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December 11th, 2010 – Tom & Sam's House

"It was so great seeing your parents again," Charlotte said to Elizabeth as she removed the baby shower cupcakes from the box. "Did they make it home safely?"

"Yes, they did. It was wonderful having them here for a few days for Thanksgiving."

"How are you feeling, Dear?"

"Like a cow." Elizabeth picked up a stack of cups and carried them to the table.

"Nope, you and Rosie are the guests of honor today, you are not lifting a finger. And Beth, you're beautiful."

"Thank you, Mom." Conceding, she took a seat on a stool at the island and watched as Sam and Charlotte prepared the snacks and fruit bowl for the party. "Where's Tom today?"

"He's over at mom's helping Frank with something," Sam answered.

"They are fixing the kitchen faucet. It started leaking the other day," Charlotte added.

"Hello!" Rosemary called out, entering the house.

"In here, Rosie."

Rosemary waddled into the room; one hand pressed into her lower back. "Hello, beautiful ladies."

"Hey, Rosie. Well, aren't you adorable today?" Charlotte remarked.

"Oh, thank you, Char. Those cupcakes are beautiful. Did you make those?"

"Yes," Charlotte replied.

"Well, that means they are going to be delicious and I just might have to eat three or four of them."

The group chuckled as they continued with the preparations.

…..

Rosemary and Elizabeth each took turns opening their gifts. Both already had a pile of diapers, onesies, teething toys, and bibs. Rosemary opened her next gift: a box with onesies rolled to look like six pink and white cupcakes. Elizabeth opened hers to find the same, but with blue, yellow, pink, purple and white ones.

"These are adorable, Faith," Rosie said, lifting one out to look at it.

"Yes, where did you get these?" Elizabeth asked, doing the same.

"I saw the idea on Pinterest and I made them."

"How cute," Charlotte added.

"What about your real cupcakes, Charlotte?" Abby asked. "Those are amazing."

The cupcakes were iced with pink, blue and ivory frosting, and decorated with flowers, butterflies, bows, and banners that read Boy and Girl.

"Thank you, Abby. I really enjoy baking."

"That bracelet is gorgeous, Elizabeth," Toni, a friend of Elizabeth and Rosemary, commented.

"Thank you," she replied.

"You should hear the story of how Jack presented it to her," Rosemary added.

Elizabeth had the full attention of the room as she shared the story, not leaving out a single detail of each moment Jack added a charm.

"Oh, my gosh," Ann, another friend of the pair, exclaimed. "That has got to be the most romantic thing I've ever heard."

"She's a lucky one when it comes to getting the perfect man," Abby added.

The group of women laughed as Rosemary and Elizabeth continued with their gifts.

As the shower came to an end and guests began to leave, Jack and Lee arrived to help load the gifts.

"Hey, Ma," Jack said, walking up behind her and kissing her cheek.

"Hey, Sweetie," she replied, patting his hand.

"Hey, Baby," he said as he wrapped his arms around Elizabeth. Standing behind her, he could barely touch his fingers reaching across her stomach.

"Hey, Cowboy." She reached up with one hand and rested it on his cheek as she turned her head to kiss his lips.

Looking around at all the gifts, Jack commented, "Wow, it looks like you two really hit the jackpot today."

"Yes, we have wonderful friends."

"Hey, have you two gotten a second crib yet?" Charlotte asked as she separated the remaining cupcakes into three different boxes.

"Yes. Purchased, painted and assembled," Jack answered. "Also, a second car seat, high chair, and swing."

"Well, it sounds like you two are ready."

"I hope so," Elizabeth added, smiling.

….

Jack was carrying the last of the gifts into their house as Elizabeth sat in the living room with her feet propped up. She had kicked her shoes off and pulled her pantlegs up, revealing her swollen ankles.

"Beth, are you alright?" Jack asked when he saw them.

"Yes, part of being pregnant," she replied, stretching her back, attempting to get comfortable.

Sitting down by her feet, Jack lifted them and set them across his legs, and proceeded to rub them.

"Oh, Jack. That feels so good. Thank you."

She closed her eyes and relaxed deeper into the soft pillows, enjoying the loving attention from her husband.

"Did you have fun at the party?"

"Yes, very much," she answered, without opening her eyes. "What did you and Lee do today?"

"They bought some new furniture for the nursery and I helped him carry it in. Then he came over and helped me change out some hinges on that bad stall door in the barn."

