Chapter 27 – Changes
After the holidays and the big snowstorm, Hope Valley gets back to normal. The children go back to school, Lee is busy at the sawmill, and Rosemary gets back to the dress shop. Rosemary's energy is coming back, and the nausea spells are getting fewer and farther between. She notices her clothes are fitting a bit snug, but she attributes it to all the extra food she's been eating lately. Rosemary knows she will be gaining a lot of weight in the coming months for a good reason, but thinking about growing out of her clothes is a little scary to her.
One Saturday morning, Rosemary wakes up to the smell of eggs and bacon. She puts her robe and slippers on and saunters down the stairs. Rosemary sees Patrick playing with his toys in front of the fire and Lee working over a sizzling pan. She sings, "Good morning, my dear husband and my precious little boy."
Patrick runs to Rosemary and hugs her, saying, "Good morning, Mama. Papa is fixing breakfast."
Rosemary ruffles Patrick's hair, walking over to her husband. They kiss, and Lee hands her a cup of chamomile tea. Rosemary takes the cup and sits down at the table with a grin on her face. Lee brings her omelet and fruit over and then calls Patrick to the table. Lee and Patrick join her, and they say a quick prayer. Rosemary tries a bite of her omelet and makes a face. Lee asks, "What's wrong with your omelet, sweetheart?"
"Oh, nothing. It is just missing something."
"What did I forget? I'll get it for you."
"No, that's okay. I won't know until I see it with my own eyes." Rosemary stands up and walks to the cupboard. She goes through everything until she sees what she is looking for. Rosemary grabs the bottle of peanut butter and spreads some on her omelet. She tries it again, grinning. "This is so good." Lee and Patrick look at her in disgust. Patrick starts to speak, and Lee puts his finger over his lips, hoping he will be quiet.
Rosemary offers a bite to Lee and mentions, "Oh, I think I'll pass. I'll let you savor your peanut butter omelet." She giggles and takes another bite. Lee watches as Rosemary eats every bite of her omelet and her fruit. She gulps down her tea, getting up to clean her dishes in the washbasin.
Patrick brings over his plate, hesitantly offering, "Here you go, Mama."
"Thanks, Patrick. What do you want to do on this fine Saturday?"
Patrick looks at Rosemary and then Lee, asking, "Can we practice riding bikes again?"
"Lee, do you have to go into the office today?" questions Rosemary.
Lee brings his plate over to Rosemary, answering, "As a matter of fact, I am free all day. I think riding bikes sounds like a great idea." Patrick jumps up and down, and Lee grabs the dish towel from Rosemary, telling her he will finish the dishes. She kisses him on the cheek and walks toward the settee. Lee feels something on his face, so he tries to wipe it off. He realizes it's peanut butter. Lee calls Rosemary back and chuckles when he sees peanut butter still on the corner of her mouth.
"What's so funny?" inquires Rosemary.
"Come here." Lee wipes the rest of the peanut butter off her mouth with his handkerchief. Rosemary giggles in embarrassment before going upstairs to wash her face. She comes back down dressed and ready to go outside with her boys. Lee can see she is fidgety and uncomfortable but decides to let it go. "Are you two ready to ride bikes?" Patrick and Rosemary cheer.
The three of them get their coats on and go out front. Lee mentions, "Okay, Patrick. I think you are getting the hang of it now, so I'll let go when I feel you are steady. Does that sound good?"
Patrick thinks about it for a moment and replies, "Yes, sir. I'm ready."
"Good." Patrick gets on the bike and starts to pedal, with Lee holding on to the seat. After about ten feet, Lee lets go without Patrick noticing. He keeps going until he realizes he is by himself. Patrick finally stops, turns around, and sees his parents running towards him. "You did it. You rode all by yourself."
Rosemary adds, "I am so proud of you. You are so much braver than me. When Papa taught me, I didn't want him to let go."
"That's silly, Mama. Why were you scared? I think you are really brave, and I hope to grow up to be just as brave as you and Papa."
Rosemary tears up, hugging him, answering, "Thank you, Patrick. It means so much to hear you say those words. I don't know why I was scared. I guess I thought if Papa let go, I would instantly fall down. I agree. It was silly because I know Papa was there for me like he is for you."
Lee inquires, "Are you ready to try again, Patrick?"
"Yes, sir." Lee helps Patrick out a few more times until Lee feels he can genuinely ride on his own.
