Free A Dream for Two by Kate Goldman

had clearly just landed on the stage in her fairy attire.
     
    “We’ll talk more tomorrow,” Dylan promised her. “I love you.”
     
    “I love you, too.”
     
    Only they never did get to talk more the following day. As the tour progressed they ended up talking less and less. As Elise kept more obscure hours, when she did manage to call Dylan he rarely answered. And each time he called her back she was sleeping and missed her calls. They were what her grandmother would refer to as ships passing in the night. And Elise knew that wasn’t a good thing. She wondered if her grandmother could hear her pain in her voice when they spoke.
     
    “How’s it all going over there?” her grandmother would ask, raising her voice even though she didn’t have to, as though she didn’t trust the phone networks to successfully carry her message across an entire ocean.
     
    “Fine, Grandma. I’m enjoying it.”
     
    “You sound tired,” her grandmother accurately noted. “Are you tired?”
     
    “A bit, I guess.” Elise was exhausted.
     
    “Are you eating enough?”
     
    “I’m eating fine.”
     
    “I know some of that foreign food can be strange. When you get back here I’ll feed you up with my meatloaf and cornbread.”
     
    “Sounds good, Grandma.”
     
    “I went to the library and watched your music video on that YouTube thing.”
     
    “You did?” This surprised Elise. Her grandmother usually seemed allergic to all technology.
     
    “I did,” her grandmother stated proudly. “Had one of the girls there get me all set up. I watched your video and read all the lovely things people have said about it. You’ve got a gift, Elise, and you’re sharing it with the world. Your ma would be so proud.”
     
    Elise blinked back tears. She didn’t want to think about her parents. They were just someone else who should be witnessing all that was happening to her but couldn’t be there. She wasn’t sure her heart had the capacity to miss anyone else. Missing Dylan alone felt all consuming at times.
     
    “Don’t be sad,” her grandmother urged her. “Be happy. You’re doing something wonderful, Elise. Enjoy it.”
     
    “I am,” Elise wiped at her tired eyes.
     
    “And you’ll be home soon.”
     
    “Yeah,” Elise sighed contentedly. “I’ll be home soon.”
     

***
     
    It had been almost two weeks since Elise had spoken to Dylan. They’d exchanged messages but that wasn’t the same. She wanted to hear his voice. Wanted to close her eyes and imagine him close. But as her plane touched down at JFK airport she was at least back in the same country, same state even, as he was. Soon they’d be reunited. The moment she left the plane Elise powered up her phone and told him she was headed back to her apartment and that she couldn’t wait to see him. She hoped he felt the same. Two weeks was a long time to go without speaking.
     
    Elise dragged her bags out to a waiting town car. Some people within the airport recognized her and cautiously approached her for an autograph. Elise was still suffering from jet lag and so in a daze she posed for pictures and thanked them for their kind words about her music. It was bizarre that she’d left New York an unknown and was arriving back a star. Since she’d been away her first music video had debuted and her album was up for preorder. Everything was happening.
     
    But all Elise cared about was seeing Dylan again. She leaned back in the quiet of the car and counted the number of streets she’d need to pass before she reached her apartment where he’d supposedly be waiting for her.
     
    Finally Elise hauled her bags into the elevator of her apartment building and climbed out at her floor. As she headed down the corridor she felt her heart sink. There was no sign of Dylan. She’d expected him to be waiting at her door with a huge smile for her. Instead her doorway was empty. Forlornly she unlocked it and walked inside. As she did so she looked around and