Hello again! I want to thank all of you for your lovely reviews. I hope that you will enjoy in this chapter, too. It has a little surprise at the end... :)

And Alex, don't worry, Jess won't get married soon :)

Disclaimer: I do not own Band of Brothers. This is purely of entertainment. It is based on the HBO miniseries and no disrespect is meant towards the real men of Easy Company.

Chapter Three: A Jig To Remember

"Do you need anything else, Jessica?", the grocer asked.

"No, thank you, Mr Johnson. That would be all."

I nervously wrung the hem of my shirt in my hands. Although hours had passed, I still felt embarrassed like never before in my life. While Mr Johnson was placing groceries in my basket, I couldn't stop thinking about that moment in the aid station.

Nixon, Roe and Spina had given me a new chance, and I hoped I would prove myself by learning quickly and working hard. But, all I managed to do was making a complete fool out of myself. Instead of helping my patient, I passed out right in front of him. And, just my luck, my cheek was throbbing since I had collapsed on the floor.

Bloody hell, do I look lovely today… I winced when I saw my reflection in the window of the store. Aye, there will definitely be a bruise.

"Is everything all right?", the grocer asked.

"Aye. It is."

I shoved my hand in my pocket and took out a long string of rations stamps. As soon as I counted the right number of them, I tore them off and handed them to him.

Years had passed since we had been introduced with these things. And, frankly, they were getting on my nerves. As my life wasn't difficult enough, I had to ration every single thing in my kitchen. I also had to get used to living with no sugar and using powdered eggs for cooking. Unfortunately, the end of the war was still far from sight – and so was the end of these stamps.

All that was left for me to do was to mutter swears under my breath. But, something like that wouldn't be a good idea in a grocery store. Especially if you had your neighbours right behind you.

Doing my best not to say anything reckless, I took my basket back and made my way outside. But, the second I reached the street, I noticed something strange.

Someone had appeared from the grocer's corner and he was now walking in my direction. He was wearing a too familiar olive shirt, as well as an armband with a red cross.

"Roe."

All of a sudden, my heart skipped a beat. There was only one reason why he should be here, instead of working in the aid station. And that made me swallow hard.

Shit. "You're here to fire me, aren't you?"

His eyebrows came closer to each other. "I jus' came here ta buy somethin'."

"Oh, please, don't insult my intelligence. I know I've been awful today. Just say it, here and now. Come on, I won't mind."

"I told ya, Miss. I ain't here ta fire you."

I gave him a confused look. "But… I fainted. As I remember, nurses don't usually do that!"

"You don't have ta feel ashamed, Miss. Things like dat could happen ta anyone." Roe pursed his lips for a moment. That was when he added: "You know, I wasn't dat good when I began trainin' for a medic."

My brow furrowed slightly. "Don't tell me. You fainted, too?"

He shrugged. "I guess I did."

He did? I felt a small wave of relief. But, soon after, I also felt that something wasn't quite right. I looked into his doe eyes, first at his left one, and then at his right.

And then it hit me.

"Why, you…" I glared at him. "You've made that up!"

Roe blushed in almost an instant. Before I knew it, his cheeks had already received a shade of pink.

"Uh… yeah", he admitted, lowering his gaze to the pavement. However, after some time, he looked at me again. I noticed a faint smile appearing on his face when he said: "But, it made ya feel betta, right?"

Oh, that was really, helpful. What could I possibly do without you? I quietly sighed, trying not to lash out at him. But, that wasn't such an easy thing to do. Tightening my grip on my basket, I made a step closer to him and said:

"Look, Mr Roe. You probably think I'm one of those lasses who black out every time they see something scary. But, I'm not that fragile." I raised my index finger to emphasise those words. "And I'm definitely not that useless."

Roe's eyes widened in surprise. "I didn't say that, Miss!"

"But, you think that."

"No, I…"

"Lieutenant Nixon probably told you that I'd do everything a nurse's job demands. All I want to say is that he wasn't wrong. I can do this, Roe. I really can."

The medic didn't say anything at first. He just kept looking at me for some time. I clenched my jaw, waiting to hear his answer. And that came shortly after, along with his odd Southern accent.

"If you think you're ready, Miss, you can come back tomorrow." He slowly tilted his head to one side. "You have sum unfinished lessons, as I recall."

