The night is pitch black, the stars peeking with difficulty through the thick winter clouds. But the streetlights make up for everything, and so are the people and cars on the road as Liam drives moderately to wherever he's taking me right now.

"I can't believe I haven't driven a car in almost two months." I break the easy silence stretched between us.

"Is that your grand declaration that you don't want to have an escort when you go out?" Liam prompts.

"Maybe? But not necessarily," I reply. He shoots me a quizzical eyebrow, a tiny smile on his face. "I'm a city girl, Liam. I don't appreciate it that I can't seem to do some shits on my own. I'm okay with getting lost while exploring London once in a while, and you've got nothing to worry about because if I need help I'll simply call you, right?"

"Ah, poor Mr. Prescott," Liam murmurs woefully, his eyes on the traffic-free road. "He'd be very disappointed to hear that you're utterly against his display of care."

"And you're going to shut your mouth about it. Don't you dare tell him that I'd rather drive on my own," I tell him stoutly.

Gosh, the last thing I want is to hurt that old man's feelings.

"I got you, Kira. I'll let you do some shits on your own—just as you stubbornly want." Sarcasm laces Liam's voice. I burst out laughing. "Yeah, I'm learning quickly."

"Yes, you are." I bob my head mirthfully. "God, you can be a real joker sometimes!"

We tease each other for a while until we run out of laughter.

"Your car will be here in two days, I believe. Let's end this chapter once and for all, for your impertinence knows no bounds, Mrs. Darcy," Liam says coolly.

"What? Seriously?" I nearly jump on him.

"Of course. I'd rather see than smile instead of arguing over and over again with you," Liam replies, his smile so refreshing.

"Yeah, I know . . . I can be a bitch. Total pain in the butt, so . . . I'm sorry, Liam." My voice comes out low, my eyes on his shining ones.

Responsively, Liam takes my hand and kisses my knuckle. I smile softly, touched by his gentleness.

"You're my stubborn little wife, but never a bitch. You hear me?" he snaps casually.

"Crystal clear, hubby." A giggle escapes my lips.

It takes about ten minutes until we're in Central London. Now I know this place better than before. Not long after we arrive at our destination, according to Liam, somewhere near the Strand. He finds a parking area and pulls over carefully.

The surroundings elate me instantly as I wander my eyes around. A smile flits on my face at the sight of Christmas decors on the streets and buildings so early in the season. It's ethereal, and I can almost hear the jingle bells in my head, turning me five again.

It's chilly outside when I clamber out of the car. The first thing I see is the Victoria Embankment—a road alongside the River Thames—that nearly pulls me in to take a night walk. However, what distorts my attention is the Georgian quadrangle building I behold.

It's gigantic and neoclassic, overlooking the river. It looks like a castle . . . Or a museum? I fail to grasp, but I can tell it's a place where fun resides judging from the number of people walking in and out, wearing nothing but their best smiles on their faces.

"What is this place?" I ask my husband, who's now striding closer to me.

"It's called The Somerset House. Let's go, you'll love it." Liam grins impishly.

Oh baby! I'm super intrigued.

"Okay." I ask no more.

I'm fascinated by the number of people around. When I'm at home I usually feel like Londoners sleep earlier, but I'm surprised things are different out here. Either in pairs or groups, we run into so many people as we walk around the Somerset House, my hand in Liam's.

"Have you ever tried Ice skating?" Liam quizzes, and I realize we're in a little queue to get tickets.

"Not really. Ask me about beaches and I'll number a countless sports I can pull, but I have never done ice skating." I see two ladies holding skating shoes.

I guess that's the main activity done on this place. And damn, I'm excited.

"Well, this shall be your first, Mrs. Darcy." Liam beams.

"Does that mean you can do it? Skating, I mean."

"Quite well," Liam replies. I'm very stunned as he finally reaches the reception window.

The place is huge, accented with lights everywhere. There's a skating rink, a very wide stadium with an iced floor, studded with iron guardrails on every side. People are either skating, or outside the rink watching others do it. It's full of joyous noise.

I surely wanna be inside. But can I?

"Are you ready?" Liam chuckles, fully aware of my current thoughts.

I suck in a deep breath and mutter, "I'm ready. Just stay with me."

"That goes without asking," he replies.

Moments later we're ready to skate. I'm grinning like a fool, trying to walk on the rollers. Liam seems like a natural, but I'm not sure if I can pull even a short distance with these slippery shoes, so I tightly hold onto the guardrails.

"I can't move in these," I confess.

"Of course you can't, unless you stop doing that," Liam wheels himself toward me. "Let go of that and try to walk . . . like this." He demonstrates by making a small pace around me.

Boy, it looks so easy when he does it. But definitely not easy when I do it.

"Like this?" I quiz, doing as I'm told with difficulty, my hands lingering near the railings.

Fuck, I feel like I'm going to fall. How do I find my balance if the ground feels so slippery?

"Oh, Jesus." Liam fails to conceal his laughter as I catapult back into my comfort zone.

"Stop laughing, will you! I feel like I'm gonna fall flat on the ground while that kid is twirling around." I throw a glance at a young teenager who's acting like a swan.

She's been twirling round and around while pulling some gorgeous moves.

"Come, let me lead you." Liam takes my hands carefully, pulling me away from the guardrails. My eyes are on the icicle ground, on each move we make, as if my life depends on it. "Don't be afraid, baby, I won't let you fall." He smiles.

"I know, Liam. I'm just . . . not used to this." I slowly push myself per Liam's lead, letting the rollers slide me unhurriedly.

"Yeah, like that. You're doing well," Liam whispers, luring me further inside the rink.

