Whelp it's been a hot minute again, folks.

It wasn't that Paige didn't always want Christmas to be perfect. It was just that this year her standard for perfect had been elevated.

In all honesty, the last time Christmas had felt completely right was the year they'd spent it on the beach – no, that was wrong. That was Megan's send off. In order to be completely right, she had to go back one year prior. Granted, they'd still been on the beach. But afterward, at the garage…

It was that feeling that she would never be able to walk away from. At least not for long.

So she shifted on her mattress, re-crossed her legs the other way, and checked her shopping list again – three times, outdoing Santa Claus, who famously only checked his list twice. As if that automatically meant one hadn't missed something.

Paige briefly wondered why she was getting competitive with Santa Claus.

She heard a brief commotion from down the hall. It sounded as if Ralph's "get a jump on the next semester" study group was finishing up for the day. Of course they would meet up on Christmas Adam. Her son was friends with such nerds. She smiled affectionately.

"Mom?" Ralph peered around the door frame. "Can I ask you a favor?"

"Sure."

"One of my friends needs a ride home. It's just two miles, but with the rain…and you're going to the store anyway for Tuesday, right?"

"Yeah, no problem." Paige pulled her hair up into a ponytail and followed her son out into the living area. "Hey," she said to the girl waiting. "You need a ride, sweetheart?"

"If you don't mind," she said. "I think I'm on the way to where you're going."

"Of course I don't mind," Paige said. "I just want you to be safe. And it's pretty gross out there." She grabbed her keys from the coffee table. "Let's go."

"Thank you. I really appreciate it."

"Ralph, you want me to grab you some Del Taco or something on my way back?" Paige laughed when her son wrinkled his nose. "I'll take that as a no."

"You get sick one time, and it's just never the same."

"Fair. Okay, come on," she said to Ralph's friend. "What was your name again?" She asked as they headed down the stairs."

"Brianna," the girl replied. "Brianna Schultz."

"Cabe, you're going to dig to China if you keep scuffing your shoe in the same spot. That is, if digging to China was possible and if China actually was the opposite side of the world from here, but I have too much to do to be as obnoxious as Walter." Toby flipped a pen in the air and caught it with his other hand. "Something is bothering you, old man."

"No," Cabe said, too casually. "Just planning for getting Allie's sister from the airport, that's all."

"No, it isn't just that. What is it, that's the question here. Allie catch you in your glasses? Intimacy problems? Got a little creak in your back?"

"My personal life is none of your business, doc," Cabe said, turning away from them and sipping his coffee. His shift caused his shoe to scuff a different spot.

"You had a very minimal but telling reaction when I suggested intimacy problems," Toby said, darting around Cabe so they were facing each other again. "You know there's all kinds of medication out there these days that – "

"That's not a problem," Cabe said immediately.

"So what's the issue?" Toby asked, settling down into his chair. "Lay it all out."

"It's nothing," Cabe said.

"Spill it, Gallo. You know I give great advice."

Cabe gave a sigh. "It's just…" he lowered his voice slightly. "Allie and I have just been…less intimate lately, and it's strange."

"Ah. Can't relate. Happy and I rarely go two days without bumping uglies."

"Also not the problem," Cabe said. "Not what I mean. It's just like…" He frowned. "This is awkward, doc, do we really need to do this?"

"You haven't walked away yet."

Cabe stared at him for a long time, then sighed. "Okay, look. Everything is normal. Everything seems normal. But it's like…it's less."

"You feel less. Emotionally."

Cabe nodded. "And I think she is experiencing the same thing. We're less affectionate with each other. And it concerns me."

"So you still want to be with her."

"Absolutely. I love her."

Toby gave a thoughtful nod. "Sometimes couples just go through periods where the intimacy isn't as intense."

"You've been through it, then."

"No," Toby said. "Not with Happy. It's always intense. Emotionally, physically…"

Walter cleared his throat loudly from his desk.

"You know what I mean though, right Walt?" Toby asked, wiggling his eyebrows.

Walter looked startled to be put on the spot. "I…I was only half listening."

"Sex sometimes disappointing?"

"N – no. Wait, do you mean like, for periods of time, or individual encounters?"

"Periods of time," Cabe said.

"Then no."

"Individual encounters?"

"Also no."

"Hmph," Cabe grunted.

"Talk to Allie, Cabe," Toby said. "None of us want Grandma and Grandpa to split up."

"You watch yourself, doc," Cabe said. "I'm not old enough to be your grandpa."

"Oh, not mine. But you know, somebody's."

