"Is that all your stuff?" Miles handed me my last carry on bag.

"Yeah, that's just about it, I'll call ya when the next normal time is. I promise. You gonna be okay?" Miles smiled at me.

"Hey, I'll be fine. Thanks for coming." His smiling eyes stopped. "Thank you, I mean that."

"No problem. I'll call ya." I waved and stepped out to the plane.

Over blue skies I thought about what I was going to do, which was the problem, I didn't know. I fiddled around in my coach seat, signed a couple autographs and went to the bathroom. Fourtyseven minutes into the flight I was bored out of my mind. The inflight movie was boring, so I went to my discman, after checking for fresh batteries for the fifth time, realizing there were none, and cursing with more obscene language under my breath I began reading the Airline's company magazine. I noticed the same people that had requested my signature were looking at me, a little confused. Ten more hours to go. A stewardess was making another round to my aisle and I got an idea. I turned my head upwards and asked her to use the inflight phone. I knew that if I was going to get off this flight with my sanity intact I needed to call someone.

"Tulsa information, how may I help you ma'am?"

"Uh, hi, how's it going? I need a person's number." The operator's tone of voice grew a little warmer.

"I'm okay, it's a little late though."

"Ouch, I'm on a plane right now, from England, what time is it?"

"3:45 am dear."

"Oh man, well this is really important."

"I see?"

"You see I'm in a bad fight, and I can't tell this boy that I love him."

"What did he do honey?"

"He wanted to get to know me. He was very kind, and I.. uh.. I balked I'm afraid to say."

"Really?"

"Yeah, well it's not all my fault you see. I asked him to marry me."

"Goodness, you're brave. You must care about him quite a bit."

"Yeah.. I do."

"And he said no?"

"He really didn't answer the question, I ran off."

"Oh." I could tell that she was weighing this in her head.

"So I'm calling to apologize."

"You going to propose again?"

"I don't know! I don't think so, on the phone would be pretty impersonal, wouldn't it?"

"Yes dear, I would do it to his face."

"Operator, I'm scared." My voice was small.

"Girl, you've got guts, don't forget that. You tell him that you love him and go from there."

"I don't know if I can."

"Well would he shield you from a lemon parade?"

"I don't know what that means."

"It's a southern expression, children can throw insults at girls like lemons. A boy who'd keep you underneath his wing at the face of a lemon parade is one to keep." I thought about this, I knew he would, but I didn't know if I could accept it.

"Yes. Yes he would."

"What's his name?"

"Taylor Hanson."

"Now that used to be a common request. I don't believe I'm allowed to give that out."

"Please." The phone started ringing.

"Hullo?" It was him.

"Some kind of boy you are, leaving me."

"Lane?!"

"Yeah buster. I'm on my plane."

"From where?"

"England. I'm going back home."

"I don't know what to say, I thought this was it." His voice was low, a murmur.

"I love you." I said it. Finally. "A lot in fact. And I've never seen anyone that I've wanted to be with more than you. And you know what? I'm not taking any more chances, and I'm not going to take no as an answer. I'm not going to lose you again, do you hear me? You are driving me nuts, Taylor, you have taken my hand and I am not refusing to let go." I paused, barely breathing. "I'm sorry."

"I love you, but right now you're really hurting me. What you said hurt." Silence.

"I've never seen blue like the blue in your eyes, never... they drive through me, and.. " I swallowed, not sure what to say. "I'm sorry, I'm apologizing, I don't know what else to say to you."

"Apology accepted." Another short pause. "So, do you have any clue how early it is?"

"Yeah." I laughed slightly.

"So you're on your plane? Aren't those phones cool?"

"Uhm, yeah, actually they are. They're about 7 bucks a minute though."

"Thanks for calling."

"No problem."

"You bored?"

"Actually yeah, I forgot batteries for my walkman, and I don't feel like reading."

"Did you bring your laptop?"

"Yeah, but I don't feel like screwing around with that."

"Well, it's like, 4am here."

"Why were you up?"

"I couldn't sleep." He paused, chuckling lightly. "I was thinking about you."

"I have that effect on men you know." I laughed shakily. "So, we're um, cool?"

"Yeah. We are. For now anyways."

"Okay."

"Hey Lane."

"Yeah Taylor."

"You wanna come over?"

"Yeah I do, when?" My conscience nagged me of my upcoming book tour.

"Can you get a connecting flight?"

"I don't know, I'll have to see what I can do."

"I want you to stay."

"Can't. I've got a tour in three weeks."

"So stay for three."

"Two."

"Done."