The end had already begun.
By this time, the young couple’s parting was inevitable; and to prove it, it had been more than a week since he and she had seen each other in person – something unthinkable just months earlier.
Still, it was only hours since they had last spoken on the phone – a strange new dynamic that had become quite common during the past few weeks. But also, very different from before their relationship changed subtly yet undeniably. Prior to this unforeseen change, they spent every day together. Now, maybe once or twice a month at the most.
Teenagers who started dating their high school senior year, he followed her to college, about a two-hour drive from their hometown. Although he lived on one side of the campus and she the other, they routinely shared a dorm room, ate their meals together, and visited all the popular, nearby destinations – though they did not share one single class. Their academic schedules differed greatly but had one commonality – being done with daily classes at the same time.
Their tentative plan was to graduate and see where their new careers would lead. Neither spoke about marriage or having a family, it was always something only the future could tell. So, they just enjoyed each other’s company and rarely bickered or argued.
Even that congeniality had not changed. Their mutual rapport stayed mostly the same. And, that’s what made what happened so very surreal and brought them to an uncanny, poignant moment.
Three semesters had passed and they were well into their sophomore year. The university provided them with many mutual friends and acquaintances, but the couple opted to spend most of their free time with each other. Occasionally, they’d spend the day in their respective classes and then meet up with peers to see a movie or shop at a mall. But, nothing like their fellow collegiates who preferred the company of others in a perpetual party atmosphere.
That kind of lifestyle did not suit him or her. Raised in traditional, middle-class families, with stable, supportive parents, they came from strikingly similar backgrounds. They initially met at Sunday school, many years before and attended the same elementary and middle schools.
His freshman year took his family out of state when his dad relocated for work. But, after two years, he returned to the town for his sophomore stretch and they met yet again in their junior year – though neither had much interest in the other. In fact, they barely crossed paths or spoke with one another. This changed in their senior year when a mutual friend, another senior and happy-go-lucky guy, who would later commit suicide, invited them to sit at the same lunch table.
It was then they realized they shared many interests, despite being from different ideological families. His, country club republicans, and her’s old southern democrats. Despite this, both he and she were casually apolitical, neither caring to discuss partisanship. Rather, they talked about their favorite bands, movies, television shows, and hobbies.
His extracurricular activities included track and golf, while her’s were drama and art. Their first lunch in the company of their mutual friend wasn’t special or particularly interesting. Still, the three ate lunch together the next day and the day after. By the end of the quarter, their circle had doubled, growing to six, mostly girls.
It was during this time he and she began to connect on a more interpersonal level, him attending her stage plays and her rooting for him at track meets and golf tournaments. Eventually, they became a couple, dating regularly.
On graduation day, they joined their friends for lunch as usual. Later that afternoon, with their diplomas in hand, they gathered with all their fellow graduates, ready to enjoy an upscale dinner and a celebratory party.
Except, the class was conspicuously short by one student. Their mutual friend, who essentially introduced the couple, had hung himself. It was a confusing, inconceivable turn of events and it left every student saddened and perplexed.
The tragedy brought him and her closer together in many profound ways. They promised one another they’d graduate but never committed to a long-term future. Instead, they had a shared understanding they’d continue dating but not make concrete plans past college.
However, this slowly changed as they went through their first semester. By the time their first year at the university was over, they had spoken at length about getting married after earning their undergraduate degrees. He even secretly bought her a promise ring – a symbol of his devotion and intention.
But, before he could give it to her, everything abruptly changed. And, it started in a seemingly innocuous way.
His younger sister came to visit, touring the college before she graduated high school. So, he spent the entire day with his sibling, showing her around the campus. That evening, the couple and his sister had dinner and his sibling told him about what was going on back home. Their father had recently run into a difficult situation with his business and didn’t want to worry his son with the details.
As his sister filled the couple in on the particulars, he began to realize just how serious things were. It was immediately clear he needed to take a short leave from college to help out the family business. Two days later, he moved back home.
Even though he left on such short notice, he made sure to take his high school sweetheart out for lunch and dinner, and to an art museum in between. The next morning, he stopped by her dorm room before she went to class to say goodbye and reassure her he’d be back on the upcoming weekend.
But, when Saturday came, he didn’t show. Instead, he sent a last-minute text, explaining he couldn’t get away. They spoke on the phone a couple of hours later and made plans to meet again. This time, he would come up on the following Friday and stay through Sunday afternoon.
