Written by Scooplet

Concept by Cheryl and Scooplet

Scarecrow and Mrs. King characters are the property of Shoot the Moon Productions and Warner Bros. Television. No copyright infringement intended. Not for commercial use. Sarah Stetson and Matt Granger are my creation, however, so please respect my right to claim ownership of them—I do not authorize permission to use them in stories not authored by me. Music lyrics from "His Eye is on the Sparrow" by Civilla D. Martin.

I Know He Watches Me, Part Three

Epilogue:

June 2015

It was always a relief to turn off the busy thoroughfare and into his quiet neighborhood—today was no exception. Battling jet lag and a weeklong lack of sleep, Matt was ready to be home.

Home. He smiled to himself. At one point during their first several months of marriage, with Sarah transferred to New York, they had not been sure where or how they could make a home together work.

He shook aside that memory and recalled a more recent one of him and Sarah relaxing together on the couch, watching a movie two nights before he had left for his trip. As the credits rolled, he aimed the remote at the TV and turned it off. Feeling amorous, he turned to his wife, only to find that she was sleeping peacefully. It had become common for Sarah to drift off during movies recently, but often he could wake her up and get her in the mood with a few kisses. However this time, he had lifted her into his arms and carried her to their bed. She had been unusually tired that day, and he knew she had needed the sleep. She had barely stirred when he had tucked her into bed. He wondered if she would be just as tired after holding down the fort during his five days away.

He turned onto their street and noted that her Volvo was in the driveway, parked to one side so he could pull past it into their one-car garage. He had always given her the garage at the townhouse, but now, with a detached garage, Sarah found it easier to get to her car if it was on the driveway. They were saving to add onto the garage and connect it via a covered walkway to the house, but that was several months away.

For now, Sarah was scrimping to maintain what she called the "beautification" fund. Already it had supplied plants for a few garden beds and a two-person rocker for the front porch of their Craftsman-style home. And from the looks of it, it had provided for the purchase of a few plants that now hung above the railing.

He parked in the garage and pulled his suitcase and carry-on bag from the trunk of his car. After closing the garage door, he was turning to the house when he heard the happy squeal.

"Da da! Da da!" His wife had in her arms a nine-month-old baby boy, blonde and sturdily built, who was stretching out his arms and kicking his legs, eager to get to Matt.

"Yes, Will. Daddy's here." Sarah sounded almost as excited as their son.

"Hello, you two!" Matt was just as thrilled to see his little family. As they met on the path below the back porch, Matt dropped his bags and wrapped his arms around Sarah and the baby. He could feel Will squirming in Sarah's arms as he kissed his wife.

"Come here, little man." Enjoying the scent of his freshly bathed baby boy, Matt kissed Will on his chubby cheek before lifting his son high above his head.

Will squealed happily as his father pulled him in close again.

Sarah kissed Matt a second time. "I know you weren't gone that long this time, but it's always so nice to have you home." She reached up and smoothed his hair. She poked a gentle finger at Will's stomach, eliciting a chuckle from him.

Will focused intently on Sarah. "Ma ma."

"That's right, Will. There's your pretty mama." Matt looked at Sarah, a proud grin spreading across his face. "He's really saying our names now."

"My dad's afraid he's inherited the West ramble."

It was Matt's turn to chuckle. "I know. When I teleconferenced with your dad yesterday to give him a quick debriefing, he pretended to complain about it."

Despite Matt's lightheartedness, Sarah was concerned. "Oh. I hope Daddy doesn't mind Will's chatter too much. I brought him with me when I worked over there this week. We stayed in the living room." With Sarah and Matt now working for their consulting firm, Lee and Amanda had moved their home office to the apartment above the garage. Replaced by desks and office equipment, the bedroom furniture now sat in Sarah and Matt's guest room, and the Grangers used the old breakfast table from Dotty's apartment in their kitchen.

"You told me. Jessica had some kind of camp, so she couldn't babysit. But I wouldn't worry about your dad and our talkative little guy. Before he left Farnsworth Manor, your dad was bragging about Will's latest. He told everyone Will tries to say Grandma and Grandpa, but it comes out sounding like 'Ga Pa' or 'Ga Ma.'"

Sarah relaxed a little and a half smile appeared on her face. "Will is pretty amazing, but it's still just baby-babble—he's not quite been able to say their names yet. Daddy acts as if he's never had grandkids before."

As if on cue, Will whined a little and stiffened in Matt's arms.

"Well, he either wants to eat or he's ready to get moving again."

"Probably both. Let's go inside." When Sarah reached for Matt's bags, he stopped her. "Hey! The suitcase is heavy. Let me get that."

Despite Will's protests, Sarah took him from her husband. "Did you see my latest acquisition? Hanging ferns."

"They look nice. We can hide behind them and neck in the rocker after Junior is in bed." When Sarah rolled her eyes, Matt chuckled, picked up his bags, and followed her into the house.

"They were very much in vogue when these houses were built. I thought it would be neat to hang a few out front. I can put them in the living room or the office in winter, so they won't die."

"That's great—practical and nice looking at the same time." Matt was not surprised that Sarah chose yet another decoration with historical significance for their home.

