Chapter 36 – Challenges

Rosemary frowns and hangs up the receiver. Elizabeth notices Rosemary's face turn white, inquiring, "Is everything okay, Rosemary?"

Rosemary swallows, answering, "It was Jesse, and he didn't know where Lee was. And I'm assuming Nathan too. He said they got separated." Rosemary looks down at her bump, resting her hand on their precious baby, whispering to herself, "Oh, no. What if they are stuck out there in the snow and hurt? I cannot lose your father." Elizabeth starts breathing fast, holding her chest. Rosemary composes herself and takes Elizabeth's hand into hers, "I'm sorry, Elizabeth. I'm sure they will be fine. They know what to do in the snow. Shall we say a prayer?" Elizabeth nods. Rosemary and Elizabeth take Clara's hands, and Rosemary begins, "Lord, please watch over our beloved men and bring them home to us safely." The three ladies say, "Amen," in unison. Rosemary gets up from the settee, offering, "I'll check on the kids. Hopefully, the boys aren't driving Allie crazy." Rosemary motions to Clara to sit with Elizabeth. She slowly goes up the stairs and pops her head in Patrick's room, questioning, "Are you three having fun?"

Patrick and Jack shout, "Yes, ma'am," while Allie smiles and nods. Rosemary looks out the window as the snow continues to come down pretty hard. She sits on the settee, and Patrick climbs into her lap, sensing she needs a hug.

She squeezes him tight, whispering, "Thanks, bud. I love you to infinity."

Patrick whispers back, "I love you double infinity."

Kurt tries to find Henry, hoping he'll help look for Lee and Nathan. Luckily, he sees Henry strolling out of the saloon and quickly runs up to him, asking, "Can you drive me up the mountain? Lee and Nathan are missing up there. They went to find us help, and we have not seen them since. They should be on the road leading to Snyder's Ridge." Henry immediately agrees, and they jump into his car with a couple of jackets, gloves, and hats Kurt had grabbed from Jesse's.

Kurt says, "Thanks for your help, Henry. Lee ran over a fallen tree branch and didn't have the tools to change the tire, so he volunteered to walk back to get help because he felt guilty for leaving us stranded up there. Nathan joined him while Jesse, Richard, and I stayed in the car. Jesse twisted his ankle, so we thought it would be best to stay put."

"How did you get back to town then?" questions Henry.

"If you can believe our luck. Anna's uncle came driving by and offered us a ride home. I thought we would find Lee and Nathan on the road, but they weren't there. They must have either taken another path or got lost somehow. Nathan had mentioned he knew of a place out there with some horses. Do you know where that could be?"

"No, but I do know some of the trails off the main road we can check out, though. There are a couple of houses out there, and they might have some horses. Thank goodness the snow has died down some. Hopefully, we've seen the worst part of the storm. Otherwise, I don't think we'll have much luck finding them." They roll down their windows and start yelling Lee and Nathan's names as they drive up the road. Eventually, they make their way to Lee's car, where Henry helps Kurt change the tire. Kurt cranks the engine, and the two of them head back down the mountain, shouting as they go. Unfortunately, there is still no sign of Lee or Nathan.

Rosemary and Elizabeth don't want to alarm the kids, so they try their best to act normal. To help pass the time, Rosemary suggests, "Why don't we go outside and play in the snow? It's not coming down as hard now." The kids hop up and down in excitement. They've been insisting on going outside since it started. Elizabeth goes next door to get her and Jack's coats, while Rosemary rummages through her closet for a couple of jackets Clara and Allie can borrow. Rosemary finally finds the perfect ones and giggles when she imagines trying to fit in her beloved coats now. She comes back downstairs with a grin on her face and hands them to Allie and Clara. Rosemary helps Patrick get bundled up and then puts on her newest dark purple coat Lee bought in Benson Hills. She hopes it will continue to be big enough to handle her growing waistline. Once everyone is ready, they all go outside, and Rosemary, Clara, and Elizabeth sit on the porch while the three kids make snow angels. Then they start rolling the snow into what looks to be the beginnings of a snowman. Rosemary sees the three kids whispering and giggling out of the corner of her eye but doesn't think anything of it until she feels something hit her shoulder. Rosemary looks up in disbelief and sees Patrick smiling. He had thrown a snowball directly at her while Allie helped Jack throw one at Elizabeth. Everyone starts giggling. Rosemary sits there for a moment until an idea pops into her mind. She hoists herself up to throw a snowball back at Patrick. Then Jack throws one at Patrick, Allie, and then runs behind his mother for protection. Rosemary signals for Patrick to come over, and she whispers, "Why don't you and I team up, and we can get Elizabeth, Allie, and Jack? Let's leave Clara out of it unless she starts throwing at us."

