Chapter 38

Jack was driving his mother's car with Nana and Pops sitting in the back seat. He parked beside the fountain he always parked at when he went to Elizabeth's house. This has unofficially become his parking spot.

"Wow." Nana and Pops stated at the same time when they looked at the massive home. "This place is huge. My Beth lives here?"

"That's what I said the first time I came here."

"You know, knowing Beth comes from this, she doesn't act like she is better than anyone."

"She's the best." Jack stated as he helped Nana out of the SUV.

Today was Nana's and Pops' last day in Hamilton. They fly back to Buxton tomorrow. Elizabeth insisted that they spend part of the day together. They also needed to take Elizabeth to the bookstore for her other Christmas present. They spend a few days together with Jack's family. Elizabeth wanted this time with just the four of them.

Grace opened the door before they reached the massive front door. "Good morning." Grace stated as Jack walked in a hug. He kissed her on the cheek.

"Mom, I believe you already met my grandparents."

"Yes, Mrs. Milligan was a gem while Mr. Milligan was a screaming idiot just like my William." Grace laughed as she spoke.

"She's got you figured out dear." Nana sassed.

"Come in…come in…it's too cold to be standing out here. Bethie will be down soon."

Elizabeth was putting the finishing touches on her make up when Jack texted her that they were there. She placed the last earring in her left ear and quickly checked herself in the mirror. She fingered the infinity necklace before turning around and leaving her bedroom.

Elizabeth walked down the stairs. She heard voices in the kitchen. She turned right off the steps and walked into the kitchen to the laughter of her parents and Jack and his grandparents.

"Hey you two." Elizabeth spoke as she walked toward Nana and Pops. She gave them a hug and exchanged pleasantries. They spoke for a few minutes and enjoyed themselves.

"Are you ready to head out?"

"Sure." Jack smiled at his girlfriend.

Elizabeth hugged and kissed her parents. Then she turned to Jack. He extended his hand. She smiled as she accepted it.

"So, where are you taking us?" Nana asked as they pulled out of the long, winding driveway.

"First, we are getting brunch at our favorite café. Then we are going to The Neighborhood's Bookstore."

"So, Pops and I get the whole day with you two?"

"Yes. Nana. You are stuck with us for the day." Elizabeth answered as she turned slightly in the passenger seat to look behind her.

"Perfect." Nana and Pops stated at the same time.

…

Tom took a moment and picked up his phone. He sent Julie a text.

T – Hey you busy

J – Nope what's up

T – I just received an email from a guy named Dr. Franklin

J – Who is that

T – A guy from the College in Savannah.

Instead of texting, she called him.

"Hey" Tom smiled. "I'm surprised it took you that long to call.

"Stop sassing me. What did he want?"

"Do you know him?"

"No. That's not the person I spoke with."

"He said he wants to talk to me."

"Why?"

"He said that he has been trying to get in touch with me for a few months now. When we moved from Buxton, the school there didn't have a forwarding address or an active email for me. Then he had a family illness that he had to take a leave of absence to help his mother. He just came back to work."

"Ok…that's how he got ahold of you, but you didn't answer the question of why?"

"Last year, I made a suspension bridge without any hardware. It won a contest. It was the lightest bridge in the contest and carried the most weight."

"They reached out because they want you to go there." Her statement wasn't a question.

"He said the college is interested in me because of that contest."

"Tom, that's really cool. Are you interested in going there?"

"Julie, I'm a sophomore. I don't know what I'm going to do today more or less in two and a half years."

"True."

"What about you. Have you given the school any more thought?"

"I'm just like you. I haven't given it any more thought."

"Well…we have been approached by the same school."

"That's kind of cool."

"Hey, let's go to the movies."

"Perfect."

…

Steven and Connie stopped by the little shop on Broadway Street. They were just spending the afternoon with each other. They didn't have an agenda or any other purpose for the day. They just wanted to spend some time together before school began in a couple of days. Like all the other couples in the friend group, they haven't spent too much time together. Today was just a day to catch up.

