Chapter 32 – Patrick's Birthday
The following day after church, Rosemary and Lee are relaxing while Patrick is over at Vincent's. She shows Lee her notebook, asking, "Can you make one of these?"
Lee looks them over, inquiring, "What are these?"
"I thought we could make Patrick a fort for his birthday. Something we can un-assemble easily when we need the space but also put it back together quickly. I want the option for it to be either here in the sitting room or his bedroom. Do you think one of these designs will work?"
"Rosemary, this is great. Yes, I think the second one will."
"Perfect! Here are the dimensions I want. Do you think it can be ready before his party next weekend?"
"Don't worry. I will make sure to have it done. What are you going to use for the covering?"
"I am going to sew a fun cover for him with some different fabrics."
"Rosie, he is going to be thrilled."
"I know!"
Lee and Rosemary pick Patrick up at school that Monday afternoon. Lee inquires, "Guess what we are doing today, Patrick?"
"I don't know, Papa. What?"
Lee reveals, "You get your cast off today."
"Really? I do? Yeah!" Patrick thinks a moment and asks, "Is it going to hurt?"
"I don't think so, buddy. Doctor Shepherd will be very careful." The three of them walk into the infirmary with Patrick hiding behind Rosemary. She gets down on her knees, hoping to console her son. Patrick is not crying, but he looks like he might soon.
Rosemary tucks Patrick's curls behind his ear, saying, "It's okay, Patrick. Papa and I will be right here, holding your hand." She walks him to the table behind the curtains, and he climbs up. Lee and Carson join them.
Patrick questions, "Doctor Shepherd. Is it going to hurt?"
"No, but your arm might be sore for a little while," answers Carson.
"Can Mama stay with me just in case it hurts?"
"Of course, she can. Do you want your Papa here too?"
Patrick hesitantly responds, "I think I just want Mama. Is that okay, Papa?"
Lee tries to hide his sadness, saying, "I can stay. I don't need to be anywhere else."
"Can it just be Mama? Please?"
Lee forces a smile, responding, "Well, okay. How about I go pick up something special for you?"
"Thanks, Papa." Lee kisses Patrick on the top of his head and walks out with his head down low.
"I will be back in five minutes. I need to get everything set up," mentions Carson. Rosemary acknowledges while holding Patrick's hand.
Rosemary whispers to Patrick, "Why don't you want Papa in here? I think he wanted to support you."
"I didn't want him to see me cry. I want him to think I am his brave boy like he taught me when I got hurt." Rosemary places her free hand over her heart and kisses Patrick on his cheek.
"You shouldn't worry about crying in front of Papa. He knows you are a brave little boy, and he loves you. I love you, and so does this little one growing inside of me." Carson comes back in with a bucket of water mixed with vinegar and some scissors. He places the bucket next to Patrick and tells him to stick his arm in fully. Rosemary helps him hold it and keeps him distracted with fun stories of her childhood. Carson instructs them to soak it for about thirty minutes or so, and he will be back. Rosemary successfully keeps him entertained with only a few whines here and there that he wants to go home. At exactly thirty-two minutes, Carson comes back and lifts Patrick's arm, checking to see if the cast is loose enough for the scissors. Luckily it is, so Carson pulls up a little table and has Patrick rest his arm on there. He tells Patrick he is going to cut the cast and pull it off. Patrick squeezes Rosemary's hand and sniffles a little. Rosemary suggests, "Why don't we sing a song while he is cutting. You can focus on me, and I bet your arm will be out in no time." Patrick nods his head, and they begin singing "This Old Man."
After a couple of rounds of the song, Carson announces, "It's over." He pulls Patrick's arm out and inspects his range of motion. Patrick can rotate his arm, bend his wrist forwards and backward, and grip things. "How does it feel, Patrick?" Patrick rubs his arm up and down and looks up at Rosemary smiling. "I take that as it feels good."
Patrick speaks, "Yes, sir."
Rosemary inquires, "Is his arm completely healed? Do we need to do anything special? Can he start using it right away?"
