An hour passed. Suddenly, someone knocked gently on the door. Roger exchanged a glance with Collins, who nodded. He and Mark ran over and hid behind the couch.

Roger slid the door open to reveal Mimi, her eyes red from crying. “Look, Roger, I—“

“Wait.” He cut her off, reached out, and took her hand. “I’ve got something to show you.” A clearly confused look on her face, Mimi allowed him to lead her into the apartment. Curious as to where Collins had disappeared to, Angel followed, closing the door behind her and remaining there to watch.

Roger sat Mimi down on the coffee table, facing the couch. Mimi gave a watery giggle, getting up long enough to brush some magazines onto the floor before sitting down again. “Roger, what is this about?”

“Ssh, you’ll see. It’s my way of saying I’m sorry.” He took a step back, standing right in front of the couch. Taking a deep breath, he began to hit the floor with his foot in a steady rhythm. Mark and Collins popped up from behind the couch, and the three began a three-part harmony. Collins took the low part, Mark took the high part (his falsetto had Angel in fits of silent giggles by the doorway), and Roger took the main part.

“Woah-oh-oh-oh. It’s for the longest time. Woah-oh-oh. It’s for the longest—“

Mark and Collins provided background music, while Roger caught Mimi’s eyes and started to sing to her. “If you said goodbye to me tonight, there would still be music left to write.” Roger spread his arms and smiled gently. “What else could I do? I’m so inspired by you. That hasn’t happened for the longest time.”

He adopted a sort of storytelling pose. “Once, I thought my innocence was gone. Now I know that happiness goes on. That’s where you found me, when you put your arms around me,” Ergo, when she’d hugged and kissed him that Christmas. He was apologizing for pushing her away, Mimi realized. “I haven’t been there for the longest time.”

They began the three part harmony again, sending Angel into more silent laughter. “Woah-oh-oh-oh. For the longest time. Woah-oh-oh. For the longest time.”

Back to Roger soloing; “I’m that voice you’re hearing in the hall, and the greatest miracle of all is how I need you, and how you needed me, too: that hasn’t happened for the longest time.”

Mimi suddenly understood what he was saying. He was telling her in his own way that he loved her, and that she wasn’t just some replacement for April. A slow smile spread across her face, making Roger’s heart skip a beat as he continued. “Maybe this won’t last very long, but you feel so right, and I could be wrong. Maybe I’ve been hoping too hard, but I’ve gone this far and it’s more than I hoped for.”

They’d fought so many times over the knowledge that they could die pretty unexpectedly at any time, and Roger was trying to show that he finally accepted it. Gazing at him happily, Mimi felt a tear sneak out of her eye and creep down her cheek. Roger reached out and wiped it away with his thumb, singing, “Who knows how much further we’ll go on. I know I’ll be sorry when you’re gone. I’ll take my chances; I forgot how nice romance is. I haven’t been there for the longest time.”

He pulled away, gaining an apologetic air. “I had second thoughts at the start. I said to myself; ‘Hold on to your heart’” At the start, he still hadn’t really been over April. “Now I know the woman that you are. You’re wonderful so far, and it’s more than I hoped for.”

Pessimist. Mimi thought jokingly. Roger saw her grin and smiled back, kneeling down on the ground in front of her. “I don’t care what consequence it brings. I have been a fool for lesser things.” He reached out and took her hand. “I want you so bad, I think you ought to know that I intend to hold you for the longest time.”

He gazed into her eyes as he and Mark and Collins sang, “Woah-oh-oh-oh, it’s for the longest time.” Then he leaned forward and kissed her, leaving his two backup singers to finish, “Woah-oh-oh, it’s for the longest tiiiiiime…”

They all were quiet for a moment, watching Roger and Mimi kiss. Roger had his hands on Mimi’s waist, and Mimi had looped her arms around his neck.

After a few minutes, Angel commented from the doorway, “You two need to breathe soon, you know.”

They continued about thirty more seconds, then finally broke apart, panting for breath. Roger smiled and rested his forehead on Mimi’s.

Collins looked over at Angel, who was grinning widely. “Babe, what did you find so goddamn funny while we were singing?”

Angel adopted an innocent look. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Collins gave her his ‘oh-please’ look, which he used on his students a lot. “You were cracking up pretty good during the choruses. What was so funny?”

Everyone waited for a moment for her to answer. Finally, she snickered and said, “Sorry, Mark, but your falsetto was hilarious.”

Collins started laughing. “You know, she’s got a point.”

Mark took a dramatic bow. “Thank you, thank you,” he said sarcastically, “I’ll be here all… well, a long time.”

Mimi looked around at the other three. “Thank you, guys. For helping us.” She smiled at Roger.

He gulped, a weird look coming into his eyes. “Yeah, thanks. Now, out. Me and Mimi have some… things to do. Y’know.”

“Oh, I know.” Collins agreed, grabbing Mark by the scruff of the neck and half-dragging him towards the door. “Time to go, albino.”

Angel giggled and followed them out, sliding the door shut behind her. As they walked down the stairs, she and Collins started a little making out of their own. Mark marveled at their ability to walk down the steps and/or sidewalk without tripping while firmly attached at the lips. Then again, they had a lot of practice.

As the two headed off down the street, Mark sighed, pulling out his camera and beginning to wind it up.

“I wonder if that hobo is still there…”