A/N: Dear Readers, I wasn't sure just where I was going to start with this chapter, but it has been so much fun to write! I do hope you enjoy it!

Chapter 57: Fearfully and Wonderfully Made

The excitement Amy felt Tuesday and Wednesday reminded her of trying to hold back a horse at the starting gate whose natural inclination was to love racing – that strength under control; yet there were moments she hardly felt in control, wanting so much to share her joy! She tried to concentrate on her work with Logan and planning the picnic meal with Ginny. On Tuesday afternoon before Lyndy got home from school, while the guys were hard at work, and Logan was taking care of duties at the Centre, Amy and Ginny went grocery shopping for items to include for the picnic. They came up with several cheeses and a charcuterie board to include three different meats, olives, figs, grapes, asparagus shoots to steam ahead of time and refrigerate, several varieties of crackers, almonds, cashews, and pecans. They also had chocolate covered strawberries, humus and pita bread, and to drink, grape sparkling cider and plenty of water. Nothing would need to be cooked or kept warm that way and would be easy to transport with keeping things cold for only a short time. Amy was getting more and more excited, but still, she managed to keep a lid on her enthusiasm. However, Ginny, observant as she was, had noticed Amy did not drink any coffee that morning.

Wednesday morning, Amy felt a sense of relief as she woke. Today was the day, yet she was also a bit anxious about telling Mitch. She wanted it to be perfect. She couldn't help recalling the fiasco it had been trying to tell Ty about Lyndy, even though it turned out to be perfect.(*1) She'd also found this to be the first morning she'd needed to discreetly make use of the saltines in her bedside drawer. She moved as quickly as she could push herself to make sure Lyndy got out the door to school on time. Thankfully, they only had a little more than two weeks till school was out.

She whiled away the morning with Logan working with their current client's horse. They had lunch together with everyone else around noon, then Logan headed to the Centre, and the guys went back to work on the arena. Progress on it was going well. They had all the large steel beams now standing in place embedded deeply in concrete, ready to soon begin framing the enclosure. Mitch was hoping to have everything finished and ready to lay down the special floor covering they'd learned about at Camwood Farm by the last week in June. The special mixture was on order to be delivered in about ten days. That should finish everything up and allow his parents to return home by the beginning of July.

About 3pm, Amy's cell phone rang, and the caller ID came up as Dr. Adler's office. She excused herself to the bedroom to take the call. The news was just as she'd suspected. The blood test results indicated she was about two and a half weeks along. That meant that she must have conceived during Doc and Ginny's gifted time away for her and Mitch. 'What icing-on-the-cake for an overnight together!' she thought.

Amy showered and put on some of her nicest jeans, a turquoise tank top, and one of her most feminine flannel shirts – turquoise and pink with tiny flowers. She curled her hair and pulled half of it up into a decorative hair clip, leaving the rest falling in soft curls down her back. She even sprayed a couple of squirts of the perfume Mitch seemed to like behind her ears. She picked out which jacket she'd wear and also a light sweater to take just in case, and then went to pack the food she and Ginny had prepared together the night before. 'Oh, and we'll need matches.'

Mitch got in from work about 5pm and went to shower. Amy rounded up three blankets, one for the ground and two to cover with, should they need them. She'd also thought to ask Logan for help on Tuesday. He'd taken an ATV out to where they were going, not too far from the house, but still down by the creek, and he set up the wood for their fire. She hadn't told him the whole reason for it, but since they would be working together, she knew he would be among some of the first people she'd need to share the news with.

A little while later, Mitch walked out of the bathroom, dressed in a light blue T-shirt with a darker blue-plaid flannel over it. The blue caused his eyes to pop stunningly. His one unruly curl hung over his forehead. Coming down the hallway, when he saw Amy, he flashed her his crooked grin that, when he was especially happy, reached the corners of his eyes. Today it did. Her heart fluttered. Still, he could take her breath away at a moment's notice. He walked up behind her at the kitchen island and wrapped her in his arms. Leaning into her ear, his breath sent a chill down her spine as he said, "Hey, Beautiful! Are you about ready to go on our date?"

"Um-hum," she almost purred back to him a little breathless. "If you will take this basket, I thought, since it will be a leisurely ride, we could take Spartan and Maverick," she said, knowing that she now needed to be sure, when she did ride, to take it easy. But Mitch didn't need to know that just yet.

When they came into the barn, Spartan's ears sprang up, and when Amy drew closer to begin saddling him, he was extremely attentive and nuzzled her repeatedly. 'He knows,' she thought. Animals seemed to have a sixth sense for detecting such things. Mitch finished saddling Maverick, secured the picnic basket on him, and the blankets on Spartan, and they headed out with Amy leading the way. The sun was lower in the sky, but it would be a long time before dark came. Mitch asked, "Where are we going?"

