Rosie and Julian came over a couple weeks later to hang out with Elizabeth. They had become very close and Elizabeth loved that she had friends already.

"So," Rosie said, sitting on the couch with her feet curled under her as she sipped her tea.

"So."

"My ultrasound was interesting."

Rosie had gotten in for an ultrasound just the day before to make sure the baby was growing alright after she had been so sick for weeks.

"What do you mean by interesting?"

"I'm having twins."

"You are???? That's amazing!"

"Is it?"

"Isn't it? I mean, you wanted kids for so long…"

"I don't know if I can handle three kids under the age of four!"

"I think that by the time you have the babies, you will feel better equipped."

"Will I?'

"Yep. You will."

"I'm glad one of us is confident."

"I will help you the best I can."

"You will have a newborn too, Beth. You will be busy and Lee will be working. What am I supposed to do?"

"One day at a time. You are not alone. Your Dad lives nearby and so do I. We will help as much as we can."

"I really can't believe it, Beth. Truly. I never thought I could have a baby. Now I'm going to have two at once and I have Julian. I'm so blessed."

"You really are."

"Mama?"

Rosie picked him up and cuddled with him. "I love you, Julian."

"Love, Mama," he said back, clear as day. He was really learning English well.

When Lucas got home that night, he took a big breath in through his nose. Mm. Smelled like pot roast.

"Someone making my favorite?" he said, wondering where Beth was. Probably asleep.

He peeked in the bedroom. She was awake, sitting against the headboard, her legs crossed at the ankles, knitting away.

"Hey, babe."

"Luke! I'm making a hat for Boo!"

"Oh yeah?" he asked, taking his tie off and sitting down on the bed to remove his shoes.

"Yep."

"Do I smell pot roast?"

"Yes! I need to go start the potatoes," she said, putting her knitting down and leaving the room.

"Hello to you too," he sassed as she walked away. He changed into a pair of sweats and a t-shirt and walked out into the kitchen, hoping at least for a kiss hello.

He walked up behind her, putting his hands on her belly where Boo was. "Mm, I missed you today," he whispered, his lips on her neck.

"Me too."

"What veggie do you want? Salad or corn?"

"Salad."

She stepped away, leaving him behind.

"Beth?"

"Hm?" she said, pulling the salad out and putting it into a large bowl. "Want tomatoes and cucumbers?"

"Beth."

She turned and raised her eyebrows.

"I missed you today."

"I missed you too."

"Can I just kiss you hello? I mean, I really would like to and maybe a hug? The salad can wait."

"Of course." She walked over and gave him a peck, wrapping her arms around his neck.

He pulled back and gazed into her eyes. "You seem distracted lately," he told her.

"I guess maybe I have been."

"I mean just last week you met me in your lingerie at the door and we ended up eating dinner late. Tonight, I can barely get you to look at me."

"Babe, I'm sorry. I'm looking at you right now. Tell me what's on your mind."

"I was hoping we could talk."

"Of course. Let me take the roast out so it doesn't get too done and then we can talk while we eat."

He nodded. She squeezed his hand. "Do you want to talk before we eat?"

"Truthfully, yes."

"Would you like a beer?"

"I just want us to connect."

She pulled the roast out and took his hand, leading him to the couch. She sat down and looked right at him. "Alright."

"I'm going through a lot of stress," he admitted.

"At work?"

"Yes. My employees…they don't trust that I know what I'm doing. I know they are grumbling behind my back and two people have called off each day this week. What am I supposed to do?"

"Have you asked your regional manager what he thinks?"

"Yeah. He says to give them time. Its been awhile. How much time am I supposed to give them? Maybe I never should have taken the new job."

It wasn't like Lucas to be unsure. He was always so confident. He leaned forward and ran his fingers through his hair.

"Hey," she whispered, placing her hand on his back. "Look at me." He turned his head. "What's going on? What else is worrying you?"

"What if it was a mistake, Beth?"

"What if what was? You and me?"

"No no, of course not. This job. Its not like I can just quit. We are having a baby. We are going to get married. We only have my income."

"You feel trapped."

"I do."

"Then I think you should quit."

"Are you being serious? I can't do that. We need my income."

"We have a savings account. A sizable one. We could use the money we have until you find another job."

"What about getting a new house? We need that money for a down payment."

"We will make it work here. If it helps you to be happier, that's what's important."

"I will feel guilty," he mumbled, standing up and pacing. "Boo needs a room."

"I can start looking for a space to start my party planning. I will go grab my computer."

"No. Beth, we agreed you wouldn't work so the baby won't be stressed. I will just suck it up."

He wandered to the master and she headed back to the kitchen. She didn't know what he was looking for. He shot down any idea she had. She could work from here. Take a few jobs, just small ones. She could handle that.

He stayed in the bedroom instead of eating with her so after she ate, cleaned up everything, she took a plate into him.

"I'm going to look for a new job, Beth. I won't quit until I have a new job. That way we won't be without my income."

