"Well, it's 5:00pm," laughed Ryan, his face brighter than she had ever seen it. 

"We wasted no time," replied Hetty, giggling.

"We will have time tonight to do that a few more times," Ryan said, wrapping her naked body into his arms and squeezing her like a beloved stuffed animal. Hetty giggled, then sighed contentedly as she snuggled into Ryan's bare chest. 

Over dinner, they talked about everything in the way they hadn't yet been able to, all these months. The emotional release was every bit as satisfying as the sexual release had been just before.

"What took you so long?" Ryan finally asked her at one point, tilting his head and gazing softly into her face. "Did you worry it was just lust between us?"

"No," she answered matter-of-factly. "Only a combination of physical and emotional attraction could produce the type of chemistry we have. Only love." 

Hetty dipped her head and put her hands to her eyes for a moment. Trying to make sense of everything that had transpired was exhausting. Ryan intertwined his leg with hers under the table like an elegantly twisted vine. 

"I know it's none of my business, but I just have to know - did you hook up with Tiffany the night we saw you play at the Garage?" 

Ryan smirked, then sighed. "No," he said. "I wanted to want to. But I couldn't. I haven't been with anyone, you know, since..."

Hetty caressed his hand, relieved but feeling guilty for having put him through the wringer these past months.

"I mean," Ryan cleared his throat abruptly. "I meant I haven't been with anyone since I saw you in August at Walnut Grove. Not since we were originally together. Just to clarify." His expression was so pure - a bit amused and embarrassed and self-assured all at the same time.

Hetty snorted. "Yes, I realized that's what you meant." She paused for an instant. "Eight years of celibacy." She giggled harder, light with joy.

"I wouldn't put it past me as something I would do for you," he groaned humorously, putting his face in his hands in dramatic form. 

Hetty grabbed Ryan's wrists to lower his hands from his face, interlacing her fingers in his. Then she got up and sat in his lap facing him, straddling her legs around his waist. Her entire body tingled delightfully.

"You are so cute," she declared softly, grinning, her face close to his. She felt him already getting hard with her body wrapped into his.

"Did you really think of me the night you got engaged?" he breathed, as if he didn't dare believe it.

"Yes," she affirmed. "It was like, you were always in the back of my mind over the years - that maybe our paths would cross again. And when I saw that ring on my own finger, it was a realization that any possibility with you was dead. Just a melancholy flash of finality in my subconscious - not even a fully formed thought."

"That's..." Ryan didn't seem to have a word for it. Instead, he kissed her softly, slowly, deeply. Breaths containing everything that had transpired between them escaped uncontrolled from his chest; he pushed himself into her with such longing that Hetty wanted to reassure him that she was his.

"Hey," she whispered, putting her hands over his cheeks and staring into his eyes. "I'm here."

* * * 

On the way to work, Hetty tapped her foot up and down anxiously as Ryan tried to hold back a smirk. He put his hand on her knee.

"It's going to be okay," he assured her.

"I've been working here three months, and I look like a complete idiot."

"You're not one, though, so forget about it," he said. "Walnut Grove is like a family - people might be gossiping, but they're not necessarily judging. They're just interested. They'll continue to get to know you - and us - and it will all be fine." 

How he could be so carefree about the situation, Hetty could not begin to comprehend. 

"Aren't you presenting today at the staff meeting?" she asked him. "I saw the agenda yesterday - it said 'Psych Presentation.' Did you even prepare?"

Ryan couldn't hold back his laughter. "You worry too much!" he jested. "Yes, I prepared - you know, yesterday at work. During work hours. You know, the time when we sit in our office, doing work things?"

Hetty rolled her eyes and punched him playfully in the shoulder. 

"Ouch!" Ryan called out dramatically, pretending to be in true pain, for no other reason than to be a big dork. Hetty busted up laughing while he pulled into school and parked.

"Ryan," Hetty turned to him, now very serious. "I'm begging you, please don't make it awkward in the meeting today."

"You got it," he replied in a tone that in no way convinced her he was taking this seriously. He was high on love.

"Ryan!" 

He leaned across and kissed her passionately. Hetty squirmed in her seat, her stomach lighting on fire, suppressing a bursting smile as he broke away.

* * * 

While Ryan spoke about student referrals to Special Education, Hetty couldn't help fantasizing about everything they had done together the night before. He looked her way a few times; she hit him with her half-smile and glittering eyes, and she saw him holding back a bursting grin as he continued to speak with way too much amusement about the Critical Data Matrix. 

Hetty longed to be at another one of his gigs. This time, they would gaze openly into each other's eyes as he danced his fingers over the guitar strings. 

As Ryan reached the last PowerPoint slide, he smiled out to the staff as if he had something more to say. 

"Thanks, everyone, for listening to that truly riveting presentation from district," he began with playful sarcasm. "I have one last tidbit of information." Ryan cleared his throat. 

"I know there have been a lot of rumors going around about me, but this is a professional workplace. So, I just wanted to let everyone know - for once and for all - that I'm in love with Hetty Calloway, and I don't care who knows it!" He sounded like a Christmas elf leaping and twirling through Santa's workshop.

A shock wave shot through the library, followed by several gasps, whispers, giggles and gaping mouths. A few colleagues silently applauded for a brief couple of seconds. 

"Sometimes life takes unexpected turns. If you have any questions, feel free to ask; I'll be happy to fill you in on the full story. Other than that, mind your own dang business!" The final sentence was uttered with a friendly tone and a giant grin.

