Chapter 13: Missing

Lee jumps out of bed, frantically calling out Patrick's name. He checks all the same places as Rosemary and cannot find him. He goes back upstairs to find Rosemary, and he sees her sitting on Patrick's bed, hugging his stuffed dog. Lee sits down next to her, and she looks up at him and inquires, "Where could he be? We have to find him, Lee." She gets up and goes to their room to change clothes. He follows her and does the same.

"I will check at Vincent's house and get Nathan. Why don't you find Elizabeth and start knocking on doors to check if anyone has seen him?" Lee runs to Nathan's, and Rosemary knocks on Elizabeth's door.

Elizabeth opens the door and sees a distraught Rosemary. She asks, "What happened? Is everything okay?"

Through shuddering breaths, Rosemary pieces together a sentence, "Patrick…missing…we need to find him. I cannot…lose him. Please…help…me knock on doors."

Elizabeth replies, "Of course. Where is Lee? When is the last time you saw Patrick?"

"Lee is getting Nathan. The last time we…we saw him was last night when we…put him to bed."

"Allie is spending the night with Opal. Let me see if I can get Opal's mom to watch little Jack." Rosemary nods. Elizabeth grabs little Jack and walks out the door with Rosemary. Rosemary goes down the row knocking on doors, while Elizabeth runs to Opal's house. Elizabeth and Rosemary meet up in front of Opal's house when Nathan and Lee walk up.

Rosemary says, "No one has seen him. Nathan, what do we do?"

Nathan asks Lee and Rosemary, "Do you have any idea where he would be? Has he run off before? Does he have a favorite place?"

Lee and Rosemary look at each other, and Lee answers, "He is not with Vincent or his other friends. We have no idea where he would be. We have taken him to different places by horseback and then, of course, our fishing trips. I don't know if he would know how to find those places by himself. No, he has not run off before."

Nathan thinks for a moment and mentions, "We need to get a search party together. Lee, you try to get some folks here in the row houses. I will run to the livery and check there before going into town and getting some folks to help. Then let's meet at the church." Lee nods. Nathan goes on, "Rosemary, I need you to go home just in case he comes back." She acknowledges.

Nathan gets to the livery and calls out for Patrick. He doesn't hear anything, but he decides to check in all the stalls to see if he is hiding or fell asleep. Sadly, Patrick is not there. So, he saddles up Newton and rides into town, looking for anyone and everyone. Nathan finds Carson, Clara, Jesse, Lucas, Fiona, Bill, Henry, and Michael. Nathan relays to everyone Patrick is missing, and they need help finding him. Within thirty minutes, practically the whole town meets at the church. Lee is overwhelmed with the support he is getting. He tries his best to hold it together and stay strong for himself and Rosemary, who is told to stay home. With the townspeople's help, Nathan formulates a plan to search the town and the surrounding areas. He will start at the Coulter house to see if he can find a trail that will lead them to Patrick. Lee will saddle up a horse and follow the path they have been taking on their rides. Carson, Fiona, and Lucas will scour the town. Bill will check out the fishing hole. Henry will take the car and search the road going out east to Benson Hills. Jesse and Clara will take Lee's car and search the road going west. Elizabeth will go back to the row houses to check on Allie and little Jack and then Rosemary.

Elizabeth knocks on the door and walks into the house. Rosemary shouts, "Did you find him?"

Elizabeth responds, "No, but the whole town is out looking for him."

"I don't think I can just stay here and do nothing. My little boy is out there all alone. He needs me…and Lee. Poor thing…what must he be thinking?" Elizabeth sits down next to Rosemary and brings her in for a hug.

"Rosemary, we will find him. He will be okay. I promise."

"How can you possibly know that?"

"I have a good feeling."

"You do?" Elizabeth nods.

Elizabeth changes the subject. "Why don't we make Patrick his favorite cookies for when he gets home?"

"I guess I can try."

"Did he ever tell you what his favorite cookies were?"