They had a wonderful weekend together, spending Saturday walking through quaint mom-and-pop stores, seeing Shakespeare in the park, then watching the sunset at the beach pier. Sunday they enjoyed a lavish brunch, then biked along a trail before he had to go back home.
During Spring break, she came back home to stay with her parents while he worked at his family business. They saw each other daily, usually having dinner at a restaurant or at one of their parents’ houses. The week went by fast and she returned to the campus while he stayed back home.
They’d spend the next two weeks apart, but still texted and talked every day, sometimes twice or more.
She took a part-time job in the student administration center after spring break and he planned to return to school earlier than expected. He started making tentative plans for classes and made preliminary arrangements to go back to the college the next semester. But, the family business couldn’t afford to lose him and so, he put off re-enrollment for another term.
In the following fifteen weeks, they’d spend less time together, due to their increasingly chaotic and busy schedules. Still, they continued to talk on the phone, though not as frequently. Texts also became sparser.
Feeling they were drifting apart, he made sure to visit the campus at least once a month, usually for one weekend, and occasionally, two. One weekend, she met him with exciting news – she had just been chosen to play a leading role in a stage performance she absolutely adored and wanted to star in since she started acting – and it gave him an idea he never really considered before.
During his visit, he took the occasion while she was in a class, to speak with a couple of coaches about earning an athletic scholarship for track or golf. To his delight, he learned there were some available that would allow him to come back, easing his family’s financial burden. Plus, things were substantially turning around for the family business. If it all worked out, he could return to college and resume their normal relationship.
But, it took quite a bit of time to apply for and earn a scholarship. So, it meant having to wait a bit longer. Meanwhile, she spent every available minute in the theater or with her fellow actors honing her part. They had some great rehearsals, a couple of which they filmed for self-critiquing.
Buzz about the play got around the campus and the local community. Before the cast knew it, people were asking about the premier performance. It was surreal for each of the cast members and when she told him about it during a weekend visit, he congratulated her and gave her a big hug. In turn, he updated her on the status of the many athletic and academic scholarships he applied for and shared his enthusiasm and confidence about being awarded at least one.
Then, some good news came while he was back home – he received not one, but two scholarships – one athletic and one academic. He could return to school the very next semester and pick up right where he left off. But, in the meantime, he had to continue to help out with the family business to earn a little extra money and keep himself busy.
At the same time, she left her job at the administration center to give her more free time to prepare for her big role. She spent countless hours in acting classes, put on impromptu community park performances with her friends, and spoke at length with the director and drama instructor.
He continued to visit every so often, but, with their hectic schedules, his trips were spread far apart. Finally, after what seemed like a lifetime, he could re-enroll and move back on campus, but not until the next term. He was so excited about the prospect of getting things back to normal.
Having an opportunity to visit her on the fly, he texted her, asking what she’d like to do. But, this time, she didn’t reply right away. He figured she was just busy and would phone her later. When he called later the same day, her disposition had most certainly changed, though she tried her best to hide it.
When he pressed her about the situation, she explained it was due to all the stress she’d been feeling recently and had too little time. So, he thought he’d cheer her up with a surprise visit. Immediately after he arrived on campus, he went straight to her dorm, but she wasn’t there.
He hurriedly made his way over to the theater, finding her there, laughing with the other cast members. But, when she saw him, she didn’t smile. Instead, she just casually waved and went right back to her conversation.
Not wanting to interrupt what was clearly so important to her, he waited in the back. After a little while, she walked over to him and gave him a quick hug, then explained she needed to go back to her dorm room. He suggested going out to dinner, and she reluctantly accepted, citing all the homework she had yet to do.
When they arrived at the restaurant, it was much busier than usual. So, he dropped her off to get a table while he parked the car. He found a spot, but only after driving around the parking lot twice. He walked inside, past the host’s station, and into the dining room where he saw her seated at a corner table for two.
As he approached, pinching the promise ring between his thumb and index finger, he knew something was bothering her and asked her what was the matter. She shrugged her shoulders, took a sip of water, and just looked down at the menu. He asked again, taking his hand out of his pocket and reaching across the table for hers. She slowly picked up her glass, took another sip of water, looked straight at him with her arms to her side, and said, “I don’t get excited when you walk into the room anymore.”