"You'll see. Just stay with me."

"No problem with that, my love. No where else I'd rather be," he said, and he reached out to take her hand. They rode like that for about fifteen minutes, slow and easy, taking in the scenery, until they came up over a small ridge that led down to the creek. Mitch saw the firewood set up and said, "You thought of everything, didn't you?"

"I tried," Amy happily replied.

They got to the site, spread out one of the blankets on a lush, grassy area and set down the basket. Mitch secured the horses to a nearby tree for them to graze. Then they headed down to the creekside and sat on a big log several yards away from the bank. Mitch wrapped both arms around Amy, and for a long while, they just sat with her head leaning against him, her hand on his knee, his chin lightly resting on her hair, enjoying the relaxing sounds of the creek babbling as the stream meandered intrinsically along its currents. The air began to have a bit of a chill, and Mitch's tummy began to rumble, so he suggested they go back and get a fire going and enjoy their picnic. Amy laid out the variety of foods, brought out the wine glasses, and poured the sparkling cider for them while Mitch found the matches and lit the fire.

"Amy, all this looks delicious!"

"Ginny helped me decide on what to bring. I thought it would be nice to have something other than sandwiches," she replied.

"Well, you ladies outdid yourselves!"

While they shared their meal, Mitch caught her up on how the hands were faring and the latest with the arena. He mentioned how happy he'd been that approval for their permit had come through so quickly. She brought him up to date on how they were progressing in working with the latest horse and how Nina was doing. They fed each other the chocolate covered strawberries for dessert, and when they'd basically finished all she'd packed, Amy moved everything to the side. Mitch laid back on the blanket with his hands behind his head, and she sat crossed legged beside and facing him. She brought up talking about Lyndy as a possible way to ease into telling him. They talked about how school was going for her and how much she had continued to improve in her riding and how they were looking forward to the summer together. Then Amy summoned the words to plunge in…

"Mitch, I have something I need to tell you."

Mitch looked concerned and raised up onto his elbows to give her his full attention. Amy reached back into the basket that was sitting behind her and pulled something out. She laid between them a baseball and pink hair ribbons. He looked at her bewildered.

Then she said with a twinkle in her eye, "We may have need of one or the other of these in the future."

He still hadn't quite caught on, and she reached for his hands to pull him to a sitting position and took one of his hands and placed it on her tummy. Suddenly, as he looked between his hand, the baseball and ribbons, and back to his hand, she saw a light spring into his eyes which almost instantly became glistening pools of blue as she confirmed, "Darling, we are going to have a baby!"

From the tears that had welled in his eyes, one escaped from each down both his cheeks, and he said, "I'm…I'm going to be a dad?!" Then he realized what he'd just said and added, "I mean, I know I already am to Lyndy…but, we are going to have one of our own?!"

Amy shook her head 'Yes,' looking at him with such tenderness.

Mitch took her face in his hands and soundly kissed her then drew her into the most powerfully loving warm embrace she ever remembered receiving from him, one hand moving in circles on her back, the other cupping her head.

"Oh, Amy! I can't begin to even explain how happy I feel!"

"I know, Darling, isn't it wonderful?" she answered as they still embraced.

Mitch suddenly drew back, still holding onto her but looking quite alarmed, "Am I squeezing you too hard?"

Amy chuckled, "No, Sweetheart, I won't break…and neither will the baby."

He reached down to hold her tummy again. "But when did it happen? So soon? When will it come?" He felt full of questions.

"Are you disappointed it's so soon?" Amy asked, concern tingeing her question.

"Oh, not at all! I'm thrilled! I guess I just thought it would take longer."

Well, it's not like we've been trying to prevent it or haven't had many chances," she chuckled with a wink. "I'm about two and a half weeks along, so that means it happened during our night away. And he or she should arrive sometime in early February."

"Oh, Amy! I'm elated!" but then he thought and said out loud, "But…should we be riding tonight?"

"It should be fine until I'm about twelve weeks along, as long as I take it easy. But after that, I will need to stop. That's one of the hardest parts for me," she confessed.

"I would imagine so," Mitch said understandingly.

"So, we need to ride as much as possible the next month and a half, carefully that is," she stated compellingly looking him in the eye.

"We'll certainly try to make that happen. And maybe anytime I can't go, there will be someone else you can ride with. Please just don't go out by yourself. Promise me?"

"I promise," Amy said appreciating his concern.

"Oh, Darling, Lyndy is going to be so excited!"

