Allie threw back her head, laughing as Bill described the revelation of his and Sam's relationship in the Café. Her Uncle Bill did a passable impersonation of Rosemary Coulter's face when she walked in and saw the two of them sitting together, their commitment to each other evident to everyone. While it might have ruined Rosemary's fun, it had been the start of a beautiful relationship, which had recently resulted in a small wedding attended by only her parents and presided over by Judge Lachlan. She glanced at Sam and saw she was smiling, staring at Bill, unable to hide the love in her eyes. Uncle Bill looked softer, too, as he reached over and took Sam's hand.

Allie was secretly pleased they hadn't had a big wedding, one she wouldn't have been able to attend. Her visits to Hope Valley were on the back burner for now, as she needed to focus on her studies and finishing her degree. Cody had completed his and found work with one of Sam's colleagues. He was full of excitement and stories, and she longed to be in his position, spending her days making a difference in people's lives. Judge Lachlan had arranged for her to work for his cousin, also a Lawyer, but she couldn't spend as much time working as her final semester, and exams were overwhelming. She looked forward to joining the firm full-time and once again thought how lucky she had been to work with the Judge.

While wonderful, Bill and Sam's visit made her miss her family and friends more than ever. She wasn't going to be home again for several months. Thankfully, her family and siblings were visiting soon, which would help, and the Coulters planned to visit. Mrs Bouchard and Jack had travelled to Hamilton to visit her family, and Allie had spent many happy days with the two of them. Cody's mother visited frequently and brought news, but it was different from being there. Once she finished her studies, she would be free to travel home more regularly, and she was grateful Cody felt the same about their hometown.

Allie was sorry she wouldn't make it home to Hope Valley for Mike and Sarah's wedding; it was one of the few she would miss. Bill and Sam had filled her in on the plans for the wedding, and she knew Quinn would send photographs and call to fill her in on all the details, but she would have liked to be there in person. Allie had felt guilty not going home, but her father assured her that Mike would understand; her studies were at a critical stage, and she shouldn't be interrupted. Allie grinned, thinking about that conversation with her father, knowing he didn't only mean the wedding would be an unwelcome distraction but also warning her about Cody.

Allie knew the next wedding to be held in Hope Valley was one she wouldn't be able to miss, it was Robert and Anna's, and she and Cody were part of the bridal party. Robert and Anna had postponed their wedding to ensure Robert could finish his Mountie training and that Allie could be part of it. Allie and Cody appreciated their sacrifice, knowing how much they hated waiting for their own wedding. It was only a couple of months longer, but sometimes that could feel like a lifetime.

Allie thought of the envelope on her desk upstairs, an envelope full of wedding dress designs she had ready to send back to Mrs Coulter. Allie had spent several days looking at the dresses Mrs Coulter had designed for her and had written a letter of thanks, asking for some more time to choose which style she liked the best. The dresses were beautiful, and Allie would be happy to wear any of them, especially if Rosemary made it. Allie felt heat flood her cheeks and placed the palms of her hands on her face trying to hide it. She hoped Mrs Coulter would forgive her when she found out what Allie had done and that she wasn't hurt by it. The last thing she wanted to do was insult Mrs Coulter.

Allie could picture all too clearly the look of sadness on her father's face when he realised, he wouldn't get to walk her down the aisle and that Quinn wouldn't be the one to help her dress for her wedding. Allie was sad she wouldn't see her siblings Sam and Harry dressed in suits to match their fathers and Avery wearing a dress the same colour as their mother's. Tears filled her eyes, and she blinked them away. Her parents would forgive her, eventually; she knew it. They would understand; they were as much in love today as the day they married. They hadn't wanted to wait to marry either. They would understand. They had to.

Three Months Later

Allie stared at herself in the mirror and tried to smile at Mrs Feldon, who stared at her expectantly. The wedding dress was stunning and fit her perfectly; Mrs Coulter's design was excellent, and the soft ivory satin and lace overlay were lovely against Allie's skin. She looked over her shoulder and smiled at Grace and Abbie, trying to find a genuine smile for her housemates.

"Thank you so much, Mrs Feldon," she said enthusiastically, turning back to face her. "Grace, thank you for introducing me to your aunt."

"You look wonderful, Allie," Grace said, her voice full of awe. "I cannot wait to see how you look with your hair and make-up done. The shoes you selected are perfect for the dress."

Allie smiled back at her friends and Mrs Feldon, "it is perfect," she said, a lump forming in her throat. "I better take this off before I don't want to take it off at all. It is the prettiest dress I have ever seen."

"Whoever designed it did an amazing job," Mrs Feldon said, "they obviously know you well; it is exactly right for you. I bet they can't wait to see you in it," she said as she stood, gathering together the last of the pins she had used to fix the hem in the final fitting.

