A week later…just before Valentine's Day

"Babe?" Elizabeth looked at Jack closely. "Sweetheart, are you alright?"

"I'm just tired," he told her, rubbing his hands up and down his face. He wasn't okay. The flu was going around the college and his class and he felt like he hadn't dodged it this time. "No, I'm not okay. Bee, I need you to leave." A simple cold could land her in the hospital.

"What?"

"I think I'm sick and you can't get it. Call my mom, please. Tell her that I think I have the flu and I need her and Dad to stay here."

"Okay."

"I love you, Bee."

"I know. I love you too." Elizabeth kissed his forehead. "You need to get to bed. You're burning up."

"Please, Bee. I need you to stay well."

"I'll go pack my things and call your mom. You go to bed."

Elizabeth ran up the stairs, calling Charlotte on the way. "Charlotte, it's me."

"Hi, sweetie. How are you?"

"I'm a bit scared actually. Jack is sick and he told me that he needs you to come stay here with him and the boys."

"He's right. You can't get sick, dear. We will be right over. You go where it's safe."

"You know, it's taking everything in me not to stay and take care of him."

"You are going to be a great wife, Beth. Hang in there."

"I feel like I'm abandoning them all over again."

"You're not. You are protecting yourself and I'm sure the boys would want you to do just that."

She sat on the bed and sighed. "Thanks. I appreciate that."

"I hope you will forgive me for saying so but I've noticed that you don't give yourself enough credit."

"So I've been told."

"Try it sometime, sweetie. Try looking at yourself through Jack's eyes or the boy's."

"I'll try."

Elizabeth got settled in Rosie's guest room about an hour later and at exactly 3:30, her cell rang as Isaac called her. "Hi, sweetie."

"Mom, where are you?"

"Isaac, your Dad is sick. I can't be there."

"Oh. When are you coming back?"

"When your dad is better and I make sure that you and Jonah aren't sick."

"You are coming back, right?"

"Isaac, I need you to listen to me carefully, okay?"

"Yeah."

"I will never willingly leave you and not come back. As soon as everyone is well, I will be home. I promise you. Plus, in just six weeks, I will officially be your mom. NO one is going to stop that from happening."

"I love you, Mom."

"I love you too, honey. Now get that homework done."

"Okay. I will."

Missing Jack and the boys was something she expected, but not to the extent of what she was feeling. She missed everything. Isaac's humor and sweetness. Jonah's quiet and helpful demeanor. Jack's affection and well, pretty much everything.

She texted him, not expecting an immediate response. "I miss u. C U soon."

"Miss U 2."

"Why aren't u resting?"

"I am, I just needed 2 use the bathroom. Now I'm back in bed."

"Well, ok then."

"2morrow is Valentine's," he told her.

"I know. I'm sad I won't b with u and the boys."

"Well, we can celebrate when I get better."

"Ok. I guess that will work."

He didn't say anything else so she assumed he went to sleep. She headed out into Rosie's kitchen and started making soup. She would send it over to him via Rosie the next day.

She chopped celery and carrots, chicken, onions, and fresh herbs. As she cooked, she thought about the coming weeks. It was going to get busier and busier with the wedding plans. The honeymoon was taken care of weeks before and the dress was perfect and waiting safely in Rosie's closet. Flowers were ordered.

When Jack was better, they needed to go to the bakery and order a cake and then find a caterer too.

"Beth!" Rosie shouted, walking into the kitchen.

"I'm right here, Rosie. Why are you yelling?"

"I found you a caterer!"

"You did? That's great."

"We need to go taste test some food tomorrow."

"Tomorrow? Can't we put it off? I really want Jack to be there."

"You have six weeks until the wedding. No it can't wait. The caterer said we need to get it done now for him to be able to help us."

"Okay. Tomorrow it is, I guess."

"Jack, you really should eat something," Charlotte told him, putting her hand on his forehead, amazed at how hot he was.

"No, thank you." He fell back to sleep again and she watched him. It reminded her of when he was sick as a child. It was like pulling teeth to get him to eat anything. He rolled over and threw off his covers. "It's so hot in here!"

"It's not, son. You have a fever."

"I need Bee. Where's Bee?"

"Jack, she can't be here. She can't get sick, remember?"

"I need her," he mumbled, drifting off again.

"I know."

A bit later, when he woke up, she brought him in a glass of cool water and some pain reliever, hoping to make his fever go down. Then she took his temperature. 103.5. "Holy moly, Jack."

He took the pills and rolled back over, throwing the covers and pillows off the trundle bed. "I need Bee, Ma. Please."

"Dear, you can't see her right now. In the morning, maybe call her. That might help you."

"I need Bee," he mumbled again before starting to breathe deeply.

Charlotte left him and headed off to bed. She met Tom and Isaac in the hallway.

"Isaac, why don't you sleep in your Dad's room? You shouldn't be in your room with him right now."

"I guess." Tom pushed his wheelchair into the master and helped him up on the bed. "I need my shorts to sleep in, Gramps."

"Okay, I'll be right back."

Tom tried to be quiet as he entered the room where Jack was. The problem was, he didn't know where the shorts were that Isaac wanted. He looked through the closet and then realized that maybe they were in the dresser. As he opened a drawer, Jack woke up.

"Dad? Where's Bee?"

