Following the Winter Fest Dance, things returned to normal in Hope Valley. Several storms passed through, dropping snow and forcing the residents to dig themselves out after each one. Elizabeth noted that despite no longer being a Mountie, Nathan would often head out to check on their neighbors both before an incoming storm and after. While she did fret about his safety while away, Elizabeth also felt a sense of pride that her husband was out helping the community. It was a reminder that helping others had not just simply been a career to Nathan but part of who he was.
Nathan was not the only one out helping neighbors. Edward had engaged the three older boys in the program to help clear snow where needed. Albert even proudly helped out, as he was happily walking without a limp with the new shoe that Nathan had fashioned for him. The Friday after the Winter Fest Dance, the Grants had hosted Frank, Edward and the boys for supper at their home. It was a tight fit, but everyone had enjoyed themselves. Not only did Frank bring the dessert but he had come over early to help Elizabeth and Ally prepare the meal. Elizabeth was thankful for the help, as cooking for so many proved to be a unique and challenging experience. It was then that Nathan brought up the fact that he thought he could put a platform on Albert's shoe to make walking easier for the teen. The boy had shown interest in the prospect and Frank and Edward gratefully gave Nathan permission. A week later, Nathan had stopped by the new Hope Valley Youth Home with the new shoe. Though it had required some adjustment, it had helped, and Nathan had modified the boy's snow boots as well.
Albert's disability proved to be a source of contention at school as well. Several of the boys teased the teen the first couple of days. This had resulted in Liam getting involved, hitting Tony and Randy, who were doing the teasing. When Elise had instructed Liam to apologize to the boys he hit, he had told her that if she had done her job to prevent the teasing then he wouldn't have had to teach Tony and Randy a lesson himself. Unsure of where to go from there, Elise had gone to Frank who was on hand to help with any issues. Leaving Liam with Frank, Elise had returned to the classroom to deal with Tony and Randy, who were waiting in her classroom while the rest of the class had Art with Miss Magdon. When their peers returned, the two boys apologized to Albert. They would also lose recess privileges for a week.
When Frank had returned with Liam, the sixteen-year-old had apologized to Miss Chastain in front of his peers for disrupting her class and talking back to her. He then apologized to all of his classmates for taking time away from their lessons and admitted there was a better way to handle the situation. He promised that he would not hit anyone again. He accepted the punishment of the loss of recess with a simple nod. Talking to Elise after school, Frank explained that he could not get Liam to apologize for hitting his peers as he said he wasn't sorry because they both deserved it. Elise admitted to the pastor that on some level she did agree with that even if she couldn't condone it.
Merrin's mischievous behavior caused some disruptions as well. More than once he was kept after school. Noticing that most of the boy's antics revolved around him being asked to read out loud, Elise got suspicious. Especially when the lad got only a few questions on a quiz right when all of his homework assignments showed, he knew the material. Her first suspicion was that Merrin got one of the other two boys to do his assignments for him. Merrin denied that so Elise asked him to read to her a few paragraphs of their reading assignment that night to her. With a sigh, the boy got out the novel and stumbled over a few sentences before giving up.
"I don't read well," Merrin admitted, his voice shaky as if he was about to cry. "Albert and Liam read the assignments out loud at home and make sure I understand the questions. I write the answers to the questions myself though. I'm not cheating on the assignments I turned in. The quiz questions are harder to understand without their help, but I do know the material better than that quiz shows."
As a test, Elise asked the boy several questions about the material the quiz had covered. Merrin was able to answer every one when given the questions orally. Instructing Merrin to sit down at the desk and take out a piece of paper, she proceeded to read the quiz questions to him. As she was finishing, she noticed Edward in the doorway to the classroom and motioned him inside. Quickly grading the quiz, Elise was pleasantly surprised to see the boy had improved his grade to an eighty-five percent. Explaining the situation to Edward, she asked him to arrange with Elizabeth to work on Merrin's reading skills.
"In the meantime, I won't call on you to read out loud in class but that also means you need to stop the class clown antics," Elise had told Merrin.
"Yes, ma'am," Merrin had replied.
