Chapter Two ---- part six

    "Alright, you need to hear this before everybody else does. I am not going to attend any of the colleges we have talked about. In fact I am not going to be doing anything that anyone would have expected me to do. Pastor David was dead on about facing changes. Things are changing Pam, more than I can believe. I may not be able to do anything about all of the changes, but I have to try. I can only see one way to do that, one chance to make a difference that might really matter in the world. I have received an appointment to the Air Force Academy and I am going to go. I wasn't sure if it was right for me until yesterday. I went to talk with Pastor David and I know now. I know it is right. I couldn't let anyone know until I was sure myself. I told my folks last night. I wanted you to know first, but I couldn't hide it from Mom any longer. I will tell the rest of the family this weekend." Then he just sat there watching Pamela, waiting for some kind of reaction. She just sat there looking at him for a long time. Then all she said was, "Wow!"

    It made him laugh. "That is all you can say? Wow, nothing more than that?" He sat there chuckling as she stared at him in disbelief. Pamela finally chuckled too and then reached over to squeeze his shoulder with her hand as she spoke. "I don't really know what else to say. This is nothing I would have expected. I don't really know what to think. I mean... wow! Seeing you as an officer in the Air Force is hard for me to believe. Not that you won't be a great officer, but I just never thought about you being in the military. You are, I don't know, too gentle maybe? I just never thought of you as the soldier type." Andy grinned and shrugged. "I never thought about it before either, but I think it will take a soldier to stop the changes I see happening from destroying our nation. I just know this is where I have to go and what I have to do. I still have no clue as to what I will major in, but I figure that will get sorted out soon enough. I just need to know that you can understand, and won't hate me for doing this."

   She smiled and gave him a long hug. Then she scooted back so she could see his face and spoke. "I could never hate you for doing something you think is right. Actually, I’m very proud of you. I think you need to go. I’ll miss you terribly, but I think this will be easier, knowing that you want to make a difference and had to go try will make it seem more right to me somehow." She smiled before she continued. "Now, unless you want our folks to start wondering what we might be doing, I think you better get me home." Andy glanced at the clock on the dash and groaned. They would normally have been at her home an hour ago. He swung around and started the truck. As he started to pull out Pamela snuggled up next to him and began to nibble on his ear. She giggled like a little girl when he squirmed to get away, but she did stop. He slipped his arm around her and pulled her tight against him again. As they started back towards town she whispered in his ear. "Are we still going to the drive-in this weekend?" Andy grinned and shrugged as he replied. "You tell me."

    Pamela began to giggle again. "Let me see how well I sleep tonight and then I’ll let you know." Andy laughed. "Pam, I just hope I can get to sleep after tonight. Maybe we should double date, just to be safe." Pamela laughed and biting his ear gently, whispered in his ear again. "In your dreams we will double date... big boy!" Andy swerved a bit at where she had placed her hand. Pamela just busted out laughing and snuggled up to kiss him again. He squirmed some more, but only a little. She stopped after just a moment more and then still snuggled against him she let out a long sigh. He didn't dare try to talk. He was too busy trying to keep his mind on the road. It had never been anything like this between them before. Oh they had their fun, but this was, well it was something a lot more intense and personal than 'fun'. Pamela finally spoke again. This time her voice was more normal. "Andy, do you think I am... well you know. I mean I have never done anything like this and I don't want you to think..." Her voice had trailed off.

   Andy slowed down just a little and squeezed her tighter. "No, I think you are... well perfect. Pam you didn't do anything wrong, maybe I did, but it didn't feel wrong to me. Most people think we have been doing a lot more than this for us to have stayed together for so long." He hesitated just a moment before he continued. "I enjoyed tonight. I enjoyed you. I just hope I didn't go too far when I started to..." She moved her head off his shoulder as she placed her fingers on his lips once again. Shaking her head she spoke again. "No. No, it was all perfect. I wanted more, but well, when you hesitated I knew we had to stop. And I am glad we stopped when we did. I just don't want you to think less of me because of all of this, especially not after I told you I didn't love you. I care more for you than anyone else; I think I care for you more than even my folks in some ways. You have always been there and always would be, if I really did need you. I know that. I also know that for right now, we aren't meant to continue. Maybe someday we can, but for now... we both have to go our own way for a while."

   They said nothing else. He drove her home slowly even if they were already running a bit late. He walked her to the door, but when he kissed her goodnight it wasn't like it normally had been. Both of them were short of breath when they separated. Andy walked back to the truck and went for a drive. He needed to get his head clear before he went home, that and make sure he wouldn't turn bright red if anybody asked why he was so late. Nothing was going as he had expected it to go. He had been expecting hurt feelings, maybe yelling, and probably some crying. He had never expected what had happened. Well one thing was certain, he wouldn't soon forget this night. He drove around for a long time. It was well past midnight when he pulled up at the house. He would likely catch some grief in the morning for coming in so late. He should have called, but it had never even crossed his mind until he pulled up to a dark house. Oh well, it wouldn't be the first time and probably not the last time that he gotten a lecture. At least he knew he deserved one this time.