Marie walked from the hallway to the kitchen, restless. Sleeping wasn't comfortable. Nothing was, but walking gave her a bit of relief.

Amy listened to Marie pace as it approached midnight. She got up and fed Maggie once more and then went to talk to Marie.

"Hey there, how are you doing?"

"I can't sleep. My back hurts and…well everything hurts."

"Does your back ache constantly or just every few minutes?"

"Every few minutes. Ah!" She grabbed on to Amy's arms. "Like now."

"Tell me when it's getting better. Just breathe through it."

Once it eased, she told her that she should go and get Mason. It was baby time.

"But I'm not ready. I still have over a week." Amy hugged her and kissed her cheek, seeing the panic in her eyes.

"Sweetie, this baby is coming and you are a wonderful mother already. Now go get your husband."

Mason and Marie returned a moment later. "Ma? What do we do?"

"Both of you need to calm down. The baby needs you to. Next, walk with her, Mase. Then when she has a contraction, let her lean on you. Be her support."

He nodded and grabbed her hand and they walked. Amy smiled and made some coffee, for herself but also Mason. It could be a long night.

Then she put a pot of water on to boil so she could sterilize the scissors.

Then she asked Marie to lay down so she could check her progress. She was about halfway there. "You can keep walking if you want, maybe your water will break."

About an hour later, her water did break and her contractions continued, becoming fast and furious. "I need to lie down."

Mason put his arm around her and lifted her into his arms and walked her to the bedroom.

He set her down gently, keeping his arms around her. "Can you help me get into a dry nightgown?" she asked.

"Of course." Once that was done, he pulled off the quilt and helped her lie down on a towel.

"Mason," she breathed.

"Yeah?" He knelt by the bed and held her hand.

"I'm so afraid."

"I know but Mom is here and she's delivered a lot of babies. Everything will be fine."

"I need you with me. Please don't leave." She touched his face and pleaded.

"I won't leave you," he promised. As exhausted as he was, adrenaline coursed through him and what he felt more was excitement and a little fear. He kept that to himself though.

Amy walked in with a cup of coffee and handed it to Mason. "Thanks, Ma. How long do you think it will be?"

"I can check." Amy moved her nightgown up around Marie's hips and examined. "You're almost there. Maybe an hour or so? It's hard to say for sure. I think Maggie is going to need to eat so I'm going to do that. Come get me if something changes."

"You're leaving? Ma, you said she's almost there!"

"Mason, it could still be a bit and Maggie is going to be hungry. If I don't feed her now, she could need me while I'm delivering your child. I'd rather do it now. Please, calm down."

"Sorry, Ma."

Marie panted and breathed through another contraction and then smiled at Mason. "Nervous too, Mase?"

"Yeah. Sorry."

"Don't apologize. I'm glad you're feeling something."

"What do you mean?"

"I felt like I was the only one who was scared or nervous. Now I know you felt it too."

"That helps?"

"Yes, very much." She touched his lips with her thumb and smiled. "I love you."

He stood and kissed her. "Love you too, babe. This is so unbelievable."

Another contraction hit and it was worse than all the others. It was so hard for him to see her in pain. She deserved everything good in life, not pain.

Amy walked in about fifteen minutes later, Maggie at her shoulder. "Anything feel different?"

"Yeah. It feels like pressure."

"Like when you need to use the bathroom?"

"Yes. Why does it feel like that?"

"You are about ready to push this baby out, hon. Those muscles are what you're going to use to do that." Amy put Maggie down in the cradle and checked Marie again. "Ok, Marie, ready to meet your baby? Next pain, try to push."

Marie gripped Mason's hand and squeezed. "Yes. Now?"

"Now, sweetie." Marie pushed but nothing much happened. "Push from right here, Marie," she told her. "Hard. This baby needs to fit through a small space."

When it was time again, she tried again. It helped a bit, Amy could see the top of the head. "You need to push harder. Listen. You can do this. It's not easy but it's necessary."

Mason kissed her temple and smiled. "I'm proud of you, babe. You can do this. I believe in you."

Marie took his confidence and channeled it into energy. She pushed harder than she thought was possible. "Ah! That hurts so bad!"

"The head is out, Marie," Amy told her. "Next are the shoulders. I need you to push just as hard. The shoulders are wider than the head."

Marie nodded and pushed again with the next pain. Then she felt a release and the pain lessen. "Oh!"

She heard a tiny cry and knew it was over. She had actually done it. "Is it ok?"

"Yes, sweetie, she's just fine." Amy cried as she held her up for a moment. "Do you see her? You have a daughter."

Marie and Mason saw her and she was beautiful. "A girl," Mason whispered against her lips. "We have a baby girl, Marie."

The moment Amy put the baby in her arms, her insecurities disappeared. She had done the hardest thing she could imagine in giving birth. Now, anything else, she and Mason would handle together. She vowed once again to be the best mother she could be, because the tiny girl in her arms needed her to be.

….

That morning was challenging. Marie was nervous about feeding her but Amy helped walk her through it, even at one point showing her how by feeding Maggie while Mason made breakfast.

"You make it look so easy."

"The very first time, it's not. You just need to be patient and go slow. Help her get her mouth all the way around. Touch her chin, right there."

Marie touched her daughter's chin and like magic, she opened her tiny mouth enough to latch on. "I think she's doing it." Marie touched her tiny cheek with her fingertip, gently stroking her face. "Oh, Mama loves you, Catie bug," she said quietly. "I will never leave you, I promise."

