Several days had gone by and I finally got up the nerve to call Adriane. I asked her if I could come over, and she agreed. I showed up at around 4PM, like she told me to.

"Hey, AJ. Come on in." I held up another bouquet of flowers. "Thank you. How did you know I liked fresh flowers?"

"Just a hunch." I shrugged. "So what have you been up to?"

"I'm ready to come clean to you. I want to tell you everything." I sat down on her couch. "Come with me." I got up, took her hand and followed her to a dark room in her apartment.

"What's in here?" I asked.

"My skeletons." She flipped on a light. The room was filled with boxes, pictures, and musical equipment. "Hopefully there's no one actually buried under there."

"Just one person, actually two." She opened one of the boxes and pulled out a photo album. Turning out the light, we walked back to the living room. She sat down, and opened the book. I sat next to her. "That's Danny." She pointed to a man with long brown hair and a small goatee. "I met Daniel Nydia when I was 15. We were considered outcasts in high school, so naturally we bonded. We decided to form a band together, called Louisiana Firecrackers. Southern rock, that's what we played." She flipped to a page where there were all sorts of pictures of her, Danny, and their band. "Music was always my passion. I wrote lyrics for the band. Writing was my other passion. I loved performing. It made me feel so complete... he and I just got married, when..." I put my arm around her. "He was on his way to a record label, hoping we would get signed. Then the next thing I know... I see on the news... his car, totaled, and his torn body loaded up in a body bag."

She just started crying, and rightfully so. I just held her in my arms. I didn't know why she was putting herself through this pain, just to relive her past... in front of me. I didn't get it. All I could do was hold her and pray she didn't fall off of this roller coaster. Then she flipped to a page with one lonely picture. An ultrasound picture. Of a baby.

"This was our daughter. We were going to name her Victoria. After Danny died, I was in so much stress, that I miscarried. I have no one now. I've never been so alone in all my life." She held her head in her hands and sobbed. I took her hands.

"Look at me." With those beautiful, but red eyes, they met mine. "Are you alone right now?" She shook her head. "Exactly. I'm here. I'm always going to be here." I put her hand on my heart. "I'm real. You don't have to suffer anymore." She gave me a small smile.

"Do you still love me, even after what I've been through?"

"Baby, I love you more because of it. What's your maiden name?"

"Jones."

"Adriane Jones. I love you, and I'm always going to love you."