Elizabeth sat down at her desk and opened her journal. She moved the silk ribbon out of the way as her eyes glanced at yesterday's entry, evoking a flutter of butterflies in her stomach. Lucas had taken her to the saloon to cook with Gustave, and they had gotten a bit distracted. She bit her lip at the memory as she put her pen to the next page. There was a knock at the door. Was it Lucas? He was early.

"Come in!" she called happily. The door squeaked open, and Lucas leaned in and paused.

"Are you certain? I'm sorry I'm early."

"Of course, come in!" He smiled and entered her house, closing the door behind him. He saw that Elizabeth had her journal out.

"Please, don't let me interrupt." He gestured toward her journal. "Where's Jack?"

"He's upstairs, napping. He should be up soon."

"Ah," Lucas nodded. He took the wilting flowers out of Elizabeth's vase, replacing them with fresh ones. A bouquet of daisies and lavender this time. He walked around the desk and stood behind Elizabeth, leaning over to kiss her cheek as she continued writing. He moved his lips down to her neck.

"Hello," he said in her ear, his husky voice making her shiver.

"Mm, you're interrupting me," she smiled and closed her eyes, reaching one hand up to his chin. She turned her face to him and kissed him. "Hi."

"My apologies," he winked. She let out an audible sigh, and went back to journaling. Lucas stood and walked to the kitchen. He filled the kettle with water from the basin and lit the stove. After retrieving three tea cups from the cupboard, he stepped over to the Victrola and started playing Beethoven. Sonata Pathetique rang softly through the house, flooding Lucas with memories of his first date with Elizabeth in her backyard. The music caught Elizabeth's attention too, and they locked eyes from across the room. Their gaze was interrupted by the whistle of the kettle. They both chuckled, and Lucas hurried to the stove before the whistle woke Jack. He poured the water and shuffled through the canister, pulling out three tea bags. Jack and Lucas loved to drink tea together, ever since the day he asked to try it. Lucas smiled at the memory. He looked over at Elizabeth, who was finishing up her entry. She put her pen away and closed her journal, pausing for a moment before turning to see Lucas' eyes upon her. She blushed, and stood. She moved to close the gap between them.

"Some tea?" Lucas offered.
"Thank you, but not yet," she responded as she wrapped her arms around his neck. "I'm glad you came over early." Lucas softly smiled before kissing her twice.

"Me too." They swayed gently to the music, reminiscent of the night before. Lucas started humming, pulling her cheek to his and holding her hand out to the side. His humming got louder, and Elizabeth giggled. He pulled away, arm up in the air, spinning her underneath. Her laughter grew, and Lucas raised his eyebrows, putting a finger to his mouth as he continued dancing. Elizabeth tried to suppress her giggles as Lucas continued to pull her around the kitchen, putting one arm out here, and one arm out there. Elizabeth lost it when he spun around. Lucas broke his serious face and laughed along with her. He pulled her in close one more time.

"Lucaaas? You here?" a little voice projected from upstairs. Lucas flashed a proud smile down at Elizabeth, who grinned back up at him. Lucas quickly kissed her and trotted up the stairs, skipping the last one. Elizabeth listened from the kitchen as she lowered herself into a chair, warming her hands on her cup of tea.

"There's my boy!" she heard him say.

"Lucas!" followed by a giggle.

"Hello, young man. Did you sleep well?" Elizabeth heard some shuffling, and some more giggles.

"Would it be alright if I spent some time with you this evening?"

"Yah!"

"Alright. Let's go and have some tea, shall we?" Lucas came barreling down the stairs with Little Jack in his arms, making him laugh.

"Oh! And there is your beautiful mother!"

"Mommy!" Lucas put Jack down, and he ran to hug Elizabeth.

"Hi, sweetheart! Did you have a good sleep?"

"Uh huh!"

"Are you ready to spend some time with Lucas while momma goes to dinner with Auntie Rosemary?"
"Uh huh!" Elizabeth smiled and kissed the top of his head. Lucas had never babysat alone before, but he and Jack had both been excitedly talking about this for days.

"Come sit, little man. Lucas has made you some tea." She stood and pulled out a chair for him. He was getting so big, she thought, sitting in regular chairs now.

"Thank you, Momma. Thank you, Lucas!"

"You're welcome, sir."

Elizabeth walked over to where Lucas was sitting and wrapped her arms around his neck from behind, resting her chin on his shoulder.

