October 1924
"Well, well, if it isn't two of my favorite girls." Nathan gave a crooked grin as he approached the house, finding Elizabeth out on the porch with Grace.
"Dada!" Grace squealed, bouncing in excitement.
"Gracie." He scooped her up, showering her face with kisses and eliciting big belly laughs from her little body.
"You're home early. How was work?" Elizabeth asked, sneaking a kiss to her husband's cheek.
He lifted his shoulder in a shrug. "It was a slow day. Just means I have more time for my girls." He rubbed his nose on Grace's cheek before glancing around. "And my boy. Where is Jack, anyway?"
"He's with Robert. They took Scout for a walk."
"Well, an afternoon with my girls, then." He shifted Grace to his hip so he could slide his free arm around Elizabeth's waist. "What shall we do, Gracie?"
"I do have some papers to grade, if you wouldn't mind keeping an eye on her for a little while."
"I'll never turn down a little father-daughter time." He leaned down to press a soft kiss to his wife's lips. "Maybe we'll even make dinner tonight, give you a break."
She smiled. "I would love that. You two don't get into too much trouble, okay?"
"The two of us? Trouble? Never." He smirked. "You just get to work, Mrs. Grant. The Sergeant has things covered here."
He placed his hat on Grace's head. The little girl laughed and immediately reached to pull it off.
Elizabeth rolled her eyes playfully. "You know where to find me if you need me."
"Yes, ma'am. Now," he returned his gaze to his daughter, "Gracie. I have a very important question for you. What snack should we have while we plan out our afternoon?"
"Dad!" Jack took off running once he was in sight of the house, Scout barking as he ran behind the boy.
"Jack, wait!" Robert called after him. "Slow down!"
"Dad's home!" Jack replied, not slowing down at all.
"Whoa, Jack." Nathan stood, bracing himself for impact.
The boy barreled into him, nearly knocking the wind out of him. "Hi, dad."
"Hi, Jack." He laughed, ruffling his hair. "That was quite the greeting."
"I missed you." He shrugged.
"Then it's a good thing I finished work early today. Grace and I were just about to go inside and start making dinner. Would you like to help?"
"Sure." Jack said goodbye to Robert while Nathan lifted Grace from the ground, then followed him inside. "What are we making?"
"I hadn't decided yet. Does anything in particular sound good?"
"I don't know, but can we make some cookies, too?"
Before Nathan could respond, he was distracted by Elizabeth, who quickly said goodbye and hung up the phone, as though she was hiding something.
Nathan narrowed his eyes. "Who was that?"
"Nobody," she said, a little too quickly. Clearing her throat, she added, "I'm, uh, I'm working on a surprise for Grace's birthday. So, what did you decide to make for dinner?"
"That's what Jack and I were just discussing. Does anything sound good to you?"
She crossed the room to join them in the kitchen. "Mm, maybe chicken soup? I'm finished grading, so I can help."
"Are you sure? We have it covered, if you want to take some time for yourself to read, or maybe to write. I know you haven't had as much time for that since Grace was born."
"I'm sure." She bumped his hip with hers. "I'd rather spend time with all of you."
He kissed her cheek. "Well, I'll never turn down more time with you. Especially if it means more time to try to convince you to tell me who you were talking with on the phone."
She gave him a smirk. "Nice try. You'll find out soon enough, Sergeant."
Elizabeth put a hand on Nathan's shoulder. "I think I might go write for a little while before it's time to put Gracie to bed, if you're okay here."
He placed his hand on top of hers, squeezing her fingers gently. "We're fine. Enjoy having some alone time."
"I'll try not to lose track of time."
"Good luck with that," he teased, bringing her hand to his lips for a quick kiss. "Now go, Mrs. Grant. You're interfering with our building here." He motioned to the pile of blocks on the floor between him and the children.
"Oh, sorry." She giggled. "I'll get out of your hair."
She was still laughing as she made her way up the stairs.
"Now," Nathan turned toward the children. "What do you say we build a tower?"
"Okay." Jack handed a block to Grace, showing her how to stack it on top of another. "Dad?"
"Hm?" Nathan added a block to the stack.
"Next time, can you and mom give me a baby brother? I like having a baby sister, but I think I need a brother. Plus, then Grace could be a big sister. Allie always says being a big sister is one of her favorite things."
He chuckled. "Well, Jack, mom and I haven't talked about having another baby. But even if we have another baby, we can't guarantee that it would be a brother. You could get another baby sister."
The boy heaved a sigh. "Well, can you at least try to give me a brother?"
"We'll see, son. We'll see."
