After dinner, Nicholas followed Kimberly to the door, the silence between them charged with a secret satisfaction neither dared to voice.
He held the door open for her, and the evening air cool and crisp embraced them as they stepped outside.
The moon hung low in the sky, casting a silvery light over the driveway where her car waited.
"Well, dinner went better than I expected," Kimberly said, a hint of relief in her voice. She turned to Nicholas, her eyes reflecting the moonlight. "Their reactions were priceless."
Nicholas chuckled. "I didn't expect anything less from them. I knew it was going to go well. They are my family after all, and we both know they love you."
Kimberly smiled, "Still, I couldn't help worrying a little," she confessed.
"Now you can put your worries to rest," Nicholas said, and his thoughts momentarily drifted to Paul.