I try to be composed, but the slippery is still there so I easily lose my balance.

"Fuck!" I land heavily onto Liam's chest. His arms move protectively around her waist, anchoring my stance. "Sorry," I mutter and we both laugh loudly.

"Are you sure you're not looking for an excuse to hug me, Mrs. Darcy?" Liam murmurs, his chin resting on top of my head. "You really love my body, don't you?" His voice is deep and husky.

God, not here! I glance up at him, frowning. He loves provoking me.

"Idiot!" I pull back laughingly, for this feels like home, even though we're far away from home.

I guess he's my home.

Liam lands his lips on mine when I least expect. We kiss gently under the open sky with plenty of people's noises.

"Now shall we?" he asks condescendingly when we pull apart.

"Yeah." I puff out some air.

Again I repeat the steps Liam taught me. I stand on my own, hovering slightly as I search for balance. I fall again, he catches, and the process goes on for a good while, both of us laughing.

"For someone who loves surfing in the waves, this should be a piece of cake," Liam says. "It's all about the balance, my love. A mental balance first before going physical."

Mental balance. Yes, it's an important aspect in surfing too.

"Okay, I got this." I close my eyes and recall the ocean waves back in L.A.

If I pulled through the freaky ocean, how hard can it be to do the same in a flat ground? I can totally do this. I take a small stride—tucking my leg left, then right—moving forward in the process.

Yes! I did it. Again I do the same set, left and right, and push forward. A grin of excitement appears on my face as I keep moving.

"Do you see this?" I shout, watching Liam watching me.

"I do. You're a fast learner, Mrs. Darcy," Liam returns jovially. "Now I'm coming to get you! Are you ready?" he snaps gleefully.

"Oh, you wish! I dare you!" I speed up, eating the cold breeze that feels refreshing nonetheless.

I love this feeling! I missed the sense of spontaneity resulting from surfing. It feels the same as ice skating—so free, so unafraid, so wild—as if everything is possible if I simply set my mind to it.

Liam breezes past me while shouting, "I'm still the teacher here, don't get too cocky."

"Not happening!" I giggle and push myself harder until we skate levelly, heading north toward a gigantic Christmas tree adorning the area.

"Oh yeah? Says who?" Liam laughs heartily as he wheels past me again, and I follow suit. "Seriously?"

"In your face, Mr. Darcy!" I cajole him and our silly match ends when he grabs in his arms.

We laugh and kiss, oblivious of any problem we may have. I needed this.

There's a cozy restaurant nearby and it's where Liam takes me afterwards. He heads to the restroom and I stay alone with my thoughts, eyes transfixed on the forty-feet Christmas tree outside through the glass. Soft contemporary music in the background regales me.

"A penny for your thoughts?" Liam's voice snaps me out of my trance.

I smile feebly, resuming my full focus on him.

"There's nothing for you to pay for," I reply gently.

"Mhh, that's good. Have you decided what we're having?" He takes a seat next to me.

"Let's have marshmallows and chocolate fondue. And also"—Once again I grab the menu from the table—"ginger bread." I look up at him expectantly.

"As you wish," Liam complies.

Our food arrives and slowly we savor the taste. I feel happy and content, even though I believe this joy will fade like thin bubbles in the air when I detonate the bomb I'm carrying inside regarding my infertility issue.

I'll Liam everything, I've already decided. I just need today to remain the beautiful Thanksgiving day that I loved and enjoyed. By any means I don't want to spoil the moment with any unpleasant news until tomorrow.

Tomorrow. Just the word itself wears me inside.

"Did you have fun?" Liam asks, interrupting my thoughts.

"So much fun." I mean it. "I hope we can do this again."

"We surely will." Liam grins. "Now let's eat and get back home. You need to be in bed."

"How old am I again?" I laugh softly.

"Does it look like I care?"

"You're bad!" I purse my lips.

"And you still love me like crazy, do you not, Mrs. Darcy?"

"And cocky, too." Laughing, I grab a marshmallow and dip it into the chocolate.

"Still you love me." Proud of himself, Liam takes a big bite of the warm gingerbread, and I just roll my eyes. "Anything else you want before our date night ends?" he asks.

Date night. I blush.

"Um . . . maybe we can take a little walk?" I say suggestively. "I want to see the Waterloo Bridge and take a few selfies with you."

"Selfies?" Liam smiles boyishly. I nod. "Okay, let's do that. Just one hour, though."

"Quite enough. Hopefully."

"Hopefully? Now, I'm beginning to regret this shady bargain, Mrs. Darcy. I forgot how greedy you are," Liam says and my laughter turns loud. "The party will be at six in the evening tomorrow. I'll pick you up after work," he suddenly says, laughing along.

"We're really going?" I ascertain.

"Yeah, we are. I told you that I accepted the invitation, didn't I?"

"Yeah, you did. I just didn't think you were serious," I mutter.

Liam frowns. "So, are we going or not? You confuse me, Kira, and perhaps I need a manual to truly understand you now."

A manual? I laugh heartily.

"Of course we're going, Liam. I'll be ready by that time so . . . we're set," I answer over a bite of his bread that's so tender and moist.

"Good. We better hurry and go home then," he says dismissively. "I have a very important meeting tomorrow."

"Everything okay, though?" I ask promptly, even though we seldom talk about his company matters.

"Yes, everything is fine." Liam squeezes my hand on the table.

The thought of tomorrow scares me. My future will be decided when my husband learns that I can't give him the kids he desperately wants. Will he stick to our wedding vows? Or will I lose the most precious thing I have in my life?