I won't stop getting butterflies

I get 'em every time

I look into your eyes

You won't stop running through my mind

For the rest of both our lives

You give me butterflies

And I keep on getting

Butterflies

-MAX & Ali Gatie, "Butterflies"

By lunchtime on Friday, Nathan was nearly mentally and emotionally spent. The last few hours had seen him ensconced with Samantha Madison in Bill's office going over the events of the shooting. They had gone into every minute detail for her prosecution, and Nathan hated reliving the whole God-awful situation. It was necessary, but that didn't make it any easier to stomach.

Taking a deep, cleansing breath, Nathan went to the mercantile. He had a phone call to make, and since the jail was currently occupied, there was only one other place to go. He just hoped it wouldn't be too busy and he could have some semblance of privacy. This call wasn't one he would like to have overheard.

It just so happened that he was in luck-for the moment, anyway-as there weren't any customers in the mercantile at all. Only Ned, who was in the side room talking with Florence. Nathan thought they looked awfully cozy. He gave the number to Florence when she saw he was there for the phone and several rings later Eileen Grant's voice came over the receiver.

Hello?

"Hey, Mom," Nathan said.

Oh! Nathan, it's so good to hear from you! Is everything all right?!

Nathan had called his mom to let her know what had happened on the prisoner transfer earlier in the week, and she had been justifiably worried for her only son. She was probably alarmed that he'd called so soon again.

"Everything's fine, Mom. I just wanted to call and check in on you."

I'm fine, Nathan. I've been worried about you and Allie, though, but I didn't want to overwhelm you with my incessant mothering. You're too old for that now, Eileen said, chuckling softly.

Nathan rolled his eyes even though his mother couldn't see it. "Mom, I'll never be too old for that. You're my mom, I'll always need you."

I know, dear. He could hear the smile in her voice. How's my granddaughter?

"She's good. She's been struggling a bit, but we've been talking through her feelings the last couple days. Elizabeth has really been there for her, too. It's done all of us a lot of good."

I'm glad to hear it. The two of you have always been the 'suffer in silence' type. I'm glad that's changing. How's Elizabeth been since that day? I know it must be hard for her, considering how her first husband passed.

"She's okay. We've been…talking, too." Nathan paused. "She told me she loves me, Mom."

Of course she does. I hope you didn't bungle through saying it back, though, his mom teased.

On any other day Nathan probably would've laughed with her, but he couldn't. Eileen was an expert on her son's silences and their meanings.

What's wrong, Nathan? she asked, concerned.

"I told her about Fort Clay."

Oh my dear. I imagine that was difficult. Sympathy now.

"It was. I've never been so scared of a conversation in my life. She was upset and hurt; she had every reason to be. When she asked me to leave her alone, I thought she might mean for good. But she surprised me. She forgave me for my lie of omission, and we're moving forward. We went to dinner last night with Allie and Little Jack at the cafe. The whole town basically knows we're courting now." He took a breath. "Tonight we're having dinner, just the two of us, our first official date."

And you're nervous. A statement, not a question.

"Yes."

That's normal, son.

"I know, but there's more to it than that. There's only two places in town to eat. I wouldn't want to take her to the saloon even if the owner hadn't asked us to stay away for a while (his mother knew all about his rivalry with Lucas), and her first date with Jack was at the cafe. I don't want to diminish the specialness of that night for her. I can't cook. I definitely don't want her to cook. And while I've asked her to teach me, I don't feel like a cooking lesson is a good first date. I don't want to take her out of town. It's too cold for a picnic dinner..." He pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. "I-I'm at a loss of how to make this special for us. I need help, advice, anything!"

Nathan was aware that he sounded desperate, but he didn't care. He wanted to make his and Elizabeth's first date special, but he had no idea how to do that with such limited options available.

Yes, that would be frustrating. Hmm. Let me think for a moment.

Nathan waited.

Didn't you say there's a library in Hope Valley.

"Yeess," Nathan said, dragging the word out. He was bewildered. What did the library have to do with a venue for a date?