Rosemary thinks about it and sadly smiles for a moment. "Patrick finally told me it is sugar cookies. For some reason, he was hesitant to tell me." She pauses for a moment. "I think part of the reason why Patrick was hesitant in telling me was that it was something his mother used to make him. I think that is one of the only memories he has left from his mother. The other part is he tries to be happy with whatever he is given." She clasps her hands together. "Patrick is such a fantastic kid, even after going through so much hardship at a young age. We are so lucky to have him." Elizabeth and Rosemary start to whip up some sugar cookies. As they are working, Rosemary tells stories of Patrick that bring a smile to her face, and then she remembers he is missing, and her face instantly falls.

Elizabeth inquires, "Are you ready for Patrick to start school soon?"

"Yes, and no. I want Patrick to be with all the other kids, but I will miss being around him every morning. I know he has only been with us a couple of months, but I feel like we've always been a family. I love him so much, and I cannot imagine our lives without him." Rosemary takes a tray of cookies out of the oven, wipes her hands off, and steps out the back door.

Elizabeth gives her a moment and then walks out to check on her, "I'm sorry, Rosemary. I shouldn't have brought up school."

"Oh, no worries. I needed some fresh air. I am fine. We need to get the last tray in the oven." Rosemary walks back inside, placing the cookies in the oven. "You know, you don't have to stay with me when I know you want to spend time with your son."

Elizabeth responds, "He is fine. You need me here."

Rosemary puts her hand on Elizabeth's arm, "I will be fine. Go spend time with your son."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes." Rosemary pushes her out the door. She takes a deep breath and pauses for a moment. Rosemary goes to find the photos from when they met Patrick and sits down on the settee. She just wants to see his precious face. Rosemary looks through the pictures one-by-one remembering how fun it was to get to know him. Little did she know how much Patrick would come to mean to her and Lee. Rosemary shuts her eyes for a few moments hoping to keep the tears at bay. After composing herself, she puts the pictures down on the coffee table and leans back against the settee. This time Rosemary shuts her eyes, hoping to fall asleep and wake up when this nightmare is over. Unfortunately, she blinks, and it is only five minutes later. Rosemary continues to look at pictures of Patrick and their trip, hoping the memories will take her someplace where she doesn't feel so empty and worried and helpless. She is startled from her thoughts when she hears a knock at the door. She runs and yells, "Patrick?" She opens the door and sees Molly standing there with a half-smile.

Molly inquires, "May I come in?"

"Of course, please have a seat." She looks at the clock and realizes it is already 11 am.

Molly is shocked to see Rosemary with no makeup, and her usual curly hair pulled back in a low ponytail. "I wanted to see how you were doing. I am not sure if you have heard, but my Rosaleen went missing before you came to Hope Valley."

"No, I never heard about Rosaleen being lost. So, you know how I feel. How did you handle all the emotions and worry and guilt?"

"I didn't have my husband Patrick with me anymore. I was beside myself, but I felt I needed to be looking for her with the rest of the town. I couldn't sit still knowing she was out there all alone."

"I don't know how you coped without your husband. I cannot imagine going through this without Lee. He is my rock. My life along with our Patrick." Rosemary takes a deep breath before continuing, "They won't let me go out looking. They want me to stay here in case he shows up. I don't know how much longer I can sit here, though. I just keep thinking about how I could have prevented this. I pray he is okay."

"There is nothing you could have done to prevent this, Rosemary. You can't be with him twenty-four hours a day. You have to believe he is safe and will be back home soon. Let me fix you some tea." Molly puts the kettle on the stove and turns it on. "Do you need me to do anything for you?"

"No, I don't need anything except my sweet little boy." Molly brings over the tea and a cookie and sits next to her. "I just keep thinking about all the fun times we've had the last couple of months." Rosemary takes a sip of tea and continues, "He absolutely loves to get dirty and play with bugs. The other day, I picked up some of his clothes to wash, and worms were crawling out of his pocket. I screamed and dropped them on the floor. Lee and Patrick came running in to see why I screamed. I pointed to his clothes and just said worms. I can tell Lee is trying not to laugh in front of Patrick. He offers to take all the clothes and shake them outside, plus making sure none were crawling around Patrick's room. Lee kneels down to Patrick's level and tells him to leave all the bugs and worms and animals outside. Patrick smiles and gives me a hug saying he is sorry. I hug him back and tell him I love him." Rosemary lets herself smile for a moment before the sadness and worry take over her mind again.