Allie's smile fell; of course, Mrs Coulter would want to see her in the dress just as she expected to be the one to make the dress for Allie, the dresses for Quinn and Avery, and Anna and Opal, her bridesmaids. Mrs Coulter would expect to be in the Hope Valley church watching as Allie walked down the aisle on her father's arm. Mrs Coulter would be delighted to watch as two of Hope Valley's children, now all grown up, committed themselves to spending the rest of their lives together.

Allie swallowed back her tears and joined in the conversation with her friends and Mrs Feldon, willing away her sadness, trying to recapture the joy she had felt when Cody suggested they elope after her final exam. At the time, it had seemed like a wonderful idea; they would return to Hope Valley as a married couple and celebrate their wedding with those closest to them. They would be forgiven quickly, everyone would understand, and there would be no hard feelings. They would call their families once the ceremony was over; they would send photos of the happy moment. They would start their lives together.

As she lay in bed that night, she allowed herself to feel the emotions she had locked away all day. To feel miserable and sad and let the tears finally fall. It wasn't Cody's fault they were eloping, when he had suggested it; she had known he was only partly serious. It was her enthusiasm which had set them on the path of actually doing it. Allie had been blinded by the thought of anything other than being married to Cody, spending the rest of their lives together sooner than planned. She hadn't thought about the rest of it until later when speaking to her family on the telephone and understood how much she missed them, grasping, for the first time, the impact of their decision. Her family wouldn't be there on her wedding day.

Allie thought of her conversation with her father after she became engaged. They talked about her mother, how happy she would have been for Allie, how much she would have liked Cody.; how much she would have wanted to be there for her wedding. Her Uncle had promised her mother would be there in spirit, looking down at her from heaven. Allie had cried on his shoulder, missing her mother more than ever at that moment, wishing she remembered more about her. She had been comforted knowing he and Quinn would be there at least.

Allie closed her eyes, trying to imagine her wedding day, picturing herself in her beautiful dress, holding flowers, and walking toward Cody, her fiancé. It felt cold and empty, like the courthouse they would marry in. Was that really the start they wanted for their married life? To exclude their family and friends? To be the only two people who would share the memory of their wedding day? It wasn't what Allie wanted anymore. She had to talk to Cody before the plans went too far, and she couldn't stop it.


Quinn lay in bed beside Nathan, her head resting on his shoulder, his bare skin warm beneath her cheek. She shivered as his finger drew small circles on the skin of her shoulder.

"What is it, Nathan?" she asked softly, sensing his tension. He had been tossing and turning when she shook him gently awake. He had taken a deep breath, blinking rapidly as he shed the remnants of his dream. He had drawn Quinn close, wrapping her in his arms, holding her tight.

"It was a bad dream,"

"I know, Nathan, but what did you dream?" Quinn asked softly, her fingers lightly stroking the soft hair on his chest, "it obviously upset you."

"I dreamed of Colleen," he finally admitted.

Quinn could hear the reluctance in his voice and looked up at him, "Tell me about it," she asked. He hadn't dreamed about Colleen in a long time.

"She was talking about Allie; how much she missed her, it was like she had seen everything that happened since she died; Allie's whole life, our whole life. She looked exactly the same as the last time I saw her. She hadn't aged." Shaking his head, he said, "I know that's how it should be; how could she age." He hesitated, "She was grateful to me, to us, but so sad too. I could sense her sadness over everything she had missed, the things she had only gotten to watch but not be part of and would never experience. She is so proud of Allie; I could see it in her eyes, in her smile, I could hear it in her voice."

Quinn heard Nathan's voice crack, felt the sob in his chest, and held him tighter, her heart breaking for him and Allie all over again.

"It was so real, and I don't know what it meant, what I am supposed to do for her," Nathan said, shaking his head. "I feel like she was trying to tell me something I am missing about Allie. I need to talk to Allie. First thing in the morning, I need to call her."

Quinn nodded and wiped her tears away. "Of course, Nathan, first thing." Wrapping her arm around his waist, she held him tightly for several minutes, wanting to feel his body relaxing back into sleep. When he remained tense, she asked, "Do you think you can sleep?"

Nathan smiled at her, "No. Any suggestions to help?"

Quinn smiled up at him, pleased to see the familiar crooked smile on his face. "I can think of one or two things," she said as she rose and kissed him on the lips, deepening the kiss when she felt him wrap his arms around her.