Is there a table? Or room for one?

"Yeah. There's a table in there." Nathan, a little slow on the uptake, was even more confused.

And Elizabeth is a writer and loves to read… Eileen hinted.

"And?" Nathan was still lost.

He heard his mom huff. Well, there's your answer, dear.

It was like a light bulb went off in his head. Of course! Why didn't I think of that sooner?!

"That's a brilliant idea! Thanks, Mom!"

Eileen laughed. You're welcome, dear. I hope you both have a good time. I look forward to hearing all about it!

Nathan flushed. Giving his mom a detailed description of his date with Elizabeth didn't sound like a good time to him and was a conversation they definitely weren't going to have!

"Uh, right. Thanks again, Mom. I'll talk to you soon."

Anytime, dear!

He could still hear his mother laughing as the call disconnected.

Well. That took a bit of a turn into awkward territory, so Nathan decided to forget about that last part of the conversation. Besides, he had a date to plan. His first order of business was to see a man about food. And that man was Bill, who was in the cafe since Sam Madison had taken over his office for the day.

"Hey, Nathan. All done with Sam?" Bill asked from his place at the counter in the cafe's kitchen. He was mixing something in a large bowl that Nathan couldn't identify.

"Yeah. We finished not too long ago."

"You here for lunch?"

"Uh, no. Actually, I came to ask you for a favor." Nathan shifted his weight from one foot to the other. He felt like a kid again, uncertain and awkward whenever talking to people he didn't know very well. Who was he kidding? He was still like that as an adult.

"Sure. What can I do for you?"

Nathan cleared his throat. "Well, tonight is my first date with Elizabeth..."

"I know. I'm watching Little Jack tonight."

"Oh, I didn't know that," Nathan replied.

"Yeah. It's been too long since I've had some quality 'guy' time with my godson," Bill said with a smile. "Do you want me to reserve a table for you two? I'd be happy to."

"Thank you, but no. I want to set the library up for dinner. You know I can't cook, though, Bill. I was hoping…"

"You want me to cook dinner for you both?" Bill asked in that slightly smugly assuming voice that usually grated on Nathan's nerves to no end. His nerves, however, were already strung so tightly that Bill's teasing didn't even register.

"Yes. If you have the time."

"I do. You have a problem with lasagna?"

Nathan shook his head.

"How about lasagna, garlic bread, and a Caesar salad? I might have time to make tiramisu for dessert if I have everything I need for it," Bill offered.

"All of that sounds delicious. Thank you, Bill. I appreciate this," Nathan said sincerely.

Bill waved away his gratitude. "None of that. I'm happy to help. Ah, Clara, do we have any tablecloths that will fit the table in the library?"

Clara looked a bit taken off guard by the abrupt question as she handed Bill an order slip. "Uh, I think so. Why?"

"Nathan here needs a little help getting the library set up for a dinner date. I thought we'd give him a hand," Bill said with a teasing voice and wink.

Clara looked like she could've clapped her hands together in her excitement. Nathan, on the other hand, wanted the floor to open up and swallow him whole. Lord, please give me the strength not to die of embarrassment, he pleaded to the Almighty

"I'll take care of everything after the lunch rush," Clara said, her eyes bright and her tone way too chipper.

After a quickly mumbled Thanks, Nathan beat a quick retreat to the jail, more than happy to take up watch over the siblings while John took his turn with the prosecutor. He had foregone lunch, his stomach too twisted up with nerves to eat.

Nathan was sitting at his desk, toiling away with paperwork, when a faint voice interrupted his concentration.

"Constable? Are you there?"

Nathan looked up. He could see that Elias was asleep on his bunk, which meant it had to be Jenny softly calling for him. He stood and walked over to the cell housing Jenny O'Rourke. She was wrapped up in a blanket, sitting in the corner of her bunk.

"I'm here, Jenny," he told her, pulling up a chair next to her cell and sitting. Nathan gave her his full attention. This was the first time she'd spoken in days, she wasn't even talking to her defense lawyers. He didn't want her to clam up if she felt ignored if she was ready to talk.

