Nathan held onto his sister's arm as they stood outside the rehab center the next morning. Colleen looked like the slightest breeze could knock her over. She stared at the building, her face whiter than a sheet.

"I don't know if I can do this, Nathan," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "It was one thing to think he might be dead. I never considered that he might be lost to us in this way." Her voice broke. "How will I tell Allie that her daddy doesn't even know her anymore?"

"Don't think about that yet," Nathan said, his heart hurting for his sister. "Let's just take this one step at a time. The first step is seeing him again. From there, we'll figure out what comes next."

Colleen took a deep shuddering breath, then nodded. She grasped his hand tightly. "Okay, let's go."

Nathan led her to the waiting room, where Fiona was already sitting. She stood when she saw them. "Mrs. Grant," she said, taking Colleen's hand in hers. "Thank you for coming." Her eyes held a softness and understanding. "I'm so sorry for the shock this must have caused you."

Colleen nodded, giving Fiona the smallest of smiles. "Thank you for letting me come today." She looked at Nathan. "My brother tells me Steve has been here for over five months."

"Yes," Fiona said. "He's been recovering for a while, and still has a ways to go. Did Nathan tell you the extent of Steve's injuries?"

"He did," Colleen said, her voice again near a whisper. "He also told me about Steve's memory loss and the fact that he doesn't even know who he is, much less who I am and who our daughter…" Her voice broke again and tears welled in her eyes, threatening to fall. "I'm sorry," she said, wiping her eyes. "I've been a mess today."

"That's understandable," Fiona said sympathetically. She pulled a tissue from a box on the table, handing it to Colleen. "This is a traumatic situation. I'd be worried if you weren't upset."

Dabbing her eyes, Colleen laughed lightly. "Upset doesn't quite begin to describe it." She blew her nose, then squared her shoulders. "I'm ready."

"Are you sure?" Nathan asked, putting a hand on her shoulder. He knew how difficult this was for her.

"As ready as I can be," Colleen admitted. "But if I wait until I'm ready, it'll never happen."

"Alright, then, follow me," Fiona said. "We'll meet in Steve's room, just so he feels as comfortable as possible." She paused, looking at Colleen. "You know he thinks his name is William, right?"

Colleen nodded. "Nathan told me. So that's what we will call him."

Fiona stopped outside a door. "Here we are," she said. She knocked lightly at the door. "William? It's Fiona. I have some visitors for you."

"Come in," he called.

Colleen gripped Nathan's hand tightly. "It's been over five months since I've seen him," she said. "I spent so much time imagining the worst, but this never even crossed my mind."

"It'll be okay," Nathan said, reassuring her as Fiona opened the door. "We'll get through this. Together."

Colleen swallowed hard with a nod. They went into the room, where Steve was sitting in an armchair next to the window. Fiona knelt next to Steve, gesturing to Nathan and Colleen. "William, you have some friends who want to say hello. This is Nathan and Colleen."

Steve frowned at Nathan. "I remember you. You kept calling me Steve at the pool."

Nathan cleared his throat. "You're right, I did. That was my mistake, William."

Nodding, Steve seemed placated. His eyes turned to Colleen, and Nathan watched as a dim recognition lit his brother-in-law's eyes. For several moments, Steve and Colleen simply looked at each other. Tears were swimming in Colleen's eyes, but she put on a brave face. "Hello...William."

"Hi," he said, his voice raspy. He put a hand to his head, giving it a little shake. "I feel like I should know you…" His voice trailed off as he tried to place the memory in his mind. "Fiona said your name is Colleen?"

She nodded, sitting in the chair next to his. "I'm Colleen Grant."

Steve blinked. Nathan could see the memories trying to break through, but they were unable to. He felt a strange mix of hope and desperation while watching Steve. Hope that the memories seemed to be there, locked away; desperation that they would never unlock themselves.

"Were we...friends?" Steve asked, his eyes focused on Colleen. He seemed to have forgotten that Nathan and Fiona were still in the room.