Elizabeth was already working with Milo and Ethan after school on Monday, Wednesday and Fridays as the boys were behind their classmates due to their lack of schooling. So that she could keep giving them her full attention on those days, Elizabeth suggested that Merrin come to her home on Tuesdays and Thursdays to work on his reading. Until his reading was stronger, Elise suggested that Frank or Edward, whoever was in the building on that day, come and supervise the rest of the class during tests and quizzes while she took Merrin to another room and tested him orally.
Valentine's day in the Valley was a snowy affair. It kept most people at home, which for the married folks wasn't too much of a hardship. Ally cooked supper for her parents and then took Jack upstairs for a picnic supper so Elizabeth and Nathan could eat alone. Vincent also cooked for his parents. However, after cooking and serving, Faith and Gabriel insisted the boy sit down and eat with them. Though Frank had been planning a trip to Brookfield, he stayed home instead of chancing the trip in bad weather. He sent a telegram to Abigail to let her know that he would come the following weekend. Not feeling ready to officially ask Elise out, Edward bought a box of chocolates that he left on Elise's desk with a handmade card. Those students who saw the blush on their teacher's face smiled at each other, knowing the card was filled with sweet words. Because of the chocolates, it was with a light heart that she cooked supper for Lee and Rosemary and then watched Aster for the evening to give them some time alone. Though he had to cancel his plans to take Marion to the café, which had closed at the Mountie's request, Harold had asked permission of Marion's landlady to have a supper with her at the house. The matron lady agreed to break out her holiday china and set the small table in the kitchen for the Mountie and her tenant, provided that Harold showed up early and helped her cook.
Like the café, the Amaryllis was closed to all but the guests staying there. Both Archie and the cook would take up residence during the storms, allowing Gretchen and the other employees to use their discretion on whether they could make it in.
Toward the end of February, Nathan finished Jack's new bed. While Jack went on "rounds" with Uncle Gabriel, Bill and Tom came by to help Nathan get the boy's old bed out and the new bed set up. By the time that Gabriel returned with Jack, everything was ready. As planned, Nathan, Bill, Ally and Tom were upstairs in Jack's room waiting. Muffin refused to join them, having instead laid down on the rug in the living room where she could watch the front door. Elizabeth was at her desk, trying to write but finding it difficult with her anticipation. She hoped that Jack would be thrilled about his new bed.
Soon enough, the front door opened and in came Jack, followed closely by Gabriel.
"Mama, I followed deer and bunny tracks in the snow!" Jack said happily as he made his way to her without wiping the last of the snow off his boots on the rug inside the door. As a result, small bits of snow and wet footprints trailed behind him.
"You did!" Elizabeth said, turning sideways in her chair to face him. She chose for now not to scold him for neglecting to wipe his feet. Having wiped his own boots, Gabriel headed for the closet where the mop was to clean up after the boy. "Did you find them?" she asked, unwinding the boy's scarf before reaching for the buttons on his coat.
Jack nodded his head. "The deer was rooting in the snow with his nose. Uncle Gabriel says it was looking for grass underneath. The bunny tracks led to their home!"
"Wow, sounds like you had quite an outing," Elizabeth replied as she slipped the coat from her son's arms.
"It was fun!" Jack exclaimed. He looked around as he took his mittens off. "Where are Dad and Ally? I want to tell them."
"I think they are upstairs," Elizabeth told him.
Jack turned and headed for the steps, his winter hat still on his head. "Jack, no running inside," Gabriel reprimanded the boy gently as he scurried past the Mountie mopping up the spots left by the snow.
Though he didn't reply, Jack did slow his steps. Having gotten to her feet, Elizabeth followed her son.
"Thank you," Elizabeth said, nodding toward the mop. "Are you coming upstairs?"
"Yes," Gabriel said, setting the mop handle against the wall and following Elizabeth upstairs.
"Dad! Ally! I'm home!" Jack called out as he reached the second floor.
"We are in your room, Jack," came Ally's response.
Jack hurried to his room, Elizabeth and Gabriel close behind him.
"Uncle Gabe taught me to follow-"
Jack's account stopped abruptly, and Elizabeth had a feeling he had spotted his new bed. "Where did that come from?"