"Was he married? Have children?" she whispered. Her question was directed at the floor.

Nathan didn't need to ask to whom she was referring. "No. Constable Novak wasn't married, and he didn't have any children. But he was a son, a brother, and a friend," he said gently.

Jenny nodded. She still didn't look up. "I never wanted to hurt anyone."

Nathan barely heard her. "I know, Jenny."

She finally looked at him then, her eyes haunted and brimming with tears. "Will you tell them? Will you tell them I'm sorry? I'm so sorry." Her eyes pleaded for forgiveness, but that wasn't Nathan's to give. He could, however, offer compassion, and an ear if she needed it.

"I'll tell them, Jenny. I promise."

Jenny drew back into herself, looking down again, and Nathan knew the conversation was over.

He went back to his desk, but was unable to concentrate on work any longer. He couldn't help but wonder if there was something that could be done for Jenny, some consideration that could be taken into account when it came to her sentence. He would need time to think it over.

Allie was in the sitting area when Nathan got home a few hours later. She was getting her things ready to go for a sleepover at Opal's. He briefly thought they should have another sleepover at their house soon to return the favor. They'd only had the one in the spring and while it had gone well, they both had been a little distracted by the tension his father's arrival caused. Nathan was sure Elizabeth would want to help again, especially since they were courting now. He would ask her tonight.

"Hey, Uncle Nathan," Allie greeted.

"Hey, kiddo. Got everything you need?" He placed the bouquet of flowers he'd bought before coming home in a vase on the coffee table so the petals wouldn't be crushed.

"Yep. Those are nice flowers. I laid your blue suit out on your bed for you."

"Thank y-you what?" he asked.

Allie rolled her eyes. "Your suit, Uncle Nathan. The blue one. For your date tonight. Remember?"

Nathan almost laughed at her exasperated tone. Her attitude reminded him of Bill a little. That was an eerie thought. "Yes, Allie, thank you, I remember. What I meant is: why are you setting out my clothes?"

Allie looked at him like he'd missed the obvious. "Because the blue suit is the nicest suit you own. And while you do look nice in your uniform, I want Elizabeth to keep us and she might not want to if you show up on your first date in your work or everyday clothes."

Lord have mercy! Nathan thought, trying desperately not to laugh. He decided to tease her a bit. "I wasn't going to wear my uniform or 'everyday' clothes tonight. I was planning to wear that green sweater of mine."

"You mean the one you always wear when we go fishing?"

Nathan nodded, then bit the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing at her aghast expression. "What's wrong with that sweater?" He frowned to lend a little more credence to his innocent cluelessness.

"It's not what you should wear on a special night, Uncle Nathan," Allie said, rolling her eyes. She seemed to be doing that more and more lately.

"Why? It's a special sweater. You gave it to me for Christmas."

"That was years ago. It's faded and it's definitely seen better days. Please, Uncle Nathan, just wear the blue suit." Her tone reminded him of his mother when she had tried to reason with Colleen before giving up and just tiredly pleaded with her stubborn daughter in their younger days.

Nathan acquiesced with a nod, but couldn't keep his lips from twitching.

She narrowed her eyes at him suspiciously. "You already planned to wear the blue suit, didn't you?"

He nodded again.

Allie pursed her lips. "We still need to work on your jokes, Uncle Nathan."

Nathan let his laughter loose. "I think it's a lost cause, kiddo."

"You're probably right," she agreed, her expression deadpan.

Nathan rolled his eyes and held his arms out for a hug."Go, have fun." She stepped into his embrace.

"You too, Uncle Nathan. I'll see you tomorrow."

Nathan watched from the porch as Allie made her way next door. It may have been a bit overprotective, but Nathan had seen too much of the bad the world could offer to not watch over his niece even if it was literally just a matter of feet to the Weise house. One day he wouldn't be able to protect her as he could now, so he was determined to do all that was in his power for as long as he was able to.

