Christmas Eve, Saturday

"Mama!" Cam yelled, running to her arms.

She picked him up, trying not to show the pain in her back with her face. "Hi, baby. Merry Christmas."

Elizabeth smiled at them, but she could see that Becki didn't feel well and she was trying to hide it.

"Cam, this is Grandma and Grandpa. Mom, Dad, this is my son, Campbell."

Cam shyly looked at his grandparents but kept his head on Becki's shoulders.

Elizabeth stepped away, giving them time. She didn't want to be in the way.

"Elizabeth?" Becki called as she left the room.

"Yes?"

"Can we talk?"

"Of course. Why don't you all go into the office? It might be quieter than the living room since everyone else is in there. Maybe we can have coffee later."

She nodded and wiped a stray tear. She winced as she put Cam down who promptly started crying and holding on to her. "Baby, I can't hold you. Mama's back hurts."

"Mama!"

Cheryl knelt down in front of Cam but he yelled and reached for Becki.

Elizabeth walked over and picked up Cam. "Sweetie, please calm down."

"Mama Beth, I don't want to go see her," he said, looking at Cheryl.

"Why don't we all go into the office?" She carried Cam in as they all walked down the hall. "My name is Elizabeth Grant."

"Grant…so…you are Cam's father's wife?" Rick asked, putting it together.

"Yes, sir."

"I'm Rick Stewart and this is my wife, Cheryl."

"Nice to meet both of you. Would either of you like coffee or tea?" She put Cam down but he reached for her again. "You stay in here, love. Mama is right here with you."

Becki sat down on the couch and reached for Cam. "Come here, baby."

"We will take coffee, if it's not too much trouble," Cheryl requested.

"Of course."

Elizabeth wandered into the kitchen and filled the coffee pot and then started tea for Becki. She looked miserable and Elizabeth knew that when she felt bad, she liked Ginger tea.

"Hey," Nathan said, walking up behind her. "Merry Christmas," he said, pressing his lips to hers.

"Mm. You already said that like ten times this morning." She giggled, kissing him again.

"Any excuse I have to kiss you…"

"You don't need an excuse, babe."

"In that case…" He went to kiss her again but she stopped him.

"Nathan, Becki is here with her parents and your son is having a hard time."

"Cam? He's so friendly to everyone."

"Not today. He is being super clingy and doesn't want to even talk to them."

"Should I go in there?"

"No, because he won't want you to leave. I just wanted you to know."

"Ginger tea….Becki having a rough day?"

"Yeah. She's trying to hide it."

He remembered the pain that came with chemo. He hadn't had radiation so he didn't know that aspect of it. "I think I should go in there. Dealing with a grumpy almost four year old won't be easy."

"I can't do this!" Becki shouted, hurrying past the kitchen, Cam crying and following her.

"Cam, come here," Nathan told him, scooping him up.

Elizabeth followed after Becki who had gone outside without a coat. She grabbed a coat and a blanket and found her on the swing.

"Becki? What's going on?"

"I knew this would happen. The moment they met Cam they said that we should come live in Australia with them. I'm not going there. I have a home in Hope Valley. I have a job. I can take care of us."

Elizabeth put the coat around her shoulders and the blanket over her lap. "Becks…."

"Please don't say you agree with them…your tone…"

"I don't want you to go either and Nathan will be broken without Cam closer but…you aren't going to be able to work right away after treatment ends…"

"This isn't fair. Cam hates them and I'm his mother. I want to take care of him."

"Can I play devil's advocate for a second?" she asked, holding Becki's hand.

"I guess." She wiped her cheek with her free hand.

"Do you think that maybe Cam is picking up on your nervousness with them being here and that's why he's acting up?"

"So it's my fault."

"Maybe a tiny bit. It seems like you had made up your mind to fight them so maybe he is doing the same."

"You might be right."

"However, running out of the room instead of talking to them might not be a good move."

Evie brought out a cup of steaming ginger tea and handed it to Becki.

"Thanks, Eve."

"You're welcome."

"So I can tell you're in pain," Elizabeth mentioned.

"I thought I was hiding it pretty good." She should have known she couldn't pull one over on her best friend.

"Your stomach?"

"And back and head…I'm exhausted. And scared."

"Of what?"

"That I won't be able to make it through the rest of my treatments. And what if I do but the cancer isn't gone?"

"First of all, don't worry about things that might not happen. Next, take it one treatment at a time. Rely on your parents while they are here. Don't fight them when they are offering to help you."

"Please don't let them take Cam away from Nathan, Beth."

"What are you talking about, Becki?"

"If I die, don't let them take him. I want him with Nathan and you."

