Unknown Location, Iraq – March 2004

Elizabeth's jaw is clenched. Her back is tense. Her eyes sting from holding back her tears. Her plan is a slow one. A methodical one. She needs to follow all of his rules—every single one. And she needs to do it flawlessly. She needs to gain his trust.

So she waits. She doesn't turn when she hears the door open. She doesn't turn when he walks over. A hand is placed on her shoulder, but she remains still, staring into the fire, her hands clasped in front of her. He kisses her cheek, and she doesn't flinch. He smiles and calls her a good girl, and she doesn't gag.

Instead, she smiles back and swallows her scream. And then the night goes on as usual. She sits. She listens. She speaks only when spoken to. She doesn't fight him. She doesn't cry. She thinks of her children. She thinks of Henry. She prays for home.

But the day ends like all the others.

The next, too.

And the next.

She tries to count how many days she's been here, but they all blur together. They all end the same. She will gain his trust. And he will turn his back. And she will get out.

It's what she repeats over and over again. She has her photo of the children in a place where she can see it. Where she can focus on it, and that is the only thing she needs to be strong.

She knows her plan is working when he offers her a shower. It is a small gesture, and he holds a gun on her the whole time. And yes, he rakes her body with his eyes. But he doesn't touch her. And he gives her a towel to dry off and clean clothes to change into. And for a moment, a moment, she feels a bit better. Her plan is working. She will get out.

Pittsburgh, PA – March 2004

Henry is annoyed. That's the only word for it. He had told Jessica that he didn't want to do it anymore. He's never been one for casual sex… And he just isn't ready for anything more. He still loves Elizabeth. He keeps waiting for his feelings for her dull. To go away. She's dead, but she haunts him. Her memory haunts him. Everywhere he goes. He feels as if he has no way to escape her. They had vowed until death due them part. And it has. Her death has parted them, yet somehow, every time he was with Jessica, it felt like a betrayal. A betrayal of everything that they were. He couldn't keep doing it. He thought Jessica had listened, but apparently, she hadn't. She has called him twice a day for three days. She sounded so relieved when he finally answered that out of curiosity, he agreed to coffee.

He walks into the shop, and his gut twists. He doesn't know why. It's just coffee. He spots Jessica, and he heads over to the table. She's got a large cup in front of her. He can tell by how she's clutching the cup that she's nervous. And his gut twists again. But he sits down across from her anyway.

"I know you don't want to see me... um... I know you said you weren't ready for anything... But... I'm pregnant." Jessica gives him her best fake face of fear. She pretends this is just as surprising to her as it is to him. As if she didn't plan it. As if she didn't poke the holes in the condoms.

Henry's heart is going to pound out of his chest. He can't breathe, and his mind goes white and fuzzy. The words that came out of her mouth can't be right. Henry is careful. Very careful. He doesn't want any more kids. He racks his brain, trying to remember which condom broke. But there's a little voice in the back of his mind—it sounds like a kid's voice—and it says, "Not possible, not possible, not possible."

"Henry?" Jessica reaches across the table for his hand.

Henry's eyes follow the sound of her voice and rest on Jessica. Her red hair is pulled out of her face, helping her look more sincere.

"I'm sorry." She starts crying.

"Are you sure I'm-" stops himself before he can complete the question. He won't accuse her of not knowing who the father is. Henry will never be that guy. He is the father. It feels impossible. But it's not. "Sorry."

Henry's hands feel shaky, and his mouth is dry. This isn't right. Elizabeth has only been gone for a year. He's not ready for this. He already has three kids. Jason was their lucky number three. He had previously been excited to learn about pregnancies. He had previously been excited to learn he would be a father again. If Elizabeth told him about a fourth, maybe he would be. How can he be tied to his dead wife's rebound forever? He doesn't love Jessica. Not like he loved Elizabeth.

"I want to keep the baby." Jessica's voice is barely above a whisper.

He takes a sip of water and looks at Jessica. Her tears are still streaming down her face. So he recovers quickly. Her feelings are his responsibility now. She is his responsibility now. Whether he likes it or not, he must learn to love her. Or at least to care.

"Okay." Henry is a good person. A good dad. He won't let her raise a baby alone. He won't be without his child. "I'm sorry. I'm just surprised... That was a bad reaction. How are you feeling?"

"I'm scared. I've been sick. But my doctor said the first few months can be rough." Jessica is a good actress. She doesn't know what will make Henry more sympathetic, but she is ready to pull out all the stops. Her objective was to tie him down. And she will.