"Elizabeth!" Nathan called, urgency lacing his voice. "Elizabeth, come quick!"
She immediately stopped typing and hurried down the stairs, her stomach sinking at the thought of what she might find. But instead of finding something terrible, she found Nathan looking more excited than he'd been in a while.
"Look!" He grinned, nodding toward their daughter.
They had abandoned the blocks they had been playing with earlier, and Grace had pulled herself up to stand next to the sofa. Elizabeth watched as the baby took a few shaky steps toward Nathan. He moved further away, encouraging her to let go of the furniture in order to reach him.
"Come on, Gracie! You can do it!"
"Go, Grace!" Jack cheered her on.
Elizabeth joined her husband and son, crouching on the floor a few feet from her little girl. "Come on, Grace! Walk to mama."
She glanced between her parents and brother, finally letting go of the sofa and taking a hesitant step in their direction.
"That's it, Gracie!" Nathan encouraged her. "Keep going."
After a few steps, she stumbled, falling to her knees. She stayed down, crawling the rest of the way to her parents and climbing straight into Nathan's lap.
"That's my girl." He kissed her cheek.
"She'll be running around this house before we know it." Elizabeth smiled, the moment bittersweet. Her baby was growing up.
"She'll need to be quick to keep up with her brother." Nathan winked.
"Mom?" Jack looked up at her. "Do you remember when I started walking?"
"I do." Her smile widened. "You were the opposite of Grace: you walked before you talked. It was a few weeks before your first birthday." She gazed off in the distance as she was drawn into the memory. "We were in town, I set you down for just a moment, and the next thing I knew, you had pulled yourself up and started walking toward the jail."
He furrowed his brow. "The jail? Why did I go there?"
She chuckled. "You saw Newton tied up outside. You always have loved horses."
"I do love horses," he confirmed. "Dad? Can we go for a ride tomorrow?"
"I'll make some room in my schedule. Okay?"
Jack grinned. "Okay. Can I have a cookie now?"
Elizabeth rolled her eyes playfully. "Just one."
Jack hurried off to the kitchen to get his treat, while Elizabeth moved closer to Nathan.
"Maybe we should get Grace a cookie to convince her to walk some more," he joked.
"I think getting to her daddy is enough incentive for her."
A smile played on his lips. "Should we test that theory?" He stood, lowering Grace to the floor. He stepped back a few paces before crouching and holding out his arms. "Gracie, can you walk to daddy?"
Elizabeth reached down to take the girl's hand, helping her stand. "Go to daddy, Grace. You can do it."
"Dada." She took one shaky step, then another.
"There you go, Grace!" Nathan beamed. "Keep going."
A few wobbly steps later, she reached him. He scooped her up, dropping kisses all over her face.
"Dada." She giggled, squirming in her arms.
He met Elizabeth's eyes. "We have a pretty amazing little girl here."
"That we do."
Nathan softly kissed Grace's forehead before Elizabeth lowered her into the crib. He wrapped his arms around his wife, holding her against his chest as they watched their sleeping daughter for a few moments.
"We're going to wake up tomorrow with a one-year-old," he whispered.
Elizabeth groaned. "Don't remind me. She's growing up entirely too quickly. I can't believe she's already walking and talking. It's only a matter of time before she's asking for cookies or to go for a ride with you like Jack."
"Or going off to school like Allie."
"No, no." She took his hand, leading him across the hall to their bedroom. "That's still a very long way off. She's going to be with us for a good long while."
"You know," He reached up, twirling a strand of her hair in his fingers, "we could always have another one. Keep our nest full a little longer."
"Another one?" She raised her eyebrows. "Grace may be growing up, but she's still a baby."
"I'm not saying we need to start trying right now." He let out a soft chuckle. "Although Jack did put in a request for a baby brother earlier."
She moved to the wardrobe, pulling out her nightdress. "I hope you reminded him that we have no control over whether he gets a brother or a sister."
"I did. And don't worry," he added as he started preparing for bed, "I also told him that I needed to talk to you before we even consider having another baby."
She slipped her nightgown on. "So, let's talk."
"Do you want to have another baby?"
She sat on the edge of the bed, taking a deep breath. "Honestly, I haven't given it much thought. I've just been focused on Grace. But," the corner of her lips turned up, "another baby with you? That sounds…wonderful."
He smiled, joining her on the bed. "Good, because I would love to have another baby with you."
"Just," she paused, "maybe not right now. Like I said before, Grace is still a baby. She still needs us for so many things. We'll be stretched thin if we need to worry about her and a baby, plus Jack and Allie."
