Elizabeth awakened the following morning to find herself lying in an unfamiliar bed beneath an unfamiliar ceiling. Then she became aware of Paul's nearness and remembered the previous night. She looked at him to see that he was already awake. His eyes met hers, and he smiled at her. "Good morning."
"Good morning," she replied.
"Did you sleep well?" he asked.
"Yes, did you?"
"I slept very well, thanks." Following their new intimacy, they suddenly felt shy around one another. To Elizabeth, it seemed almost like meeting him again for the first time; yet at the same time, there was definitely a special bond between them now that hadn't been there before. She wondered whether Paul felt it too but wasn't quite sure how to ask him about it. She thought it might just be a 'woman' thing.
She and Paul had one glorious week to spend together, and then he had to go back to work at the saw mill. Elizabeth enjoyed cleaning her new house and cooking. To her, it was just like playing house, only now it was for real. Then came the evening she tried cooking Paul's favorite meal, Sauerbraten, and absolutely nothing would come out right. She overcooked the sauerkraut and it turned out all mushy, the dumplings came out all lumpy, and while she was trying to salvage them, she forgot about the pot roast and burned it. Her husband came home to find the kitchen in total disarray and his wife sobbing uncontrollably. He took one look at the burned pot roast and the lumpy dumplings and couldn't help bursting into laughter.
"Don't you dare laugh!" Elizabeth exploded. "It's not funny at all!" She turned and ran down the hall to the bedroom.
"Honey, come back! I'm sorry!" Paul raced after her and caught up to her.
"I wanted it to be special for you," she moaned.
"Oh, Lizzie." He embraced her and held her close. "It's all right. We can just cut off the burned part, and everything else is still edible."
She continued to sob, and he patted her back, trying to calm her down. "Tell you what," he said at last. "After dinner, I'll take you out for ice cream. How's that sound?"
She looked into his eyes and gave him a small smile.
"C'mon." Lightly he touched her cheek. "You can do better than that."
She grinned.
"That's better."
The summer passed quickly, and in the fall, the carnival came to Walton's Mountain, as it did every year. Paul took Elizabeth, and they rode the merry-go-round and a few other rides, ate cotton candy and candied applies, and played games. Paul won a giant stuffed bear for Elizabeth by throwing darts at balloons and popping them. Eventually they came to the Ferris wheel, and the smile disappeared from Elizabeth's face.
"C'mon," Paul gently urged her. "It'll be fun!" Her eyes grew wide as she shook her head emphatically.
"I'll hold your hand the entire time," Paul offered, knowing that his wife needed to face and overcome her childhood fear.
"Well..." she gazed at the ride uncertainly. Paul smiled encouragingly at her. "All right," she conceded with a sigh.
He helped her to climb into the seat, climbed in beside her, and clasped her hand. As the operator fastened the bar securely in place, he saw the look of panic on her face. "It's all right," he said, giving her hand a comforting squeeze. As the ride began to move, she stared straight ahead. When it got to the very top, it stopped. A sudden gust of wind made the car sway slightly, and she gasped.
"This is pretty romantic, don't you think?" Paul remarked. "From way up here, you can see beyond the fair grounds to some of the farms as well."
Elizabeth snuggled a little closer to her husband. "You know, it is kind of romantic." Paul switched hands and put his arm around her and pulled her to him. She looked at him and smiled, and they kissed.
As the Ferris wheel began its descent, Elizabeth seemed to have completely forgotten about her previous apprehension.
"See? That wasn't so bad, was it?" Paul asked after the ride had stopped.
"I really enjoyed it," Elizabeth told him. "I'm glad you talked me into it."
"So am I," Paul replied.
Cold weather arrived, and Elizabeth and Paul began to light their fireplace at night. Often, Elizabeth fell asleep cuddling with Paul while they sat on the sofa enjoying the fireplace's warmth and listening to the radio.
"How am I supposed to share my day with you if you keep falling asleep on me?" Paul teased.
"I do seem to get tired a lot more easily these days," Elizabeth observed. She also discovered that her sense of smell seemed to have increased exponentially. She could hardly bear to cook anymore, as the aroma of the meat now made her feel extremely queasy. She nearly swooned one evening, and Paul caught her in his arms.
"You're going to see the doctor tomorrow," he told her.
The next day, she fairly danced home from her check-up. She couldn't wait to tell Paul that he was going to be a father.
