As we climb the stairs to our apartment I can easily see that Josh is exhausted.

We have our routine down fairly well most days, and he's getting stronger all of the time. Today was a little bit different though. His normal PT had a scheduling conflict, so instead of first thing in the morning Josh was scheduled for the last session of the day. Add that to the fact that they've really ramped up the difficulty of his sessions and it's not a great combination.

But on top of being overly tired, he also has something else on his mind. I'm not quite sure what it is, but I think I'll be able to get him to open up to me, like he has on so many nights in the last weeks.

He heads straight back to the bedroom and I follow, slipping beside him to run a bath.

He grumbles that he's not in the mood to sit in the tub, but we both know he'll be unbearably sore tomorrow if he doesn't, so I proceed anyway.

I was done with class early enough to drive him to therapy and it was nice to see the progress he's made instead of just hearing about it second hand. Not that it isn't obvious at home, too.

"It's ready for you." I encourage as I drop another cup of Epsom salts under the hot water.

"No." He grumbles.

"Okay. Suit yourself." I shrug casually before shedding my own clothing and stepping in.

His jaw goes slack and I can practically see him change his mind.

"You don't play fair," he tells me with a grin as he sits on the side, clearly wondering how to approach the situation.

"Come on," I take his hand and he sinks into the water as I guide him to lay back across from me.

We sit in comfortable silence for several minutes and my eyes flutter closed. I feel him gently lift my leg from where it's resting beside his and begin to rub my feet.

I sigh. It does feel nice, especially considering all of the hours I've spent standing this week.

"Shouldn't I be the one rubbing your sore muscles?" I ask, my head resting against the edge of the tub as I relax completely.

"No." He answers firmly. "How many times do I have to tell you that I want to take care of you, too?"

"You're a good man," I tell him.

"That's debatable," he mumbles. "I think there are more than a few members of Congress who would disagree."

"Well, they'd be wrong. Besides, our living room could be easily mistaken for a floral shop with all of the arrangements and well wishes you've received from both sides of the aisle."

"Yeah, but would it kill one of them to send a pizza instead of more stupid flowers?"

"Be grateful, Joshua, that they're thinking of you." I chide though I know he's mostly kidding.

"There's something I want to ask you." He changes the topic after a beat, though he's staring at the bath bubbles instead of meeting my gaze.

"Okay." I gently acknowledge, allowing him to take his time. I knew there was something on his mind, but I honestly have no idea what it could be. I've done an effective job of rule enforcement, so I don't think it's work related. And if he wasn't feeling well, he'd tell me.

"When the mail came today I was opening a few things. Paying bills, mostly, and I accidentally opened a letter addressed to you. I didn't realize it wasn't for me until I'd already started reading."

"Umm… okay?" I have nothing to hide, but I'm curious as to what has set him off in this way.

"It was from the cashier's office at school. It said that you'd been approved for financial aid. That you're taking loans out to pay your tuition."

"Well… yes." I laugh a bit. "It's not a secret."

"I can pay the tuition." He states as though it's no big deal, but I can tell he's smart enough to be treading lightly as the conversation begins.

I freeze and pull my leg away from him, shifting to sit completely upright in the water.

"No." I shake my head to emphasize my point. "That's incredibly generous of you but… no."

"Why not?" He's ready to argue about this. I can see it on his face.

"Because, Joshua! People don't just pay other people's tuition!"

"It's not like I'm some random stranger," he rationalizes. "We share this apartment and our free time. Why can't I help you with this?"

"I can't ask you to do that. Do you know what it will look like?" He, of all people, should know to consider the way this would be perceived.

"It would look like two people who are in the process of combining their lives are also combining their checking accounts." I can tell that he's trying to remain calm, but his irritation is growing. "I don't care what it looks like. I care what it is. Besides, we're just going to pay them off after we get married anyway. Might as well save ourselves the interest."

My eyes widen and I stare at him. "What did you just say to me?" I probably look like a cartoon character, but I can feel myself start to smile.

Josh returns the smile a little softly, then tries to play it cool, shrugging his shoulders a bit.

"I mean, that's the plan, isn't it?"

The smile continues to tug at the corner of my mouth. "I don't know. Is it in your plan?"

"It's in my plan." He gives me a full dimpled grin.

I can't help acting a bit coy back. "And does this plan of yours include a proposal at some point?"

"It does. And when I ask you, I'm going to sweep you off your feet, Donnatella Moss. You'll see."

"Oh? Will I?" I grin.

"Yes. But I have to woo you first."

"Josh, the wooing doesn't have to include paying my tuition. Really."

"I know it doesn't have to. But I want it to. I'd like to lighten the load for you. Give you some breathing room while you get through school. Maybe you could find a way to cut back your hours a bit and focus on this opportunity if you didn't feel so financially burdened."

"Can I think about it?" I ask timidly. I don't mean to seem ungrateful, it's just a lot to consider.

"Ahkay." He agrees. "But Donna?"

"Hmmm?"

"You're a smart woman, there's no ill intent here and it's not really that hard of a decision in the long run, kay?"