Previously:

Adam waited for the doctor to make his way down the stairs before asking the dreaded question. "Doc, is everything all right?"

Dr. Martin frowned and then let out a shaky breath before moving closer to both Adam and Ben. "Sadly, no. Unfortunately, I ran into some complications during the labor. Why don't you sit down so I can let you know what happened?"

The doctor took a seat in one of the chairs, then waited until Adam was sitting to give his explanation. "As I expected, the birth was quite difficult and it took its toll on Cecily. The baby was breached, to begin with, but I managed to turn it to the proper position without too much difficulty. Despite this, it appears some hemorrhaging still occurred sometime during the birth."

"Oh no." Adam felt his heart quicken as the doctor revealed the news he didn't want to hear.

"It took me a while to get the blood to stop and as a result, your wife lost a lot of blood before I could successfully get it to stop completely. It's stopped for now, but it's only temporary. I'm not going to lie to you, Adam, the prognosis doesn't look good."

His breath caught in his throat as he struggled to get words to form. "Are you, are you saying my wife is going to die?"

Dr. Martin shifted his gaze away from Adam as he felt tears begin to build in his own eyes. Most of the time, he enjoyed being the town's doctor, helping to cure people of their illnesses and make them feel better. However, in times like this, he hated his profession. No matter how many times he had to do it, it never got easier, and it was even harder when he was a long-time friend of the family.

"Yes. She's alive for now, but she lost so much blood and is so very weak. Even if she survived that, there's a high chance of infection setting in. I'm so sorry." Dr. Martin turned back to Adam as he reached out a hand across the table to touch Adam's arm.

Unable to take the heartbreaking news, Adam bowed his head down into his clasped hands and silently let out a few tears. It took Adam a few moments for him to gather his thoughts and get his emotions back in check. That's when he realized why his wife was even in this position in the first place: she was supposed to be having a baby.

Adam slowly lifted his head again, almost scared to even ask the dreaded question as he wasn't sure if he could handle any more heartbreak. "What about the baby?"

Dr. Martin smiled at Adam's question. "It's a healthy baby boy." He was glad he could provide Adam with a small ray of hope in this tragic time for him and his family.

"Are you sure? I didn't hear him cry earlier and babies normally cry when they are born."

"Most babies do just that, but there are some that do not. Trust me, Adam, your new son is one of the healthiest babies I've seen in a long time."

"Well, that's a relief at least." Adam lowered his head back down to his clasped hands as he stared off into the fireplace.

Several long minutes passed before the doctor broke into the silence that had enveloped the room. "I don't want to rush you, but Cecily wants to see you and the children before things take a turn for the worse. If I had to guess, she will pass sometime this morning."

Adam shifted his gaze back to the doctor. "I understand."

Dr. Martin stood up from his spot. "I'll let you wake your children up and I'll meet you all back in the bedroom in a few minutes. Would you like me to tell Ben and your brothers what's going on?"

Adam didn't think he had the mental stability right now to make the announcement to his father, especially not after he'd have to tell his children. "Thanks, doctor. I'd appreciate it if you'd let them know."

The doctor gave Adam an encouraging pat on the back as he walked past him towards his family. He didn't envy what Adam had to do and knew he needed all the support he could get. The next few minutes and hours and even days were going to be an emotional roller coaster.

After hearing the doctor explain what happened, Adam knew there wasn't much time left. He looked over at his children still sleeping nearby. As much as he would love to let them sleep, he knew saying goodbye to their mother was more important right now. A quick glance at the clock confirmed that it was nearly dawn anyway, so Adam felt less guilty about waking them up.

Adam shook Nathan awake first, then moved over to the twins. As expected, it took a bit of effort to get them to wake, but eventually they both let out a yawn and a stretch.

"Is it already morning, Papa?"

"Did Mama have the baby?"

Adam choked back a sob. "I'll answer all your questions in a minute. First I need to talk to you all for a couple moments."

