Chapter 29 – Patrick's Big Surprise
Five minutes before
Lee and Patrick pull up right in front of their door and notice the lights are still on. He knows Rosemary is not going to be happy with him coming home so late and being injured. Lee has been practicing what to say to her for the last hour. He doesn't want to upset her any more than she will already be. Lee taps Patrick, waking him up, saying, "We're home." Lee gets out of the car and hobbles over to help Patrick. They both notice the door fly open and Rosemary in the doorway dropping to her knees. Lee yells out her name as he grabs his walking stick and hops as fast as he can to Rosemary. She suddenly falls to her side right before he reaches her.
Present time
Patrick runs towards them, yelling, "Mama, Mama!" Lee is rubbing her cheek, calling her name over and over again. Patrick continues to shout, "Mama, Mama! Wake up." When she doesn't stir, Lee braces himself for the pain, picks Rosemary up, and brings her to the settee. He sits down next to her, with Patrick leaning against him when she finally opens her eyes.
Rosemary blinks a few times before quietly inquiring, "What happened? How did I get here?" She places her hands on Lee's face, "Oh, Lee. Are you really here? You and Patrick didn't die in the avalanche?" Rosemary finally notices Lee's black eye and then sees the scratches on Patrick's face and the splint on his arm. Rosemary sits up, asking, "What in the world happened, Lee Coulter? How did you let this happen to our precious son? Come here, Patrick." Patrick climbs into Rosemary's lap, and he cries into her chest. "Are you okay, bud? What did you and Papa get yourselves into?"
Patrick stops crying for a moment and reveals to Rosemary, "Papa and I went dog sledding in the mountains, and the dogs got in a fight, and we fell off the sled. Papa lost his hold on me, and I hit a tree, broke my arm, and hurt my side. We went to see a doctor, and she was a girl just like Nurse, I mean Doctor Carter, except she was more fun. She told me to call her Doc Mattie. Doc Mattie told me what she was doing, and she talked to my arm and Papa's ankle. It was so funny. She told me my arm was too bruised to put a cast on, so Doctor Shepherd or Doctor Carter will need to put one on me in a couple days."
Rosemary wipes the rest of Patrick's tears away, responding, "Oh my goodness, Patrick. Are you in a lot of pain?"
"Yes, ma'am. I am trying to be brave and strong like Papa told me to be." Patrick lays his head back down on her chest.
Lee questions, "Are you going to tell me what happened to you? Why did you faint? What is this about an avalanche?"
Rosemary replies, "Nathan had come by earlier and told me about the road to the west being blocked by an avalanche. Since I had no idea where you were, I couldn't help but imagine you were caught in it and probably dead. I was so worried, and I hadn't eaten anything since breakfast. When I saw you and Patrick getting out of the car with a walking stick and something on his arm, all the worry, fear, and emotions just overcame me, and I got weak in the knees, my vision went blurry, and all the sounds became so muffled. I thought I heard someone calling my name, and the next thing I remember is waking up on the settee with you."
"I think I am going to get Carson or Faith. One of them should check you out tonight," mentions Lee.
Rosemary remarks, "Lee, I am fine. Do you or Patrick need to see them tonight?"
"Doc Mattie said we were fine. I'll take Patrick over there on Monday to get a cast. Are you sure you don't want me getting Carson or Faith, sweetheart? You can never be too careful." He points to his stomach and then in her direction.
Rosemary smiles, saying, "Yes, I'm sure everything is fine. It was just all the pent-up emotions, the not eating or drinking, the fear, and the worry I felt. Besides, I didn't land on my stomach." She looks down at Patrick, and he is sound asleep. Rosemary chuckles, "I wanted him to take a bath, but I guess we can do that tomorrow."
Lee reaches for the phone, "I'm going to call and try to find Carson. I'll feel better if he can examine you."
"It's 10:30 pm. Who do you think is going to answer the phone at this hour?" questions, Rosemary. She chuckles, stating, "I promise you, I am fine, Lee. Nothing to worry about."
"Let me be the judge of that. If I am not convinced you are fine in the morning, I will take you to see them." Rosemary nods in agreement. Lee offers to carry Patrick upstairs. He stands up and immediately grunts when he puts his weight on his bad ankle. Lee sits right back down in a thud.
"What hurts, honey?"