"She's staying with Rosie, Jack. It's safer for her there."

"I need her. Please can I see her?"

"I'm sorry, son. I don't think any of us want her to end up in the hospital. Right?"

"Hospital?"

"Yeah. That's where she'll end up if she gets what you have." Jack swung his legs over the edge of the bed and sat there, his eyes closed. "Where are you going?"

"To Rosie's. I need Bee."

Tom dropped the shorts and walked over to help Jack lay back down. "You need to rest and get better. You will see Bee when you are better and not before. Got it?"

"Yes, sir."

"Good." Tom could feel the heat radiating off Jack's body and yet he was shivering. It was hard to see him so sick. "Love you, son."

The next morning, Jack stayed in bed, asleep. It was Saturday so the boys slept in too.

Rosie showed up with a pot of soup from Elizabeth. "How's he doing?"

Charlotte raised her eyebrows as she sipped her coffee. "Not well. His fever is still high and he won't eat anything. All he wants is to see her."

"That's all she wants too. Maybe tell him that Bee made him soup and wants him to eat so he can get better."

"I will do that. Thanks for bringing it over."

"You're welcome. Well, I'm off to work. Oh and Happy Valentine's Day."

"You too, Rosie."

Jonah, Tom, and Isaac entered the kitchen then. "Gran?"

"Morning, Isaac."

"Morning. Um, it's Valentine's Day."

"Yes it is." Tom came over and gave her a kiss and then poured himself a cup of coffee.

"We were supposed to make breakfast for Mom this morning."

"Yeah? That's very sweet."

"But she's not here. Can Jonah and I go to Rosie's and make breakfast for her?"

"I don't know. What if you or Jonah are coming down with what your Dad has? I am worried that we might carry it over to her."

"I feel fine. I promise."

"Me too," Jonah told her.

"What do you think, Tom?" Charlotte asked.

"I think that doing something special for Elizabeth is a wonderful idea."

The doorbell rang so Jonah went to answer it. He brought back a huge bouquet of deep red roses. "This is for Mom. I think we should take it to her."

"Alright. One of us will take you boys and the flowers over to see Elizabeth."

Thirty minutes later, Elizabeth heard the doorbell. She adjusted her robe and shuffled over to the door.

"Happy Valentine's Day, Mom!" Isaac and Jonah said.

"Oh! Hi!" She stepped back and let them come in, Charlotte a step behind. "Happy Valentine's, guys. How's your dad?"

"Not good. He's really sick, Mom." Isaac handed her the vase of flowers. "These were delivered today."

"Oh, they're gorgeous." She carried them into the kitchen. "What are you all doing here?"

"Making you breakfast," Isaac told her, proudly.

"You are?"

"Yeah. That was the plan before Dad got sick so we thought we could do it here. Is that okay?"

"Yes. That's great. I missed you both."

Jonah kissed her cheek and started looking for a skillet. "We are making pancakes with strawberries and whipped cream."

"Mmm, sounds good."

Charlotte and Elizabeth sat in the living room to chat. "Jack misses you a lot, Elizabeth."

"I miss him a lot too. I can't believe how much."

"How are the wedding plans going?"

"Good, I guess. Rosie and I have an appointment with a caterer at noon to taste test some appetizers and entrees. I just wish Jack was going to be there."

"Yeah. You are running short on time though so I can see why there's a need to do it now."

Elizabeth took a sip of her coffee and let her mind wander to Jack. It was funny how quick things happened in their relationship. They met in August and now it was February and they were planning a wedding.

"What's on your mind?" Charlotte asked.

"I'm just thinking. I've only known Jack for just shy of seven months. And now we are getting married and his boys call me Mom. It's amazing how fast things can happen."

"Did I ever tell you how Tom and I met?"

"No. I'd love to hear it though."

"I lived in a suburb of Detroit. Total city girl. Tom lived out here in the country and he and my aunt and cousins went to the same church. So one day, when I came out here to go to a party at my aunt's house, Tom was there. My cousin liked him and I thought he liked her so I could just be myself around him. It turns out, he didn't like her. He came over and asked me if I wanted to go for a walk and so we did."

"That's very sweet."

"Two months later we were engaged and then three months after that, we were married."

"Whoa."

"Yeah. My point is, when you know, you know. There is no need to put things off."

"I can't wait."

"I know that feeling well."

Present Day

Elizabeth finished the dishes after their family dinner. She was having mixed feelings about everything that was changing. With the sadness of Jonah and Ray moving to Florida and the happy feelings about Cece finally being matched with a birth mom…she almost didn't know how to feel.

"Bee?" Jack whispered, slipping his arms around her middle from behind. "It's past our bedtime, sweetheart." She turned and he noticed her serious expression. "What is it?"

"Things are changing, Jack."

"Yes they are."

"I don't know if that's a good thing."

"I think it is. You always used to say that as long as the kids were happy and healthy, you were happy too."

"I am, I just…I don't know if I'm okay with Jonah being so far away. I feel like it was just yesterday and he was sixteen and still dating Ray and we were just getting married. Where did the time go?"

"I'm not sure."

"We're old, Jack."

"Nah. We are in our sixties. That's not old."

"We have grandchildren."

"And every single one of them is amazing." He took her hand and led her upstairs. "Let's go to sleep, Bee. Maybe things will seem different in the morning."