A/N: Hello, readers. Sorry it's been awhile again. My sister got me sick so I've been in no big mood to upload new chapters. But anyway...this next chapter takes place before the beginning of season 9 of WCTH when Henry returns from some trip, apparently, and the show never specifically gave us any details on said trip, so here's my version of what I WISH happened. Enjoy!
June 1916
About two months had passed since Abigail had left Hope Valley with Cody. She and Henry sent letters to each other as often as they could and he kept it from her that his own health was beginning to wane a bit. He had gone to Carson to complain about some indigestion he was having only to learn that his recent dizziness and feeling unwell was due to High Blood Pressure and stress. He gained somewhat of a friend out of it though. Carson had let him know that he would be there for him if he ever needed to talk, and though Henry was cautious to actually take him up on the offer, he felt a bit less lonely.
He had considered multiple times to go and visit Abigail and her parents, but he never had the time nor the courage to. The oil business was gaining more clients and he was saving up his money to buy his mansion back so he had no time or money for travel.
Soon, his son, Christopher had arrived in town and he began to focus on patching up his relationship with him. His letters to Abigail had slowed down a bit, but never halted. In the letters, he told her of Christopher's arrival and their complicated relationship. Abigail asked Henry why he wouldn't tell Christopher the truth, that his mother took him and left Henry, not the other way around. Henry wrote back to her that he didn't want to ruin Christopher's relationship with his mother or make it seem like HE was a victim. Henry never felt like a victim and never wanted to be one. So he just allowed Christopher to believe what his mother told him about Henry walking out on them and tried to patch things up with him in different ways. He tried to spend time with him and tried to be kind. He tried to get to know him and make amends the way that he suspected Abigail would, had she been in his shoes.
It took a couple of weeks, but soon, Christopher began to see and believe that Henry was a changed man. He was still a bit cautious about allowing his father fully into his heart yet until he witnessed one of Henry's fainting spells caused by his High Blood Pressure.
They talked things out and Christopher forgave him. He soon had to return home to his job and left Hope Valley, giving his father his address so he could write to him. It wasn't long before Henry had somewhat of a relationship with his son and he told Abigail immediately in a letter.
She was so thrilled for him and wrote back that she was proud.
Unfortunately, her mother was getting worse and once summer vacation at Becky's school began, she went to stay with Cody and Abigail at her grandparents' house.
Henry was sorry to hear about Vivian and began to wire Abigail some money once a week so she would have no chance to decline it. He had finally bought his mansion back so he was capable of it now and knew that if he could not help Abigail with how she was feeling, then he could help her out financially. Especially since she was not getting any money from the cafe or the mayor's office at this time.
July 1916
One more month had passed and Christopher invited Henry to visit his home. At first, Henry was hesitant, knowing that he might bump into his ex wife, but he soon gained motivation. He did want to see where his son grew up and thought to himself that he might stop by Abigail's parents to see her on the way back home afterwards.
He stayed with Christopher for a week and had a few civil conversations with his ex wife, who was now widowed from her second husband. Henry then understood why Christopher had made the effort to even travel and find Henry after Lucas informed him of his whereabouts….His step father had just died and he felt as though he needed to figure out where Henry had ended up.
Once the week was up, he said goodbye to Christopher and Rachel, Lee Coulter's niece who had begun to spend a lot of time with Christopher back in Hope Valley whilst she visited her aunt and uncle. Henry's ex, Beatrice, had even gone to say goodbye to him and see him off with kind words before he boarded the train heading to Abigail's hometown.
After a day and a night of travel, Henry finally arrived in Fulton Hills. He looked around at the town, picturing Abigail there, growing up. He suddenly felt nervous as he realized he was going to meet her folks and despite what Abigail told him in her letters, he did not expect them to like him very much. But he missed her. He missed seeing her smile and he pushed everything holding him back aside as he paid a man on a stagecoach to drive him to Abigail's parents' address, which he had memorized by now after all those letters.
Stepping out of the stagecoach, Henry gripped his suitcase and gulped, looking at the view ahead of him. The barn looked old with red flecks of paint chipping off of it. Beside it stood a tall, rusty windmill that still seemed to function well given its condition. Outside of the barn, to the right of it, was a large area of land that was fenced in so that the farm animals could not roam passed Abigail's father's land. A large maple tree stood tall just beside the windmill and behind the barn shown the hills, covered in different shades of splendid green grass.
