February 1922

"I feel huge," Elizabeth commented, looking down at her rounded stomach. "I don't remember being this big with Jack or Aurora at five months."

"Maybe it's the fact that this is your third pregnancy?" Nathan suggested. Elizabeth knew he was trying to be helpful, and the sweet gesture made her smile.

"Maybe so," she agreed. "Every pregnancy is different. Maybe this baby is just bigger than the others." She grinned at him. "It's probably a boy. Maybe we'll get our baby Nate after all."

Nathan chuckled. "We might. Though I'm still hoping for a little Ella." He leaned over to give her a kiss on the cheek. "Honestly, though, I'll be happy with a boy or a girl. It doesn't matter to me. I'm just glad we're finally having a child together."

"Me too," Elizabeth murmured, leaning against him in contentment. It was cold outside, with a gentle snow falling over their yard. They were sitting on the porch swing, wrapped in blankets and sipping on mugs of coffee. It was too early for the kids to be up, so they had decided to enjoy the quiet Saturday morning outside.

"What time is your appointment with Faith?" Nathan asked.

"Eight o'clock," Elizabeth replied. "Can you drive me? I was planning on walking, but with the snow I think I'd rather drive."

"Of course," Nathan agreed. "We can see if Allie will watch her siblings."

They chatted easily for another thirty minutes before a sleepy Mia came onto the front porch, holding Aurora's hand. "Mama? Daddy?"

They held out their arms. Mia made a beeline for Nathan, while Aurora followed more slowly before climbing into Elizabeth's lap. Kissing her baby girl, Elizabeth then kissed Mia's cheek. "How are my girls this morning?" she asked, smiling at them as they tucked the children beneath the blankets to keep them warm.

"Good," Aurora said, leaning against Elizabeth's chest.

Mia nodded. "Mama, can we play in the snow later?" She had been calling her "mama" for about a month, a fact that warmed Elizabeth's heart thoroughly.

"We'll see," Elizabeth replied. "It might not snow enough for playing today."

"I hope it does," Mia said. "Aurora and I want to build a snowman."

"So do I," another voice chimed in. They looked to see Jack coming their way. Elizabeth and Nathan each scooted to the side, allowing their son to climb up and snuggle under the blanket between them. The five of them rocked gently on the swing until Allie poked her head out the door.

"I made oatmeal," she said. "Come on in. It's cold!"

The family trooped inside. A loud and joyful meal followed. Elizabeth hugged Allie close before sitting down. "Thank you, sweetheart," she murmured. "This was very thoughtful of you."

Allie flushed slightly, but she smiled. "Happy to help, Mom."

Elizabeth felt a small pang inside. Their oldest was going to be sixteen in March. She was growing up much too quickly for Elizabeth's liking. Before they knew it, Allie would leave for college and make her own way in the world. Pushing the thought away, Elizabeth focused on the present. They still had her for at least two years. There was no sense crying over what would eventually be.

Allie graciously agreed to watch her three younger siblings while Nathan took Elizabeth to see Faith. But when they got to the infirmary, Faith wasn't there. Carson was at the desk instead. He smiled when he saw them.

"Good morning," he said. "Faith woke up with a touch of fever, so she thought she should stay home and rest. She asked me to do your checkup today."

"That's fine," Elizabeth said, sitting on the exam table at Carson's bidding. "We're hoping you tell us everything is progressing fine."

Carson smiled, settling his stethoscope over his ears. "I'm sure it is," he said, placing the chest piece on her stomach. "Breathe deeply."

Elizabeth obliged. Carson nodded as he moved the stethoscope over her stomach. "The heartbeat sounds strong…" He trailed off suddenly, a small furrow in his brow. He pressed the instrument more firmly against the right side of her stomach, listening for a moment, then moved it over to the left and listened again. After he'd done that two more times, Elizabeth started to feel concern.

"Is something wrong?" she asked.

Carson shook his head, repeating the right-to-left check. Finally, he sat back, letting out a small laugh. "Well, you're not going to believe this." He laughed again, looking between her and Nathan. "Congratulations, Mom and Dad. You're having twins. I can clearly detect two separate heartbeats."

They stared at him in stunned silence. Nathan was the first to recover. "Twins?" he whispered, eyes huge.

Carson nodded. "Twins."

Elizabeth felt equal parts joy and shock. She didn't say much through the rest of the exam, simply answering Carson's questions as needed. She was amazed at the fact that it had taken her so long to get pregnant, and now that she was they were having two at once. Letting out a long breath, she shook her head.

Carson glanced at her as he finished his exam. "You alright, Mom?" he asked, keeping the words light.

She nodded. "I'm fine. Just processing. This is such a surprise." She looked at Nathan with a little chuckle. "We're about to be parents to six children!" she exclaimed.

