It was a normal Thursday morning in Hope Valley. The days were getting colder and shorter, as it was early November, and there was growing excitement over the approaching holiday season. Dawn broke over the horizon behind the rowhouses, and Elizabeth bustled around the house getting Jack dressed for daycare, and readying herself for another day at school.
She dressed Jack in charcoal gray pants, a flannel button up, and little black boots before hurrying back to her bedroom to touch up her makeup and dress for the day. Elizabeth chose her blue wool skirt, one of her thicker light blue blouses, and her cream wool coat. She pulled the hair back on the left side of her face in a twist, and fastened it with a pearl barrette before hurrying downstairs to leave.
While gathering her books, Elizabeth was distracted by a firm knock on the door. She quickly opened it, pleasantly surprised by a bundled-up Nathan with Allie at his side.
"Both of you, inside quickly," Elizabeth said as a gust of wind swirled into her rowhouse.
"Mountie Nat-an, Allie!" Jack exclaimed, running to greet his two favorite people. Nathan swooped Jack up into his arms with a grin.
"Morning Jack, morning Mrs. Thornton!" Allie said with a smile before moving towards the stove to warm her hands.
Nathan placed Jack down as he began to squirm and focused his attention on Elizabeth, who smiled sheepishly at the eye contact. As Jack moved across the room to Allie's side, Elizabeth reached one hand to Nathan's bicep, and the other to his shoulder, pulling him towards her for a quick good-morning kiss. His whole body relaxed as their lips met. Nathan had never felt anything more right in his life. Everything about them made sense. The mutual love and understanding, the way they yearned to see one another first thing in the morning, and late into the night, and the way that their families felt like one.
"Nathan, honey you're so cold," Elizabeth remarked quietly as she pulled back, stirring Nathan from his thoughts.
"Well I feel perfectly warm," Nathan whispered flirtatiously, causing Elizabeth to chuckle.
"Okay Romeo," Elizabeth responded with a sarcastic eye-roll while heading over to the kitchen table to grab her book. As she returned to the door, Nathan extended his hands, gesturing for her to hand them over.
After reluctantly handing them over, she called for Jack and Allie, fastened the buttons of Jack's coat, and ushered everyone out the door.
Allie and Jack walked ahead as they made their way down the row towards the daycare in town.
Nathan smiled, watching their children walking ahead, and reached over with his free hand for Elizabeth's gloved hand. She couldn't help but revel in how natural it felt to have her hand in his.
"I just received word from headquarters," Nathan mentioned, pausing to interlace his fingers with Elizabeth's, "They said we should be getting some snow this coming weekend. It might even start this afternoon."
"Oh that's exciting," responded Elizabeth, "I think Jack is finally old enough to enjoy sledding. We can take the kids to the hills on the land past the pond"
"That's a great idea," Nathan responded hesitantly, clearly lacking some enthusiasm. He slowly began to brush his thumb over her hand, patterning circles on the back of her thumb.
Elizabeth picked up the change in his demeanor and gave his hand a squeeze. "Nathan what is it?" She asked.
"No I'm sorry, it's nothing," He paused, allowing a few seconds to pass before starting again. "It's just that I'm a little worried about the storm. I have a feeling that it's going to be a bad one. I'm going to spend the day rounding on the homesteads at the edge of town, just making sure everyone has what they need in case they aren't able to get to town for a few days."
"You think so?" Elizabeth inquired, wanting to hear more about why he was worried.
Nathan continued, "well the storm passed over Brookfield a few days ago, and I haven't been able to get in touch with Gabe since then. If their phones are out then it must be a bad one."
"So you think there's something to be worried about?" Elizabeth questioned, holding onto Nathan's hand just a little bit tighter.
"No I-" Nathan paused, "I didn't mean to worry you, I just want us to be prepared…" Elizabeth stopped walking, and turned to face him with an unmistakably large grin on her face. "Sorry I don't mean to detract from what you're saying, I just love it when you say 'us'"
Nathan smiled back at the woman he loved, knowing that if they weren't nearing the center of town, he would be kissing her senseless right now. The moment they shared seemed to stretch a lifetime. Nathan felt as though he could look into her eyes all day.
"Alright, alright," He chuckled, pulling her back into a comfortable place.
Elizabeth remembered what he was saying before, returning to the seriousness of their conversation, "You're right though, I'll stop by the Mercantile with Jack after school and pick up some extra food and supplies.
"Perfect, thank you" Nathan responded, enjoying the thought that she knew exactly what he meant before he had even said it.
The couple watched Allie walk Jack into daycare, and as she returned outside she joined them at Elizabeth's side for the remainder of the walk to school.
As they reached the schoolhouse, Nathan looked around before giving the woman he loves a quick kiss goodbye, and heading off towards the livery to prepare for his rounds.
—
Later that day, Elizabeth was in the schoolhouse teaching the afternoon lesson on kindness. The desks were moved in a circle, and she was working her way around, asking each child for their own example of how they treated someone else with kindness
"Allie, how about you go next," She asked.
