Chapter 22
"Do you think this is wise?" Grace asked as she changed shoes in their bedroom.
"Yes, dear. I do. I think Bethie needs to do this for her own good."
"Have you told her yet?"
"Not yet. I will after I change my clothes."
"And the truck thing with Jack?"
"Tom and I spoke about it the other day. Jack wants a vehicle. I knew he liked the old truck with our visit to the barn."
"But it doesn't run and it's dirty."
"I know, but all of that is easily fixed. Tom, Jack, and I can work on the truck and get it all cleaned up. You'll be amazed at how nice it'll be once everything is finished."
Grace studied her husband for a minute. "You just want someone to work on the truck with you, don't you?"
"That's a great bonus, but not the whole reason. That truck just sits there. It needs to be fixed and driven. Who better than Jack?"
"And this thing today with Elizabeth?"
"She will fight against it, but she needs to do it. Please just trust me on this. I know what I'm doing."
Grace studied her husband for a few moments. Her mother's heart was telling her no, but she did trust her husband.
…
"I spoke with William a few minutes ago." Tom stated as he walked into the living room. Jack was laying down on the couch resting watching a movie. He was dozing in and out of sleep. He looked up at his father.
"What do you think?"
"Is this what you want?"
"It is. We spent a lot of time this morning looking it over. There are some things that need to be done about it. Would you be ok if Mr. Thatcher work on it with us?"
Tom sat on the chair beside the couch. "Are you sure about the truck?"
"I am. I think it will be pretty cool once it runs and is cleaned up. I like it."
"It will for certain. It's a cool truck."
"And if he helps us?"
"I'm ok with it. I think he is looking forward to doing it with you." Tom smiled.
"I think he likes me a little…and you too, Pa."
"He's a good man and has become a good friend." Tom smiled at the thought of his friend and him and Jack spending time together. "What do you have planned for the rest of the day?"
"Nothing as far as I know. I'm pretty sore. Things are beginning to really hurt when I move even a little bit."
"Your black eye looks better, but I'm afraid it won't be gone by tomorrow."
"Yeah…I was figuring that."
"Hey, I'm going to the store. Want or need anything? Your mother has a list for me."
"Want me to go for you?"
"Are you willing for your mother to go with you?"
"No." Jack smiled. His mother was still on over protective mode. "Do you think she'll let me go to school tomorrow?"
Tom laughed. "I believe so, but don't be surprised if she follows you to school and sits in class with you."
"She better not!"
…
"Hey Steph…want to go to…"
"I'll meet you there just after school."
The two friends wanted to check in on Elizabeth. They have been texting with her throughout the day yesterday. They knew she was ok, but they had to see it with their own eyes. They needed to see that she was good.
"That's great." Steph stated. "Hey, how are you and Steven?"
"Good. We're dating now."
"I'm happy for you. You two look great together. I don't know him well, but he seems like a great guy."
"Thanks. And you and Cory?"
"We're really good. He asked me out on a date, but we're not official yet."
…
"Hey man, you busy after school today?"
"No man. What's up?" Cory asked.
"Let's go to check on Jack after school."
Steven smiled. "That sounds great. I've been worried about him."
"Me too."
The two guys smiled when their girls walked toward them with a smile.
"You two?"
"Not yet, but she did agree to go out with me."
"Great. Connie and I are Instagram official."
"Awesome."
…
"Hey sweetheart. Are you busy?"
"Not really. I just finished some work. Connie and Steph texted and said they were coming over after school."
"They're worried about you." It really wasn't a question.
Elizabeth smiled. "I think so. They just want to check to make sure I'm ok. I've told them but they must see it for themselves."
"That sounds like them. Hey, I've got an errand to run. Would you please come with me? I need your help."
"Sure…what is it?"
"Your mother is coming with us too." William stated as he turned to leave. He didn't answer her question, nor did he stop walking as he left her room. "We're leaving as soon as you come down."
…
William, Grace, and Elizabeth pulled into a parking spot just outside of the police station. William turned off the car and he noticed his middle daughter's shocked expression on her face.
"What are we doing here? I gave my statement earlier."
"You did." He stated as he got out of the SUV. He opened the door for his daughter and extended his hand to help her out of the car. Grace met them at Elizabeth's door.
"Do I need to speak with them again?" While she did give her statement, she didn't like to relive the events of yesterday morning. The hesitation was evident in her voice. She didn't want to go over the story again.
