AN: Hey guys, I’m going to randomly add in chapters about Amelia’s past life with a man named Michael. I think it’ll help add to her and his character for later in the main story 🙂 P.S. The song is For the First Time by The Script.

She’s all laid up in bed with a broken heart

Night had descended over the city. Bright lights lined the buildings as they stood tall against the black backdrop of the still sky. She lay in the bed, still as the eye of the storm. Her honey hair was splayed about the bed around her, the delicate strands forming web-like patterns against the white sheets. The apartment was silent alone for her slow breathing. The sheets under her head were wet with tears that had fallen from her orange eyes.

While I’m drinking Jack all alone in my local bar

I slouch at the bar, staring into the glass in my hand. The dark liquid swirls as I move the glass. My thoughts wander to the woman I left in the apartment hours ago. Was she still there in the same spot, crying tears she had kept in for so long?

“What’s her name?” An older man from a few stools away asks.

I looked up. “What?” I ask.

“Her name,” He repeats, “The reason you’re trying to drink your sorrows away. What is it?”

“Amelia.” I whisper, and take another swig of the drink. I welcome the burn it gives me.

“What happened?” He asks.

and we don’t know how, How we got into this mad situation,

only doing things out of frustration

What happened? I sigh and drop my eyes back to my drink. Life happened. Life, money or lack thereof, work. It hit us like a train coming full speed down the track. No, not so sudden. I had seen it happening for a while but didn’t do anything. Still, I’m not doing anything about it. I’m sitting here in a bar drinking, not fixing anything. I pause my thoughts to answer him.

“Life.” I say, giving him the short version. He nods his head with a sorrowful smile.

“Ahh,” He lets out, “Life does tend to happen. Well son, what have you done to fix it?”

Trying to make it work, but, man, these times are hard

Nothing yet. Nothing at all. I couldn’t even bring myself to let her go. I know I’m not good enough for her. She deserves better that some drunk sitting on a bar stool while she lies alone and sad.

“Not much. I’ve been giving her space.” I reply, knowing that it’s a bad excuse for doing nothing.

“Hmmm,” He says, his eyes full of sympathy. “That won’t fix anything, son. I was married to my wife for 55 years and if I learned one thing it’s that when things get bad she doesn’t want space, she needs you there to help make it better.”

She needs me now but I can’t seem to find the time

At first anger flares in me. Who is this man that’s trying to impart his ‘great wisdom’ upon me? It quickly fades however. I know he’s right. As I raise my eyes to meet his I can see that he knows he’s right too. I sigh.

“I don’t know what to do.” I confess. “We’re 21, we’re broke and in college, living in an apartment we can’t afford to live in anymore. I want…” I pause, “I want to give her the world, but I can’t even give her a roof over her head.”

I got a new job now on the unemployment line

“Son, I may be going out on a limb here but, if she’s a good enough woman to make you want to give her the world, then my guess is that she doesn’t need it. All she needs you. My wife, she didn’t need all those material things. She needed comfort, love, and safety. How do you think we lasted 55 years?” He laughed softly, nostalgia clouding his eyes.

“That’s great, but it doesn’t fix our money problem. I don’t have a job.” I say. I think back to her face earlier. It was still beautiful, but signs of worry and stress marred it.

and we don’t know how

How we got into this mess, is it God’s test?

“What the hell do you mean by that?” She screams at me, her small figure tensed in anger.

“It’s not just my fault we’re broke. Your stories aren’t making us any money either!” I shout back, instantly regretting it. Her dream is to be a writer. We knew she just needed that one break and she’d be set. But the break hadn’t come yet. I reach out to comfort her but she recoils.

“Go.” She hisses. I can see tears welling in her eyes. “Just go. I’m sure there’s plenty of other people in this city you can criticize.” She turns on her heel and storms off to the bedroom, slamming the door behind her.

Someone help us ’cause we’re doing our best

Trying to make things work, but, man, these times are hard

I come back from my memories to the smoke filled bar. The old man is still watching me, untold stories and lessons held in his aged eyes.

