April 1920
Elizabeth sat in a rocker with her daughter. "Ready to eat, sweetie?" she asked, smiling down at the little girl and holding her up to her breast. Aurora smiled back with her baby babbles. She was eating lots of soft foods now, but Elizabeth still cherished the times she was able to breastfeed her daughter.
Aurora latched on for a moment, but she didn't begin to nurse. Instead, she released her hold and pulled back, pushing against Elizabeth's chest with her little hands. Frowning, Elizabeth adjusted her hold on the baby, moving her to a position that looked more comfortable before trying to feed her again. This time, Aurora didn't even try to take the proffered sustenance.
Confused, Elizabeth set her daughter on the floor. Aurora began crawling quickly toward Millie, who was curled up in her bed by the fireplace. The baby climbed into the doggie bed. Millie immediately made room for her and laid her head on Aurora's stomach. Dog and baby soon fell fast asleep.
Elizabeth stared. What had just happened? Aurora never refused to nurse before. A slight ache formed in her chest, but she tried to push it away. Maybe her daughter was simply full from the baby food she'd consumed a half hour before. Maybe it was time to move breastfeedings to twice a day rather than three. She would try again before bed.
But when bedtime came, Aurora again refused to nurse. Elizabeth tried to tell herself it was just a phase, but over the next week, it became clear that her little girl had decided to wean herself all at once. Elizabeth pumped occasionally to relieve the discomfort in her breasts and to keep her hopes alive that Aurora would eat again, but the baby even refused breast milk in a bottle. Heart aching, Elizabeth tried to accept the fact that Aurora had self-weaned.
It wasn't easy.
Nathan found her crying in the bathroom one morning, deep, wrenching sobs that shook her body. Alarm filled his face. "Elizabeth! What's wrong?"
She collapsed in his arms with a little wail. "My baby won't eat!" she cried, her tears soaking into his shirt.
Nathan's face took on a new kind of alarm. "Aurora won't eat?" he asked, sounding slightly panicked. "But I saw her eat at dinner. Is she okay? Have you taken her to see Faith or Carson?"
Elizabeth shook her head. "No…she's eating solid foods fine." She whimpered. "But she won't nurse, Nathan!"
Her husband's brow furrowed. "Isn't that a good thing?" he asked, his voice tentative. "I thought babies were supposed to be weaned…"
Pulling out of his arms, Elizabeth glared at him. "Not yet, they're not!" she said hotly. "Aurora isn't even a year old! She's supposed to nurse for months still! This is not okay, Nathan!" Her sudden flash of anger surprised her, and judging by the look on Nathan's face, it surprised him too. She crumpled, regret washing over her at once. "I'm sorry," she said, her throat burning. "I shouldn't have snapped like that."
Nathan looked like he wasn't sure what to do. "What's really going on, Elizabeth?"
She felt tears continue to slide down her cheeks. "I don't know," she said weakly. "Everything has been going well. Minnie and I are counseling a few women, and it's been very fulfilling so far. Our family is continuing to bond." She gave him a watery smile. "I have the best husband in the world." She sighed. "Maybe it's just hormones. With Aurora not eating, my milk is starting to dry up. This was so unexpected." Spreading her hands, she looked up at him. "I can't explain it very well, Nathan," she said softly. "There's something incredibly bonding between a mother and a child when nursing occurs. I've always considered that my special time with Aurora, from the very beginning." Her tears fell faster. "Now she won't nurse. I thought I had another five months of that bonding time, but it's gone. Forever. She'll never nurse again." The thought made her sag.
Nathan stepped forward, holding her up in his arms. "Sweetheart, I promise you there will be new ways for you and Aurora to bond," he said gently. He pressed a kiss to her temple. "But I can see how this would be a trying time for you. Is there anything I can do to help?"
She sank into him, feeling tired and weak. "Just hold me."
So he did.
