Chapter 42 – Mother's Get Pampered!
"No, it's okay, come here." She gets on her knees. "We aren't in trouble. Laika is a puppy and doesn't know any better. If it's anyone's fault, it's Papa's. He shouldn't have left his pants hanging on the chair."
"What are you going to do?"
"Well, for right now, I'll put these with the rest of the dirty clothes. I'll figure something out later. In the meantime, why don't we go downstairs, and I'll make you a peanut butter sandwich."
"Okay, Mama!" He turns to walk away and then turns back, cutely asking, "Can you fix Papa's pants?"
Rosemary forces a smile, ensuring him, "I'll do my best because I know how much they mean to him." But unfortunately, she didn't have the heart to tell him they were probably not fixable.
"Why does Papa love those pants so much?"
"I have no idea, but do you think you can do me a favor?"
"Sure, Mama."
"Let's keep this between you and me until I figure out what to do."
"Yes, ma'am," replies Patrick as he runs out of the room. Rosemary throws Lee's pants into the dirty clothes basket and joins her son downstairs.
The morning before Mother's Day, Lee wakes up early, quietly dresses, and sneaks out of their bedroom and into Patrick's room. Lee opens the curtains and sits down next to his sleeping son, puppy, and cat. He rubs his arms, whispering, "Good morning, buddy. It is time to rise and shine."
Patrick sleepily opens his eyes, groggily whispering, "Good morning, Papa."
"Are you ready to finish up Mama's gift?" Laika stands up and shakes her body like she does first thing every morning. Patrick pets her, and she lays back down.
"I thought I already did."
"I think we need to work on the engraving to make it more readable."
Patrick answers, "Okay, Papa."
"Mama is still asleep, so let's be as quiet as possible and sneak out of here before she wakes up and asks questions. I'll take care of Laika and Nanny, and you get ready to go. We can eat breakfast at the café."
"Yeah," remarks Patrick as he jumps out of bed with Laika and Nanny following him. Patrick dresses while Lee goes downstairs, feeding the animals and letting them out. Lee writes a note to Rosemary and leaves it on the kitchen table:
Rosie,
Patrick and I thought we would spend some time together and let you sleep. We'll see you two this afternoon.
Love,
Your two loving boys!
Lee inquires, "Are you ready to go? Why don't we ride our bikes into town?"
"Yes, sir!" Lee and Patrick ride their matching national blue bikes into town, park them on the office porch, and race to the café to see who gets there first. Patrick is so ecstatic he wins by one foot. Lee had let up the last few seconds so Patrick could win. "I beat you, Papa!"
Lee replies, "You sure did. You are too fast for me." They both chuckle as they walk inside and find a seat. Bill comes over to greet them and take their order.
Bill asks, "What are you two Coulter men doing this fine morning?"
Patrick laughs, "Judge Avery, I am not a man. I'm a boy."
Bill looks to Lee, who's shrugging his shoulders, seeing what he will say in response to Patrick's statement. "Well, you, sir, are a little man and are growing up to be just like your Papa." Patrick grins.
Lee and Patrick have a filling, delicious breakfast and go over to the office to work on Rosemary's gift. Lee grabs the frame and chisel out of the cabinet, and brings them over to the desk for Patrick, suggesting, "Here, sit down. Let me show you how to make the letters more pronounced and readable." Lee hands him the chisel, stating, "Go ahead and start tracing the letters."
"Are you sure I won't mess it up, Papa?"
"You won't, but even if you did, Mama wouldn't care. She'll love anything and everything you give her." Patrick takes the chisel and starts tracing the 'I.'
Patrick inquires, "Is Mama going to cry a lot tomorrow?"
Lee answers, "I can guarantee she'll shed tears at least one time tomorrow, if not more."
"Girls cry too much, especially Mama."
"Don't hold it against her. Your little brother or sister makes her emotional, and she can't control it no matter how hard she tries. She's usually not a crying person unless it is something serious." Patrick continues to trace the 'L-O-V-E-Y-O-U-T-O-T-H-E-M-O-O-N-A-N-D-B-A-C-K.'
"Can I take a break? My hand hurts."
"Sure. Do you want me to do some of the letters for you?"
