Time and Love Exchange

"Ugh! No cake with candles to blow out, no gifts wrapped in pretty wrapping paper, and not a single photo with friends!" A young woman could be heard muttering to herself as she made her way to the nearby park. She looked to be around her late twenties, with dark raven hair tied into a messy ponytail and a youthful face that was wearing an expression of slight frustration. She continued muttering as she flopped on to one of the stone benches and kicked off her carnation pink sandals. She bent down and picked them up, placing them next to her. "But it's still my birthday… What a style—twenty-first century solitude," she grumbled bitterly. The young woman sighed and stared listlessly at the fountain in front of her. Her eyes flicked to the clock tower that was in the center, noting that it was now a quarter 'til midnight. Her dreary mood sank even lower as she looked around—the surrounding sidewalks and streets were completely devoid of people. She sighed again and blinked back the tears that were starting to build. She had been pressured to work another (underpaid) overtime tonight, but she hadn't complained; after all, someone had to do it. She lifted her eyes to the dark sky overhead. She let out a third sigh, this one deeper and longer than the ones before. Her lips curved into a bittersweet smile and she shook her head. "Look at you, Lynney Dawson. Always putting others before yourself. No wonder you're such a workaholic!" She glanced up at the sky again and murmured, "I'm sorry I missed your sunset earlier, dearest Father. But then can I at least have some bright stars?" She clasped her hands, bowed her head, and closed her eyes, as if hoping this small prayer would help to bring out the stars that she so desperately wished to see. After a minute of silence had passed, Lynney opened her eyes and looked up at the dark sky hopefully, but to her dismay, there were still no stars. Indeed, it seemed the clouds were mocking her and had become bigger and darker instead, as if intending to make sure that her wish was not granted. Lynney bit her bottom lip and blinked rapidly—tears had been threatening to come again—before huffing in annoyance and crossing her arms defiantly. "Fine, then I'll just sit here and wait. I don't care how long it takes—I'm not leaving until I see at least one star!" she declared aloud. Please, she thought. Just one is all I ask for. I only need one to make my "free" birthday wish. She let out another sigh and shook her head lightly to banish the negative thoughts that were scattered around in her mind. She knew she was being stubborn and unreasonable, but a stressful day at work was always bound to cause such a change in her mood. Deciding to kill some time, she dug inside her purse and pulled out a pocket-sized novel. She glanced around, and a frown appeared on her young face. She reached inside and took out her phone, opting to use its flashlight as the light source instead. With her book in her lap and one of her hands holding her phone-turned-flashlight, Lynney soon found herself absorbed in the novel as she patiently awaited her "miracle"… All was quiet and peaceful, without a single soul in sight, when a young man suddenly appeared on the path leading to the fountain. He looked to be in his late twenties or early thirties, with short, dark brown hair and a handsome face. In one hand, he carried what appeared to be a large brown paper bag, which he now raised to eye-level to give it a slightly disappointed look. "You're my very first creation… Do you know how much courage it took for me to turn you into a reality? But now I'm alone and there's no one to share you with…" he mumbled, shaking his head and releasing a small sigh as he continued making his way towards the nearest bench facing the fountain. Upon realizing that he was not alone in the park, he stopped short of walking any closer. He was slightly stunned that he didn't even see her until she was practically right in front of him, but he supposed he had been too lost in his thoughts to pay attention. Resigning himself to sit on the other end of the bench, he gave a light, awkward cough and walked back a bit before sitting down. He set the bag down next to him, and out of curiosity, stole a glance at the young woman. So absorbed was she in the pages of her small novel, however, that she seemed to be completely unaware of his presence. He looked away quickly, not wanting to be caught staring. Though the situation was slightly awkward, he decided not to think about it for now. In contrast to the state of rapt attention the young woman was giving to her novel (which he secretly thought was endearing), he found himself overwhelmed by the serenity of his surroundings: the utter silence, the lush greenery, and the scent of fresh mint. He was especially taken with the flora—such a sight was rare to come across in his residential area, and although it took some imagination on his part to visualize the correct shades of color, he was incredibly delighted at the drastic change of scenery the park provided, despite the surrounding darkness. So enthralled was he by the tranquility of the atmosphere that he found that his eyelids had begun to droop a little. He wasn't extremely tired, but his short time in the ambiance had helped soothe him greatly, and he found that all he wanted to do was to bask in the peace for a little while longer. It was moments like this that reminded him that he needed to stop and enjoy life's simple treasures every once in a while. The thought brought a small smile to his face as he closed his eyes and whispered a quiet thanks to the beauty of nature. A small cry suddenly broke the silence, followed by a loud sniff. His eyes snapped open and he turned to his left, towards the origin of the sound. Lynney was sobbing uncontrollably—she had just reached the c****x of the story, and the protagonist's unspoken suffering was too much for her heart to bear. Adding to the character's anguish was her own sense of loneliness, and as the very reminder sprung back into her mind, more tears came flowing forth. Unable to stand it any longer, she flung her book and phone away from her and buried her face in her hands as she continued to cry. Needless to say, he was very shocked…and very concerned. Her items had landed on the ground not too far from where he sat, and without a second thought, he bent down and picked them up. He gave the book several quick pats to get rid of any dirt that might have gotten on it, and then examined her phone to see if it had been damaged (and thankfully it hadn't). He spared another worried glance in her direction before slowly getting up from his seat and approaching her cautiously. "Hey, Miss… Are you okay?" he asked hesitantly, trying his best not to sound too forward. His soft voice abruptly startled Lynney out of her thoughts, reminding her that she was actually still sitting in the park. Had she been that engrossed in the novel? Apparently she had, for she had not been aware of another's presence and took for granted that she would be alone by herself throughout all the night(or morning). How long had he been here? She raised her head so quickly, it was a miracle she didn't give herself whiplash. Her tear-stained face, however, only served to worry him even more. Lynney found that she could not respond to his question, partially because she wasn't sure how to answer, and partially because she was mortified that he had caught her in such a vulnerable state. He only continued to gaze at her quietly, unsure of whether he ought to take another step forward or maintain his distance. They stared at each other in silence for a few more seconds before Lynney's gaze landed on the novel and phone in his hands. The sudden glimpse of the book caused her to choke up once more, and as the events in the book came rushing back to the forefront of her mind, she could not stop the second wave of tears that surged forth. She dropped her head back into her hands and was about to weep bitterly, her body slightly shaking from all the emotion she was releasing. In a flash of the moment, the hands of the clock tower struck and sounded twelve midnight sharp, startling the two strangers out of their confusion...