"No. You did a great job, and they have all the information from you. It matches the video they obtained. Detective Stamps said that everything is looking good with the case against the Hamiltons."
"Ok…so why are we here?"
"I received a call this morning…your car is ready for us to pick it up."
Elizabeth froze for a moment. She quickly glanced from her father to her mother and then back to her father. She had no desire to get behind the wheel of her car. Just the thought of it forced the images of that dreadful morning's event to her mind. She could feel the man grab her wrists. She would get a nervous sweat on her forehead.
"We need to pick it up."
Elizabeth looked toward her mother. "Thanks for coming to drive the car home. I'll ride with you and father can drive my car." She stated as she took a step to walk around the car to get in the passenger seat.
William reached for her hand. "No dear, mother will drive this car home. You and I are driving your car home."
"But you don't like my car. It's too small for you."
"It is too small for me. Getting in and out of that car is just too hard for old people." He chuckled. "But I'm not driving."
She froze with his statement. She slowly shook her head no, but her mouth couldn't say the word.
"You've heard the expression 'when you are thrown from a horse, the best thing you can do is get back on it'?"
Elizabeth nodded her head.
"Do you know what it means?"
Again, Elizabeth nodded her head.
"Could you please explain it to me?"
Elizabeth stared at her father for a few moments. He knew his daughter. For her to get out of the shock and fear of the situation, he had to get to her to think about something different. He needed to redirect her thinking away from the fear of driving to something else. Grace thought it was a little too soon, but she trusted her husband. She also knew he was right. Elizabeth needed to get behind the wheel as soon as possible. Elizabeth began to speak as she wrung her hands together. Her voice was soft.
"It basically means that you need to get back on the horse as fast as possible. If you delay, you live in that fear even longer. It will take a greater effort if you wait."
"Yes, the fear builds upon itself. If you can just get past that fear as fast as possible, you move past it sooner. The longer you live in that fear, the harder it is to get past it."
Elizabeth nodded her head. She looked toward her mother.
"I have raised my daughter to be a strong, intelligent young woman. I know how difficult this is for you. I know it's very hard for me to not be there to protect you. You are most certainly strong enough to do it."
She reached for her mother's hand. "I'm not so sure."
"I know it too." William stated. "I saw the video yesterday morning. Elizabeth, you fought that bad man with all you had. While struggling, you caused him to slow down enough. When Jack pushed you away, you jumped up and ran while grabbing your phone. Detective Stamps was very impressed with you."
"I wasn't strong." She whispered.
"Being strong is not the lack of fear. It is doing what you have to do while being scared."
"Your father is right dear. You did what you had to do. You and Jack worked together as a team. Now, you've got this." She squeezed her daughter's hand.
William reached for her hand and took it into his. With his other hand, he handed her the keys to her car. "Come on dear, we need to get back on that horse."
…
Charlette walked out onto the back porch to check on Jack. He has been sitting out there since Thomas left for the store.
"Are you ok?"
"I'm good." He flinched when he repositioned himself on the chair.
"Would you like to answer that question again?"
Jack laughed and then flinched again because of the pain. "I really am good, Ma. Sorer than I thought I would be, but I'm good."
"How are you handling yesterday?"
"Ok, I guess. Kind of feels like a dream…like it didn't really happen. Maybe I'm processing or haven't began to process it yet. I'm not sure."
Charlette watched her son for a moment. "Maybe it would be good to talk with someone about it?"
"Maybe."
"Would you like for me to find someone?"
"I'm not sure if I want too just yet. Can we hold off on that for a little while?"
"We'll see."
Jack laughed at the true meaning behind her phrase. He really felt fine mentally with everything. To him, it did feel like a dream. His body was telling him that yesterday morning was real, but mentally he still felt like it didn't happen.
"Please, give me a couple of days…ok Ma?"
"Fine…I remember when you would just do what I tell you without question."
Jack laughed. "I was little. The problem is that you taught me how to think and you let me grow up."
"I didn't let you. You did all of that behind my back against my will."
"Then you shouldn't have made me eat my vegetables when I was little." Jack smiled. He hated vegetables when he was little, but he loves them now.
"Alright Mr. Sassy…does Elizabeth know about this side of you?"
"Oh yes…she's seen it."
"And she's still around?"