"So, what do you think?"

Steven reached for Connie's hand. "Think about what?"

"Have you heard anything from Trinity?"

"No. Not yet. You?"

She reached into her pocket and pulled out a sealed envelope. She handed it to Steven.

"What's this?" He asked as he looked at the envelope. In the upper left hand corner was the name, Trinity.

"Oh Connie…this is exciting. What did it say?"

"I'm too scared to open it. It came in the mail today just before you came to pick me up."

"You haven't opened it yet?"

"No…" Her voice failed her as her eyes traveled from Steven's face to the envelope. He watched her and noticed what she did.

He took her by the hand and guided her to the bench that was just a few yards away. After sitting down, he turned toward her. He handed her the envelope.

"Here, open it and I'm here with you."

She looked at the envelope for a few seconds and then slowly reached for it. She let out a deep, long breath and tore the end off. She reached in the envelope and pulled out a single piece of paper. She closed her eyes and let out another shorter breath, then she unfolded the paper. Steven watched her eyes as she quickly scanned the paper. After a few seconds, that felt like hours, he noticed the corners of her mouth begin to quickly grow upward.

"I'm accepted!"

"Connie! Congratulations!" Steven yelled in pure excitement for his precious girlfriend.

Connie reread the paper and then looked up at her boyfriend. "I'm in!" She stood just enough to launch herself toward him. When she hugged him, she knocked him off balance and both fell off the bench. He landed in a small pile of snow with Connie laying on top of him.

"I'm so proud of you!"

"Thank you." She stated just before she kissed him.

"I'm dating the smartest woman!"

…

"So, Elizabeth, how are you doing?"

Elizabeth smiled at Jack's grandfather. They had just sat down at Abagail's and Jack and taken Nana to show her where the restrooms were. Evidently, he was using the bathroom too. Pops was always great to her. She loved spending time with him.

"I'm good."

"The incident with Charles in the school parking lot?"

"I would have never imagined he would have done any of that. I was completely shocked with his behavior."

"Any issues with that dreadful Monday coming back to haunt you?"

She smiled at his loving tone. Jack sounded just like him in moments like this. She knew where he got his caring nature. She could tell that he was hesitant in asking. He didn't want to bring any nightmares back to the forefront. He was just concerned about her. She knew his concern was rooted in pure love.

"I was a little surprised it didn't. Pastor Frank checked on me the next day, but it really didn't affect me at all."

"Are you sure?" He asked, reaching for her hand, and gently squeezing it just like a loving grandfather would.

"I'm sure. This time was just different. Mother and father kept a close watch on me for a few days along with Jack."

"I'm sure they did. How was it different?"

Before she answered the question, Jack and Nana approached the table and sat down. They could tell Elizabeth and Pops were in a deep conversation. So, they began talking amongst themselves.

"I think it's because dad taught me how to defend myself. That gave me a sense of power. Like I had a part to play in how that event was going to play out. On that Monday, I really didn't have any control of it."

"From what I've heard, you fought with all you had and slowed that guy down. You didn't make it easy on him and that led to your escape."

"I guess so. I had no idea what I was doing. So, I just flung my arms and legs. Now, dad taught me techniques. I wasn't just kicking hoping something was going to happen. While the incident was scary, I was in control of some things. I felt like I had some power."

"Techniques…like when you face planted Tom in the wall?"

"You heard about that?" Elizabeth couldn't keep from laughing.

"Oh yes…second best thing that happened from that Thanksgiving holiday weekend.

The whole table laughed at remembering the story.

"May I ask, what was the best thing from that holiday?"

Pops leaned forward and took Elizabeth's hand again. He gave her a grandfather's smile as he squeezed her hand as he spoke. "You."

…

"You really want to watch this movie?" Julie asked as her nose scrunched up. "I've heard bad things about it. Even the reviews are horrible. What few friends of mine that has seen it says it's awful."

