I smiled as I brushed my long blonde hair. Looking at the invitation on my dresser made me filled with happiness and nostalgia.
Dear Mary-Courtney, It's that time once again! We're firing up the grill with steaks, burger and hot dogs...oh and don't forget, you still owe me a beer from last time. Can't wait to see you and the family. Much Love, Petey
After all these years, 33 remarkable years after that first meeting with Petey in Mrs. Shaul's fifth period Spanish class, we were still friends. All the Titans were close. Even though some had moved away, we made it a point to get together for a reunion every summer at Coach Boone's. Petey and Blue hadn't changed much. Slightly heavier and a little grayer but they were still the same class clowns always up for a joke and belting out the songs we used to dance to in Rev's living room, songs that our children now referred to with rolled eyes as "oldies". Speaking of Rev, he was doing well. Married with two sweet kids, one grandbaby on the way and we could actually use the term "Rev" with truth as he was now the minister at the old Hope Methodist church on First Street. I cherished and looked forward to the times we got together. It was wonderful to reflect and reminisce about events from so long ago that had bonded us together for a lifetime. With Louie and his family in Tennessee and me and my family in South Carolina, it was nice to make time to all get together and catch up. I remember once when Gerry was in the hospital after the wreck, he and Julius made a pact that one day they would get houses side by side and grow old together with their families in a world where black and white didn't matter. That dream that once seemed so far off and impossible had come true. Julius and his high school sweetheart Gwen lived next door to Gerry and Emma in a quiet little neighborhood where they had raised their children together. Sometimes I missed Alexandria and secretly wished I could be right there with them. But my life hadn't turned out so bad. Ronnie Bass and I became an item at the awards dinner that night and continued that relationship on up to when we graduated high school and attended colleges in separate states. But we remained the best of friends and wrote each other once a week for four years. And I was there to greet him when he returned home after college graduation...with his steady girlfriend in tow. But the years were good to me as I traveled the country as a successful business woman. Eventually I married and settled down raising three beautiful daughters.
"Mother, make Vanessa get off the phone! She's been on the phone for over an hour and I have to use it!" my youngest, 16 year old Christina bellowed from the hall.
"Mom, I have not! Chrissy is a liar!" 19 year old Vanessa added.
"Guys you know the rules", I hollered into the hallway. "Now it is way too early for all this bickering. If you two can't settle it without arguing then no one uses the phone, got it? Vanessa, if you've been on the line for an hour, use your cell phone, honey."
"Just great, Mom! You always take her side. Chrissy is such a brat!"
The master bathroom door opened and my husband emerged freshly showered and clean shaven.
"The girls fighting over the phone again?"
"Of course. Those two are driving me insane!"
"It could be worse."
"Really?"
"Jennifer could have chosen not to go to Europe this summer and we'd have three kids arguing over the phone", he smiled.
I had to agree but what could I say? I loved our girls. We truly had been blessed over the years with a wonderful, beautiful family. I loved my husband a great deal even after 24 years of marriage and three bratty but beautiful daughters. He planted a small kiss on my forehead, then on my cheeks, then my lips.
"I love you, babe", I whispered.
"I love you, too", he said as he pulled me close for another kiss.
"Oh gross, don't you two ever quit it?" Vanessa asked as she barged into our room and flopped down on the bed.
"Don't you ever knock?" her father teased.
"I think it's kind of sweet that they're always kissing and making out and stuff. Old people seem to do that a lot these days", Christina added as she joined us. "At least Mom and Dad are still together. Most of my friends' parents are divorced."
"Not Mom and Dad", Vanessa smiled. "These two will never get divorced, right guys?" Vanessa smiled.
"That's right", I nodded.
"Dad, tell us the story again, the one about how you and Mom got together", Christina begged.
"Let's see, it was a clear Virginia day..."
"Not that one", Vanessa laughed. "No offense Dad but your stories are way too long. You tell it, Mom and not the one when you first got together but the romantic one. The one where you found each other again."
"Oh, that one", I laughed. "Okay. It was a bitterly cold winter night with snow on the ground that was knee deep. I don't know why I decided to visit your grandparents in Alexandria that weekend but anyway I went and got snowed in and was miserable. So I walked a few blocks to get some coffee and warm up and there he was. My first love sitting in a little corner booth. Turns out the same thing had happened to him. He came up for a spur of the moment visit and got snowed in as well. Well, we started talking and catching up and remembering old times and it was like we'd never been apart all those years. He invited me to come visit him in Greenville and one weekend I did ...and never left. The rest is history."
"That's so cool, Mom", Christina gushed. "It's beautiful. Like Romeo and Juliet."
"It's not Romeo and Juliet stupid because they're still alive", Vanessa groaned.
"Duh!"
"Duh!"
I looked over at my husband with a huge grin even as our children continued to argue. Yes it had been a great life, one I wouldn't have traded for the world.
"I love you, Mary-Courtney", he said.
I looked deep into those blue eyes and got lost inside his soul like I had so many times before.
