The dawn came too early one crisp autumn morning, causing Jo to stumble out of bed with her eyes barely capable of opening. She fumbled through her wardrobe until she finally found the dress she wanted to wear. She slowly changed clothes, dozing off between any major arm or leg movements. She then brushed her hair and headed downstairs.

"Good mornin', Jo," Nick said amiably when she entered the kitchen. "You all right?" he asked, noticing her tired eyes and lethargic movements.

"Oh, I'm just a little tired is all. I stayed up too late, I suppose."

Jo sat down across from Nick at the kitchen table and sipped at the cup of coffee Nick had already poured for her. They drank coffee together every morning now, so Nick knew how to fix her coffee blindfolded.

"Why did ya stay up?" Nick asked.

"Inspiration," Jo said simply.

"Gettin' back into writin'?"

"Yes, I am."

"So, what's the story about?" Nick asked while bringing his cup to his lips and looking at Jo with his silken blue eyes.

"It's about us."

Nick looked at Jo curiously. "Us?" he asked.

"Yeah. All of us who live here at Plumbfield."

"Oh, okay," Nick said as thoughts raced through his mind.

"Why? What did you think I meant?" Jo asked with hopeful thoughts.

"Well, when you just said 'us' it kinda got me thinkin'" was all Nick answered with. "Look, I better get to work. I'll see ya at breakfast."

"All right. Asia should have it ready in about an hour."

Nick got up from the table and walked out the back door heading toward the barn. Jo stood up and watched him walk out to the barn, hoping that he would come back to the kitchen. Much to her disappointment, Nick walked into the barn closing the door behind him.

"Nick!" Jo said with surprise when he entered the parlor. "I thought you had to go into town today."

"Had a slight change of plans," he said as he walked over to the desk Jo was sitting at. "Will you go on a walk with me?"

"I'd love to Nick, but -"

"Good!" Nick said as he grabbed Jo's hand, not waiting for her to protest.

"Nick, I have so much work to do!" Jo said as they hurried out the front door.

"It can wait. I got somethin' I want to show ya."

Jo looked at the boyish grin on Nick's handsome face and just could not find the strength to say no to his imploring eyes.

"All right. Just this once," she said reluctantly. She licked her lips and then smiled.

"Come on," he said as he took her hand into his once more. Jo felt chills all over her body when she felt Nick's firm grip. She felt secure and loved, and she wanted nothing other than to remain in that moment.

"So, you been workin' on that story of yours?" Nick asked as they entered the woods.

"Yes, I have."

"What's happenin' in it so far?"

"Well, I'm up to the part where I got sick and you were there to take care of me," she said as Nick paused in their walk to push a branch out of their way.

"So, you're just recountin' the facts, huh?"

"I suppose that's what I'm doing. Why?"

"Will you write about everything in this story of yours?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well," Nick said, stopping their walk again in the shadows of a tall pine tree. "Are you going to write about everything? Like our dance that nobody knows about?"

Jo looked up into Nick's blue eyes and bit her lower lip as she saw him begging for information about her story.

"Well," Jo said slowly. "I guess I will. Why shouldn't I?"

"You really want people readin' about us?" he asked quietly.

"Well, nobody would have to read my story," Jo said defensively.

"So, you're writin' a story nobody's gonna read?"

"If you want me to leave it out, I will," Jo said as a slight amount of anger built up within her.

"It's not that I want you to leave it out," Nick said with a huff. "I just want to make sure you get it right. I mean, what if you write a bunch of stuff about me that I didn't think? I don't want you makin' people think I thought stuff that I didn't think."

"Well, then tell me what you thought, Nick," Jo said firmly. "What did you want to happen after we danced?"

"You know what I wanted," Nick said, as his cheeks grew red with embarrassment at the memory of his thoughts from that evening almost a year ago.

"But how can I be sure, Nick?" Jo asked. "I don't know what you were thinking. I only know what I was thinking."

"And what were you thinkin'?" Nick asked.

"Now don't go changing the subject!" Jo said with a laugh. "I asked you first!"

"Well, I was hopin' maybe we could..." Nick's voice trailed off and he turned away from Jo, not wanting to get any more embarrassed than he already was.

"You were hoping we could, what, Nick?" Jo asked as she put her hand on his shoulder.

"I was hopin'" Nick said as he turned around to face her. "We could maybe..."

Jo knew what he wanted, and she knew that she wanted it, too. She begged him with her eyes for him to go ahead and just do it. She longed to feel his arms around her again - to feel secure and loved by the man she loved with all of her being.

"Never mind, Nick," Jo said after a few moments of silence. "It's never going to happen anyway," she thought to herself. "We should probably get back now," she said as she turned to walk back the way they came.

"Jo, wait!" Nick said as he grabbed her hand. "You haven't even seen what I wanted you to see."

