"Are you serious?" Julie asked.
"Yes, of course, dear. We see how much you and Tom and the baby need to be together so this makes the most sense."
They had just told them that they thought it was a good idea if Tom moved in to what had been Elizabeth's room so he could be close to Julie and Lane. It was like an answered prayer to him. He couldn't think of any way that they could be together before a year and a half was up when they could get married. Now, there was an opportunity laid in his lap.
"What do you think, sweetie?" Julie asked Tom.
"I couldn't think of anything I'd want more except to marry you." He kissed her temple and smiled at William and Grace. "Thank you so much. Is this weekend too soon?"
"No. I'll help you move your things," William offered.
"Thank you, sir." To be able to help raise his son, living with him, being near Julie…it was perfect.
…
Elizabeth walked into their condo around dinner time. She fed the cats and started a load of laundry before checking out the contents of the refrigerator. There was a pizza box inside with a note on top.
Babe-
There is ham and pineapple pizza for you. Enjoy. Can't wait to see you in the morning. I love you!
-Jack
The note made her smile. It had been hard to be away from him, knowing he had been home most of the previous day and had been missing her. However, she had loved spending time with Lane and Julie and her parents.
She grabbed a piece of pizza and a glass of wine and headed in to watch a movie. The movie that was on was a romantic chick flick set in Italy. "Perfecto," she said, raising her glass to Jazz who sat on the edge of the sofa.
About halfway through the movie, she heard a knock on the door. She looked through the peephole. It was Hanna.
"Hey!" Hanna walked in and hugged her.
"Hey, Beth. What are you up to?"
"I'm just watching a movie and having a glass of wine. Wanna join me?"
"Sure. No wine though."
"No? I thought you liked it."
"I do, but I can't drink it right now."
"Why not?" Then it dawned on her. "Are you pregnant?"
Her friend nodded and her eyes filled with tears. Beth knew how much they wanted it and had for the last few years.
"Oh! Hanna, I'm so happy for you."
"Thanks. I can hardly believe it. I thought it wasn't going to happen for us. How's your new nephew?"
"Beautiful and amazing and cuddly. And he smells so good."
"And now you want one?
"More than anything. But we need to wait. I still have another whole year of school and the rest of this one before we can even consider it."
"It will go fast and before you know it, we will both be mothers."
For now Beth would try to concentrate on her school and just getting through the next year and four months.
….
Jack slipped into bed early the next morning and moved up behind Beth, slipping his arms around her waist, their bodies fitting perfectly together.
"Mm."
"Shh." He didn't speak, he just held her. Thankfully the night had gone smoothly with no major calls. Which was good because he had been distracted, knowing Beth was home without him. They had been married two months and he still missed her like he was away at the academy. The major difference, he could come home to her and hold her, much like he was doing now.
"Jack?" She turned over and looked in his eyes. "Hi."
"Hi." He kissed her slowly, taking his time to cherish the moment they had.
"You ok?" She sensed something in the slow, methodical kiss that he was struggling with something.
He nodded and kissed her again. "I just wanted to be with you. I couldn't concentrate at work."
"Oh, babe, please be careful. I don't want to be the reason you get hurt."
"I'm careful. I promise."
"Are you hungry?"
"I ate earlier."
"Hanna came over earlier," she mentioned.
"Oh yeah? Wagner mentioned she hadn't been feeling well."
"She will feel better in about six months."
"What do you mean?"
"She's pregnant."
"Oh. That's good."
"Yeah." She got up and headed into the kitchen for some water.
He followed, of course. "How's Julie?"
"Good."
"And Lane?"
"He's amazing." She smiled and turned toward the sink.
"And now that Hanna is pregnant…" he prompted.
"What?"
"You want a baby even more." He knew her very well.
"Yeah. I knew I shouldn't bring it up because we had already made that decision but I couldn't help it. Jack, I really want to have a baby with you. I don't want to wait."
"What about your degree? You only have one year left."
"If I got pregnant in the next month, I would be able to get through the first semester of my senior year with no problem. Then I would only have one to go."
"And when would you do that? The baby would need you, and sweetheart, I know you," he said, pulling her into his arms. "You won't want to leave it to finish school."
"I don't know that that would be such a bad thing. Of course I'd rather stay home with our child."
"Beth, your dream was to be a teacher ever since we met."
"Dreams change. I didn't know that I'd fall in love with you and want to be a mother so badly it hurts."
"Can we compromise?"
"Meaning what exactly?"
"Instead of waiting until the summer after next, let's wait until our first anniversary. Then, you will finish your degree before the baby comes."
"Why is it so important to you that I finish?"
He stared for a moment and then led her into the living room. Once they were seated, he took her hand. "Because I need to know you can support our family if I can't."
"Are you quitting?"
"No, of course not."
Then it hit her. "You are not going to die, Jack Thornton. Don't ever say that you are!"
She stood and stared out the window into the valley, watching the twinkling lights of the city. "Beth."
"No! We have only been married two months! I refuse to think that I'm going to lose you. We are only twenty one years old!"
"Shh," he told her, once again holding her close to his chest. "I'm not planning to ever leave you, Beth. I want to be married to you for the next fifty or sixty years at least. I want to have babies and grandbabies. But, the responsibility I have to take care of you and our family includes thinking ahead and making sure you will be ok if I'm not."