"I'm too tired. Can you carry me?"

Adam scooped down to pick up Clara as Helen wiped the last of her sleep from her eyes and followed them over to where her brother was already sitting on the settee.

He sat down, continuing to hold Clara while Helen sat to his right and snuggled up next to him. Adam wrapped his free arm around her and began to tell them what happened.

"Now, your mother did have the baby. It's ─"

"Yipee! Is it a girl or a boy?"

"If you'll give me a minute I'll tell you. What I need to say to all of you is really important. Please don't interrupt me again."

"Sorry, Papa."

"As I was saying, the baby is here. It is a boy, but your Mama is really weak. Having the baby was very hard on her body. Unfortunately, the doctor says she probably won't recover."

Helen lifted her head confused at what her father just told her. "What does that mean?"

Adam looked down at her before glancing over to Nathan who was sitting on her the other side. He could see he was slowly processing the information and after a few seconds, his eyes went wide as his brain finally worked out exactly what his father was trying to tell them.

Adam took in a deep breath raising his hand up to stroke Helen's disheveled brown hair. This was not something he had ever wanted to try to explain to his children. "What Papa means is that your Mama is dying."

If Clara wasn't awake before, she was wide awake now. "WHAT? Mama can't be dead! I didn't get to tell her goodbye!"

"Shush… She's not dead yet, but she did lose a lot of blood giving birth to your little brother and is now very weak. We're going to go up there in a minute and tell her how much we love her and say goodbye. But, as I said, the doctor expects she won't make it past this morning."

Within seconds, the nearly silent room was filled with the sound of all his children sobbing. At the sight and sound of his children crying, Adam failed to hold back his own tears anymore and gave himself permission to let out his own grief as well even if it was just for a moment.

Adam gave them all a few minutes to allow the initial shock to sink in while he attempted to dry his own tears. "I know you are all still very sad and that's all right. I'm quite sad myself, but if you want to say goodbye, we will need to go up to the room soon."

"Let's go Pa." Nathan was the first to get off the settee determined to be brave for his younger siblings.

Adam stood, placing Clara down on the floor before leading the way to the stairs. His own father and brothers had all hung back while Adam had his private moment with his children. He gave them a quick nod as they started up the stairs letting them know they were headed up to see Cecily.

Adam knocked softly on the bedroom door and then opened it a smidgen. Doctor Martin and Hop Sing were both still in the room and looked up at the knock before gesturing for Adam and his children to enter.

"We'll let you all visit privately for a few minutes."

Adam nodded to the doctor as he took a step inside the bedroom and waved at his children to follow.

Cecily was laying as comfortable as possible on the bed holding the new baby. Adam helped adjust the twins up on the bed next to her while Nathan took a seat near the foot of the bed.

"Mama, he's so big already."

"He is indeed. Would you like to hold him?"

Helen looked up hesitantly at her father who gave her a nod that it was all right to hold him if she wanted. "Sure."

After adjusting Helen so her back was against the headboard, Adam helped Cecily pass off the new baby.

"What's his name?" Cecily looked up towards the end of the bed as Nathan spoke for the first time since entering the room.

"We decided on Samuel Lee after my father, and your other grandfather. I hope one day soon you'll be able to meet him."

"I like it." Nathan smiled as he thought that the name will be a good remembrance to his mother after she has eventually passed.

"Mama? Papa says you're dying." Adam couldn't help but roll his eyes at that statement. Leave it to Clara to get right to the point.

Cecily gave a quick glance up at her husband before continuing. "Yes, I am honey. I'm very weak right now and don't feel my best. I wanted to see you all before I left though."

It was at that statement that the sobs began again for Clara and she leaned down to hug her mother around the chest. Adam made a move towards the bed to pull Clara away but was stopped short by Cecily motioning for him to stop. This was all she wanted to do before her time came and she wasn't going to have Adam stop her.

She could see even in the dimly lit room that Nathan's eyes were starting to glisten with tears as well. She waved her hand to tell him to come over to her side as well.

