A/N If you read my other stories you already know this, but I recently started a new job, so I'm still trying to figure out how to fit writing into my schedule. I promise I won't leave this story unfinished; you'll just have to bear with me and be patient waiting for updates :)
...
Jane pressed her face up against the window of the train, watching the trees go by. "We there?"
"Not yet, sweetheart." Jack rubbed her back. "Just a little while longer, and we'll be home."
"I see Pat and Auntie Wosie and Auntie Ab-gail."
"What about Uncle Lee? And Hannah?" Jack questioned. "Do you want to see them, too?"
"No. I see Pat."
I chuckled. It seemed that the time away from her friend had not lessened her love for him. "Oh, Janie. I love you very much."
She turned toward me and smiled. "Love you, mama."
"Mama mama mama." Ellie reached up and touched my cheek. "Mama."
"What is it, Ellie?"
"Eat."
"You're hungry? Let's see if I can find you a snack." I rifled through my bag, finding a packet of crackers I had tucked away for the girls. "Here you go, sweetheart."
She grabbed the cracker and started nibbling on it. "Tank you, mama."
"You're welcome, sweetheart. Would you like a cracker, Jane?"
She nodded. "Yes, pease." She took the cracker from me and crawled up into Jack's lap.
I ran my fingers through Ellie's soft curls. She looked up at me and smiled, cracker crumbs covering her cheeks. I wiped some of them away, chuckling. "You're a mess, Eleanor Thornton."
She giggled and took another bite.
I looked back up at Jack. "What are we going to do in a few months when we're outnumbered?"
He shrugged. "We'll figure it out. Right, Janie? Do you think mama and I can take care of you and Ellie and your baby brother or sister?"
"Uh, no."
"No? Well, it's good to know our two-year-old doesn't have faith in us."
Jane giggled.
"No no no." Ellie mimicked her sister. "No."
"What's that, Ellie girl?" Jack questioned. "You don't think we can do it, either?"
I laughed softly, dropping a hand to my stomach. "Well, hopefully the baby thinks we're capable parents."
"Sometimes I still can't believe we're going to have another one." He leaned down and kissed the top of Jane's head. "I can't wait."
...
Jane pressed her face to the window again when the train started to slow. "We there now?"
"Almost, Janie. We just need to wait for the train to stop, and then we'll get our bags and go home."
"Home and see Pat?"
"Why don't we ask Rosemary and Lee if they want to bring the children and have dinner at the café with us this evening? It can be our treat since Lee was kind enough to drive us to and from the station."
"That's a wonderful idea, Jack." I tightened my arms around Ellie, who was fast asleep in my lap. "I suppose I should start preparing myself to face Rosemary. There's no telling what she's going to say about how I broke our baby news to her."
Jack laughed. "Just as long as she doesn't yell at me."
Rosemary and Lee were waiting for us just outside the train station, and sure enough, Rosemary immediately cornered me.
"Elizabeth Thornton! I cannot believe that you told me you're expecting again just as you were boarding the train!"
"Hello, Rosemary." I chuckled. "We missed you, too."
"Oh, yes. It's good to see you. Now," she tucked her arm into mine, "why on Earth would you break such big news to me like that?"
"I didn't plan to tell you like that. That is, I was planning to tell you before we left, but things got busy, and suddenly the trip was here. So in order to tell you before I left, it had to be as we were getting on the train."
"Fine." She rolled her eyes playfully. "I suppose I can forgive you this one time. Now, tell me more about this new baby! When are you due? Do you think you're having another girl? Did you tell your families while you were away?"
"Goodness." I gave Jack an apologetic look as he and Lee were left with the task of loading the bags and the children into the car. "Well," I rubbed my stomach as we walked, "I'm due in August. I've actually been thinking this one is a boy. And yes, we told our families. Does that answer all your questions?"
"Oh, you know I'll have more." She smiled. "I'm so happy for you, Elizabeth."
"Thank you, Rosemary. Now, tell me what I've missed while I've been away."
...
I left Jane and Ellie at the dress shop with Rosemary and Clara before heading over to the schoolhouse. It was quiet when I arrived; none of the students were there yet.
I started a fire in the stove to warm the room before placing readers on each of the desks.
It wasn't long before I heard the chatter of children outside. At the sound of the cow bell, they all filed into the building, taking their seats.
I smiled as I stood at the front of the classroom, looking out at all of them. I hadn't been away long, but it was so nice to be with them again.
"We missed you, Mrs. Thornton."
"Oh, I missed you all as well. Now, before we start our lessons for today, I have something to tell you. Some of you may have heard already—or you might have figured it out on your own—but Corporal Thornton and I are having another baby." I touched my stomach. "And before I ask if there are any questions: the baby is due in the summer and, just like with Jane and Eleanor, we won't know if it's a boy or a girl until it's born."
"Will we have to have another teacher again when the baby is born?"
"Remember to raise your hand when you have a question. But to answer that, I'll finish out this school year with all of you. I haven't decided how much time I'll take off once the baby arrives, though, so you'll probably have another teacher for a little while at least."
A little hand shot up. "But can't you bring the baby here like you did with Jane and Ellie?"
