nothing lifted his spirits as much as being surrounded by those he loved. And he loved her and their children with a fierce, protective tenderness. It was why he felt Allie's loss so keenly, and why he now wore a look of joy as all five of their remaining children gathered around him.

"I guess we should start breakfast so we can look for that tree." There was a twinkle in Nathan's eyes that lifted Elizabeth's spirits. He'd worked through his emotions and was now ready to face the day. She knew there would still be hard times ahead as they processed home life without their eldest, but for now, they were ready to celebrate.

Nathan turned to Jack as a chorus of excitement built in the room. "Happy birthday, son." He enveloped their newly minted fourteen-year-old in an embrace.

Jack beamed. "Thanks, Dad."

Elizabeth hugged him next. "You're growing up too fast."

He chuckled, slipping an arm around each of his parents. "You've got me for several more years. Besides, I don't think I'll leave Hope Valley. I love it here."

"Are you still thinking about joining the Mounties?" Elizabeth nearly held her breath as she waited for his answer.

Jack shook his head, a thoughtful look entering his eyes. "Actually, I'm not." He smiled at Nathan. "I'm grateful for the example you set, Dad, and I know my birth father was an amazing Mountie. It's a legacy in this family. But …" He trailed off.

Elizabeth tilted her head, curiosity filling her. "But?"

He shrugged. "You know I've been spending a lot of time working with Pastor Canfield, helping him out with his wood shop."

Elizabeth and Nathan nodded in tandem. "Are you thinking of becoming a carpenter?" She liked the sound of that. It was less dangerous than the Mounties. She wasn't sure what she would have done if she had to worry about both her husband and her son in a dangerous line of work.

"No." Jack smiled. "I want to be a preacher."

Elizabeth's hand floated to her heart. Pride for her son made tears prick her eyes. "Oh, Jack. What a wonderful profession! You would make an excellent pastor."

Nathan grinned, clapping their son on the back. "Your mother is right. We'd be proud of you no matter what profession you chose, but this one seems to fit you."

"Thanks." Jack's cheeks flushed. "There's still a lot to consider, but this feels like my calling."

Elizabeth hugged him, smiling. "Then you follow that call. It's given to you for a reason."

Jordan flew into Elizabeth's side, hugging her close. "Are we having birthday pancakes for Jack?" he asked, his blue eyes round and hopeful.

She chuckled. "Yes, Jordan. We are."

Jack took his brother's hand and headed for the kitchen. Nathan slipped an arm around Elizabeth's waist. Utter contentment rested on his features. "Thank you, Elizabeth. For everything."

She pressed a gentle kiss to his lips. "You're welcome, sweetheart." She smiled at him. "Are you ready to celebrate?"

He nodded, his own smile growing. "I am."