"Henrik! It is so good to hear your voice!" Roxanna said happily, and he smiled to hear her. It had only been a few days since they had last spoken, but it felt like much longer. "Are you settling into your position any better?"

"I wish that I could tell you yes," he replied carefully as he stretched out on his sofa, staring at the painting on the wall as he tried to think of what to tell her. Graham was being a little harder on him now, since he had proven himself in theatre enough to impress the man, and while that pleased him to an extent, he still felt like he was floundering. "I miss you. We haven't seen each other in weeks, and I thought this would be easier."

"Well, here's the good news, then. Since you sent my your schedule, I was able to ask for a few days off from work, and I am going to visit at the end of the week. My train arrives on Thursday evening, and I have to head back Sunday evening, but for two glorious days, I'm yours."

He smiled as his eyes closed, picturing her face on the other end of the line. "I do have to work Sunday morning, you know."

"I know, but this will give me the opportunity to explore the area and I can still head to church, and it will perfect. Do you know how much I am looking forward to being in your arms once more? You haunt my dreams, int the best possible way, darling."

Henrik chuckled a little. "You traipse through my dreams as well. According to Graham, I've said your name in my sleep whilst trying to catch a nap in the on-call room."

"Oh!" The sound was so pleased that he couldn't stop a matching sound of pleasure from escaping his lips as well. "Why does it have to be Monday evening and not Wednesday? Three more sleeps, I don't know if I can make it."

"You can do anything you set your mind to, Roxy. Did you get my last letter?"

"Uh huh. I loved being able to see a little of what you get to see every day. And your skyline is beautiful. Please, would you mind going to the roof one morning before the sun rises and taking a few pictures of that? I know, you've been so kind to take so many pictures already, but…I jealously want a few more."

"I will oblige you, Roxanna."

"Good. Now, I would send you my letter, but I'll be with you before it arrives, so I'll hand it to you myself. I'm already starting to prepare for going back to Boston, can you believe that? Time is simultaneously going by too quickly and too slowly. I've already put some feelers in at your hospital in Sunderland, since they have a pretty good neurosurgical department. I think that I stand a pretty good chance to get in there, but I don't want to jinx anything, you know?"

"I do, yes. Um…"

"Yes, Henrik?"

He took a deep breath before opening his eyes and staring at the painting once more. "I'm casually seeing one of the therapists here. We met up on the roof, I think I wrote about that in one of my letters to you?"

"Yes, Caroline DeBlaay, right? I'm so glad that you're talking to someone, Henrik, even if it is a casual thing. I know that I won't be able to fix everything in you, so knowing that you have a good support system in place is a blessing to this heart of mine." He heard her sniffle a little, and clucked his tongue at the notion of having made her cry. "Hush, you know I cry easily at some things! Like, when I see you Thursday evening. Oh, Dad wanted me to tell you that he can't wait to see you again. I know that it will be a while, but he likes you! He hasn't really liked any of my past boyfriends, so that is a great accomplishment."

"That's always good to know," he said quietly, thinking about how much he wanted to continue making a good impression on Callum. "So, read any good books lately?"

"I'm actually rereading Persuasion right now. I always come back to this book when I have time. I know, you'd think I was an Emma, right? The bubbly personality who believes in true love and pushing people towards their right path, that seems like me. But I have always felt this affinity for Anne, deep in my bones."

It was another puzzle piece to Roxanna that he filed away in his heart, and he let out a soft sigh. "I wish that I had a book like that. But I find it so difficult to get into fiction."

"Perhaps you haven't read the right book? I know that I have to find a particular voice to draw me in, but I'm not always successful at finding the author who fits me. Have you ever read Austen? I know that her wit would appeal to you greatly."

"Perhaps. So, I should start with that book, then?"

"No, I think you should start with Pride and Prejudice." He made a noncommittal sound in the back of his throat, and Roxanna chuckled a little. "I suppose that you want to start with my favourite, even though I'm telling you that it's not one you can just jump into?"

"Guilty," he said as he rubbed his head a little. "I just want to understand you more, Roxanna. Being able to have these little pieces of you that I can hold onto and treasure for when we're separated. Though I suppose that I should listen to you, shouldn't I?"

"And why would that be?" she asked with a teasing lilt.

He swallowed a little, knowing that if he rolled his eyes, Roxanna would know and call him out on it. "Because you are generally right. As much as it pains me to admit that, you are going to always be my better half."

"That is what a girl loves to hear, Henrik. But I rather think that you are my better half, too. So if we have two better halves, does that make us a more perfect whole?"

Henrik did like the sound of that, so he nodded a little as he reached for his mug of tea, sipping from it before answering her. "If you'd like to think of us that way, I would be most pleased. The two halves of our hearts melding together to become stronger in the end."

"Yes. Oh, Henrik, I cannot wait to see you in a few days! Just know until we meet again, I love you truly and deeply. Dad is giving me the wrap it up look, otherwise I'd talk your ear off until I fell asleep."

"And I would gladly allow that. But I also need to start making supper before winding down for the evening. These six a.m. shifts seem to come earlier and earlier as the days go on."

"Yet you were never one to shy away from even earlier days in the lab…"

"Yes, well, that was when I could do exactly as I pleased and call it an early day if need be. One can't do that in the professional setting." He listened to her chuckle softly, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "All right, I will let you go now. Until Thursday, I carry your heart close to mine."

"Just as I carry yours with mine." They kissed into the receivers, and then he hung up, so glad that he had something to look forward to for the end of the week.