After Violet gave Noah a key to her apartment, they spent their usual evening playing games, talking, and watching movies, until it was time for him to go home. Once he left, she lay in bed with Blaze on her stomach, wondering why their relationship wasn't improving. Noah was her most cherished person; why was this so difficult? More than anything, she wished she could talk to her grandfather or even the grandmother she'd never met. They would have known how to navigate the transition from lifelong best friends to lovers and might have offered good advice—advice Violet desperately needed. Could she talk to her mother? Would Keeley understand?

It wouldn't hurt to ask. Her mother was easier to reach during her literature review research than when she was in her lab. There was a good chance Violet could stop by her office during lunchtime.

She stopped staring at the ceiling, attempted to close her eyes, and tried to sleep. Hopefully, her mother could help.

Things felt too much like their friendship. Violet knew Noah wasn't changing their dynamic much because he didn't want to scare her—which she appreciated—but it was preventing their romance from blossoming. They hadn't even gone out on Valentine's Day.

Should she take the initiative with a grand romantic gesture? Would that help? At the very least, it would make Noah happy. Her parents had the strongest relationship she knew. Even if Keeley didn't fully understand her conflicted feelings, she'd know a thing or two about romantic gestures men appreciated. With that comforting thought, Violet finally fell asleep.

Keeley diligently searched various online scientific journals. If only she were a faster reader! She'd been working for weeks and still lacked enough information for her proposal. Sufficient research existed to pursue her interest, but wading through it was frustrating. She wished she could download information directly into her brain. Scientists fifty or sixty years in the future might be able to do that, given technological advancements, but she'd been born too soon. Research had to proceed the old-fashioned way.

At least everything was online now. During her undergraduate years, not everything had been digitized; she'd often had to sift through physical journals hoping to find one useful article. A search bar was infinitely easier.

Her phone was on airplane mode, so she was surprised when her secretary buzzed to announce a visitor. The only person who ever visited her at work was Aaron, and that was infrequent, as he was often at business lunches.

"Send them back," she requested.

A moment later, her daughter appeared. "Hi, Mom."

Violet had never visited her lab before, making her the last person Keeley expected to see. Nevertheless, she embraced her daughter warmly. It had been strange not having her around lately, though she was glad her twenty-five-year-old daughter had finally moved out.

"Vi! What a pleasant surprise. What can I do for you?"

Her composure subtly faltered after the hug. Keeley recognized that "I need my mom" look. She gestured for Violet to sit, and the moment she did, words poured forth. Violet must have been holding this in for a while.

"Mom, it's been months, and I'm still not in love with Noah. I don't know what to do because I love him so much and can't bear not having him in my life, but things are still awkward, and I don't know why I'm so stuck!

He's not ugly; he's really handsome, but I still feel awkward when we kiss. Noah says he can wait forever, but that's not fair to him, and I don't want to hurt his feelings by being wishy-washy.

Our relationship hardly feels different except for more cuddling and kissing, and I don't know if that's good or not. I really wish I could talk to Grandpa about transitioning from childhood friends to lovers, but I can't, and I'm so confused."

At the end of her outburst, Violet seemed to wilt. How long had this been brewing? Getting it out exhausted her, but there was also a hint of relief on her face that someone knew her struggles.

Keeley smiled sympathetically. Even if her father were alive, he wouldn't have been much help, as he and her mother had fallen in love around the same time in high school. Ironically, Keeley understood Violet's feelings better than he would have.

When she and Aaron were growing closer after Jennica and Cameron's wedding, she'd felt like she was using him. He was so in love with her, and she'd only wanted to leave. Even after deciding to stay following her pregnancy, their relationship felt like going through the motions. She'd felt guilty about not being in love with Aaron when he was so smitten.

You can't force yourself to fall in love with someone; it happens naturally, or it doesn't.

Keeley didn't think that would be a problem with Violet. Her feelings for Noah, however confused, were stronger than those she'd had for Aaron in 2013. Their best-friend relationship was unshakeable.

(The final two paragraphs were removed as they are promotional material for another website.)