Or descend from the Heavens.
Wednesday morning came quickly and the girls were heading in towards town. The trip would only take about 45 minutes but with the poor directions they were given, it took them over an hour.
They arrived at their hotel at 10:00 a.m. and immediately put their stuff in their room. The light to their phone was blinking so Belle picked it up to check the messages. There was only one message from a guy named Chris. She realized who he was as the message played on.
"Hey, I know you have no idea who I am…oh wait, you do know but we've never met…but then I guess you don't…oh, never mind. Anyway, I was told to call you guys and tell you to meet us at the studio when you get this message. The address is…"
He continued to ramble off the address and directions over the phone then Belle hung up. "Okay, Chris called and gave me directions to the studio. So, we better get going. Are you ready?"
Abby was all smiles. "Yeah, let's go." She said as she grabbed her cousin's arm and was lead out of the room and to the car.
She hadn't been able to sleep all night. The thought of her spending time with her new friend was on her mind. The more she thought about him, the stranger she felt. She couldn't believe the young man she saved nearly two years ago from that fire was an international superstar. She prided herself from that knowledge.
She had been saved that night to help him and from that, he was able to make millions of people happy. That made her smile to think about.
They arrived at the studio a few minutes later. Chris' directions were much easier to follow then the one's Belle had before.
Security waved them through and soon they found their way inside the building. Although Abby couldn't see the pictures of the famed people who had passed through those doors, she could feel their presence.
The atmosphere of the building was over-whelming to her. So many great hits had come from behind those walls. The hottest teen heartthrobs had walked through the corridors. On occasion, any member of BSB or NSYNC could pass by them without hesitation. That thought intrigued Abby.
She was a fan of NSYNC's but also liked the song, Show Me The Meaning Of Being Lonely, by BSB. That song had stuck with her ever since she heard it play in Belle's CD player. The words were her life.
She longed to have her family back, prayed for strength to survive without them, and knew what it was like to be lonely – but she never felt alone.
Belle and her mom had taken her into their home and given her all the love they could. Since her mother had left her at such a young age and her brother and father were taken by the fire, Abby had no other family nearby. Belle's mother gladly took on the challenge to raise two teenagers, because she knew how much Belle and Abby adored one another.
Things were difficult in the beginning with Abby learning to adjust to her new 'life' but Belle was right there for her, every step of the way. She helped her 'see' how life would be okay and she wasn't alone in her fight for her identity.
Abby owed so much to her cousin. She was her strength and hero.
"Hey, did you get your sight back or something?" Belle interrupted her thoughts.
Abby broke out of her daze. "What?"
Belle just laughed at her. "You've been standing in front of that picture of Nick Carter for the past few minutes. I thought maybe your sight had come back and you fell in love." She put her hand over her heart and pretended to faint.
"Not hardly. If my sight was to return, it wouldn't be because of Nick it would be because of…" She stopped suddenly. She didn't want Belle thinking she had feelings for her new friend and if she mentioned his name, she surely would. "Um…AJ…yeah, AJ could make my sight come back. I remember seeing him. He looked so cute and…"
"AJ? AJ McLean? You've got to be kidding me. The last time you saw him he had that Caesar haircut and looked wholesome. Now he's sportin' a few hundred tattoos and is way too skinny."
Abby started laughing at that. "Sorry, I didn't know he had changed so much, you've got to keep me up to date on their looks, remember?"
Belle laughed along with her. "Yeah, I forgot. Okay, let me tell you this: Brian and Kevin are getting married…"
"WHAT? I thought Brian was going to marry you? How dare he do this to you." Abby said angrily.
Belle knew she was only kidding. "Yeah, well I gave up on him when he didn't call. You know he really missed out on something great, but oh well." She said as she threw her hand up in the air and pretended to wave him off.
"Well Brian's lose is someone else's gain, I guess."
Both girls turned towards the voice behind them. A very handsome young man was standing there looking at the two of them.
"Hey you." Abby said as she walked the few steps forward to meet him. "I thought I heard you walk up."
He immediately put out his hands to guide her to him. He looked around him and then to Belle as if to make sure no one else was around and that Belle knew who he was.
Belle nodded at him to let him know that Abby had told her everything. He smiled at her and then brought Abby into his arms for a big bear hug.
When they pulled apart, Abby held on to her friend's waist. She faced him and smiled, knowing he was smiling back. "How are you?"
He took her hands away from his body and placed one on his forearm. The other he brought to his mouth and kissed it. "Great now that you're here." He could see on her face that his comment was received well. The crimson color that surrounded her cheeks was evident of that fact.