"She will, but I'm thinking we should hold off on telling her until I'm a little further along. Many couples don't announce it until getting past the first trimester. That will be in early August. I don't think we can wait that long, but maybe at least until late July?"

"That will be hard, but I understand the thinking," Mitch replied.

"However, I don't think there's any way we can keep it from your parents that long, especially with them living with us right now. I was thinking maybe we can tell them tomorrow while Lyndy is at school."

"That sounds like a plan," Mitch agreed.

"And I know that I'll need to share it pretty soon with Logan. And maybe around the first trimester, we can talk with Caleb and Cass about revising our will when we tell them. After that, we can announce it to the rest of the family."

"It's going to be really hard to keep it secret for that long, but I guess it's good to have it just be special for us for a little while," Mitch said thoughtfully.

"It will actually be good that we wait that long for Lou to know. It will give less time for her to worry about me. She nearly drove me crazy while I was pregnant with Lyndy. Though there were also times she was really there for me. I don't know if you recall, but I went through most of Lyndy's pregnancy with Ty in Mongolia. I know that was really important for him to do, but I'm so glad you will be present with me through this one."

Mitch reached out to hold her hand with compassion in his eyes. Then he leaned down and spoke to her belly, "Little one, this is your daddy. I can hardly wait to meet you, but you stay safe and warm right where you are for now and grow to be healthy and strong."

Amy teared up as she looked down at Mitch and felt his lips close to her body speaking to their little miracle. Mitch looked up and saw her tears. He gently wiped them away with his thumbs, then put one hand behind her head and wrapping the other behind her, he very gently laid her back. He reached over to grab a blanket to cover them, then kissed her lips with one of the deepest, most heart-felt kisses they'd been able to share in several days. They spent a long while cuddling, kissing, and caressing with laughter interspersed as they expressed their newfound joy. After a while, they laid back side by side holding hands and looking up at the sky. A few stars were starting to peek out ever so faintly. They soaked in several moments enjoying His creation together, then Mitch said, "I guess we should start back while we still have some light for the horses to be more sure-footed. We don't want to take any chances."

Amy leaned over for one more kiss before they both helped each other up to begin packing their things away and headed in for home. When they went to bed that night, Mitch said he had a special passage he wanted to share with Amy. He turned to Psalm 139:1-18 and began to read…

1Yahweh, you have searched me,
and you know me.
2 You know my sitting down and my rising up.
You perceive my thoughts from afar.
3 You search out my path and my lying down,
and are acquainted with all my ways.
4 For there is not a word on my tongue,
but, behold, Yahweh, you know it altogether.
5 You hem me in behind and before.
You laid your hand on me.
6 This knowledge is beyond me.
It's lofty.
I can't attain it.
7 Where could I go from your Spirit?
Or where could I flee from your presence?
8 If I ascend up into heaven, you are there.
If I make my bed in Sheol,(*2) behold, you are there!
9 If I take the wings of the dawn,
and settle in the uttermost parts of the sea,
10 even there your hand will lead me,
and your right hand will hold me.
11 If I say, "Surely the darkness will overwhelm me.
The light around me will be night,"
12 even the darkness doesn't hide from you,
but the night shines as the day.
The darkness is like light to you.
13 For you formed my inmost being.
You knit me together in my mother's womb.
14 I will give thanks to you,
for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Your works are wonderful.
My soul knows that very well.
15 My frame wasn't hidden from you,
when I was made in secret,
woven together in the depths of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw my body.
In your book they were all written,
the days that were ordained for me,
when as yet there were none of them.
17 How precious to me are your thoughts, God!
How vast is their sum!
18 If I would count them, they are more in number than the sand.
When I wake up, I am still with you.

"Mitch, that's so beautiful!"

"Isn't it? It's always been one of my favorite passages." Mitch reached to take her hand, "Oh, my Angel, I can't believe this blessing has come to us so quickly! Is there anything you need before we go to sleep?"

"No, I've got my water, and, oh, you may hear me crunching on some saltines in the mornings if you aren't up before I wake."

"Saltines?"

"Yes, if I feel nauseous, they help ward off my having to throw up. It worked with Lyndy, so I'm hoping it will with this one as well. There's nothing I hate much worse than throwing up."

"I'm with you there!" Mitch agreed. "I have a feeling I'll be learning a lot in these next eight and a half months. That's right, isn't it? Nine months in all?"

"Yes, approximately forty weeks altogether. And since we are certain when I conceived, we can be pretty sure of this little one's arrival date, unless it decides to come early," Amy said.

"Do you think there's a chance of that?"

"Well, there's always a chance. So many things can happen. But since things went really well with Lyndy, I don't expect anything to go amiss with this one," Amy answered with confidence.

