Andrew pulled into Milano’s parking lot, opened the folder on the passenger seat, and scanned the printed sheets for the hundredth time. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt this light, this happy.

After picking up two pies, he stopped to get a six-pack, Kate’s favorite soda, and the few snacks she still liked to eat. There was also a pit stop at the florist, where he purchased three dozen yellow carnations.

Needless to say, she was shocked to see him home early on a Tuesday, his arms laden with all of the booty he’d picked up on his drive home.

“What is all of this?” she said, groggily rubbing her eyes. Her hair was sticking out every which way and the bags under her eyes were heavy and dark. He knew she’d been having trouble sleeping lately, but so far she hadn’t broached the subject with him.

“This, my dear, is a celebration.”

“You got me carnations!”

“I sure did.”

Buttons barked his approval when Andrew placed them on her lap. She bent close and sniffed them.

“I don’t know why I love yellow carnations so much,” she said.

“At least when it comes to flowers, you’re easy to please. It kind of makes up for everything else. Kinda,” he said with a wink.

“And please tell me that’s Milano’s.”

“It is.”

She set the flowers on the coffee table. “Okay, spill it. Did you get a promotion? Did you find out you have a long-lost rich uncle that just died and left you his mansion in Saddle River?”

“I wish.” He handed her the file folder. “Check it out.”

She flipped it open. The front page showed a house on a lake nestled underneath a thick canopy of evergreens. “What is this?”

“Would you be shocked if I told you it’s our home for the next three months?”

Her eyes grew wide, the fatigue washed away instantly.

“What? Three months? Where?”

He put his arm around her. “You know how we’ve always talked about moving to a lake house in Maine?”

“Yes.”

“Well, I rented one for the entire summer. It has everything we ever wanted – a deck overlooking the lake, dock, and privacy, all surrounded by two acres of nothing but trees and walking trails.”

She went through page after page, reading the specs on the house and looking at the dozen pictures Andrew had printed. Her eyes shimmered.

“But how can we do this? Your job isn’t going to allow you to work remotely for months.”

Hugging her, he said, “I know, which is why I’ve taken a three-month leave of absence. No leaving you during the day, no having to hit the hay early because I have to get up in the morning. You’ve got me twenty-four-seven, if you can stand me that long.”

“And they’re okay with this?”