"Hey, come on. The others are waiting." He began to lead her down the long hallway with Belle following behind. "So I guess my directions were a little off, huh?" He got a snicker from Abby and a loud grunt from Belle.
"So sue me. I'm not great with directions. I'll do better next time."
Abby just squeezed his arm and smiled at him. This put him at ease. Her smile was filled with so much warmth that the room seemed to heat up when she was around. She was so child-like in the innocence of it all and he knew that was true.
When the fire consumed her family and taken her sight, it was as though she arose from the ashes to begin a new life. To him, she was like the immortal phoenix.
The tragedy she endured that night gave her strength beyond belief to start over. She was someone he wanted to know more about, though he felt he already knew enough.
Her eyes hid a deep pain that no one understood though he was the closest to figuring it out. But when he looked at her face and saw her smile, his heart lifted. This truly remarkable woman on his arm had to have been brought into his life for a bigger purpose.
Maybe it was to teach him about acceptance. Maybe how to love himself regardless of his faults. Learn to put others' needs before his own. Or perhaps she had come into his life so he could be here, signing his heart out to millions, sharing with the world his voice, his passion. For that, he owed her his life.
He tightened his hold on her as they approached the room they would be entering. "Okay, the guys are in there already. There is a couch you two can sit on and listen to us record, if that's okay?"
"You don't have to ask us twice, come on Abs." Belle said as she pushed her way passed the two. "Let's get to recording. Hey, can I take pictures?"
Abby just shook her head. "I'm sorry you'll have to excuse Belle, its not everyday she is around big stars like you."
He was about to say something when Belle interrupted. "Oh, don't give me that. You've never been around them either. Besides, I'm not the one who thinks AJ is hot."
"AJ McLean?" He asked.
Abby busted out laughing. "It's a long story." She said as the door to the studio opened.
"I've got a lifetime to hear about it." He said, under his breath so the girls wouldn't hear him, but he forgot that Abby could.
Belle heard his mumbles and commented on it as she walked through the door. "You forget that when a person loses one sense, others become more acute. She can hear every word you say even when you don't say anything."
She laughed when his face turned red by his embarrassment. Abby felt his body tense up and leaned over towards him until her mouth was by his ear. "Don't let her get to you. I thank you for the comment and will speak to you for a lifetime if you let me. For a lifetime is the sharing of time. It is the giving of songs…and of silences, and the holding of memories only the heart can see."
His body relaxed at her words and a smile formed on his lips. "You really are something you know that?"
She returned his smile. "I know."
He chuckled to himself before speaking again. "Come on smarty-pants, let's get inside."
Introductions were made and the guys returned to their recording. The girls were enjoying themselves immensely. The sound of the guys' voice was ten times better live and up close. Belle could be seen closing her eyes from time to time. Abby had taught her that your eyes could deceive you if you look too hard. Once you close your eyes, the sounds around you become clearer and the words have more meaning.
The guys noticed this and smiled. They all liked the girls and could see how one of them had a big effect on one of their band mates.
"Hey, should we try out that new song you wrote?" Chris asked his friend.
Four sets of eyes fell upon the young man in question. The song he had written was one they wanted to use for their new album but the thing they didn't know was that it was written about Abby.
After the fire, all he could do was wallow in self-pity. He had bee depressed, scared, and lost to what was going on around him. He blocked all the pain out and tried to go on but something nagged at him.
For as long as he could remember, he had a tune in his head but no words for it. Months after the fire, while his mind was relaxed one night, images of her came to him. He never knew what happened to her but felt very connected in some way with her.
All of a sudden, the words he longed for came flowing out of his heart and he quickly put them on paper. After a few weeks of not looking at them, one of the guys saw it and asked him about it. He passed it off as being about a movie he had seen so his friend wouldn't know how he felt. He thought it was silly that he ever wrote it because he barely knew her, never got her name, and didn't know if she was even alive. But something in him felt her near him. He couldn't put his finger on it but he felt her watching over him.
The others suggested they use the song on their album, No Strings Attached, but he declined. The song was too personal, too close to home and he didn't want to share it with anyone but her, if he ever found her again.
After they met on the beach, he knew it was time for her to hear her song. He told his friends he wanted to use it on the new album and they all agreed. It was a great song and knew it would be a hit.
The only thing that bothered him was whether Abby would take his words the wrong way. He had written them nearly two years before when he was filled with so much emotion and even now when he looked at her he felt the same way. The strong connection towards her but would she hear his words as meaning he loved her?