Lee rides out, checking all the spots they had visited as a family, and Patrick isn't in any of them. He decides to ride back into town to see if anyone has found Patrick yet, or if he can find Nathan. Just as he is taking the saddle off, Nathan and Bill come riding into the livery. Lee asks, "Any luck?"

Bill replies, "He's not at the fishing hole or at any other good fishing spots."

Nathan responds, "I did find what appears to be his footprints heading out into the woods near the row houses. There are also some smaller animal footprints heading in the same direction. I think we need to get a bunch of people and search those woods."

Lee announces, "Okay, let's grab everyone we can find and meet outside my house in half an hour." Bill and Nathan nod. Bill and Nathan take care of the horses while Lee runs home to Rosemary.

Lee comes into the house and sees Rosemary and Molly talking on the settee.

Molly gets up and excuses herself, "Rosemary, everything is going to be alright. Don't worry."

As Molly is walking out, Lee turns and reports, "Everyone is meeting in front of the house in about twenty-five minutes, if you want to join the search." She nods and walks out the door. Lee doesn't say anything. He walks over to Rosemary, holding out his warm and inviting arms for her to walk into. She willingly walks into him, embracing him as tight as she can, not wanting to let go. He kisses her forehead and asks, "How are you holding up?"

"I've been trying to stay busy. Elizabeth and Molly have been here, so that has helped. I am going crazy; I need to be looking for him, Lee."

"I know, sweetheart. What if he comes back, though, and no one is here?"

"I understand, but it is too hard to sit here and worry when our little boy is out there by himself."

He embraces her again and offers, "We will find him. He will be back in our arms in no time." Rosemary steps back to sit on the settee. Lee joins her, intertwining her hand with his.

Rosemary smiles for a moment, asking, "Do you remember when you and Patrick were outside kicking the ball around in the rain?"

Lee answers, "Yes, it started to come down, so I told Patrick we better get inside before we get too wet. He asked if we could stay out and play in the rain. I said, 'Of course, on one condition.' He giggled and asked, 'What's that?' I answered, 'That I get to pick you up and spin you around and tickle you!' He laughed and tried to run away. I caught him pretty quickly, picked him up, spun him around, and put him back on the ground. He playfully yelled he was going to get me. I let him try for a couple of minutes before I slowed down and let him climb on my back. Unfortunately, Patrick couldn't quite get up there and hold on. He landed on his feet but then lost his balance and fell in the mud. I tried to catch him, but I wasn't quick enough. When Patrick got up, he had a bunch of mud on his bottom and the back of his pant legs. I suggested we better get him inside and changed before you see him. We were hoping to sneak in, but there you were smiling at us when we walked in the door."

Rosemary continues the memory, "I saw you two coming in the door looking like you got caught with your hands in the cookie jar. I asked what happened to you two, and you answered, 'Oh, we ran into a little rain.'" I couldn't help but giggle and innocently replied, 'A little rain…you look pretty wet to me.' I watched as you turned to Patrick and flinched for some reason. I heard you whisper something to him about getting up slowly and going upstairs to change into some dry clothes. I saw Patrick nod, running up the stairs while you, for some reason, put a blanket down where Patrick was just sitting. Then you awkwardly excused yourself and followed Patrick. What you don't know is I peeked under the blanket when you went upstairs."

Lee inquires, "You did? I should have known you would peek. When I got upstairs, I asked Patrick why he sat down, and he apologized, saying he forgot about the mud. I suggested to him we keep this to ourselves for now. I knew you wouldn't be happy with us getting mud on the settee. He had so much fun, I didn't want to ruin the moment."

