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Nightfall
Elizabeth braids her long, curly reddish brown hair as Nathan comes into their bedroom after putting Norah Rose to bed. The house is quiet after a long and eventful day as Nathan closes the door and brings his lips to his wife’s neck which earns him a playful swat on his arm and a soft laugh before Elizabeth brings her hand down to her husband’s lap and cups him. In the first guest room, Paul watches his wife of 35 years change out of her traveling clothes into a sheer blue nightgown as her hand goes instinctively to her growing belly where their child moves within her. A child that came as a surprise to both of them, but nonetheless welcome. In the second guest room, Sylvia watches Phillip read as she lays next to him with her head on his chest. Phillip brushes his free hand through his fiancée’s greying hair as he says “ my love, I think that we should tell Elizabeth. We can’t keep hiding it. I want to be able to be a father and a grandfather. Please, I’ve missed out on tw
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Their Unfinished Love The Move
In the coming weeks, Sadie and Elizabeth help Sylvia plan her wedding as the men pack up the home in order to move the young couple to Colorado. Nathan smiles at his wife while she goes over patient notes as she prepares to uproot her practice. In two weeks time, the couple have a surprise for their family and Elizabeth is starting to get nervous. Sylvia watches Norah Rose with her mother and longs to tell Elizabeth the truth, but she knows that now is not the right time.Two days later the men unload the boxes in the car to take to the station while Sadie and the rest of the family board the train to make the journey west. Elizabeth holds her daughter close to her chest as she whimpers. Two weeks later, Elizabeth and Nathan get to the new house and reveal to their extended family that the contractors took Nathan’s plans for the home and built their new home, so that it will be big enough for all of them to live in the same house. Sadie squeals with delight as they all agree
Their Unfinished Love Courage
Two weeks later on May 20th, 1940, it is the day that everyone is waiting for, the wedding. The women are at the newly built home in Colorado while the men head over the church to get ready. Patricia, Sylvia’s younger sister brings the freshly picked bouquet inside to put in water while Sadie tries to pin Norah Rose’s hair as the young girl wiggles in her seat. In Sylvia’s bedroom Elizabeth is helping her put the veil on as Sylvia brushes a strand of hair from her goddaughter’s eyes before the older woman says “Lizzie, dear I have to tell you something.”
Their Unfinished Love Telling Her
A moment later, Sylvia takes Elizabeth’s hands in both of hers as she says “ there’s no easy way to tell you this, but Lizzie you need to know. I want to talk to you about your mother.” Elizabeth laughs softly before she says “my mother is in the parlor right now with Norah Rose.” Sylvia’s breath begins to shake as she says “darling, your mother is sitting right in front of you.” Elizabeth'seyes widen in confusion before silently pleading for her to go on. Sylvia stands up and moves to the window before she says “ your father, Phillip and I were in love, engaged to be married. Phillip and I were both twenty nine years old and we thought that it wouldn’t cause any harm to consummate the marriage the day before we were to be married. Mixed marriages were extremely rare, so we didn’t see the harm in our actions. Little did I know what was right around the corner. I found out five years ago that Phillip was told later that evening that he had to choose between h
Their Unfinished Love Before the Wedding
A few minutes later, Sadie comes into the dressing room after Elizabeth takes Norah Rose outside to the waiting car. Sadie quietly closes the door as she sees Sylviawith her head on her vanity and silently sobs.Soon the elder woman grasps her best friend's shoulder before taking her free hand and gently forcing Sylvia to look at her as she asks " you told her, didn't you? " Sylvia tearfully nods as Sadie bends down next to her before saying " sweetheart, give her time. Our daughter will eventually understand and come around. Now come on, we have a wedding to get to."
Their Unfinished Love The Burning Questions
Later that evening after Sylvia and Phillip were married, the adults were all gathered in the sitting room after Norah Rose had fallen asleep and was carried to bed by her father. Nathan has a protective arm around his wife's waist as she asks the questions that have been on her mind since the talk with Sylvia "why did you give me up? Did you not want me? Did you love me? Phillip, when did you find out? Why did you tell me after all this time? What do you want me to call you two now? Phillip, did you want me?"
Their Unfinished Love Answers
Phillip takes his new bride's hand as she says " Lizzie, honey I will answer the questions the next I know how. As you already know from our conversation earlier, I was an unmarried woman with an unplanned pregnancy which was deeply frowned upon on society back then. I had two marks against me; one was being an unmarried catholic and the other was that I was carrying a child that was half black. Once I found out, I left Colorado to go to Maine after writing to Sadie. If anyone found out about the pregnancy, your father's reputation would be tarnished and I would be out of a job. I couldn't have that not with a child on the way. I also couldn't stay in Colorado, not with Phillip choosing his career over me and I couldn't ask him to leave his parish behind, so I left. The pregnancy progressed smoothly and I soon got a job teaching for settlers. I knew shortly before you were born that I wanted Sadie and Paul to raise you. They had just lost a child and had
Their Unfinished Love Phillip’s Turn
Phillip moved over to be close to Elizabeth as he said " You can call us whatever you would like to. We don't except anything, but I would like to get to know you if that is okay with you. I didn't find out about you until you were twenty. Sylvia wrote letters, but they never were transferred to my new post in Texas. We reconnected by chance one day in the market and vowed to never lose each other again. If I had known about you sooner I would have been the best father that I could be. I would have loved a chance to raise you. " Elizabeth stands up before going over to Phillip and hugging him after planting a kiss on Sylvia's cheek as the young woman whispers the words that they both were hoping to hear " I love you, mama and papa. "
Their Unfinished Love Starting Again
Six months later, Sylvia comes into the house after a long day in the classroom and goes to her bedroom before sitting at the desk to write. Soon, the house is filled with laughter as Norah Rose brings her kitten to over to her adoptive grandmother in the living room while her mother is upstairs after a hectic day. Meanwhile, Elizabeth sighs as she paces the floor before going to knock on Sylvia's door. The young woman waits for permission to enter before going to sit next to her birth mother at her desk. Sylvia smiles softly before her daughter asks "Ma, may I talk to you?" The older woman nods as she turns her attention to Elizabeth and puts her free hand over her daughter's.
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