Rosemary's face was a mixture of joy and uncertainty as she stared at Carson. "Are you totally, completely sure?" she asked in a hoarse whisper. Elizabeth wrapped an arm around her friend, knowing how desperately she wanted a baby and how afraid she was to let herself hope for something that might not be true.
Carson placed a hand on Rosemary's shoulder. "I'm sure," he said quietly. "I would never get your hopes up in vain, Rosemary."
Tears splashed down Rosemary's cheeks before she broke into sobs, holding onto Elizabeth tightly. Her emotions poured out in her tears, laughing and crying at the same time. Her cries must have been heard outside, because Lee came rushing into the house. "What is it? What's wrong?" he asked, looking panicked. Rosemary couldn't speak, but she threw herself into her husband's arms. Lee looked at Carson. "What happened? Is she sick?"
Carson chuckled and shook his head. "No, Lee, she's not sick. She's fine. But I'll let her do the explaining." He smiled and quietly exited the house.
Lee tried to get Rosemary to speak, but all she could do was shake her head. Elizabeth knew Lee had to be confused by Rosemary's simultaneous laughter and tears. Finally, Rosemary calmed enough to speak. She put her hands tenderly on Lee's face. "We should go talk at home," she said. Shooting a smile at Elizabeth, she continued. "We have something wonderful to discuss. And I think Elizabeth has something she would like to talk to Nathan about too."
Elizabeth nodded, feeling the joy all over again. Rosemary smiled and embraced her friend. When she pulled back, she said, "We'll talk soon, all four of us. How about dinner at our place tomorrow night?"
"That sounds perfect," Elizabeth said.
Rosemary nodded. "And can you come by around 2:00 this afternoon for tea? I think the two of us have a lot of talk about as well."
Elizabeth hugged her friend again. "I'll be there."
"Wonderful." Rosemary took Lee's arm. Her poor husband still looked confused, but he let himself be led to the door. "Bye, Elizabeth!" he said. "I guess we'll see you for dinner tomorrow."
Elizabeth smiled to herself, knowing that Lee was about to be the happiest man alive.
Well, one of the happiest.
Nathan came through the door, watching as Lee and Rosemary left. "Is everything alright?" he asked, his eyes anxious. "How are you doing? How is Rosemary?"
"We're both fine," Elizabeth said, wanting to reassure him. Jack and Allie came bolting into the house, chattering away, and Elizabeth placed a hand on Nathan's cheek. "Can we talk more when the kids are in bed?"
Nathan looked confused, but he nodded. "Rosemary mentioned on her way out that you two were going to have tea later. Would you like me to make dinner so you're not rushed?"
Elizabeth smiled at him, loving his thoughtfulness. "That would be lovely, Nathan. Thank you."
He came closer, wrapping his arms around her and searching her eyes. "Are you sure you're alright?"
"Yes, sweetheart, I'm alright. I'm more than alright. Carson assured me that I'm perfectly healthy." She brushed a stray lock of hair from his forehead as he continued to look unconvinced. "Trust me?"
Nathan nodded slowly. He breathed in deeply, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "I trust you."
"Thank you, Nathan. I promise we'll talk tonight."
He smiled at her, then turned his attention to Jack, who was clamoring for his daddy to build blocks with him. Nathan allowed himself to be tugged over to the floor, sitting next to Jack as his son gave him play-by-play instructions on how to build a castle.
Elizabeth retreated to a chair, picking up her journal from the side table and getting into a comfortable position. She couldn't stop the smile that filled her face as she started writing.
I feel so blessed. Not only do I have a wonderful husband, a lovely daughter, and a sweet son, but there is a tiny baby growing inside of me, a child who will be a part of both me and Nathan. It makes me laugh on the inside to think of the conversation Nathan and I had the morning after our wedding. I said it might be nice to wait, but now that I know I'm pregnant I wouldn't have it any other way. I haven't told Nathan or the children yet, but I know they're going to be thrilled. Allie and Jack have already named their "sister" before even knowing she exists. Personally, I will be happy with a boy or a girl.
