Part Three

Tuesday, April 8, 2008

I’ve been doing so much thinking about the future that I don’t know what I want any more. So, I’ve decided to put off making a decision. I’m going to spend the summer in Iowa with Rick and see if I can stand to live there. I’m not sure that I can. I’ve checked it out and I can still transfer at the last minute, so I still have time to make a decision. I so don’t want to make a decision! I wish he’d reconsider on this job, but he says it’s his dream job and he’s not going to give it up just because it happens to be in Iowa. I wanted to say something to that, but I just couldn’t. He wants this so much and I can’t stand in his way.

Diana knocked on Rick’s apartment door and waited for him to answer. The door was thrown open and he greeted her with a smile.

“Good news,” he told her, pulling her into a hug and kicking the door shut behind her. “I have a place lined up for us to live in Des Moines. A friend of mine is going to sublet his apartment to us.”

“Us?” Di asked, taken aback. “Were you thinking we’d live together?”

“Of course,” he answered. “Weren’t you?”

Diana tried to be diplomatic. “I wasn’t thinking of it. I kind of thought we’d each have our own place.”

“It won’t be worth it for the summer.” He started kissing down her neck. “If you end up coming back here at the end of the summer, it would be a waste of time finding a place for yourself. You should just stay with me.”

“I don’t know about that,” she answered, but found herself becoming distracted. “I’ll think about it.”

“It’ll be good,” he promised. “We’ll have more time together.”

She nodded, knowing that there was little point in arguing about it now. In that moment, she knew that she could not afford to give in to him. If she did, she would never regain that ground.

Monday, May 5, 2008

My mother called last night and insisted that I spend this summer in Sleepyside, since I spent last summer away. Doesn’t she understand that I need this time to make an informed decision? Can’t she see that this is so important to my relationship with Rick? If I can’t stand to live in Iowa, I need this time with him before we’re apart for so much of the time. And I need this time anyway to find out if I can. I can tell that she’s going to keep at me about this, but my mind is made up – I have to do it.

“This is really nice, isn’t it?” Rick asked, surveying the view from the top of a hill. They were taking a walk through a state park, as Rick was keen to avoid the Memorial Day picnics and parades.

“It’s lovely,” Di answered.

Rick had already lost interest in the view and had set off down the trail once more. Di sighed, wishing she had a little longer to appreciate the result of her efforts in trekking up this steep hill, but knowing that she would never catch up with him if she fell behind.

As they walked, Rick chatted about various subjects, not seeming to notice that Di was hardly joining in the conversation. She found it hard enough to catch her breath without trying to talk at the same time. She was also finding her thoughts straying to Jerry Vanderhoef, whom she had known in high school, but had disliked. A few months ago, the news had broken that Jerry had been killed in Iraq. It seemed petty to think badly of him, now that he was dead. On the other hand, this seemed an appropriate day to remember him.

“Were you listening, Di?” Rick’s voice broke into her thoughts.

“Oh! Sorry. My mind was wandering. What did you say?”

He looked a little put out, but repeated, “I’m going to be leaving for Iowa a couple of days earlier than we planned, on the Tuesday instead of the Saturday. Will you be ready?”

She drew a breath and nodded. “I should be. I was kind of planning on spending those days in Sleepyside, though, to soothe my mother’s hurt feelings. What’s the rush?”

“I’m just anxious to get established,” he answered. “I want to make a good impression in this job, since it will be the building stone for my career. I think the extra few days will help me to be more ready.”

Di nodded. “That’s probably good planning.” Still, she was disappointed. “I’ll spend a few days in Sleepyside sometime later in the summer, instead, I guess.”

“Great,” he replied. “I knew you’d see it my way.”

Tuesday, June 3, 2008

When Rick told me he was going to Iowa, it never occurred to me that he’d be living so close to Trixie’s uncle’s place. I mean, of course I thought of the Bob-White trip out here when he said Iowa and of course I know that Des Moines is where we flew in that time, but I just never connected the two. I’ve only been here for five hours and already I’ve run into someone we first met on that trip, Barbara Hubbell. I think I’m feeling a little better about this move because of that. It feels like a connection with home.