Patrick replies, "Yes, ma'am." Rosemary and Patrick turn their backs and make as many snowballs as they can. They are lucky the snow is wet, and the snowballs are staying together. Rosemary has Patrick hand her each of them so she can make a pile in her arms. Then, he grabs a couple for himself.

Rosemary whispers, "Good thing pumpkin is here. Otherwise, it would be harder to hold all of these. Go ahead and walk in front of me, bud. I am hoping they won't see what we have for them." Once Rosemary is sure she won't drop the snowballs, they turn around and casually stroll towards Elizabeth, Allie, and Jack, who are busy rolling up the snow to make a snowman.

As they get close enough, Rosemary yells, "Now!" They both start throwing the snowballs at Elizabeth, and Allie, and even Jack. Elizabeth and Allie try their best to make more snowballs for themselves while telling Jack to hide behind Clara. Everybody is laughing so hard they don't notice two people riding up. Rosemary finally hears a horse neigh and looks up to see Nathan and Lee riding up from the woods. They both hop off of their horses, and Rosemary and Elizabeth run into their arms.

Rosemary holds on to Lee tightly, so he tries to step back a little and get a good look at her. When she doesn't let go, Lee inquires, "Are you okay, sweetheart?"

Rosemary responds dramatically, "Am I okay? You're asking me if I'm okay? Well, let me see. Jesse called and said he didn't know where you were. It is starting to get dark, and it continues to snow. How do you think I am?" Lee's face falls, and Rosemary continues, "Lee Coulter, why do you keep insisting on worrying me?" Rosemary hits his chest and then wraps her arms around him, getting as close as her tummy will allow. Lee holds her until Patrick gets in between them.

Elizabeth just about tackles Nathan, holding onto him as if her life depended on it. Eventually, Elizabeth steps back and looks up at him, whispering, "I am ready to set a date for our wedding."

Nathan looks down at her, kissing her passionately, whispering back, "I think it's a great idea, but what brought this on?"

"When I heard you and Lee were missing out in the snow, I panicked and knew I couldn't lose you. It reminded me how short life is, and I wanted to make the most of it with you, Jack, and Allie."

Jack and Allie run up to them, and Jack shouts, "Natan, up." Nathan scoops him up, and the four of them hug.

Nathan's face lights up with the biggest grin, saying, "Guess what?" He pauses a moment to keep the suspense going a little longer.

Allie guesses, "You bought me a horse?"

Nathan laughs, responding, "Nice try, Allie."

"Well, what is it?"

"Elizabeth decided on a wedding date!" proudly states Nathan. Allie squeals and everybody looks over at them.

Elizabeth smiles, announcing, "We are getting married at the end of May after school gets out." She looks at Nathan to see if he is okay with the time frame, and Nathan nods in agreement. Rosemary and Clara run towards Elizabeth, squealing and hugging her, Nathan, Allie, and Jack.

Rosemary remarks, "Elizabeth, you are only giving me seven to eight weeks to plan your wedding." They all laugh because they know Rosemary will plan every last detail if they let her.

Elizabeth giggles, remarking, "Well, at least it's longer than two weeks. Will you be up to planning a wedding, being my Matron of Honor, and juggling all of the other things you are doing?" Elizabeth reaches out and touches Rosemary's bump, inquiring, "Including growing this little one?"

"Nonsense, of course, I will. But, wait, you want me to be the Matron of Honor?"

Elizabeth laughs, "I wouldn't want anyone else to stand beside me. And Clara, will you be a bridesmaid?" Clara nods her head yes. "Oh, how far along will you be, Rosemary?" asks Elizabeth.

