They met on the beach. It was late, well after midnight, and she'd quietly left the dark hotel room where her family was sound asleep. He'd snuck away from the craziness of the party his friends were throwing and had been taking a peaceful walk along the deserted beach when he saw her. She was sitting in the sand, her knees bent in front of her and her arms crossed over them as she leaned forward, gazing out at the water. Despite the darkness, he got a strange, intense feeling that she had a deep beauty about her. He couldn’t tell what she was thinking, though, sitting so still and staring out at the water as if she was looking for something, so he approached her, slowly and quietly so not to startle her, until he was standing next to her, just a few feet away. She didn't notice him until he coughed, and she looked over to see him staring at her, his hands shoved into his pockets and a shy smile spread across his face. "Hi." She lowered her head and turned back to the waves as they crashed into the shore before answering. "Hi." He wasn't sure what to say, he'd never been good with words, but she saved the moment. "Beautiful night out." A loud screech from a group of people nearby brought him back from the trance he was in from studying her, and he nodded. "Yeah, beautiful." Her long hair went nearly halfway down her back, and the way it was moved by the wind made him want to run his fingers through it. There was something wrong with her, though he couldn’t put his finger on it. He got the feeling that she was angry about something. Or tired. The wind picked up, and the small sleeveless shirt she had on revealed her bare shoulders, which were so frail he could see her bones sticking through the fabric, and he watched her shiver slightly. "Are you cold?" he asked, quickly taking his jacket off. "Here, put this on." Once again she turned to look at him, only this time her resolve seemed to disappear a bit. "It's okay," she assured him. "I'm fine." "Please?" he asked, holding the jacket out to her one more time. "It'll help, I promise." She seemed to contemplate it for a few seconds before accepting. He let a relieved smile spread over his face and took a seat in the sand next to her as she pulled it over her head. "Thank you," she told him. "No problem," he answered, shyly. He still had the feeling that this girl had more beauty to her than any other girl he'd ever met, and it sent butterflies fluttering like mad in his stomach. The two remained on the beach together, talking about nothing in particular. He got a few laughs out of her by sharing stories from his past, mostly about the stupid things he and his friends had gotten into, and she finally began to open up as he got her talking about her family, who she was here with. It had taken them many years of saving their wages together to be able to afford this vacation, and all six of them were here. Her parents, both of them over 60 years old, who should have been long since retired. Her oldest brother, who was freshly divorced and in desperate need to get away from the courtrooms. Her sister, who had just recently become a widow at the young age of 29 after her police officer husband was killed in the line of duty. And finally her other brother, just two years older than her and in his final semester of graduate school, taking his last vacation before he graduated and entered the working world. They sat together, and he listened to the amazing stories she told him about her family. She told him about everything, from the weddings to the divorces, from the funerals to the graduations, and finally to the present moment. "We really needed this vacation," she admitted. "Sounds like it," he replied. She gave him a weak smile before returning her gaze to the dark water in front of them. "So what about you?" he finally asked. "What about me?" He laughed a little. "Tell me about you," he urged. "Tell me your story. I know the rest of your family's, but I don't know yours." She sighed. "There's not much to it." "Somehow I doubt that." He had a playful smile on his face, but it disappeared when she turned her head and looked at him. Again, like earlier when he’d first approached her, her face was clouded over with such an intense emotion that he felt his stomach drop in anticipation. “Have you ever seen anyone who’s dying?” she asked. The question caught him off guard. “Have you ever known anyone that was robbed of their life? Who was a good person, had so much going for her, but then had everything taken away from her like that – “ she snapped her fingers loudly “and none of it made sense but that’s not how the world works, is it? The world just takes and never gives.” There were a million questions running through his head, but he was speechless, wondering whether he should say something to comfort her or if she just needed to get all of this off of her chest. She turned and looked at him, her eyes holding a very deliberate look in them, and he saw that she was so angry she was on the verge of tears. "I just turned 20," she told him, her voice slow and deliberate, "and it's the last birthday I'll live to see." Nothing would have prepared him for that statement, and his dropped jaw and bulging eyes proved it. She saw his reaction and scoffed, shaking her head as she looked down at the sand and picked up a rock. She quickly regretted taking her anger out on this poor stranger who had been nice enough to approach her, but for some reason she felt it was okay. Normally she would quickly apologize for putting him in such an obviously uncomfortable situation. There was a peacefulness about this new friend, though, that she couldn't explain. "How--what--when?