"I saw you coming downstairs with a smile on your face suggesting I go see Elizabeth. You mentioned something about me not seeing little Jack all day. I decided to play along and called Patrick downstairs. I was curious to see what you would do anyway, so Patrick and I went next door. Elizabeth was making cookies and suggested Patrick help. He gladly ran to the kitchen. While they were busy with the cookies, I snuck back over to see what you were attempting to do. I quietly came into the house, pretending I had no idea what you were doing. I saw you hunched over the settee scrubbing something. I had a hard time not laughing at the guilty look you gave me. All I could think to say was, 'What in the world are you doing, Lee Coulter?' You apologized and tried to explain what happened. I had to take a moment to stop laughing inside before I spoke, 'That is so cute you think you can keep something like this from me.' I didn't want to let you off the hook just yet, so I continued with the dramatics."

"I really thought you were mad at me, so I kept trying to scrub the mud off of the settee cushion. I thought you finally had pity on me when you brought some hot water and soap over. You showed me how easy it was to get rid of the mud, and before I knew it, the cushion looked brand new. You clapped your hands together and confidently remarked, 'That is how it is done.'"

Rosemary reveals, "I was having too much fun teasing you, so I suggested you fix some dinner while I went back to Elizabeth's house." They look at each other for a moment, and Lee squeezes her hand while they both think about their little boy. They hear a bunch of voices outside, which brings them back to reality. So, they decide to join them.

Nathan explains to the crowd what he found and how they will scour the woods looking for Patrick. "We need to get started as soon as possible; we don't want him spending the night outside by himself. Follow me to the edge of the woods, and we will form a line. Hopefully, we can find him before dark. Be sure to call out his name and look up in trees and down in holes. Any place a child could climb in or hide or fall into by accident."

Lee kisses Rosemary softly on the lips and reassures her, "Don't worry, sweetheart. I will bring him back safe and sound. I have a good feeling."

Rosemary responds, "You better, Lee Coulter. I am counting on you!" She looks up to the sky and says a silent prayer, "Lord, please lead Lee and the other volunteers to our son. Please watch over our Patrick and keep him safe until they find him." She watches as Lee joins the rest of the volunteers heading to the edge of the woods.

They all form a line, five feet apart, with Nathan at the center. He announces, "Okay, let's go find him." Nathan, Lee, Bill, and all the volunteers look diligently at anything and everything as they walk further into the woods. You could hear Patrick's name called out every ten seconds or so, but it is met with nothing. Each volunteer continues to keep putting one foot in front of the other in hopes Patrick will soon be found.

Elizabeth finds Rosemary and leads her back to her house. "I think we should make lunch/dinner for all the volunteers. They are going to be starving when they come in. Do you want to help, or should I go over and cook next door?"

Rosemary sits on the settee and picks up some of Patrick's Lincoln logs. She places the toys on the coffee table and looks at Elizabeth, and offers, "You can cook here. I was already planning on making chili for dinner. We can make a bigger pot."

"Are you sure? I can go next door if you are not up to it."

"It will help pass the time." She goes to her kitchen and checks on the beans soaking in the pot. "I think we will need more than this to feed everyone," Elizabeth suggests calling Clara to see if she can bring out some food as well. Clara agrees and says she will be out there in an hour with food from the café.

Lee and the other volunteers keep walking through the woods. There have been a couple close calls with things people think are Patrick's, but unfortunately are not. Lee is starting to get worried. He didn't think Patrick would stray this far from home. He cannot imagine his little boy out there all alone. Lee kneels down and says a prayer to help them find Patrick. As he starts walking forward again, Lee is remembering playing catch with Patrick the other day. Lee was surprised when Patrick asked out of the blue if his mommy, daddy, and brother would be okay if he called Rosemary and Lee, mommy and daddy. Patrick sadly told Lee he is having a hard time remembering his parents and brother. Lee sat on the ground and motioned for Patrick to join him. Patrick gladly sat on Lee's lap while Lee wrapped his arms around him. Lee told him he didn't know his parents or brother, but he knew they loved him and cared about him very much. They would want him to be happy with another loving family who would call him their own. Lee informed him, 'Miss Rosemary and I are not trying to take your parent's or brother's place; we just want to provide for you like they would. We want to love you and make sure you are always taken care of and loved. We are proud to call you our son. Miss Rosemary and I hope you are happy here and feel all the love we have for you. We love you to the moon and back, Patrick.' Patrick giggled and hugged Lee before jumping up to continue playing catch. Lee wipes a tear from his eye and continues walking.

