"Thanks you guys, you were a big help," Will said as he put his guitar down. Glee practice had ended about an hour ago, but he stayed behind after all the kids were gone to work on a special project. He had enlisted the help of members of the McKinley High jazz band, the glee club rehearsal pianist Brad and a few members of the school's A/V club, who had turned the choir room into a makeshift recording studio.
He still had Emma on his mind. Ever since she revealed that she was seeing her dentist, and ever since he told her that he loved her, he still wished for the day when she would tell him that she loved him back. Which is why he decided that he wanted her to know that he still loved her in a song.
Because even though the dentist may have Emma physically, Will still had her heart.
He had gone through at least eight different songbooks looking for the right one to tell Emma how he felt, and then he finally came across a song that summed up his feelings perfectly. So he had rounded up the necessary people, and after dismissing the glee kids after a long rehearsal, he had done what he needed to do – record his own version of the song. And he thought the session went well - he only needed two takes to get all the vocals down the way he wanted it.
"It's all done, Mr. Schuester," said a member of the A/V club, "and I think it turned out perfectly, it's a high-quality recording." He handed a CD in a jewel case to Will, giving the teacher a smile and a nod before walking back to his computer on which he had recorded the voice and music tracks and mixed them together. Now all that was left to do was give it to Emma.
Walking down the familiar corridor towards her office, he pulled on the glass door and discovered the office to be empty, only now realizing that she was teaching an SAT prep class at that very moment. He laid the CD case on the desk, then put a single pink rose on top of it and walked away.
I hope she finally figures it out, about how much I truly care for her, he thought.
Some time later, Emma returned to her office after the SAT prep session and stopped when she noticed the pink rose lying on her desk. She picked it up, and then noticed an unmarked CD case underneath where the delicate flower had been. Who was it from? And what was it doing there? Curious, she took the case in her hand and opened it, as she did a piece of paper fell to the floor. She reached down to pick up the note and read what was on it:
Listen to the CD, it will explain everything.
Explain what?
Once Emma was back home, she put the rose in a small vase of water and set it on her coffee table. Still trying to figure out what the note meant about the CD explaining everything, she opened the case and inserted the CD into the small stereo she owned, then pressed play. There were a couple of seconds of silence, followed by a steady beat on some conga drums which led into a light melody played on a piano and a guitar. Finally, a male voice began to sing some beautiful words. Emma sat back on her couch, closed her eyes and listened.
There are days we want always to remember
And there were days we tried to forget
And there are times they tell me
When the load gets too heavy
But we haven't found one yet
You're my love, my strength
My joy, my all
What I ask is small
Just let me love you one day more
And then tomorrow night, when the stars shine bright
I know what I'll be wishing for
I'll want another one day more
That's all I'll ask you for
The voice belonged to Will, he was pouring his heart out to Emma in song. She continued to let the music tell her how he felt about her.
People come and go
Prospects will surprise us
And then as fast, they'll all disappear
Whatever tricks we fall for
We're immune to them all
For we have a life right here
As far as partners go
I'm yours, although
What I bring is small
I want to love you one day more
And then tomorrow night, when the stars shine bright
I know what I'll be wishing for
I'll want another one day more
That's all I'll ask you for
It had hit Emma right there – Will really did love her. Sure, Carl was nice, but she knew in her heart that he couldn't compare to the true and honest feelings she had for her best friend, her rock, her pillar of strength. Will was about the only person at McKinley High aside from the glee kids who appreciated her and cherished her for who she was. And that made all the difference in the world to her, that somebody respected her for being her true self. She felt a tear trickle from her eye and start to fall down her cheek as the music intensified a bit.
Through dawn into sunset
Year after year
Just let me love you one day more
And then tomorrow night, when the stars shine bright
I know what I'll be wishing for
I'll want another, and another, and another, and another
And another day, and another day, and another day, and another day
How could I wish for more?
That's all I'll ask you for
And as the last notes of the song began to fade away, Emma looked at the rose sitting in the vase on the table and reached up with her hand to wipe the tear from her face. But not before saying something very softly to herself:
"I love you, Will."
Author's Note: This story was inspired by a song Matthew did called "One Day More" for a 2007 album called This Ordinary Thursday: The Songs of Georgia Stitt. I felt it was a beautiful song and a great way for Will to let Emma know how much he really does love and care for her.