Chapter 1

It was a Sunday night in late May, a warm and clear night in Spellbeach,
Florida, and I had just come home from choir practice. My fianc, Jaxon, was
lying in bed with the television on. I crawled under the covers with him. Oh, and
just in case any of you were wondering, no, we didn't live together. He would
sleep over often.
"Hey, Jaxon," I greeted.
"How was choir practice?" he asked.
"It was great," I said.
"That's good," he said glumly.
"Are you okay?"
"Yeah, just..."
"What?"
"The job, I hope I get it tomorrow."
"I hope you do, too. You haven't been yourself since you got laid off.
Actually, you haven't been yourself for a while now, even before that happened."
"I know. I'm sorry."
"I'm tired of fighting over stupid things. I want us to go back to the way
things used to be."
"Me, too."
"Well, let's hope the interview goes well tomorrow."
"Yeah. I'm so sick of being jobless. This is my last hope."
"You know that you can always work with me, right? I could use a pianist
for my album."
"I know."
"I'm just saying. I know you've been wanting to pursue music." I snuggled
up in his arms. "And, I've always wanted to make music with you."
"Yeah," he said doubtfully.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing. I'm just tired."
I could tell he was lying, but I didn't want to say anything. "Yeah. Me, too.
We should get some sleep. You have a big day tomorrow." I kissed him softly.
"Good night."
"Good night, Baby."
I curled up for a good night's sleep, which didn't happen. It took hours to
fall asleep. So many things were going on inside my mind. Our relationship used
to be so good. We never fought over ridiculous things. He was the sweetest man
I ever knew. I kept wondering what happened to him. What made him change
into this unhappy person? Then, I started thinking about his job interview. I knew
that if he didn't get the job he wanted, he would freak out, and that scared me.
What if he was so upset about it that he just ended the relationship altogether?
Maybe I was over thinking things, but in my mind, it was a definite possibility
since he did have a tendency to push people away when he didn't get what he
wanted. We fought so much, because every time something didn't go the way he
wanted it to go, he would take it out on me. I pretended to sleep, so he wouldn't

know I was freaking out inside. I was praying he would get the job. Maybe that
would help. Although, deep inside, I was hoping he would realize that the only
thing he needed to be happy was me.

Chapter 2
The next day was Jaxon's interview. I was so nervous. I was hoping and
praying for the best. I called up my best friend, Madison, for moral support.
"I'm freaking out," I said. "If he doesn't get this job, he's gonna lose it."
Just then, I heard Jaxon pull into the driveway.
"Hold on. He's back." I put the phone down on the kitchen table. My heart
jumped when he opened the door. Okay, stay calm, Abby, I told myself. Stay
calm. I took a deep breath. Then, I turned to him as he sauntered up to me. "So,
um, did you get the job?" I asked nervously.
"Nope," he replied. "They didn't want me, either."
"Well, it's their loss," I said, trying to be helpful.
"Why do I even bother getting my hopes up?!"
I opened my mouth to speak, but he interrupted.
"And, don't bother reminding me about recording with you!"
"I"
"You know what?! Screw it! I'm never gonna get a damn job! I'm never
gonna be happy!"
"Really?" I scoffed. "You need a job to be happy?"
"How else am I supposed to make money?"
"So, that's all you care about? Money?"
"What else is there?"
Ouch! That hurt. "What about me?!" I cried.
"What about you?" he snarled.
"So, I don't matter to you?!"
"I can't talk about this anymore." He turned away from me.
"No," I huffed. "We are gonna talk this out."
"What the hell am I supposed to say?!"
"You used to tell me all the time that I was the only thing that mattered to
you. You didn't need money to be happy. You just needed me. Now, all you care
about anymore is making money, so you can go out, and buy expensive junk!
Then, when you don't get what you want, you throw a hissy fit! It's like I don't
even exist to you anymore, except when you need an emotional punching bag,
and then, when I try to help you, you bite my head off! No matter what I say to
you, I can't win, and I feel useless, and I feel like it's my fault when something
goes wrong! I'm tired of feeling guilty all the time, especially when I work my ass
off to try and make you happy! But, no matter what, everything I do is wrong. I'm
tired of constantly walking on eggshells around you."
Jaxon was quiet for a moment. Then, he spoke. "You know what? I can't
take this anymore. I'm out of here." He turned away again, and stormed out the
front door.
"Jaxon!" I called.
It was no use. He slammed the door behind him before I could get to him.
I stood there for a moment in shock. I didn't know what to say or think. Then, I
heard Madison's voice over the receiver.
"Abby? Are you still there?"

I picked up the phone. "Hey, Maddie," I said glumly.

For the next few weeks, I tried to get Jaxon to talk to me. Every now and
then, I would send him e-mails, or I would leave voicemails. I didn't send them
too often, because I didn't want to seem like a crazy stalker. However, he never
answered any of my messages. I was hoping he would talk to me again, though,
because I wanted to know where we stood.
I never really talked to anyone about what was going on, except for
Madison. She was the only one who really understood me. In front of other
people, I held it together pretty well. I put on a brave face, so nobody would know
what was really going on. Inside, I was still hurting, and I was deeply confused. I
didn't know if I was still engaged to Jaxon or not. I didn't know if I wanted him
back in my life or not. I still loved him, but I remembered being so unhappy
throughout the last few months of the relationship.
I eventually gave up on trying to contact him. I decided that, if he wanted
to talk to me, he would have to make the first move. I was getting so tired of
doing all the work. I had more important things to focus on, like my upcoming
choir concert. I was a member of the Spellbeach Chorale, and we had a concert
in mid September. I had a solo in one of the songs, and I wanted to make sure I
did it well. I decided to focus on my music, and left everything up to Jaxon.

Chapter 3
The concert went very well. The theatre was jam-packed with a happy
audience who gave us a standing ovation at the end of the show, and not to brag,
but I rocked my solo. I had so much fun; I forgot all about, uh, what's his name?
Oh, right. Jaxon!
After the show, we all met up at Applebee's for dinner and social time.
"You did a great job on your solo," said Jessica, one of the choir members.
"Thanks," I said. "So did you. I really like your voice."
Jessica also had a solo in the concert, along with a few others.
"Aww, thank you." She changed the subject. "By the way, I haven't seen
Jaxon around much lately. How is he?"
"It's kind of a long story," I said awkwardly.
"He won't talk to her for some reason," said Madison. By the way, I should
add that Madison is also in the choir.
"Hmm, that's odd," said Jessica.
"He didn't get the job he wanted," added Madison, "so he threw a fit, and
walked out on her."
"I can't get him to talk to me," I said. "It's been four months, and he won't
answer my phone calls or anything."
"Well, if he's gonna treat you like that," said Jessica, "you're probably
better off without him. You deserve better than that."
I smiled. "Thanks, Jessica."
"You're welcome."
That night, I thought about what Jessica said at the restaurant. Then, I
thought about all the crap Jaxon put me through during the relationship. I realized
that Jessica was right. I picked up the phone, and dialed his number for the last
time. Once again, he didn't answer, so I left a voicemail. "Jaxon?" I said, holding
back tears. "I'm just calling to let you know that I'm done waiting for you. Since
you've been ignoring me, I've had plenty of time to think about our relationship,
and I realize now, I deserve better. You treated me like crap, and you made me
feel bad all the time. I don't deserve that, and I'm tired of waiting to fix a
relationship that never worked in the first place. Goodbye." I hung up the phone,
and put it down on my nightstand. Then, I opened my desk drawer, and pulled
out a photo album filled with pictures of the two of us. I removed all the pictures,
and put the empty album back in my desk. I looked through the photos one last
time. Then, I threw them in the trash. For a moment, I wish I hadn't done that, but
I knew I had to. I crawled into bed, and cuddled up with my favorite stuffed bear.
Tears came pouring from my eyes as I sobbed my heart out. It was a moment
that was long overdue. All the pain I felt over the summer, I finally let it all out.

Chapter 4
The next day, Madison and I were having lunch on her back porch.
"I did it," I said. "I dumped Jaxon."
"You did?"
"Yep. I called him up, and I told him it was over."
"What did he say?"
"Oh, he didn't answer."
"Of course," Madison snarled.
"So, I left a message."
"Good."
"I also threw all our pictures in the garbage."
"Wow, how did that feel?"
"It was one of the hardest things I've ever done. I mean, those pictures
brought back a lot of good memories."
"I can imagine. You really loved him."
"Yeah, but I had to do it, even though it really hurt. I had a good cry
afterward."
"Well, that shows how strong you are, and I'm really proud of you."
"Looking back on the relationship, I realize how unhappy I was."
"I knew you were unhappy. I just didn't say anything, because I knew you
had to figure it out for yourself."
"Yeah, and I'm glad I did. I mean, I went into the relationship thinking he
was the right guy for me. Were both Autistic, so I thought I finally found someone
who understood me, someone who would love me, and accept me the way I am.
Truth is, I don't think he ever loved me like he said he did. I think he was putting
on a show."
Madison nodded. "I think you're right."
"He sure fooled me," I said with embarrassment.
"He had us all fooled, Abby, not just you."
"I'm surprised he didn't try to get a job as an actor," I joked. "He probably
would've been hired on the spot."
Madison laughed. "Probably!"
"I was really upset when he left me. Now, I'm glad I never married him.
Honestly, I think he could've become abusive if we got married."
"I think so, too," Madison agreed.
"What a scary thought," I shuddered.
"I'm glad you're free of him now."
"Me, too, and looking back, I think he was borderline abusive. I mean, he
was always making me feel guilty, even when I didn't even do anything. He made
me feel ashamed of myself, and he made me feel like everything I said or did
was wrong. I had thoughts of suicide, because of him."
"I remember. After a while, you were miserable. I could tell. It really hurt
me to see you in so much pain, but I couldn't do much about it, except be there
for you when you needed me."
"I'm glad you were there for me. I probably would've lost it without you."

Madison smiled sweetly.

"At least I came out on top, and now, I know what I want in a relationship."
"That's good."
"And, whoever I end up with, I wanna start out as friends, so we can get to
know each other. They need to learn about my Autism, and I need to know that I
can trust them. I need to know that they won't put me through what Jaxon and all
the other past boyfriends put me through. I wanna know that, when they say they
love me, they actually mean it. I let myself fall in love with the wrong guy too
many times, and I can't let that happen anymore. I don't wanna be fooled again."
"I'm so proud of you, Abby. I know Jaxon put you through hell, but I guess
it happened for a reason. I know you'll find the right guy someday, maybe even
sooner than you think."
I raised my glass of chocolate milk. "Cheers."
Madison chuckled as she clinked her glass against mine. "Cheers."

Chapter 5
It was the beginning of October, and rehearsals for our Christmas concert
had begun. As always, Madison and I rode to choir practice together.
"So, what do you think we're gonna be singing this year?" Madison asked
as we entered the theatre, and headed for the choir room.
"I don't know," I said, "but I can't wait to find out. Kelly always picks good
music." Kelly is our choir director.
"Yeah, especially when it comes to Christmas music. Last year's concert
was the best."
"Yeah, it was," I agreed.
We entered the choir room, and took our seats in the soprano section.
"Good evening, everyone!" Kelly announced.
Everyone stopped talking.
"Before we warm up, I have a couple of announcements. First, I want you
to welcome our newest member, Dermot Gannon. Dermot, stand up."
Wow, what a hottie, I thought when he stood up.
"Tell us a little about yourself, Dermot."
"Well, I'm Dermot. I'm the choir director for the Children's Friendship
Chorus, which is a choir for kids and teens with different struggles."
"What kinds of struggles?" asked another choir member.
"It varies. Some of them have disabilities and mental problems. Others
might have family issues. My father founded the Children's Friendship Chorus,
because he had a difficult childhood. He never had a place to go where he could
feel at ease, and that's what the choir is for. The kids have a safe place to go
where they can bond through their love of music, and forget about everything
else."
Kelly smiled. "That's wonderful, Dermot."
We all applauded.
"Dermot was at our last concert, and he had a lot of good things to say."
"You all sounded amazing," said Dermot, "and all the soloists were
excellent. I enjoyed it so much that I decided to join."
"Well, we're glad you did," said Kelly. "Okay, second announcement. We're
going to be doing something a bit different this year. The Children's Friendship
Chorus will be singing with us in the Christmas concert. I attended their last show
in August, and they were fantastic."
We applauded again.
"Now, let's warm up."
Wow! I couldn't wait for the concert! I had a feeling this would be our best
show yet!

