"So how old does that make you?"

John grinned at her, searching her eyes. "Twenty-three. Why?" "Just wondering."

Elizabeth felt a sudden sense of daring. She wasn't supposed to talk to boys, and here she was chatting with a young man five years her senior. What would her mother think of that?

"And you?"

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kingsbury smalley "Eighteen. I'll be a freshman."

John poured two cups of punch and handed one .to her.

"You'll love it. They take good care of freshmen at U of M." "I hope so." "You dormin' it?"

"No." Her mother's warning-sounded in her mind again. "I live at home. My parents' house is a few blocks from the university."

"Good." He nodded and a silence fell between them. Then, warning, he set his punch down and took her hand. Come on, Elizabeth. Dance with me."

She still had her cup in her hand, and a shot of terror coursed her body. The dance floor was full of couples, all of enjoying the music. But she couldn't, could she? Her mother would have a fit if she found out, make her go before the church and confess her sins one at a time.

But then, her mother wasn't here.

A smile came across her face and she lifted her cup to her lips. In a single swallow, she finished the contents and tossed the cup . a nearby trash can.

"Okay, but I have to warn you." "What?" John's eyes sparkled as they met hers.

"What warning could a girl as pretty as you possibly have for an old guy like me?

She shrugged her shoulders a few times and gave him a half smile. "I can't dance."

You can't?" He seemed genuinely surprised. Then he and pulled her out onto the dance floor. "I guess I'll to teach you."

spent the rest of the night doing just that. When the mixer was over, Elizabeth knew how to do a modified version of the and the jitterbug, and she could swing dance in her Her legs ached from all the dancing, and before they said ohn asked for her number.

mother's warning came back again: "Don't talk to boys, Whatever you do, don't talk to boys." .

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REUNION.

"Well... uh..." She felt her face getting hot again. "How 'bout if you give me your number." She stared at her sore feet, afraid to meet .his eyes. "My mother doesn't like me getting calls from boys."

"She'd rather have you calling them?" His tone was light, and they both laughed.

But he did as she asked, finding a piece of paper and writing his number on it.

"The scl{ool has events every weekend from now till fall; you know that, right?"

Elizabeth had heard something about it, but she had no plans to go. "I'm not sure."

John explained that the university administrators wanted students to get involved with each other and the school activities. "There's a trip to Lake Michigan next weekend, with a bonfire on the beach. Then the weekend after that they've put together a bowling trip and movie night." He took her hands and looked straight to a part of her heart no one had ever Seen before. "I'll go to every event if you'll be there."

The idea sounded like it might work. She took his number and bid him goodbye.

On the way home she asked Betsy about the social events set up for the rest of the summer. "Yeah, they're a blast. I'll probably go to all of them."

"Could you call and invite me? And make sure my mom knows the invitation is coming from you."

Betsy raised her eyebrow. "I saw you talking with that tall, dark, and handsome med student. Every girl in the room had her eye on him."

"They did?" "

"Yes, but you wouldn't know-" Betsy gave Elizabeth a friendly poke-"because the two of you never took your eyes off each other."

By the time Betsy dropped her at home, the plan was in stone. Betsy called later that week and talked to her mother. Yes, the events were chaperoned; yes, she'd keep an eye on Elizabeth. No, she didn't think Elizabeth had talked to any boys at the

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kin g s b u r y s m a lie y mixer. Yes, she'd be sure to keep an eye on her at future events also.

"You understand, right?" Elizabeth heard her mother tell on the phone. "Elizabeth's a good girl, but she's Very . I'm not sure she knows how pretty she is, but the boys The last thing her father and I want is for Elizabeth to get up with a boy. She needs to finish college first." Elizabeth was mortified that her mother would speak that way her to an older girl like Betsy. But in the end the ,plan beautifully. The next weekend students met at the west of the university parking lot and caravanned to the beach.

z to the meeting place. But she took the drive to the shore sitting beside John Baxter.

"This is the craziest thing I've ever done," she told him that The window was down and a warm breeze played in her "I can't believe I'm riding in a car with you to Lake Michigan. My mother would die."

told her later that he felt bad sneaking around the way did those early weeks. But he was so taken by her that he'd i.his ability to think straight. That evening, after a day of play-the surf and lying in the sun, she and John took a walk the beach instead of attending the bonfire.

the group was far enough in the distance, he stopped her. "Elizabeth, do you feel something?" His voice smooth, gentle as the breeze off the lake.

heart pounded so loud she was sure he could hear it. what?"

ohn took her hand and placed it on his heart.

her fingertips she felt a strong thudding, almost as if just finished a race or run up three flights of stairs.

ohn? What is it?"

her hand but kept his fingers intertwined with you. It's how I feel when I'm with you: Like all the could go away and I'd be the happiest man alive. Just here looking at you for the rest of my life."

