Chapter 145. The Mountie Sisterhood

When Faith answered the door, a shadow flashed across her face. "Julia, hi."

"Can I come in?" She asked shyly.

Faith opened wider, and said softly. "Please do." Julia walked inside and stopped in the living room.

Fiona came out from her room, with an overnight bag, didn't realize Julia was there. "I think I got everything, Faith! So whenever you're read..." When she finally looked up, she stopped. "Oh. Julia. Hi."

"Fiona." Julia said with an awkward little wave.

Fiona glanced at Faith, and back at her. "Is Bill still with Jake?"

"No, Nathan and Allie are sitting with him, now." Julia reported. "I was hoping we could talk a minute."

Julia's face seemed pained, so Faith offered. "Shall I make tea?"

That sounded like a good start, so Julia finally exhaled. She relaxed a little. "That would be nice." She looked from one friend to the other.

Fiona finally exhaled too and dropped her bag next to the settee. Faith went to the kitchen, for the tea, and Fiona joined her.

When they came back with a tray, the three women took seats around the coffee table.

While the tea seeped, Julia looked at her two friends. "I really missed you two." Her eyes filled with tears. "You…are my very best friends." She told them, looking from one to the other.

Fiona spoke first. "We missed you, too."

"I'm sorry you came home to such a situation." Faith offered, sympathetically.

"It was shocking." Julia admitted, wiping one eye. "But it's no excuse for my reaction nor my behavior, and I want to apologize to both of you." She looked from Fiona to Faith, realizing she had no idea what they had endured or gone through, to look after her brother. "I'm sorry, girls. I'm so sorry." She blurted out. "Please forgive me. I should have trusted you."

Faith offered. "You're forgiven, Julia. Though, I can understand why you were upset. When Jake insisted we not contact you, I should have fought him on it."

Julia leaned forward. "No, Faith. It's okay. You had enough to deal with, and I'd much rather you focused on his care. You did the right thing, making his care top priority."

Julia looked at Fiona, realized only now that she hadn't even considered how Fiona had been affected. She was in love with Jake, after all. "Fiona, thanks for looking after him."

Fiona looked down at her empty tea cup, and her chin quivered in the slightest. Her top lip too, and then, when she had control, she finally brought her gaze back up at Julia. She didn't say a word, but her face said it all. She had, at one point or another, thought the worst about Jake's condition, and had many terrible imaginings besides.

Faith poured the tea, and all three women welcomed the distraction. She plopped two sugar cubes and some milk in Fiona's cup. Then one sugar and a little milk for Julia. And to her own tea, she plopped one lone sugar cube. For the longest minute the only sound was the swishing of metal spoons.

Faith finally spoke. "Julia, how was your trip?"

Julia smiled, and that one smile revealed a lot. "It was…wonderful. In every way possible." She told them.

Fiona piped in. "And you got to see Nathan's home, where he comes from?" Her mind immediately went to that book, about Nova Scotia, now sitting on the nightstand, next to her bed.

"Exactly." Julia nodded. "That part was particularly special." She smiled at both of them. "To see the house he practically grew up in, learn about his family, ride the fields that he rode as a young man." She paused and took a drink. "It was perfect."

Faith decided to lighten things with a small tease. "Jake bought Fiona a book about Peggy's Cove."

Fiona's mouth fell open. What was she getting at? But it was Julia who piped in. "Well, from what I hear he thought you guys were already married?"

Faith nearly spit out her tea. And that, sent all three women into stitches. They had a nice long laugh, and boy did they need it. And the cackling went on a lot longer than usual, because it felt so good to laugh. In fact, so much of the hardness of the last few days rolled off of their shoulders, in the waves of that laughter. A moment of respite, of humor, good for the soul, shared between women, shared between friends.

When they finally calmed, Julia couldn't help but ask. "He really thought…?"

Fiona nodded, shoulders still shaking with a chuckle. "Yes he did. I nearly tripped and fell, when he called me his wife."

Faith tested her. "It didn't feel natural?"

"Not yet." Fiona told them both.

"It still feels weird sometimes, to call Nathan my husband, though being married to him feels like the most natural thing in the world. I think it takes some getting used to." Julia told them. Then she looked at Fiona. "But the fact that you didn't run the other way, Fiona, says something."

Fiona took a sip of tea and looked at her two best friends. "The truth is, I've never felt this way before." She set down her cup and folded her hands together. "It seems I find myself thrust into uncharted territory."

"I think he feels the very same way, about you." Julia told her, with misty eyes. It was nice to hear Fiona express how she felt about her brother. Even if Julia could have guessed by her actions, which spoke much louder than words. Her commitment and affection for Jake was made clear by her care, and every choice she made.

Fiona nodded, and wiped an eye. "When Gabe called me, I was so scared." She admitted, and that's when the dam broke. She'd been so strong all this time. She had managed to push it all down, for the last five days, in her quest to take care of Jake. Now she couldn't hold it in any longer.

Julia realized that Fiona had also faced down the very same fear of losing someone. She had also wrestled that terrible, unrelenting enemy, and come out the victor. But she hadn't come out unscathed, though we rarely do.

And that was okay.

For these kind of situations brought our secret, hidden fears, to the surface. They exposed things we rarely wanted to face, but the exposure made room for growth and maturity. It was in those tough moments - of overcoming our fears, of rising above - that we grew the most.

