Joe and Dianne: Life away from you

The importance of us

Narrator's POV:

"You awake little one?" Joe asked as he poked his head around the door into Zoe and Alfie's guest bedroom. Noticing the figure in the bed shuffle slightly, Joe knew that the answer was no. And not a moment later did he watch as Dianne's hand emerged from under the soft covers, and turn on the bedside light.

It was only around midnight, but after the day she'd had, Dianne excused herself to go up to bed from the moment that they had got home from dinner at around half nine. Sitting up slightly and resting her back on the mound of pillows behind her, Joe couldn't help but allow a gentle smile to rise up onto his cheeks.

Her messy hair and make-up free face, proving just how naturally beautiful this girl was. And with the large covers enveloping her much in the same way Joe's own hoodie did earlier that morning, she seemed different. Cute. Vulnerable.

Equally Dianne allowed herself to get lost into the sight before her. Her boyfriends cute smile and naturally good looks making her heart melt that little bit more. But as always Dianne found herself drawn into his eyes. The gentle folds of blue intertwined with green bursting out of the white canvas behind. The blue that she had found herself lost in so many times before. So many times when she knew she shouldn't have been. So many times she couldn't help but stare.

"Are... Are you okay?" Joe questioned tentatively as he drew the two of them out of their daydreams. His voice stuttered with nerves. Something it had done a good job of not doing recently.

Dropping her gaze to the floral pattern of the covers Dianne let out a gentle sigh.

Her chat with Zoe earlier had been just what she needed to reset her scrambled brain. Not only did she finally get the millions of thoughts and doubts off of her chest, but she got the opportunity to be reminded why the man stood at the foot of the bed before her was just so special. Why over the past year, she had allowed herself to fall in love with him. Why still to this day whenever she sees him her heart feels different. Her laugh sounds louder. And her life feels easier.

But still everything was not all right in her world. Somethings where out of place and she just couldn't cope with it. All that she said to Zoe earlier about her career and this need to feel validated, was something that she knew would never be solved just like that. She was well aware that it would take time - would take the right people around her. Or more specifically the right person.

Patting the space next to her Dianne looked back up to Joe who was waiting expectantly for an answer. "Come sit down Joe." She said, keeping her eyes on him as he kicked off his shoes and sat next to her. His legs folded underneath him and his eyes planted firmly on hers.

"So..?" He questioned as the two of them sat in silence for a moment. "Tell me what's going on in that brain of yours." His calm and jovial voice instantly relaxing Dianne that little bit more.

"Well, I had a chat with Zoe earlier when you were talking 'tech-time' with Alfie, and she basically let me chat away and get stuff off of my chest and I just think I want you to know exactly how I'm feeling. And I'm sure you'd like to know to." Joe nodded in return as he fiddled absentmindedly with the rings on his fingers.

"So Zoe and I got to to chatting and she basically let me explain that the reason I think today has been so shit is because I don't feel validated." Dianne paused as she watched Joe's expression turn to nothing but confusion.

"What do you mean... Validated?" He asked as he raised his eye line back up to her.

"I'm a performer Joe. I'm not clever. I can't always understand what's going on in a room. I'm 30 years old and I don't even know my left from my right yet. But what I can do is perform. I can take a set of instructions and turn them into something beautiful. I can have the confidence to dance in front of a room full of people because I know that they've come to see what I can do. Or they've come to learn from something that I can teach them. They've come to see me, and as selfish as it may seem, I love that feeling. I'm sure its the same feeling you get when you see people watching your videos, or when you meet people waiting outside of stage door. When they come to see you it makes you feel good. It makes you feel better. It makes you feel..."