"No, sir. I want to do them all."
"You got it, buddy. Take your time and start when you are ready." Patrick acknowledges.
Rosemary wakes to an empty bed and a quiet house. She puts on her robe and slippers and checks in Patrick's room, which is empty. Then she pads downstairs and only sees Laika and Nanny lying on the settee. Rosemary sits between them, petting them both, asking, "Where are our boys?" Laika barks, and Nanny meows an answer. Rosemary laughs and pets them again before getting up to make some tea. As she passes by the kitchen table, she sees Lee's note he left for her. Rosemary stops and reads her husband's sweet words with a grin and then pours some water in the kettle and turns on the stove. She sits down with her to-do list and waits for the water to boil. Rosemary hopes to get things done before play rehearsal later in the afternoon. She wants to check with Clara and Hannah about the costumes and backdrops. And talk to Hannah about working on the paper with her. Rosemary thinks if Minnie is helping at the café, it will allow Clara to spend more time in the dress shop, which will enable Hannah to help with the newspaper. At least, that is what she is hoping. The kettle finally whistles, and Rosemary gets up to fix her tea when she happens to see the calendar in her kitchen. She smiles because tomorrow is her first-ever Mother's Day, and oddly enough, Lee hasn't mentioned anything yet, so she assumes he has some surprises in store for her.
Patrick is tracing the last letters, 'L-O-V-E-P-A-T-R-I-C-K," shouting, "I finished, Papa."
Lee checks it out, revealing, "Great job. I couldn't have done any better." Patrick happily giggles.
Rosemary bursts through the office door, speaking, "There you two are."
Patrick runs to hug her, yelling, "Hi Mama!"
Lee quickly covers up the frame, asking Rosemary awkwardly, "What are you doing in here, Rosie?"
"Oh, I missed seeing my boys this morning."
Lee chooses his words wisely before saying, "We are pretty busy right now. Patrick and I are working on something."
Rosemary fakes being sad. She knows they are up to something, but she doesn't know what. Rosemary whines, "I can see where I am not wanted." She pauses and continues, "I guess I will leave." Rosemary pouts and turns away when Lee calls out to stop her.
"Wait, Rosie. I am, we are, happy to see you. Thank you for coming by and seeing us." He tries kissing her, but she turns her head, and he must settle for a peck on the cheek.
"Well, I need to go talk to Clara and Hannah. I'll see you at rehearsal." Rosemary gives a half-smile/half-pout and walks out the door.
"That was a close one, wasn't it? She almost saw your gift."
"I know," responded Patrick, and they both laughed. Then Patrick questioned, "What are we going to wrap it in?"
"I think I have a box somewhere around here," remarks Lee as he is rummaging through some drawers. "Ah, here it is." Lee places the frame in the box and secures the lid. "Why don't you write, "To Mama, from Patrick on the top?"
Patrick grins when an idea pops into his head, inquiring, "Can I write her a note?"
Lee answers, "Of course," while handing him a sheet of paper.
Patrick writes:
Mama,
Happy Mother's Day! You are the best Mama around! I love you more than all the stars in the sky, to the moon and back, and to infinty. I hope you like your gift. Papa and I made it from scrach, and he let me carve the words in the frame by myself. And I picked the picktur out. It is from when we first met in Brookfield. Even from the start, you made me feel safe, importnt, and I prayed that I could go live with you every night. And it happnd!
Love,
Patrick Coulter
Patrick questions, "Did I spell everything right?"
Lee reads it over, replying, "No, but I think Mama will love this came from your heart."
Rosemary sashays over to Dottie's and announces her presence when there is no one in the front of the store, "Hannah, Clara, are you here?" Hannah comes out front and is surprised to see Rosemary. They hug, and before Hannah shouts to Clara, Rosemary stops her, speaking, "There is something I want to talk to you about privately. Do you have a few minutes?"
"Is something wrong?" inquires Hannah.
"No, everything is fine and dandy. I guess I will just come out and say it. Would you like to work with me at The Valley Voice?"
Hannah pauses a moment and questions, "I can't leave Clara here to run this place alone. How could I possibly help you with the paper? I don't know anything about the newspaper business."
