A/N I thought you all could use something sweet after the heaviness of the previous two chapters. Enjoy :)

...

Abigail rolled out the cookie dough on the table in front of her. "Did you get everything worked out with Jack? I know it's not my business, but I've been concerned about you two."

It was the first time since everything had happened a week before that I'd had a chance to talk with Abigail. Jack hadn't told her why he needed her to watch the girls that night, so she was still in the dark as to what exactly had transpired.

"Yes, everything is fine between us now. We just had an argument, but we've talked through it."

"Good."

I stopped mixing the frosting, setting the spoon beside the bowl. "Abigail, I need to tell you something."

"That sounds serious."

"It is. Carson is the only one who knows." I took a deep breath. "Jack and I lost a baby that night."

"Oh, Elizabeth." She wiped her hands on a towel and pulled me into a hug. "I'm so sorry."

I brushed away the tears that had started to fall. "I wasn't very far along. I wasn't even sure there was another baby until Carson told me I was having a miscarriage. I hadn't told Jack about the baby, and I'm still not sure if I would've told him had I not lost so much blood. That's why we had a fight."

"You lost a lot of blood?"

"Yes, but I'm fine now, don't worry. I spent the weekend resting, and Carson has cleared me to go back to my normal routine."

"I wish you would've told me sooner."

"I know I should've told you. I just don't want people to be worried about me." I wiped away the remnants of my tears and went back to mixing the frosting. "I'm sad, but I'm okay."

"Elizabeth, people only worry because they care about you." She met my eyes and gave me a small smile. "And I'm not just people to you. We're family."

...

A few days later, I found myself at home after a particularly trying day of school. A snake had made its way into the classroom, frightening the children so much that it took nearly an hour to get them all settled down enough to return to their schoolwork.

On top of that, Ellie was teething, which was making her feel under the weather. She had been clingy all day, barely letting me put her down. She perked up a bit after we picked Jane up from the dress shop, but I still kept most of my attention on her while I prepared dinner, just waiting for her to begin fussing again.

I was so distracted by the events of the day that I didn't hear Jack arrive, and I was unaware of his presence until he came up behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist and pressing his lips to my neck. "Pack a bag for this weekend."

"What for?"

"I don't think I need a specific reason to spend a weekend away with my wife." He put his hands on my shoulders and turned me to face him. "But I'm taking you somewhere for our anniversary."

"What about the girls?" I nodded toward Jane and Eleanor, who were sitting on the floor by the table, playing with some of their toys.

"I have everything worked out already. Lee and Rosemary are going to take them, and Cody will keep an eye on Chief." He kissed me softly. "It'll be just you and me for the whole weekend."

I slipped my arms around his neck. "I don't think I remember the last time we had a whole weekend to ourselves."

"Probably because it hasn't happened since before Jane was born."

"That long? Really?"

"Mhmm." He brushed his lips across my forehead.

"Well, this is long overdue, then."

"I think this will be good for us, especially with everything that's happened recently."

I touched his cheek. "You are the sweetest, most thoughtful man, Jack Thornton."

He grinned. "I'm just trying to keep up with my sweet, thoughtful wife. You do so much for me and the girls; it's time I do something for you."

"You do a lot for us, too." I kissed him softly. "I love you."

"I love you more."

"Mama." Jane squeezed her way between us, tugging on my skirt. "Eat?"

"Not yet, Janie. Soon." I turned back to the stove, stirring the soup in the pot.

Jack scooped her up. "Sorry, sweetheart. I've been distracting your mama. How about I come play with you and Ellie while mama finishes making dinner?" He winked at me before joining Ellie on the floor. "So, Ellie girl, what's going on down here?"

...

"Okay, Janie." I shifted Ellie to my hip and held out my hand. "Time to go. Say goodbye to Patrick."

"I no go, mama. I stay."

"Jane Thornton," I warned. "We need to go home."

She pouted but gave in, slipping her little hand into mine.

"Thank you, Janie." I looked up at Rosemary. "And thank you for watching her, Rosemary."

She waved me off. "We watch each other's children so often, I don't think we need to say thank you every time."

I chuckled. "Well, even so, thank you. Let's go, Jane." I gave her hand a little tug and led her outside. "We're going to see Nurse Faith for a minute, and then we'll go home."

"You sick, mama?"

"No, I'm not sick, sweetheart. I just need to ask her some questions."

"Oh."

"Elizabeth. Hello." Faith looked up when I entered the infirmary. "And hello, Miss Jane and Miss Eleanor."

Jane smiled sweetly at her. "Hi."

"Hello, Faith." I dropped Jane's hand and closed the door behind me.

"So what brings you by?"

"I was just wondering if I could ask you a few questions."

Given the fact that I was about to have an entire weekend alone with Jack, I figured there were some things that I needed to get cleared up.

"Of course. Take a seat." She motioned toward the empty chair near her. I lowered Ellie to the floor with her sister and sat in the chair. "So, what questions do you have?"

"Well, first, did Carson tell you what happened to me? About the baby?"

"He did. I'm very sorry, Elizabeth. I can't imagine what you felt—what you're feeling."

"Thank you." I touched my stomach briefly, feeling a wave of sadness pass over me. "Anyway, I just wanted to make sure. What happened won't affect my ability to have more children in the future, right?"

"It shouldn't. You're pretty sure the miscarriage happened early on?"

I nodded. "I think I was probably just over a month along."

"Well, you've had two healthy babies, so even though you've since lost one, there's really nothing that indicates you wouldn't be able to carry a baby to full term again."

"Good." I took a deep breath. "Good."

"Do you have any other questions?"

"Yes. This one is a bit more…personal." I fidgeted with the rings on my left hand. "I know it's best to wait a bit after having a baby before...being with your husband again. But with this, do Jack and I need to wait before we start trying again?"