"Yeah." Tom slowly answered. Then he turned his attention back to the ticket person. "Two please."

"Tom…"

"Hold on please." He waved his hand in Julie's direction.

"Theater six on the right. The movie begins in fifteen minutes."

"Thank you, ma'am."

"Tom…" Julie whined. "No one's going to be there. It's that bad."

"Exactly." He grinned. "Let's go."

"What?" A very confused Julie answered. "Oh…no one's going to be in there."

"Yes. With all the family members we both have in town, this is the only way I know for us to be alone."

"Tom…" She wrapped her arm around his. "You are a very smart man."

"I'm a man who missed his girlfriend." He paused for a moment. "You know, I've never said that before.

…

"Hey, before we go to the bookstore, would you like some ice cream?"

"Oh…I love ice cream!" Pops stated very quickly.

"You know you're not supposed to have ice cream."

"Dear, that too young of a doctor said I can't have it all the time. He didn't say I couldn't have any. Plus, he too young to know anything yet."

"He's thirty three."

"He's wet behind the ears. I have house shoes older than him. Now Elizabeth, we would love some ice cream. I've heard about some slab creamery place or something. They say it's good."

"I know the perfect place." Elizabeth answered without looking in Nana's direction.

The two couples walked through the door that Jack was holding open for everyone. He was a little confused when they all stopped just inside the Marble Slab Creamery.

"Father!"

"Oh…good…grief…" William stated as he sat down his spoon. He turned around to see his middle daughter staring at him. She had her hand on her hip and the beginning of a scary teacher's face. "I swear…I'm taking my name off that stalking app."

"It's not a stalking app!"

"You stalk me all the time with that silly thing."

"Stop changing the subject. Why are you here?"

"You know little one…I'm your father. I really don't have to answer to you." William sassed wiggling his finger in her direction. She never lost the scary teacher expression. "If you have to know, Tom and I was leaving an appointment and we stopped here after lunch."

"You know you're not supposed to have ice cream!"

"First of all, that kid doctor never said I couldn't have ice cream, I just can't have it all the time."

"Didn't we just have this conversation?" Laughed Jack. That made Pops laugh.

Elizabeth patted Jack on the arm. "No one asked you." She chuckled.

"Come on Elizabeth…this was your idea. Now, what do you recommend?" Pops tried to change the subject. William gave him a knowing smile.

"Wait, this was your idea to come here and you're harassing me about eating ice cream?" Her father playfully sassed.

"I'm not the one that's…"

"Don't you dare say the word 'old' or 'cholesterol' young lady." William pointed his spoon at her.

"Come on Beth." Nana laughed.

"Get your ice cream and please join us." William stated as he and Tom stood to pull another table together.

The group stayed long after their ice cream was finished. Pops declared that the Marble Slab Creamery was the best ice cream ever. He ordered Elizabeth's cake mix with extra syrup and chocolate chunks and knew from the first bite why it was her favorite.

William relished the time to get to know Jack's grandparents better. Elizabeth has certainly spoken highly of them. He was impressed with them and knew that Jack learned every lesson the precious couple had ever taught him.

Jack and Elizabeth loved the time as well. Jack always enjoyed spending time with his grandparents. His paternal grandparents had already passed away before he was born. That may have been part of why he clung to Nana and Pops so easily.

…

"Hey Charlette."

"Hey Grace. What are you up too."

"I was calling to see if you're busy."

"Not too busy. The house is empty. So, I'm just catching up on a couple of things."

"Perfect. Meet me at the coffee shop on Jefferson."

"I'll be there in twenty minutes. Anything important?"

"No. I just miss my friend."

"See you in fifteen."

…

"She seems at home."

"Pops…you have no idea. We may be here for another two hours before you see Elizabeth again."

"Are you speaking from experience?"

"I am. I brought her here to Christmas shop. I found her after forty five minutes. She was sitting on the floor with two piles of books beside her. We may be here for a while."

"How are you two?" Pops asked as he and Jack sat down at a small table.

"We are good."