Love was such a strong word to him that he only spoke of it when he sang or to his family. Loving a girl was hard for him. He had been hurt before, they all had been, and each one of them held that word LOVE with highest regard.
Although he had feelings for Abby, it wasn't about love, but much more. Friendship, love, lust, passion, compassion, fear, anger, hope, trust, faith, joy, and even happiness surrounded him when he thought of her. No, to say he loved her wouldn't be enough and he hoped she would understand it when she heard the song.
"Yeah let's do it." He took a deep breath before settling into his stool and began to sing the words he had written for the young woman who he knew was listening.
As I look up into the night sky,
I can only dream that I see your face
You have helped me out so much
With your love, happiness and grace
Your love has shown so strong
I don't know why you stay
I can't return your love
Because my heart can't be betrayed
I've been hurt so much in the past
It's hard to open up
I can only hope that with you at my side
I will be strong enough and you will be my guide
Your love has shown so strong
I don't know why you stay
I can't return your love
Because my heart can't be betrayed
Help me love you
I know you are strong
Be by my side
Please be my guide
As I look into the night sky
I finally see your face
I have opened up my heart
With the help of your love, happiness and grace
Our love is so strong
A bond that can't be broken
We share our lives with each other
All done, with words unspoken
(Poem by: Eric Camacho - thanks so much for this)
When the song was over, Chris was the first to speak. "It's about her, isn't it?" He asked as the others turned towards their friend.
He felt the weight of the world on his shoulders and knew it was now or never. He signaled the technician to shut the mics off so no one could hear them.
"Guys look…"
"No you don't need to explain. Abby's the girl from the fire, right?" One of his friends asked.
He hung his head, afraid he would have to explain. "Yeah, she is, but I don't…"
"You don't have to explain it to us. We know what happened that night. We all read the papers and from what you shared with us, it must have been horrible, especially since you thought she died that night, but she didn't." Chris began.
He looked through the window and saw Belle and Abby talking to each other. Once he saw Belle wipe a tear that had fallen down Abby's face. She had to have heard the song and felt the words as strong as the others did.
He placed a hand on his friend's back. "She's alive. She may not be whole but she's alive. I can't even begin to know what you're feeling right now but I…no we…can tell you mean a lot to her, too."
He looked at the others staring at him. "What? I can be serious when I want to. I just choose not to most of the time." He got a round of laughs from the others before he was interrupted by his friend.
"Thanks guys, I wasn't sure what to say to you all about this. I just had so much built up inside and then I saw her. I wanted to keep her to myself. I wanted to get to know her before I told you guys. Sorry."
One of the others spoke up. "Hey don't worry about it. For over a year we have tried to get you to open up about what happened but failed. Maybe now that Abby's here, she can help you where we can't."
He got a hug from his four 'brothers' before they decided to stop for the day. They figured he wanted to spend the rest of the day with Abby so the others would take Belle out with them.
The door to the booth opened and out walked all five of them to tell the girls their plans. Abby immediately felt two masculine arms reach around her body and pull her up. She smiled to him as he brought her close to him and whispered in her ear.
"I hope you liked that last one…It's for you."
Her body froze for a moment before relaxing a little. "I was hoping you'd say that." She returned his whisper in his ear.
He pulled her towards him and enveloped her in his arms. He felt her stiffen and told her that the others already knew. This put her at ease. She knew he was worried about the guys finding out about her and hoped he was okay with it.
As they pulled apart, she felt other hands caress her back. She turned to face the others. Gentle touches were given out by the other members of the group. This made Abby smile. They accepted her into their circle and she couldn't be happier.
They explained to the girls that Belle was more than welcome to go with them to Chris' house to swim and relax the rest of the day. Abyy would be taken care of so she didn't have to worry. Belle was a little apprehensive at first because Abby hadn't been with anyone else, let alone a guy, since the accident. But when she heard Abby's sweet voice tell her she would be okay, she just smiled and left with the others.
A couple of hours later, Abby found herself sitting on a blanket in the middle of a park. It was getting dark, she had been told, so there weren't many people around.
They had stopped to get some food and had just finished their picnic. It was getting a little windy and Abby felt a chill. "Hey, see if this helps." He said as he wrapped his arms around her to shield her from the wind.
She snuggled up to him and laid her head on his shoulder. "That's much better, thank you."
The two sat there for a while just being content with holding onto each other. That was the best medicine for both of them. He needed it more than she did, but Abby refused to pull away until he was ready. Their connection was felt immediately and they knew they were here for a reason.
Both thanking the Lord for the other. Without them, neither one would be here right now. With that thought, they felt blessed.
"What's it like?" He said, breaking the silence.
