Both girls wore light dresses, as it was a warm, early September afternoon. They were traveling to attend a garden party at the Walker residence again.

Julie was feeling uneasy.

"So Jim will definitely be there?"

"I told you Arthur said so," Kate answered impatiently.

"... And Arthur never told him about Tim?"

"Jules, we've been over this. You can tell him or when Tim arrives he'll figure it out. Besides he could have his own date. It's been months."

Unfortunately Tim couldn't arrive until after seven which meant Julie had to socialise for several hours on her own. Kate and Arthur had become sickeningly serious, so she couldn't count on Kate. She'd met some of Tim's friends, Bernie once and Nick Walker and his parents. Still she wished Tim would be greeting them at the station.

Kate engaged her in conversation which Julie knew she was doing to ease her nerves.

"How was your night last night?" Kate asked.

"It was fun. We really get on well."

"You spend more time in the East End than you do our flat."

"Not true. I went to entertain Angela and Teddy whilst their parents were at some hospital charity event. It was late so I stayed over."

"Isn't it strange sleeping at Tim's house?"

"Well he wasn't there and I didn't sleep in his room. Truthfully the door is always closed. Mrs. Turner makes me feel welcome… like a member of the family."

"Is it Tim that you like or his family?

"Tim and his family."

"Do you love him?"

"I don't know. Isn't it too soon?"

"Well I know that I love Arthur and I plan to marry him."

"Marry him? You haven't been dating a year yet."

"It doesn't matter. I just know."

There were more guests than on the night she met Tim and more girls. She didn't feel as outnumbered.

"Stay with me," she whispered to Kate.

The garden was beautiful with a gorgeous green lawn and shrubbery around the perimeter. Following Arthur and Kate across the lawn, she didn't see anyone she knew. Her chest felt tight and her belly a bit off.

Arthur stopped at a group of men with only a few girls. Julie didn't recognise anyone which relieved her a bit. She relaxed when the men started talking and Kate turned to her. They spoke in hushed tones about the beautiful garden and nothing of importance. Some of the other girls joined them and they began discussing Paul and George and as if to prove her point as a Paul fan, Kate started to sing…

Oh, I love, oh, my love

Only my love holds the other key to me

Oh, my love, oh, my love

Only my love does it good to me

They all laughed and Julie relaxed. She was talking about living in London with a girl called Maureen when she saw Jim Albert strolling towards their group. He changed course and started walking directly towards Julie and she began to panic. She was afraid to tell him that she was going with Tim.

She whispered to Maureen, "There is a guy approaching, but I don't like him, please stay."

"Julie! Arthur wouldn't tell me if you'd be here," Jim said.

"Hi Jim."

"Can I get you a drink?" he asked.

"No, I am fine, thank you. Meet my new friend Maureen." She turned to Maureen and asked, "Are you here with a date?"

Maureen giggled and said, "No, my brother. He promised there would be plenty of doctors for me to meet, but look at them all."

Julie looked toward the crowd of men talking amongst themselves. She smiled, because she knew what Tim would be doing, although the piano was inside.

"Who is your brother?" Jim asked.

"Vincent."

"Oh he'll make a fine doctor."

Julie wondered if Jim was opinionated about all his classmates.

Turning to her, Jim asked, "So Julie, do you want to go sit down and talk?"

Smiling she said, "No thank you, Jim. I have a boyfriend."

"Is he here?" she shook her head and he said, "Fine I get the message, you have a boyfriend. Whatever you say, because I wouldn't let you go out alone if you were my girlfriend."

Julie was about to say a few things starting with how he left her standing alone at the cinema and ending with a girlfriend is not a possession. She said neither, because Jim asked Maureen if she wanted a drink and the two strolled off.

Kate came right over and asked, "Did you tell him about Tim?"

"I just told him that I had a boyfriend. He'll find out later."

Julie wandered into the house and found Mrs. Walker in the kitchen and spent some time with her. Julie was happy to help as gratitude, because Mrs. Walker had invited her and Kate to spend the night. She was glad not to be traveling back by train that night and she certainly couldn't ask Jim for a ride in his car.

##

The hands of the clock seemed to stop for Tim. He knew Julie was nearby, but he was stuck on the adult men's ward. Very few patients were in need of a doctor nevermind one in training. He listen to some lungs of pneumonia patients and reviewed charts after the nurses took the patient's vitals, but on a Saturday afternoon there was little to do. During his break, he couldn't call Julie, because she wasn't home. Instead he called home and heard about Julie's visit the night before. He had talked to her whilst she was there, but Angela and Teddy spent the evening with her while he didn't.

Steady on, she's waiting for me. I'll look into those pretty eyes tonight.

Finally he put his stethoscope away in his locker and left the hospital. The walk to the Walker's wasn't far. When he arrived, Mrs. Walker greeted him.

"She's here someplace. I saw her talking to Nicholas not long ago."

Tim nodded and walked to the piano and began playing what was now their song, the same song he played for her that first night. He smiled when he saw her crossing the room toward the piano. She sat on the bench beside him and he switched to Heart and Soul, Julie joined in no longer requiring his hand to guide hers. When they finished, she was beaming looking very proud.

"Hi you," he said.

"I missed you," she responded.

"I thought the clock was broken."

She squeezed his hand and asked, "Are you hungry?"

"Starving."

She pulled him into the dining room where the buffet was laid out. Together they filled plates.

"You didn't eat?"

"No silly, I was waiting for you."

Her smile was beautiful. He was certain he could look at it all night. They found a quiet corner to sit and eat and hear each other. Tim was happy just being with Julie, since they were lucky to see each other once a fortnight.

Jim Albert approached and said, "Turner don't get your hopes up, she claims to have a boyfriend."

Tim smiled and looked at Julie as she bravely said, "Tim is my boyfriend."

"Turner! You chose Turner."

Jim walked away shaking his head.

"I guess he knows now. I hope he doesn't make my life miserable."

"Would he do that?"

"He'll probably hold it against me for the next thirty years knowing Jim Albert."

"I hope not, you may not even remember me thirty years from now," Julie said quietly.

Tim put his hands on her face forcing her to look at him and he said, "Jules, I'll never forget you, not in fifty years. Well maybe if I'm old and senile, but I'll forget everything, so…"

##

Tim's words brought tears to her eyes. She wouldn't forget him either, but the idea that forgetting each other was possible, suddenly seemed sad.

I think this means that I love Tim!

She just told Kate that she was crazy to be in love with Arthur so soon, but Julie had been wrong.

"Jules, what's wrong?"

"Nothing, just talking about the future makes me sad."

Tim held her and she felt better. He had a way of doing that. As they milled about Julie felt relaxed with Tim's arm around her. The feel of his hand on her waist was a possessiveness that she enjoyed.

She spied Maureen smoking with Jim and smiled. Later Maureen saw her and said. "You do have a boyfriend!"

"Maureen, meet Tim."

She nodded at Tim, but was too keen on speaking to Julie. "You won't mind then if Jim drove me home? He said that you two used to…Used to be an item…"

Julie laughed. "He drove me home once and then left me waiting at the cinema. We were never an item. The furthest he got was to kiss my cheek. Watch out for him if he's implying otherwise."

"Oh!" She quickly walked away and Julie saw her deep in conversation with her brother. He kept shaking his head.

Tim spoke first. "If he's spreading rumors about you…"

"Don't bother! We know the truth as does Kate and Arthur. I only care about what you think of me."

Tim smiled and said, "You know I think the world of you."

I think he loves me too!

Julie just smiled.