"How good?"

Jack took a breath and smiled at his Pops. He was a little surprised it took his Pops this long to ask. They have always enjoyed deep conversations.

"We're doing really well. Bumps in the beginning but you know about that. We had an issue with Charles just before Christmas break. I wasn't handling his return to the team well. I was beginning to withdrawal within myself, and Elizabeth pulled me out of it. Then I let him affect my game."

"Why is that?"

"I've lived here since the summer. All I heard about was he and Elizabeth. She always said they never dated but he always said they did. Everyone thought they did. I couldn't tell you how many people were shocked that I was dating her and not Charles. Even her family was shocked."

"So, you were a little jealous."

"Yeah…it's hard not to be when that's all you hear. I even heard it from her parents and sisters. They were surprised I was the one she chose to date."

"Have you two talked about it?"

"We have. It's all settled."

"When you were back home during Thanksgiving, you spoke that she was the one."

"Yes."

"Still think that?" He stated reaching for his bottled water.

Jack smiled at the thought of Elizabeth and their future. "I do. I can't explain it but I know it deep inside of me."

"I get it. Nana was the one for me. I knew it, but not too sure if I can explain it. Make sure you two are talking."

"We haven't really talked about that very much."

"That?"

"The lifetime being together."

"Jack…if you are serious about her, you need to talk to her about it. You can't assume she knows or what she knows."

"We talked about Bryan's and worked through that. You know how we handled that with not wanting to influence each other."

"Yes, and that was very mature and caring by the both of you. You two work well together and communicate well together, but it doesn't sound like you two are communicating in the lifetime being together area very well."

"We're seventeen."

"Yes, you are, and you are the one who is saying that she is your lifetime. Jack, a great marriage just doesn't happen. I don't believe it's as hard work as some people make it out to be, but it just doesn't happen by chance. You must lay good foundations for that marriage to grow on. If Elizabeth is the one for you, then you need to begin to lay those foundations and then slowly, and I do mean slowly, build on those foundations. You shouldn't be getting married in high school."

"Are you saying we should wait until after college?"

"That honestly depends on the two of you." Pops leaned forward and took a sip of his water. "No one knows the true time except the two of you. However, if you only talk in code then you will never truly know. Just because you talk about it and lay a good foundation of communication, that doesn't mean you are getting married the next day. It does, however, mean that you value her opinion, and you desire her to understand that marriage is the direction you want your relationship with her to go. She needs…no she deserves, to know that. Especially if you feel this strongly regarding her. She is a precious young lady, and she deserves that."

"So, communicate that in a loving way that she understands my greatest desire is to be married to her someday…just not today?"

"That's the beginning. I do think she will be receptive to it. Talk about the timing. Do you or does she want to wait until after college? Before college? During college? You two need to form a game plan and then work toward that plan."

"Nana has told me that before."

"One thing I have learned in my life is to always listen to Nana." He patted the back of Jack's hand.

Jack stood up and stepped beside his Pops. He leaned down and gave him a hug. He loved his grandfather. He was full of wisdom and knowledge. He was always looking out for Jack and was honest with him. He also challenged him and helped him forge his way in life. He was one of Jack's biggest supporters. Jack was very appreciative of this older man and his wisdom. Jack considered his Pops to be a true blessing in his life.

"Thank you." Jack whispered as he was hugging his grandfather.

"I want what's best for you. I also want you to have it all to its fullest."

"I love you, Pops."

"I love you, Jack. Now, if my eyes aren't deceiving me…I see a Milky Way candy bar over there."

"On it."

…

"Lee…quit being so silly." Rosemary admonished him. Her arms were waving theatrically in the air.

"What?" He chuckled. "Am I wrong?" He defended himself.

Rosemary looked in the mirror once again trying to judge for herself. She was never one to wear such a boring dress, as she called it. However, she had to admit that this dress did look good on her. She tried to find a flaw with it, but she couldn't.

"Well…technically you're not wrong. However…"

"Yes…?" Lee challenged her again.

