p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"strongspan style="font-size: 14.0pt; font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;"Chapter 14: The Parting of the Ways/span/strong/p
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p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;"After a rather longer journey down from Flagstaff than they had anticipated, Sid and Cassie had arrived at a hotel in Phoenix, Arizona and had booked a twin room for, initially, one night. They had two options. They might look for work in Phoenix, or alternatively continue their journey to Los Angeles. After making themselves at home in the room, they set out to a nearby diner for their evening meal. The lunch at Arcosanti had been a relatively light one, and both of them were hungry. After the meal, they intended to discuss their futures over drinks. During the last part of the journey down the interstate highway, the weather had changed. Gone was the unbroken sunshine they had experienced on the way down through Sedona, Montezuma's Castle and Arcosanti. Clouds had come over from the West, the air felt oppressive, and a storm threatened./span/p
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p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;"The prevailing weather did nothing to improve Cassie's mood. After all the walking about at the three places they had stopped at on the way from Flagstaff, she was beginning to feel tired. Sid, on the other hand couldn't be more cheerful. Although he felt hungry, he was all for exploring the immediate vicinity of the hotel and the diner just before they had dinner. This was quite fruitful as he found a bar just behind the diner where they could go after the meal./span/p
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p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""At last!" thought Cassie, as Sid finally returned to the diner and she could sit down./span/p
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p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;"They did just about enjoy a three course American dinner: starter, main course and dessert. That is, they enjoyed the food, which was good. Cassie had loaded potato skins as a starter, which did to some extent, temper her mood. Both had steak and fries, followed by apple pie and coffee. However, there seemed to be a tense atmosphere between them, which wasn't helped by the gathering storm outside./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;"Once the coffee was finished and Sid had paid, they walked the short distance to the bar, found a couple of comfortable seats and ordered their first drinks of the evening. They had arrived there just in time, as the first drops of rain were beginning to fall./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;"Sid opened the discussion./span/p
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p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""Cass," he said, "You haven't quite been your usual bright self recently. It's worrying me. Is anything wrong?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""I don't think so." said Cassie, "I'm just beginning to wonder where we're going in our relationship. I still love you, and I regard you as someone who has had a huge positive effect on my life, but I'm beginning to wonder where we can go from here."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;"She took a sip from her Cointreau./span/p
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p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""I was hoping this might be a passing phase." said Sid, "After all you've had these phases in the past, and you've usually got over them in a week or so, but this has been going on for a couple of months."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""I know, Sidney dear," said Cassie, "But this time, there seems to be a voice telling me that you're not fully committed to me."/span/p
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p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""You can put thoughts like that right out of your head." said Sid, "You're my inspiration, my reason for living. I don't think I could even imagine a life without you somewhere in it."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""You might have to." said Cassie, sadly, "I won't be around for ever."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""Now you are really worrying me, Cass." said Sid, "Tell me, what is really the matter."/span/p
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p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""It's nothing really." said Cassie, "I'm probably fretting over nothing. I just had this feeling that you were losing interest in us as a couple."/span/p
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p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;"Sid decided to take a desperate action. He knew that this would be 'make or break', but he felt he would have to do it anyway sooner or later. He had originally thought that he would wait until they reached Los Angeles, and, hopefully, were thinking of going home to England, but the atmosphere on this evening was such that he felt he had to make his move. Outside, the storm had broken, the lightning was frequent, the thunder continuous, and the rain torrential./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""What about this?" said Sid, "I love you. In fact, I love you more than anything or anyone else in this world, and I believe you love me. For the past couple of years, we've been an inseparable couple. We understand each other. There's almost a psychic link between us, and I don't want to throw all that away."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""So?" said Cassie./span/p
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p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""So," said Sid, "Will you do me the honour of becoming my wife? In other words, will you marry me."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""No, Sidney." said Cassie, "I won't. It's not that I don't love you. I do. It's just that I'm not ready for that sort of thing."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""But..." commenced Sid./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""There's no 'but' about it, dear Sidney." said Cassie, "I don't want to marry you, and I've got another suggestion. That is that we should part company tomorrow and never see each other again. If you really love me as a person and not just as some personal companion, you should agree to this idea. If we stayed together, it would have to be for ever. I'm not sure I'm ready for that. I'm sorry."/span/p
