Really?

When Calls the Heart Season 7 Episode 10 packed a heckuva wallop, but that doesn't mean we have to be happy about it.

Knowing that there is more WCTH to come for us adoring #Hearties, though, makes this hour just a little bit sweeter.

We're going to start slow, people, so settle in for the ride.

Fiona, sweet Fiona, is here to stay -- for now. Does that mean that when When Calls the Heart Season 8 begins, Fiona will be doing something other than fielding phone calls and making repairs?

I sure hope so because Kayla Wallace has a lot of talent, and I've been waiting for her character to branch out and give that girl some room to shine!

And if the finale is any indication, there is going to be at least one more eligible bachelor in Hope Valley. But we're not there yet!

Since it was Carson who gave Fiona the pep talk she needed to change her life, it was hard not to notice there wasn't even a mention of Faith before the credits rolled.

That was disappointing, as it would be welcome for the charismatic Paul Greene to get outside of his life as a doctor more often.

Not that he wasn't needed during the When Calls the Heart Season 7 finale.

From beginning to end, Carson was on call for a myriad of reasons.

One person he didn't need to look after despite his still progressing recovery after mild head trauma was Lee Coulter.

What Lee could have used was a psychologist. Dealing with his sister wasn't easy for him. But the steadfast support of his beautiful wife, Rosemary, helped keep him from spinning out.

Although it caused Lee some concern that his sister, whom he thought he knew so well, would hang up on him only to show up in town soon after, Susanna made a great decision skipping the phone for the more personal touch.

They would have never gotten to the point they did without Rosemary's help. Being more of an observer into their situation, even without knowing Susanna, Rosemary had some keen insights that aided the siblings to reconnect and let bygones be bygones.

Twenty years without communicating is a very long time, and they both changed a lot. Lee was just a kid when he last saw Susanna. That doesn't make his absence from the family any easier to take, but it does give him a pass.

That pass was extended only because there was so much tragedy in their short life that they both realized nobody could have known how to react in their situation, and with the size of their family getting ever smaller, walling off the other was petty and damaging.

Surely, you, too, have had a situation in which you wanted to communicate but read the room wrong. Thank goodness that Lee and Susanna saw themselves out of that decades-long hole they'd slipped into.

It helped that Susanna recognized how blessed she was with her family, too, something that Lee has been struggling to attain.

The uncomfortable truth that Lee and Rosemary hadn't been as blessed helped Susanna open her heart to expand their family once again.

And how cute was it that she brought the family album? I can't imagine not having access to memories like that. Recounting the past is an enjoyable pastime.

The best news is that Susanna lives outside of Hope Valley, which gives the Coulters a reason to stick to their vacation plans. It's been too easy for them to give up their plans to stay in Hope Valley.

Now that leaving the valley affords them the change to meet their nephews and Susanna's husband, they'll make sure they get at least that far!

Someone who made a step in the wrong direction is Henry.

He's very stubborn, and in that stubbornness, he gave rise to Elizabeth doubting Lucas, and that's unacceptable.

Lucas very clearly cares about the employees of Gowan Petroleum as much as Henry. And his offer to buy out the majority share of the company to ensure his access to the records and to carefully steer Henry away from quick-fix and morally questionable business practices was sound.

It's hard to understand what's behind Henry's decision to sell outright, and I have to wonder if he'll stick around Hope Valley in the wake of Gowan Petroleum's sale to Lucas.

Lucas is now in over his head, and he knows it. A part of me worries that he took Henry's offer only to please Elizabeth.

After all, his initial reaction was to walk away from the company entirely. He had done a lot without enough effort from Henry to include him in the corporate business.

But when Elizabeth shared her worry over the people who depended on Gowan Petroleum for their livelihoods, he second-guessed himself and offered to buy the majority share.

If nothing else, Lucas is resourceful. He knows how to get things done and where to find the people to help him do it.

With Fiona out of a job, maybe she'll have enough business acumen to lend a hand with Lucas' new venture. No, she doesn't know much about oil, but if we learned anything about the pit into which Henry fell, the more hands on deck, the better.

Bringing in a new character with oil knowledge makes sense as much as getting Fiona on board.

And geez, didn't Lucas give his all to Elizabeth? She got her book deal!

