"I can't believe it's Halloween!" Elizabeth exclaimed as she sat with Faith in the cafe. "Where has the time gone?"

"Beats me," Faith replied, taking a sip of her tea. She wiggled around in her chair, trying to get comfortable. "This little one is due in a few weeks, and she is letting me know that she's cramped in there."

Elizabeth surveyed Faith's stomach. It was obvious she was pregnant, but she didn't look anywhere near close to giving birth. "You're still carrying very small," she observed.

Faith nodded. "Some of the ladies at church commented on that recently, except they think I'm carrying big. They're assuming I got pregnant on my wedding night and am currently six months along." She chuckled. "I didn't bother to correct them. They'll find out soon enough. Or they'll assume Hope is a preemie."

Elizabeth studied Faith. "You have the pregnancy glow, you know," she said with a smile. "Ever since you decided you're keeping Hope, you've been radiant."

Faith smiled, flushing a bit. "I am so in love with this baby girl, Elizabeth. I can't explain it. But I just can't wait to meet her. Carson and I already have the nursery set up in pinks and greens. It's adorable. We're so excited to finally have her here with us."

"You're going to be wonderful parents," Elizabeth said. "Hope is a lucky baby."

Faith rubbed her stomach, her smile still in place. "She's become a point of joy in our lives," she admitted. "I never thought I'd get to a place like that when I first found out I was pregnant." The bell above the door tinkled, and Faith stood. "I have to get back to work." She hugged Elizabeth. "Thank you for coming by. I'll see you tomorrow?"

Elizabeth nodded. "See you tomorrow." As Faith went back to work, Elizabeth headed to Colleen's house. She had promised Allie she would come see her Halloween costume. She knocked at the door, and an excited Allie pulled it open. "Auntie Elizabeth!" she said, giving her a giant hug. "You came! Let me go put on my costume," she said, pulling Elizabeth into the living room and then hurrying to her bedroom.

Colleen chuckled, coming from the kitchen to give Elizabeth a hello hug. "My daughter seems to have boundless energy lately," she said warmly. "How are you doing, Elizabeth?"

"Good," Elizabeth replied, sitting on the couch. "Work is going well, and your brother and I have a lovely at-home date planned this evening."

"Ah, yes. Your annual Christmas movie on Halloween," Colleen said with a laugh. "Steve and I plan on watching a thriller while Allie is trick or treating tonight."

Elizabeth shuddered. "More power to you, my friend. I can't do scary movies."

"Neither can Nathan," Colleen said grinning. "That boy never could handle scary movies. And yet he's a detective. Go figure." She sat next to Elizabeth, taking one of her hands. "How is Nathan doing?" she asked, concern in her eyes. "Is he getting better? I don't ask him about it because I know how difficult it can be for him to open up, but I know you would tell me."

Elizabeth smiled. "He hasn't had a nightmare in over three weeks," she said. "Dr. Cantrell has been a wonder worker for him. Nathan has been so thankful, and he's not afraid to go to sleep at night anymore." She let out a soft breath. "It feels like we have our normal lives back again. He's happier and less stressed now. It's been wonderful to see."

"Oh good," Colleen said, breathing a sigh of relief. "That makes my heart happy."

"Mine too," Elizabeth agreed. Allie came running into the living room at that moment, decked out in her costume. "Look, Auntie Elizabeth!" she said. "I'm an angel!"

"And a lovely angel at that!" Elizabeth exclaimed, grinning. "That is a beautiful costume, Allie!"

"Thanks," Allie said, beaming. "I picked it out myself."

Elizabeth got up, hugging Allie and placing a kiss on her forehead. "Wonderful job, honey. You look great, and I know you're going to have a wonderful time with your friends this evening."

She spent a few more minutes with her sister-in-law and her niece, then said goodbye to go work her shift at the hospital. A smile played over her lips as she clocked in. She was very much looking forward to her time with Nathan tonight. This would be their second Halloween movie night, and she was thankful that they were able to make their own traditions together as a couple.


Nathan hung up the phone, a big smile on his face. Lee eyed him from his desk. "What is it?" he asked. "You look like a cat who just caught a canary."

Laughing, Nathan shuffled some papers on his desk, organizing them into neat piles. "I've been wanting to take Elizabeth back to that cabin we spent our honeymoon in," he said. "And it just so happens they have it free from Christmas Eve to New Year's Day. So I booked it. I can't wait to tell Elizabeth!"

Lee shook his head, chuckling. "You, my friend, win anniversary gift of the decade. Elizabeth loved that cabin." He smirked. "Though I suspect it was more the time with you that she really loved."

Nathan smiled. "That place was magical, Lee. I'm so excited to take her back there, this time over Christmas itself. Our anniversary will be here on the island, but I've got plans for that too."

"Of course you do," Lee said, grinning. "Almost two months in advance, and you're planning your anniversary. Kudos to you!"

Nathan chuckled. "It's our first anniversary, so I want it to be special."

"It'll be special, alright," Lee said, nodding his head. "Uninterrupted time for the two of you for over a week? Yeah, that's the perfect gift."

