"So, it's February." Jack wrapped his arms around Elizabeth, brushing his lips across her neck.

"I know. I can read a calendar."

He chuckled. "I was thinking of making us dinner reservations for Valentine's Day."

"A fancy Valentine's dinner with my husband? Count me in."

"Do you have any preference? Steakhouse, Italian, sushi?"

"I don't care, as long as you share a bit of whatever you order."

"Always. Unless it's bread. You know I don't share bread."

"We really are perfect for each other, since I don't share bread either." She giggled, tucking her face into the crook of his neck. "I love you, Jack."

"I love you." He kissed the top of her head. "I'll make some reservations tomorrow and see if my mom can watch Harrison for us."

"Sounds good." She yawned. "I think I'm going to head to bed. I have to be at work early tomorrow."

"Okay. I'll be in shortly."

Elizabeth was already half asleep by the time Jack wandered into their bedroom fifteen minutes later. He quietly changed into his pajamas before slipping into bed beside her. She turned toward him, sighing as she settled into his embrace.

Jack smiled. They were nearing three months of marriage, and he still thanked God every day for bringing her back into his life. For nearly four years, it had just been him and Harrison, trying to figure out how to navigate life without the person that he expected to be by his side for a lifetime.

Now, they had Elizabeth navigating with them, providing them with the love and joy he never thought he'd experience again.

He tightened his arms around her, breathing deeply. "I love you, Beth."

...

Elizabeth stepped into Harrison's classroom, just watching him for a few moments. He was seated at the small table, coloring so intently on the paper in front of him that he didn't realize she had arrived.

"Harrison."

He looked up, his face lighting up when he saw her. "Mommy!" He ran over, throwing his arms around her. "I gotta decorate a box."

"For Valentine's Day?"

"Uh huh." He nodded. "And I gotta bring cards for everyone."

"Why don't we go by the store right now and pick some out? And we can get some supplies to decorate your Valentine's box."

"Yay!" He cheered. "I wanna make it Lion King."

"Okay." She laughed. "Go clean up your mess over there and get your backpack, and we can go."

"Mrs. Thornton?" The teacher approached her while Harrison was occupied.

"Hi, Miss Campbell. Is everything okay?"

"Everything is fine. I just wanted to let you know that Harrison is having a little bit of trouble with another student. He's not in trouble, and it's nothing major, but I've noticed them bickering more frequently than usual."

"Oh." Elizabeth raised her eyebrows. "He hasn't mentioned anything to me or his dad. Is it about anything in particular?"

"It's usually just whenever they happen to be playing in the same area, mostly little arguments about sharing. Like I said, it's nothing major, but I thought I'd let you know so you can talk with him about it."

"Thank you. I'll be sure to talk to him."

Harrison hurried back over, his backpack slung over his shoulders. "Okay, mommy. Ready to go."

"Say 'bye' to Miss Campbell."

He waved at his teacher. "Bye, Miss Campbell."

She smiled. "Bye, Harrison. I'll see you tomorrow."

...

"This one, mommy." Harrison slid the coloring book across the coffee table, opened to the picture he wanted to put on his Valentine's box.

Elizabeth carefully tore the page out of the book, giving it back to him. "When daddy gets home, he can help you put the paper on the box."

"Okay."

Elizabeth took a seat across from him, watching him color quietly for a few minutes. "Hey, bud. I want to talk to you about something."

He looked up at her, worry on his face at her serious tone. "Am I in trouble?"

"No, no. You're not in trouble. Miss Campbell was just telling me that you and someone in your class have been fighting lately."

"Oh." He dropped his gaze to the table, fidgeting with a crayon.

"Can you tell me about that?"

"Aiden doesn't like to share with me. I want to play with him, but he takes all my favorite toys."

"I'm sorry about that, Harrison. Do you ever take turns with the toys?"

He shook his head. "Sometimes Aiden says I can have a turn, but then Miss Campbell says it's time for something else."

