Back then, being seen holding hands with him in public would’ve put her career in jeopardy. Now she could touch him and kiss him and sleep with him and live with him and be with him any time she wanted. How far they’d come in eleven months. He glanced at her, and she knew he was also thinking of the first time they’d come here together and how much had changed since then.

He gave her hand a squeeze that had her leaning her head on his shoulder, proud to make a public declaration of her love for him—as long as there were no cops in sight. Her PDA rules when it came to her colleagues were still quite stringent.

After Scotty and Nick polished off a large and a small pizza while Sam stuck to salad, they dropped Scotty at her dad’s house, three doors down from their place on Ninth Street.

“We’re apt to be a while at the ER,” Sam said, “so we’ll see you in the morning. Okay?”

“That’s fine,” Scotty said. “Abby and Ethan are sleeping over too. We’ll have fun.”

“Enjoy the cousin time, buddy,” Nick said.

“Hope your ribs are okay, Nick. Will you guys text me and let me know what Harry says?”

“We sure will,” Nick said. “It’s nothing like the last time, so nothing to worry about.”

“Okay.”

Sam watched Scotty scamper up the ramp and into Skip and Celia’s house, where he was a daily visitor. Scotty and her dad had become fast friends and could talk for hours about everything and nothing. Sam loved watching the two of them together, and she adored Scotty even more for making Skip an important part of his new life.

“The boy is becoming very comfortable in his new world,” Nick said as Sam pulled away from the curb and headed for the George Washington University Hospital on 23rd Street, where she was a frequent flyer.

“I was just thinking the same thing as I watched him go busting into Skip’s place like he owns the joint.”

“I love that.”

“So do I,” Sam said. “What’s the latest from Andy on the adoption? I’ll be happy when it’s signed, sealed and delivered.”

“I will too. I expect to talk to him early this week about a few things, and that’s number one on my list.”

“He’s been a huge help to Gonzo on the custody situation with Alex. I can’t believe that’s going to court on Thanksgiving week, of all times. I sure hope it goes his way. I don’t even want to think about the alternative.”

“I’m sure it’ll be fine,” Nick said. “The fact that he’s had custody all this time has to count for something.”