Authors Note: The story of Patrick Coulter in this chapter deviates from canon (as told in the finale for season 4 of When Calls the Heart) and incorporates elements of the real-life town of Loveland, Ohio.


Lee sat in stunned silence in the waiting room of the Union City Hospital, recalling all he had been told. In the past forty-eight hours, he'd been introduced to a variety of doctors, including a student of Sir Henry Head, famed neurologist from London, who highlighted the near-complete hemiplegia, or paralysis, on Rosemary's left side. Union City's Dr. Klein recommended continued palliative care based upon his initial lumbar tests. However, this new physician, Dr. Emil Stephens, pushed for additional tests, and due to his connections, he got them. The findings were conclusive.

"Mr. Coulter," Dr. Stephens said, "The results of your wife's tests were as I'd feared. A small area of bleeding at the site of her fracture was undetected upon your wife's earlier admission. That area has formed a clot. A new lumbar puncture indicates an increase in intracranial pressure."

"What does that mean?" Lee asked.

"Sometimes, the body will reabsorb these kinds of injuries, but in Mrs. Coulter's case, it has not. This is a medical emergency necessitating surgery."

Lee's heart sank when he heard the word surgery, knowing that while the science behind operating on the brain had improved through the years, it was still risky, and mortality could be high. He'd also heard of many tales where the patient wasn't the same after such surgeries – but, given the gravity of the situation, what choice did he have?

"Do whatever you need to do," he said quietly. Then, he received the second jolt.

"There's more," Dr. Stephens said. "After hearing about the incident which led to your wife's initial hospitalization, I took the liberty to go through her complete medical record, including various measurements taken while she was in this hospital's care. We then did some additional testing and have determined that your wife is anemic."

"Anemia?" Lee said, surprised. "But she's always been so healthy."

"Yes. Well, anemia sometimes becomes a factor when a woman becomes with child." Stephens replied.

Lee staggered. "Wait! What? Are you saying Rosemary is…"

"Since it wasn't in her records, I figured you didn't know," Stephens replied. "Best I can determine, she is somewhere between two and three months along."

"Rosemary's pregnant?" Lee said, trying to process the news.

"Your wife is expecting a child. And, I believe this is likely what led to her current condition."

"Come again?"

"Mr. Coulter, during the time of her original stay, Mrs. Coulter's blood pressure was measured regularly. Those measurements were largely consistent with what one would expect from major head trauma. However, there were times when the pressure would drop and then stabilize, drop then stabilize. Of course, knowing what we know now about the bleeding inside her skull, a drop in blood pressure wouldn't be unusual. Nevertheless, because it would return to normal, it was never explored further.

After reviewing Mrs. Coulter's charts and hearing the history of her injury, it dawned on me that it is not altogether uncommon for expectant mothers to develop blood pressure issues, and low pressure can result in lightheadedness, dizziness, and syncope, or fainting spells. That's when I asked the staff obstetrician to examine her further for signs of pregnancy. And, as I said before, that examination was positive. Mr. Coulter, I believe what happened to your wife on the night she was injured was a simple accident. Perhaps she felt ill, maybe needed some fresh air, and before she knew it, she collapsed and hit her head."

"So, nobody pushed her?" Lee asked.

"After examining her medical records, I see no evidence of other trauma. And, if it had been an actual person causing her to fall, there most certainly would have been bruising or injury elsewhere. And there is none."

Lee considered those words for a moment and then smiled. "So, she wasn't attacked, and we're having a baby? Doc, this is wonderful news all around!"

"There is one other thing I need to let you know," the doctor responded.

"What's that?" Lee said, his smile only slightly fading as his mind got used to the news he'd received.

"This surgery is not without risk to both your wife and your child. Mrs. Coulter's weakened condition, her blood pressure issues, and her anemia raise her chances of complications and, for the baby, even the act of administering anesthesia is believed to raise the risk of miscarriage."

Lee felt his entire body go rigid at those words. Their dream of conceiving had come true, only to be snatched away?

"And if you don't operate?" he said timidly.

"If we don't operate, your wife will most certainly die along with, of course, your child. It is the only chance they have."

Lee hesitated only slightly. "Then do what you can to save them both."

"You have my word," Stephens said before leaving to prepare for surgery.