Amy smiled and just watched. Yes, she would be just fine. "Cate is a beautiful name, Marie."

"Thank you. I like it too. Thank you for being here, Mom."

"Your welcome, sweetheart. I wouldn't have missed it for anything. I think this summer we will come back. Caleb won't want to wait too long to see his first grandchild."

"Are you sure you need to leave tomorrow?"

"Yeah. Lily can't miss too much school. You'll have plenty of helpers around. I'm sure Maddie and Em will be over a lot."

…..

And they were. Maddie was the first to visit bringing Genna. Then Em with her two youngest, Nick and Lauren, stopped by. They stayed each day with her while Mason worked, cooking and cleaning.

Finally after recovering for a week, Marie wrapped Cate up snuggly and they went for a walk to see Livy at the library.

However on the way there, someone caught her eye and almost made her run back home. But she didn't. Surprisingly, she got up her courage and walked toward her father who was looking at her from the porch of the store. She didn't know what possessed her but she walked right past him into the store as if she came in there every day.

He walked back in, keeping his eye on her and her bundle and stood behind the counter.

She grabbed a bottle of bubble bath, something she had never bought for herself and rarely thought about, and a small sack of flour.

"You living here now?"

"Yes," she answered, setting her two purchases on the counter.

"This fancy liquid is going to be way too harsh for that little one," he said looking at the bottle.

"Not that it's any business of yours, but it's not for her. It's for me."

"$1.75."

"Put it on my husband's account, please."

"And who might your husband be?"

"Mason Thornton."

"That boy has no account here. Always pays cash."

She hadn't brought cash with her, it had been a list minute decision to walk in there so she didn't have any with her. "Can you start a page and I'll bring money back tomorrow and close it?"

"Not sure I should do that, seeing as how you're married and such. Maybe you should ask your husband."

"I can make this decision. Are you saying that you won't extend me credit?"

"Yes, that's what I'm saying."

"Fine." She walked out, holding Cate close, and headed home.

She didn't cry until she was inside her house. Then, she let go. Her anger and resentment for her father boiled inside her and now it was joined by embarrassment.

When Mason came home for lunch, he found her sniffling as she fed the baby.

"Babe, what's wrong?"

She told him the whole story down to how embarrassed she was that he wouldn't give her credit for one day. "One day, Mase. That's not fair!" Mason pulled out some money from his pocket. He handed her twice as much money as she needed. "Hon, you don't need to give me money. Especially not this much."

"Yes. I do. We are going back over there right now and opening a credit account."

"I don't want to go back over there."

"I would like it if you came with me. Are you feeling ok enough?"

"Yes. I am just not in a hurry to see him again."

"I will be with you this time."

She sighed, finished feeding Cate and then they walked over, her hand tucked securely in his. He never failed to make her feel safe. "It will be ok," he whispered as they walked in.

Her father looked up from his newspaper, surprised she had come back so soon.

"Mr. Patrick," Mason said with a nod. "Ok, hon. Show me which bubble bath you wanted earlier."

"You don't have to get that for me, Mase. I don't really need to spend money on it."

"I want you to have it. You deserve so much and if I can get you one little thing, it will be worth the money to me." She showed him the bottle and he sniffed it. "Can I join you for this bath?" he whispered in her ear. She blushed and then smiled, not able to help herself. "You also wanted flour?"

"Yes. Just a small bag."

"What else do we need?"

"Nothing."

"Tell me."

"We need meat for dinner. Like chicken maybe?"

He went over to the icebox and pulled out a large chicken. He knew she would be able to get multiple meals out of it, including chicken stew, one of his favorites. "Anything else, Marie?"

"No, we have potatoes at home."

He put the chicken, flour, and bubble bath on the counter. "Mr. Patrick. I would like to open a credit account, please."

"Yes, of course."

"And I would like you to allow my wife to purchase whatever she needs in the future and put it on my tab."

"Very good."

"So, there will be no problems in the future, if she comes in here without me, correct?"

"No problems, Mr. Thornton."

"Thank you."

Two minutes later, they were on their way home, walking hand in hand like before, but both walking a little taller.

When they walked in the house, Marie put Cate in her cradle and went back to the kitchen to talk to Mason. "Thank you for doing what you did."

"He shouldn't have treated you that way."

"No, but I'm not surprised he did."

"I need to get back to work but maybe we can have that bath later?"

"Maybe." She winked and turned to start making him a sandwich. "Don't leave yet. I need to make you something to eat."

"Ok." About two minutes later he kissed her goodbye and walked out the door with a sandwich in his hand.

…..

Around the first of April, Charlotte returned to Harris Town. She had purchased a small plot of land from Lee Coulter Sr. himself. Then she had hired a group of men that he knew to build her home, with hope it would be done by Fall.

When she walked in the front door of the Avery House she sighed. Saying goodbye to her former dream was going to be hard.

"Nana!" Holly ran down the stairs and hugged her hard. "I missed you so much!"

"Hello, dear. It's good to see you."

Abbie walked in to see what the commotion was about. "Grandma. Welcome home."

"Oh my. Look at you. You're beautiful."

Abbie shook her head and smiled. "I don't look any different than I did when you left."

"You do. Your baby has grown a lot in that time."

"I guess it has. I can't see my feet anymore. Do I have shoes on?"

"Yes."

"Do they match?"

"Yes," Charlotte laughed. "Don't you think Harry would have told you if you weren't wearing shoes?"

"Maybe. Well, probably. Come have a cup of tea with me and tell me about your trip."