I'm back. Work has been nuts but with almost no long flights so I've had very little time to write. That said, I saw my father-in-law over Thanksgiving and he reminded me that he was waiting...so for him and all the rest of you, I've been working on this chap for over a month and I vowed to finish it before the US holiday weekend was over.

The notion of celebrity really captured a lot of you in your comments. I heard an interview from JK Rowling driving to work this month and she inspired Aunt Sophia's reaction below. I'll be interested in your reactions. Thanks to Mother of 8 for sharing so many tidbits and reactions as she read through it. I'll clean it up a bit. I realize now that I strayed a bit and will take those bits out. No beta and first time writing so I appreciate the thoughtful comments!

Here you go...a nice long chapter :)

Forty hours. Thankfully, her brain was still able to perform basic math even at 7:00 in the morning. Despite the hundreds of hours that had already passed, forty hours still seemed like an interminable amount of time. At least the countdown was on. With William away she'd gotten in the habit of sleeping with her phone right next to the bed. Turning it on, William's text flashed on the screen like a beam of sunlight. No amount of frustration from the prior evening could diminish the smile that brightened her face. Making her way towards the kitchen for a bit of tea and toast Lizzy found Charlotte hunched over her notes, a bowl of cereal and a mug of coffee already partially consumed.

"Morning."

"Hey there. I hope you don't mind that I helped myself to breakfast. I've got an 8am class and didn't want to wake you."

"Of course not. I'm just glad you stayed last night. I'm not sure I'd have managed to be so calm this morning if you hadn't."

"Oh Lizzy, you can't let idiots run your life. Karma bites back and you have to believe they'll get theirs sooner or later. And if I have anything to do with it, it'll be sooner." Charlotte winked and Lizzy smiled. "Now do you have some sweats, a hair dryer and some makeup I can borrow? I hadn't planned to stay over when we retreated here last night and I really don't want to be seen looking like I'm doing the walk of shame. If I'm taking that walk it has to be for something more than hanging with you my dear."

"You've got a long history taking that walk my friend so I doubt one more trip will impact your established reputation."

"Hey I'm reformed. Billy has turned me into an honest woman."

Lizzy raised her brows, curious as to Charlotte's outburst. "So how serious is this thing with Billy. I know you've made some comments about a future with him but we haven't really talked about it."

"Oh look at the time. I really need to get moving if I'm going to make it to class on time."

"Char, avoidance is my tactic not yours."

Charlotte sat back down on the kitchen bar stool in a huff, feigning frustration that she would have to divulge some deep, dark secret. Her small smile gave her away however. "He's so sweet Lizzy. He wants to please me so very much. Do you know, he's sent me flowers every month on the anniversary of our first date. I know he's awkward and very insecure but I've never had anyone pay me this kind of attention. I really like it."

Lizzy sat next to her. "I'm happy for you Charlotte. But can I point out you still haven't said if you actually like Billy. I understand you like his actions but is Billy the kind of person you want to be with for forever?"

Charlotte shrugged, "Forever? I have no idea. I do know that I want to make him feel special too. That's a good thing right?"

"Alright. That's enough for me. I'm glad he's being good to you."

Lizzy got up to retrieve the items Charlotte needed. Retreating to her room, she sat on her bed to review a few texts she'd already received this morning, one from each of Aunt Sophia, Richard and Georgie. Having written them all back to let them know she was doing fine, Lizzy began to get herself ready to face the masses.