"His arm looks and feels good to me. So, he can try using it as normal and if it hurts, maybe stay away from that activity a little bit longer."
"Thanks, Carson. We better go find Lee and get this one home."
Later that night, after Patrick is in bed, Rosemary can tell something is wrong with Lee. Her usual cheerful husband has barely spoken more than a few sentences since they got home. Rosemary inquires, "What's wrong?"
"Oh nothing," answers Lee.
"I know when something is wrong. Please tell me, honey." Rosemary joins Lee on the settee, taking his left hand and resting it on her bump with her right hand on top of his.
Lee begins, "Today when Patrick didn't want me to sit with you two at the infirmary, it hit me kind of hard. I felt like he didn't want me around and that he loves you more. I know you two have a strong mother/son bond, and he'll always want his mother, but I never thought he wouldn't want me around for something that scares him."
Rosemary rubs Lee's chin, revealing, "After you left, he told me he didn't want you to see him cry. He wants you to think he is the brave boy you taught him to be. Lee, he loves you so much and wants to impress you."
"He said that?" Rosemary nods. "I do want him to be brave, but I don't want him to think he can't cry or be scared in front of me."
"I told him that, and I think you should too."
The morning of February 27th is upon them. They wake up Patrick, singing, "Happy Birthday" and giving him lots of kisses. Lee offers to fix Patrick's favorite breakfast of blueberry pancakes and milk. Lee watches in amusement as Patrick and Rosemary have a contest on who can eat the most pancakes. Rosemary eats six, beating Patrick by only a half.
Lee whispers to Patrick, "She had help. Your baby sister or brother helps her with all the extra food she eats. Or at least that is what she tells me." Patrick and Lee chuckle.
Rosemary joins them, questioning, "What is so funny, you two?"
"Nothing. It is just father/son humor." Lee clears his throat, mentioning, "We need to get him to school, or he will be late. I'll clean up the kitchen after we drop him off. I don't need to be at the office until lunchtime."
Rosemary remarks, "Great, let's get going."
As they walk to school, Patrick asks, "Do I get a cake and open my presents today?"
Rosemary replies, "Yes, I will make you a cake tonight, but remember your party is on Saturday, so you only get to open one or two presents."
Patrick happily responds, "Okay, Mama."
The school day goes by quickly, and Rosemary and Lee pick him up and walk him home. Patrick regales his parents with the fun day he had at school. Elizabeth had arranged for all the children to picnic outside for lunch while she reads them a story of Patrick's choosing. The day is surprisingly warm for February, so it felt terrific to be out in the fresh air with the sun shining down on them. Patrick inquires, "When are Allie and Jack coming over?"
"I am not sure. Probably after Jack wakes up from his nap," answers Rosemary.
Lee questions, "What would you like to do? We have some spare time."
"Can we ride bikes?" asks Patrick.
Lee replies, "Sure, if Mama is okay with us doing something without her."
Rosemary smiles, mentioning, "You two, go ahead. I'll work on your cake."
"Thanks, Mama!" exclaims Patrick.
As soon as they get home, Patrick runs his bag up to his room and immediately comes down and hops on his bike. Lee jumps on his bicycle, and they ride towards town, waving goodbye to Rosemary. Patrick and Lee ride their bikes around the pond and into town until they both get tired. When they come back home, they park their bikes, and Lee tells Patrick to sit on the steps with him. Lee reveals, "I want to talk to you about Monday. I don't want you ever to think you can't cry in front of me or be scared. I love you no matter what, and I want to be there for you whether you are happy, sad, or scared. You are the bravest little boy I know who has been through so much, and I am so proud to call you my son."
Patrick hugs Lee, responding, "I'm sorry, Papa. I just wanted you to think I was brave."
"I always think you are brave no matter what. Okay?"
"Yes, sir.
"We should probably go inside now. How is your arm feeling?"
Patrick replies, "It's a little sore, but it doesn't hurt."
"Good!"