"Sweetie, you aren't going to die. You are going to survive this. I won't have it any other way."

Becki laughed. "Not sure cancer listens to Mama Beth."

"Maybe not, but I refuse to lose you."

Evie was nervous. Her first real date with the boy she liked. She put a long sweater on over her t-shirt and then pulled her hair back in a messy ponytail.

"Are you gonna kiss him?" Allie asked from the bed where she watched.

"No. It's our first date."

"Lots of girls kiss on the first date."

"Not me. I promised."

"Promised Aunt Beth?"

"Yes."

"If you do, will you tell me what its like?" Allie asked. "I'm afraid I'll never get kissed."

"Al, you have lots of time to meet the right boy to kiss. But yes, when it happens, I will tell you."

"Thanks."

That night was a challenging, yet wonderful one for Evie. If she was older and had another date to compare it to, she might feel differently, but it was perfect.

The challenging part came when it was time to go on a hayride. They had been enjoying the bonfire, made s'mores, drank hot chocolate…but on the hayride, the two of them were the only ones who wanted to go.

She didn't know that until the tractor started going.

"Are we the only ones?" she asked, suddenly very nervous. She had promised to not go off alone.

"Looks like it."

"I…I've never been on a hay ride," she admitted. She didn't add the "with a boy" part.

"No? It's pretty fun." He sat back against the back of the wagon and crossed his feet. "Are you nervous?"

"Yeah. I sort of told my aunt that I wouldn't be alone with you."

"Oh. New guy and all?"

"Yeah. Sort of my first date."

"Ah."

She sat back against the wagon like him and looked up at the stars. It was so cold and the stars were bright.

"Can I hold your hand?"

She wanted him to, very badly. He had at the bonfire. "Sure."

He took her hand and threaded their fingers together.

"Ever had a girlfriend, Kevin?" she asked shyly.

"Yeah. Back at my old school."

She nodded.

"But, we broke up last year. Like six months ago." He squeezed her hand and smiled. "Listen, she wasn't okay with what I want to do for a living. Not that I really thought that we would always be together but she said that the Air Force was too dangerous."

"I think the Air Force is a wonderful goal. I'm proud of you."

His eyes searched hers, searching deep for genuineness. "You're proud of me?"

"Yes. I know we don't know each other very well, but the minute you said that's what you wanted to do, I felt like I would support you in that. I mean, if we were still together when it was time for you to go."

"I'm glad I met you, Evelyn Thatcher."

"Me too."

"Would you go to a movie with me sometime?"

"Yes but we have to go in a group."

"Okay. We could bring some of our siblings."

"Sounds perfect."

At the end of the night, she didn't regret anything. They had not kissed, even though his lips had grazed her cheek. They had been alone on the hayride but not by choice, even though she had enjoyed talking to only him. They had made plans for a second date and even though there wasn't an actual kiss, she had a lot to tell Al.

Christmas was wonderful for everyone involved. Becki and her parents spent the day with Nathan and Elizabeth and their family which included three sets of grandparents.

They had all worn matching pajamas thanks to Charlotte, Elizabeth's former mother-in-law. Pictures had been taken and lots of pancakes were eaten.

Nathan loved seeing all the kids and grandparents laughing and having a good time just being together. It took a good forty minutes to open all the gifts and when all was said and done, he couldn't think of anything else he could have wanted.

Becki and her parents took Cam back to the rental house in Lansing so they could spend some time together.

Becki talked to Cam about her parents and let him know that they were fun and nice, trying to keep it lighthearted. She knew they didn't mean anything but loving things when they mentioned her and Cam moving to Australia. She told them that it was out of the question, but that she appreciated their concern.

They hadn't mentioned it since.

As December turned into January, preparations were finished up to finalize Allie's adoption.

On January 2nd, everyone gathered at the Grand Haven courthouse, including William and Grace and Nathan's parents.

"Do you, Nathan and Elizabeth Grant, under oath, understand that you are now jointly responsible for the raising of Allison Marie Grant?"

"Yes, your honor," they said in unison.

"Do you understand that you are under obligation to support Allison, emotionally and physically, promising to always have her best interests in mind?"

"Yes, your honor," they agreed.

"Allison, do you agree that this is what you want? To have Nathan and Elizabeth as your parents?"

"Yes, your honor."

"This court therefore finds that the adoption petitioned before me is in fact in Allison's best interest. Congratulations!"

He pounded his gavel and gave them a big smile.

After many pictures were taken with Evie's camera and the adoption decree was signed by the judge, the whole family headed to Pedro's, a Mexican restaurant downtown, to celebrate.