“It’s a bit small and dingy.” Rick looked a little disgusted, as he viewed Di’s living quarters for the first time. He had so far avoided coming here, perhaps as a protest against its existence. “I don’t know why you didn’t want to stay with me. My place is a lot nicer.”

While she heartily agreed with the last sentiment, Di was determined to have a place she could call her own, separate from Rick. She could not put the reason behind it into words, but it was a strong urge nonetheless.

“It’s only for a couple of months. If I decide to stay in Iowa, I’ll get something nicer. Would you like something to drink?”

He shook his head. “Let’s go. I don’t have a lot of time this evening and I want to make the most of it. I have things I need to buy and I’m sure you’re the girl to help me choose them.”

She smiled, knowing that she was by far the better shopper of the two. “Lead the way. My expertise is at your command.”

“I don’t know if I’d go that far,” he commented, with a last, disdainful glance around. “You sure didn’t get a bargain in this place.”

Di ignored the remark and locked the door.

Saturday, July 19, 2008

I’ve made my decision. Today, I’ve decided that I’m going to transfer here. I’ve already filled out all of my forms and posted them, too. I don’t know why it is, but this is the right place for me. Barbara is going to be so excited when I tell her. She keeps telling me that she wants me here and now she’s going to have me. My mother is going to be so disappointed, though. She says she doesn’t see me enough as it is, without my considering moving half-way across the country. I don’t know how I’m going to break it to her. I know she’ll be upset.

The telephone was ringing as Diana entered the place she was staying. She scooped it up and gave a rather breathless greeting.

“Finally!” Trixie’s voice answered. “Di, we really need you to go pack a bag. Jim and I are getting married tomorrow and we really want you to be there, so Honey’s arranged for her father’s plane to collect you and take you back afterwards, okay?”

“What?” Di squeaked. “You’re getting married tomorrow? Why?”

Trixie seemed to wave the matter away. “I’ll explain later, but it’s to do with Jim being pig-headed and me being determined and does it really matter, when this has been coming for a long time, now?”

“I suppose not. But I really want a full explanation later.” She sighed. “What time do I need to get to the airport?”

“You’ve got about two hours.”

Di let out another squeak. “Two hours? What if you hadn’t reached me? What if I’d stayed out? What if I was busy and couldn’t come?”

“I don’t know,” Trixie answered. “Just be glad it’s working out. You want to see us get married, don’t you?”

“Yes, I do,” Di answered, softly. “Okay, Trixie. Thanks for arranging this. I’ll see you when I get there, I guess.” She frowned. “Where is ‘there’, by the way?”

“Las Vegas.” She could hear the grin in Trixie’s voice. “I wanted to be married by an Elvis impersonator, but Jim said no.”

“Thank heaven for small mercies,” Di murmured.

“What was that? I didn’t catch it.”

Di smiled. “Never mind. I’ll see you later, Trixie. I’ll have to rush if I want to catch that plane.”

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

I’m going to move tomorrow! Barbara has offered me a room in the house she shares with some friends. It’s small, but has everything I need and it’s close to Rick’s place. I know I’m going to love it there.

“I think it’s time for me to go home,” Di told Rick, reluctantly, as the movie they were watching ended. “I’ve got an early class in the morning and I just know that the homework is going to start piling up soon.”

“You can stay the night, if you’d like,” he offered, but frowned as she shook her head. “No one would know. It’s no big deal.”

Diana looked down, avoiding his eyes. “I’d rather sleep in my own bed, thanks. I always think I sleep better in my own bed than any other, no matter how comfortable it is, don’t you?”

“If you’d taken up my offer to live here with me, it would be your own bed,” he pointed out. “It’s not too late to change your mind.”

“I like living with Barbara,” she answered, gathering her things. “I think, in this stage of our relationship, we need our own spaces.”

