In the wintertime, the library was at its finest. It became of a hub of activity. The wives of Rose Square typically relocated to Anna and Basil's house, while many of the young adults, temporarily free from most outdoor chores, typically hung out on the second story. Occasionally Anna would surprise them with warm baked goods, and more often than not, Rick and Karen snuck in wine and beer. Sometimes Mary would even venture upstairs to join them, if they brought a solid red.

But the real reason Mary loved the library in the winter was its balance. She was usually alone on the first floor, or joined by some silent visitor studying away at the desk. Yet the ambient laughter and chatter from upstairs and next door was the perfect background. She never felt alone, and she was never crowded. If only the library could be like this all year, she often thought with a wistful sigh.

"Aw, Mary, you ok?" The petite librarian looked up. Who stood at the stairs' landing but Karen, feet shoulder width apart, her hand held jauntily on one hip. Her hair shined proudly over her slim, strong shoulders. Mary was consumed with jealousy and admiration.

"Oh, yes!" She popped up immediately, with a warm smile. "I was daydreaming again. Surprise, surprise! Do you need help finding anything?"

Karen glanced down at her ironically, suggesting that both women knew that no studying was taking place upstairs. Karen's voice was then inviting, and uncharacteristically soft. "I came to ask you to join us. It's important."

"Oh!" Mary's eyes were big. "Of course!"

"Is Jack here? He's not upstairs, and we wanted to have everybody here at once."

"No, but I'll get him." Cell phones were rare in Mineral Town, too expensive for the average villager, especially given how spotty the coverage was. But the town had recently invested in corded phones, running the telephone wires below ground to avoid damage during the seasonal storms. This was huge for a town of under 100 people.

Mary hurried back into her parents house and dialed Jack. He picked up at the end of the last ring, out of breath. "Hello?"

"Did you run for the phone?" She giggled. "It's Mary."

"Yeah, I did. I was coming back from shearing the sheep. Barely heard the phone ring. What's up?"

"Everybody's on the second floor of the library, and we want you to come over as soon as possible."

"Like how soon as possible?"

"Now, preferably."

"Oh. Ok. Yeah, I think I can do that." Jack wasn't good at hiding any expressions of surprise. "I'll be right there."

Mary bought him some time by bringing up a big platter of tarts, made with sour, lemon-like, uniquely smelling yuzu. Anna must have gone on a baking spree now that yuzu was in season. They were the best barely cooled, and it was difficult for Mary to save a few for Jack.

He arrived ten minutes later, pink in the cheeks, nose, and ears, and lightly bundled up. "Hey, what'd I miss!" Jack paused at the top of the stairs. There were nine other people there, and he couldn't help but feel that something was out of place. "Whoa, Doctor, are you in street clothes?"

Nine pairs of eyes turned on the doctor, sitting cross-legged on the floor. He waved his hand nonchalantly in a cat-like pawing motion. "This whole 'Doctor' thing is silly. We're not in my office! Call me Tim."

Everyone seemed a little torn at that moment. They were so unexpectedly excited to see the doctor in normal clothes and call him by name. But they were so disappointed that he was named Tim.

"Anyway, what are we here for?" Cliff began, his voice bright. "I see bottlenecks sticking out!"

Once he pointed them out, everyone peered at a small box sitting on the floor, packed with several bottles of wine. Rick laughed, tickled and embarrassed. "Well, I know you guys weren't expecting to see the doctor here on one of his office days, but he came with us after he told us the news." He looked to Karen, and took her hand.

She took the cue to speak up. "You guys haven't seen us around recently, and that's because I haven't been feeling like myself. That's why we went to the doctor today, when we found out that I'm about three months pregnant."

The room broke out into laughter, cheers, and applause.

"I was so worried that it was bad news!"

"Aw, congratulations!"

"When are you due?"

It took a little to process the different voices when they all spoke at once. Karen was rosy and beaming. "Late June. We're so happy to be having a summer baby!"

Mary went down to get more food from next door. When she explained to her parents, they overwhelmed her with food to share with the guests. Jack helped her carry up big platters of fruit, soft cheese, and crackers.

"What do you need for the baby?" Ann asked. "If we all chip in, it'll be a lot easier on both of you."

Rick and Karen looked at each other with lost expressions on their faces. "Wait, didn't your mom give you a list?"

"Oh, right!" Rick's hair fluffed up a little. He pulled a crinkled-up ball of paper out of his back pocket, carefully unfolding it until it was legible. "We'll pass this around. If you can help us with any of the things on here, sign your name and let us know how much of it you can handle."

The young adults scrambled playfully to get a good look at the list. It was a very simple, unambitious list of baby needs: cloth diapers, wipes, onesies, bottles, pacifiers, blankets, burp cloths.

"We're gonna need a ton of cloth diapers," Karen announced. "So anybody who can make things like onesies and blankets, please consider making a few cloth diapers, too."

While everyone was writing down their promised gifts, Jack approached Karen and Rick quietly. Mary barely noticed among all the excitement. They spoke briefly and quietly, and though Jack said little, Karen and Rick both seemed elated, gratefully shaking his hand. Jack seemed relieved. He rejoined Mary with a kiss, and the whole group enjoyed snacks and champagne.

Several bottles later, the happy parents-to-be and their guests left, most of them very tipsy. Jack and Mary walked arm-in-arm, supporting each other a little with each step. Mary cradled an unopened, leftover bottle under her free arm. The wine flush made her somewhat more straightforward. "What did you say to Rick and Karen?" She asked, when they were well out of earshot from the other couples.

"I offered to cover the price of whatever crib they wanted for the baby." His answer was so casual, Mary almost didn't think much of it. But then the expectant couple's faces came to mind.

"Would you have Gotz make it?"

"Yeah, exactly. He does good work."

Mary knew that Gotz charged an arm and a leg for lumber, and that his building projects weren't cheap. When Jack had asked him to build a new doghouse next to the stable, Gotz asked him for 20,000 gold, and that was without materials! A doghouse was roughly the size of a crib. That custom crib could very well be a gift worth 45,000 gold.

The young woman smiled to herself. She had known all along that she loved and was loved by a man who could give them both comfortable lives. But she was glad to learn that the same man would be generous with his wealth and humble despite it.