A/N Thank you for your patience and your words of encouragement! I appreciate you all so much.

...

Rosemary burst into the café, her face flushed. "Oh Elizabeth, thank goodness you're here."

"Is everything okay?" I shifted on the sofa, bringing a hand to my stomach.

She dramatically sank into the chair. "I don't know what to do. Hannah's been living with us for almost three weeks, and she still won't really talk to us. I have no idea why or what to do about it. I just thought, maybe you would have some insight, since you work with children all the time."

"Well, I don't know, Rosemary. You can't force her to talk if she doesn't want to."

She sighed. "I just wish we knew what she needs from us."

"She probably needs more time to settle in. It's hard for anyone to adjust to a new situation, but it's especially difficult for children, because they may not completely understand what's going on. But you'll figure it out eventually. You and Lee are wonderful parents."

"Thank you, Elizabeth." She reached over and squeezed my hand. "Oh, before I go, would you mind watching Hannah and Patrick for a couple of hours tomorrow? Lee and I need to make a quick trip to Benson Hills, and I think the children would have more fun if they could stay here."

"Of course. I was planning on staying home with Jane all day anyway."

"Thank you." She stood and smoothed her skirt. "We'll bring them by sometime in the afternoon."

"I'll see you then. And just give her time, Rosemary. She'll open up when she's ready."

...

Jack went upstairs to change out of his uniform, leaving me alone with the children.

Patrick and Jane sat together on the rug, stacking up the blocks that I had brought out for them. Hannah sat quietly on the sofa, watching them. She hadn't spoken since Rosemary and Lee had dropped her off half an hour before.

I took a seat beside her. "Is there something that you like to play?"

She shook her head, just slightly.

"What do you like to do for fun?"

She shrugged and said nothing, just staring at the floor.

"Do you like to read? We could read a book together, if you'd like."

"Mama used to read to me." Her voice was so quiet that I could barely make out what she had said.

My heart sank. "I bet you miss her."

She nodded, raising her head a little. There were unshed tears in her eyes. "She died. So did daddy. Then they took Patrick. I didn't see him for a long time."

I rubbed her back gently. "It's hard when people leave us."

"Are my new mama and daddy going to leave me?" The tears finally spilled from her eyes, rolling slowly down her cheeks.

Goodness, my heart broke at all the hurt that this poor child had dealt with in her short life. "No, sweetheart. They won't leave you. You get to stay with them forever. Patrick, too."

She sniffled. "But they left me here."

"Oh, honey. They didn't really leave you. They'll be back soon. I promise. They just had some things to do, and they thought you and Patrick might have more fun if you came over here to play with Mountie Jack and Jane and me.

She climbed into my lap and wrapped her arms around my neck. I just held her as she cried, her tears soaking into my blouse.

Jack came back down the stairs. "I'm going out back to feed Chief. What do you think about—"

I shook my head, cutting him off. His eyes widened slightly when he noticed Hannah crying into my shoulder. Jack touched my cheek and continued out to the backyard without another word.

I rubbed Hannah's back as her crying slowed and her body stilled. She took a shaky breath, snuggling into me.

"Hannah, sweetheart, you know you can talk to your new mama and daddy when you're scared or sad. They'll listen to you." I brushed the hair from her forehead.

She nodded and wiped her eyes, shifting in my lap. When she moved, she suddenly seemed to notice that I was pregnant, and she reached out and touched my belly. "You're having a baby?"

I smiled, rubbing my hand across my stomach. "Yes, I am."

"When?"

"Around Christmas time."

"So Jane will have a little brother?"

"Or a little sister."

"She should have a little brother, like I do."

I laughed softly. "She might have a little brother, but Mountie Jack and I think she'll have a little sister. We won't know until the baby is born, though."

"Who teaches school when the baby is born?"

"You know, I haven't actually figured that out yet. Jane was born in the summer, so she was big enough to come to school with me in the fall. This baby will be too little to come to school with me in the spring."

...

I heard a car rumble up outside. "Hannah, I think your mama and daddy are here to take you home."

She jumped up from the table and ran toward the door. I chuckled when I noticed the pie filling smeared across her cheeks.

"Wait just a second." Jack stopped her before she opened the door. "Back to the kitchen to wipe your face, little Miss." He winked at me and ushered her toward the sink.

I could hear her giggling as Jack helped her get cleaned up. I hurried up the stairs to Jane's room, where Jane and Patrick were lying beside each other in the crib. A smile played on my lips when I noticed they were holding hands.

Patrick woke when I lifted him from the crib. Thankfully, Jane stayed asleep.

"Hi there, buddy. It's time for you to go home with your mama and daddy."

When I returned downstairs, Hannah was snuggled up in Lee's arms.

I passed Patrick to Rosemary. "He was just asleep. Hopefully you won't have any trouble getting him to bed tonight."

"Thank you both for watching them."

"Oh, it was our pleasure. We had a good time. Didn't we, Hannah?"

She looked at Jack and smiled.

"Well, we should get them home."

Jack opened the door for them. "We'll see you later."

"Bye, Hannah. Bye, Patrick."

...

I rolled onto my back, staring up into the darkness. "Jack, we need to start thinking about what I'll do once the baby is born."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, it worked out well with Jane that she was a few months old by the time school started back up after she was born. But this one," I put my hands on my stomach, "is supposed to come in the middle of the school year. I won't be able to bring her with me for a while, and I don't think I'll be comfortable leaving her with someone else all day while she's so young." I sighed. "I don't like the idea of taking time off teaching, but I don't know how much choice I'll really have."

"Hey." He kissed my temple and placed one hand on my stomach. "We still have a few months to get all the details figured out. It will be fine."

