Noah always imagined that when he finally made it home, the sun would be shining and he'd spend the first twenty minutes back home sucking good, smoggy American air back into his lungs. But when he and Finn disembarked from the troop ship that had brought them and hundreds of other injured American soldiers back home, rain was coming down so hard that the streets were filled with little rivers of rushing water. He and Finn looked at each other and then darted toward the nearest building, their packs slung over their backs. Once they made it under the cover of a barbershop awning, Finn was panting and Noah's wounds, although technically healed, were throbbing from the pain of pushing himself.

"What now?" Finn asked, his eyes on the torrential downpour that has left the city streets deserted despite the fact that it was nearly 6pm in the evening.

Noah thought for a minute and then suggested, "Call a cab? We just need to get to the train station and I'll be damned if I'm walking in this."

The owner of the barbershop let them use the phone and, while Finn was putting in the call, asked Noah all about his service and why he was home. Pointing at his abdomen, he offered, "Shrapnel, Italy. Tore me up. I'm okay now, I guess but no good to Uncle Sam anymore." He cut off his words before he could add a, "Thank God," because as much as he's glad to be home, part of him still felt guilty that the men from his platoon were still out there slogging through the Italian mud, fighting the unrelenting German forces.

The cab picked them up within minutes and dropped them off at the train station where they hopped a train to Long Island quickly. Neither man said much as the train chugged its way toward home. Finn stared out the window and Noah tapped his foot nervously against the metal floor of the train. He was so close to seeing Rachel that he almost couldn't handle it. His stomach was in knots and all he wanted to do was hold her but before he could, he had to stop by home. As much as he was craving seeing Rachel, his mother would gut him with a steak knife if he didn't show up at home first.

He and Finn shook hands at the train stop, made plans to meet at a diner for dinner in a few days, and then headed off in different directions. Noah walked the five blocks to his mother's house briskly, his coat over him to shield off some of the rain. When he stepped onto the porch, he shook off some of the rainwater and then turned the knob and pushed the door open without knocking.

Inside, the house was calm. He could hear the radio on in the kitchen and when he stepped inside and set his pack down on the floor, he heard a noise in the sitting room. Turning around, he locked eyes with a tiny little girl. She was dark-haired and had delicate features. Her big eyes peered up at him curiously while she clutched her doll in one hand and dug her little fingers into the davenport cushion with the other.

Recognition hit him like a fist to the gut and he found himself stepping into the room and crouching down on one knee. She looked like the perfect combination of Rachel and Sam. When she eyed him nervously and clutched her doll tighter, his chest tightened and he grinned.

"Hi, Carolyn. I'm Noah," he said softly.

In the kitchen, he heard a gasp and then a cup clatter to the table. Footsteps signaled his mother's arrival and he stood up when she stopped in front of him, letting out another gasp and then a strangled cry before she pushed herself into his arms.

"You're home! You're here! You're really here," she cried against his shirt.

Noah hugged her back, his eyes on Carolyn, who was now toddling toward them. "I'm home, Ma. I told you I'd come home."

Just then, he heard footsteps clattering down the stairs followed by a shriek. He braced himself for the inevitable impact and when Sarah flung himself at him, she pressed her face into his shirt and cried, no words coming out. Normally, his family wasn't the affectionate type but that time, he didn't mind when two of the four most important women in his life cried all over his nice dress shirt.

Carolyn was now thoroughly confused and she walked up to Noah, tugging on his pants. "My doll," she told him, holding up the doll still grasped in his fingers.

Miriam unwound herself from Noah and dabbed at her eyes with her handkerchief, smiling down at Carolyn. Sarah finally let go and leaned against the wall, a smile plastered to her face. "Noah, meet Carolyn," Miriam said.

"We've met," he answered, crouching down again. Carolyn pushed her doll into his hands and he took it, his face curling into a relaxed smile. He turned the doll over and over in his hands, pretending to study it with interest, before he looked back at Carolyn with a grin. "I like your doll. You want her back?"

Carolyn nodded and Noah handed it back to her. She wrapped her arms around it and then stuck her thumb in her mouth, pressing herself against Noah's leg. He reached down and picked her up, holding her close.

"She looks so much like Rachel," Noah said softly, gazing at the little girl who was now fiddling with his tie, curiosity on her face when she started to tug at it.

"She does," Miriam answered, pride in her voice as if Carolyn were truly her granddaughter. "I'm watching her because Rachel's singing at the USO tonight. Oh, you'll get to see when she stops by to get Carolyn!"

