Here's that long one I promised I've been working on! And let me tell you, I've been working on this one for a while. It did spawn a couple of new ideas while I was writing it though, so I'm excited to get those down on the page too for you all to read! Hopefully soon!

Until then, I hope you enjoy this one!

It was just one night.

Just one, simple, short, little night.

But if it was just one night, why was she so miserable? After all, it wasn't as though this was the first time she'd slept alone in her bed. There was a time in her life where she was so accustomed to having her own space that she was worried about sharing her bed, and here she was, dreading the thought of Lucas not being in it next to her.

It had all started a few days prior. She'd been with them when they got the call that they might have another fantastic investor for the oil company. Henry and Lucas were ecstatic, with the former immediately rushing off to tell Fiona and Hickam while Lucas wrapped his arms around his wife, swinging her off her feet as they celebrated what could very well be the big break the company so desperately needed.

It meant, however, that Lucas and Henry would have to make their way to Union City to meet with said investor, and with the timing of the meeting and the distance between the two cities, it would be an overnight trip.

It's just one night, Elizabeth reminded herself again, turning onto her side so she was facing her resting husband. In sleep, the lines of worry that accompanied running two major businesses in town on top of being a devoted husband and loving father eased away, and slowly she reached out to run her fingers over his cheek.

"I'll be home before you know it," he whispered without opening his eyes.

Elizabeth brushed her thumb back and forth over his cheekbone. "I know. It's just…"

He opened his eyes at her hesitation, taking in a deep breath as he adjusted to take her hand in his. "I know," he repeated softly, well aware of the emotions that were preventing her from sleeping soundly - the same emotions that kept him awake too. "Come here," he continued, not satisfied with simply running his thumb over the palm of her hand. He shifted again so he could pull her into his arms instead, her head resting against his chest, nestled into the crook of his neck. She tucked her one arm between them and let the other fall over his side as their legs tangled together effortlessly.

"It's just one night," he said, echoing her earlier thoughts, although neither was sure who he was truly trying to convince.

~ E & L ~

They'd been standing in their living room for what felt like an eternity, his bag packed and set to go by the door as they waited for Henry to arrive. Their arms were wrapped around each other in an attempt to soak in their last moments together.

"Just one night," Elizabeth repeated back to him for what must've been the millionth time. She pressed herself a bit closer to him, breathing in the distinct smell of his cologne. "Why is this so hard?" she asked out loud.

She could feel the rumble of laughter as it bubbled in his chest, even as he ran a hand soothingly along her back. "Just...because?" he returned to her, and she didn't need to look at his face to know he was grinning, obviously amused by his joke.

Elizabeth pulled back anyway, intent on returning with a witty response, but it quickly faded from her mind as she found herself trying to memorize his features. She ran a hand along his hairline, tucking a bit of it back into place.

"I'll call when we get to Union City," he promised. "And then I'll call you after the meeting and before bed and before we leave in the morning too."

She had to laugh then at the ridiculousness of how they were handling the situation. They knew that this first night apart since their wedding would be hard, whenever it might come and for whatever reason, but this was laughable. They were both highly independent people, more than capable of spending time apart, and it wasn't like Lucas was off on some daring mission to the Northern Territories. He was in no danger whatsoever, but he was still always conscious of the realities of her past and did everything he could to reassure her no matter the reason for his departure.

"What?" he asked her, swinging her back and forth playfully as they rocked on their feet.

Elizabeth continued to study his face. "I love you," she said, a soft smile accompanying her response.

He leaned down to brush his lips against hers. "And I love you, Elizabeth Bouchard." They had been married for a few months already, but Lucas was certain he'd never tire of saying her new name.

The couple jumped at the sound of a car horn outside, undoubtedly Henry as he arrived to pick up Lucas. Once more, Lucas leaned down to kiss her, and Elizabeth held him there for a little longer than usual before hesitantly releasing her grasp on him. As he moved to pick up his bag, she retrieved Little Jack from the living room, carrying him to the door.

With his bag safely in the back of the car, Lucas returned to the top of the steps, pressing a kiss to Jack's head and giving Elizabeth one last peck on the lips. "I love you both beyond words," he told them, his hand running along the back of Jack's head.

"And we love you, don't we Jack?"

The young boy looked brightly up at his stepfather, nodding slowly. "Love you," he chimed, and the grin on Lucas' face was as bright as she'd ever seen it. He kissed Elizabeth's cheek before taking a deep breath and joining Henry in the car.

Elizabeth and Little Jack waved as they drove off, watching until they could no longer see the car on the horizon. She sighed as she put her son down in the living room, keeping an eye on him as he immediately returned to his toys.

