It was 2:00 in the morning and the stars twinkled in the midnight sky. Janice sat up in bed with the lamp on, reading a book her mother had let her borrow from her Dreamz collection. It was a simple one about the usual love story, but she still enjoyed it. The meeting of a soulmate, the start of a happily ever after. Cliché it was.

"..and if you fall, I will fall with you."

       She smiled when she read that sentence ..that was one of her favorite lines in the book. It was a shame that it was coming to an end. She'd have to ask her mother for another book some time.

"Mommy..", she heard.

        Janice looked up from the book and towards her doorway to see her son standing there, sleepily rubbing at his eyes. "What's wrong, sweetie?" It worried her that he was up so early. He probably had a bad dream and her being a mom, wanted to comfort him.

"I can't sleep", he said.

        She pulled the covers back a little and scooted over. "Come here.", she said to him. Darius remained silent while starring at his mother, before knitting his eyebrows together. "No!", he yelled. "I don’t want to sit next to you! I hate you!", he yelled once more. Her heart broke a little more at his outbursts.

        Usually, a mother would discipline her child, hearing those words leave their mouth, but she understood he was grieving. This was his way of showing it. As a matter of fact, this was as much emotion she'd gotten out of him since the divorce. She watched as he ran off. She wouldn’t go after him, knowing he'd just push her away. She'd let him be for now. Their moment would come.

        She returned her attention back to the book in an attempt to get back into it, but she couldn’t. As her eyes skimmed over the page, the words wouldn’t register in her mind. They were just there with no meaning behind them. Darius's episode had really bothered her and she couldn’t get her mind off of him.

        She let out a sigh before putting the book down. It was of no use to her, now. She got out of bed and made her way to the patio just outside the front door, sitting down in the chair. She had to let off some steam. She had to think.

       As she sat there, she saw two figures moving in sync with each other under the pale moonlight. She watched as they practically enveloped one another in each others embrace and as they kissed as though nothing else around them mattered. It probably felt that way to them, too… she once felt that.

"Charles.", Alex called out to him.

"Hm?"

"What are you and Janice doing this Tuesday?"

        Janice looked up hopefully. She knew what this Tuesday was. It was Valentines day and she really wanted to do something special that day and was curious as to what Charles had planned.

         He looked at his older brother, his expression being that of boredom. He already knew this was coming. It was true that he'd grown more affectionate with Janice over the past months they'd been together, but that didn’t mean he would agree to going the extra mile for his girlfriend of 6 months on a stupid holiday someone made up. What made that day so different from the others?

"Nothing. She understands that I appreciate her.", he said.

        She looked at him dejectedly before returning her gaze back to the media on her phone. She really expected this, yet she still had hoped for a different response. But, honestly, this was Charles. She'd known how he was the day she'd agreed to be his girlfriend, so she really shouldn’t be upset.

"Wow, Charles. You're really not going to do anything special for Janice on valentines?"

"It's like I said before. She doesn't need anything extra. She knows how much I care for her.", Charles replied.

        Alex looked towards Janice exasperatedly, before allowing a smirk to play apon his lips. "Well, Since you and Charles don’t have anything planned that day, would you like to go on a date with me?", he asked her, receiving a glare from his younger brother. "..I'm fine..", she replied, a slight blush making it's way onto her cheeks.

"Are you sure? I could take you somewhere nice, like lover's lane."

        Janice's eyes widened at his suggestion. "..Lover's lane?" That was the place that all the girls in the high school wanted to go to. Almost everyone had gone besides her. She'd wanted to go there for the longest, but she'd long since given up on the idea of Charles ever asking her. It was too far fetched. Alex gave her a charming smile before continuing.

"Yes. And it would just be the two of us, so~"

"Alex. Don’t you have somewhere to be?", Charles intervened.

        Alex turned his attention back to his brother before giving him a look of mock surprise. "Oh. Thanks, Charles. I nearly forgot.", he said, earning a glare from Charles as he left the room. He really had nowhere to go, but also knew when he stepped on a landmine. Not that he minded either way. Messing with Charles was one of his favorite things to do.

        When Alex was out of Charles's sight, he looked towards Charles, anger written all over his face. Janice trembled under his gaze. "..I wasn’t really considering it.", she said. His expression was unchanging. "We'll talk about this later.", he replied before leaving also. She let out a sigh. She knew he was upset and she hadn’t meant to make him feel that way.

        Tuesday morning, Janice woke up in her room, letting out a yawn. Charles still hadn’t contacted her since the talk of lover's lane and it bothered her. She really missed him. Plus, it was Valentines day and though they weren't going to do anything romantic, she still wanted to see him. She looked down at her phone when it let off a notification sound.

Good morning.

Received: 9:15 am

        Janice furrowed her brows together at the message Charles sent her. It was strange in someway. She decided to send a reply to her boyfriend.

Good morning, Charles.

Sent: 9:17 am

Get dressed. I'm outside.

Received: 9:17 am

        At this, she was shocked and excited. She had no idea he was even on the way over. Nonetheless, she quickly got out of bed and began to get dressed. She knew better than to keep her impatient boyfriend waiting. He was a handful whenever she did. When she'd finished dressing, she went out the front door, saying bye to her mom and dad before getting in the car with Charles.

        Saying nothing, Charles started up the car and began to drive off. It was a ride of uncomfortable silence. Janice looked at his profile as he concentrated on the road ahead of him. Usually, he would be glancing at her or checking his phone which was a bad habit of his, but whenever he was concentrated like this, he was either angry or thinking deeply about something.

        A few minutes later, her jaw nearly dropped as he pulled into the driveway of the place she'd wanted to go most. Lover's lane. She looked at Charles, wide-eyed. "Charles…", she started. He looked back at her. "You wanted to come here, didn’t you?", he replied.

