As the week progressed, Liza couldn't help but marvel at how things had changed in the past week. A week ago she had been depressed, emotionally exhausted, and just plain tired. She had thought her life was unraveling at the seams and there was nothing she could do to stop it.

It was now Friday of the following week, and she was happier than she had been for as long as she could remember. She sat on the couch in the loft, reflecting on the past few days as she waited for Caitlin to arrive. They were going to Charles's house for dinner so that Caitlin could meet Bianca and Nicole before the 4th of July party tomorrow.

Monday, for the most part, had been peaceful and productive. After recapping the Pauline related events of Saturday night to Kelsey over coffee on the walk to work, she had settled in to do some marketing work for Diana on a few Empirical projects that ended up taking up most of her day. She smiled as she remembered the looks that she and Charles had exchanged from across the room whenever they came across each other. Even if they weren't working together on a project, they each acknowledged a profound sense of intimacy in their shared passion for their work that only brought them closer. Charles had left midday to meet Pauline at the house to pick up the last of her possessions.

According to Charles, it hadn't been a particularly friendly exchange, but it was over and done with. Pauline had arrived with both barrels blazing, full of sarcastic and snide comments about Liza and their relationship, all of which Charles refused to share with Liza. He had called Pauline out on her altercation with Liza on the balcony, for which she refused to apologize. Charles had admitted to Liza that he nearly lost his composure with Pauline when she refused to apologize but had instead helped load her boxes into the moving van in an attempt to avoid fueling the fire. She had apparently rented a 2-bedroom apartment a few blocks away so that she could remain close to the girls. They had agreed that she could have them from Wednesday until Friday afternoon, but that they would be spending the holiday weekend with Charles. They had also scheduled a meeting with their attorneys in two weeks, when Pauline returned from her book tour. Liza had done the same, scheduling a meeting next week with her divorce attorney and David. They were going to get this divorce over and done with, no matter what.

They had spent Monday night apart, unfortunately, but Charles had facetimed her with the girls just before bedtime, and it had been delightful. Her heart swelled at the memory of Charles propping the iPad up on a pillow while he read a bedtime story to the girls, and how Bianca had turned and kissed the screen, murmuring, "G'night, Liza" before resting her head on her pillow. Those girls had her heart, that was for sure.

Tuesday, she had gone over to the brownstone for dinner with Charles and the girls, and that had been an amazing experience. The girls had been waiting at the door for her, and she hadn't even made it up the steps before they had pulled the door open and run to her, hugging her. They had grabbed her hands and tugged her inside, jabbering incoherently about Polly pockets and pulling her towards the stairs. Charles had jogged out of the kitchen, the top few buttons of his shirt undone, and a dish towel slung over his shoulder, and Liza had struggled to keep from drooling. Domestic Charles was as much a turn on as, well, pretty much any version of him. He had pulled her into a quick kiss before surrendering her to the girls until dinner was ready.

He had stood at the base of the stairs, watching the three of them and grinning. Dejavu, he had thought, remembering the first time Liza had babysat for him. He was pretty sure that that night had been when he first realized that he had feelings for her. Though, he had to admit to himself, he was pretty sure that it had been love at first sight.

Liza had thoroughly enjoyed dinner with the girls and Charles, listening to Bianca's anecdotes and Nicole's silly stories about her Dad. Charles had made his apparently infamous cacio a pepe, a favorite of the kids. He hadn't cooked much for Liza yet, and she thought he might be holding out on her. Though no one did pasta like Maggie. She had volunteered to help Charles clean up, but he refused, insisting that she spend some more time with the girls. That was a first – neither Josh or David had ever volunteered to wash a pan or dry a plate for her. So, she had retired to the den with the girls and settled in to watch Tangled. Charles had joined them about 20 minutes in, and the foursome had curled up together on the sectional couch. Bianca and Nicole had snuggled in between them, and Liza had eaten up every minute of it. Her mind had wandered during the movie, imagining a thousand nights like this, and she got butterflies in her stomach. She had never imagined a future with anyone as vividly as she did with Charles. She kept watching him out of the corner of her eye during the movie, and every once in a while, he would catch her up and smile at her with nothing but love in his eyes. Little did she know; he was also picturing a thousand nights like this in the future. Him and his girls. Doing nothing and everything and being happier than he ever though possible.

