"They're not going to find his body, Jolene." Norman buttons his fresh pair of pants. "They're going to. And they're gonna know I did it. Then I'll go to prison for the rest of my life. I was finally free and now I'll be shots gved in a cell." "I won't let anything happen to you," he sits down on the couch "you're too special to me."

I go over and sit on his lap, wrapping my arms around him and laying my head on his shoulder. "I can't believe just a few months ago I didn't even know you. Now I don't know what I'd do without you." I say. He smiles and blushes, hugging me tighter.

"You know, We probably should unpack your suitcases." He says.

We both get up and start up the stairs to his room, where I have four large suitcases and several small bags scattered around.

I grab one and unzip it, examining the contents.

"Can I look at this?" I hear Norman behind me. I turn and see that he's holding up a photo album and I nod. "Yeah sure, go ahead."

"Is this your high school portrait?" He turns it to me. I glance at it and nod. "Yep, that's me. Eighteen years old."

He smiles "You look younger now than you did then."

"I bet you do too. Where's your high school portrait?"

His eyes trail. "I didn't exactly go to high school." I should've assumed that. "Oh Im sorry Norman. I didn't mean for that to sound rude."

"It didn't. Mother just didn't want me to go."

I decide to leave it at that and go back to my suitcase.

"Is this you as a baby?"

I turn, shaking my head. "No that's my niece. I practically raised her but now I don't see her anymore. My family and I don't speak as of about a month ago."

"Is that because of me?"

I look up at him, nodding. "Yeah, it is, but..that's ok. I don't need them anyway." I wave a hand.

That's not true. My family is extremely important to me. I do need them. More than anything.

He doesn't have to know that though.

"Who's this?" I look over and see a picture of Richard and I when we first started dating. "Oh, that's Richard and I. That's around when we first began dating." He scrunches his face up in disgust, flipping the page. "Is this when he proposed to you?" My oh my does that picture bring back memories. "Mhm. Sure is."

That night is still so clear in my mind. We were having a celebration dinner for Richard completing his first real estate sale. There were hundreds and hundreds of people there. My dress was a beautiful Christian Dior gown that Richard had bought me just for this particular event. We spent the evening dancing and socializing, then they asked him to come on stage to give a speech.

"I would like to start off by thanking all of you for coming tonight. This many people here to support me is just simply fantastic. Next, I'd like to thank all of my friends for sticking with me through college, some of you even high school. I'd like to thank my family, but mainly my father who has been my role model my whole life. I hope to be just like you." He paused. "Last but not least my girlfriend Jolene. I love you more than I can say. You're gonna make an amazing housewife one day." Several people laughed. "Which reminds me, will you come up here?" My heart began racing and I walked up on stage. "I love you more than anything in this world and I can't imagine life without you." He gets down on one knee. "Will you marry me?" He asks, holding up the most gorgeous ring I've ever seen. Tears fill my eyes, part from everyone looking at me. I look at my mother who nods at me. I look back to Richard, extending my arm and nodding. He slides the ring on my finger, then stands up and kisses me as the crowd cheers.

I snap out of the memory, tossing a dress out of my suitcase.

"That's your mother?" He asks. I turn, nodding. That was my 18th birthday. She couldn't afford to bake me a cake or anything, so Richard and his family did that for me. That was one of the first times she started pushing me into marrying him because after my birthday they gave her $100 to buy groceries and pay her bills. That quickly went to her head.

"Who is this?"

I smile looking at the photo. "That's my best friend Vivian."

"Are you still in touch with her?" I shake my head. "No. She died from heart disease shortly after we graduated. She would've loved you though, Norman. She really would've." He frowns, closing the photo album. He walks over to his record player, thumbing through one before pulling out a Bach record. "Do you like this kind of music?" He asks. I shrug, not really paying attention. He puts the record on and sits back on the bed. He begins to hum along to the music and I can't help but notice how he taps along to the tune. He actually seems relaxed.