ONE YEAR LATER
"I'm gonna miss you, Serena," Darien said as he gave her a bear hug.
"We got through last year," Serena said, looking up at him.
"Yeah, but it wasn't easy. I lived for vacations!"
"Me, too."
His eyes grew serious. "You just stay away from those jocks. I see how they look at you."
She blushed. "Darien, don't you know by now that you're the only guy I want?"
He grinned. "I think I do." He put his hand in his pocket and pulled out a small box. "But just to be certain, I want you to wear this." He nervously cleared his throat as he handed her the box.
She slowly opened it, and then her eyes grew wide. "Oh, Darien," she whispered.
"Do you like it?" he asked in a low voice.
She threw her arms around his neck.
"I know that I have two more years of college after this and you have college, but I want to be sure that you'll still be mine."
She looked into his eyes and felt like her heart would burst with all the love she felt for him. "I'll always belong to you," she said with a catch in her throat. "I love you." Tears filled her eyes. "I want to spend the rest of my life with you."
He bent his head slightly, and then tenderly met her lips.
"So what are we gonna do tonight?" Morrison asked. "A movie?"
"Nah, I'm tired of movies," Lita answered. "Let's just hang out."
"Whatever you want." He grabbed her hand. "Thanks for being there for me through all the messed up stuff in my life."
"I should be the one thanking you, Morrison," she answered. "But I'm sure your Dad will find a job soon."
"Yeah, it's just tough with money right now."
"I know. We're the same, but we have to keep going. It'll work out."
He frowned. "I guess you're right, but I wish I could help out more."
Lita could see the worry in his face. "You're already working at The Pizza House and you have school." She patted his hand.
"I know." He shrugged. "Let's quit this depressing topic and talk about something more interesting."
"Like what?" she asked with a toss of her head.
"Like you," he answered as he cupped her face in his hands. "I want you to wear my class ring . . . that is, if you want to."
"I thought you'd never ask!" she squealed as she held her hand out.
Irene grinned. "I told you I'd succeed. Even when no one else believed in me."
Jerry Feldon returned her smile. "I told you that a long time ago, Irene." He leaned back in his chair. "Now tell me what's happened to put you in such a great mood. You're about ready to burst."
She could barely contain her excitement as she fumbled inside her purse; she retrieved a letter and thrust it at him. "Read this," she said.
He took the letter and read it, then stopped and smiled broadly. "Irene, this is wonderful news! I'm so proud of you!"
"You should've seen Serena and Lita when I showed them the letter this morning. We've been waiting so long for this day. I knew my talent was God- given."
"This is quite a sum of money. Any special plans?"
She shook her head. "I don't know. I'm still overwhelmed. But I do know one thing, it sure will feel good to be able to support the girls." She stood up. "I might plan a vacation. They're growing up so fast. Serena is in her last year of high school. I want to do something special next summer."
"You've come a long way, Irene. I truly believe you can accomplish anything you set your mind to."
"I know. It's amazing how so much good came out of all of Alexander's broken promises. I finally feel like a whole person."
The counselor looked intently at her. "You've always been a whole person, Irene. You just had to find the missing pieces and put yourself back together."
She smiled warmly. "I sure like the fit."
Irene walked through the courtyard, swinging a bag of doughnuts in her hand. "Hey, Amy," she called. "Put on the coffee!" She waved to a few women on her way into the building.
"We got through last year," Serena said, looking up at him.
"Yeah, but it wasn't easy. I lived for vacations!"
"Me, too."
His eyes grew serious. "You just stay away from those jocks. I see how they look at you."
She blushed. "Darien, don't you know by now that you're the only guy I want?"
He grinned. "I think I do." He put his hand in his pocket and pulled out a small box. "But just to be certain, I want you to wear this." He nervously cleared his throat as he handed her the box.
She slowly opened it, and then her eyes grew wide. "Oh, Darien," she whispered.
"Do you like it?" he asked in a low voice.
She threw her arms around his neck.
"I know that I have two more years of college after this and you have college, but I want to be sure that you'll still be mine."
She looked into his eyes and felt like her heart would burst with all the love she felt for him. "I'll always belong to you," she said with a catch in her throat. "I love you." Tears filled her eyes. "I want to spend the rest of my life with you."
He bent his head slightly, and then tenderly met her lips.
"So what are we gonna do tonight?" Morrison asked. "A movie?"
"Nah, I'm tired of movies," Lita answered. "Let's just hang out."
"Whatever you want." He grabbed her hand. "Thanks for being there for me through all the messed up stuff in my life."
"I should be the one thanking you, Morrison," she answered. "But I'm sure your Dad will find a job soon."
"Yeah, it's just tough with money right now."
"I know. We're the same, but we have to keep going. It'll work out."
He frowned. "I guess you're right, but I wish I could help out more."
Lita could see the worry in his face. "You're already working at The Pizza House and you have school." She patted his hand.
"I know." He shrugged. "Let's quit this depressing topic and talk about something more interesting."
"Like what?" she asked with a toss of her head.
"Like you," he answered as he cupped her face in his hands. "I want you to wear my class ring . . . that is, if you want to."
"I thought you'd never ask!" she squealed as she held her hand out.
Irene grinned. "I told you I'd succeed. Even when no one else believed in me."
Jerry Feldon returned her smile. "I told you that a long time ago, Irene." He leaned back in his chair. "Now tell me what's happened to put you in such a great mood. You're about ready to burst."
She could barely contain her excitement as she fumbled inside her purse; she retrieved a letter and thrust it at him. "Read this," she said.
He took the letter and read it, then stopped and smiled broadly. "Irene, this is wonderful news! I'm so proud of you!"
"You should've seen Serena and Lita when I showed them the letter this morning. We've been waiting so long for this day. I knew my talent was God- given."
"This is quite a sum of money. Any special plans?"
She shook her head. "I don't know. I'm still overwhelmed. But I do know one thing, it sure will feel good to be able to support the girls." She stood up. "I might plan a vacation. They're growing up so fast. Serena is in her last year of high school. I want to do something special next summer."
"You've come a long way, Irene. I truly believe you can accomplish anything you set your mind to."
"I know. It's amazing how so much good came out of all of Alexander's broken promises. I finally feel like a whole person."
The counselor looked intently at her. "You've always been a whole person, Irene. You just had to find the missing pieces and put yourself back together."
She smiled warmly. "I sure like the fit."
Irene walked through the courtyard, swinging a bag of doughnuts in her hand. "Hey, Amy," she called. "Put on the coffee!" She waved to a few women on her way into the building.