"Do you think you are ready to ride beside me?" questions Lee. Patrick looks at Rosemary and then Lee for assurance and nods. "Are you sure, Patrick? We can still practice." Patrick looks back at Rosemary, who is nodding with a smile on her face.
Rosemary suggests, "I can walk next to you if you want." Patrick agrees and hops on the bike. Lee walks back to their front porch and gets on the bike, catching up with Patrick and Rosemary. The two boys start riding towards town, with Rosemary trying to keep up. She yells, "You are going too fast. Go on ahead without me."
Lee yells back, "We will be back soon." Rosemary waves and walks back home. About an hour later, Lee and Patrick come back home to find Rosemary sitting on the settee, working in her sketchbook.
Patrick runs into the house and straight to Rosemary. He asks, "Guess what we did, Mama?"
Rosemary puts her sketchbook away, giving her full attention to her son. She inquires, "What did you two do?"
"We rode into town, around the pond a few times, we skipped some rocks, and Papa let me pet some horses. I wish you could have been there."
"Well, I was there in spirit. Besides, it makes me happy when you have fun with your Papa." Patrick giggles and then runs up to his room. Rosemary squirms a bit, trying to get comfortable when Lee sits down next to her.
"I can tell you are uncomfortable. Do you want to talk about it?"
Rosemary sighs, mentioning, "My clothes are starting to get a little tight, but I am not sure if it is the baby or the fact that I have been eating a lot more." Lee chuckles. "It's not funny, Lee Coulter?"
"I'm sorry. I was just wondering when you were going to say something. I've been noticing your clothes are not as loose as they usually are."
"Oh, no. Does it look bad? Why didn't you tell me, Lee?"
Lee pats her leg, offering, "It is not obvious to most people. I can notice a difference, but only because I'm your observant husband."
Rosemary frowns, stating, "I don't think my clothes will be fitting much longer at this rate."
The next couple of weeks are busy at Dottie's. All the regular customers, plus a couple new ones, seem to be coming in for a new dress or two or, at the very least, purchasing a "Sew Your Own Pattern" and fabric. Rosemary is now at the point where her regular clothes are getting really uncomfortable. On Thursday morning, Rosemary comes into the dress shop after walking Patrick to school and is greeted by Hannah. Hannah has been a godsend since she started working for her just after the new year. Hannah is a hard worker, an excellent seamstress, and gets along with everyone. She and Michael have taken a liking to each other and spend quite a bit of time together with her son.
Hannah decides to take a break and visits Michael in his office, leaving Rosemary by herself. Rosemary unbuttons the back button in desperate need of some relief from her tight clothes. Suddenly an idea hits her. She locks the front door and goes into the back, looking for fabric to match her skirt. Rosemary finds some and immediately measures and cuts two square panels, adding buttonholes at the top of both ends. Rosemary removes her top skirt, measuring and cutting a three-inch slit down each side where her hips would be. Then she cuts buttonholes on each side of the opening. Rosemary peruses the store for the final touch she needs to make this work, ribbons. On each side, she lines up the panel holes with the ones on the skirt, feeding the ribbon through. Rosemary slips it on and ties the two sides, essentially cinching the skirt to be a perfect fit no matter how much her belly grows. She is thankful she finally has enough room to easily button the back. Rosemary looks at herself in the mirror, hoping it doesn't look odd or make it obvious why she added ribbons to her skirt. Rosemary is happily surprised it actually looks cute and adds to the skirt. She excitedly runs over to the sawmill to show Lee.
Lee greets her with the smile that always gives her butterflies. Rosemary walks up to him, spinning around, inquiring, "What do you think?"
"What do I think of what?" questions Lee. She points to the ribbons and unties them, showing how she can make the skirt bigger or smaller. She looks down at her stomach, giggling.
Rosemary whispers, "Lee, come here. I think I can see a bump now." He walks over to her when Rosemary places his hand on her little bump, whispering, "We love you, and we can't wait for you to grow big and strong." Lee wraps his arms around her, embracing his beautiful wife and unborn child, giving thanks to above. She frowns, mentioning, "I better get busy on buying or making some bigger clothes soon, or I won't be able to leave the house."
"I know you are up to the task. I'm sure you'll be the best dressed pregnant woman in all of Canada." Rosemary and Lee chuckle.
Rosemary sarcastically inquires, "Only Canada?" They both chuckle again. "Do you think people are going to notice now?"
