It was a warm evening in Poland during the Nazi regime. A girl named Emilia was walking into town when she saw a boy about her age. He was tall, curly dark brown hair, he had light brown skin. When Emilia saw him smile at an old lady who had past by, she saw that he had the warmest smile a person could have. As he walked, she followed. At every corner there was a Nazi soldier watching everything around him. Then he turned, that's when he saw her. Emilia. She stared at him for a few seconds. He stared at her for a few seconds. Then, he walked a little closer and smiled his warm smile. “ Hello, my name is Edmund, what is yours?” He said it in Polish so Emilia could think he was a true polish man.

“Hello Edmund, my name is Emilia. I was just... just-” she answered in polish, but then got cut-off.

“following me. Do you- sorry I’m not good at this stuff. Umm... do you want to go to dinner tonight?” Edmund asked,turning around to see if the solider on that corner was watching him.

“ Yes! sorry, um.. yes. sure. I would love too. I will meet you right here at eight o’clock,” almost in a whisper.

“ Okay. See you,” Edmund said. Then he turned and walked away. He walked a few steps then turned his head and smiled. Emilia smiled back, and walked the opposite way.

When Emilia got home she went straight to her closet and picked out the best dress she could find. Edmund did the same thing. Before he left he looked in the mirror, he smiled and put his hand through his hair.

At eight o’clock they met. Edmund had brought a basket full of food, glasses, drinks, plates and silverware. Edmund and Emilia walked to the beach. When they were at the beach Emilia took her shoes off and carried them. After they ate, Edmund got up held out his hand and smiled, Emilia took it and smiled back. Edmund started humming and that turned into singing. Emilia giggled then laughed really hard.

They danced for a long time, then they laid down on the sand and looked up at the stars. Edmund leaned closer to Emilia, went up on his elbows leaned in more and kissed her. Emilia leaned in, and kissed him back. They went back looking up at the stars. They probably laid there for over an hour. Then Emilia got up and said, “ I think i better be going. I had a wonderful time. Maybe we could do it again sometime,” she kissed him once again. When she was about to get up, Edmund grabbed her hand and pulled it back while kissing her until he was up to her lips. They kissed for the longest time you can imagine.

“ Saturday right here. okay?” Edmund asked.

“ Yes, sure. seven. bye,” said Emilia and walked away with her shoes in her hands. As she walked Edmund watched her. He watched as she was just a dot like a star. Then he whispered " See you,"

Emilia sneaked into her house. She didn’t want to wake up her family. Edmund tried to sneak in. But, didn’t. His older brother and younger brother were up and wanted to know what happened. Edmund told them everything, but the kisses.

When Emilia kissed Edmund she felt a little spark of magic in it. A spark that filled the air with little twinkles. A spark that no one will ever forget, not even Emilia.

Emilia and Edmund couldn’t wait till their next date. At last Saturday came, Edmund was already there when Emilia came. She dropped her shoes down on the blanket and sat down. Edmund smiled, leaned over and kissed Emilia. Emilia looked at him and smiled back, wondering how this came to be.

They just sat there for a long time looking out at the beautiful sea. Then Edmund sat up, smiled and said, “ I need to tell you something important that you must not forget.”

“ Well, yes of course. Go on,” Emilia said.

“ Remember how we met and that I was looking up the soldiers while we talked? Well, I have done somethings- bad things really- that now every soldier all over Poland knows me. Each and everyone is watching over me and if I do something bad I will first be sent to a camp, then after a while they will take me and others to a death camp,” said Edmund who looked said and heart broken.

“ Oh, I don’t know what to say,” said Emilia.

“ There's more, a few days ago I did something bad. One of the soldiers took me to the captain he said that I was going to be taken to the camp. And then I would be taken to the death camp. I am so sorry, Emilia. I told them that I needed to tell you something then they would take me to the camp. The camp is close by you could visit me every day and talk with me. When I leave form here they will be waiting at my house,” Edmund said with a frown and sorrow.

Emilia bent over and kissed his forehead, then his nose, then his lips. “ Edmund, I will visit you everyday with two apples. We will talk and eat our apples, but when both of us have finished the apple I must say goodbye. And we will do that till you go of to the death camp. And I have something to tell you,” she said.