"Eliza-" He stops himself. He doesn't know the etiquette here. He knows about pregnancy. He knows about supporting a pregnant woman. He doesn't know how to refer to her. Elizabeth was his wife, and she bore his children, but is it appropriate for him to talk to Jessica about her experiences?

"You can say her name. It's not a secret, right?" Jessica is curious about what he is about to say. She also wonders if it will help her objective. She needs to give him space for her. She can't make him resent her. She can't make him resent this child.

"No, I know. I'm sorry." Henry pauses. "Elizabeth had pretty bad morning sickness with Allison. Um... she drank a lot of ginger tea and ate crackers. It seemed to help."

"Thanks. I'll keep that in mind." She pauses for the right amount of time, "You know, Henry, I'm going to need you through this."

"Of course." Henry is still in shock. He can't believe that this is happening. A little part of his brain tells him this is a mistake. He dismisses it as grief. This is his new reality. He is having another baby. "I'm here."

"I need you here. All the time." She is pushing it, but she can't resist. "You are the baby's father. I know you have the little ones, but I will need you a lot. I don't want to go through this alone."

"Yes, of course. You won't have to." He doesn't want to be a deadbeat dad. He doesn't want to fail. The baby needs him. The baby's mother needs him. "We'll figure it out. I promise." He gives her the best reassuring smile he can.

…X…X…X…

His ride to pick up his kids is tense. It's as if he isn't the only one in the car. Elizabeth is with him. Her ghost sits in the passenger seat. His eyes flick over, and for a second, he sees her. The same thing happens when he gets to his parent's house. He feels as if he's being judged. By Elizabeth, by God, or by himself, he doesn't know. He tries to rearrange his life in his head. He knows he needs to make room for Jessica and the baby in his life. In his children's life.

"You're late, son." His father answers the door. Henry nods. He learned not to argue with Patrick McCord over little things long ago.

"I know, sorry." Henry can't quite get his voice to the light tone he wants. He can't muster the energy.

"How are you?" Patrick chooses not to hide his concern. He knows he isn't perfect, but he does love his family. And though he wasn't his late daughter-in-law's biggest fan, she did give him the three grandchildren in the den, whom he adores. And he knows that Henry is heartbroken. He saw something in Queen Elizabeth that Patrick never could, but Henry loved her. And Patrick loves his son even if Henry lives his life in ways Patrick will never understand.

"I'm okay," Henry says automatically. It's not the truth. He is anything but okay. But his father doesn't need to know that. "Just tired."

"Spit it out, son," Patrick says. He lets his annoyance show. You don't get to mope in his house and say nothing is wrong simultaneously. Henry knows that. It's been the rule since he was a little kid.

"Jessica is pregnant." Henry tries to say it without emotion. But the words taste foul. They taste wrong. Henry wishes he could understand why. Henry loves his children, and he knows without a doubt that he will love this one, too. But life has thrown him so many curveballs all at once. The only way to catch them all is to throw the ball back. And the thought makes him feel sick.

"That's great news." Patrick McCord is genuinely excited. His son had been grieving. A baby is always good news. That is how Patrick was raised. That is how he and Anne raised their children. That is what their church always taught.

"No, Dad, it's not. It's the last thing I need." Henry is annoyed. His dad can't read between the lines. It is the last thing Henry needs. The timing couldn't be worse.

"I raised you better than that, Henry Michael. She is having your baby. That is wonderful news." Henry feels as if he's going to explode. Of all people, he thinks his dad should understand his bitterness. Patrick McCord has cursed his way through life as he struggled to provide for his four children. There's no way he was happy every time his mother got pregnant.

"Dad." Henry's tone is a warning. He doesn't have time for this.

"Son, you need to do the right thing. She is giving you a child. That is a blessing—a miracle. You settle down with that girl."

"Dad. I'm not a teenager. I have other kids to think about. They just lost their mother a year ago. I'm not ready for this. I don't love her. I don't think I ever will." Henry can't stop his words. They flow out of his mouth. And he's not sure why.

"It doesn't matter. Elizabeth is dead, Henry. She is gone. And this woman is alive and carrying your child. Life goes on, son. I know it hurts. I know you loved her. But she would have wanted you to move on. You know she would."

"She was my wife, Dad," Henry says as if that changes anything. As if his words would bring her back to him. As if he can erase Jessica and this baby. As if the words will stop his father from making sense.

"She's dead. You can't marry her again. And you can't keep using her death as an excuse to escape your problems." Patrick stands his ground, and Henry crumples. He has no energy to stand up to his father anymore. He wants to go home and forget about this conversation. He wants to go home and hug his children. He wants to hold them tight and forget that anything else exists.

Henry's silence is telling. He walks past his father to the den and picks Jason up. He swallows back tears.