"What was it?" Jo asked curiously.

"Just come with me," he said with a smile.

Jo dutifully followed Nick through the woods, watching the cool autumn breeze tousle his thick brown hair. He was not wearing his hat, which Jo found surprising, but also quite pleasing. She preferred to see him without the shadow from his hat masking the sparkle of his blue eyes.

"Close your eyes," he said.

"How can I walk if I close my eyes?" Jo asked in playful protest.

"I can solve that problem!" Nick said as he swooped Jo up into his arms. 'Now, close your eyes!" he said with a grin.

"Yes, sir!" Jo said playfully as she placed her left arm around his shoulders and gently touched his chest with her right hand. She felt his chest tighten when her hand touched him, causing her to smile. She had not yet closed her eyes, and found herself instead staring into Nick's eyes.

"What are you smilin' about?" Nick asked.

"Nothing," Jo answered with a flirtatious grin.

"No, you're smilin' about somethin'. What are you smilin' about?"

"Well, you kind of tightened your chest when I touched you," she said quietly.

"Really?" he asked, trying to sound like he hadn't noticed his physical response.

"Nick, are you going to just stand here holding me, or are you going to show me whatever it is you want to show me?"

"It doesn't matter to me," he said with a smile. "I'm happy just being here with you."

"I'm happy, too, Nick. And I'm sorry for what happened earlier. I shouldn't have been so short with you about my story. It's just that I haven't had anyone talk with me about my writing since Fritz died."

"Hey, I understand. Your writin' is very personal, and I shouldn't 've imposed on it. I won't do it again, okay?"

"Thank you for understanding," Jo said as she removed a lock of Nick's hair from out in front of his eyes. She gently caressed his cheek, and before she knew what was happening, she felt his lips pressed gently against her own.

"Now," Nick said after he kissed her. "Please close your eyes so I can show you what it is I've been waitin' to show you."

Jo obediently closed her eyes and felt Nick beginning to walk again. A few minutes later he gently sat her down on the ground and put his arm around her waist.

"Okay," he said. "Open your eyes."

Jo opened her eyes and saw the same beautiful autumn landscape she had seen her entire life. The leaves of the trees were bright oranges, yellows, and reds with the sky that was so stark blue it looked like it would pop at any second. The reflection of the trees on Walden Pond was picturesque and unforgettable.

"You brought me to Walden Pond, Nick," Jo said with a smile. "I've seen this before," she said as she elbowed him.

"I know you have," Nick said, a little disappointed that she didn't see what he saw. "Look at it," he said quietly.

Jo looked intently at the pond and the trees, not seeing whatever it was Nick wanted her to see.

"I don't understand," Jo said quietly. "I've seen this so many times."

"All right, Jo," he said as he took her hands and led her over to the bank of the pond. "Now do you see it?" he implored a few moments later.

"What am I supposed to see?" Jo asked, beginning to get frustrated with herself, because she feared she was disappointing Nick.

"Stand here," Nick said as he pulled Jo in front of him. She rested her back on his chest as he began to point out different things around the pond. "See, that tree over there? The one with the knot in it?"

"Mm hm," Jo answered.

"I don't see a tree with a knot in it."

"What do you see, Nick?" Jo asked as she felt his hand slip around her waist.

"I see you," he whispered in her ear. "I see a tree that began as a wild sapling at the dawn of its life. A tree that has grown with the years that surround it. I see your strength, your courage, and your beauty in that tree. I see you as a young girl runnin' away from Amy in anger cause she burned your manuscript. I see you growin' up into a beautiful young woman who refused a proposal of marriage from her best friend, because she trusted her heart. I see a woman who married a strong, caring, and generous man who loved her with all of his heart. I see a woman who was scarred when her husband left this world, but still moves forward each day for the sake of her students, her family, and most importantly her beloved son. I see a woman of dignity, honor, and integrity in that tree, Jo."

As Nick whispered in her ear, Jo's eyes filled with tears. She let her tears fall down her cheeks as she remembered the events in her life that Nick so carefully recounted.

"Jo," Nick said as he turned her around to face him. "I see all of those things in that beautiful tree, but most importantly, I see the woman I love with every fiber in my being. I see the woman I want to spend the rest of my life with."

Jo looked into Nick's eyes and saw that he was completely serious. She smiled through her tears and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"I ain't askin' now, Jo," he said as he held her close. "But I want to know if someday you'll consider maybe marryin' me."

"I'd love to, Nick," she said.

"For now, we can just start out by courtin'."

"That sounds absolutely perfect, Nick."

Nick gently kissed Jo once more as they stood on the banks of Walden Pond. The sun glistened on the pond while the wind rustled the leaves of the trees. There Jo and Nick held each other as the seasons changed not only around them, but also within them.