I Am Not Yours

Truth Will Out

July 1916

After purchasing the baseball bat for Cody, Henry proceeded to look around the shops in town. Abigail guided him around the place where she grew up, telling him stories here and there about things that happened to her as a child here. He found himself smiling at how happy it made her to be home again and out of the house to relax, finally, away from the troubles at her parents' place.

Henry soon found a book about architecture that he bought for Becky and some flowers for Vivian. Once he got a great new pair of farm boots for Jedidiah, he then asked Abigail what she wanted. At first, she refused to humor him into allowing him to buy her anything, but eventually, he convinced her to point out something she had her eye on in one of the boutiques. It was a beautifully handcrafted hair clip decorated with lovely purple amethyst jewels, to match some of her favorite lavender clothes back in Hope Valley. Henry did not mention it, but he noticed how Abigail's smile would not go away after he had purchased it for her and it felt as though he had bought himself a gift by seeing her so happy.

Abigail bought some groceries for herself to make for dinner that night and they headed back on the path toward the dirt road that led to the Adler house.

"I had a really nice time, Henry." Abigail admitted to him on their walk back. "Rebecca was right. I really needed to get out of the house for a while."

"I am glad you feel a bit better." Henry said to her with a soft grin.

"I hope I didn't talk your ear off too much." She told him. "I'd almost forgotten how long it's been since I've been back here. Seems I miss it more than I thought I did."

"You almost make me wonder if you will ever come back to Hope Valley when you talk like that." He admitted.

"Oh, Henry, of course I will. Hope Valley is my home. The cafe is there. My job as the mayor is there. I love all our neighbors. I just cannot leave Daddy alone with all the housework when he has farmwork to take care of. I have written to my brothers and they have all agreed to come and help out when they can as well. Once that happens, then I should be able to return home. I know Cody misses being home too." She looked at Henry beside her who was listening with his head down, watching his own feet as they walked. "I will return. I promise." She told him. "I need you to just be a bit more patient with me." He didn't respond to her and his silence caused Abigail to realize that it seemed something was on his mind. "What is it, Henry? I can tell something is bothering you. Did something happen with Christopher when you went to see him? You have seemed a bit...perplexed since you arrived."

"Have I?"

"Yes." She told him, resting a hand on his shoulder. "I just didn't want to say anything, because I hoped you would tell me yourself. But I see you are still hesitant to be the first one to open up."

"Beatrice kissed me."

Abigail unintentionally stopped walking, her hand on Henry's shoulder dropping back to her side as Henry stopped walking as well. "What?"

"My ex wife." He told her. "We had a conversation about how things turned out and she began to cry thinking of her late husband and it just happened."

"Did you kiss her back?" The cafe owner asked him.

"I don't really know. I can't remember."

"How can you not remember?" She wondered.

"It was a bit of a blur. But I know that she didn't mean anything by it. She was upset and I just happened to have the closest set of lips."

"How does it make you feel when you think about it?" Abigail wondered and they both began to walk again.

"I am not sure. That is why I tend to get lost in thought a lot the last few days."