There were so many plans to be made, and not much time to do it. Laura was very agreeable to taking over for Elizabeth at the school, in fact, she was thrilled and excited at the prospect. She'd been talking with Elizabeth for a while about wanting to be a teacher, but she loved Hope Valley and had no desire to leave it. This was the best of both worlds.

It wasn't a forever solution to Laura's dilemma, but Elizabeth had decided she wanted at least four months with the babies, and that would take them into the summer months. So once Elizabeth left the little schoolhouse on the meadow, she wouldn't be back until school started in September. And by that time, perhaps a solution might be for Elizabeth and Laura to share both the duties of watching the Grant children and teaching the Hope Valley students.

Elizabeth was a natural planner, but if life had taught her anything, it was that planning too far ahead was often a messy and disappointing business. So she contented herself with a plan until September.

School was starting right after the holidays on the second of January, so during the week between Christmas and New Year's Elizabeth and Laura could be found often at the harvest table with lesson plans, piles of textbooks and student evaluations.

"You're going to be so good at this, Laura," Elizabeth said, smiling. "You really are such a good listener and you love learning. So much of teaching is finding a way to translate your own joy of learning to the children, and you do that very naturally."

The only one in the household who didn't quite understand the urgency of the study at the harvest table was Jack. But he had so many hands ready to pick him up, so many projects he was called upon to help with, that he hardly had time to think about it.

Christmas needed to be taken down and the new year begun. All the precious ornaments were carefully packaged and put into storage in the barn; the tree was recycled as firewood and the fragrant spruce boughs used as in bedding in the loft.

Allie and Nathan, with Jessie and Jack invited along, had found Allie's pinecone in the large stand of trees behind the house. They'd pulled a seed from the cone and had planted it into a pot that now sat warm on the windowsill in Allie's room. She would nurture it until spring, and then the family would plant the seedling next to last year's in the backyard. Elizabeth and Nathan couldn't help but imagine the row of trees that would grow there, graduated, large to small, as the years passed on the farm.

Unfortunately, the end of the holidays also meant that Rebecca and Charlie would be returning to the ranch in Airdrie. They had decided to take the same train home that Stella and Hickam would use to travel up to Edmonton, so that for at least the first eight hours of the long trip there would be four of them.

Rebecca had winked at Nathan while they discussed it. "Not sure that boy Mike is all that thrilled that we're coming along for the start of the trip," she said. "His joy at having company seemed a little tinged with disappointment, if you ask me."

Nathan laughed. "They'll have another ten hours or so alone, and then the whole way back. That should be long enough for the beginning of any courtship."

Rebecca laughed. "Yep, they'll surely know if they like each other after that."

Nathan hugged her tightly. "I'm going to miss you, Mom." They were in the living room and Nathan stood to stoke the fire and add another log. "It's been so great having both you and Dad here." He looked over at her. "Has it been hard for you?"

Smiling, Rebecca said, "Surprisingly, no." She frowned, thinking. "Part of me will always love him, Nathan. He gave me you."

Nathan tilted his head and his eyes went soft. "Oh, Mom." He came to sit beside her in front of the fire, and put his arm around her while they watched the flames clear the new wood of its tiny branches and the outer layer of bark.

Rebecca sighed. "You've got a good life here, Nathan. A good woman. Allie, Jackie, more on the way. That's all a mother wants, you know?" She looked over at him and touched his face. "You're a fine husband and father. I can't tell you how proud I am."

Nathan found a thread on his pantleg that needed very focused attention. He pursed his lips slightly, but didn't feel entirely confident in speaking at the moment.

Rebecca laughed softly. "And I know that's all hard for you to hear, but you're hearing it. You don't need to talk about it. It just is."

Nathan turned to her, his eyes glistening. "I love you, Mom. The older I get, the more I can understand all you've gone through in your life, and if I can face trouble half as well as you have, well, I'll be proud of myself too."

Rebecca raised her eyebrows. "Now don't make your mother cry, Nathan. It's hard enough to leave you without you giving me compliments." She laughed and hugged him. "I'll be back before you know it. You call the General Store and let them know when you're heading back on the train, and we'll beat you home. Seth and the hands are getting better at running that ranch than we are, so even Charlie feels fine about coming back so soon."

Nathan smiled. "And then," he took a deep breath, "You and Charlie are getting married?"

Rebecca looked at the ring that Charlie had placed on her hand as a promise. "I guess all those hours with Kevin at the livery weren't spent in talking about just horseshoes," she said softly. She looked up at Nathan. "Yes. Judge Avery, Bill, said he'd be pleased to perform the ceremony, and Julie and Lucas are opening up the restaurant for a reception. But not until you and Elizabeth and your babies are done having a fuss made over you."