"Allie! Are you okay? Sorry, to say it, but you look awful," Cody said, rushing toward her where she waited for him outside his office. As he reached her, he put a hand on her forehead, feeling for a temperature. "Well, you don't feel warm." Cody said sliding his hand from her forehead to her cheek, cupping it in his palm. He was concerned about the dark circles beneath Allie's beautiful eyes; it looked like she hadn't slept in days. Her welcoming smile didn't have its usual lustre either. He knew this time of year was busy, but Allie took everything in her stride and never let the pressures of school get to her.

As he watched, tears welled in her eyes, and one lone tear escaped, trickling down her cheek to where his hand rested. Cody used his thumb to wipe it away, and then, taking her hand in his, he whispered, "Come with me," and hurried her toward where he had parked the car. He didn't usually have a vehicle, but his boss had allowed him to borrow his for the weekend if he delivered a parcel for him. Cody had readily agreed, arranging for him and Allie to deliver the package together that afternoon; then, they would have the whole weekend to explore the surrounding areas they couldn't always get to without a car.

Cody felt Allie's hand tighten in his, but she still hadn't said a word. He wondered what had happened to cause his usually bubbly, optimistic fiancé to be so upset. His next thought was, whatever it was, he would fix it for her. He hated seeing her like this.

Cody opened the car door for Allie and helped her inside before hurrying around and climbing in, sitting beside her. He made no move to start the car, only turned to her and grasped her hand again. "Talk to me, Allie; tell me what's wrong, please," Cody begged.

"I can't marry you."

Cody gasped, and he felt the colour drain from his face; her words hit him with such force he felt physical pain in his chest. He felt Allie squeeze his hand as he stared at her, unable to comprehend what she had said.

"No, sorry, that's not what I meant. I meant I don't think I can elope."

Cody breathed in a deep breath, holding it before letting it out slowly, willing his heart to stop pounding and the knots in his stomach to disappear. It was going to be okay. Allie still wanted to marry him.

"Okay," Cody said, his voice shaking. "If that's what you want to do, that's fine."

"I'm sorry. I know we talked about this. I know I agreed, but when I tried on my dress and realised my family, our families wouldn't be there...I couldn't do it." Allie knew she was rushing her words but needed Cody to understand.

"Allie, slow down. It's fine." Cody assured her, glad he was able to smile again. "I want to do whatever makes you happy, and if that is a wedding in Hope Valley, then that's what we will do."

"Are you sure?"

"I have never been more sure of anything; marrying you and making you happy are the two things most important to me right now."

Cody caught Allie as she threw herself into his arms, her tears flowing faster. At least now he knew they were tears of relief; he could deal with them. He meant what he said; he never wanted to hurt Allie.


"Allie, what is it? What aren't you telling us?" Quinn asked, sensing Allie was holding something back. Nathan had tried to call Allie that morning, but she had already left for school. Allie had called back but called the house, not the Mountie office, which was unusual.

"It's nothing, Quinn," Allie said, smiling; this was why she never bothered trying to hide anything from her parents while growing up. "Everything is fine, I promise."

"Fine, or it's fine now?" Quinn persisted.

Allie laughed, "just fine. Sometimes I wonder who has the best interrogation skills, you or Dad!"

"Definitely me," Quinn joked, pleased Allie sounded better than she had when last they spoke. The ominous feeling which had lingered since Nathan talked to her about his dream finally disappeared. Quinn didn't want to worry him that morning, but she sensed a hesitancy when speaking to Allie lately; like she was holding something back. It seemed to her now that whatever had been bothering Allie over the last few weeks was resolved, and there was no point worrying about something she couldn't change.

"I am looking forward to seeing you all, Quinn. I have been feeling a little homesick, that's all."

"We miss you too, Allie and cannot wait to see you." Quinn said smiling as she held the telephone receiver to her ear. "It's lovely to come and visit you, but I want to have you home again. I have made your father promise to take time off when you are here, that way we can spend time with you and Cody."

"That sounds wonderful," Allie agreed. "Now tell me about Sam, Avery and Harry, what have they gotten up to since we spoke and how much have they grown?"

Quinn laughed, wondering which one of her youngest children's antics she should begin with. Quinn glanced at the wall, her expression softening as she scanned the different pencil marks on the piece of wood Nathan had brought from the row house. Allie's height had been the only one measured on it then, but now, the rest of their family's growth was there as well.

Settling back on the lounge chair, Quinn tucked her feet beneath her legs, getting comfortable. She was pleased she had some time before Harry woke from his nap, and she had to collect Sam and Avery from nursery school, "You won't believe how big they have gotten, Allie, especially Sam he is so tall," Quinn began, filling her in on what she had missed.

Allie closed her eyes and let herself relax as she listened to Quinn, laughing along with her stepmother as she pictured her siblings doing as she described. It wouldn't be long now and she would be home to see for herself. Two more weeks until the wedding and she had one week off to spend with everyone and she couldn't wait.