I drove Jamie er t nig first I  sure o be , I didnt knoly  me. Granted, s  Id ever received, and even t and read it like s ype of person o a stranger s reet, if  exactly sure o make of it.

    Jamie old me once t s a dim, and I guess I finally came to t s. S . . .

    but s ting on t a miracle, I guess salking specifically about me.

    , I remembered, came into talking about it, but  o say. Old   been ely, at least as far as I could tell. Oill on till talked about tors, but lately er t in trange look would come over hing sad.

    I didnt knoo make of it, being t I really didnt know  well.

    And Jamie,  o describe someone else entirely.

    I could no more imagine  he sky.

    So anyed tood up ears in  didnt even seem to realize I old

    to tco continue ly been t spiritual kid in tion, but I still found  of odd.

    As I  , I glanced at Jamie sitting beside me. S t far a time. I smiled. Maybe s me. My arted scooting across t closer to  before I reac, Jamie broke the silence.

    quot;Landon,quot; surned to;do you ever t God?”

    I pulled my hand back.

    No God, I usually pictured ings Id seen in c e robe, ing -but I knealking about t. Salking about t took a moment for me to answer.

    quot;Sure,quot; I said. quot;Sometimes, I reckon.”

    quot;Do you ever urn out they do?”

    I nodded uncertainly.

    quot;Ive been t it a lot lately.”

    Even more ted to ask, but I didnt. I could tell so say, and I stayed quiet.

    quot;I kno sometimes, I just dont understand  ever o you?”

    S  about all time.

    quot;ell,quot; I said, trying to bluff, quot;I dont t  to understand it all time. I t sometimes  o h.”

    It ty good ans. I guess t my feelings for Jamie tle faster tell s my answer.

    quot;Yes,quot; s;youre right.”

    I smiled to myself and c, since talking about God  t of t made a person feel romantic.

    quot;You kno; I said casually, quot;it sure onigting by tree earlier.”

    quot;Yes, it ; sill elsewhere.

    quot;And you sure looked nice, too.”

    quot;thank you.”

    t oo well.

    quot;Can I ask you a question?quot; I finally said, in to me.

    quot;Sure,quot; she said.

    I took a deep breath.

    quot;After comorroer youve spent some time ; I paused and looked at ;ould you mind coming over to my mas dinner?”

    Even till turned to outlines of a smile as soon as Id said it.

    quot;Yes, Landon, I  very much.”

    I sig believing Id actually asked ill s mas lig City Square. A couple of minutes later ook o complete t evening, s pull it away.

    of s in till on and I could see  beains. I supposed ing up because ed to  at t, or ed to make sure I didnt kiss er on tep. I kne of thing.

    I  t-o do  of tarted to and content at time, and I t Id asked o come over t day. Since s enougo figure out  maybe s enougo figure out tuation as  time Id actually asked o join me of my oion.

    Just as  to eps, I sa from beains and pull s, like Angelas, for instance, t meant t anote or so before t gave you botime to sort of bat your eyes at eaco actually kiss. It usually took about t long.

    No kno, I actually doubted t s ty,  onig  to miss tunity if it came up. I could feel ttle butterflies already starting to form in my stomac opened the door.

    quot;I ; ly.  sallo ired.

    quot;; I said dejectedly.

    quot;; Jamie said er. quot;I wisonig was wonderful.”

    quot;Im so glad for you.quot; o gat.

    quot;Ill give you a bit to say good nighe door open for you.”

    urned around and  back into t doo be reading, t see w was in his hands.

    quot;I ime tonig; Jamie said.

    quot;So did I,quot; I answered, feeling s eyes on me. I wondered if he car ride home.

    quot; time somorro; she asked.

    s eyebro a little.

    quot;Ill come over to get you. Is five oclock okay?”

    S;Daddy, ed s tomorrow?”

    brougo arted rubbing them. he sighed.

    quot;If its important to you, you can,quot; he said.

    Not t stirring vote of confidence Id ever  it was good enough for me.

    quot; s; s radition to al question.

    quot;You dont need to bring anyt; I ans;Ill pick you up at a quarter to five.”

    e stood t  saying anytell  tle impatient.  turned a page of tanding there.

    quot;Ill see you tomorro; she said finally.

    quot;Okay,quot; I said.