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p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;"Sid was shattered by this bombshell. All the hopes and dreams he had had since he first met Cassie now lay in ruins. He was speechless for a while. It didn't help that the James Taylor song 'Fire and Rain' happened to be playing on the juke box. The line 'Sweet dreams and flying machines in pieces on the ground' occurred just as Cassie had made her suggestion./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""I - I don't know what I can say to change your mind." said Sid tearfully./span/p
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p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""Don't say anything." said Cassie, with a neutral expression, "Tonight, we'll sleep, and tomorrow, we'll go our separate ways. If when I wake up in the morning, I find I've changed my mind, I'll let you know, but don't live in too much hope. Don't get me wrong. We've had good times together, and I don't regret anything about the last couple of years. It's been wonderful. The last few weeks, I've come to the conclusion that we've come as far as we can, and it would be better for both of us if we went our own ways."/span/p
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p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""If that's your decision," said Sid, "I feel I must respect it. I still love you and it's going to be a wrench leaving you. I shall have to be strong and try to live without you, but it won't be easy. I really hope and pray that you've made the right call."/span/p
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p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;"The couple walked sadly back to the hotel, and to their bedroom. The storm had now passed and all was quiet. A full moon shone down from a clear sky./span/p
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p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;"For the first time since Sid had found his sweet Cassie in the New York diner, they slept in separate beds. It took some time for Sid to actually get to sleep, but he eventually gave in to his tiredness. Sleeping alone without Cassie's warm body next to him was now an unfamiliar feeling, but he knew he would have to get used to it. He was hoping against hope that the morning would bring about a change of heart from Cassie. It didn't./span/p
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p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;"Morning came, and the couple showered separately. They prepared for the day as individuals, but Cassie felt she had one more thing to sort out with Sid. She made him make a solemn pledge that he wouldn't attempt to contact her once he had seen her off at the Greyhound bus stop. She made the same pledge, and they both deleted each other's contact details from their phones. After this, they went together to the diner for breakfast./span/p
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p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""Well," said Cassie, "This is our very last meal together. How are you feeling."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""Very sad that it's come to this." said Sid, "I don't suppose there's any chance you'll change your mind."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""No, Sid," said Cassie, sadly, "My mind Is set. It's been building up to this for about two months, so a change isn't going to happen this morning."/span/p
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p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;"Cassie booked a through ticket on the Greyhound bus network to New York. She had decided to use the bus rather than hitch, as a young woman on her own would be vulnerable. Sid went to the bus stop with her, and they had a long passionate goodbye kiss, before she boarded the bus, intending never to see Sid again. Sid, once he had said his sad farewell to the wonderful girl he had up till now thought was destined to be his lifetime partner, made his way to a truck stop on Interstate I-10, and managed to get a ride all the way to Los Angeles. When he got there, with due regard to the eight-hour time difference, he called his mum in Bristol. She picked up./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""Hello, mum." said Sid, "I've got some very sad news. I've broken up with Cassie."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""What happened?" asked Liz./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""For the past couple of months," said Sid, "She's been questioning the future of our partnership. Last night, it came to a head. I proposed to her, and she turned me down. Then she said that we should separate, and each go our own way. She made me promise never to try to look for her again."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""Where is she now?" asked Liz./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""Probably on a greyhound bus well on her way back to New York." said Sid./span/p
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p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""And, where are you?" asked Liz./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""I'm in Los Angeles, not far from the airport." said Sid, "I'm about to start looking for a flight back home to you."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""Where did you say Goodbye to her?" asked Liz./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""In Phoenix Arizona last night." said Sid./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""Well," said Liz, "Let me know when you're going to get here, and I'll be expecting you. I'm sorry to hear that it didn't work out, Cassie was such a lovely girl, and I thought you two would be a perfect couple. Anyway, as I said, let me know when you're coming. Bye bye."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""Bye!" said Sid, "Love you."/span/p
