Lost and Found Memories

"Love?" Alex calls out. "I'm going to go through the attic to see what we can donate.''

"Sounds good, Babe! I'll go through the garage. Meet for a break in two hours?" Jarad shouts back.

"Sounds good!" Alex ascends the ladder to the attic. "So much dust.” She quickly finds the light and plops herself in front of a box. As she pulls back the cardboard, the smell of old worn leather fills the small space. "Oh man, I loved this jacket in high school! I wonder..." She quickly puts the jacket on.

"Oh wow!" While she can’t move a lot in the jacket, it still fits. She sits and enjoys the smell of the leather for a moment. She puts her hands in the pockets. Then she feels something in one of the pockets. She pulls it out to find a ticket stub. Alex brings a hand to her mouth. "I thought I'd lost this... " She looks at the old ticket. "The first play Jacob ever took me to."

They’d been together for all of two months. "Oh, Jake, I am so excited to see Peter Pan! This is the best Christmas present ever." Alex clung to his arm while they waited in line.

“Ya, it will be great. " Jacob laughed under his breath and rubbed the back of his neck. He glanced around the theatre. "So, you really love this kinda thing?"

"I do! It's so amazing how the actors can take on a whole other world." She looked at him, a realization dawning on her. "You like theatre too, right? I would hate to think you spent money on something you won't enjoy too."

"Me?" He chuckled nervously. "I love theatre. It's great.” He looked away quickly.

Alex let out a breath. "Oh good!" Jacob was saved from more questions due to it being their turn in line. Once they found their seats, Alex pored over the program, seeing who was who and where they had studied.

“Jacob, look! Half of them went to my dream school!"

“You want to be an actor?" Jacob glanced at the list of schools in the program.

"I'd like to make costumes." Alex turned to the costume designer’s page.

"You sew?" Jacob was surprised; how had this not come up?

"I do, I don't like to talk about it." She closed the program.

"I'd love to see your work sometime." Jacob took her hand.

"I made the dress I'm wearing. I wanted a dress that worked with my jacket." She blushed.

"Oh, wow.." Jacob took her in. "I knew you looked good, but that's incredible!"

Alex's blush deepened. "Shh, the show’s starting."

They watched the show, holding hands. Jacob was surprised to find how quickly the first act went by. "That was amazing! I've never seen something like that before." He stood and stretched.

Alex giggled. "Have ya never seen a play before?"

Jacob looked down. "Um…well, I'm gonna go get in line for the washroom." He quickly darted off. Alex chucked and flipped through the program again.

Jacob made it back but just as the second act started.

Again the time flew by. After the show was over, Jacob and Alex walked over to a coffee shop near the theatre.

"So when ya gonna tell me the truth?" Alex smirked at him.

"Tell you what?" Jacob's voice got tight.

“That up until today, you'd never set foot in a theatre?"

"I... I..." Jacob sighed. "Alright, you caught me, I didn't know how much you loved theatre. Mom just suggested the play as a Christmas gift." He looked down.

"Hey, I'm not mad, I just wished you'd been honest with me. But you liked it, right?" Alex slid her hand across the table.

"It really was amazing. I can see why you enjoy it so much." Jacob placed his hand on hers.

"I'm glad. This was a really great date."

Alex lets out a happy sigh as she remembers that date.

"Babe, ya comin’ for our break?" Jacob interrupts her thoughts.

"It's been two hours already?" Alex gasps.

"You got lost in memories, didn't you?" Jacob teases.

"Maybe…" Alex giggles.

"Alright, after our break we're gonna work together. Because you can't be trusted not to get distracted and again." He laughs.

"Fair enough." She slips off the jacket and places it back in the box, but slips the ticket stub in her pocket. She will show Jacob over their snack.