Once they were in the kitchen, she set Will in his jumper and immediately he bounced over to Matt and grabbed his trouser leg. Matt responded by squatting down and ruffling Will's downy hair. When Will brought the fabric of the pants near his mouth to suck on it, Matt moved his hand in the way. Will made a frustrated grunt.

Matt wrinkled his forehead and glanced up at Sarah. "Still teething?"

"No. He's stopped for the moment. But you know how babies put everything in their mouths." She watched as Matt distracted Will with one of his teething rings.

"You'd think he'd be exhausted after our play date with Patti and Rosie Enriques."

"Did you all have a good time?"

Sarah set out the placemats and silverware. "Of course. Your son still loves to watch Rosie toddle all over."

Matt grinned at Will as he bounced distractedly and sucked on the teething ring. "We'll need to have another one of our own before long so Will can have a playmate at home, too."

Sarah did not respond as she watched the baby idly for a moment. Then she abruptly changed the subject. "I hope you don't mind living in this old house."

"Of course not. It's our home, now—not just a house." Matt wondered at her sudden concern about the house. He stood and went to her. With Will occupied, he could now embrace his wife the way he had been longing to do. He pressed his cheek against her hair. "Besides, how could I say no when my history buff was clearly in love with the place?"

"I had to call the plumber again yesterday."

"Okay." Matt held his breath. One of the downsides of traveling frequently as an intelligence consultant working for Lee and Amanda was that Sarah was forced to hire repairmen for jobs Matt would have liked to have done himself. Plumbers were usually not cheap.

"But the guy remembered me from last time and told me what to do over the phone. He keeps saying that the people who renovated the house did a fine job. He was really helpful."

"Hey, that worked out well." Matt pulled away just far enough to see in her face and gave her a wry smile. "Does our repairman have a crush on my wife?"

Swatting him, Sarah tried to pull away, but Matt held her tight. She placed her hands on his chest. "I told you he's a grandpa. He loves Will, and he keeps hoping to meet you. Mr. Connors is a nice man. Daddy and Mom call him for their repairs."

Chuckling a little, Matt replied, "I know." He kissed her cheek and Will squealed.

"Da da. Ma ma."

Matt bent to kiss Will on the forehead. "No one's leaving you out, little man." He stood and stretched. "I'll go change my clothes. I can play with Will while you finish dinner."

"It's all done—I just have to put the salad together and get Will's food ready. But you can play with Will and give him a bottle after dinner while I clean up and do a couple of things in the kitchen. He's already had his bath."

"It's a deal."

SMKSMKSMKSMKSMKSMK

Sarah rinsed the baking dish and set it in the dish drainer. After wiping the counter one last time, she turned off the kitchen lights and went out to the living room. What she saw made her smile with contentment.

Matt lay sprawled on the couch, sound asleep. He held one arm protectively around Will, who lay face down on Matt's chest. He, too, was slumbering peacefully. Her heart full, she watched the two of them for a moment. Although some of the relatives had seen a resemblance between Will and her father, Sarah thought he looked much more like Matt. Particularly at times like this. They were both wearing shorts and t-shirts as pajamas—although Will's pajamas had tiny pale blue elephants printed on them and Matt's shirt was grey with maroon letters spelling out Texas A&M University. Matt had taken a quick shower earlier, so she knew they both smelled like soap and shampoo. When Sarah tried to move Matt's arm so she could carry Will upstairs to his crib, Matt held him more tightly, his eyelids fluttering open. Even in his sleep, Matt's reflexes did not seem to take a rest.

His voice was groggy. "Sorry. I didn't mean to fall asleep."

"It's okay," Sarah whispered. Now Matt let her lift the sleeping Will from his chest. "Just stay there."

Will was heavy in her arms, and his cheek was pink where it had been resting on Matt's chest. There was a damp spot on Matt's shirt where Will had drooled a little. Usually a sound sleeper, their baby barely stirred as Sarah settled him on her shoulder. He smelled as sweet as she had imagined, and she loved the downy feel of his baby hair against her cheek.

After settling Will in his crib and turning on the monitor, she changed into a tank top and pajama bottoms, brushed her teeth, and padded barefoot back down the stairs to the living room. Even after she took the empty baby bottle to the kitchen and rinsed it, Matt had not stirred. It was better for Matt to get his rest now. Will would most likely sleep through the night, but he was usually up early. While they worked out, he would bounce in the jumper they had hung in the weight room or play in his portable crib.

After turning on a side table lamp, Sarah pulled out a book and made herself comfortable in her favorite armchair.

SMKSMKSMKSMKSMK

Two hours later, Sarah was calling Matt's name, her hand on his shoulder. Groggy and disoriented, he roused himself. She insisted on following him up the stairs after setting the alarm and turning off the lights.

"I'm not going to fall down the stairs."

"I'm just worried you'll curl up on the landing and not make it to bed."

"I have good reason to come to bed. You'll be there." He attempted to waggle his eyebrows, but a yawn nearly split his face in two.

Sarah laughed. "Sure thing, lover boy."

He let her pass him at the top of the stairs and gently swatted her behind. "You'll see. I'll be wide awake in a few minutes. Gotta make hay while the son sleeps." He grinned at her again.

