SEVEN MONTHS LATER

Elizabeth watched as the morning sun came through the new eyelet curtains in the bedroom. She couldn't believe that this was the last morning she would wake up in the row house.

The room was still decidedly masculine, and Elizabeth liked it that way. Nathan was in every corner, with his books, and leather straps, and his extra pair of riding boots behind the door. His suspenders hung on hooks near the closet, his hairbrush on the dresser, stray buttons in cups, pictures from Allie, his spare reading glasses (a revelation of marriage and one she cherished). She loved every inch of it just as she loved all of him.

Elizabeth sighed and Allie stirred next to her. Nathan had awakened early to meet Mike, Lee and some of the mill hands to move the bed and dresser from Allie's room, the harvest table from the kitchen, and the rest of the living room furniture over to the new house out in the meadow. Then they were getting the horses from the livery to get them settled in the barn behind the house.

When Nathan had awakened her, Allie had just crawled up into the big bed with Elizabeth and fallen back asleep under her arm. Elizabeth put her lips to Allie's hair, soft and fine as silk and smelling of the soap from her bath the night before. Her little body was so warm and trusting, her face in perfect peace, pink-cheeked and dreaming.

Elizabeth reached down and put her hand on her stomach, now so close to bringing a new life into the world. She and Nathan hoped it would be a boy, but then in the next breath, they would say they'd love for Allie to have a little sister. And she knew it didn't matter. She felt the baby kick as she thought about him, and she laughed softly. "Nate," she said in a whisper. Definitely a boy. Part of her and part of Nathan, wrapped in their love. And though Allie lived outside of her and Elizabeth had had nothing to do with her creation, she knew that the little girl next to her was her daughter and as much a part of her life as Nathan and this child they had created together.

Elizabeth realized that she had loved Allie practically from the moment she'd seen her in the saloon that first terrible day in Coal Valley. In the midst of feeling a failure, a disheveled wreck after the night in the stagecoach, and a disappointment to the mothers of the town - Allie had looked at her with bright eyes and admired her hat. Her broken, dirty pink hat.

Pulling Allie closer, Elizabeth felt a tear snake down her temple and into her hair. How could anyone have so many blessings?

By the time Nathan and the men returned in mid-morning, Elizabeth was up and the bedclothes were folded neatly on the window seat. She and Allie watched as Nathan and Mike expertly disassembled the large oak bed and began taking it out to the wagon. She'd cleared off the dressers and put everything into trunks, and within a half hour, the room was empty. All that was left was to clean, and she and Allie made a good start on it. They still had a few days before one of Lee's foremen would be moving in.

In the early afternoon, they took a picnic out to the dock as they had promised Allie they would. She said she loved to watch the sunset, and that was true, but Nathan and Elizabeth knew that what she really wanted was to run up to the new house again.

Allie would go from room to room, calling out their new owners in a confident, joyous voice. She always started with her own room. "MY room," she said, walking around the perimeter with her fingers trailing the walls. Then to the large bedroom at the end of the hall. "Daddy and Mama's room," she said, laughing, again moving around the walls.

The furniture that had seemed so crowded in the little row house now felt slightly sparse in the large rooms. There were a few pictures on the walls and lots of boxes to unpack on the gleaming wood floors. The kitchen had all the necessities for a pancake breakfast, and the large harvest table seemed half its size in the spacious dining room.

Allie continued her journey back into the hall and into the small room that was directly across from hers. She always saved this room for last.

"Baby's room," she said softly, almost reverently. And then, with a giggle, she whispered, "Baby Nate's room."

"So you think it's a boy too, do you?" Nathan said, coming into the room and scooping her up in his arms.

Allie giggled as Nathan nuzzled his nose against her neck. "Baby Nate," she said again, squealing with joy.

"And what if Baby Nate is a girl?" Nathan asked, already knowing the answer.

"'Lizbeth!" Allie cried out.

"That's Mama's name!" Nathan said in mock surprise, following the pattern they had repeated over the last few months. Allie loved it, and she smiled at him, reaching out to hold his collar tightly as she had for so many years. "Nathan Daddy, 'Lizbeth Mama," she said softly. Nathan thought it always sounded like a prayer. Or a dream that had come true for Allie. And for him.