Chapter 6
A few days later, Madison and I were having lunch at our favorite
restaurant. Yes, we like to have lunch together often, whether it's at her house,
my house, or a restaurant. We're lunch buddies.
"So, what do you think of the songs Kelly picked this year?" Madison
asked.
"They're awesome," I replied.
"I know. I really love the rendition of Emmanuel. That's like, my favorite
Christmas song ever."
"I can't really pick a favorite. Too many good ones."
Madison grinned.
"I wonder if I'm gonna get another solo."
"I wouldn't be surprised."
"Why don't you ever try out for solos?"
"I'm too chicken."
"But, you're such a good singer. You should go for it."
"Aww, Abby. Maybe I will... in another lifetime."
I laughed.
"So, what do you think of Derrrmooootttt?" Madison asked in a very flirty
tone.
I blushed and giggled.
"Isn't he cuuute?"
"Yes!"
"I saw the look on your face when he stood up."
We both giggled like teenage girls.
"I wonder if he's single," Madison said impishly.
"I'm not really ready to start dating yet," I stuttered.
"I mean, I want to find someone, but... I need to know I can trust them
before I get too attached. I don't wanna get hurt again."
"I understand. Jaxon put you through hell."
"He hurt me even more than all the other boyfriends put together, and he
fooled me into thinking he was trustworthy, and I can't let that happen again.
Before I commit to a guy, I need to know that I can trust him. I need to know that
he accepts me, and I need him to put in the effort, too. I'm tired of immature
relationships."
"Well, Dermot seems like a pretty solid, down-to-Earth kind of guy. Maybe
you should get to know him. See what happens."
Just then, my cell phone rang. "Oh, hold on," I said. "Hello? Oh, hi. Okay.
Sure! I'd love to! Awesome! Thank you. You, too. Bye." I put my phone back in
my purse.
"Who was that?"
"That was Kelly."
"What did she want?"
"Um, she asked me to do a few duets... with Dermot."
Madison gasped. "And, you said yes?"

"Yes."
"Well, there's your golden opportunity to get to know him."
"Yep," I said nervously. I was excited that Kelly chose me to sing a few
duets, but I was nervous about interacting with Dermot. He seemed like the kind
of guy I would get along with, but I was still recovering from the crap Jaxon put
me through. Not to mention how scared I was of getting hurt again, because I've
been hurt so many times before. Still, I decided I guess something inside me told
me to go for it.

Chapter 7
After choir practice the following week, Madison and I were just leaving
when I accidentally dropped my folder. My music went all over the floor. "Oh,
crap," I grumbled, kneeling down to pick it up.
"Here, let me help you," Dermot said as he helped me clean up the mess,
and put everything back in order.
"Thanks."
"No problem."
"I'm such a klutz."
"You're not the only one," Dermot chuckled. "I dropped mine down a long
flight of stairs once. That was fun."
I grinned.
"Hey, you're Abby, right?"
"Yep."
"Kelly asked us to sing together in the concert. I was wondering if we
could get together sometime to practice."
My heart jumped. "Sure," I said. "That would be great."
"I saw you in the last concert. You were amazing."
I smiled coyly. "Thanks."
"Do you know when a good time would be to practice together?"
"Um, maybe this Saturday? I have a music room in my house."
"Sure. What's your address?"
"Oh, I have it," Madison said, digging through her purse. "Here you go."
She handed Dermot one of my business cards.
"Great. I'll see you then."
"Great," I said.
"I'm looking forward to singing with you."
"Thanks. You, too."
That Saturday night, I cleaned up my music room, and dressed nicely.
Madison knew I was nervous, so she offered to stay at the house... just in case.
When Dermot arrived, I answered the door, trying to keep calm. "Hi," I greeted
coyly.
"Hi," he said.
"The music room's this way."
"Okay." He followed me to my nice, clean music room. "Wow, this is cool!"
he exclaimed. "Look at all this stuff!" He looked around at all my equipmentmy
keyboard, my karaoke machine, CDs, notebooks, and my recording equipment.
"You practically have your own studio."
"Pretty much."
"How did you afford all of it?"
"A lot of these things were gifts. The rest of it, I paid for myself. I sing at a
lot of nursing homes, and I get paid for it, so... yeah."
"That's awesome!"
I nodded.
"Well, should we get started?"

"Sure." I grabbed my music folder, and we practiced our duets for about a
half hour. Then, we took a break. I went to the kitchen to fetch some snacks and
drinks.
"How's it going so far?" asked Madison.
"Pretty good, actually."
"I could hear you practicing in there. You guys sound great together."
"Thanks."

Chapter 8
"So, I guess you're very passionate about music," said Dermot as we
enjoyed our refreshments.
"Yep. Music is my life."
"How long have you been singing?"
"Since I was little. Although, I didn't realize how much I loved it until high
school when I sang in a talent show for the first time."
"Were you nervous?"
"Yeah, but once I started singing, I relaxed. When everyone stood up, and
clapped for me, that's when I knew I wanted to be a singer. I never felt so sure of
anything in my life before then. There's just something so freeing about singing,
and expressing myself through song."
"Well, Hans Christian Anderson once said, 'Where words fail, music
speaks.'"
"That's so true. I mean, I could talk 'til I'm blue in the face, but when I sing,
that's when it feels like I'm really saying something."
"I don't know. You just said some powerful things without singing."
I smiled. "Um, so, what about you?"
"What about me?"
"How did you get started with music?"
"My parents. My dad was a choir director, and my mom was a voice and
piano teacher. She gave me lessons, and I sang in my dad's choir growing up."
"So, it's in your blood."
"Yep, pretty much. When my parents both took me to see Phantom of the
Opera, that's when I knew I wanted to do something with music when I grew up."
"How old were you?"
"I was six."
"Wow. That's pretty cool that you knew what you wanted to do that young,
and your parents sound like they were very supportive of you."
"They were my mentors. Still are."
"That's awesome."
"Yeah."
"Well, I guess we should practice some more," I suggested.
We practiced for another half hour, until we were both feeling a little tired.
"I think we're making good progress," I said as we headed for the door.
"I think so, too," Dermot agreed. "I think we're gonna bring the house
down."
I laughed.
"Well, thanks for having me over."
"No problem. Maybe we should do this again sometime."
"That sounds great. I'll call you."
"Okay. I'll see you at choir practice." I stood still, and watched him drive
away from my house. Then, I went back inside where Madison was getting
dinner ready.

Chapter 9
"I ordered a pizza while you guys were practicing," said Madison.
"Oh, good," I said as we sat down to eat. "Pepperoni, my favorite!"
"That's why I ordered it."
"You rock, Maddie."
"Tell me something I don't know."
I laughed.
"Well?"
"Well, what?"
"Don't play coy with me," Madison teased. "How did it go?"
"It went great. He's really nice."
"What were you talking about in there?"
"We were talking about music, and how we both got started in it. He told
me he was six when he realized what he wanted to do with his life."
"Wow, that's young."
"And, his parents were his mentors."
"I can tell."
"Yeah, since he took over his dad's choir."
"That's so awesome that his dad created a choir like that."
"I wish I knew about that choir growing up," I sighed. "It would've made
things a little easier for me."
"I know."
"I would've had a place to go to get away from all the drama, and I
would've made more friends."
"Yeah, but at least you have friends now."
"I know, but you're the only one I really trust, because you're the only one
who understands me."
"Maybe you'll find more friends like me, like maybe Dermot."
"I don't know," I said sadly. "He seems too good to be true, and plus, he
doesn't know about my problems. He hasn't seen me at my worst yet. What if he
decides he can't handle it?"
"Abby, he leads a choir of kids with all sorts of problems. I think he can
handle yours."
"I don't know. I like him a lot, but... I'm scared."
"I know, but what if he turns out to be the perfect guy for you? Abby, I
know it's scary, especially after what Jaxon put you through, but if you never take
a chance, you could miss out on something great."
I thought for a moment. "Maybe you're right."
"Oh, I know I'm right," she joked. "Spend time with him, not just practicing.
Do other things with him, and let him see who you really are. I think you'll be
pleasantly surprised."
"I'll think about it."
"Okay. Just don't take too long."
It took me a while to fall asleep that night, because I kept thinking about
taking a chance with Dermot. My mind was filled with so many conflicting

thoughts. What if he rejects me when he finds out more about me? What if he
abandons me like the others did? What if he turns out to be too good to be true,
just like Jaxon did? What if I fall in love with him, and he breaks my heart? Then,
I thought about what Madison said about taking chances, and my mind was
made up.
I woke up late the next morning, and immediately grabbed my phone.
"Hey, Dermot," I said. "It's Abby. Um, I was wondering if you wanted to hang out
sometime. Great. Thanks. Bye."

Chapter 10
A few days later, Dermot and I met up at Starbucks for coffee. It was such
a beautiful day that we decided to sit at one of the outside tables.
"I had fun practicing with you the other day," I said.
"Me, too," he replied. "You have a beautiful voice."
I smiled coyly. "Thanks. So do you. Your mother did a good job teaching
you."
"Thanks."
"So, what do you think of the songs Kelly picked out?"
"I love them. Kelly is a musical genius."
"I know. I've been in that choir for five years, and I've yet to be
disappointed."
"I've known Kelly for a long time, and I've been to several concerts."
"How come you didn't join sooner?"
"I didn't really have the time. Not only was I directing another choir, but I
was taking care of my grandmother. After she died, I only wanted to focus on my
choir. Then, I thought about what my grandmother would say if she were still
here, that she would want me to keep having fun, and that's when I decided to
join. Now, I'm glad I did."
"I'm glad I did, too. That's where I met Madison, my best friend."
"It's good to make friends you share things in common with."
"Especially something as awesome as music."
"Music's a pretty magical thing. My dad always believed it's the best way
to bring people together, and he was right. A lot of friendships were formed in his
choir."
"Your dad sounds like an amazing person."
"He is. I always wanted to be just like him when I was little."
"Well, it looks like you're doing a good job at that, seeing as you're
following in his footsteps. I bet he's really proud of you."
Dermot smiled.
"I think it's awesome that he started that choir. I only wish I knew about it
when I was a kid. I didn't have an easy childhood, especially when I was a
teenager."
"Why not?"
"Well..." I took a deep breath. "I have Asperger's Syndrome."
"Oh."
"Do you know what that is?"
"It's a form of Autism."
"Yep, and it made things so hard for me growing up."
"I can imagine."
"I had trouble making and keeping friends."
"My sister's Autistic, too, so I totally understand."
"At least I have a friend now. Madison's the only one that really gets me. I
don't know how she does, but she does. A lot of people don't understand
Asperger's, and they think they can fix me."