"I wouldn't dream of taking you away from Dottie's completely. You are an excellent seamstress. I am hoping you will be my second in command. So, in my absence, you could be in charge and ensure the paper is published every week, once I purchase the new printing press, that is." Rosemary pauses to gauge what Hannah is thinking. "What do you think? Is it something you would consider?" Hannah doesn't quite know what to say. "You can think about it, and we can talk later."
Hannah responds, "It sounds interesting. I will think about it and let you know."
"Thank you. I would love to have you on board."
Hannah nods and yells to the back, "Rosemary is here."
Clara joins them upfront and hugs her as well, inquiring, "Let me guess. You are here for the costumes and the backdrops."
"Yes, what else would I be here for," replies a confused Rosemary.
Clara offers, "I think you will like the fixes we did to the costumes, but we have not finished the backdrops yet. So, why don't you come back and see?"
The three ladies go to the back, and Hannah shows the costumes to Rosemary. All she can do is gasp with joy, "They are perfect. Thank you." Clara points to what they are working on right now. "I like what I see so far."
"I think we'll finish in a couple of days," mentions Clara.
"Outstanding," remarks Rosemary.
Lee hardly sleeps, thinking about all the surprises he has planned for Rosemary's first Mother's Day. Rosemary is usually the one who can't sleep these days, but tonight it's Lee. The morning arrives too quickly, and he is up before Rosemary and Patrick. Lee wakes up Patrick, and they go downstairs to make breakfast for Rosemary. Lee knows her favorite is eggs and bacon, but he also decides to whip up some strawberry crepes. He also fixes her some peppermint tea and a glass of orange juice. Lee hands each plate and glass to Patrick to arrange them on the tray to take to Rosemary. Lee instructs Patrick, "Why don't you gather some flowers in the back, and we can stick in a vase?"
Yes, sir." Patrick runs outside, picks some flowers, and jogs back in. He drops the flowers in the vase and wipes his dirty hands on his pants.
"Are you ready to go? Don't forget your present. It's in the desk drawer." Lee waits for Patrick at the base of the stairs while he grabs his gift. He turns and heads upstairs, thinking Patrick is right behind him. Instead, Patrick runs to the kitchen table and snatches the last crepe with his free hand. Patrick tries stuffing it in his mouth while following Lee up the stairs. The messy, red cream drips all over his clothes and on the pristine floor. Lee quietly sets the tray on her nightstand and pulls up a chair for Patrick. He whispers, "I'll wake up Mama, and then you can show her the breakfast and your gift." Patrick agrees, sitting down and wiping his messy face with his sleeve. Lee kisses her tenderly on the lips and rubs the baby within.
Rosemary opens her eyes, and both Lee and Patrick exclaim, "Happy Mother's Day!" She sits up and sees her boys with the biggest grin on their faces. Rosemary squeals when she notices Patrick's dirty clothes. "Patrick, what is all over your clothes, bud?" Lee looks for himself and chuckles. "Lee Coulter, you didn't notice your son is filthy?" Lee shrugs and doesn't know what to say. "Patrick, come up here with me. What happened?" Rosemary rearranges the pillows and gets comfortable while Patrick carefully climbs on the bed and sits on her lap. She wipes the red cream off the corner of his mouth and feels his hands and face, which are all sticky.
Patrick apologizes, "I'm sorry, Mama. I wanted the last crepe, and it accidentally dripped on me as I was climbing the stairs." Just then, Laika jumps on the bed with the same red stuff all over her face. Rosemary screams, and Lee quickly catches Laika before she gets anything else dirty and wipes her face and paws. "And…I might have dripped some on the floor."
Rosemary takes a deep breath, trying to calm herself down. Eventually, putting on a smile, asking, "Is there anything else?"
"Oh, when I went out to pick the flowers, I got dirt all over my hands. Then Papa said breakfast was ready, so I wiped the dirt on my pants." Patrick pauses and continues, "I'll wash up and go change."
As Patrick gets up, Rosemary says, "No, it's okay. Stay here with me." Patrick sits back down on her lap, and she hugs him while trying not to get her nightclothes dirty. Rosemary doesn't let go, kissing him on the top of his head and whispering, "What am I going to do with you, my sticky, dirty, little boy, who I love to infinity?" Rosemary glances over at Lee, grinning with her whole face.