"Oh, it is just my ankle. I sprained it pretty badly."
"Well, you can't carry him up all those stairs." She wakes up Patrick, suggesting, "It's time for bed. Why don't you go on upstairs and I'll help you change into your nightclothes? We'll both be up in a few minutes to tuck you in." Patrick agrees and sleepily goes upstairs. They both stand up, and Rosemary stops him and turns him around. She scolds him, "You can't be taking our son on dangerous adventures no matter how ecstatic you are to show him. You can't be going off into the mountains without letting anyone know. We have a new little one on the way, and you need to be more careful."
"I know, sweetheart. I'm sorry."
"Lee, I'm serious. I cannot lose you or Patrick. You two are my whole world, and I cannot take care of our baby without you and Patrick. We are supposed to be a family of four and live happily ever after." Rosemary's tears begin to fall while Lee embraces her trying not to grimace. She can tell something is wrong and pulls back, questioning, "What's wrong?"
"Oh, I broke a rib," answers Lee.
Rosemary frowns, kissing him like she hasn't seen him in months and lightly embracing him. She rests her head on his chest and asks, "Does this hurt?"
Lee carefully wraps his arm around Rosemary, kissing her on the top of her head and responding, "No, this feels good." They stay in each other's arms until they hear "Mama, Papa" coming from upstairs. Lee and Rosemary laugh, and Lee yells up, "Coming, Patrick."
She wraps her arm around his, and with her other hand, she pats his cheek, reminding him, "Don't ever do that again, you hear?"
Lee chuckles, drying the remaining tears off of her face, and replies, "Yes, dear. Whatever you say."
Rosemary laughs, inquiring, "Is there anything else I need to know about?" Lee nods his head no. She kisses him again and helps him walk up the stairs.
The following week goes by fast in anticipation of the circus. Patrick gets his arm in a cast, Lee's ankle is on the mend, and Rosemary keeps her secret hidden. Rosemary and Lee plan how they will announce the news to Patrick about their bundle of joy. They are both nervous because they are not entirely sure how he'll react. They think he will be happy, but there is a chance he might think they won't love him the same as the baby.
The night before they go to the circus, Patrick is so excited. He does everything he can to stay up as late as possible. He keeps asking for one more chapter. After the fourth one, Lee suggests, "It's time to go to sleep. You need to get a good night's rest."
Patrick answers, "But, Papa. I can't sleep."
Lee chuckles, mentioning, "I know you are excited. We are too. But Mama and I are also sleepy, and we want to go to bed."
"Okay, Papa, Mama." They both kiss him on the forehead and are walking out the door when Patrick asks out of the blue, "Will I ever get a brother or sister?" Rosemary and Lee glance at each other with utter surprise written on their faces. They walk back into his room and sit down next to him.
Rosemary inquires, "Do you want a brother or sister?"
Patrick thinks about it and replies, "I think it would be fun to have a little kid running around following me like Jack. Someone who I can teach things to, protect, and play with every day."
Lee reveals, "We have thought about adding to our family, but we weren't sure if we could handle adopting another child or if you would even want a sibling. We love you so much and want you to be happy and loved."
Patrick responds, "I am so glad you are my Papa and Mama. I thank God every night for you in my prayers, and I think God wants you to share the love you give me with as many kids as He brings into our lives." Rosemary places her hands on her heart, not believing what their wise beyond his years' son is saying to them. Patrick climbs into Rosemary's lap, and she holds him tight. Lee scoots next to them and carefully wraps his arms around his wife and son, trying not to twist too much his rib hurts.
"Okay, time to go to sleep, young man," suggests Lee. They tuck him back under the covers and kiss him good night again. Lee and Rosemary walk across the hall to their room and get in bed. Rosemary snuggles next to Lee with her head lying on his chest.
Rosemary looks up at Lee, inquiring, "Do you think Patrick knows?" Lee rubs her growing bump, which is becoming more noticeable each day, particularly when she's relaxing and not trying to hide it from anyone.
"I don't know, sweetheart. He might."
"Well, it makes tomorrow easier. We already know Patrick will be glad when we tell him. I thought he would be, but part of me is worried he might not take it well. That is why I thought we should tell Patrick at the circus."
"Do you think we should have told him just now? He gave us the perfect opportunity."