Clara pulls up in the wagon with plenty of food. Elizabeth and Rosemary come outside to meet her. Elizabeth inquires, "Where should we put all the food? I don't think you want everyone in your house, Rosemary."

Clara suggests, "Why don't you leave the food in the back of the wagon? People can get what they need and stand and eat or find a place to sit on the porches of the row houses."

Elizabeth mentions, "Good idea, Clara. For now, we should probably bring in the food to keep it warm." The three ladies bring in the food, placing it in the oven. Rosemary excuses herself and goes upstairs. Clara and Elizabeth look at each other with worry. "We should give her some space. If she doesn't come down in the next hour or so, I will go check on her."

Rosemary slowly ascends the stairs to Patrick's room. She sits down on his bed, clutching his pillows. Rosemary closes her eyes, saying a quick prayer to help them find Patrick.

The search continues with most of Hope Valley combing through the woods. Nathan feels guilty he has not found Patrick yet. He knows how important Patrick is to the Coulters and cannot bear it if something happens to him on his watch. He is optimistic Patrick is somewhere in these woods. Patrick is a little boy and couldn't have walked too far by himself. Nathan checks on Lee, trying to reassure him they will find Patrick. Lee thanks Nathan for all of his help, and they continue marching forward.

Not long after, Lee calls out Patrick's name and stops in his tracks when he hears something. He stands there for a moment and then calls out his name again. This time Lee clearly hears a cat meowing. Lee looks around trying to find the cat, and he happens to see something reflecting off something in a tree. Lee blinks a couple of times because he thinks he sees Patrick up in the tree with the cat, but he is unsure. Lee calls out Patrick's name again, and the cat meows. Lee realizes it is Patrick, and he appears to be asleep. He thinks to himself, "Why isn't Patrick answering?" He starts to panic. "Is he okay? Is he unconscious?" Lee calls out to Nathan, "I found him!"

Nathan comes running over and inquires, "Where?" Lee points up in the tree and sees Patrick with a cat lying on top of him.

"He is not answering when I call his name." Lee tries again, but Patrick doesn't stir. "I am going to climb up to him."

Nathan mentions, "Wait, let me secure a rope around the tree and then around you. So, you won't fall and hurt yourself."

"That sounds like a good idea." As Nathan and Lee are working on the rope, Bill, Jesse, and Carson see what is going on.

Nathan calls Patrick again, and no answer. "Are you ready, Lee?" Lee nods and starts climbing up the tree while Nathan supports the rope.

He gets up to Patrick and pats his arm. "Patrick, are you okay? It is Mister Lee. We have been looking for you all over."

Patrick opens his eyes and blinks a few times, saying, "Papa! You found me! Is it okay if I call you Papa? I have been so scared." Patrick wraps his arms around Lee and cries into his shirt. "Papa…I love you."

Lee just holds him and says, "Of course, you can. I love you too, son. Everything is going to be okay. We found you, and now you're safe." The cat rubs against Lee, wanting some attention as well. Lee strokes the cat a few times before asking Patrick, "What are you doing all the way out here? You were supposed to be in the house. We have been so worried."

"I'm sorry, Papa. I was following this cat, and I got lost." Patrick breaks into tears again.

Lee holds him tight, reassuring him, "It's okay, Patrick. You are here with me now, and that is all that matters." Lee wipes the tears off of Patrick's face, asking, "Are you ready to go home?"

Patrick softly responds, "Yes, sir." Then he hesitantly asks, "Do…do you think we can keep the cat?"

Lee smiles and says, "We can talk about the cat and how you ended up out here later." Patrick nods. Lee tells Patrick to hold on tight while he slowly carries him down the tree. Once they are on solid ground, cheers erupt from all the volunteers.

Patrick says, "Don't forget the cat, Papa." Lee laughs and climbs back up to grab the cat, and the cat rewards him with licks to the face."

Lee sarcastically thinks to himself, "Rosemary is going to love this."