He grinned, looking absolutely delighted as he planted a kiss on her forehead. "That we are." His smile grew. "Two babies. The kids are going to be thrilled!"

And they were. When Nathan and Elizabeth got home, they shared the happy news. All four children began talking at once when they found out they were getting not one, but two new siblings.

"Does that mean we'll get a brother and a sister?"

"I want two sisters!"

"I want two brothers!"

"Will the babies sleep in my room?"

"How much longer until they're born?"

"How did the babies get in your tummy?"

The last question made Elizabeth chuckle. She wasn't about to explain the biological nature of conception to her two-and-a-half-year-old, but she was amused as Nathan attempted to answer Aurora's innocent question.

She sat back on the couch, an arm around Allie as the other three continued to pepper Nathan with questions.

"Are you happy, Mom?" Allie asked softly, watching the scene before them.

Elizabeth nodded immediately. "Very much," she replied. "These babies are a blessing." She kissed her daughter's cheek. "Just like you and Jack and Mia and Aurora."

Allie smiled, leaning her head on Elizabeth's shoulder. "I hope you get both a Nate and an Ella," she said. She looked at Nathan. "I know it doesn't matter to Dad, but I think it would be nice if he had a biological son and daughter."

Elizabeth leaned her head against Allie's. "I hope so too," she said. "Though he will be happy with whatever combination these babies are."

"I know," Allie said. Her smile grew soft. "He's never made any of us feel like anything less than his own biological children. His love is so free and unconditional." She was quiet for a moment. "We're so blessed to have him as our dad."

Elizabeth hugged her daughter close. "And he's blessed to have you as his little girl," she said softly. "You were his first child, Allie, and you always will be."

Allie's cheeks flushed with happiness at the comment. She smiled up at Elizabeth, then leaned against her once more. Mother and daughter continued to watch Nathan field questions. He looked like he was enjoying it.

They caught eyes for a brief moment. Nathan smiled at her, pure joy shining from his face. Elizabeth automatically smiled back. It was good to see her husband so happy.

He deserved it.

Soon after the discovery that they were having twins, Elizabeth developed severe morning sickness. Nathan watched helplessly as his wife suffered through debilitating nausea, daily vomiting, and extreme exhaustion. It almost always was better by noon, but those morning hours after she woke were painful ones.

Yet another morning dawned with Elizabeth feeling awful. She half-lay, half-sat against Nathan on the settee once Jack and Allie had gone to school, groaning with a hand against her stomach. His heart burned within him. He wished he could take away her pain, but he knew only time could accomplish that.

"What's wrong with Mama?" Mia asked, coming into the room with Millie at her side. Mia's eyes were large and fearful. "Is she going to die?"

"No, honey," Nathan said, reaching out his free arm to their daughter. Mia snuggled against him, though her eyes remained on Elizabeth.

Elizabeth smiled weakly. "I'll be fine, Mia. This sometimes happens to mamas who are expecting babies."

Mia swallowed, tears sparkling in her eyes. "Are you sure?"

"Yes," Elizabeth said softly.

Mia stayed with them for a few more minutes before feeling secure enough to go play with Aurora. Elizabeth sighed from her spot on Nathan's chest. "I hate that this is scaring her," she said.

"I know," Nathan replied. His own concern rose. "Are you sure this is normal, sweetheart?"

She laughed wearily. "That depends on what you mean by normal. I didn't feel this way with Jack or Aurora, but Faith told me lots of women end up with severe sickness during pregnancy."

"Did she happen to say when it might end?"

Elizabeth shook her head. "That is unknown. It could be tomorrow, or it might not end until I deliver these babies."

That made Nathan's head spin. "I hope it's tomorrow," he murmured. "I don't like seeing you in pain."

She reached up to kiss his cheek. "Always my protector," she said softly.

Those protective instincts remained firmly in place for some time. Thankfully, around the time Elizabeth reached her sixth month of pregnancy, the sickness greatly diminished. But a month later, new trouble started.

Nathan came home one day to find his wife in the kitchen, hunched over and gasping. He hurried to her side. "What's wrong?" he asked. "Do I need to get Carson or Faith?"

She only nodded, drawing in breath like it was a lifeline. Nathan took off at a run for the Shepherd's house. Once more, he was thankful they lived so close. He found Faith at home and asked her to come immediately. She grabbed her bag, handed him her baby, and took her toddler's hand. All together, they made their way to the Grant house.

Faith instructed Nathan to get Elizabeth to their bed. He complied, scooping his wife into his arms and carrying her to their room. He settled her on the bed, where Faith began her examination. Soon enough, she sat back.

"You're experiencing early labor," she said. "Have you been busy lately?"

Elizabeth nodded. "I have four children and I run my own business, Faith," she said wryly. "Of course I'm busy."

"Not anymore," Faith said firmly. "From now on, you're on bed rest."