The trees that also covered the hills reminded Henry a bit of Hope Valley and he wondered if the reason Abigail felt so at home in Hope Valley was because of the similarities in the hills that surrounded the town. Perhaps it reminded her of home in Fulton Hills.
After examining the view for a bit, Henry saw that all the way to his right, passed the edge of the barn's fence, was the house that Abigail grew up in. It was two stories high, baby blue in color though the paint had begun to chip on the house as well. The trimming was white and the roof was gray, curving up to a point in the center of it. The three windows on the top floor were perfectly in line with the two windows on the first floor and the front door that was perfectly centered in front of the house. The porch was covered with an awning that had an archway just above the stairs that led up to the door. There was a bush on either side of the staircase in front of the house, both the same size as its twin.
Henry couldn't help but think to himself that this place WAS Abigail. The house matched her well and he felt his heart begin to pound as he took his first few steps toward the house from the dirt road behind him.
Once he finally reached the cute white door in the center of the house, he took a second or two before knocking. He looked back over his shoulder at the stagecoach pulling away, wondering if he should change his mind and make it take him back to the train station. Before he could change his mind, however, he heard the door open and turned his head back to see Cody, holding the door open.
"Hello, Cody." Henry forced out a nervous smile, removing his bowler hat from his head as he saw the young lad.
"Mr. Gowen? What are you doing here?" Cody asked him.
"I came to speak with your mother. Is she out?" Henry asked, fiddling with his hat in his hands, trying to push back his anxiety.
"No. She is upstairs with Nana." Cody said, furrowing his eyebrows in confusion. "Mom didn't say that you were coming."
"Oh, I neglected to tell her. I was traveling up North and thought I could stop by before going home. As a bit of a surprise." He started to regret the decision to not tell Abigail he was coming. The look on Cody's face made him wonder if he should just leave now.
"Oh." The boy said, looking down at Henry's suitcase in his hand before back up to the man's face.
"Hello, Mr. Gowen." Becky stepped up behind her brother with a large grin. "Cody? Aren't you going to let him in?"
Both siblings stepped aside, Cody opening the door a bit wider for Henry to be able to enter the house. The boy kept the same look of confusion on his face as he wondered why Henry, of all people, would be visiting. He closed the door once Henry had stepped far enough inside to do so.
"Cody, don't be rude. Go get Mom." Becky told him before he ran up the stairs. The girl smiled at Henry. "Mom is going to really love this surprise."
"Oh, I don't know about that. I think I should have let her know beforehand." Henry countered, still fiddling with the hat in his hands as his eyes roamed the rooms that were visible from where he stood in front of the front door.
The living room, to the right, seemed homely enough for a large family like Abigail's growing up, and the dining room, to the left, seemed nice and fit for a family as well. The kitchen, straight ahead, was quaint and the wallpaper reminded him of his own home before his parents died.
The man's heart almost stopped as he heard footsteps approaching the staircase from the second floor above them, his head turning to the left, where the stairs hovered over the dining room and ended at his feet. He looked up to see Abigail, dressed in a white blouse and an olive green skirt. Her hair was half up, half down and only the ends were slightly curled, as she had not been expecting company.
The woman slowly descended the stairs, her heart speeding up as she saw who the mystery visitor was that Cody had pulled her out of her mother's room for. She looked down at Henry in his light gray suit, fiddling with his hat in his hands and the moment she reached the last step of the staircase, she gently hugged him. "Oh, Henry. What are you doing here?"
He hesitated a bit before soon hugging her back though he caught another glimpse of Cody's confusion as he stood in the middle of the staircase behind his mother. "Oh, I-..." Henry gently pulled away from the hug to look at Abigail. "I thought I would come and surprise you. I was just up North visiting Christopher. Since I was passing through, I thought-" He shrugged. "How is your mother?"
Abigail looked at Becky and Cody. "Why don't you two go out and see if Grandpa needs any help in the chicken coop?"
"Yes, ma'am." Becky said, gesturing for Cody to follow her and they both left out the back door of the house through the kitchen.
"Come…Sit." Abigail then said to Henry, leading him into the living room to have a seat on the floral print couch. "I can't believe you are actually here."