"Nah," Noah answered. "I'm heading over there. I can't wait any longer, Ma. I've waited long enough to see her."

Miriam nodded knowingly and patted the hand Noah had around Carolyn's legs. "She likes you. She's not around a lot of men other than her Grandpa so she's a little skittish….but she likes you." Looking up at her son, she smiled. "That bodes well for you."

Noah let out a deep chuckle, relief so strong in his blood at being home that it nearly knocked him over. "I hope it's good for me, considering…" he let his words fade because he wasn't going to make assumptions about himself and Rachel just yet, even if he did have certain hopes for their future.

Not letting go of Carolyn, Noah followed his mother back into the kitchen and watched her stir a big pot of stew. His stomach growled when the aroma of pepper, potatoes, and carrots wafted around him.

"Mamaw?" Carolyn's little voice interrupted and Noah looked at her, his eyes wide.

Miriam smiled. "She started calling me that last week." Turning toward Carolyn, Miriam stretched her arms out and Carolyn went to her. "Drink, please?" Carolyn asked.

Noah leaned against the counter and watched Miriam move around the room, getting Carolyn a drink. Carolyn held the big cup in her hands carefully and then tossed her head back, getting water in her mouth and on her shirt.

"She's really beautiful," Noah commented, his chest tightening further. "She's…" He was totally in awe of the tiny little girl and he already felt insanely protective of her.

"She's Rachel's carbon-copy," Miriam interrupted. "She's wonderful, Noah. She'll warm up to you more and then she'll never leave your lap. And she's quite the little cuddler." Turning her attention to Carolyn, Miriam tickled her under the armpit until she squealed.

Grinning, Noah tore his eyes away from Rachel's daughter and said, "Okay, where's the USO? I gotta get over there, Ma."

Miriam put Carolyn down and then rattled off the address. He pressed a kiss to his mother's cheek, bent down and hugged Carolyn, and then snagged Sarah for a kiss to the cheek before he headed out the door, his heart beating in time with his rapid footsteps. He was heading back to Manhattan.

It was dark by the time Noah made it back to the city. He'd snagged an umbrella from his mother as he headed out the door so he was dryer than before but the standing water in the streets meant that his feet were still soaked through, his shoes doing nothing to fight the massive amounts of rain that seemed to be falling from the sky.

When he slipped inside the USO, he shook the water from his jacket and checked it, along with his umbrella, with the coat check girl. Smiling, she said, "Welcome, soldier!"

Noah nodded absentmindedly at her, his mind on finding Rachel. The club was full of men in uniforms and girls dressed prettily, their hair done up and rouge on their cheeks. The huge room was dimly lit but a spotlight illuminated the stage, where a singer was just finishing up.

Walking up to the refreshment table, he caught the attention of the woman behind the table. "Excuse me, I'm looking for Rachel Evans," he said.

She smiled at him. "You and every other soldier. She's just about to perform. Take a seat and she'll be up in just a few minutes."

Noah furrowed his brow at her comment about him and every other soldier but shrugged his shoulder and headed through the crowd, finding an empty seat about a third of the way back from the stage. Just as he sat down, a man came out onto the stage.

"And now, for your listening pleasure, please give a round of applause for Rachel Evans!"

The crowd erupted with applause and Noah looked around, his eyes wide and a bit confused at Rachel's reception. She seemed to have a fan base amongst the soldiers. Before he could give it another thought, she stepped out onto the stage and he forgot about everything else.

She was wearing a deep green dress that brushed against her calves, the waist cinched tight. He'd forgotten how completely tiny she really was. He could just imagine that when he let his hands bracket her waist, his fingers would practically touch because of how petite she was. Her hair was pulled up off her face and piled on top of her head, her face clean of make-up except for lipstick. She smiled at the crowd before stepping up to the microphone. "I want to thank you all for coming tonight and for your wonderful service to our country. I know a lot of you men are just home for a short time but some of you are hopefully home for good now. The first song I'm singing tonight is dedicated to my own soldier, who's on his way home right now."

Noah's breath caught in his throat and he had to stop himself from standing up and waving his arms like a lunatic to get her attention. When the music started, he forced himself to relax and lean back in his chair despite the fact that his heart was pounding.

When she began to sing, her voice was clear and beautiful.

If you are but a dream

I hope I never waken,

It's more than I could bear

To find that I'm forsaken.

If you're a fantasy

Then I'm content to be

In love with lovely you,

And pray my dream comes true.

