August tenth dawned grey and overcast. The grey clouds looked heavy with rain but as the Grants started their morning, no rain fell. Over breakfast, Nathan told Elizabeth that he planned on going for a ride that morning like he usually did on the tenth. "He claims it is to clear his head," Ally supplied. Nathan reached over and mussed the girl's hair.

"Can I tease you when you get to the phase where you want to just sit in your room and think about things?" Nathan asked gently.

Allie's response was too simply lean toward Nathan and place a kiss on his cheek. The gentle exchanged brought a smile to Elizabeth's face. Nathan and Ally had been close when they first arrived in Hope Valley. Their trials since then had clearly only strengthened that bond.

After breakfast, Nathan and Jack did the breakfast dishes. Watching Nathan patiently let the boy 'help' made Elizabeth's eyes mist with tears. Lucas had never once offered to even help with the dishes. She wondered if the man had ever washed a dish in his life. Nathan often did household tasks without even thinking and then here he was making a simple task more difficult because he was giving the gift of his time to their son.

Their son?

It was a phrase she had never thought of when she was with Lucas. Jack had always been her son. Hers and Jack senior's son. Lucas had accepted Jack as part of the package of being with her, but he had never once referred to him as his son. Nor had Jack referred to Lucas as Dad despite her coaxing. It was one of the few things that her son had shown defiance toward her in. Seeing the difference in how Nathan was with Jack compared to Lucas, Elizabeth understood that reaction in her son better now. Even without having had a father, Jack had known Lucas did not want that role with him.

"Are you all right, Beth?"

The question came from her left. Looking that way, Elizabeth saw Ally standing beside her, concern in her eyes.

"I am," Elizabeth assured her. "I was just thinking how happy I am that Jack has a true father in his life now."

Instead of looking relieved, Ally looked down at the floor. The reaction concerned Elizabeth but before she could ask any questions, Ally spoke.

"Every night I ask God to give me the courage and the feeling of peace with the idea of referring to you as my mother but I don't feel like I am there yet. I am sorry. I feel like I should be," Ally continued her voice wavering. "Though he was hurt, Dad never blamed you. I asked him once how he could forgive so easily and he told me that for him, there was nothing to forgive. You simply did not feel the way he did. I still blamed you though. I let myself hope you would become my mother and then when you chose Mr. Bouchard I felt like you were rejecting me as well as my Dad. I wondered if it was my fault you didn't want to be with my Dad."

"Oh Ally," Elizabeth said, reaching out to wrap her arms around the teenager. Ally came to her willingly, clearly in need of the comfort of the embrace. "I am so sorry I made you feel that way. My choice was based on my fears and insecurities and not a reflection of you or your father."

"I do forgive you, Beth. I realize that you did not intentionally set out to hurt me or Dad, even though it happened. I haven't found that peace with the term mother I have been praying for either. Especially, not today. Today I woke up mad that God took my mother from me."

Elizabeth rubbed the teen's back unsure of what, if anything, she could say to make the situation better. She did know that Ally needed reassurance from her. "You are dealing with emotions that most children you age never have to, Ally. I understand your feelings and you know what, God does to. Keep your heart open to him Ally and you will find that peace."

Ally shifted her head to look up at him. "Is God giving you that peace?"

Elizabeth looked down at her. "Little by little," she told the girl. "There are times I still struggle as well."

A crash from the kitchen caught both of their attention.

"Sorry, Dad," came Jack's timid reply.

"It is fine, Jack," they heard Nathan reassure him patiently. "Just stay in that chair until I get the broken plate cleaned up, all right."

If Jack replied, it was a silent reply. Still, in her embrace, Ally sighed. "It is so easy for Jack to call my Dad that. Why isn't it easy for me?"

"For a couple of reasons, Ally. Jack is younger. He never met his birth father. You have memories of your mother. You remember that someone else filled that role. It is understandable that you would feel reluctance to someone else filling it. Another reason is that Nathan has never hurt Jack. My actions hurt you, Ally. I may not have meant to hurt you, but I did. That alone makes it more difficult to fully accept me in that role. Know that if you can't get there, I still love you just as much, Ally."

Ally hugged Elizabeth tighter as she murmured "thank you, Beth."

Elizabeth hugged the girl until Ally pulled away and then she released her. "After your Dad heads off for his ride, what do you say we head out and make the invitations? Maybe even ask Bill for his carrot cake recipe?"