"I almost changed my mind and didn't come." He admitted.
"Why is that?"
"I wasn't sure if you would want me here. Especially with what is happening with your mother."
She sighed a bit. "Oh, Henry. I am very glad to see you. She is not having a very good day today unfortunately."
"Have they figured out what is wrong with her?" He wondered.
She checked the back door through the kitchen to make sure the kids were gone before she looked at Henry beside her again. "The doctor says there is word of a new disease. They are calling it Polio. Many people around the country and the U.S. have come down with it and some have even died. They aren't sure how much longer she has or even how to cure her."
"I am really sorry, Abigail. I wish there was something I could do." Henry said sincerely. "You don't deserve any of this."
"SHE doesn't deserve any of this." Her eyes teared up. "I hate to see her suffer. She doesn't have a mean bone in her body. She-" She lost her breath for a moment, almost letting out a sob but she caught herself. "She has always been the kindest woman I've ever known."
"What can I do to help?" Henry asked her, feeling his heart break at her sadness.
"You have done enough, Henry." She said kindly. "It was so kind of you to send us some money when you could, but it wasn't necessary. Whenever I get the chance to come home, I will pay you back everything."
"Oh, please. No need, Abigail. It was my pleasure to help out. Just think of it as your paychecks from work." He tried to tell her.
"That is sweet, Henry. But my paychecks should not be coming from you." She gently set a hand down on his knee.
Looking into her eyes, he felt the urge to hold her hand, something he had actually felt quite a lot around her for the last few years. But usually, he would hold back. Today…he decided not to. He placed his hand over hers on his knee, sending her a soft smile as he squeezed her hand.
She weakly smiled back at him, her heart jumping as he squeezed her hand. She turned her hand over to lace their fingers together. "It is so good to see you."
Henry nodded. "Yes, it is good to see you as well."
"How was your time with Christopher?"
"It was lovely." He said, the nerves in his stomach lingering as he looked down at their intertwined fingers.
"What's he like?" She wondered curiously. "Is he anything like you?" She smiled a bit at the thought.
"Oh. No. Thankfully, he is not." Henry chuckled a bit.
Abigail's smile faded a bit as she recognized he was putting himself down again. "There would be nothing wrong with that, Henry, if he was. It would mean that he is headstrong, intelligent, and has a big heart….even if he hides it sometimes." She gently nudged him with her own shoulder.
"I don't know about that." He chuckled again.
"I hear we've got a visitor." Abigail's father's voice sounded from the kitchen as he entered the backdoor and made his way into the living room.
Abigail and Henry both stood up from the couch, letting go of each other's hand. "Yes. This is Henry Gowen."
"Ah. The money launderer."
"Daddy." Abigail gave her father a stern look.
"Jedidiah Adler." Her father said, offering Henry his hand to shake it.
"It's nice to meet you." Henry said, nervously gulping as he shook the farmer's hand, but he maintained his calm composure well.
"What brings you here?"
"I was traveling through town and thought I would stop in to see Abigail and check on how your wife is doing. Perhaps see if I can help out in any way."
"That is kind of you. Thank you. How long will you be staying?"
"I hadn't thought about it. If you don't have any room for me, I can find a hotel in town." Henry tried to suggest.
"Oh, nonsense. We have an extra room. The kids can both stay in Cody's room for now." Jedidiah told him.
"That is kind of you. Thank you. I will not stay too long." Henry promised. "I do not mean to barge in and impose."
"Oh, you aren't imposing, Henry." Abigail gently touched Henry's shoulder beside her. "I was just about to start preparing the food for dinner. Perhaps Daddy and the kids can show you around the barn."
"Yes, of course. I will introduce you to the animals." Her father told him before leading him outside.
Abigail watched the men walk through the kitchen to exit the back door. She smiled to herself, Henry's arrival making her day a bit better. After a moment of her processing the fact that he was actually there to surprise her, she headed into the kitchen to start dinner.
Henry had been staying with them for three days and hadn't had the chance to meet Vivian yet. She was never feeling well enough to even speak so she declined every time Abigail asked her if she was up to meeting him. Henry didn't mind, however, because he was afraid he would be a let down to her anyway. He couldn't tell if Abigail's father liked him or not. He was civil with him, especially around the kids and Abigail. But he had never had much of a chance to be alone with Jedidiah, which he was a bit grateful for.