Sarah muttered something under her breath about a ship sailing, but he did not quite make out all the words. He was about to challenge that comment, but she had opened Will's door to check on him. He followed her in and draped an arm around her shoulders. They stared down at their baby boy together. Will lay on his back, his arms thrown out to his sides. The blanket Sarah had covered him with earlier was still in place. He had been sleeping soundly.

Once out in the hall, he murmured, "Pretty amazing, isn't it, that we made that little guy with some help from above?"

Sarah did not answer right away. She smiled softly and wrapped an arm around his waist. They stopped outside their bathroom and Matt watched her face. She began to move away, but he caught her hand.

"Is something on your mind, sweetie?" Matt wondered if Sarah was thinking about the little one they had lost. Every April, around the anniversary of the miscarriage, and every October, the time of year when their first baby would have been born, they would go out to the cabin and hold an informal prayer time to remember their first child. While as a family they went to the cabin in between times and stayed overnight, this spring they had waited a few extra weeks so Sarah could wean Will and leave him with her parents. It had been their first time away from him overnight, and they had both missed him. But they had still managed to have a romantic time together. Except for their remembrance time. Yet even that had not been as difficult as it had in the past. Time was softening the pain.

Matt found that Sarah was watching him. She had yet to answer his question. He pulled her to him and kissed her. Sometime while he had been sleeping, she had changed into her pajamas. As their kiss deepened, he ran his hand over the soft material and slipped it beneath the fabric, enjoying the smoothness of her skin.

Instead of relaxing in his arms and letting things follow their usual course, Sarah stiffened a little. "Matt, wait. There's something I want to tell you."

"Let's wait until later. I've missed lying in bed and talking with you before going to sleep—and I have something to discuss with you, too." He pulled away and took her hands. "Margaret told me we should try to bring Will sometime soon. She has a project for you."

"I think they want to meet him—Lee Stetson's wonder-grandchild."

"That, too." Matt smiled. "Margaret said she would make sure there was a good nanny to watch Will when we couldn't. She talked about staying for a few weeks."

"We need to find a new nanny for when Jessica goes back to school. We could time it for the end of the summer—maybe this time we could take a side trip to Florence." Before Matt had begun working for her parents and before Will had been born, Sarah had accompanied Matt to Farnsworth Manor on Agency business. But they had managed to fit in a side trip to France and Belgium. At the time they had dreamed of going to Italy. Perhaps they could now manage it.

His eyebrows shot up. "Hmm. I like the way you think. We could work in a trip to Cinqueterre—and go to Lake Como, too."

She kissed Matt's cheek and breathed in his ear, "Here we are talking, and I thought you wanted to do something else."

He grinned. "Oh, so you are in the mood."

SMKSMKSMKSMKSMKSMK

Sometime later, they lay in their bad facing each other, Matt running his hand along her arm and Sarah slowly tracing circles in his chest hair.

"I suppose we should go to sleep. I'll tell you about Margaret's plan tomorrow." Matt yawned.

"I just want to show you something." Sarah leaned over and kissed his chest. She moved to get out of bed and Matt tried to stop her. "I'll be right back." When she kissed his chest again, he let her go. Her pajamas were draped on a chair near the bed, but now she was pulling on one of his old t-shirts. Matt could not quite understand the fascination Sarah had with wearing his shirts to bed, but he did not mind seeing her in them.

When she glanced back at the bed to see his reaction, he was watching her. "You know that thing just makes you look more sexy, right?" Sarah's long legs seemed to go on forever.

She smiled at him and swiveled her hips a little as she went into the bathroom. As he pulled on his pajamas and climbed back under the covers, he heard a drawer open and shut, the rustle of a plastic wrapper, and Sarah came back out. She climbed back under the covers, but did not snuggle up with him.

When Matt moved to turn off the lamp on his side of the bed, Sarah stopped him.

"No. Wait."

Matt propped himself up on his elbow and watched her curiously. "Is this when you finally tell me what's on your mind?"

"Yes." She glanced down and took a deep breath. "You remember last month, when we stayed over at the cabin?"

"Yeah…" Matt wracked his brain. Nothing of concern came to mind. It had been a great weekend.

"You know how I hadn't started back on the pill, so we…"

"Yeah." They had taken a chance or two that weekend. Earlier, Matt had been surprised and rather relieved when Sarah had told him they would not need to use anything. He had assumed she had begun taking her pills again, but he had been too distracted to question her about it.

"I guess they're right when they say it only takes one time." Sarah held up a pregnancy test that had been hidden behind her back.

Matt stared blindly at the line in the indicator window. He had seen that line twice before. The first time, a surprise, they had lost the baby and Sarah had nearly died during the miscarriage. The second time, they had been trying to get pregnant. After nine months of sweet anticipation and understandable worry, Sarah had given birth to the healthy baby boy sleeping in the next room. Now Matt's heart raced and he broke out in a cold sweat, but he did his best to sound excited. "Wow. A baby brother or sister for little Will."

Sarah put the test down on the side table, turned off the light, and lay down facing Matt. "Honey, you don't have to pretend to be excited. It's a shock. And I know you're stressed out right now. I should have told you earlier—or waited until tomorrow morning."