"But, they can't, because Autism isn't a disease. It's just a different way of
thinking and feeling and living. It can be complicated sometimes, but it can also
be extremely beautiful."
"Wow," I sighed. I was completely blown away by his words. "I never
thought of it that way."
"My sister had the same problems when she was a kid. It was hard for her
to make friends, and every now and then, my parents had to deal with some
ignorant people telling them how to raise her. They never listened to them,
though, and she turned out great. Everyday, I thank God for giving me the best
sister in the world. She's been my best friend since she was a baby, and when
we found out she was Autistic, that only made me love her even more."
"That is so sweet," I said, trying not to cry. "She's lucky to have a brother
like you."

Chapter 11
After we finished our coffee, we went for a walk along the beach.
"When did you find out you had Asperger's?" asked Dermot.
"When I was thirteen."
"My sister was ten when she was diagnosed."
"Up until then, I always wondered why I acted so different from everyone
else, and even when I found out, it took a long time to understand it."
"It took us a while to understand it, too."
"Now, I'm at the point where I pretty much understand it all the way, and I
know what works for me."
"Yep, she does, too."
"But, it took a long time, and back then, I couldn't explain myself to people.
Even when I told them I had Asperger's, they kept shoving unwanted advice
down my throat like they knew what they were talking about."
"Yep, my sister dealt with the same thing."
"People can be so stupid, you know? It's one thing to not understand, but
it's another thing to try to fix something you know nothing about."
"And, when you don't even try to understand."
"That's why I don't trust people that easily."
"Well, I'm glad you were able to trust me with this stuff."
"Yeah. It's nice to have more people to talk to about it. Before I met
Madison, music was my best friend. Whenever I had something important to say,
I would write a song about it, and it got me through a lot of tough times."
"Do you still write songs?"
"Yep, a lot."
"I'd like to read them sometime."
I bent over, and grabbed a notebook from my purse. "Well, actually, I have
some of them right here."
"Oh! May I read them please?"
"Sure." I handed Dermot my notebook. "Here."
Dermot read through a couple of my songs. "Wow," he said. "These are
amazing."
"Thanks."
"Have you ever thought about recording an album?"
"Actually, I have, but I can't find someone to play the piano for me."
"I thought you played. Don't you have a keyboard?"
"I do, but I can't do accompaniment. I use that keyboard to brainstorm."
"Well, if you want, I could play for you."
"Really?"
"Sure."
I suddenly became very excited. "That would be awesome! Thank you so
much!"
"Hey, no problem. Truth is, I've always wanted to record an album of my
own."

"Well, you know I have professional recording equipment and software.

You can use it anytime."
"Wow! Thank you!"
"Hey, you're doing me a huge favor by being my pianist. I thought it was
only fair if I did something for you, and you can use it for free."
Dermot flashed a huge smile. "Wow, Abby, you have no idea how much
this means to me."
"This means a lot to me, too, Dermot."
Dermot sighed happily. "Abby, I'm really glad I met you."
"Me, too. I know I sprung a lot of personal stuff on you, but"
"No. I'm glad you did."
"I normally don't open up to people this fast, but I figured you had a right to
know who I am since we're gonna be spending a lot of time together."
"I'm honored you did. Now, you have two friends you can talk to."
I smiled. "Thanks, Dermot."
Dermot hugged me. "Anytime, Abby."

Chapter 12
That evening, I was having dinner at Madison's house. I walked through
the door, still smiling. I sniffed the air. "Something smells good," I said.
"I made fettuccini," Madison replied.
"With alfredo sauce?"
"Oh, yeah. Lots."
My mouth watered. "My favorite," I sighed as I sat down with Madison to a
delicious meal.
"You're glowing," she said in a flirty tone. "How'd it go with Dermot?"
"It was awesome."
"Ooh, what happened?"
"I told him about my Asperger's."
"And?"
"Turns out he has a sister who's Autistic."
"Oh, that's awesome."
"He said she's his best friend, and when they found out she was Autistic, it
only made him love her more."
"Awww! That's so sweet!"
"I almost cried."
"Awww, see? I told you he'd be fine with it."
"Oh, and he plays the piano, and he said he would help me with my
album."
"Oh, my gosh! Finally!"
"I know, right? I've been looking and looking for a pianist. I thought Jaxon
would've helped me since he played the piano, too, but he kept making excuses
to get out of it."
"Then, he bailed on you."
"Yep."
"Well, Dermot's probably a lot better anyway."
"Probably. His mom was a piano and voice teacher."
"Oh, yeah. He'll be much better than Jaxon."
I grinned.
"By the way, I have some news, too."
"What is it?"
"Kelly called me earlier."
"And?"
"She asked me to do a solo for the concert."
"Oh, my gosh!" I squealed. "That's awesome!"
"I know!"
"Did you say yes?"
"Yep."
"Yes!"
Madison laughed. "Abby, I wouldn't have done it without you. You kept
telling me I should go for it, and now, I am. I'm so nervous, but I know I can do it,
thanks to you."

"I'm glad you're doing it, because your voice is amazing."

"Aww, thanks, Abby."
"So, are you excited?"
"Yeah!"
"Me, too."
"This is gonna be a good concert."
I nodded in agreement.
"How's your dinner?"
"Yummy. You're a good cook."

Chapter 13
The next day, Dermot and I were practicing in the music room again. We
took a break after a half hour, and I hurried into the kitchen to get a couple of
drinks. No, not alcohol.
"Thanks," Dermot said as I handed him his drink. "Hey, can I ask you a
question?"
"You just did," I teased.
Dermot laughed. "Okay, can I ask you two questions?"
I grinned. "Sure."
"What exactly does your Asperger's involve?"
"What do you mean?"
"Well, everyone who has it has different symptoms. I was just wondering
what yours were, if you don't mind me asking."
"No, I don't mind."
"Well, do you struggle with super sensitivity?"
"Ugh, yes," I groaned.
"Yeah, my sister does, too."
"It can be a real pain in the ass sometimes."
"I can imagine."
"Like when I'm in public, and I'm upset over something stupid, and
someone comes up to me, asking me what's wrong, ugh!"
"Yep, my sister's had that happen to her, too."
"I mean, it's nice when someone shows concern, but it's also
embarrassing. I don't like having to explain what's wrong to a total stranger,
especially when it's something stupid, because they don't know me."
"I know, and what if it's something really personal?"
"Yeah. I don't wanna sound mean when I say this, but I wish some people
would mind their own business."
"No, you don't sound mean. I agree."
"I dont mind if someone walks by, and smiles at me to make me feel
better."
"But, you hate when they press you for information you don't wanna give
them."
"Exactly, because they don't know me, and chances are, they won't
understand me. They'll just shove unwanted advice down my throat, and make
everything worse. I won't actually say that to them, but that's what I'm thinking
when it happens."
"What do you usually say when that happens?"
"I just tell them it's personal. I don't like to be rude, but gosh, why do
people have to put me in these painfully awkward situations?"
"I guess they think they're doing their good deed of the day."
"But, it would be better if they just waved or smiled at me, or even if they
gave me a hug, I would be okay with that. I love hugs."
Dermot grinned. "My sister loves hugs, too. She's like a little teddy bear."
I giggled. "So, does your sister also struggle with criticism?"

"Yep. She tries to take it, but more often than not, when someone criticizes
her, their words get in her head."
"And, it drives her crazy, and makes her question herself?"
"Yeah! I guess you have that same problem."
"Ugh, yes. I try so hard to take people's criticism, but it kicks me right in
the Asperger's."
Dermot laughed. "Good one!"
"And, I have to deal with people saying that I need to learn to toughen up."
"What do they know?"
"I know, and then, I feel guilty, like I did something wrong."
"You struggle with guilt, too?"
"Yep, even when I don't have anything to feel guilty about. If I detect even
the slightest bit of frustration in someone's voice, I find myself apologizing like I
murdered someone, and I still feel guilty about stuff I did twenty years ago. Even
when I try to tell myself I don't need to feel guilty, or I was just a kid when I did
that, it doesn't make it go away."
"It follows you like a crazy stalker."
"Exactly, and it sucks."
"Do you ever have moments where you have flashbacks of things that
happened in the past that really hurt you?"
"Yes! Like, I'll be in the middle of practicing my music or working out on my
treadmill or eating lunch, and a bad memory comes back suddenly. It's like I'm
reliving that moment, and I can't seem to shake myself out of it. Does your sister
have that same problem?"
"Yeah. One minute, she'll be laughing and smiling, and then, she'll
suddenly break down crying."
"I'm starting to get the feeling your sister and I are twins separated at
birth."
"You're a lot alike. I think you'd get along very well."
"What's her name?"
"Mirad."
"I love that name."
"Me, too."
I changed the subject back to Asperger's. "What about stress? Does she
struggle with that, too?"
"Yep. Something that's no big deal to a normal person is a big deal to her."
"Same with me. I actually get physically ill when I'm stressed out."
"She has severe meltdowns when she's stressed out."
"I do, too, when I'm stressed out or upset or scared. Or, if someone upsets
me, and I don't know how to tell them without making them mad, I have
shutdowns. I can't answer them when they ask what's wrong, because my
thoughts are scattered everywhere. If I answer them too soon, I either don't make
sense, or I sound like a bitch. It's not pretty."
"Well, if I ever do anything to upset you, you can tell me, and you won't
make me feel bad."
"That's good. I just need time to think about what to say first."

"So does Mirad, and that's totally fine with me."

"You're very patient."
"That's what the doctor told us when she was first diagnosed, that we
have to be patient with her. We won't get anywhere by being super tough with
her."
"Because, Autism doesn't go away, no matter what people think."
"Right, and we shouldn't try to fix it. We should learn to communicate with
people who have it."
"Exactly. I mean, there are areas where we need help, things we can
improve, but then, there are things we can't fight Mother Nature on."
"I wish more people understood that."
"Me, too. That's why I don't get close to people that easily, because they
just don't get it, and they won't even try."
Dermot smiled warmly at me. "I get it."
"Thanks, Dermot." I hugged him. Then, we practiced for another forty-five
minutes.

Chapter 14
Over the next few weeks, Dermot and I spent a lot of time together. He
would often come to my house to practice with me, or work on my album with
me. We would also take walks along the beach, and talk about anything and
everything. We quickly became attached at the hip. It was rare for me to find
friends like him, people I could open up to about everything. Well, almost
everything.
About a month and a half later, we had just finished up in choir practice.
"Great job, everybody," said Kelly. "I have no doubt we're gonna bring the
house down on Christmas Eve. It's only November, and look how far you've all
come. See you next week."
"Hey, Madison," I said. "You did an awesome job on your solo."
"Thanks, Abby. You and Dermot sounded amazing together."
"Hey, Abby," Dermot greeted. "Can I talk to you for a sec?"
"Sure," I replied.
"I'll wait in the car," Madison said as she hurried off.
"Look, these past few weeks have been amazing," said Dermot. "I've
really enjoyed hanging out with you, and getting to know you."
Uh oh, I thought. Several warning triggers were going off in my brain.
"I never thought I would meet anyone as amazing as you."
Aaaaaaaahhhhhh! Is he kicking me to the curb?!
"And, I was wondering if you would consider going out with me on a
date?"
Wow, that was not what I was expecting!
I opened my mouth to speak.
"Abby?"
"Yeah, I heard you," I trembled.
"Well?"
"Can I think about it?"
"Sure. Just let me know when you decide."
"Okay."
"He asked you out?" Madison asked as I got in the car, and fastened my
seatbelt.
"Yep," I replied, still shaking.
"You don't sound very happy about it."
"I am. Just..."
"You're afraid he'll leave you like the others did."
"Yeah."
"You didn't turn him down, did you?"
"No. I told him I needed to think about it."
"Oh, good."
Later, Madison was out grocery shopping, when she spotted Dermot from
a distance. She zoomed her shopping cart up to him. "Hey, Dermot."
"Oh, hey, Maddie," he replied glumly.
"You okay?"