She thinks about it for a minute, answering, "I'll be about eight months by then, but I wouldn't miss out on anything for my dearest friend."

Nathan chimes in, "Please keep it simple, Rosemary."

Rosemary rolls her eyes and chuckles, responding, "If I must." Then she mumbles to herself, "He thinks he wants simple. I'll show him."

Lee clears his throat to get everyone's attention, "I hate to break this up, but I am exhausted and want to get inside my nice warm house." He walks over to his wife and offers her his arm. She smiles and loops her arm through his.

Nathan mentions, "I'll get the horses back to the livery, for now, Lee. I'm sure, with all of this snow, Bernard would rather have his horses under a roof than out in the open."

Lee remarks, "Sounds good."

"Clara, you probably want to get back to help Jesse. Do you know how to ride?" inquires Nathan.

Clara asks, "Is there something wrong with Jesse?"

"They didn't tell you?"

Clara questions, "They didn't tell me what?"

"He sprained his ankle pretty badly."

"No, Jesse didn't mention it to Rosemary. Can you help me get on the horse so I can get to him? I have not ridden in years."

Nathan replies, "Of course," as he helps her up onto the horse. He kisses Elizabeth, and the two of them ride towards town.

Elizabeth, Jack, and Allie go back to Elizabeth's house while Rosemary, Lee, and Patrick head inside theirs. Patrick throws off his jacket and runs up the stairs. Lee remarks, "Where do you think you are going, young man? You know better than to throw your jacket down."

Patrick jogs back down the stairs and grabs it, hanging it up on the coat rack, and apologizing, "I'm sorry. I forgot." Patrick whines, "Can I go upstairs now?"

Rosemary answers, "Yes, you may. Thank you."

Patrick yells, "I'm going to play with my train set," and races up the stairs. Rosemary and Lee chuckle and plop down on the settee.

Lee inquires, "Did I hear you say Jesse called? Did he mention if they got home okay?"

"Jesse didn't say much. He called to check on Clara and probably expected you to be home, but he got short with me when I asked about you," reveals Rosemary.

Lee picks up the receiver, calling the switchboard, "Hello, Florence. Have you seen Jesse, Kurt, and Richard Wolf?"

Florence replies, "I am glad to hear from you, Lee. Are you okay? Is Nathan okay, too?"

"Thank you. Yes, Nathan and I are both safe and made it back to town."

"That's great. I did see Jesse and Kurt. They were in town. I believe Kurt went out with Henry looking for you, and Jesse went to the infirmary."

"If you see Jesse again…"

Florence interrupts Lee, mentioning, "Jesse just hobbled in with a crutch. He wants to talk to you."

Jesse picks up the receiver in the mercantile, asking, "Are you and Nathan, okay? We looked for you two on our way into town, and you weren't on the road."

"Nathan looks after some horses at a cabin on one of the side roads. You probably didn't see us because we weren't on the main road for long. Are Kurt and Richard safe too?" inquires Lee.

"We dropped Richard off at home, and Kurt went out with Henry looking for you. They found your car, changed the tire, and brought it back here."

"How nice. I am glad everyone is safe. We'll have to exchange stories later. Oh, by the way, Clara is riding back into town with Nathan. She should be there soon." Lee hangs up the phone and lets out a deep breath. He slumps back into the settee, speaking to Rosemary, "Thank goodness. All the guys are safe, and now I can relax. But first, I need to get out of these wet clothes."

Rosemary remarks, "I'll follow you, honey. I don't want you to leave my sight." Lee grins, and he and Rosemary slowly walk up to their room together. Rosemary sits on the edge of their bed, waiting for Lee to change into some warm, dry nightclothes. When he finishes, Rosemary taps on the bed, and Lee joins her.

Rosemary questions, "Where were you today?"

Lee groans, "Do I have to tell you now. I'm exhausted."

Rosemary lays her head on his shoulder, stating, "Your loving and supportive wife is kindly asking to know where her husband has been."

