Chapter 2: Her Eyes

As Nathan neared the schoolhouse steps, he decided to surprise Elizabeth. Having previously managed impressive stealth in Mountie boots, Nathan easily pulled off his secret arrival. His heart fluttering, however, was not a typical response for a uniformed Mountie. When Nathan peeked into the classroom and spotted Elizabeth, right where he'd assumed she'd be, he couldn't help remembering the first time he truly saw Elizabeth Thornton.

It'd been right here within these schoolhouse walls. While he was feeling bothered by her leading questions about Allie, her countenance suddenly turned as she explained Allie's behavior through the lens of loss. Trained in interrogation, Nathan immediately noticed when Elizabeth sensed her words reflecting back to her own experiences, and a sudden realization settled in her distant eyes. Her pushing others away mirrored exactly what her new student, Allie, was doing, both with the same purpose – protection.

As Nathan secretly watched Elizabeth now, attentively grading papers, his mind wandered through the memories he'd shared with those beautiful blue eyes he knew would momentarily look up and soon discover his.

He'd first been struck by Elizabeth's eyes the afternoon they met. While her smile radiated warmth, her eyes exposed the painful depth of her loss. For months, their conversations often centered around Allie, but Nathan did more than listen. He watched, noticing what those blue windows to her heart revealed through the changing seasons – grief, disbelief, compassion, and, eventually, sparks of hope.

By Nathan's first Christmas in Hope Valley, he was grateful to feel the deepening warmth of Elizabeth's sunny disposition, though he grew more and more conflicted by what her brightening eyes were expressing toward him. First, he saw delight, often sparked by Elizabeth's lighthearted teasing — I mean, frosting on the nose? Nathan smiled at the memory. Who ever knew a troublemaking teacher?

But what both humbled and concerned him was the flicker of something deeper within the blues of her eyes, a hint of growing love between them, burning steady and bright. Once he'd even caught that flicker from a distance, as if its glow signaled through the lenses of binoculars she'd playfully pointed his way.

Then, in a matter of only minutes, the fragile flame vanished like a wisp of smoke. Though Elizabeth's hug flooded him with the love he'd sensed in her attentive glances, the weight of the traumatic day obscured his view, casting a shadow of fear over her eyes, clouding their hopeful, healing reflections into murky pools of blue.

Every so often, Nathan still detected that flicker, shining through the haze, a brief glimpse of love reserved only for him. But it always disappeared as quickly as it had appeared. Left to be friends, his heart still pointed true north, proving he'd always be there for her in whatever role he filled in her life. In time, Elizabeth's eyes gradually cleared, offering him a warmth he learned to accept and deeply cherish.

One random night, four years after they initially met, Nathan was startled when the familiar flicker once again flashed across her eyes as they talked over two glasses of apple juice. In this look, Elizabeth's heart seemed to whisper the barely audible words, "what if …" Although Nathan still wasn't sure what suddenly resurfaced that spark he'd known so well in their earlier years, Elizabeth's eyes became a weather vane for her shifting emotions and the changing direction of her heart.

Months after her broken engagement, whenever their eyes met, Elizabeth's often danced with a sparkle of hesitant hope—one that grew more confident with each passing week. In every crowded room, their eyes secretly sought each other out; but over time, through enough shared expressions, they began to openly find each other, closing the distance with newfound trust and intimacy. With this proximity, Nathan could easily see how Elizabeth's gaze softened and deepened, igniting a hope for what he'd long thought impossible.

What took only a matter of moments for Nathan to recall represented years of life lived in the presence of Elizabeth's evolving expressions. Even with Higgins, he'd seen her eyes shift from teary to triumphant. But in a heartwarming twist, he was discovering that Elizabeth, too, was attuned to his own expressions—some through his eyes, but also through his furrowed brow. She read his worry about Allie, and without being asked, quickly scanned her classroom of students, issuing rapid fire instructions, before those same loving eyes narrowly focused in on Nathan, joining him in the search for Allie.

Just as Nathan began to trust the steady love that had been reflected in Elizabeth's eyes for him, the hostage situation threatened to obscure the clarity of what she'd conveyed for weeks. Even though she'd taken a leap of faith jumping with him off a balcony, Nathan still couldn't help but worry about what he'd see in her eyes, anxious that all they'd gained might be lost again to debilitating fear. But as he approached Elizabeth's porch and she began to speak, her eyes blazed with fire—blue, white, and orange—remorse, resilience, and readiness. Elizabeth's love for him was no longer a flicker, but a flame that called him to her in the silence that followed her long-awaited, "I'm in love with you."

