Jess took one last glance in the mirror above Nick's dresser and sighed. Bonnie had announced that she wanted to take both of them to Nick's favorite restaurant for dinner tonight and Jess had decided to wear a navy blue dress with a lighter blue sweater. Slipping on a pair of silver flats, she made her way down the stairs and caught Nick's eye as he sat waiting on the couch. When he saw Jess walking towards him, he stood up and shook his head slowly.

"Jess, you look..." he grabbed her elbows and looked her up and down, a lump forming in his throat. "You look amazing."

She let a small giggle escape her lips as she felt her cheeks flush and smoothed her hair out of her face. Standing on her tiptoes, she gave him a soft kiss and smiled. "So do you."

They heard a noise behind them as Bonnie cleared her throat quickly. Jess stepped to the side, a little embarrassed and looked around Nick to smile sheepishly at Bonnie. Nick just shook his head and laughed, turning around.

"Hey, Ma." He walked over to Bonnie and gave her a small hug. "You look really nice tonight."

"Oh well, thank you Nicky." She gave Jess a quick smile and put her hand on Nick's arm. "Shall we go?"

Bonnie turned toward the door as Nick reached out to wrap his arm around Jess' waist. "Just a night with my girls." He winked and leaned in to steal another quick kiss as Bonnie grabbed her coat hanging by the front door. Without turning around, she called back. "Alright you two, you're going to make the entire restaurant jealous if you keep that up."

They both laughed as they stepped behind Bonnie at the door.

"Oh here, let me get that for you." Nick reached out and took Bonnie's coat from her hands, spreading it open and smiling as Bonnie slipped her arms in the sleeves. When she was finished, she spun around and gave Nick's cheek a gentle pat. "Always a gentleman."

Jess blinked several times, deep in thought until she noticed that Nick had done the same for her. As she slipped her arms in the sleeves, he wrapped his arms around her waist and whispered in her ear. "I need to say it again. You look beautiful, Jess." She closed her eyes and leaned back into his embrace for a moment. There was something about being here that brought out a vulnerability in Nick. He seemed so much more at ease here, and he had been so attentive and caring since they arrived. Knowing that she had been nervous, he had gone out of his way to make sure that she was never stuck in an uncomfortable conversation with Bonnie.

Her voice was quiet. "Thank you."

Bonnie opened the front door and stepped outside. Nick grabbed the handle and gestured to Jess. As she walked passed him, she paused to softly stroke his tie, the satin cool and soft against her fingers. She looked into his eyes, his brows furrowing.

"You okay?"

She replied softly, "perfect."

When they got to Bonnie's car, Nick grabbed the keys from his mom and stepped in front of her to open the passenger door. "Here, Ma. I'm driving."

"Don't be silly, Nick. I can drive."

"No. You're not." Nick's voice was firm. "Now let's get you in, it's cold out here."

Bonnie swatted at Nick's hand and stepped toward the back door. "Jess can ride up front with you then, I'll sit in the back."

"Oh, it's no trouble, I..."

Bonnie quickly brushed off Jess' protest. "Nonsense. I'm perfectly fine back here."

Nick glanced at Jess and shrugged his shoulders. Reaching for the door handle, he held the door open for Bonnie. After she was seated, he turned around to open Jess' door and grabbed her hand to give it a squeeze. Silently, she slid into the passenger seat and smiled at the Nick's sweet gesture.

Once everyone was in the car, they began the twenty minute ride into the city to the restaurant, one that Bonnie had insisted on because it was one of Nick's favorites. As they were driving, Bonnie couldn't help but notice the quick glances that Jess and her son were sharing as they drove in silence. She smiled to herself as Jess reached out to lay a hand on his knee. Without his eyes even leaving the road, Nick squeezed it in his own and pressed a quick kiss to the inside of her wrist as he turned it gently in his hand.

Bonnie had never seen her son like this before. While she was thrilled to see him so obviously happy, in the back of her mind she was also worried at how quickly all of this had seemed to happen. She could tell how hard Nick had fallen for his beautiful roommate, and she just hoped that Jess wasn't the kind of girl that would break her son's heart. From all of her conversations with Nick since Jess moved in, she had always suspected that there was something more between them.

A sadness fell over her as she thought about Walt and how much she truly missed him. She only hoped that someday Nick would find the happiness that he deserved. After everything he had been through as a child, and his horribly rocky relationship with that woman, Caroline, she just prayed that he had finally found someone that could appreciate what a wonderful person he was. Knowing how much harder Nick had seem to have fallen for Jess, she knew that it would devastate him if this didn't work out.

Barely able to keep her eyes open on the ride home from dinner later that night, Jess pulled Nick aside in the front room just off the foyer. She waited until Bonnie had walked off toward the kitchen to speak.

"Nick?" Glancing around him to make sure his mother was out of earshot, she squeezed Nick's hand. "I'm sorry, I don't want to be rude to Bonnie, but do you think she would mind if I just went up to bed?"

Nick frowned, brushing a piece of her hair behind her shoulder. "Are you okay?"

