Warmer spring weather brought in much rain and wind. Jack's work days grew later with many of the townspeople dealing with broken wagon wheels, rods and so on.
Elizabeth put the kids to bed on her own and then went to change into her most comfortable nightgown. Her midsection had grown quite a bit with the new life growing inside.
As she prepared her evening tea, she received a swift little kick.
"I see you're awake, my little blessing." She pressed her fingers where she'd felt the kick. "Ready to keep me company till Daddy comes home?"
Elizabeth took her tea to the sofa and settled in with her book. She wasn't frustrated with Jack's hours. At least not yet. She understood how hard he worked to provide for their family.
Just as she was beginning to doze off, she heard her husband's steps on their front porch. Elizabeth's heart skipped a beat as the door opened and her tall, handsome Jack walked in, covered head to toe in the soot and grime of his day.
With one look at his glowing wife, a bright smile emerged across his tired face. "I've been dreaming of your beautiful face all day."
"Careful, love," she grinned. "A woman could get used to a greeting like that."
"As you should." He leaned down giving her a tender, lingering kiss.
Elizabeth stared into his clear green eyes as she played with the collar of his dark wool jacket. She loved this man with all her heart. "I kept a plate warm for you in the oven. Are you hungry?"
"Very. Are the kids asleep?"
"I sure hope so, they were a bundle of energy today."
"Sorry about that. Let me go clean up and peek in on them. I've missed them too the past couple of days."
Jack walked into the kitchen to pump some water into a bucket. After washing his face, arms, and hands he headed down the hall into the children's bedroom, giving them each a kiss.
With fresh clothing, Jack entered the living room. Elizabeth was back on the sofa with her feet curled up under her. Jack's dinner sat on the little table to the side. As Jack took his seat, he wasted no time devouring his food.
"I am a blessed man." Jack shoveled another large bite of meatloaf and mashed potatoes in his mouth.
"Why do you say that?"
"This is amazing."
"You're just starving. It's nothing special."
Jack put the now empty plate down. "Elizabeth, you don't understand. I come home from a long tiring day to a warm home and my wife and children and to top it off, I get a warm, delicious home cooked meal. My life is good."
Elizabeth felt herself becoming overwhelmed with emotions. "So is mine. Thanks to you."
"That's good you feel that way. Especially considering you thought I was insane when we first met," they laughed.
"Of course I did! Who proposes to someone they'd just met?"
"What can I say? My heart knew." He leaned in for a kiss which Elizabeth was happy to give.
They quickly got lost in each other. Her book fell from her hand and on to the floor. Jack laid her back against the sofa, continuing their kisses as he laid down beside her.
"Oh!" Elizabeth gasped. Her right hand flew to her belly. "Someone wants to say hello."
Jack couldn't help but smile. "Hello, baby." He kissed her belly, then pulled her close in his arms. "Three children, Elizabeth. Can you believe it?"
She kissed his chin and sighed. "I believe someone very wise once told me that God provides and he certainly has."
…
Four days later, Julie sat in the bumpy stagecoach, clutching her bag on her lap. It had been almost two full days since she left the train station in Aberdeen. The driver of the stage assured her that they would be in the small town of Hope Valley before long. She couldn't wait. She needed her sister.
A week before, Julie was at Charles' house as she had been many nights since her sister's death. She'd established a routine there. One she was comfortable in. Perhaps a little too comfortable.
She was upstairs in little Charlie's room. After a bath and a few books, she placed the sleepy dark haired boy in his bed.
"Sweet dreams, darling," she whispered as she kissed his head.
Charlie looked up at her and smiled. "Night, Mama. Love you."
She felt as if her heart cracked straight down the middle at his sweet and innocent words.
"Love you too," she choked out.
Julie's whole body was shaking as she quietly exited the room. She needed some air, and fast. Rushing down the staircase, she slammed right into Charles. His arms wrapped securely around her to prevent them both from falling down the stairs.
"You alright?" he asked, his voice gentle.
As she gazed up into his chocolate brown eyes, her cracked heart shattered into a million pieces.
"I…I need to tell you something."
"Alright. What is it?" Charles took a step back.
The words she needed to tell him after what had just occurred upstairs and how she felt, escaped her. All that came out was, "I'm leaving."
"Oh, okay. I'll see you tomorrow?"
"No, Charles. I'm leaving for Hope Valley in the next couple days."
"Hope Valley? Where Beth lives?"
"Yes."
"Why? For how long?"
"I… I don't know, Charles. It's just, it's too much right now."
With that she ran past him, grabbed her coat and left into the cold late March air.