Since that momentous first kiss, Elizabeth's eyes openly invited him in, where he could see all that she held in her heart for him — gratitude, loyalty, trust, security, various shades of love, and most remarkably for a widow, uninhibited joy. As Nathan raised his hand to knock on the door and announce his presence, he intuitively knew those would be the very emotions he'd see in her eyes today.

"Nathan!" exclaimed Elizabeth in surprise, immediately rising from her desk.

Her smile instantly lit Nathan's heart as did her eyes, shining with a love for him that grew brighter by the day.

Elizabeth urged her feet forward, intent on covering the distance between them as quickly as possible. Though laden with her clumsy short heels, she bounded toward Nathan, figuring at worst she might fall once again in his arms just as she did the day of the Easter egg hunt.

With several long strides, Nathan's better suited boots made quick work of the aisle, and he swept Elizabeth up in his arms, hardly believing it'd only been a matter of hours since they were last together.

As closely as Nathan held her, Elizabeth pulled him in even tighter, resting her cheek against his serge, and sighing into the gratitude she felt at finally being in his arms once again.

Nathan smiled to himself at how differently Elizabeth responded when they were alone, carefree and full of expression. Of all the sides of Elizabeth, this one was Nathan's favorite, knowing it was reserved solely for him.

After their lonely lips said their own hello's, Elizabeth eventually found her words. "What a wonderful surprise! How did this come about?" she asked, clearly assigning Nathan as the "this," when she tugged his open serge lapels, drawing him back to her for another kiss.

"Mmmmm," Nathan murmured, relishing in Elizabeth's attentive lips. Once they managed to part, he explained, "We have Bill to thank, after he pulled a few details out of me."

"Details?" Elizabeth shot back, her eyebrow raised. She was hoping Bill's prying eyes hadn't managed to read her letter.

"Only my plans to take you out this weekend," Nathan assured his sweetheart, brushing his thumb against her cheek as his fingers threaded through her chestnut hair. "Any secret you share is safe with me," he promised as his lips considered another round of silent communication.

"God bless Bill," Elizabeth mumbled, already closing her smirk into a heated kiss.

Alone in the schoolhouse, the two kissed to their hearts' content, filling the void of their lengthy seven hour separation.

But Elizabeth, finding herself just as eager to discuss the words from their letters, eventually withdrew from Nathan's hold, just enough to catch his gaze. Still, his arms remained affectionately wrapped around her waist, unwilling to let her go.

"I loved the flowers, Nathan," Elizabeth smiled, glancing back at the bouquet on her desk.

"Well," Nathan said, feeling a little sheepish, "I know it's not the prettiest bunch since it's the fall, but I couldn't resist."

Beyond wanting to bring a smile to Elizabeth's face, Nathan opted for the flowers to make sure she immediately traced the letter to him. He'd hoped the surprise of his gesture would bring only happiness, from its first glance to its last lingering scent. With the back and forth communication from Hargreaves about Jack, Nathan correctly guessed an unmarked letter might unnecessarily trigger concern.

In fact, Nathan hadn't yet shared with Elizabeth how her first letter spiraled him into panic. A couple of weeks ago, Robert delivered a sealed, blank envelope to the Mountie office with no explanation. When Nathan opened the letter, his eyes caught only a few words before realizing it was from Elizabeth. Considering their past, Nathan needlessly worried she might be rejecting him again, only this time in written form. Fortunately, within a matter of minutes, Nathan picked back up the letter he'd dropped to the desk and soon discovered the true intent of Elizabeth's letter – an invitation for their first unchaperoned date.

Once Nathan got over the jolt of panic and its fallout, he read and re-read Elizabeth's love letter. After all these years, there was something about seeing her love written in the permanence of ink. He'd read that emotion often enough in her eyes, but she'd given him a new page to brush his thumb across, beyond the short note he'd treasured in the book she signed. Now he had a tangible way to feel her love anytime, and he'd certainly taken advantage of that luxury every night since, reading her letter before tucking it into the drawer beside his bed. Elizabeth's voice suddenly drew him back to the classroom.

"How can you say that, Nathan — that these aren't the 'prettiest' bunch?" Her tone was accusatory, though playful, as she wondered why he'd think the flowers' appearance mattered the most. Elizabeth then threw her heart into defending that fall bouquet. "I'll have you know, Nathan Grant, they made my solitary lunch studying polymers far more bearable."

Nathan laughed. As much as he loved science, he wasn't sure that's how he'd want to pass his lunch hour either, especially at the expense of time together.