He reached out and smoothed the hair away from Sarah's face. Her eyes were shining in the faint glow that came from the night light in their bathroom. He loved the way her eyes did that. Trying to find something encouraging to say, he offered, "We'll have a beautiful baby."

"That's not all you're thinking."

He sucked in his breath. "Okay. It's not. My first reaction had PTSD written all over it."

Sarah laughed a little. "Sorry. I know it's not funny, but that's pretty much what I did. I wasn't worried about my period being really late—I hadn't expected to be back on schedule—so I sort of freaked out when the test was positive."

Matt had known she was late, but Sarah's doctor had said that was normal. Now Sarah's fatigue was making sense. She had been showing the early signs of pregnancy before he had left for England. "What made you decide to get the test?"

"I threw up yesterday morning. I was running late, so I decided to bring something and eat at Mom and Daddy's. Bad idea to wait. At least I hadn't left the house yet."

"Oh, sweetie." Matt's voice was laced with concern.

"I'll be okay. I didn't tell my parents. They figured I was late to their house because of Will. I picked up some crackers and other stuff at the grocery store when I got the test, just in case."

Sarah had struggled with morning sickness during her two previous pregnancies. At least it was a good sign that things were normal. Matt drew in a breath. Morning sickness Matt could handle. He knew how to help Sarah. But things could go wrong. Not wanting to bring up his fears, he scooted closer to Sarah and wrapped an arm around her. "You're going to be a mama again, beloved." As he kissed her, he allowed his hand to slip under the t-shirt and rest on her abdomen. "How far along do you think you are?"

Sarah placed her hand atop Matt's. "Well, I said it probably happened at the cabin, but I'm not sure. Maybe six weeks. I'm guessing he or she would be due around the middle of February."

"A late birthday present for you." Matt smiled now. "I meant what I said. We'll have a beautiful baby."

"Of course we will." She watched his face, now visible in the faint glow from the nightlight in the bathroom. "Are you upset? You can tell me."

Taking a deep breath, Matt hesitated only briefly. "There's a couple of things. I know everything went well with Will. But I can't help but worry about you. Pregnancy has risks…"

"…and I'm higher risk than other women because of my first pregnancy." She caressed his face. "I have an appointment with Dr. Elliott next week. You should come, too."

"Of course I will." He placed his hand over hers. "The other thing is—I feel foolish. Everyone will know we weren't being careful. Most people wait at least two years between kids."

"And there are plenty of siblings who are less than two years apart. Will and this baby will grow up doing everything together. They'll be close. I had friends in high school who were like that. They're still close, from what I've heard." She patted his hand, which still rested on her abdomen. "Besides, what's done is done. We wanted more than one child—maybe four."

Matt tensed. "One baby at a time, okay? Maybe we could wait a few years before we decide on having more than two."

"That's a good idea. I'll plan to go back on the pill sooner next time." Sarah yawned and stretched. "If I'm sleepy, you must be dog-tired."

"We both need to rest."

"Good night, my love."

"Good night, beloved."

Sighing, Sarah leaned her head towards Matt and let it rest against his shoulder. She was relaxed now, and he knew she would be asleep quickly. However, he was wide awake.

He could not deny that he was frightened of what lay ahead for Sarah. Despite Dr. Elliott's assurances and the normal progress of Sarah's pregnancy with Will, Matt had been fearful of Sarah hemorrhaging again or of something happening to their baby—or both. He remembered how seeing Will on the ultrasound for the first time had helped allay his fears.

Dr. Elliott had been brisk at first, just as she had when she had listened for Will's heartbeat. Matt had learned that the doctor's first order of business at each appointment was to check the baby's progress. After that, she would noticeably relax. He felt the same way. She even seemed excited when a hazy black and white image materialized on the ultrasound's screen.

"Okay. Your baby is coming along just fine." Dr. Elliott took some measurements of the image. Matt remembered peering at the screen. Their baby looked like no more than a blur. Then he saw a pair of eyes and a small arm. Sarah must have seen them at the same time, because she had gripped Matt's hand. When he had glanced down at her, there had been tears in her eyes. He had kissed her forehead quickly and looked back at the screen.

Pointing at their baby's arms and legs, Dr. Elliott had continued to reassure them that little Will, at only eight weeks' gestation, was developing normally. After checking around some more with the ultrasound, Dr. Elliott had declared that everything looked just fine.

For Matt, it was more than fine. Any fear he held about Sarah miscarrying had been set aside that day as they absorbed the wonder of new life growing inside of her. Matt could remember staring at the photo the doctor had placed in his hands—they had not seen their first baby at that stage of development—and memorizing every blurry detail.

The small life growing inside of Sarah right now would soon look much the same, if she had guessed correctly and they had conceived their little one back in early May. Carefully, so as not to wake Sarah, he craned his neck to look at her abdomen. But her head was still resting on his shoulder and he could not get a good look. He remembered how already her stomach had felt firm under his hand when he had touched her earlier.

Soon—in perhaps less than a month—she would be showing. Sarah had been so beautiful, even in the last stages of her pregnancy, when her feet had hurt and she had been up and down all night long. Her swollen belly had looked so very round in comparison to her slim arms and legs. At night in bed, Matt would spoon himself against her back. After he placed his hand on her abdomen, she would guide it around until he could feel the baby kicking. In a few months, he would feel this new baby kicking.