“This stage? Di, we’ve been together almost a year and a half!”

“Yes, but we’re not married. If we were married – or even engaged – it would be different.” She watched the frustration mount in his expression. “My parents are disapproving enough without provoking them by moving in with you.”

He huffed. “How would your parents even know whether you were here or there?”

“I don’t know, but my mother would. It’s some kind of maternal radar, or something. She just knows.” She leaned over and kissed him. “I’m sorry. It’s just how things have to be for now.”

He pulled her closer. “Just stay a little while longer.”

Diana nodded and let him have his way.

Thursday, September 18, 2008

I never thought it would be so hard to make new friends! Everyone in my classes seems to know someone already and they don’t seem interested in meeting anyone new. Or maybe it’s just me? It’s wonderful being near Rick and I love sharing with Barbara, but if I don’t find someone to study with soon I think I’m going to flunk!

“Diana! Telephone for you,” Barbara called.

Di came rushing, smiled her thanks as she took the receiver and gave a chirpy greeting.

“It’s me,” came Honey’s voice. “How are you?”

She screwed up her nose. “Oh, fine, thank you. How are you?”

Honey giggled. “Just dying to share the latest Sleepyside gossip with someone who can appreciate it. You’ll never believe what’s happened.”

“What?”

“Do you remember when Bobby Belden was in kindergarten and he had a teacher called Miss Elliman, and he kept calling her Miss Elephant?”

“Vaguely. What about her?”

“Well…” Honey was obviously enjoying the telling of this news, as she was drawing it out. “It seems that Miss Elliman has a first name–”

“As we all do. Hurry up. I’m getting curious.”

“She’s called Desiree.”

“And?”

“And she was in her first year out of college that year she was Bobby’s teacher, which would make her about twenty-eight or -nine now.”

“And?”

Honey let the silence draw out for a few seconds longer than necessary. “And it seems that she likes younger men.”

“Who?” Di breathed, as endless possibilities flitted through her mind.

“Brian!”

“No!”

“Yes! They’ve been dating for at least six weeks, as far as I can make out. It’s probably been longer, I would guess, but they’ve been keeping quiet about their relationship.”

“I bet,” Di commented, her mind reeling. “He’d be… about five years younger than her?”

“That’s what I figured. It’s a bit of a shock, isn’t it?”

“It is.” Di shook her head. “I would never have thought that Brian would do something like that.”

“It just goes to show that you can’t predict who you’ll fall in love with,” Honey noted.

Di thought of Rick and considered that her friend was so right.

Friday, October 17, 2008

Thank heavens for Lucy! Today I met someone from Trixie’s Lucy fan group. Trix must have sent her a picture of me or something because she came right up to me and introduced herself. I was getting so worried about my studies, but now I’m in a study group and everything is going to be fine, I hope.

“You’re really settling in, now, aren’t you, Di?” Barbara commented at breakfast one morning. “The last few weeks, you’ve seemed so much calmer than when you first got here.”

Di smiled. “I’m finally finding my feet. It’s taken a lot longer than I thought it would.”

Barbara nodded. “You needed more than two friends here and that takes time.”

“I considered myself lucky to find you here, I can tell you! I would have been so lost if it had only been me and Rick, since he’s at work all day.”

“You’ve sacrificed a lot for him, haven’t you?” the other girl mused.

Di shrugged. “I don’t really think of it that way. I want to make our relationship work, so I have to put in some effort.”

“I guess you do,” Barbara answered, her eyes on her plate as she buttered some toast. “Maybe this is easier than the long-distance thing.”

“I don’t like to be left behind,” Di told her. “I’d rather follow to somewhere where I knew nobody than be abandoned.”

Monday, November 10, 2008

Rick’s company is sending him to Oregon for a few weeks. I’m going to miss him so much! He found out today and he’s leaving at about five in the morning. I tried to help him pack, but he said it would be better if I left it to him. He doesn’t even have time to spend with me before he goes, because he needs to be up so early tomorrow and wanted an early night. So, now, it’s only nine o’clock and I’m sitting in my room by myself. It makes me feel really down.