Now here she was, just minutes away from Hope Valley and still as lost as ever. How did this happen? How did she let herself fall into Viola's place with the boy? And Charles, what was happening there? So many questions.
The coach came to a stop. Julie poked her head out and looked around. "Is this it?"
"What were you expecting?" the driver asked with a chuckle as he helped her off. "Yes, this is it. It's small, but a nice place. Do you have someone here?"
"Yes, my sister and her family are here."
Julie stood on the ground with her bag and two trunks and looked around.
….
With Helen and Sam playing contentedly at the orphanage, Elizabeth left to pick up the supplies they'd ordered from the Mercantile. With the extra children residing there, there was a desperate need for more bedding as well as some new blocks and coloring supplies.
As she hiked up her skirt a few inches to cross the road, she glanced down the street and she caught a glimpse of her favorite auburn-haired girl.
"Julie!"
"Beth!" Julie gasped. Suddenly it was as if all her worries disappeared. She jumped off the walk and ran to her sister. "I was just trying to figure out how to find you and here you are!"
"Oh, Julie it's so good to see you! What a surprise!"
"I know, I'm sorry. I just had to get away. I didn't think to write ahead. Though I thought mother and father might have."
"Oh, that's fine. I'm just so happy to see you!"
"And look at you, Mama Beth!" Julie placed her hands on her sister's belly. "Don't you look the part?"
"I feel it, truly!" They linked arms and began walking back to the stage. "So what brings you here?"
"Oh, where to start." Tears filled her eyes and Elizabeth noticed and now she was worried.
"Julie…"
"Elizabeth?" Jack called out as he approached. The two women turned around. "I thought that was you. Julie, what a nice surprise." He embraced his sister-in-law.
"Hi, Jack. So good to see you. I see you've been busy," Julie teased as she patted Elizabeth's belly. Her sister turned bright red.
"Well, we are still newlyweds," he shrugged bashfully. "I'm just on a break, can I help take your things to the house?"
"Oh, I don't have to stay at your home. I can pay for a room somewhere."
"Above the saloon? Nonsense," Jack shook his head. "We can make room."
"Jack's right. I want with you us Julie."
"If you insist. My belongings are just here." She gestured to the two large trunks and her small bag.
"Are you visiting or moving in?" Jack teased.
"Just visiting. That trunk there is all for your family. Mother and Father insisted.
"Oh dear," Elizabeth sighed. "They stayed at our house when they were here. Don't they realize how small it is?"
"Guess I should check with Jesse again for a bigger rental," Jack teased, receiving a light hit on the arm from his wife. "I'll go grab a wagon and take this all home. You two can catch up." He looked around. Noticing the town's streets fairly empty, he kissed his wife's lips. "Love you, sweetheart."
"Love you."
Julie wiped a small tear from her eyes. She wanted what Beth had so badly now. The desire could be seen clearly by Elizabeth.
"It appears we have much to talk about. Let's head to the store and then check in at the orphanage. Then we're going for a walk."
"If you're sure. I don't want be a bother."
"You're not. You're important to me. Let's go."
After receiving many warm hugs from her niece and nephew, Julie followed Elizabeth to the well-beaten down path by the pond that led into the river. It was a beautiful, crisp day. Julie could easily see why Beth loved it here.
"So tell me, what's going on?"
Julie sighed. "I still don't know where to begin."
"Alright. Maybe start by telling me how you feel?"
"I'm such a horrible person!" Julie cried out.
"You? No!" Elizabeth wrapped her arm around her sister.
"Believe me, it's the truth."
"Now I find that very hard to believe. Mother's been telling me what a wonderful help you've been to Charles and little Charlie. Honestly I'm not sure they'd make it without you."
"Yes… problem is, I'm not sure I can make it without them anymore."
"What do you mean?"
Julie went on to explain how she had spent countless hours with young Charlie and Charles as well when he was home. She told her about the incident with Charlie before she left.
"I intended to step into our sister's life just to be a help to that little boy. Now… now I feel like I can't live without them."
"Oh my."
"I know it's wrong. Deplorable even. But I feel as though I belong with him. Both of them. I haven't spoken this aloud, not to anyone."
"What are you going to do?"
"Run away. At least until some time has passed."
"That's not like you. You don't run from challenges."
"Maybe not, but now seemed like a perfectly good time to start."
Later that evening, Julie sat curled up on Helen's bed with her adorable niece on one side and her handsome little nephew on the other. Jack had come home for dinner, which Julie learned had been a rare occurrence the past week. Seeing the undeniable love in their eyes, and feeling the hole in her heart from missing little Charlie, she volunteered to do the children's bedtimes.