"Mom?" Cody ran inside from out front by the road, Becky coming in right behind him.
"Mom, Cody fell off his bike." Becky called to her mother who was washing some clothes in the kitchen sink. "His elbow is bleeding really bad and it looks like there is a rock in the cut."
"Oh…Dear! Sit down at the table, sweetheart. Henry, can you please get me the bandages and acetic acid from the bathroom?" Abigail said, drying her hands quickly on the kitchen towel.
Henry nodded and stood from his chair at the kitchen table to go and get what she needed.
"Does it hurt much, honey?" Abigail asked her son as he sat down and Becky stood behind him resting her hands on her brother's shoulders.
"It really stings." Cody admitted, holding his elbow up in front of him so his mother could see it better when she pulled a chair closer to him.
Just as Abigail sat down in front of him, Henry returned with what she needed and she carefully began to clean his wound. Becky held Cody's hand as their mom took care of him and he squeezed his big sister's hand every time it stung more. Henry watched Abigail as she took care of her son and he felt his heart do a leap while his stomach flipped. Every time he looked at her, he noticed that she grew more and more beautiful per second. Becky was paying attention to how hard Cody squeezed her hand before she looked up at Henry, noticing the way he looked at her mother and she couldn't hold back a small smile. She looked at her mother as if to figure out if Abigail had any clue that she was being looked at in such a way but she was too focused on her son. Becky's smile grew a bit more and she looked back at Henry.
"We are out of bandages." Abigail said once she taped up the last of the bandages to Cody's elbow. "We are going to need more to change these tomorrow."
"You and Mr. Gowen should go into town to buy some more." Becky told her.
"I don't know, sweetheart. I should stay here in case Nana needs me." Abigail said to her.
"I can take care of Nana. Or I can get Grandpa to help. You should really get out of the house, Mom. You haven't left this place since you and Cody arrived here." Her daughter pointed out.
"I mean…I do suppose it would be nice to get out for a while." She admitted. "Are you sure you two will be okay?"
"Yes, Mom. Go on. I will finish the laundry as well." Becky smiled.
"And I will help Grandpa finish cleaning the barn." Cody told her.
"You, young man, are going to rest that arm for now." Abigail disagreed. "We will need to get a doctor here to remove that pebble from your cut. He is out of town today, but until he can take a look at you tomorrow, I don't want you risking that rock moving any further into your bloodstream. I want you to sit and read the books Mrs. Thornton sent you."
"But, Mom, I-"
"No, buts. Please do as I say."
Cody sighed. "Yes, ma'am." He stood up and headed for the stairs.
"Thank you, Becky, dear." Abigail smiled at her daughter. "I will tell Grandpa that Cody is not to help him anymore today and to keep an eye on you if you need anything."
"Thank you, Mom. But I've got it." The young girl reassured her mother.
"Alright." Abigail smiled proudly. "We shouldn't be gone any longer than an hour or so."
"Go." Becky giggled a little.
Abigail chuckled before looking at Henry. "I will just get my shoes and my coat."
"Alright." Henry nodded. "I will wait on the porch outside."
Abigail nodded and headed up to her room as Henry looked at Becky, a bit confused as to why she was smiling at him so much. He brushed it off and went outside to wait for Abigail on the porch swing.
"Ready?" She asked him once she stepped outside, closing the door behind her.
"Ready." Henry answered as he stood and they headed down the stairs together, walking down the dirt road toward town.
The walk was silent for a bit before Abigail finally spoke. "It's a lovely afternoon."
"Yes, it is." He agreed. "How was your mother this morning?"
"She said she was feeling a bit better."
"That's good, right?"
"Yes, of course. I just wish there was more I could do for her."
"I am sure she appreciates you being here for her." He told her. "And I bet she enjoys having Becky and Cody around."
"Yeah." She nodded a bit, looking down at her feet as they walked. "I am hoping that maybe later tonight she will feel up to seeing you." She admitted.
"Yes, that would be nice." He said, placing his hands in his pants pockets.
"I hope you are enjoying your time here. I am sorry that I have not been the best hostess. I am sure you have been quite bored sitting around while I do housework and the kids help Daddy with the farm." Abigail looked at him beside her.
