December 1945, London

Elizabeth and Nathan walked through the streets of London, taking in the sights. Christmas looked very different this year. It was the first one they'd spent away from their children, and while both struggled a bit with the separation, visiting Elizabeth's sister and her family had proven to be a wonderful experience. As both of their parents had passed on in recent years, the Thatcher sisters wanted a Christmas together, and London was chosen as the destination. Neither Julie or Elizabeth had been to England. Viola and Lionel welcomed them with open arms. Their son was there as well, which meant Elizabeth got to meet her thirty-one year old nephew for the first time, along with his wife and two children.

"I think Anthony and Jack would have been good friends if they'd grown up together." Elizabeth looked up at Nathan. "I wonder if they'll ever meet."

"Maybe." Nathan slid his arm around her shoulders. "Anthony did say he'd like to bring his family to Canada at some point. Perhaps we can welcome them to Hope Valley."

"I hope so. It would be good for the kids to meet the rest of their relatives. They already know Julie's family well. Viola's has only been a picture and a story in their minds."

"True. Who knows? Maybe Viola and Lionel will move to Canada as well. Viola has mentioned that a few times since we've been here. I think she misses home. London must not have truly felt that way for her."

"It hasn't." Elizabeth felt for her older sister. Though Viola loved Lionel and their son, and though she adored her grandchildren, England had always felt slightly foreign to her.

"Speaking of home, how do you think the kids are getting on without us?"

She chuckled. "Somehow, I think they'll have their hands full with their own families and their in-laws. I'm sure they're doing fine."

"Good." Relief crossed his face. "I'll admit I was a little nervous about spending Christmas away from home. It's been us and the kids and the grandkids for so long. Having Christmas together alone is a strange concept." He grinned. "Though I'm perfectly happy having you all to myself."

She laughed, pressing a hand against his chest. "Technically, we're still around family."

Nathan nodded. "True, but this feels different. Lionel and Viola's home is so big, it feels like we have a place of our own. We literally have our own wing!"

Elizabeth's smile turned mischievous. "A fact that we've taken full advantage of." She raised herself on her toes to kiss him. "When was the last time you and I had this much alone time?"

"Let's see." Nathan pretended to think, his blue eyes twinkling. "Never?"

He was right. April lived at home until recently. She'd married Jeffrey Shepherd two months ago. Even with all the kids out of the house, one or another of them was always over with some of the Grant grandchildren. Nathan and Elizabeth now had fifteen grandchildren, with another on the way. Jordan's wife was five months pregnant with their second child, and both of them were excited to add to their family. Though they lived together on their own, hardly a day passed by when Nathan and Elizabeth didn't see family members. Two weeks into this trip had been a revelation. They continued to discover new things about each other, even after twenty-seven years of marriage. Elizabeth was thankful for that. She loved learning more about her husband. Time hadn't diminished her love for him. It had only grown with each passing year. Even now, with his graying hair and wrinkling skin at the age of sixty, he was the most handsome man she'd ever known.

Elizabeth pulled him to a stop and nestled herself in his arms. She didn't care that they were in the middle of the street where others could see them. Nathan's arms wrapped around her as well.

"Have I told you lately how much I love you, Mrs. Grant?"

She gazed up at him with a smile. "Yes. But I am happy to hear it again."

He nuzzled her lips, teasing them with little tugs. "I love you."

She sighed, leaning into him further. "The feeling is mutual, sweetheart."

Reluctantly, they broke apart to continue their walk. Nathan slipped his hand into hers and kept her close by his side. "Did the publisher contact you yet about your latest manuscript?"

"Not yet. They said they would call in the new year." She smiled. "Thank you for being so supportive of this particular dream of mine. I've always wanted to be a published author, but teaching always came first. I never thought that when we retired five years ago, my writing career would take off." She nudged him. "Not to mention your woodworking hobby brings in a tidy sum too."

He chuckled. "That's the beauty of retirement. We get to chase our passions with abandon." He winked. "I particularly like the fact that you wrote our love story in your new book. Constable Nathaniel Le'rant and teacher Liza Thorne are quite the characters."