"Oh, good. I know that was bothering you."

"Are you okay if I go out and get this year's tree without you?"

"Of course. I trust you to pick out a good one." She opened one eye half way and grinned, "Right?"

Jack laughed, "Yes, I know what you like."

She smiled and closed her eye, "I thought so."

Jack grabbed her ankle and tickled her foot, not letting her pull it away.

"Jack!" She squealed, "Jack, stop!"

Giving in, he stood and held out his hand to her.

"What?" She asked, not moving.

"Let's go to bed."

"It's too early to go to sleep."

"Who said anything about sleeping?" The corner of Jack's mouth turned up into a mischievous grin as he continued holding his hand out.

"Oh," she replied, laying her hand in his.

…..

December 12th, 2010 – Hope Meadows Ranch

Jack placed the angel on the top of their Christmas tree as Elizabeth took a seat to get off her feet.

"That looks perfect, Jack. Thank you."

"Of course, Babe," he replied, grinning his grin that showed off his dimples best, as he climbed down the ladder.

Once he had the boxes, totes and ladder put away, he joined her on the couch and put his arm around her. They watched the lights sparkle and fire in the fireplace flicker as the sun outside set and left darkness behind.

A cold wind howled, sending chills down their spines, as branches beat against the side of the house.

"It sounds nasty outside."

"Yes, it sure does," he replied, getting up and moving to a window.

Due to the darkness and lack of moonlight, he was unable to see what was happening, but he noticed the evidence of it dripping down the outside of the window.

"It's raining."

"In this cold?"

"Yes, this isn't good. As soon as it drops a couple more degrees, all of this will freeze."

"Will the horses be alright?"

"Yes, they'll find shelter in the trees."

As the wind increased in speed, so did the howling increase in sound. Scared of the unknown, Wyatt jumped onto the couch and laid across Elizabeth's legs.

"Hey, Buddy," Elizabeth said, scratching his head. "It's alright."

"I'm going to take a peek outside from the porch. I'll be right back."

Wyatt snuggled against her belly, as Elizabeth continued to pet him, attempting to comfort him. A few minutes later, Jack rejoined them in the living room.

"Yep, with this windchill, the rain is already freezing. There is a sheet of ice coating everything. The branches are already beginning to hang low on the trees."

"What do we need to do?"

"Nothing we can do. Just stay in here and wait it out. The vehicles won't get anywhere on this ice. We may lose power but we have that built-in generator that will kick on."

"I hope your family is all okay. And Rosie and Lee."

"I'll call Ma and Tom and check on them."

Picking up her phone, Elizabeth called Rosemary.

…..

"How's your family?" she asked Jack when he returned to the room after all their calls were complete.

"They're all good. They've all got generators, too. So, if it gets that bad, we're all set. How about Lee and Rosie."

"Well, they don't have a built-in generator but they have a small one they use with their horse trailer. Lee said he already moved it into their garage in case they need it."

"That's good. I'm going to pop some popcorn; would you like some?"

"Of course, and..."

"Chocolate," Jack cut her off, laughing. "I know, I've got you covered, Babe."

A short while later, Jack appeared with a tray filled with two bowls of fresh popcorn, a Hershey's chocolate bar, a bag of M&Ms, and two mugs of hot chocolate.

"Where did these come from?" Elizabeth asked, referring to the candy.

"Well, I might keep an arsenal hidden somewhere for occasions such as these," Jack teased.

Elizabeth tipped her head and gave him a funny look.

"I'm just kidding. I stopped to get gas today and grabbed them. I figured you'd be asking for some chocolate again sooner or later and this way I didn't have to leave to get any." Grinning, his dimples showing again, he lowered his face to hers and kissed her softly on the lips. "Your snack, Ma'am."

…..

December 13th, 2010 – Hope Meadows Ranch

Elizabeth woke to an empty bed and a fire in the fireplace. Turning to look at the clock, she saw that it was flashing due to the power going out. Sitting up and moving to the edge of the bed, she picked up her phone to check the time: 9:47 am.

"What? I'm late," She called out. Rushing through the bedroom door, she stopped at the railing that overlooked the first floor. "Jack?"

There was no answer.

She quickly but carefully walked down the steps and to the front door, opening it, to find that everything outside was coated with a thick layer of ice.

"Well, there is definitely no school today," she said to herself.

