Roman Barnum stared at the well made red coat and top hat in the display window.  Through the window, he could also see his father, Thomas Barnum, negotiating with the tailor, Mr. Jeffery. Roman wasn't exactly the most well looking kid, both in clothes and physically, but he did have some charm. His brown hair was slightly groomed back with a wisp hanging in the front and his brown eyes filled with this pleading want of something better. He's spark of ambition was hidden away by the shyness that clouded over him.

As his father left with a bundle, his said repeatedly, "I understand, yes, thank you so much Mr. Jeffery, thank you, you'll have the money by the end of the day."

Money. Hm, it's always been the main word that came out of his father mouth,

"We won't have enough money this."

"Can you please loan me the money?"

"We'll lose our place for sure it we don't earn enough money."

Roman directed his eyes to his shoes, one of then was ripped at the front, which visibly showed Roman's sock covered foot. As soon he looked back up, his father was gone from the window.

"Let's go." He was suddenly dragged away by his father.

Roman's father looked like the older version of himself, but his hair was styled in a bit more scruffier way. Thomas was a fair man. He had this welcoming personality and tired to see the best sides of situations. Although it has been getting a bit harder to keep up that spirit.

Roman tired to get one more peek at the suit, but Thomas said with insist in his voice, "Hurry up Roman, we're going to miss the train."

He turned back sadly as the train whistle blew in the distance.

---------------

Roman and his father came up to their next client's house, or mansion if you would. It was home to the Halletts, one of the richest families in New York.

 "Stand up straight," Thomas pulled Roman's arm up to straighten his back, "Wipe that guck off." Roman knew it was important to his father that they both kept up appearances, even though there wasn't much.

Once inside, as his father was suit fitting Deceit Hallett, who Roman notice that one of his resembled that of a snake's eye, he held out the pin cushion he was holding. After Thomas took the pin he needed, Roman walked over back to give the two space. He then saw her. She had long brown hair, coffee brown eyes, and a small, round face. In other words, she was very pretty. Even though she being taught how to hold a teacup and how to drink it properly, she was looking more towards Roman. He instantly became infatuated with her. The girl smiled and continued on with her lessons, eyes still lingering.

Roman then got a bit of an idea. He pulled the top off the pin cushion to reveal the inside was hollow. He then strapped a hook on the side of it and put in a bit of leather in it. The two children made eye contact once more and this time, Roman copied the way the girl was sipping her tea, except that had he caught the leather between his teeth. That caused the girl to spit out her tea in laughter, then which made Roman spit out the leather and they were soon both laughing. 

"Valerie can you come here." Deceit suddenly said.

It wasn't a question. Roman face fallen as he turned back to the girl, Valerie. She sighed, and rolled her eyes, as though this was a normal thing. As she walked over to her father, Roman face showed that he was sorry. He didn't mean to get her in trouble.

"Your dress," Deceit's voice dangerously low, "Is this how we taught you to behave?"

Before Valerie could say anything, Roman wouldn't stand at the side lines, "It was my fault sir."

All three of them, Deceit, Valerie, and his father, turned to him.

"I made her laugh."

Deceit walked right up to his face, "Well thank you for your honesty."

And with that, he slapped the boy in the face. Valerie flinched. Thomas stood in place, but didn't bother to hide his disbelief. Roman immediately reached his hand to his stinging cheek, but didn't allow himself to fall or cry.

"Stay away from my daughter." Deceit said simply, with no remorse about hitting a child.

He then grabbed Valerie by the arm and dragged her away. She looked over, giving Roman an apologetic look. Roman then turned to his father, eyes glistening with tear threatening to spill. Thomas looked at his only son and just simple patted his shoulder.

"You did the right thing."

Roman's stinging cheek started to hurt less.

---------------

The sun was going down as the waves crashed onto the white sands of the beach. Roman looked bitterly at the grass. Ugh, what he thinking! He was lower class, she was upper class, there was no way they could ever be friends. He lifted up his head to the sound of a pair of feet walking across the sand. He then saw Valerie coming next to him.

"How did you escape?" He said, given the actions of her father.

Valerie brushed off her dress, "The window."

They sat in silence for a bit.

"My father is sending me away to finishing school," Her voice was soft, like a knitted cardigan, "I'm not sure what my future will be."

