"... Far across the distance and spaces between us / You have come to show you go on ..." Clista hummed softly to herself as the music sprang from her fingertips, flying lightly across the ivory keys. The old song was one of her favorites, even if she wasn't too fond of the movie for which it served as a theme. Even though she had been fascinated with the story of the Titanic since her childhood, Clista though the sappy love story ruined the drama of the movie's plot line.

But the orchestration was beautiful nonetheless. She'd searched relentlessly until she found and acquired the sheet music for the entire score, which she would not put down until after memorizing it entirely.

"Zac would say that I'm being silly again if he could see me now," she said aloud into the otherwise vacant room. "He thinks that my whole interest in the Titanic is 'the stuff that childish daydreams are made of'. He'd laugh at me for talking to myself, too, I'm sure."

Sighing, Clista abandoned her piano and attempted to calculate the last time she'd seen Zac or heard his voice. Ten and a half weeks. That boy is lucky I love him so much; I don't know how I could stand these lapses in communication otherwise. In the eight months they'd been dating, Clista had seen Zac a record total of twice (one of those two occasions being the day they'd met, incidentally), and he had called her seven times, four times within the first three weeks.

When asked why he didn't call more often, he always told her that he wanted to, that he would call her every day if he could, but he was too busy. When Clista asked why he didn't visit, she was told that his 'job just won't allow it right now'.

This wasn't overly upsetting; Clista knew that she had to be a lower priority than Hanson in Zac's life. If anything, she encouraged him to put her out of his mind altogether whenever he was in the studio or on stage or at some promotional event. He'd known and loved music for a lot longer than he had known and loved her, she'd told him. It was quite literally his life.

But so was Clista, or at least she hoped he thought so. She made it known to him that she didn't mind taking the back seat to his career, but she didn't want him to neglect her altogether, either. Neglect. The word had found its way into Clista's thoughts more and more of late. Being busy was one thing, but being too busy to call even once for nearly three months?

At least he wrote every few weeks. Zac's letters were the bright spots in Clista's otherwise monotonous life. Taylor and Isaac wrote to her from time to time, also. She had a unique relationship with each of them, based on the things that she shared in common with each of them. She greatly enjoyed the written discussions she had with Taylor and Isaac. It disappointed her though when they wrote more than Zac did. They continually covered for him, saying that he was tired and not sleeping well. To which she always reacted by coaxing Zac to sleep more, and catch up with her when he felt better.

Maybe he'll call tomorrow, since it's our nine-month anniversary. It'll be nice to hear the sound of his voice again. Consoling herself with that thought, Clista began to plan out what to say to Zac, should he call the following day. Gone from her memory was the fact that Zac hadn't called on their anniversary since their two-month anniversary.

In truth, he would be lucky to remember the significance of the date upon checking his calendar the following day...

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = 

 = Thursday 20 November 2003 =

"Nothing scheduled for today except rehearsal, Tay," Zac Hanson called to his brother, who was brushing his teeth in the bathroom adjacent to their bedroom. "Should we let Ike sleep in a bit more?" The tone in which the question was delivered carried the devilish hope for a negative answer.

"Whath do you think?" Taylor asked, consequently spraying toothpaste all over the bathroom mirror.

"For starters, I think you're going to clean that up. Secondly, Zac, I'm sorry but you won't have the opportunity to sing that ridiculous song of yours."

Isaac sat up in bed and surveyed the warzone of a bedroom they'd only returned to nine hours prior. In doing so, he hit his head on the ceiling. "I hate that stupid ceiling..." he muttered.

Great, Zac thought as he wrestled a brush through his bed-head-wrought hair. Ike's going to be a real sunshine case all day. Sunshine. Sunshine makes me think of Clista. Ooh, I can't help it, I have to sing the song. "Once more you open the door / And you're here in my heart / And my heart will go on and on ..." he sang softly to himself.

"Zac! What have I told you about that retarded song?!?" True to form, Ike was annoyed.

"I thought you were the sap among us, Ike. What's your problem?"

"My problem? My problem is you, little brother. That's my problem." He stormed out of the room, slamming the door on his way out.

"He slept in his clothes again?" Taylor asked as he emerged from the now-clean bathroom. "He must've been out walking again late last night."

"It's been how many years, and he's still got what's-her-name on the brain? You'd think that after this much silence from the girl, he'd give up."

"He is, but he doesn't want to admit it to himself that nothing's ever going to happen. He's scared that she's gone from him forever. That's why he's so edgy lately."

"Lately? You call three and a half years 'lately'? Ike's twenty-three years old now. That's old enough to start being mature about women."

"Just ease up on him, okay? What did I say to you when you were busting on him about it when they first met?"

Zac sighed and rolled his eyes as he replied, "Not to get on his case because someday I might regret it and my turn will come sooner than I would like," in a sing-songy tone.

"Exactly."

"How could I forget? You mentioned it again every time Ike got moody about the girl for the past three years. Besides, things are going great between me and Clista. You can stop bugging me now, Taylor."

"Speaking of Clista, will you be giving her a call sometime today?"

"Why?"

Taylor's eyes grew wide. "Don't let her know you asked me that. Today is your anniversary, Stooge. Nine months..."

"Yikes." Zac ran a hand through his long tresses. "Thanks for reminding me, Bro. I would never have remembered." He walked out of the room, leaving Taylor to pick up the shirts Zac had pulled out of the drawer."

"It's amazing you remember her name, Zac. If you can't remember something as simple as an anniversary, that could get you into some huge trouble with her. I'm surprised she's stuck with you as long as she has," he spoke into the empty room.

"Who ya talkin' to, Taybear?" five-year-old Zoë asked as she came into the room, still in her PJ's.

"Zac, and he's not listening, as usual."

"Oh. Will he bring Clista to visit while we're home? He didn't get a chance to last time."

"Maybe. Let's go get some breakfast." With that, Taylor scooped up his youngest sibling and carried her downstairs to the kitchen.

There waited the entire family, with the exception of Isaac. No surprise there, Taylor thought to himself. Zac's been borderline insensitive lately. Was I this bad when I was eighteen?

"So what are everyone's plans for our first day home?" Walker addressed his children after saying grace.

"I want to call Jennie and see if she wants to go rollerblading," Jessica replied. "Would you like to come too, Ave?"

"Sure, thanks."

"You still have homework to do, young man," their mother reminded Mackenzie, wagging a banana at him as she would her finger. "You're three chapters behind in your geography reading, and I won't allow you to slack off.  You'll be having time off next week when I'm trying to get ready for Thanksgiving dinner Thursday. So today, you work."

"I might go over to Clista's if that's okay," Zac inserted between mouthfuls of scrambled eggs. "It's been a while since I last talked to her."

"Nearly three months, Zac," Taylor rebuked. "I am shocked that the girl is still even speaking to you."

"She's a very patient person, Tay. Unlike some people I know."

"That's enough, boys."

"Sorry, Dad," they intoned in unison.

"Where's your brother?" Diana addressed them.

"Dunno. He stalked out again, all steamed up," Taylor informed his parent. "Probably went for a walk around the block again, or down in the basement are my best guesses."

From the den, Isaac listened to his family's morning hustle and bustle and deemed it unfair that life could continue while his world had come to a screeching halt.

Love can touch us one time and last for a lifetime / And never let go till we're gone / Love was when I loved you, one true time I hold to / In my life we'll always go on ...