A/N: Thank you for all the kind reviews!

Henry's Point of View

I know moving day is exciting for her, it means she's finally starting her life in DC… but it means she's finally starting her life in DC and the last few weeks haven't just been some sort of fever dream.

She boarded Lady three weeks ago. That was the last time things felt normal, whatever normal actually is. We're slowly working our way into this new normal, I like it… it's just… new.

I've spent the last three weekends with her and the kids. Some moments have been really great, like the time when Ali and I got up before everyone else and made Elizabeth's famous French toast for breakfast. Others have been really hard. Jason is a 13 year old boy… and he acts like one, he acts just like I would if I was his age and in his shoes but it doesn't mean it's easy just because I understand where he's coming from.

Stevie already has plans over fall break to fly into DC and spend the weekend with us. The plan is for me to live there on the weekends until the end of the semester and then move full time… whether I have another teaching job or not. I'm so excited to see her and have all of my favorite people in one city for a weekend.

She asked me to move three weeks ago. I had been thinking the same thing but I didn't feel like it was my place to bring it up. We had just dropped the kids off at Max's and I know she was needing some emotional support. We were laying in bed when she asked me. It was perfect.

It's times like these, I'm very glad I didn't buy a house here yet. I ended my lease a couple of months early and I'm working on going through my old things that I don't want to burden her with. She told me to keep everything that I want to keep… and I am… but there are certain things I need to let go of.

I called Michaela's parents about two weeks ago to see if they would like me to send them some of her things. I don't have it in me to get rid of them… I'd put them in storage somewhere but I can't get rid of them. They're more for Stevie than they ever were for me, but I still cannot bring myself to get rid of them, ever.

Michaela's parents offered to take whatever I didn't have space for. I could bring myself to keep our wedding albums, the outfit Stevie wore home from the hospital, and her engagement and wedding ring. I've always kept those for Stevie, I want her to have them. Whether she wants to use them for their original purpose or just have them for herself, they can serve as a daily reminder that her mother is always with her.

I didn't feel like I had to get rid of anything, Elizabeth and I have had many discussions about our previous marriages and she was even the one who encouraged me to bring whatever memories of Michaela that I wanted. I need to move on. Not in a bad way and to be honest, in some ways I never can, but I need to move on. Elizabeth is the only other person I've ever imagined myself with forever and she deserves all of me committed to her.

I'm ready to fully commit myself to her, so much so that I'm shopping for her engagement ring. Stevie is going to be going shopping with me during her fall break. I called her the first day of Elizabeth's confirmation hearings and asked if she was ok with that… she was ecstatic. Maybe I should have been more nervous for that conversation.

Elizabeth doesn't know that Max and I have become somewhat friends while she's been living in DC. I extended the figurative olive branch and he graciously accepted. We've had dinner a couple of times, watched a football game one Thursday. We aren't close friends but we can at least get along.

I told Max that Elizabeth asked me to move in. Maybe it should have been her decision to tell him but as a father, I wanted him to know that I would love and care for his children like they were my own. He didn't share all of the same excitement for it that I did but he was accepting of it.

I also asked him his opinion on the idea of Elizabeth and I eventually getting married. Did his opinion really matter? No… but I don't want to make Elizabeth's life any harder by having a partner that her children's father doesn't like. I was pleasantly surprised when he thought Elizabeth and I were great together and even he saw us together long term. I took it as him giving it his blessing, even if it was sooner than anticipated.

I finally figured out how to ask Ali and Jason. Ali has mentioned how much she wants to learn how to cook so I'm going to hire a personal chef to come to the house one night and teach Ali and I how to make the meal. While we're learning, I'm going to ask her if it's ok if I marry her mom.

Jason was a little bit harder. My current plan is take him to whatever war museum seems most interesting to him, after dropping several hints about them all of course. While there, just asking him… man to man. There's a part of me that thinks maybe it isn't the best idea and I should just ask him when the time seems right. Either way, at least I've got multiple plans.

Stevie had a great idea of bringing Ali along to go ring shopping and I think that would work. Sure none of us are diamond experts but Ali probably knows her style and what she would like better than anyone.

Honestly, she can say no to the ring. She can tell me she hates it and I won't care. It isn't about the ring… it's about her. Maybe that's how I should do it… no ring at all, let her pick it out, just me and words that I practice for weeks.

I thought about going simple with just "I love you, marry me."

I considered going more sentimental and talking about all the amazing memories we have together and the life we're going to build. I have a lot of options.

The words I can figure out as the time gets closer… but I have no idea how I want to do it. I don't have some big, elaborate plan, that's not who we are. I don't even know when I actually want to do it, I just know that I want to be ready when the time comes. It's kind of like finding the one, when it's the moment, you know.

Even as I'm watching the movers move the last of her things onto the truck… I'm reminded of how even now could be the perfect moment. Every moment with her is the perfect moment.

For the next few months, we won't have as many of these perfect moments but that doesn't seem to amount to anything when you have forever to look forward to. I know time isn't guaranteed and anything could happen but I refuse to think that something will happen.

Even once forever arrives, we'll have time apart. Her team is already beginning to plan for her first trip. I'll take the times apart to know that at the end of the night, when our heads hit the pillows, we're looking at the same stars.