Rosemary responds, "No, I think what we have planned will be perfect. Don't you?" Lee kisses her, and she lays her head back down and falls asleep.
Lee and Rosemary are woken up early the following morning when Patrick runs and jumps on their bed. He can't contain his happiness, yelling, "Wake up, Mama, Papa! Time to go to the circus!" Lee and Rosemary groan at the early hour, but they are just as excited as Patrick is, well, almost. They change clothes, gather the basket of food Rosemary made the night before, and pile into the car while it is still dark. Rosemary and Patrick start in the back seat together, playing games, and singing songs.
Rosemary eventually joins Lee in the front seat when Patrick falls asleep. She points back to Patrick, mentioning, "I don't think he got much sleep last night."
"You are probably right. We still have another hour and a half to go. Do you need to take a nap as well?"
Rosemary scoots closer to him, taking his hand, revealing, "No, I am okay. I want to spend this time with you." Lee grins and squeezes her hand. The Coulter's arrive in Edmonton and park in front of a house Patrick did not know, which is the first surprise of the day.
Before they get up to the door, Hazel runs out, yelling, "Surprise! I'm going to the circus with you!" Patrick and Hazel's faces just light up, and they hug each other. They have talked on the phone quite a bit since she left, but this is the first time they have seen each other since before Christmas. Patrick runs over to his parents, hugging them and thanking them for inviting Hazel to come along. Milton, Sarah, and Mary Louise come out to greet the Coulters. Milton and Lee shake hands, and Rosemary and Sarah hug. Sarah looks down at Rosemary's stomach and then up at her. Rosemary smiles and puts her finger in front of her lips.
Sarah nods and whispers, "Congratulations."
Rosemary grins, mouthing, "Thank you."
"I hope you don't mind, but I thought I would take Ted, Tony, and Mary Louise as well. I know you have plans already, so we won't bother you," mentions Milton.
Lee replies, "Great, maybe we can meet up later." He claps his hands together, inquiring, "Are you ready to go, Hazel, Patrick, Rosemary?"
Patrick yells, "Yes, sir."
He and Hazel run and jump in the back seat, where Hazel questions, "What happened to your arm, Patrick?" He tells her about the dog sledding accident and the fun doctor. He asks, "Have you broken a bone before? This is my first time, and it hurts a lot."
Hazel frowns, responding, "I'm sorry. I have never broken a bone, but my brother Tony has, and he cried out in pain. And if he cries, it has to be something awful."
Lee cranks the engine, remarking, "We'll have her back around 7:00 pm."
Sarah walks over to the car and gives Hazel a hug, saying, "Have fun, Hazel. Listen to Missus and Mister Coulter."
Hazel nods, yelling, "Bye, Momma, Daddy, Mary Louise." The Andrew's wave as they watch the Coulter's and Hazel drive away.
They head to the circus grounds and find a place to park their car. The four of them excitedly get out and walk towards the entrance. Rosemary stops everyone before they get in line. She explains, "Patrick, we have a game for you to play today. Hazel, sweetie, you can help if you like."
Patrick eagerly asks, "What kind of game, Mama?"
Rosemary explains, "I'll be giving you four cards throughout the day. Each one will have a question about the act we are about to watch. You will guess the answer, and if you get it right, you'll earn a clue for your big surprise later today."
"What is it?" shouts Patrick.
Rosemary chuckles, "You'll find out later, Patrick."
Patrick turns to Hazel, inquiring, "Do you know what it is?"
Hazel giggles and replies, "No, sorry, Patrick."
"So, who is ready to go inside and see some death-defying acts?" questions Lee. Patrick and Hazel jump up and down and go get in line. Lee offers his hand to Rosemary, inquiring, "Are you ready, sweetheart?" Rosemary smiles, taking his hand and joining the kids.
The four of them take their seats with the two kids in the middle. Patrick insists on sitting between Rosemary and Hazel, which makes Rosemary happy. She announces to Patrick and Hazel the first act is the trapeze, which is her favorite. Rosemary is just about to tell them about her favorite show when the ringmaster loudly announces, "First up is 'The Daring Trapeze Trio of Canada' consisting of real-life husband and wife, Marshall and Esther Harris, and his kid sister, Madeline." The lights suddenly flash, the music starts, and the husband-and-wife duo fly onto the stage along with the sister. Rosemary watches as both Patrick and Hazel are on the edge of their seats, watching them fly through the air. Neither of them has seen anything like this before. Rosemary is reminded of the many times her parents took her to the circus when she was a child. She was utterly mesmerized no matter how many times she saw the flying trapeze act. Rosemary often dreamed of being a trapeze performer, flying through the air without a care in the world.
