Author's Note: The stories of Brownie the Bear are written specifically for this story by Melissa's 10-year-old daughters.

For to this end we labor and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of them that believe. 1 Timothy 4:10 (ASV)

Friday, December 17, 1920

The town was abuzz with chatter of everyone talking about the upcoming meeting. Elizabeth was at home taking it easy until the meeting and adding the final touches to the little quilt that she was making for the doll cradle. Nathan had finished rounds and, during lunch, had stopped by and, with Jack's help, painted the cradle pieces while Elizabeth prepared lunch for the three of them. After lunch, she planned to finish proofing Allie's stories while Jack hung out with his Uncle Bill. He was at the point that he no longer went down for naps, which, considering he would be starting school next fall, was probably a good thing.

Elizabeth chuckled as she noticed that Jack seemed to be wearing more paint than was on the 2 small pieces Nathan had given him to work on. Hearing her, Nathan looked up, and she could see the restrained mirth as he was seeing the same thing.

"Almost finished?" Elizabeth called out.

"I believe we are." Nathan chuckled. "What do you think, Jack? Shall we let these dry and maybe put on the second coat after dinner?"

Jack looked down at his pieces earnestly as he considered it just like he had seen Nathan do and nodded in agreement.

"Why don't you get washed up for lunch, sweetheart," Elizabeth said, giving her son a fond smile.

After Jack ran into the house, Elizabeth turned to see Nathan quickly running a brush over the pieces. When he finished and moved to clean his brush, he realized she was still there and grinned sheepishly.

She just laughed and said, "I didn't see a thing. The cradle is coming along nicely. I really appreciate your letting Jack help. It really means a lot to him to spend time with you."

"You are welcome, though there's no need to thank me. I'm enjoying it just as much, and I really appreciate you helping Allie."

"Oh, how are the figurines of Brownie and Chloe coming?" Elizabeth asked. In honor of the story, Nathan was working on carving little wooden figurines of a bear cub and a kitten to go along with the book.

"Allie and I just have to paint them. How is the quilt coming for the cradle?"

"I just finished it today, and Allie did a great job on the pillow and even made a little bear."

Later that day…

The café was packed with people wanting to help, so they ended up moving the meeting to the saloon. After explaining the situation and the need for consideration of the town and focusing on handmade gifts over store-bought, there were no shortages of offers for help.

Minnie and Elizabeth gave a brief outline of some suggestions, along with Joseph, Nathan, and Bill.

"Are there any children?" Molly asked.

"Not many, but there is a set of four-year-old twins, a boy and a girl." Elizabeth said, "Plus, Harry's two younger sisters, Abbie and Gracie, are 13. Then there is a 6-year-old boy named Zachary who moved there a few months ago to live with his aunt and uncle after the death of his parents. Most of the families with children moved away, which is why the schoolteacher left too."

"Oh, the poor dears," Molly lamented.

"If you have any gently used clothing items, I'm sure they would be appreciated. Books or gently used toys would also be welcome." Elizabeth saw the nodding heads of those gathered at her suggestions. She also made a mental note to ask Harry about who was teaching the children for now.

"I'm sure Molly and I could whip up some scarf, mitten, and hat sets, Elizabeth," Florence was known for her knitting speed. Ned and Molly were always teasing her about it. But the fact that she could make 3 sets of hats, mitts, and scarves on a good day was a benefit for this need and time frame. She and Molly would have plenty of sets ready by next Thursday.

Then, a brief discussion ensued about quilts and blankets, with Cat offering a few handmade quilts she had made. A few others willingly offered a few of their own, too.

Fiona quickly volunteered to work with the children to make the ornaments and decorations out of leftover supplies that Lucas had stored up from previous events. Mei and Faith volunteered to help as well.

When the conversation quieted down, Jed Campbell raised his hand. "I don't have quilts or any of the other stuff to offer, but I have some extra seed. Would that be of any help even though they couldn't use it until next spring?"

Joseph and Nathan smiled big and agreed it would be of great help. It would allow the farmers to get crops planted earlier if they already had them. It would also take a big burden off their hearts as they waited out the winter. The other farmers in Hope Valley, including the Meffords, followed suit, offering some seed, and Ned volunteered to reach out to his friends in Benson Hills to solicit their help as well.