Abby didn't raise her head. She was too content where she was at to move. "What do you mean?"
He began rubbing her back gently as he spoke. "To be…you know…well…blind."
He was nervous about asking and didn't want to offend her but he wanted to know. Abby smiled to herself before releasing her hold on him and facing him.
"Well, at first it felt like my worst nightmare come true. Total darkness can be very scary but once I accepted my situation I came to realize that I could see things clearer because I was blind."
He gave her a questioning look and raised his eyebrows. "I don't understand."
She realized she would have to show him what she meant. She took his hands in hers and made him face her. She told him to close his eyes and keep them that way. "No peeking or it won't work."
He reluctantly agreed and closed his eyes. "Now tell me what you see."
He sat there a minute trying to see something. "All I see is darkness. I don't think I'll ever understand…"
She held a hand up to his face to quiet him. "Don't look with your eyes, they will only deceive you. Look with your heart. Hear the birds. Smell the flowers. Feel the ground beneath you…now, tell me what you see."
He took a deep breath and squeezed her hands before he began. "I see children playing on a swing set. There's a little a girl with a pink and white dress on. Her hair is up in clips. Her brother is pushing her. They're laughing and having a good time together…"
Abby smiled at that image. She could see herself and her own brother playing as children. "What else?"
"Well, I see two birds high up on a tree limb, resting their bodies near one another. They have a song for each other that they sing together…oh, but here's the best part…I can see one of them clearly…"
"What kind of bird is it?" She asked, suddenly intrigued.
He peeked through one eye to see her face. He could tell she was very attentive and was hanging on his every word. He quickly shut it back and told her about the bird.
"It's a rather unique bird. To everyone around it, it appears wounded, hurt, disfigured but for some reason, I don't see it like that. Sure, it's wings are mangled, its beak broken but there's just something about her that makes me see beyond her outside appearance. She is strong, I know that for sure. She has incredible courage and heart because she is still around, living life that only way she know how. She taught me to be thankful everyday for what I have and that I am alive to share it with others. She gave me the greatest gift I ever received. You know she saved my life once?"
Abby's smile grew even bigger from his last statement. "Oh, really. Well, she sounds wonderful."
He slowly opened his eyes and looked at her smiling face. "YOU are."
Her smile soon faded. A look of shock came over her. It wasn't that he was talking about her, she already knew that, but it was his tone that surprised her the most. He sounded so serious to her and that scared her. "Um…"
He quickly put his hand up to her mouth to silence her. "Please let me explain." She nodded her head and he continued.
"Abby, don't take this the wrong way but I…um…I…"
"You what?" She drew their hands tighter together. "Tell me. Whatever it is, I'll understand."
He knew she would, she was the only one who would understand. "I don't know the words I want to say to you. I only know how I feel."
"Just tell me what your heart is saying."
He took a deep breath before he spoke again. "I'm not very good at saying special things…but it's important that you know I care and I'm here if you need me. I want to let you know I care and wish I could soothe the empty place inside your heart where tears are born."
She smiled at him. "I see you've been reading from Moments Shared lately."
"Hey, how did you know?"
"You forget I can read and that is one of my favorites for quotes." She heard a 'humph' come from his mouth and she laughed. "It's okay. A guy has never learned poetry or quotes for me before."
His own smile faded before he asked her a question. "Have you ever been with a guy?"
He wasn't being mean but wanted to know if she had ever given her heart to anyone but the words came out wrong. He expected her to slap him or at least be upset but she didn't.
"Well, that was forward. Um, no, I haven't. After my sight went, the boys stopped calling. They didn't want to mess with the hassle of a blind girl. Belle tried to fix me up several time on double dates but it never worked out. I don't worry too much about things like that. When he comes along, I'll know it and he will, too." She squeezed his hands and smiled at him.
He felt so bad for her. She was an incredible woman and had so much to offer but no one looked beyond her physical boundaries. If someone would only look into her heart, he would be a prisoner to her charms and fall in love so easily.
His next action shocked him more than it did Abby. He slowly leaned closer to her and brought his lips upon hers.
The kiss wasn't a romantic one in any way but more of a seal between two people who were to be connected for all time. He wanted to give Abby the promise that he was there for her in every way, and would be always.
She responded to his sweet gesture and relished in his soft touch. He was her prince, her knight in shining armor, and her friend. She knew he wasn't trying to get anywhere with the kiss and that was fine with her. She understood their relationship went beyond the physical to a place only they knew, and she was glad for it.
When they finally broke apart, Abby was the first to speak. "What did I ever do to deserve you?"
"I was just about to say the same to you."