I saw her from behind; I didn’t know it was her. I had seen the guitar case on the floor next to her boot, she had a flute case over her shoulder the same one she’d had that morning a long time ago. The alto sax case was at her feet next to a Bari-sax case. The flute case had a bunch of buttons on it. The one I gave her was on the fedora she was wearing, her trademark. But I didn’t realize it. The film bag sat on the counter she was paying for the repairs on her instruments.
“Nice buttons,” I said standing in line behind her. She whispered under her breath. It was my name. She looked at me surprised; this was the girl that dragged me out of my depression. She had refused to let me sit there and waste my senior year in a state of depression.

I remember her sitting down in the library two years ago. Setting that very flute case on the table.
“We need to talk.” She looked worried, she had on Saturday and I’m sure I knew why. I had told her about my depression and how that was the reason I didn’t want to date anymore. How could I cause such lovely blue eyes so much pain? She told me I had to try to love someone again. I had thought about it but I didn’t want to hurt anyone and that’s what I told her.
“Why not me?” she asked. I repeated my previous statement. She said she’d been hurt so much in the past that she wouldn’t feel it anymore. And that’s when I knew we needed each other.

I hugged her in the middle of the music store; one of our old friends was there and laughed at us. She didn’t notice, she held on tightly not wanting to let go again. I looked at her and gingerly touched the button on her hat it was a small silver symbol, a little heart with a trumpet and a flute. Our trademarks. She had the big tacky button on her guitar case that read, “The Trumpet Lord stole my heart” I smiled and kissed her for the first time in two years. Then I realized why I stole her heart, because that was the only thing I wanted.