"She likes it, but she won't admit to it. She told me once that I was adorable when I do that, but she would never admit to it later if I told anyone."
"I like that she's around."
"I know. I also think you are planning something with us. Did you try to set us up or something?"
"Jack…I have done no such thing!"
"Maybe…maybe we got together before you could start your little plan." His playful smirk reminded her of when he was little and he figured her out.
"You and Elizabeth met and began dating before I met her. How could I orchestrate that?"
She avoided eye contact with her son. As easily as she could read his eyes, he could read hers.
"Hey…I do like that you are dating her. I feel that she may be the one for you, but Jack, I don't want you to lose your head in this."
"I know Ma. You and Pa raised me well."
"That's more of your father than me."
"I wouldn't necessarily say that."
"Just don't turn stupid on me, ok? I want you two together, but you also have dreams of college."
"I know. She does too. I believe we can accomplish those dreams while still together…not in spite of each other."
"Make sure you two grow together. Don't lose yourself in her and don't let her lose herself in you."
"I think we're good for each other. The areas where I am weak, she's strong and vice versa. We are still learning about each other. Finding answers to our questions seem to bring us closer to each other. Even when we disagree on something, we still grow closer in finding those answers."
"That's how it is supposed to be. Finding answers to those questions, even the difficult questions, should bring you closer to each other."
"I agree."
"Jack…I know you love her. I know you haven't told anyone yet, maybe not even her, but I can see it. Just don't turn stupid on me here. We have always taught you that sex was reserved in a marriage relationship. With physical intimacy, many different emotions come into play. I know you are growing up rather quickly, but you're not quite grown yet. You are still learning and developing. You may not be ready for all of those emotions."
"Pa and I have already talked about it. Well, he talked about it." Jack chuckled. He remembered his and his father's embarrassment. However, the talk was just what he needed to hear.
"I know, but did you listen to him?"
"Pa is a smart man. I want to be just like him. I always listen to his advice."
"He is the best man."
"I promise I will treat Elizabeth with the respect that you and Pa has taught me."
"Then I will be happy."
After a few moments of silence, he softly stated. "Ma…I think I would like to speak with Pastor Frank."
Charlette gently nodded her head without ever voicing her answer.
…
Elizabeth finally sat down in her car behind the steering wheel. It took a few minutes to get the paperwork finished with the impound and evidence desk. William finally just fell into the passenger seat with a little bit of a huff. He looked over at his daughter and instantly saw the turmoil running through her mind and facial expression. He wanted to reach for her hand, but she had a death grip on the steering wheel. Her knuckles were white with her squeezing it so hard.
"This reminds me of our first driving lesson." He chuckled at the memory.
Elizabeth nodded her head. She was terrified then and she's terrified now. When she closed her eyes, she could hear her door opening and the masked man screaming at her. She also felt his heavy hands on her pulling her out of the car. William saw the sweat forming on his daughter's forehead and upper lip.
In a fatherly voice, he began. "When you were five, you had that little Princess Belle bicycle you rode everywhere. You were a beast on that thing. Do you remember it?"
Elizabeth nodded her head but didn't say anything. She was staring at the steering wheel.
"Do you remember that Saturday when I took the training wheels off?"
The memory of that Saturday broke her staring contest with the steering wheel. "I was so unhappy with you that day. I though you broke my Belle bike."
"Yes…you stared at me for the longest time with your hand on your hip and that Thatcher glare."
"I get that from you."
"Oh no…that glare is all your mother. You get the stubbornness from me. Has Jack seen that side of you yet?"
"Yes."
"And it hasn't scared him away?" He sassed.
Elizabeth couldn't keep the smile from taking over her facial features. "He says I'm adorable when I do that. When I'm being stubborn, he just jokes with me to get me over it. A lot like mother does with you."
"She does know how to handle me." He shook his head. "I also remember you fussed at me for a good five minutes. You also picked up the training wheels and laid them at your bike demanding I put those back on and fix it."
"I did." Elizabeth finally released her hands from the steering wheel. She was still anxious, but her father could see her beginning to relax a little. "I also remember you placing me on the bike and just shoving me down the driveway to fend for myself."
William laughed. "That's not how it happened, and you know it."
"That's how I remember it." She smirked.
"I placed you on the bike and ran along with you holding the seat to balance you. You went around the water fountain three times and then I let go of your seat."
