Quinn went into labour in the morning while cooking breakfast for her family. Nathan had taken one look at her face and known what was happening. She was happy to take her time to get to the Medical Centre, knowing how long labour had taken last time, Nathan had other ideas. She was glad that the twins were firmly in their highchairs as Nathan rushed around like a whirlwind, getting everything the needed together. Quinn lost count of the number of times she advised him to slow down.

As they drove to Town, Quinn's suggestions to slow down continued. As they passed the land where the Coulters were building their home next door to them, Quinn saw Lee and Rosemary standing together, inspecting the almost finished house. The sound of the racing engine caught their attention and they looked over, Rosemary's face lighting up as she realised what was happening.

"You could have stopped and let me tell Rosemary where we are going," Quinn said as she grimaced with another pain.

"They know," he replied, "and besides, there is no time," Nathan said as he shrugged, not lifting his foot from the accelerator or taking his eyes off the road; he wanted his wife with Riley as soon as possible. He knew Quinn thought there was plenty of time, but Nathan wasn't prepared to take any chances, although he did slow down as they entered the Town. He was in a hurry but not reckless and he was still the Town Mountie.

Nathan pulled up outside the Nursery, his foot pressing on the brake a little too forcefully, stopping the car with a jolt and kicking up dust and earning him an annoyed glance from his wife. Ignoring both, he leapt out of the car and burst into the Nursery, unsurprised to find Riley with Isobel; to the delight of Quinn and the other Townspeople, the young couple had fallen madly in love and were inseparable.

Isobel collected the children while Riley joined Quinn in the car and travelled with her and Nathan to the Medical Centre. Nathan was by Quinn's side the entire time, unwilling to follow Riley's suggestions to wait outside, just as he had done with the Twins. Knowing what to expect didn't make it easier for her or Nathan, but at least it was a quicker labour this time. Riley coached Quinn, encouraging her through every contraction and pain, despite her having done it before.

Quinn heard her baby cry and felt tears of joy and relief slide down her cheeks; craning her neck; she tried to catch a glimpse of her baby. Unable to see, she allowed her head to fall back against the pillow.

"You were amazing, Quinn," Nathan whispered as he gently wiped the sweat from her brow and stroked her cheek.

"I didn't permanently maim you then," she asked with a chuckle. She knew she had gripped his hand tight enough to have caused him pain, but he hadn't reacted.

"You have a son. A healthy little boy, with very healthy lungs," Riley announced, as he swaddled the wailing infant in a soft blanket before placing him on Quinn's chest.

Nathan stared down at his youngest son, wrapped tightly and held securely in his mother's arms, his heart full of love for the two of them. His son was perfect. He had Nathan's dark hair and Quinn's full lips. Nathan's dimple was there on his tiny chin. Nathan stroked his son's soft skin with the back of his finger. He had forgotten just how small and vulnerable babies were.

"He's beautiful, Nathan," Quinn whispered. "Just perfect." Quinn looked at the Doctor where he stood at the edge of her bed, "Thank you, Riley."

"Thank you, Quinn; my first Hope Valley baby is perfectly healthy, despite his protests; you three will be good for my reputation," Riley said with a smile as he stared down at the tiny little boy, whose cries let them know he wasn't happy about what he had just been through. "I'll give you all a minute. Would you like me to let Isobel or anyone else know?"

"You just want an excuse to visit her," Quinn teased.

"I don't need an excuse. Isobel agreed to marry me last night," Riley said with a broad smile.

"Why didn't you say?"

"You were a little distracted, Quinn?" Riley replied with a patient smile.

Quinn laughed, "True, and yes, please let Isobel know."

"Tell her I'll collect the children later; I want to let Quinn rest a little before the twins come and meet their brother," Nathan said as he carefully lay on the bed beside his wife and son. "Hopefully, we will have agreed on a name by then."

Four months later

Allie sat in the front pew of the Church, holding her youngest sibling on her lap. Her parents sat on either side of her, Quinn holding Sam and her Father holding Avery close. The last time she had been in this space, surrounded by so many children, was during a school lesson which seemed like ages ago. Looking around, she grinned, happy to be there, she had missed Hope Valley so much, and this room and its people were so familiar; Hope Valley still felt like home.

At the end of the pew, alongside the Grants, the Coulters sat quietly, huddled close to Lily, who held her baby brother carefully. Fiona, Adam, Faith, and Joshua sat opposite them in the other front-row pew. Adam held his son tightly in one arm while holding Fiona's hand. Faith stroked her daughter's hair where she lay in her Father's arms. Allie looked at Joshua, and her face broke out into a broad smile as she noted his look of awe; that was not an expression she had seen on the Judge's face before.