He took her hand, running his thumb over her knuckles. "We can wait until you're ready."
She leaned into him, resting her head on his shoulder. "And I know you're good at waiting for me."
He laughed softly, kissing her hair. "You were well worth the wait, 'Lizabeth."
Elizabeth set the cowbell back on her desk after dismissing her students for the day.
"Mom? Can I go to the playground with Lily?"
"Not today, Jack." She started packing up her things. "I need you to help me with some things for Grace's birthday. Auntie Rosemary is going to be here any minute to drive us."
"Drive us where?"
"It's a surprise. Please hurry and gather your things."
"Why is it a surprise for me?" he asked as he collected his bag from the hooks at the back of the room. "It's not my birthday."
"You'll find out soon. Don't forget your jacket."
"Yes, ma'am."
An hour later, Rosemary parked the car outside of the jail. "I can't wait to hear how he reacts."
Elizabeth smiled. "I'll tell you all about it this evening. Six o'clock?"
"We wouldn't miss it. I'll try to make sure Goldie doesn't eat all of the icing off of the cake before we get there."
She chuckled. "Thank you, again, for helping with this."
Rosemary squeezed her hand. "Always."
Elizabeth exited the car with the children, pulling a blanket around Grace to shield her from the chill.
"Dad is going to be so surprised!" Jack enthused, thrilled that he was now in on his mother's plans.
"Yes, he is." She grinned as she thought about his reaction. Pushing the door open, she found him at his desk.
He looked up and smiled. "There's my big one-year-old."
Grace gave him a toothy grin, reaching out for him. Elizabeth passed their daughter over, and she immediately snuggled into her dad.
"How was your day?"
"It was good, but I wish I could've spent the whole day with Grace."
"So do I," he agreed.
"We have a surprise!" Jack blurted, unable to keep silent any longer.
"A surprise, eh?" Nathan looked at his wife, a question in his eyes.
"Remember that phone call I wouldn't tell you anything about?" She glanced toward the still-open door. "Well, we were just finalizing some travel plans."
"Hi, dad." Allie stepped into the office.
Nathan's eyes widened. "Allie!" He crossed the room quickly, pulling her into a hug, trying to memorize the feeling of having both of his daughters in his arms. "What are you doing here? I thought you weren't coming home until Christmas."
"I couldn't miss my baby sister's first birthday." She tweaked Grace's cheek. "And I missed all of you."
"We missed you." He hugged her again. "Now we'll have a real party."
Allie sat on the sofa with Grace on her lap. She had hardly let go of her little sister since they arrived at the house, trying to make up for the months she had been away at school. Grace didn't seem to mind, though, more than happy to snuggle up with her big sister.
They had just opened birthday gifts, and Grace was infatuated with the doll that Allie had given her. It was a hand-me-down, one of Allie's own from when she was a girl, but she had cleaned it up and knit a new dress for it. The toddler had kept it clutched to her chest since Allie had given it to her, showing little interest in the rest of the gifts her family and friends had for her.
Rosemary excused herself to retrieve the cake she had baked—with Goldie's help, as the young girl kept reminding them. She returned with it a few moments later, a single candle shining in the middle of it.
"Are you ready for this, Gracie?" Allie asked, passing her sister over to her parents for this special moment.
Elizabeth and Nathan stood close, holding their baby between them as they began to sing Happy Birthday. The girl glanced around the room, confused about what was happening, but enjoying the attention nonetheless. Together, Nathan and Elizabeth helped her blow out the candle, the group clapping in celebration.
"Happy birthday, Gracie." Elizabeth dropped a kiss on her soft curls. "Mama and daddy love you so much, sweet girl."
Nathan put an arm around Elizabeth, feeling incredibly blessed by this family of his. "Thank you for bringing her into this world a year ago," he told his wife softly.
She leaned up to kiss him. "Thank you for giving me the chance to be a mother again."
December 1924
Elizabeth watched her husband as he slept, forever in awe that he was hers. How blessed was she that he waited for her, that he never wavered in his love for her. That he gave her a chance after everything she had put him through.
And now, she got to start and end her day by seeing his face, by feeling his arms around her. She got to be his partner in raising their children, in making decisions for their family. She would never take that for granted.
Unable to stop herself, she gently touched his cheek, leaning in to press a kiss to his lips.
He stirred at the contact, letting out a quiet groan. Without opening his eyes, he pulled her closer, kissing her back.
"Well, that's one way to be woken up," he said a few moments later, cracking his eyes open.
She grinned, brushing the hair back from his forehead. "Waking up next to you is one of the greatest joys of my life."
