Five and a Half Years Later

"Elizabeth, I need you to stop."

I let out a breath and dropped my head back against Jack's chest. "What's going on?"

"I don't want you to panic. The head is out, but the cord is around the baby's neck. I just need to slip it off."

My eyes went wide, and I squeezed Jack's hand. "What? Is the baby okay?"

"Everything is fine. This actually happens more than you think." She was quiet for a moment as she concentrated on removing the cord from the baby's neck. "Okay, all done. You can push again whenever you feel the urge. It should only take one or two more."

"Come on, Beth. Just one more. You can do it."

I leaned my head back, tears rolling down my face. "I can't. I can't do it, Jack."

"Yes, you can. I know you can. You've done this before." He kissed my temple. "You're almost done. One more, and this little one will be out here with us."

I squeezed his hand as hard as I could. If I was causing him any pain, he didn't show it.

Then I heard a cry, and it was like time stopped. I broke down, my body completely exhausted.

Jack leaned down, pressing his lips to my cheek. "It's a girl." His voice cracked with emotion. "Another girl, Beth. She's finally here. I knew you could do it. I love you so much."

"I'm just going to do a quick check on her, and you can have her right back."

"Okay." Jack wiped the tears from my cheeks, but more kept falling in their place. "Hey, are you okay?"

"Yes. I'm just tired and overwhelmed and everything hurts."

"You're amazing." He rested his forehead against mine, his hand touching the back of my neck. We stayed like that for a few moments, eyes closed, just breathing together.

"Thank you, Jack." I brought my lips to his.

Faith came back over, gently lowering the now clean and diapered baby into my arms.

"She looks really good."

"She wasn't hurt by having the cord around her neck?"

"No. It wasn't tight, and there wasn't a knot in it. She's perfectly fine."

"Thank you, Faith." Jack took a seat beside the bed, leaning forward to look at our daughter as I settled her against my skin. "You did a good job, Beth."

"I couldn't have done it without you. Granted, I also wouldn't have had to do it if you weren't in the picture, but we can overlook that." I gave him a grin and a wink.

"Thank you for giving me another beautiful baby." He touched the top of her head. "It looks like we finally have a little redhead."

"Mhmm." I smiled when she yawned, her little face scrunching up. "Hey, Faith?"

"Yes?"

"Do you think we'll be able to take her home today?"

"If she's stable for the next few hours, I don't see why not."

"Good." I brushed my finger across the soft skin of the baby's cheek. "Jack, we should tell our families that she's here."

He kissed me softly. "On it."

...

A few hours later, Faith cleared me and the baby, and we headed home. I had just gotten settled in the bed when Charlotte peeked into the room.

"Hello, there. I have some children here who are very eager to meet the new baby."

"Go ahead and bring them in." Jack lowered the baby into the bassinet and stepped over to the door to greet our kids.

Teddy came in first. Now seven years old, he was still Jack's little clone. They had the same light brown hair and hazel eyes, and Teddy had inherited his father's dimples and sense of humor.

Emilia came in the room next and crawled into the bed beside me. Just as Teddy was like a clone of Jack, Emilia was like a clone of me, with curly hair, blue eyes, and a curious spirit.

Felicity skipped into the room next, followed closely by Nora. Early on, we had learned just how different our little twins were, both in looks and personality. Felicity Jane had her father's hazel eyes and my dark hair, while Nora Grace was our little blue-eyed blonde. From birth, Felicity had been vocal and outgoing, whereas Nora had always been quiet and introspective. Four years later, they were still polar opposites and still inseparable.

Jack stood by the bassinet and addressed our kids. "Well, you guys have a little sister."

"Another sister?" Teddy groaned and rolled his eyes.

"Jack Edward."

"Hey, bud, it's not that bad. Just think about it this way: you'll always be their favorite brother."

"That's just because I'm their only brother."

Jack chuckled and looked at me. "I tried." He stood up straight. "Okay, now we'll have to take turns holding her. Who wants to go first?"

Unsurprisingly, Felicity's hand shot up. "Please, daddy?"

"Okay, you need to sit down."

Charlotte helped Felicity get situated in the glider, and Jack carefully lowered the baby into her arms.

"Her name is Jude Charlotte Thornton."