Colleen gave him a gentle smile. "Best friends," she said truthfully. Their conversation continued, and Nathan went to the side of the room to observe quietly. As he watched his sister and her husband, he suddenly realized that he didn't want to waste anymore time where Elizabeth was concerned. He knew where he wanted their relationship to go. Why was he waiting to ask her to marry him?

Pulling his phone from his pocket, he pulled up her number and punched out a quick text message. He knew she had the day off, and he would be free once he and Colleen got back home. And he knew exactly where he wanted to take her.

Want to go to Paradise Island this afternoon?

Within a minute, she responded. Of course!

Nathan smiled. I'll pick you up at 2:00.

Sliding his phone back in his pocket, he fingered the ring box hiding there. A nervousness joined the excitement he suddenly felt.

Today was the day he would ask Elizabeth Thatcher to be his wife.


"I'm going to do it, Lee," Nathan said, needing to tell someone his plan once he and Colleen got back from the rehab center. "I'm going to ask Elizabeth to marry me." He was sitting in the Coulter's living room, trying to breathe deeply enough to calm his nerves.

"Took you long enough," Lee said with a laugh. "It's so obvious you two were meant for each other." He rubbed his hands together. "So, where are you going to propose?"

"Paradise Island," Nathan said. "It's where we had our first kiss, and it just feels like the right place to ask her."

"Good, good," Lee said, nodding in approval. He clapped his hands together once. "Why don't you two come over for a celebratory dinner afterwards? We'd love to celebrate with you. And I know Rosie is going to want all the details."

Nathan chuckled. "Of course she is. I think that's a great idea, Lee. Thank you." He raised a brow. "But maybe don't say anything to Rosemary until after I pick up Elizabeth. She might squeal so loudly that Elizabeth will hear from her house and know something is up."

Lee laughed outright. "You know that's the truth!" he said. "I'll wait. And don't be surprised if Carson and Faith happen to be here for dinner as well. You can bet Rosemary will want them to come, and I'm sure Elizabeth would too."

"That's fine with me," Nathan said. "They're both such an important part of Elizabeth's life. I would love it if they could come."

"Why don't we say dinner at 5:00?" Lee asked. "That should give you two enough time together to soak everything in before sharing your news with friends."

"The news our friends will already know?" Nathan said with a laugh. "At least Elizabeth will be surprised by the dinner."

Lee grinned. "This is exciting! I'm happy for you, Nathan. Elizabeth is an amazing woman, and I know you two will have a wonderful life together." He pursed his lips, studying his friend. "Speaking of together, how was the meeting between Steve and Colleen?"

Nathan paused, reflecting on their time at the rehab center. "It was bittersweet," he said finally. "It was obvious Steve had memories trying to break through, but they couldn't. He and Colleen talked a lot, though. He was very receptive to her, which I found encouraging." He shook his head. "But my poor sister is having a hard time with it. She cried all the way home, and I think they were a mixture of happy tears and sad tears. She's happy Steve is still alive and that they were able to talk, but she wants him to regain his memory and be her husband and Allie's father again."

"That's understandable," Lee said quietly. "I can see why she would feel that way."

"Me too," Nathan said. "She's actually taking it better than I thought she would, but this is something that could break even the strongest person." He thought for a moment. "Actually, could you invite her and Allie to dinner tonight? I think they would like to be included, and Colleen has been asking me for weeks when I'm going to propose to Elizabeth. This will hopefully be a pleasant surprise and diversion for her."

"Of course," Lee said. "I'll have Rosemary give her a call."

"Thank you," Nathan said. He glanced at his watch. "It's about time. I'm going to go get Elizabeth." He stood, releasing his breath. "Wish me luck."

Lee laughed, clapping him on the back. "You don't need luck, my friend. Elizabeth is head over heels for you and you are head over heels for her. Now go get the girl!"


Elizabeth held on tightly to Nathan's hand as they walked around Paradise Island. They were the only ones there, and as they walked they chatted easily about various things. Colleen and Steve's reunion. Their dinner tonight with Rosemary and Lee. Little Lucas's baptism this upcoming Sunday. Allie's desire to have a Lord of the Rings marathon with them.

"I haven't watched those movies in a long time," Nathan said, his voice reflective. "That would be a fun activity for the three of us."