Matt wondered how Will would react to the baby. He would be only about seventeen months old when the baby was born—still a baby himself. Perhaps they had been selfish by not being careful, but it was too late to worry about that. Hopefully Will would be thrilled at having a playmate close in age. It would be difficult to have two little ones to worry about—at least for a time. Then they would keep each other company.

As long as everything went well with this pregnancy. Matt sent up a fervent prayer. O Lord, please protect my wife and this little one. Unbidden, the old image reared its ugly head. Sarah was crouched in the shower, bleeding uncontrollably. Memories of panic and despair flooded Matt's consciousness, and he shuddered in response, causing Sarah to stir. Turning all the way onto her side, she moved her head to her pillow. Running his hand along her arm, he felt her relax once again and her breathing slowed.

The action had brought him out of his flashback, and Matt desperately searched for a happy memory to replace it, just as he had practiced over and over again during the last three years. He landed on one and smiled.

September 2014

It was a warm day, with a hint of autumn in the air. The leaves on the trees were still green, but the color had dulled with the September weather. The grass needed mowing, and despite being nine months pregnant with less than a week until her due date, Sarah had insisted upon pulling the few weeds that had popped up in the front garden bed. Recognizing Sarah's nesting urge, he had humored her and dug up some weeds alongside of her. He remembered being thankful that since they had just moved in that summer and had been busy readying the nursery, there had been no time to landscape the backyard. There was just a simple lawn to mow and a few garden beds in the front yard.

"Uh, Matt? Could you please help me up?"

He smiled at her sheepish expression. Sarah had remained fit, exercising throughout the pregnancy, but during the last few weeks, she had found it hard to maneuver at times.

"I don't know," he teased. "You insisted on getting down on all fours to weed under that tree, even though I said you should take it easy today." He walked over and pointed. "Didn't you miss one?"

He felt the swat on his calf and turned around to see her mock glare. Then he had stooped down, lifting her to her feet while she attempted to help with the effort. Before he moved away, he caught a grimace on her face. He placed a hand on her shoulder. "Hey. You okay?"

Taking a breath, Sarah placed a hand on her belly and smiled up at him. "Sure. Just another one of those Braxton Hicks contractions. Do you want some iced tea before you start mowing?"

Reassured by her cheerful expression, he relaxed. "That would be great. Thanks." He looked around at the front yard. Flowers still bloomed below the front porch and around the small tree near the driveway. A few shade plants were attempting to take hold under the large oak tree that stood between the house and the street. In a few months the plants would lie dormant under the bare branches of the old tree, and the flowers would be gone for that year, but Sarah had been pleased with their yard and he had been proud of what she had done in such a short time.

Sarah had just reached the top step of the porch. Matt wondered briefly at her slow movement, but since she had not taken his joke as well as he had hoped, he was more intent on smoothing over the offense.

He called out to her, "You know, honey, the yard looks so nice. You've done a great job."

She stopped and surveyed the yard, then glanced over her shoulder. "I guess so. Do you think we've done enough with the inside? With the baby coming, we won't be able to get much else done for a while."

Matt bit his tongue. He was tempted to remind Sarah that the doctor had warned her about overdoing it. Not only had they, with the help of family members and Rene, painted the entire interior of the house, but Sarah had made curtains for the bedrooms with her mother's help. And she had not taken time off from her job—she had worked full-time at the Agency up until one week ago.

As if reading his mind, Sarah moved to come back down the steps, concern on her face. He jogged up the steps to her instead and she reached out to hug him when he came near.

"I'm sorry, Matt. You've been so good not to fuss over me these last several months. I know it's been hard for you. You've been so good about all the house projects."

"You've done a beautiful job with the house. It's really a home, now." He bent his head and kissed her hair. It was warm from the sun and smelled faintly of roses. It would not be long before Sarah finally ran out of her rose-scented shampoo, but for now, he was still enjoying the scent.

After they hugged, Sarah went inside to get them both some iced tea. Eager to get the mowing out of the way, he guzzled half of his iced tea without stopping, but she had sat on the porch steps for a little while, sipping from her glass and idly watching Matt as he began mowing the front yard. By the time he was ready to take the lawnmower to the backyard, she had disappeared inside.

About an hour later, Matt was winding up the electrical cord from the blower. The humidity had made him particularly sticky that day, and Matt, now covered with a layer of dust from the trimming and blowing, was eager to get inside and take a shower. He knew Sarah would be starting dinner soon, but he was too dirty to help in the kitchen. Closing up the garage, he went around to the front of the house to pick up the empty glass he had left there, but Sarah had already brought it inside. He took off his shoes and socks and carried them into the house.

He hollered in the direction of the kitchen as he went straight to the stairs, careful not to track grass on the clean floors. "I'll be there to help in a little bit. I'm going to grab a shower."

Matt heard a muffled reply from the kitchen as he trudged upstairs.

Fifteen minutes later, dressed in clean shorts and a t-shirt with his hair damp and his feet still bare, Matt padded into the kitchen. What he saw made his blood run cold.

Sarah was clutching the counter, her face grimaced in pain.