"What?" Elizabeth screeched, staring at her friend. "Bed rest? I can't be on bed rest! I have a family to care for!"

Faith looked her in the eyes. "If you keep on the way you have been, these babies will come too early. You need to do what's best for them, Elizabeth. That means staying in bed and only getting out occasionally for meals or sitting in the living room." She stood. "You have two months before your twins get here. You want them to stay in your womb as long as possible so they can keep growing. If they come too soon, they could die."

Her words struck fear in Nathan's heart. From the look on Elizabeth's face, it did for her as well. She leaned back against the pillows that propped her up. "How are we going to do this?" she asked, looking between Faith and Nathan. "Nathan has to work. The kids can't just fend for themselves."

"I can help."

They all turned toward the door. Allie was standing there, peering in. Nathan raised a brow at the sight of their oldest. "How long have you been there?"

"Long enough," Allie replied. She came into the room. "Jack is in school most of the day, but I can take care of Aurora and Mia. I can cook, too."

Elizabeth shook her head. "Allie, you have schooling to attend yourself. You can't just miss the next two months."

"You can home-school me," Allie said calmly. A smile tugged her lips. "You're a teacher, Mom. I think I'll be in good hands."

Nathan felt a surge of pride. His little girl was growing up and showing an astonishing sense of maturity. He slipped an arm around her. "Good idea," he said. He looked at Elizabeth. "I can put in a request for a second Mountie to come to Hope Valley. That way I can spend more time here at home to help out. This town is growing fast and could use a second law enforcement officer anyway." He smiled. "I happen to know that Robert wants to come home to Hope Valley. Union City isn't his favorite place, but that's where he was posted as a new Mountie. Maybe I could pull some strings and get him stationed here."

Interest lit Allie's eyes. "Really?" she asked.

Both parents looked at her, sensing her excitement. Allie quickly schooled her features. "I mean, that would be helpful."

Nathan chuckled. He knew his daughter's interest in Robert hadn't abated in the years he'd been gone. He was pretty sure they exchanged letters, but he couldn't prove that. Allie was very secretive when it came to her love life.

He nearly choked on the thought, but he knew it was an inevitable reality. Robert was a good young man. Allie could do a lot worse than him.

But right now, his focus was on his wife. Their children would need lots of care in the months ahead, and he wanted to be sure their babies were born strong and healthy.

"I'll put in a call tomorrow," he said. "We'll make this work."

Elizabeth's eyes filled with tears. "What did I do to deserve a family like ours?" she whispered, looking first at Nathan, then at Allie. She held out her arms to the girl who was fast becoming a young woman. Allie went to her side, crawling onto the bed and nestling against her mother.

Nathan smiled at the sweet picture. Allie might be turning into a young woman, but she still showed moments of little girl trust and affection. Like right now.

With a plan in place, both he and Elizabeth felt a little more peaceful. Nathan kept his word to try bringing a second Mountie to Hope Valley. Within a week, Constable Robert Wolf was officially assigned to his hometown, and he came home in a flurry of excitement. He thanked Nathan over and again for bringing him back. Nathan simply smiled and told him to take care of their town.

After Robert's arrival, Nathan spent half his time at work and half at home. They scheduled a system with him working mornings and coming home in the afternoons. Allie was schooled at home in the morning hours, then traveled to the school in the afternoon to keep up with lessons there. The arrangement was an unusual one, but it served its purpose. Elizabeth's early labor ceased, and the children continued to grow inside of her.

She was still able to spend time with their other kids. Oftentimes Nathan would come home to find her on the settee, reading to Aurora and Mia. In the evenings, she was the one to help Jack with his homework or do a puzzle with him at the table. Occasionally, she pushed herself too much – trying to make a meal or walking around the house. Whenever she did, the labor pains would start again. She quickly learned how sensitive her body was to activity, and more and more she remained in bed or on the settee. But she actively strove to be a part of the family and keep building relationships with each member.

The plan worked. The babies stayed put until a sunny day in June, two weeks before their due date. As Nathan helped his wife from their bedroom to the settee, she let out a gasp of pain. "Oooh!"

Instantly on alert, Nathan searched her eyes. "Are you alright?"

She nodded, relaxing as the pain passed. "That felt like a contraction, but I've been having them on and off for a few days now."

Nathan's brows shot up. "You what?! Why didn't you say something?"

Elizabeth gave him an amused smile. "Because I knew your reaction would be like that," she said, a little chuckle escaping. "Don't worry, Nathan. If this goes into full labor, I will be sure to let you know." She laughed again. "I wouldn't be able to hide it if I tried."

Over the next couple of hours, her contractions increased in length and frequency. Finally, she asked him to get Faith.

"These babies are coming," she said. Sweat beaded her brow and pain marred her beautiful face, but she also looked to be at peace. She smiled at him, squeezing his hand. "We're going to meet our little ones soon."