Roman felt that it was his fault for sending her to finishing school, but he saw something in her that she was doubting herself about.

"I do." He answered back.

I close my eyes and I can see

The world that's waiting up for me

That I call my own

He suddenly stood up and held out his hand to Valerie, giving a silent plead, trust me.

Valerie reached her hand to grab his they soon start walking into the thick woods.

Through the dark, through the door

Through where no one's been before

But it feels like home

They had reached to some heavy gates covered in vines. Roman climbed up it's steely bar and helped Valerie to show her a very old looking mansion, one that has never been touched in a long time. Valerie was in awe.

They can say, they can say it all sounds crazy

They can say, they can say I've lost my mind

I don't care, I don't care, so call me crazy

We can live in a world that we design

They both jumped over it and they ran up the steps of it. Valerie stopped for moment, thinking of what would happen if her father catches her and Roman, but she shook that off and ran after him. She was just having so much fun of just being there. Then she saw Roman go inside the run down mansion through a wall of vines. She looked on curiously and his hand shot out, asking for her's. Valerie could help but giggle as she grabbed. Once inside, they saw that the inside was more beaten down then the inside.  

It was amazing.

Cause every night I lie in bed

The brightest colors fill my head

A million dreams are keeping me awake

Roman lead her further in the darkness of the mansion and soon pulled out a match. He ignited it and the light from it revealed the stone face of a beast. Valerie screamed in surprise, making Roman laugh, which she soon joined in.

I think of what the world could be

A vision of the one I see

A million dreams is all it's gonna take

A million dreams for the world we're gonna make

He then use the match to light up a candle in a cylinder carrier and show her the beauty of what was hidden in the place. He cast shadows on certain objects, making it seem like they were moving. Valerie grinned at the sight, she never wanted to leave. Roman then blew out the candle.

They can say, they can say it all sounds crazy

They can say, they can say we've lost our minds

I don't care, I don't care if they call us crazy

Runaway to a world that we design

It was til a couple of days later where she really had to go. Valerie stood in front of the entrance to the carriage. Deceit gave her a looked that said, you can't worm your way out of this one, so get in now. Roman was carrying up to five to six bundles of cloth when he saw the carriage leaving. He arms fell heave, dropping everything he had in his hands. Roman screamed her name and tried to run after it, but Thomas held him back. Valerie looked through the back window, not wanting to leave her only friend.

Roman was angry at Valerie's father. He could put a thousand of mile between them, but it wouldn't be enough keep them apart. As soon as he got home, he started writing a letter to her, and many more to come. Back her school, while other girls rushed about, Valerie stayed behind, reading the letter that Roman had sent. She gave a bright smile, one that she haven't had in a long time.

'Cause every night I lie in bed

The brightest colors fill my head

A million dreams are keeping me awake

But alas, stories like these don't always have happy memories. Thomas soon cam down with a fever. The only one that could attend to him was Roman. He had to swallow the lump in his throat every time Thomas would look at him with delirious and tired eyes. Then soon, the time of the funeral had arrive. His father old top hat laid on his coffin. The only people at the funeral were Roman and the Priest. Roman took off the top hat and held it close to his chest, he was on his own now.

I think of what the world could be

A vision of the one I see

A million dreams is all it's gonna take

A million dreams for the world we're gonna make

Roman causality strolled by the bread stand, and then grabbed a loaf, already bulking it. He could hear the bread stand owner shouting, "Hey!" at him, but he was starving, so his stomach spoke louder then those words. Roman soon ran into an alleyway where was caught by the owner. He was thrown to the ground painfully and struggled to hold on the bread. It was soon ripped out of his hand and Roman just sat in place, catching his breath in disappointment. Something then was caught in the corner of his eye. It was an apple. He looked up to see a woman, who was wearing rags, had dirt all over her face, and looked she haven't eaten herself.

She gave a small nod for him to take it. He slowly took it and couldn't form the right words to say thank you. She looked at him a little longer and walked away. Roman looked down at the apple. Why is that the people who had little to nothing at all are the kindest and those who are on top of the world are the cruelest? While Roman was still finding ways to not go hungry, he's been also finding ways to make money. He was once near a recycling bin where people would throw away their old newspaper and his creativity sparked again.

