Durham, North Carolina, about 20 miles from Raleigh
"Emma and Larry, right?" Elizabeth asked, wanting confirmation on Lucas' grandparent's names.
"Yep."
She nodded and squeezed his hands.
"Now who's nervous?" he asked. "I remember not three weeks ago, you telling me that your parents would love me as much as you do. Well, Emma and Larry Bouchard are the most down to earth, loving people I know. They will also love you as much as I do."
They pulled into the driveway of a large home, not what she expected two almost 85-year-old people to live in. But he was a successful architect in his day. He had obviously done well for his family.
"Wow, Lucas."
"I know. We have tried to get them to downsize, since they only use the lower level of the house, but they are happiest here, where they raised their children."
The blue door of the home opened, and a tall, white-haired man shuffled out, holding the hand of a much shorter white-haired woman.
"Oh gosh, they are so cute. I love them already."
Lucas smiled and kissed her quickly. "Let's go say hi."
She nodded and waited while he crossed in front of the car and opened her door for her.
Then he took her hand and led her up the long brick sidewalk to the house.
"Look, sweetheart," Larry said with a Bouchard grin. "It's our Lucas and his lady friend."
"Yes, my love. Don't embarrass the boy," she said, swatting his arm.
"That's alright, Gran. I can take it." Elizabeth melted when Lucas kissed and hugged Emma.
"I've missed you, Lucas. You need to visit more often," she said patting his cheek. "Now I'm done bugging you about it. Introduce me to your girl."
"Gran, Grandpa, this is Elizabeth Thatcher. Elizabeth, my grandparents, Emma and Larry."
Emma scooped her into a grandmotherly hug and kissed her cheek. "Yes, you're just as lovely as Lucas told us."
"Thank you," she said, blushing. "Its wonderful to meet you both."
Larry hugged her too and then they all went inside.
"Who would like some coffee and cookies? I made my special oatmeal chocolate chip ones," Emma said, a bit of pride and happiness in her voice.
"I would. May I help you get them?" Elizabeth asked.
"I would love that, sweetie," Emma said, leaving the two men in the cozy living room.
"She's beautiful, son," Larry told Lucas. "I can see why you are taken with her."
"She is and I'm going to marry her one day."
"Good to hear, good to hear." Larry groaned as he sat in his leather recliner. "Congratulations, Lucas. On your graduation and your new job. I'm very proud. Course, I've always been proud of you."
"That means a lot, Grandpa. Thank you. I could use some advice, though."
"Happy to give it, for whatever its worth."
"How did you know when it was the right time to marry Gran?"
"You know the story, Lucas."
"Yes, but in your heart, how did you know that it was the right time and not too soon? I feel as if she's in a rush, but I don't feel like it would be right to get married now when I'm just starting a job and she's still in school."
"Now being in a rush to get married…that's one thing. With your Gran and I…we just had all our ducks in a row, so to speak. Your ducks are still wandering."
Lucas laughed. "Nice analogy, Grandpa."
"Thank you. Now, what I will say is that you are going to be the head of your household. You will be responsible for making those big decisions, not without her help of course. That's why the Bible calls them 'helpmates.'"
"That's a lot of pressure."
"Yes. Being a husband and a father is one of the most important and hard yet rewarding jobs out there."
"So is being a wife, my love," Emma said, wandering in with Elizabeth by her side.
"Of course, sweetheart."
"I'm sorry, are we interrupting?" Elizabeth asked, handing a teacup of coffee to Lucas. "I can go back out."
"Of course you don't need to leave, babe. I'd love it if you'd stay."
She nodded and joined him on the flowery loveseat.
"I was just asking Grandpa for advice."
"What kind of advice?"
"About marriage."
Elizabeth almost choked on her coffee. "Marriage?"
"Yeah. I told you their story. I just wanted to know how he knew it was the right time to get married and not too soon."
"What did he say?"
"That our ducks are still wandering."
Elizabeth giggled. "I don't know what that means."
"He and Gran were established. They had jobs and a home and they were in the right place."
"And we aren't."
"Not yet. We just have to be patient, Elizabeth."
She nodded, her face heating, her eyes looking down.
"May I speak with you alone?" he asked, standing and holding out his hand.
She stood and took his hand, her eyes filling with tears.
"I'm sorry, Elizabeth. I didn't mean to embarrass you. Forgive me?"
"I just…yeah."
"I'm sorry. I didn't know you and Gran would be back so soon. I trust Grandpa. I knew he would tell me what I needed to know."
"I understand. It just felt like I was being thrown under the bus. Like you were saying that I'm pressuring you and now they think that I am doing that. I'm not, Lucas, and if you feel like I am, please tell me."
"I'm feeling pressure but not all of it from you. I'm going to be a husband one day and a father, I hope, and my job is huge. I'm worried that I won't be able to do it all."
"You won't have to do it all, Luke. You'll have me. Just like your Grandpa said. I'll be there to help you and support you."
She hugged him hard and he wrapped her up in his arms just as strongly.
"I know we have time before we can consider marriage and I will be fine with that. I'm so sorry that you were feeling any kind of pressure from me. I just love you so much and it's hard to think that I won't be seeing you every day anymore."
"Elizabeth, I'll call you after I get off work. I can't promise every night but I'll try."