Another couple of weeks passed. Aurora's first birthday approached, making Elizabeth feel even more of a blubbery mess. Near the end of May, her baby girl was going to be one. For some reason, it felt like a significant birthday. Jack's had felt much the same. Her emotions were all over the place as the month progressed.
Nathan looked like he was constantly walking on eggshells. Elizabeth felt a sense of guilt over that. Her husband had tried to be supportive through her emotional swings, but she had snapped at him more than she ever had before in recent weeks. Sometimes he reached the end of his rope and snapped back, anger blazing in his eyes. In those moments, they stared at each other in silent fury until Nathan left the room to go for a walk. His walks always calmed him down, and the space calmed Elizabeth down. By the time he returned, both apologized for their behavior toward the other.
She knew something had to change. After a year and a half of marriage, she and Nathan had rarely had any time for themselves. He was busy with the Mounties and she was busy with the children and counseling. The lack of time together was starting to wear on them and their marriage.
Elizabeth wasn't sure what the answer was. With a sigh, she wrapped her arms around herself and wandered into the living room. The house was quiet. Nathan was putting the children to bed, trying to give her a break. She was thankful. Being a stay-at-home mother was a joy, but it was also hard.
She found her way onto their front porch. Nathan had built a porch swing a couple months ago as a surprise for her. Elizabeth loved that swing. It was the perfect place to sit and think. Making her way to it, she sat down and began rocking gently back and forth, her mind whirling with ways to carve out some special time for just her and her husband.
After a while, Nathan came onto the porch as well. He walked over and sat beside her, taking her hand in his. For a few minutes, they simply rocked together without talking. It was enough just to be for the moment. Elizabeth curled up beside him, resting her head on his shoulder. He responded by wrapping an arm around her and pulling her closer.
Eventually, Elizabeth let out a sigh. "We need more time like this," she murmured. "Just you and me."
"I know," he replied. "We've been so wrapped up in the children lately, our relationship has taken a backseat." His head rested against hers. "I'm sorry, Elizabeth."
"I'm sorry too," she said. "How can we fix this?"
Nathan was quiet for a few moments. "Allie is old enough to babysit Jack and Aurora," he said slowly. "Maybe we can ask her to watch them once a week so we can have a date night. We can increase her allowance as a reward. That will give her some extra money and it will give us some uninterrupted time together. What do you think?"
She smiled. "That sounds perfect."
She could feel his responding smile against her hair. "Good." He was quiet another moment before speaking once more. "There's something else."
This time, Elizabeth tilted her head to look up at him. "What's that?"
His hand absently rubbed against her arm. "I've been thinking about that honeymoon we haven't taken," he said. "Aurora is weaned now. There's nothing stopping us from taking that trip together." He looked down at her. "I called your parents, Elizabeth. They said they would be happy to watch the kids for a couple weeks in June, once school lets out for the summer. I also called the owner of some waterfront cabins on Lake Erie, near Niagara Falls. They have their honeymoon cabin available. I asked them to hold it for us until I could talk to you. We would leave a couple days after Allie gets out of school, then take the kids on a train trip across the country to Hamilton. The kids would stay with your parents while you and I travel on to New York and spend two weeks at Niagara Falls. Your parents then would drive us back to Hope Valley afterward, which will save some time and give them a chance to visit the town again." He paused, unused to saying so much at once. "What do you think?"
Elizabeth stared at him in amazement. "You planned all that?"
He nodded. Tears stung her eyes. He had been thinking about their lack of time together too and had done something about it. Gratitude filled her. She sat up, taking his face in her hands and giving him a long, deep kiss. "I love you," she whispered.
He smiled against her lips, nuzzling them gently with his. "The feeling is mutual," he whispered back. They indulged in another kiss before Elizabeth pulled back. "That trip sounds perfect, Nathan. Thank you."
He pulled her to him once more. "I'm glad you like the idea. I think it'll be good for us to get away for a while. The children are a blessing, but I think we need this alone time together."
