"Valentine's weekend?" Elizabeth confirmed, talking to Lucas as he drove from LA after work.
"Yeah. Its perfect, don't you think? You and me and Noa, traveling to Brownville as a family." It sounded perfect to him.
"To spend Valentine's with your parents? Sweetheart, maybe I'm selfish, but this is our first Valentine's together in five years. I was hoping we would get to be together. Just you and me."
"Oh."
"Babe, remember those stilettos you bought me in New York? I was going to wear those with a new red dress I splurged on. I was hoping we'd get a reservation and have a nice, romantic evening."
"I'm sorry, Beth. I don't know what I was thinking. I will see if we can reschedule our flight to a different weekend."
"You were thinking that you wanted to introduce your daughter and me to your parents and that's wonderful. I'm excited to meet them and so is Noa."
"I love you, Beth."
"I love you too, sweetheart. You know what? We have our whole lives to have romantic Valentine's dates. Let's go to Brownville."
"Are you serious? We can postpone. I don't mind."
"Lucas, we are getting married in like six weeks. There isn't much time left and I definitely want to meet them before we exchange vows, so I think we should go."
"Alright then I guess Friday afternoon, when you get done with class, we will head to the airport."
"Okay. Sounds great. We will be ready."
Elizabeth let her mind wander for the next few minutes while Noa played in the living room. She thought back to when she and Lucas parted ways in Cambridge. He had driven her to the airport for her flight back to LA. It had been the hardest goodbye she had every been through and still was.
…..
London Heathrow Airport, five years before
She clung to him, feeling her heart ripping apart at the thought of not seeing him for two months until they met again in Chicago.
"Maybe you can find a job in LA," she mumbled, kissing him with plenty of desperation and desire. "Please."
"I have a few prospects in New York. If they fall through, you never know."
He pulled back just enough to stare into her eyes and memorize every single freckle, of which she had three, and inch of her gorgeous face.
"I'll never be able to express to you how much you mean to me," he whispered. "You have my heart, Beth. Every beat is for you."
"You have my heart too, Luke. Every beat is for you."
She knew that this wonderful man she never dreamed of meeting, would be her husband one day. She couldn't imagine how it would play itself out, or when that would happen, but she felt that God had put him at Cambridge at the same time as her so they could find each other.
She pulled herself away from him a few long moments later and wheeled her bags into the airport, refusing to look back. Two months. Then they'd be together again.
……
Wednesday night
Lucas had a great idea and he knew that Elizabeth would be on board. He walked around the brand new dining room table they had picked out together lighting a few taper candles and a dozen tealights. The food smelled amazing but he didn't take credit for it. He ordered Italian and had it delivered.
He turned some soft music on his Bluetooth speakers that he had just hooked up the day before and smiled. "Perfect," he muttered.
She would be there soon after dropping Noa off with Elizabeth's parents for the evening.
He pulled the warmed plates out of the oven and set them on the white lacy table cloth he had found online. He knew Elizabeth would think it helped with the ambiance.
"Babe?" she called, walking in the door.
"Here."
He had told her to wear the stilettos and the red dress so she knew something was happening.
"Wow. You look….beyond amazing."
She turned and gave him a look over her shoulder, showing him the diamond cutout in the back of her dress.
"Look at you," she said, stepping into his space. She loved the no tie look with a white button down and charcoal pants.
"Happy Valentine's, love," he told her, taking a deep breath of her scent.
"Happy Valentine's Day." She kissed his cheek and gestured at the candles. "Nice touches. Lacy cloth, lots of candles, Italian food. If you hadn't already proposed, I'd think that's what your plan was this evening."
"I could propose again," he teased, making her laugh.
"I'd say yes, just like the first time."
He pulled her chair out and then slid it in after she sat. "Thank you."
"You're welcome."
He sat down across from her and held up the champagne. "Would you like a glass?"
"Sure. I'd love some. Just one though."
He nodded. She still needed to drive to her house after dinner. "I'm excited to have Noa stay with me tonight," he mentioned.
"She's really excited too. She talked non stop as we drove to Mom and Dad's about watching movies with you and all the bedtime stories and her new room."
Her new furniture was in there with the purple blankets she wanted and half of her "babies" or stuffed animals.
Chicken Parmesan and Caesar salad was on the menu and it was heavenly. Then he brought out a few cannoli and a small silver gift bag.
"What's this?"
"The Valentine's gift I have for you," he told her.
"I forgot yours! Shoot!"
He sat down next to her and held her hand. "It's fine, honey. I just need you."
"But…"
"It doesn't matter. You can give it to me tomorrow."
"Okay."
He handed the bag to her, curious to see her reaction.
She smiled and opened the bag, taking out a small item wrapped in tissue paper. She unwrapped it and gasped. "Oh my….Lucas."
