“How could I? But, August is so far away!” At the moment, Jorden wished they could slip off and get married tonight, but she knew Alex wanted to wait.

“A year will go by quickly—you’ll see. It’ll be hard, but it will make us even stronger. Then we haven’t rushed into marriage.” Alex squeezed her hand.

They slept late the next morning. Jorden made her pancake specialty, with maple syrup and fresh fruit, to try and impress him.

“Yum tasty, almost as delicious as you.” Alex grinned and gave her a kiss. “Thank you.”

Jorden blushed. “You’re welcome.” This was the side of Alex she loved, the one she always wanted to be with.

He sipped his second cup of coffee, looking toward the window. “It’s a beautiful day. What about Callaway Gardens?”

“Callaway Gardens. Hmm . . .” Jorden glanced outside. “It’s hot enough; we could go swimming.”

“I don’t have a swimsuit.”

“So? We’ll buy you one.”

“You’re nuts!” Alex laughed.

But they did. Jorden talked Alex into buying a swimsuit at Columbus Square before they drove north. Callaway Gardens was packed, but it didn’t matter. They enjoyed swimming, walking around the lake, and having dinner at the Callaway Garden Lodge. To Jorden it was a perfect day, except she ended up sunburned.

Mornings were the hardest for Jorden—having to leave for school. Alex would eat with her and then send her off with a wave. Friday, their last day, arrived too soon. She took a day of personal leave; luckily her principal approved it. If he hadn’t she would have called in sick. It meant everything to her to spend her last day with Alex.

“I wish we had your Mustang for this gorgeous day,” Jorden complained. Instead Alex drove Jorden’s Volkswagen Bug south of Columbus.

“Do me a favor. Check the map, Miss Navigator. What’s the next town?”

“Cusseta. From there we could bear to the right to Louvale, Lumpkin, and Richland or turn left to Renfroe and Brooklyn.”

“What’s your pleasure?”

“You are!” Jorden grinned.

“Never heard of U-R!” Alex laughed. “Listen to my navigator—she doesn’t know where she’s going.”

“I do too!”

“Promise you won’t get us lost?”

“Never!” Jorden replied.

Alex drove past small farms dotting the country landscape while Jorden listened to “My Girl” playing on the radio. It made her nostalgic for their past as Alex drove through several small picturesque towns. Each one had a main street with large colonial style homes, set back with deep lawns. Wrap-around porches or verandas with one or two swings were common features. In the heat of the day few people were outside.