Thanksgiving morning
Elizabeth's stomach felt uneasy as she got up early to start preparing dinner. She showered and brushed her teeth, still taken by surprise at her very short hair that was starting to grow in.
She spent an extra few minutes in the bathroom making sure she wasn't going to throw up. "I can't be sick," she mumbled.
"Babe?" Nathan said from the bed. "You're sick?"
"I hope not. My stomach is off."
"Something you ate?"
"I don't know. I'm going to eat some toast. Faith and Julie and our moms will be here soon. I need to get moving."
"Okay."
Before long, they were all cooking and chatting. Elizabeth felt woozy so she sat for a moment at the bar.
"Beth?" Faith asked, noticing her friend turn pale.
"I'm not feeling well. I'll be back."
She walked into the bathroom where Nathan was shaving with a towel around his waist. "Can you go?" she asked, shooing him toward the door.
"What? Why?"
"I need to be alone a moment."
He walked out and stood staring at the door with his face half shaved.
"Beth? Are you alright?"
He didn't get any answer right away. After a few moments, she opened the door. "I don't feel well," she told him.
"Do you think maybe you're pregnant?" he asked, finishing his shave and getting dressed.
"I don't know. I just know that I don't want the kids or anyone else getting sick if it's the flu. The last thing we need is six sick children. Or Becki. Good heavens. She can't catch this."
"Why don't you take a pregnancy test?"
"I don't have one."
"Do you want me to go get one?"
"No. Thank you though."
He mentioned needing to run to the pharmacy to Faith who assured him everyone would be fine and she'd check on Beth.
"Thanks, Faith."
"Dada?" Cam said from the doorway, his thumb in his mouth.
"Hi, bud. Happy Thanksgiving!"
He reached up and Nathan lifted him into his arms.
"I go too?"
"You want to go to the store with me?"
"Me too? Please, Dad?" JJ asked.
"Okay. Let's go."
Nathan put little thought into the fact that Cam and JJ were still in their pajamas. He just wanted to know what was going on with Beth.
As they wandered down the aisles, Nathan kept seeing things they might need. He got new toothbrushes for everyone, toothpaste, tampons for the girls, a couple pregnancy tests, two gallons of milk and some bread. The last two things were always needed in the Grant House.
"Dada?" Cam said from the cart's child seat.
"Yeah, bud."
"JJ!" he yelled. "JJ sick!"
Nathan looked at JJ who had just thrown up in the milk and bread aisle.
Well, chances were Beth was sick, not pregnant.
"Aw, bud. Poor thing."
"I don't want to throw up!" JJ wailed.
"Sorry to tell you, but you already did."
He picked him up and found a store associate. "I'm sorry, but my boy vomited in the milk aisle. If you get me some supplies, I'll clean it up."
"No need, sir. I'll take care of it."
After thanking him, Nathan grabbed some saltines and ginger ale and paid for everything and headed quickly to the Tahoe.
"Dad! I'm going to throw up!" JJ yelled. Nathan quickly emptied one of their pharmacy bags and handed it to JJ just in time. What a Thanksgiving this was going to be.
They canceled dinner until everyone was feeling better. As Elizabeth feared, they all got it, even little Cam.
Finally two weeks later in December, they all got together for Thanksgiving dinner.
This time, Elizabeth was dealing with the knowledge that she wasn't pregnant for sure.
"I'm sorry, Beth. We'll get there. It hasn't been that long."
She accepted his hug and decided to try not to think about it. However, Faith walked in and Elizabeth noticed something wonderful. For her.
"Faith?"
She smiled and patted her tummy. "Yeah. Finally," she nodded, hugging her best friend.
"Congratulations!" she squealed and then burst into tears.
"Oh no. I shouldn't have told you. I'm sorry, Beth."
"Don't you dare be sorry! I'm so happy for you and Carson and the boys."
Elizabeth knew it had been a long road for them and Faith had been a trooper through losses and years of not getting pregnant.
"What if I told you the IVF really did its job and I'm having twins?" she asked, happy tears streaming down her face.
"That's amazing! I'm so so happy for you."
"Me too," Faith laughed. "Is it wrong if I hope at least one is a girl?"
Elizabeth laughed with her. "You are outnumbered for sure."
"I'm beyond thankful for everyone at this table...and that one too," Nathan said, getting everyone to laugh as he gestured to the second table. "To our children, our parents, our friends...thank you for sharing tonight with us. To my strong, amazing and beautiful Beth, I love you more than I can explain...thank you for being my best friend, my strength and the one I get to raise our family with."
Her tears streamed down her face but she couldn't help it. He was just as wonderful as he claimed she was. She leaned over and kissed him. "I love you too."
It took a long hour to get to everyone and what they were thankful for. By then, Cam had fallen asleep with his head on the table and JJ was close.
Becki had actually been able to eat some of the food, even though her sense of taste wasn't quite there. Just being around the Grants, the Thatchers and the Shepherds and all the children helped her immensely.