Thirty hours left and a little bit more. That's what the time on her phone suggested as the alarm roused her from her too short nap. It was becoming a regular habit, a nap in the late afternoon, and she began to wonder how working women dealt with pregnancy. The lack of structure in her day gave her leave to be kind to her body. Despite the weariness still felt in her limbs, Lizzy's mind was already moving, reflecting on the day. It had flown by. She'd managed to ignore the stares and whispers following her around campus. Charlotte managed to grab a few of Lizzy's friends prior to her first class giving them a heads up that a little extra support for Lizzy might be in order. Charlie even joined the lunch with Jane and Charlotte. He seemed determined to maintain a level of good cheer sprinkled with a drop of hilarity. Charlie regaled them with stories only safely told when William was half way around the world. It seemed William had, during his time at Harvard College, had his fair share of fun. In one famed incident, he and Charlie had lost a very serious bet. The payback involved a toga, a bottle of gin, and the need to get said bottle of gin into a dorm room above the University President's office. Even better, Charlie had the pictures to prove it. Lizzy almost inhaled her water when he flipped to a photo of William, wrapped in a floral sheet, attempting to scale the side of Massachusetts Hall. What caught her attention most however, was the look on William's face. In the short time she'd known him, that carefree expression didn't appear often. William seemed to carry the weight of the world on his shoulders. She would need to find more opportunities to help him let his guard down and simply enjoy the moment. It was a resolution quickly made. How to accomplish this lofty goal was another matter. It was time for her to get ready and head to the Fitzwilliam's for dinner. Hopefully they'd planned a low-key evening.

Strolling down Charles Street, Lizzy paused in front of a small boutique children's clothing store to check out the adorable miniature clothing hanging in the store windows. It was hard to believe that in a few months she'd be giving birth to something that would fit into those tiny shirts, pants, and possibly, dresses. She was tempted to go in to browse but then recalled her destination. It would not do to appear on the Fitzwilliam's door step, baby clothes in hand.

She only stood on the front door step for a moment before Lizzy found herself enveloped in Aunt Sophia's arms. "Come in from the cold dear." A warm fire was burning in the family room and she quickly found herself seated next to it. "I've lived in the North for more years than I can count and yet I still can't abide the cold. I hope you don't mind but I've gone ahead and ordered dinner. We're having RedBones BBQ tonight. Henry is stuck in DC and I thought we girls could take advantage of the situation."

Lizzy relaxed, a smile on her face. "I'm famished and you know how much I love BBQ. Thanks for having me over."

"Of course. I saw the pictures and was angry on your behalf."

Lizzy smiled at Sophia's expression, a mixture of vehemence and determination. Her own frustration seemed to melt away when witnessing others reactions on her behalf.

"Were you able to sleep last night after all of the hubbub? I hope you didn't let the posts get to you."

Lizzy observed her new aunt a bit more closely. Sophia seemed more frustrated than Lizzy had previously imagined. "I'll be fine. I'm just not sure I'm used to the public attention yet. It doesn't make much sense why I'd be interesting at all."

This appeared to be the opening for which Sophia was looking. Sighing, Sophia took on a more serious demeanor. "We haven't talked much about the penalty that we - the family - are forced to pay by simply being related to someone in the public eye. I'm happy to share my own observations after all these years. I certainly have a few."

Lizzy was surprised. This thoughtful side of Sophia was different from the feisty mama bear or interfering aunt. She seemed, almost, reflective. "I'd love to hear whatever you are willing to share."

Sophia sat for a moment, trying to puzzle out how to explain the thoughts that had initiated her comments. "I love my husband. I'm happy and extremely proud to be married to Henry Fitzwilliam, the man. He is a wonderful person, a good husband and a very caring father and family man. Being married to Senator Fitzwilliam, head of a major political family that has been in the public eye for almost a century? That's another ball of wax. For three decades me and my children have been scrutinized by the press. There is no topic that's too personal. I've dealt with comments made about the clothes I wear, what schools we sent the kids to, my decision to work or not work. All of these have been a source of public discussion. I was once criticized for a dress I wore to a charity function in DC for showing off our wealth and having no sympathy for the beneficiaries of the charity. For Henry, he gets the satisfaction from the power and influence that comes with being a public leader. There's a kind of payback for the cost of publicity. But if I'm perfectly honest, for the rest of us, we simply have to be happy we're helping advance the cause. That's a bit of the situation you're in and I'm sorry."

"There is absolutely nothing for you to apologize about. You haven't done anything."

"Yes, but you see, as a member of the Fitzwilliam family combined with William's wealth and position at Pemberley, you will be scrutinized. William has grown up with it so he's likely not as sensitive to it. When I saw your image, how upset you were, I realized we should have prepared you more for this chaos. I truly hope you don't let these things get to you. I am always happy to listen if you want to complain. I surely understand."