"I guess Abby told you."

"Yeah, she did."
"She totally freaked out when I asked her out. I hope I didn't scare her off."
"You didn't, Dermot. She likes you a lot."
"That's what I thought."
"No, she does. She's just afraid."
"Afraid of what?"
"Did she ever tell you about her past relationships?"
"No, I don't think she mentioned anything about them."
Madison hesitated for a moment. "Well, she's gotten her heart broken a lot
in the past. Every time she got in a new relationship, the guy always promised
her he wouldn't abandon her, or do anything to hurt her."
"And, they broke their promises?"
"Yeah, and her last relationship took the biggest toll on her."
"Why? What happened?"
"I won't get into too much detail, but they were together for a long time.
They even got engaged. She really loved him, but he kept hurting her."
"He hit her?"
"No, but he made her cry a lot. Then, he left without saying goodbye, and
he never spoke to her again."
"Wow," Dermot said sadly. "What a jerk."
"So, it's nothing against you. She's just terrified of getting hurt again."
Dermot's heart sunk. "God, how could they do that to her?"
"It's the Asperger's that scares them off. They can't handle her at her
worst."
"What a bunch of cowards."
"I know. They always say they'll be there no matter what, but when things
get tough, they run for the hills."
"I would never do that to her."
"I know you wouldn't."
"I've seen Mirad at her worst, and I wouldn't dream of turning my back
on her."
"Tell her that. Maybe it'll help her feel better about going out with you."
"Thanks, Maddie. I'll talk to her tomorrow. I think I know what to do."

Chapter 15
The next day, as I was looking through the freezer for something to eat for
lunch, the doorbell rang. "I'm coming!" I called as I headed for the door. I
answered it. It was Dermot. "Hey," I said nervously.
"Hey, Abby. Can I talk to you?"
"Sure. Come in."
Dermot followed me into the living room, and we sat down on the sofa
together.
"What's up?" I asked.
"How come you never told me about your past relationships?"
"How did you find out?"
"I ran into Madison at the grocery store yesterday."
"Oh. Well... I didn't wanna be one of those girls who goes on about her
exes."
"Hey, I told you that you can talk to me about anything."
"I know," I said remorsefully. "Sorry."
Dermot put his arm around me. "It's okay, Abby," he said sweetly. "I'm not
mad at you."
"Did I do something wrong?"
"No. Those guys who hurt you did. Listen, I know you've probably heard
this over and over in the past, but unlike them, I actually mean this. I promise I
won't run away when things get tough. I'll always be here for you, and I'm gonna
give it my all. I know the others ran away when the Asperger's came out. They
couldn't handle you at your worst, but they were a bunch of cowards. I've seen
Mirad at her worst, and I would rather die than abandon her. If I can stay by
her side in her hour of need, I can do the same for you."
A few tears ran down my cheeks.
"Abby, you did nothing wrong, and I know you're scared of getting hurt
again, but I'm a man of my word. I don't ever make promises I can't keep, so...
will you give me a chance? Please?"
I rested my head on his shoulder. "Sure."
Dermot smiled warmly. "Good. Now, get in your bathing suit. I have
somewhere I wanna take you."
"What about lunch?"
"I have it packed in the car."
"Okay. I'll be right back." I hurried upstairs to change into my swimsuit and
flip-flops. I packed my beach bag with a towel and sunscreen. Then, I hurried
back down the stairs. "Okay. I'm ready."
"Okay. Let's go."
I followed Dermot out to his car, and he helped me in. What a gentleman.

Chapter 16
"Where are we?" I asked as we pulled up to our destination.
"You'll see," said Dermot. He got out of the car, opened the trunk, and
lifted a huge picnic basket out. Then, he helped me out of the car. "This way." He
led me up a small hill to the most beautiful lagoon I had ever seen in my life.
"This is Moonlight Magic Lagoon," he said.
"It's so beautiful!" I sighed. "I've never seen water that blue before."
"You should see it in the moonlight."
"Is that where it got its name?"
"Yep, because it's even more beautiful at night when the moon and stars
shine down on it."
"So, we're gonna have a picnic here?"
"Yes, we are, but first, I wanna show you something."
"Okay."
"You see that box at the edge of the lagoon?"
"Yeah."
"Well, it's full of empty bottles and blank paper. People write what they
wish for on the paper, seal it in the bottle, and throw it in the water. If someone
finds their message, their wish might come true."
"Have you ever tried it?"
"A long time ago. My dad used to bring me and Mirad here all the time
when we were little." Dermot smiled mischievously. "Wanna go for a swim?"
"Is it clean in there?"
"Oh, yeah. There's nothing but bottles in there."
"Okay."
We slowly approached the edge together, and took a deep breath. Then,
we jumped in.
"Wow!" I laughed. "This is so cool!"
"I challenge you to a splash fight."
"Huh?"
Dermot moved his arms, and splashed me in the face.
"Dermot, I'm gonna get you for that!"
"Let's see you try!"
I used as much strength as I could to nail him with a huge splash.
"Okay, you're good, but can you"
Before he could say another word, I splashed him again.
"Oh, come on! That's not fair!" With that, he splashed me again, and the
two of us engaged in the best splash fight I'd ever been in. We laughed and
played like innocent children, until we were tired.
"That was fun!" I panted. "I haven't done that in a long time."
"Me, neither. I feel like a kid again."
"Me, too. I can't remember the last time I had this much fun."
"Do you wanna look for a wish bottle?"
"Sure."
"Just grab the first one you find."

"Okay." I held my nose, and took a deep breath before going under water.
I reached for a bottle, and grabbed the first one I touched.
"What did you find?" asked Dermot as I popped my head back up.
"Let's see." I tried to unscrew the lid, but it was on too tight. "Ow!"
"Here. Let me do it."
"Oh, thanks."
Dermot unscrewed it without a problem, and handed it back to me.
"Okay. Lemme see what's in it." I stuck my finger inside, and pulled out the
paper inside.
"What does it say?"
I read it aloud. "Hi. My name is Dermot, and I'm eleven. I hope I find love
someday. I know the right girl is out there for me, and I won't give up, until I find
her." I brushed tears from my eyes. "Oh, my gosh. That is so sweet."
"Out of all the bottles, you found mine."
I smiled at Dermot. "Yes, I did."
"I guess that means you'll grant my wish?"
We both leaned in, and shared a powerful, romantic kiss.
I looked deep into his eyes. "It was my wish, too."

Chapter 17
Later, Madison and I were curled up on her sofa, talking about my date
with Dermot. "Then, we had a picnic by the lagoon."
"That is so romantic."
"I don't know how I've lived here my whole life, and never knew about that
lagoon."
"I've never seen it, either, so you're not alone."
"You should see it sometime. It's gorgeous."
"So, how was the kiss?"
"Awesome!"
"Yeah?"
"He is a really good kisser."
"Even better than Jaxon?"
"Way better than Jaxon!"
Madison laughed out loud.
"I think Jaxon had cooties. That's why I was so blinded by his so-called
love."
Madison snickered. "Cooties? Seriously?"
"Yep, cooties."
"Maybe you're right."
We both laughed.
"I'm so corny," I said with a silly grin. "Then again, I like corn."
"Dorkwad."
Just then, my phone rang. "Hello? Oh, hi, Dermot. Me, too. Oh, I would
love to! Okay, thanks. Bye."
"What did he want?"
"His parents are having a Christmas party next weekend, and he invited
me."
"Oh, my gosh! You're gonna meet his family!"
"Yeah! I'm so excited! He talks about his family a lot. He says they're really
cool."
"I think they'll love you."
"I hope so."
"They will. Trust me."

Chapter 18
On the night of the party, Madison was helping me get ready.
"What about your red dress?" she suggested.
"That's perfect." I went into my closet, and changed into a red, sleeveless,
glittery dress with just a little bit of cleavage.
"I love that dress on you. It's very Christmassy."
I slipped my feet into a pair of silver dress shoes, and Madison helped me
with my hair and makeup. She curled my hair, and covered my face in glitter.
Okay, not that much glitter, but enough to make me feel like a princess.
"You look amazing," she said. "Dermot won't be able to take his eyes off of
you."
"Thanks, Maddie."
"You're welcome. Oh, I forgot one thing." She grabbed a bottle of my
favorite perfume, Forever Red, and sprayed me. "Now, you look and smell like
Christmas."
I looked at my reflection in the mirror, and smiled. "I feel like a sugarplum
fairy."
Just then, the doorbell rang.
"Oh, he's here!" Madison squealed as she and I hurried downstairs, and
opened the door.
Dermot stared at me for a moment. "Wow," he sighed. "You look amazing!"
"So do you," I flirted.
Dermot was wearing a pair of black, dressy pants and a very soft, red
sweater.
"Thanks," he said. "Are you ready?"
"Yep, she is," said Madison.
Dermot took my hand, and helped me into the car again.
"Have fun!" Madison called, waving at us as we pulled out of the driveway.
"Holy crap!" I exclaimed as we pulled into his parents' driveway. "Your
parents really know how to decorate their yard!"
"I know, right?" Dermot agreed.
"It looks like a Christmas fairyland."
The yard was lit up with Christmas lights! There were reindeer, elves,
snowmen, and a Santa Claus statue standing next to a beautiful Christmas tree.
Everything was covered in gorgeous, colorful Christmas lights.
"Wait 'til you see the inside," said Dermot as he got out of the car. He
helped me out, and walked me to the front door. "I can't wait for you to meet my
family. They're gonna love you." He opened the door, and led me inside.
"Wow, your family's house is amazing," I said.
Dermot nodded. "Mom! Dad!" he called.
My heart started beating faster when I saw Mr. and Mrs. Gannon come
into the hall to greet us.
"Dermot!" his mom cried, throwing her arms around him. "Hi, Sweetie!"
She kissed his forehead.
Then, his dad gave him a hug and a pat on the back.

"Mom? Dad?" said Dermot. "I want you to meet my girlfriend, Abby."
"Hi, Abby!" Mrs. Gannon greeted, shaking my hand.
"Hi," I said shyly.
"I've heard so much about you! Dermot talks about you all the time."
Then, Mr. Gannon shook my hand. "Hello, young lady," he said. "You are
every bit as pretty as Dermot said you were."
I smiled coyly. "Thanks. It's nice to meet you guys."
"Well, make yourself at home," said Mrs. Gannon. "We have lots of food
and beverages."
"Come on," said Dermot, taking hold of my hand. "Let's go into the living
room."

