Elizabeth slipped under the covers and sat back to read Jack's third letter. She imagined him sitting right there with her, speaking the words.
Dear Elizabeth,
The Franklin's are so kind to let me, a stranger, stay with them. Maybe there's a certain level of trust there, due to my job, but still. Mrs. Franklin is your age, I believe. Mr. Franklin is considerably older, maybe by at least ten years. He's a blacksmith and a carpenter. He works extremely hard everyday and then drags himself home at night, beyond exhausted, but willing to play with his children and spend time with his wife. He and I have spent a few nights in the past week talking, mostly about my family but also getting to know each other.
I hope you write soon. I want to know how the twins are, how Caleb is doing in school. How Bug is doing learning the alphabet and what new words Emmy has picked up. I want to know how my Mom and Bill are and Grace. Have you heard from Tom and Julie and Sophie lately or Abigail, Frank and Carrie? Most of all, I want to know if you are ok. Are you sleeping or staying awake, struggling, like I am? Do you miss my arms around you as much as I miss you being in them? This is getting to be tiresome and I don't care for being apart at all.
I love you, Sweetie and I hope you are fine. Please let me know, so I can at least relax a tiny bit.
I will write again soon,
Your loving husband,
Jack
Elizabeth sighed, slipping further under the covers, reaching over to touch where Jack would have been. Her cold toes, were kept warm with socks, longing for the day soon when she could slip her cold feet under his legs, like she used too, making him gasp. She grabbed his pillow and held it close to her face, hoping to catch a slight scent of him, but it had been too long.
She knew she needed to sleep, but instead she grabbed the fourth letter and opened it.
Honey,
Where is my news from home? I miss you and I am getting so worried that something has happened to cause you not to write to me. Is someone sick, or worse? I can't sleep, Sweetheart. Please let me know!
I love you,
Jack
Elizabeth teared up and now felt extremely guilty and sorry that she hadn't read the letters until now. "I'm so sorry, Jack. Please forgive me." She whispered to herself.
The fifth and final letter again pleaded with her for news. She went to their office down the hall and flipped on the lamp and wrote to him. She told about everything and apologized for not answering his letters. She assured him, they were fine but missed him just as much.
At the end of her letter, eight pages, she put a smudge of her vanilla scented lotion that he loved, hoping it would give him a tiny shred of comfort.
A week later, just as he was leaving town to finally go home, he received her letter. He put it in his saddlebag to read on his long, lonely journey. He was about a weeks ride away, he figured. He devoured her words the first night by the campfire and then reread them over each night. Her words calmed his heart, but made him miss her even more, the closer he got to home.
The weather held amazingly, considering it was three days after Christmas and normally snow had fallen in Hope Valley by then. He rode into his yard at midnight and went to the barn to take care of Sargeant.
Then he walked through the yard, up the porch steps and into the front door of his quiet, peaceful house. He removed his boots and hat and coat, walked to the bathroom to wash the dirt from his skin and then went to see his family. His girls were sleeping side by side in Maddie's crib. He kissed their foreheads gently and went to check on Caleb. He held his bear and light tightly to his body. It looked like he had grown so much. "Love you buddy," he whispered.
His heart quickened at the thought of seeing Elizabeth next. He quietly opened the door and tiptoed over to their closet to remove his clothes and dress in clean long John's. He inadvertently dropped Elizabeth's hair brush on the floor, waking her up.
She sat up and patiently allowed her eyes to adjust. She gasped. "Jack?" She hurried out of bed and into his arms. "Are you really here?" He wrapped his arms around her waist and held on for dear life, breathing in her wonderful scent.
"I'm here. I missed you so much."
"I'm so sorry, Jack. Did you get my letter?"
"Yes, I was so worried something had happened that I almost quit and just came home." She stepped back and looked at his tear covered face.
She missed that face, and those arms and those eyes and his everything. "I'm sorry I worried you."
"It doesn't matter now," he whispered. He touched her face, kissing her cheeks and then found her lips with his. He had been dreaming of this for seven long, torturous weeks. Now he was home. She was his home.
That morning, Jack stayed home from work, allowing Bill to do his rounds so he could enjoy being home again. Waking up with Elizabeth in his arms, eating breakfast with his family, including Grace, holding his children and hearing them laugh. All of it was absolutely wonderful.
"Jack, can you help me for a moment?" Elizabeth called from the bedroom.