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p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;"Sid booked a flight to Bristol via Amsterdam for two days later, and booked himself into a cheap motel for two nights. He was now on his own, and had little to think about apart from the ending of his intense loving relationship with Cassie. The next day, the desolation of his situation struck home, and he realised what life without Cassie would be like. His thoughts could never stray far from her. She had been his inspiration and an essential part of his life for two years, and now she was gone. He was gutted./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;"On the way back by Greyhound bus to New York, Cassie was able to hold herself together for a couple of days, but then the enormity of what she had done in separating from Sid hit her with the force of a wrecking ball. Now she was experiencing life without his presence in it, she realised she had made the wrong decision in Phoenix. However, she had made a solemn pledge not to contact him and she always kept her promises. By the time she arrived on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, and called in at the Alias Restaurant, she was totally distraught. Fortunately for her Adam was still there and was on duty that evening./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""Hello, Cassie," said Adam, as he came to serve her, "You look dreadful. What's happened?"/span/p
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p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""Oh Adam," said Cassie, tearfully, "I've made a catastrophic mistake. I've broken up with my lovely Sid for no good reason. I feel terrible. Adam, please help me."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""I don't know whether I can help you," said Adam, "But I'll see what I can do. You look as if you really do need a sympathetic shoulder."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;"She stood up and embraced Adam, bursting into tears. She couldn't hold her emotions in any longer. Adam realised she really was at the end of her tether. He asked to be excused for the remaining two hours of his shift, and escorted the heartbroken Cassie to his apartment./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""Cassie," said Adam, as Cassie's crying began to subside, "What's happened to you? You were melancholy when I first met you, but this is something else. You can tell me."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""It's all my fault." said Cassie, between sobs, "I've destroyed something beautiful. I so deserve to be punished."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""Oh, Cassie," said Adam, "You don't need punishment. You need help and consolation. What's happened since I saw you two in Iowa. You were such a beautiful loving couple then. Here, let's have something soothing to drink."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;"Adam prepared two large mugs of hot chocolate, and gave one to Cassie./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""Tell me the story of your adventures since we last met." said Adam, "I'm sure there's a lot to tell; what roller coasters you've ridden, the natural wonders you've visited, and what your friendship meant to you at the time."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;"Cassie related the story of her life with Sid after the couple had left Iowa some time before. She told him all about the Space Center in Houston and the theme parks they had visited together. She was really enthusiastic about the wonders of Yellowstone, the Grand Tetons and the Grand Canyon. She also told Adam about the British couple they had met twice during their travels and the other young couple who had gone out of their way to take them to the Barringer Crater./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""You've had some wonderful times," said Adam, "And it appears you've met some marvellous people in your travels. You were almost glowing when you were talking about Yellowstone. Incidentally, did you see 'the Devil's Tower' when you were in Wyoming?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""Yes, we did," said Cassie, almost smiling, "It was amazing. Since we'd both seen 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind', it meant something to both of us."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""You're sounding brighter already," said Adam, "So I'm not going to force you to tell me, but what seemed to you to be going wrong?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""I don't really know," said Cassie, "But I started to have these little bursts of insecurity from about Yellowstone onwards. I mentioned them to Sid, and he seemed to understand. He reassured me of his love. Despite these reassurances, the feelings seemed to intensify."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;"She paused, and took a gulp of hot chocolate./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""Go on." said Adam./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""By the time we got to Phoenix," said Cassie, "Sid decided to bring things to some sort of conclusion. I think he was getting as frustrated as I was over my doubts and insecurities."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""What happened in Phoenix?" asked Adam./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""After some serious questions about our relationship," said Cassie, "He proposed to me."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""That sounds very positive." said Adam, "He must really love you. What did you do?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""I turned him down flat." said Cassie, "That was my first mistake."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""Your first one?" said Adam, "What was your second one?