I stared at the wall “What the hell are you talking about a break, Nick?” I was astonished at the words that were coming out of his beautiful mouth “But I thought you said that we were doing good...that our relationship was good...right?” I could tell that this was affecting him, as much as me. He scratched his head with one hand and wrapped his free arm around my waist “Look Stella I know that you want us to work out...but this is my chance to chase that dream...that dream that you and I know about.... you can always come with me...” I stood there “I can’t do that...I would just be in the way and then I would end up resenting you because I don’t get enough attention and there would be tons of women around you...” I shook my head in doubt, this was not happening to me. I drifted off into my memory...I had met Nick in a cafe on Ventura Blvd, where my friends and I hung out 24/7, he happened to be shopping for a book that evening and well we bumped into each other spilling our coffee everywhere. At first I was mad, but when I looked deep into his blue eyes, I was swept away, after a couple of hours of talking...our lives seem to come together, I moved in with him and we were like a married couple. Now I was thinking maybe we just did everything to quick, we were both just 21 and we had different aspirations for our lives, I wanted to teach and well he always had the dream of becoming a big singer one day, but everything seemed to hold him back, even my love for him.

I sighed with concern as he waved his hand in my face “Earth to Stella I’m still talking to you” I looked at him, probably with puppy eyes “Nick I love you...I really do...but I’m not going to be the one to hold you back this time and taking a break is not going to help us, it‘s just going to make it worse.” He looked at me a little surprised “What are you talking about? A break will help us, I will go on tour and you can finally visit your family.” I smiled, really wanting to cry, but I had to be strong for the both of us. I patted his shoulder “I’m going to pack my things...” I began to walk into the bedroom, gulping down that fat knot that nestled in my throat “But I told you, you can come with me...Stella...” I turned to look at him “Like I said I’ll pack my things...” and so I did pack my things, while he sat on the sofa waiting for me to finish. Everything in the apartment was practically his, so I didn’t bother with anything but my clothes. I stood by the door, as he stood up and ran to hug me “You don’t have to do this…” I gloomily tried to give him courage “I wish you all the luck in the world...” “Stella...but I really...” I placed my finger on his mouth, to shut him up “Don’t say another word...just remember that I love you...” I gently kissed his lips for the last time, and opened the door “I love you too...don’t forget that” he looked at me, I looked back at him as a tear escaped my eye “I wont” I grabbed my bags and headed down the hall, it seemed to never end, and as tempted as I was, I never looked back.

Three years later…

“Damn I’m tired you guys...all this traveling is crazy” I placed my luggage on the bed, another fancy hotel I thought to myself. A cozy bed, with a crackling fireplace, a beautiful wife cooking a good meal and the kids running around excited about their presents would have been nice. “Yo, are you ok? You’ve been a little out of it lately” Brian my best friend from the band interrupted my dream life “Oh yeah...just miss being in a normal spot you know” Brian laughed, he knew what I was talking about “Of course we all do...it’s New Years Eve man...but come on, we are family right? We’ll make the best of it” I smiled crookedly “Yeah that is right.” I decided I would go out to the store and buy me some booze, which was about all I could do since I had to stay in this lame ass hotel and receive the New Year... “Hey man, don’t forget to be here at 11:45” Brian smiled as he put his clothes into the drawers. I forced a smile back at him and nodded as I closed the door, outside I waved down a taxi and headed to a grocery store down the street, it was snowing harshly and my fingers were already numb from the cold. I had trouble finding the liquor isle; stores out here in New York were different from the ones back in Florida. “Where the hell...” I mumbled to myself as I stumbled over a little girl, she giggled as she looked up at me with her innocent face.

She must have been about three years old, with long brown hair and big blue eyes. “Hi there...” I tried to rectify my last bad comment “Where is your mommy?” I asked her as she stretched out her arms for me to pick her up I looked around as though someone else was behind me. I finally round up the courage to pick up the little girl “Hi” she smiled at me with her little teeth; her smile must have been contagious, since I started smiling as well. “Angel...where are you?” I heard a frantic voice a couple of isles away, and for some reason the voice seemed so familiar “Mommy” the little girl giggled. Suddenly around the corner came flying a woman bumping into both of us. I stood there in awe; no words could escape my mouth. I stared at her, her lips still full, her figure intact and her hair still long and brown, “Stella?” I was finally able to speak, as the child reached out for whom seemed to be her mother, the woman appeared to be deep in thought and didn’t seem to recognize me, suddenly her eyes flew open wide and a beautiful grin came across her face “Nick?” she reached out to hug me and we ended up dropping a couple of cans of corn that were on sale, we laughed hard as we picked up one by one. “What are you doing around here?” she asked me as she stacked the last can. I smiled I couldn’t believe that she was standing in front of me, and not to mention that she had a small twin.

