Thanks so much to everyone who wrote to me after the last chapter. I'm trying to keep up some semblance of a weekly pace so here you go! As to the question on timeline, school, etc., which I received from one Guest reviewer this is where we are at. It is mid-January. They are still on holiday break and most students are still at home with their families. School will resume soon and Georgiana will return back to school in Maryland. William has one final semester before he graduates. Lizzy has three more semesters. It will be interesting to see how they navigate a long-distance marriage with William in New York and traveling around the globe for work while Lizzy finishes her bachelors degree.

More to come on that front...

Visits from the Gardiners, Maria, and a few local friends, along with the necessary trip to the surgeon and physical therapist filled their days. Lizzy was recovering, perhaps not as quickly as William had hoped, but they chose to celebrate her first headache-free day with a visit to Burdicks.

"Do you remember our second trip here?" Lizzy asked.

William grinned, "How could I forget? Lemon cake with vanilla icing is now my favorite cake in the world."

"Can you believe all that's happened since that time? It's been a bit of a whirlwind."

Reaching across the table he took her hand, stroking her wrist with his thumb. "I'm just glad you're still smiling."

"I'm only smiling because it's all happened with you. I love you. I wanted to tell you, again, here, because I feel like this is where it truly all began."

"Not Fire and Ice?" William asked.

"Oh I thought you were a hunk and fun to talk to when I first met you at the restaurant but not much more. But when we came here, just the two of us, I think I realized that you were someone I wanted to care for. You were someone that I could, if I let myself, love. And I knew you needed someone to love you. I just wasn't sure I could fit the bill. That took longer," Lizzy shared.

"You fit the bill perfectly Elizabeth." Reaching over he placed a warm lingering kiss on her lips, only to be disturbed by a camera flash. Looking up they noticed a photographer quickly hustling away. William was ready to run after him but Lizzy placed her hand firmly on his to hold him in place.

"Please don't. It's just a picture and if there's any photo I want of us plastered everywhere it's one of you kissing me." Lizzy said with a smirk. She knew he valued his privacy but also realized there was good and bad press. Hopefully this would be the good kind.

"I don't understand how this could possibly be good," he grumbled.

"Hey we have our appointment with the immigration folks coming up. A picture of us kissing could just help the case right? You have to look at the bright side and realize that we can't control everything around us."

William shrugged. Lizzy was likely right. Their first appointment with immigration had been relatively brief with the directive to provide a few more pieces of information, references and the like. A second visit would be the next necessary step. Lizzy's illegal status, and the high profile nature of their marriage, made it such that their case would be thoroughly investigated.

"We should probably get going soon anyway. Georgiana's going to arrive after dinner and I want to make sure everything's in good shape before she comes home."

"Are you sure you're still comfortable having my sister stay with us until she goes back to school? I can call Aunt Sophia and she will gladly keep her."

"William, we can't avoid her. We need to work on our relationship and we can't do that if she's across town." Lizzy reasoned.

"Fine but if she upsets you, I have no issue letting her know that her behavior is unacceptable," William glowered.

"Of course, although it might help to remember that much of a 15-year-old's behavior is often unacceptable to a grumpy old man," she teased.

"As long as you realize how important you are to this grumpy old man," he said as he tugged her up towards him in a quick embrace.

The sound of keys in the door let them know that their time of solitude was about to end for two weeks. William walked over to the front door to help his aunt and sister bring in a plethora of bags and dishes. His aunt's cook had offered to prepare a few meals given Lizzy's impaired state and it looked like she'd outdone herself.

"Lizzy dear, you look a thousand times better then when we left you in Maine," Aunt Sophia greeted her. "I hope you don't mind but we used Georgiana's key. We didn't want to phone in case you were sleeping."

"Of course not. Georgie doesn't need to phone ahead to enter her home. We were just finishing dinner and were wondering when you'd arrive." Lizzy smiled at her sister-in-law trying to convey her welcome.

"You two sit with Lizzy while I put this food away and clean up from dinner. I'll come join you in a few minutes." William encouraged.

"I...I can help you, clean up that is," Georgie tentatively offered.

William had to admit he was a bit surprised by the offer. Georgie was volunteering to clean up? "Thank you Georgie. I'm certain I'll take you up on that tomorrow but it doesn't feel right having you clean up from a meal you didn't even enjoy. Please, join Lizzy and our aunt. I'll be right in."

