Elizabeth tilted her head to the side. "I think it's leaning a bit," she said with a smirk.

Nathan looked over at her as he wrestled with the Christmas tree. "Leaning? To which side?"

"The left," she said. "Move it a few inches closer, and it'll be perfect."

He did as she suggested and then stepped back. "That looks just right," he said, nodding in satisfaction.

Elizabeth hid a smile, unable to resist teasing him. "I think it's still leaning a bit."

He raised a brow, walking toward her with his hands on his hips. "Really?" he said slowly, a twinkle in his eyes. "Then maybe, Miss Thatcher, you could do better?" He reached out suddenly and tickled her sides. Elizabeth squealed and ducked away, but Nathan's strong arms caught her and pulled her close. He tucked her against his chest so they were both facing the tree, resting his chin gently on top of her head. "Nope. Not leaning at all. That's as straight as it gets."

Elizabeth chuckled, leaning the back of her head against his chest. "You're right. It's perfect." She smiled. "And now the best part - decorating!"

He moved his head so that it was next to hers, still looking at the tree. "Our first Christmas together," he said softly. "And just think; in three days, we'll be married."

Elizabeth looked up and back so that she could see his eyes, smiling happily. "I can't wait."

He closed the small gap between them, pressing his lips to hers. "Neither can I."

Elizabeth placed her hands over his on her stomach, resting her head against his chest once again. "So, are you going to give me any hint as to where we're going for our honeymoon?"

She could feel him smile. "I already did."

"'Bring winter clothes' doesn't count as a hint."

"Oh, yes it does," Nathan said, chuckling. "But I'll give you another little hint. You're gonna like it."

Elizabeth's mouth dropped. "'You're gonna like it'? That's the hint?"

Nathan laughed. "Yes ma'am, that's the hint. And that's all you're getting out of me." He released her and walked toward the tree again. "So, are we starting with the lights?"

Giving him her playful pouty look, Elizabeth placed the box full of soft white lights on the coffee table. "You can be such a closed vault," she said.

Grinning, Nathan nodded. "Trick of the trade," he said with a shrug. "We detectives are good at keeping secrets until they're ready to be revealed." He helped her pull the lights out of the box and plugged them in. "Alright, how do you do this?"

"Start at the top and wrap the lights around and inside all the branches," Elizabeth instructed. "We want lights all around this beauty."

Nathan chuckled. "As you wish." He expertly started weaving the lights through the tree, and within ten minutes had it glowing from top to bottom.

Elizabeth stood back, taking it in with a sense of awe. "Nathan, that's perfect!"

He stood next to her, wrapping an arm around her. "There's something so beautiful about soft lights on a Christmas tree," he said.

Elizabeth nodded. "I love how a tree looks with lights. One of my favorite things during the Christmas season is waking up early while it's still dark and plugging the tree in. Seeing it lit up while everything else is dark is one of the prettiest sights in the world. Sometimes I even think there's no need for other decorations."

Nathan wore a look of mock horror. "What do you mean, no other decorations?"

Laughing at his tone, Elizabeth nudged him lightly. "I would never actually do that," she said. "And speaking of, let's get the ornaments on the tree."

"Think we have enough?" Nathan asked, looking at the boxes scattered all over the room. "I think we could pick an ornament theme and we'd had plenty for it."

Elizabeth's eyes lit up. "That's a good idea! We could do a themed tree!" She started rummaging through the boxes. "What kind of theme would you like?"

Nathan raised his brows. "What kinds of themes do you have, exactly?"

Elizabeth looked in the boxes. "I have bulbs of every color imaginable, and lots of random ornaments." She glanced up at him. "How about a color theme?"

He nodded. "Okay."

Hiding a smile, Elizabeth decided to let him pick the colors. "What colors?"

His eyes widened. "You want me to pick?"

She nodded, raising a brow. "You're going to be living here in three days, Nathan. This is your tree too. You get to pick the color scheme for the tree."

Nathan thought for a moment, looking at her with a smile. Within twenty seconds, he said, "Red, gold, and white."

Surprised, Elizabeth laughed. "That's perfect! How did you come up with that so fast?"

Nathan shrugged. "I remember the Christmas trees in church last year were decorated with bulbs of those colors, and they were stunning. And do you have a gold star for the top of the tree?"

"I certainly do," Elizabeth answered, finding the right box. She peered inside, letting out a laugh. "You're not going to believe this!"

"What?" Nathan asked, looking into the box. A smile crossed his face as well as he pulled out the ornaments. "Red, white, and gold. All in the same box. What are the odds?"