He got up from the couch and went to her. "Sure, sweetie. What is it?"
She waited until he shut the door and then she walked up to him and smiled. "Hi."
"Hi," he said. "What did you need?"
"You. I just wanted you to myself for a few minutes." She put her hands on his chest and then moved them up around the back of his neck. "Is that ok?"
"Um, yes. Very ok." He chuckled and leaned down to kiss her, stopping just shy of her lips, looking in her beautiful eyes and wanting to taste her, but wanting to wait.
"My Mother asked me what I missed most about you."
"You said….?"
"Your aftershave and how your breath tastes like peppermint. I told her it was intoxicating."
He smiled, giving her butterflies. Yeah, she missed that too. She moved in, taking away the space and slowly, kissing him, feeling his hands move on her back as he pulled her closer into him.
"Mama?" Emmy had walked in and neither of them had heard the door open. "Mama? Up pease."
Elizabeth stopped kissing her husband and looked down.
"Hi, baby." She bent down and picked her up.
"Wock, Mama," she said pointing at the chair.
"Are you tired?" She nodded and put her head on Elizabeth's shoulder.
"Hot, Mama." Elizabeth put her hand on Emmy's forehead to see if she had a fever.
"Are you catching Caleb's cold, sweetie?"
"Caleb's been sick?"
"Yeah, he caught it at school. Looks like Emmy's got it now which means Maddie will because they sleep in the same bed." She sat down and rocked Emmy, humming lightly. Jack leaned down and kissed her. "How do you want me to help?"
"You're fine, you don't have to help."
"Sweetie, let me help."
"Ok, well, Mother and I usually bathe the kids at night, but if you want, you can do it now. Even Drew and Will."
"Ok, I will handle it."
"Thank you, Love." He went to walk away but she grabbed his hand. "Hey, something else."
"Anything."
"One more kiss." He leaned down and kissed her three more times, just because. "Thank you."
"My pleasure." She smiled and looked down at Emmy who had closed her eyes but was playing with one of Elizabeth's buttons. She looked just like Jack more and more every day. Her hair was curly, but the color matched Jack's perfectly. When she smiled, her eyes and dimples matched him too.
Will started crying a minute later and then Drew. Elizabeth sighed and put Emmy in the bed and picked up her boys. She was getting quite adept at picking them up at the same time. She had even figured out how to get them nursing by herself as well. She walked into the living room with the babies. "Mother, do you mind taking one of the babies for me? I need a free hand."
Grace reached out and took Drew, settling him on her chest. "Here, give me Will too."
Elizabeth handed the whimpering baby to his grandmother. She watched as Grace put him next to Drew, their faces almost touching. They opened their eyes and looked at each other and stopped fussing. Elizabeth stood amazed. "How did you figure that out?"
"It only makes sense. They were together in tight quarters for almost nine months and they sleep in the same cradle now. They are comfortable together."
"Thank you, Mother. I will remember that little trick." All of the sudden an unclothed Maddie ran into the living room, giggling. "Madelyn Elizabeth Thornton! Where are your clothes?" Elizabeth said in her scary teacher voice, hands on her hips.
"In there. No bath, Mama!" She ran around Elizabeth trying to keep away from Jack who had entered the room.
Elizabeth grabbed a blanket from the couch and wrapped Maddie in it, handing her to Jack. "Nice catch, Sweetheart," he said with a laugh.
"Lots of practice, oh and try locking the door, Love."
Later, about the time Jack was ready to bathe the twins, they decided they were hungry. So as he was bathing Drew, she fed Will and then they switched.
When all the kids were bathed, except Emmy, they fed the older two and everyone took a nap, even Jack and Elizabeth. "Thank you for bathing them, Jack. That really saved some time later."
"You're welcome. Maybe later we can take a bath." He slipped his arms around her waist and pulled her close, so close she was on his pillow with him.
"Maybe." She closed her eyes and started to fall asleep, so he kissed her gently and went to sleep too.
Elizabeth woke up to crying. It wasn't the twins. It sounded like Emmy. She got up and went in to the girls bedroom. Emmy was crying and holding her ear. "Mama?" She held her arms out.
"Hi, does your ear hurt, Emmy?" She nodded and Elizabeth picked her up.
"Maddie, are you feeling ok?"