"I could say the same." He shifted up onto his elbows. "If only we could stay right here all day."
"Maybe when the weather warms up a bit, we can take a weekend trip to Union City, just the two of us. Then we could stay in bed as long as we like."
"That sounds amazing." He leaned over to kiss her again. "But for now, we should probably get ready for the day."
"I suppose we should. I need to get to the schoolhouse early enough to light the stove and make sure the classroom is warm before the children arrive."
"You take your time. I'll get breakfast started."
She touched his cheek again, gratitude filling her. "Thank you, Nathan."
Half an hour later, the family sat around the table, sharing their meal together. Grace scooped up a handful of eggs, shoving it into her mouth.
"That wasn't very graceful," Nathan joked.
Elizabeth shook her head and laughed. "I'm becoming convinced that you only named her Grace so you could make that joke all the time."
He grinned. "No, I chose Grace because I knew she would be amazing."
"Dad?" Jack asked, not interested in the current conversation. "When is Allie coming home?"
"Tomorrow, hopefully. Unless she gets stranded at the train station by a blizzard like I almost did last Christmas." He chuckled.
"Don't even joke about that," Elizabeth said seriously. "She's not going to get stranded."
"I'm sorry, sweetheart. You're right. She'll be back at this table with us before we know it."
"Yeah, she can't get stuck," Jack echoed. "We have to wait until she's here before we can get our Christmas tree."
Nathan reached over to ruffle his hair. "Don't worry, Jack. We'll be sure to do all of our traditions while she's visiting."
Elizabeth took Grace's hand as they left the daycare and headed toward the jail. "Are you ready to go say hi to daddy before we go to the café?"
"Dada!" She toddled faster, trying to reach her dad as soon as possible.
"Be careful, Gracie. I know you're excited to see daddy, but you don't want to trip and fall."
Before they reached the door, Nathan stepped out, doing up the last of the buttons on his coat. "I thought I heard my girls out here."
"Dada!"
He easily covered the distance between them, lifting Grace to his shoulders. She giggled, patting the top of his head.
"Hi." He carefully leaned down to press a kiss to Elizabeth's lips. "Did Jack go straight to the livery after school?"
She nodded. "He's very excited to go riding with you."
"I'm excited to have some guy time before Allie gets home and Jack and I are outnumbered again," he teased.
"Hey, you love your girls."
"I do love my girls," he confirmed. "But, I should let you two get to the café, and I should get to the stables and make sure Jack is managing everything okay." He lifted Grace off of his shoulders, kissing her cheek before passing her to Elizabeth. "I'll see you two later."
She stood on her toes to kiss him once more. "Be safe."
"You, too. I love you."
With a wave, he was off, Grace fussing as he moved away from them. Elizabeth reassured her that they would see him later, after they had tea with Aunt Rosemary and Goldie.
Nathan found Jack carrying a bridle over to Newton's stall, draping it over the door. "Why don't you get Sergeant's bridle, too?"
Jack turned toward him, eyes wide with disbelief. "Really?"
Nathan nodded, giving him a smile. "Mom and I talked about it. We think you're old enough to ride Sergeant by yourself. As long as you don't try to go too fast," he added.
He ran to Nathan, throwing his arms around him. "Thank you!"
"You're welcome, bud, and happy early birthday. Now," he gave him a little nudge, "go get his bridle, and I'll get them saddled up."
Before long, the two had mounted their horses and were leading them in a slow walk down the road.
"Make sure you stay relaxed, Jack. Don't hold the reins too tightly."
"I know, dad. I learned from the best." He looked over with a grin. "I'm talking about Uncle Bill, of course."
Nathan laughed. "Allie is going to love that you've picked up the corny jokes."
"I learned those from the best, too." He smirked. "But seriously, dad. You're the best. I'm really glad you're my dad."
"Jack…" he paused, not expecting that. "I'm really glad you're my son. Of course, I was thrilled to marry your mom, but getting to be your dad was just as exciting to me."
"Really?"
"Really," he confirmed. "I love you, Jack."
"I love you, dad."
"Are you okay?" the young man asked, taking a seat beside Allie.
"I don't know. I'm not feeling well." She shivered, pulling her coat tighter around herself.
He noticed the flush in her cheeks, and reached up to touch her forehead. Heat was radiating from her skin. "You're burning up, Al. Maybe we should go find a doctor's office around here. I can go ask for directions."
She shook her head. "No, I'll be fine. I think I'm just worn out. I'll rest on the next train and be good as new."
"If you're sure," he said, uncertainty tingeing his voice.