They sneak into the house, and Lee sends Patrick upstairs to clean up. Lee tip-toes behind Rosemary and plants a kiss on her cheek. Rosemary screams and hits Lee's arm, yelling, "Lee Coulter. You scared us to death," in a scolding tone. She feels the baby kicking and reaches for Lee's hand, resting it over their bundle of joy. Rosemary giggles, suggesting, "He or she is saying Papa don't scare Mama anymore."
Lee keeps his hand over their unborn child, apologizing, "I'm sorry, squishy."
Rosemary cups Lee's hand with hers, suggesting, "How about pumpkin?"
"I still like squishy, but pumpkin is good too."
Rosemary talks to her stomach, "Should we call you pumpkin?" They both feel a jab. Rosemary giggles, "I guess you are our little pumpkin then." They receive another kick, even harder than the first. Rosemary remarks, "Ouch."
Lee responds, "Did he hurt you, Rosie?"
"A tiny bit," answers Rosemary.
Lee places his hand back where he felt the kicking, questioning, "Are you our big strong boy?"
When they don't feel anything, Rosemary inquires, "Are you our strong, beautiful girl?" They don't feel anything again. She rubs her belly, saying, "That's okay, pumpkin. You just continue to grow and get stronger in there so we can meet you this summer." Suddenly, there is a knock at the door, and Elizabeth, Jack, and Allie come in. Elizabeth can tell they interrupted something, but before she tries to make an excuse to leave, Rosemary mentions, "You have perfect timing. Lee doesn't know how to make chicken and dumplings, so I hope you will help me make those while Lee finishes the cake. It's about ready to come out of the oven. Allie, can you entertain Jack and Patrick when he comes back downstairs?"
"Of course, Missus Coulter. Should we go up there so we are not in your way?"
"It is up to you, Allie. Either way is fine with me," remarks Rosemary. Allie and Jack go upstairs, and the three adults get busy in the kitchen.
Elizabeth whispers, "Did we interrupt something when we came in? I am sorry if we did."
Rosemary smiles, whispering, "No, it's okay. We were just talking to pumpkin."
Elizabeth grins, revealing, "I am so happy for you three. I know how much you have wanted a family, and now you are going to be a family of four."
"Thanks, Elizabeth. We are over the moon," remarks Rosemary. Rosemary and Elizabeth finish up the chicken and dumplings, green beans, and fresh-made bread, and Lee is icing the cake. Then, they hear another knock at the door. This time it's Nathan, and he comes in carrying a big box with a bow on top. She inquires, "What is this, Nathan? You didn't have to bring anything."
"This gift was Allie's idea."
"Elizabeth, did you know about this?" questions Rosemary.
Elizabeth replies, "No, this is news to me as well." She kisses Nathan and then offers, "I'll go up and get the kids." Elizabeth finds them in Patrick's room playing with the train set. "Nathan is here, and the food is just about ready. Why don't you come downstairs?"
Jack runs and jumps in Elizabeth's arms, yelling, "Natan, Mommy."
Elizabeth responds, "Okay, my sweet boy."
Allie and Patrick follow them downstairs, just in time for Rosemary to announce, "The food is ready. Come on over." They all sit down at the table and enjoy the food and the lively conversations. Patrick is the first one done with his food. He takes his plate to the washbasin and sits back down, waiting for the next person to finish. Rosemary can tell Patrick is getting antsy, so she tells him to take her plate and then come back and sit on her lap. He does what Rosemary tells him, and she kisses him on the top of his head, whispering in his ear, "Just be patient, bud. You'll get to open your presents soon."
Patrick lays his head back, whispering, "I'll try, Mama."
"Now stay still. Papa will do the dishes today. It is your birthday." Patrick smiles and stays still for the most part, except every couple of minutes when he whispers something funny to Rosemary, and they both giggle. Lee watches his wife and son, wishing he could hear what is making them laugh. After what seems like hours to Patrick, people one-by-one finish their meal and Rosemary signals to Lee that he should clean up the table. Patrick happily jumps off her lap and takes Elizabeth's dishes to the washbasin, and Lee instructs him to sit down. Patrick carefully climbs onto Rosemary's lap again, awaiting his cake. Lee lights eight candles and places the cake in front of Patrick while everyone sings Happy Birthday. Patrick cannot contain his excitement, bouncing up and down on his mother's lap. Lee cuts the cake and hands out slices to each of them, giving Patrick and Rosemary a generous helping. After Patrick eats every crumb, he inquires, "Can I open my presents now?"