"Bug hot, Mama." Elizabeth felt her head and sighed. "Come on, Sweetie. Let's go sit by the fire." Elizabeth helped Maddie out of the crib and they headed to the couch. She laid them down, side by side, under a blanket and put more wood in the fire. Elizabeth warmed up some water to make a warm compress for Emmy's ear. When it was ready she took it out and laid it on Emmy's ear.
"Mama, up?" She started crying again so Elizabeth picked her up.
"Shhh, it's ok Baby. You have to leave it on your ear, it will help you feel better." She rocked her back and forth, but she was miserable. She looked up as she heard Will crying in the bedroom.
"Will crying, Mama," Maddie said.
"I know, Daddy can get him." She listened and after a moment Will stopped crying. Then it was Drew's turn. She smiled. She looked at Emmy who had quieted down as Elizabeth continued to rock her.
"Mama, eat?" She patted Elizabeth's chest and whined. "Pease, Mama?"
"You want me to feed you?" Emmy had lost interest in nursing a long time before, but she remembered the last time Maddie was sick when she was Emmy's age, she asked to nurse and it seemed to comfort her. So Elizabeth unbuttoned her shirt and took the other blanket that was on the couch and covered both of them once Emmy was settled. It was certainly different holding and nursing a two year old versus a two month old. After about ten minutes, Elizabeth peeked and Emmy was asleep.
Jack came out with both boys and sat on the couch. "Hey, how's everyone?"
"Emmy's ear is hurting her. Maddie has a fever too. You might not want to get too close with the twins."
"Good point. I'll take them back to their cradle. I was thinking…" he said as he got up to leave.
"About what, Love?"
"Since we are only using one crib for both girls, and the boys are almost too big to be in one cradle, why don't I move Emmy's crib into our room for the boys? I'm also going to make a bed for Maddie. She's almost too big for her crib."
"Those are good ideas."
"Ok, that's what I'll do then." She smiled up at him and watched him walk away.
Emmy suddenly woke up and started crying. "Shhh, it's ok." Elizabeth readjusted herself and started nursing Emmy again, stroking her curls and her red cheeks. She felt very warm so she uncovered them and rocked her.
Grace walked in and looked at Elizabeth and the girls. "Hello Dear."
"Hi, Mother."
"You're nursing Emmy?"
"She's sick. Her ear is hurting her. She asked me to feed her and it calmed her down, so I did it."
"Beth, you're a wonderful Mother. I'm very proud of you."
"Thank you. That means a lot."
"I agree with you, Mom. The kids and I are very lucky," Jack said as he walked in the room and sat down.
"Daddy? Bug hot," Maddie whimpered as she climbed on his lap.
"Poor Bug." He held her close and rubbed her back. "Let's go in your room where it's cooler." He picked her up and walked away.
Elizabeth could hear Maddie coughing in her room. "I hate when they're sick."
"Its always hard to see, but you're doing a good job comforting them." She looked down at Emmy and smiled.
"I love my babies." She felt her head and her cheeks, still rosy red with fever.
"I know, I love my babies too, even though they are all grown with babies of their own." Grace said with a smile.
"That's sweet, thank you." She gently pulled Emmy away from her and buttoned her shirt. "I'm going to put her in her bed."
"Mama, up..." she mumbled in her sleep.
"Shhh, go to sleep baby."
Elizabeth?"
"Hmm?" She mumbled half asleep against his shoulder. They were on the couch by the fire, but Elizabeth started falling asleep almost as soon as they sat down.
"I wanted to talk but why don't you just go to bed, Sweetheart? It's been a long day."
"I'm sorry, Love. I think I will go to bed." She sat up and then looked at him. "Are you coming?"
"No, I'll stay here for a little longer."
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah, I'll be in later."
"Ok, love you."
"Love you too."
The next morning, Elizabeth woke up again, after being up basically all night feeding babies and holding sick little girls. She was exhausted and her throat was sore. She sighed.
"What's wrong, Honey?"
"Sore throat."
"Already?"
"I probably caught it when the girls did, from Caleb." She got up and started to put her robe on.
"Where are you going?"
"To check on the girls and start breakfast. The twins will need to eat soon, so everyone else's breakfast needs to be made. Do you want coffee?" With the last word she coughed and realized her head ached.
"I can do it. Just go back to bed."
"Sweetie, you need to go do rounds. I took care of everyone while you….nevermind. Do you want coffee?"