"And I love you too, Ronnie"
THE END
Dear Mary-Courtney, It's that time once again! We're firing up the grill with steaks, burger and hot dogs...oh and don't forget, you still owe me a beer from last time. Can't wait to see you and the family. Much Love, Petey
After all these years, 33 remarkable years after that first meeting with Petey in Mrs. Shaul's fifth period Spanish class, we were still friends. All the Titans were close. Even though some had moved away, we made it a point to get together for a reunion every summer at Coach Boone's. Petey and Blue hadn't changed much. Slightly heavier and a little grayer but they were still the same class clowns always up for a joke and belting out the songs we used to dance to in Rev's living room, songs that our children now referred to with rolled eyes as "oldies". Speaking of Rev, he was doing well. Married with two sweet kids, one grandbaby on the way and we could actually use the term "Rev" with truth as he was now the minister at the old Hope Methodist church on First Street. I cherished and looked forward to the times we got together. It was wonderful to reflect and reminisce about events from so long ago that had bonded us together for a lifetime. With Louie and his family in Tennessee and me and my family in South Carolina, it was nice to make time to all get together and catch up. I remember once when Gerry was in the hospital after the wreck, he and Julius made a pact that one day they would get houses side by side and grow old together with their families in a world where black and white didn't matter. That dream that once seemed so far off and impossible had come true. Julius and his high school sweetheart Gwen lived next door to Gerry and Emma in a quiet little neighborhood where they had raised their children together. Sometimes I missed Alexandria and secretly wished I could be right there with them. But my life hadn't turned out so bad. Ronnie Bass and I became an item at the awards dinner that night and continued that relationship on up to when we graduated high school and attended colleges in separate states. But we remained the best of friends and wrote each other once a week for four years. And I was there to greet him when he returned home after college graduation...with his steady girlfriend in tow. But the years were good to me as I traveled the country as a successful business woman. Eventually I married and settled down raising three beautiful daughters.
"Mother, make Vanessa get off the phone! She's been on the phone for over an hour and I have to use it!" my youngest, 16 year old Christina bellowed from the hall.
"Mom, I have not! Chrissy is a liar!" 19 year old Vanessa added.
"Guys you know the rules", I hollered into the hallway. "Now it is way too early for all this bickering. If you two can't settle it without arguing then no one uses the phone, got it? Vanessa, if you've been on the line for an hour, use your cell phone, honey."
"Just great, Mom! You always take her side. Chrissy is such a brat!"
The master bathroom door opened and my husband emerged freshly showered and clean shaven.
"The girls fighting over the phone again?"
"Of course. Those two are driving me insane!"
"It could be worse."
"Really?"
"Jennifer could have chosen not to go to Europe this summer and we'd have three kids arguing over the phone", he smiled.
I had to agree but what could I say? I loved our girls. We truly had been blessed over the years with a wonderful, beautiful family. I loved my husband a great deal even after 24 years of marriage and three bratty but beautiful daughters. He planted a small kiss on my forehead, then on my cheeks, then my lips.
"I love you, babe", I whispered.
"I love you, too", he said as he pulled me close for another kiss.
"Oh gross, don't you two ever quit it?" Vanessa asked as she barged into our room and flopped down on the bed.
"Don't you ever knock?" her father teased.
"I think it's kind of sweet that they're always kissing and making out and stuff. Old people seem to do that a lot these days", Christina added as she joined us. "At least Mom and Dad are still together. Most of my friends' parents are divorced."
"Not Mom and Dad", Vanessa smiled. "These two will never get divorced, right guys?" Vanessa smiled.
"That's right", I nodded.
"Dad, tell us the story again, the one about how you and Mom got together", Christina begged.
"Let's see, it was a clear Virginia day..."
"Not that one", Vanessa laughed. "No offense Dad but your stories are way too long. You tell it, Mom and not the one when you first got together but the romantic one. The one where you found each other again."
"Oh, that one", I laughed. "Okay. It was a bitterly cold winter night with snow on the ground that was knee deep. I don't know why I decided to visit your grandparents in Alexandria that weekend but anyway I went and got snowed in and was miserable. So I walked a few blocks to get some coffee and warm up and there he was. My first love sitting in a little corner booth. Turns out the same thing had happened to him. He came up for a spur of the moment visit and got snowed in as well. Well, we started talking and catching up and remembering old times and it was like we'd never been apart all those years. He invited me to come visit him in Greenville and one weekend I did ...and never left. The rest is history."
"That's so cool, Mom", Christina gushed. "It's beautiful. Like Romeo and Juliet."
"It's not Romeo and Juliet stupid because they're still alive", Vanessa groaned.
"Duh!"
"Duh!"
I looked over at my husband with a huge grin even as our children continued to argue. Yes it had been a great life, one I wouldn't have traded for the world.
"I love you, Mary-Courtney", he said.
I looked deep into those blue eyes and got lost inside his soul like I had so many times before.
"And I love you too, Ronnie"
THE END