"I'm kind of glad I didn't spend any time thinking about the public scrutiny before we got married. Fortunately, I have a few close friends to lean on in addition to you and Uncle Henry. Charlotte was with me last night and distracted me more than enough. I had no difficulty sleeping and even managed a nap this afternoon. I'm feeling well."

Smacking the sofa, the fiesty Sophia seemed to reappear. "Good girl. No sense in letting ridiculous people get the better of you. Now, I'm surprised to hear of you napping however. You've never struck me as one to sleep the day away. Is your concussion still giving you trouble?"

"I'm fully recovered. At least according to Dr. Daniels. It took awhile but it appears my head's still screwed on tight." The housekeeper popped in to let them know that dinner was waiting. Sitting in the Fitzwilliam's elegant dinning room felt odd as they heaped short ribs, brisket, and corn on the cob onto paper plates. Sophia pushed a glass of bourbon towards Lizzy.

"Oh I'm sure I can't. I've got an early class tomorrow."

"Come now. You're of age and I can't drink alone. Let's toast. To William and Henry's safe return. May they travel little without us in the coming year."

Awkwardly, Lizzy raised the glass to toast and brought it to her lips, intending to pretend a sip before setting it down. The smell of bourbon overwhelmed her and before she knew it, found herself expelling the contents of her stomach directly on the hand-knotted Persian rug covering the floor. Lizzy looked down at the floor in horror while Sophia ran to her side, rubbing her back and holding her hair away from her face.

"Oh my. I guess bourbon isn't agreeing with you tonight. You should have told me your stomach was upset."

"I thought I was fine. The smell overwhelmed me. I'm so sorry. I need to get something to clean this mess."

"Let's remove ourselves from the dining room. Rosa will take care of the rug, don't you worry. I raised three children in this house. The rugs and furniture have seen worse."

Their removal to the kitchen gave Lizzy an opportunity to regain her equilibrium. After a short trip to the bathroom, Lizzy realized her stomach was growling loudly. She desperately needed to replace the food she'd just lost.

"I'm making you some tea and toast while Rosa's taking care of the dining room. I wish you had said something about your stomach Lizzy."

"Honestly I was fine. I am fine. I'd actually love a little more of the brisket if I could. I promise that as long as we keep the bourbon away I won't be ill again."

Sophia seemed skeptical but said nothing before serving them both platefuls of brisket. "Are you sure your stomach can handle the brisket? It's a bit heavy."

"There's really no need to worry. I'm quite hungry, and the brisket tastes amazing. I'm a bit sensitive to certain aromas these days but should be perfectly fine as long as you keep the bourbon on your side of the table."

"These days you say. When did you start to become more sensitive?"

Lizzy realized she'd likely said too much and really did not want to continue this line of inquiry. Shrugging her shoulders she filled her mouth with another forkful of brisket hoping to dodge the question.

Sophia was not having it. "You know, when I was pregnant with my three children, I became very sensitive to smells. With Richard, the smell of eggs would send me running to the nearest trash bin. Henry loves egg salad and I swear for months I insisted he eat it in another room and brush his teeth before he came near me."

"Hmmm. That's interesting." Lizzy could think of little else to add to such a disclosure. Attempting to change the subject Lizzy began, "William's coming in on the 10pm flight tomorrow night. I was thinking about meeting him at the airport. Do you think if I arrive by 10:45 that will be early enough? I figure between passport control and his luggage it will take him awhile to actually appear."

"I'd probably be there by 10:30. He has Global Access so passport control will be fairly quick." Sophia paused for a few minutes before blurting out the question that had been at the forefront of her mind for the past twenty minutes. "Lizzy are you pregnant?"

Prevarication was not Lizzy's strong suit and between the shade of pink her face turned and the fact that her mouth was hanging open, very little needed to be said before Sophia was up and moving out of her chair. Lizzy found herself pulled into the lady's embrace. "Ohhh! How wonderful! How are you feeling, well, except for the nausea, and I guess sleepiness? I just knew it when you lost the contents of your stomach on my floor without a by-your-leave. And then when you sat down afterwards to a full plate of brisket I knew you had to be. Is William excited?"