Taking in the view before her, she thought it looked like a dream. The scene was beautiful and eerie at the same time. Monochromatic coloring, everything appearing grey, as if a bomb had exploded and stripped everything bare. Yet everything sparkled as if covered in diamonds. She thought it looked stunning.

Closing the door, she turned toward the kitchen to begin working on breakfast.

…..

Jack changed out each of the frozen buckets in the stalls in the barn with buckets filled with fresh water.

"There you go, Buddy," he said to Harley, scratching the horse's jaw.

Wyatt jumped up, placing his front feet on the stall door, stretching his nose toward the horse. Harley lowered his head to the dog and they touched noses, as if saying 'hello.'"

"Let's go check on Momma, Boy," Jack said, tapping Wyatt's shoulder.

Stopping at the barn door, Jack put his ice cleats back over his boots, then the duo carefully made their way back to the house.

…..

Elizabeth folded the omelet just as Jack and Wyatt entered through the backdoor.

Placing his ice cleats on the boot mat, he pulled his boots off and set them beside the cleats. Pulling his coat off, he hung it on one of the hooks. Then he did the same with his Carhartt coveralls. Tossing his hat and gloves onto the seat below the hooks, he stepped into the half bath to wash his hands.

"Something smells delicious," he called out to Elizabeth.

"Just in time for breakfast," she replied, sliding the omelet from the skillet onto a plate.

Jack took a seat at the island as she set the plate in front of him, kissing his cheek before walking away.

"How bad was it out there?"

"Frozen," Jack answered, chuckling. "All the buckets of water were frozen. I had to replace them all. I need to get another generator out there to run the barn."

"Oh, that's a good idea."

"We've got a lot of branches down that I'll have to clean up once it thaws. The weight of the ice sure did some damage. Powerlines down everywhere." Jack took a bite of his food. "Wow, this is delicious."

"Thanks. Sam gave me this recipe, so I thought I'd try it out."

"Well, keep a hold of that one, this is great," he said before taking another large mouthful.

"Any word when the power will be back on?" Elizabeth took a seat across from Jack and took a bite of her own omelet. "Oh, wow, these are good."

"See, you can make these all the time. And no, no word yet. I'm guessing it will be several days."

"Oh, no. Lee and Rosie will need to come stay with us. That little generator won't run everything will it?"

"Probably not. I'll ask him after breakfast."

A loud echoing sound resonated from outside.

"What was that?" Elizabeth asked, almost jumping out of her seat.

"That was a large chunk of ice falling off of something and landing on the frozen ground. It's been doing that most of the morning. The sound echos through the thick sheet of ice that's covering the snow."

"That's crazy."

"Yeah, you should hear it from the barn. Branches and ice were falling all around. It took three chunks of ice falling before I finally figured out what it was."

"I don't remember ever seeing an ice storm like this before."

"We haven't had one, not that I can remember anyway. Not like this."

"So, what do we do for the rest of the day," she asked as she stood and placed her plate in the sink.

Grinning, Jack answered, "I can think of a few things."

"Jack Ashton, is that all you think about?" She moved toward him, pushing herself between him and the counter as far as her belly would allow, and covered his mouth with hers.

"Elizabeth Nicole, are you getting fresh with me?"

"If you call this fresh," she said, before kissing his neck and working her way up to his ear, causing a quiet moan to slip through his lips. "Then yes, I'm getting fresh with you."

...

December 15th, 2010 – Hope Meadows Ranch

A scream filled the house and Jack burst out of the bathroom, holding onto the towel around his waist, tripping as he neared the staircase. Catching his balance, he took the steps two at a time. Hearing the scream again, he called out, "Beth!"

"In here!"

Her voice came from the dining room and as Jack ran in, he stopped, seeing her standing on top of one of the chairs.

"Beth, what are you doing?"

"Mouse! There's a mouse!"

"You need to get down before you fall, Baby."

"I am not stepping foot on that floor until you find and kill that mouse."

Chuckling, Jack reached up to her, "Please come down."

"No way."

"Beth, you could fall. Please, for the babies if not for you."

Elizabeth's gaze, that had been scanning the floor from corner to corner, rested on Jack's face. Placing her hands on his shoulders, she allowed him to lower her to the floor.

"How did you even get up there?"

Elizabeth looked at the chair, her brow furrowed. "You know, I have no idea. I just remember seeing that mouse and the next thing I knew, I was on the chair screaming."

Laughing now, Jack took her hand and led her to the steps.

"You go upstairs and relax while I look for the mouse."