“Bad news,” Rick’s voice on the phone sounded distant. “They’ve asked me to extend my stay again.”

Di’s heart sank. “Again? But it’s already been so long. I miss you so much.”

His sigh could barely be heard. “There’s nothing I can do about it, Di. I need to get the job done, but it’s turned out to be a lot more complicated than expected. I don’t want to keep you waiting like this, but I don’t have a choice.”

As tears gathered in her eyes, Di tried to keep calm. She knew that hysterics would not help, but only make Rick feel worse. “Okay. Remember that I’m waiting here for you.”

The conversation turned to other topics, but all too soon it was time for the call to end. After she set down the receiver, Di sat and stared at it for a long time. The tears she had earlier held back were blurring her vision when Barbara entered the room.

“What’s wrong?” she cried, giving Di a one-sided hug. “It’s Rick, isn’t it? What did he say?”

“That he’s stuck there even longer,” Di wailed. “It feels like he won’t ever come back.”

Barbara gave her a squeeze. “I’m sure it’s not that bad. He’s probably just as disappointed as you are.”

“He didn’t sound disappointed. He sounded like he was enjoying this.”

Her friend looked her in the face. “Are you sure? Maybe you were reading something into the conversation that wasn’t there.”

Di shrugged. “Maybe. I’m just missing him so much. Why doesn’t he miss me?”

“I’m sure he does,” Barbara told her. “He’s just a guy and guys aren’t that good at expressing these things.”

“I hope that’s it,” Di answered. “I don’t think I can stand it if you’re wrong.”

Monday, December 15, 2008

Only two days until I see Rick again! If I’d known back at the beginning of November that it would be this long with only seeing him for two days at Thanksgiving, I think I would have done a Trixie and just died! We’ve emailed at least once a day, most times more, the whole time and we’ve talked on the phone quite a lot, but it’s just not the same. I can’t wait to feel his arms around me again.

Diana paced the floor as she waited for her big reunion with Rick. At his insistence, she was in his apartment. She would have happily picked him up from the airport, but he had been most firm on the topic. Without quite understanding why, she had acquiesced to his request, but it left her with nothing to do. After what seemed an interminable wait, the door opened and he strode in, carrying his suitcase in one hand and a brown paper bag in the other.

“Di,” he greeted, as she threw herself at him. “I missed you.”

“I missed you so much,” she told him, punctuating her words with kisses. “Please, don’t ever leave me again.”

“I’ll see what I can do,” he answered, laughing. “Come, sit at the table. I brought us burgers and we can catch up.”

Di was a little puzzled by this, not to mention alarmed at the thought of Rick’s taste in hamburgers and what she might be about to eat. Still, she did as he directed and sat at the table. He set down the bag and unloaded it. While she thought he was not looking, she gave her burger a dubious poke.

“I saw that,” he chided. “It’ll be good, really. Now, tell me how you’ve been.”

Bowing to her fate, Di picked up the burger and took a bite. It fell short of the best hamburger Rick had ever fed her, which was nothing to write home about in itself, but at least was neither soggy or dry. Deciding that the evening would not be a complete disaster, she allowed him to engage her in small talk.

Tuesday, January 6, 2009

I don’t know what it is, but I think there’s something a bit off between me and Rick. I’ve been thinking and thinking, but I just can’t put my finger on what it is. It’s like all that time apart has put a distance between us. I can’t stand for our relationship to end the way that mine and Mart’s did! I know that I’m going to have to work hard to make this right, but I can’t quite seem to find the right things to do. It’s scary. I don’t want to go through that again.

While Rick worked late one evening, Di was finding it difficult to keep her concentration on her studies. She felt like she needed a distraction for a while, so decided to see if she could get Honey on the phone. It was a bit of a long shot, since her friend would most likely have plans of her own, but it paid off.