Jess shook her head. "No, I'm fine. I just...I'm so tired." Looking into her eyes, he saw how exhausted she looked, her eyelids red and puffy.

"Hey, don't worry about it." Giving her a sweet kiss, he took her face in his hands. "Do you want me to come up with you?"

"No. No, you stay. Talk to your mom. I'll be fine."

He frowned in concern. "Are you sure?"

"Don't worry about me." She smiled. "Do you think I should find her and say good night?"

Nick waved his hand as they started to walk towards the stairs. "Nah, you're fine. Hey," They stopped when they reached the stairwell and Nick took her hand and leaned in for a kiss. "I love you. I'll be up soon."

Reaching up to run her hand through his hair, she lingered on his cheek as she stepped onto the first stair and smiled. "I love you too."

Nick waited until Jess disappeared down the hall towards their bedroom before turning around. Rubbing his hand along his neck, he exhaled loudly and flopped down on the couch. Jess had been so quiet at dinner, that he was starting to panic that something was wrong. If it wasn't for the fact that he been extra careful not to leave Jess alone with Bonnie and her prodding questions, he would have wondered if his mother had said something to upset her. There had only been a few minutes in the restaurant when he had left to use the restroom that his mother could have even said anything to her. Lost in thought, he hadn't realized that Bonnie had sat down next to him on the couch.

"She's wonderful, Nicky." Nick was startled by Bonnie's voice.

"Hey, Ma. I didn't even hear you come in."

Bonnie frowned. "Is Jess upstairs already?"

"She was really tired. The kids at school were wild the last few days." Turning towards her, he shook his head. "You didn't say anything to upset her, did you?"

Bonnie looked at him stunned. "Oh God, I don't think so. Why, is she upset?"

Nick frowned, glancing up the stairs again and then back to his mom. "It's nothing."

Bonnie watched her son's face for a moment, before she lowered her voice. "You really love her, don't you?"

Trying to contain his smile, he just shook his head. "Ma, let's not..."

"Oh, stop it." She reached out to swat his knee. "I'm not trying to embarrass you. I just want you to be happy, and can't help but notice that you are."

Nick swallowed hard, leaning forward on his knees. "I am, Ma. Jess is so different. She's..." He glanced at her quickly, then focused his eyes down on his hands. "She's not like anyone I've ever known before. She's so..." He smiled, his voice softening. "She makes me want to do things with my life. Be better."

Bonnie reached out and gently rubbed his shoulder. "You know, I think she feels the same about you too."

"I hope so." He sighed. "I just...I'm worried I'm not good enough, you know? Like at any moment someone better is going to come in and take her from me."

Bonnie just shook her head. "I don't think you have to worry about that."

"Ma, you can't know that..."

"Sure I can." Her voice got louder. "I'm your mother. And I'm telling you that woman is crazy about you. Just don't mess this up, Nicky."

He took a deep breath, shaking his head. "Tryin' not to, Ma."

"I'm not trying to be funny, Nick. Life is short." Her matter-of-fact tone caught him off guard and he stared at her nervously. She raised her eyebrows at him. "Don't feel like you have to wait for certain things..."

Nick took a deep breath. "I have a feeling I know where this is going..."

"I'm just saying, Nicky, if you know what you want, go for it. Don't waste time thinking about it."

"I wish it was that easy."

She shrugged. "Well why can't it be?"

"Because it...because it just can't." He nervously clawed at his neck, loosening his tie and shaking his head. "I'd rather have her like this forever, than risk wanting more and losing her."

"Just listen to her Nicky." She smiled softly at him. "And by listen, I mean really pay attention to her. I think she wants what you want, and you're just afraid to see it."

Unable to look at Bonnie, he glanced one last time toward the stairs where Jess had disappeared a few minutes earlier, and wondered if maybe his mother was right.

During their last night in Chicago, Nick was flipping through the channels from the couch, and a very restless Jess was wandering around the house. Stopping to glance out the narrow window adjacent to the front door, a huge smile spread across her face and she turned toward the living room.

"NICK! Nick, come here."

Switching off the tv, Nick turned toward the foyer as Jess came running towards him. "What are you..."

Jess grabbed his hand and pulled him off the couch. "You have to come. It's snowing!" He begrudgingly followed her, and when they reached the front door she turned around. "It's snowing! Will you come outside? Please?"

It took Nick a moment to push away all the grumpiness that he was feeling, having been thinking about going back to work the next day. But when he stared into Jess' sparking blue eyes, he once again softened, a small smile forming on his lips. "Fine... "

Before he could even finish what he was saying, Jess was throwing open the door and stomping down the sidewalk.

"Jess wait, it's like 20 degrees out there..." Shaking his head, he quickly grabbed their coats from the hooks by the door, and chased after her. "Jess, this isn't LA." Catching up to her, he wrapped her coat around her shoulders as she slid her arms into the sleeves. After putting on his own coat, he stepped behind her and pulled her close, his chin resting on her shoulder. He felt her take a deep breath into his embrace and they stood in silence as the snow began to fall.

Everything was quiet and Jess finally whispered softly. "Nick?"

"Hmm?"

"What are you thinking about?"