"What's wrong?" Matt ran to her side, but as soon as he reached her, she let go of the counter. He put his arms around her and she leaned heavily against him. "Honey, tell me what's going on."

"I made you a sandwich and put some of those blackberries in a snack bag. There are tortilla chips, too." She gestured tiredly to the small cooler that sat on the counter. "I didn't have time to get a water. You should get a couple of waters. It could take a while."

It took him a moment to process her words and what they really meant. "Oh God. Sarah, you're in labor." He pulled back and searched her face. "How far apart are the contractions?"

"About five to seven minutes. We should go. They were farther apart when you turned off the blower."

"Sweetie, you should have told me." Matt wished he could have swallowed the words. He knew he was right, but there was no point in berating his wife while she was in pain.

However, she was staring at his bare feet. "You need shoes. And your keys. And your wallet." After a moment, she added, "And that bag with all my stuff. I left it at the top of the stairs after I showered."

While he had been outside, obliviously cleaning up the yard, Sarah had been showering, going up and down the stairs by herself, and making his dinner. And she might be giving birth in just a few hours.

Then it finally hit him. Sarah was going to have their baby. Tonight. This was not some vague event occurring on some future date.

Suddenly Matt was galvanized to action. He had commanded men in the army and run operations at the Agency. He should be able to get his wife to the hospital before she delivered their baby on the kitchen floor. He pulled a chair out from the table and took her arm. "Honey, sit down."

"It hurts to sit." It was obvious Sarah was trying to keep the whimper out of her voice.

Matt took a breath, forcing himself to stay calm. He sent up a quick appeal to God. "Okay. Hang onto the counter and I'll be right back. I'll put my shoes on down here. I just need to go get them."

"I'll call the doctor while you're upstairs."

Practically flying up the stairs, Matt ran into their walk-in closet and wildly grabbed a pair of jeans from the drawer. Quickly changing out of his shorts, he found his boating shoes, stuffed his wallet and keys in his pockets, and ran back downstairs, gathering up Sarah's bag along the way.

When he reached the kitchen, Sarah was placing two water bottles in the cooler with his food while she talked on the phone with the doctor's office.

"Okay. We'll be on our way in a minute." Sarah ended the call. "They said we should come now."

Suddenly Sarah grunted and bent at the hips. Matt reached for her and she grabbed his forearm. He winced in pain at her vicelike grip.

"Breathe, honey. Focus on something and breathe."

Sarah started making the puffing sounds she had learned in their class. There was no doubt she was still in pain, but her grip relaxed a little. Perhaps the breathing technique really did work.

It was almost a minute before the contraction ended.

Matt guessed she had used his feet as a focal point, because she had stared at them for the entire contraction. But all she said was, "You're still barefoot."

"I have my shoes." He quickly slipped them on. "We're taking your car, since it has the baby seat."

"Okay. But I still think you should come home and sleep if the baby comes early enough."

He started to protest and thought better of it. He had stayed the night at the hospital with Sarah before and he planned to do it again. However, he was not going to argue with her about it. There would be time to discuss all that later.

"Is the front door locked?"

"Yeah." Just to be certain, Matt craned his neck so he could get a look at the front door from the kitchen. The deadbolt was secured.

"I closed all the windows and locked them. And I texted my parents while you were upstairs. I'll text your parents while we're in the car." Matt still marveled at his wife's ability to stick to their "labor plan" once labor had actually started. She had even made him a meal.

Once she sent the text to his parents, she spent the drive to the hospital alternating between breathing through contractions and leaning back in the seat and closing her eyes. To Matt, the trip there seemed interminable, but finally they pulled into the hospital parking lot. Once she was settled in labor and delivery, Sarah even managed to fall asleep for a few minutes between some of the contractions.

Lee and Amanda slipped into the room during one of those naps.

"How can she be asleep right now?" Lee whispered incredulously.

"She wasn't sleeping well the last couple of weeks," Matt whispered in return. "And you know how she was cleaning everything."

Lee's expression softened as he watched her. "I guess it caught up with her."

Taking his hand, Amanda murmured in Lee's ear, but Matt just caught the words. "She looks so young right now. If she didn't have that round tummy, I'd think she was still our little girl."

Gazing at the peaceful expression that had settled on his wife's face, Matt felt some of the anxiety leave him. Unlike the other times he had seen her in a hospital bed, this time she was healthy, and she was preparing to deliver their baby.

However, while the contractions had slowed for the first hour they had been at the hospital, they had not stopped altogether. Sarah awakened to another contraction and Matt was at her side, helping her breathe through it. He had been vaguely aware of Amanda pulling Lee from the room as soon as it had started. She came back into the room several times to check on Sarah as the labor progressed, but Lee stayed out in the waiting area.

Soon the contractions were coming fast and furiously. Matt, who would normally pay close attention to details, had found that night that he was far too concerned with Sarah to notice or remember everything that was going on around them once the hard labor had started, but there were plenty of things he did remember. The nurse, a matronly woman named Mae, who had been in and out of the room at first, did not leave. Mae busied herself setting up various pieces of equipment and readying what looked like drapes and an instrument tray. Dr. Elliott arrived and greeted them briefly, but she left the room to change into her scrubs.