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""I must have been in one of my 'hate everything' phases," said Cassie, "Because I must have been out of my mind. I said we should go our separate ways and never meet again. The next morning, after we'd slept in separate beds, I made him solemnly promise never to try to look for me. I undertook to do the same. We deleted each other's contact details and headed off in opposite directions. I think he went to Los Angeles, and I came here. Sid has a credit card, so I guess he's flying home to his mum by now. A couple of days later, it hit me what I had done. I'm never going to hear his voice or see him ever again. Oh Adam, please help me to find a way out of this. I've thrown away my only hope of real happiness. Please, Adam."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;"Cassie burst into tears again, sobbing convulsively. Adam held her gently until she had calmed down sufficiently for him to talk to her./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""What a torrent of words." said Adam, "There is a way out of this, Cassie, but it would mean breaking your promise to never contact him again. He won't know where you are, but you're almost certain he's gone home to Bristol. Is that so?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""Y - yes, but," began Cassie, hesitantly and tearfully, "I'm reluctant to break my pledge."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""That's your decision, but you won't need to take it immediately." said Adam, "I suspect you are going to have to find some work to pay for your flight home, so you've got a few weeks."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""I suppose so." said Cassie resignedly, "I'll just have to leave things to fate."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""That might be the best thing." said Adam, "Fate has a way of producing unexpected positive as well as negative results."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""I suppose I'll have to accept that." said Cassie, "I hope you can put up with me for a few more weeks."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""That's no trouble. Of course I can!" said Adam, "In any case, I could do with some friendly company, and you really need someone to keep you from going over the edge."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""I suppose I'll have to accept my fate." said Cassie, "I brought this on myself, so I'll just have to take the consequences."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""Don't be too downhearted." said Adam, "I have a feeling deep down that you'll see him again. I don't know how it's going to happen, but I believe you will find happiness with your sweet Sid. It may take a couple of years, so please be patient."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""I'll try." said Cassie, "Anyway, I'm tired."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""You know where to find the bed." said Adam, "Get some sleep. We'll go down to the diner in the morning and see if we can find a job for you. Work will take your mind off things."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""Oh, thank you so much Adam, and goodnight." said Cassie as she made her way to the bathroom to prepare for bed./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;"For the next few weeks, Cassie resumed her role as a waitress at the Alias Restaurant on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, sharing an apartment with Adam. This time, he stayed by her side, giving her morale a boost from time to time, when she needed it. Once she had earned enough for a flight back to England, and a little bit over, she returned to her home country. Because of her promise to herself not to look for Sid, she decided to settle in London. She found a cheap bed-sit in Hampstead, and a job as a waitress in a local café./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;"Meanwhile Sid, as expected, returned to his mother's home in Bristol. He applied for, and obtained a post as an 'Administrative Assistant' in the Human Resources section of an obscure department of the United Kingdom Home Office./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;"After a rather longer journey down from Flagstaff than they had anticipated, Sid and Cassie had arrived at a hotel in Phoenix, Arizona and had booked a twin room for, initially, one night. They had two options. They might look for work in Phoenix, or alternatively continue their journey to Los Angeles. After making themselves at home in the room, they set out to a nearby diner for their evening meal. The lunch at Arcosanti had been a relatively light one, and both of them were hungry. After the meal, they intended to discuss their futures over drinks. During the last part of the journey down the interstate highway, the weather had changed. Gone was the unbroken sunshine they had experienced on the way down through Sedona, Montezuma's Castle and Arcosanti. Clouds had come over from the West, the air felt oppressive, and a storm threatened./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;"The prevailing weather did nothing to improve Cassie's mood. After all the walking about at the three places they had stopped at on the way from Flagstaff, she was beginning to feel tired. Sid, on the other hand couldn't be more cheerful. Although he felt hungry, he was all for exploring the immediate vicinity of the hotel and the diner just before they had dinner. This was quite fruitful as he found a bar just behind the diner where they could go after the meal./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""At last!" thought Cassie, as Sid finally returned to the diner and she could sit down./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;"They did just about enjoy a three course American dinner: starter, main course and dessert. That is, they enjoyed the food, which was good. Cassie had loaded potato skins as a starter, which did to some extent, temper her mood. Both had steak and fries, followed by apple pie and coffee. However, there seemed to be a tense atmosphere between them, which wasn't helped by the gathering storm outside./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;"Once the coffee was finished and Sid had paid, they walked the short distance to the bar, found a couple of comfortable seats and ordered their first drinks of the evening. They had arrived there just in time, as the first drops of rain were beginning to fall./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;"Sid opened the discussion./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""Cass," he said, "You haven't quite been your usual bright self recently. It's worrying me. Is anything wrong?