When Lucas realized how late it was, he decided it was time to lock up the oil office and make an appearance at the Queen of Hearts. Even though Gustave and Bertha Hayford, who had gone from part- to full-time waitress in Clara's absence (bless that woman!), had the running of the saloon well in hand, he knew he still needed to be present. It was essential in a business that was entirely dependent upon excellent customer service. The owner needed to see and be seen.

He was almost to the saloon when he noticed Elizabeth and Nathan disappearing into the library. He could tell they were dressed up more than usual. Feelings of jealousy, indignation, anger, and then resignation shot through him in rapid succession. The jealousy was self-explanatory; indignation because he had wanted to take Elizabeth to the library for a romantic, even though it wasn't supposed to be, dinner; anger that Nathan had stolen his idea; and finally resignation-acknowledging that Elizabeth had chosen Nathan and there was nothing he could do but accept it. That didn't mean he had to like it, though.

It had been a few days since his heart had been 'broken,' and yet Lucas knew that his heart was merely bruised, not broken. His pride may be suffering slightly, too. While Lucas had come to see Nathan as more than just a rival or the 'lawman' who didn't like him but was an excellent protector of their lovely town, Lucas still felt snubbed by Elizabeth choosing Nathan. He arrogantly thought that he was the better choice, and not just for Elizabeth, but for any woman. He was able to offer so much more than a Mountie, and yet his gamble to pursue Elizabeth had not paid off.

Lucas had done enough soul searching since Elizabeth had come to see him that he realized his pursuit of Elizabeth had been more about his pride and making her see him as an eligible option. She'd been so distant after they'd first met, which he understood after learning she had recently become widowed. He hadn't truly been bothered by her careful attitude (the prime example being her not returning the offer for him to call her by her first when he'd asked her to call him by his) and disinterest until it became clear that the newly arrived constable had an interest in her from fairly early on. Nathan may have hidden it pretty well and Elizabeth oblivious, but he'd been able to see it plain as day. That's when Lucas had decided to really throw his hand into the game, so to speak, and he'd meant to win. But, unfortunately, it was more about winning than it was about Elizabeth. He could recognize that now, and he was upset that he'd allowed himself to take it so far.

That's not to say that everything Lucas had done in regards to Elizabeth had been about claiming her as his prize. He'd come to genuinely care for her. Donating the space for the library would benefit the whole town, just as he'd claimed. He really had learned to love books from his mother, and he'd instantly recognized a similarity between Elizabeth Thornton and Helen Bouchard in that respect. His mother would've wanted him to help establish a library if it was in his power to do so, and it had been. Just as it had been in his power to help Elizabeth connect with a publisher who would take her work seriously. Taking her to see Virginia Woolf was also to give Elizabeth the opportunity to meet a published and well-received female author. Those weren't done solely to help him 'win.' (Well, the tickets may have been showing off his wealth a little.)

The Christmas Festival had been about Hope Valley, too. It had just had the added bonus of impressing Elizabeth so much. Lucas had wanted to recapture that feeling of family togetherness during the Christmas season. Hope Valley had become his new family, his new home, just as Elizabeth had stated. He hadn't put it all together to show off what he could do with the money he had. And it wasn't for profit, like Henry had assumed. The extra money from the festival had come in handy, though, when he'd needed to start paying the Gowen Petroleum employees from his own pocket.

The thought of his soured partnership and troubled company swung Lucas from one dark mood to another. Even with Mike's help, Lucas wasn't learning the ins and outs of the oil business-as a whole, not just from a company owner's perspective-as fast as he would've liked, and knew that if something didn't change in the next few months, he was going to be forced to lay some employees off, as much as he didn't want to. He purposefully didn't let himself sink so low as to think about the possibility of going out of business or having to close if things didn't turn around soon.

Lucas was too far down misery lane to notice the door to the saloon opening just as he reached for the handle, and paid for his lack of presence of mind by having the heavy wooden door smack into his fingers and knuckles. He yelped at the sharp pain that shot all the way down to his bones. His nose, thankfully, narrowly avoided the same fate.