Lee answers, "A few more minutes, buddy. First, let's let Mama and Miss Elizabeth finish their cake." Patrick frowns but stays put. A few minutes later, Rosemary finishes and tells him it's time. Patrick hops off her lap and runs to the sitting room. They all follow Patrick and find a place to sit. Rosemary and Lee join Patrick on the settee and hand him one of their gifts. He rips open the box and removes the brand-new baseball glove.
"Thanks, Papa, Mama! Can I bring this to Chicago when we go?"
Rosemary answers, "You're welcome, and yes, you may." Next, Nathan sets the big box on the floor in front of Patrick, and he immediately opens the top. He pulls out something heavy wrapped in a cloth. Patrick unwraps it and sees his exact bicycle carved in wood. It is about a foot and a half wide and a foot tall. Everyone is impressed with how all the details match his bike to a tee.
Patrick is speechless and hugs Allie and Nathan. He finally manages to get out, "Thank you so much." They spend the rest of the evening playing Patrick's favorite games: old maid, gin rummy, and even hearts.
Elizabeth is the first to call it a night around 9:00 pm since it's a school night. She wants to get Jack to bed, and she can tell Patrick is starting to get tired. Nathan and Allie escort Elizabeth and Jack home and then go home themselves. When they arrive, Nathan opens the door for Allie, mumbling, "I can't wait until we don't have to say goodbye anymore at night."
Allie adds, "I can't either." She hugs him and goes upstairs to get ready for bed.
Back at their house, Lee and Rosemary pick up the cards and clean the kitchen again while Patrick runs upstairs to get a book for his bedtime story. Patrick waits for them on the settee, barely able to keep his eyes open. Rosemary and Lee finally join him, slumping down in a heap. Patrick hands Rosemary one of the Bobbsey Twin books and climbs into her lap. Lee scoots over next to them, wrapping his arm around his wife. Rosemary asks, "Did you have a good birthday?"
"Yes, ma'am. It's the best birthday ever!"
"We love you so much, and we hope you'll always remember your first birthday with us," remarks Rosemary.
"I will, Mama, Papa." He hugs them both, saying, "I love you, and I am glad you adopted me. And I know my mommy, daddy, and brother in heaven are glad too." Rosemary gives Patrick a squeeze, and Lee messes with his curls.
Rosemary yawns and bounces him up and down, questioning, "Are you ready for your story? Is it okay if Papa reads tonight?" Patrick nods and climbs onto Lee's lap. She hands the book to him, and he starts reading. Rosemary lays her head on Lee's shoulder, closing her eyes from pure exhaustion. Patrick is not far behind, and Lee is eventually reading to himself. He finally notices when Patrick doesn't laugh at something funny in the book. Lee marks the place and puts the book down. He looks at the time, and instead of waking them up, he grabs the blanket hanging on the back of the settee and covers them up. Lee wraps his arm around Rosemary's shoulder and props his feet up on the coffee table. He watches his wife and son for a few moments and then shuts his eyes as well.
The day of Patrick's party starts bright and early. Patrick comes flying into his parent's room and jumps up and down on the bed, yelling, "Wake up, Mama, Papa!" Lee and Rosemary both groan but quickly smile for their son.
Lee is the first to say, "Good morning, Patrick."
"Good morning. Did you sleep well?" inquires Rosemary.
"Yes, ma'am. When is my party?"
Rosemary replies, "Your party isn't until 2:00 pm. Why don't you take care of Nanny and eat the muffin I left for you downstairs? Papa and I want to sleep some more."
"Okay, Mama," as he runs out of the room.
"What time is it, Lee?"
"It's 6:30 am."
"Why did he get up so early?"
