But, life did get better. Everyday it was like a little bit more joy was added to her life and she stopped questioning when it would stop or imagining how it could get better, all she knew is that it just did and when she said grace at the evening meal or said her silent prayer before going to bed, she was truly thankful for everything that she had been given.
Her days were filled setting up her new home while Edward worked, her evenings with spending time with him, just basking in the glory of his company while he did the same with her, and then there were the nights.
She never imagined that physical intimacy could take their relationship to another level, but it certainly did and it was all they could do to keep their hands off each other and not retire early to bed every evening.
Unlike other couples in their social set, Elizabeth and Edward weren't just suffering from infatuation when they married, they were truly in love, and it showed. No one could ever doubt the way that they felt about each other when they saw them smiling at one another, or just saw the way they glanced at each other from across crowded rooms when they were at various social functions. Both of them were happier than they had ever been and they both felt blessed.
It didn't come as a surprise to anyone when Elizabeth discovered she was pregnant just a few short months after the wedding. At first she simply thought she had caught a stomach flu that had been going around, but when she started to have dizzy spells it was Edward that insisted she see a physician.
He had rushed home the day of her appointment. She had insisted that he go to work despite the fact that he wanted to go to the doctor's office with her. When he walked in he found her sitting upstairs in one of the empty rooms that she hadn't gotten around to decorating yet.
The worry that he felt was in the tone of his voice as he saw her standing there, her back to the door. "Lizzy?"
Turning to face him she smiled softly and without a word she had gone up to embrace him, pulling him into the kind of kiss that was usually reserved for a time when the maids had gone to bed. Of course he returned the kiss in kind, but when he pulled away the anxiety he felt was still etched clearly on his face.
"Lizzy, what did the doctor say?"
Instead of answering she gave him a secretive smile that showed she was hiding something and she moved from his arms and walked to the center of the room. Her silence only served to agitate him more.
"Lizzy?!"
She walked to the far corner of the room and stood about four feet away from it and spread out her arms as she finally spoke, her voice trembling with emotion. "I think that the crib would look good right here."
Now, Edward Masen was a smart man, no one ever doubted that, but at that moment perhaps it was his concern that clouded his ability to think clearly and realize what it was that his beautiful wife was trying to tell him. "Well, of course, if that's what you'd like. Someday when we have a ba…"
It was when he almost said the word "baby" that the clues finally fell into place and he stood stunned, his sapphire blue eyes wide for a moment. "Baby. Baby? Baby! We're going to have a baby?!"
As she turned to look at him, she couldn't help but giggle at the fact that he had said the word "baby" with four different tones and inflections in such a short span of time. She was grinning so much and couldn't stop so her only response was to nod at his words.
Before she knew it he had taken her up in his arms and was twirling and jumping about the empty room with her, laughing happily. Then she was a bit startled when he suddenly set her down, the happiness there in his eyes, but worry etched in his features again. "Oh! Sorry! I shouldn't be jostling you about." He bent over and patted her still flat stomach and whispered, "Sorry, sorry!" As if their son or daughter could feel what was going on or understand what he was saying.
Even as she laughed and whispered, "I don't think your jostling me about is going to hurt the baby, love." He could only grin sheepishly, but didn't straighten up and just stayed bent over for a moment, staring at her stomach as if he expected the baby to grown right before his eyes.
After a moment he kneeled in front of her and both his hands rested gently against her stomach and then he moved his arms around her waist, nuzzled her stomach a bit and kissed it before he rested his cheek against it. He was like that as his voice, choked with emotion, whispered, "Thank you."
She felt a bit choked up herself and ran her fingers through his hair and just held him there and whispered. "No, Edward. Thank you."
Yes, life got better everyday and just when she thought she'd reached a pinnacle, there was more perfection to be found ahead.
