Her apartment opened up into a living room and the first thing Josh noticed was the piano in the corner. Next to that, was a guitar and some amplifiers.
It was a warm, inviting room and he immediately felt at home in it.
"Please, sit down," she offered and they removed their jackets and gloves. She hung their jackets up in the coat closet and went to put the flowers he had given her in some water.
She placed the flowers on the coffee table and looked at him. "Thank you again for the flowers and the chocolates. It was so sweet of you to do that. It meant a lot to me and I really appreciate it."
"You're welcome. I'm glad I..." He stopped, speechless, as a huge, black and white cat ambled into the livingroom. He had three legs and the sight stunned Josh.
Mikey rubbed against Ashton's legs, meowing up to her.
"Mikey." She scooped him up into her arms and gave him a kiss on his nose. "How's my little buddy doing?"
"Little?" Josh laughed. "He doesn't look so little to me! How big is he anyway?"
"He weighs 17 pounds."
"That's the biggest cat I've ever seen in my life. Hey, Mikey." He called to him.
Ashton put him down and he jumped onto the couch next to Josh. Josh pet him and the cat began to purr loudly.
"I guess he likes me." Josh laughed.
She smiled as she sat down in an easy chair across from him. "Can I get you anything?" she offered. "Something to drink, maybe?"
"No, thank you." He smiled at her. "Do you think you could play something for me?" He looked at the piano and guitar.
"My neighbors would kill me. It's after midnight, remember?" She laughed softly.
"You're right. Then I'll just have to come back in the morning and hear you play." He smiled again as Mikey curled up in his lap. "How long have you been playing?"
"For as long as I can remember. My dad said I had talent even as a young child. He always encouraged me to pursue it."
"I meant to ask you, do you know how to ice skate?"
"Yes, why?"
"Do you have any plans tomorrow, I mean, today? It is tomorrow already." He laughed.
"No. It's Saturday and I don't have school. Why?"
"I have a free day. I thought we could spend the day together, get to know each other better."
She suddenly wrapped her arms around herself. "I'm so cold. I need to raise the heat a bit." She stood up to go to the thermostat.
Josh was right beside her. "Ashton, please." He put his hands on her shoulders. He'd seen a dark shadow cross her face and it bothered him.
She turned to look at him. "What?"
His hand went to her face, tracing lines against her soft skin. "I want to hold you. Let me hold you. I need to. I think you need it too."
She went into his arms, burying her face against his chest. He held her close and breathed in the soft scent of her. He felt her arms slip around his neck and Josh had never felt so close to anyone as he did at that moment. It had truly amazed him that this had happened. He'd never expected to met someone as lovely as she was.
He suddenly felt his shirt grow damp and he knew that she was crying.
"What is it?" he asked gently. "What's wrong?"
His hands ran through her long, soft hair. He'd fantasized about doing this to her since the moment he laid his eyes on her.
"I don't want to get hurt. I don't want you to make promises to me that you can't keep."
"What do you mean?"
"Making plans, going ice skating, coming back in the morning so that I can play something for you, I know none of it will happen. You'll leave and that will be that, just like everyone else has left. It doesn't matter."
"Yes, it does." He broke away from her and then went to sit on the couch. "I'm staying right here and I'm not moving. I'll spend the night here, that way I won't have to go home and come back. I'll take you out for breakfast in the morning and we can spend the entire day together. You don't want to take me seriously and this is the only way I can prove myself to you. I understand your hesitation but I'm not leading you on. Please believe that."
She looked at him. "You really would do that? You really would stay here?"
"Of course I would. I don't want to be alone either. It was fate that brought us together tonight. I want to be with you, Ashton. I promise that you'll never be lonely again." He held his arms out to her. "Come here," he whispered.
She went to him and he pulled her down next to him. "What are we going to do?"
"Maybe we should try and get some sleep. That way, we can get an early start in the morning. I want to stay here tonight because I don't want you to feel alone anymore. I want to prove myself to you so please let me. Let me stay here. I'll sleep right here on the couch. Maybe Mikey will keep me company."
She smiled at him. "Mikey only sleeps with me but if it's all right, maybe I'll stay here with you. I kind of like having you here and I like when you hold me. It's so nice."
"I like holding you too," he whispered. "I feel like you belong next to me, in my arms. I've never felt this way about anyone before and I like it a lot."
They snuggled up close to each other and fell asleep in each other's arms. For the first time in a long time, Ashton didn't feel so alone.
-------------------
When she awoke, Josh was already up. He had moved to the easy chair across from her and was watching her. He smiled at her.
"Good morning," he said tenderly. "And Happy Valentine's Day again."
She smiled at him. "Good morning to you too. And Happy Valentine's Day as well. What time is it?"
He looked at his watch. "It's almost nine o'clock. I hope you don't mind but I took a shower. I didn't want to wake you and I didn't think you'd mind anyway."
"That's fine. I don't mind. I need to take one myself. How long have you been up?"
"Not that long. I was just sitting here watching you. You look like an angel when you sleep."
Mikey woke up. He had been laying next to her on the couch. Now, he meowed loudly at her.
