The next month seemed to pass quickly. In that month, Jack and I celebrated the one year anniversary of our first official date, and I reached the beginning of the third trimester of my pregnancy. Before I knew it, it was nearing the end of March, almost time for Spring Break.

A few days before the break began, I came home to find Jack's suitcase sitting in the middle of our room. He hadn't mentioned anything to me about going anywhere, and I immediately thought the worst. He hadn't been called out of town since right after our wedding, and it seemed to be about time for him to be called away again.

I slowly came down the stairs, a knot forming in my stomach. "Jack?" I eventually found him on the back porch, relaxing on the swing. I quietly sat beside him, resting my hand on his knee. I took a deep breath. "Jack, why is your suitcase out? Are you leaving again? How long is it for this time?"

"I'm not leaving without you, Elizabeth."

I looked at him curiously. "What do you mean by that?"

"I know I should've talked to you about it first, but we're going on a little trip."

"Jack…" I brought my hand to my stomach. "I don't know if I can—"

He cut me off. "We aren't going far. I just thought that, since you didn't want to travel to Vancouver at six months pregnant, maybe we could still take a trip for Spring Break, but somewhere closer to home. No planes and less walking."

I leaned into him, resting my head on his shoulder. "Are you going to tell me where we're going on this surprise trip?"

"The cabin."

"Where we spent our honeymoon?"

"Yes." He kissed the top of my head. "Is that okay?"

I smiled, tilting my head up to kiss him. "That sounds like just the getaway we need. One last trip before the baby comes."

He slid his arm around me, his hand on my waist. "It's just for a few days. Abigail and Cody have already agreed to stop by and take care of the dogs while we're gone. Then when we get back, I thought we could spend the rest of the break getting the nursery ready."

I rubbed my stomach, the baby shifting slightly inside of me. "I can't believe we're just about three months away from meeting our baby."

"Then the humans will finally outnumber the dogs in this house. It's been a tie for far too long."

I laughed quietly. "How do you think the dogs will do with a baby around?"

"Honestly, Rip probably won't even notice there's a baby in the house. He'll just keep sleeping all the time. He'll probably even be able to sleep through the baby crying." He chuckled. "Now, Bronte, on the other hand, I could imagine Bronte being protective of the baby."

I nodded, bringing my other hand to my stomach. "I could see that. She'll probably want to sleep next to the crib."

"We can put a nice cozy rug by the crib for her to curl up on."

"That's a good idea." I stifled a yawn.

"Let's get you to bed."

"No, I'm fine."

"Beth," he put his hand on my stomach, "you're exhausted. The baby needs you to rest."

He helped me up from the swing, and I leaned against him as we headed inside and up the stairs.

"What are you going to do once the baby is born and you can't use him to convince me to do things?"

He kissed my forehead and smirked. "Oh, just because the baby won't be inside of you anymore doesn't mean I can't use it to convince you to do things." He pulled the quilt up to my chin. "Now please, rest. I'll make dinner tonight."

...

When I arrived home after school on Friday, I found our bags packed and waiting by the door.

Jack walked over and kissed my cheek. "Hi, Beth. Everything is ready to go, so we can head out whenever you're ready."

"Just give me fifteen minutes."

"Take your time."

An hour and a half later, we pulled up in front of the small cabin.

I walked to the far wall while Jack carried our bags to the bedroom. He had somehow been able to secure the same exact cabin where we spent the first few days of our marriage. The view of the woods out the wall of windows was different in the early spring than it had been in the late summer, but it was just as beautiful as I remembered.

Jack stepped up behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist and resting his hands on my stomach. "You know, this may very well be the exact place where this baby of ours was made."

I felt a blush rise in my face. "Well, not right here."

"Did we not…?"

"Not here. There was the one time by the fireplace, but never right here…" I trailed off when he started laughing. "And, you're kidding, aren't you?"

"Yes." He kissed my cheek.

"We'll have to bring the little one back here someday, I guess." I laughed, putting my hands on top of his. "But we don't necessarily need to tell him why this place is so special to us."

He turned me around to face him, touching his nose to mine. "That can just be our little secret." He sighed contentedly, running his fingers through my hair. "We have so many wonderful memories from this place."

I nodded. "The very best memories." I wrapped my arms around him. "So, what do you have planned for us while we're here?"

"A little hiking—but not too much. I know it's getting harder for you to be on your feet."

"Is that all?"

"Oh no, Mrs. Thornton." He kissed me softly. "I have lots of plans for us. I thought we could curl up in front of that nice fireplace that we love so much, and maybe we can make use of the big bathtub later."

I leaned into him. "That sounds heavenly."

...

We spent the days exploring the woods around the cabin, even making our way down to the waterfall one afternoon. The trip was all so reminiscent of our honeymoon—cooking together in the small kitchen, dancing around the living room, just being together without the obligations of work or friends.

Jack's fingers moved beneath my shirt, brushing across my bare stomach. "Are you ready to go back to the real world tomorrow?"

I sighed, leaning into him. "No. In the real world, I have to share you. I like having you all to myself." I reached up and touched his cheek. "Thank you for planning this, Jack. It's been wonderful."

He kissed the top of my head. "I'll take any excuse to hide away with you for a few days." He chuckled softly when the baby kicked at his hands. "We should try to keep up with little trips like this after the baby is born, make sure we spend some time with just the two of us."

"Yes, please." I smiled as he pulled me further into his embrace, his arms feeling warm and comforting. "Hey, babe?"

"Hmm?"

"I love you."

"I love you, too."

...

"Thank you both for coming over to help us set up the nursery."