Elizabeth nodded in agreement. She nestled against his shoulder again, and they continued to rock on the porch swing as the night lengthened on.
May slowly passed by. Nathan and Elizabeth began their weekly dates, thankful that Allie was excited about the chance to watch her siblings and earn some extra money in the process. By the time Aurora's first birthday rolled around, Elizabeth was still a bit emotional, but she had a better handle on her feelings. The dates with her husband had made a world of difference, as did the promise of an upcoming break in the form of their honeymoon.
The evening of her baby's first birthday, Bill, the Coulters, Shepherds, and Canfields all came over to celebrate. They ate and laughed and talked, while Aurora thoroughly enjoyed the chocolate cake Elizabeth baked for the occasion. Gifts were given freely. Her little girl happily accepted them. The entire evening was wonderful, but the highlight was Aurora's first two words.
"Say cheese for the camera!" Carson said, snapping a family picture. Once it was done, Allie settled Aurora in front of her, a wide grin on her face. "We have a gift for you, Mom and Dad," she said. Bending toward her sister, she pointed to Nathan. "Who's that, Aurora?"
Beaming, Aurora squealed. "Dada!" she said.
Nathan's entire face changed. He stared at his daughter in wonder, tears filling his eyes. "She can say Dada?" he whispered.
Elizabeth looped an arm around him, remembering how it felt when Jack first said "mama" on his one-year birthday. Nathan reached out, hugging the little girl close. "I love you, baby," he said, kissing her cheek.
"We're not finished," Allie said, her smile growing bigger. She then pointed at Elizabeth. Sensing what was coming, Elizabeth held her breath.
"Who's that, Aurora?"
"Mama!"
The sweet way Aurora said her name made Elizabeth melt. She kissed her younger daughter before embracing her older daughter. "How long have you been working on that?" she whispered, pulling back to look in Allie's eyes.
The teenager smiled. "About a month now. Aurora has a bit of a stubborn streak, it seems. She refused to say anything for the longest time. Only last week did she start responding when I pointed to your pictures."
Bill chuckled. "It might be Aurora's birthday, but I think Mom and Dad got the best gift today."
Elizabeth nodded, watching as Nathan held their baby girl close. "I couldn't agree more."
When school let out for the summer, the entire Grant family felt excitement sweep over them. The children were excited for the train ride across Canada, but they were more excited that they would be able to spend two weeks with their grandparents. Nathan and Elizabeth were excited to spend quality time together on their long-overdue honeymoon.
The train ride was a pleasant one. Nathan spent a lot of time reading to his children, while Elizabeth listened along with them. They played games and took walks through the train cars to get much-needed exercise. When they arrived in Hamilton, they were all tired from the long trip. William met them at the station and drove them to the Thatcher residence. All five members of the family fell asleep easily, sleeping well into the morning.
Though she had been looking forward to their trip, Nathan noticed that Elizabeth had a hard time letting go of Aurora when it was time for them to go back to the train station to travel on to Niagara Falls. They had already said goodbye to Allie and Jack, but once outside by the car she held their daughter close, looking at Nathan with wide eyes.
"Two weeks," she whispered. "Can we really leave her for two weeks? She's only a baby!"
Nathan placed one hand on her back and the other on Aurora's. "It's up to you, sweetheart," he said gently. "If you want to bring Aurora on our honeymoon, we'll make it work."
Grace was standing nearby. She came forward, putting her hand on her daughter's arm. "Elizabeth, you need this time with your husband. This will be good both for your marriage and for the kids." She smiled. "I remember the first time I had to leave you. You were around Aurora's age. It was hard at first, but that trip I took with your father remains one of the most memorable we've taken." She held out her arms. "I'll take good care of Aurora, honey. I promise."
Elizabeth struggled for another couple of moments, looking between Nathan and her mother. Finally, she pressed a kiss to Aurora's cheek, then handed her to her grandmother. Grace took her happily. "Say bye-bye to Mama and Daddy," she said, holding up Aurora's little hand and waving it at them.
