His lips caressed hers as he breathed his very soul into her. She'd dreamed of this moment for years never believing for a moment that it could happen to her. Countless nights she had tossed and turned thinking about him, how he'd sweep her off her feet as he declared his undying love with a kiss. But never in a million years did she think it would actually happen. . .

Alex was the star quarterback of the Cougars and she'd been his best friend and neighbor for years. Always there to support him no matter what happened. She'd watched while the prettiest girls in town captured his attention and was there to comfort him when the romances ended. She always had his back and truth be told he had hers but he never saw her in that way. At those times he'd say, quite truthfully, "Bobbi I don't know what I'd do without you. You're the best friend a guy could have!"

And that was her doom, to be the friend but never the lover, never to see his eyes light up at the sight of her, never to be held in a lover's embrace. So she cried into her pillow each night and dreamed of the moment they'd be together, when all her dreams would come true. . .

And yet, that moment had come and she felt his lips like fire upon hers as he pressed himself on her and she looked up at him and smiled for this was the culmination of a dream. She closed her eyes and knew at that moment she had been blessed. . .

The coach gently touched Alex and said, "Son, you've done all you can, he's gone." Alex looked at the coach with red-rimmed eyes but held onto Bobbie, cradling him in his arms. "He can't be Coach, he just can't!" And Alex looked at the smiling face of his best friend, the guy who always had his back, who commiserated with him when he got dumped and had been his best defender on the field even though Alex knew that Bobbie hated football.

Bobbie's growth spurt had come that spring turning him into a mountain of muscled flesh and they'd been hard at practice in the August heat when he'd just slumped down to the ground. Everyone panicked as they tried to revive him but Alex had taken a CPR course that past spring and knew his friend needed his help.

He prayed as he gave him the 'kiss of life' and for a moment he thought he'd gotten Bobbie back as he opened his eyes and smiled at him. Then he was gone, just like that, and Alex knew that he had lost that special person that had been Bobbie.

In all the years that followed he never forgot his best friend and when he finally married his wife gave birth to the beautiful daughter that he held in his arms. "Welcome to the world Bobbi," Alex said with love as she looked up at him and smiled.