Neil met me in the lobby the next evening for the play. I wore my hair up, but differently than usual. A few curls loosely floated above my shoulders, and I wore my red dress with the pearl buttons. I must have stood in front of that mirror for hours, perfecting myself to the highest possible point. After feeling rather discouraged about the way I looked I put my coat on and walked to the elevator, feeling as though it was going as slow as possible.

The doors opened and I guess that Neil saw me first. The lobby was fairly busy with people, being around the holidays with families come to visit their boys. I stepped out as a swarm boarded the elevator, pushing me in the group. When they had finally all gone into the elevator, I watched the doors close and the room around me stir with emptiness. Then I caught his eye.

He stood in the doorframe, his arm resting on it, just looking at me, staring like I was a apparition and he was a mere mortal. I guessed I didn't look as bad as I had thought and approached quietly.

He didn't say anything for a moment and I cleared my throat and looked down at my feet. He lifted my chin with his forefinger and seemed to study my face like it was the first time he had seen it.

He whispered with a breathy laugh, "Hello,"

I smiled and blushed as he trailed his thumb across my cheek, "Hello," I replied, "Shall we go? We'll be late,"

This seemed to awaken him from his trance. Wrapping his arm around my waist he led me out to the waiting cab.

Neil closed the door behind him and the cab driver started the car. Neil put his arm around me, resting his fingers on my hip.

"Are you nervous tonight?" I asked.

"Yes, deathly afraid," He mumbled looking over at me.

I laughed softly, "You have nothing to be afraid of," I said.

Neil leaned forward and kissed me on the forehead, "With you beside me, of course not."

I smiled as the car sped to the theater.

I felt quite out of place as the actors prepared for the performance. I found refuge in Neil's dressing room while he went through his lines again with his comrades. It was a cluttered place, almost a closet. I sat down beside a table with a thousand piled books. Picking one up, I apprehended that they were all plays. I flipped through a few, and realized that certain parts were highlighted.

"You found my future, I see,"

I looked up to see Neil walk in with a smile, closing the door behind him.

"You certainly are ambitious," I replied.

"I have so many parts I want to do now," He said, going behind the changing screen and getting into his costume, "So many people I want to portray on stage, its like the world is opening up before me,"

I smiled softly and put the play back with its brothers on the table.

"So I'm guessing the conversation with your father went better than expected,"

"Well," He looked over at me, "He wasn't thrilled, but he's letting me do the play so that's a step, and soon he'll have to see how much this means to me," He voice sang with dreams and hope as he came from behind the screen in his green leggings and turtleneck.

I pursed my lips together as not to laugh but he noticed this and grimaced.

"Does it look that bad?"

I let a chuckle escape my lips and shook my head. His eyebrows arched with amusement and he approached me. The look on his face made me laugh .

"You think this is funny?" He asked, mock petulance in his voice.

"No," I said and burst out laughing.

At that opportune moment he attacked, tickling me mercilessly where I sat.

"N-no," I panted between laughs, "Neil!"

He smiled, kneeling in front of me, stopping. I wiped a tear from my cheek, still grinning at him. There was quiet for a moment and I reached out, putting my hand on his face softly. He laid his fingers over mine and moved his mouth over to the heel of my hand, kissing it softly.

"I love you," He mumbled.

I felt my heart stop for a moment.

Those three simple words can build or destroy in seconds. People don't know how important that phrase is. It's thrown around so much we've forgotten what it truly means. But we were an actor and a poet, and we knew the meaning of words.

And he knew what he was saying.

"I love you too, Neil," I breathed.

"And you know that I'll never leave you. Not now, not ever. This is it, Rachael. We are meant for one another, youth has nothing to do with it," He whispered, his hand met mine in my lap.

"I know," I replied, "I couldn't go on without you anyway."

With that I threw my arms around his neck and held him close. His arms snaked their way around my waist and pressed me even closer to him.

"I'll never be far, Rachael, never." He breathed into my ear.

A knock came to the door.

"Ten minutes till curtain, Neil,"

Retreating footsteps outside.

I drew back, lacing my fingers with his.

"You'd better get out there," I said, dragging my eyes from his chest up to his face.

I gave him a grin and he returned it with a smile.

He took me by the waist one last time and gave me a lingering kiss.

I smiled, "Go get em',"

He grinned as we parted ways.

He was heading for the stage and I for the audience.