"That's good to know. I love you so much, Sweetheart!" Mitch said. And once again, he lovingly cupped her cheek and drew her to him as he caressed her lips gently, lovingly. "Goodnight, my love."

"Goodnight, my handsome father," Amy said as she laid down and turned onto her left side. Mitch placed his hand on her belly and gently drew her close into his body surrounding her protectively as he tried to calm the myriad of thoughts dancing through his head. Very soon, he heard Amy's steady breathing, letting him know that she was resting peacefully. He hoped he could join her there soon.

Thursday during the guys' mid-morning break, Mitch and Amy asked Doc and Ginny if they could talk. Amy offered to make the four of them tea and brought it into the family room with some cookies and set them on the coffee table. After everyone was served, Mitch began, "Dad, Mom, we have something to share with you."

Ginny sat up straighter, pretty sure she knew what was coming.

"You know that Amy and I had a special night together last night…well, it was more than special. It was life changing," he said as he looked over at Amy sharing a knowing smile. "Dad, Mom…Amy shared with me last night that we are expecting!"

They saw smiles come across Doc and Ginny's faces that seemed a mile wide, and Ginny jumped up from her chair letting out a joyful squeal and hurried across the small distance to hug them both. Doc followed, just a little more dignified.

"We are so thrilled for you both…and Lyndy!" Ginny said. "Congratulations! I had a feeling when Amy requested sparkling cider instead of wine for your picnic and then had no coffee the last couple of mornings."

Mitch looked nonplussed and said incredulously, "I didn't even pick up on that!"

"I wouldn't have expected you to, Son," she snickered.

Doc gave them both a hearty hug and seemed at a loss for words, but his hug expressed all he was feeling. He'd hoped and prayed for this for his son for so long.

"So when are you due," Ginny asked.

"Early February," Amy replied.

"Oh, this is so exciting!" Ginny clapped. "So when will you tell Lyndy?"

"We want to wait until I'm a little further along, just to be sure. I'm only about two and a half weeks." Ginny quickly did the calculation in her mind and realized when it had happened. The realization brought her special joy. "We figured we should go ahead and tell you since there would likely be no way to keep it from you in our close quarters right now," Amy explained.

"Well, we are thrilled that you did!" Doc said, finally recovering his voice.

"Lyndy will be ecstatic! She was asking me just the other day if I thought she would ever have a brother or sister," Ginny shared.

"She was?!" Mitch asked surprised.

"Oh yes, she even included the request in her prayers. That was the Friday night we kept her for you," Ginny added.

As what she'd just shared dawned on them all, they looked at each other stunned, and Doc said, "From the mouth of a babe to our Father's hearing. Could just be coincidence, but perhaps not…." The thought left them all a bit in awe.

Mitch said, "Can we just say a prayer of thanksgiving together, right now?"

"I think that's entirely appropriate, Son. May I lead us?" Doc asked.

"Please do, Dad," and they all held hands in a circle…

"Dearest Father,

We come before you with grateful hearts for the incredible blessing you have bestowed upon Mitch, Amy and Lyndy. You've already established them as wonderful family, bringing so much love and joy into their lives and hearts, but today, at this moment, our hearts are overflowing with the joyful news you've blessed us with. Thank you for answering Lyndy's prayer so quickly. We know there are so many factors that come together for conception to happen, and we give you the glory, Father! We look forward with great anticipation to the day that Lyndy can know you answered her prayer. We know her heart will be so full. You are amazing, Father! The intricacies of the miracle of the creation of a new life fill us with wonder. We are truly 'fearfully and wonderfully made.' We pray for your watchful care over the knitting together of this precious child that we look forward to welcoming into this family you've given us. Bless Amy with good health and an easy pregnancy and safe delivery. Thank you, Father!

In Jesus' name, Amen."

"Thank you so much, Dad," Mitch said.

"Yes, thank you!" Amy echoed having recognized that Doc had quoted part of the passage she and Mitch had just read the night before. "That was such a beautiful prayer." She paused, then said, "Just so you know, I'll need to tell Logan pretty soon, but we don't plan to announce it to any of the rest of the family until late July or early August. That will get me through my first trimester."

"Well, we'll do our best to keep your secret. Thank you so much for trusting us with it." Ginny said.

"Of course, Mom. I hope you know how much we trust you both," Mitch reassured her. That declaration provoked a proud hug from both his parents.

A/N: (*1) Amy telling Ty she is pregnant with Lyndy is from Heartland, Season 9, Episode 18.

(*2) Psalm 139:8 - Sheol is the place of the dead. The biblical passage is from the World English Bible (WEB); name is trademarked, and version is Public Domain.