Julia hugged Fiona as she cried, one understanding woman to another. And Faith, who was just beginning to understand, pushed a clean handkerchief into her friend's palm.

When Fiona collected herself, Julia sat back in her chair, and wiped her own eyes. She glanced at Faith, who was also crying. They'd laughed together, and now cried together, in the span of less than an hour.

These were extraordinary friends. From that first day, their friendship had formed easily and naturally, but now, it was being forged in the fire - into something deeper, into something more. Now, they could all three relate to each other on a new level. For one one more thing they had in common, other than their relationship, and love for each other: they were all three in love with Mounties.

Julia was affected by the fact that Fiona had gone through the same thing that she, herself, was now experiencing. Which gave Julia an idea. "Girls, maybe there is something special for us, as friends." That got Fiona's attention. So, Julia continued. "The Mounties are supposed to be a sort of family. They call themselves brothers, right?" Faith titled her head, she'd heard that before. "And let's be honest, we are all three in love with Mounties, are we not?" Fiona slowly nodded, as did Faith, though it took her a moment longer than Fiona to admit. "So, if our men are brothers, what does that make us?"

Faith glanced at Fiona, back at Julia, and shrugged. "Sisters?"

Julia nodded. "Yes, exactly. And you two are the closest I'll ever get, to having sisters." Julia told them both.

Fiona liked that. She smiled, she'd always wanted a sister. "So you are suggesting a…sisterhood?"

"Yes." Julia looked from one to the other. "Look, loving a Mountie is not always easy. There are hard moments, scary moments, and moments of uncertainty. But, we are all three in this together, in a way." She smiled shyly. It was coming together now. "So, what if between us, we made a Mountie Sisterhood, and we looked out for each other? We could be there for each other and support each other, in the hard times." She looked back and forth between them. "A sort of pact, a promise to be there for each other. Come what may."

Faith liked it. She'd always wished for a sister. She looked at Fiona. "We could lean on each other, when we don't feel strong enough."

Fiona teared up and looked from one to the other. "And make each other laugh, when we just want to cry?"

Julia put her hand on Fiona's arm. "And listen to each other, when we just need to talk."

Faith had one more. "And pray for each other, when nothing else will do."

Julia finished. "Exactly. A take-care-of-each-other Sisterhood. In good times, and bad."

Fiona smiled. "And the common thread is friendship, respect, and love."

Julia laughed and reminded them. "And the Mounties."

Fiona wiped one eye. "And the Mounties." She repeated.

"Jake once mentioned the women taking care of each other at Fort Garry, so why couldn't we do the same, here?" Julia asked, it made perfect sense. Plus, they were practically best friends, anyway. And loving a Mountie was just one more thread that knit them together now. It seemed to fit.

Faith raised her tea cup. "To the Sisterhood of the Mounties." She paused. "I promise to be there for both of you."

"Here, here." Fiona said as she touched her tea cup to Faith's. "And I promise to look out for you, my sisters."

"And I promise to care for both of you." Julia raised her cup to the other two. "To the best friends and sisters a girl could have."

A trio of tea cups, a trio of friends, a trio of sisters…forged in the fire of adversity, but unified by love.

Julia wiped a lone tear, as they clanked their cups together.

As she lowered her tea, she asked Faith. "Any word from Ben recently?"

Faith smiled happily. "He calls me regularly."

"Really?" Last thing Julia heard, he would be moving to Hope Valley next weekend. "And he'll be here soon, right?"

Faith's smiled deepened. "He'll be here on Monday." She set down her tea cup.

"Monday? As in two days from now?" Julia asked, shocked.

Faith's eyes sparkled. Did she even realize how happy she looked when she talked about Ben Davis? "Yep. He was originally supposed to arrive next Saturday, but since Jake got hurt, he asked to come early, to fill in as Constable."

Julia took the last sip of her tea. "That's great. Does he have a place to stay?" She wondered.

"Yes. Your old apartment." Faith reported. "For now."

"That's wonderful. He'll be so close to the office." Julia pointed out.

Fiona added with a giggle. "And he'll be close to the infirmary, with its resident doctor."

Julia laughed and teased too. "That is an added bonus."

"It certainly is." Fiona piped in, then finished her tea.

Faith rolled her eyes at her friends, but admitted one truth. "I'm kind of nervous. We haven't seen each other since the wedding."

"But you talk regularly?" Julia inquired.

Fiona giggled and told Julia. "Like almost everyday." She let her eyes go to Faith, who looked shy now. "And he writes letters. Long ones."

Julia's eyebrows went up and she looked at Faith. "Really?" She paused. "What sort of things does he write about?

Fiona smiled and dished. "I think Ben Davis is somewhat of a romantic, a regular wordsmith."

Julia looked at Faith's reddening cheeks. "Another romantic, literary Mountie?"

Fiona dished some more. "He writes poetry."

Julia's eyebrows went up again. "Ah, a Mountie lyricist?" She wondered. "Is he any good?"

"Quite good." Faith reported, and by the look on her face, Julia could see that he was. At the very least, he was good enough to earn Faith's praise, and most importantly, her affection.

"Well, I'm happy for you, dear Faith." Julia smiled, and Fiona smiled too. "It sounds like things are moving along nicely."

"Yes." Faith replied. "Yes, I dare say they are."

And with that answer, Faith looked from one sister to the other, thankful for both women. For each was a beautiful example; an honest display of strength in adversity.