Nathan kissed her gently, situated her in their bed, then asked Allie to run over to the Shepherd's home to let Faith know it was time.

He was resolved to stay at Elizabeth's side through the entire labor and delivery.

Several hours after Faith arrived, Elizabeth gave birth to a son. Minutes later, his sister made her appearance. Though exhausted after the ordeal of birthing two children, Elizabeth was beyond happy. She cried as she held her long-awaited babies for the first time, taking in their perfect little faces and the sweet scent that always seemed to accompany newborns. She looked up at Nathan, eyes shining.

"We got our Nate and Ella."

Nathan grinned, sitting beside her on the bed. Elizabeth handed him his tiny namesake, watching as Nathan looked down at his son with wonder in his eyes. The babies' full names were Nathaniel Archibald and Elizabeth Grace, but they would bear the nicknames their parents had established for them on their honeymoon.

Nate yawned, then opened his little eyes and looked up at his father.

"Hi," Nathan murmured, rocking the baby gently back and forth. As she had when Aurora was born, Elizabeth marveled at how natural her husband was with babies.

Little Ella let out a small cry. Her mouth instinctively nuzzled Elizabeth's chest, searching for sustenance. Nate responded to the cry, letting out one of his own. Elizabeth looked at her children, momentarily stumped as to how to choose who to feed.

"Let me help," Faith said, moving forward. She'd stepped aside to allow Nathan and Elizabeth time to bond with their newborns, but practicality now took over. "I have a trick I learned in medical school for feeding two babies at once."

She propped some pillows around Elizabeth and over her lap, then laid a twin on either side of her near her breasts. Elizabeth opened the maternity patches over her chest, then leaned forward at Faith's instruction to offer milk to her children. Nate latched immediately. He had a strong suck reflex that reminded Elizabeth of Aurora's voracity for eating as an infant. Ella took a little longer to figure out how to eat. Her suck was gentle and slow. Elizabeth was struck at the strange sensation of feeding two babies who ate differently.

"This is weird," she commented. "Very weird."

Faith chuckled. "You'll get used to it. Besides, they won't always want to eat at the same time."

A small concern nagged at Elizabeth's mind. "Will I have enough milk for them both?" she asked Faith. "Aurora would empty both breasts at each feeding. Now I have two of them. What if I don't produce enough to sustain them?"

"You will," Faith replied. "A mother's body is remarkably adaptable. You should easily have enough milk for both children. But if not, you know formula can supplement their diet." She placed a hand on Elizabeth's shoulder. "It will all work out. You'll see."

Trusting her friend, Elizabeth nodded. Faith quietly left the room as Elizabeth fed Nate and Ella. Nathan sat on the side of the bed, watching his children eat in utter fascination.

Elizabeth grinned. "You act like you've never watched a baby nurse before," she commented, teasing him gently.

"It's a miracle," he said, shaking his head in wonder. "It was with Aurora, and it is now. Maybe even especially now, since you're nourishing two of them at the same time."

Nate finished first. Before Elizabeth could ask, Nathan took his son and held him close, patting his back firmly until he let out a small burp. Elizabeth smiled as she watched Nathan with the baby. Little Nate soon fell asleep on his father's chest. Nathan absolutely melted, staring down at the boy in awe. Elizabeth wasn't sure her husband had ever looked more handsome than he did in that moment, struck mute by a tiny baby that was part of him and part of her.

When Ella finished nursing, Elizabeth repeated the process Nathan had. After the little girl fell asleep, Nathan stood. "I'm going to get the children," he said. "They were chomping at the bit to meet their new siblings hours before they were born."

Elizabeth laughed, nodding. "Send them in."

Moments later, the children came quietly into the room. They crowded around the bed, staring at their new little sister, then looking at their new baby brother still cradled in Nathan's arms.

"They're so small!" Jack exclaimed, climbing onto the bed beside Elizabeth. He put a hand on Ella's back. "Did it hurt when they came out? We heard you screaming. I got scared, but Auntie Rosie said that's normal."

Elizabeth nodded. "It did hurt, but that's true for all deliveries." She smiled, smoothing the worry lines from Jack's face. "The pain is all gone, sweetie. I'm just happy your brother and sister are here and that they're healthy."

Aurora was staring at Ella in fascination. "Cute baby," she said.

Allie was enthralled by Nate. "He has the Grant nose," she said proudly, prompting chuckles from both Nathan and Elizabeth.

"I want to see," Mia said, pulling on Allie's skirt. Allie lifted her sister into her arms, propping her on her hip so Mia could see Nate. Mia smiled at the infant. "I always wanted a baby brother," she said, resting her head against Allie's.

Elizabeth and Nathan shared a smile. Their children were clearly happy with the arrival of Nate and Ella. Though they knew there would be growing pains as they went from a family of six to a family of eight, it would all be worth it.

They finally had their miracle babies.