Nathan and Emily weren't talking. It had been two full days since he had returned home and found out from Allie that his fiancée had inexplicably rushed away from the Queen of the Valley in tears. He immediately checked on her, but she refused to answer the door, telling him to 'go away.' Finally, when she did open the door, she stood in tears, asking him loudly how he could have possibly been unfaithful to her and decrying the fact that she'd ever trusted him.

"Unfaithful?! What on earth are you talking about?" he asked.

"Don't lie to me, Nathan! I saw you with her! I saw you embrace Feeeeohhhhhnaaa."

Nathan stood there for a moment, slack jawed. "You're nuts! Certifiably insane!" he replied, and the resulting sound of a door slamming in his face was so loud that it captured the attention of Ellen Weise, who was on her porch talking with Mary Wolf. He nodded at the women and returned home. It was just the beginning of his fun.

The next morning, a grumpy Grant donned his serge and went into town only to find himself being stared at with contempt by half the town. It wasn't until noon that he found the reason why.

"What did you do to Fiona?" Mike Hickam stated, rushing out of Gowen Petroleum and pointing his finger at Nathan in the middle of the street.

"I didn't do anything to Fiona. What have you heard?" Nathan asked.

"We had a meeting with a customer this morning, and she wasn't able to concentrate. I could see she was upset, so I excused the both of us to see what was going on. That's when she told me that Wilma Lawson attacked her this morning."

Nathan furrowed his brow. "Attacked her? Physically?!"

"No! She told Fiona that she should be ashamed of herself for going after a taken man and that if that's the way she was going to behave, she should return to San Francisco. What have you been telling people?"

Nathan shook his head. "I've not been telling them anything."

"Then what's going on?!" a clearly upset Hickam asked. "If you touched that girl."

"She's all yours, Mike," Nathan said. "This is just a misunderstanding. Nothing is going on, nor has gone on, between Fiona and me. Promise."

Mike thought about that for the greater part of a minute. "Alright. If you're telling the truth – but the word's all-around town that you cheated on Emily with Fiona, and you need to fix it, right away!"

Nathan looked toward the infirmary door knowing that Emily was no doubt inside but seeing a patient enter, he knew that now was not the time to fix it. He'd have to find a way to do it later.

"Do you need me to get you anything?" Joseph asked, breaking a very long silence as he sat next to Lee in the waiting room. "It's late, but I can see if I can find you something to eat."

Lee shook his head. "I'm not hungry. But thanks."

"Well then, perhaps we should pray."

Lee paused a moment. "You go ahead."

Joseph nodded, then bowed his head. "Dear Lord, we come to you today asking for your watch care over Miss Rosemary and her unborn child. Guide the hands of the surgeon. Give him wisdom and skill and help bring about a favorable outcome for all concerned. We trust Your might hand to deliver, in the name of Your Son, Amen."

Canfield looked up and saw Lee was leaning over, knees on his elbows, tears falling to the ground. He reached out and touched his shoulder. "Want to talk?"

Lee didn't raise his head for the longest time, but once he did, the pastor saw a lifetime's worth of pain in Coulter's eyes as he looked his way. Lee sniffed and rubbed the tears off his cheeks with the palm of his hand. "How do you do it?" he asked. "How do you still have faith that God will deliver anything after all you've been through? I mean, I know you and Minnie and some of the things you went through before coming to Canada, and of course, I know about Angela – and I see you, and it's like nothing ever shakes you, like it shook me when my little brother died."

"You had a brother?" Joseph asked.

"Yeah. His name was Patrick."

"I didn't know," Joseph replied. "How did it happen?"

Lee took a deep breath. "Well, we were living in Loveland, Ohio. I grew up there, and we lived just down the street from the Little Miami River. Every summer there was this guy, Joe Adams, he'd rent out these canoes, and Dad and mom would take the three of us- me, Patrick, and my sister Susannah - We'd go riding down the river until we reached this little flat spot off to the right where dad would pull over, and we'd sit down and have a picnic lunch that Mom had packed. Afterward, we kids would run around and play, climb trees, that sort of thing.

One day, we were all playing hide and seek, and Patrick must have decided to cross and hide on the other side of the river because we found a piece of his shirt, which had ripped, attached to this fallen tree that was acting like a natural bridge to the other side. Patrick had fallen in and was swept away. They found his body nine hours later, about a mile downstream.