"I don't remember you letting go."
"Because I kept running beside you. You only thought I was still holding your seat. Elizabeth, you were doing it on your own, you just didn't know it. Finally, I couldn't run around that silly fountain any longer and I stopped running. Do you remember what happened?"
"I rode it all by myself."
"You did, but you were doing it long before you knew you were doing it. Elizabeth, you are a strong person. You have this inner strength that many people don't see just looking at you. That was that man's mistake yesterday morning. He sees this little petite lady and thinks she's a push over. He didn't know the fight that is inside of you. This is scary. I won't deny that fact. But Elizabeth, it's no match to your inner strength."
A tear formed in her eyes at her father's words.
"After you realized you were riding your bike without my help, you took off. I thought you were a beast before with your training wheels, you were much more when you realized the training wheels, while good in the beginning, were actually hindering you when you could ride the bike without them. You would ride your bike all over the property, not just on the driveway."
"I enjoyed the wind in my hair and on my face." She smiled at all the memories of that feeling.
"Yes…This is just as scary when I gave you driving lessons and when I took the training wheels off your bike. But Elizabeth, this fear is no match for your inner strength."
Elizabeth wiped away a tear. She was grateful for her father's words. "Will you hold my seat?"
"I don't have to this time. You already know how to do this, but like last time, I'm here beside you as long as you need me. I'm just here for the ride."
Elizabeth leaned over and hugged her father and kissed him on the cheek. "Thank you." She whispered.
"You're welcome my girl. Now, where are we going?"
A mischievous smile graced her mouth. "Ice cream."
"Perfect." She knew his weakness for ice cream.
…
"Hey…how are you?"
"I'm good, Julie. Did you have a good day."
She gave Tom a huge smile. "I did."
"How is Elizabeth?"
"She's good. And Jack?"
"He is hurting more than he admits. I notice him struggling moving around last night."
Julie and Tom began to walk down the hall of the massive school. They enjoyed their time together. As both players, they weren't ready to be too serious, but they both knew they were meant to be more than just friends. However, they didn't know how to approach the subject.
"You busy?"
"No. What do you have in mind?"
"I'm in no hurry to go home. Mother is on protective detail with Elizabeth."
"Mom is the same way with Jack."
"Want to go and grab something to eat?"
"Sure."
"Let's go to Abagail's. Mother can pick me up after that and we can take you home."
"That sounds nice."
Julie bumped his shoulder with hers. They enjoyed the flirting between them.
Abagail smiled as Julie and Tom walked in. Julie went to the restroom and Tom took a booth on the wall where the windows were by the front door. Abagail approached with a smile on her face.
"How are you?"
"I'm good, Mrs. Hogan. Are you having a good day?"
"I am. You're here with Julie?"
"Yeah, we are just getting a snack after school."
"How's Jack doing?"
"He's pretty good. Still sore but good."
"So…you and Julie?"
"Two flirts hanging out. Maybe a little more than friends but not exclusive."
Abagail smiled. "Are you sure?"
"Yeah." He elongated the word. "Let's say it's a little complicated. I've never dated a girl for very long. I don't know how. Juile is the same way."
"Yes. She never dated for very long either."
"So…?"
"I enjoy being around her and flirting with her. I just don't know…"
"Hey Mrs. Abagail." Julie stated as she walked up to the booth.
"Hey. How are you?"
"I'm good."
"And Elizabeth?"
"She's good too. A little sore I think but good."
"What may I get for you two?"
"Chocolate shake." Julie stated.
"I'll take the same." Tom turned his attention to Julie. "What to split an appetizer?"
"Chili cheese fries."
"Perfect." Tom smiled.
…
"Hello, Mrs. Thornton. Is Jack around?"
"Yes…Cory, is it?"
"No ma'am. I'm Steven. This is Cory."
"I'm sorry guys."
"It's ok. We just wanted to check on Jack." Charlette smiled at the anxiousness of the two men.
"Come in boys. He's on the patio. Go on out back and I'll bring you all some drinks and snacks."
"That's not necessary, Mrs. Thornton."
"Go…go…I'll be there with the snacks in a few minutes. Also, call me Charlette."
"Thanks Mrs. Charlette."
She smiled at the boy's respect. Cory and Steven opened the door and walked out onto the patio. Jack looked up from his sketch pad and smiled at his friends.