Their three heads turned in unison at the sound of the front door. "Well, look who we have here," Toby said. "It's Fly."

"It's what?" Florence asked, frowning.

"It's a combination of Florence and Sylvester," Sylvester said. "Well, Florence and Sly. Toby does that with everyone. You know, Quintis, Waige, Callie."

"Callie may be on the rocks," Toby said. "We're discussing intimacy levels."

"Hey," Cabe said. "Isn't there a confidentiality thing you adhere to?"

"Walter already knows, and Happy is upstairs working on her blueprint near the intercom," Toby said. "It wasn't exactly a secure conversation already. Say, Sylvester," he added, "what would you say is your rate of less than satisfactory intimacy in your relationship?"

Sylvester immediately took on a look of discomfort, and after glancing at him, Florence faced Toby and folded her arms thoughtfully. "You mean, like, for periods of time, or individual encounters?"

Sylvester choked on a laugh. Toby looked at her in surprise. Florence smirked. "We were standing right outside. Your voice carries."

"Damn. And here I was thinking Sylvester finally traded in his V card."

"Why are you so fixated on someone else's sex life?" Florence asked, her tone sharp. "I mean, Cabe, that's a came – to – you – for – advice situation, but what on Earth do you get out of throwing out those comments about Sylvester?"

"It's this thing called humor," Toby said. "Maybe you've heard of it."

"Oh I've heard of it. I just don't think you mocking him is funny."

"Lori…" Sylvester started.

"I want you to apologize," she said, still staring at Toby. "And stop making jokes out of shit that doesn't matter."

The two of them locked eyes, neither moving or blinking. Then Toby coughed. "Alright. Sly?"

"Yes, Toby?"

"Perhaps my jokes about your sexual experiences were in poor taste."

"That," Florence said, taking a step toward him, "does not sound like an apology."

"I'm sorry, Sylvester," Toby said, his voice betraying his annoyance.

"Half assed. But I'll take it. Sly?"

"Thank you, Toby."

Florence appeared satisfied with the exchange. "Cool. Sylvester, let's go next door."

"God, I'm sorry about him," Florence said, bringing a mug of water from the tap over to where he sat on her couch.

"He was my friend first," Sylvester said. "I should be apologizing about him, not you." He took a drink of water. "And I really…it means a lot that you'd call him out. In his defense, I never flat out told him how much the comments bothered me. And sexually charged comments are pretty much in his personality description at this point, though they're usually just about him and Happy."

"Well, hey," she said, lifting her mug. "Can't have disappointing sex if you aren't having sex, yeah?"

Sylvester smirked, clinking his mug with hers.

She drained at least half of her drink before speaking again. "So. Um. Just on that note?" Florence shifted her weight. "So, whatever your answer is is okay, I just, I was wondering if…" God, she felt awkward. "Have you ever thought about me? You know, like that?" She could have sworn the silence that followed was long and loud, but she realized when she started speaking again that she'd barely given him enough time to process the question. "Because I have…thought about what it might…be like. Not in a fixation way. Just, you know, thoughts passing through the brain…" she waved her hand around her head, making a nonsense noise to accompany the motion.

He caught the waving hand. "I have too."

"Yeah?"

He nodded. "I don't know if I'm ready yet."

"I don't know if I am, either. I don't even know how to tell if I am."

"I think it shouldn't be as big of a deal as we're conditioned to think it is," Sylvester said. "I already have a hard time really envisioning going through with it, with my need for cleanliness. Add in societal pressure…"

"It's more complicated than it needs to be," she agreed. "But it will change things between us. We can't deny that. And anything that will change aspects of our relationship is a little…scary, I guess." She realized when he squeezed her hands that at one point they had started holding them. "Though I guess being in a relationship itself is scary. There's so many levels of intimacy and it's…" she trailed off. "I enjoy it. I do. It's just so much."

"I know. And I'm sure you still worry a bit about never being in one of these before, but trust me." He kissed her forehead. "I feel all the same things as you."

"Sly?" She tipped her head the other way. "Did you call me Lori back there?"

He looked thoughtful. "I think I did. When you were standing up for me." Something like alarm came over his face. "I'm sorry."

"Oh, no." She put a hand on his chest. "I know I hate nicknames, but…" God, she could actually feel herself blushing. "I liked it."

"You did?"

She nodded. "Yeah, I did. I think you can call me that again."

"Wow, you do like that," Sylvester said. His voice took on a slightly mischievous tone. "So is it like, doing anything for you, or…"

His smile turned into a grin when she burst out laughing.