Joseph shut his eyes and shook his head. "That's horrible."

"It is, and it was. Our family was destroyed. Mom never got over her grief and died of a broken heart a few years later, and dad, he became increasingly bitter. I prayed that God would restore our family, but He never did. I turned eighteen and left Ohio and began to travel. Dad died two years later, and I didn't even know he was sick. My sister's letter didn't reach me in time, and she had to bury him without me. She and I didn't talk for twenty years, but that changed over the past few years. Still, we never got back what we had.

So, Joseph, when I told you that I am a man of moderate faith, that's where that comes from. I believe there is a God, and I admire people like you who can go through hardship and still come out believing, strong in your faith. But God and I haven't been very close in years, and I'd feel like less of a hypocrite if you'd do the praying for me."

Joseph gathered his thoughts. "You know Lee, first of all, none of us is perfect, so in a sense, we're all hypocrites when we come before him. But God knows that, and He understands where you're at. And, while I have no problem standing in the gap between you and the Lord - interceding on your behalf, at the end of the day, the relationship is between you and Him. I can't make that connection for you, and He invites you to come. All you gotta do is accept His invitation."

"Yeah, well. I'm not even sure I'd know what to say at this point. I'll just leave it as it is."

Joseph nodded. "Well, just know that the invitation is open. And, regardless of what you believe or what you do, you're still my friend."

"I appreciate that," Lee replied.

An hour later, the door to the waiting room opened, and Dr. Stephens entered. Lee stood.

"She made it through surgery and is resting," the doctor explained, pulling up a chair and inviting Lee to sit. "Your wife had an extradural clot running through the line of her fracture. I made a two-inch incision along her right parietal lobe, removed the clot, and installed some boiled rubber material along the fracture to drain any residual fluid which may have gathered and avoid further surgery. With that pressure relieved, I expect you will see an immediate improvement in her headaches as well as, I'm hopeful, a return of motion on her left side."

Lee shook his head. "And the baby?"

"As far as we can tell, the baby is fine. Of course, coming through surgery is just the first battle. I recommend finding your wife an excellent obstetrician to manage her case from here until birth. I can provide you a few names."

"Thank you, Dr. Stephens. When can I see her?" Lee asked.

"They are getting her settled in her room. I'll send a nurse out to get you in a few minutes."

A weary Emily Reardon walked home, moving quickly past the Grant's rowhouse as she worked her way to her own. Around the third house down, however, she slowed when she saw Nathan sitting on her porch leaning against the side of her house. He had a bouquet of wildflowers in his hand and had lined her porch with candles. He looked up and saw her and stood. She shook her head and continued to trudge up to her door.

Walking up her steps, she wouldn't even look at him as she fished the key out of her pocket.

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

"We need to talk."

She opened the door and walked inside, leaving it open. Nathan took that as his invitation and started to walk in.

"Blow out the candles first. We don't want to start a fire."

After a minute, he entered her house and looked for somewhere to lay down the flowers. She quickly grabbed them from him and tossed them on the counter, crossing her arms in front of her. "You want to talk, talk."

Nathan swallowed, shuffling on his feet a bit. "I've come to apologize."

Emily narrowed her eyes. "Apologize?! Apologize for what? For leadin' me on? For proposing when you had no intent on actually marrying me. For…for cheatin' on me with that…that…."

"I never cheated!" he said, raising his voice loud enough that it shocked her. "And I can explain what you saw, or what you think you saw between Fiona and me if you'll just shut up for a minute!"

Emily clenched her jaw. "Fine. Explain how it was you found yourself in the arms of that tart from San Francisco."

Nathan's lips tightened, and he twisted his jaw as he tried to maintain his composure. Speaking in a softer tone, he looked at her. "I went to Fiona because I needed advice. I needed advice about you and how to deal with all of the different things you've been doing with this wedding."

"What?!"

"Emily, I'm a simple guy, and when I asked you to marry me, I pictured a simple church wedding with just our pastor and a few friends and family. I never imagined being dressed up like Bonnie Prince Charlie and paraded around town with horses in matching apparel! I had hoped that Fiona, being a woman who deals with men all the time, might have some words of advice for me on how to handle it in a way that didn't hurt your feelings. She told me just to talk to you about it, so here I am. I'm sorry, Emily, that I wasn't honest with you upfront, but I want to work this out if you'll let me."