"I need you, Jack." She clutched his shirt, holding on for dear life.
"I need you too and I know it's hard but we should wait, babe. It will be better for both of us and for any babies we might have if you get that degree."
….
A few days later…
Tom heard Lane cry, but not across the hall in Julie's room. He seemed further away. He opened his door and listened. It was the middle of the night on his first night living at the Thatcher's and his ears were tuned in to Lane.
He made his way to the living room and found Julie walking him around, tears rolling down her face.
"Julie? Honey, what's wrong?"
"He won't stop crying and I tried feeding him and I changed him. I don't know what's wrong."
Tom walked up and gently took the tiny boy from Julie. "Shhh," he repeated as he moved his arms, back and forth, in a rocking motion. Gradually, Lane quieted, closing his eyes.
"How did you do that? He's been crying for so long and nothing I did helped."
"You were upset, Jules. Maybe he was picking up on that and he couldn't relax."
She sat down and covered her face with her hands. "I'm such a terrible mother."
"You are not. Honey, you're exhausted. I'll stay here with him so you can sleep and I'll bring him up when he needs you."
"I couldn't even figure out what he wanted."
He sighed and put Lane on the couch cushion so he could concentrate on Julie for a moment. "Julie, listen to me. You are new at this and no one expects you to know everything. Trust me though, you are a wonderful mother. You just need rest."
"Are you sure you don't mind?"
"Mind helping take care of my soon-to-be son? It's why I'm here." He kissed her and smiled. "Go to bed. We will be fine."
"Thank you."
Once she was upstairs, Tom picked up Lane, sat in the recliner and leaned back, covering his legs with a blanket. "Night, son. Sleep well."
A few hours later, Tom felt Lane start to move and make noises with his mouth. Thinking he was hungry, he headed upstairs and into Julie's room. She had left the door open so he didn't knock. "Honey, Lane is hungry, I think."
She sat up and brushed her hair behind her ears and then reached for Lane. Tom kissed her forehead and then started walking out. "You can stay. I'll cover him with a blanket."
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah. Give me one minute." Tom faced the door and waited. "Ok. You can turn around." Julie had a funny looking pillow around her waist, resting on her lap and Lane was resting on it.
"What's that?" he asked, gesturing toward the pillow as he sat in the chair a few feet away.
"It's a boppy. It makes it easier to nurse him. It gives me a place to lay him so my arms don't get as tired and it's an easier position for him to feed."
"Hm. That's pretty cool."
"Yeah. I think so too." He caught her peek under the blanket from time to time and smile, a look of love and happiness on her face.
"You're so beautiful, Jules." She lifted her eyes and met his, gracing him with a smile.
"Thank you." She didn't feel beautiful at five in the morning, her hair a mess, a week after giving birth, but he was sincere.
A few moments later, she burped him, giggling at his large burp considering how tiny he was. "He has a doctor appointment today, right?" Tom asked.
"Yeah. At 9:30."
"My class is at 12:00 so I'd like to take you, if that's ok."
"Sure. Do you need to go to the college or is it online?"
"I have to go in. I have a presentation to give."
"Oh, on what?"
"Our web design for our business that we are forming. Obviously not a real business, but it's a good precursor to having my own someday."
"In September I'll finish my last semester so that I can get a real job to support us," she mentioned, gazing under the blanket at Lane again.
"I have one more year to go but I want to help, Julie. That's why this summer I'm going to work full time."
"Full time?"
"Yeah. I know he's going to need things as he grows."
"Tom, you don't need to do that."
"Of course I do. You are my fiancé and you will be my wife which means he will be my son. I already see him that way. It's my responsibility to take care of both of you."
She could see he was adamant about it so she nodded. "Thank you. I don't deserve you, Tom Thornton, but I'm awfully glad I have you on my side."
"Forever, honey."
…..
The next week, because Julie's cell was not reliable, Tom added Julie to his cell phone plan, which in turn gave him a monthly discount. That made it a little less of a new expense. Then he headed home to see her and Lane, excited after being at school for the last few days.
When he walked in, he found her in the kitchen making a sandwich with Lane tucked against her in a baby wrap thingy. "He looks comfy," he told her, kissing her cheek.
"Yeah. He is perfectly happy and warm."
"I wish I was him right now," he flirted, wrapping his arms around her waist from behind.
"Tom," she whispered, her cheeks turning pink. "Dad is right over there."
"I got you a present."
"Not more flowers, right? I mean I have three vases full right now."
"Nope." He put the box in front of her.
"A cell phone? Tom that is so expensive."
"Not really, plus it gives me a discount on mine since you are on my plan."
"I would feel better if I could pay you for it every month once I am back at work."
"I want to do this for you, Julie. It's important that you have a cell phone that works. Especially when you are out and about with our son. What if you have car trouble or he gets sick?"
"Hey, you sure worry a lot," she said, kissing his cheek.
"It's my job. I take it seriously."
"I appreciate that. Thank you." She was very grateful for Tom. He was absolutely stepping into the husband and father role that she had once feared would never be filled.