I ASK FOR FORGIVENESS Chapter 3

Elizabeth wrote her third letter. She had to be quick. There were so many people to ask forgiveness from and say goodbye to.

TO MY FATHER, JUDGE, FRIEND...BILL AVERY AND OUR MAYOR ABIGAIL STANTON

BILL,WHAT CAN I SAY TO THE TOWN JUDGE?YOU'RE WISER AND MORE HONEST THAN ANYONE I YOU TOOK NATHAN OUT OF TOWN I THANKED YOU SILENTLY,BECAUSE I KNEW YOU WERE DOING IT TO PROTECT HIM FROM ME.I'M NOT A GOOD PERSON,IF I WERE I WOULD HAVE SOLVED IT WITHOUT HURTING SO MANY JUDGE AVERY,I PLEAD FOR BILL,THE MAN WHO WAS MY FATHER MANY TIMES,SETTING ME ON THE RIGHT PATH,BEING HARSH IN HIS WORDS,BUT WHO HAD THE BEST PROTECTIVE HUG I'VE EVER SEEN IN MY LIFE,WELL YOU WERE THE FATHER I DIDN'T HAVE. YES I HAVE A GOOD FATHER WITH MONEY, WHO FED ME, AND GAVE ME EVERYTHING MONEY CAN BUY, BUT LACKED LOVE, ATTENTION, AND A KIND OF RESPECT, YOU WILL ALWAYS BE THAT FRIENDLY FATHER, WHO CORRECTS, WHO LOVES, WHO PRETENDS TO BE TOUGH, BUT IS A BUTTER. YOU ARE JACK JUNIOR'S GRANDFATHER AND NEVER FORGET THAT AND IN TIME OF NEED YOU MUST FIGHT FOR HIM AS GRANDFATHER AND JUDGE, EVEN IF I'M NOT A MOTHER WILL BE THERE IN THOUGHT AND THAT'S ENOUGH. I LEAVE SARGENT TO YOU,TAKE CARE OF HIM,HE WILL BE JACK JUNIOR' FORGIVE ME FOR EVERYTHING .I LOVE YOU VERY MUCH .ABIGAIL ,MY FIRST FRIEND IN HOPE VALLEY ,THE ONE WHO GAVE ME MY FIRST SMILE ,WHEN EVERYONE WAS JUDGING ME FOR BEING NEW AND WITHOUT LIFE ONE WHO GAVE ME SHELTER ,WHEN I SET FIRE TO THE OLD DORMITORY ,THE ONE WHO SATISFIED MY HUNGER WHEN I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW HOW TO COOK AN FRIEND ,A SUFFERING WOMAN WHO HAD LOST HER HUSBAND AND SON A FEW MONTHS AGO ,MADE ME FEEL LOVED LIKE A DAUGHTER . DURING THIS TIME AWAY FROM YOU, I CAN SAY THAT IT WAS THE WORST THING I HAD TO FACE, MANY TIMES I ALMOST LOST MY WAY AND NARROWLY MISSED RUNNING INTO YOUR MOTHERLY ARMS, BUT I COULDN'T DO THAT, TOO MANY PEOPLE AND TOO MANY THINGS WERE AT STAKE. AS FOR ABIGAIL MAYOR, AN HONEST, CHARITABLE WOMAN WHO WITH FEW RESOURCES MANAGED TO TAKE OUR CITY TO SUCH A GOOD LEVEL, THAT ALL THE RESIDENTS ARE WELL OFF. SHE SHOWED EVERYONE THAT WITHOUT CORRUPTION AND AN HONEST MAYOR SHE CAN DO IT. I LOVE YOU MY MOTHER.

Elizabeth now began to write the third letter, she didn't know if it would be delivered to its destination, but this person was very precious to her, she couldn't help but ask for his forgiveness.

TO MY YOUNG ALIEN GIRL

YOU MAY NOT UNDERSTAND THIS LETTER TODAY, SO SAVE IT AND READ IT YEARS FROM NOW. I KNOW THE HURT I CAUSED YOU. WAS IT INTENTIONAL? YES, IT WAS...I NEEDED TO KEEP YOU AWAY FROM ME, NOT BECAUSE YOU WEREN'T IMPORTANT TO ME, BUT IN FACT YOU WERE SO SPECIAL, THAT I PUT YOU IN THE PLACE OF A DAUGHTER. ONE OF THE REASONS FOR KEEPING YOU AWAY, IS FOR EVERYONE'S SAFETY, AND ANOTHER I KNEW THAT THIS WAY YOU AND YOUR UNCLE WOULD GET ANGRY WITH ME AND MOVE AWAY. BUT WHO WAS I TO BE ANYTHING TO YOU? I WAS JUST JACK'S WIDOW, THE ONE WHO MADE YOUR UNCLE FEEL GUILTY AND CAME TO TOWN TO TAKE CARE OF A WIDOW AND A CHILD. YOUR ADOPTIVE GRANDMOTHER WHEN SHE CAME HERE TOLD ME SOMETHING AND SHE WAS RIGHT."WE CAN'T LET OUR PAIN AND PROBLEMS GET IN THE WAY OF OTHER PEOPLE'S LIVES" SHE REALLY WAS RIGHT TO YANK MY CHAIN. BESIDES, HOW CAN I LOVE YOUR UNCLE IF I'M AFRAID OF LOSING HIM LIKE JACK? I WOULD NEVER LET HIM LEAVE HIS JOB BECAUSE OF MY FEARS. THERE IS A PURPOSE FROM GOD. I HAVE STRUGGLED FOR YEARS TO GET AWAY FROM CERTAIN THINGS, AND THAT WAS ONE OF THE REASONS I CAME TO HOPE VALLEY, AND THANKS TO GOD AT THE TIME ABIGAIL AND JACK MY LATE HUSBAND, THEY HELPED ME SOLVE IT. TODAY I NEED TO LEAVE FOR THE SAME REASONS, THE SAME PROBLEMS BUT MORE SERIOUS. I COULDN'T INVOLVE YOU IN THEM, THAT'S WHY I STAYED AWAY. FORGIVE ME ONE DAY. I MISS YOU ALWAYS. I LOVE YOU LIKE A DAUGHTER. ELIZABETH.

