Grace walked downstairs, ready to start a new day. And new year. Her lips were curled up in a happy smile as she walked through the living room of the orphanage and stepped out to go to the kitchen. Lillian and the kids were still not up, so Grace decided to start on the breakfast as it was Bertha's day off.

It was January 1st 1921. Monday. A brand new day, the first page of the brand new chapter of the upcoming year.

Grace hummed softly to herself as she worked, her mind taking her back to last night.

It was heavenly.

It was perfect.

After they left the planetarium, they walked until late hours, reluctant to part ways. They visited Christmas market on its last night, kissed under the mistletoe, talked and laughed as they walked through the city, her palms tucked in the crook of his arm as they walked through the crowd, only to have his arm back to being wrapped around her as soon as the streets were clearer.

Something shifted in their relationship last night, she could just feel it. They moved forward. It may not be visible to people around them, but Grace knew that last night was special. He held her like never before. She leaned into him like never before. They have found a home in each other, a place that was warm and loving. She could feel it in the way he kissed her bare shoulders last night. He was so gentle with her. So sensual. So loving.

Grace closed her eyes and let out a sigh, getting lost in her thoughts…

A sound of boiling and some strange one too, like sizzling, snapped her out of her daydreaming. She spun around and gasped as she saw the milk overflowing from the bowl and burning on the stove.

"No, no, no, no, no!", she silently screeched, dropping the mixer and running toward the stove. In her hurry she forgot to use the tablecloth and yelped in pain as she burned her left palm on a hot bowl.

Hissing in pain, she quickly took the napkin and removed a bowl with her right hand. When she did that, she hurried toward the sink and opening the faucet, she exhaled in relief as cold water soothed her burned skin.

The burned milk reached her nostrils and Grace scrunched up her nose, still not being ready to close the water.

"What's this?", she heard Lillian's voice. Her sister rushed to see what's going on and Grace grimaced. Lillian took one look at the stove, then at her sister, her eyes opening up in panic "Grace! You're hurt!"

Grace grimaced.

"It's nothing, just a small burn. You know how clumsy I can be…owww!", she hissed in pain as Lillian gently took her palm and inspected it.

Lillian shook her head.

"We have to treat it before you get blisters", she quickly left the kitchen, only to come back with a small box in her hands "Sit down", as they sat at the table, Lillian opened a small box and gently took Grace's palm in her fingers. As she applied a bit of a cream, Grace let out a sigh of relief, making Lillian smile "Calendula balm. It's good for the burns. Shouldn't leave you with a scar either.

Grace smiled gratefully.

"It feels better already", she silently said "Thank you, Lillian."

At that moment there was a knock at the doors.

"You get that, I'll clean up here", said Lillian "And careful with that hand."

Grace nodded before she rushed out from the kitchen to get to the doors.

Who might that be?

She unlocked the doors and opened them to see a boy around 15 years old.

"Hello. Is Miss Grace Bennet at home?", he asked with a small smile.

Grace softly smiled in confusion.

"Hello. I am Grace", she replied and watched confused as the boy reached behind the wall…

Only to gasp in surpriss as he handed her a basket full of red roses!

"This is for you, Miss. Good day. And Happy New Year", said the boy and with a small wave, he walked away.

Grace looked down at the basket in her hand, then at the boy and said out loud:

"Thank you! Happy New Year to you too!"

As she closed the doors Grace quickly inspected the basket for a note…

A-HA! There it is.

She quickly pulled it out and opened it, careful not to moisten it with calendula balm.

"Bonjour, mon amour,

Nous sommes enfin en 1921, l'année la plus belle et la plus heureuse de ma vie.

Parce que cette année nous allons nous marier.

Et si tu n'es pas certaine du nombre de jours il reste jusqu'à notre mariage, comptes le nombre de roses pour en être sûre.

A mon avis ils sont encore trop nombreux. J'ai toujours été fier d'avoir une patience d'acier, mais je dois avouer que j'en manque en ce moment.

Je donnerais tout au monde pour être déjà marié avec toi... Même le côté droit de notre lit.

J'ai hâte de te tenir dans mes bras toute la nuit, ma magnifique Grace.

Je t'aime mon ange.

A toi pour toujours,

Lucas"

("Hello, my love.

It is finally 1921, the most beautiful and happiest year of my life.

Because, this year, we are getting married.

And if you are not certain how many days are left until our wedding, count the roses just to be sure.

If you ask me, there are still too many of them. I always prided myself with steel patience, but I have to confess that I am lacking it right now.

I'd give anything in this world to be already married to you… Even the right side of our bed.

I can't wait to hold you in my arms all night long, my beautiful Grace.

I love you, my angel.

Yours forever,

Lucas")

Grace's lips curled up in a happy smile and she brought a note to her lips, kissing it.

She picked up a basket full of roses and rushed back into the kitchen.

At hearing the footsteps Lillian turned around and gasped.

"Oh, my!", she smiled, so happy for her sister "Those are beautiful!"