--" he stammered over himself, trying to find the right thing to say. "Cancer.” "Cancer?" he repeated. She nodded. "Leukemia." He didn't answer, not sure what to say to that, until he finally opened his mouth and said the only thing that continued to run through his head. "Wow." "Yeah," she agreed. There was another short, uncomfortable pause, and once again she began to worry that she should have kept her mouth shut. "No offense," he finally said, "but you don't really look sick." "How can you tell?" she asked, looking over at him. "It's pitch black out here." That was a good point. "But your hair," he said, nodding towards her head. Without hesitation, she reached up and pulled the hair off of her head. "It's fake." This time his mouth didn't gape and his eyes didn't bulge, but his stomach dropped, and his heart felt like it was being torn into two. He suddenly wished that he'd known this girl before now. He wished he'd seen her when she'd gone on her first date, or gotten her driver's license, or at least known her when she and her family had gone through so many hard times, so that he could have been there with her like he was right now. He wished he'd known her before she had cancer. But most of all he wanted to take all of the pain she was holding inside of her away and make it disappear. "That's not fair," he said without thinking. She turned to look at him again with a face that was hard to read. "What's meant to be, will be, though, right?” "I believe that." She was surprised. "Do you?" He nodded. "My mom taught me that when I was little." She stared at him for a moment, the first smile on her face that he’d seen. He knew, he didn't have to be told, that her family had experienced more than their share of hard times. But, at the same time, he got the strange feeling that of all the families in the world to go through such things, hers was one that would be able to make it. "We both have pretty smart moms then," she finally said. He laughed, feeling more comfortable with the situation. "Yeah, we do." They sat in silence for a few minutes, but both of them were surprised to find that it wasn't uncomfortable. In the short time they'd been out on the beach talking with each other, they'd formed a connection that both of them needed. Neither of them had to hide from what they were, they could be totally open with each other because, in reality, they were still strangers. "I should go." He looked over at her, surprised. A sad feeling swept over him, not really wanting this time to end, but realized that it was inevitable. "Yeah, me too," he agreed. They remained where they sat for a moment longer before she moved to stand up. He followed, and soon they were standing in front of her each other, timid smiles on both of their faces. "Do you want me to walk you back?" he offered. "It's pretty late..." "I'll be fine," she shook her head. "Thanks though." "No problem," he replied. Before there was another awkward moment, she turned and started in the direction opposite from which he had come, glancing over her shoulder with a quick wave. "Bye," she called. He lifted his hand and waved back. "Bye," he called back, then watched as she disappeared into the darkness.

It was dark, just like the night before, only it wasn't quite as late. He'd left his friends again to take a stroll on the beach, but tonight his motives were difference from the previous. As best he could, he scanned the dark beach, hopeful that he'd see her again. It was really too dark to see much of anything, yet he walked up and down the beach, still hopeful. Finally a movement caught his attention, and he looked up the beach just in time to see a familiar figure walk under one of the small lights that shone onto the sand. It was her, he knew it instantly. He watched her stop under the light to look at her watch, and then proceed onto the sand, stopping where they'd sat together last night. He quickly headed over, trying not to make it obvious how eager he was to see her again, but it was hard for him to contain. All day long, the only thing he'd been able to think about was her. She intrigued him; he'd never met anyone like her. There was something new to him about her, something mysterious yet appealing. As casually as he could he walked closer, and she heard him a lot sooner this time. She looked over to see him approaching, and to his delight a smile instantly lit up her face. He was still a few feet away, but he quickly closed the distance. "Hey," he smiled down at