It was a beautiful late fall day in Indiana, with the sun a bright auburn as it started its descent in the sky. Traci wanted to enjoy another sunset while sitting in the glider near the edge of the pond Jason had built about a quarter-mile from the house.
At 72 and suffering from Alzheimer's, Traci was extremely frail, yet she insisted upon walking the trail to the glider, of course holding on to Jason's arm very tightly. He let her pick her spot first on the glider and helped her sit, then he sat to her left.
It was crisp, maybe 32 degrees, and like she had done so often in the past 12 years, Traci snuggled into Jason's ribs, with her face against his chest, as he swung his right arm around her shoulders. The pair sat together silently for about five minutes before she looked up at him and said - in the voice that told him she was 18 again or thereabouts, "I love you, Jason."
He looked down on her smiling face, hugged her tighter to his body, and replied as usual, "You're not so bad yourself, Kid."
She snuggled in a nick tighter. "Mmmmm hhhhh..."
++++++++++
Growing up, Jason couldn't remember a time when Traci wasn't a part of his life. Their families lived two houses apart, and she was just two weeks younger than him. They were best friends from the time they were about 3, and remained that way through the "icky" years of farts and cooties. Traci gave Jason his first real kiss, and after waiting until they were both 18, they gave their virginities to each other.
Their parents were as happy with their children being close as they were: where you found one, the other was sure to be close by. Jason, an only child, was an older brother to Traci's sister, Katie, four years her junior. They were regular dinner guests at each other's homes. Through the years, others had tried to steal away one or the other as their own, but none was ever successful. From the time the two were 12, their mothers had joked that they were making wedding arrangements.
It might have gone on to be a great fairy tale come true for all except for college. Traci wanted to be a teacher, and was quickly accepted at the University of Southern Indiana in the southwest corner of Indiana. Jason wanted to earn a degree in engineering, and got accepted to Purdue University. Since neither was allowed by their parents to take their cars to college for their freshman years, the almost four hours of driving distance between them might as well have been the length of the country.
"This will be good for them. A little separation will let them see the world from a new vantage point," was the consensus from the parents.
Jason, however, wasn't convinced the parents were right. Traci was a beautiful girl, blonde hair, blue-eyed with a curvaceous cheerleader body. He knew his brethren; they were going to be all over Traci. He brought up the subject almost every day for the last two weeks before they both had to leave for school. Traci downplayed Jason's worries, however, right up until they night before both left for school.
The pair was eating dinner at Traci's house with her family when Traci spoke up.
"I don't think we should be exclusive to each other while we're away at college," she told him. "We need to get the full college experience, and I don't think we can do that if we're holding back because of each other."
Jason stopped chewing his food immediately and looked like he was going to throw up.
"Jase, are you OK buddy? You look like someone just shot your dog," spoke up Katie.
"Oh, come on, don't be a drama queen, for God's sake," said Traci's father, Allan. "You two will survive."
Jason sat stock still, while Traci continued.
"We'll be together like always when we're home, but when we're away at college, we'll both be free to date whoever we want. You'd get to go out with a different girl each weekend, if that's what you want. And what girl wouldn't want you? As long as you don't get carried away ..."
She purposely left the last part unfinished in front of her parents.
Jason was 6-1, 185 pounds of athletic muscle, with light brown, wavy hair and cool blue eyes. If not for being together with Traci, he might have been their high school's heartthrob. He was a star receiver in football and also earned letters in basketball and baseball. Many a girl in the Fort Wayne area would have been in the bidding for his attentions.
With everybody at the table staring at him, Jason finally found his voice, telling all concerned he was not on board with this plan.
"Whose genius idea was this?" he sarcastically asked.
"There's no need to go there, Son," replied Allan. "Why don't you just calm down and we'll see how this plays out."
Jason knew that with her father on her side, he was defeated. He didn't say another word for the remainder of the evening, and instead of the big good bye kiss Traci was anticipating when he left, Jason gave her a chaste peck on the lips and told her he would call her when he got to Purdue.
"It will be OK, Jason. You'll see. We'll be as good as we always were," Traci said as he left the Branches' home.
Jason's parents were watching TV in the family room when he got home. They could tell something was wrong the minute their son walked in the room. He huffed down on the sofa.
"The world end and somebody not tell us?" Jason's father joked, trying to lighten the mood.
"At least my world," Jason responded back. He then relayed the conversation he just had with Traci.
"A relationship is as much about trust and respect as it is about love, Son," Jason's father replied. If she trusts and respects you as much as you trust and respect her, this won't be a problem. Don't get crazy anticipating the worst."
"I do trust her, Dad. I just don't trust anybody else, and I won't be there to watch over her."
"If you love something, let it go, Jason," his mother started, repeating the old saying.