"Hey."
"Hey man. How are you feeling?"
"Good." He winched trying to reposition himself on the chair.
"Are you sure?" Steven asked.
"I'm positive. Just sore. I'll be ok."
"Nice shiner." Cory joked.
"Yeah…I think I'm going to keep it for a while."
"That's great man. Chicks digs scares."
Jack rolled his eyes and laughed. "I don't think Elizabeth is really going to like it."
"Maybe not…" Steven stopped talking. He wanted to ask but was afraid to say anything. All kinds of rumors were swirling around school.
"Go ahead…" Jack stated.
"No man. I know it had to be hard on you. We're not here for you to relive it. We just wanted to check on you."
"Thanks man. I appreciate it." Jack nodded his head at his two friends. He knew they had questions, but they were more concerned about him than finding the answers.
"Oh!" The three guys turned their heads when they heard the loud voice cry out from the doorway. "What did you do?" Rosemary cried out when she saw the cuts and bruises on Jack's face. She ran toward him and enveloped him in a sisterly hug while he was still sitting on the chair.
The hug lasted a long time. Rosey wasn't ready to let Jack go. She had to know he was fine. She heard all the rumors, but she needed this. She felt him flinch a couple of times but that didn't stop the hug.
"I'm sorry." Cory stated. He was taken back by her actions. First, he knew his little brother had a crush on this girl. He also knew Jack was serious with Elizabeth. Steph told him a couple of things about this Rosey girl, but the long hug confused him for a moment.
"I don't know if you all have truly met other than the bonfire. Rosey, this is Cory and Steven."
"Yes, I remember them that night. We did talk a little."
"Nice to see you again, Rosey." Steven stated.
"Wait, your Lee's older brother, aren't you?" Rosey stated as she finally let go of Jack and looked in Cory's direction.
"Yes, I am."
"He seems like a nice guy, but I would have beaten him if he would have stolen my clothes."
Cory was confused for a moment, then he laughed at the memory. "He does that all the time and doesn't think anything is wrong with it."
"I told him you should have beaten him."
"I'll say you told me I could do that next time. How well do you know Jack?" He asked. She may have released her hold on Jack, but she was still sitting with him in the chair.
"I have known him for years. We met in first grade. I think of him as my brother. We have been through a lot together."
"That's what Steph said."
"Yeah…We have been best friends for a long time."
Cory relaxed when Jack nodded his head. He was hoping Lee wouldn't be hurt by this.
"Now, tell me everything!" Rosey demanded in theatrical fashion. While Cory and Steven may have held back their questions, Rosey had no desire to.
"The same old Rosey."
"What do you mean, 'the same old Rosey'?" She huffed.
…
William closed his eyes and moaned as he placed the first spoonful of cookies and cream ice cream in his mouth. It was oozing with chocolate syrup. A small amount dripped on is chin. "You better not tell your mother." He exclaimed as he opened his eyes and looked at his daughter.
"Of course not, this is daddy daughter time."
William smiled as he drove the spoon back into the container to fill his spoon again. Elizabeth was enjoying her chocolate cake mix with chocolate chunks. That was her favorite. Their time together was quiet with little conversation. She was grateful for the quiet time with her father. Somehow, he knew her so well. He knew what she needed. He challenged her when she needed the extra push. He sat with her without saying a word if that was what she needed. He also forced her to speak her mind when he thought she needed it. Somehow, he just knew.
She laughed as he scraped the sides and bottom of his container to capture the last part of his ice cream. "You know, I was never going to take that away from you." She sassed him.
"I know, but your mother doesn't allow me to do this very often."
"Well, your cholesterol says you shouldn't have it."
"That's what your mother says." He laughed.
Elizabeth leaned back in her chair. The Lazy Cow Creamery wasn't very full. Most people were at work or at school. She closed her eyes for a few moments. William noticed and sat his container down with the last bit of ice cream still on his spoon.
"I was so scared…" Her voice was barely audible.
"I can't even imagine…but Elizabeth, you were so strong."
"I didn't feel like it."
"But feelings won't always tell you the truth. You did all you could do. You did so well. I'm proud of you. And look at you, not only did you get through that horrible morning, but you also didn't allow it to control you today. You drove us here. You could have folded under the fear, but you took a stand against it."
"Only because of your help."
"Sweetheart, we don't walk this life alone. I'm your father, that's what I am supposed to do."
