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she couldn’t have parted with her little girl, even if they had the money.  

    That’s how she, the Valedictorian of West Plains High School, ended up with two kids and no college degree by the time their ten year high school reunion rolled around. No one made her feel less than just because she had babies instead of a college degree or a career—in fact, it was old news. Feeling less than…she did that all by herself.  
    It wasn’t as if she regretted her girls. She didn’t, not for a second. It wasn’t about them. It was about her and the inner drive that fueled her since she could remember. Emerson Elementary spelling bee champ three years in a row, project leader, debate team captain, science club vice president, the list went on and on.  
    Her academic accomplishments defined her for so long that without them she wasn’t sure she had an identity, outside of wife and mother. It was a small town, most people stayed behind and made their lives…she wasn’t most people. At least she wasn’t supposed to be.
    So, it was by choice she’d stood in the corner of the gymnasium, nursing a glass of white wine, while Nate held court, ever the class favorite. Brady Carmichael was also in attendance, bombarded, with flirtatious advances from the women and questions about what it was like to work for a state senator from the guys. She’d catch Brady staring at her and she was quick to look anywhere else. She became quite familiar with the wood grain of the floor.  

    “Close your eyes.”
    “If I close my eyes I won’t be able to see the sunset. You know how I love a good sunset.”
    “I do…Just, come on, G.”
    “Oookay…They’re closed.”
    “Tell me about your dreams.”
    “What? Brady, you’re being weird.” She giggled, and the giggling intensified when he started to run his fingers under her tank top.  
    “Shhh. Don’t laugh.”
    “Then don’t tickle me!” He pulled his hand away, but kept it on her waist.
    “Now, close your eyes and tell me.”
    “Um, I had a weird one a few nights ago. The one where I’m on roller skates at Prom. I managed to win prom queen this time, but they had to bring the crown to me, getting up stairs is impossible wearing wheels.”
    He laughed. “No, not that kind of dream. Like aspirations, your future.”
    “Hm, well, you know most of them…I want my speech at graduation to be killer. Really, I want a standing ovation, with everyone in tears…Um, I want to leave this town, go to school and hopefully become a doctor. You know, the usual.”
    “What about me? Do you see me in your future?”
    “Weeeellll, that depends…aaaaah, stop, please.” He stopped tickling her. “Okay, okay. You’re in my future, but you knew that already.”
    “Like, babies and marriage?”
    “I guess, waaaay in the future. What about you? Do you see me in your future?”
    He paused. “My heart wants you in my future.”
    “I think following your heart is a good way to live.” She flipped over onto her stomach and smiled up at him. “Besides, we don’t have to figure everything out right now. We’ll be together and that’s all the details we need. Right?”
    He nodded and pulled her in for a deep kiss.
    Georgia wasn’t sure why that memory came to mind. Seeing him here? Nostalgia? Both? That had been one of their last nights together. That deep kiss led to other things, which almost led to the ultimate thing, but they’d decided to wait. Well, he did. Probably because he was thinking about breaking up with her.  
    Bygones.
    She and Brady did speak at one point, very surface and cordial. He told her how pretty she looked and asked about her kids. She thanked him shyly, not mentioning how handsome he still was—that would have been inappropriate. She did say how proud she was of him for getting what he’d always wanted.  
    He’d said, “There’s one thing I didn’t get that I always wanted.”  
    Thankfully, Nate joined them before she had to respond to that