Lee chuckles before he finally answers, "Jesse and I and some of the guys were out working on this new project when the snow started falling. We hopped in the car, but by this time, you could barely see out the window. I ended up running over a tree branch and damaged the wheel. I felt awful for getting the guys stuck, so I went for help. Nathan came with me, and we hiked out to a cabin he knew. An older gentleman lives out there alone, with his two horses, and Nathan looks after them while he is away. We walked over there, and his friend wasn't home. Nathan leaves him a note, letting him know he's borrowing the horses and will return them later. We saddled them up and were on our way. But, by the time we get back to my car, where we left everyone, it was empty. Nathan suggested a shortcut, which leads out to the row houses. So we make our way down the mountain and see you all throwing snowballs at each other. The sight of my wife and son happily playing warmed my heart, and I almost forgot about the ordeal of the day."

"It may have warmed your heart, but I was merely putting on a brave face for the kids, secretly worrying about you for the last couple of hours. It was getting dark, and all I can think about is you being lost or hurt somewhere."

"I'm sorry, Rosie. I honestly don't mean for this to keep happening."

"I know. It's just everything is either one extreme or the other right now. I can go from being perfectly calm with no worries to an emotional mess with enough worry for three people combined in the blink of an eye. You should be well aware of how easily I can overreact more than I should, and I have no problem with imagining the worst things possible at a moment's notice."

"I'm sorry. I had no idea."

"You don't need to apologize, Lee. I know you don't do this on purpose. The fact I am a mess is all your son's fault."

"You think squishy is a boy, now? How funny! I've been picturing a girl ever since the dream I had the other night. It was wonderful. You gave birth to a beautiful, intelligent, strong, independent baby girl who turns out to be a mini version of you."

Rosemary giggles, patting his cheek and kissing him on the lips. Then, she feels a sudden jab to the ribs, which causes her to jump. Rosemary yells, "Ow!" She takes a couple of deep breaths, massaging her belly. "Oh, wow. Pumpkin sure is getting stronger each day, which makes me think our little bundle of joy is a boy." Lee nods and tries to stand up but sits right back down and grunts. Rosemary suggests, "You stay here. I'll bring you up some leftovers." Lee crawls to the head of the bed and sleepily nods. Rosemary quickly changes into her more comfortable nightclothes and robe, but Lee is already fast asleep when she is ready to go downstairs. She covers him up, kisses him goodnight, and steps across the hall to check on Patrick.

All in all, only about a foot of snow is still around after the storm. The ground had been relatively warm, with higher-than-normal temperatures leading up, so the snow started melting relatively fast. On Tuesday, around lunchtime, Lee went out to inspect the land. Since the stage area is partially in the shade, some snowdrifts were still a few inches deep. Lee shovels the snow away from where they are working, hoping the ground can completely dry in another day or so. He has a lot riding on getting this stage done as soon as possible. Lee says a quick prayer, "Please, Lord. Help this area to dry so we can begin working on the stage soon. Amen."

Each day, Lee impatiently checks out the soil to see if it's dry, and it finally is on Thursday. He's relieved because he started to worry about finishing in time, which is not something Lee wants to announce to Rosemary. He knows it will be tough to get built, but he has to make it work. Right as Lee gets back to the office, Rosemary pops in on her daily stroll. Faith encourages her to walk around and get some fresh air every day. She wants to tell Lee some exciting news. Rosemary opens the door on Lee furrowing his brow and fingering through his hair. She questions, "Is everything okay, sweetheart? Is it about our trip?"

Lee gathers his thoughts, answering, "Yes, there is a possibility we might have to postpone it a few days. There is something important I need to oversee before we can go."

"Can't Jesse manage that?"

"I wish he could, but it is something I wouldn't feel right about leaving before it's complete."

Rosemary frowns, inquiring, "Well, when will you know?"

"I'll know more or less by Sunday afternoon. I'm sorry, honey, but I'll probably be working a lot in the coming days." Rosemary's face falls, and she turns to leave. "Wait, Rosie." He walks over with a big grin on his face, promising, "I will make this up to you. You have my word."

Rosemary forces a smile and excuses herself, speaking, "I need to get back to the dress shop. Clara and I are working on Elizabeth's wedding dress, my last hurrah at Dottie's."

"Were you going to tell me something? It looked like you were excited about something when you came in."

"It's nothing. We can talk about it later."

"Are you sure? I'm here to listen." Rosemary nods. "Are you planning to come back here later?" questions Lee.