"Yes, I might do that again, but that will have to wait until the baby is a few months old. And now, we're going to do some reading."
...
"Jack?"
He rolled over to face me. "Hm?"
"I think I might need to stop teaching for a while when the baby comes." I rested my hands on my stomach.
"Why are you thinking that?" He reached over, putting a hand on mine and squeezing gently.
"I don't know." I sighed. "I was just thinking that Rosemary and Clara already have their hands full at the dress shop with Patrick and Jane and Sammy there. If I bring the baby to school with me, Ellie would need to be at the dress shop every day, too, and I already feel badly for leaving her there every once in a while. It wouldn't be fair to them to have to watch both girls every day and their own children."
"Well, we have time to get it all figured out."
"I can't think of any other option, Jack. Abigail doesn't need Jane and Ellie under her feet all day, and the mothers in town have enough going on with their own families. And you can't very well keep the children at the jail all day or take them on your rounds."
"Don't worry about this right now, Elizabeth." He kissed my forehead. "Just sleep."
...
"Well, here we are again." Carson chuckled as I leaned back on the bed.
"I suppose it really hasn't been that long since I was last here." I laughed. "Though it does feel like I've had Eleanor forever. Jane, too."
"I know just what you mean. Meg isn't even a year old yet, but I can barely remember what our lives were like before she was born."
"How is she?"
He pressed the stethoscope to my stomach, then moved it up to my chest. "She's doing okay. She has a bit of a cold today, so Faith is home with her."
"Oh, poor baby. Good thing she has a doctor and a nurse for parents."
He chuckled, pulling the stethoscope out of his ears. "Good thing." He continued checking my vitals before taking a few measurements. "Okay, Elizabeth. Everything looks good, and you're right on track for almost four months."
"Am I bigger than normal? I feel like I wasn't this big at four months with the girls."
"I'll have to look at my notes to tell you that, but there's no reason to be concerned, even if you are a little bigger. We'll just keep an eye on your measurements over the next few months." He flipped through the pages in the file. "Now, have you been having any symptoms?"
I shook my head. "Not many. I've just noticed that I've been more tired than usual, although I suppose having two children under three could be a reason for that as well."
"No morning sickness or headaches?"
"No, none at all. I'm actually convinced this one is a boy because of that. It just feels so different from when I was expecting Jane and Ellie." I put my hand on my stomach. "Honestly, if it hadn't been for my skirts suddenly feeling tight, I wouldn't have known I was pregnant again."
He chuckled. "Well, you definitely are pregnant, even without symptoms. And everything looks good. Just keep taking care of yourself like you have been, and I'll see you in a few weeks for another checkup."
"Thank you, Carson. Tell Faith and Meg I said hello."
"I will."
...
The weeks following our trip to Edmonton passed quickly. Before we knew it, the weather had warmed, the flowers began to bloom, and Spring had fully arrived in Hope Valley.
One afternoon in late April, we left the girls with Abigail and carried a picnic lunch out to the pond. I expected that we would set up a blanket on the shore and enjoy our meal there, but Jack led me over to the dock, where the row boat was bobbing slowly in the water.
"Jack," I stood beside the dock, cradling my stomach. "Do you think it's safe for me to get on a boat right now?"
"I'll paddle very carefully. Besides, this pond isn't very deep, and I'm an excellent swimmer if it comes to that." He saw the hesitation on my face. "If it makes you too nervous, we can stay on dry land."
"No, it's fine. Just be extra careful."
"Of course. You're carrying precious cargo." He kissed my cheek and ran his hand along my stomach.
He took my hand and helped me into the boat. Within a few minutes, we were safely floating in the middle of the pond.
"Someday we should bring the girls out here."
I handed him a sandwich from the picnic basket. "I hope you aren't thinking anytime soon."
"No. Once they're older and they know how to swim."
"We might need a bigger boat." I chuckled. "Whoa." I quickly brought my hand to my stomach.
"Is everything okay?"
I nodded. "He's kicking." I grabbed his hand and placed it next to mine.
A grin spread across his face. "He's a strong one. Do you think the kicking means that he likes the boat or that he doesn't like it?"
"I think he likes it."
"Good. That means he and I can come out here if we need a break from all the girls in the house."
"Hey, we aren't that bad."
He chuckled. "I know. I love you. And our girls."
...
I turned to the side, running my hands over my stomach as I looked in the mirror. "Was I ever this big with Jane and Ellie? I look like a whale!"
"I think you look perfect." Jack stepped up behind me and wrapped his arms around me.
"Look, you can barely get your arms around me! And I still have three months to go before the baby is born! I'm only going to get even bigger from here."
"You're beautiful, Elizabeth." He turned me to face him. "You're carrying our baby, and that's absolutely amazing." He placed his hand on my cheek, brushing his thumb slowly back and forth. "You're amazing."
"Even though I look like a whale?"
He pressed his lips to my forehead. "I can assure you that you look nothing like a whale. When we met, I thought you were the most beautiful woman I had ever seen, but seeing you carry our children," he shook his head, letting out a soft laugh, "I know you're the most beautiful woman in the entire world."
"Jack, you're just saying that to make me feel better."
"I promise you I'm not. It's the truth." He kissed me softly. "I love you, Elizabeth."
