While everyone is being quarantined, hope you can enjoy this next chapter to pass time! Stay safe everybody!

The night after that, as Eliza and I are sitting at our table eating the dinner she prepared for us, she says,

"Isn't this just perfect?"

I sigh and meet her eyes. "No. There is one thing."

"What?" She sits up a little straighter. I playfully hit her arm.

"There's nothing wrong with you, silly." I smile at her. "I can't have my lovely bride," I kissed her cheek. "Who is now carrying my baby live in such a place as this." Where we lived was no fit condition for my princess, my Angel. She deserved a palace that even King George would envy, but I would give her all I could, which wasn't much to my great pain. I could live on the streets if I had to, but Betsey was used to the best, and I wanted to give her better than that. But I couldn't. And I felt like I had failed her. But, I did what I could.

"Alex, this is fine. How many times do I have to tell you-"

"Aha! See, you didn't let me finish!"

She tilts her head in confusion.

"I have a surprise for you."


One week later, we sat at a little table in the kitchen of our new home at De Peyster's point. I had pulled some strings and scraped together nearly every penny to purchase this for her. It honestly was the least I could do. Complete with a lakeside view, staring directly across from headquarters. It had a little chicken house and a flower patch which I know she would love. I wanted to do everything to make my Angel happy.

"We have some pressing matters to discuss," Eliza said as she laid a piece of parchment on the table. I sat across from her, leaning back as I sipped my morning coffee. I leaned forward, having the chair sit evenly and set my coffee cup down.

"Okay." I nodded my head, noting I was perfectly ready for whatever she would say. She cradled her not yet showing baby bump and the sight was heavenly. Her curls fell perfectly around her petite shoulders and her pink lips were pursed as she scanned the parchment. Her perfectly sized body stood, slightly hunched as she absent-mindedly cradled our baby before it was even born.

"Name ideas?" she said with a smile in my direction. She was glowing and radiating happiness. Standing next to her even would cure the worst sadness. "If it's a boy, Alexander's a given, but what about a girl?"

I tapped my prickly chin as I thought. I leaned back in my chair again. "Hmm." I bit my lip. I was worried when she would ask this question. "I simply don't think that a girl would suffice."

She shrunk back a little and her head tilted in confusion. "What?" she sat down in the chair across from me and leaned forward, her hand still on her belly. I glanced at it. Her wedding ring sparkled in the candlelight and the gold color looked beautiful against her blush frock.

"Well you see, with your beauty and my mother's and my earlier…er... tendencies, I have reason to believe that she would torture every boy in town."

"I-" she stuttered before falling silent.

"But, in the troublesome occurrence it is a little daughter, we should be armed with an arsenal of options." I smiled at her to reassure her that I would love a daughter just the same. Though we might have to reign her in, I warmed up to the thought of brushing my daughter's beautiful brown curls, identical to her mother's, teaching her to dance by spinning around the living room while Eliza sang and played a melody on the harpsichord, and reading her fairytales before tucking her in at night, her little braids peeking out from beneath the blanket with purple ribbon bows tied at the bottom.

"Elizabeth is always an amazing choice." I gazed in her direction, cherishing the sight of her.

"No." she shook her head and her curls softly bounced. "Not for our first at least." A smile spread across her luscious lips. I scooted my chair across the floor to be next to her.

"Our first? You plan on having more?" I didn't know how I felt about this.

"Hopefully many." she smiled and my walls broke down. If she wanted more, more she would have. I kissed her temple and clasped her hand tight.

"Your wish is my command, belle chérie." I slipped in a little French, just to make her smile. I rubbed her belly and grinned playfully. "But first, the matter at hand." we shared a laugh together at my little joke.

"Maybe after one of your sisters or your mother?" I offered. Never mine. Never.

She shook her head. "There's already a handful of Catherine's in the family. But Margarita and Angelica are quite beautiful names," she said as she rested a head on my shoulder.

"Most excellent." I squeezed her hand and twisted her ring on her finger. Our names next to each other on the gold ring sparkled. "And a son?"

"Well, of course, Alexander. I see no other option for our firstborn."

"See here I must resist. Having a child with my namesake… Simply disgraceful. I could never. I am not worthy to pass on my tarnished and stained name to our little baby." I sighed. As much as it prided me to think of having a little Alex to teach fishing, hunting, marksmanship, law, French, everything to, I simply couldn't do that. Not to Eliza's baby.

"But-" she sighed but decided not to argue. "Alright."

"Perhaps Philip? After your father, that great man. Or didn't you have a brother named John?"

She smirks. "I've had a few." Eliza shakes her head. "Anyways, those are all lovely names. But I fear we will have to wait and see. We may pick out a perfectly respectable name later to only see fit they be named differently. And what if it is twins!? Surely then the names would have to be chosen quite particularly." she smiled.

My breath caught in my throat. I was already scared out of mind at having to support and nurture one baby, but two?

I exhaled unevenly and ran my fingers through my hair. "Don't go talking of twins now. That's far too much for me to handle."

She laughed and kissed me, to my surprise. I didn't expect her to, but that doesn't mean I didn't want her to. I brushed a curl behind her rosy-tipped ear.

"Well, then it'd be an infant for each of us." I held her closer to me so we were hip-to-hip with a little chuckle.

She picked up the piece of paper, and that's when I saw the heading in her perfect handwriting. I laughed a little at her thoroughness, even though it was exactly what I would've done.

"You made an entire list?" I rubbed her palm with my thumb in a loving gesture.

"So as to be prepared-" she started.

"My God, what are we getting into?" I sighed. I wasn't ready. I knew I wasn't. But, I would make myself ready. For her.

"The greatest challenge but also the most rewarding adventure." She kissed my cheek and I turned red. Her wise words brought a sense of calm to me. I could do this. We could do this, but only if we worked together.

"And I simply can't wait to overcome such challenge with you at my side."

"We're in this together."

"'Till the end." She readjusted her head on my shoulder and I tucked yet another curl out of her dewy eyes.

I put my hand over her hand that held her adorable list and scanned it. We discussed all the things on her list until she said she felt tired and needed to rest. I let her and got some work done.