They had carried the girls up to bed, tucking them in and kissing them goodnight, before finally retiring to Charles's bedroom, where he had laid Liza down and covered her body with his, making slow, tender love to her late into the night before wrapping his arms around her and falling asleep with her in his arms, her favorite place to be.

Wednesday and Thursday Charles had gone to bed and woken up at the loft with Liza, though he was now insistent on buying her a new mattress. They had been treated to one of Maggie's delicious dinners on Wednesday, the three talking late into the night and emptying more than a few bottles of wine. Liza was delighted to see how well Charles was getting on with Maggie. The two couldn't be more different, but Charles held his own against the bold and cheeky Maggie. She had invited them to join her at an art show on Thursday night. Walking arm in arm with her best friend and her boyfriend down the streets of New York had been a very happy moment for Liza.

"Mom! Anyone in there?" Liza felt a hand on her shoulder, shaking her lightly. Turning, she saw Caitlin smiling down at her.

"Caitlin! I didn't even hear you come in!" She stood, walking around the edge of the couch and pulling her daughter into a bear hug.

"Oh my god, Mom, stop."

"Absolutely not. I've missed you!" She put her hands on Caitlin's shoulders, examining her daughter. She had gotten tanner in the two weeks it had been since she had seen her, and she had colored her hair, so it was an even lighter shade of blonde.

"It's barely been two weeks, Mom. Are you ready to go? Is this okay to wear?" Caitlin gestured down at her off the shoulder top and jeans. "I didn't know if I needed to dress up."

"That's totally fine, kiddo. This isn't a fancy dinner party or anything. We just wanted you to meet Bianca and Nicole. They want to meet you too."

"How old are they again?"

"Bianca is 7 and Nicole is 9. They're going to be in your art program that starts in a couple of weeks." Liza shrugged a jacket on over her summer dress and turned off the lights, locking the door behind her. Maggie was out for the night, having drinks with a few of her artist friends. Charles had called a car for them, and it was idling just down the street from the apartment. Mom and daughter spent the 20-minute drive catching up on life over the past few weeks. Liza watched in fascination as her daughter filled her in on her summer work. She was thrilled that Caitlin had finally found something that she was passionate about, and it tugged at her heartstrings to see how quickly Caitlin was growing up. Caitlin asked her a few questions about Bianca and Nicole and Liza filled her in on the situation with Pauline, omitting some of the more dramatic details. Before they knew it, the car pulled to a stop in front of the brownstone. Caitlin let out a low whistle as she climbed out of the car, staring up at the towering brownstone in front of her.

"Charles lives here?" She asked, dumbfounded. Rose had told her that he was well off, but this was on an entirely different level than what she had imagined.

"Yep. It's been in his family for two generations," she added, before Caitlin could make some deprecating comment about wealth disparity.

"I don't think we're in Jersey anymore." Caitlin muttered as they climbed up the steps, and Liza laughed as she rang the doorbell. No, they certainly weren't in Jersey anymore, and thank god for that.

The door swung open and Charles stood on the other side. He leaned against the door, grinning at Liza. "You know, I gave you that key so that you wouldn't have to ring the doorbell. Hi, Caitlin." He stepped aside to let them in, leaning in to kiss Liza on the cheek and hug Caitlin.

"Your house is ahh-mazing." Caitlin stood in the entryway, staring around at the grandeur that surrounded her. Charles smiled sheepishly, putting one arm around Liza and leaning in to kiss her cheek.

"Thank you, Caitlin."

Caitlin turned and smiled at the sight of her mom leaning into Charles, smiling up at him. She loved her Dad but seeing Liza this happy filled her with joy. She couldn't remember a time when her Mom had smiled this much.

