Abigail could hear the voice calling her name, but again her eyes wouldn't open. Was she asleep? Her body felt heavy.

"Abigail," the voice said again, only now her ears seemed clearer, and she could hear the voice. Her mother? No. His mother. Patricia's voice was the voice she heard.

"There's our girl," Patricia said as Abigail's eyes finally opened to see her standing over her. His father was there, too. Patricia's hands moved to her mouth, and then she wiped away a tear. "Oh, honey. Thank goodness you're okay. You had us worried sick."

Abigail moved her arm to push herself up, but something dangled from it. A wire?

It was then she realized she was in a hospital room. Her head throbbed, and she pressed her hand to her forehead. "Where am I?"

"In the hospital, honey. You hit your head when you fell. The police officer tried to catch you, but you both went down. You've been out for a few hours now."

Abigail worked to sit up in the bed, and Patricia reached for her to help her. She felt her touch, but there was no energy between them. "What are they giving me?"

"Fluids. You're dehydrated. It happens," Patricia said with a smile as she stepped back and Al wrapped an arm around his wife's shoulders.

Abigail felt the tears stinging her eyes. Why else would Carson's parents be standing with her and not with him? They would only be there if Carson hadn't made it.

The very thought had the tears rolling down her cheeks.

"Oh, honey. Are you in pain?" Patricia turned toward Al. "Get someone for her."

"No. No." She wiped at her cheeks. "I'm fine."

She took a moment to catch her breath.

Patricia moved to the table beside the bed and picked up a glass of water with a straw. "Why don't you sip this. They want you to keep calm and stay hydrated. You have to take care of yourself. We don't want anything to happen to the baby and…"

Patricia stopped talking when Abigail gasped. She felt her jaw drop as she stared at Patricia.

"I've said too much." Patricia set the glass back down and moved next to her husband again. "I'm so sorry. They took your blood work, and well, they assumed we knew, and they didn't want to give you the wrong medicine, and…"

"Baby?" Abigail heard the word come from her, but she was too stunned to actually know she'd said it.

"Yes. You didn't know?"

She moved her hand to her stomach and felt the energy she'd felt yesterday before the ornament arrived on the tree. "I only thought that maybe…"

"We're thrilled," Patricia assured her as she reached for her, and again Abigail only felt the touch, no energy from her. "It's a Christmas miracle, right?" She looked up at Al for his say.

"A miracle," he agreed.

Abigail rested back on the bed. Why would they call it a miracle? She winced when she thought about the spirits that had been standing around Carson in the building.

She squeezed her eyes closed and fought back the tears, and the sobbing she knew was coming again. There was only one reason for them to assume the baby was a miracle, and that was if the spirits were there to take Carson with them.

When she felt as though she could control her emotions enough to talk to his parents, Abigail opened her eyes.

Both Patricia and Al stood there watching her.

"The building collapsed, didn't it? He was trying to save the building instead of tearing it down. It collapsed."

Carson's parents exchanged looks. "Yes," Patricia said. "There was a fire from a vagrant, and the wind blew through and beams fell."

Abigail thought of the visions she'd had. The dust in her lungs. The darkness. It hadn't been the men in the mine at all. It had been Carson.

The tears came again, and every inch of her body ached.

"Oh, honey. It's okay. Be calm for the baby," Patricia begged, but Abigail couldn't calm down now. She hadn't known she was going to fall in love with the man when she'd met him—or she hadn't wanted to—but now how would she live without him?

The door to the room opened, and a nurse stepped in. "Mr. And Mrs. Stone, he's out now," she said.

Patricia thanked her before turning back to Abigail.

She sat up, wiping away the tears with the sheet. "Who's out? Out of where?"

Patricia took her hand and held it. "Carson is out of surgery."

"He's alive?"

"Of course he is."

Abigail's breath came quicker as the tears dried. "But Mrs. Winters, Jeffery, and Justice were there. They were with him."

Patricia smiled as if she thought Abigail was crazy. "Well, maybe they were there to protect him. He has a few burns on his chest and arms from helping that man who was in the church. But the man survived too, thanks to Carson. He also has a few broken bones, but he should be healed before the wedding."

"He's alive?"

Now Patricia's eyes welled with tears as she laughed through them. "Yes, dear. He's alive and will be thrilled to hear about the baby."

"He doesn't know?"

"Only we know."

And Jeffery, Abigail thought. "Don't say anything. I want to tell him."

Patricia patted Abigail's hand. "You get some rest. We're going to see him. He'll be spending Christmas here this year, but we can all gather in his room."

Abigail watched as they left her room. Carson was okay, she thought, and the tears returned as happy tears.

She touched her stomach and felt the energy connect to the baby that she and Carson had made. "I knew you were in there. I just knew. You saved your daddy, didn't you? You sent everyone to protect him."

It would be months before she could feel the life that grew inside of her, but she knew the energy. This baby would work miracles. She had no doubt that Mrs. Winters had picked this baby for them.