"Yes, please." She walked to the kitchen and put the coffee on and cut slices of bread to toast. "Mama? Good morning."
"Morning, Caleb," she said, coughing more.
"Are you sick?"
"Yes, but I'm fine. You need to eat so you can get ready for school. I'm making eggs."
"Ok, Mama."
Jack walked in with a very hot looking Maddie and Emmy in his arms. "Elizabeth, I'm worried about their fevers. I think when I go to town, I'll see if Dr. Burns can come out."
She walked over and felt their heads. Their fevers were definitely higher than the day before. "Good idea." She got them each a cup of water. "Are you hungry Maddie?"
"No, Mama. Hot." She helped her drink some water.
"Mama, eat," Emmy leaned toward her.
"Let me finish the eggs and then I'll feed you," she said, holding her in one arm while she stirred the food.
If that wasn't enough to do all at once, Drew and Will decided they wanted to eat too. Jack took Maddie to the couch and wrapped her in a light blanket. "Stay here, Bug." He walked to get the boys, listening to Maddie coughing as he left the room.
Elizabeth gave Caleb his eggs and toast. "Caleb, when you get done eating, I need you to go get dressed so Daddy can take you to school."
"Yes, Mama." She unbuttoned her shirt to feed Emmy as she walked into the living room. She sat down and relaxed for a moment as Emmy ate. She could hear Drew still crying in the other room as her Mother walked in.
"Beth, what's going on?"
"I need your help."
"Of course. What do you need?"
"Can you please help Jack with the boys? I know they're hungry but can you try to quiet them while I get Emmy to sleep?" She started coughing again.
"You sound sick, Beth. You should rest."
"Yes, well, I don't see that happening anytime soon." She looked over at Maddie who was shivering even though she was hot.
Grace walked in to Jack and Elizabeth's bedroom. She found Jack rocking both boys who were whimpering but calm.
"Jack, why don't you give them to me?"
"Its ok, I've got them."
"Yes, but don't you have Caleb to take to school and rounds to do?"
"I forgot about school. Yes, I guess I do." He seemed frustrated.
"Jack, we can handle this. We did it while….nevermind." She reached for one of the babies. She noticed the hurt look on his face. "I'm sorry, dear. I didn't mean anything by what I started to say."
"Yes, well, Elizabeth said the same thing earlier, so maybe there's some truth to it." He handed Drew to her and walked out of the room.
"Jack, wait," but he had left the room. She felt bad. She only meant they would be fine and not to worry. She was sure he took it to mean they didn't need his help, which was so far from the truth.
He said goodbye to Elizabeth and took Caleb to school. He did his rounds and stopped by his Mom's house to ask if she could help with the kids considering Elizabeth was sick now too. She agreed and said she would head over.
He headed back to work, still bothered by the comments that both Grace and Elizabeth started but never finished. He felt like they didn't need him and that hurt him very much. He tried to help as much as possible, maybe it wasn't enough. He finished his rounds and on his way back to town he stopped by to ask Dr. Burns to check on Maddie and Emmy. Then he went to get coffee at Abigail's. It wasn't his deliberate intention to get her advice, but he hoped she would offer it because she always seemed to know when he needed it.
"Abigail? Are you here?" Jack called as he walked in the door. Carrie was crying upstairs and the café seemed really busy.
"Jack, Hi. Um I don't have time to talk. Julie is sick and Sarah my other cook is helping in the dining room. Oh and I hear Carrie crying."
"Abigail, take a breath. Is she hungry?"
"No, I just fed her."
"Where's Frank?"
"At the church. Oh I better go see what's wrong."
"No, I'll take care of her. She's probably just lonely or wet."
"Jack you don't have to."
"I know, you probably don't need me, but I want to help."
"I do need you, very much. You're up, Uncle Jack." He smiled and ran up the stairs to see to Carrie.
"Hi, Baby girl. What seems to be the problem?" He checked her diaper and she was soaked through. "Well, I can see why you're upset." He found a diaper and a new nightgown and before long she was happy. He rocked her for a few minutes and then brought her downstairs so he could get some coffee.
He poured his coffee and took a sip, kissing Carrie on the forehead. "You look like your Mama, Carrie Hogan."
"That's what Frank says too, but usually I figure he's just trying to get me to smile." Abigail walked in and sat for a moment. "Jack?"
"Yes, Abigail."
"Why did you make the comment about me not needing you earlier?"