"Hi, Jude." Felicity kissed her forehead. "I'm Felicity. You can call me Lissy. You're really cute."

Bronte crossed the room and curled up beside the glider. She was always protective of our babies, ever since Teddy was born, and it seemed as though things wouldn't be any different with Jude. And true to his nature, Rip was lying downstairs, uncaring about anything going on in the house.

Emilia shifted on the bed, snuggling into me. Tears filled my eyes as I looked around the room at all of my kids. I never expected to have another baby after the twins.

When they were babies, we had decided that our four children were plenty, and we stopped trying.

But then, a few years later, on the eighth anniversary of the day Jack and I met, we were surprised to find out that I was two months pregnant again.

Charlotte sat at the foot of the bed. "Jude Charlotte, you said?"

Jack smiled. "I chose Jude as the first name, but it was Elizabeth's idea to use either Charlotte or Thomas for the middle name depending on whether we had a girl or a boy."

She reached over and squeezed my hand. "Thank you."

...

"They're finally all asleep." Jack sank into the bed beside me and kissed my temple. "Happy anniversary, Beth."

"Happy anniversary." I smiled. "Eight years and five children later, and I still feel the same way I did the day we got married."

"So do I. Well, maybe I'm a little more tired than I was when we first got married." He grinned as he looked down at the baby snuggled in my arms. "It's a shame she couldn't wait a few more days. She could've been born on our anniversary."

"Yeah, except I don't think I would've enjoyed spending our anniversary in labor." She started squirming against me. "Hang on, Jude." I resituated her in my arms so she could eat.

My heart swelled as I watched my youngest daughter, her clear blue eyes trying to focus on my face as she ate. It had been almost a week since her birth, but it was still surreal that I had five children now.

"What are you thinking about?" Jack reached out and tucked a strand of hair behind my ear.

"How blessed we are to have our five healthy, beautiful kids. How different and amazing they all are. How I thought you were crazy that time you told me you wanted five or six children." I smirked.

"I did say that, huh? Well, now that we actually have five children, do you still think I was crazy for suggesting we have so many?"

"Oh, definitely." I chuckled. "But I wouldn't change a thing."

"Well, that's good, because there's no going back now." He put his arm around my shoulder.

"I was also thinking that we really should look into a different form of birth control, because we are not having any more."

He laughed. "Aren't the twins the only ones we actually tried for?"

"Well, we were just trying for one more, but yes. We have a house full of accidents."

"Very loved accidents."

"Very, very loved." I touched Jude's hand, and her little fingers wrapped around mine. "Gosh, I didn't know it was possible to love anyone as much as I love our babies." I looked over at Jack, leaning in a bit to kiss his cheek. "Or as much as I love you."

...

The next evening, I was on my way to tuck the girls in when I heard Teddy in his room talking to Jack. I stopped just outside the room, listening through the crack in the door.

"Dad, can you stop kissing mom?"

Jack chuckled. "I don't think so, bud. Why do you want me to?"

"Alina told me that kissing is what makes babies, and we have enough babies in our house. I mean, they're cute and all, but they're so loud. Plus, I don't need any more sisters."

"Well, bud, I hate to break it to you, but kissing isn't what makes babies. If it was, you'd have a lot more than just four sisters. And I know they're noisy when they're little, but they get better, remember? The girls don't cry like they did when they were babies."

"Lissy talks a lot, though."

"If it makes you feel better, your mom and I aren't planning on having any more babies. But I won't stop kissing her."

"Kissing is so gross."

"Someday, you might change your mind about that, bud."

"Ew, I don't think so."

Jack chuckled again. "Okay, Teddy. Lights out. I love you."

"Love you, too, dad."

I heard the click of the lamp, and then Jack quietly stepped around the door.

"Did you hear that?"

I nodded and laughed softly, then leaned in to kiss him.

"Mm, not gross at all."

...

I sat quietly as I fed Jude, her little sock-clad feet poking out from beneath the blanket. I glanced around the room at the family and friends who had gathered for her baptism that morning: my parents, Charlotte, Abigail, Julie and Steven with their son, Rosemary and Lee with their three children, Clara and Jesse with their two children, and Faith and Carson with their son.

Viola, Lionel, and their two sons had been unable to make the trip from London, and Becky and Cody were both busy at school.