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REUNION.

"I... I don't know what to say."

"Feel yours." He nodded to her. "Go on, Elizabeth; feel it." And she did. She reached up and placed her hand over her own heart. And sure enough, the hard, fast beating she'd felt when she touched his was the same in her heart now.

Elizabeth studied John, the moonlight casting shadows on their faces. "What does it mean?"

Without saying another word, he closed the distance between them, took her gently in his arms, and careful not to press his body against hers, he kissed her.

She knew two things after that. First, she understood why her heart was beating so fast. It was because in less than a week she'd fallen in love with John Baxter. And second, she knew why her mother had warned her not to talk to boys.

Because after kissing John, she didn't care about college or getting home on time or anything else her mother had ever told her.

All she wanted was to stand there forever, kissing John and getting lost in his eyes.

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Her dream was only half over.

Elizabeth willed it to continue, willed herself to remember part of their past-the height of their love for each other the depth of their despair when their choices changed everything for both of them.

Her clandestine dates with John had continued Always she drive off with Betsy and get five minutes of lecture from her.

"You're falling too hard for him, Elizabeth. He's too old for you. You need to spread yourself around a little, make some friends.

Elizabeth barely listened. After John arrived at each event's meeting place, she was with him every minute until it was time to go home. She was falling in love with John, experiencing feelings she'd never known existed. But she could share none of it with her mother because they knew nothing of what was happening. the end of August, she found other ways to meet up with John. She'd claim to be going to the university to find her way around.

"Mom, you know how hard it'll be to get to not familiar with the layout of campus."

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REUNION.

Her mother had a perpetual worried look back then. She frowned. "Maybe I could take you ar0un& help you find your way."

"No, MomY Elizabeth tried to keep her tone light. "I'll ride my bike and explore on my own. That way I won't need your help on the first day of school." She patted her mother's hand. "I am in college, now, Mama."

Her mother agreed, even if it was reluctantly.

But Elizabeth never had any intention of making her way around campus. Instead she'd ride her bike to the corner store, where John would be waiting. They'd lock up her bike and take off in his car for some destination just off campus.

They'd stroll arm in arm through the streets, visiting eclectic shops and sharing kisses in the parking lot before and after every outing.

"What are we going to do when school starts?" John was breathless after kissing her one afternoon. "I need to see you, Elizabeth."

Her feelings for him frightened her. "We have school, John. I guess we'll have to find time afterwards." And then she had an idea. "I could say I have to study at the library, and we could meet that way."

They agreed. One day they met at the store and drove to Allmendinger Park a few blocks off campus. They walked through a grove of stately oaks, holding hands, until they were hidden from the traffic on the nearby street.

John had seemed restless, more anxious than usual When they stopped against a thick tree, he pulled her close and kissed her. As always he was careful to keep space between them. "Guess what?"

"What?" She didn't want to talk. She wanted to kiss him. Now, before they headed off for the afternoon and wouldn't have another chance like this one.

"The people I live with are gone this week. They went to Mackinac Island; they won't be back until Saturday."

"John?" Fear grabbed hold of her and shook her hard. She 95 ingsbury smalley looked at him, but there was something in his eyes she couldn't read. "What are you saying?"

"Nothing!" He chuckled and rubbed his palms on his jeans. "Don't get the wrong idea, Elizabeth. I was only thinking we could go there and watch a little TV, maybe play some cards. a little time alone before you had to go home."

In the years since then, whenever they talked about that summer, Elizabeth and John both knew they should've seen it coming. Two young people in love? Sneaking around behind hermother's back, and thinking that somehow they could spend the day in a house by themselves? without anything happening?

The plan was doomed from the start.

Still, on the first day nothing happened. They held hands and watched television, and John talked to her about his plans of being a doctor. All he'd ever wanted was to help people get well, maybe discover some great new way of making people feel better.

Elizabeth shared her dreams also. She wanted to go to college it only so she could please her parents. Her real dream was to have a family. "A whole houseful of kids." She smiled at him. guess that's why I picked home economics as my major. At degree will make me a good wife and mother."

John admitted later that when she shared her heart with him that day, he knew there was no turning back. No matter what happened, he would marry Elizabeth, and whether her mother liked him or not didn't matter.