"No. I'll be working on the dress until it is time to pick up Patrick from school.

Lee remarks, "Okay. I'll probably be out working on the project for the rest of the day. I'll see you three tonight." He kisses her, and Rosemary half-smiles and walks out the door. A few minutes later, Jesse comes into the office with Kurt and Bill. They offer to work on the stage today. So, the four of them drive out to the site for a couple of hours. They check out their work and get started securing the posts in the ground and building the frame. As they prepare to break for the day, Lee inquires, "Do you think we should add a partial roof?"

Bill replies, "It might not be a bad idea. It looks like there is quite a bit of sun shining down on the stage in the late afternoon."

"Right, but can we finish the stage and the roof in a week?" asks Lee.

Jesse adds, "We can certainly try."

Lee clears his throat, mulling it over. Then, finally, he says, "I'll figure out a plan, talk to Michael about the design, and show it to my architect friend tomorrow morning. I have a meeting in Buxton, and I can stop by and see him on my way back to Hope Valley." Lee forces a smile and a chuckle even though he is very nervous inside about finishing this in time.

The following morning, Lee steps into his office after spending some time at the mill and finds Rosemary reading something with the biggest grin on her face. He joins her, asking, "What are you reading that is making you so happy?" Rosemary hands it to Lee. He pulls up a chair next to her and reads out loud, "The Valley Voice, Issue 1, Editor-in-chief – the beautiful, the smart, the most amazing woman I have ever met, Rosemary Coulter." Rosemary giggles and kisses him long and deep. Lee inquires, "You came up with a name?"

"I did. What do you think?" questions Rosemary.

"I think it is a perfect name for a paper. I am so proud of you, sweetheart. Why didn't you tell me?"

"It was what I wanted to bring up yesterday. I had finally decided on a name, my last article was complete, and I felt ready to print. But, after you told me your news, I didn't feel like celebrating anymore. Besides, you are busy with work and whatever project is tying up so much of your time. Even Patrick asked why you were so busy lately."

Lee's face falls, and he mentions, "I am so sorry. The storm slowed down some of our work, but we have been getting many new orders lately and have had to make preparations. Unfortunately, like I said yesterday, I'll be swamped until we leave for our trip. I will be all yours while we are gone and when we get back. Speaking of which, I need to go. I have a meeting in Buxton. Do you need anything before I go?"

Rosemary reluctantly answers, "No, we are fine. I am hoping to get the paper printed today. That is if my back and feet hold up all day."

Lee kisses her again, revealing, "I love you," and then kisses her tummy, stating, "I love you, squishy. Be good for your Mama today."

Rosemary feels a kick in response, almost as if the baby is saying, "Yes, Papa!"

Rosemary watches Lee leave through the front door and then rubs circles around her belly, speaking, "Good girl." She is shocked to hear the word girl coming out of her mouth. It's the first time she's thought they were having a girl.

After a long day of appointments, meeting his architect friend, and then working on the stage for a few hours, Lee parks in front of his office. He needs to put some paperwork away, but he did not expect to see the light on or anyone inside. So, Lee jogs up the stairs and opens the door to Rosemary standing at the mimeograph machine with her hands supporting her back. She is startled from the noise and turns around, remarking, "Oh, hi, Lee. If I weren't so exhausted, I would scold you for scaring me again."

Lee responds, "I'm sorry. I didn't expect anyone to be here. Where is Patrick?"

"He's with Elizabeth."

"Have you been here the whole day?"

"No, I took a break to pick Patrick up from school. We did his piano lesson, homework and then kicked the ball around for a little bit. Elizabeth and Jack walked by while we were outside, inviting him to come over. Nathan was going to have a kid's music night for Jack and Allie."

"How nice of her to include Patrick."

Rosemary mentions, "I know," as she dramatically sits down. She takes her right shoe off and rubs her throbbing foot.

"You sure had a busy day. Do you need any help?"

She replies, "No, thank you, you look as exhausted as I feel. I only need to print five more copies, and then I can go home. Robert said he would deliver them for me on Sunday morning."

Lee remarks, "Here, show me how to work this machine. Then, I'll finish the copies, and I'll drive you home."

Rosemary smiles, mentioning, "Thanks, sweetie. You are the best."