But she barely got time to celebrate it because she was so otherwise occupied with the petroleum business and how it would affect Hope Valley.

As giving as she is, Lucas tried to match her efforts not only with his offer to Henry but by lifting Elizabeth's spirits to celebrate her enormous accomplishment.

Sure, Lucas had an alternative reason to celebrate with Elizabeth -- making his romantic interest in her plain as day.

We've discussed this. Lucas is a great match for Elizabeth. He's kind, successful, caring, and shares some of the refinements to which Elizabeth was once accustomed.

Like Elizabeth, he doesn't linger in the shadows waiting for action; he makes a move.

The celebratory dinner he had prepared was extraordinary. Planning the dinner in the library, which not only means a lot to both of them but will one day be the home of Elizabeth's novel, was quite meaningful.

Lucas: Now, I know that this is not a date, but would you say that, as friends, we toast to your success with a glass of champagne?
Elizabeth: I would like that very much.
Lucas: However, if this were a date, I would take your jacket. [Elizabeth gives him her jacket]
Elizabeth: Thank you.
Lucas: I would also pull your chair out for you. And I might even gently touch your hand as I pass you your glass and hold your gaze for longer than normal.
Elizabeth: And I would think that was very sweet.

• Permalink: And I would think that was very sweet.

And the way Lucas suggested how he'd treat her if their evening would be a date, allowed Elizabeth to gently accept his advances without any pressure.

And the chemistry between them was out of this world! It was the most intimate I've seen two characters on When Calls the Heart, and it was all done with words.

But of course, Nathan had been trying to get up the guts to ask Elizabeth on a date for ages.

As Kevin McGarry said in our Q&A, "Nathan, your success in life is dependent on how many uncomfortable conversations you're willing to have."

Elizabeth? Would you like to get dinner with me? When I get back? Maybe at the cafe? I'll tell you what. Why don't you think about it, and you can let me know.

Nathan

• Permalink: Elizabeth? Would you like to get dinner with me? When I get back? Maybe at the cafe? I'll...

By the time he did that, Elizabeth had already shared a beautiful evening with Lucas. His timing was off, to say the least.

What happened next wasn't as cut and dry as it might have looked to Lucas (and us).

I'm doubling down on my belief that Lucas is the right man for Elizabeth, but that doesn't mean that what happened when she saw Nathan was safe wasn't alarming.

Well, alarming for me. Probably incredibly exciting for those who believe Nathan is the right man for Elizabeth.

The look on Lucas' face broke my heart.

Rosemary: Sooner or later, you're going to have to decide.
Elizabeth: I know. I think by not deciding, I'm protecting myself from letting in either of them.
Rosemary: Elizabeth, we all have our own path. And when the time is right for you to choose, you'll know.

• Permalink: Elizabeth, we all have our own path. And when the time is right for you to choose, you'll know.

Rosemary's words suggested that Elizabeth wouldn't make a choice but her subconscious would choose for her.

But did Elizabeth rushing into Nathan's arms really indicate her feelings for him, or was she revisiting another time when she waited anxiously for the return of her Mountie and the arms into which she would never rush again?

If anything, this experience is another indicator that getting romantically involved with a Mountie is highly stressful. It's hard to imagine that if you suffer a loss that enormous once that you'd be eager to do it again.

Between Nathan's reluctance to make a stand for her heart and his profession, it's hard to imagine that she's got feelings for Nathan as much as she has residual feelings for Jack, the Mountie who still has her heart and is the father of her son.

The bad news is that you now have to watch When Calls the Heart online to get you through to the eighth season.

The good news is that there is a season, and there is still room for this whole triangle thing to go in any direction.

What are your thoughts on what transpired?

Did Lucas made a bad decision buying Gowan Petroleum?

What will Fiona do in Hope Valley now that she'll stick around?

What will having an extended family mean for Lee and Rosemary?

Please, take some time to share your thoughts with me. The wait until next season will be long! Let's stretch out the finale a little longer.

And here's a look at the renewal notice for those of you who missed it!

Carissa Pavlica is the managing editor and a staff writer and critic for TV Fanatic. She's a member of the Critic's Choice Association, enjoys mentoring writers, conversing with cats, and passionately discussing the nuances of television and film with anyone who will listen. Follow her on X and email her here at TV Fanatic.