"Do you get mad at Aiden when he does that?"

"Sometimes I yell at him, 'cause it isn't fair." He resumed coloring while he talked. "Miss Campbell says we gotta take deep breaths when we get mad, but sometimes I forget."

"Does she ever help you two figure out what to do?"

"She says to take turns or go play other things, but Aiden doesn't take turns, and I don't wanna play other things."

"Well, you need to figure something out, Harrison. You can't be arguing with him all the time."

He sighed, setting down his crayon. "I know. I'm sorry, mommy."

"It's okay, bud. Even grown-ups argue sometimes."

He furrowed his brow. "Even you and daddy?"

"Even me and daddy."

"You and daddy what?" Jack came into the house, closing the front door behind himself.

"Sometimes we argue." Elizabeth crossed the room, giving him a kiss in greeting. "Harrison has been having some trouble with a friend at school, so we were talking about how everyone argues sometimes, even grown-ups."

"Ah. I see." He hung his coat in the closet. "Did we talk about how to resolve these arguments."

"Miss Campbell says to take turns or play something else."

Jack took a seat on the floor beside his son. "Have you tried that?"

"Aiden doesn't take turns."

"Well, maybe you need to play with some other friends for a little while. Is there anyone else you like to play with at school?"

"Uh huh." He nodded, turning his attention back to his picture. "I play with Carter and Zoey. I'll play with them tomorrow."

"Sounds like a plan." Jack ruffled his hair. "What are we doing here?" He motioned toward the craft supplies covering the table.

Harrison held up his picture. "I'm making a Lion King box for Valentine's Day."

"Oh, cool! Did you get some Valentines to hand out to your classmates?"

"Yeah. They have dinosaurs on them!"

Jack smiled at his excitement. "I need to go change out of my work clothes, but can I help you when I get back?"

"Yes. Mommy said you can help put the paper on the box."

"Okay. I'll do that."

...

"Daddy?" Harrison's little voice rasped from the doorway.

"Hey, bud," Jack whispered, sitting up slowly to keep from waking Elizabeth. "What's going on?"

"I can't sleep."

Jack carefully slipped out of the bed, picking Harrison up and carrying him back to his room. "Are you feeling okay? Your throat sounds a little scratchy."

"My throat hurts and I can't breathe." To prove his point, his tried to take a deep breath in through his nose, but it was clear that he was stuffed up.

Jack put a hand on his forehead. "You feel a little warm. Why don't we go get you some medicine, and I'll get the humidifier set up in here?"

"Okay."

Jack propped the pillows up and helped Harrison settle into his bed again. "I'll be right back with your medicine."

The little boy was coughing when Jack returned, his body bent in half by the force of the cough. Simba was sitting on the foot of the bed, keeping watch over his friend.

Jack handed him a glass of water. "Take a little sip of that. I need to check your temperature." While Harrison sipped his water, Jack put the thermometer in his ear, watching the numbers climb.

"I got a fever?"

"A little one, yes. This medicine should help you feel a little better." He held out a small medicine cup.

Harrison took the medicine, then took a few more sips of water. "I'm sleepy."

"I'm sure you are. I love you, bud." Jack leaned down and kissed his forehead. "Try to get some sleep. Come get me or mommy if you need anything else before morning."

"Okay, daddy. Love you."

He flipped the lamp off and returned to his bedroom. Elizabeth rolled over as he settled back in the bed.

"Where did you go?"

"Harrison is sick."

"Oh, no." She propped herself up on her elbow. "How sick?"

Jack shrugged. "Hard to say right now. He has a cough, stuffy nose, and fever, so it could be a multitude of viruses."

"The flu?"

"Could be. I'll call my mom in the morning and see if she can watch him while we're at work, and I can have her bring him into the office to do a test on him."

"Poor guy."

"Yeah." He pulled her into his arms and kissed her forehead. "Let's get some rest. He may be coming back in here again before morning."

