Pieces of Dreams (sequel to TWST)

Prologue

"Oh!" Katia yelped dropping her books and spilling her entire coffee on the floor.

"I am so sorry! I didn't even see you."

"It's alright." Katia responded not even bothering to look at the young man who had bumped into her. She began picking her books and papers from the floor.

"Here...let me help you with that." he said kneeling down alongside her and picked up the coffee stained papers. "I'm so sorry about these papers."

Katia finally looked over and saw a young man with brown hair and green eyes. He looked flushed as if he had been rushing to get somewhere.

"Don't worry...this will make it look like I stayed up all night studying." Katia smiled.

"I'm Andrew." he said as he handed her the papers he had collected.

"Katia...but I go by Kat."

"I'm a bit embarrassed by this whole thing...how about I make it up to you by buying you another cup of coffee?"

"Ummm..." Katia hesitated for a second. "Are you sure you have the time? You looked like you were in a hurry."

"I was trying to make it to the bus, but I missed it..." he said looking down at his watch. "I have some time to kill until the next one comes along....how about it? It's the least I can do for causing this whole mess."

"Okay..."

Katia and Andrew went back into the coffee shop Katia had come out of minutes ago. After ordering her coffee, Katia and Andrew found a table.

"So, where do you go to school?" Andrew asked.

"Mills College...studying business admin."

"That's great...how's that going?"

"Ummm...between the studying, working a part time job and looking for a place to live, l'm needing more hours in a day to guarantee I pass the semester."

"You're looking for a place to live?"

"Yeah...I've been looking to move out for a while now...but I just can't afford anything that's out there."

"I don't mean to sound too forward, but...I'm looking for a roommate...mine got married last month and the bills have been killing me...if you're interested....the offer is on the table."

"You're serious?"

"Yeah...and just for the record, I'm very clean...and I'm a perfect gentleman...not someone who brings home random girls to the house or anything." he smiled.

"I hadn't really thought about living with someone...especially not a guy..."

"There's no agenda here...just trying to find someone to split the bills. It's kind of hard to find someone mid semester."

"I'm not opposed to it...but how about we get to know each other a little better before we move in together?"

"What do you want to know?" Andrew smiled.

***

"We missed you at dinner, Katia."

"Sorry about that, Uncle Tom...but do you have a minute?"

"Sure. What's on your mind."

"I just want to thank you for everything...for letting me stay here with you guys for these past couple of years. I finally found a place this afternoon. I'll be moving out this weekend."

"Sweetie...you know we've loved having you here...and you know you can stay here for as long as you'd like."

"I know...and I appreciate that, but...I just can't stay here anymore."

"Katia, I know your mother's decision to leave has been hard....but we love you."

"I know. I love you guys too...but I need to get out of here."

"I understand....you let me know if you need anything, okay?"

Katia nodded. "I'm going to start packing."

"Don't stay up too late."

"I won't...goodnight."

***

"Andrew! You home?" Katia called out as she got home from a very long day of school and work.

There was no answer, so she figured he was working late yet again. She put the grocery bags on the kitchen table and began putting them away. She poured herself a glass of wine and headed to the living room. Seeing a new stack of records that Andrew had most likely brought home last night, she began flipping through the collection..

"The perks of working at a record store..." she said to herself.

"Oh my God!" she gasped as she saw the third record in the stack. She set the other records down and stared at the record in her hands. She couldn't believe it. She was looking down at the faces of the same Liverpool lads she had left more than two years ago.

"Meet the Beatles." Katia read the title softly to herself. "Oh my God...they did it. They actually did it!" she smiled widely.

She immediately put the record on the record player and looked at the playlist.

Oh yeah, I'll tell you something, I think you'll understand. When I say that something, I wanna hold your hand.

Thoughts of Liverpool flooded her mind as the voices of the Beatles filled the room. She couldn't stop smiling as she heard the song. Here she was, hearing the voices of friends she had seen play both in Hamburg and in Liverpool. Here she stood holding their record. She just couldn't contain her excitement and quickly ran into her bedroom, kneeling next to her bed and pulling out the box that held so many memories. Inside she found the letter Paul had given her the last time he had seen him. She unfolded it and reread it. " You say you will love me, if I have to go. You'll be thinking of me, somehow I will know. Someday when I'm lonely, wishing you weren't so far away, Then I will remember the things we said today. Love always, Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison, Ringo Starr." She went through the stack of pictures smiling as she saw herself with none other than the boys that were pictured on that album cover she had next to her. She found the locket Paul had given her for the 16th birthday and opened it to find the picture of a young Paul from his Hamburg days. She took the ring Paul had also given her for her 18th birthday and tried it on. It still fit. She found the only three letters she had received from Paul once she had moved to California and one from Cynthia. The truth was that after those three letters, Paul stopped writing. She had sent two more letters to him before she stopped writing too. It had been hard to resign herself to the fact that she may never hear from them again, but here she was, hearing them...on her record player. She put everything back in the box, except the ring and the locket. As she put on the locket around her neck, the memories of Paul and her became just as vivid as when she had lived them. She looked at the black and white album cover and stared at Paul in particular. He looked a bit older, but very familiar.

"Hey! Looks like you found this new little gem!" Andrew said from Katia's doorway.

"Oh! You scared me! I didn't hear you come in."

"How could you? So, what do you think? Pretty good, eh?"

"Amazing!" she smiled.