"Okay," Elizabeth said, leaning down and kissing him. "Thanks, Babe." After taking two more steps up, she turned and faced Jack, "It's a good thing Lee and Rosie went home today."

"Why's that?"

Elizabeth's eyes lowered toward Jack's half open towel around his waist.

Looking down, Jack laughed and straightened it, fixing the gap. "I guess so."

After spending thirty minutes searching with no luck, Jack gave up and went to find Elizabeth.

"Did you get it?"

"Sorry, I couldn't find it. But I will set some traps out."

Sighing, she replied, "Oh, alright." Looking at Jack, she grinned, "Can you please get me some cheese puffs?"

"Of course," he said, turning to go back down.

"Oh, and some hot chocolate? And some chocolate candy?"

Chuckling, Jack called out, "Yes."

Returning with her requests on a tray, Jack found her sound asleep on top of the covers. Setting the tray down on the side table, he pulled his towel off and slipped into a pair of lounge pants. Sitting on the edge of the bed, he gently pushed her hair off her face.

"Beth?" He said softly. "Sweetie?"

"Hmmm," she replied without opening her eyes.

"Let's get you changed so you can go to bed."

Reluctantly, she sat up and slid to the edge of the bed. Jack helped her remove her dress shirt and replaced it with a T-shirt. Once she was changed, Jack pulled the bedding back and she climbed in.

With her asleep almost as soon as her head hit the pillow, Jack pulled the blanket over her. Seeing it form around her stomach as the air dissipated from below the fabric, Jack laid his hand on her, feeling the active babies turning and pushing under her skin. Still fascinated by this, he pulled the blanket back and lifted her shirt, watching the movement.

"So amazing," he whispered, placing his hands on her once more.

After several minutes of this, Jack carefully pulled her shirt down and the covers up and headed downstairs to find the traps.

…..

December 17th, 2010 – Sully Schools

With it being the last day of school before Christmas break began, Elizabeth's students were excited, loud, and a few unruly. Feeling the exhaustion kicking in shortly after lunch, a couple male 8th graders pushed her last buttons and she sent them to the principal's office.

Taking a seat behind her desk, Heather, a sweet, quite child, approached her.

"Are you alright, Mrs. Thornton?"

"Yes, Heather. Thank you for asking. I'm just a little tired and needed to rest my feet."

"Okay," she said before turning to return to her table. After only two steps, she turned back to her teacher, "Those boys have been causing trouble all day, they needed sent to the office."

"Thank you, Heather. Hopefully the rest of your day will be more peaceful."

"Yours, too, Mrs. Thornton." Heather smiled and turned to go back to her seat.

The remainder of the day was filled with excited children, but no more troublemakers. Counting down the seconds to the end of the day, Elizabeth fell back into her chair as the final bell rang.

Rosemary, Abby and Cat, the principal, all entered the art room as the halls were clearing of the noisy children.

"Liz, we're here to help," Rosemary said as they approached her desk.

"Help with what?"

"Getting your room cleaned up before you leave for break today. That way you can get home and off your feet sooner."

"What about you?" Elizabeth asked Rosie, "Don't you need to get off your feet, too?"

"Well, by 'we' I mean 'them,'" she replied, motioning to the other ladies.

Laughing, Abby and Cat began cleaning the brushes that were left in the sink and wiping down each table. Elizabeth finished entering a few grades into the computer while Rosemary wiped down the dry erase board.

"Thank you so much, ladies. You have no idea how much I appreciate this."

"After three pregnancies while working, I have an idea," Cat replied, smiling and patting Elizabeth on the back as they walked out of the room.

Elizabeth closed the door and locked it, then joined the others as they slowly made their way through the hallway. Each one shared their plans for their holiday break, Rosie's of course to give birth to her daughter.

The ladies said their goodbyes at the office and Rosie and Elizabeth walked to their cars.

"So, what are you going to do for the rest of the day?" Rosemary asked as she opened her truck door.

"I am going home, sitting on my butt, and wait for my husband to come in from his chores and rub my feet."

"Hey, I have that exact same plan," Rosemary stated, laughing as she climbed into her truck.

"We'll see you soon," Elizabeth said, getting into her own vehicle.

"Yes, Ma'am. Bye, Liz."

…..

