Michigan

They had taken two days to drive the 582.3 miles to Michigan. Stopped every couple hours to walk around or eat and stayed the night in New York at a Bed and Breakfast. Now, they were about five minutes from his house.

"Babe? We are almost home," he told her, not taking his hands off the wheel of the large moving truck.

"Really?"

"Yep."

Elizabeth smiled when they pulled in the driveway. "I'm so happy to be here, honey."

"Me too." No more traveling all the way to Boston or Ann Arbor. No more missing each other so much it hurt.

"Its so small," Grace said in the car behind them.

"Its modest but for now, its only them. Its fine, Grace."

"It is and I wasn't saying anything against Lucas. I was just noticing."

"I can't believe she left Philly," William admitted. "I thought she'd always be nearby."

"Me too. Then I was thinking…I followed you to Philly from Atlanta so its not much different."

"No, I suppose it isn't."

Grace watched Elizabeth climb out of the truck carefully and stretch, her loose shirt inching up and showing a small baby bump. She loved that baby already, Grace could tell. She would be just fine here with Lucas.

Lucas walked around and winked at Elizabeth, kissing her softly before unlatching the back door of the truck and pushing it up to reveal all her belongings.

It took about an hour, but all Elizabeth's boxes were transferred from the truck to the living room in the house.

"I can order some food for us," Lucas offered. "Anyone like Italian?"

Grace could see how tired Elizabeth was so she hesitated. "I think we should go to the airbnb, Will."

"Alright."

Elizabeth was a little relieved. She was very tired but she also wanted to just be with Luke. In their home. Alone.

"You're still coming over tomorrow morning to help me unpack, right?" she asked them she confirmed while she hugged them. They were taking her car and would bring it the next morning and then she would drive them back to the airport in Detroit to fly back to Philadelphia in the afternoon.

"Of course, Bethie."

"Alright. Thank you for coming all the way here."

William kissed her forehead. "I love you."

"I love you too, Dad."

As soon as they said goodbye to Lucas and the door shut behind them, Lucas led Elizabeth to the couch and pulled her into his arms. "Time to rest."

"I'm here," she whispered. "I'm home."

"Yes you are, hon. Right here with me."

"You, me and Boo," she said with a laugh.

"In our teenie tiny house," he said, looking around.

"Why don't you get your laptop and we can look for houses from right here?"

So that's what they did. They spent the evening, resting on the couch, ordering dinner, watching a movie and snuggling under blankets. In her mind, it was a perfect evening.

……

Lucas woke up the next morning to the sounds of Beth getting sick in the bathroom. He thought she had been feeling better lately but perhaps not.

"Babe?" he said quietly, looking in the bathroom door.

"Hey." She got up from the floor, washed her face and brushed her teeth.

"You alright?"

"Yeah. This happens every morning."

"Oh. I thought you were feeling alot better."

"I still throw up every morning. Once I start eating and drinking, I feel better."

"What can I get you?"

"Fruit and toast?"

"You got it." He kissed her temple and headed to the kitchen.

"Hey," she said quietly as she wandered into the kitchen, wearing his t-shirt that she was swimming in.

"Hi. Dry toast?"

"Do you have any peanut butter?"

"Sure."

"Thanks, hon. I have my ultrasound on Thursday morning. It's at 10am."

"Alright. I'll be there."

She took a bite of toast and kissed his cheek. "What would you like for dinner tonight?"

"Whatever you make is fine."

"Tacos? It's Tuesday. Sounds festive."

He nodded. "Sounds good."

He leaned down and kissed her, loving that she was never leaving again. "I wish I didn't have to work."

"Me too."

He gave her a long hug and went into the bathroom to shower.

As he left the bathroom, a towel tied around his waist, he heard a whistle from behind him.

"Hey, baby. Can I get your number?"

"Pretty sure you have it," he chuckled, pulling her into his arms. "And my address," he mumbled as his lips found hers. "And my heart."

"I do." She reached up and touched his beard with a sigh. "Can you maybe be a little late?"

