Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 |
Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Epilogue

Part 1
WHEN I’M ALONE WITH YOU

“Sky…” Derek interrupts their dinner at home, one he had prepared for her to come home to after a long day at work. Dropping to one knee and presenting a sparkling white gold emerald ring, he adds, “Will you marry me?”

Now she had suspected something was amiss, with the clean house, the formal table setting, and the wine; nonetheless she is stunned and slightly confused. Anticipating her confusion, Derek quickly adds, “I mean, I know we’re already married, but I mean a real wedding this time – friends, family, cake, honeymoon…”

Sky’s face lights up, and, weeping tears of joy, she responds, “Yes, yes, yes! Of course!”  She throws her arms around him, and lays on the kisses, thick and heavy.  Joy saturates the atmosphere, this little light in this small apartment, this small town, this small world.  In such moments as this, the years of hardship seem to vanish, all the struggles worth this one moment of pure joy.  What a night this is.

And the music begins as Derek and Sky finish their dinner.  Parallel to this, and unseen by Derek and Sky, Derek-M (the jackal of Derek’s mind) breaks out into song¹, singing to Sky-M (the cat of Sky’s mind):

Tonight’s the night we’ll make history
Honey, you and I
’cause I’ll take any risk
To tie back the hands of time
And stay with you here tonight

I know you feel these are the worst of times
I do believe it’s true
When people lock their doors and hide inside
Rumor has it, it’s the end of Paradise
But I know
If the world just passed us by, Baby I know
I wouldn’t have to cry, No no

(The best of times
Are when I’m alone with you
Some rain, some shine
We’ll make this a world for two)

Our memories of yesterday
Will last a lifetime
We’ll take the best, forget the rest
And someday we’ll find
These are the best of times
These are the best of times

The headlines read: “These are the worst of times”
I do believe it’s true
I feel so helpless like a boat against the tide
I wish the summer wind could bring back Paradise
But I know
If the world turned upside down, Baby I know
You’d always be around, My my

(The best of times
Are when I’m alone with you
Some rain, some shine
We’ll make this a world for two)

When I’m alone with you
Everything’s alright
When I’m alone with you
You brighten up the night
When I’m alone with you

Part 2 >>

1. Styx – The Best of Times