“I just let her go. I didn’t even try to make it better.” I whisper, taking the last bit of my drink. I reach my hand into my pocket and pull out a small box. “I’ve been waiting for the right time to give this to her. But things just keep getting worse.”

“That ring is your call. As for everything else, it’s too late to look for a job tonight.” He looked at me and pulled out his wallet. “Take this, and go. I suggest stopping by a market and grabbing some drinks for you two to enjoy together, flowers would be nice too. Then, go home, apologize to Amelia, and talk it out. Get everything out in the open and make a plan. Once you’ve done that, if you two follow the plan you agree on, things should start looking up.”

I look down at the two bills he placed in my hand. Benjamins. I look up to give them back but he’s already disappearing out the door.

But we’re gonna start by drinking on cheap bottles of wine

I walk into the dark apartment and stop to listen. There’s no movement, no crying, just the distant honks and noises from the street below.

“Amelia?” I call out quietly, not wanting to wake her if she’s asleep. I don’t hear a response.

I sigh and set the two bottles of cheap wine on the table and go to the cabinets to pull out two glasses. With these in hand I pick the bottles up too and make my way down the hall to the bedroom, pushing the door open with my foot. Amelia doesn’t move as I set everything down on the nightstand. Her breathing tells me she’s not asleep so I sit down next to her.

Sit talking up all night, saying things we haven’t for a while, a while, yeah

We’re smiling but we’re close to tears, even after all these years

We just now got the feeling that we’re meeting for the first time

“Hey,” I whisper, gently raising my hand to push some hair from her face. She still doesn’t move. “Lia, can we talk? I’m sorry about earlier. I really am. Can we please sit up and talk about this? You can tell me everything and we can make a plan and work on getting things better.

She slowly opens her eyes and looks up at me. I smile down timidly at her and play with a strand of her hair.

“Okay.” She says quietly, her voice rough with tears.

She’s in line at the dole with her head held high

Amelia took a deep breath and stood in the line. She wasn’t sure exactly how long she’d been standing here, but it was a long time. The wait didn’t curb the feeling in her stomach though. She was happy for the first time in months. The night she and Michael had had a few days ago was still fresh in her mind. They had a plan.

“How can I help you?” The man at the counter asked her.

“My name is Amelia Steinbeck. I’m picking up an unemployment check from my boyfriend, Michael Leau.” She said,holding out her drivers license. The man smiled at her and nodded, handing the check over.

“Have a great day. Things will get better.” He said with a smile.

While I just lost my job but didn’t lose my pride,

“Thank you, sir. I understand. You have a good day.” I say, turning around and walking out of the store. Another place not hiring. I sigh and look around for my next prospect. I was looking for a job while Lia was getting our unemployment check. I hoped it was enough to cover our rent and bills.

and we both know how

How we’re going to make it work when it hurts,

when you pick yourself up you get kicked to the dirt

Tryin’ to make it work, but, man, these times are hard

I think back to the night in the bar and of the older man that had helped me. I should have gotten his name and number so I could repay him for everything once we got back on our feet. I shake my head and bring myself back to the present.

Focus on the plan. Find a job, I think to myself. I pick up my feet and begin the long walk through the city streets.

But we’re gonna start by drinking our cheap bottles of wine

Sit talking up all night, doing things we haven’t for a while, a while, yeah

“Do you still love me?” She asks, staring at the wall and away from me. The question is like a blow to my gut. Have I really been that distant lately?

“Yes, Lia. I love you more than anything. I’ve just been so lost lately. I know you deserve better. I’m really going to focus on us, on you, from now on.” I say, hoping she knows that I mean it.

We’re smiling but we’re close to tears, even after all these years

We just now got the feeling that we’re meeting for the first time

“How can I trust you?” She asks as she lays against my chest. The question sends another blow to my gut.

“Isn’t that what love is? Trust?” I reply, hoping she still loves me.