"Oh my goodness! I'm so sorry," Fiona apologized, as she rushed out of the saloon, after Lucas, of course, had obligingly stepped out of the door's path.

Lucas tried to shake the pain out of his hand. It didn't help very much. Man, was that door heavy! "It's all right, Fiona. It's my fault. I wasn't paying attention."

Fiona's eyes were full of remorse. "Do you need some ice?" Her eyes widened even further. "Carson's inside," she said, pointing over her shoulder. "If you need him to check your hand, I can go get-"

"Woah, woah, woah," Lucas said, holding up his pain-free hand to stop her. "I'm fine, Fiona. There's no need for a trip to the infirmary, but thank you. I appreciate the concern and offer."

Fiona just stood there staring at him, her eyes still too wide and full of worry.

"I'm fine, Fiona. I promise." Fiona still didn't say anything or move. Even her expression didn't change, so Lucas wondered if something was wrong and he needed to get Carson for her. "Fi-"

"I'm sorry again! Have a good night, Lucas!" Fiona all but shouted at him before she scurried off in the direction of her apartment. Her posture was stiff as a board and she didn't look back once.

Lucas just stood where he was, watching her go, completely perplexed at Fiona's increasingly odd and skittish behavior of the last few days. What on earth was that about? he wondered. To say Lucas was confused would be a gross understatement. Muttering to himself that he would never understand women, Lucas went about the rest of his night, determined to put his mostly-failing oil business and wounded ego out of mind.

It worked. Somewhat. Not really.

Fiona was mortified as she marched home with as much dignity as she could muster. She had been trying to steer clear of Lucas since realizing that he wouldn't be courting Elizabeth. She wasn't sure if she'd be able to keep her feelings from showing and didn't want to embarrass herself or make him uncomfortable after his heartbreak. Her hope was that if he was out of sight then he would be out of mind. And if she didn't think about him, then she could completely ignore the feelings and thoughts that were swirling inside her head and heart. Her plan to avoid Lucas like the plague had gone awry from the very beginning. The night before she'd gone to the library after leaving Clara at the cafe. She'd been browsing for a book to distract her when he'd come in with another box of books he'd explained his mother had sent. She'd quickly left without a book after murmuring a quick goodbye. That morning found her running into Lucas at the mercantile. They had both reached for a bag of coffee at the same time. Lucas had smiled and offered for her to go first, so she'd snatched a bag with a hasty Thanks, paid for her purchase, and high-tailed home. And finally, earlier this evening Florence had invited her to dinner at the saloon after her shift at the switchboard.

Fiona had wanted to say no, but didn't want to disappoint her friend. She was more than relieved when it turned out Lucas wasn't personally looking after his customers that night. Molly had ended up joining them, and it had been a wonderful time as they shared more of their lives with each other over a delicious meal. No one could make chowder like Gustave! The evening had been exactly why Fiona had not wanted to leave Hope Valley. Her decision to stay, even though it resulted in being fired from a job she loved, had been the right one.

Florence and Molly had decided to stay and chat over mugs of coffee a bit longer when Fiona announced she was going to head home. She'd stayed up later than usual the night before reading and was tired. Calling it an early night sounded good, so she said her goodbyes to her friends. Life was so ironic at times because just when she'd been congratulating, obviously prematurely, herself on finally avoiding Lucas, she had quite literally hit him with a door. How embarrassing! And to make matters worse, she had either stared at him or bumbled through her apology like an idiot. For the life of her she couldn't understand why she'd offered to get Carson when he'd assured her that he wasn't truly injured and had already turned down her offer to get ice. Ice? A doctor? Seriously?!?

Slamming her door shut like she was trying to barricade herself from an attacker, Fiona leaned her back against the door, letting her head fall back with a soft thump. It was bad enough that she kept running into Lucas, but now she had made a fool of herself-the very thing she was trying to avoid! Ugh, she groaned to herself. Well, that settled it! She was just going to have to stay home for the next several days to make sure she didn't have any more encounters with the man. Fiona wasn't the best cook, but she could heat up canned foods, or she could always just eat in the back of the cafe. Bill and Clara wouldn't mind.