Sunday morning arrives, and Lee sends Patrick out to see if Robert delivered the paper. Patrick comes back in and gives it to Lee, asking, "What is this, Papa?"

Lee tells him to sit down on the settee with him, and Rosemary joins them. Lee reveals, "This is the paper your Mama has been working hard to create. She remembered how much she loves writing, and she wanted to do something you and your little brother or sister would be proud of her for." Lee looks at Rosemary, adding, "I am so unbelievably proud of her. She is creating something big for the town while juggling our family and helping Elizabeth.

Patrick turns and looks at Rosemary, questioning, "Is it true?" Rosemary nods, and Patrick states, "I'm always proud of you. You are the best Mama in the world." Rosemary hugs Patrick and tickles him on his side. Patrick giggles and tries to get away from Rosemary, but she won't let go. Finally, he relaxes in her arms, inquiring, "What are we going to do after church today?"

"I'm sorry, buddy. I have some work to do. Maybe you and Mama can do something fun?"

Rosemary questions, "Do you want to help me figure out what we will do in Chicago? We can find a couple of places you want to go."

"Okay, but can Vincent come and play afterward?" asks Patrick.

"Of course. How about 3:00 pm?" Patrick nods, and Rosemary suggests, "You better get changed for church."

"Yes, ma'am." Patrick runs upstairs as there is a knock on their door.

Lee looks at Rosemary, wondering who it could be, and shouts, "Come in."

Elizabeth and Jack walk in with the newspaper.

Jack yells, "Wosie! Wee!" and immediately runs up to Patrick's room.

They all laugh at Jack while Elizabeth remarks, "Rosemary, this is wonderful. You did such a great job with this. Everyone in town is going to be reading this and anxiously awaiting the next issue."

Lee chimes in, "I agree with you, Elizabeth. Rosie, I believe you found your second calling. Being a mother is first, but this is a strong second."

Rosemary reveals, "Thank you both for the compliments. I usually compliment myself, but I don't know what I've gotten myself into this time. Putting together a paper is a lot of work for one person. Not to mention, in a few months, my time will no longer be my own." Rosemary frowns, questioning, "Why did I think I could do this on my own?" Before anyone can answer, Rosemary looks towards Lee, adding, "I'll just have to hire a staff."

Lee gets home late that night after Rosemary and Patrick are in bed. After working on the stage until dark, he spent some time in the office, catching up on some work before driving home for the night. He's exhausted, so he immediately changes and crawls into bed with his wife. Rosemary opens her eyes and slides into her husband's embrace. She rests her head on his chest, asking, "Why are you home so late?"

"I'm sorry to wake you. I am so behind at work right now, and I needed to finish some things up," replies Lee. He then gets quiet and goes over in his mind what all is complete on the amphitheater. The posts are secure in the ground. The frame is built, braced, and reinforced, the support for the roof is in place, and the wood planks for the stage floor and half the roof are ready to be attached to the frame. For the first time, Lee feels optimistic he'll finish the stage in the three days he has left and still have time to show Rosemary. He grins and kisses her forehead.

Rosemary giggles, inquiring, "What are you so happy about, honey?"

Lee answers, "Oh, I'm just thinking about our vacation. I can't wait to spend time alone as a family. I've been so busy, and I've missed spending time with my favorite three people."

Rosemary looks up at him, rubbing his chin, responding, "We've missed you too. You don't need to be working so many hours.

Lee mentions, "Well, the long hours should be over soon. The special project is almost ready."

"Are you going to tell me what this project is?"

"I'm sworn to secrecy until it is complete." Lee is surprised when Rosemary doesn't talk back, so he looks down at her, and she's sound asleep.

The next day, after dropping off Patrick at school, Rosemary and Lee head to the infirmary for Rosemary's monthly checkup. Lee tries to make all the appointments he can because he knows Rosemary always wants him by her side. Lee is especially interested in making sure it's okay to travel this far into the pregnancy. Faith questions, "Rosemary, Lee, would you like to come back behind the curtain?" Lee sits down next to the table while Faith gets Rosemary's weight. They both join Lee behind the curtain, and Faith takes some of her vitals: pulse rate, respiration rate, blood pressure, and temperature. She then tells Rosemary to lay down on the table and loosen her blouse. Next, Faith feels around her abdomen and writes down some measurements asking, "Would you like to hear your son or daughter's heartbeat? We should be able to detect it this time." Rosemary and Lee's eyes widen, and they both nod their heads in unison. Lee reaches for Rosemary's hand while Faith puts the stethoscope in her ears and then prods around her belly. "Is it too cold, Rosemary?"