She batted her eyes innocently. "Why, Constable Grant, whatever do you mean? It's a fictional story."

"Uh huh." He grinned. "And I'm a mouse."

They shared a laugh before falling into a comfortable silence. Elizabeth leaned her head on his shoulder as they walked. A light rain had fallen earlier in the evening, creating wet streets and damp air. She savored it all. She'd always loved the chill in the air and the refreshing look of a city after rain. Breathing in deeply, she smiled.

"Oh my. Look at that." Nathan's voice interrupted her thoughts. She lifted her head to follow his pointing hand. A chill ran through her. The neighborhood they stumbled upon clearly had not been rebuilt. Most of London had been patched up after the bombings from World War II, but some places still held evidence of the harsh war. Places like this.

Nathan and Elizabeth had planned to spend their twenty-fifth wedding anniversary in London, but since the war was still raging, they changed their plans. Instead, they were here two years later, and the city felt both solemn and hopeful in a strange juxtaposition. Beside the devastation, two large Christmas trees stood like silent sentinels, pointing heavenward as if directing the onlooker's attention there. A manger scene sat between them. They approached the nativity quietly, solemnly. The destruction before them sat in stark contrast to the beautifully decorated trees and the stunning craftsmanship of the nativity. They stood hand in hand before the manger, alternately looking between the Christ Child and the bombed-out buildings. Nathan was the first to break the silence.

"There's something written on the manger."

Elizabeth stooped down to read the words carved in the wood. "Chains shall He break." She looked again at the image of baby Jesus. His little hand was raised as if in blessing, a halo of light painted around his head. She straightened, leaning into Nathan, still looking at the manger scene. "That's why this is here. To remind people that there is still hope, even with all the horror and destruction the world saw over the past several years."

His arm slipped around her waist. "That's the beauty of eternal hope. As bad as the war was, we haven't seen the end of terror from tyrants. There will always be new ones rising to take the place of others. But this …" he nodded at the manger, "this is the one hope that will never change and never fail. Christ breaks all chains, and He will break them once and for all in eternity." He smiled, resting his head against hers. "That is our true hope."

Elizabeth placed her hand on his chest, resting in peace. He was right. "Do you ever wonder what the end will be like?"

She felt him look down at her. "The end?"

"Of our lives. We're getting older. Our parents are gone. Some of our friends are gone." A lump formed in her throat as she thought of Bill and Henry and Abigail. All had gone to their eternal home in the past few years. Even knowing they had lived full lives, surviving well into their eighties, didn't make the pain of their passing any less difficult. "Do you ever wonder how we'll depart this life?"

Nathan was quiet for a few moments. "Not really."

She glanced up at him. "No?"

He shook his head. "I know it's a reality that we'll face eventually, but we're still not that old. We should have many years left." He nuzzled her cheek. "Besides, I want us to hit our fiftieth wedding anniversary."

She chuckled. "Another twenty-three years of marriage, huh?"

"At least." He kissed her gently. "The fact of the matter is, none of us knows when our time will come. We simply need to live life in a way that we're content if we're called home tonight or thirty years down the road."

Elizabeth smiled at him. "Has anyone told you that you're a wise man?"

He grinned. "Wise, huh? Maybe I should take the place of one of the wise men in that nativity scene." He struck a dramatic pose that would make Rosemary proud. "I think I'd make a good Melchior."

She laughed. "So you can bring gold to the newborn king?"

"I think that might be a tad more accessible than frankincense or myrrh."

Elizabeth's smile was wide. "Come on, Melchior. We have a family dinner to attend."

He allowed himself to be led away. Elizabeth glanced over her shoulder once more to look at the manger scene. Her eyes lifted to the ruined homes beyond. Please be with those whose lives were shattered by those bombs. Break their chains and let them find a new and glorious morn.

The Christmas season was a time of hope. As they continued on their way, Elizabeth felt a gentle smile tug at her lips. No matter what happened in life, no matter how bad things got, she knew Who held humanity in hand. Despite humanity's propensity for evil, in the end, all would be well.