Elizabeth's house

"Daddy!" Nora squealed, tackling Lucas' knees. "Daddy, up!"

Lucas smiled and picked up the beauty, receiving her sweet hug. "Hello, Nora."

Elizabeth stood motionless, staring at the two of them. Her cheeks turned red as her heart opened just a bit more and caused her to yet again wonder what their future looked like. Would it be together as just friends?

"Elizabeth?"

"Hm?"

"You look nice," he told her.

"You too. Thank you."

She turned her attention to Amie and Ace who were standing by Lucas. "Hi, guys. I hope you like mac and cheese."

They both cheered and jumped up and down.

"Excellent. Why don't you all take your shoes off and we can go into the kitchen."

"Go," Nora said, wiggling to get down and follow the other kids, leaving Elizabeth and Lucas alone for a moment.

He took his own shoes off and gave her hand a squeeze. "Hey. Thanks for inviting us over."

"Thanks for coming. I made a roast chicken and some veggies that hopefully the kiddos will eat."

"It smells wonderful."

She didn't add, "and so do you" which is what she was thinking.

As they sat down, Lucas sat between his kids and Elizabeth next to Nora. "Mama?"

"Yes, baby."

"Pay?"

"Yes, baby. We are going to pray."

Lucas smiled and Elizabeth asked if he'd like to say the blessing.

"Sure." He took one of each of his kid's hands and they all bowed their heads except for Ace. He tried to instill faith and love for God in his kids. Amie took to it well but Ace was a hard one. He listened quietly to prayers but never said amen or bowed his head.

"Lord, thank you for the food before us and the hands that made it. We appreciate the gift of friendship, for Elizabeth and Nora and for life. Thank you for all that you give to us every day and please forgive us for our mistakes. Through Jesus' name, Amen."

"MEN!" Nora yelled, making Lucas chuckle.

"Good job, Nora," Elizabeth told her.

After they were all eating, Elizabeth asked about their trip. "So what did you guys do on your trip?"

"We swimmed!" Amie said. "It was so fun! I can doggie paddle now!"

"You can? That's so exciting! What about you, Ace? What was your favorite part about the trip?"

"Talking to Grandpa. He's like me," he said quietly. Elizabeth wasn't sure exactly what he meant but she didn't feel like Ace would tell her, so she kept quiet.

"I'm glad you have him to talk to," Lucas told his son.

"Are you both ready to start school?" Elizabeth wondered. Apparently that was the wrong question because Ace frowned and stopped eating.

"They have nerves," Lucas mentioned.

"I can't read good!" Ace yelled. "I don't want to go if kids are going to make fun of me!"

"Kids used to make fun of me too," Elizabeth mentioned. "My mom always said that I was beautiful but I knew she had to say that. I was pudgy as a little kid and I felt so different. I didn't want to be different. I wanted to just look like everyone else."

"Me too! Its not fair!"

"That's true, Ace. Life feels unfair. You know what though, I grew out of my pudginess and the more you read and practice, the better you will get."

"But the words get all jumbled up in my head. I don't think I'll ever get better."

Elizabeth patted Ace's hand. "If you try really hard and have Dad practice with you every day, you will."

"Will you practice with me?" he asked quietly, looking up at her.

She looked at Lucas, asking with her eyes. He nodded.

"Of course I will. Maybe after school some days I can come to your house and we can read together while your Dad watches the girls."

"Okay. Thank you."

"You are very welcome."

It was surprising to Lucas that Ace had opened up at all and if he wanted Beth to help him read and she was willing, he wouldn't prevent it at all. Plus, big bonus…he would get to see her too.

After dinner, the older kids took their plates to the kitchen and put them in the dishwasher. Nora helped by carrying her sippy cup and dropping it in. "Yay!" she clapped.

"Good job, honey," Elizabeth told her, starting to clean up. "Who wants to watch a movie?" Elizabeth asked. All three kids cheered and so before she finished the dishes, she went to the living room.

"I can set it up, Beth," Luke told her. She froze. He had never used her nickname before. She liked it. A lot.

"Um, thank you."

She wandered to her small kitchen and started the dishes, not even hearing Lucas when he walked back in.

"I missed you on Monday night," he told her. "Well, really, I missed you the whole time I was away."

She turned and looked at him, trying to see if he was just talking about as a friend.

"I missed you too."

"I'm unsure if I am ready but I would like to maybe take you out one night."

"Like a date? Or like coffee and pie after class?"

"Well a date, but both."

"I'd like that."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

"And I know we have our kids here tonight, but maybe after they fall asleep, this can sort of be a date? Maybe we can have ice cream or something? I brought some and its in a cooler in my car."

