Ronnie lived in one of the nicer more expensive homes in the best part of Alexandria. Sure my friends and I had grown up comfortably in nice houses and whatnot but nothing like the huge Victorian homes just yards from the Waterfront like Ronnie was living in. I arrived at five sharp and knocked on the door. A handsome man with graying hair answered.

"You must be Mary-Courtney."

"Yes sir."

"Come on in. Ron is expecting you. He'll be right down."

"Thank you", I said as I entered the house.

"I'm Colonel Bass, Ron's father. This is my wife, Laureen."

"Nice to meet you Col. Bass, Mrs. Bass", I said politely as I shook both their hands.

"We were just about to start dinner", Mrs. Bass said with a smile. "Please have a seat and make yourself comfortable. Can I get you something to drink, dear? Tea, iced water, lemonade, soda pop?"

"Lemonade, please."

It was easy to see where Ronnie got his good looks from. His father was good looking but Ronnie was a carbon copy of his mother. With long blonde hair that nearly swept her waist and piercing blue eyes, they could almost go for brother and sister. But more than looks, it was plain as day to see that Ronnie had inherited his nice and laid back personality from his parents as well. They were nice, easy to talk to people who had a way of making you feel comfortable seconds after meeting them. I was already laughing and joking with them like old friends by the time Ronnie got downstairs.

"Mary-Courtney, I'm glad you made it", he smiled, looking scrumptious in a baby blue shirt that totally accemted his eyes. "You met my parents?"

"We already met, Loverbug", Mrs. Bass winked at Ronnie. "Have a seat. Mary-Courtney and I were just talking about this weather here in Alexandria. She was saying how nice it is this time of year and I was telling her how I've been freezing my butt off. At Ron's games I have to bundle up like an Eskimo."

"Mom's a California girl at heart", Ron laughed. "She really misses it."

"I miss it sometimes. Virginia isn't so bad, it's just cold."

"It's actually pretty nice, Mrs. Bass. I love this time of year. In a few weeks it'll get colder and then all the leaves start turning. It's so beautiful when all the colors are like that. You'll really love it. Then it gets really, really cold and it snows."

"Snow?" Mrs. Bass exclaimed. "How about that? Actually, I'm kind of excited, more curious than anything. Mary-Courtney, can you believe that Ron and I have never seen real life snow?"

My eyes widened.

"Ma'am, are you serious?"

"Serious as a heart attack. I can't wait."

"Oh you'll love it. It's beautiful and actually it's fun to play in. And when it gets really bad there is no school and that's always a plus. And you can take the snow and make homemade ice cream out of it. We call it snow cream. It's really good, just grab a mess full of clean snow, like off the top of your car or something and put it in a mixing bowl. Then just add a few teaspoons of vanilla flavoring and sugar and canned milk. It's delicious but you can't use the first snow although I don't know why. Mama and Grandma are always telling me that."

"Snow cream, huh? Well we'll definitely have to try that, won't we fellas? We don't have anything like that in California."

"Ronnie says it's nice out there in California. I've never been but I'd like to go and visit sometime." "Oh it's a very beautiful place. We loved living out there. I think you'd like it very much. You'd probably fit in just fine, Mary-Courtney."

I smiled at Mrs. Bass and Ronnie just winked at me. How different it was than eating over at the Budds' home. There was no grumpy dad going on and on about the importance of football, there wasn't a nervous mother making presumptuous plans about my possible future with Ray, there was no bratty little sister and most importantly there was no Ray. I loved being at the Bass'. The Col. was pleasant and down to earth, wowing me with tons of interesting stories about overseas and military life. And Laureen Bass was awesome! She was the mother every teenager wished they had. She certainly didn't act like my mother or Mrs. Budds or Mrs. Bertier or Mrs. Hoyt or any other mother I had grown up around. She was pretty and giggly and nice fun. When I complimented her on her lipstick she ran upstairs and brought down several shades for me to try. Then there was their son, Ronnie. We laughed and made small talk but mostly he just lingered in the background watching me and smiling. I was having such a great time I didn't want to leave...ever.

"Your folks are so cool", I said as Ronnie and I sat in the hammock in his backyard.

"Yeah they're pretty rad", he shrugged. "Hope my mom didn't bug you too much."