"You do such a great job of it."
William lowered his head. He knew what his wife told him on the front porch with Jack, but his father's heart still wrestled with the thought of him being a failure as a dad. Elizabeth reached for his hand and gently squeezed it until she had his attention.
"This isn't your fault." Her voice was soft and reassuring.
"That's what your mother says, but…"
"No buts, sweetheart." She smirked.
William laughed at the phrase he has used on her since she was two.
"I'm working on it." He sighed. "Elizabeth, you were so brave and strong. I'm proud of you."
Elizabeth nodded her head. She didn't feel those things, but like her father, she was working on it.
"Elizabeth, what you went through was a horrible ordeal. You know you can speak to your mother or me. I hope you do that, or would you feel better speaking to a professional?"
"I don't know…"
"I'm not forcing you. You can't carry that alone. You need to speak to someone. You just let your mother and I know what you want to do. It is our blessing as your parents to help you through this."
"Thanks."
"Jack was very brave."
"He was father. I don't know or remember everything, but I heard he protected me as much as he could."
Her father took a few minutes to share with Elizabeth everything Jack did that morning. He told her about the video and Jack's actions. She didn't remember very much about the whole ordeal. Some of the things her father told her connected the dots for her. They filled in the blanks that were in her memory. For some reason, she wasn't surprised with her boyfriend. That was just the type of guy he is.
"I like him." She softly stated.
"I know that, dear. I don't know if you have said this to him or even if you know it yet, but I know that you love him."
Elizabeth quickly looked up at her father's face. She studied him for a moment. She should have been shocked he knew, but then again, he could always read her so well. While she and Jack have said that to each other, they haven't shared that information with anyone. No one else knows they have said 'I love you' to each other.
"May I tell you a secret?"
"Of course dear."
"But you can't tell anyone…even mother."
William lifted his right hand with his elbow on the table. He extended his pinky. "I pinky promise."
Elizabeth laughed. She and her father would always pinky promise when she was little, and she would tell him a secret. She would make him pinky promise not to tell anyone. Elizabeth placed her elbow on the table and extended her pinky and wrapped her pinky around her father's just like she has done countless times growing up. She quickly wondered if that was why holding pinkies with Jack was so intimate for her.
After tugging their pinkies twice to prove the secret was unbreakable, she whispered. "I'm going to marry that man someday."
She was shocked at her father's small smile.
"I know."
"Really?"
"I expect Jack and I will have a conversation at some point."
…
Elizabeth and her father pulled into the driveway seeing her best friend's two cars. She smiled knowing they were concerned for her.
"Are you ready for this?"
"I am." Her smile was growing. "Are you ok with what I said earlier?"
"Yes and no."
"Father, you know…"
William cut her off. "I like Jack a lot. This has nothing to do with him."
"Then what is your concern?"
"I'm your father. You have always come to me with your problems and concerns. I fixed them. It was my job as a father. A job I loved to do. Now, you won't come to me like that anymore. I will miss it."
She reached for he hand. "You're my father, I will always need you."
"But it'll be different."
"Maybe so, but you will always be my father."
William fought back a tear while he nodded toward the front door. Connie and Steph were standing on the top step anxiously waiting for Elizabeth to come home.
As William reached for the passenger door, Elizabeth didn't release her father's hand. With her head down facing forward, she softly spoke.
"I would like to talk with Pastor Frank."
William nodded his head.
…
Elizabeth walked into a hug from both of her best friends as William walked past them with a smile. He was grateful she had friends that were there for her. Grace was standing just inside the door.
"Are you two ok?"
"We're fine, dear."
"The watery, red eyes…?" Grace questioned.
"Nothing, dear." She knew that look well. She also knew that little phrase. He would always use that when he and Elizabeth were out on their daddy daughter dates.
"Did you enjoy your cookies and cream ice cream with a ton of chocolate syrup?"
"Yes…wait! How did you know that?"
"You two were at the Lazy Cow." It wasn't a question. She smiled at his confusion.
"And how did you know that?" He asked slowly.
"We all have Life360 on our phones. I know where you were. You were there for an hour."
"You were stalking me?" Gasped a playful William. He grabbed his chest acting hurt. "How could you, Grace?"
"You know your cholesterol told you not to eat it."
"You sound just like Bethie."
"Did you have a good time with her?"