Lizzy could do little besides shake her head yes. She'd had no intention of telling the Fitzwilliam's this information. William certainly hadn't wanted to let them know yet. Hopefully he wouldn't be too upset. "Aunt, it's still fairly early, only eight weeks so we're really not saying anything."

"Of course dear. Oh my what will you do about school?"

The following twenty minutes were filled with a thorough discussion of all that Lizzy had researched and the options she and William would need to consider. "You know we'll do our part to support you. You need just ask dear."

"Thanks. we appreciate it. Like I said, it's still early days."

"I won't say a word. Well at least only to Henry." Sophia was beaming from ear to ear and Lizzy become worried about the whirlwind her aunt by marriage could become. At least it wasn't her mother. That would be another story altogether.

Taking the T back to Cambridge was apparently out of the question. According to Sophia Fitzwilliam, any niece or nephew-to-be of hers needed to be fully protected and that only occurred in a black car. Lizzy found herself relaxing in the back seat of said limo when she felt her phone beginning to buzz. It was a number she didn't recognize but took the risk to answer.

"Hello?"

"Lizzy?"

"Papa? Is it you?"

"Si mi lucero. Como estas?"

"I'm wonderful papa. I miss you. How is mama? Lil and Kat? Is everyone ok?"

"We're fine. Everyone is fine. You know your mama and sisters. As long as they can shop all is good. They're out spending my money right now." He attempted to sound gruff but his underlying amusement was evident. Lizzy missed his grumblings. "And you? Your youngest sister seems to have found a way to track you on the web. She showed me a picture where you look like you're crying. Are you really ok?"

"I'm good, really," she sighed. "I'm just not used to the gossip and notoriety that comes with being married to William." Lizzy didn't want to talk about the nature of the gossip. Sharing the story with her papa might make him upset and she simply didn't have the energy to deal with his emotions in addition to her own.

"It's not like you to let a little gossip disturb you. Are you sure it's nothing? Usually you'd laugh off the ridiculous and petty."

"I'm really fine. I'm just a little more emotional than usual right now."

"Is that man of yours treating you alright? I trusted him. Was I wrong?"

"No papa. William is wonderful. He's in Asia right now for business. I miss him."

"Are you sure that's all it is? Some gossip and your man is away?"

Lizzy knew she should tell him about the baby. It wasn't right to keep such a secret from her papa but she didn't want to hear his thoughts about it. Didn't want to give him the opportunity to make her feel anything less than happy with her situation. "Yes. I'm fine. Do you think you'll be coming back to Boston soon?"

The phone was silent for a few moments before he spoke again. "No. Moving is hard and we're settled in. I told Maria its ok to sell the restaurant. I'm too old to manage it anymore and I don't want to move again."

"Will you tell me where you are?"

"When you're a citizen of this country. Graduate and get your citizenship. It will all be worthwhile if you achieve those two things."

"I will papa."

"Te quiero mi lucero."

The call ended. Lizzy was surprised she only felt a small bit of guilt for not telling him about the baby. Exploring this thought a bit more, she realized her feelings about her papa were quite confused. No, not confused. The feeling she felt was in fact completely different. She was angry. What was that about? When had that emotion emerged? She needed to think more about this newfound realization but before she had much time however her phone began to ring again. William. Pressing the button to accept the FaceTime request a broad smile emerged across her face only to be greeted by a matching one on her phone.

"Hello my sweet. I'm so happy to see you smiling."

"Twenty-five hours until you're here. Of course I'm smiling. I've missed you so much but it's finally beginning to feel like the wait is almost over."

"I've been counting down too. This trip was way too long. Are you really ok? I spoke to my uncle and Richard and they filled me in on what happened."

"I'm really fine. I'll be perfect when you're back. I was upset. Probably more than normal because of these pregnancy hormones. My emotions are a bit out of control but I got a lot of support from my friends. Charlotte spent the night with me and my friends did their best to cheer me all day long."

"I'm glad. Charlie texted me that he saw you and were fine but I'll feel so much better once I can see you and hold you.

"Soon. Where Are you?"