He squeezed his arms tighter. "My beautiful girl."

She laughed quietly and relaxed into his arms, soaking in the silence around them. She nervously started to bite her lip, closing her eyes to take a deep breath. She had wanted to talk with Nick about something for several weeks now, and it had never been a good time. She knew that it was too soon, but it was eating away at her to not know if he was thinking about the same things.

"Nick?" She started to turn around and placed her hands on his chest as his arms enveloped her. "Do you like it here?"

He frowned, shaking his head. "What do you mean?"

"I know we talked about this before, but..." She spoke softly, aware of how loud their conversation seemed in the dark silence around them. "Do you miss Chicago?"

"Sometimes I guess." He shrugged his shoulders. "Why?"

"Just asking." Casually she shook her head, dropping her gaze. She pulled her cheek between her teeth and chewed gently, focusing her eyes straight ahead on the snowflakes landing on Nick's jacket and melting on contact. She tried to distract herself, but it was no use. She needed to know how he felt, even if she was risking a step backwards in their relationship if it scared him away. He would think she was crazy, wouldn't he?

"There's no just asking with you, Jess" He let out a small laugh, bringing his hand under her chin. Rubbing his thumb across her cheek, an uneasy feeling started to wash over him. Was she trying to tell him something? Had this trip come too soon in their relationship? He had been so sure that coming here would have been an important step in showing her how committed he was to making this work, how his thoughts drifted more frequently every day to her being more than just his girlfriend. He swallowed hard, fearful of what her answer may be to his next question. He didn't expect his voice to come out as shaky as it sounded. "What are you thinking about?"

"I like it here and you," She took a deep breath, her gaze faltering. "you're...different here."

"Different?" He looked confused. "How?"

"I don't know, softer. If that even makes sense." She let out a laugh, sighing reflectively. "You take such good care of everyone, and you seem to be relaxed, and..."

"Jessica, I love being here, I do. I grew up here. But to be honest, I don't care where I am, as long as I'm with you."

"Me too."

"It's relaxing here. There's no one to interrupt us, I feel like we have our own space." He shrugged, scrunching his face. "I dunno, it's ...nice."

Jess bit her lip and took a deep breath. This was the opening she had been hoping for. Finally taking the plunge, her words spilled out in an excited gasp. "What if we had this all the time?"

"Had what?"

"Space..." She closed her eyes for the briefest moment, before finally resolving herself to just be honest with him and lay it all out on the table. "I know it's probably stupid because we already live together, and it's only been 7 months, but...Did you ever wonder what it would be like? You know, outside the loft?"

Nick swallowed hard. "You mean, just the two of us?" Had she really just asked him that? Could it be possible that she was thinking the same things?

"Well, yeah." Her voice stuttered. "I-I mean...the guys are great, and I love the loft. And well, it's not that we have to, but..." She looked up into his eyes. "It's nice just being us here, you know?"

"I do." Relief was evident in his voice, and he felt his heart racing at the prospect of both of them being ready for the next step. His excitement was quickly dashed though, when he heard her next statement.

She frowned, her voice trailing off. "But it's only been 7 months so,..."

"Yeah...7 months." Nick murmured reflectively. While part of him was disappointed, another voice in his head was telling him to be relieved. He knew that they were on the same page about their future, it just wasn't necessarily something they were really in a position to do right away. He realized in that moment just how important his new job as manager was going to be. If he couldn't do this, he would lose any chance at a future with Jess. Suddenly he felt very overwhelmed.

"That would be crazy, right?" She looked up at him expectantly.

His eyes searched hers and he swallowed hard. Could he tell her? Would it scare her if he admitted that he had been thinking about this for months now? How being with her had felt so right from the moment they drove to Mexico, that he imagined a future with her almost every time he closed his eyes? He was still scared though. Terrified of failure, terrified that he had almost gone down this road before and it never worked out. He wanted to believe that with Jess, it would all be possible. But what if it wasn't? What if he would never be the man that Jess deserved to marry. His heart sank a little at the thought, and he responded softly.

"It's a big step."

Jess sighed. "Right. And...I just started this job."

Nick shook his head. "I'm not even manager yet. Who knows what will happen with that..."

She sighed sadly. "Right. Probably not the best idea."

The both stood in silence for several minutes. Jess crossed her arms in front of her against the cold and laid her head on Nick's chest. He wrapped his arms around her and rested his chin on the top of her head.

Nick finally spoke softly. "You know, maybe summer would be a nice time to think about...something."

Jess smiled into Nick's chest, not moving. "I might know if my job is permanent by then."

His voice brightened a little. "And, I would have been manager for 6 months. I could save a lot more money."

Jess slid her hands along his waist, under his coat and squeezed her hands together behind his back. She pressed into him as he held her tighter. "We'll be together a year by then."

Nick ran his hands over her shoulders and started to play with her hair, gently tugging on the long strands now wet with snow. She leaned her head back, eyes shining. He smiled and stared straight into them. "If we did something then, do you think maybe...I don't know..."

She smiled and pressed up on her toes to kiss him gently. "That sounds perfect, Miller."