That night, after reading and singing to Allie, Nathan sat on the side of the big four-poster bed in their new bedroom. The smell of fresh wood and paint and lacquer lingered in the air faintly.

Elizabeth was propped up on pillows, as she often was these days, trying to get comfortable. Nathan lay down beside her with his head next to hers and his hand comfortably resting on her stomach, hoping for some kicks. He wasn't disappointed.

He laughed softly. "You sure there's only one in there?" he said, smiling up at her.

"Martin is certain it's one," she said, raising an eyebrow. "He has a new stethoscope that he says is essentially foolproof."

Nathan gave her a crooked smile. "So why does he have to add the word 'essentially'?"

Elizabeth laughed and shook her head. "Don't start with me. I'm the mother. I know it's one." She took a deep breath. "In any case, we'll know in a couple of weeks. Martin says probably the week after next." Looking over at Nathan, she said, "Are you ready?"

Reaching out for her hand and kissing it, Nathan said softly, "More than ready."

Elizabeth sighed and adjusted herself on the pillows. "Me too," she said, exhaling. "I just hope it's not in the middle of Clara's engagement party."

Nathan laughed. "Mike might be grateful. He's nervous as a cat about making a speech, and Clara insists that he thank everyone for coming." Looking up and into her eyes, Nathan said, "And don't think I'm letting you off the hook for losing our bet."

Trying to look innocent, Elizabeth said, "What bet?"

Nathan shook his head, "Oh, no, you don't. You know perfectly well what bet. You said Rosemary and Lee would be engaged before Clara and Mike. You lost."

Elizabeth's eyes went wide. "By five days! That hardly counts!"

"Nope. I won. And you need to pay up," Nathan said, beginning to trail his lips along her arm. Elizabeth closed her eyes, feeling the warmth of his breath on her skin.

"Mmmmm," she murmured. "I don't recall our bet having anything to do with that, and at this point, you're dreaming…" She laughed softly as he worked his way up to her neck and kissed her behind the ear.

"I always feel like I'm dreaming when I'm with you…"

It turned out that Dr. Martin Sommersby was a very good doctor indeed. Nathan William Grant made his way into the world in the early morning hours with gusto, squealing so loudly that folks came running from the Mercantile out to the meadow.

First to arrive was Bill Avery, followed closely by Rosemary. Then Clara and Abigail, and then what seemed like half the town. They had all expected at least a little notice, but young Nate was ready for Hope Valley, even if Hope Valley wasn't quite prepared for him.

At the first sign of labor, Nathan rode Newton at a gallop to get the doctor, and in just a couple of hours it was over. Nathan never left Elizabeth's side, and as he watched her bring his son into the light of day in their beautiful, fresh bedroom, lying in the bed that he had dreamed in for so many years alone - Nathan did the impossible.

He fell even more in love with his wife.

When everyone finally went home and the last casserole was put into their brand new icebox; when Martin proclaimed mother and son in excellent health and packed up his bag, Nathan opened the windows wide to the setting sun. He watched as the descending colors of red, orange and finally soft yellow played across Elizabeth's skin and caught the tips of Nate's eyelashes as he slept between them.

Allie had finally fallen asleep next to Nate after the busiest of days, and though she'd had many offers to stay the night with friends, she flatly refused to leave her brother. Even now her small hand lay gently on his shoulder, rising and falling with his breath.

Nothing could have prepared Nathan for the overwhelming happiness of this moment, and Elizabeth watched as a tear slipped quietly from the corner of his eye, glistening with sunset colors. Nate's tiny hand clutched his finger and she smiled as Nathan's mouth opened slightly in wonder at the pink half-moons of his perfect fingernails.

His voice was thick with emotion as he whispered, "There have been times in my life that I doubted God - even if there was a God." He looked up into Elizabeth's eyes, which were as full of unshed tears as his own.

"I never will again."

He leaned up to kiss her, and felt the soft warmth of their children between them as the sun finally disappeared over the pond.

THE END