A gentle knock sounded at the door, and Nathan opened it to find Lee and Rosemary standing there. "Come on in," he said, stepping aside so they could enter. Elizabeth went to hug Rosemary while Lee handed the casserole to Nathan.

"Where is she?" Rosemary asked, eyes wide. "We couldn't believe it when we heard you'd given birth so early!"

Elizabeth led Rosemary to the cradle, where Kathleen was sleeping peacefully. "Oh!" Rosemary said, her hands lifting to cover her mouth. "Oh, Elizabeth, she's beautiful! And so tiny."

Adjusting the hot water bottle next to her daughter, Elizabeth smiled. "We think so too, though we might be a little biased about how lovely she is."

Rosemary shook her head. "She's most definitely a beautiful baby." She tilted her head, studying the sleeping child. "You know, I think she looks like the perfect combination of you and Nathan."

Elizabeth chuckled. "Well, I guess that settles the debate," she said, her eyes sparkling. "Nathan and I were talking about that a little bit ago. He thinks she looks like me, and I think she looks like him."

"She definitely looks like both of you," Rosemary declared. "And I'm sure that will only become more evident as she grows."

Lee peeked into the bassinet over Rosemary's shoulder. "What a precious baby," he said, his hand unconsciously going to Rosemary's stomach to rest on their child. "You must be so relieved that she's alright."

Nathan came to stand beside Elizabeth, and she leaned into him as he put his arm around her. "We are," she said fervently. "I was so scared when I went into labor, but all that seems like a distant memory now that she's here with us." She gazed down at her daughter. "Kathleen has a long way to go, but we're hopeful that she's a fighter."

"She is definitely a fighter," Nathan said, pulling Elizabeth closer. "And she's going to pull through this. Carson said the biggest thing will be keeping her warm, helping her regulate her body temperature since she won't be able to do that on her own yet."

"How long will that take?" Lee asked.

Elizabeth shrugged. "We're not sure. It could be a month, it could be a few months. It'll depend on how quickly she grows."

"Was she able to eat on her own?" Rosemary asked.

Elizabeth nodded. "It took her a few tries, but she got the hang of it at the infirmary. That was another weight off my shoulders. I was worried she might not be able to nurse, but she's going just fine."

Rosemary reached out to squeeze Elizabeth's hand. "I'm glad it all worked out," she said softly. "I don't know if I would have been as calm as you are in the same situation."

Elizabeth smiled. "Rosemary, you are a very strong woman. I think you would have handled it just fine."

As the men moved to the kitchen to get the casserole heated, Rosemary and Elizabeth sat on the settee. Elizabeth made sure Kathleen was well in her line of sight as she talked with her friend. "How have you been feeling, Rosemary? Is the baby growing well?"

Rosemary nodded. "I just had a checkup with Carson, and he said everything looks good. The baby is at the right size and the heartbeat is strong and consistent." She looked at Kathleen, shaking her head in wonder. "It amazes me to think that my baby is the same size as she is. Except Kathleen's out here and mine is still growing. Do you think they'll be the same size when this one is born, or will Kathleen grow more quickly since she's already born?"

"That's a good question," Elizabeth said. "I honestly don't know. I hope Kathleen grows relatively quickly. She's so small and feels like she weighs no more than a feather."

Rosemary was quiet for a moment. "You know, Elizabeth, I meant what I said about you being calm. First you saved Opal's life, then almost lost your child." She shook her head. "You are one of the bravest women I know. I want to be like you when I grow up."

Elizabeth laughed. "That's sweet of you to say. But I will admit I felt anything but strong as I was crying in the moments after Kathleen was born. I felt a terror unlike anything I'd ever felt before. There's something terrifying about the thought of losing your child." She was quiet for nearly a minute. "It made me think of Abigail and the other widows who lost their children in the mining accident. It's one thing to lose a spouse - and don't get me wrong, losing Jack was one of the hardest things I've gone through. But to lose a child…" Her voice trailed off. "I can't even imagine. I think it would have broken me."