"No, sorry. Especially since I was just off for almost a week and plan on going to the doc with you every appointment and taking time off when we have the baby."

The doorbell rang and he laughed. "Oh and your parents are here so…"

"Alright then."

She smiled, not able to wipe the happiness from her face as she opened the door.

"Hi, come in!"

"Good morning, Bethie. Good to see you bright-eyed," William told her.

"Well, I'm happy to be here. Anyone want any coffee? Or orange juice?"

"Coffee would be great," Grace told her daughter. "Then we can get started on this unpacking."

Lucas came into the kitchen, gave Elizabeth a couple chaste kisses since his future in-laws were in the room, said goodbye, grabbed a frozen lunch from the freezer and left, promising to call around lunch time.

"Where do you want me to start, Bethie?" William asked.

"Maybe my book boxes? Lucas put a bookshelf in the living room for me."

"Alright, sounds great."

Elizabeth sipped some orange juice and finished her breakfast and then she and Grace started unpacking her clothes in the master.

"So what are your plans, Beth?"

"Which ones? I have so many things happening all at once, I hardly know what to do first."

"Maybe your wedding plans?"

"Well, we decided for sure it will be next summer. That gives us time to get through the pregnancy and get settled hopefully in a new house by then. He suggested having the wedding on Lake Michigan."

"That will be lovely."

"I think so too. Honestly, at first I thought we should elope but Luke shot that down quickly."

"Elope? Bethie! Really?"

"Well, Luke talked me out of it. He said he wouldn't want to deprive either of our families of seeing us take our vows and I agree. It was just a spur of the moment thought I had. That's all."

"I'm glad for that. Are you going to be looking for a place to run Thatcher's Events?"

"No, not until after the baby and our wedding. I want to focus on those things and not stress myself out too much."

Elizabeth's phone rang on the counter. "Hey, Rosie! I have you on speaker because I'm unpacking. How are you?"

"I don't feel good at all, Beth. Is there any way you could come over and help me watch Julian? I'm basically living in the bathroom and bedroom at this point. He's miserable and so am I."

"Of course. I will be over in just a little bit."

"Thank you so much!"

"You're welcome."

Elizabeth looked at her mom who just motioned for her to go. "Are you sure?"

"Yes, dear. Go and if needed, your Dad and I will help your friend out too."

"Thank you." She kissed Grace's cheek, put her phone in her pocket of the stretchy pants she had, since her jeans officially didn't fit, and grabbed her purse. "I will text you soon."

Elizabeth stayed with Rosie and Julian for a few hours and then they decided that Elizabeth would take Julian with her to her house and he would go to the airport with her and Grace and William too. Rosemary needed rest and keeping up with a three year old was not allowing that at all.

"Poop!" Julian yelled as they drove back to Lucas and Elizabeth's house.

"Ugh. Yes, you certainly did." She rolled the window down a bit for ventilation.

"Yuck."

"Indeed."

"Poop!" he said a few more times as she drove, making her giggle. What a cutie.

As soon as they were in the house, Julian took off into the living room and hid behind the couch.

"Julian, come here please. We need to change your diaper."

"No," he said from his hiding place.

"Um, yes." She went over and peeked behind the couch. "Come on bud. Diaper change."

After a few more tries, she went to his diaper bag, put a blanket on the floor and waited. "Julian Coulter. Come here, please."

He slowly moved toward her and laid down.

"Thank you. Gracias, " she told him. "Bueno."

When he was clean, she threw away the dirty diaper, washed her hands and then he climbed up on her lap for a story.

"Book," he said with a nod.

"That's right, Julian. Book. Very good."

"You're back, Beth?" Grace said, sitting on the couch behind them.

"Yep and Julian is here too! Julian, this is my Mama, Grace."

He decided he was shy and turned, burying his face in her chest.

"Hi, there, Julian." Grace loved seeing Beth snuggling a child. She looked right at home.

As the afternoon began, Elizabeth started missing her parents. It was weird knowing they'd be so far away.