Chapter 19
I was absolutely mesmerized when I saw the living room. It was so
beautifully decorated. There was a large Christmas tree in one corner, and the
walls and ceiling were covered in Christmas lights. There were colorful candles in
the windows, and a Nativity Scene on top of the piano.
"This room is gorgeous," I said.
"I know," said Dermot. "My parents decorate it like this every year."
"They must really love Christmas."
"It's always been a special time for us."
"For me, too."
"My favorite part of Christmas is when we all gather in here to sing songs.
Then, we exchange gifts, and then, we stuff our faces with lots of food."
"My favorite part is, on Christmas morning, my family makes sausage
gravy and biscuits for breakfast, and then, we open presents while we play
Christmas music in the background."
"That sounds really nice."
"It is."
"I love being with my family on Christmas."
"Me, too."
Just then, Dermot's sister, Mirad, tiptoed in. "Hey, Dermot."
"Hey, Mirad," said Dermot. "Come over here. I want you to meet
someone."
Mirad slowly approached us.
"This is my girlfriend, Abby."
"Hi, Abby. I'm Mirad."
"Hi," I said.
"I heard a lot about you from Dermot."
"Yeah, he talks about you, too."
"It's nice to meet you, Abby."
"Nice to meet you, too."
We both awkwardly shook hands.
"Sorry," Mirad said nervously. "I'm kinda shy."
"Don't worry. I am, too."
"Um, Dermot? Mom was wondering if you and Abby could do a song later
when everyone gets here."
"That sounds great," Dermot replied. "Do you wanna do it, Abby?"
"Sure," I said.
"We'll wait 'til everyone's here, and we've all eaten."
"Okay," said Mirad. "Well, it was nice meeting you, Abby."
"You, too," I said as she sauntered out of the room.
"So, what do you think?" asked Dermot.
"I like her."
"I knew you would. It takes her a while to warm up to people, but you'll be
friends before long."
"I understand. It takes me a while, too."

"Didn't take you that long with me," Dermot flirted.

I grinned.
"I think, once she hears you sing, she'll be all over you."
"How do you know?" I asked impishly.
"Because, when I first heard you sing in the last choir concert, I couldn't
get your voice out of my head."
"I hope that's a good thing," I joked.
Dermot laughed. "It was the best thing that ever happened to me."
I rested my head on his shoulder, and rubbed his arm.
He smirked at me. "What are you doing?"
"Your sweater is so soft."
"Oh!" He giggled.
"I don't think I ever told you how much I love sweaters."
"Is it an Asperger's thing?"
"I think so."
"Yeah, because Mirad has a fascination for stuffed animals. She loves
fluffy bears."
"I love fluffy sweaters. Like, if someone is wearing one, I can't stop
hugging them, and right now, that sweater is making you even more cuddly than
usual."
Dermot grinned, and wrapped his arm around me. "Awww!"
I snuggled up against him.
"Aww, you're so cute." He held me close, and kissed my forehead.

Chapter 20
Once everyone finally arrived, we all sat down to a delicious meal. Then,
about a half hour later, it was time for me and Dermot to sing. We all gathered in
the living room. Dermot accompanied me on the piano, and together, we
performed John Lennon's Happy Christmas (War Is Over). We both agreed that it
was our favorite Christmas song. I'm not trying to sound narcissistic, but by the
time we finished, there was not a dry eye in the room. We received a huge
applause from everyone.
"Awesome!" Mr. Gannon shouted.
Mrs. Gannon could barely speak from crying so hard.
Mirad ran up to me, and threw her arms around me. "Oh, my gosh!" she
cried. "That was amazing!"
Dermot and I were both taken aback from all the positive feedback and
hugs from everyone. We couldn't think of anything else to say, other than thank
you.
Later, Dermot and I slipped outside to the beautifully decorated front porch
for a moment alone.
"I like that it's always warm around Christmas time," I said.
"Me, too," Dermot agreed. "You were amazing tonight, Abby."
"So were you."
"Thanks for coming to my family's party."
"No problem. I had fun."
"We have this party every year, and it meant so much to me that I got to
share it with you."
"Well, it meant a lot to me to be invited. I really like your family."
"They like you, too. Actually, they love you."
"Totally different than my last boyfriend's family. His mother hated me."
"How could anyone hate you?"
"I guess I wasn't what she wanted for her son, but it doesn't matter
anymore."
"Some mothers are like that."
"Not yours, though. She made me feel like I was a part of the family. Your
whole family was amazing."
"I told you they were."
I grinned. "I'm glad I came. I had a blast."
"So did I. I always have fun at these parties, but they're even more fun
with you."
I smiled, and kissed Dermot.
"I love you, Abby."
I smiled even bigger. "I love you, too, Dermot."
He wrapped his arms around me, and held me close.
I snuggled up against his fluffy sweater.
"Awww, my little sweater girl."
I giggled.

Soon, it was time to go home. I said bye to all the guests, and hopped in
the car with Dermot.
We pulled into my driveway. He helped me out of the car, and walked me
up to my door.
"Thanks again for coming," he said. "I had a good time."
"Me, too. It was the best night of my life."
"Mine, too." He leaned in, and gave me another kiss. "Well, I guess I
should be going."
"Okay, but can I have one more sweater hug?"
"Of course." Dermot pulled me into another big hug. His sweater felt so
good against my skin. "You're so cute, Abby."
"I can't help it. You're so cuddly in that sweater."
He giggled. "I love you so much."
"I love you, too."
He kissed me one more time. "Good night, Abby."
"Good night, Dermot." I stood there for a minute, and watched him leave.
Then, I went inside.
Just as I was getting ready for bed, the doorbell rang. "Who could that be
at this hour?" I mumbled as I headed downstairs, and opened the door. My jaw
hit the floor when I saw who it was. "Jaxon?"
"Hey, Abby."

Chapter 21
"Jaxon, what the hell are you doing here?" I snapped.
"Abby, I need to talk to you."
"Make it fast," I snarled. "I'm tired."
"Look, I miss you. I know I screwed up, but I want another chance."
"You're too late, Jaxon."
"Abby, for God's sake!" Jaxon growled.
"Jaxon, you made your choice!"
"I was going through a hard time, Abby! I needed you, and you weren't
there for me!"
"No, you left me!" I shouted angrily. "You left me when you didn't get that
job you wanted! I tried to be there for you, but you kept pushing me away! I
wasted an entire summer waiting for you, hoping you would come around again! I
tried so hard to get your attention, but you ignored me! So, you don't get to be the
angry one, Jaxon! You don't get to make me the bad guy again, because you
screwed up! You left me, and now that I've finally moved on, you show up here,
trying to win me back again! You really think I'm gonna be dumb enough to look
past all the crap you put me through?!"
Jaxon didn't speak.
"Go take a hike! I never wanna see you again!" With that, I slammed the
door in his face, and ran back up the stairs. I sat on my bed for a few minutes,
thinking about what just happened. The anger started boiling inside of me. After
everything he put me through, he thought I would actually take him back. He had
the nerve to accuse me of abandoning him when he was the one who
abandoned me. Then, I thought about Dermot. I finally found someone else, and
then, Jaxon had to come back. I started to wonder whether that was a
coincidence or not. I tried to put it out of my mind, and I went to bed.
In the morning, I checked my phone to see if I had any missed calls from
Jaxon. I didn't, so maybe he got the message. The anger was still boiling inside
of me, though, and I had to get it out somehow. I got dressed, and hurried down
to my music room. Whenever I had something weighing me down like this, I
always wrote a song about it. So, I grabbed my music book, and went to town.

Chapter 22
That afternoon, I had Madison over for lunch. I had just finished telling her
about Jaxon's little visit.
"Are you kidding me?!" she shrieked. "After what he did, he had the
audacity to make it your fault?!"
"I'm not surprised," I said. "He did that every time we had a fight. I was
always taking the blame. Not this time, though. I'm not gonna let him make me
feel guilty, and he's not gonna suck me back in with his sweet-talk."
"Good. I hope he finally gets the message."
"I doubt it, but as long as he leaves me alone, I don't really care."
"He'll get what's coming to him one of these days. When he least expects
it, he'll get a little visit from good ol' Karma."
"You know, I think it's weird that he shows up just when I'm in a new
relationship. I wonder if it's just a coincidence."
"Oh, I don't think so. I think he must've seen you out with Dermot
somewhere, and it made him angry."
"I told him he's not allowed to be angry at me."
"Right, because you didn't do anything wrong."
"I know that now, but when I was with him, I was constantly apologizing
and blaming myself every time something went wrong."
"I'm glad you got out of that relationship in time."
"Me, too. I shutter to think about what he would do to me if we ever got
married."
"Oh, God, I don't even wanna think about that." Then, Madison changed
the subject. "So, how was the party?"
My anger suddenly died. "It was the best night of my life!"
"How did Dermot's family treat you?"
"They were amazing. They made me feel like a part of the family."
"What happened?"
"We sang a duet together."
"Oh, I wish I could've been there to hear you! I bet everyone loved it."
"I guess they did since they were all crying and hugging us."
"That doesn't surprise me. You two have the most amazing voices, and
you sound perfect together."
"Oh, and Dermot told me he loved me."
Madison squealed. "Did you say it back?"
"Yep."
"Oh, my gosh! Oh, my gosh!" She hugged me. "I'm so happy for you!
See? Aren't you glad you met him?"
"No, I'm grateful. I know it's fast, but I've never felt like this before."
"Not even with Jaxon?"
"Eww, no way!" I scoffed. "I loved him a lot, but I felt trapped. With Dermot,
I feel free. I feel like I can breathe, and I can be my complete self around him."
"I bet you were all over that sweater he was wearing."
"Oh, don't even get me started!"

We both laughed.
"So, I guess he knows about your undying love for sweaters."
"Yep, and he thinks it's cute."
Madison grinned. "It is cute."
"He even called me his little sweater girl."
"Awww! Abby, I'm so happy you found him."
"Me, too. He's everything I've been looking for in a man, and so much
more."

Chapter 23
That night, after I crawled into bed, my phone rang with Jaxon's ringtone. I
ignored it, but he called again... and again... and again. I finally answered it.
"Jaxon, leave me alone!" I snapped.
"I'm not going anywhere, Abby," he said.
I didn't say anything else. I just hung up on him. He called again, but I
ignored it. Before he could call again, I turned off my phone, and closed my eyes.
I woke up in the middle of the night to the sound of banging on my front
door, and my doorbell constantly ringing. I tried to ignore it. I figured I was okay
since all my doors and windows were locked, but it was driving me crazy. I closed
my bedroom door, hoping to block out the sound. I could still hear it, so I turned
on my television. I could barely hear it anymore, so I went back to sleep.
In the morning, I opened my bedroom door, and listened for any banging.
It had finally stopped. I turned on my phone, and saw that I had eighteen more
missed calls and five voicemails from Jaxon. I was beginning to feel very
frightened. When he showed up at my door the other night, I didn't think much of
it, other than how mad he made me. Now, what was I supposed to do? What if he
would never leave me alone?
I called Madison in tears, and explained everything. "I'm scared, Maddie," I
sobbed. "What if he comes back again?"
"Do you want me to come over there tonight?" she asked.
"Would you please?"
"Of course, Abby. I'll be there."
"Thanks."
Madison kept her promise that night. She showed up just before bedtime.
"Have you told Dermot yet?" she asked as we both crawled into bed.
"I haven't seen him today."
"Well, next time you see him, you should tell him."
"I will. He's coming over tomorrow to work on my album with me. I'll tell
him then."
"Okay. Good."
Just as we were finally falling asleep, the banging and doorbell ringing
began. We both tried to ignore it, but it wouldn't stop.
"Oh, my God," Madison groaned. "Does he ever get tired?"
I had to block him out with the TV last night," I said.
"I can't believe the neighbors didn't do anything."
"I guess they slept right through it."
"I guess so."
The banging and ringing continued.
"That does it!" Madison screamed. "I can't take it anymore!" She ran down
the stairs, and threw the door open. "Damn it, Jaxon!" she shouted. "Do you ever
get sick of this?! Some of us are trying to sleep here!"
"Where's Abby?"
"She's not here!"
"You're lying."