her. She smiled up at him for a moment before answering. "Out for another midnight stroll?" she asked. He let out a slight laugh and shrugged. "I guess," he replied, pausing momentarily to glance around. "It's really peaceful out here." She nodded. "It is," she agreed. There was a moment of silence between them, and he was worried because it felt slightly uncomfortable to him. He looked down at her, but she was staring out over the ocean again, so he took a deep breath and sat down on the sand next to her. When he did so, she turned her head and their eyes met. "I realized something today." He raised his eyebrows with interest. "What?" She let out a slow breath through her nose. "Happiness is something people take for granted." He looked over at her, a little surprised, but mostly confused. "What do you mean?" Her eyes locked with his. "People take little things for granted," she answered, then continued. "Like, have you ever known anyone depressed?" He shrugged and she nodded. "You should pay attention," she told him. "You might have a friend who is but you don't even know it." His eyebrows narrowed as he thought about what she had said. "Do you know what it's like?" he asked, softly. She looked back over at him, and the looked in her eyes told him more than he needed to know. There was another moment of uncomfortable silence between them, and he wished he'd never let his curiosity get the best of him. She continued to stare out at the ocean and the stars, sitting just inches away from him, and he watched her curiously. She had to know that he was staring at her, but either she didn't care or she wasn't paying attention. Either way, he was mesmerized by the look in her eyes, and once again he was struck by the pure beauty that radiated from her. "What makes you happy?" He'd blurted it out before he could even stop himself, and he was thankful it was dark out so that she couldn't see him blushing. She looked at him with a blank expression and he couldn't tell what she was thinking; whether he'd gone too far and freaked her out or not. But a smile slowly spread across her face, and he felt himself relax a little. "The stars," she told him, glancing upwards. "Looking up into the dark sky and seeing all the millions of stars up there." "Does that make you smile?" he asked. He knew his question sounded stupid, but he had this sudden urge to know. He'd only achieved this goal a few times so far, so he was still eager to know what it took to make her show that brilliant smile. She nodded her head a little as she lowered it from the sky and met his stare. "I've always dreamt of being an astronaut," she told him with a faint smile. "Just being up in the stars." He smiled. That was something kids always thought about being in elementary school, but he'd never heard of someone as old as they were who still wanted to do that. But he had to give her credit if that's what she wanted to do. It obviously made her happy judging by the far-off look she got when she looked up at the sky. She couldn't keep her eyes off of them for longer than a few seconds, it seemed. "That's cool," he said, not wanting to make her feel bad. She looked at him with a knowing smile. "It's okay," she told him. "You can laugh." "I never said I wanted to laugh." "But you do," she replied, staring at him with that same knowing smile. He finally lowered his head with a chuckle, surrendering. "I just haven't really heard of anyone actually wanting to be an astronaut," he admitted, glancing back up at her. "It's nothing personal." The look on her face told him that she understood entirely, and she kept her eyes locked with his for a moment before looking back up at the sky. "It's okay," she assured him. "I know it's a childish dream, but for some reason it's never left me." The smile on his face was unwavering as he watched her talk, her eyes staring up at the sky that she was so in love with. It made him sad, knowing that she wasn't going to be able to achieve her dreams, but then a thought occurred to him. "You'll have a lot better view of those stars pretty soon." There was a hesitation in her movements before she looked at him, her eyebrows narrowed. "In heaven," he explained, a friendly smile on his face. "You'll be a lot closer in heaven, and this may just be my wishful thinking, but I think when you get up there, you have the chance to fulfill all the dreams you never got to carry out here." She stared at him for a moment, pondering his words, almost in awe. It was amazing how the words he had just spoken mirrored her same beliefs. She'd never spoken them to anyone, but she'd written them down a few times, and she'd told herself that exact same thing over and over again in her head when she would get down about not having the chance to live a full life. "You're right," she told him, her voice sounding almost surprised. He was just glad she understood what he was trying to say. The last thing he'd wanted to do was insult her, and it comforted him greatly that he hadn't. It occurred to him that maybe, for the same unexplainable reason, their chance