Jack woke a few minutes before his alarm was set to go off. He rolled over to face Elizabeth, who was still sound asleep. He gently pulled her to his chest, resting his hand on her stomach. A smile played on his lips as he thought about the baby growing there, about how one day, he would feel it move and kick beneath his fingers.

It had been just over two weeks since they found out Elizabeth was pregnant, and the elation still hadn't worn off. He was counting down the days until their first ultrasound and when they would finally tell Harrison that he was going to be a big brother.

"Hey," Elizabeth whispered, breaking him from his thoughts as she put her hand on top of his. "The baby isn't going to have room to grow if you keep your hand there all the time," she teased.

"I can't help it." He kissed her temple. "There's a baby in there, Elizabeth. One we made together."

"I know." She turned to her other side to face him. "I can't wait until the ultrasound when we can actually see this little thing that's been making me so sick."

Despite not having any symptoms prior to getting her positive pregnancy test, Elizabeth had started to experience morning sickness just a few days later, something Jack desperately wished he could take away.

"Just remember to tell the doctor you've been feeling sick. She can give you some advice on what to do to combat it."

"If only you were an ob-gyn instead of a pediatrician, then you could've given me advice as soon as the morning sickness started."

"If only." He chuckled. "Believe me, you'll appreciate having a pediatrician at your beck and call when the baby is here."

She smiled. "Oh, I know. Viola has told me that Julie calls Luke all the time with questions about Willa."

"Oh, so he'll also appreciate my being a pediatrician since you won't be pestering him, too."

"Definitely." She grinned, wrapping her arms around his neck. "When do you need to get up?"

"A couple minutes. I need to make sure I get there early enough that I can be done in time to pick Harrison up from school."

She kissed him softly, then sighed. "Okay."

...

"Hang on, Harrison." Elizabeth stopped him before he ran into the building.

"Why?"

"I want to get a last-day-of-school picture of you to show daddy and your grandparents."

"Oh. Okay." He walked back over to her, standing up straight with his hands clutching the straps of his backpack.

"Stay right there." She took a few steps back, pointing her phone at him. "Say 'cheese.'"

He raised his eyebrows, a wide smile stretching across his face. "Cheeeeeeese!"

She laughed. "Silly boy. Let's go get you to class." She took his hand, and they walked into the school.

He dropped her hand as soon as they stepped into the classroom. "Bye, mommy!"

"Wait one second, Harrison."

He huffed, throwing his hands up. "Again?"

"Come here." She crouched down to his level and waited for him to come to her. Taking his hands, she smiled. "You have a great last day of preschool, little man. Daddy is going to pick you up after school, and then we're going to have dinner wherever you want when I get home from work. Sound good?"

"Uh huh." He nodded emphatically. "Can we have ice cream, too?"

"We'll see." She ruffled his hair. "I love you, Harrison. Have a wonderful day."

"Love you, mommy."

She stood in the doorway for a few moments, watching him rush over to his friends and start playing. Tears filled her eyes as he laughed with the children around him, clearly having the best time. She blinked the tears away, letting out a silent laugh when she realized how emotional she had become in the few weeks since discovering she was pregnant.

She brushed her hand across her stomach as she walked out to her car, leaving her little boy to enjoy his last day of preschool.

"Well, little one," she spoke quietly to her stomach, "I suppose it's time for us to go to work. Please don't make me too sick today."

...

"Beth?" Jack wandered into the bedroom, finding Elizabeth sitting on the edge of the bed, tears in her eyes as she looked at something on her phone. "Is everything okay?" He sat beside her on the bed, putting an arm around her.

She turned her phone toward him, showing him the last-day-of-preschool picture she had taken of Harrison that morning. "He's going to be in kindergarten, Jack! When did that happen?"

Jack smiled, tightening his arm around her. "He certainly is growing up quickly." He gave her a quick kiss on the temple. "Are you ready to go?"

She wiped her eyes. "I need to eat a few crackers to settle my stomach before we go."

"Why don't I just pick something up?"

"But Harrison…" she protested.

"He won't care. Especially if we tell him we can eat in the living room while we watch a movie or something."

"Thank you, Jack." She gave him a smile.

He kissed her, placing a hand on her stomach. "Anything for you and the little bean."

"Is that what you called Harrison before you named him?"

He chuckled. "Actually, Olive called him 'little worm,' because during the first ultrasound we had, he kept wiggling around. But once we decided on his name, we started calling him Sonny boy."

"So he's always been a wiggle worm," she teased. "We'll see if this one is any calmer."