"It's not really noticeable unless you are really looking at your stomach. I highly doubt people are paying close enough attention to notice." He spins her around. "Did you just create this look today?" questions Lee.
Rosemary answers, "I did," with the biggest grin on her face.
"You're amazing, Rosie. You always come up with something creative."
Rosemary giggles and explains, "The idea came to mind today because my skirt was so tight. Hopefully, it will hold me off for a couple of months, depending on how big I get and how fast. In any case, if I do this to a few skirts, then I should be able to get by until I have time to sew some expanding dresses."
Lee questions, "Should we think about announcing the pregnancy? I think Clara, Hannah, and some of the girls might start getting suspicious in the coming weeks."
"I know you are right, honey. I don't know why I'm so nervous. I really couldn't be any happier. I don't know about you, but there have been many times where I wanted to shout it out, but something always stops me." Lee nods. "All I know is we need to tell Patrick before he hears from someone else." She pauses for a moment, inquiring, "Can we wait to see what Carson says at my monthly appointment on Monday?"
Lee replies, "We can wait as long as you need, sweetheart."
Monday comes around, and after Lee and Rosemary drop Patrick off at school, they make their way to the infirmary to see Carson and Faith. Rosemary and Lee slowly walk down Main Street because she is nervous and doesn't know what to expect. Lee tries to ease her mind when Carson and Faith have her go behind the curtain, so they can examine her. Lee can't sit still, so he paces the floor, waiting for them to call him back. Faith peaks her head out to a nervous Lee and invites him to join them. Lee comes behind the curtain and sits next to Rosemary, taking her hand into his." Carson motions to Faith for her to start.
Faith begins, "Rosemary, everything looks great so far. The baby seems to be growing, and I can see you are starting to show. From our previous conversation and our examination today, we think you are almost 4 months along. How have you been feeling lately? Any nausea, dizziness, headaches, or cravings? Are you still exhausted all the time?"
"I've gotten a lot of my energy back, but still not up to my normal levels. My nausea and dizziness are pretty much gone. I've had a few headaches here and there, but not bad. And I haven't really had any cravings." Lee squeezes her hand. Rosemary looks confused, asking, "What?"
Lee chimes in, "You've been eating a lot more sweets than normal. And do you remember the omelet the other day?"
Rosemary blushes, "Oh, right. Lee made omelets for us one morning, and I felt like something was missing, so I smeared peanut butter all over." She thinks about it some more, but before she can speak up, Lee clears his throat again. "Fine, Lee. Last night, I…I…poured pickle juice all over…my piece of apple pie." Lee, Faith, Carson, and even Rosemary joined in a hearty laugh.
Faith reveals, "That all sounds normal. There is nothing to worry about."
Rosemary looks at Lee and then Faith and Carson, inquiring, "Do you think it is a good idea to announce Baby Coulter to Hope Valley? I'm afraid people are going to start noticing."
Carson answers, "I think it's more than okay for people to know. You are taking care of yourself, and things seem to be progressing normally. I am confident if you continue to do so while also eating healthy, walking every day, seeing us once a month, and not doing too much, you should have a healthy pregnancy. As far as people noticing, there really is no way to predict when it will happen. As of right now, I don't think it is obvious unless you are looking for it. My advice. If you are worried about Patrick finding out from someone else, then I suggest you tell him sooner than later."
"Thanks, Carson, Faith. We really appreciate you being here for us and keeping our secret. Rosie and I have enjoyed keeping this to ourselves. It's our own private secret," responds Lee.
Faith cuts in, "If you don't have any further questions, we are done for today. Don't forget, we'll want to see you again in a month." Rosemary and Lee nod in agreement.
Rosemary and Lee walk over to Dottie's. She unlocks the shop, and they go inside. Lee questions, "When does Hannah or Clara come in?"
"Clara is working at the café today, and Hannah will come in after lunch. We tend to be busier in the afternoons." She puts her things in the back, and Lee follows her.
"Should we talk about it now?" inquires Lee.
Rosemary bites her lip, admitting, "I still want to wait a little longer. And it's not because I am afraid. I think we should tell Patrick he will be a big brother when we are at the circus. Do you think it is a good idea?"
"The circus had not crossed my mind, but I think it is the perfect place."
"Now the question is. Will I be able to hide it for another twelve days?"
"I certainly hope so." Lee kisses her, saying, "I need to get to work, but I'll come by and get you when it is time to pick up Patrick."