"Well, yesterday I helped watch Lily while Nurse Carter gave someone an exam," Allie responded enthusiastically. "I love babysitting, and I was happy to help–"
Allie's statement was interrupted by the whistling of wind outside, so loud that it caused many students to jump, and Elizabeth to look up rather quickly.
"What's that, Mrs. Thornton?" Cooper asked worriedly.
"Don't worry everyone, it's just the wind. It gets a little louder around buildings. Mountie Nathan said we should be getting some snow this weekend, so it's probably just the beginning of the weather rolling in," She responded calmly, pushing what Nathan had said earlier out of her mind.
"Mrs Thornton, look, it's snowing!" Opal exclaimed excitedly, getting up from her seat and hurrying over to the window.
The snow began as flurries, but started to fall faster almost instantly.
"Alright class, back to your seats," Elizabeth said. Her mind, though, wandered back to Nathan who was outside in this weather. She was thankful he had been wearing his dark wool coat over his serge this morning, and hadn't decided to 'tough it out.'
As Elizabeth tried to continue the lesson, it was clear that they were making little progress as many distracted little eyes kept turning to the windows to admire the fresh-falling snow.
"Alright class," Elizabeth announced as she stood up, "Seeing that is already so close to the end of the day, I think we can end class a little early so you can all go enjoy the snow before it gets dark out."
The class erupted in cheers as the students hurried to the door, put on their coats, grabbed their lunch pails, and began to file out the door.
"Please stay warm, everyone," Elizabeth called out after them, silently saying a prayer that nobody would catch a cold.
Allie, however, hung behind everyone else, wanting a few moments alone with her teacher. Allie paced towards her teacher's desk with a concerned look on her face.
"Mrs. Thornton, I think dad is worried about something and it seems like you are too. Is everything alright?" Allie inquired sweetly.
Elizabeth stepped around the desk, placing a hand on Allie's forearm. "Sweetheart don't worry. I'm sure everything is absolutely fine. Your dad's just a little worried about the storm, but as a Mountie you know it's his job to worry about the town." She responded. "Why don't we stop at the Mercantile so I can pick up some groceries before picking up Jack." Elizabeth hesitated before continuing. "If you don't have plans with your friends, I'd love to spend the afternoon together. We could bake something or talk or paint our nails…" Elizabeth trailed off, realizing she was rambling.
Allie looked up at her teacher who she so greatly admired with the biggest smile. "I'd love to," she responded simply, doing her best to contain her excitement.
"Well we better be off then," Elizabeth responded decidedly.
The pair pulled on and buttoned their coats before heading out into the quickly accumulating snow.
—
Later that evening, the smell of freshly baked cookies filled the Thornton household. Jack and Allie sat cuddled up on the couch under a blanket, Jack under Allie's left arm, completely entertained by the copy of Little House on the Prairie that Allie was reading to him. Elizabeth sat in the kitchen, sipping her tea, and tapping her fingers on the mahogany surface of the table. All she could think about was Nathan. Where was he? How had he not come home yet?
Elizabeth stood abruptly and walked over to look out the window. When she saw the sun starting to dip below the horizon, Her heart began beating faster.
She thought it was irrational for her to be this worried, but she couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. He comes home after dark all the time. It's not a big deal. Though they did not live together, Elizabeth saw her home as their home. Every night he would come home to see her before bed. Oftentimes he would stop in to read Jack a story before bed and tuck him in. Sometimes he would sit and stay for apple juice, and though rare, he sometimes just stopped by for a goodnight kiss.
Elizabeth was awoken from her thoughts by the howling wind outside, which sounded as though a train was running quickly right by the house. Elizabeth made a split decision. She would go over to Nathan's rowhouse to see if he was there. Then she would come right back home. Her worry had quickly overcome any rational thoughts.
"Allie, i'm just going to run over to your rowhouse quickly to check if your dad is there, or if he's still in his office. I'll be back shortly. Would you mind staying with Jack until then?" Elizabeth whispered, not wanting to lie to the girl, but also not wanting to worry her.
"Of course, yeah," Allie responded in a similar tone, yet not trying to hide a puzzled expression on her face.
Elizabeth slipped on her wool coat, hat, scarf, and gloves, laced up her winter boots, and quickly made her way out of the door, being sure not to let more cold air in than necessary. The icy outside air hit her like a freight train. Elizabeth was immediately chilled to the bone. She made her way down the porch, fists squeezed tightly in her pockets. As she trudged along the row, tears were forced from her eyes, though it was unclear whether the tears fell from the harshness of the wind, or over her worry for the man she loves.
—
"CRACK!" Sounded behind Nathan, causing him to jump. The sun was getting lower in the sky, and the snow piled up to his shins. Nathan had been stopped by an elderly couple on his way back on rounds. Mr. and Mrs. Oakes had needed help moving hay bales from the loft in their barn to the doors to prevent snow from piling in during the storm. This shouldn't have taken too long, but when Mr. Oakes went inside for a cup of tea, it became a one-man job that stretched another hour.
When Nathan finished up, he had hardly realized how much time had passed. He had shed his jacket and serge from the heat his body accumulated from the demanding nature of the labor, but he quickly re-dressed himself as he was sobered to the conditions outside.