I wasn't quite sure what to say. Hand, on heart, I wasn't sure what to think. I just stood there, staring at him. That was when his eyebrows nearly knitted together.

"You got a nasty lookin' bruise there", he said.

"Oh, that?" I quickly brushed it aside. "That's nothing."

"May I take a look?"

That made me gawk at him. "Are you crazy?"

He frowned at me. "Excuse me?"

"What would…" Realising what I was saying, I swiftly lowered my voice. "What would my neighbours say if they say a Yank thoroughly examining my face? This is a bad idea, Roe."

"I'll be quick, Miss."

I raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

"It's a promise."

Alright, alright. But, just because that thing still hurts. Caving in, I gave him a nod. Soon after, he slowly moved his hand, taking my chin between his pale fingers. His touch was so gentle that I blinked in bewilderment. I barely felt it as he carefully moved my face to the light, observing my cheek. I closed my eyes shut from the sun, when his voice reached my ears one more time.

"I have somethin' that might help."

I opened my eyes and saw him taking out a small jar out of his pocket. It seemed to have had some sort of yellowish cream inside. He handed it to me and explained:

"Back home, I used this all da time. Jus' put sum on da bruise. It'll make it disappear in a matta of days."

I frowned at the substance inside the jar. "Uh… thank you."

"I'll see you tomorrow, right?", he asked.

"You can count on that."

Wrapping my fingers around the glass, I stepped back. And then I glanced around, checking if someone I knew was passing nearby. To my relief, we were alone. But, that didn't mean it would remain that way.

I quickly smiled at Roe before I dashed.

XXX

Neve smiled at me. "So, how was at work today?"

"To tell you the truth… it wasn't so bad."

The rest of the week had passed much better than I had thought. I stayed conscious all the time, which was a nice change. But, that didn't mean there was less work to be done. New patients soon arrived to the aid station and Roe and Ralph needed my assistance more often. Before I realised what was going on, I got the task of turning every lesson I had heard or read in to practice.

It all began with a lad who limped by with a badly sprained ankle. Ralph was the one who made the diagnosis, but the bandaging part was mine to do. And so, there I was with a bandage in my hands, while Ralph was standing beside me, guiding me through the whole process. I was so nervous in the beginning that I couldn't stop biting my lip. However, as time passed, I could focus more and everything went on smoothly. Eventually, when I tied the bandage off, I saw a satisfied look on Ralph's face.

"Nice work", he said, giving me a pat on the shoulder.

I was sure that I blushed a little. "Thanks."

Speaking of satisfied looks, Roe sent me one from across the room, too. Meanwhile, he was helping another patient, who needed stitches. Roe, bless him, didn't call me to assist him – we knew very well what could happen. I couldn't help but smile when he nodded in approval. Perhaps I'm not a walking disaster after all.

"I knew you had it somewhere in you", Neve said with a grin, "It took you long to find it, though."

"You can keep laughing, Nevie." I narrowed my eyes at her, but that only made her giggle. "Fine. In that case, I'll just sit here and let you take care of the fish and chips. What do you say about that?"

Her smile disappeared. "Oh, no. I'll leave it all to you."

I grinned as I turned the potato slices in the frying pan.

Fish and chips… I hadn't eaten those in ages. Back in Newcastle, Neve and I were mad for them. I recalled all those times we had spent at the River Tyne, with still hot potatoes wrapped in dad's newspapers, and felt my mouth watering. Doing my best to be patient, I turned the chips over, so that they could cook well on both sides.

"Neve, is there any lettuce left in the garden? Maybe we could make a salad."

"I'll go and check."

She quickly went outside, while I strolled to the closet. This should be a special dinner – and a special dinner deserved some seasoning. Thinking of which one to use, I walked past the open window.

A second later, I stopped in my tracks.

I whirled around… and my jaw dropped.

Someone was standing on the other side of the window. He smiled at me, with one elbow on the window frame and his regiment cap slightly tilted to one side.

"Oh, God", I muttered.

He chuckled in return. "Actually, it's Bill."

"What on earth are you doing here?", I asked, "And how do you know where I live?" The answer soon came to me by itself. "Let me guess. Your company has a good intelligence officer?"

"Yeah, when he's sober." Bill shrugged. "Do ya have some plans after dinner?"

"No, nothing in particular. Why?"