"It has been nice. I get to relax here. Since founding the oil company back home, I haven't had much time to myself."
"I know what that feels like." She admitted. "I love being at home and I love being mayor and running the cafe, but a day off would be nice from time to time."
"Yes, unfortunately being the mayor is an everyday job, but perhaps when you return, you can find a day or two to take off at the cafe." He suggested.
"Hm. Perhaps." Abigail nodded. "I will think about it."
Henry nodded as well and looked down at his feet. "Cody was very strong today."
"Ah, yes. He was."
"I remember a time when I was younger that I fell off my bike and had a few nasty cuts like that on my knees and hands…I cried."
"Nooo. Did you, really?" Abigail asked him.
"Yeah, I did. I mean, I wasn't crying like a baby, but I did shed a few tears. Cody didn't shed one." He pointed out.
"I cannot see you shedding a few tears." She chuckled a bit.
"Well, I was only eleven at the time." He told her and he was surprised to have made her laugh.
She looked at him again, still smiling before taking his arm and linking her elbow with his while they walked side by side. "Is your leg alright? Should we have taken a horse?" She asked him.
"No, I am okay." He assured her. "I need the exercise."
"Can we talk now?" She wondered, holding his bicep loosely with their elbows still linked.
"We ARE talking."
"I meant about what happened back home." She told him and he sighed a bit. "It is important to me."
"I know that it is important to you."
"But it is not important to you." She assumed.
"It is. I just…want to know why we cannot just leave things the way that they are. It's more simple if we don't make a big deal out of us." He told her.
"Is it?" She asked him. "I find that it is more complicated."
"Well, I disagree." He said as kindly as possible.
"We always disagree."
"And that is why it is best we keep things the way they are. We should not be together if we always disagree."
"Hm." She looked down at their feet as they walked perfectly in step with each other. "Perhaps you might be right." She gulped, feeling an ache in her stomach as she said that.
They soon reached town, walking by all the shoppes and soon entering the infirmary where they could purchase some more bandages and acetic acid. Abigail then informed the nurse there that they would need a doctor to take a look at Cody the next day and the nurse wrote a note on the doctor's desk for him to see the moment he returned to town the next day.
Once they exited the infirmary with the things they needed, Henry noticed a building across the street with the words over it that read, "Sports Shoppe." He gently touched Abigail's arm and pointed to it. "Mind if we stop in there briefly?"
"No, of course not. We have a bit of time." She told him and they carefully crossed the street together, avoiding the cars and carriages.
Once inside, Henry made his way over to the baseball section, Abigail following him. "Your boy likes this sport, yes?"
"Oh, Cody lives for baseball." She chuckled.
"I've seen him with a ball and glove. Does he have a bat?" He wondered, picking up one of the baseball bats that looked a bit expensive.
"No, he doesn't." Abigail told him with a hint of suspicion in her tone. "Why?"
"Would he like this one?" Henry wondered, examining the bat in his hand.
"I am sure he would. But Henry, you don't-"
"I would like to get it for him." The man told her before she could finish her sentence.
"Oh, Henry. It is quite expensive." She told him as she saw the price on the wall.
"I can afford it. He can't go around with only a ball and glove forever." He told her. "Otherwise it is not baseball. It is only Catch."
"Henry, I can't-"
"Is there anything you think Becky would like to have? I would like to get her a gift as well."
"A gift? Henry, for what occasion?" Abigail asked him.
"I will get you something as well." He told her.
"No, no. Please. Stop spending your money on us."
"I just want to give you all the things that you want. It's the least I could do after everything you have all been through. Is your mother allergic to flowers?"
"Henry." She softly took one of his hands in both of her own. "You do not need to do all of that."
"Yeah, I do." He told her. "The last time I had this much money, I spent it on myself…onthings that did not matter. Now that I have a second chance with it, I want to give back to a family. A family that needs it."
"Henry, there are plenty of families out there that need it more than we do." She told him.
"Yes, but I don't know THEM." He pointed out, looking into her eyes.
She could see that he truly meant it and that this was very important to him and she gently dropped his hand with a sigh. "Alright. ONE gift per person, but that is it. Okay? It wouldn't feel right to me to accept anything more."
Henry softly smiled at her before he went to the counter to pay for the baseball bat.