Brennan was deep in thought as she drove back to the nation's capital. She kept turning in her seat, his seat, to see if he was beside her. She'd thought to escape him for just a bit, but being in his car felt like a hug from him. As she watched the scenery she'd missed the first time, she realized she felt lonely, and she almost never felt lonely. She was so used to caring for herself in everyway, and in the past, when she'd felt alone, she'd replaced those emotions with work. This was a different type of loneliness, however. She'd read once that loneliness isn't being alone, it's not having someone in your life to share amazing moments with. As she continued driving, it began to snow. It was gorgeous, the light layer of peace on earth, and she wished he were there too.
Booth landed in D.C. about an hour later. He quickly hailed a cab and went to her apartment. Using his spare key, he entered, and got to work. Within 30 minutes, he placed the package on her table, made sure her door was securely locked, and left.
Brennan parked the SUV outside her apartment building. Just being alone for a few hours had been refreshing. It had released the pressure she realized she'd placed on herself. When she thought about it, no one in Booth's family had been putting pressure on her; she'd reacted to what she thought they'd want, but the truth was that they'd all accepted her, just as she was.
For as long as she lived, she'd never forget Booth face when he told her she loved him. Trust him to be able to read her emotions before she even knew she had them. He'd said not to be sorry, but did he feel the same way? It felt like he did sometimes. As she looked around her apartment, she remembered the time he'd come to see her after her mother's body had been found. She remembered the way he'd hugged her when she thought Russ had been killed, and she remembered the way he had looked sitting at her table eating the food she'd made for him.
Carly had told her that cooking could be a way to show love to someone. At the time, she'd thought the chef was dealing with hyperbole, but now, she realized it was true. Love was giving of yourself, in whatever way you could. Brennan realized that Booth had been gradually loving her. As she walked toward the table, she gasped when she saw what was on it.