Alex walked across the dimly lit dance floor feeling tired, flustered and most of all, anxious. Learning to dance had proven to be more enjoyable than Alex had ever imagined but finding a new dance partner after every song was something he found, incredibly painful. It triggered the social anxiety he secretly fought every day. He told himself over and over this part of dancing was something that would help overcome some of the most difficult aspects in his life but it never seemed to get easier. He needed to find a dance partner for the next song but he couldn't find anyone he really wanted to dance with. Alex looked across the half shadowed faces in the room looking for someone who seemed inviting until… Alex's head stopped turning and eyes found someone they couldn't look away from. One woman in the room who glowed as if she were the only shining star in a dark night sky. The lighting around her was no different than the rest of the room, but she seemed to radiate like there was some sort of power within her. She wore a blue dress, no makeup and didn't even have a trickle of sweat. Alex walked over and found his next dance partner. She held his sweaty hand and introduced herself. It was so easy to make conversation with her and after several minutes of dancing and talking he realized that his anxiety and fatigue had vanished. She felt like someone he had always known and was the part of him that never truly felt confident without. After the dance they stayed and talked as more time ticked away than Alex could possibly count. He had forgotten about everyone else in the room except for the charming woman that introduced herself as Genevieve. Alex and Genevieve spent the rest of the evening dancing and chatting. They shared so many laughs together. After the festival was over, Alex walked Genevieve out to her car and they had their first kiss in front an elementary school. They talked for another hour right by her car in the cold of night. It was the perfect night but less than a month after Genevieve drove away, she flew off to live in Germany for a time. Even in the states, they lived a hundred miles away. Perhaps, it would have been hard to work out anyways but deep down Alex knew that someone special had just slipped away.

The snow crystals glistened vibrantly in the sun. Light reflecting off the snow and beaming down from the sky made the roads blinding but also made the city look, heavenly. The bright sun could not however mask the blistering cold of this February day. It was the day after Valentine's Day, a holiday that continuously reminded Alex of his unchanging relationship status. He reassured himself that the spark would lite again someday but each passing day made it harder to believe. He told himself that he just needed to meet the right girl but there was a time when he thought he had. Alex strode up the hill, sunlight blinding his vision, wind chilling his bones. He was on his way to another dance and was happy to get in the building just to be warm. Alex waited up for his friends and prepared for the most daunting part of any dance event: finding a dance partner. It was always difficult for Alex to introduce himself to new people but this time, fate had other plans for him. Alex heard a familiar voice behind him and turned around to see someone he'd never stopped thinking about. It had been nearly a year but some impressions never fade. Genevieve stood in front of him looking angelic, as if she was a savior in a movie scene. Alex thought of her as a memory, too good to be true but there she stood, living up to the picture in his mind. The sound of her voice rang like church bells in his head. They talked, danced and ate together as if they had been planning this reunion since the day they met. The sun could not keep Alex warm today, but he still felt warm around Genevieve. Their fire burns brighter than ever now and their official union comes closer with every passing day.