Before long, everyone had a good idea of what was needed and promised to let Elizabeth and Minnie know what they could provide. There was quite a lot to accomplish with all the preparations for Hope Valley's upcoming festivities, which consisted of gatherings for caroling, a gingerbread house-making contest, community suppers, a dance, and a few other inexpensive activities.

Just before they closed the meeting, Joseph reminded everyone of the Christmas Pageant for Sunday's church service and the potluck social afterward.

Rosemary was also quick to bring up the reminder of the Wishing Tree Wishes gift exchange and then asked for updates.

Bill hadn't answered and looked to be trying to avoid giving a reply, so she asked him directly about his.

"Don't worry. I am working hard on it."

Rosemary looked at him skeptically. "Do you need some help on it? I'd be more than happy to…."

Bill interrupted, "No thanks. I think Joseph and I have it covered."

Thankfully, the meeting quickly ended, and everyone began to disperse with their assignments

Rosemary put a fake look of horror on her face as she rushed over to Bill. "You think? Bill, at this point in the game, you should know for sure."

Thankfully he was spared from having to come up with an answer when Lee called her over to where Ned and Florence were standing.

Bill and Joseph ducked outside while the getting was good.

"That was close," Bill said, the relief evident in his voice. "The last thing we need is for Rosemary to put her 2 cents in."

"I can see where that could be a problem," Joseph agreed.

"What's wrong?" Bill asked, noticing something was troubling his friend.

"You know I've been thinking about Jack's wish. We sort of have another obstacle. Probably the biggest one if you ask me."

"What's that?"

"Well, simply put, in order to make Jack's wish come true they have to be married. Even if we can get them to admit they love each other and agree, there are some other important details that go along with that. I mean, I can do the ceremony any time on the spur of the moment, but what are you going to do about the rest?

"Oh Boy! I don't know. It's not like I go around carrying rings and a license with me."

Joseph chuckled, "Well, maybe you should start, at least until we make Jack's wish happen." Then, after a friendly pat on the shoulder, he walked away, leaving Bill to consider the suggestion while spending some time in conversation with the One who had the most work to do in this case. They could only prod Nathan and Elizabeth so much. God was going to have to move on their hearts.

Bill was startled out of his thoughts when Nathan and Elizabeth approached him, asking if he was okay. He just looked at them and muttered, "Why do you have to make things so complicated?"

They looked at him in confusion before looking at each other.

"Never mind," Bill shook his head and lifted his hands in exasperation before storming off while mumbling about the stubbornness of some people.

"Wonder what is wrong?" Elizabeth asked, worried about Bill's behavior.

"I don't know, but if I had to guess, he must be referring to you," Nathan teased.

"Nathan Grant!" Elizabeth gave him a mock glare before laughing and playfully slapping him on his arm. Then teased him in return and said, "Now see, I was sure that he was referring to you. I bet Allie would agree."

Nathan laughed. "Well, I imagine a whole town would agree about your stubbornness from what I hear."

"Oh really?"

"Yep, I've heard quite a few stories about you since you first arrived in Coal Valley. Not to mention your independent streak. But then I have seen it for myself, too."

Elizabeth giggled, knowing that she really couldn't argue about that.

They kept up the banter back and forth all the way back to Elizabeth's house, where Jack and Allie waited. Nathan and Jack finished putting the second coat of paint on the cradle while Elizabeth and Allie prepared a simple supper. Afterward, Nathan played with Jack while Elizabeth and Allie finished going over the latest Brownie stories so they were ready to be added to the journal that Allie was making into a book.

"You're doing a great job with them, Allie. It can be hard when doing any writing to tailor it to a specific age group, especially young ones like Merrin and Jack. You have a real knack for it. You would make a great teacher should your goals lead you in that direction." Nathan couldn't help but beam with pride at her words.

"I'm not sure what I want to do just yet, but do you really think I would make a good teacher?"

"I think you would be a great one. You are very intuitive, and you have a natural talent for telling a story."