Taking the ones that weren't too crumple, he tried reselling them, "Newspapers, all kinds of stories from around the world!"

But it didn't work. But it still didn't stop him from sending letters to Valerie.

A million dreams are keeping me awake

I think of what the world could be

A vision of the one I see

A million dreams is all it's gonna take

A million dreams for the world we're gonna make

Even in the cold of winter, he never stopped writing. He would always sneak the letter in the mailman's bag. Valerie would always wait for Roman's letters. They were all so sweet and she saved every single one of them. The letters spoke of Roman's dreams and what he see in his and her future. Even growing older, the two of them never lost touch.

Roman, one day reading a letter from Valerie, he heard the sound of a sale man pitch, "Come join the Great American Railroad! Three meals a day! Roof over your head! Fair and ever waging! Come, and make a fortune! See the open plains of America!"

He looked over, it sounded promising. And it was better then nothing.

---------------

Many years past and Roman had grown up into a fine looking gentlemen. He had a new look about him, a plain white prince suit with a simple red sash, along with a golden tassel drooping down from his left shoulder. He really did feel like a prince in his outfit, and he wanted to be one for the woman he loved, Valerie Hallett. He nervously walked up the dirt road up to her house. What he didn't see was that Valerie was looking through the upper level window. Roman didn't have to knock on the door for Deceit, dressed in his black bowler hat with a black ribbon, matching his snake-like yellow, slit eye, bright yellow gloves, and his brown and yellow coat with collar sports a black capelet, was already waiting for him.

Taking in  deep breath, Roman said, "Mr-Sir, I know I don't come from much. But...I will take care of your daughter and give her a life as grand as this."

He gave off a smile and it grew as he saw Valerie coming down the stair. She has also grown to be lovely too. Thin, long brown hair, and those coffee brown eyes that he fell for all those years ago. Wearing a black over coat and a small pink bow, a smile was on her face as she saw him.

Deceit, who was also looking at her direction, turned back to Roman with a smug expression, "She'll be back,"

Roman gave an unnoticeable sigh, he knew this was coming,

"Sooner or later, she'll get tired of your life, of having nothing, and she'll come running back home."

Valerie soon came bouncing  forward, taking Roman by the arm. She was ready to start a whole new life with him, no matter what.

When they turned to walk away, Roman looked over his shoulder and mouthed the words to Valerie's father, "We'll see."

---------------

Roman and Valerie soon found themselves in the city where they say dreams can come true, New York City.

Every night I lie in bed

The brightest colors fill my head

A million dreams are keeping me awake

They both saw a couple having a fancy. Roman promised to Valerie, her father, and himself that he was going to give that life. But there was no time to waste as they continued to explore NYC. The newly weds ran right to where the railroad tracks were, just above them and to spin and dance.

I think of what the world could be

A vision of the one I see

A million dreams is all it's gonna take

A million dreams for the world we're gonna make

Smoke from the train filled the area as they continued on. Roman soon presented the ring to that he will spend the rest of his life with her.

However big, however small

Let me be part of it all

Roman open the door to their new apartment and Valerie ran across the room in delight as she threw open the curtains to one of the windows. The couple shared a bright smile.

Share your dreams with me

She laid out a blanket and set a few candles to look out at the setting sun with her new husband, can't wait for the years to come.

You may be right, you may be wrong

But say that you're bring me along

Of enjoying the new life they had, the two would dance on the rooftop of their apartment. Some night maybe pitch black, some had star shining brightly, but those once a month nights had a full glowing brightly, making the night much more special. Each twirl and spin in their dance always have a meaning and even when dancing dangerously over the edge of the roof, they knew they would catch each other, nether one of them will to let go of the one they love.

To the world you see

To the world I close my eyes to see

I close my eyes to see

Every night I lie in bed

The brightest colors fill my head

A million dreams are keeping me awake

A million dreams, a million dreams

I think of what the world could be

A vision of the one I see

A million dreams is all it's gonna take

A million dreams for the world we're gonna make

Roman and Valerie were very happy. They had each other and their love for each has surpass the hardship in their early lives. And soon, they were going to have a little special someone, or maybe two, to also give a happy life to.

For the world we're gonna make

For Valerie was pregnant.