Elizabeth grinned. "Guess it was meant to be."

Nathan looked at her for a long moment, his eyes bright and clear. "I guess it was," he said softly, the double meaning in his words obvious. They got lost in each other's eyes, and Elizabeth didn't know how much time passed as they simply stood there looking at each other. Finally, Nathan cleared his throat. "Uh...the tree," he said, pointing in its general direction.

Laughing softly, Elizabeth picked up some ornaments. "The tree," she repeated.

They spent the next half hour placing bulbs around the tree, on both the outer and inner branches. Last of all, Elizabeth placed the star on the tree and then stepped back. She nodded. "It's perfect."

Nathan wrapped an arm around her. "It sure is," he agreed. He kissed her temple, then reluctantly released her. "I'm going to have to get going," he said. "I'm supposed to pick up Colleen and take her to meet with Fiona. She said she had some news for us."

"Let me know how that goes?" Elizabeth asked. Nathan nodded. She smiled. "Good. And I need to go pick up my sister from the airport. Her plane is supposed to come in an hour from now."

"And we're meeting for dinner with Faith and Carson?" Nathan asked.

Elizabeth nodded. "Julie's looking forward to seeing Faith again, and she really can't wait to meet you."

Nathan smiled, running a hand gently through her hair. "I'm glad one member of your family at least is coming."

Elizabeth's eyes teared up a bit, but she lifted her chin. "Me too. If my parents want to keep me out of their lives, that's their choice. I still have my baby sister." She cupped his cheek. "And you."

Nathan framed her face in his hands and leaned down to give her a slow, tender kiss. "You'll always have me," he whispered once he pulled back. "I will never shut you out."

Blinking back her tears, Elizabeth smiled at him. "Thank you, Nathan. I appreciate that more than you could possibly know." She pulled him closer, kissing him again. "Now go get your sister. I'll see you later."

"See you later," he echoed, heading for the door. He took one last look at the tree and grinned, lightening the mood. "We did an awesome job on that tree!"

Elizabeth laughed. "Yes, we did."

Nathan and Colleen sat across from Fiona. Colleen had Nathan's hand tightly in hers. They didn't know why Fiona had called them here. Steve had been getting progressively better, and his memory was almost completely back to normal. Nathan didn't know whether to be excited or nervous about this meeting.

Fiona finished gathering some papers together and smiled at them. "I'm guessing you're wondering what this meeting is about," she said straightforwardly.

Colleen nodded, her grip on Nathan's hand tightening even more.

A smile lit Fiona's face, telling Nathan before her words that this was going to be happy news. He felt himself relax. "You have good news, don't you?"

Colleen glanced at him, then looked back at Fiona, hope lighting in her eyes.

Fiona laughed. "Yes, I do." She looked at Colleen. "Steve has gotten so much better, we really have no reason to hold him here anymore," she said, her grin widening. "He will still have to come here several days a week for physical therapy, but I'm happy to tell you that he can go home." Her smile widened even more. "Just in time for Christmas."

Colleen gasped, a hand going to her heart. "Are you serious?" she whispered.

Fiona nodded.

Tears of joy filled Colleen's eyes. "We can take him home," she said, wonder filling her voice. "When can we take him home?"

"How's tomorrow?" Fiona asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Perfect!" Colleen gushed. "Oh…" She looked at Nathan. "But you're getting ready to move to Elizabeth's place, and then you're getting married in a few days. Should we wait until after the wedding?"

Nathan shook his head. "Colleen, whatever you decide will work for me. Maybe it would be best to have him move in now. I can help you all get settled before I move out."

"Why don't we ask Steve?" Fiona suggested. "He might have a preference, now that he has his memory back."

"Good idea," Nathan agreed. He stood with Colleen, holding a hand out to Fiona. "Thank you so much for everything," he said.

She shook his hand with a smile. "I'm so glad it all worked out. This doesn't always happen, so when we get to see a happy ending, it's happy for us too."

They said their goodbyes, and then walked to Steve's room. "I'll give you some time with him," Nathan said softly. "Let me know when you want me to come in."

Colleen nodded, giving him a grateful smile. Nathan wandered to the waiting room, picking up a health magazine sitting on the table. He absently thumbed through it, but his mind drifted to his upcoming wedding.

Everything was ready. He had heard stories all throughout his life about how hard it was to plan a wedding and how the bride would become unrecognizable in her desire to plan the perfect wedding. Clearly, everyone had been wrong.