Lee and Rosemary pick Patrick up from school and walk home hand-in-hand together. Patrick talks nonstop about what he learned in school today. Patrick mentions, "Missus Thornton told us all about stars and constellations. She told us about Polaris, the North Star, and how people use it out in the ocean to help them figure out where they are going. She also talked about the Big Dipper and Little Dipper and how to recognize their shapes in the night sky. Can we go outside tonight and look for them? Please?"
"Rosie, you know the night sky better than me," remarks Lee.
Rosemary pretends to be thinking about it, offering, "How about we practice your reading and writing? Then, you can help me clean Papa's closet. Then…"
Patrick whines, "Mama!"
"I am kidding, Patrick. Yes, we can do a little stargazing tonight, but we have other things to do before. Sound good?"
Patrick replies, "Yes, ma'am."
After dinner, Rosemary bakes the vanilla cake she's been craving. She can't seem to get enough sweets even though she knows it's not the best thing to be eating. Once the cake cools off, Rosemary inquires, "Who wants to help me ice this cake?"
Patrick yells, "Me, me, me. Can I lick the bowl afterward?" Rosemary laughs and motions for him to come over to the table. Patrick sits down on the chair, and she places the cake in front of him.
When he can't reach, Rosemary suggests, "Maybe you should just stand on the stool, bud." Patrick pulls it over to the table, and she hands him a spatula and a bowl of icing. "Do I need to show you again?"
"No, ma'am. I remember." Rosemary watches as Patrick smoothly spreads the icing. Thinking Patrick knows what he is doing, she decides to wash some dishes. When she is done, Rosemary turns and looks over at Patrick. She is shocked to find icing all over Patrick's face, hands, shirt, and even the table.
Rosemary gasps, "What happened, Patrick? You were doing so well." Lee comes over after hearing the gasp coming from his wife. He can't help but laugh. "Oh, so you think this is funny, Lee Coulter? Do you want to clean up this mess? I know, I sure don't." She reaches for the spatula and leads her son over to the washbasin. Rosemary helps him take his shirt off and does her best to get all the icing off his face and hands. She suggests to Patrick, "Go on upstairs and get into your nightclothes."
"But, Mama. We were going to look at the sky tonight."
Lee adds, "You did say that, sweetheart." He can see Rosemary rolling her eyes, so Lee backs away, and they go upstairs. Rosemary sits down in the chair and finishes icing the last part of the cake. She covers it up and puts it on the counter. Rosemary grabs the bowl of icing and starts licking what is left, failing to notice them coming back downstairs.
She finally looks up and sees her boys, "Are you ready to check out those stars, Patrick?" Lee looks at her, surprised, and helps Patrick get his coat and gloves on. The three of them go out on the back porch. Rosemary requests, "Honey, can you get us some chairs?" Lee brings over two chairs, one for Rosemary and Patrick and one for himself. Rosemary carefully lifts Patrick onto her lap and guides his hand to Polaris. "Do you see the bright star right there? It is also known as the North Star."
Patrick excitedly replies, "I see it, I see it."
"She points to the left of Polaris. Do you see the three stars to the left and then the rectangle? That is the Little Dipper."
Patrick looks up in awe and then down at his mother. He questions, "Where's the Big Dipper?"
Rosemary responds, "Hold on for a minute. The Little Dipper is part of the constellation of Ursa Minor, which means Little Bear." Patrick giggles at the name. She points his finger down and shows him another rectangle of stars with another three forming the handle. Do you see it? That is the Big Dipper. The Big Dipper is part of the constellation Ursa Major, and it means Great Bear."
Patrick giggles again, asking, "Who named these constellations and stars?"
"No one knows for sure. Their names come from a long, long, time ago."
"Where did you learn about the stars, Mama?"
Rosemary answers, "When I was about your age, my father told me all about the stars. We spent many nights looking at the night sky together. He used to tell me I would be a star one day." Patrick looks confused, so she continues, "Growing up, my dream was always to star in a Broadway play like my mother and become a famous actress."
"Did you become a star?" questions Patrick.
Rosemary responds, "I did star on Broadway for a little while, but I wasn't happy. I ended up coming to Hope Valley to find someone I thought I loved, but I was wrong. It ended up being one of the best decisions I ever made, though, because it led me to your father. You and Papa are by far the two best things to have ever happened to me." She looks up to the sky, thinking, "And the miracle joining us this summer."
Patrick looks over at Lee, mentioning, "Mama sure knows a lot about the night sky."