She nodded and scrubbed the pan that she cooked the mac and cheese in.

"Luke, I guess the good perk of an impromptu date is I don't have time to be nervous about it."

She took her hands out of the soapy water and dried them off, turning her toward him. "Why are you nervous? Its just me."

"Everything is changing," she admitted. "For the better but…I haven't dated since Trevor and I don't want to lose your friendship if it doesn't work out."

"I'm nervous too. I'm not good at this and I am worried that maybe I won't have enough time to spend with you, like you deserve. But, I know that I want to try. I care about you, Beth. A lot."

"I care about you too."

"And you offered to help Ace…Beth, that clinched it for me. I know that I want to do this."

He moved slowly, placing her hands that he was still holding on his waist and putting his hands on her shoulders, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "So we are going to date?" he asked quietly, still standing close.

"Yeah. We are."

"Are you going to get married?" Amie's tiny voice said from the doorway, making them step away from each other.

"Ames, hi. Um, we are just going to go on a date. Not get married."

"Yay! What's a date?"

Elizabeth chuckled and resumed doing dishes while Lucas tried to explain to his five year old what a date was.

She couldn't wait to tell Vi.

…..

About two hours later, the kids had played hard, had watched a movie and now they were conked out on the couch and the floor.

Lucas walked out to get the ice cream and Elizabeth headed to the kitchen to take out two bowls, spoons, whipped cream and sprinkles for their treat. It was still warm out so she would suggest they go out to the swing on her front porch. They could leave the door open in case the kids needed them, but it would give them a bit of privacy too.

He brought in his cooler which had four different quarts of ice cream. She giggled and he realized he loved that sound. "Um, this is a lot of ice cream."

"I didn't know what flavor you liked."

"So you bought them all?"

"Only four. Now, I'd love to know your favorite."

He took the scoop out of her hands and waited.

"Vanilla."

"You're serious?"

"Yep."

"Vanilla. Just plain old vanilla?"

"Plain is awesome because anything you add to it, makes it better. Want chocolate? Add hot fudge. Want fruit? Add strawberries. Want color? Sprinkles. Plus they make great floats."

He was pretty sure seeing this side of Beth, in her home, relaxed, made him want to get to know her even more.

"Daddy?" a tiny voice said, walking up to him. Nora.

"Hi, sweet pea. Why aren't you asleep?"

"Hold?"

He put the scoop down and picked up the girl at his hip. She immediately laid her head on his shoulder and he sighed. That movement, him putting down the scoop and picking up Nora to hold her gave her goosebumps. This man. He was wonderful to children, wonderful to her. They had things in common while they were so different in other ways. He intrigued her.

"Beth?"

"Hm?"

"I like mint chip," he whispered.

"Noted." She took the top off the mint chip and scooped two scoops into his bowl. "Two scoops or do you want more?"

"One more, please."

She took the lid off the vanilla, scooped some and put it in his bowl. "Try it. Its not really boring."

They carried their ice cream and Nora out to the porch and sat on the screen.

"What was your favorite part of your trip?" she asked him.

"I think my mom and I made some strides in healing our relationship."

"That's wonderful, Lucas." He could see the wheels turning in her head.

"You can ask, Beth."

"What happened in your life that hurt your relationship with her to the point where it needs healing?"

"We haven't ever really been close but when Chrystal and I broke up, she disagreed with how everything was handled. She told me a few times that we should have been able to work things out. I never felt good enough, that I had tried hard enough. Then when I decided to adopt as a single parent…that didn't help things."

Lucas rubbed Nora's back and Elizabeth found herself wishing he was touching her, maybe rubbing her back or holding her hand.

"She loves being a grandmother now but I think I just disappointed her so many times she didn't know how to be anything but that."

"But now?"

"Now, she gave me support when I was there. Told me I should take a shot and listen to my heart."

"About what?"

"You."

"Me? You talked to her about me?"

"I did. I was missing you and she noticed that something was different."

Elizabeth slipped her fingers into his hand and squeezed. He moved slightly and intertwined their fingers. She looked at his lap and laughed. "Your ice cream is melting."

"Well, I don't have a third hand and I don't want to give up either thing I'm holding just to eat ice cream."

She picked up his spoon, scooped some of his ice cream and lifted it to his mouth. He opened his lips and she wondered if he tasted minty now. Her eyes drifted down to his lips and his to hers. He leaned over, slightly, but paused.

It wasn't that he didn't want to kiss her but this was new. So new. Too new?

She reached up and touched his beard and then leaned her forehead against his opposite cheek. "Its okay. We will get there, Lucas. We have all the time in the world."