"Thanks," Nathan said, looking down at his paperwork. "Now, let's see how many of these reports we can get through before going home for the day."

The two men worked silently and efficiently. Before Nathan knew it, the clock was chiming five o'clock. He said goodbye to Lee and got into his car, looking forward to Halloween night with Elizabeth. They had put a big bucket of candy by the front door for any trick or treaters that came by with a little sign that told them to help themselves. Nathan picked up a pizza on his way home for dinner, pepperoni with pineapple and olives, Elizabeth's favorite combination. As he walked through the front door, he smelled the aroma of popcorn. "Hi, sweetheart," he called out, placing his briefcase on its hook and carrying the pizza to the kitchen. "Smells good."

She looked at him over her shoulder with a smile. "I've got two new flavors for us to try this year," she said. "Hopefully they taste as good as they smell."

"What are the flavors?" Nathan asked, setting the pizza on the table and looking over her shoulder.

"The sweet one is s'mores flavor, and the savory one is cheddar chive," she said, busy mixing the cheddar cheese into the popcorn. Nathan sneaked a taste of the s'mores popcorn, raising a brow. "Oh, this is excellent," he said. "You've outdone yourself, sweetheart."

She laughed. "Glad you approve." She finished mixing, then got bowls for the popcorn while Nathan got plates for the pizza. They brought the food to the living room, arranging it on the coffee table.

"So, what are we watching?" Nathan asked, going to their DVD shelf.

"I was thinking one of the new Hallmark Christmas movies," Elizabeth said innocently, batting her eyes at him.

Nathan raised a brow. "Uhh...no," he said, laughing. "You made me watch one of those earlier this week. How about a classic instead?"

She chuckled. "Somehow I knew you'd say that." She tossed a piece of popcorn in her mouth, chewing thoughtfully. "What about Holiday Inn?"

Nathan found it and placed it in the player. "Much better," he said, grinning back at her. They ate and commented on the movie throughout, both of them enjoying the pizza and the popcorn. They sang along to the songs, having seen the movie so many times they knew the lyrics by heart. Halfway through, Elizabeth snuggled against Nathan's chest and he wrapped his arms around her. He loved cuddling with her during movies, and he found it funny that it always seemed to happen at the halfway mark in whatever they were watching. He pressed a kiss to her head then rested his chin there. By the time the movie was over, they reluctantly parted, cleaning up their dishes. When they were finished, Nathan slid his arms around Elizabeth, pulling her close to him. "I have a surprise for you," he said with a lazy smile.

Elizabeth raised her brows. "Do you? And what might that be?"

"How does a Christmas trip to Colorado sound this year?" he asked, watching as Elizabeth's eyes widened and her mouth dropped.

"The cabin?" she gasped. "Really?"

Nathan nodded. "I booked us a stay from Christmas Eve to New Years. We leave on December 23 at 11:00 at night."

Elizabeth squealed, jumping up and down in her excitement. "Nathan! That is the perfect anniversary trip!" She looped her arms around his neck, pulling his head down for a kiss. "I can't wait!"

He laughed, nuzzling her neck with his lips. "Neither can I."

Elizabeth's eyes heated, and she set to work unbuttoning his shirt. "You know what I want to do right now?" she asked, giving him a sultry look as she began kissing his bare chest.

Nathan's heart started pounding. "I think I might have an idea," he said, his breath hitching in his throat. Elizabeth's lips traveling up to his neck, making him groan. "You know, I'm a lucky man," he whispered in her ear. "I read somewhere that most women don't initiate intimacy with their husbands."

Elizabeth raised a brow before she pressed her lips to his. "Most women don't know what they're missing."


The ringing of her phone woke Elizabeth in the middle of the night. Trying to ignore it, she rolled over, pressing her head into the pillow. The ringing stopped, and Elizabeth gave a relieved sigh, closing her eyes once more. Then it started again.

"Is someone calling you?" Nathan asked, his voice drowsy.

"I think so," Elizabeth said, blinking to try to clear the sleep from her eyes. She grabbed her phone and glanced at the caller, sitting up straight. "It's Carson," she said. "There must be an emergency at the hospital." She hit the talk button and held the phone to her ear. "Hello?"

"Elizabeth!" Carson said, sounding out of breath. "Can you come to the hospital? Faith has gone into labor, and she's asking for you."

"I'll be right there," Elizabeth said, hanging up and jumping out of bed. She looked at Nathan as she dressed quickly. "Faith is having the baby," she said.

Nathan got up too. "I'll come with you," he said. They made their way to the hospital, getting there in record time. Elizabeth ran to the maternity ward, finding the right room and hurrying inside. Faith was writhing on the bed in the middle of a contraction. When it let up, she opened her eyes and gave a cry of relief. "Elizabeth! You're here."

Elizabeth sat next to her as Nathan walked over to Carson. "I'm here, Faith," she said, taking her hand. "We're going to get you through this." Faith nodded, tears in her eyes as another contraction took hold of her.