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""I don't think so." said Cassie, "I'm just beginning to wonder where we're going in our relationship. I still love you, and I regard you as someone who has had a huge positive effect on my life, but I'm beginning to wonder where we can go from here."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;"She took a sip from her Cointreau./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""I was hoping this might be a passing phase." said Sid, "After all you've had these phases in the past, and you've usually got over them in a week or so, but this has been going on for a couple of months."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""I know, Sidney dear," said Cassie, "But this time, there seems to be a voice telling me that you're not fully committed to me."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""You can put thoughts like that right out of your head." said Sid, "You're my inspiration, my reason for living. I don't think I could even imagine a life without you somewhere in it."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""You might have to." said Cassie, sadly, "I won't be around for ever."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""Now you are really worrying me, Cass." said Sid, "Tell me, what is really the matter."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""It's nothing really." said Cassie, "I'm probably fretting over nothing. I just had this feeling that you were losing interest in us as a couple."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;"Sid decided to take a desperate action. He knew that this would be 'make or break', but he felt he would have to do it anyway sooner or later. He had originally thought that he would wait until they reached Los Angeles, and, hopefully, were thinking of going home to England, but the atmosphere on this evening was such that he felt he had to make his move. Outside, the storm had broken, the lightning was frequent, the thunder continuous, and the rain torrential./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""What about this?" said Sid, "I love you. In fact, I love you more than anything or anyone else in this world, and I believe you love me. For the past couple of years, we've been an inseparable couple. We understand each other. There's almost a psychic link between us, and I don't want to throw all that away."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""So?" said Cassie./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""So," said Sid, "Will you do me the honour of becoming my wife? In other words, will you marry me."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""No, Sidney." said Cassie, "I won't. It's not that I don't love you. I do. It's just that I'm not ready for that sort of thing."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""But..." commenced Sid./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""There's no 'but' about it, dear Sidney." said Cassie, "I don't want to marry you, and I've got another suggestion. That is that we should part company tomorrow and never see each other again. If you really love me as a person and not just as some personal companion, you should agree to this idea. If we stayed together, it would have to be for ever. I'm not sure I'm ready for that. I'm sorry."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;"Sid was shattered by this bombshell. All the hopes and dreams he had had since he first met Cassie now lay in ruins. He was speechless for a while. It didn't help that the James Taylor song 'Fire and Rain' happened to be playing on the juke box. The line 'Sweet dreams and flying machines in pieces on the ground' occurred just as Cassie had made her suggestion./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""I - I don't know what I can say to change your mind." said Sid tearfully./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""Don't say anything." said Cassie, with a neutral expression, "Tonight, we'll sleep, and tomorrow, we'll go our separate ways. If when I wake up in the morning, I find I've changed my mind, I'll let you know, but don't live in too much hope. Don't get me wrong. We've had good times together, and I don't regret anything about the last couple of years. It's been wonderful. The last few weeks, I've come to the conclusion that we've come as far as we can, and it would be better for both of us if we went our own ways."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""If that's your decision," said Sid, "I feel I must respect it. I still love you and it's going to be a wrench leaving you. I shall have to be strong and try to live without you, but it won't be easy. I really hope and pray that you've made the right call."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;"The couple walked sadly back to the hotel, and to their bedroom. The storm had now passed and all was quiet. A full moon shone down from a clear sky./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;"For the first time since Sid had found his sweet Cassie in the New York diner, they slept in separate beds. It took some time for Sid to actually get to sleep, but he eventually gave in to his tiredness. Sleeping alone without Cassie's warm body next to him was now an unfamiliar feeling, but he knew he would have to get used to it. He was hoping against hope that the morning would bring about a change of heart from Cassie. It didn't./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;"Morning came, and the couple showered separately. They prepared for the day as individuals, but Cassie felt she had one more thing to sort out with Sid. She made him make a solemn pledge that he wouldn't attempt to contact her once he had seen her off at the Greyhound bus stop. She made the same pledge, and they both deleted each other's contact details from their phones. After this, they went together to the diner for breakfast./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""Well," said Cassie, "This is our very last meal together. How are you feeling."