"I want you all to be good for your father after I leave. Your grandpa and uncles will probably be around a lot more too helping around the ranch and with daily chores. You all need to make me proud by listening and obeying them. Do you think you can do that?"

Clara just nodded against her waist, while Helen and Nathan promised they would try to behave.

Cecily laid her head back against the headboard as she continued to hold her children. Adam could tell she was getting weaker by the minute, but allowed his wife this opportunity to cuddle their children one last time.

He let them stay there for almost a half-hour before he felt it was time to usher the children out of the room. Helen handed Samuel back to her father while Cecily and the children exchanged one last kiss and hug. He waited for each of his children to tell their mother how much they loved her before he sent them back downstairs to Ben. He planned to stay a little longer in the room to have his own private final moments with his wife.

Hearing the bedroom door click shut, he finally let out all the emotions he had been holding inside all morning as he collapsed on the bed next to Cecily.

"Oh, Cecily! How am I going to go on without you?"

"You need to be strong, my love. Our children will need you now more than ever."

"It wasn't supposed to go like this. You were supposed to have the baby and we were going to raise him together. We were going to grow old together in this house and watch our children have their own children someday."

"I know. God has bigger plans for me though."

"This might be selfish, but I think he could have bigger plans for you here with me."

Cecily gave a small chuckle with what little energy she had left. "Can you do one thing for me?"

"Anything."

"You have to tell Samuel all about his Mama when he gets older. And make sure Nathan, Helen, and Clara never forget me."

Adam choked back a sob. "Sure, my love."

With her energy waning quickly, Cecily shut her eyes and leaned her head back again. Still holding the baby, Adam readjusted him in his arms so he could reach out and touch his wife's face gently. When she barely responded to his touch, he knew it was time to get the doctor back in here. He leaned down for one last kiss on her lips, whispering 'I love you' into her ear, before leaving the room with Samuel in search of the doctor.

The next day, Nathan watched from a distance as his mother was gently laid into the silk-lined casket. He was surprised at how fancy it was inside, but then again, he supposed his mother deserved the very best. There was even a little pillow for her to rest her head upon. Once her body was in the casket and her head was adjusted, the undertaker laid a lacy white sheet over her. If he didn't know better, he would have thought his mother was just taking an afternoon nap.

Once everyone had said their final goodbyes, the undertaker and his men closed the lid, screwing it in place. The casket was then taken out to the horse-drawn hearse so it could be moved to the gravesite where the preacher was waiting.

Adam looked over his children one last time making sure the tie around Nathan's neck and the black lace bows in both of the twin's hair was straight. After giving his own hair one last look in the mirror by the front door, he ushered his children outside to the awaiting procession.

After helping his children into the buggy that would follow the hearse, Adam helped himself up onto the seat near the edge. The buggy was being driven by one of the undertaker's assistants so Adam wouldn't have to think about driving on such a mournful day.

They barely got off their property when the sun ducked behind the clouds. Adam remembered his father saying that nature can sometimes sense our own moods and then reflect them back to us. He never really thought much about it, but maybe there was some truth to that statement.

No words were spoken. The only sound was the gentle clopping of horses' hooves and jingling of harnesses as they made their journey towards the gravesite.

Adam craned his neck to the left to look over at his children. Clara had wrapped her little arm around Adam's and had rested her head down on it, while Helen was leaning against her older brother in a similar fashion. The twins were both so young. Did they fully understand what had happened and how much their lives were going to change now?

And then there was Nathan. Not quite grown up, but grown up enough to be able to do most chores around the ranch. The exception would be the chores associated with the cattle drives. That would come in time, probably within the next few years. One thing was for certain, Adam would need his help and support now more than ever.