Melissa flashed him a subtle, shocked but not disapproving look as he left the presentation podium to sit down with Hetty. His not-so-secret girlfriend had her hands over her flushed cheeks, as if she were trying to disappear. 

"It seemed the fastest way to open up the truth to everyone," he whispered to her, shrugging with a mock grimace.

"Oh my God, you didn't just do that." Hetty's voice came through muffled, as she was still hiding her entire face in her hands like a three-year-old playing hide-and-seek who thinks they are invisible when they close their eyes. 

Hetty had to admit, even as she sank in the quicksand of her own embarrassment, that Ryan's declaration was more than adorable.

After the meeting, Jason came up to Ryan with a wide grin and gave him a huge pat on the back. They did one of those high fives that turns into an affectionate handshake, and they ended up in a brief, strong hug. Jason grabbed Hetty around the shoulder in a firm side hug as well, in a gesture of approval.

Then, Melissa and Gio approached them.

"That was in interesting choice, Ryan," commented Gio evenly. Hetty cringed and looked up hesitantly at her two administrators.  

"Oops," was all Ryan replied, and Hetty burst into inappropriate laughter. Tears streamed down her face as her shoulders shook with uncontrolled giggles. 

"I'm sorry!" she cried, smearing laughing tears across her cheeks. She remembered Ryan's promise yesterday to Melissa that they would keep it professional at work, and she felt completely mortified. 

The two administrators exchanged brief eye contact and smiled subtly.

"You two are pretty stinking adorable," stated Melissa. She winked at Hetty and sauntered away to continue tidying up the leftover papers scattered across the library tables. 

* * *

Ryan walked close to Hetty all the way back from the library, not taking her hand or touching her, but just walking next to her. He didn't know how to keep his distance.

A few colleagues greeted them coyly along the way, winked or made small jokes. 

"That was quite the speech, Ryan!"

"It's about time!"

"We were wondering for a while there."

Hetty walked with crinkled, angsty eyebrows, receiving each comment as if a marshmallow were being chucked into her face. Harmless, but off-putting all the same. Ryan seemed unaffected, grinning the entire way.

"I no longer feel guilty about putting you through the wringer for three months," Hetty quipped, glaring playfully over to him as they reached the main office.

"There you go!" he exclaimed. "Now we're even. Perfect!"

Just inside the main office door, they ran into Tiffany and Lamar. 

"Congratulations, you two," said Lamar coolly but genuinely. 

"Thanks," they answered in unison. 

Tiffany looked slightly uncomfortable. "I didn't mean to start rumors about you guys," she said in a hushed voice. "I probably should have kept my mouth shut about what I saw at Maggio's."

"Well," replied Hetty earnestly, "I'm really not proud of that moment or of sneaking around behind people's backs. But what you saw was basically the extent of it. I know people might not believe that, but..."

"I believe you," interrupted Tiffany quickly, kindness in her voice. "And just to let you know..." she glanced over at Lamar with a little sparkle in her eyes. "I won't be interfering with you two." 

Lamar smiled alluringly at Tiffany, then winked at Hetty.

"Oh! The two of you...?" 

"Yep," replied Lamar, looking pretty happy about it. Tiffany smiled that bursting, new relationship smile. 

Hetty looked at Ryan with the same smile, and he returned it.

* * * 

Kiara was waiting outside her office when she arrived. Hetty ushered her in.

"Hi, Kiara," Hetty smiled, pleased to see her. "It's been a few days. How are things?"

"A little better, I guess," she replied.

"I'm very glad to hear that. What do you think is going better for you?"

"It's sort of dumb. But I started writing down some of the things that have been going through my head, because Ms. Rosalia told me to start a journal. And then I started turning what I wrote into songs."

"Wow, Kiara. That's truly incredible." Hetty paused. "Why do you say that's dumb? That seems the farthest thing away from dumb that I can imagine."

"It's dumb that it's making me feel better. Because it doesn't change anything. It's just me singing about the crappy things in my life."

"I see. That's sort of what it's all about, though. Life is figuring out how to navigate and deal with our emotions - the good and the bad. You've been having all the bad stuff happen to you, which isn't fair. But if you're taking all that dark stuff and creating music out of it - well, you're turning it into something beautiful. And others who hear your songs will be able to relate to it, too."

"Hmm," pondered Kiara, looking reflective. "Where's your ring?" she asked abruptly, leaning forward with keen interest to stare at Hetty's hand.

"What?"

"Your engagement ring."

"Oh." Hetty paused, uncertain. "Uh, well, I'm not getting married anymore."

"You aren't? Why not?"

"I changed my mind."

"Oh. Are you sad about it?"

"No, I'm happy about it. But I was sad for a little while. I had a lot of messy emotions over the past months, and I'm still learning how to process them."

"You want me to write a song about it?" joked Kiara, and Hetty laughed heartily.

"You know who else composes music here at Walnut Grove?"

"Oh my God!" Kiara exclaimed. "Mr. McAlister? Why don't you marry him, already!" Hetty chuckled lightly.

"I was just going to say, you could probably chat with him sometime. He knows a lot about turning pain into music, and he could be a great mentor for you."

"Sure," said Kiara, rolling her eyes in amusement. "It will give you a great excuse to go talk to him."

"I don't need an excuse to talk to him," winked Hetty. Kiara giggled.