"Bye!" Aurora parroted, giving them a toothy smile.
Nathan kissed her goodbye. Elizabeth followed his example, then let him lead her to the waiting car. A few tears fell from his wife's eyes as their little girl disappeared from sight, but by the time they got to the station, Elizabeth seemed at peace.
Their train ride to Niagara Falls only took a few hours. After the nearly week-long trip from Hope Valley to Hamilton, this one felt quick. When they reached their destination, Nathan hired a taxi to carry them to their Lake Erie cabin.
The magnificent lake was breathtaking. When the driver pulled up to the lakefront cabin, both Nathan and Elizabeth simply stared out over the water for a time.
"Wow," Nathan said. "This…wow."
Elizabeth leaned against him, sharing in his awe. "It's incredible."
After a while, they made their way to their cabin, where a key was waiting under the mat as arranged with the owner. Nathan noted a porch swing a few feet from the door, facing the lake. He had a feeling he and Elizabeth would be spending a lot of time on that swing. It looked like the perfect place to enjoy a morning cup of coffee.
They went inside. Again, Nathan stared. The honeymoon cabin was appropriately named. The cream colored walls were decorated with various heart designs, tasteful and romantic. Dark red accents provided a contrast to the walls, with the sofa in the living room and the bedspread on the bed both deep scarlet. The bed itself was huge, with plenty of comfortable pillows. The bathroom held a massive tub much like the one they had at home, with rose petals strewn about it. There was a kitchen with all the necessary cookware, and the icebox was stocked with essential ingredients. A bottle of champagne sat on the dining room table, complete with two glasses and heart-shaped cookies. A pot of stew was simmering on the stove, with a crusty loaf of bread nearby.
"Wow," Nathan said again, amazed at their home for the next two weeks.
Elizabeth wrapped her arms around his waist. "This is going to be wonderful," she said, smiling up at him.
Nathan nodded his agreement. They unpacked their things, then sat down to the delicious dinner left for them. For their first evening, they watched the sunset from the porch swing, enjoying the breeze of the early summer. When it was dark, Nathan took Elizabeth's hand, leading her inside. "Are you ready for bed?" he asked. She had to be tired after such a long trip from Hope Valley.
But Elizabeth didn't look sleepy. Instead, she smiled, eyeing the bathroom. "I think we should try out that bathtub," she whispered, sliding her hands up his torso until they came to rest on his chest. She lifted herself on her tiptoes to kiss him. "Just like the night we first came together. Do you remember?"
Nathan chuckled, giving her a deep kiss in return. "As if I could forget," he replied, a grin stretching over his face. Elizabeth grinned back, then reached for his hand and led him into the bathroom.
On the third morning of their honeymoon, Elizabeth once more woke in Nathan's arms. She stretched comfortably, then began pressing kisses to his bare chest. His arms soon tightened around her before he rolled her onto her back. Though he had just woken, desire lit his eyes as he looked down at her.
"Good morning," he murmured, leaning down to taste her lips.
Elizabeth returned the kiss, deliberately doing so in a way to wake his passion. It didn't take long for him to respond in kind. They lingered together for a while before finally getting out of bed for the day.
As they prepared breakfast, Elizabeth found herself bouncing on her toes, excitement filling her at their agenda for the day. "I can't believe we're finally going to see Niagara Falls!" she exclaimed. Reaching up, she placed a kiss on her husband's cheek. "Thank you for bringing me here, Nathan." Her eyes softened. "It's already done wonders for our relationship."
He stopped chopping strawberries to take her in his arms. "We needed this," he said, his face serious. "I'm glad we were able to take time for ourselves." He chuckled lightly. "A year and a half into our marriage, and it's the first time we're getting significant alone time." He tapped her nose playfully. "We'll have to take trips together more often, even if it's just for a night or two."