...

"Daddy," Harrison moaned as he pulled into the driveway. "I don't wanna be sick."

"I know, bud. It's no fun."

"I wanna go to the party tomorrow," he whined.

"The party?" Suddenly, Jack remembered what day it was. "Oh. The Valentine's party." He lifted him from the car seat, carrying him into the house. "I wish I could let you go to school tomorrow, but you have to stay home until you get better. I bet Miss Campbell will save all the Valentine's that your classmates bring for you, and you can get them when you go back to school."

"That's not the same, daddy."

Jack sighed, lowering Harrison into his bed. "I know, and I'm sorry you'll miss it."

Harrison burrowed into his blankets. "I want mommy."

"She'll be home soon. Just rest for now. Maybe we can watch a movie after dinner."

He pulled the covers up to his chin. "Can you ask mommy to come home early?"

"She should already be on her way home, Harrison."

"Okay."

Jack brushed the hair back from his forehead, noticing he was still warm. "I'll have her come see you as soon as she gets home."

He left the door open wide enough for Simba to slip into the room before making his way to the living room.

He sank down on the sofa, sighing heavily. He hated seeing his little boy feeling so miserable, and knowing he would miss the party he was looking forward to only made it worse.

He put his legs up, leaning back on the arm of the sofa and closing his eyes. He was just starting to doze when the front door opened.

"Hi," Elizabeth greeted him quietly. "How's Harrison?"

"The same. And it's definitely the flu." He sat up, patting the spot beside him. She took his invitation, settling down beside him.

"Poor guy."

Jack nodded. "He'll probably be down for a few more days. He's really upset about missing his class Valentine party tomorrow."

"Oh, poor thing. He's been so excited about that."

He put his hand on her knee. "We need to decide what we're going to do about our plans."

"We should cancel our reservations," she said without hesitation. "When I was sick as a kid, I just wanted my parents close by."

"Are you sure?"

She nodded, placing her hand on his. "We can just order in dinner or something."

He smiled, leaning in to plant a soft kiss on her lips. "You're such a good mom. Speaking of, he was asking for you."

"I'll go check on him."

...

Jack opened the door as Elizabeth approached.

"Hi…" She eyed him curiously, taking in his formal attire. "What's going on here?"

"I ordered in dinner like you suggested, but this is going to be a fancy meal. Go get changed."

"Okay…" She was still wary as she made her way to their bedroom, peeking in on Harrison along the way. He was fast asleep, sprawled out on the bed. She quietly pulled the blanket back on top of him, giving him a quick kiss on the forehead before backing out of the room.

Entering her room, she smiled when she saw a garment bag laid out on the bed. There was a note sitting on top of it, explaining that Viola and Julie picked the dress, and he hadn't seen it yet.

She unzipped the bag, finding a deep red dress inside. The overlay and three-quarter sleeves were made of lace, and it looked like the hem would hit just below her knees.

She carried the dress into the bathroom, quickly washing her face and applying a bit of makeup before slipping into the dress. She pulled her hair back on one side and spritzed on a bit of perfume for good measure.

It felt good to dress up. It was a nice change from the T-shirt and khakis she wore for work every day. And just thinking about how Jack would react when he saw her…

She smiled, quietly making her way to the kitchen. "Hey, handsome."

Jack turned from the counter, sucking in a breath when he took her in. "You look absolutely breathtaking, Mrs. Thornton." A grin stretched across his face, his dimples growing deeper.

"Thank you." She approached him, placing her hand on his chest. "Harrison is still sleeping."

"Good." He slipped his arms around her, kissing her deeply. "I hope you're hungry. There's a lot of pasta and bread here."

"It smells delicious."

"I also got us a bottle of wine. Unless…?" A flicker of hope gleamed in his eyes.

She shook her head. "Not this month. I can have a glass."