"..Yes, but I didn’t think.."

        Charles opened his car door and got out, making his way over to her side. He began helping her out, bringing a smile to her face. She was so happy, she didn’t know what to do. Obviously, he didn’t want to come here, but just the fact that he would put up with it for her made her smile bigger than she ever had before.

        Taking her by the hand, he led her towards the entrance. The line was surprisingly short, most likely because it was so early and they got in in no time. Once those before them got a boat, the two of them were led to one of their own. "Make sure to fasten yourselves in. The ride can get bumpy.", one of the workers stated. Letting out a sigh, Charles helped her into the boat before getting in himself. He really hated things like this.

        As the ride started, the lights went off before candles lit up the whole cave in a dim lighting. Others swayed to the romantic music playing as Charles remained staring at his girlfriend with his arms folded. She looked all around, amazed at the figures cascading along the walls. She pointed at one. "There's the merman.", she said. "If you look at all of the pictures as you go, it tells a story. A sad one about a merman who would do anything to be with the one he loved on land.", she said in awe. Charles shook his head at her. She was easily excited.

"The legend about this cave says that if you kiss at the end and make a wish, it will come true.", Janice said, a hopeful smile on her face.

        Charles scoffed. "That's ridiculous.", he replied. Janice casted her eyes down in disappointment. "..yeah. I guess you're right." She wanted him to at least give it a try, but she couldn’t complain. After all, he didn’t want to come to lover's lane in the first place, yet he'd went to the trouble of coming for her sake and that was enough for her. It warmed her heart just thinking about it.

        Once they reached the end, people began to kiss before getting out with their loved one. Janice smiled at them. She'd wanted so badly to make a memory like that with Charles, but it was fine. She turned to face Charles, but as soon as she did, she received a peck on the lips. Her eyes widened in surprise once again. He kissed her at the end..

"I don’t believe in all of that superstitious nonsense..", he started.

        "..but, if I had to make a wish, it'd be that we'd always be together.", he continued before kissing her again. "..and that you would only look at me.", he finished. She was speechless at his declaration. This was new to her and the fact that he only wanted her to 'look at him', meant that Alex's little stunt the other day had been really bothering him.

        Her heart beat picked up speed as he leaned in, kissing her deeply. She pulled away, attempting to catch her breath. "C-Charles. It's too much." When he leaned in again, she placed her hands on his chest, trying to push him away, but Charles grabbed hold of her wrists and began to kiss her fingertips.

"Charles!", she exclaimed.

        It seemed as though no words were getting to him. She was silenced with another kiss. She was so embarrassed as she felt all eyes on them accompanied by whistles and cat calls. "Were in public..", she tried as Charles looked her in the eyes. "Let them see. I want them to know who you belong to." Her heart beat furiously against her chest from embarrassment and thrill as he leaned in once more, kissing her even deeper than before.

        Charles grabbed both of her arms and placed them around his neck and then placed his arms around her waist. In this moment, it seemed as though nothing else mattered except each other. It was a dream come true for her.

        When her boyfriend pulled away, he rested his forehead against hers. "I love you.", he said. She was once again shocked. He'd never told her that before. That was the first time she'd heard those words escape his lips. A select few from the crowd around them, including a once pink haired friend, glared at the two of them in envy, but none of that mattered to them. Tears built up in Janice's eyes.

"..I love you, too.. Charles."

       Hearing those words from her, Charles gave her a smile. Not a smirk like she was used to seeing, but a real genuine smile. This caused a smile to take over her face as well. Today was just full of surprises. Nothing would ever come between the two of them.

        Janice let out a sigh. She missed that smile. It was so long ago. The kiss at the end of the cave didn’t work after all.. Well, partially. They weren't together, but she did only want Charles. She sighed once again. Nothing ever goes the way you want it to, though.

"Hey. What are you doing out so late?"

        She looked up at the voice that drew her from her daydream and was met with green eyes. "Are you alright?", he asked. She didn’t even hear him come up. "Yeah.", she replied, taking in the scent that he carried. It was nice and familiar. He looked up at the night sky before speaking up once again.

"Came out to look at the stars?", he asked her.

        Janice nodded. It wasn’t the complete truth, but it was the explanation she'd give. She didn’t want to talk about why she'd come out nor what she was thinking about. "What about you?", she questioned him.

"Oh, I'm actually on my way to meet a friend up the street. He's-"

"Daddy-", a voice came from behind her.

        She turned around to see her son once again standing in the doorway, staring at Kyle. He must have heard her talking and assumed his dad was there. He stared at the blonde before looking him up and down and asking, "..Who are you?". In response, he received a smile from the blonde. "I'm your neighbor. Name's Kyle.", he greeted before holding out his hand to him. "It's nice to meet you."

        Darius looked at the hand being presented to him in disgust before turning to his mother. "Mommy.. I'm hungry.", he said to her, innocently. Janice smiled at her son and stood up to take him inside. The tone he used with her was nicer than before. Maybe they could finally talk. "Alright. I'll see you later, Kyle."

"Okay. Have a good night.. Or whatever's left of it.", he replied, waving to her.

        Just before Darius went in the house behind his mother, he shot Kyle a cold glare. Kyle grew confused at this. Kids usually liked him. Maybe he'd said something wrong? He shrugged his shoulders before walking off to go meet his friend. He'd have to worry about this later.

        Janice looked down at her child who wore a scowl on his face. "..okay. So, no peanut butter, jelly sandwiches, no pop tarts and no graham crackers.." Darius shook his head. He'd turned down everything his mother had offered him. "Well.. What do you want, then?", she pressed. Darius stared at her coldly before going up to his room, slamming the door behind him. Janice sighed. She didn’t understand him. He was just all over the place. He'd have to come around sooner or later, though.