Far Beyond Forever

Dear Steve,                                                                                          9/3/66

            As I sit here writing you the first letter of the year, the knowledge of just how far apart we are is beginning to hit me.  So much has happened since I first got here that I’ve been doing my best to ignore the fact that I won’t be seeing you soon.  It’s been great to see everyone again and there’s been lots of catching up to do, so we’ve spent most of our time just sitting around talking.

            The trip was amazingly pleasant considering that it was Daddy and I.  We left about 7:10AM Thursday morning and got here at 5:45…so we made pretty good time.  I ended up driving a good part of the way…from Louisville to London, Kentucky, then from Middlesboro, Kentucky to Greenville, Tennessee, then from Ashville to Charlotte.  Daddy didn’t ask me about us and I volunteered no information.  It kind of surprises me because I really had thought he would.  So I guess that Thanksgiving will still be my opportunity to grow up and our opportunity to tell the world that we’re in love.

            I’ve been thinking about you and wondering how your first few days have been, I hope all has gone well and that you like it fine…but I guess you can’t really tell until the kids get there on Tuesday.  I hope you will like your new home and the other boy who’s living there. I wonder whether you’re home for the weekend or whether you decided to stay in Shelbyville?  In short, I miss you more than you know and I just want to sit down and talk with you about everything that’s happened since Wednesday night.

            Darling, I still can’t believe that our wonderful summer is over and separation time has come again.  It’s going to be so much emptier this year…but I’ll just keep my eye on June and I know that I’ll make it.  This summer was the most wonderful time of my life and I loved every minute of it.  Somehow it just doesn’t seem fair to take away that happiness that came from being with you for now so many things seem incomplete and inadequate without you here to share them with me.  Just like you said, I feel as though some of my insides have been torn out…and I’m still numb from the hurt.

            Although I’ve already said it, I already miss you very much, but I know it’s only begun.

            I pray that you are taking care of yourself and thinking about me some, in between lesson plans.

            I’ll write again soon.

With all my love,

                                                                               &n