It's just one night. He will be back tomorrow. I can do this.

~ E & L ~

"Where's Mr. Bouchard?"

Elizabeth turned around, jolted back to reality by Opal's voice, and faced the young girl. She looked up at her with eyes filled with their usual curiosity, and the schoolteacher couldn't be surprised by her questioning. Of course Opal would be the one to realize that something about today was different.

Opal had taken a shine to Lucas the more he was around the schoolhouse when he was still courting Elizabeth, and he'd be lying if he said he didn't feel the same. He would usually appear at the end of the day to walk Elizabeth home, and he never failed to ask Opal about what was currently happening in whatever book she might be reading. Sometimes, if he knew she was getting close to the end of her current novel, he would appear with a book from the library in hand that he thought she might enjoy, and would pass it along to the young girl as her next selection, much to her delight.

"He's on a very important trip today, but he'll be back on Monday," Elizabeth responded, crouching down so she was at Opal's level. "If you'd like, you can tell me what's been going on in your book and I'll tell him when he gets home tomorrow."

Opal shook her head, her dual braids swinging about with her movement. "That's ok, Mrs. Bouchard. I'll tell him about it on Monday. He's never going to believe what happened to Anne and Gilbert!"

Elizabeth grinned, "well I'm sure he will be very excited to hear about it next week. Now, why don't you head home. I think Allie is waiting for you."

Opal turned, and sure enough, Allie was waiting at the door for her friend, waving her hand and encouraging her to hurry. As they ran off, Elizabeth let out a breath as she straightened her back.

The school day had passed quickly, much to her satisfaction. The hours between Lucas' departure and the ringing of her cowbell had felt like an eternity, and she was already dreading the long stretch of time she had between the current moment and his return. But he was already safely in Union City, a message that had been relayed to her by Florence during the lunch hour. Figuring he would likely call shortly, as promised after their meeting, she quickly tidied up the school and then grabbed her things to head home.

The trek back to the rowhouse, however, felt miles longer than usual. Fall had arrived once more in Hope Valley, bringing with it crisp mornings, cool evenings, and colorful leaves. It was a day that she would typically enjoy to the fullest extent, but as she passed the brightly colored shops boasting the typical hustle and bustle of the town, her hand felt empty and cold.

Lucas always, without fail, walked with her to school each morning, her hand clasped tightly in one of his while he carried her basket in the other. It was a tradition he started immediately after their official courtship began, and he'd walk her all the way to the door of the Jack Thornton School before giving her a quick kiss on the cheek and then bounding down the steps to head off to the oil office. And in the afternoons, he'd do the same, appearing just as she rang the bell to signal the conclusion of the day so he could have his daily chat with Opal as Elizabeth gathered her things. Then they would stroll side by side, arms swinging back and forth, until they reached her home.

Today, she tightened her hand into a fist and then released it, consciously reminding herself that she was more than capable of spending one day without her husband. This wasn't like it was with Jack, and by the following afternoon she'd have him in her arms once more. Plus, she had a wonderful evening ahead of her to serve as a distraction.

Well aware that Lucas would be out of town and that she might enjoy some company, Rosemary and Lee had invited her and Little Jack over for dinner, and she was genuinely looking forward to spending some extra time with her closest friends. Plus, she knew Jack would appreciate the chance to play ball with his Uncle Lee.

Making her way up the steps of her home, she opened the door to find Robert sitting on the floor with Jack nearby. Robert was in the midst of reading a story to the young boy and continued his tale after nodding in her direction as a greeting. She smiled, closing the door behind her and setting down her basket so she could take off her coat.

She listened as Robert narrated the tales of Peter Rabbit, one of Jack's favorite stories that had been on near permanent loan from the library until Lucas bought a new copy for the shelves so they could keep the original at home. She busied herself in the kitchen, preparing a dish to bring next door, letting the fable capture her imagination as well. It helped to take her mind off of the way she longed for Lucas to appear behind her as he usually did each evening. His arms would wrap around her waist and his chin would rest on her shoulder as he made an attempt to distract her from cooking.

He only succeeded some of the time, but it never stopped him from trying.

Elizabeth barely noticed when Robert stopped reading, but when her son appeared at her side, hugging her legs and looking up at her, she pulled herself out of her thoughts. She ran a hand over her son's head, "Well hello there, Jack."

He didn't respond, but he did smile and tighten his grip on her.

"Mr Bouchard called just a bit ago," Robert said from behind them, and Elizabeth quickly turned to face him. At least, she turned as much as she could with Jack attached to her. "He mentioned that the meeting went well and that he's sorry he missed you again, but that he'll call later this evening."