"We have plenty of time, sweetheart." He gave her a soft kiss. "Go ahead and sit down. I'll bring a plate to you."

She smiled, watching him as she took a seat at the table. "You're spoiling me."

"Well, it's a day to show you just how much I love you." He set a plate in front of her, putting the second one in front of his seat.

"You show me every single day." She reached for his hand, squeezing it gently. "I love you, Jack."

"I love you, Beth."

...

"The dishes can wait." Jack took her hand, pulling her away from the sink.

"You got dinner and dessert, and you gave me this dress and flowers. What more is there?"

"It's been far too long since we've danced together, Mrs. Thornton." He dimmed the lights and clicked play on his phone, the music coming softly over the speaker.

Elizabeth slipped her fingers into his, bringing her other hand to his shoulder. His free hand came to rest on the small of her back. They swayed back and forth, moving closer until Elizabeth leaned her cheek against Jack's chest.

"Thank you for tonight, Jack."

"You're welcome." He shifted his hands to her hips, her arms crossing behind his neck. "We need to do things like this more often. Not just on special occasions."

"I agree."

"Mommy? Daddy?" Harrison rasped from the hallway. "I'm thirsty."

They separated, Jack stepping toward the little boy. "I'll get you a glass of water. Do you want anything to eat?"

"Peanut butter toast."

"Okay." Jack ruffled his hair. "I'll be right back with that."

"Mommy?" He turned toward Elizabeth after Jack went into the kitchen.

"Yeah, bud?"

He held his arms out, requesting for her to pick him up. She carried him over to the sofa, settling him on her lap.

"How are you feeling?"

"Sad." He sighed, leaning against her chest. "I missed the party."

"I know, bud." She rubbed his back. "I'm sorry about that."

"Why are you and daddy dressed fancy?"

"We were having a special dinner for Valentine's Day."

"Oh." He coughed. "How long until I feel better?"

"I don't know, Harrison. Hopefully you'll feel better soon."

"Here you go, buddy." Jack carried over a glass of water and a plate with a slice of toast on it. "I'm going to go ahead and change out of this suit."

"Did I mess up your fancy dinner, daddy?"

"No." He crouched down to Harrison's level. "Mommy and I already had our dinner. Now, we can spend the evening making sure you feel better."

...

"Mommy, look!" Harrison pointed at the small pile of Valentines and candy on the table. "I got my Valentines today. Miss Campbell saved them and put them in my Lion King box."

"So cool, Harrison. I'm so happy you got them." She smiled, leaning down to kiss the top of his head. "I love you, bud."

"Love you, mommy."

"Where's your daddy?"

He shrugged. "Outside, I think. He was talking to grandma."

"Grandma Carter?"

"Uh huh." He nodded, returning his attention to the little cards in front of him.

Elizabeth wandered through the house and out the back door. Jack was seated on the edge of the deck, watching Simba sniff around the yard. He had his phone pressed to his ear, listening to whoever was on the other end of the call.

"Hi," he mouthed when she took a seat beside him.

"Hi." She kissed his cheek.

"Yeah, it was good talking to you, too," he said into the phone. "We'll see you soon. Bye." He set the phone beside him. "How was your day?"

"Not as good as Harrison's apparently."

Jack chuckled. "We kept telling him he'd still get his Valentines. I guess he had to see it to believe it."

"He said you were talking to Olive's parents."

He slipped his arm around her shoulders. "They invited us to come visit over Spring Break. I said I'd talk to you about it."

"They want me to come, too?"

"Of course." He kissed her softly. "They want to meet you. And we'd get to meet our niece."

"I'll have to see if I can get any time off work. I may be able to get a few days."

"Okay. No pressure if you can't. We'll probably try to visit in the summer anyway."

"I'll talk to my boss tomorrow." She scratched Simba between the ears when he wandered over to them. "We should probably get inside and make sure Harrison hasn't eaten all that candy."

He laughed. "Good idea."