December 22nd, 2010 – Hope Meadows Ranch

Jack's finger traced the outline of her jaw, trailed down her neck and onto her shoulder. Following the path down, he grazed her collarbone, erect nipple and to her swollen belly. With his head propped up on his other hand, his eyes scanned her beautiful pregnant body, following the path of goosebumps his touch had left on her skin.

With Elizabeth home on Christmas break and the snow falling outside, the couple decided to spend the day in bed, exploring and loving each other, as they did best.

Jack moved his hand back to her face, cupping her cheek, moving his face over hers, their lips touching, their tongues searching. Slow, deliberate kisses warmed their bodies against the cold wind that blew outside, helped by the fire that burned in the fireplace and in their bodies.

Jack pulled back, gazing into her blue eyes that seemed to stare into his soul. Moving his eyes to her perfect mouth, he licked his own lips before covering hers again.

With each of his kisses, Elizabeth felt her body ache more and more for him. Jack pulled back, his eyes searching hers again, before returning his lips to hers. He repeated this, time and time again, causing her body to move towards his, wanting more.

Jack gently rolled her onto her side, her back facing him. He gripped her hip, pulling her to him as he entered her: moving slowly, taking his time, enjoying the sounds Elizabeth made.

Pushing her hair back from her neck and face, Jack pressed his lips to her neck, sucking, kissing, moving to her ear before stopping and spending time on one of Elizabeth's favorite spots. All while keeping his rhythm, moving in and out, building up to a spine-tingling release for both of them.

Jack wrapped his arms around her, crossing her chest, his mouth at her ear. Elizabeth moved her hand to his bare hip, running her thumb along his skin. Reaching down, he pulled the blanket over them.

They laid in each other's arms, watching the flames of the fire dance, almost matching the beat of the music playing softly in the background.

Jack hummed quietly in her ear while giving her small kisses down her cheek. Moving his hand to her belly, he rested his head against hers, and they quickly fell asleep.

…..

December 24th, 2010 – Coulter Ranch

"Lee!"

Lee rolled over in bed, read the clock, 2:33 am, and pulled the blanket over his head.

"Lee!"

Sitting straight up, Lee threw the covers off, stumbled out of bed and ran down the hall.

"Rosie? Where are you?"

"In the kitchen."

Running into the room, Lee stopped and stared at Rosemary who was standing, frozen, her feet apart.

"What's wrong?"

"I think my water broke."

Lee's gaze lowered to the floor, seeing a puddle of clear fluid beneath her.

"Ummm, yes, I think so, too."

"Grab the bags, it's time to go."

….

Speeding, dodging a raccoon in the road, forgetting to buckle his own seatbelt, Lee was frantically trying to get his wife to the hospital as fast as he could.

Rosemary called her mother-in-law, waking her, to give her the news. Then knowing Elizabeth needed her sleep, she sent Jack a quick text for him to find when he woke up.

Stopping the truck in front of the hospital, Lee jumped out, leaving his door open, and ran around to Rosie's side and helped her out. Half way to the doors, she buckled over in pain from her first contraction.

As they stood at the desk, checking in, another contraction hit her, this one harder. Doubling over, she held herself up with one hand on the counter while her other supported her belly.

A nurse ran around the counter, grabbed a wheel chair and got Rosemary seated.

"Oh, my truck," Lee said as they started down the hall.

"Keys?" The nurse asked.

"They're in it."

"We'll take care of it."

"Thank you," Lee called back as he followed the other nurse with Rosie down the hall.

They were rushed to a delivery room where she was helped out of her clothes and into a gown. Lee helped her onto the bed while the nurse paged the doctor.

After being examined, they were told that the baby would be born sometime that afternoon. Lee inspected the room, getting her bags placed in the corner out of the way, and took a seat on a couch by the window. Pulling out his phone, he checked the time: 4:08 am. Just as he was about to text his brother, Rosie called out with another contraction.

Immediately, he was by her side, holding her hand, talking her through her breathing.

This continued, Lee relaxing, another contraction coming, Lee at her side, as the morning slowly progressed.

"Where's my epidural?" She asked, gritting her teeth.

"On the way," a nurse answered, entering the room and hearing her. "The anesthetist will be right in to administer it."

….

An hour later, epidural in full effect, Rosie was feeling no pain as another contraction hit.

Feeling his phone vibrate, Lee removed it from his pocket and read a text from Jack.

We are on our way.

Great. See you soon

"Jack and Elizabeth are on their way."

Rosemary began to cry, overcome with hormones and emotions of the day. "I'm...so...glad," she remarked, between sobs.