Even only knowing for half an hour that I'm pregnant, I love this child deeply. I was amazed at how fast I fell in love with baby Jack after knowing I was pregnant, and it's the same with this baby. I guess a mother's love truly is something that starts from the moment she knows her child exists. It will be a long seven months to wait for this baby to be born.
I can't wait to tell Nathan tonight. He's already a wonderful father to our two children, and I'm excited to see how he handles having a newborn. To be honest, I'm looking forward to having someone by my side while raising this child, someone who will be there with me every step of the way. I had a lot of support with baby Jack, but I keenly missed having my husband beside me to experience it together. This time, I have Nathan.
I couldn't be happier. Life has a way of turning out even better than you expected, and I can certainly say that has been the case for me. And to make things even more exciting, Rosemary is pregnant too! After over a year of heartache, hoping that she will have a child, it has finally happened. How fun that she and I will experience these pregnancies together! Never in my wildest dreams would I have thought it possible.
Elizabeth paused in her writing and looked up. Nathan was still playing with Jack on the floor, while Allie read a book on the settee. Nathan felt her look and returned it, a soft smile on his face. The look sent butterflies scurrying through Elizabeth's stomach, and she felt positively giddy at the thought of telling him that he was about to become a father.
"Goodness, Elizabeth!" Rosemary exclaimed over a cup of tea. "What did you do, get pregnant on your wedding night again?"
Elizabeth chuckled. "I was as surprised as you are. Nathan and I were planning to take things slowly, though in the past couple of weeks we were thinking it might be nice to welcome a baby quickly."
Rosemary nodded. "Nathan is going to be an amazing father." She laughed outright. "And I get the sense he's going to go into full protective mode. That man will do anything to protect the people he loves, and he'll want to protect you from everything while you're carrying his child."
Elizabeth shook her head. "I'm sure we'll be just fine. What could he possibly need to protect us from?" She grinned. "Besides my cravings, of course."
Rosemary wrinkled her nose. "I hope you have different cravings than you did with little Jack. Those were weird."
"Just you wait," Elizabeth told her. "You're going to start getting some really weird cravings too. Lee had better watch out!" She leaned forward. "So, how did he take the news?"
Rosemary smiled softly. "He's walking on air, Elizabeth. I've never seen him so happy. He was speechless for a full minute, and then he pulled me into a hug and we started dancing around yelling in our joy." She sighed. "It was wonderful."
"And how do you feel?" Elizabeth asked. "I know you've been wanting this for so long."
Her friend's eyes were glowing with a radiant light. "Elizabeth, I can't even begin to describe how happy I am. This is a dream come true. I get to be a biological mother." Her eyes softened. "But do you know what the best part of this is? If I had gotten pregnant any sooner, Lee and I never would have adopted our precious Fred. And in the short time he has been with us, I love that little boy fiercely. So I'm thankful that it took us this long to conceive. Now we have the double blessing of our little boy and a baby on the way." She placed her hands over her stomach, a look of wonder in her eyes. "I already can't wait to meet this little one."
"I understand the feeling!" Elizabeth said emphatically. "I am already so curious as to who this baby will be, whether it's a boy or girl, who he or she will look like and act like. I have so many questions that won't be answered for a long time." She sighed. "Is it just me, or are seven months a long time to wait?"
"It's an eternity!" Rosemary said dramatically, prompting laughter from Elizabeth.
"Does Fred know yet?" Elizabeth asked.
Rosemary nodded. "He was so excited. I'm not sure who's more thrilled about this pregnancy, Lee or Fred!"
Elizabeth took Rosemary's hand, looking directly into her eyes. "I want you to know that I'm beyond happy for you, Rosemary. This child is so blessed to have you and Lee as parents."
Tears sprang to Rosemary's eyes, but she blinked them back and smiled. "Thank you, Elizabeth. I could say the same about your little one. Having you for a mother and Nathan for a father is a blessing indeed." Sipping her tea again, she placed it on the saucer and eyed Elizabeth. "So, when are you going to tell Nathan?"