Allie was pleased the four new parents had decided to wait and christen their children together. Each one had wanted one of the other couples to be godparents to their children, so it made sense for them all to be together. It also allowed Allie to come home and see all four children Christened; she wouldn't have been able to make four separate trips.

As Joshua called Nathan, Quinn, Rosemary and Lee to the front of the Church, they rose, and Allie passed her brother to Rosemary. Lily reluctantly gave her little brother to Quinn, who smiled and thanked her, promising to return him to her shortly. Allie sat next to Lily, keeping her company while they waited.

"Harrison, Nathaniel Grant," Joseph announced as he christened the baby boy as Rosemary held him. Harrison Grant's perfect face scrunched up, and he let out a distressed cry, causing a ripple of sympathetic laughter from the crowd. Joseph had expected the reaction and knew Harry Grant would not be alone in expressing his displeasure that day.

As Nathan, Quinn, and the Coulters swapped places, Quinn held the youngest Coulter in her arms.

"Peter, Jack Coulter," Joseph said with a smile and nod to Elizabeth and her son Jack who sat at the back of the room with Lucas. Joseph wondered how many congregation members expected Elizabeth to stand with the Coulters, not the Grants. He had initially been shocked to hear Rosemary and Lee's choice, but he understood after a discussion with them. Their friendship with Elizabeth endured; it was not as close as it once was. Rosemary had forgiven Elizabeth for her previous behaviour but was reluctant to resume the same closeness they had previously enjoyed. Lee explained to Joseph and Minnie that his friendship and respect for Nathan outweighed his feelings toward Lucas, and he believed the Grants were the perfect choice.

As Peter's cries filled the Church, Lee took him from Nathan, comforting him as the four sat down, allowing Faith, Joshua, Fiona and Adam to take their places.

Fiona and Adam stood together, smiling widely as Faith held their child in her arms as Joseph welcomed "Sarah, Nichola Hillman," into their community. Joseph bit back his smile as the little one protested loudly to his actions.

Finally, Faith and Joshua stepped forward and placed their son in Fiona's arms for the christening ceremony.

"William Carter Lachlan," Joshua stated as he christened the last of the four children, surprised at the quiet acceptance from William, who didn't protest as loudly as the others had.

The four couples soothed their whimpering children as Joshua continued with the service calling for the Grants and Coulters to join the others at the front of the Church. As they took their places, Cody, who had travelled back with Allie, stepped forward, snapping a picture of the four families.

As most of the Town was there to celebrate with the couples, there was nowhere large enough to host the gathering. Large tents had been erected on the land around the schoolhouse, with food and drinks in one and tables to sit at in several others scattered around.

Quinn returned from feeding Harrison and looked around for her family; Nathan had been sitting at a table with the Twins when she had left. She spotted Allie sitting with Anna and Opal at a table with Robert and his younger sister Sarah, the Twins playing happily beside her. Her brow wrinkled, wondering where Cody was; seeing Allie without him nowadays was rare. Looking around, she spotted her Cody standing with her husband, away from the crowds, the two men leaning on the dock railing near the Pond.

Quinn took a deep breath, wondering if they were having the conversation, she both hoped and worried they were. Allie had confided in her last night that neither she nor Cody wanted to wait any longer to get engaged. They were willing to wait until she graduated to marry, but they wanted to declare their commitment to each other.

Quinn wasn't sure how Nathan would react to the news but had kept her promise to Allie to keep her secret. She didn't like to keep secrets from Nathan, but she knew it wouldn't be long before he and Cody spoke. Quinn studied her husband, trying to discern how the conversation was going from his body language. As she watched, Nathan turned, leaning back on the rail as he spoke to Cody.

Squinting, Quinn decided Nathan appeared relaxed, and she was glad to see he wasn't frowning. Cody turned to face Nathan, leaning forward slightly, intent on the conversation. Quinn breathed a sigh of relief when Nathan smiled and reached out to shake Cody's hand. Quinn glanced at Allie and realised that despite sitting with her friends, she had been watching the conversation as intently as Quinn.

Allie looked at Quinn and smiled; standing up, she murmured something to her siblings and headed toward her. "That seemed to go well," she whispered as she sat beside her.