Jack and Elizabeth took the time to enjoy a little romantic walk around the pond.
"Julie going to be alright?" he wondered, threading his fingers through hers.
"I hope so. She's in a bit of a pickle."
"How so?" Elizabeth explained the situation.
"Do you think it's possible that in time they could have a future?"
"I don't know. Perhaps." Elizabeth wrapped one arm around Jack's waist while holding her baby bump with the other.
"How's our little one tonight?" Jack stopped walking and placed his hand over hers on her belly.
"Calm." She smiled. "He or she is growing so much though. I can't imagine what I'll look like when it's time for the birth."
"You will be beautiful. No matter what."
Elizabeth laughed. "It was such a shock when Carson told us. I just never thought. To have all that we have, Jack, it's beyond what I could imagine."
"You deserve it, sweetheart. Every bit of it. I'm just glad I'm along for the ride."
….
A few weeks later….
Jack saw a familiar form step off the stage carrying a little boy and knew instantly why he was there.
"Charles!" Jack called out.
"Jack! Good, I was worried we were in the wrong little town."
"Nah, this is Hope Valley. Did we know you were coming?"
"No. This was rather spur of the moment."
"Those kinds of journeys can be nice."
"I suppose. Truth be told, I was worried if I made my plans known, Julie might…"
"... Run away like scared little kitten?"
"Exactly." He shifted his tired son in his arms. "What do you understand about the situation?"
"Not a lot. What I do know is only one side of the story."
"I don't know that I understand myself. I do know I'm… fond of Julie and so is Charlie. She's important to us."
"Now that's good. I do know fondness can grow in the oddest of situations."
"Yes. I suppose it does. I can't promise her much. Not right now."
"Can you promise her your friendship?"
"That she has."
"Well then, I think you're where you need to be for now. Just don't close yourself off to what God might be preparing you for. No matter how odd it may seem."
"Is that your experience talking?"
Jack smiled. "If you had told me even a year ago that I would have sold my house and business, moved to a small town to marry a woman who I would propose to the day we met, I would have thought you a drinker."
Charles laughed. "You got a good one with Beth."
"That I did. She is everything I was looking for wrapped up with many wonderful surprises. Now I'm about to be a father of three."
"So I should keep an open mind."
"Yes. You may just get everything you need."
Charles had come a long way since November. He still missed Vi every day, still wished she was lying next to him every night, still wished Charlie had his Mama. He knew one day, maybe he would want to marry again, but at this point, it wouldn't be fair to the woman he chose if he still missed Vi so much. He wanted to be able to give his whole, even if somewhat scarred, heart to her.
"Do you know where I might find Julie?"
"I believe she is at the orphanage with Elizabeth. I was just heading there for lunch. Would you like to walk with me?"
"I would, if you don't mind."
As they walked, Charlie lifted his head from his dad's shoulder. "Daddy?"
"Yes, son?"
"I need to go potty."
"Okay." Charles took him over to a tree and let him go. "All set?" he asked.
"Yeah. Where we goin?"
"To see Aunt Julie."
"Yay!" he said with a grin, clapping his hands.
Charles let him walk the rest of the way, finding himself smiling at him as he walked ahead, squatting to look at bugs and rocks.
"Children are a gift," Jack told him. "They bring light in where we think there is only darkness."
"I agree, one hundred percent."
When they got to the orphanage, Jack walked in and Charles and Charlie followed.
"Mama!" Charlie yelled, running over to Julie. Charles froze.
Julie scooped up Charlie and hugged him, tears forming in her eyes. "Hi, darling. I missed you so much."
"Miss you, Mama. Come home, please?"
"I can't right now."
"Please? Want you."
He laid his head on her shoulder and held on, making his feelings known. Julie would not look up so Charles could not meet her eyes.
Elizabeth walked in the room and broke the tension. "Charles?"
"Beth, wow! Look at you!"
"Yeah, I'm enormous," she said, rubbing her tummy.
"You look wonderful. Happy."
"I am." Jack walked over and put his arm around her shoulders. "I have everything I need now."
"I'm happy for you, Beth."
Charles watched Julie cuddling Charlie as he once again fell asleep. The trip had taken a lot out of him. She very obviously loved him, doting on him, and he understood. She spent every single day with him for months. How could she not?
But hearing Charlie call her Mama, broke his heart. That meant that he didn't remember Vi anymore, or at least, she was only a memory. Vi as a person had been replaced by Julie and he didn't know what to do about that.