"Liiiiiizzzzzzzaaaaa!" Bianca and Nicole came thundering down the stairs, rushing past Caitlin to throw their arms around Liza. She bent down, wrapping her arms around them.

"Oh, I missed you two this week!"

"Look, Liza! I got my cast off yesterday. My arm is free!" She waved her wrist in front of Liza's face.

"Oh, that's so cool!"

"Now I just have to worry about her breaking it again." Charles rubbed the top of Nicole's head, smiling down at her.

Liza stood, gesturing for Caitlin to come over. "Girls, there's someone here I'd like you to meet. This is Caitlin, my daughter."

"Do you play Polly pockets?" Bianca asked, staring up at Caitlin, who knelt down in front of the girls.

"Do I? Of course, I do! In fact," she added, smiling slyly and reaching into the pocket of her jean jacket. "I've got some with me right now." She looked up at her Mom and grinned as she pulled out two heart shaped boxes that Liza recognized as Polly pockets that she had gotten Caitlin years ago for her birthday.

"Ooh, can we play?" They each tugged on Caitlin's arms, starting to argue over which girl's playroom they should go to. Liza grinned from ear to ear as she watched the girls pull Caitlin up the stairs.

"Dinner in 20 minutes!" Charles called out to them.

"I think I've been replaced." Liza turned to look at Charles as he slid his arms around her waist. He chuckled in response, leaning down to graze his lips lightly against hers.

"I'd feel bad, but that just means I get you all to myself for a few minutes." He whispered, his lips centimeters from hers, before covering her mouth with his again. Liza totally lost herself in the moment, and if his arms hadn't been wrapped around her waist, her legs may have given out. She put a hand on his chest, pushing him back.

"You're getting distracted. Don't want dinner to burn, do you?"

"We can order takeout." He whispered, lowering his head to kiss her neck, one hand sliding under the back of her shirt.

"Down, boy. Come on. I'll help." She reached down and grabbed his hand, slipping her smaller one into his. She was always amazed at how a perfect a fit they seemed to be, in every aspect of their lives.

Dinner couldn't have been more perfect. Caitlin quickly developed a close bond with the girls, similar to Liza, and by the time Charles called them down for dinner the two were clinging to Caitlin like she was their new best friend. She sat between them at dinner, Liza and Charles sitting across from them and talked to them about their hobbies, favorite things, and school. Liza marveled at how quickly Caitlin had bonded with the two, thinking to herself that she would make a wonderful teacher one day. Charles asked Caitlin about her summer internship and what kinds of classes she had signed up for fall semester. When she mentioned that she would be required to complete some classroom hours in the spring, Charles volunteered to put her in contact with someone at The Chapin School, the academy that the girls currently attended. Liza could see that this had scored major points with Caitlin and had reached under the table and squeezed Charles leg when she saw her daughter's eyes light up.

All three girls had helped cleaned up after dinner before retiring to the den to pick out a movie. Charles and Liza took advantage of the momentary privacy as they made a giant bowl of popcorn, Liza perching on the edge of the counter, her legs wrapped around Charles's waist, pulling him close to her as their hands and mouths explored each other. Liza wondered if their desire to be with each other would continue to remain this passionate and prayed to god that it would. Ironically, she felt like she was in her 20s again, and was pretty sure that Charles felt the same way.

The girls were half an hour into Beauty and the Beast when Charles and Liza joined them in the den. Liza knew it was Caitlin's favorite movie and smiled at the sight of her dancing around the room with the girls, singing "Be Our Guest". Liza joined in as Charles sat down, pulling out his phone to record the moment. When the song was over, the girls collapsed around him, and Caitlin came around the back of the couch, pulling out her phone and requesting a selfie. The group leaned in close to each other and Charles took her phone, reaching his long arm out and snapping several pictures. They resumed the movie, Bianca and Nicole devouring the bowl of popcorn in front of them. Charles had made it the way the two loved it, sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar. It was delicious, and Liza couldn't help reaching her hand into the bowl, repeatedly. She caught Caitlin tapping away at her phone and was about to chastise her when she saw her posting one of the pictures they had just taken on Instagram. Liza pulled her phone out and refreshed her Instagram feed, the picture popping up at the top. Liza read the caption and her heart swelled with affection for her daughter. "Friday night with some of my new favorite people 3 3 and Momma Miller, of course #mixedfamily #fridaynightfeelings #littlesisterlove" She nudged Charles and tilted her phone, showing him the photo. A giant grin spread across his face and his eyes lit up. He pulled his arm tighter around her, planting a kiss on the side of her head. "I love this. All of us together." He whispered into her ear. And he did.