As far as Samuel goes, he was riding with Ben and Adam's brothers in the buggy right behind him. Adam shook his head as he felt the tears threaten to spill over as he thought about how he'd never know his wonderful mother. Would Samuel turn out to be a well-rounded citizen without that mother figure? Sure, he grew up for most of his life without a mother and he turned out all right, but it's not something he'd wish for his worst enemy let alone his own children. He had always thought that Cecily and himself would grow old together, living to a ripe old age and watching their children have their own children. There were so many dreams and adventures they were supposed to have together that would now never be fulfilled. This was not in his plans. How could this even be in God's plans? No, he had to stay strong right now for his children. That's the only thing that mattered to him right now. The time for grief and even anger would come later.

Finally, they arrived at the graveyard and pulled up near the open gravesite. It was eerily silent with the only sound being the creaking of the buggy as they all got out and walked over to where the preacher was already standing.

As they waited for the rest of his family and friends, Adam couldn't help but stare at the deep, empty grave. It seemed like such a cold and cruel place for his beloved wife to rest for eternity. The only comfort was knowing she would be inside her casket, safe from all the harshness of the world.

Adam looked up as the pallbearers carefully gripped a handle on the casket and moved it from the hearse over to the gravesite.

It was then that the preacher began the funeral service, but Adam barely heard the words. Instead, he silently prayed his own set of prayers both for himself and for his deceased wife. The twins flanked him on either side, crying openly while Nathan had his eyes closed, clearly sending up his own prayers as well.

When it was time to lower the casket, the pallbearers clenched their fists around the ropes that would be used to lower the casket into the ground. Once the casket was safely resting at the bottom, the preacherpicked up a handful of dirt and tossed it into the grave, saying "Ashes to ashes, dust to dust. We ensure in solemn hope of the resurrection to eternal life. Amen." He then invited everyone gathered near the grave to throw in their own handfuls of dirt.

"Hey! Don't throw dirt on my Mama!" Clara screamed and then buried her head into Adam's side. Adam looked down at Clara, but otherwise offered no chastisement for her outburst. It was a confusing time, and she didn't understand that this is what needed to happen for her mother to find eternal peace.

Nathan reached over and pulled Clara over from their father, wrapping his arms around her as she stood in front of him. He wanted to yell just as much as his little sister, but he needed to be strong and brave for both her and Helen right now.

As the service came to an end, Adam half-heartedly shook the hands of all those who offered their condolences to him and his family. Slowly the people thinned out, but Adam wanted to stay to the very end to make sure Cecily was properly buried. Ben leaned over and whispered in Adam's ear that he would take the children back to his house. Adam could only respond with a short nod.

When the grave was filled to Adam's satisfaction, the undertaker approached Adam. "Mr. Cartwright? I can drive you to your father's house if you like."

Adam continued to stare at the mound of dirt marked by an elaborate granite headstone with the following inscription carved into it:

Cecily Cartwright

May 9, 1872

Beloved Wife and Mother

Forever in Our Hearts

He made no verbal response, but instead gave a solemn nod to the undertaker. The undertaker gently led him back to the buggy, helping him up the narrow step.

As they slowly drove away from the site, Adam looked up to the sky. The sun had remained hidden throughout the service but had just started to peek back out. As a ray of sunlight hit his face, he could have sworn he saw an angel appear. Adam readjusted his head to get a better look, but it was gone. In its place, a beautiful white dove sat on a pine tree branch. A second later, it flew off and disappeared over the tree line.

He might have seen a dove, but Adam knew in his heart it was Cecily's angel. While the past couple of days had been difficult for him and his children, he knew it was only going to get worse in the coming weeks as they adjusted to life without a wife and mother. Adam's only wish was that Cecily's angel would be watching over them, gently helping and supporting them along the way.

A/N: I know some of you readers may be disappointed in this awful turn of events, but this is the vision I had all along for this story. Unfortunately, this type of outcome was much more common back in the 19th century than it is now. I want to stress, though, that this is not the end! There is still much more I have planned, so I hope most of you will stick with the story. In the meantime, go hug (even if it's just a virtual hug) those you love because you never know when it will be the last time. :)