"He's excited. That's all."
"How long do you think until he comes back upstairs?"
Lee kisses her, offering, "You go back to sleep. I'll join him downstairs and keep him company."
"Thanks, sweetie," Rosemary sleepily tells Lee before closing her eyes again.
A couple of hours later, Rosemary wakes up much more rested than before. She slips on her slippers and tries to tie her robe around her continuously expanding bump. Rosemary happens to look down, noticing the one-inch gap. Rosemary thought she was able to close the robe just yesterday, so she stands in front of the mirror, turning sideways to get a good look at her burgeoning belly. She is in awe of the changes occurring each night. Rosemary glances once more at herself and then decides to peek in Patrick's room. He's not there, so she carries the fort across the hall. The fort is an a-frame about four feet tall and four feet long. Rosemary sewed the cover, which is more or less a cotton sheet made up of blue, grey, and green square panels with ribbons for ties. As requested, Lee had made it very easy to assemble. All she has to do is pull apart the two sides as far as they can go, making sure it sits on the floor evenly. Rosemary then takes the cover and lays it on top, securing the two sides by tying the ribbons to the wood on the four bottom corners. She admires her work and then sneaks downstairs. Patrick runs into her arms, saying, "Good morning, Mama, little brother or sister," and then he taps his mother's tummy. Rosemary squeezes Patrick, tickling him for a few seconds, mentioning, "You are going to be the best big brother!" She meets Lee in the kitchen, kissing him and whispering in his ear, "I set up the fort. Should we show it to him?"
Lee grins and reveals to Patrick, "You have another gift in your room. Do you want to go see what it is?"
Patrick shouts, "Yes," as he runs up the stairs. Before Lee and Rosemary get there, they hear an excited scream. When they walk in the door, he immediately jumps in their arms, questioning, "You got me a fort?"
Lee replies, "Yes, it's all Mama, though. The fort you tried making with the settee cushions the other day inspired her."
Rosemary adds, "I designed the fort and sewed the cover, but Papa built it out of wood with his bare hands."
"Thank you, Papa, Mama. Will you play in the fort with me?"
Lee nods yes, and Rosemary remarks, "I will try my best if pumpkin lets me."
"Okay. I love you both to the moon and back."
Rosemary answers, "We love you more than all the stars in the sky."
Patrick climbs into his fort and sticks his head out, asking, "Are you coming?" Lee looks at Rosemary to see if she'll try to climb in there. Rosemary smiles and gets on her knees, crawling into the fort.
Rosemary laughs, stating, "At least this one is much taller and easier to get into." She sits down next to Patrick, and Lee comes crawling in and sits across from them.
"Wow, this turned out a lot bigger than I expected," mentions Lee.
Patrick inquires, "Can we have a sleepover tonight? Papa and I can sleep in here, and Mama, you and the baby, can sleep in my bed or on the settee."
Rosemary and Lee laugh and then think about it for a moment. Lee asks, "What do you say, Rosie? It could be fun. We have never done anything like this before."
"Are you sure you want Papa and I to sleep in here?"
"Yes, ma'am."
"Okay, I guess we are having a sleepover," responds Rosemary. Patrick yells, "Yes," and hugs both his parents.
When it is time for the party, Lee and Rosemary make Patrick wear a blindfold before getting in the car. They drive him into town, hoping they don't run into anyone. Rosemary helps Patrick get out of the vehicle, and the three of them walk into the saloon. Lee removes the blindfold as everyone yells, "Surprise!" Patrick looks at all his friends and then sees the roller skates lined up on the counter.
Patrick shouts, "Roller-skates? Like in the Charlie Chaplin movie?"
"Yes, Papa and I saw the skates in a catalog and thought it would be fun to have a rink here in Hope Valley. And Lucas is more than happy for us to use the saloon," remarks Rosemary.
Patrick hugs them both, pats Rosemary's tummy, and mentions, "Thank you," over and over again. Patrick questions, "Will you teach me how to skate, Mama?"
"Of course, but first, let's say hello to all of your friends."