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""Very sad that it's come to this." said Sid, "I don't suppose there's any chance you'll change your mind."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""No, Sid," said Cassie, sadly, "My mind Is set. It's been building up to this for about two months, so a change isn't going to happen this morning."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;"Cassie booked a through ticket on the Greyhound bus network to New York. She had decided to use the bus rather than hitch, as a young woman on her own would be vulnerable. Sid went to the bus stop with her, and they had a long passionate goodbye kiss, before she boarded the bus, intending never to see Sid again. Sid, once he had said his sad farewell to the wonderful girl he had up till now thought was destined to be his lifetime partner, made his way to a truck stop on Interstate I-10, and managed to get a ride all the way to Los Angeles. When he got there, with due regard to the eight-hour time difference, he called his mum in Bristol. She picked up./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""Hello, mum." said Sid, "I've got some very sad news. I've broken up with Cassie."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""What happened?" asked Liz./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""For the past couple of months," said Sid, "She's been questioning the future of our partnership. Last night, it came to a head. I proposed to her, and she turned me down. Then she said that we should separate, and each go our own way. She made me promise never to try to look for her again."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""Where is she now?" asked Liz./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""Probably on a greyhound bus well on her way back to New York." said Sid./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""And, where are you?" asked Liz./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""I'm in Los Angeles, not far from the airport." said Sid, "I'm about to start looking for a flight back home to you."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""Where did you say Goodbye to her?" asked Liz./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""In Phoenix Arizona last night." said Sid./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""Well," said Liz, "Let me know when you're going to get here, and I'll be expecting you. I'm sorry to hear that it didn't work out, Cassie was such a lovely girl, and I thought you two would be a perfect couple. Anyway, as I said, let me know when you're coming. Bye bye."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""Bye!" said Sid, "Love you."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;"Sid booked a flight to Bristol via Amsterdam for two days later, and booked himself into a cheap motel for two nights. He was now on his own, and had little to think about apart from the ending of his intense loving relationship with Cassie. The next day, the desolation of his situation struck home, and he realised what life without Cassie would be like. His thoughts could never stray far from her. She had been his inspiration and an essential part of his life for two years, and now she was gone. He was gutted./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;"On the way back by Greyhound bus to New York, Cassie was able to hold herself together for a couple of days, but then the enormity of what she had done in separating from Sid hit her with the force of a wrecking ball. Now she was experiencing life without his presence in it, she realised she had made the wrong decision in Phoenix. However, she had made a solemn pledge not to contact him and she always kept her promises. By the time she arrived on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, and called in at the Alias Restaurant, she was totally distraught. Fortunately for her Adam was still there and was on duty that evening./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""Hello, Cassie," said Adam, as he came to serve her, "You look dreadful. What's happened?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""Oh Adam," said Cassie, tearfully, "I've made a catastrophic mistake. I've broken up with my lovely Sid for no good reason. I feel terrible. Adam, please help me."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""I don't know whether I can help you," said Adam, "But I'll see what I can do. You look as if you really do need a sympathetic shoulder."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;"She stood up and embraced Adam, bursting into tears. She couldn't hold her emotions in any longer. Adam realised she really was at the end of her tether. He asked to be excused for the remaining two hours of his shift, and escorted the heartbroken Cassie to his apartment./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""Cassie," said Adam, as Cassie's crying began to subside, "What's happened to you? You were melancholy when I first met you, but this is something else. You can tell me."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""It's all my fault." said Cassie, between sobs, "I've destroyed something beautiful. I so deserve to be punished."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""Oh, Cassie," said Adam, "You don't need punishment. You need help and consolation. What's happened since I saw you two in Iowa. You were such a beautiful loving couple then. Here, let's have something soothing to drink."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;"Adam prepared two large mugs of hot chocolate, and gave one to Cassie./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""Tell me the story of your adventures since we last met." said Adam, "I'm sure there's a lot to tell; what roller coasters you've ridden, the natural wonders you've visited, and what your friendship meant to you at the time."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;"Cassie related the story of her life with Sid after the couple had left Iowa some time before. She told him all about the Space Center in Houston and the theme parks they had visited together. She was really enthusiastic about the wonders of Yellowstone, the Grand Tetons and the Grand Canyon. She also told Adam about the British couple they had met twice during their travels and the other young couple who had gone out of their way to take them to the Barringer Crater./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""You've had some wonderful times," said Adam, "And it appears you've met some marvellous people in your travels. You were almost glowing when you were talking about Yellowstone. Incidentally, did you see 'the Devil's Tower' when you were in Wyoming?