Elizabeth now picked up the paper, concentrated and was going to write down the most difficult words that, for years, she had imagined would never happen, not even in her mind. But now it was time for the truth, she had to say what was on her mind and in her heart.

TO NATHAN -MY LOVE.

LOVING YOU WAS THE MOST BEAUTIFUL THING, AFTER LOVING JACK.I NEVER IMAGINED THAT THIS WOULD HAPPEN AGAIN IN MY THE FEAR OF LOSING YOU WAS EVEN GREATER AND MADE ME WALK AWAY FROM YOU WITHOUT EVEN GIVING US A CHANCE AT LOVE. NATHAN, YOU'RE NOT TO BLAME FOR JACK'S DEATH. IT WAS AN ACCIDENT AT WORK. A LANDSLIDE AFTER A LOT OF RAIN, WHICH MEANS THERE WAS NOTHING WE COULD DO. IT WAS HIS DAY TO GO, GOD HAD ALREADY WRITTEN IT OR HE WOULD HAVE LIVED EVEN THOUGH HE WAS HURT. I NEVER BLAMED YOU ... SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO END YOUR LIFE TO PROTECT ME, JUST BECAUSE I'M JACK'S WIDOW. FIND A GOOD WOMAN, SOMEONE DIFFERENT FROM ME, WHO KNOWS HOW TO DO THINGS WITHOUT HURTING HIM AND MAKE A HAPPY FAMILY. PLEASE FORGIVE ME FOR ALL THE HURT I'VE CAUSED YOU AND OUR LITTLE GIRL. I'LL LOVE YOU UNTIL I TAKE MY LAST BREATH.

PS= JACK JUNIOR LOVES YOU LIKE A WHEN THE TIME COMES, IF POSSIBLE, BE A SOURCE OF LOVE FOR YES IT IS PART OF YOUR RED SERGE ALONG WITH LEE AND JUDGE AVERY TO PROTECT, LOVE AND SAVE ALL OF JACK JUNIOR'S RIGHTS, YOU MUST DO THIS FOR YOUR BROTHER IN UNIFORM.I LOVE YOU VERY MUCH. ALWAYS LIZBETH.

Now, finally, the last letter was going to be written, not that it was necessary since they had already talked about this moment, but she thought it needed a goodbye. And so it began...

MY FRIENDS LUCAS AND FIONA

MY DEAR LUCAS, YOU'VE BECOME SO IMPORTANT TO ME. YOU WERE MY REFUGE WHEN I REALIZED THAT I LOVED NATHAN, BUT I WAS SO AFRAID OF LOSING HIM. YOU'VE BEEN MY ONLY FRIEND FOR THE LAST YEAR, AS I'VE GRADUALLY HAD TO DISTANCE MYSELF FROM EVERYONE ELSE. YOU'VE MADE ME SMILE, YOU'VE SEEN ME CRY, YOU'VE CALMED ME DOWN. YOU'VE PRETENDED TO BE MY BOYFRIEND AND WOOED ME, AND I'LL TELL YOU ABOUT YOUR GIRL FIONA, SHE'S VERY SPECIAL. ONLY A WOMAN WHO LOVES YOU SO MUCH COULD LET HER HUSBAND PRETEND TO BE MY BOYFRIEND. I APPRECIATE YOUR TIME, YOUR CARE, YOUR AFFECTION, YOU AND FIONA ARE GREAT FRIENDS, BUT NOW MORE THAN EVER YOU KNOW WHAT I'LL HAVE TO DO AND HOW FAR I'LL HAVE TO RUN. IF SOMETHING GOES WRONG, YOU'LL KNOW THAT JACK JUNIOR WILL BE THERE HIDING AND YOU MUST TAKE HIM TO ROSEMARY, NATHAN, BILL OR LEE. DON'T FORGET THAT ONLY THEY WILL BE ABLE TO TRIGGER THE PASSWORD FOR JACK UNDERSTAND THAT I HAVE ALREADY BEEN SOLD, THEY WILL LOOK FOR ME UNTIL THEY FIND ME. UNFORTUNATELY MY PARENTS HAVE DONE IT AGAIN, AND THIS TIME CHARLES WON'T STOP UNTIL HE CAN GET ME. DON'T WORRY MY FRIEND, BY PUTTING JACK WHERE THEY CAN'T FIND HIM, IF SOMETHING HAPPENS TO ME I WILL ...IF ... I SAY IF... THEY WON'T HAVE ME. I CAN ONLY APOLOGIZE TO YOU AND FIONA, FORGIVE ME, TAKE CARE OF YOURSELVES AND THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING YOU'VE BOTH DONE. I LOVE YOU. BYE. ELIZABETH.

PS=FIONA, I THINK THAT HIDDEN RING, SHOULD BE ON BOTH YOUR A LONG TIME YOU AVOIDED USING IT TO HELP ME. ANOTHER THING, GO IN FAITH, TALK TO HER SERIOUSLY AND SOON, BECAUSE I THINK IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, THERE'S A NEW MEMBER OF YOUR FAMILY YOUR FRIEND. ELIZABETH