This time, I noticed a cheeky grin spreading over his face.

"I got me weekend pass today", he replied in a strange tone, as if he didn't get those things too often. "So, I was thinkin', would ya like to go out with me someplace?"

My mouth slightly opened in surprise. Going out? With him?

"Pulling me away from a truck doesn't mean I'll accept."

"Will you?"

Not a chance. I frowned, trying to find a way to tell him that in a nicer way. But, then Bill's expression suddenly changed. Small creases appeared on his forehead as he asked:

"Jessica?"

"What?"

"Do ya smell somethin' burnin'?"

Excuse me? It took me a moment to feel that scent. And it took me another moment to discover that the chips were smoking. Aye, wisps of dark smoke were climbing from the frying pan all the way to the ceiling, followed by a low, constant sound of sizzling.

"Oh, fuck!"

Sprinting to the other side of the room, I snatched the frying pan and tossed it in the sink. And then I turned the tap on, letting water pour over it. The fire vanished quicker than I could say "a kingdom for a horse" and everything that was left was the smoke, floating near the ceiling. Coughing like mad, I opened the other window and let the fresh air rush through the house. That was when I spotted the condition of the chips in the sink.

Bloody hell. Most of them had become as black as charcoal. As for the lucky few that escaped that fate, the water made them as soggy as a wet sponge. I winced when I picked one up and chucked it back in the sink. Well, there goes our dinner.

"Jesus!", Bill shouted from the window, "Was you tryin' to set the house on fire?"

"Aye, that was exactly my intention!", I replied sarcastically.

I didn't have time to say something more, because I coughed a few more times. I must have looked pathetic, with my tousled hair and eyes teary from all that smoke.

"Are you okay?", he asked in worry.

"I'm fine." I grasped the edge of my apron and wiped my face with it. I felt so angry and embarrassed that I swore under my breath. "But, I'm a bloody awful cook. And I'll surely be a terrible housewife."

"You don't say." He went quiet for a while. "I guess goin' out ain't an option now."

"I'm sorry, Bill. I…"

All of a sudden, I felt a not so gentle kick in my left shin. Brushing it aside somehow, I kept looking at Bill, who asked:

"Could we at least have a drink or somethin'?"

"I'm flattered", I said, doing my best not to be rude, "But, I would have to say 'no'. Maybe some other time?"

The second kick was worse than the first one. For a blink of an eye, I thought I would groan out loud. However, by sheer luck, I kept my mouth shut.

"Could you… excuse me for a moment?", I asked, struggling to keep my voice level.

"Sure thing."

Good. After a short nod, I moved away from the window. And then I knelt on the floor and glared at Neve. In the meantime, she was crouching right under the window frame, so there was no chance that Bill could see her.

"Will you stop kicking me?", I asked as quietly as I could.

"Is that the Bill from last week?", she replied, "The one you bumped into?" Glowering at her, I nodded instead of an answer. Her face lit up faster than a light-bulb. "In that case, I'll keep kicking you until you get out there and say 'yes'."

"And why would I do something like that?"

Neve sent me a glare. "Because, if you don't go out with him, I will."

I almost groaned in frustration. Gripping the nearest chair, I scrambled to my feet and met Bill's eyes one more time. He arched his eyebrows for a bit, waiting for me to talk. He had no idea that, just a couple of inches under his elbow, one lass was also expecting from me to say something. After a short silence, she sent me another precise kick in the shin.

"Ow!", I muttered, "Jesus Christ…!"

"Are you sure you're okay?", Bill asked.

"Actually…" Not moving my eyes, I nudged my sister with my foot. "Maybe a drink wouldn't be so bad."

His smile instantly became wider. "Well, that's great! Let's go!"

I blinked a couple of times. "What… now?"

"Why not?"

Holy smoke, he obviously has no time to lose. "Could you wait for a few minutes? I won't go anywhere smelling like fried chips."

Bill shrugged again. "Sure. I'll wait."

Thank God. Holding my breath, I closed the window. No sooner did I draw the curtains over it than I leaned my back against the glass, almost lost for words.

"What now?", I whispered to nobody in particular.

"You know what!" Neve chose that moment to get up, grab my wrist and pull me towards our bulky wardrobe in the corner. I barely managed to blink when she threw a pair of stockings into my hands. "Get ready, Jess. You can't keep him waiting for long."