    S  for a moment, t me. quot;t; she said.

    it, surned around and  smile playing gently across  as it  to close.

    t day I picked  on sco see t er Id given  like shed promised.

    Bottle surprised  a big deal-whenever my dad was around, my mom would have helen, our cook, make enough food for a small army.

    I guess I didnt mention t earlier, about t only because my family could afford t also because my mom  test  at making sandimes ain  ake  least to get over it. it ing burned masatoes and crunceak. My fath us since before I was born.

    t, it  a palace or anyt e living quarters or anyt. My fat ts orical value. t  teresting to someone like me, it, ution. Spaigside of Ney miles up t

    it still afforded my fats in t ted to leave. In a  made me sad, because no matter w op old Ric.

    orical events like signing titution come along only once every feer , debating farm subsidies for tobacco farmers or talking about t;Red influencequot; o cut it.

    Even someone like me kne.

    tional oric Register -still is, I suppose-and till kind of ac, had scored before I did.

    e   stuffy or anyt. My parents and Jamie carried on t marvelous conversation-tried to inject my o really go over too  least as far as my parents  as a good sign.

    After dinner I invited Jamie to  er and noter putting on our coats, epped outside into ter air. I could see our breat in little puffs.

    quot;Your parents are ; so me. I guess s taken s sermons to .

    quot;t; I responded, quot;in t.quot; I said t only because it rue, but also because it  kids said about Jamie. I  t.

    Sopped to look at ticks, and I didnt see  hem.

    quot;Is it true about your grandfat; s;tories t people tell?”

    I guess s get my .

    quot;Yes,quot; I said, trying not to sment.

    quot;ts sad,quot; s;to life than money.”

    quot;I know.”

    S me. quot;Do you?”

    I didnt meet  ask me why.

    quot;I kno her did was wrong.”

    quot;But you dont  to give it back, do you?”

    quot;Ive never really t about it, to tell you truth.”

    quot;ould you, though?”

    I didnt ans ticks again, and I suddenly realized t sed me to say yes. Its  it.

    quot;?quot; I blurted out before I could stop myself, blood ruso my c;Making me feel guilty, I mean. I  t. I just o be born into this family.”

    S and touc;t doesnt mean you cant undo it,quot; sly, quot;unity.”

    o me, and deep do t decision, if it ever came, o my ant t back to somete to better.

    quot;Does your fat; I asked. I ed to knoo see her again.

    It took a moment for o answer.

    quot;My fat; s; me.”

    quot;Dont all parents?quot; I asked.

    S , to turning back to me.

    quot;I t s different from most. But my fat it makes me o see you. ts o your onight.”

    quot;Im glad ; I said, meaning it.

    quot;So am I.”

    e looked at eac of a  moon, and I almost kissed  t surned a too soon and said somet sort of threw me.

    quot;My fat you, too, Landon.quot; t-it  and sad at time-let me kno it  simply because  I  I used to rees and call  I er family.

    quot;; I asked.

    quot;For t I do,quot; s elaborate any furt t s s tell me, somet made  it  until later t I learned .

    Being in love  a doubt trangest t only  about before toget t in t like being  time I ill  kissed Jamie. I  even aken o Cecils Diner or even to a movie. I  done any of t I normally did  somehow Id fallen in love.

    till didnt kno me.

    Oions, and I  missed t t me ely somet  exactly sure of o take t step.

    aken er Cmas dinner, Id asked if it ime to time, and s s exactly , too-quot;t ; I didnt take tendency to talk like an adult, and I ts h older people so well.

    to  ticed  s car  in t to ask her if I could come in.

    quot;; s o see me.

    Again ook tive sign.

    quot;; I said casually.

    Sioned to t;My fat   on the porch if youd like. . . .”

    Dont even ask me  ill cant explain it. One second I anding t of ing to o t second I . Instead of moving toook a step closer to ook it in mine and looked rig  a little closer. S exactly step back, but  a little, and for a tiny, flickering moment I t Id done ted going any furt of tilting my o t t silting oo, and t our faces ogether.

    It  t long, and it certainly  t it s o t is t ouc forever.