meeting here was helping her, too...just like it was helping him. "There's this song I know from church when I was younger," he told her, "and it made me realize how much we have to look forward to when we leave earth." He face was hard to read, and he wasn't sure what she was thinking until her face finally relaxed. "How does it go?" she asked. He looked at her cautiously, not sure how he should answer her question, but when he saw the look in her eyes - the excited but almost desperately needing look - he relaxed. A smile spread across his face before he took a deep breath and began to softly sing. "I've always heard there is a land Beyond the mortal dreams of man Where every tear is left behind But it must be another time There'll be an everlasting light Shining a purest holy white And every fear will be erased But it must be in another place So I'm waiting For another time and another place Where all my hopes and dreams Will be captured with one look at Jesus' face 'Cause my heart's been burning My soul keeps yearning Sometimes I can't even wait For that sweet, sweet someday When I'll be swept away To another time and another place" He stopped singing but the smile remained on his face. "It's a long song," he explained, "but that's the best part, I think." Her eyes were wide and she nodded her head. "That was beautiful," she told him, breaking into a smile. A smile of gratitude spread across his face, and even though he wasn't sure if she was complimenting the song or his voice, he didn't care. The look in her eyes was reward enough. "Have you ever been in love before?" The question surprised him. He looked over at her as she continued to still stare off into the sky. "Yeah," he finally answered. This time she looked at him, with her eyebrows raised with curiosity. "How do you know?" she asked. He looked slightly confused, both by the question and by the fact that she was asking him about something so personal. "What?" "How do you know when you're in love with someone?" He knitted his eyebrows together as he thought, then finally shrugged. "You just know," he replied. "I don't know how else to describe it." The confused look on her face made him laugh a little, and he sighed. "Okay, I'll try ..." A satisfied smile spread across her face, and he sighed again, resting his elbows on his knees. "When you're in love with someone, it's like the most god-awful feeling in the world, but at the same time, it's the most wonderful and exhilarating feeling you’ll ever experience," he explained. He looked at her and expected to see a confused look on her face, but was surprised to see that she was interested, taking in everything he was saying. A smile crept over his lips. "You think you could never want anything so bad," he continued, "and you find yourself unable to think about anything else but that one person. You go through your days counting the minutes until you can see them again and touch them again and tell them how much you love them, so you can see their amazing smile again." He paused momentarily as his smile grew even larger on his face, and she saw his eyes begin to dance as he shared his personal feelings with her. "And then, when you are with them, it's like everything that was ordinary in your life before becomes so much more...magical, just because they're part of it now. You get so engulfed with them, it's like you don't know where they start and you begin." He finished talking and there was a brief moment of silence between them; he seemed to be in awe with what he'd just shared and she was waiting to make sure he was finished. Finally she shook her head, letting out a small amount of air between her lips. "Wow." He laughed a little. "Yeah," he replied, a smile on his face. "That’s a good way to describe it." They were both silent, and he wasn't sure what to say. Her question had caught him completely off guard, but he didn't want to change the subject if there was more that she wanted to know. He felt like he owed it to her, for some reason. She was so young, and there were so many things she had yet to experience. He wasn't sure exactly how much longer she had to live, she hadn't told him anymore than it would be less than a year, but for all he knew it could be next week. The only thing he was concentrating on now was helping her understand the life she hadn't yet gotten to experience for herself. When he looked back over at her, he found her staring at him, with a familiar look on her face. He knew she had something else to say, but she was hesitating, and he wasn't sure why. Not wanting to push, he waited, until she finally opened her mouth to say what was on her mind, this time with more confidence. "Did she hurt you really bad?" His eyes widened a little at the question. "W-what?" he stammered. She looked at him with sympathetic eyes. "Did she hurt you," she repeated. "The girl you're talking about." The shock he was feeling was indescribable. How did she know? "Yeah, kind of," he admitted, not entirely sure himself why he was telling a perfect stranger all of this. "What did she do?" she asked. He