Lee mentions, "Now, don't think you are off the hook, young man. I expect you to clean up your mess and help Mama wash your clothes. She will have to work extra hard at getting those stains out. You love your shirt, right?"
"Yes, sir. I do, and I will." Patrick shyly inquires, "Can we give Mama her breakfast and gift we made her now?"
"You made me breakfast and a gift? I can't wait to see what it is." Rosemary turns her head and finally sees the food next to her. "Ah, the infamous crepes? When did you learn how to make crepes, Lee?"
"I found the recipe as I was going through your recipe box. It looked really old," remarks Lee.
"That was my Grandmother LeVeaux's recipe. I haven't made those since I lived in New York City."
Lee replies, "Well, I hope I did them justice then."
"I am sure you did, sweetie," responds Rosemary with a smile.
Patrick hands her the box with his gift, telling her, "Open it, but read the letter first."
"Okay, I will." She takes out the letter and reads it aloud, with tears trickling down her face. Then she removes the cloth bag the frame is in and reads the inscription."
Patrick mentions, "That is the picture from our first picnic. Remember when we were all tickling each other, and it started raining. Papa, you put Mama and I in the wagon and covered us with a blanket. Then you hopped in and took this picture?"
"Oh, Patrick! I love this. I love you, and I remember the picnic and the whole time we were in Brookfield like yesterday. We couldn't wait to bring you home with us." Rosemary kisses his sticky little cheek and tickles him.
They all three hear a grumbling sound, and Patrick inquires, "What was that?"
Rosemary embarrassingly reveals, "It's my stomach. I guess we are hungry." They all laugh while Patrick gets up so Lee can lay the tray down on Rosemary's lap, but she cannot reach the food with her rounded belly.
Lee offers, "Why don't you sit on the chair, and the tray can go on the bed."
"Thanks, honey. The food smells so good." Rosemary gets out of bed and sits on the chair, and Lee puts the tray on the bed in front of her, and she eats every bite of food, savoring not only the delicious food but having her two boys right there with her on her special day, one she'll never forget.
After church, Lee needs to give the ladies time to sneak over to the Salon to prep everything. So, Lee suggests, "It is such a nice day. Would you two like to walk around the pond?"
"Yeah!" exclaims Patrick.
Rosemary nods and loops her arm through his. "Lead the way, my darling."
The Coulter's stroll around the pond, and before they need to change direction for home, Lee pretends to remember something, hoping the ladies are ready for them. Then, he questions, "Would you mind stopping in the office for a minute? I need to pick something up."
"I don't mind," states Rosemary. So, they head back to town, but they walk past their office. "I thought you needed to get something?" Lee doesn't say anything and continues to the Salon. "Why are we going there?" inquires Rosemary as he opens the door for her, and they step inside.
Elizabeth, Allie, Fiona, Hannah, and Clara, are all standing there smiling and shouting, "Happy Mother's Day!"
Rosemary asks Lee, "What is all this? Did you do this?"
Lee grins and points to a sign she has not seen yet. It reads, "Mother's Get Pampered!" Rosemary glances around the room and sees the balloons floating above the chairs and a flower bouquet for each lady, including Allie. And in the corner is a table with a beautiful pink tablecloth and a spread of food and drinks.
"Oh, Lee! This is fabulous!"
"I can't take all the credit. Fiona and Clara did all this." Lee points to all the decorations. "I just came up with the idea and provided assistance where needed." Lee kisses her on the cheek, whispering, "I love you. Have a fun day with the girls. We'll pick you up later." Rosemary kisses him back, hugs Patrick, and tells them both thank you for a wonderful surprise.
Fiona and Clara grab her from Lee and lead her to a salon chair, revealing, "Minnie, Faith, Molly, and Florence wish they could be here with you, but they were unable to attend this today." They sit Rosemary down and cover her with the chair cloth. Fiona questions, "How would you like your hair done?"
"I am not the only one getting my hair done, am I?"
"No, Clara and I have volunteered to do everyone's hair and another surprise.
