The whistle blew loudly from the train with the sound ringing in her ears. The call was yelled for the passenger's final boarding. Was she expecting to see him come back out to her? No, even though part of her hoped he would. Part of her imagined herself sitting next to him on the train. They would hold hands and talk about all the things they would do on the trip. They would come up with a plan for the governor race.
Elizabeth Thornton stood on the platform watching his train pull away. As the train moved faster and out of sight she finally exhaled, exhausted feeling the impact of letting him go. The tears fell softly down her face as she looked down the track.
Two weeks later
Elizabeth walked quickly to the schoolhouse. She wrapped her scarf tighter around her neck as the wind felt brisk this early Autumn morning. It was Saturday and she needed to pick up some books to return to the library and pick out a few books for the upcoming week. If she was honest with herself she also needed some time to herself this morning to think things through.
She could feel her heart racing faster as her thoughts raced in her mind. It was getting harder to breathe and it felt like everything in her life was quickly spinning out of control. Her pace quickened as the schoolhouse was just in the distance. She needed to get inside. Her pace continued to a full run quicker as she passed others along the path.
No time to stop and say hello. No time to ask how they were. No time to even see the people she ran past. Elizabeth just needed to get inside. Her feet carried her there swiftly as she ran up the stairs. She swung open the door and ran inside towards the front doors. She collapsed exhausted in the first pew crying.
"Elizabeth?" Henry called out quietly a few minutes later as he entered the school. Slowly he walked to her not wanting to startle her.
"Henry, how are you?" Quickly Elizabeth wiped away her tears with her left hand.
"Is it ok if I sit next to you for a few minutes?" Henry asked, standing in front of her.
"Of course. I would like that." Elizabeth smiled.
"Good, good," Henry repeated to himself. "I will tell you a secret if you don't repeat it to Joseph." Henry laughed before continuing. "Past few months, every Saturday I come here in the very early morning. I just sit and think. Sometimes it is nothing important. Sometimes it is something that has been weighing on my mind. This place is special."
"Wow, Henry admitting something helps him. You really are a changed man." Elizabeth teased.
"You had a lot to do with that. Your friendship along with others helped me not to give up. I know the signs and know you are struggling with something very deep. Maybe something you tried burying for years. I think I know what it is but you need to say it. It is the only way healing can begin. " Henry sat quietly with her for the next few minutes.
"I'm fine. Just everything with the governor race. Everything is getting overwhelming." Elizabeth's thoughts began to race again.
"Yes, that is part of it. But have you considered it could also be more than that?" Henry asked.
"No, not really," Elizabeth admitted. Anytime feeling bubbled up that made her uncomfortable the past few months she tried avoiding the cause.
"When you heard there was someone shot, and Nathan was missing. Do you remember how you felt? Was that similar to how you felt today?" Henry knew the signs Elizabeth was dealing with because he had carried the same burden in his own heart.
"Yes, my heart was racing, and I couldn't breathe. I just needed to get to the schoolhouse as fast as I could." She could feel herself slip back to the anxiousness she felt earlier.
"I understand that. That happened to me last year with Wyman and the reopening of the mine. Again, this year when Rosaleen came home. I couldn't eat, or sleep and my mind was always racing. Then there were moments when my heart was racing, and I had trouble breathing. Some of that I have dealt with for years. Carson always used to tell me to find ways to relax but only now do I recognize much of it was my grief and personal responsibility for the mine disaster. It gets easier but it will always be there. Now I just know how to deal with it." Henry's eyes teared up as he turned his head away.
"I am sorry you went through that. But that isn't what I am going through. I'm just exhausted from a lack of sleep. The breakup hasn't been easy either. I just need some time to process everything." Elizabeth stood up from the pew.
"Henry, Elizabeth. Nice to see you both on this beautiful morning. How are you today?" Joseph Canfield the town pastor asked as he walked inside.
"I need to get going. Thank you, Henry. Goodbye, Joseph. " Elizabeth walked quickly up the aisle and outside. Once outside she saw a red cardinal fly past her landing on the gravel path. It looked at her and started singing as she walked by.