"I agree," Elizabeth said. They shared another kiss before finishing their meal prep. Once they had eaten breakfast, they called a cab to take them to the famous waterfall.
The stunning falls were everything Elizabeth had dreamed they would be. She and Nathan stood in awe, listening to the powerful rushing sound of water spilling hundreds of feet to the river below. They spent several hours just watching and listening, transfixed by the glory of creation. By the time they headed back to their cabin, they were already making plans to visit again in a couple of days.
That evening, they sat in the porch swing, watching the sunset as they had every night. As the final rays of sunlight crept behind the golden water, Elizabeth felt a desire on her heart that had been growing for a few weeks. She hadn't mentioned it to her husband yet, but in this sweet, intimate moment, she thought it might be time.
"Nathan?"
"Yes?"
She drew in a breath. "Aurora is a year old now. You and I aren't getting any younger."
He looked down at her, an amused expression on his face. "Thank you for that reminder," he said lightly, nudging her gently in the ribs.
She chuckled. "It's the truth."
Nathan raised one brow. "So what is the point behind this 'we're-not-getting-any-younger' talk?"
Elizabeth licked her lips a little nervously before rushing ahead with her desire. "I want another baby."
A slow smile filled Nathan's face. "So do I, love."
Relief swept through her. "You do?"
He nodded. Elizabeth smiled. "Good. Because I wasn't sure how you'd take that. We're already so busy with three children. Adding a fourth might increase the craziness at home."
"Or it could get easier as the other kids get older," Nathan said calmly. "Allie is already a wonderful help. Even Jack has been a good big brother." He pulled her a little closer. "Our family has room to expand, Elizabeth. With each child we add, our hearts will grow larger. That's never a bad thing. No matter how many babies we have, they'll all be loved and cherished." He winked at her. "And you and I will continue to find ways to spend time together however big our brood gets."
Elizabeth laughed, his description amusing her. She leaned against him, hugging him around the waist. "I just want to be able to give you a child of your own," she said.
He looked at her seriously. "Elizabeth, all three of our children are mine. I love them as if they were my biological daughters and son."
"I know," she replied. "But I still want to be able to give you a little one that is yours biologically." She grinned. "Wouldn't it be adorable having a little Nate running around?"
Nathan's brows rose. "Nate?"
Elizabeth nodded. "If we have a son, we're naming him after you," she said firmly. "He'll either be Nathan or Nathaniel, but wouldn't it be cute to call him Nate for short?"
Chuckling again, Nathan hugged her close. "You have this all planned. What if our baby is a girl?"
"I don't know," Elizabeth admitted. "For some reason I have it in my head that our child will be a boy."
Nathan grinned. "If we're going to name a boy after me, then I propose if it's a girl, we name her after you."
Elizabeth scrunched her nose. "As long as she can have a nickname. I wouldn't want to call her Elizabeth."
Nathan thought a moment. "How about Ella?" he suggested. "I've always liked that nickname. I know it's not a common one for Elizabeth, but that would allow us to name her for you while giving her a sense of having her own identity."
Smiling, Elizabeth nodded. "I like that. So if we have a boy, he'll be Nate. If we have a girl, she'll be Ella." She held her hand out to Nathan. "Deal?"
He laughed, shaking her hand. "Deal."
Elizabeth smiled at him slyly before pressing a kiss to his neck. "I guess we'd better get to work then."
Her husband laughed again, taking her into his arms. "You'll get no arguments from me."
The remainder of their honeymoon was blissful and relaxed. They took long walks along the beach, hiked through the forest, visited the falls, and explored the towns around them. They spent long stretches of time talking, sharing their hearts and rekindling their bond. By the time they headed for Hamilton to collect their children, Elizabeth's heart was light. She felt closer to Nathan than ever. She was able to return to their kids refreshed, rejuvenated, and better able to care for their needs.
That trip had been exactly what they needed.