“Di! I’m so glad you called,” Honey greeted. “I was thinking of calling you, since I have some Sleepyside gossip to share and you’re my favourite person to share with, especially since Trixie is the person who shared this with me and, while technically I’ve already shared it with her, I’d like to share it with someone new, which should definitely be you.”

“Thanks, I think,” Di responded, giggling. “So, what have Trixie’s brothers done this time? Is Brian still with the kindergarten teacher?”

“I think so,” Honey answered. “I haven’t heard anything new about them. This time, it’s Bobby and is he in trouble!”

“What did he do?” she asked, wondering what kind of trouble a thirteen-year-old could get into that would warrant this kind of attention. Then she shook her head – Trixie at thirteen had gotten into plenty of note-worthy trouble.

“Well, it seems that he conspired with your brothers to stay out all night one night, only they didn’t get their stories straight enough and your mother and his mother put two and two together.” She paused for a breath. “They caught him hiding out in our old clubhouse – with a girl!”

“What?” Di squeaked. “But he’s too young for that kind of thing… isn’t he?”

“They weren’t doing anything they shouldn’t,” Honey explained, “other than actually being there at night by themselves. They claimed that they were investigating a mystery.”

Di groaned. “Poor Mrs. Belden! She thought she was finished with teenage detectives when Trixie turned twenty, but now this!”

“I know. And he wouldn’t explain what the mystery was, either, so they’ve still got to deal with whatever it is as well.”

“Let’s just hope it was a false alarm. Sleepyside does not need more mysteries.”

Honey sounded thoughtful. “I was really glad for those mysteries, you know. I wouldn’t trade them for anything – except to have you and Dan come with us on more trips, of course.”

“That would have been nice,” Di answered, smiling. “It’s just so good to talk to you, Honey. You always make me feel like I belong.”

“Of course you belong,” Honey cried. “You’ll always belong, Di. No matter what happens, you belong.”

Di smiled. It was so good to have friends like Honey.

Friday, February 13, 2009

This has to be one of the worst days of my life. Rick has accepted a transfer to Oregon – without consulting me at all! He says I should just stay here until the end of the semester and then follow him, but I think he means that I should stay here and get over him so that he can move on. I’m beginning to suspect that he met someone when he was there last year. There have been a couple of times I’ve mentioned Oregon and he’s looked a little guilty. And I had a chat on the phone with one of the women in his office, after I ‘accidentally’ dialled the wrong extension, and she let it slip that he’d asked for this transfer.

Feeling down, Diana decided that what she really needed was someone to talk to. After a few minutes’ thought, she settled on Honey, took up the phone and dialled the number. She was relieved to hear it answered by her friend.

“Hey, Honey. How are you?” she greeted. For a few minutes, the pair exchanged news.

“There’s a reason for this call, isn’t there?” Honey asked, as the conversation trailed off. “What can I help you with, Di?”

Diana sighed. “I was just feeling lonely and down and needed someone to talk it through with.”

“This is to do with Rick?” Hearing an affirmative answer, she asked, “Have you heard from him since he got there?”

“Only once and that was a one-line email.” Di blinked back a tear. “I think it’s over, don’t you? He doesn’t want to be with me and he’s run away, just like Mart did.”

Honey did not answer at once. “I don’t think this is quite the same. Maybe he thought the relationship had run its course, but didn’t know how to end it.”

“It would have been nice if he’d actually ended it, instead of keeping saying that we’d be together again,” she grumbled. “I feel like I’m being kept hanging. It’s awful.”

“Maybe you should try to talk to him,” Honey suggested.

“And dump him? It’s an idea. I don’t like being treated this way. At least Mart told me before he left. I thought that was awful, but in a way this is worse.”

“Don’t dump him just yet,” Honey replied, her tone thoughtful. “Maybe he’s just busy, or he’s been sick, or the phone’s not working, or he only calls when you’re out, or something. Maybe if you give him a chance, he’ll make it up to you.”

“He can have one more chance,” Di decided. “I’ll call him after we finish talking and see what he says. It had better be good, though.”

After that, talk turned to other subjects.

Continue to part four.