Ally nodded excitedly, clearly happy at the idea of doing something for her Dad's birthday. "Do you think people will come?"

Elizabeth thought about her friends. Despite the last minute invitation, she had a feeling that unless they had plans that absolutely could not be changed, everyone would be there that night.

"I do," Elizabeth assured her.

"I am going to make a list of things to do, just so nothing gets forgotten," Ally told her before heading upstairs.

Elizabeth nodded though Ally was already gone. Lists were never a bad thing.

Elizabeth made her way into the kitchen. Nathan and Jack were just finishing the dishes. Evidence of the broken plate was nowhere to be seen. As Jack climbed down from the chair and went to check on his eggs, Nathan turned and met her gaze.

"Do you need anything before I leave?" Nathan asked. Elizabeth could see the sadness and grief in his eyes, despite him trying to act normally for their sakes.

She shook her head as she closed the distance between them. Wrapping her arms around his waist, she looked up at him. "We are fine. Go do what you need to do for yourself," Elizabeth told him as he rested his hands on the small of her back. "The kids and I are going to be busy getting ready for this evening so we can show you just how special you are to all of us."

"With my luck no one will be able to make it and Ally will be upset again," Nathan replied.

"Then we have a celebration with just the four of us," Elizabeth told him. "You have been teaching me to see the joy in life again. Now I get to teach you to see the joy in this day."

Lifting herself up on her toes, Elizabeth pressed her lips against Nathan's. She felt her husband respond to the gesture, even as his hold on her tightened slightly. She felt a tinge of fear at the tighter hold but pushed it aside. Nathan would not hurt her. She knew that. Reassurance of that came when she pulled back from the kiss and Nathan did not try to draw it out. His hold on her also relaxed.

"Happy Birthday, Nathan. You are my rock. You are a blessing to me and the kids," she told him softly.

"Thank you, Elizabeth," Nathan said, the words having brought a sense of peace to his expression. "I'll be home by noon."

"All right," Elizabeth said as they stepped away from each other. "Just be careful."

"I will," Nathan told her.

Nathan gave Jack, who was still sitting next to his eggs, a kiss on the cheek, telling the boy to be good for his Mama. Elizabeth heard him pause to cal a good-bye to Ally and then she heard the front door open and close.

Elizabeth looked to her son, who was making sure the hay was covering the eggs protectively. The sudden thought of something happening and Jack finding out that those eggs were not going to hatch today, filled her with dread.

~Please Lord, at the very least, keep Jack's hope that they might hatch alive through today, ~ Elizabeth prayed silently. ~I don't want anything bad to happen today. Just one day of calm, please Lord. Amen.~

Elizabeth glanced from Jack to the window. The grey clouds threatening rain made her wonder if Nathan had taken his slicker, just in case. Moving from the kitchen, she went to the coat rack by the front door. Seeing Nathan's slicker hanging on the hook, she lifted it from the hook.

"Ally, I am stepping outside. Listen for Jack for me, please," Elizabeth called up the steps.

"I will," Ally hollered back.

Walking back to the kitchen, Elizabeth kissed the top of Jack's head. "Don't leave the house alone, Jack."

"Yes, mama," Jack said, still watching the box of eggs.

With that promise, Elizabeth headed outside to make sure her husband had his slicker, just in case it did rain.

In past years, Nathan had always sought out a body of water to have his 'chat' with Colleen. Whether it be a lake, pond, river or just a small creek trickling along, the water always seemed to sooth his troubled soul. The river that he and Ally often fished in had served that purpose in years before.

This year however, Nathan found himself drawn to the cemetery. If asked, he could not have explained why, but this year he just felt that Colleen wasn't the only one he needed to 'talk' to. Spreading the slicker that Elizabeth had insisted he take with him on the damp grass, Nathan sat in front of Jack Thornton's grave and first had his 'chat' with Colleen, telling her all about what had happened to him and Ally this past year. The tradition made him feel closer to the older sister he had always been able to talk to.

"I miss you, Colleen. I probably always will, but I am trying my best to raise Ally," Nathan said, the words very familiar to the way he always ended his 'talk' with his sister. This year though, he did not end the conversation there. "I am doing my best to look after Elizabeth and Jack Junior for you as well, Jack," he added as he stared at Jack's name etched in stone.

