Entering the house late one evening, Jacob was surprised to see Elijah sitting at the table.

"Come sit with me, son," Elijah said, gesturing toward the chair across from him. Despite having worked in the fields all day and looking exhausted, it was clear that his foster father had been waiting to speak with him.

Curious, Jacob pulled out the chair and sat, careful not to wake William or Little Jacob with the sound. He had a strong feeling he knew the topic that was on Elijah's mind. Even if his family had so far been reluctant to discuss his possible return to his original home, it had weighed heavily on everyone's minds since the first time Kat had appeared. And even though Jacob had initially told his sister he was happy staying where he was, with no desire to change anything about his life, the truth was that he wasn't nearly as confident in that decision as he'd tried to appear. What was the right choice to make? Could anyone ever truly know which road to take when they found themselves at a crossroads? Or did they simply make the best decision they could, with whatever information was at hand, and hope for the best?

Still, Jacob was interested in knowing Elijah's thoughts on the matter. He loved his father, holding his opinions and words of advice in high regard.

"Are you hungry?" Elijah asked first. "We've some supper left over."

Jacob shook his head. "No, I ate in town," he said. The truth was, Jacob was almost always hungry, especially after the long months at sea with sparse rations. But he wanted to focus solely on the conversation.

"Very well," Elijah said with a nod. "Then I shall get to the point, which I suspect you may already surmise?"

"I think so," Jacob said hesitantly. "You want to talk about me returning to my first home."

"Yes," Elijah said simply. He began to fidget slightly with his empty tea mug, which was unusual. Elijah's hands were always sure and steady. Then he seemed to catch himself, stopping almost as soon as he had started.

"I know you told your sister that you would stay here with us," Elijah finally said ."But I have to wonder if that isn't the wrong decision."

"What would be the point of returning?" Jacob asked matter-of-factly. "I haven't lived there since I was a child. This is my family and my home now."

"Of course, son," Elijah said. "You know that we all feel the same way. We love you and want you in our lives. But at the same time, I have never forgotten that you had another family before us, a family that might one day come searching for you. And that day came."

"It doesn't matter," Jacob said. "Too much time has passed."

"There is no such thing when it comes to your loved ones," Elijah replied. "Your family didn't throw you away, lad. They lost you, but they never stopped loving you, grieving you, wanting you back.

"You don't yet know what it is to love a child as a parent does, so I'll forgive you your ignorance in telling Katherine what you did about your mother 'understanding' your decision not to see her again. Let me tell you, son, no true parent would ever accept such a thing, nor find any peace. She would continue her days as heartbroken as they have been until now."

Jacob was starting to wish he had accepted a plate of food after all, just so that he might have something to hide behind as he processed his thoughts.

"I suppose not," he finally said, not looking at Elijah.

"You suppose correctly," the older man responded. "Please, at the very least, go see your mother in person. Let her see for herself the man you have become, that you are strong and well. I can only imagine all the terrible things she has imagined over the years that might have happened to you. Give her some peace and calm her soul. Stay for a visit of some duration. And then, after that, you can truly decide what to do next."

Jacob had to admit it all made sense. He also had to admit that somewhere, deep inside, he had known this was the correct path to take. For some reason, however, it always felt best to hear the words coming from a person he trusted and admired.

Elijah wasn't finished, though.

"You also need to think about others in your life," he said. "For example, Thomas or Susanna. Their lives may one day depend upon your connection to this other place."

"What? Why?" Jacob asked, somewhat confused by the sudden turn in conversational direction. "Thomas is currently in hiding, but he will most likely stow away on a ship to America as soon as he is able. And Susanna? You know she has broken off our engagement. I begged her to reconsider, telling her that I will always care for her deeply and that it doesn't matter if we aren't in love. But she refuses to change her mind."

"Well, as with everything else in life, none of us can ever fully know what the Lord has planned next for us," Elijah said. "What if Thomas' plans are unsuccessful? What if Cyrus discovers he is still alive and manages to track him to wherever he goes? You know his connections go far. And as for Susanna, she doesn't need to be your wife in order to need your assistance. We know that Cyrus holds a grudge against her for breaking their engagement, and that Cyrus isn't a man to take public ridicule lightly. What if he were to learn that Susanna and Katherine were connected, and that they helped you escape his house after you were arrested and beaten? He could very well want Susanna dead for that sort of betrayal."

Given that he had nearly been dead himself during those events, only hearing of them well after the fact, Jacob hadn't really given Susanna's involvement the full consideration he knew he should have. Of course she could be in serious danger if the truth ever came out, and Jacob knew he owed her full protection. He wouldn't be alive right now without her.

"But even if I weren't to return to my former home," Jacob replied, "or weren't to remain there long, I'm certain that both Thomas and Susanna would always be welcome there with my sister. That is, if my sister found a way to transport them, which she hasn't."

"She hasn't yet," Elijah countered. "In the short time she has had knowledge of the pond's powers, it seems that she has continuously been learning new details about its ways. Who is to say that she won't soon discover a way to bring others to her time? It seems quite likely, at least in my estimation.

"And as for Thomas and Susanna being welcome in her home without you? I agree they would be. But despite Katherine's best intentions, I can only imagine how difficult it would be, adjusting to a life so foreign to them in countless ways. You, my son, are the link between the two worlds. You have knowledge of both life in the future as well as our ways, making you the ideal person to help them understand and adjust to the Port Haven of 2024."

By this point, Jacob no longer felt any unease or indecision. He knew what he needed to do.

"I will leave tomorrow," he told his father as he rose from the table.

"Godspeed, my boy," Elijah responded with an embrace.