Ivy paced the hall between the kitchen and living room in her small apartment. Jim had called her at least and hour ago and said he was coming over. It doesn’t take that long to commute from North Bergen. Deciding to try to take her mind off of waiting she turned on the television. Flipping through the channels she stopped on the news to hear the traffic report. Of course rush hour traffic was horrendous. Sometimes it was hard to believe how congested the good old "Garden State" had gotten. When the newscast began talking about the latest scandal she switched it off.

Looking out the window there still was no sign of Jim. So she decided to check to see if the mail was delivered yet. Doing a quick sort she noticed most were either bills or junk mail and she almost tossed out a postcard with a Kangaroo on the front of it, thinking it was an advertisement for the local Outback Steakhouse. She noticed a familiar swirling script once it landed in the wastebasket and she quickly fished it out. It was a postcard from her friend Toni Stanley. Toni had recently received an inheritance and moved to Australia somewhere near the coast from what she could remember.

She smiled as she read the note. "G’DAY! We made it here safely. You have to come for a visit. Even you need a vacation. Toni"

Toni Stanley.... they hadn't really gotten together in years. They were roommates for a brief time when Toni had first moved to New Jersey. That was before Ivy got her first paying job at a Historic Site. Then there were a series of jobs causing her to criss cross the state after a while she seemed to intimately understand why New Jersey was call the "Cross Roads of the Revolution" she seemed to bounce from site to site never staying put for very long, due to budget cuts at every level. Maybe Toni was right. Maybe she did need a vacation. She had always wanted to visit Australia. As far back as when she was in grade school she would check out travel guides about Australia at the library. The other kids were checking out the Little House series or Dr. Seuss.

"Oh well Ivy you always were a little different. You have some money saved why not go for a visit Sure it is a long way to catch up with an old friend but what a way to do it...it has a certain attraction." She couldn’t believe she was talking to herself like this. She was between jobs right now and the lease would be up on her apartment at the end of the month. Feeling a bit impulsive Ivy decided to look online and see just how much it would cost. On a whim she even looked up what it would cost to move there. The idea of going to Australia firmly taken hold she decided to see if the IM she had for Toni would still work.

Ivy : "Hey Toni got your message would a visit in 2 weeks work for you? LOL"

(Much to Ivy's Surprise she was promptly answered back.)

Toni: "Sure thing. There is always room for more here at the Glen."

Ivy: "I'm serious."

Toni: "So am I".

Ivy: "Well then send me hotel info. No arguments I know you need to finish getting settled in. I will book the flight, etc"

Logging off the computer Ivy felt excited. She was going to go. She could put her stuff in storage while she was gone and look for another apartment when she got back. Jim might even help her by looking for something closer to him while she was gone.

Just then she heard Jim's familiar stride coming up the stairs. She ran to meet him at the door. Opening the door she found him with a smile on his face and a huge bouquet of flowers in his hand. "Sorry it took so long. I stopped at the corner florist to get my best girl some flowers but then I couldn't decide what to get you so I got you a mix. They don't have lilacs this time of year." Ivy smiled and threw her arms around his chest to give him a big hug. "Jim Braddock it is just like you to remember my favorite flowers are lilacs." Stepping back to accept and admire the bouquet she looked in to his eyes. There was a unusual spark in them today. Taking his hand and leading him into the living room she sat him down on the couch while she went to the kitchen for a vase. "Jim do you remember me telling you about Toni? She moved to Australia and she invited me down for a visit. I want to go" she called out to him from the kitchen. When she returned to the living room she placed the vase on a small table next to the couch. "What do you think Jim? Too impulsive?"

Jim stood up and stepped in front of Ivy. Smiling he knelt down on one knee and looked up at her. "Ivy Van Der Brecken I Love You, will you do me the honor of being my Wife?" and having said that he removed a small box from his pocket. Ivy stood looking at him kneeling before her as his question sank in. Jim took the pause as a hint to open the box. Inside was a silver claudaugh ring. "It was my grandmother's" he said a quietly.

Ivy laid her hand on his shoulder. She needed to steady herself not only physically but also mentally. Had he just asked her to marry him?

"Jim?"

"Ivy?" he looked at her with concern.

" You know if we do this you'll never get rid of me"

"As matter of fact. That is exactly what I was hoping for."

No sooner than he answered Ivy threw her arms around his neck causing them both to tumble in a heap on the floor. Laughing he managed to sit up and pull her onto his lap. "Well then Jim Braddock. I accept"

Slipping the ring on to her finger he looked into her eyes. Tears of joy and relief filling his own. The kiss he gave her took her breath away.

Settling in each other’s arms there on the floor she snuggled up to his chest resting her head on his shoulder. His arm around her.

"So tell me about our honeymoon in Australia."