The restaurant was quieter than she'd predicted. A few booths were full and their wispy lulled voice carried from across the room. The crisp, golden walls were covered in ornate mirrors and vibrant artwork. Each booth was covered in suave red and gold damask prints. There was a vase of freshly cut flowers on the table and the room smelled mildly salty, the sea breeze floating through from the patio. Logan had pulled out the big guns or at least it seemed that way.

'I figured we'd been adventurous,' He took a sip of his drink, 'Instead of just Mama Leone's,'

Veronica adjusted her one-shoulder plum dress nervously, 'Well, I officially feel like Vivian Ward sitting across from Edward Lewis in here,'

He reached across the table and slipped his hand in hers, 'Don't worry, you look beautiful,'

An unreserved smile lit up the corners of her mouth and she looked down.

'Now, what do you want for dinner? JAG is paying,' He handed her a menu.

Veronica scanned down the list.

Expensive, expensive… And yahtzee affordable.

'I think I'll get the Tortellini con Prosciutto,' She saw Logan lower his head to cross reference with the menu.

'Veronica, you don't have to get the cheapest thing on the menu,'

'No, I know, but I like Tortellini-'

'Are you ready to order?' A sharply dressed waiter with slicked-back hair stood beside their table.

Logan nodded, more in Veronica's direction that in the waiter's, 'Two serves of Tortellini con Prosciutto, a serve of bread rolls and a bottle of Pinot Grigio, thanks,'

The waiter scuttled away, still jotting down their order as he walked.

'Since when are you, Robert M. Parker?'

Logan shrugged, 'Since I stopped drinking cheap beers and passing out,'

Veronica raised her hands in mock-defeat, 'Well alright then, as long as you don't spit on me,'

'I would never,' He reached across and planted a quick peck on her lips.

Talk about beating round the bush, Veronica.

'So how was Catalina?' She took a sip of her water.

'Warm, alright for surfing; but lonely,' He emphasized the words and smirked a little.

'So none of the other guys went with you?'

'Well, when you're presented with the option of going away with your brooding friend or attending a Dick Casablancas' blow out, which would you choose?'

'That's a rhetorical question, right?'

'Of course,' He rocked back in his chair.

She leant forward a little more and breathed deeply, 'Logan, I need to ask you something,'

'Yes, of course I prefer blondes, so don't go a changin'

She snorted and rolled her eyes, 'It's stupid and I understand if you don't want to; but I thought I'd ask anyway,'

'If it's ballroom dancing, I'll pass,' The waiter reached over and placed the basket of bread on the table.

'While it's always been my dream for us to effectively master the Foxtrot, this is worse, way worse,'

He grabbed a piece of bread, cut it open and began to lavish it with butter, 'Yeah?'

'It's my Mom and Hunter, they want to go out for dinner-as a family…Hunter wants to meet you,'

'If you want me to go, I'll go,'

'Just like that?' She gaped.

'Well yeah, if it's important and you know, you need me there I'll come. As long as it doesn't become so kind of Meet the Robinsons fiasco,'

'Don't worry, my father hardly ever time travels,'

'Good to know,'

Across the restaurant, a couple got up and made their way past, Veronica lowered her head, and Logan let out a hardy laugh.

If only I had brought my cloak of invisibility.

'You do realize the only thing setting you apart from that woman is your ability to accessorize?'

'Ahh yes, but it is still a divide,'

Soon enough the meals were served and they both tucked in, hinting glances at each other, it almost felt like nothing had changed. She'd worried it would've, that it wouldn't be so easy to fall back into, that those 180 days away could leave them distant. But he was still her Logan, he only saw her, and she liked it that way.

She finished her meal, then pushed her empty wine glass and dish to the side.

'That was… pretty great.'

'See, the things you discover when you venture across the pond and out of Mama Leone's'

'Hey,' She raised an eyebrow, 'Mama Leone's is age-old Mars tradition, it's like opening one present on Christmas Eve, like doing Easter egg hunts-'

He waved her off with his hand, 'Yeah, yeah, yeah. Just admit it, Veronica, you enjoyed it,'

'I did,' She smiled earnestly.

'Come on,' He stood up from the table, 'I want to show you something,'

After paying for dinner, they wandered through a small backstreet, the only light came from a snug candy-stripe coloured icecream parlor.

'Two ice-creams, each with one scoop mint choc-chip and cookie dough,' He reached over the counter and offered a twenty dollar bill. In seconds, the woman returned with his change and two ice-creams, he handed Veronica hers.

They slowly made their way along the shoreline, taking in the moment, not saying much of anything.

'Tonight was nice,' She grabbed his hand.

'I have something I want to tell you,'

I can feel the goosebumps already.

He looked out over the moon-lit beach, the pier with all its fanciful play, the people out for fresh air, 'I was there the morning you flew out to Stanford,'

'Okay?'

'Yeah, I mean, I overheard Wallace and Mac in the food court, they were talking about how you were leaving for Stanford. I don't know, I checked what time the first plane out of Neptune was leaving the next morning. I ended up getting stuck in traffic. So I rushed through security and then I saw you there with your dad. Saying goodbye. I mean, you looked happy, happy to be getting free of Neptune. Your Dad was, I don't know, by the window, and I pushed my way up through the line. Before I knew it, you were headed down to the plane, you waved to your Dad. The woman asked for my boarding pass and I couldn't even remember what I'd plan to do. I told her it was a mistake and I left,'

'Why?' She blinked rapidly, still trying to absorb the story.

'Because I knew I couldn't fix it that time and I wanted you to be happy, even if it wasn't… with me,'

'Logan, I- '

'I am not telling you this to bring up the past, to say who was right and who was wrong, because I know I fucked up. But I just wanted you to know how much I want to get it right this time,' His puppy-dog eyes hit hers.

She kissed him, tenderly and held him close in agreement.

In the wise words of Benjamin Franklin, 'Remember not only to say the right thing in the right place, but far more difficult still, to leave unsaid the wrong thing at the tempting moment.'