Patrick runs over and introduces Hazel and Fred to Vincent and his other friends, some of whom they already know and some they don't. Allie, Opal, Robert, Nicholas, Emily, Anna, Timmy, and Jack are there for his special day. Lucas, Fiona, and Lee had moved tables to the side and sectioned off an area as the rink. Lucas had offered for Gustave to prepare some food, but Rosemary decided to serve the cupcakes she made plus some punch. Usually, she would make this party much more elaborate, but the pregnancy forces her to slow down and focus on what is important, her family.
Rosemary walks over to the counter, looking for the boxes with the hats, mustaches, and bowties. When she doesn't see them, she seeks out Lucas. Unfortunately, he doesn't know where they are either. She starts to panic. It's the one thing she was adamant about having if they were doing a skating party. Lee sees Rosemary from across the room and joins her, inquiring, "What's wrong, sweetheart?"
Rosemary works herself into a tizzy, explaining, "I ordered some Charlie Chaplin hats, mustaches, and bowties for the kids to wear, and they are not here. I brought them over from the mercantile a few days ago, and Lucas doesn't know where they are. It is the one thing I knew we had to have for this party, and now it's ruined. She starts spouting off, well, maybe I can find something at the mercantile, or maybe I have some things at home from my old costumes." Rosemary looks up at Lee and mentions, "I need to go."
Lee reaches for her hands, leading her into the hallway and kitchen area. "Whoa, there, sweetheart. I am sure we will find them. They probably just got misplaced. Take a deep breath, and then we can go look for them." Rosemary takes some deep breaths, calming her breathing as well as her emotions.
Rosemary speaks, "Thanks, sweetie. I don't know what comes over me."
"Carson said this is perfectly normal." Rosemary pats his cheek, and Lee asks, "Are you ready to go back out there? I'll help you look around the saloon. Surely, we can find the boxes." Rosemary nods and grabs Lee's hand. They walk back out behind the counter and look through the shelves, but they don't find anything. Fiona comes up to them with three boxes just when they are about to give up. Rosemary quickly opens them up and smiles when she sees everything is there. She puts the boxes on the counter and hugs Fiona, thanking her for saving the party.
Rosemary whistles and gets everyone's attention. She walks out to where everyone can see her and announces, "Thank you for coming. Lee and I are happy you have come to celebrate our son's birthday with us. We have purchased these skates and intend to leave them here in the saloon for future skating events. Hopefully, we will enjoy it since most of us have never had the opportunity to learn. I also have Charlie Chaplin hats, mustaches, and bowties for you all to wear. Please line up here to get your skates and any Charlie Chaplin garb you want to wear. Happy skating." Patrick runs up to Rosemary, and she gives him skates, a hat, mustache, and bowtie and tells him to go over to Lee. She'll be over once she finishes passing everything out.
Rosemary, Lee, Elizabeth, Nathan, Lucas, and Fiona help the children with their skates. Since Fiona and Rosemary are the only ones who have skated before, they give a group lesson once they all have their skates on. Robert, Timmy, and Nicholas pick it up pretty quickly and help Opal, Allie, Emily, and Anna. Elizabeth helps Jack, Rosemary and Lee help Patrick, Hazel's dad, Milton, helps her, and Fred's mom Tess helps him. Patrick insists on Lee and Rosemary skating with him once he can on his own, but Lee is adamant Rosemary does not get on skates in her condition. Rosemary unsuccessfully tries sweet-talking Lee to change his mind, which further annoys Rosemary. She dramatically states, "Carson never said I couldn't skate. Why are you so against me having any kind of fun?"
"I'm not against you having fun. I'm against you accidentally getting hurt." Lee reaches for her hand, whispering, "I don't think either of us can take it if something happens to our miracle baby." Rosemary nods and rests her hand on her belly.
Rosemary offers, "Here, Patrick. I don't think I should get on skates today, but I can walk next to you if you want. You can hold mine and Papa's hands and skate between us."
Patrick thinks for a moment and looks over at his friends, whining, "Can I go skate with Hazel, Vincent, and Fred, instead?"