Emily bit on her lower lip as a hurt expression appeared on her face. "I was only doing it for you."

"You what?" Nathan said, shaking his head. "What do you mean?"

"Remember when I first moved into town, and I brought you lunch at the jail? You know the cor-"

"Corned beef?" he said, interrupting. "Yes, I remember. What about it?"

"Well, when we were sitting there, we were talking about all the things you'd done in your career as a Mountie and how you'd turned down that promotion to Union City, and you pointed to a picture of Bill in his uniform rearin' on his horse. You said that you've come to know that that was where true success for a Mountie was at. It wasn't in the medals and promotions that came from headquarters but in so earnin' the respect of the people of your town that they'd gather together with a parade and a brass band just to show you how much they appreciate you. And well, I didn't think a brass band would sound all that good at a church weddin' but, the kilt, the horse blankets, the fireworks…."

"Wait? There were fireworks?" he said.

"Oh. I guess I forgot to mention them," she replied. "But yes, fireworks. It was all my way of giving you a parade because I think you deserve it, and the people of this town certainly love and respect you."

Nathan thought for a minute. "So, let me get this straight. If I hadn't pointed out the picture of Bill, you wouldn't have done any of this stuff?"

Emily smiled slightly. "Oh, I would have done some of it. I still love a traditional wedding, so the horseshoe and the bell…."

"And, the kilt?"

"If you didn't want to wear the kilt, Nathan, all you had to do was say something. It's your wedding too."

"So I've been told," he said, sitting back against her couch and shaking his head. "Can we just start over?"

"Start over? How?"

"I don't know, like start from square one, look at what we've got, make adjustments where we need to, and work out something that's, you know, less loud. Something more intimate."

"Something without my father's kilt?"

Nathan shrugged. "We'll talk about it. Work something out together. That is if you still want to marry me."

A smile appeared on Emily's face, and she stood, walking over to Nathan and sitting down in his lap. "Of course, I want to marry you," she said, drawing him in for a lingering kiss. The passion between the two of them deepened until finally, the two had to pull away, Emily removing herself from his lap and sitting firmly on the couch next to him.

"Nathan, I'm sorry," she said.

"Sorry?"

"For getting upset, for letting my jealous streak show. I never should have doubted you."

"Don't apologize. It was informative," he responded.

"How so?"

"Well, now I know what you're like when you get angry," he grinned.

"And?" she asked. "What did you conclude?"

"Let's just say I think we need to have that make-up bell nearby at all times 'cause I never want to face the wrath of Emily again," he said with a grin as he leaned in and kissed her once again.

Lucas paid the taxi and took care of little Jack while Elizabeth rushed up the steps to Union City Hospital to meet Lee, who was standing there to greet them. It had been a rough five days which had eased a bit during a stop in Winnipeg when Elizabeth was able to reach Abigail by telephone, who told her that Rosemary had made it through her surgery and was said to have done well. But still, she needed to see her. So, when they reached the train depot in Union City, they called the hospital and reached Lee, who now stood gratefully at the top of the stairs, ready to usher them in.

Seeing Jack, Lee winced. "I'm sorry. Children aren't allowed." Lee said, "Hospital policy. Which is too bad because Rosemary hasn't been doing the best emotionally and seeing Jack would probably perk her up."

Lucas looked over at Elizabeth and grinned. She returned the smile, knowing he had something up his sleeve. But in reality, it wasn't his sleeve Lucas was thinking about, for he bent down and whispered something into Jack's ear, causing the child to smile, and next thing they knew, the little boy was pressed flatly against his father's chest and being buttoned up inside his overcoat.

Elizabeth smirked. "You look to have put on a few pounds there, Mr. Bouchard."

"Marriage will do that to you," Lucas replied. "Shall we?"

As they traveled up to the second floor, Lee prepared them for what they would see. Rosemary's head was still wrapped in bandages, and she was a bit poofy. The paralysis on her left side was improving, but she was very weak on that side. The doctor, however, expected her to fully recover movement fairly quickly. Mentally, she was well aware of her surroundings and able to carry on conversations. But, it was her emotional state that they were dealing with now.

"She's very weepy. We'll be talking then; suddenly, she'll want me to leave the room. I've tried to get her to open up about what's wrong, but she won't talk. I never know if she's feeling bad or what."

