Author's Notes: Recycling an idea I had originally used for a project in a creative writing class several years ago: choose twenty songs and note what the lyric is at the one minute mark of each song. Then, use those lyrics to describe twenty minutes in your character's life. Here are twenty minutes in the lives of Michael and Holly.
Disclaimer: Neither the songs nor the characters that appear in this are my original work.
Collect the Moments One by One
And we'll collect the moments one by one. I guess that's how the future's done. - "Mushaboom," Feist
1. I'll be the water wings that save you if start drowning an open tab when your judgment's on the brink. – "Brand New Colony," The Postal Service
He said something awkward – why did he have to suck at this? – and it resulted in an annoyed look on Wallace's face. Oh man, he'd screwed up and this meeting was a big deal and his Dunder Mifflinites were going to be disappointed. He was pretty sure he was going to spend the rest of the afternoon mad at himself when Holly said something that got rid of that look on Wallace's face. Everything was a-ok again, thanks to her.
2. Outside and looking in, I'm feeling lost and cold as a sin. – "Sweet Tangerine," The Hush Sound
After hours of driving, Michael had finally arrived in Nashua. Seven hours, but it was worth it for her. He was going to tell her that he'd been wrong to leave, that he was still in love with her and most likely always would be. He raised his hand to knock on her front door but suddenly caught a glimpse through the window. He saw through a gap in her curtains, where one didn't quite meet the other. He saw her kissing someone else.
3. No, you girls never know how you make a boy feel. – "No You Girls," Franz Ferdinand
Spending time with her again was great. SlumDunder Mifflinaire was going to rock everyone's socks right off their feet, he was sure of it. She said something; he laughed. And that was when he realized: she just didn't get it. He was still crazy about her, but she thought they would spend the rest of their days as just friends. It was in that moment that he vowed to eventually changed that.
4. If this is the life, why does it feel so good to die today? – "Grow Up and Blow Away," Metric
She had been thinking about him all day. He was the wrong man to be thinking about. She wasn't thinking about AJ. She wasn't thinking about the man she lived with; she wasn't thinking about the man who had proposed to her the other day. She was in love with AJ, she assured herself. But if they were going to spend the rest of their lives together, why did it feel so wrong to hold his hand right now?
5. And I have to speculate that god himself did make us into corresponding shapes like puzzle pieces –"Such Great Heights," The Postal Service
They were reunited, together again, and she was whole. Their fingers intertwined as he pulled her to him. Their faces were getting closer by the second until they were kissing.
Their horizon was full of perfection; there was not a wrong in sight.
6. A piece of you for a piece of me. – "Knights," Minus the Bear
If school had been solely a study of Holly, he would have graduated with the highest honors. He knew her pretty well. Still, he had opportunities to learn little details about her. Like now. How had he not noticed that cute thing she did with her leg while sitting at the table before this? And he figured she sometimes noticed these little things about him, too. It was a beautiful exchange.
7. He took the days for pageants. Became as mad as rabbits, with bushels of bad habits. – "Mad As Rabbits," Panic At The Disco
How could he talk to people like that? How could he be so rude and snide? It angered her. When she questioned him about this he always became so stubborn and obstinate. Why did he have to act this way? It made her want to scream.
8. Oh, it's what you do to me. – "Hey There Delilah," Plain White T's
It was late at night – or possibly early in the morning. They were lying in bed, and she was laughing. His imitation on what had been on the most recent episode of SNL had her in stitches. He had that effect on her. He could always make her laugh; he was like her personal comedian.
9. Hey soul sister, hey there mister, mister on the radio, stereo. The way you move ain't fair you know. – "Hey Soul Sister," Train
She could really move, in a way that pretty much brought every other dancer to shame. How had he gotten this lucky? He had skills, but he felt as if she was light-years ahead of him. Neither of them seemed to mind much, though. As they danced for the first time as a married couple, they were perfect just the way they were.
