Though she hadn't been married very long, Eloise was already settling comfortably into the role of wife. It was surprisingly easy to get used to that - to falling asleep with Chad's warm body next to hers at night and waking up to him in the mornings.

What she was having a hard time wrapping her mind around was the financial aspect of it all - the house, and everything else to do with that. Maybe she would get used to it over time, but it was going to take her awhile. She was too used to getting by on next to nothing to easily get used to suddenly not having to do that. Every morning for the first few moments after waking, Eloise was certain she would open her eyes and see herself back in her tiny bedroom in her mother's London flat. It was a bit surreal, but Eloise was definitely happy.

They hadn't been back from their honeymoon for very long, and even finding out she and Chad lived across the street from Preston hadn't diminished the 'newlywed glow' that clung to her. What surprised her about that was the realization she hadn't thought about him at all while she'd been on her honeymoon. Her new husband had been the only man occupying her thoughts. He was still the dominant one in her thoughts, but she was a bit more grounded now that the couple had returned to Evergreen.

Once she had taken everything into consideration though, she was convinced she'd made the right call in keeping herself eligible to be matched. She couldn't just pretend she'd never felt anything for him, but she could admit that maybe he had done her a favor in not waiting for her. What she had with Chad was... different somehow. It felt more permanent and not just because of the rings on her finger. She couldn't explain it, and to be honest she wasn't much interested in trying. She just wanted to enjoy it. Surely there was nothing wrong with that.

Eloise didn't technically have to keep coming in for her shifts at the library, but she did anyway. Mostly because she didn't know what else to do with herself and it still felt off to her to essentially be lounging around the house. She was doing a lot of the decorating, but that hardly felt like work because it was fun. Her shift was almost over, and she would soon be getting home to her husband. Maybe that was why she still came in part time - the anticipation of coming home.

She reached the last of the books in her hand and realized the shelf they went on was out of her reach. Damn. She set the books down, and grabbed a nearby rolling stool to put them away. When she got down, she bumped into someone behind her.

"Oh! Sorry about that. Didn't see you there" she said, able to tell the person she'd bumped into was male, but he had his back to her at the moment so she couldn't see his face right away.

James was getting pretty settled in his life here.

Enjoyed the smaller town life.

His transition from London to Evergreen Indiana was rather a smooth one, having lived in the states before... for just a little over thirteen years, actually. So he knew how America worked. Had always knew he’d probably end up living here... well, not Evergreen, specifically, but in the states.

He had temporary living quarters, until he found something more suitable for him. A flat just wasn’t what he considered his ideal living situation, but for now, it would do.

James had just come from ‘The Vow’ office, met with some representative/ sales person… filled out his survey… and he was now up for the wolves, so to speak.

Why not?

It’d been a little over four years since Sara’s death. She’d been ‘the one’ for him. For three years that he’d known her, he’d pictured his life with her. The whole package... marriage, kids… everything. In an instant, it was taken away from him. Now he was left with this void in his chest.

It was time to move on. His heart could manage it.

So that’s where ‘The Vow’ came into play. He just hoped it worked, never had been a fan of dating sites or the sort, but why not give it a whirl. At least once.

The rest of his afternoon was planned by finding some reading material. Most of his books were packed away, still in boxes, and he didn’t want to dig through them. A good mystery, crime, that’s what he was looking for. Something to capture his interest, while he wasn’t working.

He really must had been lost in thought, going through the shelves, he didn’t notice the stool, or the girl perched up it. Too lost in titles and back covers. Wasn’t until he felt the ‘bump’, against his back, and a rather sweet voice followed.

Turning he took a step back, making sure he gave the person behind him, more room. “It's alright. Ah didne see ye either.”

If there was anything he’d retained, it was his deep Scottish accent, though at times it was a little diluted, he still carried it. But he was one of those that resorted to his native tongue in times of anger. And in times of ecstasy.

This was not one of those cases.

Blue eyes narrowed, assessing the girl, who was now in front of him. It couldn’t be… but it was.. it had to be. No one else could have those eyes or that adorable face of her. “El?” He asked, though he knew it was her. No doubt’s. He motioned to himself and then gave a smile. “It’s James. James Delaney...Mah God… it is you.”

What were the chances?

Never really believed in the ‘small world’ saying… not till now. Out of all of the small towns, the cities of the world.. he ran into one of his favorite students. There were hundreds of students, but none of them stood out to him as much as Eloise did…

She was about to continue on her way, but there was something about the voice that was familiar. It made her stop and turn to the person she'd bumped into and study him for a moment. Was that really...? No, it couldn't be. But who else had eyes that particular shade of bright blue, or eyes that were that lively? No one else that came to mind for Eloise.

At about the same time it seemed, he recognized her. The use of her old nickname made her grin, and only solidified the conclusion her mind had already come to. "Yeah, of course it me" she replied, unable to resist giving him a tight hug before stepping back to fire off a barrage of questions. "How've you been? What have you been up to? How did you end up here, of all places?" Her questions came one after the other, and she realized she couldn't stop grinning if she had wanted to.

"Oh, I'm married now by the way" she added, holding up her hand so he could see her rings. Eloise had to admit to herself she liked showing them off at least as much as she'd liked showing off the things Preston had given her when they were together. Living across the street from him - something she had been surprised to discover upon returning from her honeymoon - wasn't nearly as awkward as she had first feared it might be. She hadn't seen more than a glimpse or two of Preston or his wife. But... Chad tended to keep her pretty well - occupied - so she didn't tend to notice much else a good chunk of the time.

"Since November eleventh. And we just got back from our honeymoon. He took me to Barcelona" she continued, her usual bubbly personality coming to the fore. Eloise paused to say something else, and realized she hadn't yet given James time to answer her questions. "Sorry. I do still tend to run off at the mouth quite a bit" she said, blushing slightly and grinning sheepishly before falling silent so he could talk.