Feeling like she finally had a fail-proof plan, Fiona nodded determinedly at no one and went about getting ready for bed. Once settled into her fluffy pillows and under a warm quilt, she realized that she no longer felt as tired as she'd been before her run-in with Lucas. Great, this is just great, she grumbled. Now my sleep is being disrupted! And Lucas isn't even near me! she thought as she stared at her ceiling, feeling disgruntled. She turned over and smacked at her pillow. It didn't help.

After turning over back and forth a few times, Fiona gave up falling asleep anytime soon as a lost cause for the moment and lit an oil lamp so she could keep the level of brightness low. She perused the books she still had checked out from the library. The first two that caught her eye were Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen and Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. She could either choose a scary lesson about humanity and compassion or a lesson about the problems assumptions and attitudes could cause. However shall I choose… she mused sarcastically.

The conversation had been light, if a little sparse, as Nathan and Elizabeth walked into town, both too consumed by anxious anticipation to talk much. The butterflies were back in full force. When Nathan directed them to the left instead of the right, the direction of the cafe, when they reached Main Street, Elizabeth became confused and a little worried.

"Nathan, we can't go to the saloon," she said, biting her lip nervously.

Nathan smiled at her reassuringly. "Don't worry, we're not going to the saloon. We're not going to the cafe, either," he said cryptically.

"Then where-"

He smiled impishly. "It's a surprise."

Elizabeth was confident that she knew where Nathan was taking her, so she accepted his answer without another word. Her thoughts momentarily drifted to her sly friend. Rosemary hadn't given any hint when they'd run into each in town after school that Nathan had either asked, or she'd possibly offered, to use Lee's office for a private date. Elizabeth knew it had been Rosemary's idea to do the same for Carson and Faith, and she felt touched that her friend wanted to help them have a level of privacy that couldn't have been achieved at the cafe.

However, her confusion returned when they strolled past Lee's office. Perhaps they were going to Bill's office? It was the only other place on that end of town that she could think of that would have the space for a date. So maybe Bill was the sly one on this occasion.

"Since we've been essentially banned from the saloon for a while, and I've wouldn't've taken you there anyway, I didn't have the slightest clue where to go for our date tonight," Nathan said.

Elizabeth frowned, puzzled. "There's the cafe, of course."

Nathan brought them to a stop in front of the bank and faced her. "Yes, it was the obvious-only-choice left, but I didn't want to take you there, either, Elizabeth."

"Why?"

"Because I know that's where you and Jack had your first date, and I wanted to preserve that memory for the two of you."

"Oh, Nathan, that's incredibly thoughtful," she said softly. "But we've never talked about that. How did you know?" she asked.

"Well, after Allie became friends with the other girls, Allie started asking more questions about you. I think she was curious because you're so different from any other teacher she's ever had before, so she wanted to know more about you."

"That's so sweet." Elizabeth smiled at the thought that she'd made such an impression on Allie after their slightly turbulous introduction and first day of school. "So I'm guessing Allie received all the details which have been passed down over the years from the children Jack enlisted for help that night? And then Allie related the story to you?"

Nathan chuckled. "Of course. It's been deemed as a magical night worthy of legend, comparable to Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy or Jane Eyre and Mr. Rochester."

Elizabeth laughed, blushing. "Well, I don't know about that… But it was a special night for me, Nathan, but I don't want you to feel overshadowed by my memories of Jack," she said, cupping his cheek lovingly.

"I don't, Elizabeth." Nathan ducked his head a little. "It's just… Not to sound vain, but I wanted our night, our first date, to be exclusively ours." He shrugged a little, but Elizabeth was not fooled by his attempted 'It's not a big deal' dismissal.

"It's not vain," she assured. "It's very sweet and thoughtful." There wasn't enough light for Elizabeth to know for sure, but she guessed that Nathan was probably blushing. Those butterflies beat rapidly in her stomach again. She was grateful Nathan was so accepting of her past with Jack, that he understood she had loved Jack deeply but could still love him just as much as well. Many men might not be so mindful and considerate in his shoes.