"Babe, it'll be alright."

"No, it won't!" She snapped. "I'd like to see you try to do this!"

Taken aback, Lee just stood and stared at her.

"I'm sorry, Lee. I don't know why I yelled at you."

Relieved, Lee kissed her forehead, "I love you."

"I love you, too."

As the doctor checked her once more, she looked over Rosie's gown and grinned, "It's time to push, Momma."

"Already?" Lee asked, startled. Looking at the clock on the wall, he saw it was only 9:28 am. "You said this afternoon."

"Well, I guess your daughter had different plans." The doctor prepared for the delivery, then instructed Rosemary to push once a contraction started.

Bearing down, Lee holding her hand and urging her on, Rosie began to push.

…..

Jack and Elizabeth hurried into the hospital, searching for an elevator.

"What floor did he say they were on?" Jack asked, his fingers hovering over the buttons.

"Third."

The couple stood in silence, hand in hand, as the elevator moved, waiting for the door to open.

Stepping out onto the third floor, they found a waiting area and texted their friend.

…..

Lee watched, as his daughter entered the world, taking her first breath, letting out her first cry. Tears streamed down both parents' faces, so in love with their little girl already.

The doctor lifted Baby Coulter up and placed her gently on Rosemary's chest as the parents gazed at her in awe.

"She's perfect," Rosemary quietly said, for only Lee to hear.

Choking back more tears, Lee replied, "Yes, she is. Just like her mother." Bending down, he kissed Rosie on the mouth.

"Would you like to cut the cord, Daddy?" The doctor asked, holding out a pair of surgical shears.

Taking them, Lee cut between the two clamps that had already been placed, then handed the shears back to the doctor. Returning his attention to his wife and daughter, his emotions threatened to get the better of him again as he fought them back.

"She's so beautiful, Rosie."

"Yes, she is. She has your nose," she added, running her finger gently down the baby's nose.

"Sorry, Momma, but we need to examine, weigh and measure her."

Reluctantly lifting her from her body, Rosemary handed her to the nurse.

…..

Jack and Elizabeth were sitting beside each other, her hand in his, staring at the television, neither noticing what was even on the screen.

Seeing Lee enter, they were both quickly to their feet and met him across the room.

"She's here. She's perfect." A single tear fell down his cheek.

Elizabeth wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging him, asking, "How's Rosie?"

Returning the embrace, he replied, "She's doing great."

As Elizabeth stepped back, Jack stepped forward, pulling his best friend into a man hug. "Congrats, Brother."

"Thank you. Your turn will be here before you know it."

"How did everything go?" Elizabeth asked.

Lee proceeded to tell them all of the events from that morning, beginning with Rosemary standing in the kitchen and ending with him cutting the cord.

"Wow, that went so fast," Elizabeth commented, amazed.

Thoughts of a better delivery passed through Jack's mind, hoping Elizabeth's would go as smoothly as Rosemary's.

Lee pulled his phone from his pocket and scrolled through his photos, stopping on one. Holding it up for Jack and Elizabeth to see, he said, "Please meet 7-pound, 6-ounce, Noel Nicole."

Elizabeth covered her mouth with her hand, her eyes tearing up. Jack looked at her, smiling.

"Noel Nicole? Really?"

Grinning, Lee replied, "Yes, Rosie wanted her to have the name of someone she loved."

Leaning into Jack as he put his arm around, her tears spilled over.

…..

Rosemary sat up in bed, looking down at the face of her perfect daughter, softly brushing her finger along her cheek. Hearing the door open, she looked up to see Jack and Elizabeth enter with Lee.

"Shhh, she's asleep," Rosie whispered, smiling proudly.

"Oh, Rosemary. She's beautiful. She has your blonde hair," Elizabeth stated, her voice hushed.

"Congratulations, Rosie," Jack said, leaning down and kissing her on the cheek. "She's beautiful," he whispered as he straightened.

"Yes," Rosie said, looking back to Noel, "She sure is."

…..

December 25th, 2010 – University Hospital, Carlisle, Missouri

Rosemary was holding Noel when Lee walked in, a smile spread across his face.

"What are you smiling about?" Rosemary asked.

Turning back to the door, Lee motioned to whoever was waiting outside.

Jack, Elizabeth, Charlotte, Frank, Sam, Tom, Lee's brother and parents all filed in, carrying Christmas presents and food.