"And I'll come up to Charlotte on the weekends. After my class on Friday night, I'll drive up and stay until Sunday."
"And you'll stay in my guest room and we will go out for breakfast on Saturday and Sunday," he told her.
"And we can make dinner together on Saturdays?"
"Yeah. We'll make dinner."
…..
A few days later, Lucas and Elizabeth drove all of his belongings up to Charlotte. He had placed a few applications online for apartments and they were going to meet the landlords right now.
As they wandered through the first apartment, Elizabeth was unimpressed. It was tiny, like dorm room tiny. The bathroom had carpet of all things and the ceilings had water stains.
"Does the roof leak?" Elizabeth asked.
"No. It has in the past but that's been repaired."
"There's no fridge?" Lucas asked.
"Its as is," the guy told him, staring at his phone.
Elizabeth shook her head and Lucas agreed.
"We'll let you know," Lucas told him.
"I have a waiting list so make it soon."
"Okay, well, I guess I'll make this quick. I think we will pass."
"You're choice."
"Yep it is."
The next one was a one bedroom and one bathroom. Huge closets and nice new furnishings. The only hitch was it was a two year lease.
Lucas would have jumped on a one year right away but he had plans that would entail getting a house with a certain pretty girl in a year.
"Its so nice, Lucas."
"I know but maybe I should be looking for a duplex or something. Something where maybe I'm not tied down for so long."
"Tied down? Don't you plan on working here long?"
"I do." He looked at the woman landlord. "May we have a moment?"
"Of course." She wandered to the kitchen, leaving them in the bedroom.
"Babe," he said, pulling her into his space. "A year from now, I don't want to be tied to an apartment. I want to have the freedom.. I want us to have the freedom to start our lives."
"Oh." She looked down and blushed.
"Elizabeth, I don't want to wait more than that."
"Me either."
"I want us to buy a house and have it be exactly what we want. For our family."
"Our family," she repeated, a smile on her face. "I love the way that sounds."
"So then…"
"Then, let's keep looking."
As they drove downtown to see if they could find anything, they stopped and ate lunch.
Elizabeth started out happy and excited to be there but once their food came, she was just pushing it around on her plate.
"Elizabeth?"
"Hm?"
"Not hungry?"
She was but…she was realizing that they had only one more day together before he started his job and she went back to Raleigh to help Rosie plan her wedding.
Lucas got up and joined her on her side of the booth. "We will make it through this, babe."
"I know. I'm trying hard to be patient and to be okay with this. I promise I am."
"I'll miss you," he told her.
"Me too."
"Let's try to make the most of the next twenty four hours. Enjoy ourselves."
"Deal."
He touched her chin, tipping it up just enough to kiss her. "I love you."
"I love you too."
…..
They didn't find any good places to live that afternoon or the next morning so Lucas decided he would stay at his Airbnb condo for a bit.
"I'll see you soon," he whispered as they said goodbye. Rosie had showed up to take Elizabeth back to Raleigh.
"Next weekend," she sniffled. "I love you."
"I love you too."
She forced herself to walk away and not look back. She'd never leave if she did. She just wanted to stay in his arms. Safe and loved.
As Elizabeth opened Rosie's passenger door she heard Lucas call out her name. She turned to see him walking quickly to reach her. With a puzzled look, Elizabeth started to ask him what was wrong but Lucas didn't give her a chance to say more than his name.
In an instant he grabbed her waist, closing the car door in the process. Arms wrapped tightly around each other, Lucas planted a series of kisses starting with her lips and all over her face and neck, and ending again at her lips with a deeply passionate kiss.
Foreheads resting against each other, trying to catch their breaths, blushing Elizabeth giggled and started to ask, "What was…?"
But Lucas cut her off with another quick kiss on her lips and said, "I needed this memory to keep me warm at night without you here next to me."
Elizabeth smiled, delighting Lucas as her blush spread further down her neck, and pulled him in for another kiss.
"I'll see you next weekend."
Lucas placed a gentle and loving kiss on her forehead and whispered, "I love you, Elizabeth, so very much."
Sighing, she replied, "I love you too."
With tears threatening, Elizabeth turned and got into Rosie's car. A tear escaping her eye she looked up into the shocked face of her best friend.
For once slightly speechless Rosie looking at her best friend said, "Well, that certainly heated things up." Rosie made a show of fanning her face but Elizabeth just wiped her tears.
"Aw, Beth. Let's put a smile on your face," Rosie said, grinning for all she's worth.
"Maybe I should just quit school and marry him," Elizabeth said, only halfway teasing.
"Sure, why not?"
Elizabeth giggled. "Because I'm not you and because we have our own plan."
"You and your plans."
"Nothing wrong with that."
"Of course there isn't. Lee and I have plans too. So what plans do you have?"
"We talked about buying a house in a year. After I graduate."
"Where?"
"I assume Charlotte."
"But what about managing your beach properties?"
"I think I could start with managing a property here." Honestly, as long as she was close to Lucas, she would be fine.
"You love him?"
"Yes. Very much."
"I'm so happy for you."
Elizabeth again wiped the tears from her cheeks and smiled.
"Enough about me. Let's get to planning your wedding."
"You know it's good that we are getting married in a month," Rosie told her.
"Why's that?"
"I'm sort of pregnant."