"After the kids are in bed," Elizabeth said. "He offered to cook tonight so that you and I could have our girl time, and then we'll put the kids to bed and have our talk. It took some convincing to show him there was nothing to worry about. He's been following me like a puppy all afternoon, asking every few minutes if I'm feeling alright." She chuckled. "I think I can safely say he was hovering."
Rosemary laughed. "See? He's already protective, and he doesn't even know you're pregnant yet!" She settled back against the settee. "I can't wait to see how he acts once he does know!"
"You and me both," Elizabeth said with a smile. Truth be told, she was excited to see Nathan's protective side make an appearance.
Nathan paced in the living room, waiting for Elizabeth to come down the stairs for their talk. He had offered to put the children to bed, but she had insisted on doing it, telling him to go relax for a bit.
As if he could.
She had told him not to worry, but that was all he'd been able to do. If she wasn't sick, then why were they waiting until now to have their talk, without the children around? Nathan's mind kept coming up with different scenarios, none of which he liked. Taking deep breaths to calm his mind, he reminded himself that Elizabeth wanted him to trust her. So he would. Running his hands through his hair, he sat heavily on the settee, rocking it slightly as his full weight hit it all at once.
"I don't think I've seen the settee move quite like that before," Elizabeth commented from behind him. Nathan jumped up again, startled at her sudden appearance. He forced a smile, still feeling the anxiety pulsing through him. He went to stand in front of her, taking her into his arms.
"Elizabeth, I know you didn't want me to worry, but I'm afraid I haven't done a very good job of that today." He studied her. "What's going on?"
She smiled, and as he looked into her eyes, he saw several things hidden there. Peace. Joy. Contentment. That made him breathe a little easier.
Elizabeth tugged him over to the settee. "Let's sit," she suggested. Once they were settled, Nathan saw that Elizabeth's eyes were twinkling. She tilted her head, holding his hand to her heart. "Do you remember our conversation right after we got married? About how we wanted to wait a bit before having a baby?"
"Yes…" he said slowly, wondering where she was going with this.
Her eyes didn't leave his. "And do you remember how you asked me if it was possible for me to conceive on our wedding night?"
His heart started pounding in his chest, an excitement building. "Yes…" he said again, his voice sounding breathless to his own ears.
She gave a happy laugh. "Well it would appear that I did, Nathan. Or very close to our wedding night, at least."
Nathan took several shallow breaths before answering. "You mean you...we...a baby? You're pregnant?"
"I'm pregnant," she confirmed, a beatific smile breaking free.
Nathan let out a whoop, standing and pulling her up with him. He lifted her into his arms, swinging her around. "We're going to have a baby!" Just as quickly, he set her down carefully. "Did I hurt you just now? Is that okay?"
Elizabeth laughed out loud, placing a hand on his cheek. "Rosemary and I talked about you being protective," she said, a wide smile on her face. "I'm not going to break just because I'm pregnant, Nathan. I can still do anything I've done before, and you can swing me around all you want."
He grinned and lifted her up once more, this time holding her and cradling her in his arms. He rested his forehead against hers, awe filling him. "A baby," he said softly. "Our baby." They settled on the settee again, and Nathan wrapped one arm around Elizabeth while he spread his other hand across her stomach. "Our own little blessing."
Elizabeth looked up at him, kissing his cheek. "A blend of you and me."
Nathan moved his hand over Elizabeth's stomach gently, feeling a strong desire to hold their child already. He looked at his wife. "How long until we meet this little one?"
She smiled. "Seven months. It will be an exercise in patience."
Nathan leaned down to press a kiss to her belly, kissing both her and the baby. "It'll be worth the wait." He straightened and pressed his lips to Elizabeth's, feeling wonder that his wife had the awesome task of nurturing and growing their tiny baby in her womb. "Thank you," he whispered. "Thank you for being a safe place for this child to grow." He pulled her into his arms, resting his head against hers as she rested against his shoulder.
Nathan felt a happiness that he hadn't known was possible coursing through him. He was going to be a father. He didn't have much experience with newborns, but he couldn't wait to find out what it was like to have one. He was excited to see how Jack and Allie reacted to the happy news. They had been asking for a sibling for a while, and now they were going to get one.
Life didn't get much better than this.