"Besides," Elizabeth openly admitted, "in addition to their wonderful fragrance, I had the delight of imagining you picking them for me." She then proceeded to confess how her visualization tumbled her out of any sense of time, and that it was their dear Allie who cleverly suggested she end recess and get back to the school day. As Nathan chuckled at the unusually long recess brought on by his gift, his infectious joy filled her soul. She'd never been so happy.

Remembering the other part of her surprise delivery that day, Elizabeth returned to her desk and picked up her letter. While walking back, she teased along the way, "I did want to inquire, Constable Grant, about the notable fragrance that accompanied your letter. Here, I thought I was silly the moment my nose met the envelope. But, it did smell like you! It wasn't just wishful thinking."

A self-satisfied grin spread across Nathan's face. "I knew you'd smell it," he chuckled, reassured that his instincts were as sharp as ever. "Let's just say I've been planning this date for a few days," Nathan explained, still smiling, "So, I put the envelope beside the extra soap in our bathroom drawer."

At that, Elizabeth giggled. "So, you're a romantic, Constable?"

Nathan's head did the talking as it characteristically tilted in response.

Feeling rather pleased that his gesture was so well received, he openly admitted, "I try to be …" Then, Nathan lovingly laced his fingers around Elizabeth's waist, pulling her into his arms, "for you," he added, his gaze radiating years of love he'd longed to express.

"Speaking of romantic …" Elizabeth began. "I not only loved your envelope, Nathan, I loved your letter, too. Every. Single. Word," Elizabeth emphasized, her eyes reflecting the deepest love he'd ever known. Their two faces were so close now that as she spoke, he could feel the warmth of her breath gently brushing against his lips, making his heart race with each word she whispered.

Once Nathan fell for Elizabeth, he thought "I love you" would be the hardest thing he'd say. But, it turned out all the confessions and open conversations afterward were the source of the real emotional work. During the date Elizabeth had planned, he'd slowly released the barriers around his heart that he'd previously erected when he'd had to toughen up as a boy. Though he'd started to whittle away at them with the help of Elizabeth, herself, he built an even stronger bulwark after she shattered his newly exposed heart with her back to back rejections.

Since they'd become a couple, though, he truly felt proud at the huge strides he'd already made in opening up, now less guarded than he'd ever been, in fact. But, he regularly had to fight the instinct to protect himself. The deep emotional disclosures still caused his heart to race, just as it was now, as he began to share with Elizabeth what he'd felt in reading her words that afternoon.

"I loved what you said in your letter, about feeling complete when you're with me."

Elizabeth instantly melted at his words, still in awe of the Nathan she'd come to know over the last few weeks in their alone time together. She waited to respond, sensing he had more to say.

"I know the feeling," he replied with his lopsided smile, his ocean blue eyes entirely open to her.

"If you remember, from our last date, I told you something I never thought I'd tell another human in my life." Even now, it was difficult for Nathan to say, though it was certainly easier with those inviting blue eyes fixed solely on him.

"I don't just love you, 'Lizbeth. I need you, and that's something I'm still getting used to." Nathan shook his head helplessly, hardly understanding how his own heart had softened so completely. "I can't believe how much I missed you today," he whispered, resting his head against her forehead.

Though he could still hear the nervous "woosh" of his heart beat pounding forcefully in his ears, Nathan didn't let it alter what he wanted to share. He'd learned the value of not holding back.

"I've never wanted to let someone in like I have with you. But, if the years without you have taught me anything, it's that I want to need you, 'Lizabeth." Nathan lifted his head to gaze directly into her eyes, to make sure his message made its way straight to her heart. "I want us to always be close, whatever that takes," he confessed. Before Elizabeth could respond, Nathan shared with his lips what he felt he couldn't quite convey with his words as he held her with all the more devotion through one slow, sensual kiss.

Even once Nathan allowed their lips to separate, Elizabeth was uncharacteristically quiet, drawn into the wonder of the lifetime love unfolding between them. Just as every kiss recently seemed to explode into passion, every conversation exponentially deepened their connection.

Ironically, there was no need for Elizabeth to find her words since Nathan filled the silence, narrowing in on the very reason he'd brought up what he'd voiced during their last date.

"That, my love," he began, kissing her another time for good measure, "is what I'm excited to show you on our date this weekend … just how much I need you. I know you took a lot of care in choosing what to share from your journal on our last date." He smiled at the memory of what she'd been hoping to show him. "And a thousand times over, you convinced me that you've always loved me."

A delighted grin spread across Elizabeth's face, crinkling up into the corners of her eyes. "I was pretty convincing, wasn't I?"