"I'm sure," she insisted. Shivering again, she moved closer to him, leaning against his arm. "How much longer before we board?"
"Not long now."
"Thank you for coming with me, Andy."
Nathan finished lacing up his boots. "Is there anything we need from town while I'm out?"
"I don't think so." Elizabeth handed him his coat. "Just our girl."
A smile spread on his face. "It's going to be a perfect Christmas with everyone here."
"That it is."
"I'll be back soon." With a quick kiss, he was off, shrugging his coat on as he walked.
If he wasn't so eager to see his daughter, he would have walked all the way to the train station, giving himself the opportunity to enjoy the crisp, quiet winter air. But as he wanted to get there as soon as possible, he opted to drive instead. The car roared to life, and he carefully navigated along the familiar roads, thinking about all the things they would do when their family was complete once more.
He was so proud of Allie as she pursued her dream of becoming a doctor, but he hadn't anticipated just how much he would miss her while she was away. Their house was still filled with joy and laughter, but they could all tell that something was missing with Allie off at school, like there was a light out.
He smiled as he pulled up to the train station, eager to see his daughter once more. It was a bit more crowded than usual, given the number of people traveling to and from Hope Valley to visit family for the holidays. He nodded in greeting to the familiar faces he passed, though his attention was on finding Allie. Tucking his hands in his pocket, he found a place along the wall to stand and wait.
He didn't have to wait long, though his heart dropped when he saw Allie stumble into the station, an unfamiliar young man supporting her.
"Allie!" He called out.
"Sergeant Grant." The young man sighed in relief at the sight of the man he assumed was Allie's father.
"What's going on? Who are you?" Nathan rattled off the questions as he took the young man's place, letting Allie rest her weight on him instead.
"I'm Andrew Bennett, sir. I go to school with Allie. She said she wasn't feeling well when we changed trains in Buxton, and I tried to convince her to find a doctor there, but she just wanted to get home. She has a fever, and she hasn't eaten anything all day."
Nathan knew he would have lots of questions for the young man later, but right now, he just needed to make sure that Allie was okay.
"My car is outside. Grab your bags, and we'll get Allie to the infirmary."
"Yes, sir." Andrew quickly did as Nathan said, his nerves about meeting Allie's family taking a backseat to the anxiety he was now feeling about her condition. He knew he should have insisted they visit a doctor in Buxton, even if it meant delaying their arrival.
Nathan pushed the car faster than he ever dared, reaching the infirmary in record time. He lifted Allie into his arms, tears stinging his eyes as he was filled with hundreds of memories of carrying her as a little girl. She had to be okay.
Faith jumped up when the door opened. "Nathan? Put her here." She worked quickly, gathering up various tools while Nathan settled the girl on the bed. "What are her symptoms?"
Nathan looked at her helplessly. "I don't know. I went to pick her up from the train station, and she could barely keep herself upright."
Andrew cleared his throat, having stayed back during the initial chaos of their arrival. "She's had a fever for a few hours, I'm not sure how high it is. She hasn't eaten anything, and she's only had a few sips of water. She's been shivering a lot, too, and she was complaining earlier that her body hurt."
"That sounds like the flu, but I want to check her over just to be sure. Nathan," she turned toward him, a sympathetic smile on her face, "you're welcome to use the phone if you'd like to call Elizabeth and let her know what's going on."
"Thank you, Faith."
Within half an hour, Elizabeth burst through the door, just as Faith was confirming that Allie likely had a case of the flu.
"How is she?" She went straight to her daughter's side, taking Allie's limp hand in her own.
"She's very weak. This seems like an aggressive strain, with how quickly her symptoms came on."
Elizabeth choked back a sob. "She'll be okay, right?"
"She's young, and generally healthy. She has every chance of making it through this with no problem," Faith assured her. "I'd like to keep her here for a day or two, just to make sure her temperature doesn't rise any more and ensure she's getting enough fluids, but as long as she doesn't get worse, you can take her home to finish recovering there. You'll have to keep Jack and Grace away from her, though."
"Of course," Elizabeth agreed. "We don't want them to catch this."
"I'm going to stop by the pharmacy to pick up a few things to help treat her symptoms. You're all welcome to sit with her as long as you'd like."
"Thank you, Faith," Nathan finally spoke for the first time since calling to explain the situation to Elizabeth.
The room fell silent after the door closed behind Faith. Nathan moved to sit on Allie's other side, bringing her hand to his face.
"She has to be okay," he whispered. "She's my baby girl, Elizabeth."
She met his eyes, seeing the tears welling up there. "She'll pull through."