"I agree," Elizabeth said. "And Allie's been begging me to show her a new cupcake recipe. Maybe we can bake and decorate cupcakes, and then start watching the movies."

"Sounds good to me," Nathan said. "What kind of cupcakes is she wanting to make?"

"Orange chocolate," Elizabeth said. "They're lots of fun to make. You take a normal chocolate cupcake and dig a little hole out in the middle, which you then fill with an orange cream filling, and then you top the whole thing with an orange buttercream frosting. They're heavenly!"

Nathan grinned. "That sounds incredible. And I love how passionate you are about baking. Your desserts are the best."

"Thank you," Elizabeth said with a smile. "I'm glad to have an appreciative audience for my creations."

"Anytime," Nathan said. "I never considered myself a cake person until you showed up. Now I can't seem to get enough of them."

"You know if you ever want to request a certain kind of cake, I'd be happy to make it for you, right?" Elizabeth asked, looking up into Nathan's brilliant blue eyes.

He smiled at her, that heart-melting crooked smile she adored. "Yes, sweetheart, I know that. Actually, I do have one request."

"What's that?"

"Colleen's birthday is coming up, and I was wondering if you would like to make the cake for her birthday dinner."

Elizabeth was touched by his request. He had never asked her to bake anything specific before, and for some reason it warmed her heart that he would ask her to make something for his sister. "Of course! What does Colleen like?"

"Chocolate," Nathan said with a smirk.

Elizabeth smacked his arm. "That is the safest answer ever! Every woman likes chocolate, silly. What else does she like?"

Nathan thought for a moment. "She likes most fruity things. Berries, mangoes, cherries, bananas…"

Elizabeth's mind was whirling. "What about a Black Forest cake?" she suggested.

"Well, I have no idea what that is, but I'm guessing it's something good," Nathan said, grinning at her.

Elizabeth laughed. "It's a chocolate cake with cherries and a whipped cream topping," she said. "If Colleen likes chocolate and cherries, it's a winning combination."

"That sounds perfect, Elizabeth," Nathan said sincerely. "Thank you for being willing to do this for her."

"Anything for Colleen," Elizabeth responded. She glanced around, realizing they had stopped walking. "Oh!" They were standing in front of the lagoon they had gone swimming in not so long ago. She smiled up at Nathan. "It's our lagoon."

"So it is," Nathan said. He wore a soft smile as he looked at her.

She wondered at the look on his face. "What?" she asked, tilting her head to the side.

"I was just remembering how you leapt into my arms when that fish swam past your leg," he teased. "That was a pleasant surprise."

Elizabeth's cheeks turned pink. "I wasn't expecting to feel something so slimy on my leg," she said with a grimace. Her own voice took on a note of teasing. "I'm surprised I didn't knock you over with as fast as I jumped back."

Nathan smiled, putting an arm around her. "I think I knew even then," he said softly, his eyes locked on hers.

Elizabeth suddenly found it difficult to breathe. "Knew what?" she asked, her voice trembling slightly. The look in his eyes was turning her legs to jelly.

"That I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you," he said, turning to face her. "I know we've only known each other for a relatively short time, but I think when it's right, you can just feel it. And Elizabeth, I feel it with you." He put a hand in his pocket, pulling out a small velvet box.

Elizabeth gasped, her heart starting to race. Nathan smiled at her with his heart in his eyes as he dropped to one knee in front of her. "I love you, Elizabeth. I know that I want to spend the rest of my life with you." He opened the box, revealing a delicately beautiful diamond ring. "Will you marry me?"

Happy tears welled in her eyes, and Elizabeth nodded, no thought needed. "Yes, Nathan, I would love to marry you!"

His eyes lit up and a wide smile spread across his face. He got to his feet, sliding the ring onto her left ring finger. He wrapped her in his arms and pressed his lips to hers, kissing her with more intensity than she could remember him using before. She kissed him back with all the love in her heart. They broke apart and simply stared into each other's eyes, both of them unable to contain the smiles on their faces. Simultaneously, they broke into laughter, their joy overflowing. Nathan lifted Elizabeth in his arms and swung her around, his excitement palpable.

"We're getting married!"