She found Lizzy and Sophia sitting in opposite chairs, Lizzy's leg resting on an ottoman, a constant reminder of her faults. It had been easier to stay at her aunt and uncle's home, even if they'd constantly talk about her need to be more selfless, at least she didn't have to witness the reminder of said selfishness. As much as she wanted to be with her brother, she'd hoped all day they would call and tell her to stay away longer. It would've been easier than sitting face to face with the woman she'd hurt.

"You and William should really consider getting more help around here, especially with your injuries and the busy schedules you both carry," Sophia advised.

Lizzy laughed, "You've no need to worry on that score. Given my injuries, Mr. Neat-nick arranged his cleaning lady to start coming twice a week rather than only once. I'm not quite sure the bathroom truly needs to be sterilized twice a week, especially given it's generally only the two of us, but it makes him happy."

"If you say so. I'm happy to get recommendations for additional help if you need."

"I can't imagine the need but thank you," Lizzy answered politely and then turned the conversation to their activities over the past week or so. She could tell Georgiana was nervous around her and it wouldn't do to have her hiding away or sitting there and not speaking. Apparently the ladies had kept quite busy with Georgiana serving meals every other day at Rosie's Place and reading to the children joining their mothers at the shelter on the other days. Georgie planned to continue reading in the afternoons, a few days a week, until school started up again. She was in the midst of reading a Percy Jackson book to the children who dropped in and Georgie felt committed to seeing the book to its conclusion.

"Sounds like you ladies have been busy. Georgie, I'd love to come to the shelter with you sometime. That is, if men are permitted to volunteer." William offered.

"I've seen lots of men volunteering. I'm sure it's not a problem, right Aunt Sophia?"

"Certainly. I'll let the volunteer coordinator know when you want to accompany her. She needs to be joined by an adult until she's 16, so it works well if you can go once or twice."

"I look forward to it. Aunt, I also wanted to let you know that our second appointment has been scheduled with immigration for Thursday. We'll let you know how it goes."

"I can't wait for this immigration business to be over with so you two can simply move forward with your lives. It seems as if it's not one thing, its another."

"We've been trying to figure out if there's any preparation we can do in advance. We hope that the additional references we've provided on Lizzy's character help our case. Matthew seems to think the primary concern they're likely to have is that I've been hoodwinked into this marriage by a deceptive and beautiful schemer."

"I'm quite sure Matthew didn't put it exactly that way," Lizzy laughed. "We've been trying to keep a sense of humor about it all, as you can see, and have been distracting ourselves by using this school vacation to get our lives a bit more organized."

"It seems as though you've spent some time decorating. The place does look quite a bit warmer. I love the afghans and throw pillows you've added." Lizzy threw a smug look over at William at the statement by his Aunt, to which he rolled his eyes.

"I saw that. What was that all about?" Sophia queried.

"We had quite a discussion about throw pillows. You see, William doesn't understand the purpose of them and was quite put out when I suggested that we get a few to add some color to the room. Who knew he had such heartfelt opinions about throw pillows?" Lizzy teased.

"I think heartfelt is a bit of an exaggeration," William responded dryly.

"At any rate, we eventually agreed to get four but it was quite the negotiation. He doesn't seem to mind the new pillows I purchased for the bedroom however. I hadn't realized what a pillow hog he can be," Lizzy teased.

Sophia laughed, "William, the sooner you learn to leave the decorating to your wife, the happier your marriage will be. Just ask Henry. I still remember the row we got into over china patterns when we were engaged. We didn't speak for a week because he didn't like a single pattern I showed him. Eventually your father took him aside and told him that as long as there was food on his plate he shouldn't care what the plate looks like. Whenever he starts on some aspect of our home I simply hold up a plate and he stops."

"Thank you for the advice aunt. I'm not sure we're as old fashioned as all that however so let's agree to disagree."

"I think my nephew just called me old. Well on that note, I'll leave you three be." Sophia began to gather her things and William agreed to show her out. As they approached the door, Sophia paused and turned back towards William. "I'm glad you two are developing your own way of working things out. Please excuse my advice on all and sundry. I respect that you and Elizabeth must find your own way. I hope you know any advice offered is only meant in the best way." She was pleased to see she'd succeeded in leaving her nephew speechless. Placing a quick kiss on his cheek, she turned and left.

Shaking his head, William went off to his office to check a few things before heading back towards the living room to see what Georgiana and Lizzy were up to.