Rosemary insists Elizabeth come over and join her, suggesting, "We can mess around with styles for the wedding." They all laugh because Rosemary always finds a way to add wedding planning to any occasion.
"Well, okay," responds Elizabeth.
Rosemary giggles, remembering a hairdo she saw in a magazine. "If I remember correctly, twist half the hair up towards the top, and twist the rest to the side, ending in a side ponytail with princess curls.
Fiona remarks, "I think I remember seeing the hairdo as well. It should be easy as pie."
Rosemary mentions, "I have an idea for Elizabeth's hair too. She wears her hair down with curls, but then a section of hair on the left side is twisted, wrapped around the back of her head to the right, and back to the left, where it ends with a barrette or flowers."
"I'll give it a try," offers Clara. So, all the ladies gab as Fiona and Clara work on Rosemary and Elizabeth's hair. Fiona and Clara purposely face the chairs away from the mirrors, keeping them in suspense until they are ready.
Finally, after they both finish, Clara and Fiona turn them around, and they both squeal in delight. They glance at their own hair and immediately turn to see the other. Rosemary announces, "They are both perfect. Thank you, Fiona, Clara."
Elizabeth states, "You did a wonderful job, Clara. It is beautiful."
"Did we find your wedding do?" inquires Rosemary.
Elizabeth scrunches up her face, answering, "I think we did." Rosemary squeals again and hugs her dearest friend.
Rosemary calls, "Allie? Hannah? Your turn. I have an idea for you, Allie."
"Thanks, Missus Coulter. What do you have in mind?"
"Fiona, I am thinking a middle ponytail with a poof at the top and some hair hanging loose in the front."
Allie questions, "Aunt Elizabeth, what do you think?"
"I think it sounds pretty."
Allie responds, "Okay, Miss Miller. Go ahead and try." Fiona works on Allie while Clara works on Hannah. Fiona finishes up Allie first and turns her around.
Allie's eyes light up, saying, "I love it, Miss Miller!"
Elizabeth walks behind her, recommending, "I think you should wear your hair like this to the wedding."
"Do you think Uncle Nathan will like it too?"
"I do. Very much." Allie stands up and hugs Elizabeth, Rosemary, and Fiona.
After dropping Rosemary off, Lee and Patrick meet back at Nathan's house, where Nathan and Jack kick the ball around. "How did it go? Was she surprised?" asked Nathan.
Lee replies, "I think she was this time. She knew we had some surprises for her today, but an afternoon with the girls was not on her mind.
"Patrick, would you like to play with Jack?" questions Nathan.
"Yes, sir," answers Patrick as they switch places, and Nathan and Lee sit on the porch watching their boys.
Lee inquires, "Nathan, I have something to ask you. I know you are great at making things with wood. Would you be willing to help me with a project? I will need someone with your expertise."
Nathan replies, "What kind of project are we talking about?"
"I want to make a sign to display on our office building. Rosemary is doing a great job with the newspaper, and I want to support her in any way I can."
"How big are we talking?"
"I am not sure, but bigger than my sign. I want it to say:
THE VALLEY VOICE
~~ NEWSPAPER ~~
ROSEMARY COULTER EDITOR-IN-CHIEF"
Nathan responds, "I should have some time."
"How long do you think this will take? Do you think we can finish before the play?"
"It depends on how much time you have to spend on this."
"Hmm. I know both of our time is limited. What if we could spend an hour working on it each day?"
"I think that is doable."
Lee pats Nathan on the back, offering, "I owe you big time. Thank you."
"No worries. You have done so much for Elizabeth, Jack, and Allie. It is the least I can do."
"Thank you," responds Lee.
Nathan gets the boy's attention, questioning, "So, do you want to fish or ride a horse, boys?"
They both answer, "horse," simultaneously.