"Yes, it did, although I doubt Cody will drop to one knee and propose the minute he reaches you. You might have to be patient a little longer."

"I don't mind; now I know I have Dad's blessing. I couldn't have said yes if I thought I was disappointing him."

"You will never disappoint him, Allie. Ever."

"Are you sure you are okay in here if I go and see your dad?" Quinn asked Allie. They were sitting inside the house, taking a moment after finally soothing all three children to sleep. Quinn knew Nathan had gone outside to feed the horses but should have returned a while ago. Quinn couldn't believe how quickly Allie's visit had gone, it felt as if she had just arrived, yet it was her last night before returning to school.

"Of course," Allie replied. "I am happy to go to them if they stir." Allie grinned, "I can't believe how much I will miss the noisy little things when I return to school."

Quinn laughed; she knew precisely how Allie was feeling. "I won't be long."

"Take your time; enjoy the silence too," Allie said, leaning back against the cushions and opening her book, instantly lost in the story. Allie had admitted there wasn't much time to read for pleasure during the school term, so she devoured as many books as possible during her break.

Quinn grabbed her coat before walking outside to find her husband. She knew she would find him in the stables, most likely talking to Newton, but he was just as likely to be talking to any of their horses.

Quinn crept toward the barn, not trying to sneak up on her husband but not wanting to disturb him if he looked like he needed more time to process his thoughts. She knew he would be thinking about Allie leaving the following day. She didn't mind Nathan needing to work through things alone sometimes, it was how he dealt with something, and she knew he would talk to her when he was ready.

Peeking into the barn, she smiled; her guess was correct; Nathan stood with his back to her, murmuring to Newton as he stroked his neck. She stood quietly, watching him. She loved to watch her husband, especially when he didn't know she was there. She loved the expressions she saw on his face when he thought he was unobserved, the faces he pulled to make the children laugh, his concentration when working, and his peacefulness when he slept.

Quinn walked up behind him, slid her arms around his waist, and rested her head on his back. "I missed you," Quinn whispered. "I hope you don't mind. I came looking for you."

Nathan turned in his wife's arms to face her and drew her against his chest. "I always want you to look for me." Nathan rested his face on her hair, glad she was there. After his conversation with Cody, he found saying goodbye harder this time. He knew next time he saw his daughter, she would be engaged to Cody Stanton and planning a life with him. He was happy for her, and he knew they would be happy together, but it still hurt to think of her grown up, no longer needing him or turning to him for help and support.

"Are you ready to come inside? The little ones are asleep. It will only be you, me and Allie."

"In a minute, I want to hold you a little longer." Nathan rubbed his cheek on her hair and said, laughing softly, "Besides, it will give Allie a chance to read more of her book."

"How…" Quinn asked and then, shaking her head, decided it didn't matter; he knew their daughter well. "You won't get any argument from me, Nathan; I'm happy if you never let me go."

They stood together, silently taking strength and comfort from each other. It was Nathan who finally broke the embrace.

"You're cold; let's go inside."

"Not too cold," she assured him.

Nathan snorted at her lie; he could feel her shivering in his arms. "Let's go in anyway, I do want to catch Allie before she goes to bed, and we have an early start in the morning."

Quinn allowed Nathan to lead her inside, knowing he needed to spend time with Allie. He was right; they did have a lot to do, and getting out of the house was hard with three small children.

Allie lay awake long into the night. She was grateful her dad and Quinn had pretended everything was normal, ignoring that the next time she saw them, she would, hopefully, be engaged to Cody. What had been discussed between Cody and her Father remained unspoken, despite each knowing it had taken place. She was trying to be patient with him, but each time they were alone, each time he called her name, she wondered if that was the moment he was going to ask her to marry him.

Anna had dropped quite a few hints about her expectations for a proposal, and Allie had watched silently as Robert blushed and Cody avoided making eye contact with her. She was very clear with Cody in private; she didn't have the same outrageous expectations as Anna; a simple request was all she needed, and yet, still nothing. He hadn't changed his mind; she knew that, as he often talked to her about his future and saw her in it.

She was starting to wish she hadn't known about his conversation with her dad; knowing he had permission but hadn't asked was excruciating. She had told Quinn she didn't mind when it happened, but she had been wrong. What could he be waiting for?

"Oh, Cody, why didn't you talk to me about this before?" Abigail said, smiling at her son.

"I have been trying to work out a way to do this myself, but I am not sure I can wait any longer."