“That sounds like a quintessential idea. What did you want to tell me?” he asked with his wonderful smile as he kissed Emilia on her forehead.

“ My family and I are Jews who are posing as Christians to avoid internment. I hope you will understand,” she said with a bow of resentment.

“ Emilia, my darling, I should have done the same. But I too Jewish but hid it instead of posing as a christian. That is exactly why I am getting sent away. But now let’s just forget about everything and have fun,” Edmund said jumping up and holding out his hand to Emilia who took it and jumped up. They raced each other to the water. Edmund let Emilia win, they jumped in the waves, they got knocked over by them too. They tackled each other in the water, they danced and swayed. They kissed then a wave came and knocked them over. They raced back to the blanket all wet, but happy. They laid down on the blanket and just talked about their lives and childhood. Emilia wanted to graduate college, marry her true love and have a real life. Edmund wanted to graduate from a fancy college, marry his true love and well, just live.

The night was almost done Emilia walked with Edmund to his house to say good-bye, even though she would see him tomorrow at the camp. Edmund kissed her one last time and ran up the steps to his house. As she walked away she heard him cry “ The snow so peaceful and serene, caressed by the soft moonlight, gave magical feelings to the night. The soft blue glow, the lovers’ words that then did flow, their lips closer and closer until, locked in the throes of a passionate embrace, he decided to express his feelings, to keep her safe. He whispered softly, his words like music to her ears, I Love You, and her response the same, heard like the gentle breeze, And I, love you, forever. That was the night they promised to be together through everything, each to care for the other when old and gray. A lovers’ pact the most likely to last. ( Krista J. Mikula) Emilia, I love you!”

Emilia looked up at him on his porch, she saw the soldiers in the back room. The poem he had just read was one of her two favorite poems of all time. “ And I, love you, forever Edmund!” she cried then walked off shoes in hand smiling. Edmund smiled from his porch turned around and went inside to the back room. The soldier’s walked him down the steps and off into the night.

The next morning Edmund was up bright and early sitting on the cement in a fence. You could see guards all around the fence. Edmund’s head was hanging low and sad, he was playing with a piece of rope he had found on the ground. Then he saw a shadow right above him, he looked up. There standing before him was Emilia. Her hair down some in her face over her eyes. Her freckles lighting up from the sun. Her hair twinkled, Edmund thought she looked beautiful. “Hello, my beloved, and how are you today?” said Edmund standing up, squinting though.

“ Hello, Edmund dear, I am fine today, you? I brought you a snack,” said Emilia smiling and taking his hand. Inside she put a little green apple. In her other hand she was holding a second.

“ Why, thank you. Now please sit down right there and we will talk while we eat our luscious apples,” said Edmund kissing Emilia then sitting down on the other side of the fence, while Emilia sat on the other.

“ I think we need to know more about each other,” said Emilia taking a bite of her apple.

“ Ya I think we do too. Well, I will start. My mother was a chef, she would cook every meal everyday. My dad and my brother and I would laugh some of the time because of it. And while she cooked she would turn on music that you could hear from 100 miles away. My dad, brothers’, and I would be playing poker and listening to her sing. My father was a teacher at a high school. He taut English and history. When we were doing our homework he would come over and check on what we were doing and if we were ddoing correct. If we weren’t ddoing correct he would sit down and explain it to us then help us. And wwhenever they thought we weren’t looking they would kiss. My brothers and I would laugh and tease them when we had the chance,” said Edmund smiling thinking about the past.

“ Wow, I bet you had a fun and entertaining childhood. Mine was boring and not fun. My mother was a writer, a very good one actually. But at home she was over protected about everything, I even think sometimes it made my father mad. But when I got older I would read her books there was like magic in them. Something that made you feel like you were actually in the story. I loved it. My father was a doctor. He was so funny though, if I just got a scratch or a little bruise he would get his bag and bandage it all up. From the kitchen you could hear my mother saying ‘Oh, darling she’s fine. It’s just a little thing.’ that was the only thing she wasn’t over protected about, and now as I think about it, I think she wasn’t because my father was always in charge of that.” Emilia said smiling taking another bite of her apple.