"I'm at the airport in the lounge. I decided there was no reason to wait around my hotel so I got here early. I'll eat here and begin to type up my notes from the trip. I don't plan to do anything this weekend except spend it with you."

"I like the sound of that. I'll try to get as much work done tomorrow as possible so I don't have to do too much over the weekend. As much as I hate to get off the phone with you, I'm pulling up to our building and I'm going to lose you in the lobby."

"Have a good night sleep and I'll see you in a day."

"25 hours...have an easy flight."

Arriving home, Lizzy quickly changed into her pj's before settling into bed, laptop on her lap and source books scattered around her. William's homecoming spurred a newfound resolution to complete her second draft of the paper due on Tuesday.

"Good morning. Matthew Fitzwilliam calling for the senator."

"Good morning Matthew. The Senator is flying back from DC this morning and then goes straight into a meeting. He's booked until lunchtime. Can he call you then?"

"Would you mind ordering sandwiches for us and I'll come by?"

"Sure. I'll let the Senator know. Email me what you like and I'll have everything ready."

"Thanks. See you at noon."

Matthew Fitzwilliam hung up the phone. He was relieved he'd have the opportunity to meet face-to-face rather than discussing matters over the phone. It would be easier that way. The conversation with his mother had been enlightening and it had sent him on a bit of a hunt: one that only raised more questions than answers. After taking care of a few emails, checking in on his wife, and discussing a matter with a young new associate at the firm, Matthew Fitzwilliam packed up his bag ensuring all was in order before he departed for the Senator's office.

A quick walk across the Common and he found himself waiting in the comfortable office, a corned beef and swiss on rye from Sam LaGrassa's tempting him.

"I'm impressed with your patience. I'm sure my sandwich would be half gone if I'd been made to wait."

"My good manners, hammered into me by my mother, are the only thing keeping me from devouring this sandwich before you arrived."

"Well let's eat first and then turn our attention to whatever matter you wished to discuss. I imagine it's related to the codicil?"

"Most certainly. I'm glad you asked me to look into it. Although it reminded me I'm not too old to still be surprised."

"I guess we better eat quickly although my tuna on rye looks no where near as good as yours. Between my wife and my secretary I can't get a decent meal anywhere. At least I can remove these damn tomatoes."

Looking seriously at the Senator Matthew chided, "After what happened to my dad, you should be glad you've got women in your life who watch over you. I wish he'd taken better care of himself."

"I know. I know. You taking care of yourself?"

"Yea. Elise has me on a vegan diet at home so this stuff isn't a regular part of my diet."

"Whoa. I'll quit complaining. You've got it worse. Eat up boy."

The men continued their light banter as they ate catching up on the relatively lighter subjects of upcoming vacations and daily life. It wasn't long however before Henry's curiosity won out over his hunger. Sandwiches largely devoured, Henry was ready to hear what Matthew had learned.

"Fortunately, my mother had chronicled Dad's succession of strokes, hospitalizations and time at home meticulously. She would make an excellent historian. Still it wasn't an easy conversation with her. I hadn't realized, hadn't fully appreciated how much my mom had managed at the time. I was in my early days at the firm and was working hard to prove myself and make partner. My sister was in her first year of her surgical residency and my brother was in his first year of grad school. I can't tell you how guilty I feel for not seeing all that my mom was dealing with at the time. If anything, I'm going to try to be a bit more considerate of my mom in the future."

"It's unfortunate that it takes hardship to appreciate people sometimes but it does seem to be the way. You realize it now and honestly, if your mom had asked, you would've been there for her. She knows that."

Matthew hoped the Senator's confidence was well placed. But that was neither here nor there. He couldn't change the past anyway. "Well thanks to my mom's penchant for detail, I was able to determine that my father's first stroke happened four days prior to the codicil he supposedly drafted and witnessed. That stroke didn't leave him fully incapacitated. In fact, he managed to return to work part time about six weeks after that first stroke but only for two weeks. A second stroke at the office incapacitated him. I was away. Traveling when it happened." Matthew's voice trailed off a bit, recalling the sunny vacation he and Elise had taken when they were abruptly called back to Boston. He looked up to see the Senator patiently waiting for him to complete his story. "Sorry. Um. Where was I? Oh yea, right. When he did return to work after the first stroke, he was in a wheelchair. My dad had most of his wits about him still but could only dictate and read. He couldn't really write or type very well after his first stroke. I can guarantee there's no way he actually witnessed that document. I realized after talking to mom that either the date on the document was wrong or dad's signature was forged."