"Maybe for a time," Rosemary said softly. "But you and Nathan would have pulled through it together. Maybe not right away, maybe not for a long time. But you would have kept living your life, Elizabeth, just like you did after Jack died. And eventually you would have had another child, and maybe that would have eased the ache. Much like the way you've healed from Jack's death and been given a second chance to love again with Nathan. You've never been happier, Elizabeth, and it does my heart good to see you living again." She smiled. "And you never have to know what it would be like to lose your Kathleen. She's here and she's healthy. You were given a beautiful gift."

"Indeed," Elizabeth agreed, nodding. "I am so thankful for my little girl." She leaned over, hugging Rosemary. "And I'm thankful for wonderful friends like you who have stood by my side all these years. A rock in the storms of life."

Rosemary chuckled. "I'm not sure how I feel about being called a rock, but I know what you mean." She smiled. "And I could say the same for you."

Elizabeth laughed. "Who would have thought when we first met that we'd become such good friends?"

"Oh goodness, definitely not me!" Rosemary exclaimed. "I was so jealous of you, but I'm glad we got past that. We were made to be friends."

"I couldn't agree more," Elizabeth said, beyond grateful to have a friend like Rosemary in her life.

A week later, Nathan came home whistling. He had picked up some supplies from the mercantile to make dinner, and he opened the front door and made his way to the kitchen, placing the groceries on the counter. They had received lots of food from their neighbors and friends, but this morning Elizabeth had said she was craving beef stew, something they didn't have in the house. Nathan decided he would make it for her and had bought the necessary ingredients.

Looking around, he wondered where Elizabeth might be. He wandered toward their room and stopped short in the doorway.

Elizabeth was sitting in the rocking chair near their bed, Kathleen asleep in the bassinet next to her. She had some sort of contraption attached to her chest that made a gentle whirring sound. "What in the world is that?" Nathan asked.

She looked up, greeting him with a tired smile. "A breast pump," she answered. "Kathleen hasn't been eating enough to empty the milk from my breasts during her feeding times, and they've been getting engorged. I thought this might help."

Nathan winced. "That sounds painful," he said.

Elizabeth nodded. "It is," she said wryly. "Hopefully this helps. I used it when I went back to work after Jack was born. It allowed Laura to feed him using my milk. Thankfully I never got rid of it after Jack was weaned."

Nathan watched as her milk dripped into the container. "Does this mean I can feed Kathleen when you have milk pumped?" he asked.

Elizabeth smiled. "Yes, it does. In fact, you can do that now." She pointed to a bottle sitting on the dresser as their daughter started to let out soft, mewling cries. Nathan carefully picked her up, then sat on the bed and offered her the bottle. Kathleen began eating quickly, her little mouth puckering around the bottle. She looked up at Nathan as she ate, her blue eyes fixed on him.

Nathan's heart felt full. He bent down to tenderly place a kiss on his daughter's soft cheek. It felt like kissing a rose petal. "I love you, baby girl," he whispered.

Elizabeth finished pumping and readjusted her clothing. She leaned back, watching Nathan with a smile. "Seeing you with our little girl has made me fall in love with you even more," she said, her eyes soft. "You're an amazing father, Nathan. Just like I knew you'd be."

He felt his cheeks darkening at her compliment, but he smiled back at her. "Seeing you as a new mother has been a revelation," he said. "I've fallen more in love with you as well."

Elizabeth laughed gently. "It's funny, isn't it? We're both exhausted and trying to keep our baby girl warm and well fed, and somehow we're falling more in love in the process."

Nathan nodded reflectively. "Maybe it's because this goes beyond the feelings. This love feels more sacrificial and therefore deeper."

Standing, Elizabeth placed the pump and the container of milk on the dresser, then walked over to Nathan, framing his face in her hands. She leaned down and kissed him, her lips moving over his slowly and tenderly. Though his arms were occupied, Nathan returned her kiss with equal tenderness. Elizabeth pulled back and ran a hand through his hair. "I'll go get dinner ready," she said.

Nathan shook his head. "Not tonight, Elizabeth. You were up most of the night with Kathleen. Maybe the two of you should take a nap together."

Elizabeth raised a brow. "A nap?"

Placing the bottle aside, Nathan nodded. "Why don't we get Kathleen swaddled against you, and you can sleep until dinner?"