"Bug me? Heavens no! She's great. Oh my gosh, I'm serious, I think she's fabulous! I love her, she is an absolute sweetheart. Both your parents are. I swear, it's like I don't even want to go home now. Can they like adopt me or something?" I joked.

"They could...but then you'd be my sister."

"So..."

"So I like you, Mary-Courtney. I like you a lot and not in the way a brother should like his sister." Ronnie was being serious and I felt like I was about to keel over and die at any moment. His face was mere inches from mine.

"Follow me", he said, leading me by the hand.

I could no longer breathe. I would have followed him anywhere at that moment. Anywhere turned out to be in the middle of their backyard.

"Will you do something with me? I have something I want to show you."

I simply nodded.

Ronnie stood behind me and outstretched both my arms using his.

"Mary-Courtney, I want you to relax. Take a deep breath...clear your mind. Don't think about anything." I followed his instructions, allowing myself to have an out of body experience, with only his body as a guide.

"...Feel the energy rise up from your legs and arms..."

And all of a sudden those weird but fascinating moves I had watched Ronnie do a thousand times from Mrs. Shaul's window...now I was doing them. I was totally relaxed and the energy he talked about, I could feel it and it was moving over me and it was an incredible experience.

"Ronnie...I can feel it", I whispered.

And we moved in silence for what felt like forever. When it was over it was the single most amazing experience of my life.

"That was pretty cool, huh?"

"Yeah", I said, still moved. "Weird but cool. It actually worked, Ronnie. I could feel the energy."

"That's what it's all about. Energy is a very weird but positive and powerful thing", he whispered.

His face was close to mine and I could feel his warm breath on the side of my face. I closed my eyes as his hand enveloped mine. Every nerve ending in my finger felt like it was on fire as his fingertips stroked mine. I couldn't see or speak or think or even breathe.

"Mary-Courtney", he breathed.

Finally came the courage to open my eyes. When I did he was right there. I no longer felt self-conscious or shy...the moment just felt right. It was as if I had waited my whole life to be right there with him.

"Ronnie..."

Our faces moved in until our lips were touching. His lips were softer than I had imagined, his kiss so gentle, so tender...

"Ron, Mary-Courtney!"

Instantly I pulled away utterly mortified as Mrs. Bass was calling out to us. She had just seen me kissing her son and I was so humiliated I wanted to the earth to open up and swallow me right then and there. "Oh Mrs. Bass, I'm really sorry. I...we were just..."

"Oh never mind that", she laughed. "Pardon me for interrupting. I just wanted to see if you'd like a slice of double chocolate cake before Ron walks you home."

I looked at Ronnie in disbelief. The woman had just caught me making out with her boy and she hadn't batted an eye. She just wanted us to know there was dessert in the house when we felt like having it. "Is she for real?" I whispered to Ronnie.

"Told you she was cool", he grinned.

We went inside and had cake and coffee with Ronnie's parents. Afterwards I insisted on helping straighten up but Laureen would have none of it.

"Oh hon, it's not much and it won't do any harm letting those few dishes set in the sink over night. Anyway, I know you have to be going soon because it's getting late and I don't want your parents worrying about you. Ron, Loverbug, give Mary-Courtney a ride home in your dad's Corvette. Oh but before you go, Mary-Courtney I wanted you to hear this. It's a new James Taylor album. It's that song Fire and Rain. Oh I just love that song, it's so far out", she said, throwing it on the record player.

Just yesterday morning they let me know you were gone

Susanne the plans they made put an end to you

I walked out this morning and I wrote down this song

I just can't remember who to send it to

"I love this song. Come on babe, you have to dance with me", Laureen said to the Col.

"How could I ever resist a beautiful woman?" he sighed. "Son, I know I taught you better than that as well. Aren't you going to ask Mary-Courtney to dance?"

I've seen fire and I've seen rain

I've seen sunny days that I thought would never end

I've seen lonely times when I could not find a friend

But I always thought that I'd see you again

"I guess my old man is right. It's impolite to keep a beautiful woman waiting", Ronnie said as he slipped his arms around me.

Won't you look down upon me, Jesus

You've got to help me make a stand

You've just got to see me through another day

My body's aching and my time is at hand

And I won't make it any other way

It was a perfect moment on a perfect night. All I could do was rest my head upon his shoulders and move to the music.