Grace sighed happily as she put the flowers on the table and inhaled their beautiful scent.

Bouncing slightly on her feet she turned toward Lillian.

"Okay, let's make breakfast", she tried to go back to cooking, but Lillian stopped her.

"Oh, no you don't! Not with that hand!", she said.

Grace's shoulders slumped.

"Oh, come on, Lillian! What am I supposed to do?", she asked.

Lillian's eyes twinkled with a teasing glint as she opened the drawer and took out a fountain pen and notebook. She gave it to Grace who creased her eyebrows in confusion.

"You can start with writing guest list for your wedding", she said with a smile and winked "Or you can think of a text for the invitations for the Governor's Ball, or that dinner you said you will host", she turned on her heels and glanced back at her sister "What did you say you have to do at that dinner?"

Grace grinned as she opened the notebook.

"Oh, you know… Entertain the old crows", she quipped and both she and Lillian bursted to laugh.

Lillian poured a bit of batch on a pan, making pancake and for a moment she watched Grace as she was writing down in a notebook.

"Soooo…how did it go last night?", she asked.

Grace peeked at her sister under her eyelashes with a sof smile, making Lillian smirk.

"Ah, that good!", she shook her head as she flipped the pancake.

Grace exhaled.

"He took me to dinner. And then to the planetarium. He even found strawberries, Lillian", Grace murmured, her voice laced with emotions "He is going to spoil me rotten."

Lillian smiled at seeing her sister so happy.

"Good. It's about time someone does that. You deserve it, Gracie", she gently said.

Grace let out a sigh, as both smile and tears showed up on her face.

"But, enough about me!", Grace grinned "Was everything alright here last night?"

Lillian nodded as she went on with making pancakes.

"Yeah, it was great. Carson helped me with the kids and we even gossiped a little bit", quipped Lilluan.

Grace's eyes widened.

"What?! About what?!", she gasped.

Lillian's shoulders shook from laughter.

"Not 'about what'. 'About who'", she pressed her lips tightly together, barely holding back her laughter.

Grace gasped loudly.

"Oh, you didn't!", she dropped the fountain pen as her mouth went slightly gaping.

Lillian let out a giggle, unable to hold it back.

"He just asked me how it all started between you and Lucas…", she said and bit inner side of her cheek in order not to lose it.

Grace relaxed a bit.

"Well, okay…That's not so bad", she murmured.

Lillian started to giggle once again.

"And then I told him about the time you came out from your room not knowing that Lucas was here", by now Lillian was crying from laughter.

Grace gasped and threw a table cloth at her sister.

"Lillian!", she gasped "I was a mess that day! I had my hair all tangled up in that stupid brush! You could have given me a warning that he was here before I stormed in, yelling for help!"

Lillian laughed even louder at that.

"Oh, Gracie, I will never forget the look on your face when you saw him, your hair sticking in all directions and brush stuck somewhere in the middle!", giggled Lillian "You were already in love with him back then! And from I could see, he didn't mind seeing you on a daily basis either… even with your unruly hair!"

Grace slammed her head down on the notebook, groaning as she remembered that day.

It was stuck.

Grace's eyes went wide open as she tried to pull a brush out of her hair, only to have it even more tangled.

Oh no.

She tugged at the brush, grimacing in pain and slightly whining as she thought of the mess she made of her hair.

It probably looks like a bird nest now.

A very angry bird's nest.

Groaning in frustration, Grace opened the doors and rushed down the stairs.

"Lillian! Help!"

She jumped over two last steps and rushed into the living room from where she heard her sister's voice, not looking up as she exclaimed:

"Please, get this horrendous thing out of my hair! I look like a chicken electrified", she turned around to present the horror on her hair to her sister.

Nothing happened.

Grace huffed in frustration as she started to turn around, a brush bouncing on her head with every movement she made.

"Lillian, what…", she started to talk, but her words died in her throat when she saw who was standing next to Lillian.

Lillian was wiping tears of laughter as she put the plate full of pancakes in front of her sister.

"I swear, that man stared at you like you were one of the Seven World Wonders!", she managed to squeak out.

Grace placed her forehead on her palms and groaned:

"Oh, I was a wonder, alright! Straight from the circus tent. My hair was so messed up and I was wearing that horrendous bathrobe", she dragged her fingers down her face "Thanks for reminding me of that horror. I almost forgot all about it."

Lillian shook from laughing hard.

"You were so cute standing over there, eyes wide opened in shock", she laughed even harder "And poor Lucas was a sight to behold. He barely blinked as he looked at you!"

Grace shook her head.

"I hope he doesn't remember", she mumbled silently.

Lillian stifled a laugh.

"What? That he doesn't remember seeing you in a bathrobe for the first time?", at seeing her sister's face Lillian bursted to giggles "Oh, I highly doubt it!"

Grace groaned in frustration as Lillian giggled like mad.

"Come on", said Lillian as she wiped her tears of laughter "Let's eat before the munchkins are up."