Their plans had come together so well, and Elizabeth had never once stressed. The most upset he saw her about anything was trying to figure out whether to invite her parents. Everything was in place; there was no last minute rush. The last order of business had been for Elizabeth to ask someone to walk her down the aisle, and she had decided to ask Carson. He had accepted with tears in his eyes, thankful that though he was her boss, Elizabeth saw him as the big brother she never had.

Nathan smiled to himself. If anything, planning this wedding had drawn him and Elizabeth closer. They had made decisions together quickly and efficiently, and they were both excited to finally marry and begin their lives together. He couldn't wait to spend Christmas with her and then take her off on their honeymoon. She still didn't have any idea where they were going, and Nathan was happy that he would be able to surprise her.

His thoughts were so focused on Elizabeth, he didn't hear Colleen calling to him at first. Eventually, her voice broke through his thoughts, and he blinked. Standing, he headed for Steve's room.

Colleen was grinning at him as he reached the door. "You were thinking about Elizabeth, weren't you?"

He blushed slightly, knowing he was caught. "Maybe."

Colleen pulled him into the room. "Steve said he would be happy to go home tomorrow," she said. "As long as it doesn't interfere with your wedding."

"That's right," Steve said. "I don't want to add any stress to what should be the happiest day of your life."

Nathan put a hand on Steve's shoulder. "I appreciate that, but I just want you to come home. The wedding is pretty much ready to go, and I've already moved quite a few of my things over to Elizabeth's. It's just small stuff now. Besides, you finally coming home after all these months is incredibly important too. We can't wait to have you back home where you belong."

Steve took a deep breath, shaking his head. "I can't believe I finally get to go back home," he said, gratitude in his words. "Ever since I regained my memory, I've been wanting to go home again."

"One more day, brother," Nathan said with a smile. "We can't wait to have you home either."

Elizabeth looked through the crowd of tourists flocking the airport lobby. She looked for any sign of her sister's red hair, but so far couldn't see her. Suddenly, she heard a squeal from the side. She looked and saw Julie bolting toward her, suitcase in tow, and tackled her in a tight embrace.

"Beth!" Julie said, finally leaning back. "It's been ages!"

"Ah, Julie, it's so good to see you!" Elizabeth exclaimed. "I've missed you." She linked her arm with Julie's, walking her toward the car. "How is New York society treating you?"

"Wonderful, as always!" Julie said with a laugh. Her sister always had loved the high life. Julie glanced around, taking in a deep breath of Hawaiian air. "When I left New York, it was five degrees and snowing," she said. "This weather is gorgeous!" She glanced at Elizabeth's sweater. "And you're wearing long sleeves. While it's in the 70s."

Elizabeth laughed. "You know I adjusted to this weather a long time ago. Once it gets under 75 degrees, I start to feel chilled."

Julie rolled her eyes playfully. "Must be rough," she said, laughing.

The ride home was a joyful one, with the two sisters catching up on their lives. Elizabeth showed Julie to the guest room in her house, sitting on the bed while Julie unpacked. "Do you really have to leave right after the wedding?" Elizabeth asked.

Julie nodded. "There are several events in New York I have to be at, and one is the morning after your wedding." She smiled slyly. "Besides, I don't think you want me hanging out around here once Nathan moves in. Am I right?"

Elizabeth blushed. Julie laughed. "I'll take that as a confirmation."

Struggling to compose her traitorous cheeks, Elizabeth smoothed her skirt. "Julie, I do have a question," she said, suddenly feeling serious.

Julie looked at her, brow raised in question.

Elizabeth swallowed hard. "Did...did Mother and Father get the wedding invitation?" she asked, her voice small.

A sad look crossed Julie's face. She sat on the bed next to Elizabeth and put an arm around her. "Yes, Beth, they did," she said softly.

The pain hit Elizabeth in the stomach, though she had been expecting as much. "What did they say? Anything?"

Julie bit her lip. "Mother said something about it being a horrible idea. And Father...he threw the invitation away right after opening it."

A tear slid down Elizabeth's cheek. A part of her had held out hope that her parents might come, that they might seek a reconciliation. But Julie's words had dashed those hopes.

"I'm sorry, Beth," Julie whispered. "I wish they wouldn't be so cold."

Elizabeth wiped her eyes, straightening her shoulders. "It's alright," she said with a sigh. "If they don't want to be a part of my life, that's fine. I have you, I have Nathan, and I have my friends here. What more do I need?"

Julie hugged her. "You always were the strong one," she said, a note of admiration in her voice.

Elizabeth laughed. "Strong isn't the word I would have used, but thank you." She smiled at her sister. "Shall we get ready for dinner?"

Julie grinned. "Yes, please! I'm famished!"