"Ava, are you OK?" Ms. Parker asked hearing Ava crying in her bedroom.
"Roger got into Boston University." she cried looking up at her.
"Oh honey, I thought that was what you wanted, so you two could go to the same school next fall?" she asked sitting on Ava's bed.
"It is, but I mean he's gonna be so far away and I'm gonna be here. We're not gonna be able to see each other all the time like we are now." she cried burying her face in her pillow.
"Ava, it's only gonna be for a year and it's not like you two will never see each other. He can drive home on weekends and breaks to see you. Everything is gonna be OK." she said caressing her back.
"I know, but I just don't like the thought of being away from him mom. I love him and he loves me." she said looking up at her.
"I know sweetie, but you can't expect him to wait for you to go to college. That wouldn't be fair to him." she said looking down at her as she swept her hair out of her face.
"He wanted to, but I told him I didn't want him to. He's so smart mom. I don't want him to wait for me. He's put his life on hold for me long enough. He stopped playing with the band the whole time after I got out of the hospital and everything. I'm just scared." she said looking up at her.
"Scared of what Avalon? Talk to me." Ms. Parker asked as Ava sat up.
"I'm scared that with Roger in Boston, he's gonna find a college girl and dump me." she cried looking up at her.
"Sweetie, you know that would never happen. Roger loves you so much. You're the only girl for him." she said caressing her face.
"Yeah, now. But he's still in high school. What's gonna happen when he goes and sees all the other girls there are out there? What if he realizes that he's missing out on all those other girls?" she asked leaning in to her.
"Sweetie, you know that's not gonna happen. You know Roger would never cheat on you. He loves you." she said looking down at her.
"But mom, I'm still scared." she cried looking up at her.
"Ava, what else are you afraid of?" Ms. Parker asked looking down at her.
"Nothing else." she said sitting up.
"Ava honey, are you afraid you're gonna start drinking again when Roger goes away to college?" Ms. Parker asked looking over at her.
"A little. I mean, Roger's supported me and has been with me every step of my recovery and I'm just scared without him around, I might start drinking again and I don't want to." she said looking over at her.
"Sweetie, you do know that you can call him anytime. And besides him, you have me, and Mr. And Mrs. Davis still here to help you. They're not gonna turn their back on you just because Roger goes away to college." she said looking over at her.
"I know, but Roger's different. I mean, I know you and Mr. And Mrs. Davis are always there for me, but Roger makes me feel safe, you know? I mean, not that you guys don't, but I can't explain it." she said wiping her eyes.
"You don't have to sweetie. I understand what you mean. He's your boyfriend and he's closer to your age so he understands the pressures you have to face at parties to drink." she said looking over at her.
"Yeah, but it's more than that mom. I just can't explain it." she said looking over at her.
"Sweetie, have you talked to Roger about this?" she asked looking over at her.
"No and I don't plan on it either. I don't want him to give this up for me." she said getting off of the bed.
"Ava you shouldn't keep this from him. You start keeping secrets and you will go right back to drinking. You know that." Ms. Parker said looking up at her.
"Telling him would only hurt him in the long run and I don't want to do that to him. I love him too much mom. He needs to do this for himself. He's been taking care of me long enough." Ava said looking down at the picture of Roger that was on her dresser. He was holding his guitar in the garage smiling at Ava as she took the picture.
"He takes care of you because he loves you. I think you should tell him how you feel." she said looking up at her.
"No mom. I can't tell him. And you can't tell him either. Please. I won't have him putting off college for me and that's that." Ava said getting more upset.
"OK sweetie. I won't tell him, but I think you should." she said getting up from the bed going to her.
"It's not a good idea mom. I can't do that to him." she said quietly crying into her mothers shoulder.
"Everything's gonna be OK sweetie. We'll get through this. I promise." she said comforting her.
"Are you sure you have everything?" Ava asked looking up at Roger as they stood outside his car that was filled with things he was bringing up to college.
"No. I wish I could take you with me." he said quietly looking down at her.
"Roger I love you." she whispered holding back tears.
"I love you too Avalon." he whispered taking her face in his hands before leaning in to kiss her.
"I'm gonna miss you so much." she told him beginning to cry.
"I'm gonna miss you too Ava." he said taking her into his arms. "Are you sure you want me to go? I can wait until next year." he said looking down at her.
"No Roger, you have to go. We'll see each other all the time." she said wiping her eyes as she looked up at him.
"I'm gonna come home every chance I get. I promise." he said kissing her head.
"I know and we'll talk on the phone every day, right?" she asked looking up at him.
"Of course we will." he said smiling down at her.
"I hate to break this up you two, but you have to get going Roger if you're gonna beat the traffic to Boston." Mr. Davis said coming down from the porch.
"OK dad. I love you Ava." he said leaning down to kiss her.
"I love you too Roger. Call me when you get there, OK?" she said looking up at him.
"I will, I promise." he said holding her in his arms.
"You better go Roger." she said patting his chest.
"Bye Baby. I'll call you." he smiled looking down at her.
"OK. I love you Roger." she told him as he got in the car.
"I love you too Ava. I really do." he said looking up at her before pulling away.
"Are you OK sweetie?" Mr. Davis asked putting his arm around her shoulders.
"No." she answered beginning to cry as she buried her face in his chest.
"It's gonna be OK Ava. Don't worry about anything. You always have us. We're always here for you." he said comforting her.
"Mr. Davis, can we go to a meeting tonight? I feel like I need a meeting." she asked looking up at him.
"Sure sweetie. We can do that. Why don't you come in the house and we can have some dinner? Abby made your favorite." he smiled looking down at her.
"Yeah, I'd like that. Let me just call my mom and tell her, OK?" she said looking up at him.
"Abby already called her. She's gonna be here in a few minutes." he smiled kissing her head.
"Thanks Mr. Davis. I don't know what I would do without you." she smiled looking up at him.
"Well luckily you don't have to find out." he said smiling down at her before they went into the house.
"I'm just gonna go up to Roger's room for a little while. Let me know when dinner's ready, OK?" she said looking up at him.
"Sure sweetie. Just let me know if you need anything, OK?" he said looking down at her.
"I will. Thanks again Mr. Davis." she said going up the stairs to Roger's bedroom. When she opened the door it was half empty. Roger had take all of his pictures of Ava with him. She laid down on his bed and started crying again. They had made love in that bed many times over the last year and a half. She felt so safe in that bed and now she was laying in it alone missing Roger. Before long she had cried herself to sleep.