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Authors: T. L. Haddix
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away from her.
“You’ll write me at least twice a week, right?” he asked for the third time as dawn was breaking.
Zanny goosed him. “Yes, silly. And you’ll write me and call when you can. When Dad isn’t home. I’ll keep you apprised of his schedule in my letters.”
John had been bothered that Zanny hid their relationship from her father, but when he’d mentioned it to her, she’d become so distressed that he hadn’t pushed.
“I wish I’d been able to finish teaching you how to drive. Then you could come see me.”
She laughed. “First, I don’t have a car. And second, I’m going to have to drive quite a bit before I’d feel comfortable hitting the interstate.”
“You stick with me, kid, and I’ll have you driving like a pro in no time.”
They fell asleep for a few hours. When they woke up, John made love to Zanny one last time. It was slower and more tender than the first two times had been.
“I do love you,” he whispered after it was over. “It scares me how much you mean to me. And I don’t know if you realize how much you hold my heart and soul in your hands.”
With tears in her eyes, Zanny pulled him in for a soft, lingering kiss. “If it’s anything near what I feel for you, I do.”
Knowing he had no choice, John used every bit of his willpower to get dressed and leave. He stopped on the back porch for one last kiss. “I can’t let you come up to the house with me. I won’t be able to go if you’re there. Although, you could still come with me.”
“You know I can’t do that. Our parents would kill us.”
He sighed. “I know.” He gave her one last kiss. “I love you, Suzanna D’lores.”
“And I love you, John David. Drive safely? Call me when you get there?”
“I promise.”
The whole time he was climbing the mountain, packing the last of his bags, and driving the road to Richmond, he wanted to turn around and go home—back to Zanny. But he had to keep going. He had to finish his degree. With only one year left, he couldn’t quit. The stakes were too high.
He had every intention of coming back for Zanny and building a life with her. And he knew that the next few months would be difficult for them to be apart, but since it was a sacrifice necessary to their successful future, they had to do it. No matter how much it hurt.
Chapter Eight
B y mid-October, Zanny was in a quiet, full-fledged panic. She’d missed two periods, and the home pregnancy test she’d managed to get her hands on had been positive. If that wasn’t enough evidence for her, she was also as sick as a dog, especially in the mornings, and her breasts were so tender that she was putting bags of frozen peas on them at night after work.
It was a cruel irony. She and John had been so careful, except that one time. She hadn’t thought one time was enough of a risk that she had to worry, but she supposed that thinking just showed how foolish she really was. She’d even had a light period, which she’d told John about in a letter, to assure him she wasn’t pregnant. But not only was she pregnant, she also wondered if he would even believe the baby was his.
She didn’t know how to tell him. What if he demanded she get an abortion? Zanny had a hard time killing poisonous snakes that came into the yard. She would die herself before killing a child they’d created with love.
Luckily, her father was on the road and had been for a few weeks. According to the letter she’d received from him the week before, she had at least another ten days before she had to worry too much about him coming home. That gave her ten days to figure out what in the world to do.
Jewel suspected she was pregnant, Zanny would have bet money on it. She’d been looking out for her more at work, insisting she take more frequent breaks and not do any heavy lifting. The unexpected consideration broke Zanny’s heart.
Dog-tired from not having slept well since John went back to school, Zanny took a fast shower and
“You’ll write me at least twice a week, right?” he asked for the third time as dawn was breaking.
Zanny goosed him. “Yes, silly. And you’ll write me and call when you can. When Dad isn’t home. I’ll keep you apprised of his schedule in my letters.”
John had been bothered that Zanny hid their relationship from her father, but when he’d mentioned it to her, she’d become so distressed that he hadn’t pushed.
“I wish I’d been able to finish teaching you how to drive. Then you could come see me.”
She laughed. “First, I don’t have a car. And second, I’m going to have to drive quite a bit before I’d feel comfortable hitting the interstate.”
“You stick with me, kid, and I’ll have you driving like a pro in no time.”
They fell asleep for a few hours. When they woke up, John made love to Zanny one last time. It was slower and more tender than the first two times had been.
“I do love you,” he whispered after it was over. “It scares me how much you mean to me. And I don’t know if you realize how much you hold my heart and soul in your hands.”
With tears in her eyes, Zanny pulled him in for a soft, lingering kiss. “If it’s anything near what I feel for you, I do.”
Knowing he had no choice, John used every bit of his willpower to get dressed and leave. He stopped on the back porch for one last kiss. “I can’t let you come up to the house with me. I won’t be able to go if you’re there. Although, you could still come with me.”
“You know I can’t do that. Our parents would kill us.”
He sighed. “I know.” He gave her one last kiss. “I love you, Suzanna D’lores.”
“And I love you, John David. Drive safely? Call me when you get there?”
“I promise.”
The whole time he was climbing the mountain, packing the last of his bags, and driving the road to Richmond, he wanted to turn around and go home—back to Zanny. But he had to keep going. He had to finish his degree. With only one year left, he couldn’t quit. The stakes were too high.
He had every intention of coming back for Zanny and building a life with her. And he knew that the next few months would be difficult for them to be apart, but since it was a sacrifice necessary to their successful future, they had to do it. No matter how much it hurt.
Chapter Eight
B y mid-October, Zanny was in a quiet, full-fledged panic. She’d missed two periods, and the home pregnancy test she’d managed to get her hands on had been positive. If that wasn’t enough evidence for her, she was also as sick as a dog, especially in the mornings, and her breasts were so tender that she was putting bags of frozen peas on them at night after work.
It was a cruel irony. She and John had been so careful, except that one time. She hadn’t thought one time was enough of a risk that she had to worry, but she supposed that thinking just showed how foolish she really was. She’d even had a light period, which she’d told John about in a letter, to assure him she wasn’t pregnant. But not only was she pregnant, she also wondered if he would even believe the baby was his.
She didn’t know how to tell him. What if he demanded she get an abortion? Zanny had a hard time killing poisonous snakes that came into the yard. She would die herself before killing a child they’d created with love.
Luckily, her father was on the road and had been for a few weeks. According to the letter she’d received from him the week before, she had at least another ten days before she had to worry too much about him coming home. That gave her ten days to figure out what in the world to do.
Jewel suspected she was pregnant, Zanny would have bet money on it. She’d been looking out for her more at work, insisting she take more frequent breaks and not do any heavy lifting. The unexpected consideration broke Zanny’s heart.
Dog-tired from not having slept well since John went back to school, Zanny took a fast shower and
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