"Holy mackerel, since when have you become my boss?"

"Since you lost interest in having some fun", she answered.

"When I get back, you and I'll have a long talk", I muttered. But, I didn't say anything else, because I suddenly remembered one detail. "Hey, what about dinner? I still have to make a new one."

"We'll talk about that. After you find something nice to wear."

XXX

I spun again in front of the mirror, observing my reflection.

To be honest, I couldn't recall the last time I looked this elegant. I was wearing mum's fluttering dark-blue dress, while a long red scarf was slung over my shoulders. My hair, which was usually loose, was now tied in a tight bun. For a lass who usually wore boots and old pale shirt, this was an enormous change. I could barely recognise myself.

"Those actresses must be turning green with envy now", Neve said. I turned around and saw her smiling. "Here. Don't forget your shoes."

I glanced at a pair of shoes she was holding. They were as red as my shawl, with high heels. And I couldn't help but quiver my lip. Jeez, how much I hate those things…

"Do I really have to?", I asked, "Nobody would pay attention to my boots, anyway."

"Jess, I'm sure Bill is not taking you to march with him. Now, take these!"

"Okay, okay…"

I took the shoes from her and slid my feet in them. As I checked how they looked in the mirror, I heard Neve saying:

"By the way, that Bill doesn't look too bad." Soon after, she gave me a curious look. "What's he doing exactly?"

"He's from the Airborne."

"You mean, he's one of those lads who jump out of planes?"

"Yeah."

She pouted. "That sounds like a reasonable thing to do."

In spite of everything, I had to chuckle. Meanwhile, she tugged at my arm, so that she could get a better look at my watch.

"Well, hinny, this is it", she said, following me to the door, "Now, go outside, have a nice time… and, please, don't forget to write."

Glaring back at her, I straightened my dress. And then, after taking a deep breath, I grasped the door knob. As soon as I pulled the door open, I spotted Bill in front of the house. He was standing on the edge of the street, looking at something in the distance.

"Hello", I said.

I expected to hear a "hi" or "hey" or something similar from him in return. However, that didn't come true. The second his eyes met mine, his mouth went half-open and stayed that way.

"Uh… Shakespeare?" I waved my hand in front of his bewildered face. "I'm here."

"Oh?" He swiftly came back to this century. "Jessica, you look damn… I mean, beautiful." But, then something made him frown. "What did ya call me?"

"Shakespeare", I answered, "Don't worry, that's nothing bad. He was a nice English poet. William was his name. He wrote a lot of good sonnets."

"I think I've heard of 'im." Bill thought for a moment. "He said that 'To be or not to be' thing, right?"

"Aye, he did. But, the question now is 'To go or not to go'."

"Then I guess we should be goin'."

"I think so, too."

What happened next surprised me even more. He offered me his elbow, so that I could put my arm through it. Once I managed that, he smiled and led me down the street in a relaxed pace, towards the village square. I soon found myself strolling past the neighbours' houses, which windows were glimmering in the setting sun.

"What's so funny?", Bill asked, when a corner of my lips curved.

"I thought that the words 'Yank' and 'gentleman' don't appear on the same page", I admitted, "I have to say that I'm surprised."

"What can I say? I'm full of them surprises."

I couldn't help but chuckle as we passed a crossroad and went by the village church. A few steps later, we reached the next street, with a long hedgerow growing on one side of it. That was when Bill stopped and said:

"Hey, we're here."

He pointed at the pub door on our right. The old wooden sign with the words The Oak and Stag was slowly swaying above the entrance. I had passed that place lots of times, but I never came in. Since the Yanks had arrived to Aldbourne last September, they became common guests in that pub, laughing at their jokes, drinking beer – and making brawls from time to time.

Bill opened the door, ready to enter. But, before he even touched the doorstep, he suddenly stopped, stepped aside and turned to me.

"Sorry. Ladies first." He smiled, showing me the way in.

Stifling my snigger, I walked past him and followed the voices that came from the "Oak and Stag".

Barely did I come in when my nose caught the strong scent of cigarettes. Wisps of smoke could be clearly seen floating through the air. But, that didn't surprise me as much as the guests. Almost all of them were blokes, dressed similar to Bill. A few of them even talked in his rough accent. Behind one of the tables, a dusty record player was playing a song I had never heard before.