"Thank you, Mrs. Thornton. That means a lot."

Then, just before Nathan and Allie left, Jack asked Allie to read him her latest story about Brownie. Settling down in a rocker, Allie opened her notebook and began to read while Nathan and Elizabeth sat on the settee and enjoyed listening and watching.

"What's this story called, Allie?" Jack asked, snuggling in close so he could see the pages. Though he couldn't read yet, Allie always used her finger to point to the words as she read.

"Well, Jack. This one is called Lost."

Today I saw Mrs. Thornton, my teacher. I asked her, "How many days until Christmas?"

She answered, "Three."

"Three?" I squeaked. "That's so little time! I need presents for everybody!"

"It's okay, Brownie," she said. "Maybe you can draw pictures or make books. Mrs. Coulter might have things to decorate it with."

"Oh, thank you, Mrs. Thornton."

Soon I was in our house trying to think of what to draw. Then I decided what to do. Quickly, I went to the kitchen and asked Mama if I could go for a walk in the woods.

"Okay, but be careful," she answered.

I went to the woods. I collected leaves, bark, twigs, and other things. Then I went back home. Well, I tried. I got lost. Soon, I noticed horse prints in the path and was quite sure Mountie Nathan would come to rescue me. Then I heard clip clop, clip clop. It was Newton, Mountie Nathan's horse, and Mountie Nathan! Yay! I was found and safe!

Then I made pictures gluing on leaves and the things I collected with tree sap. They were pretty. After a while, all the gifts were done, and I was ready for Christmas Eve and Christmas.

When Allie finished the story, Jack said good night and ran up to his room to get ready for bed while Elizabeth said goodnight to Nathan and Allie and locked the door behind them. She was still getting tired easily, so she planned to fall into bed as soon as Jack was settled.

As Allie and Nathan walked in the door of their own house, Allie made a comment about how much she enjoyed when the four of them were together. "It's almost like we are a little family, don't you think, Dad?" Then, without waiting for a response, she said goodnight and walked up the stairs to her room. He heard the click of the door as it closed.

Nathan sat down for a few minutes, thinking about what Allie had said before mumbling, "It sure does." That familiar longing throbbed in his heart as he headed up the stairs after locking up. He fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow, dreaming of Elizabeth and what it would be like to be a blended family.

At the other end of the rowhouses, Elizabeth was having similar dreams while many prayers were said in the hope that those dreams became a reality.

Sunday, December 19, 1920

The church hummed with excitement. Allie was fighting the urge to jump up and down. To say she was excited was an understatement. It was almost time to start this year's Christmas Pageant. The school choir was first, and then they would act out the Christmas story as Mrs. Canfield read it from the Bible. She had been chosen to play Mary this year, and she felt the full honor of that position, especially since she got to hold baby Goldie. (2) It was turning out to be a perfect Christmas. She looked to where her dad, Jack, Uncle Bill, and Mrs. Thornton sat on a pew together. What would make it the perfect Christmas is if her dad fell in love. Maybe there was hope that he would fall in love with Mrs. Thornton again. Did she dare hope that her greatest wishes would come true?

Elizabeth watched as the children got into position to enact the Christmas story. They had done well singing O Come All Ye Faithful, and she was proud of them. She was surprised that she was looking forward to watching their acting instead of being the one to read the story. She thought it would be harder not to be in the thick of things. Faith said she was well enough to attend but not for all the standing that her originally planned participation would require. Faith suggested that she join the choir singing Angels We Have Heard on High at the end of the program if she felt well enough. She was looking forward to that but was disappointed that the plan for her solo singing O Holy Night would have to wait for another year.

She looked to the right as she heard Jack point out Allie to Nathan. Jack was snuggled between Nathan and Bill. She smiled as she saw Nathan whisper his reply to Jack. The thought came to her that it would be perfect if Bill was on her other side and she and Nathan were there together with their children as a family.