"Sounds like you had a perfect night." Maggie sat at the kitchen counter Saturday morning, nibbling on one of the blueberry muffins that Liza had just pulled out of the oven. When that girl was wired she got more done before 9 AM than Maggie accomplished all day. And boy, was Liza wired today. She had filled Maggie in on the events of the evening before as she made a batch of cookies for the 4th of July picnic, a big, goofy grin spreading across her face as the story progressed. Maggie couldn't help but smile back, despite the earliness of the day. Liza's happiness was infectious. Caitlin had stumbled out of Liza's bedroom at some point, making her way towards the bathroom.

"We did, Maggie. It was so great to see the three girls together. I can see a future here, you know? It makes me excited. With Josh, I was always waiting for the other shoe to drop. The relationship had an expiration date from the moment it started. With Charles I can't help but envision the future."

"Girl, I'm happy for you. You're finally getting everything you ever wanted." Liza detected a note of sadness in Maggie's voice and she tilted her head quizzically at her best friend.

"You okay?"

Maggie sighed, taking a sip of the coffee in front of her. "Malkie and I broke up last night."

"What? Why? What happened?"

"We were having drinks with a few of my friends last night, and got on the subject of kids, and she just dropped a bomb on me that she wanted kids. A lot of them. Listen, I love kids, but I'm not meant to be a mom. I'm okay with that. I'm a kick ass aunt."

"You are indeed. I'm sorry, Mags."

"It is what it is. We had a fight after we left. She told me I have issues. Do you think I have issues?"

"Everyone has issues. Everyone has baggage, Mags. If she can't accept you for who you are, then she doesn't deserve you. You just have to have faith. That person is out there for you. Hey, it took me almost 41 years to find that person for me."

"That's very uplifting."

"I try my best. Will you come to the picnic with Caitlin and I?"

"I think I'll pass on the picnic. But tonight is still a go." Maggie had an Independence Day tradition of inviting her friends over to watch the fireworks from the rooftop of her building, which offered a fantastic view of the festivities.

Liza nodded, scooping cookies off of the cooling rack into a Tupperware container. "Alright, but if you change your mind, just text me. You're more than welcome to come. Charles and the girls are going to come over after the picnic, so we'll have a full house."

A few hours later the Brooks annual Central Park picnic was in full swing. The park was insanely busy, and Charles had commandeered a large patch of grass near a grill and several picnic tables. He had kept the invite list small this year, inviting only Bob and Julia, Anna and her husband Markus, and Jay, along with their respective families. Liza had also invited Kelsey and Lauren, but they were enroute, according to the text that Liza had gotten a few minutes ago. There was a chance that Pauline would be making an appearance, according to Charles. She had texted him early in the morning, asking if she could stop to see the girls, even if only for a few moments. He had agreed, his only stipulation being a promise for civility. Bob and Julia had arrived with Rose, and she and Caitlin had immediately been latched onto by Bianca, Nicole and Anna's daughters, Amelia and Teresa. Liza watched from her picnic blanket as the 4 girls danced around with Rose and Caitlin, who were teaching them how to use those gigantic bubble wants. Markus was throwing a football with his son, Anna was sitting at one of the picnic tables, chatting with Julia, and Bob and Charles were messing around with the grill.

Liza adjusted herself on her blanket. She was sitting cross legged, reading her dogeared copy of A Moveable Feast. It was another perfect day, surrounded by some of her closest friends and the man she loved. Speaking of, she sensed his presence and turned her head slightly to see him come up behind her and sit down, so that her back was pressed up against his chest and his legs were on either side of her.