I long to kiss you

But I would not dare,

I'm so afraid that

You may vanish in the air,

So darling,

If our romance should break up,

I hope I never wake up,

If you are but a dream.

He'd forgotten how amazing she sounded but listening to her and knowing the song was for him filled his mind with a convoluted jumble of thoughts – all this night of missing her, all the letters they'd exchanged, all his fears about her never loving him the way he loved her. And then his mind settled on her last letter and he calmed himself. She was his. As soon as she was done singing, he was going to claim her.

When her voice swelled with the last note, he closed his eyes as a shudder ran through him. The room erupted into applause as the music died away and before he could help himself, he stood up and let out a loud, wolfish whistle that caused her head and half the audience to swivel their heads in his direction. Rachel put her hand over her eye to block out the spotlight and when her eyes focused on him, she gasped. He read her lips when she whispered, "Noah." Seconds later, she was running toward the end of the stage. He pushed his way through the mass of men in uniforms and painted-up girls, moving toward her as fast as he could until they met in the middle, Rachel throwing her arms around him. Just like he'd promised her in his letters, he put his hand beneath her chin and tilted her head up, kissing her for the first time. The spotlight landed on them and he didn't care because Rachel wrapped her arms around his neck, her fingers digging into his shoulders so hard that there would be marks, and kissed him back with bruising intensity. When they parted, tears were streaming down her cheeks.

"You're here," she said softly, her eyes never leaving his face. Her brown eyes were wide and swimming with emotion but her smile was brilliant and eased his fears immediately.

"I'm here," he answered in a voice choked with the emotion that he was careful to never let show.

Rachel let out a tearful, happy cry and pulled his head back down for another kiss. Applause surrounded them again but they were paying no attention to the fact that it was directed at them until they heard a voice coming from the stage. "Folks, I think we can assume that Rachel Evans is done for the night. Let's give her and her soldier a round of applause and call up our next singer…. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Mercedes Jones to the stage!"

Applause rang out again but Rachel and Noah both ignored it. Looking away, Rachel wound their fingers together and tugged him along behind her through the thick crowd until she was standing by the coat check. The girl behind the counter grinned at both of them and handed them their items. They silently donned their coats, their eyes never leaving each other's faces, and then Noah offered Rachel his hand again. She took it, smiling up at him, and they stepped out into the rainy Manhattan night.

The street was much quieter than it had been when he arrived and they walked for nearly half a block before Rachel let out a breath, her voice shaky. "I can't believe you're here! You're mother's going to be so excited when she finds out! She's—"

Noah cut Rachel off. "I've already been home. I stopped there first."

Rachel stopped walking and turned toward him. "Oh! So you've met Carolyn?"

Nodding, Noah moved closer to Rachel. He could not stop looking at her. His eyes searched her face before he said, "She's adorable, Rachel. She even let me hold her."

Beaming, Rachel pushed herself up on her toes and pressed her lips against Noah's again. "I can't believe you're really here," she whispered against his mouth. Stepping back, she said, "Let me look at you!"

Noah laughed and, despite the rain, spread his arms open wide and said, "See, all in one piece!"

Rachel's eyes roamed over his body and she shook her head. "You don't look like you were injured at all!"

He put his hand on his abdomen and said, "It's all here. I'll show you someday."

Biting her lip, Rachel slipped to his side again and he wound his arm around her. "I can't believe you're really here, Noah. I'm just… I knew you were coming home but now you're here and we have so much we need to talk about. There's so much to figure out. I mean, where are we going to take this relationship? Are we going to just see one another for a while and let things move slowly or are we going to accept the fact that we want to be together and move things along fast? And I'm going to have to break it to Sam's parents that I'm potentially entering in a relationship with you and I just don't know to process everything or what it all—mmmmpphhh—"

Noah slammed his lips against hers, mainly because he wanted to shut her up but also because he was still desperate to kiss her. When he pulled back, she was staring at him with her mouth open. "Listen, doll," he said, nudging her with his shoulder before he dropped his arm across her shoulders and tucked her against his side, shielding her further from the rain that was still falling, "we've got plenty of time to figure it out, okay?"

Rachel nodded, quieting the voice in her head that demanded a resolution to everything that very instant. She took a deep breath, focusing on the beating of her heart, the sound of the rain, and the wonderful warmth seeping from his arm into her shoulders. "Okay, Noah, I trust you," she said with a smile.

"Good," he said smugly. "I'll never lead my girl wrong."

Rachel smiled at the shiver his term of endearment caused within her and she stopped them on the sidewalk again, reaching up to kiss him again. When they parted, he brushed his lips across the tip of her nose and then over her cheek. His breath was hot on her ear when he whispered, "I love you, baby."