Lee remarks, "She sure does, Patrick. Isn't Mama incredible?"
"Yes, sir."
Lee clears his throat, suggesting, "I think it's your bedtime, mister. Why don't you go on upstairs, and Mama and I will come read you a story?"
Patrick replies, "Thanks, Mama, Papa," as he runs into the house.
Lee offers his hand to his wife, which she gladly accepts. He brings her in close, wrapping his arms around her waist. "I love you, Rosie."
"I know you do." Rosemary rubs his chin, kissing him deeply, and then walks into the house.
Lee chuckles, voicing to himself, "Well, okay, then."
The following day is Rosemary's day off from the dress shop. Rosemary is delighted she only has to work four days a week now. It allows for her to spend more time with Patrick and Lee, which she treasures greatly. Lee and Rosemary walk Patrick to school like they do every morning. They are entertained by Patrick, who usually regales them with a story he made up or something Elizabeth has planned for the day. It warms both Rosemary and Lee's hearts how much Patrick loves learning and going to school. They were so worried when he started back in August, but now he is excelling. Lee and Rosemary drop Patrick off at school and walk back to his office and go inside. Lee suggests, "Why don't I take the day off today?"
Rosemary chuckles, "Why? Aren't you expecting a big order today?"
"I am, but I thought you loved me staying home with you," remarks Lee.
"I do love spending every minute with you, but today you'll just be a distraction."
Lee chuckles, "A distraction? Like this?" Their lips meet, and he whispers something in her ear.
Rosemary hits him on the arm, giggling, "I am referring to the fact I will probably be sewing all day, and I know you don't like when I'm not paying attention to you."
Lee responds, "Ha! You not paying attention to me?" Rosemary giggles, blowing him a kiss and walking out the door. When she gets home, Rosemary spends the next few hours letting out some more of her skirts and creating a few more panels in different colors. Once all of those are done, she gets her sketchbook and figures out the dress she wants to make first. Rosemary designs a few dresses in a larger size with a high empire waist, which will expand as she needs. The first one she decides on is a dark green, long sleeve satin and velour floor-length dress. The bodice is made of satin, the sleeves are made out of chiffon, and the skirt is velour. The sleeves and skirt are slightly darker than the satin, but they blend together nicely. Rosemary picks two buttons she will add to the waistband, one on each side. She will then add a thin band with button loops on each end made of velour, which will connect the two back buttons. This should allow the dress to fit now and grow as she does. Rosemary cuts the fabric and gets to work pinning it and sewing it together. A few hours later, she finishes the bodice and skirt and tries the dress to make sure it fits. She looks in the mirror, and the dress barely stays up but should theoretically fit throughout her pregnancy. Rosemary attaches the band to the left button, wraps it around her back, and then attaches it to the right button, taking another look in the mirror. It perfectly accentuates her figure and surprisingly helps to conceal her small bump.
Rosemary looks one more time in the mirror, speaking "Perfeito" to herself. She looks at the time and only has about an hour and a half before she needs to pick up Patrick. Instead of working on the sleeves, Rosemary looks at her next design. This one will be a royal blue taffeta high-waisted ankle-length dress with sleeves down to the elbows. There will be a hidden panel of the same material on each side, starting at the high waist and going all the way to the floor. The panel will be neatly folded and sewed together for now but can be let out as needed. Rosemary cuts the fabric and pins everything together. She sews the bodice and the sleeves before it's time to pick up Patrick. Rosemary cleans up as much as she can, so Lee and Patrick don't see what she is working on. Rosemary grabs her coat and walks back into town when she is done. She meets Lee at his office, and they pick up Patrick.
Saturday comes around, and it is father/son day. Usually, Rosemary is jealous of their time together, especially because Lee never tells her what they do. But today, she is on a mission to finish at least two of her dresses because she has ideas for more.
Lee gives Rosemary a quick kiss, letting her know, "We probably won't be home until after dark. Do you need anything before we leave?"
"No, we are good." Rosemary covers her mouth when she realizes she used the word we. She is relieved when Patrick doesn't seem to notice. Rosemary pats Lee's cheek, reminding them, "You two be safe." She kisses Patrick on the top of the head and waves goodbye to her boys. Rosemary gets right to work, finding the blue dress she was working on this past Tuesday. She pins the skirt to the bodice and begins sewing. Right as she is finishing the waist, there is a knock at the door. Elizabeth comes in, announcing, "Good morning, Rosemary."