Lee hands the cat to Patrick and asks, "Can we go home, Papa? I want to see Mama and eat something. I am hungry and thirsty." Lee and everyone else laughs.

Carson interrupts, "Can I look at Patrick before we go? I want to make sure he is not dehydrated or hurt in any way."

Lee answers, "Oh, yes, please. Go ahead." He holds the cat so Carson can examine Patrick. He finds Patrick is not dehydrated or hurt, but he needs to drink some water and eat a little something before they walk back to the row houses. Lee acknowledges, pulling out his canteen of water, an apple, and some cookies Rosemary insists he takes. Patrick takes a long drink and scarfs the cookies down.

Patrick mumbles, "Thanks, Papa!" which turns into a yawn.

"Are you ready to go home, Patrick?" Patrick smiles. Lee looks at the cat and mumbles to himself, "Now, what are we going to do with you? We are not carrying you all the way back home. Can I put you down, and you follow us? My son seems to want to take care of you." The cat nuzzles Lee and meows like she is answering him." Lee puts her down, giving her one more pat before they start the walk back. Patrick takes Lee's hand, and they follow everyone in the direction of the row houses, with the cat following close behind. They get about half-way back when Patrick stops and says he is too tired to walk. Lee offers to give him a piggyback ride for a little while, for which Patrick happily jumps on Lee's back. Patrick alternates walking and riding on Lee's back for the rest of the way home. Lee is relieved when he can see the edge of the woods.

Lee calls Patrick's name, pointing to the opening. "We are almost there. Do you want to ride the rest of the way?" He nods and jumps on Lee's back. They finally make it to the row houses and are greeted with coffee and tons of food, compliments of Clara and Elizabeth.

Rosemary comes running out of the house shrieking, "Patrick!"

Patrick smiles, yelling, "Mama!" Patrick runs into her arms and Rosemary drops to her knees. She hugs him while they both cry from happiness. He looks up at her and asks, "I can call you Mama, right?"

Rosemary brings him in tight. "Of course. It would make me the happiest person in the world if you called me Mama." Rosemary brushes his unruly curls back with her hand. "I am so glad you are here. We missed you so much and were worried about you." Rosemary lets go, framing his face with her hands, asking, "Are you okay? Where were you? Why did you leave? I was so scared. You can't ever do that again."

The tears start falling from Patrick's eyes again. He looks at her and mentions, "I'm sorry, Mama. I was following a cat, and I got lost. I am okay. Papa found me up in a tree. I was so scared…scared I would never see you and Papa again."

She hugs him tighter, saying, "We love you to the moon and back, and we will never stop loving you or looking for you when you are lost."

Lee gets down on the ground with them, holding them both. He offers, "We can talk about what happened later." Rosemary and Patrick both nod. Lee gets everyone's attention, "Thank you so much for helping us find our son today. I couldn't live in a better community than Hope Valley. If you don't mind, we need to get Patrick inside and clean him up and get some food in him."

Rosemary rubs Patrick's shoulders, chiming in, "Thank you, everyone…for bringing our son home. It means the world to us." Lee, Rosemary, and Patrick go inside their row house, and Patrick immediately runs upstairs to his room. Rosemary and Lee laugh and follow him up the stairs. They find Patrick sitting in the middle of his bed, hugging his stuffed dog. Rosemary sits down next to him, and he climbs into her lap and cries. She rocks him back and forth, comforting him while Lee watches this sweet moment between mother and son. After a few minutes, Rosemary motions to Lee for him to join them. He gladly sits next to his wife and son, rocking back and forth until Patrick's tears subside.

Nathan walks over to Elizabeth and Allie, and the three of them hug. Elizabeth responds, "I am so glad you found him! Where was he? I was getting so worried."

Nathan answers, "I am so relieved. I knew we were looking in the right place, but Patrick ended up getting farther than I expected. Lee found him up in a tree sleeping." He looks down and fingers through his hair. "Where is little Jack?"

Elizabeth responds, "Little Jack is with Laura. She came to take over for Opal's mom around lunchtime. They are in the house." Nathan smiles. Elizabeth watches as Nathan picks up a cat and starts petting it. She giggles and asks, "Who is this?"