Lee wraps his arm around Rosemary's shoulders and answers, "Of course, buddy. But first, I want to take our picture."
Rosemary sarcastically questions, "With what? Remember, you broke my camera at Christmas."
"I did break your camera at Christmas, and I have apologized many times, but…" He grins, handing her a box.
"What is this, Lee?"
"Open it!"
Rosemary smirks at him, taking the top off the box. She smiles when she looks inside and sees a camera. Rosemary inquires, "Is this the one you bought me in Santiago? Does it work?"
Lee grins, responding, "Yes and Yes."
Rosemary squeals and jumps into Lee's arms. He picks her up carefully and spins her around. She calls Elizabeth over, asking, "Can you take our pictures, Elizabeth? He got our camera fixed!"
"That's great. It would be my pleasure." The Coulter's pose for picture after picture, some with Patrick looking like Charlie Chaplin and some with them all looking like Charlie Chaplin. Some when they are laughing and some when they are serious.
Lee finally chimes in, "Thank you, Elizabeth." He turns to Rosemary, suggesting, "I think we have enough pictures now. Elizabeth wants to go skating with Nathan, Allie, and Jack." Rosemary nods in agreement, thanking her as well. "Patrick, you can go skate with your friends if you want. We will watch from over here." Lee and Rosemary find a table and sit down, watching their son have fun skating with his friends.
The rest of the party goes as planned. Rosemary and Lee hand out cupcakes to everyone, and they sing Happy Birthday to Patrick. He opens some gifts, including an erector set, jacks, tiddlywinks, marbles, books, and a deck of cards. Then back to skating. All the kids eventually get the hang of it and are having fun. Rosemary walks back to the kitchen to get more punch when she notices Patrick and Hazel skating together, holding hands. She quickly refills the punch bowl and then finds her camera, hoping to snap a picture of this cute moment. Rosemary gets a couple of good ones when Lee looks over towards her with a curious expression. She points in Patrick's direction, and they both giggle. Lee wiggles his pocket watch for Rosemary, indicating time is almost up. Lee and Rosemary approach Lucas and Lee questions, "Do we need to clear out of here right at 5:00 pm?"
Lucas looks at his watch and is surprised it is already 4:45 pm. He replies, "Well, people don't usually get here right at 5:00 pm." Lucas thinks for a minute, mentioning, "I did want to get the tables back in their spots for the dinner rush. So I'd say, try to be out of here by 5:30 pm."
Lee responds, "That is fair. Thank you, Lucas. It looks like this was a hit, so maybe we will have more skating sessions in the future."
"Great, I am glad we will have another fun event in here other than movie night."
Rosemary loops her arm around Lee's, and they make their way to the front. Once again, Rosemary whistles, announcing, "Well, today has been fun! It looks like everyone who wanted to learn was able to try. We just talked to Mister Bouchard, and he is amenable to having future skating events in the saloon." The crowd cheers. Rosemary continues, "However, all good things must come to an end. We need to be out of here and have the tables back to normal in about thirty minutes. I'll keep the music going for the kids. They can keep skating for another twenty minutes if they so desire. Thank you again for making this day special for our son."
The Coulter's get home after dark with full stomachs, a few leftover cupcakes, Patrick's gifts, and big grins on their faces. Lee questions, "Did you have fun, Patrick? Is your arm hurting?"
"Yes, sir! Today was the most fun day ever, and my arm wasn't sore at all. Can we go skating again?"
"We can arrange another skating event for sure. How is Hazel? We saw you two skating together," inquires Rosemary.
Patrick whines, "Aw, Mama."
"What?"
"Hazel was just telling me about her new friends and her brothers. Thanks for inviting her and Fred. I always have fun with her."
"You're welcome," responds Rosemary. Lee sits down next to her, resting his hand on her leg and the other on his lips. Rosemary mouths, "Why?" Lee looks at her, and she drops the topic. "Are you still wanting a sleepover tonight?"
Patrick joins Lee and Rosemary on the settee, squeezing between them. He gives his best puppy dog eyes, replying, "Yes, please."