Rosemary questions, "Good morning. Where's Jack?"
"Nathan took Allie and Jack for the day. He wanted to go horseback riding with them. Where are Lee and Patrick?"
Rosemary responds, "Oh, how fun. Lee and Patrick are on another one of their father/son outings."
Elizabeth mentions, "I love how they spend so much time together. It is so sweet, and I know Patrick loves those days."
"Patrick does love those days very much, and so does Lee. It always warms my heart to see them bonding as father and son. Lee is such a wonderful father to Patrick and will be to our…" as Rosemary rests her hand on her stomach.
"Oh, my goodness, Rosemary. You are showing. May I?" Rosemary laughs and lets Elizabeth touch her slightly protruding belly. "You, little one, have the best parents around. They love you so much and are so excited to meet you."
Rosemary looks down and giggles while resting her hand on the bump that no longer wants to hide. She tries to hold in her emotions while speaking to her unborn child, "Auntie Elizabeth is right. We love you very much." Rosemary takes a moment to compose herself.
Elizabeth asks, "So, what are you up to today?"
Rosemary answers, "I am hoping to work on some new dresses for me. Actually, could you help me with this one?"
"I'm not exactly good with sewing. Are you sure you want me to help?"
"Yes, you will be fine. All I need you to do is help me pin the sides. I made this dress a bit bigger, so I need to pin it to my current size. Hopefully, I'll be able to let it out in a month or two when I need the extra room. The idea is for the panel to fold up and hide inside the skirt. Here, look at my sketch."
Elizabeth looks it over and is impressed. Where were these ideas when I was pregnant?"
"I didn't know what I was doing back then. I've learned a few things over the years." She smiles and adds, "And when you and Nathan are married and have one of your own on the way, I will be happy to design you some beautiful dresses." Elizabeth nods. "I'll go up and change, and then we can start pinning."
Lee decides to surprise Patrick with dog sledding near Jasper National Park. Lee has always wanted to try it out, and he thought it would be fun for Patrick and him to do, together. Lee had woken up before everyone else and got all the warm clothes, boots, and anything else he thought they would need for the day. Lee hides them out in the car before Rosemary and Patrick come downstairs. When they get in the car, Patrick immediately asks, "Where are we going, Papa?"
Lee replies, "I'll let you know when we get there."
Patrick entertains himself for a couple of hours before whining, "Are we almost there, Papa?"
"We are getting closer, buddy. Don't worry. I guarantee you will love what we are doing." Patrick sighs and lets out a big yawn. Ten minutes later, Patrick's eyes are closed, and Lee quietly laughs at how quickly his son can fall asleep. When they finally pull up to the dog sledding place, Lee lightly taps Patrick's arm. "We are here. Time to wake up." Patrick's eyes pop open, and a grin forms on his face.
"What are we doing? What are we doing?" exclaims Patrick.
"We are going dog sledding. It should be fun!"
Patrick screams, "Dog sledding? Really? Miss Elizabeth told us about that in school the other day. We really are going?"
"We sure are. Let's get some warmer clothes on, and we will go meet our guide." Lee helps Patrick layer up and puts his heavy coat, hat, gloves, and boots on, and he does the same. He grabs their bag, and they find where they are supposed to go. Their guide introduces himself as Otto Jones. He gives a safety briefing and then introduces Lee and Patrick to the dogs, "In the back are Moocher and Bully. They are the first to take on the weight of the load being pulled. Next are Sam and Racket, and they pull the sled and maintain speed. Laika and Ruby help steer the team around corners, and the two lead dogs are Jolly and Stella. They set the pace and keep the other dogs on the trail. They respond to commands and must be alert and intelligent." Otto walks over to the lines and shows Lee and Patrick how the dogs are connected to the sled. He picks up the thicker line instructing, "This is the gangline that attaches the dogs to the sled. Here are the tuglines and the necklines, which connect the back of the dog harness and the dog's collar to the gangline, respectively." Next, he shows Lee the handlebar, the claw brake, and the footboards for them to stand on. Otto shows him how to use the brake and sees if he has any more questions. When Lee nods no, Otto reminds Lee and Patrick, "The objective is to hold on tight but also to have fun. I will be in the lead sled, so all you have to do is let the dogs follow me like they are trained to do." He helps Lee and Patrick stand on the sled, positioning Patrick right in front of Lee with both hands on the handlebar. Lee takes his position right behind him.