"That's the diamond from your first engagement ring."
"My first?"
"I bought you one after I got settled in New York. I was going to propose when I met you in Chicago."
"Lucas…."
"I know and I didn't have a plan after that as far was how we could make it happen but I loved you so much, Beth. I just knew that I needed you to be my wife."
"So….this is from that ring? Its gorgeous."
"You, my amazing Beth are gorgeous. Inside and out. I love every single thing about you."
He lifted the necklace and fastened the clasp behind her neck.
"Thank you so much."
She stood and hugged him tightly, happy that he lived near them now. That he wasn't leaving her for two months again.
"I'm so glad you don't have to leave us."
"Leave?" He leaned back and tucked a stray hair behind her ear. "Of course not. This is my home."
"That day you took me to the airport in London…I missed you so much. My heart was breaking. Two months…it was torture waiting for Chicago."
"Especially once you found out about Noa," he acknowledged. "It was torture for me too and I wanted to tell you that I couldn't come. To talk to you."
"I want to spend the next fifty years with you, Lucas Bouchard. I don't ever want to be apart again."
"I feel the same way, honey. I'm not going anywhere."
……
"I love flying on airplanes, Daddy!" Noa said, bouncing on her new bed a few hours later. "And I'm so excited to meet Nana Helen and Grandpa Martin too! Does Grandpa look like you?"
"He's tall and has dark hair like me."
"You're so handsome. Is he handsome?"
Lucas laid down next to her and arranged her covers over her legs. "Nana Helen seems to think so."
"I'm hungry. Can I have a snack?"
He looked at his phone. 10:46pm.
"Too late for a snack, sweetie."
"Maybe some juice or milk?"
"Just a little. Stay here, sweet pea. I'll be right back."
He texted as he walked to the kitchen to find the purple cup Noa liked so much. "Your daughter has so much energy. I'm afraid she won't be to sleep before midnight."
Elizabeth called him, giggling. "My daughter?"
"Well, she is."
"I wish I was there."
"You could be here. I would be fine with that."
"Its weird being in this house all alone. Noa is always with me. Its so quiet."
"We have a guest room that has a mattress."
"I know but I am 28 years old. I need to be able to stay alone at some point."
"Why? Who do you need to prove anything to? Certainly not me. Personally, I'd rather have you here."
She thought for a moment. "Okay. I'll be over in a bit."
"See you soon."
Lucas wandered back into Noa's room expecting to find a wide away little girl but instead she was asleep. He put her cup of juice on the table by her bed, kissed her forehead and turned out her lamp.
"Goodnight, Noa Faith. I love you so much," he whispered.
……
Friday evening, Brownville, Nebraska
"I can't believe how much snow they have here," Elizabeth mused as they pulled into a driveway.
"I want to build a snowman!" Noa announced. "Can we?"
"I bet Grandpa Martin would love to," Lucas told her. "You should ask him."
Elizabeth's stomach felt fluttery. Meeting his parents….it was a brand new experience for sure. She wanted to be as fearless as Lucas had been with her parents.
"They will love you, Beth. You and Noa. Heck, they will probably love you two more than they love me."
"AWWWW, Daddy, that was a bad word!"
"Sorry, baby," he said, winking at Elizabeth.
Lucas got out, opened up Noa's door and chuckled as she jumped out, hopping like a rabbit in the snow. Then he went around and opened Elizabeth's door, holding out his hand for her to take.
"You'll be fine. I promise."
She nodded and squeezed his hand. He gave her a kiss and smiled. "Let's do this."
Elizabeth watched in amazement when Lucas walked in and Noa strolled in ahead of him like she owned the place.
"Nana Helen!" she said, wrapping her arms around the grandmother she'd never met. "Hi!"
Helen hugged her back, her heart full. She'd always wanted to be a grandmother. She wasn't a huggy person but this little girl was her own flesh and blood. She was going to welcome any hugs.
"You're Noa?"
"Yup! You're so pretty!"
"Thank you, dear. So are you."
Lucas knew Noa would be well received. "Mom? Where's Dad?"
"He's in the kitchen, fixing dinner."
"I'm here, I'm here."
Elizabeth looked at Lucas' father and immediately knew she was going to get along with him. He had beautiful green eyes like his son, he was tall and thin like his son and his smiled matched.
"Mom, Dad, this is Elizabeth Thatcher and our daughter, Noa."
"Grandpa Martin! Hi!" Noa said, raising her arms to the man. He hesitated for a split second and then picked her up.
"Hi, Noa. Its nice to meet you."
"You are tall! Just like Daddy."
"Yeah. I suppose I am."
Helen hugged her soon-to-be daughter-in-law. "Its nice to meet you, dear. Finally."