She gave me a reassuring smile. "I don't know that there's any specific timeline you need to follow. I think it should be okay as soon as you feel ready, physically and emotionally. But of course, if you start feeling anything out of the ordinary, don't hesitate to come see me or Carson."

I nodded. "I will. Thank you, Faith."

Ellie crawled over and used my leg to pull herself up. "Mamamama." She patted my knee.

"Goodness, I can't believe how big she's gotten."

"I know." I lifted her into my lap, smoothing down her hair. "She's starting to talk and move a lot more, and I know it won't be long before she's walking. And speaking of little ones who are growing up, how's Meg?"

She grinned. "She's wonderful. She just started rolling over, and she's been reaching for things more and more. I could do without the sleep regression, but I know that won't last forever."

"We need to let her and Ellie have a playdate sometime."

"That would be great."

...

"Mrs. Thornton?" Hannah raised her hand.

"Yes, Hannah?"

"My mom says Jane and Eleanor are staying at our house this weekend. Is that true?"

"That's correct. They are."

Opal raised her hand. "Why are they staying with the Coulters?"

"Corporal Thornton and I are going to be away for the weekend, and the girls aren't coming with us."

"Why?"

"We're taking a trip to celebrate our wedding anniversary."

Another hand went up. "How many years have you and Mountie Jack been married?"

"Almost three." I smiled and sighed, knowing they would ask questions indefinitely until I put a stop to it. "That's enough questions for now, children. Please get back to work."

I tried to turn my attention back to the grammar tests I was grading, but my mind wandered.

Jack hadn't told me much about the plans he had for our weekend away; I didn't even know where exactly we were going or what activities he had planned. I only knew that he had secured a hotel room for us and that I was to bring an evening gown.

After nearly eight years together and many surprises, I knew that regardless of what Jack was planning, it would be an unforgettable weekend.

...

Jack said his goodbyes to the girls and left to take Chief to Abigail's while I made sure everything was settled with the Coulters.

"I just fed Ellie, so she should be fine for a little while. We did pack a bottle for her; I'm not sure how well she'll take it, though, because she doesn't feed from a bottle often. She's also been teething lately, so she might be fussy. I usually give her a cold cloth to chew on."

"We'll be just fine. Don't worry." Rosemary took Ellie from me.

"And remember, Jane can't eat fish."

"I know, I know. No fish, but she loves strawberry jam and biscuits. I watch her all the time, Elizabeth. And little Miss Eleanor likes potatoes but not green beans. I have everything under control." She tried to shoo me out the door.

"Okay." I sighed. "Bye, Janie. Bye, Ellie. You be good for Aunt Rosemary and Uncle Lee. Dad and I will be home in a couple of days. I love you both very much."

"Love you, mama." Jane wrapped her little arms around my legs.

"Now go." Rosemary did shoo me out the door this time. "Enjoy your time with your husband."

...

I stepped into the hotel room and felt as though I had been transported to my childhood home in Hamilton. It was absolutely lavish. Fluffy pillows covered the bed, the lights were dimmed, and a bottle of champagne was chilling in a bucket of ice beside the small sofa. "Oh my. You've really outdone yourself, Jack."

"This is just the beginning." He put his hands on my shoulders and kissed me. "Happy anniversary."

"Happy anniversary." I touched his cheek. "So, what are your plans for us for the evening?"

He slid his arms around my waist, resting his hands on the small of my back. "Well," he leaned down and kissed me softly, "I was thinking we have a little champagne and order some food. It's been a long afternoon of traveling, so I thought it would be best to stay in and rest tonight. I promise tomorrow will be more exciting."

"A night in sounds wonderful. In fact," I trailed my lips across his jaw, "a night in with my husband sounds absolutely perfect."

...

I rested my head on Jack's chest as he absentmindedly traced circles on my back. The sun had risen nearly an hour before, but neither of us felt the need to move.

"This is nice. Nowhere to be, no children to tend to."

"It is nice," I agreed, "but it feels a little like we're forgetting something."

"It does feel like something is missing. Two little somethings."

"I hope they're okay."

"I'm sure they're fine." He brushed his fingers through my hair. "Rosemary and Lee know what they're doing. And Jane is getting to spend a whole weekend with Patrick, so she's probably in heaven."

I laughed softly. "Probably." I turned to meet his eyes. "So, what do you have planned for us today?"

"A little of this," he kissed my nose, "and some of this," he kissed both of my cheeks, "and to top it off, a bit of this." He pressed his lips to mine.

I smiled when he pulled away. "I like those plans."

"I have some other plans, too. I thought we could explore the city for a while, find a nice place for lunch, and then this evening, you'll need to wear that gown I asked you to bring."

"Where are we going?"

"I can't give it all away just yet. You'll find out soon enough."

After spending a wonderful day together, we returned to our hotel to prepare for the rest of the evening.

I slipped into my evening gown—pale pink satin with beading along the bodice—while Jack changed into his suit.

We ate dinner in the restaurant on the ground floor of our hotel before taking a short walk down the street to a theater where the symphony orchestra was playing.

It was dark when we exited the theater, the chilly air reminding us that the warm days of summer were over. Jack offered me his arm and led me over to an awaiting carriage.

He helped me up into the seat, tucking a blanket around my legs.

"I can't believe you took me to the symphony. And now a carriage ride? How are you going to top this for future anniversaries?"

He chuckled. "I have no idea." He cradled my face in his hands, his eyes sparkling as he glanced over me. "Have I mentioned how beautiful you look tonight?"

"Once or twice, but I'll gladly hear it again." I grinned, leaning in to press a soft kiss to his lips.

"I love you so much, my darling Elizabeth."

"I love you more."