"Hopefully." He laughed, kissing her again. "Well, let's go see if the little worm is okay with the change in plans for the evening."

Fifteen minutes later, Harrison was snuggled up with Elizabeth on the sofa while they waited for Jack to return with their dinner. Elizabeth ran her fingers through his hair. "What was your favorite thing you did at school today?"

"We had extra recess, and me and James played on the monkey bars."

"That sounds like fun."

"Uh huh." He nodded. "And the lunch ladies gave us cookies."

"What kind of cookies?"

"The ones with icing. They looked like a beach ball for summer."

"Yum."

"Mommy?" He looked up at her. "Are you sick? Daddy said that's why we're having dinner here."

"No, bud. My stomach's just a little upset tonight."

"Oh. You can still have ice cream though?"

She laughed softly. "We'll see how I feel. Have you decided what movie you want to watch?"

"Nemo. Daddy loves that one."

"Does he?"

He nodded, giggling. "He tries to talk like Crush. He's silly."

Elizabeth smiled. "He is. And that's why we love him, right?"

"Yep!" Harrison agreed.

...

"You still awake, bud?" Jack whispered, glancing down at the floor, where Harrison was using Simba as a pillow.

"Uh huh." He nodded, not turning away from the movie.

"Bedtime as soon as this is over, Harrison."

"But daddy!" he whined. "It's summer!"

"Not for me and mommy. We still have to go to work. Nana's going to come over and spend the day with you."

He sighed. "Okay."

Jack smiled and shook his head, returning his attention to Elizabeth, who had fallen asleep with her head in his lap. He gently combed his fingers through her hair, watching her lips curl up into a smile. Her hand was resting on her stomach, and he wondered if she was dreaming about their baby.

He put his hand on top of hers, imagining what their life would be like in a year. A little baby cradled in his arms while they all watched a movie together, watching their bond grow as she fed the little life they made. He hadn't told her, but he always imagined they had a little girl.

He'd be thrilled no matter what, but there was just something about the thought of seeing her with a daughter, of watching Harrison become his sister's protector.

Elizabeth was still fast asleep by the time the movie ended. Carefully, Jack carried her to their room. She stirred momentarily when he lowered her to the bed, but she quickly settled in.

He helped Harrison through his nightly routine, reading him a story before tucking him in for the night.

"Jack?" Elizabeth whispered when he slipped into the bed a little while later.

"Hm?"

"How long have I been asleep?" She blinked slowly, her eyelids still heavy.

He glanced over at the clock. "About an hour and a half."

"Did you carry me to bed?"

He nodded, brushing the hair back from her face. "You need all the sleep you can get. You're growing a human, after all."

"Thank you." She snuggled into his chest, sighing as he brought his arms around her. "I love you, Jack."

He kissed the top of her head. "I love you."

...

The doctor took a seat beside the bed where Elizabeth was lying. "So, based on the information you gave us in your paperwork, you'd be about seven weeks along. We'll see how big the baby is today and get a more exact estimation."

"Okay." Elizabeth nervously wrung her hands as she watched the doctor prepare the transducer.

"This is your first baby?"

She nodded. "My first. My husband's second."

Jack took her hand and smiled. "I can't wait to give Harrison the news."

"Is Harrison big brother?" the doctor asked as she turned on the screen.

"It is. He doesn't even know about the baby yet, but he's really hoping for a brother."

The doctor warned Elizabeth before maneuvering the transducer into place. "Well, there's his little sibling right there." She pointed at the screen. "I wish I could tell you now if it's a boy or a girl, but that will have to wait."

"It'll do him some good to learn a little more patience." Jack chuckled.

"Is the baby okay?" Elizabeth questioned, anxiety lacing her voice.

"This is exactly what we like to see at this point in the pregnancy. There's a strong heartbeat, and so far, I'm seeing everything there that should be." The doctor gave Elizabeth a reassuring smile. "Let me just get a few measurements, and I'll figure out your due date. Just looking at this, I would guess you're a little further along than you thought."

Jack squeezed Elizabeth's hand. "That's the most beautiful little blob I've ever seen."

She laughed softly, tears filling her eyes as she watched their baby on the screen, the little flutter of the heartbeat clearly visible.

"Well, it seems you're about a week off in your predictions. These measurements put you at eight weeks tomorrow, which would make your due date January fifth."

"A late Christmas present." Jack grinned.

"Why don't we take a little listen to this heartbeat, and then I can print out a few pictures for you?"

