When does just caring about a person a little turn into love? When Katrina moved in next door to us, she was just eight-years-old; I was fourteen. Our parents became good friends and I sort of watched out for Kat when she'd go outside and really thought nothing about her, except as being the kid next door.
Kat had her group of friends, and I had mine and over my high school years, I saw to it that none of the "boys" bothered her, like I would for a kid sister. She always had a smile for me and she'd giggle when she thought I was out of earshot.
My senior year, I took advantage of a program that the U.S. Navy had and they paid for my college education to become a doctor. I wanted to specialize in Chiropractic Medicine, which is the system of treatment based on the belief that all disease is caused by pressure on the nerves as they leave the spinal column.
I worked hard in college, got good grades on my exams and even took courses over the summer months that would assist me in achieving my ultimate goal. Finally came graduation day, the culmination of all the hard work over the last four years was going to start to pay off.
Mom and Dad flew across country to attend and they looked great. I had obtained a room for them at a near-by hotel and they came early to spend a few days. I told them that I was going to report to my first duty station, right after graduation, as an Lt.jg in the Navy.
They were somewhat upset that I wasn't going to spend any time at home, before going off, but I explained that I was really excited about getting started and that once I was settled in at my new station, I could pick a good time to come home.
After graduation, we had supper together and both wished me well. The next morning I watched as they entered the plane to go home. My flight would leave in three hours.
I was headed to the Naval Hospital, in Sigonella, Sicily. The flight would take eighteen hours, so I brought a good book to read on the flight. Dressed in my Dressed Whites Uniform, I waited for the flight.
Mom wrote to me every week, keeping me abreast of what was happening in the neighborhood. She never failed to mention how Kat was doing. At sixteen-years-old now, she was also studying to become a nurse by taking a home course.
Kat had given Mom one of her school pictures, and she sent it to me. Kat was growing up all right, her picture showed a lovely young lady with waist length brown hair, bright green eyes and a captivating smile.
About six months after arriving here in Sigonella, I wrote to Kat and told her how proud I was of her for taking on so much at such a young age and that I was sure she'd be a fantastic nurse.
Two weeks later, I received a letter from Kat. She was happy to hear from me and hoped I enjoyed Sicily. From then on, we kept writing back and forth. In one letter I told her I'd be home for her seventeenth birthday and asked her what she wanted. She just wanted me to come home because she hadn't seen my in years.
I took thirty days leave and flew home and surprised my parents. But the one that was really surprised was Kat; she didn't expect me until next week.
I spotted her from the living room window, when she was walking down the sidewalk, carrying her schoolbooks. I let her get past the house and then opened the front door and said, "Hey! Are you the little girl that lives next door?"
When she heard me, she turned, dropped her books and came running across the lawn. She threw herself at me, wrapping her arms around my neck and hugged me.
I was not expecting this much of a reaction from her, but I held her to me and then I heard her crying. Moving her back, I looked at her and said, "Hey, what's the tears for?"
"Do you realize it has been nearly five years since I've seen you?
"It has been that long hasn't it?"
"I'm glad your home at last, will you be coming to my birthday party next week?"
"I wouldn't miss it Kat."
While we talked, I couldn't help but notice how beautiful that scrawny little girl had grown in to. "You certainly have grown up while I was away."
She stepped back, turned in a circle and said, "Yes! I'm no longer that little girl," as she blushed a little.
"No, your sure not that little girl."
Kat's mother came out the front door, looking for Kat and saw her with me.
"Hi Craig! Welcome home."
"Thank you Mrs. Fielding, nice to be back."
"Kat, you have a phone call, want me to tell them to call back?"
"No, I'll be right there."
She looked at me and said, "Don't be a stranger, okay"
"I won't, go take your call."
She picked up her books, and then went in her house. I got the mail, and then went inside.
The night of her birthday party, I dressed in slacks and a pullover shirt and brought her gift to her. I felt out of place, as the only one's older then me were her parents. I didn't stay long, but told her to have a good time, but she insisted on opening the gift I gave her.
When she unwrapped the box and opened it, she looked amazed. I had bought her a nice pearl necklace, with matching earrings.
"Craig! They're beautiful, thank you."
"I thought you'd like them. I'm sure they'll look great on you."
She ran to show her mother the gift, and I just went back home.
The next two weeks flew by and then I was back on a plane to Sicily. Getting back to my "bachelor accommodations" was nice, but the visit home had made me feel sad that it went by so fast.
I got back into the swing of things at the hospital and it soon felt like I had never left at all.
The time really went by good for me and next thing I knew, I got a letter from Kat saying that she was graduating. I wrote back and told her I wasn't able to attend, as I was in the middle of some research. She understood and just said it would have been nicer if I were there.
Three months later, I was walking the main hall of the hospital and I noticed one of the nurses was just ahead of me; I made out the bars on her epilates, which told me she was an Ensign. She was pretty shapely in her whites and I started to walk just a little faster.
As I got closer to her, I tapped her on the shoulder and said, "Excuse me."
