The next afternoon, Nathan and Elizabeth sat in Dr. Yost's exam room waiting for the results.
He closed his eyes and squeezed her hand, praying for a favorable diagnosis.
"Alright, folks," Dr. Yost said, coming in the room.
"I have good news and not so good news."
They looked at each other and then back to him. "Please, Doc. Tell us."
"Its not cancer, Nathan."
"Oh, thank the Lord!" Elizabeth said, letting out a sigh of relief. "So what is it?"
Dr. Yost pulled up Nathan's MRI on his tablet. He pointed to a few areas. "Here and here. Scar tissue which is completely normal, by the way. Some unfortunate souls develop epilepsy from scar tissue. You get severe migraines. Which brings me to the not so good news. We need to do surgery to remove as much scar tissue as possible."
"Brain surgery," Nathan said with a nod.
"Well, not as invasive as before. We will need to shave part of your skull but this will be an easier recovery than before."
"What are the risks, Doc?"
"Same as all surgery."
They knew what that meant but he wanted to hear it. "Tell me, please."
"Bleeding, stroke, paralysis, blood clots. Death."
Nathan knew what he needed to do. To make sure Allie was cared for.
"When can we do this?"
"October 10th."
"In the meantime, Dr. Yost, what about his pain? At the very least, the headaches are debilitating. How can he work?" she asked, not bothering to hide the worry.
"We can try some migraine meds. It might take some time to get them correct as far as dosage. The side effects can be tricky."
Nathan sure hoped the migraine medicine would help him until surgery. He knew he couldn't work with how terrible he felt with a headache.
As Elizabeth drove him home about two hours later, he watched out the window silently. He was so thankful to have Elizabeth but the last thing he wanted was for her to lose another husband.
"Nathan?"
"Yeah."
"I know what you're thinking."
"Doubt it."
"You're thinking you don't want to put me through losing another person I love." He looked at her and shook his head.
"Its not fair to put you through that."
"Don't you think I should get a choice? Its my life. I want to be with you, no matter how long that might be. In fact, I'm going to buy a Tahoe I found at Grand Haven Auto. Has room for eight. Which should be big enough for all of us plus one."
"Aren't you putting the cart before the horse?"
"Look, grump. We love each other. We have mentioned marriage. Our kids get along. I think we are moving in the right direction."
She pulled into his driveway. "I'm going to see about taking leave," he told her. "I can't work with the migraines."
"You'll be fine? I mean not getting your full salary?"
"Yeah. I'll be fine." He started to get out of the car but she stopped him.
"Hey, it makes sense to be scared. Surgery is serious. But, I'm super grateful its not cancer. Aren't you?"
He nodded and leaned over to kiss her. "Yeah. I just…I need to sleep."
"I'll check on you later."
Nathan laid down on his bed and called his parents.
"Hello, Nathan," his mom answered.
"Are you bringing Allie and Elizabeth and her family this weekend?"
"No. I don't think so, Mom."
"Why not?"
"I have some health issues going on. I'm having surgery on October 10th."
"What kind of issues? What surgery?"
"I've been getting some terrible migraines lately so I had an MRI."
"Is your cancer back, Nathan?"
"No. Its the scar tissue from my previous surgery. So they need to go in again and remove it."
"October 10th….okay, we will be there. No argument."
"Yes, ma'am."
The silence made her worry. "What is it?"
"I'm not sure its fair to drag Elizabeth into a situation where I might not make it."
"From what I've seen, you're not dragging her anywhere. You love each other and its her choice whether she's willing to take the risk."
"That's what she said."
"She's a wise woman."
"Yeah. Beautiful too." Inside and out.
Allie knocked on his door a few moments later. "Hey, Al."
"Uncle Nathan," she whispered, running over and hugging him.
"Hey, why the tears? I'm okay."
"I was so scared. I don't want you to die."
"Hey, shhh. I'm going to be here for so long, you'll be sick of me."
"I want you to adopt me. Please? I want to be your daughter."
He kissed her tears away. "It would be my pleasure, Al."
"Promise?"
"With all my heart."
Across the yards in Elizabeth's house, she finally took time to sit and talk to the kids and her in-laws.
"Is Dr. Nate sick, Momma?" JJ asked.
"He's feeling a little better now."
"Is he gonna die?" Kendra asked, tears filling her eyes. "I don't want him to."
"Me either," Evie said.
"He helped me not be so sad," Julian muttered.
"Listen everybody. The doctors figured out why he was getting headaches. Now they are going to do surgery to fix it. He's not going anywhere."
"Can we go see him?" JJ asked.
"Not right now. He's resting, but I'll see if he's up for visitors after he sleeps."
"I'm right as rain," he said from the doorway, Allie holding his hand. All the kids rushed forward to hug him. "I'm glad my arms are long," he said, laughing. "How's everybody doing?"
"Good!"
"I'm glad." He looked over at Elizabeth and winked. She smiled back, loving the sight of all five kids loving him.
"Hey guys, I came over to tell you something and to ask Elizabeth a question. But I don't want to interrupt time with company."
"Nonsense. Just pretend we aren't here," Charlotte told him.
"Okay, first, I wanted you all to know that Allie asked if I would adopt her and officially be her Dad. I told her yes. So I'm going to get started on the process as soon as I can."
"That's great, Dr. Nate! Awesome! Cool!" they all yelled, hugging Allie.
He walked over and knelt in front of Elizabeth. "Nathan…."
"I know we have only technically known each other for three months and we've never actually been on a date, but I know how I feel and what I want."