She pressed a few buttons, and a whooshing sound came from the speaker. A smile stretched across Elizabeth's face.

Jack squeezed her hand again. "There it is."

"It's a beautiful sound, huh?" The doctor smiled as she turned toward them. "Everything looks great. I'll just get those pictures printed for you, and then I can answer any questions you might have."

...

Jack put his hands on Elizabeth's shoulders. "Are you sure you want to tell him now? You know that once he finds out, he's going to tell everybody."

"I know. Maybe it would be prudent to wait a few more weeks, but the doctor said everything looks good. And besides, anything could happen at any time, even after I'm out of the first trimester, so why wait? If–God forbid–anything does happen, we'll help him understand, and our friends and family will understand, too. For now, we're excited about this, so he should be, too."

Jack smiled, leaning in to kiss her. "I can't wait to see his face when he figures it out."

"Me neither." She grinned. "Go get the box. I'll get Harrison."

Jack retrieved the present while Elizabeth called their son into the living room. He sat on the sofa between them, looking a little confused.

"Am I in trouble?"

"Not at all, bud. We just have something for you."

"Okay, Harrison." Jack set a wrapped box in front of him. "You'll get the rest of your presents from us on your actual birthday tomorrow, but mommy and I wanted to give you this one a little early so you can have it for your party later."

"I can open it?"

Elizabeth nodded. "Go ahead."

He excitedly ripped off the paper, then tore open the box, revealing a T-shirt inside. "What is it?"

"Take it out and see."

He held up the shirt, his brow furrowing as he tried to decipher what it said. "I can't read it."

Jack pointed at the words. "It says, 'Big Brother.'"

"Big Brother?" Confusion still covered his face, until it suddenly hit him. His eyes widened, and he smiled from ear to ear. "I'm getting a baby brother?"

"Or a baby sister." Elizabeth drew her hands to her stomach. "I have a baby in my belly now. He or she will come a few weeks after Christmas."

He dropped the shirt and launched himself into Elizabeth's arms. "Thank you, mommy!"

Jack pulled something else from the box. "Here's a picture. Mommy and I went to the doctor a few days ago, and we got to see the baby."

Harrison took the ultrasound photo from his dad, squinting as he looked at it. "That doesn't look like a baby."

Elizabeth chuckled. "I know. It looks like a blob right now, but the next time we get to see the baby, we'll be able to see its head and its arms and legs."

"Daddy? You put the baby in mommy?" He handed the ultrasound photo back to Jack.

He chuckled. "Yes."

"So you remembered how to do it."

"I told you I knew how, goofball."

"But it took you FOREVER!" he exclaimed, throwing his arms out dramatically. "Are you not good at it? It takes me a long time to write my letters at school because I'm not good at it. Miss Campbell says it just takes practice and then I'll get faster. Maybe you need practice."

"Oh, bud." Elizabeth laughed, ruffling his hair. "I love you so much."

"What's funny?" Harrison asked innocently, watching his parents on the verge of tears from their laughter.

"You're just so cute," Jack answered.

"Daddy?" Harrison suddenly grew serious. "How did you put the baby in mommy?"

"Oh, um…"

"Do you put it through her belly button?" He lifted his shirt, looking at his own belly button. "Does the baby come out that way?"

Elizabeth smiled, shaking her head. "Not quite, bud. We'll explain it when you get a bit older."

"But I'll be five tomorrow." He held up his hand, five fingers spread wide. "That's older."

"Older than that, Harrison. You know how you don't learn multiplication for a few more years because it's too confusing right now, and you need to learn how to add and subtract first? It's kind of like that."

"Oh. Can you tell if it's a brother?"

Elizabeth reached for the ultrasound photo that Jack had placed on the coffee table. "Not right now, but in about three months, we'll get more pictures of the baby like this one, and they should be able to tell if you're getting a brother or a sister."

"I really hope it's not a sister."

Jack chuckled. "Well, it might be, bud. We don't get to decide that."

"Why don't you go change into your new shirt?" Elizabeth suggested. "Then we can head over to nana's house for your party."

"Okay." He grabbed the shirt, running towards his room.

Elizabeth laughed. "Well, that went well. Mostly."

"Maybe we can look into some books or something that can help us explain all of this to him, because clearly, we aren't prepared for that conversation."

"Clearly," she agreed with a smile. "At least he was satisfied with the answers we gave him. And now," she put a hand on his knee, "we just have to worry about what he's going to tell our families."

He rolled his eyes playfully. "God help us."