Recalling how the snow fell faster and heavier higher up the mountain, Nathan quickly mounted Newton and guided him back towards the forest where the snow would be lighter and it would be easier for them to walk.
Nathan was just under a mile from home and Newton was slowing. It became obvious that the cold was wearing him down as well.
Another loud CRACK sounded above Nathan. Newton, though well trained, was too spooked, and he leapt up onto his hind legs. Nathan toppled to the ground, his left arm receiving the worst of the impact as it landed on a sharp slate rock. The wind howled mercilessly, whipping the snow into blinding flurries as Nathan struggled to regain his footing. His breath came in visible puffs as he scrambled to his feet, the snow clinging to his uniform and numbing his fingers. Through the tempest, he could barely make out Newton's dark silhouette, the horse stamping restlessly in the treacherous conditions, waiting for Nathan to mount once more and guide them through the storm's fury.
As he climbed to his feet, Nathan knew there was a difficult decision to make. If he stopped and headed towards the nearby hunting cabin, Elizabeth and Allie would spend the night worrying, but if he pushed Newton, he may risk his health. Nathan began to sober to the numbness of his limbs, the way the ice clung to his thin facial hair and eyelashes, and how slowly his joints moved. The searing pain in his arm hit him suddenly, as he reached over his right hand became wet with his crimson blood. With a deep breath, Nathan decided to turn and head towards the cabin where he could bandage himself and wash his wound to prevent infection, and wait out the rest of the storm.
—
After what seemed like hours, Elizabeth made it to Nathan's front door, the wind pushing against her the entire time. Elizabeth rapped urgently on the door, but there was no response. She tried the knob, but it wouldn't budge. A wave of courage surged through her as she planned where to look next.
What if I take the path out towards the mountain? The final homestead on Nathan's rounds sits up that way, and I can turn back if I get too cold, she thought. So driven by love, Elizabeth was completely oblivious to the fact that she had lost sensation in her toes, and her stockings had grown wet up to her knees from the deep snow drifts she had begun to walk through. She was completely blinded by her worry. Realistically, she knew that he was a highly trained mountie with excellent survival skills, but she couldn't shake the feeling that he needed her. She would do anything and everything in her power to make it to Nathan.
—
"Come on bud, just move up a little more so I can tether you to the post," Nathan coaxed Newton. Nathan loosely laid his loyal steed's guide rope around the post outside the cabin so he could avoid a falling limb if needed.
Removing his belongings from Newton's saddle, Nathan made his way up the porch. He tried the doorknob, which surprisingly didn't take much force to pry open, and he was greeted by the dusty, cold interior of the cabin.
Nathan sat on the small wood-frame bed in the back corner of the room, peeling off the layers he was wearing so he was down to just his unbuttoned henley and jodhpurs. His henley stuck to his body from the sweat he had accumulated on his way to the cabin. Nathan unwrapped a triangular gauze bandage and tethered it around his forearm to slow the bleeding of the gash on his left arm. He then set to quickly building a fire, using the dried wood left inside by squatters, and the matches he kept in his saddle bag. Once the fire was set to burn on its own, Nathan retrieved the blue blanket he kept in his bag, along with the extra quilt he packed today and made a makeshift bed on the floor in front of the fire. He settled in for what would likely be a long night.
—
Each step felt like a battle against the relentless cold, Elizabeth's legs growing heavy with the weight of the snow and the biting wind. Her face, flushed and stinging, was barely protected by her scarf, which fluttered weakly against the gale. The snowstorm blocked her path, turning the forest into a maze of white shadows. Despite the perilous conditions, her gaze was fixed on the distant silhouette of the hunting cabin, which she had unknowingly made her way towards. With every arduous step, she pressed on, driven by the hope of reaching the cabin before the storm's ferocity claimed her strength. She was dumbfounded by how long she had been walking, not expecting to make a wrong turn that would lead her away from where she intended to go. She still couldn't shake the thought that something had happened to Nathan, which was the only thing pushing her on.
She couldn't even think about the fact that she left the kids home, but she knew that Rosemary would head over after dark for their nightly chat, and would check on the kids then. She also trusted Allie implicitly, and knew they would be alright.
The wind pushed against her, and her muscles were as fatigued as ever. The faint numbness in her fingers and toes had spread, now leaving Elizabeth no feeling in her hands or feet. Her nose was a deep shade of red-turning-blue, and her skin was cold to the touch. Each step she took became slower.
As Elizabeth reached the porch of the cabin, she leaned all of her weight on the banister, her fingers white from strain. I just need to make it inside, she thought. If I can get out of the wind I'll be alright. She was nearly to the top when the banister, worn thin by years of exposure, gave a startling groan before splintering and collapsing under her grip. Her heart raced as the splintered wood gave way, sending her sprawling awkwardly onto the porch. A cascade of broken boards and splinters tumbled around her, the once-sturdy railing now a heap of debris. Stunned and shaken, Elizabeth closed her eyes while lying amidst the wreckage, the harsh reality of the porch's dilapidation settling over her like the dust and fragments around her. I'll get up in a minute. I just need to close my eyes, she thought.