"Wait here." Abigail grinned; poor Cody. He was a mess trying to find a way to buy Allie the ring he felt she deserved and have enough money to support himself through his studies. She had offered to help, but Cody was determined to be independent. The most he allowed was for her to send him away with food for his trip.

Cody watched as Abigail hurried upstairs; blowing out a sigh of relief, he sat back and waited for her to return. He felt better having shared his problem with her, he always did, but he had honestly run out of ideas of how to solve this problem.

He looked up, smiling as Abigail joined him again, sitting next to him on the lounge. Reaching out her hand, she dropped a small velvet bag into his lap.

Cody frowned and reached for the pouch, opening the drawstring and tipping the contents into his upturned palm. It was a ring. A diamond ring. He glanced at Abigail, confused as he saw the glint of the gold chain she wore around her neck. As he watched, she lifted the chain and saw her rings still hanging on it. Ever since he had known her, she had worn her wedding rings on that chain, removing them from her finger but unable to put them away altogether.

"Where did this come from?" he asked, bewildered.

"I found this ring when I moved out of the row house into the living space above the Café. It was in a box with a letter for me. Noah had bought it, planning to give it to me as an Anniversary gift. He had purchased it on one of his trips to Hamilton with Peter." Abigail looked at the ring with a sad smile. "I think he intended it to replace my original ring; I couldn't bring myself to wear it, not when he hadn't gotten the chance to give it to me himself." Abigail stared at the ring, "If you would prefer to sell it and use the money to buy something for Allie, I will understand, and you have my blessing."

Cody looked back down at the ring; it was beautiful and well out of the price range he had set himself. He could never sell it; it was bought for Abigail out of love for her. "You can't just give it to me; what about Becky?" he asked, wondering whether his sister would want the ring for herself.

"When the time is right, there are other things for Becky. The ring is for you. I want you to have it."

Cody shook his head and glanced again at the sparkling diamond set into a band of yellow gold. As well as being out of his price range, all of the rings he had seen in the shop windows had been wrong for Allie, but he could see her wearing this one. He would be proud to give it to her, and he knew when she heard its history, she would be proud to wear it. It was perfect.

"Thank you so much, Mum," he said, his voice breaking as he threw his arms around her.

Abigail hugged him, saying, "You are most welcome. I do believe you and Allie are made for each other. All I want for you is to be as happy as I was with my Noah, and Nathan and Quinn are together, and I know you will be." Tousling his hair, she let him go and laughed, saying, "If you ever get around to asking the poor girl, she must think you have changed your mind."

Cody had the grace to blush, "I'm trying to make it perfect, even when I didn't have the ring and … I get caught up in worrying about that, and then something happens, and I miss the chance."

"All Allie Grant cares about is spending her life with you; she doesn't need fancy words or proposals."

"I know, but I still want her to know how much her saying yes means."

"Well, I am sure you will think of something," Abigail replied. "Now, you must go to bed; the train leaves early."

Cody nodded, but he knew he wouldn't get any sleep; his mind was whirling with thoughts of how to ask Allie to be his wife. The pressure of having the perfect ring made his anxiety over the inability to think of anything even worse if that was possible.

"Cody," Quinn said gently, "you look awful. Do you feel all right? Should you be travelling if you are unwell?" Reaching out, she placed a hand on his forehead, checking for a temperature.

Cody smiled at the woman he hoped would be his mother-in-law. "I'm fine, Mrs Grant. I didn't sleep well, nervous about the trip, I guess." He looked around, finding Allie where she stood with her Father, saying goodbye to him and her siblings.

"I have told you it's fine to call me Quinn." she admonished with a smile. "Is that all you are nervous about?" Quinn threaded her arm through Cody's and walked with him onto the Train station, taking him away from the others waiting to say goodbye. "Has Allie told you how Nathan proposed to me?" she asked, her voice light.

"No, M…Quinn," he said, blushing furiously at his hesitation. "Will you tell me?"

"He wrote me a note. He left several notes in the livery for me to find, with the last one in the box with my engagement ring." Quinn tilted her head to the side and whispered conspiratorially, "You may not have noticed, but my husband is a man of few words," pausing while Cody laughed. "I knew those words came from the heart, and that is everything." Glancing around to ensure they wouldn't be overheard, she said, "Allie is very much like her father. Truth and honesty are what matter to them." Stopping, Quinn turned to face him, catching his eyes with hers, "When you ask Allie to marry you, keep it simple but genuine. That is what she will remember for the rest of her life. That is the story she will be proud to tell your children and grandchildren."