"I try my best, but sometimes I feel like I'm shooting in the dark. I don't really know how to court a woman," he admitted softly.

"You're doing a wonderful job, Nathan. I promise."

He smiled. "Thank you. Shall we?" he asked, offering his elbow again.

Elizabeth took it. "We shall."

Nathan directed them across the street and came to a stop in front of the library. "I know this might be an odd place for a date, but I hope you won't think so after you hear my reasons."

"Okay," Elizabeth said, waiting expectantly.

"Well, since the saloon and cafe were out, the only options left were to either go to my house or yours, but I didn't want you to cook and I didn't want to subject you to my food." They both laughed at his self-deprecating statement. "We could've gone to Buxton or Benson Hills, but we would've had to go by wagon. Even if Lee would've offered to lend me his car, I don't know how to drive one. I know Buxton and Benson Hills aren't too far away, but I didn't think you'd want to go out of town for our first date.

"And I was starting to feel a little desperate about what to do, so I called my mom this afternoon for some advice and it was her idea to use the library. I agreed, feeling her suggestion was perfect."

Elizabeth was intrigued. "Why the library?"

She could see Nathan blushing from the light coming through the windows.

"Do you remember the day the bookshelf fell before the Founders' Day Festival?"

She nodded and smiled. "You gallantly came to my aid when you heard my startled shriek."

Nathan chuckled. "I did." He paused. "Allie would say I'm about to be mushy," he muttered, making Elizabeth giggle inside, before continuing. "I knew I was already falling in love with you, but I was still trying to ignore my feelings. But when we both reached for one of the fallen books at the same time and our fingers touched…it was like I was shocked by an electric circuit shorting out. I don't know if something happened like that for you, but it was a…profound moment for me."

"I felt it, Nathan. I still wasn't ready to acknowledge my growing attraction and feelings for you, so I buried it deep within my heart. And you and your mother are absolutely right, the library is the perfect place for our first date."

Elizabeth tilted her head up toward Nathan just as his eyes found hers. She was lost in his gaze, and those pesky butterflies roared to life in her stomach. She got them every time she looked into his eyes. Even when they weren't together, thoughts of Nathan would evoke that fluttering sensation. She was certain it would happen for the rest of their lives, no matter how long they would be blessed to have each other. The butterflies were there to stay. That was more than fine with her.

Notes:

I chose those two particular books for Fiona because they were both authored by women and it brings attention to the fact that even though it was more common for women to become published authors by 1917, it was still a difficult barrier to break through. The trouble Elizabeth had finding a publisher was nothing compared to the time when Jane and Mary were writing. At first, both women had to publish their works anonymously since it was unbecoming *major eye roll* for a woman to not only be a writer but to also be recognized as such. The credit for Frankenstein almost went to Mary's husband, Percy Shelley, a famous poet of the time. Thankfully, he'd had enough respect for his wife to publicly set the record straight. Sadly, Jane's name never appeared as the author on any of her works printed during her lifetime. Her family rectified that after her death. I just wanted to make sure to highlight Elizabeth receiving the recognition and respect she deserved for her accomplishments outside of the classroom and community.

On a side note, if you've never read either book, I highly recommend them. They both have excellent life lessons that are still relevant today even though it's been well over two centuries since their publication!

Also, I'm not (maybe a little) trying to snub Lucas with his 'non-date' *eye roll* that was totally a date at the library. Like Nathan explained, it was the place where we really saw the sparks occur between him and Elizabeth for the first time. It just seemed like the most appropriate place for their first official date. That's my opinion, at least. I hope you can agree. :)

And to be clear, I don't hate Lucas' character as much as it may seem at times. I'm just still really irked at how S8 ended and I'm venting that frustration in my writing. I promise I won't keep writing about his character that way. I intend for him to have a happy ending, too. I just need to get it out of my system. /