THE AUDITORIUM roared with millions of people screaming, waiting to get a dose of Johnny Reznik. At least, the obsessed fangirls were. Valerie knew that the lead singer of her favorite band was married, and although at one point she did find him attractive, her love for the Goo Goo Dolls was strictly because of their music.

The song, Name, really hit close to her heart; for it reminded the young woman of her brother when they were kids, feeling lost under the insanity of their dysfunctional household and somehow, throughout all of that, managed to be some sort of protection.

Now, being married, Valerie dedicated that song to her husband, simply because the two were like orphans, finding comfort and love within one another.

   Dylan stood in the crowd adjacently to his wife, trying to drown out all of the screaming with a trance. As soon as the lights dimmed and the announcer began to give a grand entrance to the band, everything started to become surreal and breath-taking.

  They opened up with So Alive and continued with the new album. Valerie couldn't help but cry at how amazing Johnny sounded when he did these performances. She truly felt like she could connect to the song as she heard the track live.

  She was in awe.

And that was what Dylan loved about her, her ability to become lost in her own bliss.

…

            After an hour or so, the band began to do songs from their previous albums. They did Black Balloon, Iris, Sympathy and they were just finishing up Slide, which Valerie danced to with Dylan holding onto her petite hands.

  Johnny Reznik looked their way and smiled, finding the oddly shaped couple to be adorable. It reminded him of he and his wife.

"Put your arms around me,
          What you feel is what you are,
And what you are is beautiful.
         Oh, May,
You wanna get married,
Or run away?"

    Dylan wrapped his arms around his woman and looked up at the stage, watching Johnny strum his guitar as if it were a. . . Well, a guitar. He really started to think that this band wasn't so bad after all. Dylan started to see why his wife loved them so much: it was because of the lyrics. Each stanza had a story and it wasn't just some piece of shit someone put together just for the sake of sounding good.

   The crowd cheered and some were even crying. Johnny and the rest of the band bowed in appreciation and smiled. Then as the audience continued to cheer, scream and bawl their eyes out, the lead singer of the group had started to strum absentmindedly.

"So uh," Johnny began, still strumming. "this next song is one of my infamous, depressing ballads and I hope you guys like it."

  The crowd boomed with excitement and as they began to start off with the light rhythm of Name, Valerie began to tear up. Her heart clenched inside, bringing back all the memories and feeling grateful for the things she had gone through as a kid, because had she not gone through them, she wouldn't be here or with Dylan at this amazing concert.

"And even though the moment passed me by,
          I still can't turn away. . .
I saw the dreams you never thought you'd lose,
           Get tossed along the way. . .
Letters that you never meant to send,
            Get lost or thrown away. . ."

  Valerie slowly took hold of Dylan's awfully large hand. They interlocked their fingers together, Valerie stroking his hand with her thumb.

   Dylan looked down at his wife, a few strands of hair had fallen from the tight ponytail she'd made earlier. Her cream-colored skin had reflected beautifully among the lights of the stage. He was in awe, and he wanted to keep that million-dollar smile and those loose strands of her hair forever in his mind.

  Turning her head to the side, Valerie stood on her toes while Dylan met her halfway and leaned down. The young woman smiled and kissed his cheek, then said:

  "I dedicate this song to you," she squeezed his hand tightly. "thank you for protecting me and being the best husband on the planet."

  Dylan smiled. He then cupped her face in his free hand and planted a gentle kiss to her lips.

"You're welcome, baby girl."

". . . You can hide beside me,
Maybe for awhile.
        And I won't tell no one your name.

. . . And I won't tell 'em your name. . ."

   They stared at the band, letting the romantic moment between them sink in. In about a few minutes, they'd get to meet the band face-to-face.

   And Valerie couldn't wait.

She squeezed Dylan's hand one more time, then continued to watch the performance; feeling overwhelmed and at bliss.

  The night was perfect.

  Valerie didn't want it to end.

Ever.