"Hey you." He lifted her hair to one side of her neck and leaned down to kiss her lightly at the nape of her neck.

"Hey" she murmured, leaning into him as he wrapped one arm around her. "Do you think it's safe to leave Bob with the grill?"

He chuckled, his breath hot on her skin. "I guess we'll find out."

"This is pretty perfect, don't you think?" The pair sat quietly for a moment, taking in the scene around them.

"I couldn't imagine a more perfect day, Liza. Or a more perfect life. I think we're building something great here, don't you think?"

"Without a doubt, baby. I love this. I love us." She tilted her head slightly to meet his lips with hers, kissing him tenderly.

"Well, don't you two look adorable!" The moment was interrupted as Kelsey and Lauren approached, complete with beach chairs and floppy hats.

"Hey, Kels. Lauren, you remember Charles?" Liza and Kelsey laughed and rolled their eyes as Lauren looked him up and down slowly before saying "How could I forget?" in a tone to make Charles blush.

Several yards away, Pauline made her way towards the group, feeling very much like an outsider. This was a tradition that she and Charles had started, and now here she was, the quintessential outsider. She caught sight of Charles sitting on blanket, his arms wrapped tightly around Liza as they spoke to Kelsey and another girl. They looked so natural, her leaning up against him and his hand resting on her bare leg, and the sight made Pauline's stomach lurch. Maybe this was a mistake, she thought, but Julia had caught sight of her and was waving her over.

"Pauline! It's so good to see you." The greeting didn't sound entirely sincere, and Pauline forced a tight smile onto her face. Julia had been one of her closest friends before she left, but they had barely spoken upon her return. Anna smiled at her but didn't say anything. Charles had filled her in on the incident last weekend, and Anna's civility towards Pauline was practically nonexistent.

"You too! Hi Anna." She pulled her eyes away from Charles and Liza, who were now alone and talking to each other, smiling and laughing. "Any idea where my kiddos are?" She scanned the lawn and saw them running around with Anna's daughters and two older girls.

"Oh my god, is that Rose, Julia? She's all grown up."

"Oh god, don't remind me. Starting her sophomore year at Vassar in the fall."

"That's amazing! Who is that girl with her?"

It was Anna's turn to pipe up. "That's Caitlin. Liza's daughter. The girls just adore her. Isn't she Rose's roommate at Vassar?"

"Yes, she is." Julia answered, saying something else to Anna. Pauline tuned her out, watching the girls from a distance. Watching as Bianca ran to this Caitlin girl, who opened her arms to Bianca and said something to her that made Bianca burst out into giggles. The two jogged over to where Charles sat with Liza. Pauline wanted to burst out in tears as Bianca snuggled onto Liza's lap and Caitlin collapsed onto the blanket next to Charles, saying something to him and gently bumping his shoulder, the two laughing. Clearly, they all were familiar and comfortable with each other.

Caitlin saw Nicole run past as she propped herself up on her elbows and turned to see her hugging a pretty blonde woman. Must be the mom, she thought, nudging Liza and tilting her head in Nicole's direction.

"Oh, Charles, Pauline's here." Caitlin could see her Mom become anxious, sitting up and pulling away from Charles. She stood as Bianca got up and ran over to her mother, reaching out a hand to help Charles up off the ground. Caitlin followed them over to the table, smiling slightly when she saw Charles reach down and grab Liza's hand, squeezing it reassuringly. She really liked this guy for her Mom.

"Pauline. Hello." Charles stopped a few feet away from her, nodding politely. He reached around and put his hand on Caitlin's back, pulling her into the circle. "This is Caitlin, Liza's daughter." Caitlin reached out a hand, but Pauline just gave her a tight smile and turned her attention back to Charles, her eyes flickering over to Liza, then back to him.

"I just wanted to stop and say hi, real quick. Do you mind if the girls and I take a quick little walk? I want to say goodbye to them before I leave for my tour on Monday."

