"One month and three days," Lulu whispered to herself as she held her black leather planner in her lap. Running her perfectly painted red nail along the cluttered calendar, she recounted the days. Thirty-four days had passed since she had touched him, seen him, breathed him in. So much was riding on his return, but for the first time in a long time, she felt hopeful about Dillon coming home. She knew that he wasn't running away from her. Everyday was no longer one day they were kept apart with a chance of floating further away. Each day now held promise; it meant one day until he would be with her again.

Since their phone call last night, she had felt the weight lifted off her. A happiness that she had forgotten about was slowly creeping its way back into her life. Dillon, her Dillon, was slowly coming back to her. He was almost the same guy she'd fallen in love with last summer. Sure, things had changed – with a child that almost was, it had to. Still, his youthful optimism and quiet strength was there. She knew now that he loved her. She trusted that nothing would change that. She was hopeful that they had a future together.

Laying the planner back on the nightstand, she decided that it was probably time to make a grand appearance at the breakfast table. She had heard Edward yelling at Alice a few minutes ago, something about keeping the bacon away from him. While most mornings she would have grumbled and pulled the covers back over her head, this morning Lulu was happy to hear his boisterous rants. Everything about the Quartermaine family would be endearing to her today. She was happy and in love. Nothing could take that away.

"Good morning, Edward," she chirped as she slid into her chair. She threw him a dazzling smile as she poured herself a tall glass of cold grapefruit juice. "Monica, that is a really lovely sweater. That color looks great on you. Thanks for getting my favorite juice, Alice. I really appreciate everything that you do around here."

"What has gotten into her?" Edward grumbled to no one in particular. "Yesterday, she was moping around her like someone ran over her dog, and today, she is being almost nice. She hasn't been anything but depressed since my lunatic grandson ran off to parts unknown."

Lulu smiled politely at Edward. "First of all, your grandson is anything but crazy," she said pointedly. "And secondly, quit complaining and enjoy this wonderful meal. It is looking to be a beautiful day outside, and I recommend that you try to live it to its fullest. Life is too short to be so damn unhappy all the time."

Tracey reached over and pressed her hand against Lulu's forehead. "You don't seem to have a fever. Your coloring is good," she remarked. "Daddy is right. What had gotten into you?"

Popping a bite of toast into her mouth, Lulu shrugged simply. "Your brand of humor is just delightful, Tracey, really," she taunted. She knew that her exuberance was bound to drive the family crazy. "Why do I have to have a reason to be in a good mood? Sometimes things just are."

"You talked to Dillon," Monica replied knowingly. With a daughter as romantic as Emily, she would know the look of love anywhere. "When did he call? Last night? I thought I heard a phone ring pretty late."

Lulu wasn't about to tell anyone anything. What had happened last night was between her and Dillon. Everything that had ever happened between them should have been kept that way. She had let the family interfere too much last summer, but she was determined to make this work this time. They had been through so much since that time, growing up more than they ever could have realized. This was their time to be together, and she wanted to make sure that they would have that incredible gift. Now that she was about to have her biggest dream come true, she didn't want to miss a thing.

Everyone was still looking at her expectantly, waiting for an answer, when the happy song of the doorbell filled the entire house. "I'll get it," Alice announced before slipping out of the room. Edward looked toward the doorway, muttering something about how it was her job. Monica made a half-hearted comment in return, setting of a round of arguing amongst the Quartermaines. Tracey was about to jump in when Alice returned. "Miss Lulu, it is for you."

"Who is it?" Lulu asked. She wasn't expecting her family to come by, and few of her friends found the Quartermaine house inviting. Alice shrugged, and Lulu rolled her eyes. As she headed toward the foyer, she wasn't at all surprised when the family followed her. She didn't recognize the man waiting for her. "Hi, I guess you are here to see me. I'm Lulu Spencer."

"Hello, Ms. Spencer," the uniformed man said. Stepping forward, he formally handed her a creamy envelope. Her name was written in ornate calligraphy. She could tell from the weight of the paper that even the stationary had cost some serious money. "I believe this is for you."

"Thank you," she replied before turning the envelope over. It was sealed shut with wax, a small heart stamped in the middle. Sliding her finger beneath the flap, she opened it and removed a one-sided card. Her small smile quickly turned into a wide grin as she read the words carefully printed just for her.

I am not ready to come home, but I am ready to see you. In fact, I cannot wait to see you. The man delivering this will double as your chauffer. Go upstairs and pack immediately. He will take you to the airport and put you on the ELQ jet. I've instructed the staff not to tell you what your destination is. The only thing you need to know is that I will be waiting for you on the other side just as you have been waiting for me. I love you, Lu.

Clutching the card, she looked over at the man again. "I'll be right down," she promised before running toward the stairs. Ignoring all the questions the family was throwing her way, she locked Dillon's bedroom door before hastily beginning to pack. She could hear Edward ranting and raving, trying to figure out where she was going. Tracey was almost as loud in her questions as she addressed the chauffer. Monica was trying to get them both to be quiet. They could fight all day for all Lulu cared. She was almost out of here.

Pulling a canvas tote out of the top of the closet, she stopped to look at all the airport tags affixed to the worn strap. From Lisbon to Tokyo to Sydney to Miami, Dillon had taken this bag everywhere. Now, it was about to take another trip to see him. It only took her a few minutes to fill it to the brim. She wasn't really sure what she had packed, and it didn't really matter. She could get anything she had forgotten on the other end. The only thing that mattered was seeing him. They had waited long enough.