"Will you stay here tonight?" Elizabeth asked her, giving her a hug.
"Yes."
"Wonderful."
"Maybe we can have some tea later?"
Becki noticed Elizabeth's tears earlier and it seemed her best friend needed to chat. And maybe Becki did too.
"Sure."
Later when the guests left and all was quiet, the two ladies curled up on the sofa by the fire, the Christmas tree lights twinkling.
"So how are you doing, Becks?"
"I don't know."
Truth was she missed her little boy. She missed her home in Hope Valley. In a weird way, she missed her parents even though it had been years since she'd seen them.
"I'm thinking about calling my parents."
"I think you should."
"You do?"
"Yes. I think you need to tell them everything that's been happening with you. You need all the support you can get."
They sat quietly for a few moments. "You okay, Beth?"
"Of course," she said, trying to sound sincere but not fully succeeding.
"What's going on?"
"I'm not pregnant. Nathan says it hasn't been that long but…"
"That's not helpful?"
Elizabeth laughed. "No it's not. Am I crazy to want more children?"
"Of course not!"
"Okay. Just checking."
"I'd want another too, if I found someone. Though chances are with the chemo and radiation, it won't happen."
"You could adopt," Elizabeth told her. "But that wasn't helpful either," she said, laughing again. "Wow, sorry, Becks."
"If I called them, will you sit with me?"
"Of course. I'm right here."
Becki pulled out her phone and a picture of her and a very smiley Cam was on the screen. "Its not fair to them or Cam that I kept him a secret. I know that now."
Elizabeth squeezed her hand. "You can do this."
Becki took a deep breath and found them in her phone. "Here goes nothing."
After a moment it connected. "Mom?"
"Becki? Oh my goodness. Rick, it's Becki!" her mom Cheryl said loudly.
"Mom, I miss you and Dad so much."
"We miss you too, sweetheart."
"Is that my blueberry?" Rick yelled in the background, referring to the silly nickname he had always used for Becki.
Her tears started in earnest. "Hi, Daddy. Can you both hear me?"
"I'll put you on speaker," Cheryl said. "Okay, we are both listening."
Elizabeth squeezed her hand, giving her the courage she needed.
"You have a grandson," she told blurted.
"We do? Oh! What's his name?"
"Campbell Stewart Grant."
"You got married? Sweetheart, that's wonderful!"
"No, I'm not married. I'd love to do a video chat sometime, so you can see him."
"Maybe you can come visit. I know it's a long way but we could pay."
"No, I...I can't travel right now."
"Still working hard?"
"I'm sick," she said quietly.
"What's that, dear?"
"I'm sick. I have breast cancer."
"Oh my...Becki, I'm coming to you," Cheryl said.
"We are coming."
"No...its too far. I don't deserve…"
"Nonsense. Wild kangaroos couldn't stop us from coming, Blueberry!"
"Okay, Daddy."
"How old is Campbell?" Cheryl asked.
"He will be four soon."
"Sweetie, how are you taking care of him during your treatments? I assume you're having treatments."
"Yes, I am. He's staying with his father and his family. I'm really grateful for all they have done for me."
Elizabeth squeezed her hand and headed upstairs, knowing she'd be alright now.
"Maybe it would be best for us to take care of him," Cheryl said.
"No, Mom. He doesn't know you. His father takes really good care of him and he has lots of siblings to play with. He's just fine."
"We'll talk about it when we get there. You're in Hope Valley?"
"No. I'm staying in Lansing, close to the hospital. I'm serious, you guys, if you're planning on stopping him from seeing his Father, you might as well stay there."
A few days later, Evelyn was sitting in the library at school during her free period, losing herself in a novel. It was her favorite thing to do, other than taking pictures.
"May I join you?" someone whispered.
She looked up. Whoa. He's adorable. "Um, sure."
She looked around and there were about five tables with no one sitting at them. Why did he choose hers?
"I'm Kevin Warner," he said, opening his History book.
"Evie Thatcher."
"Nice to meet you, Evie Thatcher," he said, smiling.
"You too."
"Have you had Hickam for History?" he whispered again.
She looked up from her novel. "Yeah. 3rd period."
"He's tough. I just started here Monday and he already gave me a pop quiz."
"Yeah, Mr. H likes pop quizzes."
The bell rang causing Evie to look up. "I have to go. Nice to meet you, Kevin."
"Wait, what's your cell phone number?"
She looked at him, surprised. "I barely know you."
"Maybe I can text you sometime? Get to know you."
She wrote it down and handed it to him after a short hesitation. "Maybe we can study for Mr. H together sometime," she suggested before walking away.
Was this really happening to her? she wondered. Evelyn Thatcher, the one no one notices? At least not until this point.
Kevin Warner. It was a nice name for a very cute boy. Maybe this was her chance to finally experience things all her school friends did everyday.
He texted her even before she got to her class. "2morrow?"
"Sure. U can follow us home after school."
"Great. C U then."