"No, actually, I'm not! She got so sick of you bothering her; she sold me
her house!"
"I'll see for myself!"
Jaxon tried to burst in, but Madison pushed him back out. Hey, she might
be tiny, but she's pretty strong.
"I don't think so, buddy! Now, go home before I call the cops!" With that,
she slammed the door in his face, and stomped back up the stairs.
"Is he gone?" I asked.
"I think so. I don't hear any banging."
We both waited for a few minutes. Not a sound.
Madison laughed. "I think I must've scared him off."
"You were awesome," I said.
"Hey, I've been waiting to use my skills from that self-defense class I took
in college. He tried to come in, and I pushed him out."
"Wow, that's impressive."
"That's the least I can do. I brought a can of pepper spray just in case he
shows up here again."
I suddenly felt very emotional. I wiped a few tears from my eyes.
"Are you okay, Abby?"
"Yeah," I sniffled. "I'm just so grateful to have a friend like you."
"Aww." Madison hugged me. "Abby, I would do anything for you. Nobody
messes with my best friend."
"I don't know how you put up with all my crazy dramas."
"It's no problem. I actually enjoyed shoving Jaxon out of the house. I kinda
wish I would've picked him up, and thrown him across the lawn, but I didn't
wanna get arrested."
I burst out laughing. "You're awesome."
"So are you, Abby."
We stayed up for a little while, watching television. Then, when we were
sure Jaxon was gone, we went back to bed.

Chapter 24
The next day, Dermot arrived just after lunch. "Hey, Abby," he greeted,
kissing my forehead.
"Hey, Dermot," I said.
"Are you ready?"
"Um, actually, before we start, I need to talk to you."
"Oh, okay."
We went into the living room, and sat down on the sofa together.
"Is everything okay, Baby?" Dermot asked, worried.
"Jaxon came back," I sighed.
"Jaxon?"
"My ex-fianc."
"What did he want?"
"He wanted me back."
"Oh, no."
"Don't worry. I didn't take him back."
"I know."
"But, for the past couple of nights, he's been blowing up my phone, and
banging on my door at three in the morning."
"Did you call the police?"
"Not yet, but Madison slept over last night. She told him she would call
them if he didn't leave me alone."
"Oh, good."
"And, she shoved him out of the doorway."
Dermot laughed. "Impressive!"
"I know. He tried to come in, but she wouldn't let him."
"Sounds like you have a good friend on your side."
"She's amazing. She can take down someone twice her size if she has to."
"That's pretty awesome."
"But, I wanted to tell you, because I figured you deserved to know."
"I appreciate that, Abby. I love that you're so honest with me."
"I love that I can tell you anything, and you won't flip out."
"Of course not. That doesn't do any good, and plus, it's not your fault
Jaxon's a nut job."
"He showed up here the other night, and had the downright nerve to say
that I abandoned him in his time of need, when he was the one who left after he
didn't get the job he wanted."
"Wow, that's just pathetic."
"I know. He made me so mad; I wrote a song about it."
Dermot chuckled. "If you don't mind me asking, what all did he do to hurt
you in the relationship?"
"What didn't he do?"
"He didn't hit you, did he?"
"No."
"Oh, thank God."

"Madison would've knocked him flat on his butt if he did that."

"I'll bet."
"But, he did put me through a lot."
"Like what?"
"Well, whenever he had a bad day, he would take it out on me, even if it
was something as insignificant as a dumb comment from a complete stranger.
Then, we'd get into a fight, and he always made me feel like it was my fault. I
can't explain how, but he just had this way of making me feel that way. I was
always apologizing for things I didn't even do."
"It sounds like he was taking advantage of your Asperger's."
"I think so, too. He made me feel so bad about myself. No matter what I
did or said, it was always wrong, and he was never there when I needed him,
even though I worked my ass off for him all the time, to the point where I was
physically exhausted."
"What a jerk."
"Can I tell you something else?"
"Anything."
"I almost committed suicide, because of him."
"Oh, Abby." Dermot pulled me into a big hug, and stroked my hair. "I'm so
sorry."
"It's okay. I'm okay now."
"I know you are. It just breaks my heart that he put you through so much
pain."
"Well, I'm glad he left me."
"Me, too, and I'm glad you didn't take him back."
"Eww, please," I scoffed. "I don't want his cooties."
Dermot laughed. "You're funny, Abby."
"I try."
"Well, should we get started?"
"Sure."
For the next few nights, Madison slept over at my house, until we were
sure Jaxon was gone. We didn't hear any banging on the door, and I didn't
receive any phone calls from him. I guess Madison really did scare him off. Soon,
I felt safe enough to sleep alone again.

Chapter 25
One afternoon, Dermot and I were taking a stroll along the beach.
"So, he's finally gone," said Dermot.
"It looks like it."
"Good."
"And, I hope he never comes back. I never wanna see him again."
"I don't blame you after what he put you through."
As we were walking, I noticed that Dermot seemed out of breath. "Um,
Dermot?"
"Yeah?"
"Are you okay?"
"Yeah. Why?"
"Well, you're panting a lot."
"Oh, yeah. I'm fine. I'm just tired."
"Oh, well, we can stop if you want."
"No, that's okay. I need the exercise."
"Okay, but let me know if you need to stop. One thing I learned when
working out on my treadmill is to listen to my body. If it's telling me to stop, I
stop."
"Thanks, Abby. I'll keep that in mind."
"Just lookin' out for you."
"Another reason why I love you so much."
"So, are you ready for Christmas?"
"I've been ready since after Thanksgiving."
"Are you looking forward to the concert?"
"More than anything."
"Me, too."
"You know, you should come watch one of our choir rehearsals. The kids
are incredibly talented."
"Maybe I will someday."
"Although, we're supposed to practice with them a week before the
concert, so you'll hear them then."
"Yeah. Although, I would like to see you in action."
"You will. Some of the songs are just for the kids."
"I bet they really like you."
"They seem to. I never have any trouble with them. They're good kids."
"That's good. I was in a rowdy choir in high school. I loved it, but
sometimes, some of the other kids pissed off the choir director."
Dermot laughed.
"I still loved it, though."
Suddenly, Dermot collapsed.
"Oh, my God!" I shrieked. "Dermot, are you okay?!"
"Call 9-1-1!" Dermot groaned.

Chapter 26
At the hospital, I sat with Madison in the waiting room for hours, imagining
the worst. "What's taking so long?" I moaned.
"I don't know, Abby," said Madison.
"I'm freaking out here."
"Did you call his family?"
"Not yet. I don't wanna worry them if it's not serious."
"Good idea."
"I hope it's nothing serious."
Madison put her arm around me. "I know. Me, too."
"Abby Winter?" said a voice.
Finally, I thought. "That's me."
"I'm Dr. Miller."
"How is he?"
"I'm afraid I have some bad news."
Oh, no, I thought. "What?"
"Dermot has a brain tumor, and I'm afraid it's... cancer."
My heart shattered, but I managed to hold it together. "Can you fix it?"
"We can, but there's a chance he could lose his memory."
I held back tears.
"I'm so sorry, Abby."
"Can I see him?"
"Of course."
"Oh, wait. I have to call his family."
"You go see him," said Madison. "I'll call them."
"Okay."
When I found Dermot's room, I peaked inside. My heart sunk when I saw
him lying in that bed. I slowly tiptoed in, pulled up a chair, and sat by his bedside
while he slept. I kept as quiet as possible, so I wouldn't disturb him. Tears came
pouring out of my eyes, but I still didn't make a sound, not even a sniffle. I wiped
them away, but they kept coming. I flinched a bit when I felt him running his
fingers through my hair.
"Abby," he said softly.
"Um, sorry. Did I wake you?"
"No."
"How are you feeling?"
"I've been better."
"Yeah, they told me."
"I'm so sorry, Baby."
"It's not your fault you have cancer, and besides, they said they can
remove it."
"Yeah, but I could lose my memory."
"But, you'll die if you don't."
"I would rather spend a few months loving you than spend the rest of my
life not knowing you."

"What are you saying? You're not doing the surgery?"

"No."
I suddenly broke down sobbing.
Dermot held out his arm. "Baby, come here."
I stood up, and sunk my face under his arm. "I don't wanna lose you."
"You won't lose me, Baby. I promise."
"But, if you die"
"I'll still be here for you. No matter what, I'm always here. Even if I'm not in
the room physically, I'll be with you in spirit. I know we only have a few more
months together, but we should make the most of them. I want to enjoy my last
days with you. I don't ever wanna forget you." He stroked my hair, and kissed my
forehead. "I love you so much."
"I love you, too, Dermot," I sobbed.

Chapter 27
That evening, I made my way to Moonlight Magic Lagoon, the same place
where Dermot and I shared our first kiss. I sat by the water, and a flood of
beautiful memories came back to me. It almost felt as if someone had driven a
bulldozer through my heart.
"This is just great," I said sarcastically. "After all those crappy
relationships, after getting my heart ripped out of my chest time and time again, I
finally meet the right man, and now, he's dying on me! Why, God?! Why would
you do this to me?! After everything I've been through, why are you taking him
from me?! Am I being punished for something?! What did I ever do to deserve
this?! Or, do you just hate me?!" I suddenly began sobbing heavily. "Do you have
any idea how difficult it was to find someone like him?! Please! Please don't take
him from me, God! I love him! Don't take him from me!"
"Abby?"
I looked up, and saw Madison standing in front of me.
"Are you okay?"
"No," I sobbed.
She sat down next to me.
"It's not fair, Maddie. I finally find the right guy, and now, he's gonna die."
"You don't know that."
"I do."
"They said they can remove his tumor."
"He said he's not doing the surgery, because of the risk of losing his
memory."
"Oh, Abby, I'm so sorry." She pulled me into a big hug.
"And, I can't tell him to have the surgery, or I'm a selfish bitch."
"No, you're not. What you're feeling is totally understandable."
"I feel like God is punishing me for something."
"I know."
"It's not fair."
"No, it isn't fair. It really isn't, and I hope he changes his mind about having
the surgery."
"He said he'd rather spend a few months loving me than spend the rest of
his life not knowing me."
"Jeez, that must've ripped your heart out."
"Ripped it out, and shattered it to pieces."
"I'll bet it did. I understand why he made that choice, but still..."
"It still hurts."
"I know."
"But, again, I can't say anything. I can't do anything about it."
"Maybe you can."
"What are you talking about?"
"Hold on." Madison got up, and went to get a bottle and some paper out of
the big box. "Maybe you can't say anything to him, but you can make a wish."
"I don't think it'll work."

"You never know. Just write how you feel." She handed me the paper and
a pen from her purse.
I didn't think it would work, but I decided to do it anyway. I poured out my
heart, and ended up using more than one sheet of paper. I put my long note
inside the bottle, and sealed it tight. Then, I tossed it into the water. "I hope it
works," I sighed.
"I hope so, too."

Chapter 28
A couple days later, Madison contacted the parents of all the kids in the
Children's Friendship Chorus, and asked them to bring the kids to the dining
room in the theatre. Thankfully, all of them showed up.
"Hey, kids," said Madison. "I'm Maddie. I'm a friend of Dermot's, and I
wanted you all here for a very important reason. I don't know if any of you know
this, but Dermot is very sick. He went to the doctor the other day, and he found
out that he has a brain tumor."
Apparently, none of the kids knew, because their jaws all dropped.
"I brought all sorts of artsy things to work with, because I want you all to
make him something special. I have crayons, markers, glue, glitter, construction
paper, scissors, paint, and regular, blank paper. There's plenty of stuff for
everyone, so you won't have to fight over who gets to use what. I want you guys
to really show him how much you appreciate him, and send him lots of love,
okay?"
Before the kids began their art projects, Madison laid out newspaper on
the tables to prevent any damage. Then, the kids went to town, making cards,
drawings, paintings, and other artistic gifts, and even writing letters to Dermot. All
their projects were beautifully made, and when they finished, they all helped
clean up the dining room.
"Great job, guys," said Madison. "Your gifts are amazing. Dermot will love
them."
As the kids were leaving, one little girl stopped, and asked, "Is Dermot
going to die?"
"I don't know, Sweetie," Madison said sadly. "I hope not."
"I hope not, too. I don't want him to die. He's my hero."
"Aww." Madison's heart broke. "Did you tell him that in your letter?"
"Ah-hah."
"Good."
Although the other kids didn't say anything, they all agreed, and so did the
parents.
Madison packed everything up with tears in her eyes, and she delivered
all of Dermot's gifts to him. She left them on his doorstep without saying anything.