Faith's labor was long and difficult. After sixteen hours, the baby still hadn't made an appearance. Nathan had to leave to take care of a domestic disturbance. Carson was considering a C-section when Dr. Yost announced that Faith was finally fully dilated. Carson held one of Faith's hands while Elizabeth held the other.

"You got this, sweetheart," Carson said, smoothing Faith's hair back from her face. She nodded, her face taunt with pain, exhausted from her long labor.

Dr. Yost looked at her. "I want you to start pushing at your next contraction, okay?"

Faith nodded again, unable to say anything. Elizabeth felt Faith's grip on her hand tighten, and she gave a cry of pain as the contraction started and she bore down, trying to push the baby into the birth canal.

"This is it, Faith," Elizabeth said, encouraging her friend. "You're so close. In just a few minutes, you'll be meeting your baby girl. Just keep pushing, honey, okay?"

Faith gave a loud cry as she pushed again. It took three more pushes, and Hope Elizabeth made her entrance into the world. Carson laughed and kissed Faith's forehead. "You did amazing, sweetheart! She's finally here."

There was no crying, and Elizabeth looked over at Dr. Yost to see him frowning as he quickly cut the umbilical cord and carried Hope to the examining table. Carson's eyes widened, and he joined Yost, where they talked in low voices together.

"What's going on?" Faith asked weakly, trying to lift her head. "Where's Hope? Why isn't she crying?"

"I don't know," Elizabeth said, a sudden fear filling her. She tried to remain calm for Faith's sake, rubbing her stomach to get the placenta to come out. "Yost and Carson are making sure she's alright."

Yost swept out of the room, taking Hope with him. Faith looked at Carson, her eyes huge. "Carson, what's going on?" she asked. "Where is he taking our baby?"

Carson swallowed hard. "He has to run some tests on her, Faith. Something isn't right. She has a fever and her breathing is too fast and labored." He squeezed her hand. "I'll stay with you while…"

"No!" Faith said, panic in her eyes. "You go take care of our daughter, Carson. Make sure she's alright." Tears filled her eyes, spilling onto her cheeks. "She has to be alright," she whispered.

"I'll stay with her, Carson," Elizabeth said gently. "You go help Dr. Yost with Hope."

Carson nodded, vanishing from the room. Faith started sobbing softly. "Elizabeth, what if we lose her before we even get to know her?" Her voice broke. "She has to be okay! I won't be able to bear it if anything happens to her!"

Elizabeth stayed with Faith for the next hour, holding her hand and trying to comfort her as best she could. At last, Carson re-entered the room, looking haggard. "She's stabilized," he said, taking Faith's hand in his. "But she has sepsis. She must have been exposed to infected amniotic fluid before she was born." He sighed, pressing Faith's hand to his cheek. "We have her on oxygen and an IV. She's going to be okay, Faith. It's just going to take a little time in the NICU before she can come home."

"I want to see her," Faith said, trying to rise from the bed.

Carson gently helped her sit up. "Take your time, Faith," he said. "You've just been through quite an ordeal. That was a long labor and delivery."

"I'm fine," Faith said, clutching his hand. "I need to see Hope."

Carson helped her stand, then guided her to a wheelchair. Faith shook her head. "You help me," she said. "You and Elizabeth."

Elizabeth positioned herself on the other side of Faith, and together she and Carson walked her to the NICU. Hope was lying in an incubator, her tiny hands waving in the air as she cried under the small oxygen mask.

"Oh!" Faith exclaimed, tears streaming down her cheeks. "I need to hold her, Carson. She needs me."

Elizabeth saw pain flash across Carson's face. "I'm afraid you can't hold her yet, sweetheart. She needs to remain still right now…"

"But she's crying!" Faith said, a tormented look on her face. "I can't just let her lie there all alone!"

Carson looked like he was fighting an interior battle, the doctor against the husband and father. Finally, he gave one slow nod. "Alright." They led Faith to a rocking chair and gently settled her on it. Carson carefully lifted his screaming daughter from the incubator, IV and all, and placed her in his wife's arms. Hope's cries lessened as Faith held her close, murmuring to her quietly.

Elizabeth watched Faith with her newborn daughter, amazed at how many emotions the past hours had brought. Faith seemed to have forgotten all the pain, all the difficulty as she held her little girl in her arms, speaking to her in a gentle cooing voice. The baby stopped crying completely, looking up at Faith through her half-opened eyes. Faith smiled, pressing a kiss to Hope's forehead.

Carson put a hand on Elizabeth's arm. "You must be exhausted," he said. "Why don't you go home and get some rest? I'll call you if anything happens."

Elizabeth nodded, placing a hand on his shoulder briefly. "Thanks, Carson."

He smiled, then turned back to his little family. Elizabeth watched him kneel next to Faith, one hand on her shoulder and one hand on Hope's stomach. The three of them made a sweet scene, and Elizabeth quietly pulled out her cell phone and snapped a picture of them. She'd give it to them later. Taking one more look at the new family, she slipped from the hospital and went to her car. Lee had picked up Nathan, and Elizabeth called to give him an update. When she got home, she breathed a prayer of thanks that Hope was going to be alright, then collapsed into her bed and fell into a sound, dreamless sleep.