CHAPTER 18

Carson entered the ward and saw Philip with his hands scratching the back of his head, as Jack did, he was colorless, his eyes had a question mark that Carson couldn't explain, he had a slight silly smile that could be seen even with that thick beard and when lifting the eyes to Carson, there appeared a different light there, it was something that made that Philip was radiant. Carson knew that feeling and that feeling felt the same. It was the same look he had for Faith, Philip's look was passionate.

In a jump he got out of bed, said goodbye and walked quickly to the police station, he didn't look back or to the sides, but always looking at his left hand, that hand that had caressed Elizabeth's belly, that baby, his hand it looked like he was going to burn, walking as fast as he could Philip went to the washing station at the police station and there he threw two buckets of cold water on his head, he needed to cool his thoughts and put them on the right path, he would go crazy that way.

Meanwhile in the cafe, Rose and Lee arrived running and went to hug Elizabeth, they had to make an emergency trip, where they went to the orphanage of Lilian d Grace, to meet a little baby of eight months, which they were going to adopt, now arriving from a trip, they came as quickly as possible to find out how Elizabeth had been after Lee took her to the infirmary. Lee looked at Elizabeth and saw something different about her, what with all this crazy story of kidnapping by her family, forced marriage to Charles and even attempted forced abortion, which they were going to induce in her, after being in the ward all day and night, even with so many marks and several visible bruises, Lee realized that she was at peace and more than that, there was a thin line of a smile that she was trying to hide and even more so was the light that her eyes reflected, she was floating, she was in the clouds , she was as happy as the day of her marriage to Jack Thorton, Lee remembered that look as if it were today, he had never seen a love as pure as that. Lee hugged Elizabeth and asked:

- You know I love you like a sister, don't you?

She shook her head, still smiling with her lips and eyes...

- So you're going to tell me why all this light emanates from you?

She smiled even more saying...

- Everything at its time. Our time and God's time may be different. Sometimes we think the path has no end, but God always gives us another option, maybe we are looking for a great avenue, but God is giving us the option to follow a path and be happier, and he smiled...

Lee knew something was up, she was very serene. Everyone in the room looked at each other, but said nothing, until Rose couldn't stand it and shouted:

- Elizabeth!

- You know, Lee and I, we have news to give you, and we wanted you to be part of that happiness, of course you Bill, Clara and Abigail too, but you Elizabeth are a sister to Lee and my best friend. We're coming from Lilian and Grace's orphanage, and we've done the baby's adoption paperwork, she's eight months old, no registration, the whole family was killed by assassins, just a few more days and she'll come to our house and we want you to be her godmother and guardian, do you accept?

Laughter and tears and many hugs in that cafe, that day started out wonderful, Elizabeth thought, already accepting and loving that girl.

When a slight wrinkle appeared on Elizabeth's face, she was saying:

- But Rose... Lee... I'm very honored by this, but I... Well... If Jack was still here, but he's not and I... I'm a widow and a single mother, maybe you'd better choose someone else, because I'm not very useful to society, and they might look down on this baby for having me as her godmother and guardian, and ducking her head all awkwardly, because she remembered all the words her father spoke . Lee came with Rose and hugged her comfortingly.

It was at that moment that Bill and Abigail realized the weight of being a widow and a single parent was weighing heavily on Elizabeth and her self-esteem, and that William and Charles' words now only added to that. Many people loved her dearly, but there were also parents and some from the town, as well as members of the education committee, most notably Mr. Landy, who always questioned Elizabeth's morals as a widow and single mother. At first Mr. Landy even asked the city hall to remove Elizabeth from the children's socializing for that reason, of course neither Bill nor Abigail and the members of the city did not accept it, but nobody knew that Elizabeth herself was aware of the fact, or rather, as they saw it now, she passed by and heard things even worse than that and was silent the whole time.

- You and only you Elizabeth is the strongest, most honorable and loving person Lee and I know and is the person who will love our daughter as if she were his own. You are very important to us and we want you with our baby. As for Jack, we would love for them to be here, but since we don't have that control over human life, we're going to ask Tom Thorton to do it with you because you Thortons are the best people in the world and so a part of Jack will be with our daughter.