"Can you determine when the document was created?"

"We log every document that's created in our systems. It wasn't created by any computer at the firm. I had my assistant research six months before and after the document's date. It wasn't created there."

"So what do you think we should do."

"The document was supposedly notarized by a paralegal in the office. We've checked the log books and it was properly recorded but the person no longer works for us. I've put in a request to HR to find out if they know where the person is now. I'll probably know more next week."

"Did your mom recall if Catherine was around during those days?"

"She actually recorded every visitor to my dad and yes, Cousin Cathy did stop by for a visit, two days before the document is dated. Of course, many others came by that day as well. It was the first day he had visitors outside of immediate family."

"So that's it? That's all you've learned?"

"I'm sorry. I wish I had more to tell you but that's all I've got for now. I figure we'll track down the former paralegal in the next week or two and that'll give us some additional clues."

Henry sighed. They now knew enough to be certain things didn't look right, but not enough to actually conclude anything of meaning. Shaking his head to clear his frustration, he looked across at his young cousin. "You've got nothing to apologize for. Where there's smoke there's usually fire. You've found the smoke; already dug up a lot of good information. I was just kind of hoping there was nothing to this. At the same time, I'm a bit relieved that there is. Does that make any sense?"

Matthew shook his head in agreement. He understood perfectly. "I'll keep in touch, once there's something to report."

"Anything I can do to be of help, just call." The two men stood, Henry reaching out his hand to the other gentleman. "Thanks. We'll get to the bottom of this mess."

"Yes. We certainly will."

Lizzy pushed the door open, bells ringing to announce the arrival of a customer. "Well, if it isn't Miss Harvard deciding to grace us with her presence. Wasn't sure if you'd come around here now that you've married that rich man you met at your school."

Rolling her eyes Lizzy scanned the restaurant for her sister. No sign of Maria. She realized there wasn't going to be a quick escape from Mrs. Phillips, the neighborhood's best gossip. Margarita Phillips actually ascended to that title with the departure of her own mother. There was only so much disdain Lizzy could reasonably feel given her own mama's history. At least Franny Benetez managed to bury some of the meanness in her remarks. This skill eluded Mrs. Phillips still. Putting on her best smile, she turned her attention to her mama's best friend and biggest competition in her childhood neighborhood. "Did you do something new to your hair? I swear you look as if you've erased years in the months I've been at school." It was a strategy she'd practiced during the years living with her own mama. Flattery as a form of distraction. It was a cheap ploy but one her papa used skillfully to manage his wife.

"How good of you to notice dear. I've started going to that fancy new salon that's opened up near the Monument. You know, those gays with their tattoos really know what to do with a girl's hair," Mrs. Phillips preened.

Lizzy sighed, there were some things she'd never be able to change. The older woman meant no harm with her words but the labels drove her nuts. "Well your hairdresser has done a beautiful job. Umm, have you seen my sister? We're meeting up tonight."

Scanning the near empty restaurant, Mrs. Phillips threw up her hands. "Maria was just here. I think she's in the back. I swear, I can't keep track of that girl. It's a good thing Mrs. Lopez is in charge of her."

"Thanks. I'm going to take a look in the back. It was nice to see you Mrs. Phillips. Send my best to your family." Before the woman could respond, Lizzy made her way towards the kitchen. The restaurant, which had been home for so many years, now felt foreign. Many of the faces were the same but her family wasn't here and each time she returned, everything felt...wrong. She really couldn't wait to leave. It was too hard to be here, in this place, without them.

"Hey LizBiz. You finally got here."

Lizzy spun around to see her sister appearing from the steps that led to their former home. "Maria, I was wondering if I'd find you. I was trapped by Mrs. Phillips and have been desperately searching for you."

"And you wonder why I disappeared." Maria said with a smirk.