Tears clogged Rachel's throat immediately and she nodded, her mouth taking his again until she had to pull back for air. He smiled down at her and she wiped a tear away as she said, "I love you, too, Noah."

Despite the rain and the fact that he was chilled to the bone, he linked their fingers again slowly and they meandered their way down the street. "Hey, doll," Noah said after a few minutes, "what do you say we go for some coffee?"

Rachel bounced on the balls of her feet and nodded. "Coffee sounds fantastic, Noah."

April 21, 1944

My dearest Samuel,

Noah's home! He's really home. He came back yesterday and found me at the USO. I made a complete spectacle of myself, Sam. I truly did. I ran off the stage and kissed him in front of everyone. Was that positively wanton? I couldn't help myself. When I saw him, I felt like my heart was going to explode from joy. I was so afraid that he wasn't going to make it home, even after I got his letter stating that he was coming. He's so beautiful. I know that it's ridiculous to call a man beautiful but he really is. He looks so healthy and strong, despite his injuries, and I just couldn't take my eyes from him. Once we finally left the USO, I swear we made mooneyes at each other at night. We went to this little diner a few streets away from the USO and talked for hours over coffee. He talked a lot about his recovery and I caught him up on some of the small things that have been going on. We still have so much to talk about. We haven't even broached the subject of our future together and what that holds for us. Right now, I think we're just taking some time to bask in the idea that there aren't thousands of miles to separate us.

He told me he loved me. Yes, he's said it in letters but to hear it come from his lips was… I can't even describe it. I can't believe I'm in love again, Sam. And I can't believe I'm in love with a friend I've known since childhood. He's wonderful.

I do hope that you're okay with all of this. It still worries me that you'd be upset by it all but now, I can't help how I feel. My feelings are so deep for him already and now that he's home and we can try to see where this will go, I have to follow it through to the end, whatever that may be.

I miss you and I hope against hope that you wouldn't be upset by the choices that I've made,

Rachel

Noah was just climbing into his bed as the sun was rising over Long Island. After he and Rachel had gone for coffee, they'd talked for hours before finally taking a cab back to his house. She and Carolyn had left for their house in the early morning hours and then he'd fallen into a deep, heavy sleep.

When he awoke, it was after 2pm. He pulled himself out of bed, slipped into some pants, and headed downstairs. His mother was moving about the kitchen but she stopped short, her eyes on his abdomen, when he walked into the room.

He glanced down and then scowled. "Sorry, I forgot about that."

Miriam walked over to him, her eyes never leaving his abdomen, as her eyes took in the slashes and gashes that made up his scars. "It's not as bad as it looks, Ma," he offered after a moment.

"That's a lie and you know it, young man," she barked, her voice betraying the worry she held for her firstborn. She reached her fingers out and touched the angry read scarring and then pulled back and looked at him. "Does it still hurt?"

Noah didn't miss a beat when he answered, "Yeah, all the damn time. It's better than it was but it's always… there. I can always feel it. The doctor said it would take a long time for the muscle damage to heal itself."

"So what happened, honey? I mean, do you remember it?"

"Not really," Noah answered. "I remember the sound of the shells and I know I was trying to get to my foxhole but being actually hit? I don't remember any of it. It's all just blank."

"That's probably for the best," Miriam said authoritatively. Glancing up to look at her son's face, she asked, "What are you plans today?"

"Rachel," he answered immediately. "Heading over there."

Miriam beamed and clasped her hands together. "Then I don't want to keep you. Get moving, soldier!"

…

Twenty minutes later, Noah was walking up the steps to Rachel's house. When he knocked, the door opened immediately and Rachel smiled up at him. Her hair was swept off her face again and her beauty made him forget to take a breath. She'd always been beautiful but now…. He didn't know if it was time apart or motherhood or maturity but something had transformed her into a woman so breathtaking that he never, ever wanted to look away. Stepping inside her small house, he shoved his hands in his pockets and looked around. It was the first time he'd been inside the house since before he and Sam left for the war over two years ago. And now Sam would never be there again. It was, he admitted to himself, very strange.

"Come in, Noah," Rachel said, urging him farther into the house.

"Where's Carolyn?" he asked after a moment.

"She's napping," Rachel answered. "She'll wake up in an hour or so and then, if you'd like, you can play with her for a while. I'm excited for her to warm up to you." The room settled into quiet and Rachel blew out a breath finally, her voice full of nervous laughter. "Why is this so awkward right now?"