Nathan paused for a moment and then looked seriously at her, taking her hand. "Mom..."

She immediately frowned. "Oh, this looks bad," she said.

Nathan laughed. "No. Not at all. In fact, I think you're going to like what I have to say."

"Okay," she said cautiously.

Nathan took a deep breath and looked at her. "We know Elizabeth is having twins, and the strong possibility, just because of our family history and Elizabeth's, is that they will be a girl and a boy." Nathan laughed softly and looked down. "Elizabeth is sure of it, because they... communicate with her."

Rebecca raised an eyebrow. "And you don't believe that?"

Nathan took a deep breath. "Oh, Mom, I don't have nearly enough information about any of this... this... miracle... to know what to believe." He looked at Rebecca. "I believe Elizabeth believes it."

Rebecca nodded and smiled. "There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy..."

Nathan laughed. "Elizabeth quoted that speech from Hamlet to me once. When she saved my life out in that field. She told me it was divine intervention that she found me. Involving her horse."

Now Rebecca laughed too. "I love that girl. She's just widening your horizons all over the place, isn't she?"

Taking a deep breath, Nathan simply smiled and shrugged. "It's an adventure, Mom. All I know is that I can't wait for each day to dawn so I can find out what new thing she's going to say."

Rebecca nodded. "And that will take you a long way to old age together. That makes me happy." She smiled, and said, "So, a boy and a girl?"

"Ah, yes," Nathan said, remembering what this conversation was supposed to be about. "If we do have a boy and a girl... We want to name the girl Rebecca Julia, after you and Julie."

Nathan had never seen tears spring to his mother's eyes quite so quickly. And they spilled over and ran down her cheeks in an almost alarming fashion.

"Mom..." Nathan said suddenly, and she threw her arms around him, holding him tightly. She held him for a long time while he rubbed her back. "Oh, Mom..." he said, laughing softly.

She pulled away and held him at arm's length. "Thank you, Nathan," she said softly. "That would be a great honor."

Nathan reached his thumb up and wiped a tear from her deeply lined face. "Happy tears, right?"

Rebecca nodded. "The happiest," she said.

"How are you feeling?" Nathan asked, pushing the swing lightly with his foot.

Elizabeth laughed softly. "I remember this time so well with little Jack. It's hard to explain, but it's how I felt the first time I stood in front of a classroom full of children. I found myself wondering why I ever thought I was grown up enough to do it." Shaking her head, she said, "And now," she said, putting her hands on her tummy, "I'm bringing two more little lives into the world, and they'll look to me for answers as if I have them. What was I thinking?" She said, laughing. Elizabeth looked up at Nathan. "Am I making any sense?"

Nathan smiled and kissed her temple. "Yes. It's the same feeling I get when I'm wearing the uniform and people ask what they should do. Part of me wants to say, 'how should I know?' but, then, when I get quiet, I find an answer. Maybe not always the perfect answer, but something that will work." Nathan pulled her closer. "And that's the kind of mother you are. You may not think you know how to do it, but it comes naturally for you."

Elizabeth exhaled. "It's easier to believe that now, having had Jack. But two at once?" She looked down again. "No going back now." She smiled, watching the embers of the fire in the stove. "I was so paralyzed with Jack that I couldn't even get his nursery set up. Florence, Rosemary, Abigail, and Molly came over and did it for me. I haven't talked to a mother yet who felt she was fully prepared at this point."

Nathan smiled. "Did you talk to any fathers?" he asked, chuckling.

Elizabeth laughed and looked up at him. "So I should be asking you? How are you doing?"

Nathan sighed. "You know, men, and in particular, Mounties, aren't supposed to tell you when they don't have the answers. We're supposed to pretend we do. To show confidence."

Smiling Elizabeth said, "Well, everyone likes a confident Mountie, that's for sure. But you don't have to be that with me, Nathan. We both know how much we want these little ones, but I'd be very surprised if it didn't give you some pause."

"I think paralysis is a good word," he said, laughing softly. "We have quite a road ahead of us, Elizabeth, and we're just setting foot on it. Arranging things here, the train to Hamilton, then staying at your parents' house for who knows how long, then..."

Elizabeth tightened her hold on him. "The babies..."

Taking a deep breath, Nathan repeated, "Yes. The babies, then the train home, and then life begins again. And I have a lot less time to finish that second crib. I should be out there in the shop right now," Nathan said.