"We also need to figure out what we're going to do with Jane during the school day until the baby is born. I guess we could see if she could stay at the dress shop with Rosemary and Clara. It's practically a nursery now, anyway, with Patrick and Sammy there."

"You don't want to keep bringing her with you?"

"Well, I would like to, but I don't know if I'll be able to keep an eye on her while I'm teaching now that she's able to walk."

"We'll find something. It will all work out."

I felt tears in my eyes as I thought about the likelihood of being separated from Jane every day.

"Hey, what's going on?" Jack touched my cheek, turning my face to meet his.

"She's growing so quickly. I guess I'm just struggling with the idea of her getting older and more independent."

He pressed his lips to my forehead. "She's still only a year old. She still needs you."

"But she doesn't need me enough to have to be with me all the time anymore."

"Hey," he tucked a strand of hair behind my ear, "you still have a little while to get used to the idea. Plus, you're her mom. She'll always need you." He wrapped his arms around me, pulling me close.

I leaned my head on his chest. "I wish she could just stay little forever."

"I know."

...

"Good morning, Janie." I peeked into her crib and felt my stomach tighten.

Her breathing was labored, her cheeks were bright red, and her skin was like fire against my hands.

"Jack!"

"Hmm?" His sleepy voice came from across the hall.

I hurried to our bedroom with Jane in my arms. "Something's wrong with Jane. We need to get her to the infirmary."

He jumped out of the bed, concern covering his face. He touched her forehead. "No, you stay here with her. I'll ride out to town and get Carson." He quickly dressed, dropping a soft kiss on my cheek before he hurried out the door.

"Oh, Janie. Please be okay."

She was so lethargic. She hadn't woken when I took her from her crib. I laid her on the bed and removed her clothes, hoping that would help cool her off. Her entire body was flushed, and a rash seemed to be spreading across her chest and arms.

"Oh, Jane." I held back the tears that I felt stinging my eyes.

After a few moments, she finally stirred, blinking sleepily. "Mama." She looked so pitiful, and I knew she wasn't feeling well at all. "Mama," she moaned again, reaching out her arms.

I settled myself on the bed and pulled her into my lap. She curled up against my chest. I slowly moved my hand across her back. "Oh, my sweet Jane, I love you so much. I'm sorry you don't feel well."

She sighed and snuggled closer. The baby fluttered inside me as Jane shifted on my belly.

I continued to hold her as she fell back to sleep, brushing my fingers through her soft curls. Her skin was still so hot. I prayed that Jack would return soon with Carson.

What felt like hours later, I finally heard the front door open. Jack's face was still full of concern when he entered the room, followed closely by Carson.

"So, what's going on with Miss Jane?"

"I don't know. She was fine when I put her to bed last night, but when I went to get her up this morning, I noticed she felt really feverish, and it looks like she has a bit of a rash." I laid her on the quilt, moving off of the bed so Carson could examine her.

Jack slipped his arm around me, holding me tight to his side. I absentmindedly brushed my hand across my stomach, suddenly worried about both of my babies.

"Has she eaten anything?"

"Not since last night. Do you think this was caused by something she ate?"

"It's unlikely if it's been that long since she ate. This looks like she might have a sensitivity to something, though." He continued to look over her, almost as though he was looking for something in particular. "There." He pointed to a few spots on her side that were bright red and slightly raised.

"What is that?" Jack spoke up for the first time since he had returned home.

"Those are insect bites. She probably got bitten in her sleep not long ago, looks like a mosquito."

"But why does she have a fever and a rash?"

He shrugged. "Some people are more sensitive to certain insect bites, just like some people are more sensitive to certain foods."

Jack nodded. "She had a reaction to the formula when we tried to give her a bottle once."

"Sometimes, severe reactions can hinder breathing, but it sounds like she's breathing fine, so I'm not concerned. Just make sure she rests today, and keep her hydrated. I would expect everything to clear up within a few hours, or at the longest, in the next day or so."

"Thank you, Carson. And thank you for coming so quickly."

"Of course. Now, if she seems to get worse, don't hesitate to come find me again, or bring her by the infirmary."

"We will."

"Oh, and Elizabeth, if you'd like to stop by sometime soon, I can do a checkup on you and the baby."

"Okay." I rested my hand on my stomach. "I'll try to come by later this week."

"Thank you again." Jack led him out of the room.

I finally let the tears fall, though I no longer knew if they were tears caused by fear or relief, or maybe a bit of both. I scooped Jane up, settling on the bed once more.

She opened her eyes and looked up at me. "Mama."

"I'm right here, sweetheart. We're going to stay right here all day so you can feel better, okay? I love you, Janie."

"Wuv."

I kissed her forehead, and she tugged on my blouse.

By the time Jack returned to the bedroom, Jane was almost finished eating.

"Jack, do you think we overreacted bringing Carson out here for a mosquito bite?"

"No. I would do it again without question. There's no way we could've known that she had an allergic reaction to a mosquito bite." He sank down beside me on the bed, resting his arm across my shoulders. "I've come close to death a few times in my life, but that fear is nothing compared to what I felt when you brought her in here looking so sick."

I nodded, watching Jane. She still seemed a bit lethargic, and her body was still very warm, her little hands almost burning my chest. "I think that having a child is the most rewarding and the most terrifying thing I've ever done in my life."

He brushed his fingers through my hair. "That is the truest statement I've ever heard. I'm glad I married someone so smart."

He grinned when I glanced over at him.

I touched his cheek. "I'm glad I married someone so sweet. I love you, Jack."

"I love you, Elizabeth."