But, my curiosity shifted to embarrassment as a few blokes turned around and stared at me. I was sure that I blushed like a beetroot. However, I decided to ignore their gaze, move further and try to relax as much as possible. I stopped at a nearby table, waiting for Bill to arrive. But, while I was standing there, I heard somebody's cheesy accent behind my back:

"Hey, babe, lookin' for some fun?"

I turned around and stared at the bloke who had said that. "What?"

The Yank on the other end of the table grinned. But, that grin had nothing similar to Bill's. This bloke was smiling in an almost wolfish way as he eyed me from head to toe.

"Why don't ya leave that idiot Guarnere and sit with me, huh? I can make your night unforgettable."

What the..? I clenched my hands into fists, preparing to retort. But, then Bill stepped in between me and him and said:

"Hey, Cobb, why don't ya go and look somewhere for Sobel? Maybe he'll make your gahdamn night!"

Everyone in the pub roared with laughter. In the same time, Cobb's face became almost red with fury. He glared daggers at Bill before he turned away from him, getting back to his glass of beer.

"Sorry 'bout that, doll", Bill said to me.

"It's alright", I said, while my cheeks were burning more than ever. That bugger Cobb could almost match my ex-boss from the factory.

Okay, Jessica, just forget about it. Relax. And don't forget to breathe. You're here to have a nice time, aren't you? I quietly sighed as I strolled with Bill to the bar. However, I had to stop shortly and send an acidic look in Cobb's direction. When I sat on a vacant chair at the bar, Bill was already beside me, ordering our drinks.

While we were waiting for the barman to return, something really strange happened. A lad, who was sitting left from Bill, turned to us. That was when my breath hitched. I knew exactly who he was – he had been my first patient in the aid station.

He was also a witness of my fainting.

Oh, damn it, not him! At that moment, I wished that I could simply sink between the wooden floorboards and vanish.

It's too bad that some wishes can't come true.

"Hey, Gonorrhoea!" The lad slapped Bill's back with a grin. "Nice to see ya here."

Bill grinned in return. "It's nice to see ya, too, Shifty. How's the arm?"

"Better…"

Meanwhile, I tried to lean sideways somehow and hide behind Bill's back. But, Shifty spotted me too soon. Damn it again!

"Oh, hey, nurse Prichard!" He shortly waved. "Are you okay now? You kinda scared me back at the aid station."

"I've never been better!", I said with a taut smile, hoping that my face wasn't turning red.

Shifty smiled as well, turned around and went on talking to one of his friends. I sighed in relief after that. But, then I met with Bill's bewildered look.

"What?", I asked, "What's wrong?"

"You was actin' really strange now."

"It's nothing important, really." Avoiding his eyes, I tried to focus on my shoes below. But, it didn't last long when something made me look up again. My brow started furrowing while I asked: "Did he just call you Gonorrhoea?"

"It's a damn long story."

I bit my lip. I have to say that I felt a bit sorry for him. I waited for the barman to bring our drinks and move away, before I asked:

"Do you take some medication for it?"

"What?" To my utter surprise, he cackled. "Nah… that's me nickname!"

"Oh." Now, that's weird. Not knowing what else to say, I grasped my glass and took a sip. Frankly, I had never liked beer, but I didn't want to look stupid in front of Bill.

"Speakin' of nicknames, I bet you got a short an' sweet one", he said with a smile, "Like Jess or Jessie."

"Aye, something like that."

"Lucky you."

As I took another sip, something caught my eye. Peering over the edge of my glass, I saw a small white shape, sewn on his shirt sleeve. I soon found out that it was a head of an eagle, with its beak slightly open. Its colour was quite noticeable among the surrounding olive green fabric.

"Where are you from, Bill?"

"South Philly, Pennsylvania. But, for the last two years or so, my address has been the 101-st Airborne, Easy Company."

The last two words sounded familiar to my ears.

"Easy?" I looked at him for some time. And then it dawned on me. "You mean, you're from E Company?"

"Yeah." Bill seemed a bit confused. "You heard about it?"

"Why, aye. Everyone in the village heard of it. You know, you lads have become quite infamous."

His dark eyebrows slowly raised. "Oh, yeah?"

"Aye. It's E Company this and E Company that almost every morning." I put my glass back on the bar. "You lot seem to enjoy 'borrowing' a motorcycle, storming down the roads and becoming a living nightmare for us pedestrians."