Mae was chatting in a friendly manner. "So, I saw on the chart that you wanted to be surprised."

After staring at the nurse blankly for a moment, Matt comprehended her remark. "Oh, yeah. We don't know if the baby is a boy or a girl."

Smiling in understanding, Mae was cheerful. "Well, you'll find out soon enough."

Mae was checking Sarah again a little while later when Matt glanced up at the clock and was shocked to realize that it was already after nine o'clock. They had arrived at the hospital six hours earlier. However, he did not have to contemplate the passage of time any further as Sarah grasped his hand.

"I bet your hand is numb," she panted breathlessly.

"Don't worry about my hand." Matt's hand was indeed aching, but he was certain it was nothing compared to what Sarah was experiencing.

When she cried out, he wondered at the growing intensity of her pain. It had seemed that she was already in enough pain already. He glanced in alarm at first the monitor, and then the nurse, who patted Sarah's leg.

"Breathe, honey. It won't be much longer."

Matt must have missed Mae's communication with Dr. Elliott, who was rolling a stool over to the end of the bed.

"Let's get her feet in the stirrups and ready that pan." Dr. Elliott turned to Sarah and Matt. "We're going to break your water, Sarah. Normally it breaks on its own, and the baby descends into the canal more easily. This should help you get closer to pushing."

The news had worried Matt. During a recent appointment, Dr. Elliott had mentioned a few complications for delivery, and the baby not descending was one of them. That had been part of the issue when she had miscarried, and it had led to her hemorrhaging. The pain had been intense then, too.

As if sensing his worry, Sarah whispered to him, "Sparrow."

Smiling at Sarah in reassurance, Matt sent up a quick prayer as the obstetrician broke Sarah's water. Clear fluid gushed out and Sarah's abdomen spasmed into another fierce contraction. He breathed with Sarah, keeping an eye on the doctor as she examined Sarah once again.

He was relieved to see a satisfied smile on Dr. Elliott's face. "Everything looks great. Your little one should be coming along very soon. I'm going to step out to the nurses' station for just a few minutes."

Matt marveled at the team work between Mae and Dr. Elliott. Before Dr. Elliott had left the room, Mae had nearly finished replacing the soiled pads and drapes with new ones. She moved Sarah's feet out of the stirrups and gave them a quick rub through her socks. "Just relax now, honey. You need to rest between those contractions so you'll be ready to push."

Before Sarah could respond, another contraction came along. Amanda, who had slipped into the room, held Sarah's other hand until it subsided.

"How's Daddy?" she panted.

"Oh, he's fine."

"He hates hospitals." Her words were breathless.

Matt smoothed her hair and reached for the damp washcloth he had been using to wipe her face.

"He'll be fine. When you were born, he was doing all the things that Matt is doing here. The thrill of welcoming a baby helped him get over his fear of hospitals—at least temporarily."

"Still, I bet he hates the waiting room."

Amanda smiled and offered, "Dr. Elliott said it shouldn't be long. When you get close, I'll go sit with him."

"Good idea. I'd love to have you here, but he needs you more." Sarah began panting through another contraction. Less than a minute after that contraction, another one began.

After two more long contractions less than a minute apart, Amanda slipped from the room again and Dr. Elliott came back to examine Sarah.

"Okay, Sarah. This is it. Next time you're going to push. Mae and I will help you through it."

As Mae placed one of Sarah's feet in the stirrups again, Matt helped with the other. He kissed her forehead and whispered in her ear, "Sparrow."

Sarah could only respond with a nod as another contraction came. She pushed when Mae told her to push, grunting with the effort. She tried to rest her head against the pillow as the contraction ended, but another came right on top of it.

"It's okay, Sarah. Push again." Dr. Elliott was coaching Sarah now.

Twenty minutes later, Sarah was still pushing. Matt could see exhaustion overwhelming her as her body failed to give her a moment's rest. She had not complained the entire time they had been at the hospital, but he had seen tears in her eyes during the last few contractions and her grunting had changed to a cry with each push.

"I just want to close my eyes for a minute. I don't know if I can keep doing this," she wailed.

Matt found he was growing exhausted, too. With every fiber in his being he wanted to sympathize with Sarah and beg the doctor for a Caesarean section. But he knew that Dr. Elliott would only call for surgery if it was necessary—surgery held its own risks.

He knew he needed to say something positive to encourage Sarah, but he was out of ideas.

Thankfully Dr. Elliott spoke instead. "You can do this, Sarah." The doctor was firm, but rushed, trying to beat the next contraction. "Your baby's head will be out soon. You need to gather your strength and give it all you've got now."

Sarah looked at the doctor blankly for a moment, but then Matt saw determination in her eyes. She closed them tightly as the next contraction came and pushed once again. As she screamed through gritted teeth, his stomach clenched in response.

Mae caught Matt's attention and offered him a knowing look as she handed a suction bulb to the doctor. What he saw took his breath away. He knew from the labor and delivery class that their baby would be delivered when the next contraction came.

"Okay, Sarah. Here's the head. Just one more contraction should do it." Dr. Elliott glanced up at Sarah's face long enough to smile with her eyes before focusing her attention back on their baby.