She continued to turn in front of the mirror examining the dress. She had convinced Lee to go shopping with her to the mall in search of a perfect dress for a New Year's party. She would never publicly admit to it, but she did love it when Lee challenged her like this. He was usually right, but she was never going to tell him that.

"It just looks so…so boring. It's something that Elizabeth would wear."

"I think you mean conservative. And there is nothing wrong with the way Elizabeth dresses. She always looks very nice."

"I think you mean boring. She's a lovely young lady, but she needs to learn that there are many different colors out there."

"You're just being silly now." They both laughed. Rosey's style was certainly more colorful than Elizabeth's. Rosemary would often tell Elizabeth that there were colors in the world. This was often an ongoing joke between the two ladies. Their styles were just different. Now, Rosemary is trying on a dress that Elizabeth probably owns and likes. Much to Rosey's surprise, she is having trouble finding a flaw with the dress.

"You're right, Elizabeth always looks nice. She just needs more vibrant color in her wardrobe."

"Not everyone is over the top like you." Lee laughed. "Now, let me take a picture."

"What do you mean over the top like me, Leland Coulter?" She placed her hand on her hip.

Lee quickly took the picture. He turned the phone around to show her. "Exactly like this." Her hand was on her hip, and she had a defiant expression on her face with her nose scrunched up. "Now, tell me that pose isn't over the top. Better yet, tell me that dress isn't perfect for you." He challenged her.

"Fine." She playfully huffed.

"Which one are you agreeing to?"

"Both." She stated as she turned to walk back into the dressing room.

…

Both ladies smiled as they pulled into the parking lot at the same time. Charlette was a little nervous driving Jack's truck. Since he had her SUV, she didn't have a choice but to drive it. Grace laughed when she parked it in the back portion of the lot where there wasn't any other vehicles.

"I'm not taking any chances." Charlette smiled as she walked up to a waiting Grace.

"I don't blame you. I have only driven Elizabeth's mini cooper once. I was nervous the entire time."

"Come one, girl. We need to catch up."

They ordered their coffee and a small snack. Then took a small table in the corner so they could catch up.

"Things are going well with your parents visiting?"

"Oh yes. It's been nice having them here. This town is a little too big for them, but they have enjoyed it nonetheless."

"I've enjoyed meeting them. I can easily see that they love my middle daughter."

"I was a little surprised how quickly she asked Elizabeth to call her Nana."

"Why is that?"

"She only allows family members to do that. Even Jack's best friends didn't call her Nana and they came over all the time. She asked Elizabeth to call her that within the first five minutes while we were still on the porch."

"Aunt Agatha, and her two kids, accepted Jack just as quickly. I was a little surprised she accepted him so quickly. She was never that way with any of Viola's boyfriends."

"I guess Jack and Elizabeth are just different. Almost like they are made for each other."

"I agree with you."

The two ladies spent a couple of hours just chatting. They discussed their children and families. Charlette shared with Grace that she was thinking about becoming a substitute teacher like she did in Buxton. She admitted she was getting a little too bored at home all the time. Grace shared with her a few charities she helped with. Charlette was excited about the charities Grace worked with and was thrilled to fill her schedule with the charities and filling in at the schools.

…

After what felt like an eternity, which happened to be two hours, Elizabeth narrowed down her two huge piles of books down to two. As she walked up to the register, she was debating about the last two that just missed the cut. Waiting in line, she looked down at her books and was thinking she should have picked one of the other books. When she turned to go back to the rack, she bumped into Jack. She didn't know he was standing behind her. She was too busy being in her head standing by Nana.

"What do you have there?" She nodded toward the two books he was holding.

"I wanted to get these two books."

She looked at the two books and noticed those were the last two books she was looking at before she placed them back on the shelf.

"Jack…" She began before he interrupted her.

"I'm getting these two for you. I knew you would have buyer's remorse for not getting them. I could see it in your eyes."

"Thank you, Jack."

