By November 21, the day had finally come. After months of waiting for Josip to be ready to come home—Dr. Axelrod wanted him to reach at least 6 lbs and he had to have surgery to correct a congenital issue in his digestive tract—Abby and Luka were more than ready to take him home. Luka's brother, Vedran, would come to visit them around the holidays and to meet the baby. He'd arrive in about a week, and Abby was making herself busy getting some things in order while she anxiously waited for Luka to return from work so they could go together that evening to County and get the baby to bring him home at last. She couldn't wait to have him here with them and be "normal". It had been two months since Josip, who they often just called "Joe", had been born and she was anxious to finally have him with her all the time and not just when she had a chance during or after her shifts, or on days off, to go check on him in the NICU.

The phone rang and startled Abby out of her daydreaming. She walked away from the stove where she was preparing some dinner to celebrate the occasion of bringing their son home to go and answer the phone. "Hello?" "Hey- Abby!" She heard a familiar voice and she smiled, though shock was the biggest emotion to register inside.

"Eric? Where are you?"

"I'm in Indianapolis."

"Oh… Why? Are you okay?"

"Yeah I'm great! I got a great job here at the airport doing reservations and stuff."

"Is mom okay?"

"Yeah I heard from her about three weeks ago she was in Maine visiting Uncle Teddy…"

"That's… that's great. You're doing okay though? You're on your meds and everything?"

"Abby I swear I've never been better—Well when I was sane, mind you."

"Okay good…" Abby could tell from her brother's tone that he was being honest about his meds. She also knew that he took after Maggie in being completely off the wall when he wasn't med-compliant, so how could he hold down a job like he was describing if he wasn't? "Okay. I'm glad you're doing well." Abby was sincerely happy for her brother for managing to keep his life in order a lot better than Maggie ever could, apparently. "Yeah... thanks… But I was calling to find out how you're doing. You and Luka. How are things with the baby?"

"The baby? Oh he's great. He's coming home tonight actually."

"Really? Awesome. Just in time for Thanksgiving."

"Yeah. Yeah that's really cool. You're welcome to come here and join us for Thanksgiving, Eric. Luka's brother, Vedran, will be here for a few weeks he's arriving in about a week though."

"Man umm… I don't know what I can do about days off. But I'd love to see you and the baby. How about if I talk to my boss today and get back to ya tomorrow morning?"

"That sounds great. I gotta go I've got a chicken in the over. I'll talk to you tomorrow."

"Okay sis. Take care."

"Take care of yourself, Eric. I mean it. I love you…" She hung up the phone and went to get the chicken out of the oven.

Luka signed out on his last patient for the evening after a fourteen-hour shift and walked into the lounge to hang his jacket and grab his cell phone, which he was not permitted to carry into certain sections of the ER, including a case he'd been working on an hour ago with a lot of heart monitors and the like involved. He closed his locker and turned to walk out of the lounge.

"Luka…" A familiar voice spoke from behind him and he turned to see Kerry standing there. "Hello Kerry…" "How are things Luka?"

"Everything's going well…."

"How's Joe?"

"He's doing wonderfully. Actually, I'm on my way home to go pick up Abby… we are coming to take him home later tonight."

"Really? That's wonderful!"

"They won't discharge him until 10:30 tonight… I am… anxious… excited, I don't know… just waiting like this. So Abby and I are going to a nice dinner to celebrate and give us something to pass the time."

"That's a wonderful idea Luka. Have a good night."

"Good night, Kerry." And Luka smiled and walked out.

Luka arrived home and opened the front door of the house which they had rented together six weeks ago when they realized that they wanted to try to make things permanent, for Joe's sake as well as their own. "Abby?" He called as he walked through the hallway back towards the kitchen. He heard something upstairs and smiled, turning back now to head up to where he heard her. He found her in Joe's room, staring at the mobile that hung over the yellow crib which had had some thin blue stripes added to it.

"Abby?" She turned quickly, startled from her state of thought as she heard him speak her name. "Luka… oh. Um. Sorry. I didn't hear you come in." Luka smiled and walked over closer to her. "That's alright. I am excited too." His arms moved around her and he kissed her once softly.

"I just wish they wouldn't make us wait until so late! I can't stay sane that long!" Luka smirked and tried not to laugh as he shook his head. "Come… we'll go to a nice dinner and pass the time that way." "A nice dinner? Look at me I'm wearing sweatpants for Pete's sake…." "I'll wait for you." Luka grinned and turned to head back downstairs.

Fifteen minutes later, Abby came downstairs wearing some nice black pants and a shimmery light blue blouse, her hair tied back in a bun. Luka smiled. "You look beautiful. Are you ready to go?" Abby nodded. "Definitely. I'm too anxious waiting around here, and we can enjoy one night alone before hundreds cooped up here." Luka smiled as they headed out to the car.

They arrived at the restaurant twenty minutes later and were seated at a table in a nice room lit mainly by candlelight. They talked about various things while they waited for their meals to be brought out, everything from Eric's phone call to Vedran's upcoming visit to work to whether or not to get a cat. For now, they decided, it could wait until Joe was older and they knew how he would react. When the conversation shifted to Joe, Luka got a little anxious, and Abby wasn't sure why.

"I can't believe he is finally coming home…" Luka finally commented, and Abby nodded her agreement.

"Yeah… all the sudden it seems like everything is going to speed up. A lot."

"Oh it is… Trust me."

"But I can't wait."
Luka smiled. "Neither can I."

"I'm glad we decided to move in together, make things a little more straightforward for us, and for Joe… To see how things can work out. I like it."

"So do I…" Luka glanced down at his drink for a moment.

"Penny for your thoughts…" Abby asked with a gently teasing smile.

"Oh well.. Um. It's nothing."

"Come on, Luka. I know you better than that."

"Well… I've just been thinking about what you just said actually. And… I think this is working. I think this can work out very well."

"Yeah me too. So why do you look scared?"

"Well because… there is something that… I've been wanting to talk to you about for a long time now."

"And what's that?" Noting his hesitation, Abby, pushed gently to move the conversation along. "Whatever it is Luka, just come out and say it. It will make things easier for us both."

"Well… I've been doing a lot of thinking. And I have figured some things out. Things I've been confused about or tried to ignore for a long time. I love you Abby."

"I love you too Luka. But you already know that. What's bothering you?"

"I love you. And I love Joe. And I want to spend the rest of my life with you, and with him, and be a real, secure, supportive, happy family. I want to be your husband, I want you to be my wife." He stood and turned to face her where she was sitting. He knelt and removed from his back pocket a small black jewelry box which he opened to reveal a marquis-cut diamond ring. "Abby… will you marry me?"