I had all but given up 
                                                       On finding the one that I could fall into 
                                                                       The day before you

She’d spent years carefully constructing the walls around her heart, promising herself that no one would be able to get that close, having her heart broken into a million pieces once was enough. Never again would someone be able to have that much power over her. She’d opened her heart to the one guy she thought she’d spend forever with, she shared her hopes and dreams, told him her greatest fears and in the end it just came back to bite her. She threw herself into her school, graduated with honors and then threw herself into her job. Anything to keep her mind off the emotions that still hit her whenever she thought about him or their time together. 



                                                                           I was ready to settle for 
                                                                  Less than love and not much more 
                                                        There was no such thing as a dream come true

Kirsten had always been the strong one, the one that everyone always relied on, the one that when all hell was breaking loose, she was there to find a way out. Her heart could be breaking, but she’d plaster a smile on her face & go on saving the world....that was her job, she was ‘Supergirl’.


More than almost anything else in this world, she wanted to have someone take care of her. Kirsten was scared though, she’d tried that once and all she got out of the deal was a shattered heart.........so when people would say ‘I’ve got the greatest guy I want you to meet’, she’d say that she didn’t have the time for a relationship so why even start. She wasn’t ready to open that door, to let someone in, to lose control, even though that’s what she wanted the most, she couldn’t and wouldn’t let herself. What was worse, to let someone else in again and possibly get hurt or play it safe, not take that chance and be alone? That was the question that Kirsten didn’t exactly want to find out the answer to. 


                                                             Oh, but that was on the day before you

Kirsten met Brennan on a Monday morning at the bi-weekly staff meeting. He walked in with their boss Jake and was introduced as the newest member of the sports journalism team, which meant he’d be working with her a lot, since she was the sports editor. He was your typical Midwestern boy.....use to hard work, a wind-whipped looked to his face, blonde-brownish hair, but his one defining feature was his eyes, eyes an unusual green-blue color that were as clear as Caribbean water. While realizing in some distant part of her mind that he was pretty cute, Kirsten was more interested in how well he knew sports. After the meeting she told Brennan to come to her office with her so they could talk, and she could get a ‘feel’ for him and his writing.
Kirsten had barely sat down behind her desk when Brennan handed her a manilla envelope with some of his articles and stories
‘I thought you might like to see some of these.’ He told Kirsten.
‘You beat me to the punch, make yourself comfortable while I take a look,’ Kirsten said.
Brennan started looking at Kirsten’s assorted collection of sports memorabilia she had in her office, pictures of her with college basketball All-Americans, football greats, golfers, tennis players, legendary announcers, pictures of different teams–high school, college and professional.
‘Wow, you really love your job don’t you?’ Brennan turns to look at Kirsten with amusement and surprise on his face, and in his voice.
‘I grew up around sports, my dad was a fan of most of the local teams, even when we lived in a different state I can remember him listening to the games from around here......what can I say, I can’t help it,’ she grins as she looks up from reading.
‘These are really good Brennan, you know your sports and your passionate about it, my favorite 2 qualities in a writer..........so here’s what I’m gonna do, for the rest of the week you’re gonna follow Oliver, another one of my top writers, and see how we do things. I want one article on my desk by noon on Friday and it’ll run in Saturday’s paper, and then we’ll go from there.’ Kirsten looks at Brennan letting him know that she’s giving him a big opportunity here.


The rest of the week passed quickly, this was a busy time sports-wise in the area, and it gave Kirsten a chance to see how well Brennan handled everything. It could get really crazy and she needed to know that Brennan would be able to handle it all. After Brennan’s first article was published and well received, Kirsten relaxed and gave Brennan more room to grow and write, soon he had an article in the paper every other day.


After a couple of months, things finally started slowing down and to congratulate everyone on doing such a good job, Kirsten decided to take everyone out to dinner one Friday night. Kirsten, Oliver, Brennan, and 2 of Kirsten’s other writers, Meghan and Lindsey all met at a local steak house.
‘A toast to survival.......and awesome writing,’ Kirsten told everyone as they were waiting on their food, ‘and a toast to our new writer for keeping his head above water, and doing well at it too.’
‘Here, here!’ echoed everyone else. The night passed quickly, good food and good company made the evening even more enjoyable. 



                                                                    In your eyes I see forever 
                                                    It makes me wish that my life never knew 
                                                                           the day before you

Soon it was just Brennan and Kirsten left setting at the table, while everyone else had to work in the morning, they both were getting a well deserved day off. They sat there talking like they were childhood friends, before they both had knew it, the restaurant was closing, but neither one wanted to break the flow of conversation. Kirsten took Brennan to a little coffee shop about 2 blocks away from her apartment that was open all night.
‘Hey Kirsten, how are ya?’ Michelle asked, one of the barista’s that knew Kirsten really well.
‘Pretty good Michelle.....I want you to meet my newest writer, Brennan; Brennan, this is Michelle, the greatest hot chocolate maker in the world.’ Kirsten introduces the two of them as she settles down into the overstuffed chair in front of the electric fireplace
‘Nice to meet you Michelle,’ Brennan smiles as he takes off his coat, ‘the best hot chocolate maker in the world huh? That sounds pretty good right about now too.’
‘The usual for you K? How ‘bout you Brennan?’ Michelle asks firing up the espresso machine.
‘I’m gonna trust her judgement on this & have whatever she is,’ Brennan says to Michelle, while looking at Kirsten. ‘I’m holding you responsible if I don’t like this.’
‘Trust me.......she’s awesome, you’ll love it’ Kirsten tells him with smile on her face.


Michelle brings Kirsten and Brennan their hot chocolate and Brennan has to admit that it’s the best he’s ever had. The conversation starts back up and soon Kirsten and Brennan are lost in their own little world. Their conversation ranges from growing up to how they got interested in journalism to their hobbies, pretty much anything and
everything.
‘Hey, you guys......you guys,’ Michelle breaks into the conversation. ‘You do realize it’s like 2:15 am right?’
‘What?! You’re kidding right, there’s no way it’s that late, we just left the restaurant like an hour & a half ago........oh my gosh, we’ve been here for over 3 hours,’ Kirsten exclaims finally looking at her watch.
‘I seriously thought it couldn’t be any later than maybe about midnight, I probably should go home and get some sleep,’ Brennan says, getting up from his chair and putting on his coat.
The slap of the chilly North wind against Brennan and Kirsten’s faces brings the fact that it literally is the dead of night home.
‘Can I ask you a personal question Kirsten? You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to,’ Brennan asks with a sideways glance. At her shy nod, Brennan takes a deep breath and asks the one question he’s been dying to ever since meeting her two and a half months earlier, ‘Do you have someone special in your life?’
The reply of ‘No’ comes so soft, Brennan wonders if she actually answered or if it was in his head.
‘Can I ask how a wonderful, passionate girl like you doesn’t have someone?’ he quietly asks, taking it one step further.
‘Because I can’t,’ she whispers, not daring to look up.
‘Can’t what Kirsten?’ Brennan asks in a low voice that sends shivers up Kirsten’s spine.
‘I can’t get hurt again,’ and with that answer, she takes off running towards her apartment.
Brennan can do nothing but stand and watch as she runs down the street, watching as she fumbles for her key before finally pulling it out and letting herself in the building.  In a voice that comes from emotions he’s never felt before, Brennan promises to an empty street, ‘But I never will.’