Noah shrugged. "I don't know. I'm honestly… I'm thinking about how the last time I was here, I was listening to the radio with Sam. It's… I mean, I know he's gone; I was there when he died. It's just that now I'm back in his house and he's not here and he won't be here and…" He sighed. "It's just strange. Especially because now I'm sitting here and I'm totally in love with his widow."

Rachel smiled at him, her hand reaching out and squeezing his fingers even as her eyes gave away her uneasiness. "Will you tell me about the day he died?"

"Are you sure you want to know?" he asked, his eyebrows arched in concern. "Are you sure you want the details?"

"Yes," Rachel said with confidence. "I know I didn't want to know the details at one time but now I'm curious. I mean, we're approaching two years since his death and I wonder… Was it fast? Was he in pain?"

Noah glanced down at the floor, his mind back in England and that horrible July day when everything was tilted on its axis and changed forever. "I was actually not with him but I got there right after the shell exploded."

Rachel gasped and Noah laced his fingers with hers and squeezed his hand. "Sam was moving an artillery shell that wasn't packed right. When he moved it, it…it blew up, Rach."

"Oh, my," Rachel whispered, her vision cloudy while she thought about the horrible pain that Sam must have experienced.

"I got to him as fast as I could," Noah said. "He was still alive when I got there but not for long. Rachel… before Sam died…" He paused and ran his hand over his head, his eyes on her. "Right before he died, he asked me to take care of you and Carolyn."

A gasp left Rachel's lips and she stared up at him, her eyes full of questions. "He did?"

"Yeah, he did. I don't know if he just asked me because I was his best friend or because…" Puck looked at Rachel. "Or because he knew that I cared about you more than I should have but he asked me just the same."

Rachel opened her mouth, no sound coming out, before she closed it again. A tear trickled down her cheek and she folded her hands in her lap. "Is that why the letters started? Out of your sense of duty to me because of Sam's request?"

Noah nodded quietly, unsure of what to say.

She took a deep breath, swallowed, and looked at him. "Does this mean that you're only here because of Sam?"

"What?" Noah asked, shock registering on his face. He stood up and moved until he was sitting next to her. "Baby, no." When she tried to shrug off his embrace, he pulled her tighter and reiterated, "No. Not at all."

Looking at him, Rachel swallowed hard. "I… It's just… I mean, part of me, I think, knew that you were stepping up and reaching out because of Sam's death and perhaps some misguided guilt that he had died and you had lived. But he…" her eyes widened, "…he asked you to take care of us?"

"Yes," Noah told her, squeezing her fingers hard between his in a show of affection. "And it's all I've ever wanted to do anyway." He placed his free hand under her chin and turned his head toward her. "I think part of my has always had a spark for you. I can't really figure it all out but I think, even before you and Sam started courting, I thought about you that way. But Sam made you so happy and I didn't want to do anything to mess that up." He paused and took a breath. "Things are different now and the war changed everything and the way I got here is really awful because I miss my best friend but I love you. I want to be with you. It's all I want, okay?"

Emotion twisted through Rachel and she nodded and then pushed herself into his arms. Pressing her lips against his neck, she nodded and dug her fingers into his shoulders. "Thank you for telling me," she said, her voice muffled by his shirt.

He squeezed her knee and kissed her forehead. "I never wanted to hide it from you but I didn't really know how to explain it in a letter. Like you said, there are just some things we need to talk about in person."

Rachel agreed and let out a sigh, pressing her face into his collar again.

"So we're okay?" Noah asked in a halting voice.

"We're great," Rachel answered. "We're fantastic, actually."

April 22, 1944

My dearest Samuel,

It's what you wanted, isn't it? Noah and I? From what he's just told me, it seems like that was your plan? You knew you were dying and that you didn't want me to be alone in the world? I'm in shock right now but I want to say thank you. Thank you so much. First Carolyn and now Noah.

Love,

Rachel

Rachel should not have been nervous about the fact that she was hosting the Puckerman family for dinner. The Berrys and Puckermans had been interacting for decades with dinners and parties and gatherings within the Jewish community. Yet as she stood in the kitchen, the smell of cherry pie filling the small space, she chewed on her nail nervously, her eyes darting around to make sure she had everything. Noah, Miriam, and Sarah would be arriving soon and Miriam was bringing the main course of chicken and dumplings.

Turning her attention back to the stove, she stirred the potatoes and corn, making sure to turn them on the lowest heat setting. She smoothed her apron a few times and then scurried into the bedroom to make sure that her dress looked perfect and that she had not a single hair out of place. Walking back into the kitchen, she stared at the clock and waited.