Elizabeth felt immensely loved that Jack would pay enough attention to what she was doing in a bookstore. Then on top of that, he would purchase her the two books she also wanted. He always paid attention to her, even in the smallest of things. She truly felt blessed by his actions.

"You're welcome, Princess Beth."

"Jack…that's not my name. I thought we were past this." She stated in a tired voice and a small, smirky grin.

After paying for the books, Elizabeth hugged Nana and Pops and thanked them. Then she hugged Jack and kissed him on the cheek.

…

The trip to the airport the next day was a hard one for everyone involved. The day before with Jack and Elizabeth was great for Nana and Pops. They loved spending time with their grandson and his girlfriend. The more they knew about Elizabeth, the more they loved her. She was quickly becoming more than just Jack's girlfriend. Elizabeth felt the exact same way about them. She loved them without hesitation.

Jack was the first one to hug Nana and Pops. He missed them already and they were standing in his embrace. When he released Pops, Elizabeth was immediately in Jack's grandfather's arms. Jack turned toward his Nana.

"I love you, Nana."

"I love you JayJay."

"Pops, thank you for everything." Elizabeth tightened her hold on this precious man.

"You are priceless. Thank you for spending time with us. We have enjoyed it."

"Me too."

Elizabeth's and Nana's embrace was full of complete love. They held on for a long time. They just didn't want to let each other go.

"And I thought you leaving Buxton was difficult." Nana stated as she held on tighter to Elizabeth.

"If I don't let you go, you can't leave…right?"

"I wish." She tightened her hold a little more.

"Maybe you two can move here."

"Oh dear, we are just too old to do things like that."

Thomas and Tom followed Elizabeth when she finally released them. Charlette was the last one to embrace the older couple. She just didn't want to let go. The whole group waited with Nana and Pops until they boarded their plane. No one wanted to leave before they had to. Tears were free flowing by many.

"Come on…let's drown our sorrows in a cup of ice cream." Thomas stated.

"You've been hanging around father too much." Elizabeth sassed.

…

Jack lay in bed staring at his ceiling. He and Elizabeth had already skyped and said their goodnights. He couldn't get over how beautiful she was in a messy bun. He kept playing his and Pops' conversation through his mind. He did love Elizabeth. He knew without a doubt that she was his lifetime love. He was greatly looking forward to it all. Finishing high school together and then attending the same college. He thought that would be a time for them to grow even closer. They would be out on their own, if you will, and studying the same major would mean they would have a lot of classes together.

The teacher situation in the US meant they should be able to find jobs together. He assumed they would at least be planning a wedding just after college or even married by that time. Then they would begin their life together after college by finding employment and a home. At some point children would follow.

Jack rolled over and stared at the wall. Then his book on the nightstand came into focus. Pride and Prejudice was in its usual spot. He remembered the little inscription he wrote in Elizabeth's copy. Then he thought through the whole process of their first meeting and then the first two days of school. Their first few days of dating weren't the best. It most certainly had its ups and downs. However, they worked through all of that, and they were stronger than he could ever imagine. He was truly happy with where they were. The more he was with her, the more he fell for her. She had captured him a long time ago. He didn't even fight against it.

…

For Elizabeth, she was thinking the same things as she laid in her bed. She knew she needed to get to sleep because she was volunteering at reading hour the next day at the library. She was laying on her side with her copy of her favorite book in her hands. She had the front cover open and stared at the inscription Jack wrote on that day at the beach. She remembered looking up when she was laying down on the beach towel staring up at him. His chest, dimpled grin, and those emerald eyes were all burned into her memory.

Their first date rushed to her memory. The dinner was great in the new restaurant, but the walk on the beach was incredible. She has walked countless times on the beach with friends, but being with Jack was just completely different. Then they danced. She remembered how it felt to have his arms around her. She could still feel the embrace. Then if she closed her eyes, she could vividly remember the very moment Jack's lips touched hers for the first time. She had the same electrical feeling then would come through her body now. That moment was just one of those life's moments that she would always remember. She sighed, and smiled, at the memory. Then her discussion with her Aunt Agatha came to her mind.