Elizabeth did her best to hide the disappointment on her face. "Thank you for letting me know, Robert." She paused, looking down at her son. "Jack, would you please let me go so I can pay Robert?"

The boy didn't move, and Robert chuckled. "It's alright, Mrs. Bouchard. You can pay me on Monday. I think he missed you today. Either that or he's just really eager to play ball with Mr. Coulter."

Elizabeth smirked and laughed with him. "I can't say I disagree, because I missed him too, but thank you, Robert. We'll see you at church on Sunday?"

"You certainly will."

With that, Robert said his goodbyes to Jack and then headed out the door, his usual pride evident in his posture.

Once he was gone, Elizabeth looked back down at Jack, smoothing out his hair as he continued to hold onto her. She couldn't be mad, well aware that the second her husband walked through the door the next day, she'd hold onto him the same way.

~ E & L ~

Dinner had been lovely, a roast chicken expertly prepared by Rosemary, as usual, and Elizabeth had to admit that it was nice to sit and have a chat with her closest friend. If anyone knew how much she was struggling with being apart from Lucas, it was Rosemary.

But now, as she sat on the settee in her own living room, Elizabeth found herself more impatient than ever. When they returned home, she settled Jack in his bed and then got ready for bed herself, unsure of what else to do with her time as she waited for Lucas to call. Making her way down the stairs, she'd tried to write in her journal but found herself writing in circles, mostly about how much she wished Lucas were there to distract her from her writing.

All those times she wanted to swat him away because he was preventing her from getting her thoughts written down and now she wanted nothing more than for his lips to run along her neck in an effort to coax her to bed.

So instead, she picked up a book and settled in on the settee to read, glancing at the clock as she did so, wondering what was taking him so long. Finding her bookmark between the pages, she opened the novel and began to read, but quickly realized that she wasn't really comprehending any of the words in front of her. With a huff, Elizabeth placed her bookmark back where it had originally been and slapped the book shut, letting it fall to her lap. She was just about to stand and make some tea when the phone rang.

Lucas had the phone installed just before their wedding at the encouragement of Rosemary, not that they should've been surprised. "What if something happened to Little Jack and you were all the way in town at the oil office?" she had insisted, and while both Lucas and Elizabeth had been hesitant, they'd eventually agreed.

And in this moment, Elizabeth was glad they had.

"Hello?" she answered quickly, nearly jumping over the settee to reach the receiver.

"Good evening, Elizabeth. You have a call from Union City," Molly's voice answered on the other end of the line. "I'll put you through now."

"Thank you, Molly" Elizabeth responded, making a mental note to thank her friend the next time she saw her for staying late to take their call. It took a moment, but she soon heard the click of the connection and Molly's confirmation. "Lucas?" she asked immediately.

"Elizabeth!" he exclaimed.

She let out a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding. "How did the meeting go?"

"We've secured the investor. He's all in to invest in the new rig, so we can start construction on the derrick as soon as we get home."

"Lucas, that's fantastic" she exclaimed. "And do you have any idea of what time that might be?"

Elizabeth heard his light laugh on the other end of the line. "Sometime early in the afternoon is my hope. Henry knows I'm eager to get home," Lucas joked.

"Any particular reason you're rushing your way back to Hope Valley?" she teased as she tucked her legs under her to curl up more comfortably on the settee.

"Well," Lucas returned, and she could hear the edge to his voice, "there's this beautiful woman I'm more than ready to get back to. I just hope she'll be happy to see me too."

"Oh, I don't think you need to worry about her."

Neither said anything for a moment, and they didn't have to. Their silence stood as a simple understanding of how much they longed to be in the same place despite the fact that they'd seen each other that same morning. Still, their time for their phone call was running short, a reality they were both well aware of.

"I miss you," he said eventually, "and I cannot wait to have you in my arms tomorrow."

"I miss you too, Lucas. And I love you, more than words could ever describe," Elizabeth responded softly.

"I love you, Elizabeth. Goodnight, my love."

It took a moment for her to hear the click of the phone, signaling to her that he was just as hesitant to hang up as she was. But once he finally gave in, she set her own receiver back on the stand and let out a sigh. Remaining on the settee for a moment longer, her eyes fell to the new photograph proudly displayed on the table across from her. It was a portrait from their wedding, and Lucas had made a point to set it next to the photo of her and Jack on their own wedding day. She'd protested at the placement at first, hesitant to make Lucas feel overwhelmed by memories of her first husband in their home, but he'd insisted, assuring her that she, and their son, deserved to have a reminder of him.