Despite their absence, the room felt full. Abigail had joked at one time that we would outgrow the café. Though that hadn't happened yet, we did have to spend our lunches at two separate tables now—one for the children and one for the adults.

"You look like you're deep in thought." Jack nudged me softly.

I looked over at him and smiled. "I'm just thinking about how much has changed. These Sunday lunches used to be me, Rosemary, and Abigail and her kids. Then Rosemary met Lee, I met you, we met Faith and Carson, we all had babies."

"Lots of babies. Especially for you two." Abigail looked between me and Jack and laughed.

I blushed and turned my attention back to Jude, lifting her to my shoulder to burp her.

"Mama." Emilia ran over and tugged on my shirt.

"Yes, Emmy?"

"Can I go to Ally's house after lunch? Please."

"Did her parents say it's okay?"

"Yes, mama."

I glanced over at Clara, who was bouncing a giggly little Noah on her knee. She smiled at me and nodded. "Okay, but you behave, Emmy, and you can't stay too long. Nana and papa and Julie and Steven and Lucas are going home tomorrow, so you don't want to miss spending time with them."

"Yes, ma'am."

I watched her happily hurry away to tell her friend the good news. When I turned back, I noticed Jack's eyes on me. I carefully passed the baby to him, and she gurgled contentedly. "For the record, Jack, I was happy when it was just a few of us; I'm happier now."

...

Another few days passed, and we started settling into more of a routine. Jack returned to work, leaving me alone with Jude during the day while the older children were at school. Our afternoons grew busy, between homework and dinner and sports.

I got a bit of a break one afternoon when Jack took Teddy to baseball practice and Emilia went next door to play with Alina, leaving me with the twins and the baby. I put Jude down for her nap and settled in on the sofa to read.

"What are you reading, mama?" Felicity climbed onto the sofa beside me.

"It's called Jane Eyre."

"That's my middle name!"

"You're right, Felicity Jane." I smiled and kissed the top of her head. "This book is where daddy and I got your middle name from."

"Where's mine from?" Nora spoke quietly as she climbed up on my other side.

"Yours, Nora Grace, is after my mom, your nana. Her name is Grace."

She smiled and snuggled up against me.

"That book is old, mama." Felicity touched the cover that was torn and peeling.

"It was written a long time ago, but this copy isn't that old. It's very special to me, though, and I've read it a lot of times. When I first met your daddy, I told him this was my favorite book, so he got me this for my birthday."

I smiled at the memory, flipping through the pages.

"Who wrote in it, mama? You don't like when we color in our books."

I chuckled. "That's true, but this is a little different, Lissy Bug. Your daddy wrote the notes in here for me to see when I read it."

"Read some, mama?"

"Yes, please!"

"'I have for the first time found what I can truly love—I have found you. You are my sympathy—my better self—my good angel. I am bound to you with a strong attachment. I think you good, gifted, lovely.'"

Nora looked up at me, blue eyes sparkling. "What does that mean, mama?"

"He's telling her how much he loves her."

"Is that how you tell daddy you love him?"

I chuckled. "Not exactly, Lissy Bug. But I do love your daddy a whole lot."

...

"Baby's down?"

I nodded and moved down in the bed, resting my head on Jack's chest. "Full and dry and warm and happy."

"Good." He pulled the quilt up to cover us. His lips brushed across the top of my head, warming me down to my toes.

"Hey, I was reading Jane Eyre today—the copy you gave me back when we were dating. I forgot how many notes you took in it."

He chuckled. "I was trying to impress you."

"You didn't need to do that. I was already yours, babe." I touched his cheek and leaned in to kiss him.

"Well, I know that now."

"The girls asked me to read some of it to them, and I opened it right to chapter twenty-seven and that quote, the one you said was your favorite."

"'You are my sympathy—my better self—my good angel,'" he quoted. "I still feel that way about you, by the way."

I kissed him again, deeply, tenderly. "Gosh, I love you, Jack Thornton."

"Not as much as I love you, Elizabeth Thornton."

...

A/N And that's the end! Thank you to everyone for reading along with this story and leaving me such kind comments! I appreciate you all so much. I do have two stories still going on, and I may have a story or two in the works, so keep an eye out for those!