Meant for You

The summer which followed our high school graduation became a memorable one, in a wonderful way. Rick and I were inseparable. We spent long lazy afternoons at the lake swimming or soaking up the bright sunshine. We were young, fit and tan. Our days were perfect. I learned to water ski under his skilled tutelage, only falling once on the first takeoff, rising on the next try, quickly mastering the skill. Rick’s parents didn't own a lake house, but many of his friends’ parents did and we took advantage of their invitations to spend our afternoons boating and sunbathing on their piers. Our evenings were spent at the movies, hanging out at Bertie's Drive-In indulging in their famous Caramel Milkshakes or walking the aisles of the nearby mall, perusing the shops. We didn't spend much money, didn't need to. It didn't matter where we went as long as we were together. I was fortunate to find a summer job at a local diner as a waitress during the morning shift, serving up plates of eggs, bacon, grits and stacks of the restaurant's famous buttermilk pancakes. The Country Home Diner was one of the few restaurants that served real maple syrup with their all-you-can-eat platters of the fluffy, mouthwatering discs. With each shift, we received a free meal and I made use of that freebie, consuming my share and more of the sweet circular treats along with crispy smoked bacon and fluffy scrambled eggs. The food offerings were as good as advertised. I’d moved into a tiny apartment temporarily until August, when I would leave for college in Virginia. Graduation from high school meant we were kicked out of the nest at the orphanage. I rented a furnished studio apartment in town with money from my inheritance, my savings and my newly discovered trust fund. Thank goodness it was fully furnished, down to the pots and pans, dishes and sheets for the bed. I guess one would call it sort of a halfway house for kids like myself. We were on our own, but were supervised by the manager and his wife, who lived in one of the larger apartments downstairs in view of the common front door. Since most of the residents were under twenty-one, with most of us being recent evictions from the children’s home, we were expected to be in by midnight and were not allowed overnight guests. The rules were strictly enforced and anyone caught breaking them became homeless within twenty-four hours. Rick's mother had not warmed to me in the last year and seemed more on edge now than ever. The relationship between she and I continued to deteriorate. It was as if she knew something, something unpleasant. I frequently caught her watching me and I felt uneasy around her. I’d known she'd never cared for me, I'm sure because of my lack of parents, money or social status, but it appeared as if there was something more. I couldn't put my finger on it, but there was something she knew, or at least thought she knew. Rick appeared oblivious to her actions and spying. He never mentioned it, therefore, neither did I. With the passing of summer vacation, the move to college rapidly approached. Time flew by in the blink of an eye. I would be moving into my dorm the third Saturday in August and Rick would move in to his dormitory at Duke the following week. Our last evening was filled with promises. Promises to write, promises to call when we were able and the promise to meet back in Cabot during Thanksgiving vacation. I would be spending the long holiday weekend with my friend, Debbie, since I had no family. She insisted I travel to North Carolina for the holiday and I was happy with the invitation. It would give me the opportunity to spend as much time as possible with Rick. All of my belongings were packed into my car, ready for the long trip the next day. I tossed and turned the entirety of that last Friday night, partly excited to begin college, but concerned and saddened with thoughts of separation from Rick. It was easy to make promises, but a long distance relationship would make or break us. The break part was what worried me. What if he found another girl? What if we didn't have time to write? Our relationship was more than a crush, it was real, we were in love. I truly hoped we’d marry someday. We’d both received notice of our college addresses beforehand and as soon as we arrived at our destinations, the letters began filtering in, some days two would arrive simultaneously. We didn’t write long letters, but short, to the point notes of love and I miss you’s. I quickly realized I had nothing to worry about, Rick and I were as strong as ever. We both made new friends and spoke of them in our letters and filled each other in on our exploits as college freshmen. We counted down the days until the Thanksgiving holiday. In the process of counting the days, we hatched a plan. A plan that would ultimately define our relationship. We made the decision to spend the night together in an out of the way hotel before returning to school following the holiday break. We were both ready to take this step in our relationship. This would seal our love for one another.