"I'd love to hear more about Rosie's Place and your impressions. I've never been but it sounds like it's been a positive experience for you. Has it?"

Georgiana was startled to see that Lizzy was addressing her. She'd been lost in thought, trying to think of anything to say but her shyness and mortification of seeing Lizzy again had paralyzed her. "It was." Realizing she likely needed to say more, Georgiana added, "I've never been to that part of Boston."

"My recollection is that its kind of near the South End"

"Um, yea, I guess. It didn't take very long to get there from Beacon Hill."

The effort to get this conversation off the ground was considerable but they had to start somewhere and Lizzy was glad that the girl was giving more than one word answers at least. Maybe William would return soon and make things a little easier. "Did anything surprise you about your time there?"

"They put flowers on all of the tables before lunch is served," Georgiana added.

"And the flowers surprised you?" Lizzy asked, not quite sure what to think of that observation.

"Well, that was just one of the details, to make it feel less like a soup kitchen I guess. It just surprised me. I thought it would be about handing out food and less about those kinds of details. But the people who run the place made a big deal about it." This was the longest set of words, strung together, that Lizzy had actually heard from the girl. Or at least, the longest set that didn't contain any malevolence or venom.

Thinking about Georgiana's observation, Lizzy remarked, "I guess it's all about giving the women who need to eat there some dignity. I'd imagine that other elements of their lives might lack that. Giving a person respect, even in small ways, can help sustain a person as much as the food that's served."

Lizzy could see that Georgiana was thinking about these comments. Finally, she whispered, "I hadn't thought about it like that."

The two fell into silence again, Lizzy surmising it was best to let Georgiana sit with this thought. Lizzy had her own thoughts to contend with. She couldn't help but wonder, did Georgie even respect herself?

"Jane! It's so good to hear your voice," Lizzy squealed.

"You sound so much better. I got your texts but its so much better to hear you. I'm sorry I couldn't call. My parents wouldn't allow me to use my phone on the cruise so I was pretty cut off from everyone," Jane sighed.

"No worries. I wasn't much good to anyone for about a week. Everyday I feel a little less achy and my brain is clearer. But enough about my aches and pains. Tell me about the cruise and things with Charlie. I also want whatever dirt you can share on Charlotte's new boyfriend. She's been a little circumspect in her comments."

"Where to begin? We've got a lot of ground to cover," Jane said with a little laugh. "Hmmm, I think that we should dish on Charlotte first and then we'll go from there. By the way, I want to hear from you more about your recovery, any updates on the visa-front, and how things have been with William and his sister.

"We have a lot to chat about! So you spent New Years with Charlie, Charlotte and her new beau. I'm still so bummed that we couldn't make it to celebrate with you."

"It was really fun. The party Charlie's parents host is truly an event. We missed you and William so much."

"And Charlotte's William? Tell me about him."

"What can I tell you? What do you want to know?"

"Duh. Is he hot? Tall? Short? Does he treat Charlotte well? Is he smart, funny? Will I like him? Is he a bum?"

"Whoa. Slow down girl. You ask a lot of questions. First, he seems very into Charlotte. And she's very...attentive to him as well. I've never seen her like this with a guy before. He has brown hair and brown eyes. The job he's secured sounds like a good opportunity for him. He's excited about it anyway. Apparently he'll be counsel for a very wealthy woman who will keep him on her personal retainer, overseeing various trusts and investments and advising on any legal matters. Did I answer all of your questions? I can't even remember them all," Jane said with a laugh.

Lizzy paused, thinking about what Jane had said. "What I really want to know is whether he's good enough for her. Charlotte's had a pretty long dry spell with only hookups and no one calling her back. I just don't want her to leap for the first guy who pays her any attention."

"Lizzy! How can you say such a thing? I think Charlotte can make her own judgements and if she's happy with this guy then I'm happy for her."

Lizzy needed to remind herself that this was Jane she was talking to. She'd never pass a judgement or have a negative opinion on anyone. "Jane, I'm allowed to worry about my friends. It's my job to make sure you have great guys who appreciate your awesomeness. You know Charlotte's always selling herself short. She's smart, witty and a great friend. I just want her to find someone who can appreciate and complement all those fine qualities."

"Of course you want those things for her. I just don't think you should impose your judgments on her. She's happy. He seems to treat her well so I'm happy for her. You should be too."

"Alright, alright. I'll leave it be...for now. Tell me about you and Charlie."

Jane paused, trying to figure out exactly what to say. "Things are...confusing."