Andrew shifted uncomfortably in the corner, feeling as though he was intruding on a private moment, but unsure of where else he could go. Elizabeth startled at the noise, having been unaware of the young man's presence.
"Sorry, ma'am. I didn't mean to startle you." He stood up straighter, pushing down the nerves that had returned. "I'm Andrew Bennett. I'm a classmate of Allie's. I told her she should let you know that I would be coming with her, but she wanted it to be a surprise." He sighed. "I'm so sorry that we're meeting under these circumstances."
"Well, Andrew, it's nice to meet you. And thank you for helping Allie get home safely. Do you have a place to stay while you're here?"
"Yes, ma'am. I have a room reserved at the hotel."
She looked over at Nathan, a silent conversation passing between the two of them. "If you'd like, Andrew, you're welcome to stay at our house instead."
"Oh, I wouldn't want to impose."
"We insist. I'm sure Allie would agree."
He rubbed the back of his neck. "Okay. Thank you, Mrs. Grant, Constable Grant."
Allie groaned and shifted slightly, squeezing her eyes tightly shut. "Everything hurts."
"I know, sweetheart." Elizabeth brushed the hair from her face. "But you're going to be okay. Dr. Carter is going to help you get better."
She blinked, slowly opening her eyes. "Mom? Dad?"
"We're here, kiddo." Nathan squeezed her hand. "We're not going anywhere."
"What about," she coughed, "what about Jack and Grace?"
"They're with Rosemary right now. You just rest, no need to worry about anything else."
Suddenly, she tried to sit up. "Andy? Where's Andy?"
"I'm here." He gave her a little wave, but stayed where he was, not wanting to get in the way of her family.
"Good." She relaxed, leaning back against the pillow. "I'm sorry."
"Don't be sorry, kiddo," Nathan assured her. "We have you home for Christmas. That's what matters."
Nathan stopped the car in front of the house, a smile finally appearing on his face when he spotted Jack peering out the front window.
"Here we are." He turned toward Andrew. "Grab your things, and I'll show you where you'll be staying."
"Thank you again for letting me stay here, Constable Grant."
He just gave him a nod as he lifted Allie's bags from the car, not admitting that he preferred to have the boy close by to make it easier to keep an eye on him, a sentiment that Elizabeth had echoed before he left her at the infirmary to watch over Allie for the evening.
"Prepare yourself. Allie's brother is going to have a million questions for you."
Andrew chuckled. "Allie has told me a lot about Jack. About all of you, actually."
"Funny, because she hasn't told us about you at all."
His face warmed. "I'm sorry. I kept telling her she should talk to you and Mrs. Grant."
Nathan stopped before opening the door and turned to the young man, finally asking the question that had been on his mind since he saw him escort Allie from the train. "Are you courting my daughter?"
"Um, no. Not officially, at least. But to be totally honest, sir, I'd like to change that. I care for your daughter a lot, and I believe she cares for me as well."
Before Nathan could respond, the door swung open, an excited Jack standing there.
"Dad! Where's Allie? Mom said she's sick. Is she going to be okay? Who is this?" he rattled off one question after another, barely pausing to take a breath.
"Let's get out of this cold, and I'll explain."
After thanking Rosemary for watching the children and showing Andrew where he would be staying, Nathan got settled on the sofa, with Grace snuggled up in his lap and Jack seated beside him. Andrew took a seat across from them, nervously wringing his hands.
"Your mom was right," Nathan began. "Allie has the flu. She's at the infirmary right now with mom and Dr. Carter. I'm sorry to say you won't be able to see her for a few days."
"But we'll still have Christmas, right? And my birthday party?"
"Of course, we will. Things might just look a little bit different this year, but we'll still get to do all the fun things."
"Okay, good. So who's that?" he asked again, pointing toward Andrew.
"My name is Andrew," he introduced himself. "I go to school with Allie."
Jack cocked his head. "Why aren't you having Christmas with your family?"
"I don't really have a family," he explained. "I don't have any brothers or sisters, my mom died when I was young, and my dad died a couple years ago. So Allie invited me to spend Christmas with your family."
"Oh." He glanced over at Nathan before he continued. "Well, our family is the best. Allie's mom died, and my dad died. But then my mom married Allie's dad, so me and Allie are brother and sister now. And then mama had Grace, so I have two sisters, but I want a brother next."
"That sounds like a great family, Jack," Andrew said with a smile. "I can't wait to spend more time with all of you."