The minutes seemed to tick by. Flitting from one side of the kitchen to the other, Rachel grabbed the dishes and then went to set the table. The silverware was placed meticulously straight next to each plate and then re-arranged three times until she was happy with the uniformity.

When the knock on the door finally came, Rachel nearly jumped from her skin. She walked down the hall quickly, threw the door open, and was nearly attacked into a hug by Miriam. "Where's Carolyn? Is she asleep? I'll just go check on her."

She disappeared down the hall and Sarah stepped in behind her, the heavy pan of chicken and dumplings in her hands. She smiled at Rachel and then headed into the kitchen to get the pan back on the stove and re-heated. Noah was last to come inside. He was in a pair of dark slacks and a button-down shirt in grey and he took Rachel's breath away when he smiled at her.

"Hi," she said shyly.

"Hey," he answered. They stared at one another for the span of a few seconds before he swept her into his arms, tucked a hand behind her head, and kissed her soundly. When he pulled back, her eyes were still closed, her face flushed.

"Been wanting to do that all day," he admitted softly, his forehead pressed against hers.

Rachel opened her eyes and locked her gaze with his intense hazel stare and couldn't stop the tremble that went through her. She knew desire when she saw it and that look in his eyes was pure desire. She wanted to speak but had no idea what to say so she pressed her mouth against his again instead and let out a shocked squeaked when he turned them and pressed her against the wall, kissing her roughly before skating his lips down the column of her throat.

"She's awake!" Miriam announced in a singsong voice from the other side of the room. Noah pulled away from Rachel abruptly and shot a guilty smile at his smirking mother. Carolyn, still in her nightgown, squirmed in her arms before looking Miriam directly in the eye. "Down," she ordered, her little voice bossy and sounding a lot like her mother's.

Miriam laughed and set the little girl down, who ran over to Rachel and wrapped her arms around her leg.

"Hi, baby, did you have a good nap?"

Carolyn nodded and stuck her thumb in her mouth but then popped it right back out. "Water, please?" she asked, tilting her head up towards her mother.

Noah pushed away from the wall and bent down, swooping Carolyn into his arms. "C'mon, kiddo, I'll get you a drink."

Laughing happily, Carolyn wrapped her arms around Noah's neck and Rachel felt her eyes fill with tears as she watched them go.

Miriam stepped up next to her and linked her arms through Rachel's, her eyes following Noah, too. Once he had disappeared into the kitchen with Rachel's daughter in his arms, Miriam spoke. "He's going to be a wonderful father to her. You know that, right?"

Rachel nodded, swallowing down the tears that weren't yet clinging to her lashes. "I know. I can tell."

"He'll love her like she's his own, Rachel," Miriam added. "I think it's all he's wanted to do since she was born."

Rachel bit her lip to keep from crying and she smiled before Miriam wrapped an arm around her and tucked Rachel's head beneath her chin. Noah walked back in at that moment, Carolyn still in his arms and a bottle stuck between her lips.

"You ladies coming? I'm starving and Carolyn here just demanded I give her a piece of pie right now."

Laughing, Rachel let go of Miriam and walked over to Noah, reaching up to kiss Carolyn on the cheek. "You eat dinner first, baby, and then you can have pie." When she started to pull back, Noah caught her and bent to kiss her, too.

"C'mon, babe," he said. "Let's go eat. "

Rachel nodded and they all tromped into the kitchen. Sarah was stirring the pots and smiled when they came in. "I think it's ready!"

Food was placed in serving dishes and set around the table while Miriam got Carolyn set up in her high chair and pulled to the edge of the table next to where she would be sitting. When they sat down, everyone passed the food around and as Noah stabbed a piece of chicken with his fork, he said, "Hey, Ma. Can you watch Carolyn for us tomorrow?"

Rachel ticked up an eyebrow, her mind whirring because she couldn't recall anything she had planned for tomorrow. Noah grinned at her and then added, "We're gonna need a babysitter because tomorrow night, I start courting you properly."

Biting her lip, Rachel bobbed her head and then stared down at her lap, unable to wipe the smile from her face. It felt so good to be so happy again.

Author's Note: (channeling Chandler Bing) Could that BE any fluffier? The song Rachel sang is "If You Are but A Dream." It was first released in 1942 but made popular by Frank Sinatra in 1944.

Next up: Noah and Rachel's relationship continues to blossom and Quinn comes back into the picture.