"That does sound lovely," Elizabeth admitted, undoing the buttons on her blouse as Nathan unwrapped Kathleen from her blanket. He handed the baby to Elizabeth, who placed her firmly against her chest. Nathan picked up a heavy blanket, wrapping it around both of them until they were swaddled together, then helped Elizabeth lay down. He placed pillows around her so that she would remain on her back while she and Kathleen slept. Kissing her forehead, he smiled as he saw her eyes close with a soft sigh.

Going to the kitchen, Nathan set about preparing the simple dinner of stew and bread. He knew it would take a couple hours for the stew to finish, so once it was simmering on the stove, he went out to do his afternoon rounds. Nothing was out of the ordinary, so he stopped by his office before going home. He wanted to call Jack and Allie to see how they were doing.

Florence patched him through to Hamilton, and William Thatcher's voice came on the line. "Nathan. How are you holding up, son?"

Nathan felt a little lump in his throat at William's use of the word "son". His relationship with his father-in-law was better than he ever would have expected it to be, and for that he was exceedingly grateful. "I'm doing fine," he said. "And Elizabeth has been a real trooper. She gets less than a couple hours of sleep at a time each night, but she is pushing through and caring for Kathleen with a determination that leaves me in awe."

William chuckled. "That's Elizabeth. Always caring for others." His voice softened. "Especially her own children."

"Speaking of children," Nathan said. "Are Jack and Allie nearby? I'd love to talk to them."

"Yes, of course," William replied. "Jack is right here with me. Hold on." Nathan could hear William saying to Jack, "Your daddy is on the phone. Want to say hello?" Nathan heard Jack's enthusiastic "Yes!" and seconds later his little voice came on the line.

"Hi, Daddy!"

The lump grew in Nathan's throat. He missed his little boy more than he thought possible. "Hey, buddy!" he said. "I miss you."

"Miss you too," Jack said. "We come home soon?"

"Yeah, soon," Nathan replied. "One more week, Jack. Grandpa William and Grandma Grace are going to bring you home in their car. You'll be able to see Mama and Kathleen then."

"How Kaf'ween?" Jack asked. He didn't know what was going on, but he did know something had happened with his baby sister.

"Kathleen is doing good," Nathan said with a smile. "She's getting better all the time."

"How Mama?"

"Mama is good too, buddy. She misses you a lot."

"I miss Mama," Jack pronounced. Nathan could hear voices in the background, and Jack giggled. "I go see Auntie Ju'wee," he said. "Bye, Daddy!"

"Bye, Jack," Nathan said. "I love you."

"Wuv you too!"

Allie came on the line next, sounding out of breath. "Hi, Dad!" she said.

"Hey, sweetheart. How are you?"

"Good," she replied. "I was just in the gardens with Grandma Grace, and heard that you were on the phone, so I came running." Nathan could hear the smile in her voice. "I love being in Hamilton, but I'm ready to come home. This is going to be a long week."

Nathan chuckled. "It's going to be a long week for us too," he said. "Your mom and I miss you very much."

"How is Mom?" Allie asked. "Is she exhausted? Grandma Grace said caring for a newborn leaves mothers tired."

"Yes, she's exhausted," Nathan said honestly. "Right now she's at home taking a nap. But hopefully Kathleen starts sleeping more as she gets stronger."

There was a pause on the other end. "Is she getting stronger?" Allie asked tentatively. "You're not just saying that to make us feel better?"

Nathan heard the concern in her voice. "Kathleen is getting stronger every day, Allie. She's small, but she's a fighter. We're keeping her warm, and she's eating well. She's going to be fine."

Allie let out a sigh of relief. "I'm glad to hear that," she said. "I've been so worried that we would never get to meet her."

Nathan nodded, understanding completely. "We were worried about that too for a short time," he said gently. "But your sister is going to be strong and healthy, Allie. We're excited for you and Jack to meet her."

"I'm excited to meet her too," Allie said. "It's so neat knowing I have a sister." Nathan once again heard voices in the background, and he heard Jack calling to Allie. Allie said something back, then spoke to Nathan again. "Dad, I have to go. We're about to go to dinner."

"Alright, sweetheart," Nathan said. "Have fun. I love you."

"I love you too." They said their goodbyes, then hung up. Nathan sat looking at the phone for a few moments, missing his children tremendously. He couldn't wait until next week when they finally came home.

He stood and placed his hat on his head. The stew should just about be ready, and he was ready to get home to his wife and daughter.