Elizabeth smiled to herself, wrapping her shall a bit tighter around her as she stood. She blew out the nearby candles and took the remaining lamp with her up the stairs, the echo of her husband's voice still lingering in her memory.

~ E & L ~

Thunder rumbled in the distance as Elizabeth rolled over...again. No matter what she did, she couldn't get comfortable, and it was like every little noise she heard was magnified. Every creak of the house as it shifted in the wind, every drop of rain on the roof, every turn Jack made in his bed - she heard it.

And yet, she could only laugh.

After sliding onto her back, Elizabeth threw one of her arms over her eyes as she once again considered how ridiculous this was.

When she first arrived in Hope Valley nearly ten years ago, an amount of time that felt almost incomprehensible at this point, she had jumped at every opportunity to try and prove her independence. She made it abundantly clear, especially to Jack, that she didn't need someone to watch out for her or help her make her way in life. And yet, she was also aware that she wouldn't have survived any of the challenges she'd faced without the people that surrounded her. She had come to rely on Jack's strong presence and Abigail's guiding hand during those early years, and in recent times, the companionship of Rosemary and Lee after Abigail's departure and Jack's death.

And then there was Lucas.

Elizabeth felt a sense of calm wash over her at the thought of her husband. Her second chance at love.

From the moment they'd met, he'd always encouraged her to accomplish whatever she set her mind to, more than certain that she didn't need his or anyone's assistance to reach her goals. But should she need him, should she need anything, he was always there, standing by her side, pushing her to go that one step further instead of taking a step back.

A flood of memories came rushing back to her - moments where she felt his adoring love even when the words weren't spoken. The way he'd offered her the building for the library not because she needed it, but because he genuinely believed it would be good for their little town. The moments where he encouraged her to write her novel because he knew she could do it, even when she wasn't so sure herself. His constant companionship even when things seemed tough, and the way they could share everything with one another, even their deepest, darkest secrets and sorrows.

So in the end, it didn't seem quite so ridiculous that she missed him so much, even if it was just one night. She didn't need him next to her, she wanted him to be next to her, and those were two very different things.

And with that realization, that comforting thought that even if he wasn't there with her at that moment, they had the rest of their lives to spend side by side, she finally found sleep.

~ E & L ~

The morning passed slowly, not that she was surprised.

Elizabeth had woken before the sun, her restless sleep once again catching up with her. The light pink on the horizon prompted her to simply start the day, well aware that continuing to lounge in bed would only make her more anxious for Lucas' return. Instead, she rose and busied herself with laundry, then with cleaning the stove, followed by making breakfast for Jack, which meant cleaning the stove again. By mid-morning, while her son played happily in the living room with the rolling dog his stepfather had given him, she had swept, mopped, and dusted nearly every inch of the rowhouse. Her apron was covered in dirt, sweat-soaked hair was matted to the back of her neck, and she could feel the grime on her fingers.

She stopped briefly for lunch, but then proceeded to begin work on cleaning out her desk. The front door was open, letting a cool breeze waft through the house. Jack was taking his afternoon nap, and while she expected Lucas to be home any minute, she suddenly found herself swept up in an array of letters that she'd collected in the drawer long, long ago.

Following their declaration on the bridge, Lucas had taken to leaving her notes. Their lives had quickly gotten busy, leaving them little time to spend together, but he somehow always made up for it. Sometimes she'd find them hidden in books settled on her shelf, or tucked away behind the cover of her journal. They'd include poetry he'd found that reminded him of her, or a simple message to let her know how much he loved her. On occasion they would outline plans for a date, planned expertly as they always were, with a meeting time and location for her to follow.

And she saved them all.

Now, as she waited for his return, Elizabeth reread each of them, one by one. She found herself swept up in the memories of their romance, so much so that she didn't notice as a familiar blue car pull up outside.

"I think that one is my favorite," a voice said from the doorway.

Elizabeth turned quickly, her eyes landing on her husband as he leaned against the door frame, a wide smile already displayed on his face. She wasted no time in rushing to his arms, which wrapped around her as he leaned down to kiss her. His hands found her waist and he pulled back to lift her into the air, twirling her around once before planting her back on the ground.

"I love you more than words could ever describe" he said to her, reaching out to grab the note with those very words inscribed on it that she still held in her hand. "I meant every word then, and I mean every word when I say it now." He tilted his head, considering a thought for a moment, "alright, maybe I mean it even more now."

She laughed, giving him a light shove, "I love you too, and missed you even more."

"Oh no," he joked, "I'm fairly certain I missed you more."

Laughing, she pulled him in for another kiss, intent on proving to him just how wrong he was.