sighed, surprised that he actually wanted to answer. "A lot of things," he replied, "but it ended right after she cheated on me." The silence between them returned, and his thoughts shifted to the past. "I remember everything about her still," he admitted. "I'm not sure if that's good or bad." She smiled at the weak grin on his face, wanting him to tell her more, which he sensed. "A part of me never wants to forget about her," he continued. "The feelings that have never gone away, the part of me that I left behind with her, but the other part of me wishes more than anything that I could just move on with my life." He paused, lowering his head briefly but raising it again, not wanting to show too much emotion. "Sometimes I tell myself that if I'd known it was going to be this tough, I never would have fallen so hard," he said, a weak smile on his face. A sigh escaped her lips. "I can't imagine what that's like," she admitted. He smiled, nodding his head. "You can't really understand it unless you've been there." She stared back at him. "Then tell me what it's like." "I just did." "No, not what it's like to be inve," she told him. "What's it like when it's over, and you know it's over?" He sighed, running his hands through his hair. "It's like someone rips your heart out and rolls it over with a steamroller," he replied. "It's like...God, it's like a part of you inside dies." She scrunched her face up in confusion. "Then why even bother falling into it?" she asked. "It doesn't seem worth it." A corner of his mouth rose in a half smile and he let out a small sigh. "Oh it's worth it," he assured her, a confident smile on his face. "It's worth it because of all the little things you share with each other. The way they smile when they see you, the way they say your name like no one else can or always tell you the same thing before you leave each other. The stupid little things that nobody else really thinks about. You remember the good things, and that's what makes it all worth it." There was another silence, and when he looked up, he saw the same confused look on her face as before, but this time it was mixed with sadness. He knew that she would probably never get the chance to feel the feelings he'd just described to her, and for the first time, he felt genuinely sorry for her. She deserved more than this, but there wasn’t much he could do about that. "Do you think you can fall in love with someone that you just met?" He thought for a moment. "I think you can know that there's something special about someone when you first meet them, like a premonition. Maybe you can see yourself falling in love with them," he answered. "But you can't truly love someone - completely - without knowing them completely, inside and out." She nodded, a frown on her face as she lowered her gaze to the sand in front of her. "I don't really have time for that." He wasn't sure what to say, but before he had a chance, she stood up from her spot on the sand and stare at the ocean for a moment before looking down at him. "I need to get going," she told him, regretfully. "My family noticed that I was out so late last night." He frowned, not wanting to get her in trouble. "All right," he replied, standing up and looking at her inquisitively. "They're pretty protective, aren't they?" She scoffed, as if it were a stupid question. "Just a little bit," she replied with sarcasm. He smiled. "They love you," he told her. "They just want to protect you." "Well there's not much to protect anymore," she replied. He frowned again. "It has to be hard for you to accept," he told her. "God, it's hard for me to accept and I've only known you for a day." He paused while they both smiled. "But there has to be a reason that you're in the position that you're in, and even if you can't think of anything, then know that you've touched me in a way nobody else has ever been able to." She was speechless, only able to stare at him in awe after the kind words he'd just shared with her, and so once again, they stood smiling at each other in silence, neither of them wanting to say goodbye to the other first. Their eyes met and they realized that they were both just avoiding the inevitable. He quickly stepped forward and drew her into a hug. It surprised her at first, but she relaxed and hugged him back, wrapping her arms around him. She felt him briefly tighten his arms that were around her before he let go, and she pulled away, stepping back with a shy smile. "Thanks," she said, looking up at him with a grateful smile. "I'm glad I ran into you again." He smiled in return. "So am I," he replied, hesitating. "Do you want me to walk you back?" he offered again, just like the night before. She laughed a little. "I can handle it," she replied. "Thanks though." He just nodded, taking a small step backwards. "Have a nice night then," he told her. She nodded. "I will," she replied. "Goodnight." He continued walking backwards, not taking his eyes off of her, until he raised his hand and waved to her. "Sweet dreams," he called, then turned around and disappeared into the darkness.