"Confusing? How so?" Lizzy was surprised by this word choice. Of any of the possible reactions, this wasn't one she'd expected.

"At the New Year's party he was kind of standoffish, especially when his family was around. Then, when I was on the cruise, he had flowers, perfume, a teddy bear, and other little presents delivered to my room almost every day. We've talked twice in the past two days and he seems eager to stay on the phone but we don't talk about the future or anything meaningful at all."

"Do you want to talk about a future? Maybe he doesn't know what you want?"

"Well why doesn't he ask me? He's the one graduating in June and moving back to New York while I'll have another year of school." Jane actually sounded exasperated and Lizzy had to hold back her shock in being confronted with this new version of Jane. "Maybe he doesn't want a long distance relationship. Maybe he only wanted me for a physical relationship and now that I've cut him off he's less interested in me," Jane worried.

Lizzy was sitting on the couch, shaking her head at the phone. How could someone as beautiful and kind as Jane doubt herself so much? "I don't think a guy who wants to end things would send you gifts almost daily while you're on a cruise. Maybe he was just feeling awkward when he saw you at his parent's house. You really need to tell him what you're thinking and ask him in turn. You'll have a few months left to figure out what kind of relationship you want to have during your senior year. You don't need to figure it all out now."

Sighing, Jane agreed, "You're probably right. I mean, his sister was at the New Year's party and after everything she did to you, it was pretty awkward to be around her. I still can't believe it all."

"Jane, that girl is a wacko. You need to take care of yourself around her. I don't trust her as far as I can throw her."

"I hope she's getting the help she needs. It's unfortunate she's lost her way."

Leave it to Jane to worry about the crazy girl. Lizzy had no interest in continuing with this line of conversation. Better to change the topic "So when do you come back to Cambridge? I'm still hobbling around but I'm getting better and I'd love to see you."

"Charlotte and I are both back a week from today. We thought maybe we'd come over and have a bit of a nail party with take out just like we used to do when we all lived together."

A huge smile broke out over Lizzy's face. She hadn't realized just how much she missed her girlfriends. She loved William and loved living with him, but it didn't change the fun the three of them had together. "I'd love that. By the way, thank you so much for the polish. I've already tried six of them."

"Well don't use them all up or if you do, let us know and we'll pick up some more before we come."

"I think we'll have plenty of polish to choose from. Don't you worry. Make sure you guys call me as soon as you get back and are settled. I need to know what time William and Georgie should disappear."

"We could include Georgie if you want or need to." Jane suggested, shifting the conversation towards the other topics they needed to cover.

"No I think it'll be good for the two of them to go out to dinner together. They're over volunteering together at Rosie's Place this afternoon but it's hard for me to convince them to spend time alone together. Having you two over will give me the perfect excuse to send them on their way."

"Volunteering together? What inspired that? Not that I don't think either wouldn't, of course."

"It was Aunt Sophia's idea to have Georgie spend some time working with people less fortunate than herself. William offered to join her a few times. This is the first time he's going so I'll be interested to see what he thinks."

"So are things better between all of you?"

Lizzy hadn't really talked with anyone besides William about Georgiana's behavior. Obviously Jane knew about the press stuff and Lizzy had hinted at some of the other things that had happened but had kept most of it to herself. It was good to talk with someone who didn't have so much invested in the outcome of their relationship. She wanted to unburden her thoughts and, if anyone could help her see the potential in their relationship, it was most definitely Jane. "I think Georgie is finally feeling some guilt for how she's treated me and it's causing her to reexamine some of her beliefs. I've been pretty clear with her that I'm done trying to make her like me but, I'm open to any attempts she might make. She actually helped make me lunch today. Just soup and salad but the notion she would lift a finger for me, even three weeks ago, was a joke."

"I guess guilt is a start but hopefully these feelings of guilt will be assuaged sooner or later and you can develop a relationship of mutual respect. I know she hasn't respected you but I think if you show her that you respect her, or at least respect her capacity to change. If you recognize her effort, the changes she attempting will help her develop her own self esteem. She's going to need some encouragement to keep trying." Jane wisely shared.

"When did you get so insightful Jane Bennet?"

"Oh you know me, every once in awhile I can figure something out," Jane laughed.

Lizzy was in such a good mood. She felt almost normal for the first time in weeks. Something as simple as catching up with an old friend was now the exception in her life, rather than the rule. She couldn't wait for the semester to start again. "I'm really looking forward to seeing you next week. I miss you guys. I should probably run. I've got a steak marinating and I need to pop it into the oven."