"Well, we're here to help now," Elizabeth said confidently. "We'll see to it that she knows she's loved and supported and give you a little rest too."

"I just want her home," Lee said. "I miss the way things used to be."

The elevator door opened, and the Bouchards followed Lee down a long hallway.

"Did they ever figure out what caused the fall?" Lucas asked. "Last I heard, Judson, Walden, and Spurlock had been ruled out?"

Lee stopped and looked at them. "Yeah, that's right. Turns out, it was a complete accident. The doctor believes she fainted."

"Fainted?" Elizabeth said. "Was she sick?"

Lee looked at the two of them, and a broad smile appeared on his face. "I wouldn't really say that. Elizabeth, Lucas, we're expecting!"

Elizabeth had to be shushed when she squealed, and the couple gave Coulter their hearty congratulations.

"When is she due?" Elizabeth asked.

"Oh, not for a while now. The doctor thinks she's a little over two months along," Lee replied.

Elizabeth looked at Lucas, and the two laughed.

Lee furrowed his brow. "What? I don't get it."

Elizabeth nodded to Lucas to be the one to share their news, and he grinned. "It must have been a full moon or something."

Lee was still confused then looked between the two of them. "What?! You too?!"

Elizabeth shook her head vigorously, and Lee went in to hug them both.

"Ahem, ahem!" Jack said, clearing his throat from under his father's coat.

Lucas winced. "I guess we'd better hurry."

Lee nodded. "Congratulations! Looks like a busy spring in Hope Valley."

Lee led the family into Rosemary's own private room, where the lights were somewhat dimmer than the outside and the atmosphere serene. There, they saw their friend - bandage wrapped around her skull, and face slightly fuller than usual, but otherwise giving the appearance of sleep. Elizabeth was touched so deeply when she saw her that her eyes immediately flooded with tears, but the comforting hand of her husband brushing softly over her back, gave her strength to stand.

"Rosie, you have visitors." Lee walked to Rosemary's bedside and gently caressed her cheek.

Rosemary opened her eyes with a groggy moan. "Vis-itors?"

"Yes, Elizabeth, Lucas, and Jack are here."

"They're still in Europe on their honeymoon," she replied.

Lee looked to Elizabeth and smiled softly. Rosemary's cognitive ability was still strong.

"No, they came home a little early, sweetheart. And they're here to see you."

A few seconds passed, and Rosemary opened her eyes, scanning the room until she saw Elizabeth. Her chin began to quiver, and she tried to raise both arms, though the left one remained close to the mattress. "Elizabeth! Lucas! You're home!"

Elizabeth rushed to Rosemary's bed, took both of her hands, and held them tight. "That's right. And we're here to see you."

Rosemary closed her eyes and smiled. "I've missed talking with you. Did you have a good time?"

Elizabeth giggled. "The best time."

"Good!" her sleepy friend replied. "I want to know all about it. Every detail."

Elizabeth looked to Lucas, who was now holding Jack and winked. She motioned for them to come over.

"Look who else is here," Elizabeth said as Lucas took his place.

Rosemary opened her eyes and looked up, a sweet smile appearing on her face. "Jack! I'm so happy to see you! Jonathan is going to be happy you're home."

Jack nodded bashfully, not quite sure what to make of the bandages on Rosemary's head but resting comfortably as long as he was in Lucas's arms.

"We going to play," Jack said. "I got some new toys."

"Really?" Rosemary asked. "What did you get?"

"Some horseys, and some pow-ace guard dolls, and a Rows Royce."

Lee and Lucas chuckled at the child's enthusiasm, and Lucas gave him a little hug.

"Well, those sound like a lot of fun. I'm sure he will enjoy playing with them." Rosemary replied.

"Mmhmm, and when my baby bruhver gets here, he can play too." Jack proclaimed.

Elizabeth opened her mouth to quieten her son, but Rosemary's eyes opened, and she looked at Elizabeth.

"Baby brother?"

Elizabeth bit her lip and shook her head, yes and Rosemary gasped.

"Me too!" she said.

"We know!" Elizabeth replied. "Oh, Rosemary!"

"Oh, Elizabeth!"

The two women began to cry, and Elizabeth gingerly leaned over to hug her friend, whose shaking arms pulled her in as tightly as she could. "I knew that Lucas wouldn't waste any time!"

