It was now the next morning, and Laura's family had gathered once again in her and Nick's home to begin going through their belongings. Coming across a big box of pictures, Karen came across one of a whole group of people together at what looked like a party. "Hey check this out," she said, handing the picture to Kristy.

Kristy smiled. "Look, there's Grandma and Grandpa," she said, passing on the picture. "Look, Uncle Nick."

Nick took the picture and smiled as he looked at it with Michael, pointing out his mother and father in the picture. "Wow, Grandma was sure hot!" Michael said with a laugh. Nick playfully smacked his son on the backside of his head. "What!? Grandma was beautiful. I'm just saying I can see why Grandpa fell for her."

"Mom was always beautiful," Nick said, looking once again at the picture, trying to fight back tears. Turning over the picture, he saw writing on the back of the picture. "August 22nd, 2000: Howie's birthday at Howie's home," he read aloud.

Hearing his name, Howie came over and Nick offered the picture to him. Looking at the picture, he smiled. "Ah yes. I remember this day. This was the first time your dad asked out your mom," he said, winking at him. "I remember it like it was yesterday..."

Everyone was gathered for Howie's birthday party as his home in Orlando. It was an extra special party, for not only was everyone celebrating Howie's birthday, but also Kevin and Teresa's engagement and Brian and Leighanne's wedding, only a couple weeks away.

After Laura had lost her baby, Nick stayed by her side until she was able to leave the hospital. Understandably torn by what she had gone through, she had told Nick that she needed some time to be alone and to attempt to move on with her life. As desperately as he wanted to be there for her, he respected her wishes and went back to his home in Tampa. Other than talking on the phone only a couple times, Nick had very little contact with Laura, and with every day that passed, it hurt more and more. Today was the worse of all for him. Seeing everyone together and happy with their significant others made him realize how much he truly longed for that, and that he wanted that with Laura.

Howie, seeing that Nick wasn't really into the party, walked outside to his deck and sat down next to him. "Nick," Howie said with a sigh.

"Howie," Nick said mockingly, although showing very little expression.

"Nick, you'll hear from her, I know you will."

Nick shrugged his shoulders. "Yeah."

"Nick, I think that--" Howie was unable to complete his thought as he heard lots of yelling from his living room. "Uh, hold that thought," he said, walking off to see what the noise was all about. After a few minutes of waiting, Nick could hear that the yelling was not letting up. Curious, he got up and walked into the house, lazily walking to the living room.

"...It's so good to see you, honey," Leighanne said, as Nick saw her hugging someone, but couldn't see who because of all the people. As soon as they broke away, though, he saw. LAURA...

"Oh, you guys, I gotta be honest, I didn't know if I was up for coming to a party, but this is just what I need," Laura said, smiling at all her friends. Looking around, she froze as she saw Nick looking her way. Her breath caught in her throat as she walked up to him, and he stood up straighter, a smile now on his face, probably the first one for him all day.

"Laura..." Nick said, putting his hand on her arm softly, bringing it down to her hand to hold it. "You look... great. Beautiful," Nick said, smiling tenderly at her, giving her hand a squeeze.

Laura blushed. "Niiick," she said, slightly embarrassed by his compliment.

Nick smiled bigger. "What, I can't pay you a compliment??" he asked, taking her other hand also. Now holding both hands, he pulled Laura closer. "I mean it. You're a sight for sore eyes."

Still blushing, Laura turned away from him a bit. "Thank you," she said quietly, her eyes looking back up at him as her head was still tilted away.

Nick smiled at her modest display, finding it endearing. Realizing that they were now being watched, everyone smiling as they saw Nick and Laura's reunion unfolding before them, Nick spoke up. "Come outside with me?" he asked, almost pleading with her.

"OK," Laura smiled, allowing Nick to lead her back outside to Howie's deck. Pulling out a chair from his table for her, Laura sat down. Nick sat down directly in front of her on the other side. Unable to say anything, Nick just smiled at Laura as she closed her eyes, taking in a deep breath. Opening her eyes, she spoke. "It's sure beautiful weather today," Laura said, just saying anything to break the silence. A light breeze stirred and blew a few stray pieces of her hair into her face. Laura brushed them away, tucking them behind her ear. Again with the hair, Nick thought as he chuckled out loud. Laura looked at him curiously. "What?"

Nick smiled. "Nothing," he said, reaching across the table for her hand. "I was just thinking how I've never seen you with your hair down. You've always got it up."

Feeling self-conscious, Laura tensed. "What? Does it look bad??" she asked, taking her other hand to feel the back of her head, making sure her hair was secured tightly.

"No," Nick said quickly. "No, not at all. In fact, it always looks so nice. I'm just making an observation, and maybe I'm hinting that I'm curious as to what it looks like down. I don't even know how long it is," he said very matter-of-factly.

"It's long," Laura said casually, winking at him.

"How long is 'long?'"

"Just, long," Laura said, enjoying the frustration that her vagueness was bringing to Nick. Yes, even now that she liked Nick, she still loved to torment him on occasion.

"Fine, whatever. Be that way," Nick said, winking at Laura. She smiled, satisfied that she had won this argument, at least for today. "Nice to see that you still enjoy bothering me," Nick said, standing up and walking around the table. Pulling out the chair next to Laura, he sat down by her, putting his arm around her.

"It bothers you that you don't know what my hair looks like? It's hair," she said amused.

"Well, yeah, I know that," Nick said, suddenly smiling very shyly. "I guess I just want to know if it's going to be our first date that I see your hair down, or our second, or our--"

Laura's heart fluttered. "Date?" she asked, her heart soaring at the idea of going on a date with Nick.

"Yeah," Nick said, "a date. You know, when one person, usually a guy, asks the other person, usually a girl, to go out to dinner and a movie or something. Or to go out on the guy's boat for the day, taking a picnic basket with them, or something. A date," Nick finished, a sarcastic smirk on his face.

"Um," Laura said, shifting nervously in her chair. "I don't know what to say," she said, a meek grin on her face.

"Say, 'Yes, Nick, I'd love to go out on a date with you,'" Nick said with a wink.

Laura laughed and winked back. "OK," she started, turning in her chair to face him better. "Yes, Nick, I'd love to go out on a date with you," she finished, echoing him.

"'Tonight,'" Nick said, urging her to say the same. Laura laughed, both amused and impressed by his determination.

"OK, tonight. Tonight when?"

"Seven-ish? For dinner?"

Laura smiled. "Seven-ish," she confirmed.

"Good," Nick said, trying desperately to hide his immense enthusiasm. "Wear something dressy, I want to take you someplace really nice."

Laura already had in mind what she was going to wear. "How nice?" she asked, teasing him.

"Just, nice," Nick said, mocking Laura from when she was talking about her hair earlier.

"Fair enough," she said laughing as they both stood up.

"Shall we?" Nick asked, offering his arm to Laura. She simply nodded as she looped her arm through his as they went back into Howie's house, rejoining the party.