10. Whenever you go I'm crawling, even if I'm falling apart. – "Fallin' Apart," – The All American Rejects
He wanted to crawl into a hole and die. How could he not, after learning what they'd just learned? And from the way she had been so quiet for so long, he knew she was going to lose it any second. Her heartbreak added to his and multiplied it so much. And then she was crying, and he was with her, wanting more than anything to make the pain disappear.
11. And your voice was all I heard, that I get what I deserve. – "New Divide," Linkin Park
"Holl," his voice was euphoric, "We're having a girl! She said we're having a girl!"
She couldn't ever remember smiling so hard in her life before, "I heard."
As she looked up at him, she knew she couldn't ask for anything more – except for, perhaps, the little girl that would be with them in about five months.
12. I know more than I knew before. – "I Feel It All," Feist
He came through the front door, another book on parenting on hand. She smiled to herself; he had put together quite the collection of those types of books. She joked that he was putting together a library, and he nodded earnestly.
"I'm going to be the superman of fathers, Hollypop," he told her, "Just you watch."
13. You got me begging you for mercy. – "Mercy," Duffy
She whimpered and grabbed his hand as another contraction hit. He had concluded that he didn't like this part of the process – the part where she hurt and there wasn't anything he could do about it. Sucky way to go about things, if you asked him. She cried out again, and he thought, Please, please let this be over soon.
14. Forget about your house of cards, and I'll do mine. – "House of Cards," Radiohead
Holly looked like an angel when she slept, which Michael considered to be very accurate. Her eyes closed and her head on the pillow, he watched her chest peacefully rise and fall. Suddenly, he heard their daughter's cries from the other room. He quickly rose out of bed to go check on her. Their daughter was pretty angelic herself, although when she got worked up she had the voice of the devil. He was pretty sure he could quiet her down before she woke Holly up.
15. I can't see the sunshine. – "You Only Live Once," The Strokes
"Everything's all wrong!" he told her, distressed.
"No Mike," she reassured him, "It'll be ok."
He didn't look convinced, "You've got your optimistic glasses on again."
16. Dreams to drain. Put them in a cage, unlock the pain, and I'll be here waiting. – "To The Sea," Jack Johnson
"I don't even know why I applied. It's not as if it's a realistic thing for me to do right now," she said as she held the letter in one hand. Dear Mrs. Scott, it read, We regret to inform you that you have not been accepted into the graduate level psychology program.
"It isn't a big deal," she concluded, her eyes not quite meeting his.
"Of course it is!" he replied indignantly, "It's a big deal because it is totally their loss, and they are gonna feel it, Hollygram. They're stupid for sending you that letter."
17. You got me looking up even when I'm falling down. – "Stoppin' the Love," KT Tunstall
It had been a long day at work, and he was feeling a bit grouchy. He walked up the font steps, planning on being miserable for the rest of the evening. But when he entered the house and saw her face, all of that seemed to disappear instantaneously.
18. God bless the daylight, the sugary sound of springtime, remembering when you were mine. – "We Looked Like Giants," Death Cab for Cutie
He resisted the urge to openly glare at his daughter's prom date as the couple made their way down the front steps and into their limo. He opted to sulk instead. He felt like this boy, tuxedo and all, had taken his baby girl from him. He didn't like that feeling.
Holly touched his arm gently, but he ignored her and walked into the other room.
19. I fell in love, in love with you suddenly. Now there's no place else I could be but here in your arms. – "Here (In Your Arms)," Hellogoodbye
She snuggled close to him, and he kissed her forehead. After all of those years, this was still the perfect remedy for a bad day. She buried her face in his chest, successfully managing to block out everything she had disliked about that particular day as he held her tightly in his arms.
20. In early morning, blue is the memory of her bedroom eyes. – "Through Any Window," Wisely
She had had to be at work early that morning, so she was gone when he woke up. He yawned and stretched out lazily, smiling as he recalled the prior night. Her eyes had shined happily, as they always did, and he had realized how beautiful she was all over again.