"Wait, before you go, any news on the immigration front?"

"Second appointment is tomorrow. Not sure what's going to happen but fingers crossed it goes well."

"Alright, just give me and Charlotte a quick text to let us know. We're praying for you Lizzy D."

"Thanks Janie B. Talk to you soon."

"Hi Mr. Martin. This is my brother William Darcy. He's accompanying me today while I read to the children."

Mr. Martin was an impressive man by height and girth, but came across as having a gentle soul. He smiled kindly at Georgiana welcoming her back. "It's good to see you again Miss Darcy. I see your brother has registered on our website so I just need to see some ID and I can let you go on your way,"

Handing over the documents for a quick perusal, William attempted to peer through the glass doors to get a sense of the space inside. He wasn't sure what he'd been expecting and so everything he saw was a bit of a surprise. The center was well maintained, all of the colors muted but freshly painted and clean. Lunch had been cleared away and there were a few women and children sitting at round tables near a group of book cases, waist high, filled with children's books. Georgiana whispered to Will, "I brought my own copy of the book in case the copy here was borrowed. I didn't want to worry that I'd not be able to finish."

"That was probably a good idea. Where should I sit?" William whispered back, feeling decidedly uncomfortable. He wasn't great at meeting new people and felt a little out of his element.

"Maybe at the table in the front. That way you can smile at me and give me encouragement when I get nervous." The idea eased his own anxiety and he quickly grabbed a seat. William watched as his sister greeted a few of the younger children. One of the girls with little brown braids looked up at Georgie with nothing short of adoration. If nothing else, the reaction of these children to his sister should help her confidence. A small boy pulled up a chair right next to Will.

"Hi, I'm Eddie. Who are you?"

Holding out his hand for an introductory shake, William smiled at the boy. "Nice to meet you Eddie. I'm William, Georgie's brother."

"Who's Georgie?"

"My sister, the one who's reading to you."

"Ohhhhh. Miss Darcy. Why didn't you say so? Georgie's kind of a funny name."

"Well, it's a nickname actually. Is your first name Eddie or is that a nickname."

"It's a nickname. I get it. Anyway, Eddie's at least normal for boys. I've never heard of any girl with a nickname like Georgie. Hey can I sit on your lap while she reads?"

"Umm, sure? Where's your mom?"

"She's getting some advice about somethin' so I told her I'd come listen to the story while she did that."

"Well you can sit on my lap until your mom comes back but only if you listen quietly and don't disrupt Georgie."

"I wouldn't do that. I love this story. At my school, they taught us all about Greek Gods and I'd love to have special powers like Percy. Maybe that's why I don't have a dad. Maybe he's a Greek God and can't visit me." William smiled, unsure of what to say to the little boy so he simply placed him on his lap waiting for the story to begin.

Over the next 45 minutes or so, a small group of children listened closely, enraptured in the story of Percy, Annabeth and Grover trekking across America to save Olympus, battling monsters along the way. It was a good story and William thought he should get a copy for whenever he and Lizzy ever had children. Wait, where did that thought come from. He'd never thought of children, rather he'd never thought of specific children, his and a specific woman's children. They'd always been some amorphous someday idea. He allowed the idea to roll around in his mind. He knew they were years away from having kids but the notion of having them with Lizzy warmed him.

Story hour passed and the volunteer organizer offered to give them a tour of the facility and overview of the services offered. The breadth of services offered were impressive and he looked forward to returning to help prepare and serve a meal the next time they came.

He knew he was supposed to be using this time to talk to Georgie but wasn't sure what to actually talk about. "Do you want to grab a snack before we go back home?"

"Whatever you want," Georgiana answered displaying no emotion or opinion on the matter.

"Actually, I want to know what you want to do. I'm trying so hard to figure you out and I just can't seem to do it." William was exasperated. They'd been dancing around one another for too long and he was getting tired of it.

Startled by William's burst of emotion, Georgie looked at William trying to figure out what she'd done wrong this time. "I'm sorry I upset you. I'm truly fine to do whatever you'd like to do. I'd love some hot chocolate or something warm to drink I guess."