"No, you shouldn't. You should be right where you are, supporting your overly-emotional and slightly insane wife."

Nathan smiled. "You sound pretty sane right now."

Elizabeth snuggled down into his shoulder. "It's because we're here in this swing. This is a very sane place."

"I was thinking the other day that this would be a good place to rock the babies to sleep." He looked down at her, "This swing. Can't you see it?"

"You with a baby on each side? Yes," she said softly, "I can see it." Elizabeth sat up and turned to look at him. "Your father told me something about you the other night."

Nathan grimaced. "Uh oh. What kind of something?"

Elizabeth raised an eyebrow. "That he has a guitar and that you used to play it... and sing... when you were younger."

Nathan chuckled. "Sadly, it's the truth. But I bet he didn't say I did it well. Mostly cowboy songs. I used to imagine playing the guitar while I was riding across the frontier. I loved Theodore Roosevelt's book, The Winning of the West. That and any number of dime novels."

Elizabeth laughed. "Ah, so it wasn't all Jane Austen, then?"

"Not by a long shot," he said. "And when I actually tried to ride and sing with the guitar, Sunset got spooked and nearly threw me. Unfortunately, in saving myself, I threw the guitar."

Elizabeth giggled, "Oh dear. But it survived?"

"Somewhat," Nathan said. "Took me almost a month of chores to pay for repairing it. It was pretty beat up, but it played just fine."

Elizabeth tilted her head and smiled at him.

Nathan frowned. "What are you up to?"

"I wonder whatever happened to that guitar?" Elizabeth said in her best teacher voice.

"Dad took it with him," Nathan said cautiously. "And I assume he lost everything when he went to prison."

Elizabeth nodded solemnly. "Actually, he pawned it in Edmonton. And when he was released from prison, he went back and got it."

Nathan frowned. "The same guitar? It was still there?" he said incredulously.

Elizabeth laughed. "He also told me about the repairs. It seems the scars made it less than desirable and it got pushed into a corner in the back. So Archie found it and bought it back from them."

"It wasn't with his things when I went up there," Nathan said.

"Nope, because he was giving lessons to Jessie, so he left it with her to practice with. At Stella's."

Nathan smiled, finally seeing where this was going. "And Stella is bringing her things back down at the end of the week. And I assume Dad's guitar will be with her?"

Elizabeth grinned. "Yep."

Nathan exhaled. "Well, what do you know?" he said, smiling. "That guitar has more lives than a cat."

"So," Elizabeth said with a soft smile, "What do you think I can see in my imagination?"

Nathan just raised his eyebrows in a question.

"You," she said, "Sitting right there in that chair with Archie's guitar, with the babies here in the swing, and you're singing them goodnight."

Nathan laughed. "We all know you have quite the imagination."

Nodding, Elizabeth said, "Ah, yes, but this isn't like imagining unicorns or something. This could really happen." She smiled softly at him and Nathan sighed.

"That's not fair," he said, reaching over and pulling her to him. He kissed her gently, lingeringly, and leaned his cheek against hers. "When you look at me like that, I can't say no to you," he whispered, making her shiver a little.

She leaned her lips up next to his ear. "You can start practicing when Stella gets back," she said.

Nathan pulled away and looked into her eyes. "You're not the only one who's heard secrets, you know."

Elizabeth frowned slightly and looked at him, questioning.

"Rosemary told me about a stunning rendition of 'Danny Boy' that you shared in a church concert one evening." Nathan moved a curl from Elizabeth's forehead. "She said you have a beautiful voice."

Smiling, Elizabeth said, "Rosemary is my best friend. You can't trust her to be honest about that."

Raising his eyebrows, Nathan said, "I've heard you sing."

"When?" Elizabeth said.

Nathan's eyes went soft as he continued stroking her hair. "When you wake up in the morning, as you're getting dressed. When you're kneading the dough for bread." He smiled. "When you sew." The crooked smile returned. "And especially with Jack, after he falls asleep when you're holding him."

Laughing softly, Elizabeth said, "You make it sound like I'm singing all the time. I didn't know I did that." Now she reached up and ran a finger through the curl at his forehead. "It's probably because I'm happy."

"Well," Nathan said. "I'll make you a deal. I'll sing for the babies, if you'll sing with me."

Elizabeth paused for a moment and then smiled. "We'll need to practice," she said softly, leaning her head on his shoulder.

Nathan shook his head slightly. "Not that kind of singing. That doesn't require practice." He kissed the top of her head tenderly. "It comes from the heart."