Lucas choked and looked at Lee.

"Oh, I forgot to mention. Ever since her injury, she kinda says what she's thinking. A little perk I'm getting used to."

"I see," Lucas said, with reddened face.

The two best friends talked a few moments longer, and things were going well until Rosemary started to cry.

"Are you okay?" Elizabeth asked. "Don't cry."

Lee walked to her side, and Rosemary immediately raised her right hand and motioned him away. "No, Lee. Leave. Please!"

Lee didn't protest, this having happened several times before and knowing the drill. He looked at Lucas and Elizabeth. "You guys want to go see if we can find lunch someplace?"

Lucas picked up Jack and started to follow, but Elizabeth shook her head.

"I'm staying here. You two go on."

"No, I want you to go," Rosemary said.

"That may be so, but I'm going to stay. You need me," Elizabeth replied. "Whether you know it or not. You guys go on. Rosemary and I will be fine."

Lucas, Lee, and Jack exited the room and decided to take a walk outside at Lucas's insistence. He could tell that Lee had been getting little sleep, and the stress he was under was having an effect. The three bundled up, laughing as they narrowly missed getting caught by the guard for having Jack inside, and they went to a nearby café to have a cup of coffee and talk for a bit.

"How are you really?" Lucas said. "I know that you're putting on a pleasant disposition for Rosemary's sake, but I can see you're tired."

"Well, you know how it is," Lee replied. "You do what you have to do for the one you love. But you're right," he added. "I am tired."

Lucas nodded. "Well, if it's any help, there were many days where I felt emotionally and physically exhausted during my recovery and really wondered if I could continue."

"What did you do?"

"I considered the good things that I still had and held open the possibility for good in the future, one way or the other. I knew that Elizabeth was and would only be the only one for me, and I concentrated on getting well for her. Even when I left the hospital and tried to start anew in Baltimore, I sustained myself knowing that I was doing it for her greater happiness. Even if I wound up alone, which I know I would have if she hadn't come to me, to know I was giving her a chance at happiness gave me peace.

Now, at this juncture and with hindsight, I would say I was a little misguided in some of my thinking in those days, not giving her enough credit and looking at my future with a bleaker eye than I should have. But it kept me sane. I used to think of myself as the maker of my own destiny, and while I still believe we can get more done through action than inaction, there are times when life just comes at us and hits us in some unexpected way, and there's not a single thing, we can do about it. In those times, we have to find a place of rest."

Lee nodded and took a sip of his coffee as he pondered his friend's words. "What you went through was a lot."

"It was," Lucas said. "In some ways, it's left me a different man. Not just physically."

"You believe in God, don't you?" Lee asked.

"Absolutely."

"Did you ever feel put out with Him? You know, angry?"

Lucas nodded. "I have to admit, yes. I did. I felt sorry for myself and couldn't understand what I had done to make God hate me so that He let this happen to me. But even then, I knew that was just the internal pain talking. It wasn't true.

When I was on the streets in Baltimore, I stayed a short time with the Sullivans, a minister, and his wife. He preached a sermon on the first night I was there called God Hears the Cry of the Broken Hearted. I wasn't much in a mood to listen but forced myself to do so, knowing it applied to me. In the middle of the sermon, I'll never forget, he quoted Charles Spurgeon."

"The famous English preacher?"

"Yes. The sermon talked about times when what has happened to us makes no sense to us and can make us wonder where God is in all of it. It's in those times that Spurgeon said we must remember, God is too good to be unkind, and He is too wise to be mistaken. And when we cannot trace His hand, we must trust His heart. Right now, in the midst of this storm, things are very confused and scary. But God is a good God, and trusting that He has a plan for even this situation does a lot to settle your spirit and keep you in the right frame of mind. Having good friends along does so as well, and I hope you know that Elizabeth and I are your friends, and we'll do anything whatsoever to lighten your load if we can. We are here for you."

Lee nodded. "Thank you, Lucas. Rosemary and I appreciate that. We truly do."

The men finished their coffee, and Jack finished an applesauce snack that Lucas allowed him to have, and soon they were on their way back to the hospital. As they reached the door, Elizabeth was walking out.

"There you are!" she exclaimed. "I've been looking for you all over the place."

"Is Rosemary okay?" Lee asked.

