Things might still be a little slow to start - he had a feeling he couldn't just pick things back up, and besides, he liked her uncle, liked living with him all right, and his job at the hospital was all right too, even if he planned to leave it for the paper eventually. But he had learned, these past months, that working his way up to something like that would be infinitely better than rushing into it, so all he could do was keep getting better - but he knew now that it would happen, and much, much faster than before. For now, that was more than good enough.

He glanced over at her as she mentioned the champagne; he found it tucked over by the basket at the edge of the sheet, still partly full, and nodded. "Sure, we can take it back with us. I'd be happy to share it with your dad - maybe as payment for letting me spend the night." He smiled, moving to put the rest of their picnic back into the basket and tuck the champagne bottle in so it wouldn't spill, setting the basket aside to gather and fold up the sheet they'd been sitting on. He hoped her father really wouldn't mind - though he knew Summer would argue until he'd agreed if that's what it took - because what he really wanted was a shower and a warm bed and getting that with Summer down the hall... somehow felt even more comforting. "I think that's the last of it," he said, looking over their little spot to make sure they hadn't left anything, before he picked up the basket in one hand and offered her his other arm.