Fiona announces, "We have a special treat for you ladies. Everybody, take off your shoes and stockings, and pull up your skirts to your knees." All the ladies look at Fiona like she has lost her mind. "Do you trust me?" The ladies nod but still look unimpressed, especially Elizabeth. "Trust me. You will love what we are doing. Here, I will lock the doors and pull down all the shades." Fiona proceeds to fill up a large bucket of water and sets it on the stove, along with large smooth rocks, while Clara grabs metal tubs, towels, cream, and soap. "Ladies, you have to remove your shoes and stockings, or this won't work." Rosemary is the first to do what Fiona wants, followed by Hannah. Rosemary prods Elizabeth to hurry up and take off her shoes and stockings, and Allie does the same. After they are all ready, Clara comes around with blindfolds for each and instructs them to sit back and relax. Fiona carries the bucket and rocks over to Rosemary while Clara places a metal tub at each of their feet. Then, Fiona pours the hot water in the buckets, squirts some lavender-smelling soap, and lets it cool off.
Rosemary asks, "What are you ladies doing?"
"We are almost ready," reveals Fiona.
Rosemary giggles, giddily clapping her hands together, exclaiming, "I can't wait!" Fiona tests the water, signaling it is time. Fiona lifts Rosemary's legs and places her feet in the metal tub while Clara does Elizabeth's.
"Oh, my. This feels amazing. Thank you, Fiona." Fiona does the same with Hannah and Clara with Allie. Then Fiona points to the blindfolds, and she and Clara remove them one by one.
Fiona recommends everyone relax for a few minutes as they sigh in contentment. "We want you to soak your feet until they are nice and soft, and then we will give you a leg and foot massage with something special." Rosemary giggles in excitement. Fiona checks on the rocks to make sure they are just the right temperature, where it doesn't burn their hands or legs but is hot enough to do the job. Fiona instructs Rosemary to lift her feet while she moves the tub away. She pulls up a small bench and sits down with a towel, cream, and the rocks. Fiona lifts Rosemary's feet onto her lap, drying them with a small towel when she is ready. Fiona instructs Clara to do the same with Elizabeth. Next, Fiona holds up two rocks and explains to the ladies, "We are going to massage your legs and feet with these hot rocks. It is something new they are doing in San Francisco. It is supposed to reduce stress, promote sleep, and relax your muscles." Fiona and Clara grab the smooth rocks, rubbing up and down their legs and the bottoms of their feet. All of Rosemary's pent-up leg and foot pain is slowly easing up, so much so, she almost falls asleep until Pumpkin starts kicking her in the ribs. Rosemary rubs circles over her little one and tries to calm her down, catching herself thinking the baby is a girl for the first time in a while. Fiona asks, "Are you okay, Rosemary?"
"Yes, this is heavenly," replies Rosemary.
Fiona announces, "Excellent. We will finish off with rubbing cream up and down your legs, ensuring they are soft and relaxed." Clara does the same to Elizabeth, and then they finish up with Allie and Hannah.
Rosemary says, "That was incredible. You should offer this service in your shop, obviously on women's day."
"Maybe I will."
Elizabeth remarks, "I agree with Rosemary. It was marvelous. Thank you so much."
"I haven't felt this relaxed in months. I don't want to leave this chair," whines Rosemary.
Fiona notices the time, mentioning, "Sorry Rosemary, I think Lee will be back any minute now. The ladies all groan, put their stockings and shoes back on, and fix their skirts. Then, there is a knock at the door, and it is Lee here to pick up Rosemary. She jogs into his arms, embracing him until they hear Elizabeth clearing her throat. They step back with a guilty expression written all over their face.
Lee turns to Rosemary, asking, "It looks like you enjoyed your day?"
"I did. Very much."
"Are you ready to go home? Patrick is at home waiting for us."
"Lee Coulter, you didn't leave our precious little boy home alone, did you?"
Lee shrugs his shoulders, replying, "No, I didn't, Rosie. Nathan and Jack are there with him."
Rosemary rolls her eyes at her husband and hugs all the girls, saying, "Thank you for this special day. It means so much to me." She accepts Lee's proffered arm, and he leads her outside to the awaiting car parked in front of their office. "Can we walk home instead, sweetheart?"
Lee responds, "Of course," as he grabs her hand, and they head towards the rowhouses. "I can't believe you thought I would leave our son alone."
"I'm sorry, honey. The worst things pop into my mind these days." Rosemary stops him when they get to the pond, and no one is around, inquiring, "Have I ever told you how much I love you?"
Lee grins with a twinkle in his eye, answering, "You have on many occasions."