"Of course." He watched as she turned, an arm wrapped around each girl, and guided them to the nearby walking path. Turning, he whispered something into Liza's ear and she nodded.

"We're going to take a little walk as well. Be back in a few minutes."

"What's going in that head of yours?" Liza asked a few minutes later, as she and Charles wandered down a secluded pathway, hand in hand. She could sense that he was thinking about something that was making his anxious. She could feel his body was tensed, and wished she could do something to make him relax.

"I'm just thinking about the divorce. I'm worried about the girls. How it will affect them." He swallowed tightly, and she could see the worry on his face. "I don't want them to feel like we love them any less."

"I don't think they could ever think that, Charles. Those babies love you so much. They are so blessed to have you as a father." She paused, stopping on the path and turning, resting her hands on Charles's shoulders. "You know, divorce isn't this huge tragedy that society makes it out to be. A tragedy is staying in an unhappy marriage, teaching your kids the wrong things about love. Kids need parents that love them, they need to know that they are safe. You give them that. They need stability, and sometimes it's easier to achieve that outside a marriage than in a broken one. Your girls will do better now that their mom is back in their life, even if she isn't your wife anymore, Charles. Caitlin struggled a lot through the last few years that David and I were together when we really shouldn't have been. But when we separated, that changed for her. It's the level of conflict that hurts a kid, not the divorce itself. Just be there for them, and they'll be fine." She reached her hands up to brace either side of his face, trying to convey to him how much she meant every word that she had said.

Charles looked back at her, his eyes searching hers. How was it that she always managed to know exactly what to say to make him feel better, to ease his worries? It was like she could read his mind and know exactly what he was feeling and thinking before he even said a word? He leaned down and kissed her before pulling her into a hug. "Thank you." He whispered into her ear, his arms wrapping around her tightly.

They stood there for a moment, pulling apart when they heard footsteps on the path. Pauline came around the corner with the girls, stopping short a few feet from them. Nicole grinned as she saw her Dad and Liza hugging.

"Liza, do you mind walking the girls back to the picnic? I need to talk to Charles for a moment." Liza nodded, pulling away from Charles and extending her hands to Bianca and Nicole, who grabbed them happily. Pauline turned and stepped off the grass, heading in the direction of the street, and gesturing for Charles to walk with her.

"So, I, I'm not going to fight you on custody, Charles. I think the girls should live with you."

"You do?" He couldn't help the incredulity in his voice. This was unexpected.

"Yes. I don't want them to be jerked all over the place. The brownstone is the only home that they have known, and it should stay that way. Just because things didn't turn out the way I wanted them to doesn't mean that the girls should suffer because of it."

"That's, well that's incredibly magnanimous of you, Pauline."

"I just want the girls to be happy. We'll figure out the rest of the details when I get back, but I wanted to share that with you."

"I appreciate that. More than you know." They had reached the street now, and they paused on the sidewalk.

"You really love her, don't you? Liza?" Pauline shifted to one side, squinting up the man she used to know so well. He seemed different. More relaxed than he had ever been before.

"Yes, I do. Very much."

"You never looked at me the way you look at her." It wasn't a question, but a statement, as she stared up at him.

"I loved you, Pauline. Maybe not the way I love Liza, but I loved you. I still do. I love the life that we built together, the children we produced. I wouldn't take that back for anything. But it's time for both of us to start a new chapter in our lives. I hope you can see that. I hope you're happy, Pauline, I really do. Because I am."

She nodded, swallowing hard and fighting back tears. "I'm glad. Happy Independence Day, Charles." And with that, she turned, walking away and leaving them both with a sense of finality.

"This is where you live, Liza! It's so cool!" Nicole ran around the loft later that evening, looking at all of Maggie's art and sculptures. Caitlin and Charles deposited the last of the bags and the one cooler still stocked with snacks and drinks. The girls had asked to have a sleepover at the loft that night with Caitlin, and had come prepared to turn the living room into sleepover city.