Otto makes sure Lee and Patrick are ready, and he runs up to his sled, hopping in, yelling, "Hike," and all the dogs go, including Lee and Patrick's. Patrick squeals in delight as they pick up speed.
Rosemary comes down the stairs laughing and holding the dress up so it doesn't fall down. Elizabeth inquires, "What happened?"
Rosemary frowns and replies, "If you can believe this, I sewed the sleeves on backward."
"You did what?"
"I was in a hurry on Tuesday, and I must have accidentally flipped the sleeves and sewed them on backward. I have never done anything like that before. I am so embarrassed. I don't know what it is, but I keep forgetting things, or I simply do something silly like this." Elizabeth joins Rosemary, who is already laughing. "I figured we could still pin the skirt, though." Rosemary tries to hold up the dress with one hand and the other hand holding the side together so Elizabeth can pin it to her current figure. Elizabeth pins the other side, and then Rosemary goes to look in the mirror. "Thanks, Elizabeth. I believe this works. I'll go up and change and be right back." A few minutes later, Rosemary comes down the stairs and lays the dress on the table, rummaging through her bag, looking for the buttons she bought for this dress. She brings them over to the table and starts lining them up. Rosemary looks up at Elizabeth, who is staring off into space. "I'm sorry, Elizabeth. You don't have to help anymore."
"No, I am happy to help. If it's okay, I'll probably stay until Jack gets home," offers Elizabeth.
Rosemary smiles, saying, "Good. Let me show you what I am thinking. While I was upstairs, I thought of something to add." Rosemary points to where Elizabeth pinned the sides. I am going to attach a button loop on one side, and on the other side, I'll sew three rows of three-fourth inch buttons starting just below the empire waist."
Elizabeth asks, "How many buttons going down?"
"I am thinking five buttons an inch apart, and instead of sewing it all the way down, the panel will just hang free."
Elizabeth mentions, "You are going to be the talk of the town in this dress."
"Well, let's hope we can tell Patrick before he finds out from someone else. We are working on a fun way to tell him next weekend at the circus."
"That is a great idea, Rosemary."
"In the meantime, I need to buy more of these buttons and make the button loops. This is going to take longer than I anticipated.
Lee and Patrick are enjoying their ride. Halfway through, they stop to let the dogs rest and drink some water. Lee wishes he brought them more than a canteen of cold water. What he wouldn't give for some hot chocolate and Rosie's sugar cookies right about now. Patrick sits on Lee's lap, whining about being cold and wanting to go home. Lee tries to distract him by suggesting he asks Otto about the dogs. Patrick inquires, "Can I ask you some questions, Mister Otto?"
Otto responds, "Sure," not knowing what to expect.
Patrick spouts off, "Are they your dogs? How old are they? Where do they sleep? Do they ever get tired of running?"
Lee stops Patrick before he can add any more. He remarks, "I'm sorry. My son likes to ask a lot of questions."
Otto laughs, saying, "No worries. I have a grandson his age. Yes, the dogs are mine and my son's. We raise them from when they are puppies. Their ages range from about two to eight years old. The dogs typically like to sleep outside, but they also have a barn they can stay in. The dogs might get a little tired, but they love to be outdoors and run." He gets up and checks on the dogs one more time and asks, "Are you two ready to go back? The dogs are rested."
Patrick yells, "Yes, sir." They get back on their sleds and head in the direction of the starting point. The sleds eventually start to pick up speed as they hit the more packed icy snow towards the bottom of the mountain. The two team dogs, Sam and Racket, snip at each other. Otto had warned some dogs will occasionally get into scuffles. If it happens, call out to him and try to slow the dogs down. But before Lee could react, Sam and Racket's necklines get tangled with each other. When Moocher and Bully catch up, their necklines get tangled with Sam and Racket's tuglines, and Lee loses control of the sled. It veers off and skids down the mountain. Lee tries to keep a tight grip on the scared Patrick as they pick up even more speed as they continue down. The sled finally breaks away from the gangline and lurches backward for a moment, causing Lee and Patrick to tumble off towards some trees. Lee loses his hold on Patrick and watches in horror as Patrick gets closer and closer to the trees. Lee grabs as much packed snow as he can to stop himself. He shouts to Patrick, "GRAB THE SNOW…I'M COMING." Patrick looks back to Lee with terror on his face. Lee quickly gets up and runs towards him, yelling again, "WATCH OUT." Patrick turns just in time to brace himself as he hits the tree.