"Jess, I did that all the time back in Philly. It's called 'joy riding'."

"Really? It looks more like 'hell raising' if you ask me", I said, making him chuckle for some reason, "What's so funny?"

"Jeez, it's a damn miracle you're not bored here."

"Well, there are other, less insane ways of having fun. Anyway, there's still a lot of talk about a fight on some ship you arrived on."

"What did ya hear 'bout that?"

"There were two blokes who started a fight, I think. One of them was called Joe. The other had a really odd name, something like… Wild Bill." He grinned the second I mentioned that. That was when all of it became clear. "I guess you're the 'wild' one?"

"You got that right!", he said and took a sip from his drink. And then he asked: "How 'bout you? Do you have some interesting stories to share?"

"What should I talk about?"

"What was you doin' before this? Before the war, I mean."

"I was working up north… with my dad." Bill seemed interested, so I continued: "We used to spend the day in the workshops at the Newcastle Airport. I was just a rookie at that time, though, so my job was to be at his side and assist him."

"That doesn't look like a lady's job."

"Maybe. But, it was an exciting job." A smile began spreading over my lips. "We were repairing airplanes."

His eyes widened in disbelief. Almost in the same time, the music stopped.

It soon started again. However, this time, it didn't come from the record player in the corner. One of the Yanks had sat on the edge of his table, with a violin in his hands. After a short moment of silence, he started playing a quick, cheerful tune.

My smile grew even more. That was one of the many Irish jigs I had heard when I was little. The other lads in the pub must have liked it, because some of them began tapping their tables or the bar, following the beat. But, doing that simply wasn't enough for me. No sooner did I hear that tune than I felt a huge wave of energy washing through me.

And I knew a perfect was how to spend it.

To dance, or not to dance, that is the question.

"Sorry, Jess, I didn't hear… hey, where are ya goin'?"

Bill gawked at me in shock when I stood up and shook off my shoes. However, I didn't have time to explain. Instead, I walked straight to the centre of the pub and started dancing like my mum had once taught me, moving my feet with speed and grace.

I almost forgot how wonderful it was to dance in that way. I didn't know why, but it would always make me feel excited and free, almost like a bird. As I turned around, I saw Bill smiling at me and giving me a small applause. Returning the smile, I picked up a bit of speed, trying to keep up with the tune.

A loud chuckle nearby made me look over my shoulder. One of the blokes had sprung on his feet and left his table. After a few steps, he stood beside me and began moving in the same way I was. He had long eyelashes, while his hair was as red as fire – just like mine.

"Well done!", he said, "Where did you learn that?"

"My mum's Irish."

"Jeez, so am I! Come here, Miss…"

I gasped in surprise when he wrapped one arm around my waist. A heartbeat later, we spun in the middle of the pub, with our feet thumping against the floorboards. We didn't stop until we both felt dizzy and decided to slow down a bit.

"I'm Jessica", I said, "Prichard."

"I'm Malarkey… Donald. But, they usually call me Don." All of a sudden, he looked at something beside us. "Muck, what the hell are you doing?"

Following his gaze, I saw another bloke dancing a jig – well, he was trying to dance, mimicking our moves. However, he only managed a few steps when he tripped over his own foot and ended up on the floor. His descent was followed by an eruption of laughter from the lads behind him. Holy smoke, this is slowly becoming a jig to remember.

The violinist was still playing when Donald gently pushed me away. I spun a few more times, with my hands high above me and my dress fluttering, before I suddenly tripped. But, instead of hitting the floor, I felt someone's arms catching me. Whoever he was, he helped me stand up and get back on my feet.

"Bloody hell, I'm so sorry…", I looked up, wondering who I had bumped into.

Roe was just inches away, gazing at me in surprise.

Oh, shit.

I jerked out of his hold, while my cheeks were almost burning. I had hoped that I wouldn't do anything stupid in front of my colleague again. Apparently, there was no such luck for me.

"Whaddya doin' here?", he asked.

"Well, I just…"

However, I didn't even manage to finish. Somebody ran out of nowhere and bumped straight into my back. Without a single warning, my head lurched forward.

And my lips collided with Roe's.

Next chapter coming soon...

In the meantime, I would really appreciate some feedback :)