The hot July sun poured down on Emilee's porcelain skin as she danced in the grass. She padded into the cool water of the tiny man made stream. Her dancing feet sent the water rippling and splashing to the sides. A light hearted, hypnotizing giggle trickled off her tongue. Her curly caramel hair bounced as she waded playfully against the current of the stream. She held her dress just above her knees to keep it from getting wet. "Patrick!" She called to him in her sing song-y voice. A voice so perfect, that even a few strangers around him were intrigued by. They couldn't keep their eyes off of her as she called to him and danced in circles. "Will you come in?"
With a bright smile, Patrick kicked off his Armani shoes and followed her in the stream. "Ready," he asked with a charming voice of his own. Emilee laughed lightly as he spun her like she was a little ballerina. She stumbled slightly as she recovered from her dizziness. He caught her hand just before she dropped into the water.
Emilee leaned down into the water and splashed a dab of water toward Patrick. "Hey!" he shouted playfully.
"I gotcha," she giggled. Then she jumped out of the stream and took off across the grassy park. "You'll never catch me," her perfect voice chanted.
Ellen leaned softly against a tree on the edge of the park. Her eyes twinkled as she watched Patrick and Emilee play. She swallowed away the emotion in her throat but her stomach still danced with warmth. She heard Emilee's laugh followed by Patrick's, "I'm going to get you." He chased after her.
Patrick's eyes suddenly changed direction and found Ellen's. She found herself at a loss for words as she tried to find a logical reason for the way his smile made her stomach flutter. He slowed his jog to a stop. She didn't take her eyes off of his until he looked away, forcing her too. "Ellen!" Emilee suddenly cried out, wrapping her arms around Ellen's legs.
Emilee's perfect features twinkled in the sunlight. "You came, you came!" She cheered in her odd but enchanting voice.
"I wouldn't have missed it." Ellen smiled stroking a piece of Emilee's hair away from her face.
"Do you want to see the stream?" Emilee didn't wait for an answer. She took her hand and darted off across the grass toward the stream.
"Hey," Ellen said through a smile as Emilee dragged her passed Patrick.
"Hi," Patrick said with an unexplainably nervous smile.
They had made it only a few feet away from him before Ellen turned back to look at him. With her hand still in Emilee's, Ellen looked back at Patrick, her eyes sparkling. It was like she spoke to his soul, without even speaking a word. "You coming?"
A raggedy smile spread his lips "I'm right behind you."
Emilee had Ellen in the stream before she could even kick off her flip flops. Patrick sat on a large rock near the edge. He loved the way Emilee's hair flowed in the wind. It was more the speed of her run because the breeze was weak today. She was certainly giving Ellen a work out as she danced up and down the stream. The two of them danced in circles, their feet still in the stream. His stomach danced along with them. He hated how perfect the three of them could have been together. It was an impossible alternate life; he tried his best not to harp on it. His resentment toward Ellen would only be magnified.
Patrick poured his coffee at the edge of the sound stage. It was too early for anyone to be filming something or even functioning. The large sound stage door was wide open because the crew was moving furniture and walls in and out. The commotion was more than he could handle before six in the morning. Suddenly, chills swept across his arms as her voice echoed through the stage. "Good Morning, Steve," She said sweetly.
He turned to watch her as she greeted a few of the crew members. Her hair was still in rollers and her face had a perfect glow in the early morning light. When she turned to see him looking, he didn't look away. Patrick stared into her eyes. It seemed like they could change the world together, conquer anything. His stomach tingled with a familiar feeling. He could feel the way his eyes could see through her. He saw it in her eyes.
Ellen's reaction changed unexpectedly. Her eyes fell to the ground. He watched as she swallowed back some sort of emotion and excused herself. She turned and headed back toward the trailers.
Only a few seconds passed before her followed her out the door. "Morning guys," he said quickly to the men Ellen had just been speaking to. He headed quickly down the alley. He could still see her at the end. "El," he called after her. She stopped but didn't turn to look at him. He caught up to her. "Ellie," he said her name again. The lot was still abandoned near the edge of the trailers .
"What?" she said in a soft," exhausted tone.
"Don't do that.." Patrick's voice was tender.
"Patrick," she said biting her bottom lip.
"You don't have to do that." He said again.
"I do," she said sharply, "I do have to do that." Her expression was hurt, and angry. She was a disaster of emotions. He knew the feeling quite well.
"I can count the weeks we have together," he spit gruffly, "on one hand, Ellen." Patrick sighed loudly, "do we have to spend them like this?" he asked softly.
"I can't do it Patrick," she focused on her breathing so she wouldn't tear and disrupt her perfect eyeliner. "I'm not going to fool myself into believing we have forever when we don't." She shook her head. "I'm just not."
"So that's it?" he said baffled, "you just spend the next five weeks acting like I don't exist."
"Yeah," she said looking into his eyes. He watched the switch flip in her eyes. The warmth spread to them and they sparkled. Patrick could feel it in his stomach. Their eyes twinkled together again.
"Dance with me." He insisted. She shook her head with disapproving eyes. "Dance with me," he whispered stepping closer to her. He extended his hand, "Dance with me."
She couldn't help but smile at the boyish charm in his eyes. "No," she laughed this time.
"Come on," he said in his smooth Patrick Dempsey voice.
"Paddy," she rolled her eyes, "there isn't even any music. You're crazy."
He took another step closer to her and started to hum "I Don't Want To Miss a Thing," by AeroSmith. She started laughing in an attempt not to cry as he took her into his arms and began to dance with her, right there in the middle of the lot. It was broad daylight, anyone could have been watching. "I could stay awake just to hear you breathing," he began in a tender whisper. He felt the chills spread across her arms as he ran his hands up them to pull her closer. "Watch you smile while you are sleeping...While you're far away and dreaming." He traced his hand down her back. She was still wearing the plain white t-shirt she came to work in. "I could spend my life in this sweet surrender," his voice cracked a little with emotion as he whispered the song into her ear. "I could stay lost in this moment forever," he pulled away to look her in the eyes for a moment. A piece of her hair had fallen out of the curlers. He carefully lifted it off her face. He stared into her eyes for a second. "Where every moment spent with you is a moment I treasure." He sang softly, spinning her like a ballerina.
Patrick stepped back and sang deep and loud enough for the people on the sound stage to hear, "Don't wanna close my eyes, I don't wanna fall asleep," he pressed his hand to his chest and acted like he was going to fall to his knees, " 'Cause I'd miss you baby and I don't wanna miss a thing."
He watched Ellen, a large smile spread across her face. She shook her head and laughing at his crazy gesture but he could see the tears glitter in the corners of her eyes. He realized the truth to the words he had just sang to her. Gazing into her eyes he wished he could stay in this moment forever.