Amelia moves, her chocolate eyes stare into mine. For a long time she’s quiet, her glass held in her hand. Lazily she blinks, the gears in her mind working quickly behind her eyelids.

“Okay,” She says, taking a sip of wine. “I’ll trust you. So what do we want to do about this plan?”

Drinking our cheap bottles of wine

Sit talking up all night, saying things we haven’t for a while, a while, yeah

“Well, I want to start it by first telling you I love you, and that if there’s anything at all you don’t like about this plan then we can change it.” I say. The words ‘I love you’ bring a small smile to her face. I know I didn’t tell her that enough.

“Okay.” She agrees, snuggling into the bed and raising her hands to my face as we move into another position.

“This weekend once classes are over, I’ll look for a job. I’ll turn this city upside down looking for one. You can go to the unemployment office and pick up the check. We’ll do this, talking, more often. No more secrets, no more holding back. The moment something bothers you I want you to tell me so.” I say.

“Sounds good.” She replies, taking another drink of wine.

We’re smiling but we’re close to tears, even after all these years

We just now got the feeling that we’re meeting for the first time

“Do you remember meet and greet night?” I ask her, thinking back to our freshman year at university.

“Yes,” She says with a smile on her face, “You almost got thrown out of the building with Conner. You two were starting a dodge ball war with ping pong balls and pillows I though you were absolutely crazy.”

Yeah, For the first time

Oh, for the first time

Yeah, for the first time

We just now got the feeling that we’re meeting for the first time

We both begin to laugh, and we can’t stop. It has been so long since we’ve laughed together it’s contagious. I had forgotten how melodic her laugh was. I had forgotten how beautiful she was when she laughs. Our maniacal laughter calms to giggles and a tangle our fingers together.

“Do you remember the first day we met?” I ask her.

Her giggles calm and she smiles at me. In her eyes I see the stars she’s stolen from the sky.

“Yes.” She whispers.

“God, I’ll never forget that day.” I breathe, “I was only 18, but I knew I wanted to be with you the moment I saw you.”

“Me too.” She say, the stars in her eyes that have been missing for so long shining bright as the Northern Star now. “I love you.”

Oh, these times are hard, yeah, they’re making us crazy

Don’t give up on me, baby

Oh, these times are hard, yeah, they’re making us crazy

Don’t give up on me, baby

I take a deep breath and stand on the street corner outside the restaurant. A nice breeze sweeps through the streets as people pass me going about their lives. My stomach keeps tying an untying itself. I glance at my watch again and take a deep breath.

“Hey.” Lia says, planting a soft kiss on my lips. “I’m starving, let’s eat.”

“Okay.” I agree, takin her hand and walking into the joint.

She tells me about her day, her voice music in the air. After we finish eating she stops and looks at me.

“Michael, is everything okay?” She asks, worry in her voice.

Oh, these times are hard, yeah, they’re making us crazy

Don’t give up on me, baby

I look at her at smile. “Yes, I have something for you.” I say, taking her hand and pulling her outside.

Around us cars honk, people rush by, the world turns. For me, it’s just us. Her perfect face, chocolate eyes and honey hair. I slip my hand into my pocket and finger the box.

“Lia. Amelia. I love you. I know we’ve had some problems, but I don’t ever want to have problems with anyone else but you.” I pause, “Sorry, that didn’t come out like I meant it to.”

Her laugh comes out but I can tell she’s confused.

Oh, these times are hard, yeah, they’re making us crazy

“What I’m trying to say, Amelia, will you marry me?” I ask. Down on my knee I pull out the box and open it up to reveal a small ring.

Time freezes except for us. We are the only two people in the world, here on this corner. Her eyes widen and her mouth parts to expel a gasp. For a moment, my heart drops, afraid she’s about to say no.

Don’t give up on me, baby

“Yes.” She breathes, “Yes, yes yes!”

I laugh and shoot up, picking her up in a hug. As we spin around I smile. We would make it through this. We have the rest of our life together now.