“We are on tour, promoting the new album” she smiled “Well that is great...you made it…“ as she said those words, I saw a slight look of anguish in her eyes and she continued “I’ve tried to keep up with your group and all that but it’s hard when you have a baby.” I turned to look at the little girl’s sweet face. “Yeah I see that...she’s beautiful” I had a hint of jealousy in my body, that could have been my child, and well Stella could have been that wife... “I had to come and buy some milk...I’m staying with my mother down the road” Wait she was with her mother, what about her husband...she had to have a husband, but I felt wrong asking her. “My husband had to work this year, he’s an business man...travels a lot” she nodded and explained how her life had made a U turn after our break up...she changed the subject quickly “Uh you don’t mind if I pay this do you?” I didn’t mind anything; I just didn’t want her to leave yet it felt so nice to see a familiar face. “Uh no, actually I was just going to pick up some beers...be back” I headed back to the isle and grabbed a six-pack and met her at the check out stand. We walked out into the cold “The cold is fierce out here isn’t it” I rubbed my hands together, as she smiled “Would you like a ride back to your hotel?” I smiled “Uh...actually...uh...sure if it’s not a problem” she smirked “Of course not...” She placed the little girl into her car seat and we met up in the front of the car “So...life has been good to you. You haven’t changed a bit” I complimented her “Thank you...” She didn’t seem too convinced of my flattery. we stood there for a minute or two in awkwardness and then decided to hop into the car.

“I’ve seen you everywhere...my little nieces they love you...” she laughed nervously “You must be doing well?” I rubbed my hands together and looked out into the darkness “Well the fame is exhausting, the fans are great, but the traveling sure is exhausting...I miss being normal.” We both looked at each other, I wasn’t sure if I could still see a spark of love for me in her eyes, but what was the use now. She had a family and I was still on the road, with nothing but my band members and an old guitar she had given me. We waited for the car to warm up, as a Christmas carol played on the radio. “Oh wow, my mother is going to kill me...it’s 11:45” she looked at her watch “Yeah Brian my band mate said to be back by now...” we both laughed “Well we are probably going to be on our way by 12:00, hold on I’ll be right back” I stormed into the store and asked the clerk “Do you have any noise makers, streamers, apple cider?” without a word he pointed to the corner and I ran picked up a couple of noise makers and a bottle of apple juice with some cups, he rang me up quickly and I ran back to the car “I thought that we should still welcome the New Year with style in case we are still in the car” Stella laughed “Your still humorous aren’t you” She began to drive down the street as the snow fell, I could see the lights of the hotel coming up. My stomach flipped a couple of times, I knew my time would be up any minute and I would see her leave my life once again.

She stopped in the parking lot and turned to look at me again “Fancy place?” I shrugged “Yeah I guess...” I took out the cups and poured us some apple juice as she climbed over the seat and took out the little girl from her car seat. “Angel is two years old and very attached to me, I would feel weird if I welcomed the New Year with her in the back seat” I laughed “It’s no problem” I handed them both a cup as the little girl sat in Stella’s lap the DJ on the radio began to count down...we looked at each other, we both must of been remembering our old New Years Eve bashes, because we both laughed. Finally the DJ hit 1 and all three of us hugged and toasted to a New Year ahead. We began talking about lots of things...an hour had gone by and we had run out of things to say. Angel had fallen asleep on her mothers lap, she placed her back in the car seat “Well I must go now...my mother is already going to kill me...but she won’t believe who I bumped into” Stella giggled nervously, I kissed her lightly on the cheek and patted her on the shoulder “Take care of yourself and that beautiful little girl...I hope god is this kind to me again someday.” I hugged her tight and climbed out of the car. She waved as she began to drive away. Just for a instant I was in that apartment watching her walk down our long hall, and I felt that familiar pain. I turned to walk towards the hotel and the snow turned into rain...

THE END