"Time to eat?" she asked as she scooped him up in her arms, giving him a quick kiss.
"I'd better feed him before he brings the whole house down. Do you mind if I take a quick shower?"
"No, of course not. I'll just sit here and wait for you."
"Do you want some coffee or breakfast?"
"No, thanks. I told you that I was going to take you out for breakfast and I meant it. When you're ready, we'll go out."
"Okay." She smiled at him and disappeared into the kitchen.
She fed Mikey and then went to take a shower. She couldn't stop smiling. Josh had really stayed with her and they had a nice day planned together.
She wanted to sing in the shower and she did. She felt as if she was floating on a cloud. She dried herself off and sprayed herself with her most expensive perfume. She dried her hair and got dressed. She was in such a happy mood. Such a change had come over her from the night before.
When she came back into the livingroom, she found Josh sitting on the floor playing with Mikey.
He smiled at her. "I heard you singing."
She felt herself blushing. "I'm a shower singer, sometimes."
"You have a beautiful voice. You sing like an angel. Now, I really want to hear you play something for me. You told me that you would."
"Okay." She sat at her piano and began to play the song that was famous from the "Peanuts" cartoons.
Josh laughed. "Have you written any of your own music?" He sat on the bench next to her.
She nodded. "I wrote a song for my dad's funeral. I played it and there wasn't a dry eye in the place."
"I believe it. Would you play it for me or is it going to bother you to do that?"
"I can play it."
"I'd really like to hear it."
"Okay. It's called 'With a Song In My Heart'."
Josh listened to her play the piano as she sang the lyrics to the song she had written. He felt his eyes grow wet with tears. It was a beautiful song. He felt himself deeply moved by it. Even if it hadn't been about her father, it was still a passionate and moving song that really touched him. The lyrics were so heartfelt and the melody was haunting.
When she was done, he applauded her. "That was amazing. You're amazing. You have such a beautiful voice. It's incredible. You're so talented."
She smiled shyly. "Thank you."
"Why didn't you ever become a professional?"
"I wanted to be a teacher instead. I love kids and it was really all I ever wanted to do."
"Do you think that maybe you could ever teach me how to play?" he asked her, hopefully.
"Sure. I could do that."
"I think it's so nice that you decided to share your talent with others, to teach kids about music. I bet they love you."
She couldn't help but laugh. "Every year they have a contest to see who the most popular teacher is and I was voted two times in a row. The kids really love music and when they learn how to play an instrument, it's so exciting for them. For me too. We have shows several times a year and the families come to hear them play. It's a lot of fun. I really enjoy it."
"I can tell that you do. That's how I feel about hockey. It's all I've ever wanted to do. I've been playing ever since I could walk. My dad taught me how to play. He coached my team when I was younger. He was a big influence on me too so I can understand how you must feel about losing your dad."
He noticed the sudden expression of sadness on her pretty face. "I'm sorry," he said softly. "I guess I shouldn't have said that."
"It's okay. I know you meant well."
"Are you ready to go out?" he asked, eager to spend the day with her.
"Sure. Let me get our jackets." She retrieved them out of the coat closet.
Josh helped her to put her jacket on. "I like the perfume you're wearing. It smells nice."
"Thanks." She smiled because she had put the perfume on especially for him. It was nice that he had noticed it.
They walked down the flight of stairs together.
In the lobby, the doorman greeted them. "Happy Valentine's Day, Miss Logan," he said to her as he presented her with a long stemmed red rose.
"Thank you." She smiled gratefully to him as her and Josh went outside.
"Does he have a crush on you or something?" Josh asked her.
She smiled. "He does that every year with all the women in the building. He's just a really nice guy. Besides, he's old enough to be my dad."
They walked hand in hand down the street to a small but expensive cafe. They ordered croissants and muffins and sat for awhile, talking.
This is no dream, Ashton thought to herself. I'm really sitting here with Josh O'Malley. I'm actually having breakfast with someone and it's so nice. I never want this day to end. I love being with him. He makes me feel so good and he's great company.
Some of her neighbors came into the cafe and exchanged pleasantries with her.
"For someone who says she's lonely, you seem mighty popular to me," Josh observed.
It was amazing to her that nobody recognized Josh. It could be that when he was out on the ice, he wore a mask over his face. It was almost a shame that he had to hide his face because he was so good looking.
She looked at him and he smiled at her. She smiled back and couldn't remember when she had a better time than she was having now.
After breakfast, they went to get his car at the garage. He drove through the streets for awhile and they talked a bit. It had started to snow and he looked at her again, smiling. It seemed that he couldn't stop smiling when he was with her.
"Let's take a drive upstate," he suggested. "Are you game?"
She agreed, not caring where they were going. She just wanted to be with him.
As they got out of the city, the air became crisper and cleaner. Josh had turned the heat up in the car. The traffic became lighter too.
"Where are we going?" she asked. "I have to admit, you've got me curious now."
He smiled again. "I can't tell you. It's a surprise."
They drove for what seemed hours to her but it was merely her anticipation that made it feel that way.