"Good, because I do," Rosemary speaks in a playful tone. She frames his face with her hands and kisses him like she hasn't seen him in months. Then Rosemary reaches for his hand, and they meander home.
Monday morning, after dropping off Patrick at school, Rosemary calls Hazel's mother, Sarah, from the phone in the office. "Hello, Sarah! How have you and the family been?"
Sarah answers, "We've been great! All four kids are getting along and happy. Their last school day is Thursday, so they are excited about the summer. How are Lee and Patrick doing? And you. You must be close?"
"Lee and Patrick are doing amazing. We are all looking forward to the baby's arrival, though. I have a little over two months left, and I don't know how I am supposed to get any bigger. There doesn't seem to be much more space left in there."
Lee taps the desk, mouthing, "Patrick."
Rosemary mouths back to Lee, "Thanks, honey," and he gives her a thumbs up. She smiles and mentions to Sarah, "The reason I called is to invite you and your family to Hope Valley this weekend. The kids haven't seen each other since Patrick's Birthday party. So, I figured we could celebrate the end of the school year on Friday, and on Saturday, the town is having a barbeque, and Lee will be sworn-in as mayor. We would love it if you could stay with us. Friday will be something simple. Lee wants to take Patrick fishing and then cook up the fish to eat. We might even go for some ice cream."
"You're going to fish with them?"
Rosemary replies, "Yes and no. I promised I would go fishing the next time they went. I'm planning on sitting on a blanket and watching them. I hope Patrick will be okay with me just being there." Sarah and Rosemary both giggle. "He's been trying to get me to go since he came to live with us, so I figured I should go sooner than later."
Sarah responds, "It's probably a good idea because once your little bundle of joy arrives, fishing will be the last thing on your mind. Let me talk to Milton and Hazel, and I'll let you know."
"Sounds good. I'll talk to you soon. Bye."
Later in the day, the Coulters are in their office. Patrick is doing homework, Lee is working on his speech, and Rosemary is working on the paper's next edition. Then, out of the blue, the phone rings, and Rosemary answers loudly, "Hello, Sarah!"
Taking the hint, Lee suggests, "I need a break. How about you, little man?"
Patrick looks up from his desk, saying, "Yes, sir!" Lee hurries Patrick outside.
Rosemary reveals, "Sorry, Sarah. Patrick was in here, and we didn't want him to know. Please tell me you are coming?"
"As a matter-of-fact, Hazel and I will be there on Saturday. Hazel and Mary Louise wanted to attend something here in town on Friday night, and the boys and Milton have something on Saturday night," remarks Sarah.
"How long will you stay?"
Sarah replies, "We will stay one night at the hotel. I don't want you doing any extra work for us."
"It's really no trouble."
"Surely, you don't want Patrick in your room again, do you?" questions Sarah.
Rosemary responds, "Nonsense. It will be nice to have two girls in the house."
"I'll think about it, but no guarantees."
"Fair enough. When do you think you'll be here?"
"Hmm. Do you need help setting it up?" inquires Sarah.
"Thanks for asking, but no. I'm not involved in this one. I'm just an honored guest."
Sarah questions, "How about we show up at your house around 11 am?"
"Fabulous. We will see you on Saturday," answers Rosemary.
Lee and Rosemary pick up Patrick on his last day of school. Lee inquires, "Well, you finished your first full school year. How did you like it?"
Patrick replies, "I loved it. It was so much fun, and I learned a lot."
"I am glad you enjoyed school," remarks Rosemary.
Lee adds, "Me too. And Miss Elizabeth told us you have caught up with the other kids your age. Good job, buddy. We are so proud of you."
"Papa and I are both done with work for the day, so we are all yours. Would you like to go fishing?" questions Rosemary.
Patrick looks at Rosemary funny, asking, "You want to go fishing with me?"
Lee suggests, "Why doesn't Mama come with us and sit on a blanket and watch, but still be a part of what we are doing. Does that sound good, Patrick?"
"Yes, Papa!" exclaims Patrick. He runs and gives Rosemary a big hug. "Thank you, Mama. I've been waiting for you to fish with us."