“ That is very interesting to tell the truth. My mother was very sick after she had my younger brother Antoni she got even more sick and died about a year or two after. After she died my father was very depressed and miserable. He was too depressed and miserable that he killed himself. My older brother Dominik and I found him dead in my mother’s clothes and pearls and on her side of the bed. But he did wait until Antoni was seven. Which is a good age. Ever since then Dominik and I have been raising him. Antoni is now thirteen and is a well being. He doesn’t remember my mother though. Which is sad. But me and Dominik tell him stories, act out what she used to do, and show him pictures of her. Do you have any siblings? How about your parents?” said Edmund eating his apple looking at the rope on his knee.

“ Oh I am very sorry to hear that. At least Antoni is happy. I have an older brother who just graduated from college and is married living in America with two kids. He is very happy. But I was never close to him, we lived our own lives. My parents are still alive and doing fine. I just can’t wait to go to college and live a real life,” said Emilia almost done with her apple.

So was Edmund, he was now playing with his rope making knots with it,and then unddoing. “Well, I think we are done with our apples,” said Edmund looking up at Emilia and smiling.

“ Yes, we are. I will come tomorrow with two more apples and we can talk more,” said Emilia smiling she kissed Edmund on his forehead, then his nose then his lips. She was about to get up and leave when Edmund got pulled her back down and kissed her again. She then, got up walked a few steps, turned, and smiled.

“ I love you Emilia!” said Edmund getting up and smiling.

“ And I, love you, forever Edmund,” said Emilia smiling back. Then turned and walked away.

That night Edmund was in the same spot and position playing with his rope. He was about to tie another knot then undo it when he fell asleep. Head against the fence. He dreamt about Emilia and all these little signs that she was giving him. He figured them all out. Then he felt a tear on his cheek. He realized that he was falling for a young Jewish (like him) girl. What if he escaped and married Emilia then they moved to America. No that would be not responsible. He got himself into this sticky mess and can’t get out now. He is only eighteen. He could get a good job in America, live there till he dies. Write a book about his life. It could be called "Once A Friend Never Again." That would be great. He could make a lot of money out of that... he thought of his first sentence of his book as he trailed off into the world of sleep.

At the same time on the same night Emilia was in her room, under her warm covers. Almost asleep but not yet. She was rereading one of her mothers books. thinking about Edmund. And how much she cared for him, and how much he cared for her. She new from the minute she set eyes on him that he was the one. The first kiss, his smile, how much they can talk about. Tomorrow she can tell him more about her life with her family. Maybe more about Gabriel her brother. As she thought about what to talk about with Edmund she drifted off into a deep sleep.

The next morning Edmund woke up to the sound of shouts from the soldiers. He looked over the fence there sitting with two little green apples was Emilia. “ Hello, Edmund, have a nice sleep?” asked Emilia handing Edmund an apple. It was as big as his palm, maybe a bit bigger.

“ Ah, hello Emilia my beautiful, I had a wonderful sleep. I hope you did as well?” said Edmund taking a big bite of his apple.

“ yes, I did have a nice sleep, thank you for asking,” she said with a smile before eating her apple.

“ What do you want to talk about today?” asked Edmund with a mouthful of juicy delicious apple.

“ How about what we want to be when we are older?” said Emilia.

“ okay, you can start,” said Edmund with his sweet smile.

“ When I grow up I want to become a famous author. My mother inspired me so much,” said Emilia looking up at Edmund.

“ that is wonderful I would love to see your writings some time. When I am older I want to become a musician. I love music, its my life, I guess,” said Edmund looking up at Emilia, smiling.

“ That is amazing. I will bring one of my stories tomorrow. I didn’t know you were into music. I think it is breathtaking!” said Emilia, who was almost done with her apple.

“ Thank you, I think it is amazing and breathtaking that you write! No one writes in this wonderful wild world. We need a little writing here,” Edmund said.

“ Ha, that is probably true. No, wait, not probably, I actually think it is mind blowing true!” Emilia said laughing and standing up. Edmund jumped up too. “ Well, I think we are done with our apples, don’t you think?”

“ Yes I do. I can’t wait to see your story tomorrow. Emilia, I love you,” Edmund said kissing Emilia on the forehead.

“ I hope you like my story. And I, love you, Edmund, forever,” said Emilia kissing Edmund on the lips for the longest time you could imagine. While Emilia walked away Edmund brushed away a tear whispering, “She is the one.”