"No reason," he said suddenly serious.
"Jack Thornton, out with it. Why aren't you home?"
He sighed and moved Carrie to his shoulder because she had fallen asleep. "I took Caleb to school and did my rounds."
"Jack, why are you dancing around the question? If you are thinking that your family doesn't need you, forgive me, but that's crazy."
"Great, I'm crazy and unwanted. Good combination."
"What happened? Did Elizabeth say something about not needing you? I can't believe that is what she meant. She was miserable without you when you were gone."
"She and Grace both started to say that they can handle everything, I don't need to help."
"Jack, there is no way that they meant what you are thinking. You have five children now. She needs every hand she can get."
Jack stood up. "I'm going to put Carrie to bed. Thanks for the talk, Abigail." He didn't feel any worse, but he didn't feel better either.
He walked back down the stairs. "Jack? Thank you for helping me."
He nodded and left.
Charlotte and Dr. Burns arrived at the same time to the Thornton's. "Dr. Burns! Good to see you."
"You too, Mrs. Avery. Are you feeling ok? This illness going around isn't a very nice one."
"Yes, I am healthy as a horse. I never get sick. I'm here to help since Elizabeth is sick now too."
"Well, let's go see how everyone is." He followed Charlotte into the house.
"Elizabeth?" The house was quiet except for a crying baby in the bedroom. Elizabeth walked out with Drew in her arms.
"Mom? What are you doing here?"
"Jack asked if I could help you today. You don't look well, Sweetie."
"I've felt better." She started coughing.
"Here, give me Drew. Who's tending to Will?"
"My Mother." She looked toward the door. "Dr. Burns. Thank you for coming."
"Mrs. Thornton. How are you feeling? You look feverish."
"Its not me, Maddie and Emmy are worse. They are in here." She led him to their bedroom. He took out his thermometer and took both of their temperatures. Then he listened to their hearts and chests as they breathed. He looked in their ears and mouths.
"Well, it's the same as I've seen all over town, but their temperatures are slightly higher than I've seen. Have they been eating and drinking?"
"I've been giving them water but Maddie won't eat. She just says she's hot."
"And Emma?"
"She started asking me to nurse her. I hesitated at first because it's been a long time, but it seems to help her."
"She feels comforted. As long as they are drinking normally and using the bathroom normally, it's ok if they don't eat solid food. The past few cases I've seen, the fever lasts about three days and then everyone starts to feel better." Elizabeth nodded and coughed.
"Mrs. Thornton, you need to rest."
"I'll try, Doctor."
"Listen, if you don't, you could get it worse than your children. Your cough already sounds worse. If you don't rest, you could end up not able to take care of any of them."
"Thank you. I'll rest. Thank you for coming out here."
"Of course. Have Jack come get me if you or the children get worse, ok?"
"I will."
Jack came home shortly after Dr. Burns left. His mom and Grace were in the living room each holding a twin. "Ladies, how is everyone?"
"Maddie and Emmy are finally sleeping. Elizabeth is in the kitchen making soup."
"She should be resting."
"Yeah, but she thinks soup will help the girls."
Jack walked in to the kitchen. "Elizabeth, why don't you let me take over?"
"Its fine, Jack. I'm almost finished. Then it just has to cook for awhile."
"Fine, Elizabeth. If you refuse to let me help, maybe I'll just go back to town." He said it louder and harsher than he meant to, but he couldn't take it back. He walked out of the kitchen and started putting his coat and boots back on.
"Jack? Where are you going?" Charlotte asked.
"Town. I need to get Caleb from school soon anyway. I'm sure you can handle everything, you did it while I was gone."
Elizabeth walked out, hoping to catch him but he was gone already.
"Beth? What happened?"
"I have no idea. He offered to finish the soup and I told him I was almost done anyway. Then he got angry and left."
"Oh boy."
"What Mother?"
"Earlier when the babies were crying and I went to help him, I told him that I would take the babies since he had rounds and Caleb to take to school. Then I said that we handled things while….and then I stopped. I felt so bad that I had said it like that. I apologized but he said there must be some truth to it since you had said basically the same thing."
Elizabeth thought for a moment. "Yes, I did. He offered to cook breakfast but I said I could do it because we handled things just fine….while he was away. He must think we don't need him. That couldn't be further from the truth. I need him so much."
"When he comes back, we will explain."