When the performance is over, Rosemary hands Patrick the first card, and he reads aloud, "Why don't the trapeze artists keep going up and up when they fly off the trapeze?" Patrick giggles, stating, "I think I know the answer, Mama. Miss Elizabeth taught us about this last week. It's gravity, right?"
Rosemary giggles, proudly speaking, "You are right, bud. You are so smart."
Patrick whines, "Awe, Mama. Do you have to embarrass me?"
Rosemary giggles, "Of course, I do." Patrick is saved when the ringmaster announces the next act, "The Fabulous, The Talented, The Death-Defying Escape Artist Martin Vander Veen." Martin has his assistant lock chains around him and then lock him in a trunk. The kids get nervous when the assistant adds water. Hazel and Patrick both get scared and put their hands over their eyes. Rosemary and Lee look at the kids and then each other, grinning.
Patrick and Hazel stay that way until they hear the applause, and Patrick asks Rosemary, "Is the man okay?"
"He's fine, you two," remarks Rosemary.
"Why didn't you tell us this would be scary, Mama? I didn't think he would get out in time."
Rosemary responds, "I'm sorry, Patrick, Hazel. I didn't know they were going to add water to the trunk. I'm sure they had extra precautions in place in case he had trouble unlocking the chains." They look somewhat relieved with Rosemary's revelation. Patrick and Hazel sit back in their chairs and watch as the next act begins. Luckily, the following two are fun, and they bring smiles to everyone in the audience. First, were two clowns doing silly things. Patrick and Hazel get called up to help out the clowns, much to their excitement. They had no idea Lee had arranged for them to be picked from the audience. The next was a team of five jugglers who choreographed a routine to music. The five of them took turns juggling with balls, oranges, candlesticks, small bean bags, and even oversized hoops. The jugglers finish up their act with all five of them riding unicycles juggling the many colorful hoops. The whole audience was in stitches, including the four of them. Rosemary hands him the next card.
Patrick reads it aloud, "What were the names of the clowns?"
Patrick giggles, immediately shouting, "Enzo and Meatloaf!"
Rosemary responds, "Good job. You are right. Now, I am going to give you the next clue before the act so you'll pay closer attention."
Patrick reads aloud, "Where does the magician hide the rabbit before he pulls it out of the hat?"
"Do you remember what Mister Bouchard taught you?"
"I kind of remember."
Rosemary suggests, "Well, you'll see the trick again, so pay close attention."
Patrick hands the card back to Rosemary and sits back and says, "Okay, Mama."
The ringmaster announces the last act, "Rodrigo, The Magnificent." Patrick and Hazel watch closely as Rodrigo does sleight of hand and card tricks. Then he moves on to what Patrick has been waiting to see. He watches closely as Rodrigo pulls the rabbit out of the hat, followed by a bouquet of flowers. The crowd applauds, and then Rodrigo announces his final act, the disappearing tiger trick. Everybody watches intently because they don't think it can be done. Patrick stands up in anticipation as the tiger disappears from view. The audience gasps in disbelief and then gives him a standing ovation.
Patrick turns to Rosemary and then Lee inquiring, "Whoa, where did the tiger go? How did he do that, Papa?"
Both Lee and Rosemary reply, "I don't know."
"We are just as surprised as you are," remarks Lee. Patrick and Hazel jump up and down, asking what's next.
Rosemary reminds Patrick, "You still have to answer the last question, and then we can go look at the animals."
Rosemary hands him the card again and rereads it, answering, "They hide the rabbit inside a hidden opening at the top of the table where the hat sits."
"Yes, you are right, Patrick."
