A/N: This is a short one. I kind of just wanted to give you the flavor of their summer. I'm pretty sure the next chapter will be long and, therefore, it'll take longer for me to write it (I wrote this today in about five hours give or take).

Responses: Nothing major happens over Spring Break. I just thought it was a cute little conversation. As for chapter two's hotness, my story "Then Everything Changes" is hotter. The "gut-wrenching pain" won't show up for a few chapters yet. However, I promise no tears. I might cry, but that's all I'm speculating.

Hope you all enjoy this. Alexandri.

Joan ran through Adam's yard with a wave to Mr. Rove. She was late. Sammy had been late getting back to the store. Heidi had freaked out about their pet rabbit again. Though she hated to admit it, she'd come to agree with her boss's rabbit philosophy—they weren't pets, they were food. At least then they wouldn't disrupt other people's plans.

Skidding to a stop in the shed's doorway, Joan had her fist poised to knock when she noticed Adam had on his welder's mask. From the total concentration he exhibited, he'd been working for some time. She glanced at her watch, wondering how late she actually was. An hour. She was an hour late. With a sigh, Joan slumped against the frame and watched him. He was in the zone, she could tell. It didn't seem fair to interrupt him.

She turned around and plodded back the way she came. "Hi, Mr. Rove," she said as she sat on the front steps.

"Good evening, Joan," he replied. "Is everything all right?"

She shrugged. "I was late and Adam's working. I don't want to disturb him."

"I think he'd prefer it if you did."

"Maybe." She smiled. "But I think I'm going to go home. If I leave a note with you, will you see that he gets it?"

"Sure."

Joan pulled a pen and some paper out of her bag and scribbled a note explaining her tardiness and why she didn't disrupt his work. She handed it to Carl. "Thanks."

"You're sure you won't reconsider? He was looking forward to spend the evening with you."

"I'm sure. He was really focused. I'll talk to him later. Night, Mr. Rove."

"Night, Joan."

Adam leaned back against a tree with Joan sprawled across his lap. She flipped through the Arts and Entertainment section of the paper, looking for something for them to do. He was content to sit and absently braid her hair.

"There's a free concert here in the park tomorrow. I've never heard of these bands before, but it could be good. Of course, that doesn't help us now."

"What time is the concert?"

"Five."

"I can't go," he said with a frown.

"Why not?"

"I have to go to work."

"Oh." She didn't say anything else, but Adam could feel the disappointment rolling through her.

"I'm sorry," he whispered.

"For what? If you have to work, you have to work." She shrugged, a show of nonchalance. "We'll do something later."

"When?" Joan turned over and stared up at him. "We keep trying to spend time together but something always comes up: work, family, art, one of your sudden, bizarre interests. When is later going to come?"

Joan sat up and looked at him without saying anything. Then she stroked his cheek. "You're right. Something is always popping up. So I guess we should make the most of now."

"What do you have in mind?"

She grinned and pressed her lips to his. Wrapping his arms around her waist, Adam pulled her closer and relaxed into the kiss. Just as it began to heat up, they heard a tinny jingle begin to play.

With a huff, Joan answered her cell phone. "Hello? . . . I'm in the park with Adam. What's going on?" Whatever the answer was caused Joan to sigh heavily. "Where? . . . Okay. . . . No, it's all right. It's not your fault. You didn't do it on purpose, did you? . . . All right, give me fifteen minutes. . . . Bye."

"You have to go?" Adam asked as she closed her phone.

She gave him a sad nod. "My mom's car broke down at the mall. She's stranded and can't get in touch with Dad or Kevin."

"Want me to come with you?"

"Can you?" she asked, perking up a little.

He nodded and was rewarded with a dazzling smile. Joan scrambled to her feet and pulled Adam up. Once they were in the car, she turned to him and said, "Thanks."

"Don't mention it."

"How did the summer go by so fast?" Joan asked. She and Adam sat in her backyard. They'd just had dinner with her family. A week from now, Adam was due to go back to New York. She'd be leaving for school a few days later.

"I don't know," he answered with a yawn. He laid his head on her shoulder and slipped his arms around her. "It wasn't long enough though."

"Unchallenged." She rested her head on his and stroked his cheek. They'd both spent the day working. It had been the last day for both of them and they just wanted to bask in this moment of togetherness. "I vaguely remember having the idea that we'd be able to spend time together this summer. Do you remember that?"

Adam chuckled. "Yeah. That didn't work out, did it?"

"No." All summer they'd been trying to find time together only to discover life and their bosses had other plans for them. This was the least restful summer Joan could remember and the most disappointing.

"We still have a week," Adam said quietly.

"Yeah."

"And then Christmas." His voice got softer with each word and she knew he was falling asleep.

"And then Christmas."

Joan felt her own fatigue pulling at her eyelids and gave in to it. The moment was so peaceful, sitting outside with her boyfriend enveloped in each other's arms. Stuffing the nagging worry that they should be taking advantage of every minute they had together into a corner of her mind, she snuggled deeper in Adam's embrace and let sleep claim her.