"She's fine," Elizabeth said. "I know what's wrong with her. Lee, can you watch Jack for a minute? I need to go talk with Lucas."

Lee shrugged. "Sure."

Elizabeth took Lucas about twenty feet away, and Lee played with Jack while they talked. After a short time, Lee watched as Lucas raised his hand to Elizabeth's face and ran his finger through her auburn hair, then bent down and kissed her. He pulled his wallet out of his pocket and emptied it into her hand, and she quickly kissed him and left.

Lucas returned to the mayor's side and picked up his son. "Jack, are you ready to hide again?"

"Sure, papa! Where's mommy going?"

"Mommy is going shopping. She'll be back in a little while."

Lee looked curiously at Lucas as they walked toward the door and appeared to be about to ask him a question when Lucas opened the door.

"After you."

Lee abandoned his query.

They returned upstairs, and Lee went in to check on Rosemary, who had nodded off. Her tear-stained face revealed that she'd cried much of the time he had been gone. It was heartbreaking. He rejoined Lucas, and Jack and the two men entertained the little boy by telling him fanciful stories, some of which were made up, just to keep him quiet. After a couple of hours, Jack fell asleep against Lucas's chest, and Lee and Lucas both were starting to dose themselves.

"Lee?" Rosemary's weak voice awakened Lee out of his slumber, and he was immediately at her side.

"Hi, Smidget. Did you need something?"

Rosemary reached up and stroked his cheek. "Just to say I'm sorry for running you out of the room. I talked with Elizabeth, and she got me to admit what I was feeling."

"She did?" he asked. "Do you want to tell me?"

Rosemary looked down for a moment. "I guess I should. Elizabeth came in here, and I was so happy to see her again, but the more I looked at her, the more I realized that she's just, she's just glowing – and it's not just because of the baby. She really is beautiful on the inside and out. And then…" she said, her voice beginning to quiver. "I thought about myself. I'm so tired, and my arm doesn't' work right, and they shaved my head, and I just feel so….I feel so…."

"Ready to try on some hats!" Elizabeth said, walking into the room with a stack of boxes in her hands.

"Elizabeth!" Rosemary said, staring at her, not because of the hats but because of her hair which had been cut into a very short bob, hitting her just above her jawline.

"Lucas, sweetie, would you run down to the front desk. There are about five more boxes down there. I had the driver leave them for me."

Lucas stood and grinned, leaning down to kiss his wife before leaving the room.

"You look ravishing!" he said, allowing his hand to drift down and lightly smack her posterior as he walked away.

Elizabeth's mouth opened and turned toward her husband, who was looking back and chuckling mischievously as he left the room. She turned back to Rosemary.

"I got you all the latest trends, just like I saw in Paris. Hope Valley won't know what hit them!"

"But, Elizabeth - " Rosemary said, focusing on Elizabeth's head.

"Oh, and I got you this!" she said, opening another box and pulling out a fine wig made of human hair in precisely the shade as Rosemary's natural mane. "It's shorter in length so that when your natural hair catches up you can seamless transition into the new style."

Rosemary looked at it with amazement, and then her eyes went back to Elizabeth's.

"And you cut your hair? For me?" she asked.

"Yes. I figured it would be fun. We could let our hair grow back in together. Maybe we can start a trend!" Elizabeth replied, causing Rosemary to begin to cry again. Elizabeth came and sat down on the edge of her friend's bed, and the two women hugged. "Rosemary LeVeaux Coulter, you are simply one of the most beautiful women I've ever met both inside and out, and I don't ever want you to think otherwise. You're kind and caring and strong. And we're going to work together to get you stronger so that you can be ready for when both of our babies arrive."

Rosemary again hugged Elizabeth and then reached out for Lee with her weakened left arm, motioning with her fingers for him to join. Lee wrapped his arms around his wife and kissed her on top of her bandages, and the three were still hugging when Lucas returned with more hats.

He smiled when he saw them.

"Papa! You came back!" Jack said, springing up from the chair they'd left him to nap. He threw his arms around Lucas's thigh. Lucas bent down and picked him up. "That's right. Papa's back. And everything is going to be alright." He kissed Jack on the cheek then looked at Lee, who mouthed thank you to him. Lucas nodded, knowing it was going to be an uphill battle, but they'd get through their crisis just as he had gotten through his. With God's help and the help of friends who were family, they'd make it through.