Frances was sitting in her rocking chair for a little rest, enjoying a hot, but pleasant August day. Her abdomen was feeling a little itchy and achy, but Dr. Walker told her it was just the stretching ligaments. She couldn't wrap her head around all the symptoms she was experiencing, but yet it was interesting to her...what was going on with her body. There were days the symptoms annoyed her...what with the itchy stomach, the dizziness, the leg cramps and swelling ankles and feet...and the slight clumsiness she was experiencing. And yet being pregnant really showed her how wonderful and good God really is, and how powerful He is...Just the thought of another person growing a little every day within her showed her that. To think God designed that and planned that and made that come to be!...It excited her and she couldn't wait till she and her husband finally met this baby face to face.

Frances sat there enjoying the view outside, and she felt the baby kicking. She had been feeling the little flutters and thumps and jabs quite regularly now.

"Looks like you're more active today, huh Baby?" She laughed, placing a hand on her belly. "I wish Fred was here to experience this with me." Frances sighed. She felt the baby kick a little harder.

She laughed and ran a hand over her belly..."Do you want your Pa home too?...Lets hope he comes home soon. Should be in the next week." Frances smiled. "I sure do miss him...I've been so lonely without him..." She heard wagon wheels coming up the road and her head snapped in attention up the road aways. "It's him!...He's home! He's home early!...I can't believe it!" She said excitedly and ran out to meet him. "Fred!" She ran into his arms and nearly started bawling. "Oh Fred, I've missed you!...I've missed you so, so so much!...I know it seems silly, but to me, three months seemed like an aweful, aweful long time!" She said, with tears now streaming down her cheeks. Frances covered his face and lips with dozens and dozens of kisses.

"I know...I know. It was for me too. I missed you!" Fred smiled. "Gosh, I'd pick you up and spin you around...but I don't think that'd be the thing to do..." He laughed.

"I don't think you could!...Just look at me!" Frances laughed. "I'm putting on more weight because of the baby!"

"I think you've gotten even more beautiful since the last time I saw you...Goodness, gracious! Look at you!" He kissed her and ran his fingers through her hair, since she had it down as it was. "Your hair's changed! Its thicker...Gosh, I think it's even more beautiful than it was before..." He smiled.

"Pregnancy does that...You'll find out that a lot of me has changed in the last three months..." She smiled. "C'mon inside. I'll make an early supper and we can spend the rest of the day together...You can tell me all about your trip..."

Frances fixed up a hearty supper of thick slices of fried ham, green beans, mashed potatoes, and homemade biscuits. She set down two glasses of milk and was about to sit down herself...

"There he goes again!" She laughed, placing her hands on her belly.

"Who goes?" Fred grinned.

"This..." She said, and walked over, grabbed his hands and placed them on her six months pregnant belly. "Can't you feel it? The baby kicking?" Frances beamed at him.

"Fiesty little thing, isn't she?" Fred smiled. "Just like her Ma..."

"How do you know its a girl?

"Well, I don't!" Fred laughed..."And how do you know its a boy?"

"Come again?" Frances laughed.

"You said 'he'..." Fred smiled.

"When?"

"Just now..."

"I did not!" Frances laughed.

"Yes...You did, honey." Fred smiled.

"Oh, shut up..." She laughed and sat back down at the table next to him.

"Do you want a boy?" Fred asked her, smiling.

"Well, I don't know...Do YOU want a girl?" Frances asked, giggling at her husband.

"Whatever God wants to give us is fine with me." Fred smiled.

"Me too." Frances smiled, leaned in and kissed him on the lips.

"Twins even?" Fred smirked.

"Now, I don't know about that one!" Frances laughed.

"Have you thought of any names yet?" Fred asked.

"Not really...Well, of course if its a boy he'll have your first name. The firstborn son always does..." She smiled. "but I want the middle name to be different..."

"And if its a girl?"

"There you go again!" Frances laughed.

"I didn't! I'm just saying, IF its a girl..." He smiled.

"Well, I don't know, honey...When I was younger, all the girls would pick names for what they want to name their children someday...We'd make a little game out of it...and I could never pick a girl's name! And I figured, why bother because I'd probably change my mind when the time did come!" Frances laughed. "IF we have a girl, I'm sure I'll think of something..." She smiled.

"Just be thinking of some..."

"I will..." Frances smiled. "And you can help me with that project too, you know!" She laughed. "This is your baby too!"

"I will too..." He smiled, but then he started chuckling...

"What?"

"Here we are...married and expecting our first baby...And just two years ago, we first met just a few steps away from this house on Peru Road,...to think I'd be married to the girl who snubbed me!"

Frances laughed and layed a slender hand on top of his..."To this day, I still think when I didn't answer you, I thought you thought I was deaf or retarded...or maybe both!" She smiled.

He gave her a kiss on the cheek..."But I didn't...Did I?"

Frances looked into those wonderful gray-blue eyes of his and smiled..."No, you didn't..." She raised an eyebrow and smiled at him..."Was it love at first sight, Mr. Lay?...Hmmmm?"