Finally, he made a turn off of the thruway and he sneaked a look at her. "I think you're going to like where we're going."
There was a sparkling carpet of snow on the ground and everything looked so pure and new to her. He drove a bit more until he announced, "We're here."
It was the arena where the Wolfpack practiced and did their workouts. Ashton had to admit that she was surprised.
"I promised you iceskating. I called this morning while you were still sleeping and we've got the whole place to ourselves." He was grinning at her and she couldn't help but smile back.
He opened the car door for her and they went inside.
Josh was greeted by every single person who was in there. He took her hand and led her down to the dressing room area.
"We'll have to get you some skates. What size are you?"
Josh got her skates and they went onto the ice together. The lights had been dimmed and soft music played in the background.
They skated around the ice for awhile, just enjoying each other's company. The rink had been closed down just for them and Ashton couldn't think of anything more romantic than what they were doing.
"Are you having a good time?" he asked her.
She grinned at him. "This is great! I never thought I'd find myself here with you. Thank you for this. It was so nice of you."
He smiled back at her and he could see how content she was. That made him happy too. He felt her despair and solitude the night before and it had hurt him deeply. To a degree, he had felt the way she did and now that they had found each other, Josh wasn't about to let her go. He wanted to keep her smiling because that smile had thawed out the ice in his own heart. He had finally found someone at last and he was determined to make her happy. She was truly a special person to him.
The morning melted into the afternoon and the time passed by pleasantly. They talked and laughed as they skated hand in hand around the ice.
They sat down on the bench for awhile and talked some more. Josh suggested they go for an early dinner at a nearby restaurant and then head back into the city. She agreed to that.
They put their shoes on and headed back out to the car. It was still snowing, thick flakes falling silently to the ground.
"I love the snow," she told him. "Everything seems so peaceful when it's snowing like this."
"It is pretty," he agreed. "It does seem so peaceful when it's snowing. A lot of people hate the snow but I love it."
They went to the restaurant and it wasn't quite crowded yet with people taking their sweethearts out for a Valentine's Day dinner.
They sat at a corner table and held hands by candlelight.
"I'm having such a nice time," she told him. "I'll never forget you for this."
"I don't want you to forget me anyway. I mean, I was hoping we could see each other."
She looked at him through her long, dark lashes. "I really didn't think you meant it when you said..."
He silenced her with a kiss. "Of course I meant it. I like being with you. I'm having a great time. I feel so relaxed around you. I can be myself with you and I like that. I want to keep seeing you, Ashton. I asked you to be my valentine and I meant it. It goes beyond today. I want to see you tommorow and the day after that and the day after that." He kissed her again. "Don't you want to see me?"
"Of course I do. I'm just not used to all this attention."
"Well, get used to it because I'm not going anywhere. In fact, I was thinking about something. You have a really beautiful voice. The woman who sings the National Anthem at our games is retiring soon and they're looking for somebody to take her place. When I heard you singing this morning, I can't tell you how you made me feel. I thought that maybe you could do it."
Her eyes widened in surprise. "Me?"
"When you sang this morning, it really touched me. It wasn't just the words that you had written. It was the way you sang it, with such emotion and feeling. I thought it was the most amazing thing I'd ever heard in my life. I'm still thinking about it now and I've got chills running up and down my spine."
"You can't be serious!"
"I am serious. You have a gorgeous singing voice. I'd love to hear you sing the National Anthem in front of thousands of people. I bet there wouldn't be a dry eye in the house."
"I know you're kidding me. I could never do that. I'd be too scared!"
"No, you wouldn't. Your voice would really inspire the team. I'm going to bring it up with the right people and I'll get back to you on it."
They ate their dinner and talked some more about it. But no matter what he said to her, Ashton was sure that he was kidding her. She would never believe that he was serious about this...
...until three weeks later when the arena announcer introduced her to a crowd of over sixty thousand people. She came out onto the ice on Josh's arm and sang the National Anthem. And as he promised, there wasn't a dry eye in the house. She'd been met with a deafening applause that seemed to go on for hours. He had kissed her in front of everyone and Ashton had never been happier. It had truly been the most amazing thing that had ever happened in her life. She could feel her father with her and she knew that he was so proud of her.
She still continued to teach and she was still as popular as ever with her students. But it wasn't until the next Valentine's Day when they had stopped calling her "Miss Logan" and started calling her "Mrs. O'Malley". Her and Josh had married on the holiday of sweethearts on the ice at the arena where the Wolfpack practiced. She still taught music in the city and she sang the National Anthem at every home game. She and Mikey, her three-legged cat, moved out of the city to Josh's home upstate. Her heart sang with happiness and Ashton was never lonely again.
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Reviewed by anji
4/10/2003
a truely inspring love story i wish it were true for all ppl to share it made me speachless it's fabulous thanks for sharing it with me
After losing her boyfriend in a accident, Alecia believe she's been seeing him. But that can't possibly be? When Brayden reveals himself, or his soul, he asks her of a favor. But when that favor leads to her revealing feelings for her dead boyfriends