Their first unchaperoned date had been a blur of conversations and kisses, but what she valued most was how Nathan transformed in that single night. At their first stop in the forest, he'd tentatively positioned himself against a tree on the picnic blanket, clearly hoping she'd settle herself in against the strength of his frame, which she happily did. But, by the end of the night, he was boldly licking frosting off her nose and cleverly assessing her readiness for marriage through leading questions about their upcoming plans at Christmastime.

So, by the time Nathan left her porch that night to walk home, they were connected in a way they'd never been. She knew that precious time together had instilled in him a confidence for their future.

Elizabeth's heart fluttered as she wondered what would come of this second priceless block of time, just the two of them. Remembering Nathan's surprising secret he threw out into the night air as he announced he'd plan this next date, Elizabeth asked eagerly, "And will I be hearing from your journal this time, Constable?"

"You will," Nathan revealed with a sly smile, characteristically frugal in his words.

"Well, I don't know what you have planned, but for that alone" Elizabeth admitted, "I can't wait."

Nathan suddenly felt a ripple of self-doubt. "I hope you're not setting your expectations too high, 'Lizabeth. I'm not a writer like you. They're just thoughts," he declared, then quickly added for the sake of honesty, "sometimes fairly jumbled thoughts."

"They're your thoughts, Nathan," Elizabeth assured her sweetheart, "and that's all that matters to me." Nathan still looked skeptically at the published author, so she teased him with a comforting suggestion and a playful smirk, "How about I leave my editing pen at home?"

Although Elizabeth hoped to dispel any of Nathan's concerns with her lighthearted humor, she still found his hints of insecurity endearing. The very fact that he allowed those parts of him to be seen by her showcased what was especially powerful about their relationship — how they each continued to grow in their confidence and capacity in ways they otherwise wouldn't because of the support they gave one another.

Nathan spoke of needing her, which truly was profound, and appropriately struck her to the core. But, she'd needed Nathan for years. She wished she would've seen that, the way she sought him out even while dating Lucas.

To finally align felt cosmic, like nothing could draw them apart, as if their only way to be truly complete was in being bound to each other. In witnessing Nathan's transformation as he shed the protective layers around his heart, Elizabeth felt like they were just at the beginning of infinite possibilities of who they'd become together.

Their upcoming date, she knew, would offer a peek into that potential.

"Are you going to give me any more details about Saturday?" Elizabeth asked, intrigued by Nathan's secrecy.

"Not a one," Nathan answered with a mysterious smile.

"Adventuring, huh?" Elizabeth recalled from his letter, wondering what exactly that meant. But whatever his plans entailed, she knew one thing for certain, a truth she readily spoke aloud, "Well, I'm with you every step of the way."

"You can't imagine how happy I am to hear you say that," Nathan answered, grateful for how the layered meaning of her words supported his open heart. He sincerely hoped she'd feel the same devotion come Saturday, considering his plans involved her stepping outside of her comfort zone. But, Nathan knew how close they'd become through that process — sometimes stretching to reach that chocolate egg is worth the risk.

Nathan easily remembered the feel of Elizabeth in his arms after she fell from the bucket and later the touch of their hands as the chocolate egg passed between them that night. Settling into the memory, he knew he'd reached the limit in his words for the love he wanted to express. So, he silently lifted Elizabeth's hands around his neck, lowered his head, and leaned in for the kiss he wished he'd given her that warm Easter afternoon.

Though Nathan and Elizabeth naturally fell into kissing often, with over four years of love left unexpressed, they were, in reality, only getting started. The two soulmates were soon lost in each other, their bodies falling into the same intimate proximity they were rewarded after Elizabeth's pivotal slip. Minutes passed as the lighting shifted and their kissing figures were illuminated by the orange glow of sunlight streaming through the windows, the late afternoon hour hinting of the upcoming sunset.

Nathan reluctantly gentled their kisses, knowing the evening responsibilities that awaited them as parents. But, as he felt his and Elizabeth's alone time slipping away, he clung to making the most of every single second remaining.

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Author's Notes:

Nathan and Elizabeth have always communicated through their eyes, from the moment they met. I hope you enjoyed remembering all the looks Elizabeth conveyed throughout the years of their journey, from a place of despair to a settled home of peace and immeasurable love.

For a fun pairing, read maggienhawk's "His Hands" and notawriter's "Her Lips."

Thanks for reading! I'd love to hear your thoughts if you have a moment to comment!

These characters belong to Hallmark's "When Call's the Heart." Any dialogue used from episodes is written in italics.