"A little, but I am anxious to hear pumpkin's heartbeat."

"Pumpkin?"

"Well, since we don't know if the baby is a boy or girl, I came up with pumpkin."

Lee adds, "I think squishy is better."

Faith laughs, feeling around until announcing, "Ah, there's your pumpkin." Faith gives the earpiece to Rosemary, and she hears the heartbeat for the first time.

Rosemary can't stop the tears rolling down her cheeks, inquiring, "Is it supposed to be so fast?"

"Oh, yes. A baby's heart rate is usually around 140 beats per minute in this stage of development."

Rosemary reveals, "Sometimes when I am alone, I'll think this isn't real, or I am dreaming. Then I feel a kick or movement in my stomach and now getting to hear the heartbeat. It makes it all seem more real." She listens for another moment and then offers the earpiece to Lee. He grins with his whole face and then wipes a tear falling down his cheek.

Lee listens for a bit longer and mentions, "That is the most incredible sound I have ever heard in my life. I can't believe we are sitting here listening to our daughter's heartbeat."

Rosemary giggles, stating, "You sure are getting confident we are having a girl."

"Oh, I just have a feeling."

Rosemary sarcastically inquires, "Didn't you used to have a feeling we were having a boy?"

"I did, but now I believe squishy is a girl."

Faith and Rosemary chuckle, and Lee returns the earpiece to Faith. Faith listens again and writes some notes down on her clipboard.

"Thank you, Faith. That was amazing." Lee mentions while reaching for Rosemary's hand again, intertwining their fingers.

Faith puts her pen and clipboard down and grins, revealing, "Everything looks perfect, Rosemary. For six months, you are gaining the right amount of weight, and your belly is growing appropriately. Your pulse rate, respiration rate, and blood pressure are all normal. Pumpkin's heart rate is normal, and your hands and ankles are not swelling. In addition, your temperature is normal, and you seem to be getting your exercise every day. I have a few more questions to ask you, and then you can go. Are you feeling a lot of movement? Have you been feeling nauseous at all? How's your energy level?"

Rosemary replies, "Yes, I am feeling more movement each day. Thankfully, I haven't felt nauseous in the last three months. My energy, however, comes and goes. It is good most of the time, but some things tire me out easier, and my back and feet have been hurting if I'm doing a lot."

"Rosemary, all of what you explained is completely normal for this stage. My suggestion, in that case, would be to sit down and rest, keeping your feet elevated," responds Faith.

Lee interjects, "Before I forget, I'm sure you have heard by now. Rosemary, Patrick, and I are supposed to catch a train to Chicago on Thursday. Will it be okay? Is there any danger in traveling at this point?"

Faith answers, "You are healthy, so I see no concern in you traveling. Do you have any other questions for me?" Rosemary and Lee shake their heads no. "Good. I don't have anything else for you today. I want to see you again in a month." Rosemary and Lee both nod in agreement. Lee helps Rosemary sit up and get off of the exam table. She fixes her blouse and smooths out her skirt. Rosemary loops her arm around his, and they head back to the office, their office. Since she spends so much time there working on her paper, Jesse has graciously offered to use the mill office. They walk up the stairs, and Lee opens the door for her. Rosemary steps inside as she blurts out, "I can't believe we are going to have a baby in a few short months!"

"I know. How are we so blessed with Patrick and now squishy?"

Rosemary giggles and embraces her loving husband. She kisses him, replying, "I couldn't be happier."

"Me neither."

Rosemary frames his face, inquiring, "Will we still be able to leave in a few days?"

"I think so as long as the weather holds out."

Lee wakes up before anyone else the following morning. He wants to get an early start because there are only two more days until their trip. Lee walks over to the window, opens the drapes, and is horrified to see it pouring down rain.