"Our son is a wonderful little boy, Jack. I hope you do not mind me claiming Jack Junior as ours. I love that boy like he was my own, just like Ally. I will make sure I honor your memory with both him and Elizabeth though, Jack. I may not have met you, but you are a part of my family now. I know a part of Elizabeth will always miss you and even wish that you were still here. I also know that is not a reflection on her feelings for me, because though I know it would change the role I play in Ally's life, a part of me wishes Colleen was still here as well. None of that changes how much I love Elizabeth, Jack and Ally."

"Jack is one of the sweetest children I have ever met, despite what he has gone through in his young life. He baked me cookies when I got shot a few months ago. He tried to take care of his Mama. He also already has a protective streak at the age of four. I think he probably gets that from you, though Elizabeth can also have a protective streak when it comes to her students. Perhaps it is inevitable that Jack will grow up to be a protector in whatever form that takes."

"We celebrated Elizabeth's birthday last month, Jack. Given everything that Elizabeth has been through in recent months, I wanted to keep things simple. Then again, Elizabeth would probably argue that I always like to keep things simple. It was just Ally, Jack, Bill and I there. Jack wanted to be a part of baking his Mama's cake. I may be able to cook, but baking in something I try to steer clear of though I can manage biscuits. Chances are, I would probably smoke everyone out, like I did the first time I made biscuits. However, I did take Jack to find berries to go on top of the vanilla cake Bill promised to help him bake. I think the lad ate as many berries as he picked."

"Ally and I cooked chicken and dumplings and made a salad for the dinner. We had the cake afterwards. Bill had let Jack spread the frosting and put the berries on top. The frosting was not smooth and the border of berries on top was wobbly, but Jack was proud of that cake for his Mama. It tasted good as well, and while Bill gave the credit to Jack, I think that probably had more to do with Bill than Jack."

"The kids drew pictures for Elizabeth and made frames from some scraps of wood. Ally captured the sunset from our yard. Jack did a picture of his new family with you looking down on us from above. Perhaps you are. If so, I hope you are happy to see them healing and happy. I will always try my best to make them happy."

"I love Elizabeth, Jack. I have for a while now. I think she loves me though her fears from losing you have made her fight that feeling. I will continue to be patient with her as she continues to heal and sort out her emotions. I hope you are happy for us Jack. I hope that I am the kind of person you would want looking out for Elizabeth and raising Jack Junior. I will always strive to be. Given her confusion over her feelings for me, I didn't want to get too sentimental with the gift, though I did want to get her a gift. I had Rosemary pick out a dress for her. It's a pale green, with a silver flounce at shoulder level and a matching flounce at the bottom. Elizabeth seemed to like it, though I haven't seen her wear it yet. Like so many other times in my life, I am reminded that I need to have patience through all of this."

Nathan looked up at the clouds in the sky. It seemed like a solid wall of gray above him, but as he watched, a spot of blue peeked through the clouds, sunlight reflecting on the clouds. Somehow, Nathan felt like it was his sign from above that Colleen and Jack had heard his words.

Nathan sat there silently for a little longer, before getting to his feet. He reached down for the slicker and turn to the gate to where Newton was tied to the fence. As he did so, he spotted his father standing next to his horse, a crate in his hand. Making his way carefully to the gate, Nathan met his dad there.

"Happy Birthday, Son," Archie said quietly, as Nathan met him just inside the gate.

"Thank you," Nathan said. "How long have you been standing here?"

"About five minutes," Archie replied. "I didn't want to disturb you. I came to pass out bouquets of wildflowers I picked yesterday," he said, indicating the crate he held. "I can't put flowers on my daughter's grave but I thought she might appreciate me passing flowers out on other graves. Colleen always did like wildflowers. She was always bringing home arrangements and putting them in her hair when they were in bloom."

Nathan smiled at the memory of Colleen wearing a wreath of wild flowers and trying to convince him to wear one as well. He had to have been about Jack's age at the time.

"That she did," Nathan agreed. "Can I help you pass them out?"

Archie nodded. "I'd like that son," he replied.

Nathan took the crate from his father. With Nathan carrying the crate and Archie taking the bouquets from the crate and placing them on graves, father and son placed flowers on the graves of those buried in Hope Valley's cemetery in honor of their daughter and sister who had been taken from them too soon.