CHAPTER 32
The living room was illuminated by a soft, warm light. Photos of the whole family adorned the walls. Nathan, Elizabeth, Alien and little Jack had taken advantage of the last few days to take lots of photos and organize their home with everything from the two families that had come together at the wedding. Jack Thorton's photo frames, which Elizabeth had on her bookshelf and on the wall, she began to take down to put away, after all she was now a married woman and didn't want Nathan to feel unappreciated, but to her surprise, he held the photos and each one remained in the same place, only adding theirs and the children next to it, according to him, Jack Thorton was part of her and her son's life and he would never allow anyone to take that away from them, and for him it was a source of pride to know that he would be caring for and loving that good man's son. Only in the double bedroom were the photos of Jack Thorton removed, as well as the double bed, and Nathan's bed was used instead, as it was bigger and for obvious reasons. Elizabeth was recovered, and the following week she would start work again, but at a slow pace. Saturday had been wonderful fishing with the family. Her children were in the bedroom playing, while her husband took a nice bath to wash off the fishy smell. Another fortnight and they would be going on a little honeymoon trip. She and Nathan decided to wait until they were alone to have their first time, but they slept on each other's arms every day. There was a sofa in the corner of the room, where Elizabeth loved to sit and she spent some pleasant minutes there, picking up a book.
A knock at the door...
Elizabeth glanced at her watch and nervously looked at the door.
"Who would that be at such a late hour. "
Down the stairs came Nathan with a towel drying his hair. Elizabeth got up, opened the door and found her father, Wilian Thatcher, standing there with a bouquet of flowers in his hands.
- Dad? Elizabeth was surprised to see this man.
Unsure, and a little crestfallen, the man began to speak:
- Hi, Beth... I brought you these flowers.
Elizabeth accepted the flowers, looking at them with emotion. Willian Thatcher seemed uncomfortable with the situation, but appeared determined.
- Thank you, Dad. Elizabeth had tears streaming down her face.
They entered the living room and sat down on the sofa, and a silence took over.
Willian began to speak, before he lost all courage:
- Beth, I know I was an absent father for a long time. I never supported you as I should have. But I've been thinking about it a lot and I want to try to make things right.
Elizabeth looked at Nathan, who on the other side of the room could only hear their conversation, giving them privacy.
- Dad, I've always waited for this moment, but words can't change or erase the past.
- I know they can't, but I'm willing to do whatever it takes to be a better father from now on.
- I want to believe you, but the pain and hurt are too great.
- Beth, you have to give me a chance. We need to try to make things right.
- I don't need to try anything, not with you and not with anyone. Try? Try? It's a bit late for that, don't you think? She spoke in a changed voice, like Nathan had never seen before.
- Nothing will change the past, my child, but I want to do what I can to support you from now on.
With an expression of disbelief, Elizabeth looked at her father. Nathan noticed the look in his wife's eyes; it was hurt, pain, revolt. His little wife's heart had been cruelly crushed by that father, and Nathan hoped he hadn't done something wrong by trying to bring them together.
- These are empty words, father, thrown to the wind.
- I know it will take time to regain your trust, but I'm willing to try anything, even if it takes years.
- We'll see, Dad. But the wounds run deep.
The tension in the living room was palpable, and reconciliation seemed an arduous task as father and daughter dealt with the scars of the past.
Wilian looked up at the ceiling, Nathan could see that this man was not used to asking for forgiveness. But Elizabeth was a stubborn woman like her father and was not willing to forgive easily.
- Beth... I really don't understand why you're so hurt. I was just doing what a father would do. Elizabeth glared at him, her cheeks were red, Nathan had wanted and was doing everything he could to reconcile them, but it seemed that everything was taking a different turn:
- What would a father do? You've been absent most of my life, Dad. You were never there when I needed you.
- I was working hard to provide the best for you and our family. Willian spoke in a defensive tone of voice.
But Elizabeth answered him sarcastically:
- The best? What I really needed was your support, not expensive gifts or money.
- I know, Beth. I understand that I made a mistake. But believe me, I was doing what I thought was right at the time.