Nathan sat beside the bed, Allie's hand clasped in his own. It had been nearly two days since she had arrived back in Hope Valley, and though she hadn't gotten worse, her condition hadn't improved, either. It broke him to see his usually vibrant daughter so weak. It brought him back memories from almost fifteen years prior, to the days when he sat at his sister's bedside, watching the strength go from her body.
He couldn't let the same thing happen to her little girl, his little girl.
He and Elizabeth had been taking turns sitting with her, and he desperately missed having his whole family together. He kept praying for Allie's recovery, for their family to be reunited.
Even Jack had stopped asking about their Christmas traditions, now only worried about when he could see his sister again. Nathan hated that he didn't have any answers for the boy.
Whenever Nathan asked about Allie's prognosis, Faith said there wasn't much to tell. She and Mei were working together to treat Allie's symptoms, but ultimately, they just had to wait for her body to fight off the virus.
The door opened, and Elizabeth walked in. "Any change?"
He shook his head. "No better, no worse. Faith went to get some soup from the café so we can try to get her to eat something when she wakes up again."
Elizabeth pulled up a chair beside him. "When was she last awake?"
He shrugged. "Maybe an hour ago. I lose track of time when I'm here."
She touched his arm. "Why don't you go home and get some rest? Jack and Grace are with Rosemary and Lee right now, so you have time."
"I don't want to leave." His voice cracked as he spoke, and his eyes were shiny with unshed tears when he turned toward her. "'Lizabeth."
"Sweetheart." She leaned over to kiss him softly, knowing that she had already said everything she could to reassure him over the previous couple of days.
When they pulled apart, he rested his forehead on hers. "I don't know how I would get through any of this without you."
She touched his cheek, the hint of a smile crossing her lips. "You would figure it out."
"Maybe, but I'm glad I don't have to." He kissed her again, gently.
"I was thinking, maybe we can ask Faith if we can bring her home today," she nodded toward Allie, "since she hasn't gotten worse. I think it would do us all good if we could be together in one place."
"That sounds wonderful."
Elizabeth smiled as she watched Nathan and Andrew lower Allie onto her bed. Faith had agreed that Allie was stable enough to finish recovering at home, promising that she was only a phone call away if anything changed.
Nathan had wasted no time, and he had arrived at their house with their daughter within the hour.
Once she knew that Allie was safely in her bed, the covers pulled over her body, Elizabeth took her husband's hand. "Nathan, could you help me start dinner? I need to call Rosemary and tell her that we're ready for Jack and Grace to come home."
"But Allie…"
Elizabeth gave a slight shake of her head, her eyes shifting from Andrew to Allie and back to Nathan. Finally understanding that she intended to give Andrew some time alone with Allie, Nathan sighed.
"The door stays open, young man," Nathan instructed as Elizabeth pulled him from the room. His wife stifled a laugh, sliding her arm around him.
"He's a nice young man, Nathan," she assured him. "I've talked with him quite a bit over the past couple of days. He really cares for Allie."
"It's the 'young man' part that worries me. It's so easy to get carried away."
"Did young Nathan struggle with that?"
He chuckled. "Grown Nathan struggled with it." He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear as he grew serious. "I'm happy that she has someone who cares for her, and I agree that he's a nice young man. I just want her to be safe. She has all of these ambitions, all of these goals. I don't want anything to derail that."
"Let's worry about all of that later. Right now, we just need to focus on helping our girl get better."
"You're right." He leaned in, pressing his lips to hers. "As usual."
Jack slowly peered around the dark room, finding himself unable to sleep. He knew Allie was back home, but his parents had said he couldn't see her yet, claiming they didn't want him to get sick, too. But they had been spending time with her, and neither of them was sick, so surely it wouldn't hurt for him to go see her for a few minutes.
Before he talked himself out of it, he quietly slipped from his bed, padding across the room in his sock feet. A quick glance down the hall told him the rest of the house was still sleeping. He tiptoed to his sister's room; her door had been left open so she could be heard if she needed anything in the night.
She was still as he approached, unaware of his presence. Carefully, he climbed up onto the bed beside her.
"Allie?" he whispered. "It's Jack. Please don't tell mom and dad I'm in here. They said I had to wait until you were better before I could see you, but I missed you."
He sighed, wishing she would wake up. He missed talking to her.
"You need to get better. Mom and dad are scared. They haven't said that, but I can tell. And Grace misses you. She keeps asking for you." He leaned back against the headboard. "Just…try to get better. Please."
A few hours later, Nathan stepped into the room to check on his daughter. "Al?"
"Dad." She smiled weakly.
"When did your brother come in here?" he asked, spotting Jack sleeping beside her.
"Don't know."