Chapter 29
Meanwhile, I was at the mall doing a bit of Christmas shopping. After I
finally bought everything on my list, I was ready to leave. Unfortunately, before I
could go anywhere, someone grabbed my arm out of nowhere. "What the hell?!"
I shrieked. I turned around to see that it was Jaxon. "Jaxon, what are you doing
here?!"
"It's a free country, Abby," Jaxon snarled. "I can shop here if I want."
"Oh, give me a break! You were stalking me!"
"Yeah, well, you never answered any of my phone calls, and you wouldn't
answer the door, so what was I supposed to do?"
"Uh, leave me alone."
"Abby, I can't! I still love you."
"Still?" I scoffed. "You never did!"
"Of course, I loved you. You were just too blind to see it."
"Wow, you are an idiot. The only thing I was blind to was the kind of
person you really are. I actually thought you were this perfect angel. I let you
walk all over me, and I let you make me feel guilty every time you picked a fight
with me. Well, I'm done feeling guilty, Jaxon. I'm tired of taking the blame when I
never did anything to you, except love you unconditionally. If anyone was blind to
love here, it was you. I don't even know why I'm defending myself to you,
because talking to you is like talking to a brick wall. I'm not taking you back,
Jaxon. We're done. I dont love you anymore. I love someone else, so just let it
go."
"Yeah, but he's leaving you."
"What are you talking about?"
"I heard he's leaving you."
Oh, my gosh. The anger was really boiling. "Wow, you are unbelievable.
You're so pissed off with the way your life is going that you can't stand to see me
happy, so you have to tear me down just so you can feel better about your
miserable life! I've never known anyone as pathetic as you! You seriously need to
grow up, and for your information, Dermot isn't leaving me! He's dying! He has
brain cancer, so maybe you should get your facts straight before you go blabbing
about things you know nothing about! My God, I can't believe I almost married
you!" With that, I stormed off, but Jaxon followed me.
"Abby, come back!" he called.
"You know what, Jaxon? Just stay away from me, or I'll call the cops!" I ran
off, quickly packed my shopping bags into the car, and drove away before Jaxon
could reach me again.
Later, Madison and I were curled up together on the sofa in my living room
with the television turned down low in the background.
"So, how'd it go with the kids?" I asked.
"It went really well. They are the sweetest kids I've ever met, and they
have some mad artistic skills."
"That was a great idea to have them make Get Well presents for him."

"Thanks. Although, it broke my heart, too, because I could see how much
they love Dermot. One little girl even asked me if he was gonna die. I told her I
hope not, and she said he was her hero."
"Oh, my gosh." I tried not to cry.
"I know. It ripped my heart out. Nobody wants him to die. Everyone loves
him."
"I don't blame them. He's an amazing person."
"Yeah, he is. So, how did your little shopping spree go? Did you get
everything you needed for Christmas?"
"Pretty much. Although, you won't believe who I ran into."
"Let me guess. Uhh, Jaxon?"
"Bingo."
"You have got to be kidding me."
"I wish I was. Actually, I didn't run into him. He grabbed my arm."
"I hope you slapped him in the face for that."
"Believe me. I wanted to. I think he was stalking me."
"Oh, I don't think he was stalking you. I know he was. Why else would he
be there at the exact same time you were?"
"Yeah, and why else would he show up at my door just when I get a new
boyfriend? I even told him I was with someone else, and he had the nerve to say
that he 'heard' Dermot was leaving me."
"What the absolute fluff?!"
I tried not to laugh. "I know. He's so angry with the way his life is going that
he has to try and tear me down to feel better about himself. I even told him that."
"Did you tell him the truth about Dermot?"
"Yep, and I also warned him to stay away from me, or I'd call the police."
"You go girl. I'm proud of you."
"Thanks."
"He's just lucky I wasn't there, though. I would've kicked him in the no-no
square."
I burst out laughing.

Chapter 30
A week before the concert, we were all rehearsing with the children's choir,
and I got to see Dermot in choir director mode. He was fantastic!
"Absolutely amazing rehearsal, everybody!" said Kelly. "Every single one
of you is extraordinarily talented, and you're working so hard. This concert is
going to be the best one thus far. I can feel it in my bones. You guys are just
wonderful, and thank you, Dermot, for doing such a fantastic job with the
children's choir."
We all gave Dermot a round of applause.
"I will see you all on Christmas Eve. Have a wonderful week."
As we were all leaving, that same little girl stopped to talk to Dermot. "Hi,
Dermot," she said.
"Hi, Allison," Dermot greeted sweetly.
"Can I ask you a question please?"
"Sure, Sweetie."
"Are you going to die?"
Dermot sighed heavily. "Probably."
"But, I don't want you to die. You're my hero."
"Awww, come here, you." Dermot picked Allison up, and held her close.
"I'm not going anywhere. I promise. I'm always gonna be right here." He pointed
to her heart. "Okay?"
"Okay," she said sadly.
"It's gonna be okay." He gave her a kiss and a raspberry on the cheek.
She giggled.
"I'll take you out to your mommy."
Madison and I followed close behind, trying to keep it together.
Later, Dermot decided to go for a peaceful swim in Moonlight Magic
Lagoon. He lay on top of the water with the moon and stars shining down on him,
thinking about his family, his friends, and his life. He began wondering if he made
the right choice not to have the surgery, but he didn't know what to do. Then, he
felt something touching his foot. It was a bottle. He opened it, and pulled out
several pieces of paper. He read the letter in the moonlight.
"I doubt this will actually work, but whatever. I'll give it a try. I'm in love with
this wonderful man named Dermot. It took me a long time to find someone like
him. After getting my heart broken time after time, I was honestly ready to give up
on love altogether. Then, I met Dermot. When I fall in love, I fall hard, and it
blinds me to the point where I think this person is an angel, even though they're
clearly not. Well, I'm not blind this time. Dermot is the most amazing man I've
ever met. Yeah, I know. Even he's not perfect, but who is? He's perfect to me. He
changed my life. Actually, he's changed a lot of lives. Now, my heart is broken
again, because he has cancer, brain cancer to be exact. He can have surgery to
remove the tumor, but he could lose his memory, which is why he's not having
the surgery. I kept my mouth shut around him, because I didn't want him to feel
guilty. I'm trying to respect his wishes, so I'm not saying anything to him. But, I'm
saying it in this wish. Now that I've met him, I can't imagine my life without him. I

know I can't do anything about it, but I can't bear to lose him, and I know for a
fact that I'm not the only one who feels that way. So, if there is a magical wish
fairy out there who can grant wishes, please help me. Please heal him somehow.
Don't let him lose his memory, and don't let him die. Let him live a long, healthy
life, not just for me, but for everyone else who loves him, and ultimately, for him.
That's it. I'm done rambling."
Dermot brushed a few tears away as he put the letter back in the bottle,
and put the bottle in his pocket.

Chapter 31
It was close to midnight when I decided it was time for bed. I took a
shower, brushed my teeth, and did my, um, business. As I was about to climb into
bed, I heard the doorbell ring. "Oh, not again," I whined. "Leave me alone,
Jaxon." I slipped into a house dress, and went to answer the door. I was so
relieved to see that it wasn't Jaxon. "Hey, Dermot. What are you doing here?"
"I couldn't sleep," he said glumly. "I need to talk to you."
"Come in," I said nervously. "I was just getting ready for bed."
Dermot closed and locked the door behind him, and followed me up the
stairs. We both climbed into bed, and snuggled up together.
"What do you wanna talk about?" I asked, hoping it wasn't a breakup
speech. I know. I'm paranoid, but that's part of my Asperger's. Deal with it.
"Look, I've been doing a lot of thinking lately."
"And?"
"And, I've decided to go ahead with the brain surgery."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes. Abby, I can't bear even the thought of leaving you here all alone, and
breaking your heart."
"Oh, crap. Are you doing this, because you feel guilty?"
"No. I'm doing this, because I want to. I wanna spend a long life loving
you, leading my choir, and making people happy with music and love and
kindness. That's what I was put on this Earth to do, and I can't miss out on that.
Seeing all the love everyone has given me made me realize that life is so
precious. I know there's a risk of me losing my memory with this surgery, but
there's always a risk of something bad happening when it comes to any kind of
surgery. What good am I doing if I let that scare me?"
"So, you really wanna go through with it?"
"Absolutely, but on one condition."
"What's that?"
"I'm not doing it until after Christmas. I need to stay sharp for the concert,
and I want to give you the best Christmas of your life."
"Sounds like a plan."
"I'll call my doctor in the morning, and ask them to put me down for
surgery after Christmas."
"Awesome."
Dermot held me close. "Oh, Abby, I love you so much."
"I love you, too, Dermot. You're my angel."
"Aww, and you're my little sweater girl."
I giggled.
"Oh, speaking of which." He took off his sweatshirt, which was covering
that same red sweater he wore at the party. "Look what I put on for you."
"Oh, my gosh!" I cried. "Your sweater!"
Dermot hung his sweatshirt on the edge of the headboard, and put his
arms around me again. "Yep, I'm wearing it for you, Baby."
"You're the best boyfriend in the world."

"And, you're the best girlfriend in the world." He kissed me softly, and held
me tighter.
I sighed happily. "I know I'm gonna sleep well now."
Dermot giggled. "Me, too, now that I'm holding you." He gently stroked my
hair, and began to sing to me. His voice was so sweet and calming. I was fast
asleep by the time he finished his song.

Chapter 32
On Christmas Eve, Dermot, Madison, and I all carpooled together for the
concert. When we arrived, Madison and I changed into our choir attire, and
helped each other with hair and makeup. All the women and girls were wearing
white gowns, and all the men and boys were wearing tuxedoes. Everyone looked
so gorgeous.
"Aww, the kids look adorable," Madison cooed as we came out of the
dressing room.
"You look awesome, Maddie," I said.
"So do you."
Just then, Dermot came out of the men's dressing room in his tux.
"Daaang!" I flirted. "You look fiiine!"
"Mmhmm!" Madison agreed.
Dermot blushed. "Thank you, and you two look stunning!"
We giggled like teenage girls.
"Are you ready to bring the house down?" he asked.
"You bet we are!" Madison replied excitedly.
"Amen!" I added.
Soon, it was time for the show to begin. The theatre was packed, even
more than last time. Everyone was so excited to be there, including all the
singers and musicians.
As the lights in the theatre dimmed, Kelly walked out onto the stage, and
grabbed the microphone. "Good evening!" she announced.
"Good evening!" the audience replied.
"Merry Christmas, everyone, and welcome to our annual Christmas
concert. I'm Kelly Maguire, director of the Spellbeach Chorale. Tonight, we are
joined by our very own orchestra, and for the first time ever, the Children's
Friendship Chorus, directed by our own choir member, Dermot Gannon. We have
an amazing show planned for all of you, and our very first ever sold out show!"
The audience cheered loudly.
"So, sit back. Relax, and enjoy the music!"
The audience cheered again as both choirs walked out onto the stage.
Then, a hush fell over the crowd as the music began playing, and we began
singing.
It was a truly amazing show. The children's choir was incredible, and
Dermot did a phenomenal job directing them. Madison reduced nearly the whole
audience to tears with her breathtaking solo, and not to brag, but Dermot and I
brought the house down with our duets. Actually, the whole choir and orchestra
brought the house down that night. We received two standing ovations at the end
of the show.
"What an amazing night," I said as we exited the stage. "Maddie, you were
awesome."
"Thanks, Abby," said Madison. "You and Dermot were awesome, too. I
was trying really hard not to cry on stage."
"Wow, thank you."

