Ain't Love Grand?

Keeping my promise of not hanging over Alex's shoulder during every fan encounter, I stood off to the side, arms folded. Fans were grouped around him, and he looked genuinely happy. I managed a small smile at him. He was smiling and laughing, eyes sparkling slightly.

I knew his fans meant a lot to him, and every fan left a lasting impression, but there was one fan that would stick out in his mind a little more than the others. I could tell by the way that Alex was looking at her that he was taking in every word that she said. He was REALLY listening. Curiously, I took a subtle step towards them, so that I was within earshot.

"I just want to thank you," the fan said, in a shaking voice. She had a huge smile on her face as she continued. "For being the reason that I am still even.. here. Your band means the world to me, and can pick me up in the crappiest of moods." I glanced toward where Alex was, seeing tears in his eyes, but he himself was smiling as well. "Your lyrics have... really reached me, and helped me. They brought me back when I wanted to just give up."

I could tell she was nervous, and finding it hard to tell him how appreciative she was without sounding creepy, but he didn't interrupt her. The look on his face and the glint in his eyes made me want to cry myself. She wasn't like the other girls who hung around, wanting to get him into bed. She was a genuine fan, who wanted to let him know how important Atreyu was to her.

She inhaled deeply, a tear escaping as she tried not to break down in front of her idol. "So, that's... honestly all I wanted to say, was.. thank you for being you, and never changing..." Alex blinked rapidly, smiling, and gulped thickly as he wrapped his arms around the fan in a tight hug.

"Thank you," he told her, with nothing but complete sincerity. I couldn't imagine how much that must have meant to him; to know that all his hard work over the years had paid off probably more than he could have ever expected. He'd made such an impression on the kid that he had, in her own words, saved her life. "That means... so much to me," he went on, still keeping her in a tight embrace. "Really... Thank you."

She wrapped her arms around his middle tightly, sniffing softly, and shook her head slowly. "I'm only speaking the truth, Alex..."

I smiled gently, watching the scene before me and realizing just how special my boyfriend was. The songs he wrote and sang were so much more than just music. It made me wonder how many other people there were around the world who felt like this young woman did. Alex looked over her shoulder as he held her, and offered me a small smile. I returned it with a little nod, letting him know that I was proud of him as she slowly pulled herself from his arms and looked up at him. "I don't know where I'd be without you today," she said, wiping her eyes. The fact that she was so emotional over the encounter spoke volumes. She wasn't just SAYING those things; she meant them. "I'm sorry if I sound creepy or obsessed... but I promised myself that if I ever met you, I wanted to let you know just how influential you've been to my life."

Alex shook his head, smiling still. "You don't sound creepy or obsessed whatsoever." He gave her another tight hug, before taking the CD she had in her hand, and signing it. She smiled up at him, fresh tears forming.

"Again, thank you.." she said quietly.

He smiled genuinely at her and shook his head slowly. "No, thank you," he said in response. "Without you, Atreyu would be nothing. He meant it. He wasn't one of those guys who was nice to the fans and praised them because he HAD to. He legitimately meant it. He was thankful of every single person who supported his band in any kind of way, because they were the people allowing him to live out his dream.

She smiled, sniffing, and gave him one last hug, before turning around, and walking back to where her friends were waiting. Alex inhaled deeply, wiping quickly at his eyes, and he glanced over to where I was, practically beaming with pride.