"I don't want to go." she pouted. "I want to stay here with my gentlemen." She stared at her son, lifting his cup and spilling a bit. It was really quite adorable and humorous, the way he loved his tea.

"Ah, ah. You go, spend some time with Rosemary. We'll be here waiting for you when you get back." He held her arm on his chest, and turned his face to kiss her cheek. "Okay?"

"Okay," she replied as she let go of him and grabbed a cookie from the table. She kissed Lucas' cheek, and Jack's head again before walking toward the door. She spun back around.

"Are you sure you'll be okay?"

"Elizabeth. Go."

"Ugh," she said, as she bit the cookie. "Okay."

The door closed behind Elizabeth, and Lucas saw her eyes peek in the window. He scoffed and gestured for her to leave. This was his first time babysitting Jack alone, but he wasn't worried. He genuinely enjoyed spending time with the boy. He was sure it would go swimmingly.

Elizabeth climbed the steps to her porch and listened. All she could hear was music. Curious, she peeked in the window as she had done when she was leaving her boys to themselves.

"Oh my goodness," she whispered to herself with wide eyes. She looked around the room and saw towers of blocks, colored pencils and papers filled with drawings and scribbles, blankets thrown over boxes and chairs, and a sea of wooden figurines and plush toys. Lucas' jacket, vest and tie were slung neatly over the back of a chair, and his shoes sat side by side by the back door. Elizabeth couldn't help but snicker, looking at the resounding mess from some intense play, but of course Lucas' items were still orderly. She spotted him reading a book on the sofa. She entered the house, and Lucas put his book down, revealing a disheveled head of hair and a sleeping little boy.

"Oh my goodness!" she repeated quietly. "It looks like you boys had a good time!"

"We certainly did," he said in a low voice, followed by a smile, revealing both of his dimples. He gestured to Jack, who was out like a light on his chest. His little fist clasped his favorite stuffed horse, which he had received from Lucas several weeks prior. Elizabeth scooped Jack's limp little body into her arms and hummed a lullaby in his ear as she carried him upstairs. Lucas stood and stretched, tugging on his suspenders and running a hand through his hair. He picked up the papers, the pencils, the toys, and the blankets. He put the chairs back where they belong, and stacked the boxes, which were full of books, by the door. He would take those to the library on his way home. He rolled up his sleeves, threw a towel over his shoulder, and started washing dishes. He always got a kick out of Jack's tiny forks and spoons. He laughed as he remembered Jack putting a pea in his cup, and then getting upset thinking it may drown. As Lucas dried the last of the dishes, he heard Elizabeth coming down the stairs.
"Lucas! You didn't have to do all this."

"It's my pleasure. Did you have a nice time tonight?" he asked, as he threw the towel on the countertop.

"A very nice time. It had been awhile since I had spent any alone time with Rosemary. Thank you again for doing this, Lucas."

"Are you kidding? I will gladly do this any time. I love that little boy like he's…" Elizabeth tilted her head at him, "Well, like he's my own." She inhaled slowly, deeply. Lucas watched her collar bones rise and fall. "I'm sorry, was that too soon to say?"

"No! No." Elizabeth responded quickly with a laugh. She took another sharp breath in. "I just…" she exhaled. "It makes me really happy. Seeing you with him. He loves you like his own as well," she continued, with a tear in her eyes. Lucas grinned at the thought. He searched her eyes, and no words were exchanged for a moment. He had never felt this way before. This time he took the breath.

"Would you like to stay for a glass of wine?" Elizabeth asked, with a hopeful tone.

"I would love to, if you're sure," he replied.

"Please." She opened her cabinet and reached for a bottle. Elizabeth could feel his eyes on her. As she opened the wine, she heard his slow footsteps toward her. She felt one hand on her waist. His fingers brushed her face as he pushed her hair out of the way. He kissed her neck slowly, forcing her to close her eyes. She dropped the corkscrew and spun around. She touched his suspenders, and he moved his hands up to her face. He pressed his lips against hers, and she kissed him back with fervor. A few times. He pulled back and looked her in the eyes. He kissed her one more time, quickly, and smiled. She groaned with annoyance as she buried her face in his chest, and he laughed, wrapping his arms around her and kissing her forehead. He reached behind her and poured 2 glasses of wine while still engulfing her in his embrace.

"Shall we sit?"

"Mhmm."