"You bet it was..." He smiled. "At first, I just wanted to be polite, so I said hello...but then I got a closer look at you, and saw you were the prettiest thing I ever saw! Thought I laid eyes on a beautiful angel...And I did...You're my angel."

"Awwww Fred..." Frances blushed.

"Its all true too..." He smiled. "In my book anyway." Fred leaned and gave her a passionate kiss. "I love you."

"I love you too, Fred John..." Frances smiled. "Now...tell me about your trip!"

"It went well...John and I travelled all over Iowa...And just guess who I met in Burton?"

"Who?"

"The young lady I was married to for 5 mintues or so...Mary Amelia Ingalls..."

"Oh, did you?..."

"Yes...Hugged her too...Sorry, hon..." He smiled weakly.

Frances laughed. "Well, you little cheater!" She teased. "With your loving wife...at home alone for three months. And with child!"

"I'm sorry, honey..." Fred said smiling, putting his arm around her and kissed her cheek.

"Oh, you know I'm just teasing you!" Frances laughed, and gently patted his cheek. He leaned in a gave her a kiss on the lips and she deepened it.

She layed her head on his chest as his arms gently wrapped around her. "I missed you so much...Nights were the worst. I felt so lonely!" Frances said, burying her face in his chest. Tears started to fall...maybe it was the pregnancy hormones in full swing or maybe because how much she really had missed him, but otherwise, Frances couldn't help it.

"You don't have to be lonely anymore...I'm here." He whispered. "C'mon...Let's get upstairs..." He flashed a smile and a slight eyebrows raise at her.

"I'll get the dishes then..." She said, getting up and gathering their plates and sliverware.

"Let God do them..." Fred smiled, and took them and set them outside on the ledge. It was pouring down rain now.

"Fred..." She glared in his direction, but then broke into a smile.

Fred walked towards her and wrapped his arms around her waist and slowly let his hands gently fall on the sides of her belly. He kissed her slowly, and soon laced his fingers with hers..."I'll head upstairs and get ready then..." Frances smiled, and went into the next few rooms, and walked up the stairs, with Fred following behind her.

Frances had her nightgown layed out on the bed already, so she sat down on their bed and began to unbutton her tan blouse and slide off her brown skirt...She was very self-concious about her own body now. Her body had changed a lot since the last time Fred saw her and she wondered how he would react tonight. Frances figured she wouldn't know until she tried, so she slid off her petticoats and took off her chemise and lay there in bed, naked, but partially covered by a quilt...

"Why the modesty, hmmm?" Fred smiled, as he was stripping himself of his clothing in front of her. "Frances?" He asked, while noticing tears were forming in her eyes. "Honey, what's the matter?..."

"Because I'm nervous, Fred...Afraid...of what you'll think of my body now..."

"I'll love your body no matter what shape its in...Pregnant or not pregnant."

"How do you know that?...And why would you? Don't lie to me, I know its important to you..."

"Hey now...Stop that...I love you, because you're my wife...And do you remember what you said to me the night this baby was started? Hmmm?...Looks don't matter as much, its how you feel that's the most important...And honey, you make me feel loved...You encourage me...you laugh with me! You laugh at my jokes...even though some of them aren't funny!" He laughed...but then got quiet and gazed into her lovely deep brown eyes..."You were my very first and only real lover, you're now my wife...and you've always been my best friend." Fred smiled.

Frances smiled and was about ready to cry again. "Happiness is being married to your best friend."

"Ready to have sex with your best friend?" Fred smiled. Side by side, facing one another, they began...Sure it was different. Hard for them to get in a comfortable enough position, they tried a few different ones...and Fred was a little bit nervous if he would harm the baby in any way...but they had yet another slow, romantic, passionate night together.

"Fred...Fred...Are you awake?" Frances whispered later that night. "Fred!" She said, rubbing his arm...

"Mmmmmhhm..." Fred moaned.

"Honey..."

"What Frances?"

"Could we make some popcorn?"

"Now?" Fred asked.

"Please! I've had such a craving for popcorn lately!...Oh glory...popcorn with lots of salt and tons of melted butter! Yum!"

"I'll make it, but don't get too excited. I'm reaaaally tired...and besides...you're a better cook than I..." Fred replied, got up out of bed and headed downstairs to the kitchen. Frances sat there and stifled a little laugh and waited for him until he returned with a large bowl of freshly popped popcorn...

"Thanks, honey..." Frances said, and kissed him.

"Eat at your own risk..." Fred muttered and got back under the covers.

Frances started eating the bowl of popcorn, one kernel at a time..."Oh glory! Thank you so much, honey!...It's wonderful!" The popcorn tasted so good to her, she thought she had died and went to Heaven! "I love you!"

"Pregnant women!" He muttered and rolled over on his side. Much later, he rolled back over, and was face to face with nothing other than the popcorn bowl. Fred tipped it and looked inside. "She ate the whole bowl of popcorn..." Fred moaned, glanced and saw that his wife was fast asleep. With that, he put the empty bowl of popcorn on the little end table by the bed, rolled over and went to sleep himself.