"Nathan, maybe…"
"I love you, Elizabeth. You are amazing and gorgeous and I want to spend my life with you and our kids. You have been so strong through everything and I need you with me during whatever happens in the future." He opened an old antique ring box and took the ring out. "Will you be my wife?"
Elizabeth teared up, glancing from him to Charlotte and Bill, to the kids who looked so excited and back to him. "Yes. I'll marry you, Nathan."
"Woohoo!" he yelled, picking her up and kissing her like a fiancé would, not like there were kids and in-laws in the room.
Elizabeth suggested they take a walk so they headed down to the water's edge. "I can't believe you proposed in front of the kids and my in-laws!" she said, smacking his arm.
"I can't believe you agreed in front of them."
"I just thought of something," she told him as he pressed his lips to hers.
"I'm already on it. I have my realtor looking for a big house for us."
"I have money to contribute…"
"You buy your Tahoe and I'll take care of the house."
"Big houses are expensive. I can help."
He chuckled. "I probably should tell you a few things."
"Like what?"
"That ring you're wearing? That's from my grandfather Nathan. My grandmother Willa wore it proudly and when she died, even though I was only sixteen, he sat me down and told me that the ring was for my wife one day and the trust fund they had set up for me was to pay for college and then I can do whatever I want after that."
"So this trust fund...you used it to become a therapist?"
"And to pay off my parent's house. The rest is doing quite well in stocks and bonds with a few other things thrown in."
"Quite well? I get the feeling you're telling me…"
"I'm...kinda rich. I mean, not Bill Gates but, I'm going to pay for our house in cash and the rest will be for the kid's education and emergencies."
She laughed. "I learn something new about you everyday, honey."
As they walked, he squeezed her hand. "There's something else. I think we should get married before my surgery."
"Yeah. So Allie will be taken care of."
"Exactly."
"Five bedrooms," she blurted as the ripples of water covered her feet.
"How many bathrooms?"
"Three and a half, plus a master?"
"Ok."
"Anything else, 'almost-Mrs.Grant?' "
"A fireplace in the living room and the master. Big island in the kitchen."
"Okay, and any preference where this house should be?"
"I mean, my parents and sisters are here. Charlotte and Bill aren't far, but...I'd live anywhere as long as we are all together."
"What about the library? You want to keep working there? Or at all? I mean, we would be fine if you just wrote articles for Tabletop."
"I...I think I'd like to quit the library and maybe take some writing classes?"
"Then you should," he told her, stopping and pulling her close. "Whatever your beautiful heart wants, Beth."
"It wants you."
Charlotte and Bill watched the two dance and kiss on the sand in the afternoon light. "What do you think, dear?" Bill asked her quietly.
"This...could be Jack. Their family, you know?"
"Yeah."
"But, even though its kind of sad, I'm happy for them. I know those kids need both of them. And he seems like a good man."
"Yeah." She turned and looked at him.
"What do you think, Bill?"
"I think our family just got bigger. I think Elizabeth deserves this and I think Jack would approve."
Charlotte kissed his cheek and leaned into his arms. "I love you, Bill Avery."
"I love you more, dear."
Charlotte and Bill headed home that evening after dinner with the whole family.
Nathan did the dishes with Allie while Elizabeth spent some time outside with her four.
"Dad?" Allie said, picking up a dish.
Nathan chuckled. "Its going to take me a minute to get used to that. Yes, daughter?"
"So...since you are marrying Mrs. Thornton, that means she will be my mom?"
"Technically, yes. But you can just call her Elizabeth if that feels weird."
"I don't know. Do you think Mom would be mad if I called someone else that?"
"No. She asked me to take care of you, Al. To raise you. She knew that I would get married one day and what that would mean."
"Well, do you think JJ or the other kids would get mad?"
"No. You all get along, don't you? If you're worried, you could ask them. Now, Al, a certain someone turns thirteen next week."
"Yeah. I just want all of us to be here. And Grams and Grampa. Maybe grill hotdogs?"
"I think that's a good plan. Are you sure that's all you want?"
"Yeah. I'm sure."
Outside, Elizabeth and the kids sat on the warm sand and talked.
"Aunt Beth?" Julian started.
"Yeah, bud."
"Are you really marrying Dr. Nate?"
"Yeah. Are you okay with that? I know there have been a lot of changes the last few months."
"Yeah. I'm okay." She saw that he had something else on his mind.
"You can ask me anything, hon."
"I've never had a dad. He would be that, right? My dad?"
"Kind of. Technically he would be your uncle but JJ's Dad."
"What if I want him to be my dad?"
"Why don't you ask him? He will be fine with whatever you choose." He looked at everyone else. "Evie, Kendra? JJ? What do you think?"
Kendra stayed quiet. Evie spoke up. "I miss Mom."
Elizabeth wrapped her arms around her. "I know. I do too. What do you think she would say to all this?"
"That she just wants us to be happy."
"True. But you know what? No matter what any of you choose, Nathan and I will love you. We won't get mad. And there is no hurry to make any kind of decision. Okay?"
"I'm happy with you being my aunt," Kendra said quietly. "I know you take care of us like a mom but she just died."
Elizabeth nodded and reached for her, pulling her to her lap. "Thank you for telling me, Ken."
"You're really not mad?"
"Of course not. I love you, all of you, so so much. I will always love you." She looked at her son. "JJ? What do you think, love?"
"I want a Daddy. Dr. Nate will be a good one, I think."
"I think so too." She knew so. This big change was going to shake them up a bit, but they were all in it together. She wouldn't want to go through it with anyone else.