"Touché. Do you think we can sneak out the back door?"

"I think that's a safer bet. I wanted to give you something first though. It's something I found as I was going through mama's old room." Maria handed Elizabeth a tattered pink book wrapped in a plastic cover. Opening it, Lizzy realized just what a treasure she'd received. It was her baby book. She hadn't even known it existed but in it she found a lock of her hair, a detailed family tree and all of those little notes about each of her firsts. Tears sprung to her eyes. This book would have meant a lot to her under normal circumstances but in her current state, with her parents so far away, it meant the world.

Lizzy grabbed her sister into a tight hug, "Thank you so much. I love it," she whispered.

Pulling away, slightly uncomfortable with the degree of affection Lizzy was expressing, Maria grabbed her coat and hat. "Let's eat. Where do you want to go?"

"I thought we'd walk down to Bukhara. I've been craving Indian and hoped you'd indulge me."

"Oh um, ok."

Lizzy raised her brows. "Is it a problem? We don't need to go there."

"No. I'm sure its fine. Let's go."

After a brisk walk down Centre Street, Lizzy and Maria found themselves seated, almost immediately, at a table overlooking the busy street. Lizzy watched as Maria turned three shades of pink, each successively darker then the prior as they were led to their seats. Lizzy was quiet as she watched the shy interactions between her sister and the waiter. Each casting furtive glances towards the other. Once their orders were placed, Lizzy turned the tables on her little sister. "He's cute, in a nerdy sort of way. But I never figured you for someone not Catholic. You've always been so serious about it all."

Maria thought she'd been discrete realized quickly enough that she'd been caught out. "He is Catholic. Apparently there's a strong community of Catholics in India and his family is from them." Blushing again, Maria was surprisingly forthcoming. "He is cute though, don't you think? And smart. Top of his class at Catholic Memorial and he understands what it means to juggle school and working in a restaurant."

Lizzy loved seeing this side of her normally serious sister. "Where did you two meet?"

"At church of course. Where else?"

"And have you gone on a date? Do I need to have a talk with him?"

"No. Nothing like that. We're just friends but I do think I like him."

"With the way he keeps looking over at you, it seems he likes you too."

"Do you really think so? I mean I thought he might but I wasn't sure."

Their conversation was cut short with the arrival of said waiter. Lizzy insisted on an introduction. The restaurant was bustling with activity so Sunil couldn't stay long but he hung out long enough for Lizzy to observe the way her sister's eyes lit up as he spoke to them. She didn't want to tease Maria too much. This was the first guy Lizzy could ever recall Maria showing an interest in and she wasn't about to do anything to squash her interest. Dessert on the house was delivered shortly after Sunil had departed providing Lizzy with confirmation that Maria's interest was shared. It would only be a matter of time before one asked the other out on a date.

As Lizzy rode the T back home, she reflected on how her relationship with Maria had changed since her parents' departure. Thrust into new roles in what remained of their family had enabled them to interact more as friends, supporting one another, rather than sisters competing for attention in a house where little attention was paid to the normal and and excessive amount was paid to the extremes. She vastly preferred the relationship they were now developing. By the time she returned home, it was almost time to leave again for the airport to pick up William.

It was amazing that 20 minutes could feel as long as the more than 200 hours that had already passed since he'd left Boston. And yet, standing in the baggage claim area waiting for his bags to be unloaded was torture. He'd confirmed a car would be waiting to take him home. Home to Elizabeth. It was the purest form of torture to be so close and yet so far.

Searching for his name on a little white placard, William wasn't examining the faces of the people gathered in the waiting area. He was confused. Did he provide the wrong flight information? Pulling out his phone to check the text he'd sent he saw one flash on his screen. "Look up." And he did.

His Lizzy was standing twenty feet in front of him, her bright eyes and beautiful smile welcoming him home. Boy was he glad to be home.

Ok so lots of little progress across a bunch of topics...and William's home! Thanks to all of you still willing to hang in there with me even though my pace has slowed considerably! I promise I will finish and we're much closer to the end than the beginning. Comments, thoughts, reactions very, very helpful!

Thoughts, questions, comments are helpful and soooo appreciated :)