"I did."
"How did she do driving?"
"Good. It took her a moment, but she lowered her head and bulldozed herself through it."
"Just like her father." Grace sassed with a little bit of pride in her voice. "Nothing too much for him to handle."
"That's funny…I was thinking she was just like her mother." His pride matched his wife's.
"She would like to speak with Pastor Frank."
"I'll call him later."
…
"How are you doing?"
Elizabeth flinched a little when she sat down on her favorite spot by the window in her bedroom.
"I'm ok. A little sore but good."
"Will you be at school tomorrow?"
"Yeah, I'll be there. I could have gone today. However, I was kind of happy to stay home and rest. I didn't wake up until almost nine."
"Wow. You must have been exhausted." Connie stated.
"I was even though I slept most of yesterday afternoon and evening."
"I bet you were just as emotionally exhausted." Steph added.
Elizabeth nodded her head. "I was."
"We're here for you if you need or want anything."
"I know…thanks."
"So…" Steph changed the subject. She didn't want to dwell on the subject too long. Connie and Steph gave their best friends' support and Elizabeth knew it. Now it was time to talk about other things. "Let me tell you what Cory did."
"Oh…do tell…" Elizabeth smiled at her friend. She knew what they were doing, and she was grateful for it.
…
"So, where are you going to take Steph?"
"I'm not too sure."
"I took Elizabeth to Olympic. It was a great place to eat. Then we went to the beach to walk. When ended up dancing on the beach. There was a group off in the distance that was playing music."
"Oh…that sounds great."
"It really was. The music was by chance, but it was very nice."
"Who would ever think that you could be romantic?" Rosey shook her head. "All of this from a guy who never dated."
"My boy got some game." Cory stated with pride.
"Well, your boy is lucky Elizabeth likes him so much." Rosey stated waving her hands. "Mary tried her best last year, and it was embarrassing how awkward your boy was."
"Who's Mary?"
"Nobody." Jack stated.
"Oh…a girl who tried her best to catch your boy. Jack did his best to avoid her."
Rosemary, Steven, and Cory all played around with Jack. They ragged on him for a few minutes then they turned their attention to the next person in the group. By the time everyone went home, they each were on the short end of being picked on. It was a fun loving time with a lot of laughter. Jack was appreciative of this group of friends and the time together. The laughter was a great piece of medicine for him…physically and mentally.
…
Jack laid down in bed with the covers up to his waist. Without even having to think about it, he skyped Elizabeth. She answered on the first ring.
"Hey beautiful." He lovingly said when her face appeared on the screen. She had her hair up in a bun, but he wasn't going to say anything about it. She was always embarrassed about it even though he constantly told her she was beautiful. He doubted she even knew it was in a messy bun.
"Hey handsome…what the mischievous grin for?"
"Your face…I missed you today."
She looked at him like he was hiding something. "I missed you too. Did you have a nice day?"
Jack and Elizabeth spent the next few minutes describing their afternoons. Elizabeth told him about Connie and Steph and Jack told her about Cory, Steven, and Rosey. They each laughed during their stories and were grateful they had a nice time with their friends.
Elizabeth told Jack about going to the police station to pick up her car and the struggle she had driving it for the first time. He easily understood her struggle.
"Hey…I know this sounds weird, but would you pick me up tomorrow for school?"
"Doesn't sound weird at all. Honestly, I was going to ask you if I could. I believe we need to do this together."
"I agree."
Their smiles conveyed the honest truth that they were each other's strength. The incident brought them closer together.
"I asked Ma if she would call Frank for me." Jack whispered.
"Abagail's Frank?" Elizabeth asked as she settled on to her pillow and pulled covers up to her stomach.
"Yeah, I met him at Abagail's, and we went to his church last week. I like him."
"He's a great guy. Why do you want to see him?" She had her answer when she looked into his eyes.
"We went through a lot…I just think I need to speak to someone. Loud, sudden sounds scare me a little."
"Yeah…me too. I asked my father to speak with him too." She thought about it for a moment. "Maybe we should speak with him together after we meet with him individually a few times."
"I think that may be a good thing to do."
They talked for a little while until they were getting sleepy. They didn't speak about the kidnapping. Their conversation was light with many shared laughs.
"I'll see you in the morning, Bella."
"I'll see you, Dimples."
"I love you." They stated at the same time.