They hadn't been going out very long. Erica found it somewhat hilarious to find herself using that particular phrase with a couple their age. Somehow it didn't seem strange with Julian; of course, he'd been a solid twenty years younger than she.

But here she was, "going out" with Harry. And they were in love – at least of that she was quite certain.

This particular night, Harry's birthday, he had invited both Erica and Zoe over for dinner. He would have invited Marin and her husband as well, but they'd both had work commitments.

"Are you sure you want my sister here for your birthday?" Erica whispered as she helped Harry set the table, going behind him and straightening the silverware.

He paused and grinned at her. "I like your sister. She's… entertaining."

Erica couldn't help grinning back at him, never able to block the spell his smile wove over her. "Entertaining? Is that what you call it?"

Harry sidled up to her, wrapping his arms around her and patting her bottom. "Yes." He pressed a soft kiss to her lips before breaking away and giving her behind a final swat. "Now, if you're finished micromanaging my dinner table, we might join her in the living room for drinks." He walked to the door and turned, holding his hand out for hers.

Tilting her head to the side, Erica bit her lip as her eyes crinkled with a wide smile. She glanced over the dinner table one last time and moved to fix one of the place settings.

"Erica…" Harry chastised, drawing her name out, his eyebrows raised.

"I can't help it," she replied, but she left the place setting untouched, taking his hand instead.

They walked down the hallway together, and Harry swept his eyes over her. "I'm happy to see you've left the turtleneck at home, sweetheart."

Erica shook her head at his smirk, laughing lightly. She'd selected her attire with great care that evening, a navy blue wrap dress, very simple, but with a neckline that plunged a bit – which she knew he liked. "Well, after all, it is your birthday."

"Indeed." He stopped there, since they'd reached the living room.

Zoe stood up from the couch and advanced on the couple. "I was just admiring your books, Harry," she said, letting him kiss her on the cheek. "I hadn't realized you were so well-read."

"Well, I am a man of hidden interests, apparently. Drink?" He released Erica's hand to walk over to the small bar in a corner of the room.

"White wine?" Zoe glanced at her sister. The woman practically glowed.

"Pinot Grigio alright?" Harry pulled out a white wine glass.

Zoe nodded and stepped closer to the bookshelves.

Uncorking the bottle of wine, Harry asked, "Erica? What would you like?"

"Oh, I'll have the same as Zoe." She flashed him a wide smile before joining her sister.

"So?" Zoe inquired in a low whisper. "Do you think this is going anywhere?"

"Zoe, I'm not looking for it to go anywhere. I'm just enjoying the moment." They faced away from Harry, ostensibly to study the titles in front of them.

Rolling her eyes in an exaggerated manner, Zoe harrumphed, "Erica Jane Barry, you've never been one just to 'enjoy the moment'."

"Well, I am now," Erica flung at her out of the corner of her mouth, becoming annoyed. "I'm happy and expectations simply confuse matters. The fact that he wants me – and only me – is enough."

Zoe smirked. "I can see that you're happy. But I thought it was just all the sex."

Rounding on her, eyes wide, Erica hissed, "Zoeeee!"

Her sister chuckled, shrugging.

Harry brought the drinks over to them. "Am I interrupting something, ladies?"

Erica turned a smile on him, recovering quickly and accepting one of the wine glasses. "Of course not, Harry." She shot Zoe a withering stare and gulped down a large drink of wine.

"Just sisterly chitchat." She raised her brows at Erica with a wide grin and took the other glass from Harry.

Putting up his hands, Harry backed away from them. "I'm staying out of the line of fire." He grinned and went over to the bar to pour himself a Scotch.

Zoe winked at Erica. "Probably wise."

Snaking a hand over, Erica pinched Zoe on the arm, her lips pursed together.

Her sister merely applied the cold glass to the pinch and chortled before wandering back over to a chair and sitting down.

Harry went to the couch and stood with an arm extended, indicating the place next to him. "Erica?"

His face had taken on that utterly adorable look of his, where his head tilted down slightly and his eyes softened along with the curl of his grin. Biting her lip again, her cheeks stained with a faint flush, Erica sat on the couch, smiling even wider when he dropped down next to her and took her hand.

"Isn't this nice?" he remarked, looking between Erica and Zoe. "It's a shame Marin and Danny couldn't make it, but I like this too." He sipped his drink contentedly, leisurely wringing Erica's hand a moment before twining his fingers around hers more earnestly and settling his eyes upon her face.

Zoe nursed her wine and surreptitiously watched the two. After a little while, she wondered if they even remembered she was there, enwrapped in one another's gaze as they were. She grinned to herself. Zoe would admit to being the first to push her sister toward the younger doctor. But it was only because Julian had been so keen on Erica from the moment he'd met her. Now that she saw Harry and Erica this way, however, she would be only too willing to admit that they were a much better fit.

Harry complemented Erica in a way Julian never could. Whereas Julian encouraged Erica to become more adventurous, to allow her harsh edges to soften, Erica remained the dominant party in the relationship. Zoe never thought that was good for her. Harry, on the other hand, acknowledged Erica's nature completely – even loved her for it – but didn't allow her to get away with anything, to boss him around completely. He challenged her, in the most positive ways, and helped her see her strengths as well as her weaknesses, without asking her to change herself in any way. But because of that, she did change – she did become softer, more adventurous, more playful.

It made Zoe admire Harry all the more. And certainly Erica had brought out a side of Harry that no one ever imagined existed; Zoe suspected that the one most astonished by it was Harry himself. She had to confess that even she could see him give himself up to it. Coming to the bottom of her glass, she set it down beside her and crossed her arms, her eyes still trained upon them.

Despite what she'd teasingly said to her sister earlier, Zoe knew what she saw unfolding in front of her wasn't just about sex.