The obstetrician had been right. At the next push, Sarah's grip on Matt's hand changed. She knew that her travails were over before it could even register with Matt that their baby had finally entered the world.

"It's a boy!" Dr. Elliott's pleasure could not possibly equal the thrill Matt felt coursing through his body as he saw his son in person for the first time.

Calming the squalling infant, Mae quickly swaddled him in a towel and placed the newborn on Sarah's chest. The new mother wrapped her arms, trembling with fatigue, around the little bundle. Instinctively, Matt drew close and helped her support their son.

"He's beautiful, beloved," he murmured in her ear.

Nodding in reply, Sarah glanced up at Matt. Her eyes were shining with unshed tears of joy.

Later, after Sarah and the baby had been moved from labor and delivery to the postpartum unit, Matt had a chance to hold his new son and really study him while Sarah dozed. What little hair he had was soft and light-colored, like Matt's newborn photos. In Matt's opinion, it was too soon to guess who their baby looked like, but Mae had insisted he had Matt's eyes and Sarah's mouth. Mae had also been happy to point out that the baby had Matt's build. His little hands were larger than the other newborns he had seen when he had followed their baby and the nurse into the nursery—he seemed bigger than the other babies. Matt tried not to think about how hard it had been for Sarah to deliver him. With some rest, she would be on her feet in no time, Dr. Elliott had assured them. Certainly the small form who slept in his arms seemed none the worse for wear. Matt's heart was brimming with love for this new life. He bent his head and kissed his son's forehead.

"Hey." Sarah's voice was slurred with exhaustion. "I guess I fell asleep."

Stepping over to the bed, Matt murmured, "You're entitled. I hope you get more of that sleep after your parents come back to see their new grandson again. They're on their way up from the cafeteria." He sat down next to her on the bed and kissed her hair, still rumpled from her exertions, and rested his head against hers. "Are you happy with the name we chose?"

"Of course." Even without seeing her face, he could sense her satisfied smile.

The door to the room pushed open, and Lee's face appeared. "Can we come in?" The deep timbre of his voice was hushed.

When Lee and Amanda were both inside the room and their hands washed, Matt held up the baby to them, and Sarah made their announcement. "Daddy and Mom, since things were rushed when you saw him the first time, I'd like to formally introduce," she paused for effect, "William Matthew Granger. We're calling him Will for short."

Amanda took the baby and cooed, "Aw, how nice. You honored Matt's grandfather. And of course, his daddy." She smiled over at Matt and back down at Will.

It was Matt's turn to speak up. "Not exactly. He's named after two of his great grandfathers. William after my mom's father and Matthew for Matthew Stetson."

Lee, who had been leaning over Amanda's shoulder to get a better look at his sleeping grandson, glanced up in surprise. "Really?" His eyes narrowed, but his tone was light. "You're just humoring me. It's nice for a boy to have his father's name for a middle name."

"Well, that may be the case," Matt insisted, "But we'll always make sure he knows who he's really named after."

"Well, he certainly is a handsome little guy, just like his great grandfathers." Amanda was enraptured with her new grandchild.

"He's perfect," Lee's voice rumbled in her ear. He placed his hand on the baby's head and whispered, "Welcome to the world, little Will."

Glancing up at her husband, Amanda watched his face for a moment before handing the baby to him. He was silent as he took the newborn and stared down at him, examining his features as if he wanted to memorize what he looked like. Will sighed a little and opened his eyes briefly.

Matt could see that Sarah had not missed her father's expression. The man was clearly taken with his grandson. Her voice was soft as she offered, "The first Stetson grandchild, Daddy."

"Yeah." He looked up long enough to smile at his daughter. Matt thought he saw a single tear on the former operative's cheek. "I'm so proud of you, Pumpkin."

SMKSMKSMKSMKSMKSMK

June 2015

Matt was still smiling at the memories of little Will's birth and the hours afterward. He hoped he could remain this upbeat throughout this next pregnancy, but he knew that there would be moments of worry. Until Sarah was well into her second trimester, Matt would not really breathe easily. There was no question: he would not be traveling until he was assured of Sarah's and the baby's good health. Sarah needed more of his support at home for now—at least until the morning sickness passed. But he also knew that God had always protected his wife and would continue to protect her. Just as He watched over the little sparrows of the field, God watched over Matt's Sparrow.

He thought back to the first time they had met, over four years earlier. He had been somewhat afraid of the terrorists who were trailing him, but at that moment, he had been more afraid of what would happen if they had obtained the information he carried. Admittedly, that fear had not just been for his country's security, but also for his own hind end. Like all other freshmen agents, he had lived in fear of the section chief, Lee Stetson.

With all that stress, the downpour had been a godsend—he was fairly certain that the Lord had brought the rain to slow his pursuers. And the rain had caused the driver of the little Toyota to pull to the side of the road. Without that rain, he might never have met that driver, the woman now curled up against him in bed, the mother of his children, the lovely, sweet woman who was his wife.

For that reason, Matt thought as he found himself drifting into sleep, he would always thank the Lord for his wife and remember to entrust her to Him. His Sparrow.

I sing because I'm happy,

I sing because I'm free

For His eye is on the sparrow,

And I know He watches me.