"Sorry, I shouldn't have yelled. I know the perfect spot to take you. Let's hop in my car and head back to Cambridge." It didn't take long to find themselves in front of Burdick's. Georgie grabbed a table while William got in line to order their drinks. She waited patiently for her brother. The car ride had been quiet and in reality, she had no idea what he wanted to discuss. His kindness, joining her at the shelter, bringing her to get hot chocolate, had totally thrown her off.

William placed the drinks on the table and sat down. "Lizzy introduced me to this place. I got the regular hot chocolate rather than her favorite. I wasn't sure if you'd like the spicier version she prefers."

"It's good. It's like drinking melted chocolate. I'm not sure I could manage more than a small. I'll have to thank her for introducing you to such a spot."

"Which I guess brings me to the point, what's changed? Why are you so much nicer to her now."

Georgie was startled by the directness of his question. William had always been a wonderful brother. When it came to her and difficult issues however, he usually found every way possible to avoid discussing them, or if push came to shove, he'd yell and tell her what she'd done wrong. But here he was calm. The question was straightforward enough to answer, Georgie just wasn't used to being asked, especially by William.

"I can see you're surprised. I've learned a few things from Lizzy, one of them being the importance of honest communication. So help me understand, what's changed that you're now kinder to Lizzy. Is it guilt or is there more to it?" William sat back in his chair and waited. He'd laid his cards out there and only hoped that his young wife was right as he looked at Georgie gaping open mouthed at him.

It was hard to avoid his gaze. There wasn't anger in his tone or voice. He actually seemed curious. This new William rattled her and without thinking she began to speak. "When I saw you, on the mountain, watching Lizzy get pulled from the trees, I could actually feel your heart breaking. It was awful, to see how much pain her accident caused you. And then seeing her so ill, and the peace she found when you would stroke her hand. I've never seen love like that. Never knew it could be like that. Before, I didn't understand how much you loved one another. I've caused you so much difficulty and pain. I wanted her gone so that I could get your love and attention back but instead, I only hurt you more and pushed you farther away. I don't want to cause you anymore pain so I thought, maybe if I could help Lizzy, at least one of us could be happy." These last words were uttered barely above a whisper. Georgie's eyes were intently focused on her drink, not daring to raise them to see the disappointment and anger she was sure she'd find in her brother's eyes.

His warm hand grasped hers, giving it a tight squeeze as he urged Georgie to look up at him. "You're right about three things. First, I love Elizabeth more than I ever thought possible in so short a time. Second, she makes me very happy. Third, seeing you help her increases that happiness. But that's where your understanding ends. There is no limit to the number of people who get to be happy. You can be too but you never will find happiness if you think that others need to be miserable for you to be happy. Likewise, I can't be truly happy if you aren't. I love you Georgiana. I'm angry at your actions but I will always love you."

William changed the topic of conversation towards school and her volunteering as they finished their drinks. There were some bright spots for her, taking care of her horse and helping at the shelter seemed to give her some sense of self worth.

Returning home William found Lizzy at work in the kitchen. "What are you doing in here?"

"Preparing dinner I believe." Lizzy retorted.

"Are you sure you're not pushing yourself too hard?" William asked as he slid a chair into the kitchen so she could sit down.

"Please don't worry so much about me. I had a very relaxing afternoon including a lovely warm bath, an hour long chat with Jane, and I even managed to start reading one of the books for the coming semester. I've made a very simple meal and the only thing I really need your help on is cutting up my food. While I'm getting pretty adept using my left hand, I still need you for that. How was your afternoon with Georgie?"

"It was informative," he answered with some ambiguity.

Lizzy raised her brow, waiting for him to continue as she sat, the steak and potatoes cooling on the top of the stove.

"She really doesn't think a lot of herself. Her self esteem is quite low although I think the time spent at the shelter and helping you these past few days actually may have helped. I think I'm less angry at her now in part because she's so miserable. I just hope she can continue to find ways to feel good about herself and permit herself to feel happy. I can't help but feel she needs more support. I simply don't know what to do for her."

Lizzy edged over to wrap her arms around William. "You're doing the best you can and if there is anything else you think you should do, I'm here to support you. Just say the word."

"Thank you." William pulled Lizzy into a tight embrace. He found so much comfort holding her. Who knew one could find so much love and support in the body of a 5'5" woman.

So? Thoughts, comments, reactions? Let me know if anything is unclear. I love your ideas and questions. I feel like writing on the web is so helpful to building out a story. I've got lots of people telling me what resonates...and what doesn't so please, please, please, leave me a review. Getting close to 1,000 reviews and it's really exciting to me :)