We headed out of the auditorium and into the lobby to greet the guests.
Quite a few people came up to greet and hug the three of us, and compliment us
on our performances.
"You were phenomenal," Kelly said to us. "Madison, you need to sing
more solos in future concerts. You have a beautiful voice."
Madison smiled.
"And, Abby, you and Dermot are absolutely wonderful together!"
"Thank you," I said.
"Dermot, I'm so sorry to hear about the cancer, but I want to wish you
good luck with your surgery."
"Thank you, Kelly," said Dermot, giving Kelly a big hug.
"I hope you'll be in the spring concert. It's an honor to have you as part of
our choir."
"I'm honored to be a part of it."
"Merry Christmas."
"Merry Christmas, Kelly."
"Merry Christmas, ladies," Kelly said to me and Madison.
"Merry Christmas, Kelly," we said at the same time. "Jinx!"
Kelly laughed.
We stayed to talk to a few more people, and then, we went back into the
dressing rooms to change back into our regular clothes.

Chapter 33
Afterwards, the three of us ate a delicious Christmas Eve dinner at
Madison's house, and later, we gathered around the tree to open presents.
"Me first," said Madison, sorting through the gifts, until she found the one
she was looking for. "Dermot, this is for you."
Dermot tore through the wrapping paper, and pulled out a framed photo of
me and him at his parents' Christmas party. "Oh, my gosh!" he cried. "How did
you get a picture of us?"
"Your mom took the picture for me, and I had it framed."
"Wow! Thank you so much!"
"Now, you'll have something to remind you who Abby is if you lose your
memory," Madison joked.
Dermot laughed. "I don't think I'll ever forget who Abby is."
"I'm just teasing."
"I know."
"Okay, Abby, this one is for you." Madison placed a rather heavy gift in my
lap.
I tore the paper off to find a huge, empty photo album inside.
"Abby, I wouldn't have done that solo without you encouraging me. This
was the best night of my life, thanks to you. This photo album is for you and
Dermot. I have no doubt he'll make it through the surgery, and you two will spend
the rest of your lives together."
"Wow, thank you, Maddie."
"You're welcome."
"Okay," said Dermot, grabbing a small bag, and handing it to Madison.
"This is for you."
Madison dug through the bag, and pulled out a box. She opened the box
to find a charm bracelet inside. "Awww!"
"That's a friendship bracelet, a symbol of your friendship with Abby."
"Dermot!" she cried. "Thank you so much! It's beautiful!"
"You're welcome, Maddie." He grabbed a larger bag, and placed it in my
lap. "For you, Baby."
I nearly burst into tears when I found out what was inside. "Oh, my gosh!
It's your red sweater!"
"And, I want you to have it, because I know how much you love that
sweater." Dermot kissed my cheek. "I love you, Baby."
"I love you, too," I sniffled as I handed Madison her present.
Madison tore through the paper with her fingernails. It was a picture of the
two of us inside of a frame with "Best friends forever" engraved in the heart at the
top. "Awww, Abby!" she cried. "Thank you so much!"
"You've always been there for me, Maddie, even through my crazy
dramas. I don't know how you do it, but thank you."
"Abby, I already told you. I would do anything for you. You're my best
friend." Madison hugged me.
"Okay, last one." I handed Dermot my gift to him.

He tore the paper off. It was another photo album, not quite as big as
mine, though.
"Look inside."
Dermot opened the album, and found two tickets inside. "What are these
for?" he asked.
"This summer, I wanna take a trip to Ireland, just you and me. The photo
album is for the pictures we'll take there. I hope you can come."
Dermot threw his arms around me, and planted kisses all over my face.
"I'll take that as a yes!" I laughed.
"You can take that as a big yes."
"I love you so much, Dermot."
"I love you, too, my little sweater girl. This has been the best Christmas of
my life so far, and I'm looking forward to many more."
"Ditto on all of that."
"Merry Christmas, guys," said Madison as we all huddled up into a big
group hug.

Chapter 34
Dermot's brain surgery was on the day after Christmas, and Madison and I
drove him to the hospital that morning.
"Good luck, Dermot," said Madison.
"We'll be here when you wake up," I said.
"Wait," Dermot said weakly. "Abby, Baby, come here. I wanna give you a
big hug."
I leaned over, and Dermot wrapped his arms around me.
"Kiss me."
I did so.
"I love you, Baby."
"I love you, too," I sobbed.
Dermot wiped my tears. "Shh, it's gonna be okay, Baby. It'll be over before
you know it."
"Okay."
"I'll see you when I wake up."
I hugged and kissed him one last time before they wheeled him off to
surgery.
Madison and I sat in the waiting room for hours, praying nonstop, and
hoping for the best.
I was clinging onto Dermot's sweater for dear life. "Do you think he'll be
okay?" I asked.
"I know he will."
Soon, the doctor finally came out to talk to us.
"How is he?" I asked, shaking all over.
"He's fine," said the doctor. "We got the whole tumor."
"What about his memory?" asked Madison.
"We're not sure yet. He's resting at the moment, but you may go see him.
He's in room 333."
"Thank you, doctor," I said as Madison and I headed for the elevator.
We tiptoed into Dermot's room, and quietly sat at his bedside.
"He looks so peaceful," I whispered.
"Yeah."
"Maybe that's a good sign."
"I hope so."
We sat there for a few minutes, keeping our eyes on him, and watching for
any movement.
After a while, he finally opened his eyes, and turned his head towards us.
It was the moment of truth. Would he still remember me? My heart started
pounding when he opened his mouth to speak. "Abby?" he said weakly.
"Dermot?"
"Hi, Abby."
"You remember me?"
"Of course, I remember you, Baby. You're my little sweater girl."

"Oh, thank God!" I exhaled. I was so overwhelmed with relief; I broke

down sobbing.
Dermot held out his arm. "Come here, Baby."
I sunk my head under his arm, and he gently stroked my hair. "It's okay.
I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere now."
"I love you so much."
"I love you, too, Baby."

Chapter 35
Yes, Dermot's memory was just fine! He stayed in the hospital for a few
days, but was finally released on New Year's Eve. That night, he, Madison, and I
decided to celebrate at Moonlight Magic Lagoon.
"Wow," Madison sighed. "I can see why they call it Moonlight Magic. It
looks beautiful at night."
"Especially when there's a full moon," said Dermot.
"Do you wanna go for a dip in the lagoon?" I asked.
"Is the water cold?" asked Madison.
"Nope," said Dermot. "It's always warm."
"Okay."
We all took deep breaths, and jumped in together.
"Wow, there sure are a lot of bottles in here," said Madison.
"Yep," I said. "Do you wanna grab one? See what somebody wished for?"
"Sure." Madison held her nose, and went under water. She took hold of
the first bottle her hand touched, and brought it back up to the surface.
"Okay, let's see what you got," said Dermot.
Madison tried hard to open the bottle, but again, the lid was screwed on
tight. She handed it to Dermot, and he opened it without any trouble. She pulled
out two pieces of paper, and read the note out loud. "Dear Abby, everything you
said about me was right. I was a lousy boyfriend. I treated you like crap, and I
blamed you for everything that went wrong in my life. I'm so sorry for everything I
put you through, including the stalking. I promise I won't bother you anymore. I
can see you're obviously very happy with Dermot, and I'm happy for you. I hope
he treats you way better than I did, because you deserve nothing but the best.
I'm writing this wish in hopes that you can forgive me for everything I've done. I
know it's a lot to ask, and I'll understand if you can't, but I really am sorry. PS. I
did love you. I just never showed it the way I should've done. Jaxon."
I didn't know what to say to that. I was speechless, but in a good way.
"Wow," said Madison. "It takes a big man to admit something like that."
"I know," I said. "I don't even know what to say."
"I don't, either."
"I guess I can forgive him after that."
"And, that takes a strong woman to forgive someone who hurt you the way
he did," said Dermot. "I'm so proud of you."
"Me, too," said Madison.
I smiled. "Thanks, guys."
"This past year has been pretty amazing," said Dermot, "especially these
past few months, but I want next year to be even better. Abby, you're the best
thing that has ever happened to me. If it wasn't for your love and encouragement,
I definitely would've chickened out of that surgery, but I'm glad I didn't. I'm glad I
took the chance, because now, I get to live the life I want. You made me realize
just how precious and wonderful life is. I count my blessings everyday, and you're
at the top of the list." He knelt down in front of me. "Abby, will you marry me?"
"Yes!" I cried.

Dermot threw his arms around me, and kissed me passionately.

Madison squealed excitedly. "I'm so happy for you guys!"
"I love you, Dermot," I sobbed happily.
"I love you, too, Baby," Dermot sniffled.
"Hey, you guys! It's almost midnight!"
"That's perfect," said Dermot, "because a new year means a new
beginning."
"Hold on. I'll be right back." Madison hurried to the car, and came back
with a Boom Box.
"Okay, okay!" I panted. "It's time to count down!"
We all joined hands, and started counting backwards. "Ten! Nine! Eight!
Seven! Six! Five! Four! Three! Two! One! Happy New Year!"
With that, Madison turned on the Boom Box, and played a beautiful
rendition of Auld Lang Syne. "Happy New Year, Abby," she said, giving me a big
hug.
"Happy New Year, Maddie," I said.
"Happy New Year, Dermot."
"Happy New Year, Maddie." Dermot gave her a big hug. Then, he turned
to me. "Happy New Year, my little sweater girl."
I smiled big time. "Happy New Year, you big teddy bear."
Dermot giggled.
"I love you so much."
"I love you, too, Baby." He wrapped his arms around me again, and we
shared a powerful kiss under the New Year's full moon.

Epilogue
Dermot and I got married the following Christmas, Christmas Eve to be
exact. It was a beautiful wedding. I felt like a princess in my wedding gown. It
was the best day of my life, because I finally married the man of my dreams.
It's been three years now, and in that time, so much has happened.
Dermot and I had already taken two trips to Ireland, and are planning to take a
third one in the future. We've both recorded two solo albums, although he did
accompany me on the piano for my album. We are currently working on a duet
album together. No, we're not famous celebrities, but we have plenty of wonderful
fans who make our musical careers all the more worth it.
We don't plan on having children anytime soon, but that's okay with us.
Dermot is still leading his choir, and we're both still singing in the Spellbeach
Chorale, along with Madison and Mirad.
Madison and I are still the best of friends. We still hang out at each other's
house, but Dermot and Mirad are part of our circle now.
I've never been happier. Before I met Dermot, I didn't think I would ever
find love. When you're Autistic, it's hard to find someone who accepts you the
way you are, especially someone as patient and kind as Dermot, but it's not
impossible. There's someone out there for everyone.
I've said this about my past boyfriends, but this time, it's the God's honest
truth. Dermot is an angel. He's as sweet, kind, and genuine today as he was the
first day I met him. Maybe even sweeter now. Nothing about him is fake.
Everything is real. I love him so much, and I'm so excited for our future.