I sat that night, in the candle lit room, feeling your lips on top of my head. Your arms were around me, and I held your fingers up to my cheek, savoring the soft, warm feel of strength that was pouring out of you like water from a pitcher. You smelled like harsh, clean soap that made my nose tickle, and I let my nostrils drink it in deep, slow, sips. I could hear, as well as feel, you breathing behind me. Your chest rising and falling in the same pattern as mine, your heart beating an ever persistent rhythm, your breath fanning the top of my head. Even though it was silent in the room, I remembered your voice, clear and proud, glide through the silence gently and evenly, matching mine as we sang together. Each note was new and fresh. Each sound whole and calming as the darkness of the night. Each moment as long and endless as an eternity.

"I will remember you. Will you remember me? Don't let your love pass you by. Weep not for the memories."

The melody hung in the air, and then turned to smoke, and rose to the ceiling.

You didn't have to tell me, and I didn't have to tell you, that we would both remember everything about that night. There would be no forgetting even though I was only eleven and you more than twice my age, but somehow, the song had seemed appropriate.

We had stayed silent after that, listening to the quiet grow and expand to fit the room to capacity. I felt my eyes close lightly, and let myself glide in and out of consciousness. I stayed in the state that isn't quite sleep, but really isn't being awake for a while, pressing myself closer to you. I finally fell all the way asleep, and I must have stayed that way for a while, because even though it was still dark when I opened my eyes, the candle had burnt down low, and was casting a shorter shadow.

"Mmmm," I sighed.

You kissed the top of my forehead. "Did you have a nice sleep, little one?"

"Wonderful. Did you sleep too?" I asked, nuzzling your arm lazily.

"No, I just watched you. You're beautiful when you sleep," you said softly.

I blushed, "Thank you."

"Tell me about your dreams, Lilly."

"What do you want to know?"

"Everything."

I could feel goose bumps forming as you rubbed my shoulder gently with your thumb.

"I dreamt about you. I wasn't eleven year old as I am now but much younger, maybe seven or eight and you were in my dreams, just the same as you are now. You were holding me just the same as you are now, and you were telling me stories. Fairy tales, really. The first one was about a princess who was all alone on a barren star. She had lived there all of her life, without anyone to talk to but the moon and the stars. She told them how much she wanted someone to be with, and one star sacrificed its life for her. It turned itself into a handsome prince that appeared suddenly to the princess. The princess loved him more than anything, and told him her deepest secrets. Then, one day she told him that she longed to get off the star and see the rest of the universe, because it looked so beautiful. The prince loved her so much, that he decided to go to the sun, who was the god of the stars, to ask for a golden chariot to take his princess around the galaxy. The cruel sun refused the prince's request, and in punishment turned him into a comet that would only be seen once every hundred years. So the prince had no choice but to speed off, leaving behind him a trail of love for his fair princess. The princess meanwhile was so upset, that she began to cry, and each tear turned into a shooting star."

"In my dream, you suddenly turned into the prince, and left me, with a trail of silver love behind you." I finished my story with a shiver and a swallow. I felt alone suddenly, and I clung to you like a small baby.

"Don't worry my little princess," you bent your face down to kiss the back of my neck, "I will never leave you."

I sighed, and lost myself to your touch. "Nat, do you always remember your dreams?" I asked, turning around so that I was facing you.

"When they're about you, I do." You kissed my lips lightly, and then held me even closer than before.

I can remember that moment, with my head resting on your shoulder, right under your neck, listening to your breathing pattern, feeling totally complete, totally whole. I wasn't thinking about tomorrow, or yesterday, at that moment, I was thinking only about right then, with you.

"I will be in your dreams if you ever need me. And you will be in mine. Always in mine." Your voice was as soft and strong, and I let it fill me up inside.

The End