She was most like her aunt, so she wasn't surprised she was the one who asked her the pointed questions. She would have been a little discouraged if it wasn't her Aunt Agatha who spoke to her. They always had the discussions that made her think. She loved the necklace that Jack got her for Christmas. That had quickly become her everyday necklace. She loved the inscription on the back of it. She would often finger the necklace, even if she didn't know she was doing it.

She had known early on that she wanted to marry Jack. She always promised herself that the first guy she dated would be the only guy she would date. She was thankful that part of her desire was coming true. Jack was her first and only boyfriend. She knew she would marry him. The only question that remained was when. When would they become engaged? When would they marry? She remembered when Jack gave her the necklace at Christmas. For a half a second, she was disappointed that the box wasn't a ring box. She had no desire to become engaged during high school. Her heart was pushing for the ring while her mind was saying it was way too soon. This was an internal battle she was fighting. It wasn't the battle of if, it was a battle of when.

…

Jack walked to the Thatcher's front door. He wiped the sweat from his forehead for the third time since leaving his home. Even though he had his window rolled down and allowing the winter air in, it didn't keep the sweat from forming on his forehead and upper lip.

He wasn't sure what he should wear, but he decided to dress up a little. He had on a pair of dressy jeans and a button up shirt with a nice light jacket. Even though it was cold outside, he wasn't cold. He pulled down the sleeves of his jacket for the second time since he got out of the truck. He dropped his head and took a deep breath. He raised his head and pushed the button of the doorbell. He flinched when he heard the doorbell sound.

What felt like an hour later, he noticed the doorknob turning. The large front door began to move. He took another long breath. Even though he breathed in air, none of it reached his lungs. He tried to swallow but his throat was so dry there wasn't anything to swallow.

"Jack." Grace stated a little stunned. "What are you doing here?"

"I…um…I um…" Jack tried to say anything, but nothing was working.

"Come in." Grace stepped back to allow him to come in the home. "It's too cold to stand out there. Come in. Come in."

Jack stepped into the home and nervously looked around. Grace noticed his odd behavior.

"Jack…Elizabeth isn't home. It's Saturday. She's at the library for the reading hour."

Jack nodded his head. Words still weren't forming. He knew he needed to say something, but his brain just wasn't working.

"She won't be home for a while. She just left."

"Yes." He finally stated.

"Do you have plans with Elizabeth that she forgot about?"

"No ma'am." He barely squeaked out. He slowly raised his right hand and rubbed the back of his neck. Grace smiled at him. Elizabeth has shared with her about his nervous tick.

"Is Mr. Thatcher home?"

Grace leaned in because he spoke so softly, she was having trouble hearing him. Her smile grew thinking why he may be here.

"He is. He's in the library reading the paper."

"May I see him? I would like to speak to him for a few moments before Elizabeth comes home. She is usually at the library for an hour. Then it's about a twenty minute drive back here. She sometimes meets with Connie and or Steph to have lunch. I don't know if she's doing that today or not. She didn't say anything in the texts from this morning."

Grace was having trouble understanding him. This young man was speaking so fast that his words were running together. She was understanding every other word. She tried her best not to laugh at his predicament.

"Jack…you really need to take a breath. Breathe Jack…breathe."

"I don't know how mom…" He tried to state and then tried to breathe.

Grace took him by the shoulders and gave him a firm shake. She was trying to get his brain to kick into gear. He closed his eyes and tried his very best to take a deep breath.

"The library?"

"Yes Jack. He's in the library. You know where it is."

"Yes, ma'am."

Jack turned toward the library and began to walk toward it. It wasn't that far, but he felt like it took forever. He stood just to the side of the door. He was trying to summon all of his strength to take one more step, raise his hand and knock on the door frame. One last breath, he did just that.

"Hey Jack."

"Mr. Thatcher…may I have a few minutes of your time?"