He shook his head but couldn't suppress a smile. "I should've known when we brought you home that he'd sneak in to see you." He sat on the edge of her bed and took her hand. "He's missed you."
She coughed. "I've missed him."
"How are you feeling?"
"A little better. Still tired."
"Dr. Carter is going to come by to check on you again today. You just keep resting." He rounded the bed and lifted Jack in his arms. "Call out if you need anything. Mom and I will be home all day."
"I love you, dad."
"Love you, kiddo."
Elizabeth was exiting Grace's room at the same time Nathan left Allie's. "So much for trying to keep him from getting exposed."
He shrugged, letting out a soft chuckle. "Maybe he'll be fine. Neither of us has gotten sick."
"How's our girl?" She followed him into Jack's room, watching as he tucked the boy back into his own bed.
"She said she's feeling a little better. Hopefully she'll be able to get more rest now that she's back home. I know I never get a good night's sleep when I'm at the infirmary." He stood back up, sliding his arms around her waist. "How's our other girl?"
"Still sleeping." She reached up to push back a lock of hair that had fallen across his forehead. "What do you say we make some coffee and sit out on the porch for a while?"
He kissed the top of her head. "I say that sounds like a brilliant plan, Mrs. Grant."
Rosemary slipped her arm through Elizabeth's as they stepped out of the Queen of Hearts, their families walking ahead of them. Nathan and Lee each carried their young daughters, both girls nearing sleep after a busy evening at the annual Christmas Eve dinner. Allie was between Jack and Andrew, the young man helping support her as they wandered down Main Street.
She was almost fully recovered from her bout with the flu. Her fever had broken a few days before, and a lingering cough was all that remained of her symptoms. Faith had cleared her to return to her normal life, with the promise that she would continue to rest as needed.
To Jack's delight, they had still been able to complete all of their family Christmas traditions despite having to postpone many of them to focus on Allie's health. The previous days had been filled with laughter and joy as they decorated the tree that Jack, Nathan, and Andrew picked out, baked cookies and desserts together, and played in the snow.
More snow was falling now, glistening in the moonlight as people bid each other good night before returning to their homes, Merry Christmas wishes floating on the air.
"I think I love Christmas more with each year that passes," Elizabeth mused.
Rosemary gave her hand a pat. "I'm sure this year is extra special, after everything you went through with Allie over the past couple of weeks."
"Mhmm," she hummed in reply.
"It's good to see her out and about." She turned to her friend with a smile. "So, how is Nathan handling the fact that she brought a boy home with her?"
"I think it's bittersweet for him. He still sees Allie as that little girl who came to live with him all those years ago. It's hard for him to watch her grow up. Honestly, it's hard for me, too." She sighed. "But Andrew is a lovely young man. I don't know that we could ask for anyone better for Allie. He has a good head on his shoulders, and I can tell he wants to show Nathan that he's worthy of Allie."
"That's good. Hopefully Goldie and Gracie will find nice young men like that when they grow up."
"But they won't be growing up for a good long while," Elizabeth added, a hint of teasing in her voice.
"Or ever, if Lee and Nathan get their way." Rosemary chuckled. "Speaking of, Lee and I should get Goldie home. We'll see you tomorrow for Christmas dinner?"
"We wouldn't miss it." Elizabeth pulled her into a hug. "Merry Christmas."
"Merry Christmas, Elizabeth."
As the Coulters headed home, Elizabeth joined her family near the Wishing Tree. She sidled up to Nathan, settling into him as he slipped his free arm around her waist.
"Looks like most of the wishes have been taken," he observed.
She nodded, a smile playing on her lips as she thought back to all the wishes that had been granted over the years, her own coming to the forefront of her mind. Getting to spend that final Christmas with Jack, her healthy baby who was now a thriving little boy, the Mountie and his young niece who had not only found their place in town but were now her husband and daughter.
"I noticed you didn't put one up this year."
She gave a little shrug, looking around at their family before meeting his eyes. "I already have everything I could ever want. What did you wish for?"
He looked around at their family as well. Allie and Andrew were laughing at something Jack had said, Grace was fast asleep against his shoulder, and Elizabeth gazed up at him expectantly, her blue eyes gleaming in the dim light.
"More of this," he finally replied. "Our family is everything I've ever wished for and more. I'm grateful for every moment we have together, and I can't wait to see what the future holds for us."
"Nathan Grant…" she shook her head, reaching up to touch his cheek. "I love you."
He leaned down, pressing a gentle kiss to her lips as the snow continued to swirl around them. "I love you, 'Lizabeth. Merry Christmas."