Lee responds, "Great. Why don't we go to the office and get all our fishing gear? Patrick, what do you say? Allie's favorite fishing hole?"
"Yes, sir." They stop by the office, and Lee grabs the fishing poles, a basket to put the fish in, and a blanket for Rosemary to sit on. Then, they head to Allie's favorite fishing hole, and Lee finds the best place to put down the blanket. He lays it on the ground, and Rosemary carefully sits down with the help of Lee. Rosemary watches as Lee and Patrick are watching the ground intently.
Rosemary inquires, "What are you two doing?"
"We are trying to find worms, Mama. Do you want to help?"
Rosemary giggles, "No thanks, I'll let you find the worms."
Lee finds one and brings it over for Rosemary to see. He tries to put it up to her face, but she dodges the worm. So, he tries again.
"Lee Coulter, what do you think you are doing? Get that worm out of my face right now."
"You're no fun," remarks Lee.
Rosemary questions, "I am no fun because I don't want a worm in my face?"
"Yes," answers Lee. Rosemary rolls her eyes and laughs at her husband. "Would you like me to show you how to attach the worm and throw the line in?" Lee sweetly asks.
"How do you know I don't know how to do those things?" Lee watches her, gauging whether she is joking around.
"Well, do you?"
"As it so happens, I do. My father taught me well. I can fish with or without lures, I can camp, I can start a fire with a stick and a rock, and I can find my way with or without a map and a compass."
Lee chuckles, responding, "Why am I not surprised. Why don't I know this about you?"
"It was how I grew up. When I left for New York City to become an actress, I left that part of my life behind and haven't needed to do those things since then," reveals Rosemary.
Patrick questions, "Is it really true you can do all those things, Mama?"
Rosemary replies, "Sure is."
"Can you show me one day?"
"I don't know, Patrick. Maybe," answers Rosemary. She watches as her son frowns. "In the meantime, how about if I bait the hook and catch one fish?"
Patrick jumps up and down, repeating, "Yes, yes, yes." Rosemary manages to stand up on her second try. She takes the worm and fishing pole from Lee, easily baits the hook, and throws the line in the river. Patrick and Lee are looking at her with their mouths wide open. Within a few minutes, she screams when she feels a bite. Rosemary reels it in, removes the fish from the hook, and throws it in the fish basket.
Rosemary smirks at her two boys, saying, "And that…is how it's done! Ha-ha!" Rosemary cleans her hands off in the river and walks back to the blanket.
Lee stops her and pulls her into him, asking, "Is there anything you can't do?"
Rosemary chuckles and kisses him before responding, "Nope." She sits back down on the blanket and gets comfortable again. "Now your turn. I expect nothing less than four fish between the two of you. Pumpkin is hungry." All three of them laugh at the revelation. They spend the next couple of hours fishing with Rosemary cheering them on. All in all, they catch a whopping six fish, which is way more than they need.
Patrick inquires, "Are you going to cook the fish like Mountie Nathan?"
"Why, yes we are. Papa will help me cook, and you can set the table for us."
"Yes, ma'am." The Coulters walk home, and immediately Lee and Rosemary start working on the fish, and Patrick takes care of Laika and Nanny.
Rosemary suggests, "Lee, why don't you prepare the fish, and I'll cut them up and cook them in the skillet?"
Lee laughs, mentioning, "Ha! I knew there was a reason why you wanted us both to cook. You didn't want to do the messy parts, did you?"
Rosemary shrugs, "You got me. Guilty as charged."
Lee chuckles, walking up behind Rosemary, offering, "Why don't I cut up some potatoes to fry while you are cooking the fish?" He wraps his arms around her, and she turns around, hitting his arm.
Rosemary chuckles back, telling him, "Stop wasting time and get to work."
He backs away and holds his arms up, responding, "Yes, dear." They continue to work together and sit down as a family when it's finished. Patrick says the prayer, "Dear Lord, thank you for this yummy food to eat. Thank you for my Mama and Papa and my little brother or sister. Oh, and thank you for having Mama fish with us." Patrick giggles, continuing, "Mama is better than Papa. Amen." Suddenly there is a loud knock at the door. Lee and Rosemary look at each other, wondering who it could be.