Foregone Forgo

Tommy couldn't get the cascading red curls out of his head. The wafting scent of lavender seemed to overcome his scenses to the point where sight and sound were no more. The rich red curls ruled his mind's eye while the her full rich scent ruled his reality. The clock on the wall continued its ceaseless journey towards its infinite ending while the professor continued her ceaseless droning on infinite beginnings. The only thing to reach Tommy's mind was the stifled giggle from Veronica.

Once class was over Tommy's fellow student's began filing out of the lecture hall bringing Tommy back to reality once more. Sights and sounds flooded his mind, the shuffle of chairs, the murmer of numerous voices, the bouncing of rich red curls and the flash of her green eyes. He caught her smile and held it in his mind and then she was gone as she was every Tuesday at 2pm. Tommy gathered his books and bag and left the hall last of the few hundred students. Tuesday's at 12pm was the beginning of the most perfect two hours of Tommy's life. Tuesday's at 2pm was their end. Philosophy was now his worst class but the one he would never miss.

Mostly Tommy pined for Veronica in stubborn shy silence. In his more fanciful moments he compared his feelings for Veronica with those medieval tales of unrequited love. Romeo and Juliet had become a personal favorite; so much so that he had taken to carrying around his well thumbed edition all the time now. Tommy was still lost in his thoughts and fancies when he was joined by his roommate and friend Brian who everyone refered to as 'Nel' due to his amazing feets with a beer funnel in his freshman year. Tommy could see Nel's mouth moving before he could hear what he was saying. " ... mmy, man. Yo Tommy. You ready for practice, man?"

Most of the time, while on the pitch Tommy could lose himself for awhile in the rigors of practice. The only voice that mattered was that of his coaches and captain. Run hard. Don't drop the ball. Hit hard. Play smart. Communicate. He lost himself in the pure physicalness of it all; his mind running on instinct and skills hammered into him through repetition and hundreds of push-ups. Things were going well until he spotted the flash of red out of the corner of his eye and dropped the ball. "Dougan! What the hell were you thinking?! This is rugby son! If you want to stay on this pitch you WILL CATCH THE BALL!!! You understand me son?!" Coach Spencer was inches from him now, his face red, the vein on his forehead pulsing. "Yes, sir." Tommy offered. "Drop and give me twenty-five! Maybe then you'll catch the ball." Tommy moved to the side of the running lane and began his twenty-five push-ups. He couldn't help but notice Veronica in the stands giggling with her friend Paula. Her eyes watching him in the mud.

"You ask me, Coach Spencer needs to chill a little. Hit the bong once in a while, you know?" Tommy couldn't keep the suprise from his face when he turned to see Veronica sitting alone on one of the large rocks lining the pathway into the athletics center. "Ah, um, yeah. No. Ah, I guess so." Was all Tommy could muster at that particular moment. He was suprised he could speak at all. Veronica talked to him. Here she was, right in front of him. Her deep red curls, gleaming green eyes, pale milky skin, pink lips, rare freckles, her bright absorbing smile. "Soooooo?" Veronica asked. "Uh, so?" Was Tommy's witty rejoinder. "So are you ever going to get around to asking me out? I've been waiting for weeks now. I keep dropping hints in Philosophy class and so far nothing. I mean I know I'm not a supermodel but I'm not that bad am I?" Veronica had a playful look in her eyes. Tommy responded before he could think, "no. You're beautiful."

Leaving the practice pitch, Tommy noticed nothing. Not the mile long walk to his dorm room. Not the few hundred people he passed on the way. Not the rain that had begun to fall. Not the car that had had to swerve to miss hitting him. Tommy noticed nothing except the address and phone number written on the palm of his hand. It took Nel asking Tommy what the goofy look and stupid grin were all about three times before Tommy even registered that he was in his dorm room and that he was not alone. "Huh?" Nel gave Tommy a quick shot in the shoulder and continued his questioning. "I know Spencer can be a tight-ass but I didn't know that doing a few push-ups can turn you into a drooling idiot. What's up with the facial paralysis, man?" Tommy regain his sense of composure, his goofy smile faded only to be replaced by one of sheer ecstacy. "I've got a date with Veronica tomorrow night. Now where is a pen and paper?"