Taking the stairs two at a time, she happily handed her bag over to the driver. Turning to the family, she threw her hand up in a causal wave. "I'm going to see Dillon," she told them finally. "Don't ask me where I'm going because I don't know. He wouldn't tell me. I'll call you to let you know that I got there all right. I don't know when I will be back, and there is nothing you can say to stop me. Don't worry about telling my family, I'll take care of it. If my father calls, have him call me. I think that about covers it."

Breathless, she was out the door before anyone could say anything to her. Nothing was going to deter her from this trip. It was all happening so quickly that it hadn't really hit her yet. The only thing she needed to know was that he would be waiting for her on the other end. A quick jaunt to the airport later, she was sitting in the soft leather seat of the ELQ jet. A kind stewardess handed her a warm towel as the pilot taxied out to the runway.

Once the plane was in the air, she turned on the stereo tucked in the corner. Dillon had arranged for her favorite albums to be on board. Slipping in something with a definite jazz flavor, she closed her eyes and let the soothing tones overtake her. She was as relaxed as she had been in months, maybe ever. Images of her and Dillon danced across her eyelids. He was still the most beautiful man she had ever seen.

"I might as well call my family before I get there," she mumbled to herself, thinking about how she'd forget once she saw Dillon's face. Crossing the plane in a few steps, she pulled the receiver out from the back of the seat. Dialing Nikolas' number, she asked his trustful butler to put her through to his office. A moment later, her brother's voice came on the line. "Hey, Nik, it's me."

"Hey, Lu. You sound like you're a million miles away," he said. "Where are you at?"

"Well, I'm not exactly sure, but I am somewhere over New York, I think," she answered. "That's actually why I am calling. Dillon has sent for me. I don't know where I am going because he organized everything through ELQ, including private transportation. No one on the staff would tell me anything. I don't know how long I am going to be gone. I just didn't want you to worry in case I'm not in touch."

Nikolas could hear his sister's joy as he smiled to himself. She deserved to be this happy. "That's great, Lulu," he told her. "I know how much you want this. I hope that this trip is everything you need it to be. If you need anything, you know that you can always call me. I won't ask any questions, I'll just come to you."

"Thanks," she retorted. "If anything happens back home and you need to get in touch, you can call me. I will check my voicemail and try to call you to check in. If you don't hear from me, talk to Lucky. I'll try to alternate who I talk to so that you both hear from me. I thought I would call him first. Can you tell him that I'm gone for me?"

"Of course," he promised. "Don't worry about us. I am sure that everything will be fine here. Just enjoy your time with Dillon, and promise me that you will come home. I'm willing to let you go find him, but there is no way I am going to let him take you away from the family or me."

It was Lulu's turn to smile. Her brothers were always so protective, and it was good to know that they wanted her to always be nearby. "Port Charles will always be home to me, I promise," she avowed. "As much as I love Dillon and want to be with him, you guys mean way too much for me to stay away too long. After awhile, I'd miss seeing Emily and the boys too much. Oh, and then there is you and Lucky."

Nikolas laughed, eliciting a small giggle from his baby sister. "Have the time of your life, Lu," he told her. "I want you to be happy and if Dillon can give you everything you deserve, then you have a blessing from me. I love you."

"I love you, too, Nik," she murmured before replacing the phone on its cradle. No matter what happened from here on out, it was nice to know that she would always have the support of her family. She had long taken them for granted, even the Quartermaines. There were a lot of people standing in her corner, though they sometimes didn't agree with her. Still, when the chips were down and she was out, they would be the first ones to stand up for her.

Those were the thoughts that were running through her mind as she fell into a fitful sleep. Her dreams were vivid and joyful, filled with images of what it would be like to finally see him again. This was all she had been thinking about, dreaming about for a month. It didn't seem like a long time to miss someone, but for her, it had felt like an eternity. By the time she awoke, a few hours had passed. The stewardess was standing over her, gently shaking her from her sleep. "Ms. Spencer, we will be on the ground in ten minutes," she explained. "Please fasten your seatbelt and prepare for landing."

Lulu pulled the seatbelt over her lap and waited for her least favorite part of flying. However, this time it didn't bother even a little bit. As soon as those wheels were on the tarmac, she planned to get inside the airport as quickly as possible. The pilot's voice told her that they were approaching descent and within a few minutes, they were securely on the ground. She wanted to look out the window to see where she was but didn't. It was worth the wait to see it with him.

A few minutes later, the stewardess was thanking her for flying and helping her toward the door. Lulu barely paid any attention to her as she made her way down the staircase and outside to ELQ's private gate. A red carpet was waiting for her at the bottom. Careful, she kept her eyes glued to her feet. When she was finally on the ground, she looked up for the first time. Dressed in worn jeans and the perfect vintage tee, Dillon stood before her with a single Casablanca lily in hand.

Lulu stopped and covered her mouth in utter shock. Then, without even thinking, she dropped her bag on the ground and flew into his arms. Her face came crashing into his shirt as she began to sob happily. Dillon clung to her desperately, determined to take every inch of her body in. Finally, he broke away to look at her. Pressing his forehead against hers, his lips brushed against hers with every word he would speak. "So, are you happy to see me?"