Sleepless in Seattle

"I'm sorry, Miss. But we just closed the elevators for the evening. You can try to come back tomorrow." The security guard frowned at Annie from across the marble desktop.

"I'll only be a moment." Annie batted her eyelashes at the old man, hoping to woo him over with innocence.

"Ma'am. I'm sorry that it was such a close call but I really can't make exceptio-"

"Haven't you ever been in love? Passionate, dreamy, all-consuming love?"

"Been married forty years. I vaguely remember the concept."

"The love of my life could be up there, but I'll never know if I don-"

"Miss-?"

"Annie."

"Miss Annie. I'm sorry to hear about your predicament, but if you don't leave, I'm going to have to escort you out."

"Oh! You crotchety old bastard! "Annie rushed around the desk and gave the security guard a swift kick in the knee.

The old man fell to the floor, cradling his injury. Annie jerked the baton from his belt and whacked the side of his head. She whipped her head from side to side, eyes darting wildly in search of witnesses. Satisfied with the deserted lobby, Annie threw the baton on the floor, rolled the guard's body underneath his desk, and headed for the top of the Empire State Building.

---

The elevator doors opened and Annie was met with emptiness. She was alone, again. She walked to the edge of the railing and looked out over New York City. She was far, far, away from home. Beneath her, thousands of lovers held each other closer in the night. There were even more people looking for love. She'd left her ex-fiancé at a restaurant three blocks away. He smiled when she told him the news. He urged her to leave, to go find Sleepless in Seattle, the mysterious lonely man she'd heard on the radio. Walter was, had always been, supportive of her dreams. As she continued to scan the skyline, a mass of colored fabric lingered in her peripherals. She looked down to the concrete and found a child's backpack. She unzipped it to find a lonely, weatherworn teddy bear.

The elevator chimed and Annie turned excitedly to face it, butterflies flapping furiously in her stomach. The doors slid open and a tall man with dark hair emerged from behind them. A little boy trailed closely behind.

"That's it! That's mine!" The child ran up to Annie and tugged at the teddy bear in her hands.

"Jonah!" the man scolded.

"Jonah?" Annie's heart began to pound.

The child peered at her curiously. "Annie?"

"Son, you know this woman?" The man stopped and stared at Annie, familiarity forming in his furrowed brow.

"Yeah, she's the one who wrote that letter!"

"Jonah, back away. Right now."

"What? But Dad-"

"Now, Jonah-"

"W-w-wait, hold on a second, Sam-"

"Sam? How the hell do you know my name?! Jonah, did you tell her our names?"

"No, Dad..."

"How do you know who I am?"

"I-I-I may have hired someone-"

"You hired someone?"

"Well yes-"

"My god. The woman standing in the road. At the beach. Watching us. It was you."

"Well, I just happened to be in that part of the country a-a-and-"

"That part of the country? Where do you live, Annie?"

"Baltimore."

"Baltimore?! You flew to Seattle-"

"Sam, please-"

The elevator doors chimed and slid open for the second time. Two police officers stepped out onto the rooftop.

"Step away, ma'am."

"Oh really, this is just a big misunderstanding-"

"Was it a misunderstanding when you cracked the guard's head? Old man had to drag himself to a pay phone."

Sam looked at Annie in horror. "You did what?"

Annie grabbed Jonah by the hood of his coat and the eight-year-old began to cry for his father. The police officers inched forward, weapons raised and Annie shrieked, insisting they lower their firearms.

"Jonah, sweetie, please stop crying. L-look here, I've got your backpack and I know you want a new mommy-"

Jonah jammed the back of his sneaker into the top of Annie's foot. The heel of her stiletto snapped and she stumbled, rolling onto her ankle. Jonah ran to his father and the officers take the opportunity offered by the chaos. Before Annie can tend to her injury, she is swooped up, handcuffed, and escorted to the elevator doors. The doors open and Annie and the police officers enter and turn around, facing Sam and Jonah. Annie gives Sam a soft smile. Sam shudders and pulls Jonah in closer to him. The elevator doors slide shut and Sam and Jonah stand alone on the rooftop of the Empire State Building, chilled by the February night air.