Patrick inquires, "Can we go see where the tiger went now?" Rosemary and Lee chuckle and nod. The four of them make their way out of the tent and walk through the booths. They had a few games, displays from some of the shows they have done around Canada, and of course, the lions, tigers, and elephants the kids want to see. Patrick is most excited to see the tiger who disappeared and her two cubs. "How did the tiger get here?" Patrick asks the guide. Unfortunately, he wouldn't tell him. The guide merely asks Patrick how he thinks the tiger got back here. Patrick tries to think of ways, but he can never come up with anything. Lastly, the guide gives the kids fun facts about tiger cubs.
Rosemary suggests, "Why don't we go over there and sit?" Lee had arranged for a blanket to be waiting for them. They all sit down under a big oak tree, and she hands the last card to him.
Patrick reads aloud, "What are two facts they told you about the tiger cubs?" He thinks about it for a moment and states, "Cubs learn to hunt by imitating their mothers. Also, tigers are born with blue eyes."
"Those are both correct, Patrick. I am so proud of you for getting all the answers right. Now, because you did, I will give you an envelope with the final clue. In it, you will see eight words that make up a sentence, revealing your big surprise. Are you ready?"
Patrick exclaims, "Yes, ma'am!" Can Hazel help me figure out what it says?"
"Yes. Here, why don't you drop the words onto the blanket? You will probably need to arrange and rearrange all the words to get it right." He quickly does what he is told, giggling in excitement.
Patrick reads the following words, "big, to, be, You, a, going, are, brother!" He and Hazel get to work and realize "You" is the first word because it is capitalized, and "brother!" is the last word because of the exclamation point.
Rosemary mentions, "Good start, you two."
Hazel places the "are" after the "You," and Patrick puts down "going" after the "are." Patrick looks at the left-over words, "big, to, be, a."
Hazel suggests, "I think "to" and "be" are probably together, and "a" and "big" are probably together.
Rosemary can't help but smile. It is the moment she has been waiting for since finding out about Baby Coulter. She's been somewhat nervous to tell him, that is, until last night when Patrick unexpectedly asks, "Will I ever get a brother or a sister?"
Patrick places the "to be" after "You are going." Lee takes Rosemary's hand, and they watch as Patrick's face lights up when he figures it out. "Is it true? Am I going to be a big brother?" Lee squeezes Rosemary's hand, then realizes she can't get the words out.
Lee answers for her, "Yes, buddy. You are going to be a big brother this summer. Mama has a baby growing in her tummy."
Patrick looks at Rosemary, inquiring, "Really?"
"Really," Rosemary finally manages to get out of her mouth. Patrick carefully climbs into her lap and hugs her.
Patrick reveals, "This is the best news ever. I've always wanted a little brother or sister. How did you know I wanted one?"
"We didn't know. This was a complete surprise for Papa and me. We thought when God brought you into our lives, you completed our family. You have brought so much joy and happiness into our lives, and now with this miracle inside of me, we will be doubly blessed. Rosemary rests her hand on her belly, showing Patrick where the baby is."
Patrick questions, "Can I touch?"
Rosemary grins, "Of course." She takes his hand and puts it on her tummy, and he rubs gentle circles around his baby brother or sister. Patrick's face lights up again when he realizes there's a tiny human growing inside of his Mama. Patrick questions, "Can Hazel feel it, too?"
Rosemary chuckles, "Sure." She places Hazel's hand over her bump.
Hazel inquires, "Can you feel the baby kicking?"
Rosemary responds, "No, not yet. He or she is still pretty tiny. Hopefully, sometime soon."
Lee has Patrick sit in his lap, suggesting, "Not everyone knows about this yet. So, let's keep this between us until we have a chance to let our friends know."
Patrick replies, "Yes, sir."
After dropping off Hazel on their way home, Patrick has tons of questions for Rosemary. He asks, "When is the baby coming? Is it a boy or a girl? Where will they sleep? Can I pick out the name?" Rosemary puts her sweater on, telling him to hold on a moment, and then she'll answer his questions. Rosemary is relieved when she turns back around and sees he fell asleep. Rosemary has Lee park off on the side of the road, and she joins Patrick in the back seat. She wraps her arm around his shoulder and brings him in close. Patrick barely opens his eyes, whispering, "I love you to the moon and back, Mama. Thanks for today." He gently pats Rosemary's tummy, whispering, "Good night, little sister or brother. I love you." Patrick lays his head on her side and falls back to sleep. Lee glances in the back seat, thanking God for his incredible family. He shifts the car in gear and gets back on the road.