"Oh, it's our pleasure. Besides, we're basically experts, since we just set up a nursery not that long ago." Rosemary looked down at her daughter sleeping in her arms and smiled. "I'm just going to put her down, and then I'll have my hands free to help."

Jack and Lee started unpacking the parts for the crib, setting them out on one side of the room. I started working on a small set of shelves, trying to avoid any of the boxes containing things that would be too heavy for me to lift.

Within a few hours, all of the furniture had been put together. I held Alina against my chest while I instructed Jack and Lee on where to place everything.

After Lee and Rosemary returned home, I put the finishing touches on the baby's room. I put sheets on the crib mattress, folded tiny clothes and blankets, and lined up books on the shelves.

I smiled as I settled into the glider in the corner, looking around the room that would house our baby in just a few months. The crib was placed against one wall, opposite a small dresser that doubled as a changing table. The dresser drawers were mostly empty save for a few outfits that I had picked up here and there over the past few months.

I found my hands drawn to my stomach as I imagined myself rocking my baby and putting him to bed in that room. Would he look more like Jack or like me? Would he be a mix of us? Would he be adventurous or calm or shy? Would the baby actually be a girl, negating the gut feeling I had been having for the entire pregnancy?

"Hi, little one. We finished your room today, so I guess we're almost ready for you to come now. I love feeling you in my belly, but I can't wait until I can hold you and snuggle you close. And I can't wait until I can see your daddy holding you. He loves you so much already, and he is going to be the very best dad."

"And you're going to be the very best mom." Jack grinned from the doorway.

"We're getting so close, Jack. We're almost parents."

"We are." He nodded in agreement, kneeling in front of me. "Do you feel ready?"

I shrugged. "I don't think I'll reach a point where I'll truly feel ready, but I know that we can do this."

He leaned in and kissed me. "We can do anything together."

...

A few weeks later, I was awakened when I felt a tightness in my belly, gasping when it was accompanied by a sharp pain. I sat up slowly, trying not to wake Jack. A dull ache was spreading across my back as I moved toward the bathroom. I leaned against the counter and breathed deeply until the pain subsided.

I had been feeling the tightening in my stomach periodically throughout the day, but it was starting to happen more frequently. I prayed that they were just Braxton Hicks contractions, but the pain I had felt the last two times had me thinking it might be otherwise.

I heard Jack's muffled voice through the bathroom door. "Elizabeth?"

I stepped back into the room. "Go back to sleep. I'm fine." I reached my hand around to my back, trying to rid myself of the dull ache that remained.

"Elizabeth…"

"Jack, this isn't the first time I've been woken up in the middle of the night by this baby. I'm fine, really."

He sighed. "Beth, I can tell that this isn't just the baby kicking. You look like you're feeling some pain."

"I'm seven months pregnant. It's normal for me to be feeling some pain and discomfort. I have a baby resting on my bladder and kicking my ribs. My body is getting ready to push out a small human."

"Elizabeth Ann Thornton, I want you to tell me the truth. Did you just have a contraction?"

"Yes, I did, but I think it was just a Braxton Hicks contraction. I've been having them for a few days now." Honestly, I was trying to convince him as much as I was trying to convince myself.

"You think it's just Braxton Hicks?"

I felt tears fill my eyes. "I don't know." The tears started pouring down my face. "I really don't know. Something doesn't feel right. They aren't regular, but they're happening more often, and now they're starting to be painful."

He jumped up from the bed and quickly pulled on some clothes. "I'm taking you to the hospital." He helped me put on my jacket and shoes, and he grabbed the hospital bag on the way to the car.

"Jack, what if this is it? What if I'm in labor? Thirty-one weeks is way too early."

"Hey, take a deep breath. It might not be labor. Maybe he's just getting ready in there."

I smiled through my tears. "You said 'he.'"

He glanced at me through the corner of his eyes and grinned. "Anything to get you to calm down, Beth. By the way, I'm sorry for breaking out the middle name earlier."

"That's okay. I forgive you, Jack Alexander."

A few hours later, after a thorough exam and an ultrasound, the doctors determined that, although I was one centimeter dilated, I was not yet in labor. They had concluded that I had been experiencing strong Braxton Hicks contractions that were made worse by slight dehydration. They admitted me for IV hydration and observation to ensure that I didn't progress into full blown labor.

I was discharged that afternoon with instructions to drink more water and to take it easy for the remainder of the pregnancy. The doctors had no major concerns and saw no reason why I wouldn't be able to make it to full term.

We spent the remainder of the evening in our room, relaxing and reading together. Jack sat beside me in our bed, holding my hand in his.

"You know, as excited as I am to meet our baby, I'm really glad we didn't meet him today."

He squeezed my hand. "Me too. We need the little one to stay in there a while longer." He put his hand on my stomach, leaning forward. "Do you hear me in there? You need to stay inside your mama for a few more weeks. We want you to be big and strong when you come out to meet us."

"Not too big, though." I laughed softly. "We don't want him to get stuck."

"You do know that I was eight and a half pounds when I was born."

My eyes widened. "You couldn't have told me that before you got me pregnant?"

He chuckled. "Don't worry, Elizabeth. Chances are, our baby won't be that big."

I let out a breath, leaning back on the pillow. "You better hope he's not big, or you won't be getting any more children from me."

"Hey, you promised me six children."

I shook my head. "No, sir. I said nothing of the sort. I distinctly remember that I said we could start with one and go from there."

He reclined on his pillow and kissed me softly. "I'm only kidding. If you don't want any more after this one, I'm perfectly okay with that. If you want one more, I'm okay with that, too. I'll even be okay if you want twelve more."

"I can assure you that we won't be having twelve more, but thank you, Jack." I kissed him again. "I love you."

"I love you more."