"What's this?" Rosemary asked, with a look of shock on her face.

"Since you couldn't be home for Christmas, we brought Christmas to you," Lee's mother said, bending down and kissing Rosie on the forehead. Handing the gift she held in her hands to Lee, his mother reached for Noel, "Now let me see my beautiful granddaughter."

…..

Elizabeth positioned herself into her new normal spot on the couch, feet propped up. She grabbed the chenille throw from the seat next to her and spread it across her legs and pulled it up to her chin.

She was only paying half attention to Love It or List It when Jack entered the room and took the seat next to her.

"I have one more gift for you," he said, holding out a small black velvet bag.

"What's this?"

Jack tipped the bag and dropped the contents into the palm of his hand. A small round charm with two sets of baby footprints engraved into it landed onto his calloused skin.

"Oh, Jack. That's beautiful."

She held out her wrist to let him add it to her anniversary charms. Looking at it after it was attached, she grinned as she ran her finger across the metal.

"This is perfect, Jack. Thank you."

Elizabeth kissed him softly on the mouth then leaned into his side as Jack wrapped his arm around her, and the couple watched two more episodes of the show.

…..

December 26th, 2010 – University Hospital, Carlisle, Missouri

With her new baby in hand, Rosemary sat in the wheelchair as she was being pushed by a nurse, set to go home as a family for the first time.

With shaky hands, Lee opened the back door. Rosemary handed Noel to him, then stood and waited, holding onto the truck door.

Lee gently laid his daughter into the car seat and stared at the seatbelts. Seeing this, the nurse stepped forward and showed him how to properly buckle a baby in, then checked the installation of the car seat to find that it was correctly buckled in.

Getting behind the wheel, he paused for a moment then looked at Rosemary's reflection in the rearview mirror.

"Are you sure we're ready for this?"

Looking at him with just a mild annoyance, she replied, "It's a little late to be asking that, don't you think?"

Nodding, Lee looked straight ahead and put the truck in gear. "At least my mother is here," he quietly mumbled to himself.

"What was that, Dear?"

"Nothing."

…..

January 5th, 2012 – Hope Meadows Ranch

Elizabeth leaned back on the couch, her feet on Jack's lap as he massaged them, The Horse Whisperer playing on the TV.

"This movie is so good." She said as Jack gave loving attention to every inch of both her feet. "It's an older version of you," she teased.

"Yeah, I've heard that from my family," he grinned.

A few minutes later, she looked at Jack. "I've been thinking about something."

"What's that, Babe?"

"I don't think I want to go back to work after Christmas break. I'm tired all the time; my ankles are always swollen, and I would have to be on my feet all day."

"You don't have to if you don't want to. I've told you that before." Jack picked up her hand and lifted it to his lips, softly kissing her fingers. "I would love having you home all day, every day."

"Oh, you'd get tired of seeing me 24/7."

"That, my Dear, is not true."

"So, you're really okay if I stay home?"

Jack lifted her legs slightly and slid closer to her, laying her legs across his. "Beth, if you want to stay home until the babies are born, that's fine. If you want to stay home until they're 20, that's fine, too." He leaned forward and kissed her. "It's your decision."

"Well, you keep kissing me like that I might never leave the house again."

Jack took her face in his hands, covering her lips with his. Kiss after kiss, they grew in intensity and passion as the fire within was stoked into a billowing blaze, needing to be extinguished.

...

January 28th, 2011 – Hope Meadows Ranch

Elizabeth was unloading groceries from the plastic bags into the refrigerator. As she picked up the egg carton, a sharp pain shot through her abdomen and she grabbed her stomach, bending over in excruciating agony, dropping the eggs to the floor. Feeling a gush of warm fluid running down her legs, she looked down, her heart feeling as it had stopped, and she thought she would pass out. Covering the floor around her feet was a large pool of blood and Elizabeth could feel more trailing down her legs.

Panicking, she fumbled for her phone on the counter and called Jack's number.

"Hey, Beth. What's up?"

"Jack..." The word was barely audible as Elizabeth began to pass out. Dropping her phone, she grabbed the refrigerator door handle, trying to catch her balance, but as the door closed, she fell to the floor behind the island.

Jack heard the thud of the phone hitting the floor and froze, dropping the water bucket that he'd been holding, the contents splattered across the floor and up the legs of his jeans.

"Beth? Beth!"

Silence.


Sorry folks...I promise...the next chapter will be up very soon!