Lee laughs and says, "How can we say no to those eyes?"
"Pleaseeeeeeeeee."
"Okay, on one condition. We are not staying up all night."
"Yes, sir."
Rosemary questions, "Who wants to play with the jacks or the marbles? I bet I can beat you both."
Patrick turns to Lee, inquiring, "Is she always like this?"
"She is, but that is what we love about her, right?"
"I guess."
Rosemary adds, "You guess? You don't love me?"
"I'm teasing, Mama. Of course, I love you."
"Silly boy." Rosemary and Patrick giggle. "What will it be, boys? Jacks or marbles?"
Patrick runs to the kitchen table and brings back the jacks, handing them to Rosemary. She drops them on the coffee table and pulls up a chair. Rosemary inquires, "Do you know how to play, bud?"
"Yes, Mama."
"Why don't you tell us how?" inquires Rosemary.
"Well, you have ten jacks and a bouncy ball. You drop the jacks on the table, pick up a jack, and catch the ball with the same hand. Then you move the jack to the other hand and pick up the next jack until you have all ten jacks in your hand. You keep going until you mess up by dropping the ball or jacks or hitting a jack with the ball. The first round is called onesies. Then the next round is called twosies, where you have to pick up two jacks at once. Then threesies and foursies and so on. Is that right, Mama?"
"You got it right, bud! Patrick, you can go first, then Papa, and then me." So Patrick starts the game and is on the last jack when he accidentally drops the ball.
Patrick says, "Aw, shucks," as he scatters all the jacks on the table and hands the ball to Lee, who does the same. Only Lee's ball hits the jack. Lee teases Rosemary, not letting her grab the ball after trying twice. "Lee Coulter, you better give me that ball." Patrick is laughing at his parents. Rosemary tries one more time, thinking he'll hand it over, but then doesn't. "Patrick, can you tell Papa to give me the ball?"
"I'll try, Mama," Patrick asks nicely, giving Lee the puppy dog eyes along with Rosemary.
Lee rolls his eyes and laughs, "Here you go, sweetheart. Show us how to win." Rosemary smirks at him and takes the ball. Lee and Patrick watch as she picks up all the onesies, twosies, threesies. Then, seeing as this can go on forever, Lee whispers to Patrick, "Let's distract Mama, or she'll keep going."
Patrick asks, "How?"
"If we keep whispering back and forth, she won't be able to resist asking us what we are talking about." They both laugh. Sure enough, after a few minutes, it works. Rosemary gets distracted, and the ball bounces twice.
"Lee, I know you are whispering on purpose."
"Who? Me? Why would I do such a thing?"
"Because you don't want your wonderful wife and mother of your children winning."
"You know that is not true, Rosie."
"I know. I'm sorry. I am just giving you a hard time." Lee chuckles. Rosemary questions, "What should we do now?"
"I know. Can we go read in my fort?"
"I think that is a great idea," answers Rosemary. She gets up, asking, "Who is going to help me make it cozier in there?"
Lee chimes in, "I'll take care of that. You two, change into your nightclothes."
Rosemary responds, "Thanks, honey," and then she follows Patrick up the stairs. Lee grabs a couple of blankets and the books Patrick got for his birthday and heads up. He places the top and bottom settee cushions on the fort's floor and covers them up with some extra sheets Lee found in Patrick's drawer. Next, Lee adds some blankets, pillows, and Patrick's stuffed dog. He then grabs the books and a flashlight just in case they want to tell ghost stories. Rosemary and Patrick walk in, dressed in their nightclothes, ready to cuddle together as a family. Rosemary peeks inside the fort, remarking, "Good job, my darling. It's perfect."
Lee kisses her, stating, "I'll be right back. I need to change. Patrick, pick us out a book to read."
"Yes, Papa!" replies Patrick. Rosemary and Patrick get everything nice and comfy while Lee is across the hall. Lee finally joins them ten minutes later. He excitedly crawls in, and they are both sound asleep with Nanny curled up between them.