As they drove Shelagh back to her flat after tea, Timothy prattled on in the backseat about all the questions Granny Parker had cornered him with. "She asked when you started dating and what Nurse Mannion is like and what foods she likes and what we talk about. I did the best I could, but I avoided most of the details. I hope I did okay and didn't make her suspicious. Do you think I did okay, Dad?"

Patrick glanced up into the rearview mirror and locked eyes briefly with his son, "you were brilliant." He gave a little smirk, "Although you convinced me to go along with this whole scheme, so you'd better not get me in trouble with Granny!"

Tim put his hand to his chest, mouth opening wide in his best attempt at a mock impression of being shocked and offended, "Who me? I would never!"

Shelagh glanced back and forth from father to son, laughing outright at the younger's play acting. Despite her nervousness at the beginning of the day, she had found herself quite at ease with the Turners. Shelagh knew Tim well enough to know they would get on, but she had wondered about Dr. Turner's personality outside of hospital. She had never seen him in any social situations, although that might have as much to do with her lack of going out after work as it did with him. As her laughter died down to a pleasant smile across her lips, she realized that her anxiousness over whether they would be comfortable enough around each other to pull the charade off was unfounded. Patrick was much more relaxed than she had imagined and she really enjoyed the ease with which he was able to make her laugh.

"Um, Nurse Mannion?" Tim fiddled with his fingers and glanced up slowly as the car slowed to a stop.

"Tim, you can call me Shelagh when we're not at hospital. What is it, dear?"

"Well, um, Shelagh, I was wondering…" he took a deep breath, "Since you're Dad's 'girlfriend' and all, maybe we could hang out sometime? You know, so I could have more stories for Granny?"

Shelagh smiled wide, "Of course! That would be lovely! What about Sunday afternoon?"

"Actually," Patrick interjected, "If you're not working on Sunday, Granny has practically insisted that we all come to lunch on Sunday."

Her anxiousness returned in full force against her will for a moment, but a glance at Patrick's reassuring smile and Tim's overt enthusiasm of a good home cooked meal steeled her nerves. "I'm not working on Sunday. I rarely do. Sister Julienne is kind enough to try to keep my schedule free on Sundays, as she does with the nuns, since I help lead the church choir most weeks. Although sometimes it can't be helped and I do get called in on occasion."

Patrick could have kicked himself. He knew she was very active in her church, but how could he have not noticed her absence on the same day week after week? Of course, as he looked at her anew in the evening light, he wondered what else he had not noticed. How, for example, had he never seen how beautiful her smile was? Or how her nose wrinkled when she giggled? Or how much Tim adored her? He shook himself out of his thoughts and back into the present moment, "We can pick you up after church then?"

"Of course," she turned round to face the backseat, thinking through her schedule aloud. "Let's see... I'm working tonight and have tomorrow off, but I'll be tired and have errands to run… hmmm, I work the next two days, but I won't be covering for Sister Evangelina again so I'm back on day shift." She sat up straight to look more directly at Tim, "How does Friday evening work for you?"

"Perfect! Can't wait!"

The rest of the week seemed to go by as normal. Shelagh didn't think she was behaving any differently than usual, but apparently was less successful than she realized when Thursday afternoon Trixie abruptly sat down at the table with her on their break. "Spill it, sister."

Shelagh closed her book and looked up in confusion, "I beg your pardon?"

"Something is up with you and I want to know what it is. You seem happier or something. Don't look at me like that! I've heard you humming and singing quietly in the halls and on your rounds. Even sitting here reading you have a smile across your face. And I don't think-" Trixie took a pointed glance at the book on the table "Stephen McGann's history of family sicknesses is the source of your joy."

"It's quite fascinating, actually," Shelagh remarked, clearly not convincing her colleague.

"He is attractive, I'll give him that," Trixie mused, pulling the volume closer. "He actually looks a bit like Dr. Turner." She shoved the book aside and pulled her chair closer to Shelagh, "... but I don't want to talk about Dr. Turner, I want to know what has you so happy. I know you've been leading the church choir, did you win a competition or something?"

Shelagh wore an amused smile, but shook her head.

"A memorable delivery happen this week, perhaps?"

Another shake of her head, "All routine, I'm afraid."

"A man then?" Trixie grinned in triumph at the briefly startled look on Shelagh's face, "You can't deny it. Who is he? Have you gone on a date or is it a one sided affection?"

Shelagh began to sweat, her hands shaking as she hid them beneath the table. Her relationship — no, she couldn't even call it that since it wasn't real — her whatever it was with Dr. Turner needed to remain a secret. If word got around hospital, not only would she have to face Sister Julienne, but it would be much harder to stage the break up. As it was, she simply had to stop going round to Granny Parker's and let Patrick deal with it from there. "We, well, we sort of went out, but I wouldn't call it a date. I really don't want to say…"

"Well, if you're not ready to tell who, that's fine, I won't pry."

Shelagh let out a sigh of relief and looked tenderly at Trixie, wondering why she had spent so long pushing such a sweet nurse away. An incredibly talented midwife, always able to take charge of difficult situations and calm the most nervous of mothers, Nurse Franklin was someone Shelagh was determined to no longer take for granted.

"But you're not getting off scot free. We simply must update your look a bit."

"Trixie, I'm not so sure that-"

"I'm not going to make you up to look like Marilyn Monroe or anything! Just, maybe, find you a more suitable pair of glasses, a new haircut, that sort of thing. When are you free?"

Shelagh took a deep breath, remembering her convictions of just a moment ago to no longer shut the other midwives out. "I don't have any plans tonight."