I'm not gonna lie...I think this is my favorite one from this whole week. Either that or I'm just really getting excited for TOMORROW. The number of times I legitimately squeaked because of things on Instagram in the last 24 hours is probably a sign that it's both.

Only one day of the week left before our loves are back on screen! What are you most excited to see? For me it's definitely Lucas and Jack. Hyland is going to steal all of our hearts and I am entirely okay with that! For now, enjoy Saturday!

Saturdays were for cleaning.

And after the wedding reception for Hickam and Fiona, that's just what they were doing.

Originally, they were going to leave the cleaning for the following afternoon. After all, the next day was a Sunday, and to give his staff some time off after a whirlwind weekend of wedding festivities, Lucas had preemptively closed the Queen of Hearts for the day. So, they really could have waited.

The happy couple had filed out a while before, leaving partygoers to enjoy the last of the perfectly planned reception, courtesy of Rosemary, but as time went on, the crowd dwindled. One by one, the residents of Hope Valley returned to their homes, and soon only Rosemary, Lee, and Elizabeth were left, standing on the boardwalk just outside the saloon. They'd been discussing how beautiful the wedding was, and Elizabeth had been so sure that Lucas had been right behind her, but once outside, he was nowhere to be found.

"Are you sure you don't want a ride home?" Rosemary asked for the third time in the last five minutes. The night was warm, humidity causing the air to feel hotter than it was, but the clear sky above showcased a vast array of stars.

Elizabeth shook her head, "Thank you, but I think I should go find Lucas."

Rosemary and Lee both smiled, a knowing look on their faces. "He'll probably drive you home anyway," Lee suggested, and neither missed the rosy tint to Elizabeth's cheeks even in the dim light.

"I'm sure he will. You two have a wonderful night."

After farewells of their own, the couple made their way into the car and were soon driving off in the direction of the rowhouses, leaving Elizabeth alone on an empty Main Street. A few lights throughout town remained on, likely residents as they got ready to climb into their beds, but the windows of the Queen of Hearts still lit the space around her.

She couldn't see anyone through the window, but as Elizabeth made her way back inside, she immediately recognized Lucas, cleaning off one of the tables.

Standing in the doorway, she took a moment to watch him. He hadn't noticed her, but it was soothing to watch as he methodically worked his way around the room. He was still in his suit coat, although after hours of running his hand through his hair, some of it fell over his forehead. Moving swiftly from table to table, he picked up plates and silverware to return to the kitchen, quietly humming to himself as he did so. She'd never heard Lucas sing, but from time to time she'd caught him humming tunes to Jack to get him to fall asleep.

She waited until he'd set the stack of plates he'd been carrying down on the back counter before entering into the saloon further. Lucas' eyes darted up at her movement, and his expression softened. "You're still here."

"I am," Elizabeth returned, meeting him halfway as they both crossed the large room. "But I thought that we agreed to clean tomorrow instead of tonight."

Lucas took in a breath that he quickly let out, again letting his fingers comb through his hair, "I know. I just figured I'd get a start on it, that's all." He stepped into her space then, his hands settling behind her back as he pulled her tightly against him. "I thought you'd gone with Rosemary and Lee."

A mischievous expression appeared on her face, "I couldn't leave without saying goodbye, now could I? After all, that's what happened last time and we both know how that turned out."

He seemed to ponder this thought for a moment, but she knew he was only being dramatic. "It seems to me that it turned out just fine. We're here, now, after all." With that, he leaned closer, capturing her lips in a brief kiss. She tried to chase him when he pulled away, to continue what he'd started, but he soon stepped back, resuming his motions to get the room back in order.

"You're really going to keep cleaning?" Elizabeth asked pointedly, hands quickly finding their home on her hips.

Lucas looked over his shoulder at her, a wide grin on his face, "well this place isn't going to clean itself."

Elizabeth scowled at him, but quickly turned to begin tidying the table nearest to her. They worked for a while, mostly clearing dishes and getting them organized in the kitchen for Gustave's staff to worry about in the morning, but every so often he'd stop her to press a kiss to her forehead. Sometimes he'd catch her hand before she could pick up a fork and bring it to his lips, and other times she'd be the one to pause him just long enough to kiss his cheek.

She was just finishing clearing the last of the tables when music began to waft through the now empty hall. She looked up at the source of the sound, the Victrola that had been pulled from his office for the occasion, to find Lucas standing nearby, looking in her direction.

Carefully, she picked up the last dish and walked toward him, setting her stack of plates on the counter she passed on the way. When she reached him, Lucas held out his hand for her to take, "May I have this dance?"

With a giggle, Elizabeth accepted, his hand warm against hers. The space in the middle of the room had been cleared, tables scattered around the outside, to create a dance floor, and he led her there easily as the song began its melody. She recognized it immediately as the same song she'd danced to with Jack all those years ago, the same record she'd put on in the library that night with Lucas.

Slowly they swayed, back and forth, in the midst of the otherwise quiet saloon. It was peaceful and calm, and without hesitation, Elizabeth let her head fall against his chest, eyes closing as she let him lead her. She felt him rest his head against her own, a light pressure that simply served as another point of contact for two people who felt like close was never close enough.

"You know," Lucas murmured after a while, "there aren't many couples left in Hope Valley."

"What do you mean?" Elizabeth questioned, never leaving his embrace, eyes remaining closed. They felt heavy, the exhaustion of the day finally catching up with her, and here, against the man she loved, she felt safe.

"Just that the next wedding will probably be ours."

It took a moment for his words to register, but when they did, she lifted her head from his chest to look up at him. "Lucas, you aren't about to…"

He laughed quietly, a hand moving to the back of her head to guide her back to him, and she resumed her previous position. "Not tonight, My Love. But someday."

And as Elizabeth let her eyes fall closed once more, the record coming to an end, she suddenly wished for someday to be sometime soon.