"Thanks, kiddo! But we're actually going to go up to the roof to watch the fireworks. Follow me!" The girls filed out after Liza, holding onto Caitlin as they climbed up the stairs to the roof. Charles closed the loft door behind them, following them up the stairs. Liza could hear music playing as she climbed up the last few steps, pushing open the heavy metal door to the roof.

"Whoa." Bianca came up behind her, eyes wide. It really was a sight to behold. Twinkle lights were strung up everywhere, casting a golden glow over the rooftop. Maggie had set up chairs and blankets everywhere, some of which were already occupied. Someone had procured a small firepit, which was crackling away, a stack of smores fixings nearby. A few coolers were propped open, filled with drinks. Lauren and Kelsey were already there, drinks in hand, as were a few other tenants and a few artist friends of Maggie's.

Nicole and Bianca zeroed in on the smores fixings, both turning their heads to look up at Charles with puppy dog eyes. Liza couldn't help but laugh.

"One each." He said, as sternly as he could. "For now." He shook his head and chuckled as they grabbed Caitlin and tugged her over.

"They're going to be the death of me.." He leaned in and kissed Liza on the forehead. "Want anything to drink, my dear?"

"Just a bottle of water for now. I'm going to check in with Maggie." He nodded and crossed over to a cooler as she walked over to Maggie, who stood with a drink in her hand, leaning against the wall looking out at the city lights.

"How you doing?"

"Oh, I'm good." She turned and smiled at Liza, and she could tell that Maggie was a little bit stoned.

Rolling her eyes, Liza reached over and took a swig of Maggie's drink. "I'm glad."

"Not to rain on your day, but there's a little crisis that requires your assistance." Maggie turned, nodding her head towards the corner of the roof, where Josh stood, nursing a beer, his expression cross.

"What's wrong with him?"

"He and Clare broke up last night. She's moving to California for her job." So, she had made a decision, Liza thought.

"Oh dear. I'll go talk to him. Can you go keep Charles occupied for a few minutes?"

"Of course. I need to meet these infamous kiddos anyways."

"Thanks, Mags." She approached Josh slowly, stopping to lean on the brick pony wall that surrounded the roof.

"Hey. Maggie just told me. I'm so sorry, Josh. Are you okay?"

He took a swig of his beer, not immediately answering her question. "She's just leaving. It wasn't even a discussion. Just told me that she's packing up next week and moving. This sucks, Liza." He leaned over slightly, bumping into her shoulder, and she reached up to put a steadying arm around him.

"You'll be okay, Josh. You never know, she might come back."

"It's so stupid. I mean, I just keep putting myself out there for people, and I keep getting kicked in the face." He leaned his head onto her shoulder as she pulled him into a hug.

"It'll be okay. Everything is going to be okay." She whispered, reassuringly. She felt a wave of guilt wash over her as his last sentence echoed in her head. When this boy fell, she thought, he fell hard.

She left Josh a few minutes later with a consoling Lauren, returning to where Charles sat watching her from a distance.

"Everything okay over there?" He asked, arching an eyebrow and handing her a bottled water. Liza sat next to him, reaching over to kiss him on the cheek.

"It will be. He and Clare broke up last night. She's moving to California for work. He's just upset now."

"Looks like he's in good hands now. Which is good, because you're in mine for the rest of the night." He whispered huskily, throwing a blanket over their laps, his hand creeping over to rest on her thigh.

"There's no place else I would rather be." She leaned her head against his shoulder as the first fireworks appeared in the sky and people yelled out, pointing. She slid her hand under the blanket, finding his and intertwining their fingers together.

"She's the gunpowder in a firework that lights up the sky, with a personality that holds a rainbow of colors for those brave enough to play with her fire." He said the words quietly, so only that Liza could hear. She shivered as he spoke the poetry flawlessly, marveling at his literary mind. She'd never met a man who could recite poetry off the top of his head, or who could spout of literary quotes like Charles did. It lit a fire in her, setting off fireworks in her heart as they exploded over her head, ringing in a new chapter of her life. The best chapter of her life.