"I made it for you," Nathan replied, as Elizabeth and Gabriel walked into the room. "It seemed like it was time for you to get a bed that will grow with you. See these holes?" he asked, pointing to the holes in the footboard posts. Jack nodded in response as Nathan continued. "Those are so I can make the mattress higher off the floor as you get talker."
Getting over his surprise, Jack hurried forward. Climbing up on the bed, he ran a hand over the headboard. "You put a Mountie on it!" the boy commented.
"I thought it might be a comforting reminder that your Daddy is watching over you from above," Nathan told the boy.
Seeing the words carved on the headboard, Jack stumbled over the French words before looking up to Nathan. "What that mean?"
"Maintiens le Droit," Nathan repeated slowly and correctly. "It is the Mountie Motto. It means maintain the right."
"What is a motto?"
"It is something that a person promises to do. As a Mountie, we should always do what is right," Gabriel replied.
"Sounds hard," Jack commented.
The adults and Ally chuckled. "Yes, it can be hard," Nathan admitted. "But from what I hear, your Daddy always did exactly that."
"He did," Elizabeth said softly as she moved toward Nathan. She slipped her arm through his as she leaned against his side. "As did your Daddy Nathan and your Uncle Gabe does now."
"I guess that is why he said we couldn't disturb the bunny nest we found even to see them. That wouldn't have been right," Jack said. "Does that mean I could never be a Mountie? I don't always do what is right."
Slipping his arm from Elizabeth's grasp, Nathan knelt down in front of their son and took his hands. "No one expects you to always know what is right at your age, Jack. Sometimes adults even have a hard time knowing that. I've had to ask forgiveness for mistakes I have made, even after becoming a Mountie. Part of growing up is learning what is right and wrong through watching others and making mistakes. Even once you are grown up, you should still keep yourself open to learning."
"Not wanting the baby is not right, is it?" Jack asked, grey eyes glistening with unshed tears.
"Well, we should always rejoice about a new life coming into the world. Like you did when Nate was born."
"Mama going to lay an egg?" Jack asked.
Elizabeth bit her lip to keep from laughing as she waited to see how her husband answered that question. Ally and Gabriel were not so successful as both smothered laughs with their hands.
"Not exactly," Nathan said. "But the process is similar and one you can learn about more when you are older," he told his son. "But we were all happy when Nate joined our family, and a new baby is something to celebrate as well. Just like Nate needed you to take care of him, the new baby will need your Mama and me to care for them just like we do you and Ally."
"Will I have to help?" Jack asked.
"No, you won't have to but if you decide you want to, we will include you."
"I plan on helping with the baby," Ally chimed in.
Jack looked at each member of his family. "I'll think about it." he finally declared.
Nathan reached out and pulled his son into a hug. "You do that but remember we all love you no matter what, son," he told the boy.
Jack wrapped his arms around Nathan's neck. "Thank you for my new bed, Dad," Jack said.
"It was my pleasure," Nathan assured him.
Watching them, Elizabeth's heart melted at the sight. It was something which she could easily picture Jack Sr. doing. Finally, Jack had the father figure he needed in his life.
I hope you approve of this choice, Jack, Elizabeth thought.
Though she was sure it was just in her head, she heard Jack's voice reply "I do," as a peace settled over her. A movement within was the first sensation she had felt from the baby she carried, and her hand went to her stomach.
"Are you alright?" Gabriel asked, noticing the movement. His question brought Nathan and Ally's attention to Elizabeth.
"I am," Elizabeth said, knowing she was beaming. "I just felt the first flutter from the baby."
"Is it a strange feeling?" Ally asked.
"Yes, but it is also a beautiful thing. You'll know better when you experience it for yourself."
"Some time far into the future, hopefully," Nathan added.
"Well, not that far, Dad. I am fifteen now," his daughter reminded him.
"And I refuse to even contemplate giving you away until you are eighteen, which means you shouldn't get pregnant for at least four more years."
Ally smiled and walking over to where Nathan still knelt by the bed kissed his cheek. "Yes, Dad." she told him. She turned to Elizabeth though. "When the baby kicks hard enough for others to feel will you let me experience that?"
Elizabeth nodded. "That is something I will happily share with you," she assured her daughter. Spring would be coming shortly and already Elizabeth was feeling the hope it was heralding in.
What a difference a year made.