He stood silently at Trudy's grave, and for the first time, he wasn't thinking about how much he missed her. He still loved her, and he knew she'd always hold a special place in his heart. But Monk also knew there was another lady in his life, and that's who was on his mind this morning.

Natalie. For five years, she'd been his assistant, his sounding board, his friend. She was the one that helped him do all the little things he couldn't do by himself. She was the one he called in the middle of the night when he couldn't sleep. She was the first woman since Trudy that made him feel like he could do anything, in spite of all his problems. But he had no idea when their relationship had gotten to the point where Natalie made him feel the same way Trudy had.

The first time Natalie had met his brother, Ambrose had asked if they were an item, and Monk had denied it. That was true. But before Leland had gotten married a few weeks ago, he'd told his friend, "You love her. She's your answer." Monk had been referring to TK, but he'd been thinking of Natalie. At some point in the last five years, his feelings for Natalie had changed, and he wasn't sure when. His mind went back to some of his favorite memories, trying to figure out exactly when and why they'd become his favorites.

He thought about the time he'd ended up in Wyoming after following up on a lead on Trudy's murder. He'd lost his memory, but when he saw Natalie across the street with Leland and Randy, something had clicked inside of him and a peace had washed over him.

He also thought about Julie's first white Christmas. He and Natalie had been standing outside in the snow, and in her excitement, she'd kissed him on the cheek. He had placed his hand on his face, but now he couldn't remember actually wiping it off.

One morning in Dr. Kroger's office, the doctor had been running late, and Monk was getting a little anxious. He called Natalie, and even though she was running some errands, she asked if he needed her to come over. Just hearing her voice had calmed his nerves; he smiled and said no.

When he'd been accused of murdering the six-fingered man, his heart had broken over the concerned expression on her face. He made sure he told her not to worry before hugging her goodbye. She'd ended up finding him in Nevada after he'd gone into hiding. She'd kissed his face over and over, and he'd done nothing to stop her.

He couldn't believe it when Natalie had actually managed to surprise him for his birthday. It had been the best birthday he'd ever had, and he told her so, but he hadn't told her it was because she was there.

Something Randy had told him a couple months ago echoed in his mind: "It was an epiphany. You can't choose where you get it." Randy had been talking about a bumper sticker he'd seen years before when he was thinking about quitting the force, but Monk knew it also applied to his situation. Here he stood, at Trudy's grave, an odd place to realize he had feelings for Natalie. Maybe they'd always been there, and he hadn't been able to see it until now.

Before turning to leave, Monk whispered four simple words, "I'll always love you." He slowly walked away, and saw Natalie waiting for him under a nearby tree. When he joined her, she casually slipped her arm through his. As they walked arm in arm, Monk allowed a gentle smile to play at the corners of his mouth. He'd forgotten how good it felt to be so close to someone you love.