"Okay." She handed him the plate. "I brought you some dinner."

He took it and she climbed up on the bed with him. "Thank you." He took a bite and smiled. "Its good."

"It would have been even better if you had eaten with me."

He kissed her forehead. "I needed a bit of time. I'm sorry that I was grumpy."

"I'm sorry you felt ignored."

"I was being too sensitive."

"No, Luke. You weren't. I was distracted and I promise to try harder to be what you need."

"You are what I need, Elizabeth Thatcher, soon-to-be Bouchard. You are my love. My heart. You are who I come home to every night and you are the mother of my child. Your heart is so big and full of life and I don't ever want you to change."

"I love you," she told him, snuggling up next to him. "I don't want you to be miserable, honey. I'll support you in whatever choice you make."

He turned slightly so he could look into her eyes. He reached and tucked her hair behind her ear and smiled. "I really hit the jackpot with you, didn't I?"

"Whatever you say, honey."

His eyes flicked from hers down to her mouth and back up. She took the cue and gave him the proper kiss he'd wanted earlier. She felt his hand slip between her shirt and lift it up over her head.

She turned and turned off the lamp. "I love you, Beth."

….

A little later, Elizabeth was dozing with her head on his chest so he used the hand that wasn't around her to text Lee. .

"Bro, any word on an open position at your location?"

"Are you working?" Elizabeth mumbled, pressing a kiss to his chest.

"No. Just texting Lee."

Elizabeth pushed up on her elbow and slid out of bed, wrapping her robe around her and heading toward the bathroom.

"Did he tell you his news?" she asked.

"What news is that?" he wondered, walking into the bathroom and brushing his teeth.

"Rosie's having twins."

"Whoa. I'm happy with one at a time," he told her, his paste starting to foam up.

"Me too but I'd rise to the challenge. I told her I'd help her as much as I can."

"Isn't she due the month after you?"

"Yes."

"Babe, you are going to have a newborn and you think you will have the energy to help with her twins and toddler?"

"Yes, and thank you for your faith in me," she said sarcastically, washing her hands and walking to the kitchen.

Lucas didn't know what was happening lately. They were both grumpier than usual.

"Of course I have faith in you, Beth," he said when he joined her in the kitchen.

"Do you?"

"Of course. I'm sorry that I made it sound like the opposite."

"I'm ready to take on motherhood and everything that goes with it. I am also not willing to put my friendship with Rosie on the backburner."

"That's not what I meant."

She nodded and finished her glass of milk. "I'm going to read for a while. Goodnight, Lucas."

"Babe…"

She walked off and snuggled under a blanket on the couch with her novel.

"I don't want to go to sleep without you, Beth," he told her. "I don't think that should be an option. If we have a disagreement or misunderstanding, we need to resolve it."

She sighed and put aside her book when he joined her on the couch. She let him thread their fingers together and he took that as a good sign.

"Fine." She used her other hand to wipe away tears that had started falling.

"So what's happening in your day that is causing all the emotions you are having?"

"I may not have been entirely truthful," she admitted.

"About what?"

"When I said that I'm ready to take on motherhood. I'm not. I'm scared out of my mind and I guess when you made it sound like I couldn't do something as easy as helping out a friend, my insecurities popped out. I'm sorry."

"What are you scared about?"

"It would be easier to say what I'm not scared about," she said with a chuckle. "But I'm scared of labor and the pain and I'm scared that I won't know what to do to take care of Boo. I'm scared that you will leave me…"

"What? Are you being serious? I would never leave you, Beth."

"What if you did? I'd be a single mother. I know I had said that I would adopt on my own but I'm not sure I could have handled that."

"Sweetheart, I need you to hear me," he told her, turning so he was facing her. "You are my person, the one I am going to be with forever. We are going to raise a family together and be together until we are very old and gray. I will never leave you. That is my vow and vows are serious in my mind."

"I want to get married before Boo comes. I want us to have the same last name on his or her birth certificates."

"Alright. Let's make arrangements."

"And I want to be home with Boo but I also want to work, even part time."

"Alright."

"And I want to go to Tuscany for our honeymoon."

"Beth, as far as the pain of labor, you can get an epidural and I know that you will know how to take care of Boo. I have no doubt. Yes, we can get married sooner than next summer but the Tuscany part might need to wait until next year. We can go somewhere closer though." She nodded, understanding.

"If we get married in the fall, lets go somewhere north so we can see the leaves changing."

"Why don't we just go up north here in Michigan? The leaves are so beautiful around early October."

"October sounds great."

Once they picked October 8, they texted everyone letting them know the plan. They then researched hotels around Mackinac and then made some calls to see what availability they had for weddings.

Before going to bed, they had the hotel nailed down, the date of the wedding and he said he would pick a place for them to spend a long weekend. She planned on flying to Nashville and Vi did too the next weekend so they could find dresses.

Things were falling into place and it definitely helped to get things off her chest.