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""Yes, we did," said Cassie, almost smiling, "It was amazing. Since we'd both seen 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind', it meant something to both of us."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""You're sounding brighter already," said Adam, "So I'm not going to force you to tell me, but what seemed to you to be going wrong?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""I don't really know," said Cassie, "But I started to have these little bursts of insecurity from about Yellowstone onwards. I mentioned them to Sid, and he seemed to understand. He reassured me of his love. Despite these reassurances, the feelings seemed to intensify."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;"She paused, and took a gulp of hot chocolate./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""Go on." said Adam./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""By the time we got to Phoenix," said Cassie, "Sid decided to bring things to some sort of conclusion. I think he was getting as frustrated as I was over my doubts and insecurities."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""What happened in Phoenix?" asked Adam./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""After some serious questions about our relationship," said Cassie, "He proposed to me."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""That sounds very positive." said Adam, "He must really love you. What did you do?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""I turned him down flat." said Cassie, "That was my first mistake."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""Your first one?" said Adam, "What was your second one?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""I must have been in one of my 'hate everything' phases," said Cassie, "Because I must have been out of my mind. I said we should go our separate ways and never meet again. The next morning, after we'd slept in separate beds, I made him solemnly promise never to try to look for me. I undertook to do the same. We deleted each other's contact details and headed off in opposite directions. I think he went to Los Angeles, and I came here. Sid has a credit card, so I guess he's flying home to his mum by now. A couple of days later, it hit me what I had done. I'm never going to hear his voice or see him ever again. Oh Adam, please help me to find a way out of this. I've thrown away my only hope of real happiness. Please, Adam."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;"Cassie burst into tears again, sobbing convulsively. Adam held her gently until she had calmed down sufficiently for him to talk to her./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""What a torrent of words." said Adam, "There is a way out of this, Cassie, but it would mean breaking your promise to never contact him again. He won't know where you are, but you're almost certain he's gone home to Bristol. Is that so?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""Y - yes, but," began Cassie, hesitantly and tearfully, "I'm reluctant to break my pledge."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""That's your decision, but you won't need to take it immediately." said Adam, "I suspect you are going to have to find some work to pay for your flight home, so you've got a few weeks."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""I suppose so." said Cassie resignedly, "I'll just have to leave things to fate."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""That might be the best thing." said Adam, "Fate has a way of producing unexpected positive as well as negative results."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""I suppose I'll have to accept that." said Cassie, "I hope you can put up with me for a few more weeks."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""That's no trouble. Of course I can!" said Adam, "In any case, I could do with some friendly company, and you really need someone to keep you from going over the edge."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""I suppose I'll have to accept my fate." said Cassie, "I brought this on myself, so I'll just have to take the consequences."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""Don't be too downhearted." said Adam, "I have a feeling deep down that you'll see him again. I don't know how it's going to happen, but I believe you will find happiness with your sweet Sid. It may take a couple of years, so please be patient."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""I'll try." said Cassie, "Anyway, I'm tired."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""You know where to find the bed." said Adam, "Get some sleep. We'll go down to the diner in the morning and see if we can find a job for you. Work will take your mind off things."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""Oh, thank you so much Adam, and goodnight." said Cassie as she made her way to the bathroom to prepare for bed./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;"For the next few weeks, Cassie resumed her role as a waitress at the Alias Restaurant on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, sharing an apartment with Adam. This time, he stayed by her side, giving her morale a boost from time to time, when she needed it. Once she had earned enough for a flight back to England, and a little bit over, she returned to her home country. Because of her promise to herself not to look for Sid, she decided to settle in London. She found a cheap bed-sit in Hampstead, and a job as a waitress in a local café./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;"Meanwhile Sid, as expected, returned to his mother's home in Bristol. He applied for, and obtained a post as an 'Administrative Assistant' in the Human Resources section of an obscure department of the United Kingdom Home Office./span/p