Nathan smiled softly as he picked up Jack to sit in his lap since Allie was ready to come and sit with them. Allie had glowed as she played the part of Mary. Goldie's coos and gurgles only made her smile more. He was proud of the way she had taken the part seriously, even asking Mrs. Coulter what it was like to be pregnant and give birth and asking for tips to act the part in a way that would impact the audience the most. Rosemary had relayed to Allie the pure joy of seeing your child and holding the child close in your arms for the first time. When asked, Nathan had been able to tell his daughter how delighted her mother had been to hold her in her arms. He told her how Colleen's face still glowed with her joy the first time he met Allie a couple of hours after her birth. As Jack settled onto his lap his heart filled with love for the boy. He couldn't help but think that it would be wonderful to be there as an official family. Because his heart was full of love for the boy's mother, too.

Jack looked between Nathan and Allie. He loved them and was looking forward to his wish coming true.

Joseph looked out over the congregation as he silently prayed for the right words and understanding hearts on the part of the town before him. He had briefly discussed his plan for his short sermon with Nathan on one of their drives. He wanted to bring their thoughts to wonder what Jesus' earthly father had felt. His first thoughts of putting Mary away quietly, then hearing from the angel and bearing the undeserved shame of being seen as anticipating their marriage vows. The hardship of traveling with a pregnant woman. Then, the joy and awe of holding the Christ child when he was born. Feeling the enormity of the task that God had given him to be the earthly father of the Son of God. Joseph briefly closed his eyes as he felt God's peace, knowing that now was the time to share this message. (1)

After a final prayer, he dismissed everyone to the Queen of Hearts for the potluck dinner. Before they left, Nathan and Bill helped him move all the donations for Eagle Creek that people had brought with them to the parsonage area. Joseph was feeling blessed to be the shepherd of such a faithful and loving flock as he looked over the abundance of items. Fiona had also told him there was more that had been left at the café.

It was a little colder out than before the service started, and the smell of snow was in the air, prompting Joseph, Nathan, and Bill to discuss the plan for tomorrow's trip to Eagle Creek as they hurried to join the others in the saloon. By the time they arrived, prayer had been said by Mayor Lee as prearranged and people had begun to gather at the tables with their food to enjoy fellowship.

Since the line was still long, they joined Lee, who stood off to the side and waited. Nathan happened to look over to where Elizabeth was sitting with Goldie in her arms while Jack and Allie kept her amused so that Rosemary could oversee the buffet line. The sight was one that struck his heart and held him enthralled. His friends happened to notice where he was looking when he didn't respond to their teasing.

"Well, that sure is a pretty sight to see." Bill said, adding, "Don't you think?"

"My Minnie never looks more beautiful than when she is cuddling with our children," Joseph added.

"I feel the same way when I see Rosie and Goldie," Lee said. "What do you think Nathan?"

Nathan was still a bit distracted and just nodded, prompting the guys to chuckle.

Lee clapped him on the back, bringing him out of his stupor. "You got it bad, my friend."

"What are you talking about?" Nathan said, trying to play it off.

"You know what we are talking about," Bill said, motioning towards Elizabeth and the kids.

"For the record, Elizabeth gets the same way when she watches you with them," Lee said. "Everyone has seen it. In fact, Rosie told me that Elizabeth has stopped talking mid-conversation a few times."

Ned walked over at that moment, catching the tail end of the conversation, and added. "Florence has mentioned that Elizabeth practically lights up when she sees you coming."

Nathan just looked at the three men, not sure what to think. But as they all nodded in agreement, that sliver of hope that he had been carrying became a little bigger as his heart began to race. 'Could it be possible?' He thought to himself. The desire to reveal everything to Elizabeth intensified, almost compelling him to do so. But the fear that resided within his heart reared up and kept him still and silent as he moved toward the buffet table instead of toward Elizabeth, frustrating the two determined matchmakers.

(1) This was the topic for the mini-sermon at Melissa's church this year. A member sang Joseph's Song by Michael Card right before the sermonette. The song inspired the sermon that she heard and, thus, Joseph's sermon in our story.

(2) Just a little fun fact: In Season 10, The Coulter's daughter Goldie was actually played by a baby boy who was only 2 weeks old when they started shooting Rosemary's delivery. Though I can't remember the source, it is believed that the baby belonged to one of the production crew members who had recently given birth.