**Song: "Another Time, Another Place" by Sandi Patti & Wayne Watson

He was talking with his friends outside the beach house when some movement out on the beach caught his eye. Tearing his attention away from his friends, he looked out across the darkness but didn't see anything. Just as he was about to look away, though, he saw a figure down by the water, pacing back and forth. The person looked up and met his stare, stopping in their movements when they saw that he was looking, too. For a moment he wondered who it could be, but then a fleeting thought passed through his head and he glanced at his watch. It was still fairly early compared to the other nights, but there was no doubting in his mind that it was her out there on the beach. Thoughts of concern passed through his head, and he wondered if something was wrong. He wasn't sure why else she would come over to try to find him instead of waiting for him like she had the other night, but he didn't take the time to ask himself any more questions. He excused himself from his friends, who were as usual too pre-occupied to notice his absence anyway, and then started across the sand, heading towards the water where he saw her still standing, waiting for him. He watched her nearly the entire way, hoping to be able to read something from her actions, but was unable to. Her head was lowered and her arms were crossed over her chest as she kicked at the sand, waiting for him. Finally he arrived, stopping front of her with a pleasant smile on his face, hoping that his worried thoughts weren't about to be proven. "Hey," he said when he realized that she wouldn't speak first. "What're you doing out so early?" She finally lifted her head, an apologetic look on her face. "I wasn't sure if you'd come out tonight, so I thought I'd walk closer to your place and see if I could get your attention." He smiled, touched that she wanted to see him again, but also surprised that she would think he wouldn't want to see her. "Of course I'd come out," he replied. "I wouldn't have been able to stay away." A slightly embarrassed smile crossed her face, but he noticed that her smile wasn't genuine, and was even more convinced that something was bothering her. He felt strange, not knowing what to do. He'd only met her two days ago, so he didn't feel right asking what was wrong, but at the same time the connection they'd formed was strong, he could sense that much, and he knew that he'd regret not asking. “You’re here with friends?” she asked, looking at the group behind him. He nodded, glancing backwards at everyone talking and having a grand time together, then turned back to her and motioned for them to walk down the beach. They began walking in silence, both of them heading towards their original spot in a type of unspoken agreement. Once they arrived, they both took their spots in the sand, and finally he looked over at her with concern. "Are you okay?" he asked. She didn't respond to his question at all, simply keeping her eyes locked to the moon over the ocean. He sat where he was, not sure what to do, until she finally, slowly, looked over at him. "I don't want to leave," she admitted, her voice soft and shaky. He frowned, a feeling of sadness sweeping over him. He understood why she didn't want to leave, but didn't know how to communicate that to her. "Everything's going to go back," she told him. "The doctors and the treatments and listening to my mom cry herself to sleep every night. It's all going to start up again and I don't think I can handle it." "I'm sorry." He realized how stupid it sounded, but he honestly didn't know what else to say. She just nodded in reply, and they were both silent for a moment. The sound of the waves crashing against the beach, which was louder tonight than previously, kept it from being too uncomfortable. Suddenly he heard a sound, and when he looked over he saw her face contorted as tears ran down her face. She must have sensed that he looked over at her, because she lowered her face into her hands and began to sob. His arm was instantly around her back, and he slid himself closer, wanting to comfort her. "This is all so unfair," she sobbed, wiping at her eyes. "I don't know why my family's had to go through so much pain. We're good people, we don't deserve it." He just listened, consoling her the best he could with his actions since he was unable to come up with words that he felt adequately fit the situation. He realized, however, that she most likely just wanted someone to cry to; someone who wasn't linked to her family and who wouldn't have any guilt hanging over when she was done. He was glad that he'd been able to provide something to her, if only that. Everyone needed an outlet of some sort, so that they wouldn't have to keep all of their emotions locked inside. He'd done that on many occasions, keeping everything to himself, and he'd also learned first hand that it was an incredibly unhealthy way to deal with things. He just hoped that she would be all right, wanting desperately to be able to take all of her pain away but knowing full well that he couldn't. Finally her crying slowed, and he waited a moment for her to collect herself before he allowed himself to express his thoughts. "You seem like you've lost hope." She wiped her eyes with her fingertips. "Maybe I have." "Why?" he asked. She looked over at him. "Why wouldn't I have?" she asked. "It wouldn't do any good to hold onto something that wasn't even there." "There's always hope," he countered. She didn't say anything in reply, but the roll of her eyes told him that she didn't believe him. "Hey," he said softly, catching her attention. "You want to know a trick?" His question sounded so ridiculous that she couldn't help but lift her eyes and look at him, which made a small smile spread across his face, recreating that small feeling of hope she always got in the pit of her stomach when he smiled at her. "What's the trick," she finally asked, feeling stupid but unable to allow herself not to. He hesitated a moment before finally answering. "Every time you smile, it brings your hope back, little by little," he