Over the next few months Tommy and Veronica became inseperable. Their first date had gone amazingly well as far as Tommy was concerned. For starters he was able to talk and walk and secondly he had lined up another date with Veronica for the following Saturday night. It wasn't until their sixth date that they actually began fooling around. It wasn't until their ninth date that they had sex for the first time. Time seemed to fly by. Christmas break came and went as did spring break. Soon after exams were wrapping up and Tommy and Veronica were figuring out how they were going to manage their visits during the summer. Tommy was due to return home to North Bay at the end of April. Veronica was due to return to Pembroke two days before. They spent their last night together at his place as Nel had gone home the day before. It was the first time that they finally said what they had both been feeling for some time now. "I love you."

Veronica couldn't believe her eyes two weeks later when Tommy stepped off the bus. He was here after all. Tommy had managed to find a job in Pembroke and a family willing to rent him a room for the summer. His job was hard work, the hours were long and the pay was lacking but each night Veronica met him at the various job sites with a warm kiss. It wasn't until two days before Tommy was to return home for a couple of weeks before school started that he was introduced to Veronica's parents. The dinner went well and it was made abundantly clear to Tommy that Veronica's dad owned a gun. A fact that Veronica laughed off. Veronica waved bye to the bus as it pulled out of the terminal and headed for the highway.

Every school year and summer passed that way for the next two years. Tommy and Veronica were inseperable during the school year. She was there at all his games, he was at all her recitals. Tommy managed to arrange summer employment with the same construction firm each summer and housing with the same family. Veronica would mope around the house for the two weeks begining and ending the summer that Tommy visited with his family. In between they would laugh and love. Growing and sharing. All the time making plans for the future that they were determined to share together. During the final two weeks of their third summer Veronica returned with Tommy to North Bay and met his family. They were happy.

"Do you think we'll make it when were finally out of here?" Veronica asked one spring night a few weeks before their final set of university exams. "Of course I do. I love you. We love each other. What more do we need? After that the rest is just details." Tommy leaned in and kissed her warmly, passionately, sincerely. On their final night at university Tommy met Veronica at her door. He was dressed in his newly purchased suit which he had bought for his job interview the week before. In his hands he held a bouquet of lillies and orchids, Veronica's favorite. Veronica took the flowers and greeted Tommy with a warm kiss then left him standing in the doorway as she put the flowers in water and grabbed her hand bag. Her slinky red dress really highlited her red hair. Tommy loved that dress. At dinner Tommy told Veronica that he had been offered the job. Veronica was excited for him. They finished dinner and headed for the boardwalk. There they walked in the cool evening breeze as the nearly full moon rose into the sky. They talked about many different things while they walked and held hands. Many of those around them couldn't help but notice the two of them and the loved that they shared. The boardwalk ended at the edge of a park which they followed a path into. There on the crest of a hill as the moonlight filtered through the branches and leaves of an old willow Tommy reached into his pocket and came to a stop. He pulled Veronica close and held her eyes for a moment then began to speak. "Veronica, I love you. Every day that I have spent with you has been more perfect than the last as each holds new promise of another day with you. I want to be with you forever. I want to grow old with you. I want to be the father of your children. I want to hold your hand as we laugh and cry, together." Tommy paused for a brief moment and held up the meager diamond ring which he had scrimped and saved for during the past eighteen months. "Veronica, will you make me happy? Will you be the mother of my children? Will you grow old with me? Will you continue to be my heartbeat until I die? Will you marry me?" Tommy looked into Veronica's eyes as tears streamed down her smooth pale cheeks. "Yes!"