Lucas called and they chatted as Julian slept on the couch next to her. By the time it was time to take her parents to the airport, almost all her unpacking was done.

As they pulled up to the airport, Elizabeth's tears started. She couldn't help it. Her hormones were front and center.

"Oh, sweetheart. We will see you soon. We can visit and then you can visit us too."

"Will you come when the baby is due? Julie and Vi are planning on it and I'd love to have you and Dad too."

"If you are sure we won't be too much, we would love to come," Grace said, kissing her daughter's cheek. "I love you so much. Take care of that baby and Lucas."

"I will. I love you both too."

…..

"Leche?" Julian asked as they pulled into the driveway.

"Milk, buddy? Can you say milk?"

"No." He whined and she knew that he was probably missing familiar surroundings. Missing Rosie and Lee. Missing his crib even though he had slept.

"Let's go inside and get some milk and we can call Mama, okay?"

"Mama."

Lucas pulled up as they were walking into the house and her heart beat harder just because she would see him soon.

"Hi!" she waved, holding Julian on her hip.

"Hey, babe." He walked over and hugged both of them, kissing her right there on the sidewalk. "Hi, Julian."

He smiled and buried his head in her chest again. "Leche," he muttered.

"Julian wants milk and then to call Mama."

"Sounds good. Let's do that."

"Can I hold you while Beth gets your milk?"

"No," he said, leaning away from Lucas.

"Alright. Then I will get the milk."

"No."

Beth winked at Lucas, giving him a smile. "Thank you, honey. I'd love your help with getting his cup of milk."

Julian frowned but snuggled into Elizabeth so she swayed as they watched Lucas pour the milk.

"Wanna call Mama, bud?"

"Yeah, Mama."

All three sat on the couch, mostly because Lucas wanted to be anywhere Elizabeth was. Being away from her all day when she was only a few miles away was harder than when she was so far away in Philly. She was there, almost within reach and he had to stay away.

"What?" Elizabeth whispered, noticing his intense look.

"I missed you today."

She kissed him twice and then they heard Rosie's voice.

"Julian! Hi, baby. I miss you!"

"Mama!"

"Papa is going to come get you to bring you home. Then we can snuggle and watch Cocomelon."

"Coco!" he yelled, clapping his hands.

"Thank you for watching him today, Beth. I owe you big."

"Nah. I enjoy it."

"Seriously. You and Lucas need a babysitter when Boo comes, just ask."

"We will take you up on that," Lucas chimed in.

Elizabeth looked at him, raising her eyebrows.

"What?"

"Um, I am not sure that time away from the child that I'm carrying for nine months will happen right away."

"At some point, it will need to happen, Beth."

"Yes, at some point." She agreed but she couldn't imagine it right now.

After Lee picked Julian up, Lucas suggested going out for dinner. Elizabeth seemed quiet but agreed.

"Babe, are you mad?"

"No. Not mad."

"What are you then?" He offered his hand on the console between them and she slipped her fingers between his. He saw that as a good sign.

"I am not sure. I had a reaction, an internal one, when you jumped right on Rosie's offer. I'm not sure why or what I should be feeling or even how to describe it to you but…it felt like it would never feel right to leave my baby with someone else."

"Our baby," he said, kissing the back of her hand.

"I know. I didn't mean the opposite."

"Beth, I love you. You know that."

"Of course."

"And part of that intense feeling of love is the way I felt today being away from you. I needed to get home as soon as I could. I didn't want to stay late. I needed to see you, to make sure you and Julian and Boo were doing fine. It was so overwhelming. That being said, I will never know how you will feel as a mother of our baby, but I do know that after a few months of not being with you the way that I want, the way that we both enjoy, I will feel like we need a babysitter."

"I understand."

"I won't push you, Beth. Ever. If you aren't ready to be away from Boo for a few hours, then we will wait."

"I love you, Lucas. I don't deserve you."

"You deserve the best, Beth. I will try to be that for you. I know I won't be perfect but I will always make sure you know how much I love you."