Seth was up around 7am, he was always a fairly early riser. He took a quick shower and made sure he shaved with his trusty straight-edge. He even splashed on a little cologne, which he only really used when he and Jessica would go out to dinner.

He was dressed in some khaki pants and pullover sweater that had seen better days. Seth walked through town and ended up at the docks to see what the boats had brought in earlier in the day.

"Mornin' Caleb. What looks good today?"

"Well Doc, I caught this heah monkfish."

"My he's certainly a handsome fella. He's also the poor-man's lobstah. I think I'll take him. I've got dinner plans for tonight." Seth thought it would be perfect for dinner with Jessica.

Just then Lauren walked up to Seth, "Morning Dr. Hazlitt," she smiled shyly.

"Mornin'!" Seth said. Meanwhile, Caleb wrapped up the fish and said, "I hope you'll both enjoy the fish. See ya later, Doc."

Seth quickly took Lauren by the elbow and moved away from the dock. He was slightly embarrassed by Caleb's remark and Seth hoped Lauren didn't catch it.

Lauren immediately snaked her arm into Seth's and felt a warm comfort walking with him along the street. "I'm going to ask Mrs. Simpson if I could take another look at that office and then I'll sign the papers," she said. She took her other hand and gently rubbed Seth's forearm.

He then gently covered her hand with his. The two walked this way for quite a while, not noticing Jessica walking out of the post office. She glanced up and saw Seth and Lauren walking several feet away. A look of concern came over Jessica's face then she turned away and got on her bike before they saw her.

Seth and Lauren continued talking all the way up to Seth's house. Seth said, in a rather low voice, "Would you like to…come in for some coffee." His eyes were almost pleading. "Oh, uh, no thanks. I have to meet Mrs. Simpson in a few minutes anyway."

There was an awkward silence but, surprisingly, Seth took the initiative. He looked to make sure no one was around, and he gave Lauren a sweet but loving kiss on the lips. She was the one who pulled away first. She starred into his eyes and then she slowly reached for his face and returned the favor. This time she parted her lips slightly, hoping Seth would take over.

This was fairly new territory for Seth. He hadn't kissed a woman this intimately in decades and he only saved such a kiss for love making. He came from a time where open-mouthed kissing was something you tried in the backseat as a teenager. Once you became an adult it wasn't seemly. However, Seth didn't want to overthink the situation either. He reacted nervously and Lauren gave a slight sound of relief. This time Seth pulled back first.

Again, they just looked at each other and Lauren slowly walked off the porch.

Seth gave a sigh and walked into the house. He put the fish in the refrigerator and checked the pantry for some ingredients. After that he put on his lab coat and decided to catch up on some more paperwork. He was expecting young Tommy in a half an hour. What fun it would be having to chase the boy around the office with a Tetanus booster!

Meanwhile, Jessica walked inside her house. She seemed pre-occupied and was wringing her hands slightly. Seth had seemed "different" this past week but when she saw he and Lauren walking, Jessica never thought about a possible romance.

What was going on? Am I feeling jealous? Of Seth and Lauren? Why should I? Seth is a totally independent man as I am a totally independent woman. So why was Jessica feeling slightly hurt at the scene she caught in town?

Jessica didn't want to think about, but she had to admit her feelings about Seth were more than just friends. He was special, he was always THERE for her while also giving her space. Oh, he could be misogynistic at times, but he knew not to act that way with Jessica.

Over the years, she had felt something more than friendship. It was something she didn't feel with the other man who passed through her life. Early on, Jessica passed the feelings off. She thought it was absurd to think of Seth "that way." However, he became much more important to her now that she was sharing her time in New York.

The year's since Frank's death had been lonely…when it came to having someone share your bed. Jessica vowed never to get married again but that didn't mean she couldn't have a meaningful relationship.

The thoughts swirled in her head and she decided it was time to prepare her applesauce cake for tonight's dinner with Seth.