- The problem, Dad, is that you never asked me what I thought was right?
There was a sadness in her voice that hurt Nathan's heart.
- Dad, I... you didn't respect my grief.
- Grief? I don't understand; we welcomed you home, but you wanted to go back to this small town, you didn't even care about everything we had arranged to make you happy.
With great sorrow, she went on:
- When I lost Jack, I needed the support of my family, especially a father. But you weren't there for me. As well as being busy with work, you supported Mum and Viola in setting me up with a rich suitor, while I was grieving, a week after my husband died.
- How do you know that?
- Mom threw it in my face, as a way of humiliating me, when she made a point of pointing out my life as marrying a mountie. She said that you were worried about my future, and that I shouldn't be alone because I wasn't a girl anymore... it wasn't good for my sisters' reputation.
Nathan ran his hands through his hair, it was a gesture that he was nervous, this story was only getting worse...
- Beth, my daughter! I only wanted the best for you. I thought I was helping.
With her eyes on fire, she screamed:
- Jack had only been buried for seven days! Didn't you realize that at that moment, all I needed was emotional support? That I needed to cry until my pain was healed or lessened? I was going through my grief, and instead of understanding, you tried to rush me through it by throwing me into the hands of any man out there. Tears flowed from her eyes and Nathan began to worry.
- I understand how insensitive it was of me and your mother. I shouldn't have done that.
- I know you care about me, but in your haste to find me a suitor, you made me feel as if my pain didn't matter. I still had to hear from Mom and Viola that I shouldn't cry, because anyone who marries a mountie already knows that this will happen. He was a human being, but you made me feel like I was wrong. You didn't see that at that moment I would rather be dead than alive, and if it hadn't been for my son I don't know what I would have done.
Nathan sighed, and sweat broke out on his forehead. He had never imagined this, and even worse, he didn't know that in her moment of greatest pain she was alone and had only just taken the wrong action. Thank God Jack Thorton had left his legacy inside her womb, and made her fight for her life.
- I'm sorry, I was wrong. Willian continued.
- I don't know if I want to try this, Dad. You don't know my hurt, when you weren't there to help me, even though I was a widow, a single mother, and giving birth in a hut in the middle of a storm, in those four years you didn't come to me.
- I mean, we heard about it, Judge Bill Avery told us about your birth, but your mother didn't want to come and I got stuck with the company, and even then my mind was different.
- That's part of the problem, Dad. I was in dire need of affection; when I needed my parents most, they were absent.
- I deeply regret not being there at that crucial moment in your life, or even afterwards.
Elizabeth's voice was broken, the thick tears still rolling down her cheeks.
- You missed the birth of your only grandchild. Now he's four, and you weren't there to see his first cry, or his first tooth, or his first step.
Willian Thatcher, who had just been hit by a cannonball, Nathan realized that now, yes, he was starting to realize what he had lost. His first and only grandchild and he hadn't been there for him.
- I can't change that either, daughter, but I want to do whatever it takes to be present in my grandson's life from now on. Even if your mother doesn't accept it, I'll be here for you.
- It will take time, Dad, it will take time for me to get over this. I want you to be there for my son and daughter, but the hurt is still great;
Nathan realized that she called Alien her daughter and included her in her family. He was increasingly proud of this woman.
Nathan left with Willian, his father-in-law, and when they arrived in front of the hotel, about to say goodbye, he put his hand on Willian's shoulder and asked worriedly:
- Willian, I want you to take it easy and fight for your daughter's forgiveness. She's hurt, but she's your daughter.
Willian had a determined look in his eyes and Nathan had seen this in his wife, it must have been a Thatcher trait.
- I know, Nathan. I'm willing to do anything to make things right with her.
- That's what I wanted to hear. Remember that time is an ally in healing wounds.
- Thank you, Nathan... I'll do my best to rebuild our relationship.
- Good luck, I'll be rooting for you.
Willian entered the hotel, determined to begin the process of reconciliation with his daughter.
That night Elizabeth slept in Nathan's arms, but she remained silent the whole time. He would help heal his wife's heart.