Mike hopped into his car, and Carol came running out.
"You forgot the flowers..."
"Oh, thanks, Carol... This Valentines has gotta be perfect..." Mike grinned.
"Well... then being late won't help." Carol smiled.
Mike smiled back, waving as he sped off. He flicked on the radio, and suddenly was swept away by images unbidden...
~Even now when there's someone else who cares
When there's someone home who's waiting just for me
Even now I think about you as I'm climbin' up the stairs
And I wonder what to do so she won't see~
Mike and Julie lay in front of the fireplace in the cabin, drinking sodas and talking.
"You know, you're different than you want people to think..."
"Am I?"
"Yeah..." she smiled, coming forward slowly and capturing his mouth gently...
~That even now when I know it wasn't right
And I've found a better life than what we had
Even now I wake up cryin' in the middle of the night
And I can't believe it still could hurt so bad~
Mike stood at the hull of the boat, watching the sunrise with Julie.
"Well?" he smiled gently.
"Yes, Mike, I'll marry you..." she smiled, rushing into his arms.
They held on, ignoring everyone and everything else except reveling in that one moment in time, when their hearts were one...
~Even now when I have come so far
I wonder where you are, I wonder why it's still so hard without you
Even now when I come shining through, I swear I think of you
And how I wish you knew, even now~
Mike took the letter and read, hearing her gentle, quiet voice as he did so...
"Dear Mike, by the time you read this, I'll be on a plane. I've never written a letter like this, so I don't know how to start. Mike, I've got so many questions and so many doubts... And, I dunno, maybe I'm crazy or just scared out of my mind; or maybe it's just cold feet. I'll I know is I can't go through with this..."
~Even now when I never hear your name
And the world has changed so much since you've been gone
Even now I still remember and the feeling's still the same
And this pain inside of me goes on and on, even now~
"I told you, I didn't wanna write that letter..."
"Then, why did you?"
"If I had told you what I was feeling, what would you have said?"
"What I just told y---"
"*Honestly*, Mike."
"Okay, okay; what is it with women and this honesty crap? Fine, I wouldda told ya that you were crazy, and that how could anything be wrong, when two people were so right for each-other?"
"See? And, I'd've looked into those big eyes and crumpled..."
"Yeah, I see..." he sighed.
Julie hugged him again.
"Goodbye, Mike..."
"Goodbye--- hey, we said it in person, this time..." he said with a crooked grin...
~Even now when I have come so far
I wonder where you are
I wonder why it's still so hard without you
Even now when I come shinin' through
I swear I think of you and God, I wish you knew
Somehow, even now...~
Mike pulled up to Kate's apartment with the flowers and candy.
"Happy Valentines, Katie." he smiled as she pulled him into a slow, lingering kiss.
"I love you." she smiled.
"I love you, too, Kate..." he smiled, back, his eyes stinging as he felt the buldge of the velvet box in his pocket, the little rock he would give her later tonight.
"Let's go inside?"
"Yeah, come on..."
He took one last look at the outdoors, then went inside with Kate...
~*The End*~