Nathan laughs and mentions, "I think it is the Coulter's new cat."

Elizabeth laughs and says, "Oh, really." She pets the cat and adds, "In a little bit, I want to see if Lee and Rosemary want any food. Should I bring the cat in with me?"

Nathan replies, "I think they will appreciate that. You are a great friend, Elizabeth." He kisses her tenderly on the lips before taking her hand and walking over to get some food.

Elizabeth comes upstairs, calling Rosemary's name. Rosemary announces, "We are in Patrick's bedroom. Come on in."

Elizabeth smiles when she walks into the room and sees Patrick in his parent's loving arms. She quietly inquires, "Do you want me to bring up some food? I didn't think you would want to come outside with everyone."

Rosemary kisses Patrick on the forehead and asks, "Are you hungry?" He nods. "Thanks, Elizabeth. Can you bring in some food for us? You can leave it on the kitchen table. We will be down shortly."

"I'll bring you some food and let you know when I head out the door."

"Thanks, Elizabeth. Please tell Nathan, we are forever grateful to him for helping us find our little boy," responds Lee.

"I will. I will be back shortly."

Lee and Rosemary continue to hold on to Patrick and rock him. Patrick asks, "Can you sing Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star?"

Rosemary starts to sing, "Twinkle, twinkle, little star, How I wonder what you are! Up above the world so high, like a diamond in the sky. Twinkle, twinkle, little star, How I wonder what you are!" Lee joins Rosemary in the next round, with Patrick finally joining in on the third round. They are interrupted when they hear Elizabeth leaving, and they see a cat jumping on Patrick's bed. The cat meows and nuzzles Patrick, expecting to get some attention. Everyone laughs. Rosemary pets the cat, asking, "Who are you, and how did you get in here?"

Lee says, "Oh, Elizabeth must have let her in here."

Patrick laughs, revealing, "She likes you, Mama!"

Lee looks down at his wife and son, asking, "Are you ready to eat dinner?" Patrick gets up, and then Rosemary and the three of them head downstairs. Rosemary suggests they say a prayer before eating the delicious food in front of them. Lee takes Rosemary's hand under the table, and they watch Patrick gobble down his food. He notices Rosemary is just moving her food around, so he squeezes her hand. She looks at him, and he immediately knows she can't eat right now. Lee takes her plate and eats what Rosemary didn't touch, offering to do the dishes once he and Patrick are finished eating. Rosemary asks Lee to heat up some water, so she can give Patrick a much-needed bath. Lee fills up the tub with warm water while Rosemary and Patrick go upstairs to pick out some pajamas. Rosemary can't bear to take her eyes off Patrick, afraid he will disappear if she does. Once Lee finishes the dishes, he feeds the cat and lets her outside for the night. He meets them upstairs just as Patrick is putting on his pajamas after his bath.

Rosemary tells Patrick to jump in their bed. She will be back in a few minutes. She walks towards Lee.

Lee smiles and says, "I will stay with him, sweetheart."

Rosemary thinks to herself, "How did I get so lucky with such a wonderful man who knows what I need without saying anything?" She changes into her nightclothes and does her nighttime routine before joining Patrick and the cat in bed. Lee brings them, "A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court" by Mark Twain. Rosemary starts to read where they left off the night before. Lee excuses himself to clean up and change into his nightclothes. He finally joins them in bed and takes over for Rosemary. It doesn't take too long for Patrick to fall asleep in Rosemary's arms. Lee puts the book down on his side table, getting up to turn off the lights and crawling back into bed. Rosemary and Lee watch him sleep but are not far behind. They all three had an exhausting day and were ready to put this trying day behind them.

A couple of hours later, Lee wakes up to Rosemary silently crying into her pillow. Without saying a word, Lee gently moves Patrick off of her arm. He walks to her side of the bed and sits down right next to her. Rosemary wraps her arms around him, resting her head on his chest. Lee kisses the top of her head and just holds her, letting her get out all the emotions she has been bottling up all day. He knows his wife is strong, but she can only handle so much at one time.