told her. "That's why I know you haven't lost hope, because you're still smiling." Without meaning to, she laughed at his answer, and a more sincere smile spread across his face as he watched her, amused. "What, you're laughing at me?" he asked. She looked up at him and managed to stop, their eyes locking at they both smiled at each other. "Are you happy with the way things are?" he asked, wanting to be serious again but allowing the friendly smile to remain on his face. "No," she answered, laughing a little at the absurdity of the question. "Then it seems like hope could do you a lot of good." She looked over at him, but he couldn't read the blank look on her face. "It's true, you know." She shook her head and looked down at the sand. "It'd be all for nothing," she told him. "No it wouldn't." She glanced up at him out of the corner of her eye, and the look she sent him told him that she obviously felt otherwise. He frowned. "Wouldn't you feel a lot better if your family was secure in knowing that you had come to terms with yourself and the situation you're in?" he asked. She looked at him for a moment, and he almost sensed anger in her eyes before she looked away. "You don't know what you're talking about," she told him. "You've never been in my situation before, so please, don't start lecturing me." "How do you know?" he challenged. "How do I know?" He nodded. "How do you know that I've never been in your situation?" She looked at him curiously now, searching his face to see if he was lying. Not a word was exchanged, and he finally decided enough time had passed. "I have a heart defect," he told her, softly. "I almost died when I was five years old, and just a few years ago I had to have open heart surgery or it could have killed me again." She still didn't say anything, but he let out the breath he'd been holding. It had been nearly five years since his surgery, but he still hadn't talked very freely about it, and finally realized how good it felt to get some of his buried feelings off of his chest. "I know it's not exactly what you're going through," he admitted. "It was still hard, though, knowing that something inside your body was causing so much trouble and that you have no control. And to see the pain that my family was in, especially when I was in the hospital getting ready to go into surgery..." He paused for a moment as he recalled the memories. "My family had a really hard time coming to terms with the fact that I could die, especially my mom," he told her. "She was torturing herself until she finally realized that once she accepted the fact that whatever God had planned for me was what was meant to be. Then she regained hope and it wasn't nearly as hard on her." He glanced over at her to see that she was listening intently, then took a deep breath and shook his head back and forth, staring down at the sand. It was still hard for him to talk about, but it was easier, for some reason, sharing it with her. Maybe because she was a stranger, or because he had a feeling that she really needed to know, or maybe it was because he knew that she understood. "I think that's the worst part," he continued, letting out a soft sigh. "Knowing that because of you, your family is hurting and your friends are hurting, and all of it makes the pain you're feeling yourself look so...trivial." "But it's not," she suddenly jumped in, taking him by surprise. He looked up and saw tears spilling down her face. There was a desperate look in her eyes, like she wanted so badly for someone to understand what was going on inside of her. Right now she wasn't the strong-willed person he'd met on the beach a few nights ago; inside she was hurting just like he'd been hurting when he'd gone through his surgery, and he suddenly wanted nothing more than to take her into his arms and hold her, keep her safe. "Seeing your family, what you’re putting them through…it hurts so bad it feels like it's killing you more than the disease is," she continued, trying to form her words between the sobs that continued to escape her lips. He stared at her for a moment, their eyes locked with a bond that neither of them expected to form with each other, until he finally relaxed and held his arms out to her. Without hesitating she collapsed into them, wrapping her arms around him just as he did the same around her, and buried her face into his chest as she let sob after sob rack her body. All he wanted to do was hold her forever; to take all of the pain she was feeling away. He'd learned long ago not to question why things happened to certain people, but it took all of his strength not to look up at the heavens right then and ask that very question. When she finally did pull away, she wiped at her eyes with an embarrassed smile on her face. "I'm sorry," she apologized, laughing a little with embarrassment. "I can't believe I broke down like that." He just smiled, wanting her to understand that it was okay. "It's all right," he assured her. "I understand what it's like to hold everything in." She nodded, and he felt happiness flood his veins as she finally acknowledged that she wasn't the only one to ever feel this type of pain. As much as they had touched each other, though, he saw a frown appear back on her face as she dropped her arms back to her side and look out at the stars again. He watched her for a moment, like he had done previously, until he couldn't take it anymore. "You know, you shouldn't frown," he told her. She rolled her eyes, then lowered her head quickly, unable to hide her embarrassment. "Really," he insisted, reaching out and lifting her chin with his hand. She allowed him to, meeting his eyes immediately and searching them. The look in his eyes seemed like he wanted to say something, but he hesitated, opening his mouth a few times without any words coming out. Finally he took a deep breath and closed his eyes momentarily before opening them again and looking even deeper into her own than she thought possible. It felt like he was looking straight through to her heart as his mouth opened once more. "You never know who's falling in love with your smile."