I Want to be There

H. Gean & J. Miller

2003

Epilogue: Liv Kennedy

Up until Torry and Simon's much anticipated, beautiful summer wedding, I hadn't spent much time near the old place. Whenever they'd come in for the summers, I'd go and stay with them. For half of the summer after high school Landrin stayed, but then he left. He hadn't stayed after that.

I'd kept in close correspondence with Torry and Simon. No one could ever take Torry's place in my life. No one I met while in college could compare to that girl. She was one of a kind and she was my one and only best friend.

Landrin had been quite another story. I'd already applied for college and gotten myself a small, one bedroom house when he left for basic training in the United States Air Force. To him, it seemed as if that would get him where he wanted to be. For a while things were okay between us. The letters traveled back and forth between my place just a few blocks from my parents house and the camp in Oklahoma where he completed basic. After that, he came home and things were great for all of a week. That's when he left for some Fort on the east coast… and he didn't come back.

Slowly the letters came less and were shorter; the trips home were also few and far between. Landrin was making his career out on the coast and I was making mine on the shores of Eerie. Life was tugging us in different directions and it put a huge strain on our relationship. It ended a year after Landrin had been away, on good terms, but it was still painful.

So I'd made new friends. I'd dated around, but no one came close to comparing to him. There was this one guy, Daniel, who was a major in journalism. That didn't work out for a few reasons. He was nice, but there wasn't enough romance to it. The kisses didn't make tears come to my eyes…

When Torry and Simon had us back for the wedding, that was the first time I'd seen Landrin in person in two years. First time I'd heard from him in nine months.

Seeing him was like a head rush of emotions. My eyes wouldn't stay off of him. I found myself going out of my way to have a peek at him. During the wedding I found myself peering every now and then around the couple at him. He was the best man; I was the maid of honor.

During the reception he ran his hands up and down the edges of his jacket and nervously approached me. I gave him a smile. "Care to dance?" he asked.

"I'd love to," I accepted. He walked me onto the dance floor and stiffly took me in his arms, ballroom dancing style. We moved to the music. "Loosen up a little," I suggested with another smile. He let out a nervous chuckle and I felt his muscles relax.

"How are things going at college for you?" he asked casually. Our eyes were steady on each other's.

"I graduated a week or so ago. I'm going to start working on some of my novel ideas and see where that can get me. On the side I've been teaching an art class at the Museum of National Art downtown," I explained. "What about you? I saw you come home in your uniform. How are things at the base?"

"I've been promoted quite a few times. I'm well respected. It's done well for me."

"You've done well with it," I restated for him. He'd become more modest, or maybe it was just the situation with us. "Torry and Simon are so happy. I am so glad they could make this happen."

"I know. That was the best thing for them." I nodded and looked off. The dance ended and Landrin gently let go of me. "Thank you." He turned and meandered back through the crowd.

That night at the house I was getting my bed ready for sleep. That house brought back so many memories. I had the lamp on as I laid down on the bed and opened up my laptop, ready to work on an outline for when I had to go back to work. Torry and Simon were… well… hehe…

There was a knock on the door that stopped the clicking of keys. I looked up. "Come in," I called.

Landrin entered hesitantly. "Are you busy?" he asked.

I quickly shut the screen of my laptop. "No." I smiled. "What's up?"

He stood with his hands in his khakis' pockets. He didn't have glasses on, which he'd almost quit wearing them before high school let out anyway. Most of the summers he hadn't worn them, come to think of it. "Do you want to go somewhere?"

"Where'd you have in mind?" I was up for that. I was still dressed and I was aching to go somewhere with him. Impulsively, I got up and slid on my shoes.

"Mexican maybe? If that's still your favorite… if it isn't we could go somewhere else…"

"It's still my favorite," I assured him. We left the house in his new, black, four by four Dodge Dakota Sport. "Nice ride."

"Thanks."

That night we talked over dinner. We laughed. We were rekindling our friendship, but I was wanting more.

After dinner he asked me to close my eyes and trust him. I did. How could I not trust him? He still had my heart. When I felt myself go inside of a building and enter and elevator, I got nervous.

"Where are we?"

"Trust me," he pleaded. I giggled and nodded, clutching to the familiarity of his hand.

When I heard a door close behind me and felt freezing cold air on my face, I embraced Landrin tightly. "Where are we?" I begged, nervous all of the sudden.

"Open your eyes," he whispered. And we were on top of that building overlooking the city. We were on top of the world. That's where we had the kiss that pulled our lives back in sync. And that kiss brought tears to my eyes…

After that, since my job wasn't anything huge, I moved to the coast with Landrin. We lived outside of the base, not too far, but we had a nice little house. Landrin had done so well, and the books I was working on were going to do well too. I began teaching a creative writing class in a community center.

It was only a year later that Landrin and I came back to the summer house to carry out the tradition of friends getting married in the back yard. Ours was a summer wedding, also. Everything was so perfect.

We kept in close touch with Torry and Simon. We visited them all of the time, even went to a few of Simon's band's shows. They were becoming huge. They were great.

And I was going to be great too, once Torry and I published our co-written book of that one summer and the unbreakable friendship between us all.

And we finally finished it.

Finished May 25, 2003.

Thanks to everyone who took the time to read this. It means a lot to Heather and I. You're all wonderful people. Heh. And for those of you who are interested, we've got it posted on a site: . Thanks!

As for any of you who are interested in what I'm currently writing…I hope to have some of it posted here soon. Because you guys read this and put up with my bad updating…I'm going to try to summarize it a bit so you have something to look forward to if you choose to read it. Heh.

-Julie

Teaser for All Things Good (current title), In Progress

Eve Moore thought she was just your average eighteen-year-old artist. She had a loving family and a good life, until a hit-and-run accident stole her parents. Sick of the memories around her, she moves to New York City to pursue her art. With the return of her twin brother comes many secrets and a life Eve never knew was her own. Throw in a drunk in an elevator, a model for a best friend, and a bit of a mystery…and what do you get? A big mess, that's what.