The Promise

“You gotta do what your heart tells you to do. Let me tell you somethin' right now. You're only allowed three great women in your lifetime. They come along like the great fighters, every ten years. Rocky Marciano. Sugar Ray Robinson. Joe Louis. Sometimes you get 'em all at once. Me? I had my three when I was 16. That happens. What are you gonna do? That's the way it goes, you know? Tell you right now. See this girl? Maybe this girl, she puts wind in your sails. Maybe she's your first great one.” Chaz Palminteri as Sonny in ‘A Bronx Tale

I made the stupid mistake one night during dinner with my parents of saying that I felt as though Lauren was my “great one”. To say that my parents were a little uneasy about my having found the 'one' while I was only 18 would be the second-biggest understatement of all time. They admitted to me that they also thought that they were each other’s 'one' when they were my age, but now they were not so sure. While they remained faithful to each other, it was no secret that they were more acquaintances than lovers nowadays. To their credit, they told me that they weren’t trying to be hypocritical; they just didn't want me to fall into the same rut as they had.

"It's not that we don't trust you, son. You know we do!"

"It's just that we're worried that you might be rushing into things with her."

The sudden turn in dinner conversation still had me apprehensive, "I thought you guys liked Lauren?"

"Honey, we adore Lauren! It's just that your father and I are afraid that you might be making the same mistake that we made when we were your age."

I know that she meant well, but at the moment her comment sent me over the edge from apprehension to full on anger, "The major difference between Lauren and I now and you two back then is that Lauren and I aren't sleeping together! We’re not going to rush off and get married to keep the neighbors from whispering behind our backs about how scandalous having a baby out of wedlock is!”

The hurt look on my mother’s face made me instantly regret my loss of control. I took several deep breaths while pinching the bridge of my nose with my eyes closed. The glasses on the table were shaking in time with the agitated bouncing of my right leg. When I had finally regained my composure, I said, rather hoarsely, “It's not raging hormones clouding my judgment either, it's the real thing! She's the first thing I think of when I wake up; she's the last thing I think of before I fall asleep; she makes me want to be a better person, and actually act on that wish; I've started applying myself at school for god's sake! I've raised my GPA an entire point this year!  If that's not love, I don't know what is; and frankly, I'm not sure I would want to."

My father shifted the conversation back to the original topic, "We understand that son, but this will be the first time the two of you have spent the night together unsupervised. Are you sure you're ready for that? Is Lauren?"

I slammed my fist on the table in frustration, "Dad... I have already had sex and I regret that decision. You know this. Whether you choose to remember is not my problem. Lauren, however, is as pure as the driven snow and I intend to keep her that way!”

As I was speaking, my parent’s expressions changed from aggravated and worried to something I couldn’t immediately identify. “Why are you guys looking at me like that?"

They looked at each other and back at me again. My mother was the first to respond, "We are just so thrilled that at 18, you're already more mature then we ever were!"

Prom was two weeks away. All of the arrangements had been made, I had my fitting for my tux finished and a room reserved in the hotel that our prom was being held in. Lauren's mother was a little more reluctant to let us spend the night together alone.

"It's not that I don't trust you..." she began.

"It's just that you don't trust us." I joked light-heartedly.

Both Lauren and her mother laughed.

"I would just feel better if I could have some assurance, is all."

"Anything at all," I said, "What can we do to give you some peace of mind?"

"Why don't you and your parents come to church with us on Sunday?"

My parents are only slightly more religious than I am, but they would come if I asked them to. "We'll be there."

Later that night, I told my parents of Lauren's mother's request.

"I don't want to go to church. I'll miss baseball." My dad whined.

"Really Dad? It's not like you weren't going to record the game anyway. Lauren's cousin Kayla is less whiny than you are and she's four!"

For the most part, my parents have treated me like another adult since I was about thirteen. They let me make my own choices and deal with the consequences of said choices. That being said, we had a relationship that bordered more on friendship than the typical parent/child which is why I felt more than comfortable chastising him like that.  Also, he really was being a baby about the whole thing.

After service on Sunday, my parents and I and Lauren and her mother waited for the rest of the congregation to leave. My dad kept looking at his watch anxiously.

"You’re not going to get any an ice cream if you keep fidgeting like that. Now man-up, we'll be done soon."

"But first pitch is in five minutes!"

"Give it a rest already!" My mom scolded my dad.

I laughed at my dad and retook my rightful place at Lauren's side. Reverend Evans had finally shaken everyone's hand and was now coming to join us by the piano at the front of the church.

Reverend Evans laughed heartily, a huge smile on his face and rubbing his hands together excitedly. "Okay! Let's get to it! I got a couch and a TV waiting for me to watch the game with them."

Lauren's mom started, "I know that Brandon’s parents have already given their permission, and while I have faith in their judgment and in their son and my daughter, I would just feel better if Lauren and Brandon were to promise to all of us here that they will... you know, remain pure."

Reverend Evans and my parents nodded in agreement, it certainly was a reasonable request. Holding hands and looking into each other's eyes, we promised to all in attendance that we would remain chaste. We would wait forever if necessary.

I drove Lauren and her mother back to their house and dropped her mother off. Lauren and I had invited her to lunch with us, but she already had plans with her sister Tara. When we were alone, Lauren looked at me and giggled, “Was it just me, or did you feel like we were getting married back there?”

I smiled back at her, “I know, right?”

Lauren took my hand in hers, “Pretty crazy, huh?” She sounded almost fanciful.

The rest of the ride to the restaurant was fairly quiet. We were seated rather quickly and the hostess took our drink orders and gave us our menus. Lauren still hadn’t spoken, I thought I would start.

I reached across the table and took her hand in mine, “Why so quiet?”

She looked up at me, her emerald eyes sincere, “Just thinking,” She smiled a small and melancholy smile, “that’s all.”

I immediately knew what she meant felt horrible I didn’t say anything earlier, “I don’t think it would be crazy.”

“Brandon I…”

“Listen, love...” I began, “I know we’re both way too young to be thinking about it. I’ll be honest, the mere thought used to send shivers down my spine; but now,” I tilted my head to one side, and shrugged my shoulders, “not so much.”

Lauren simply looked at me, sipping her soda.

“What?” I asked nervously.

Lauren and I leaned back as our waitress put our orders on the table and took our empty glasses for refills, “It’s… I don’t know… there are few things in this world that I want as much as I want to be with you for the rest of my life, but with my experience I don’t know how I would feel about getting married.”

Her inflection on the word almost made it sound like an expletive.

“Believe me, hon, I know how you feel! Well obviously not exactly how you feel, because my parents are still together, but still… Some days I think that the only reasons that they are still together is that they’re either too stubborn to admit defeat or it’s all they’ve ever known.”

Lauren smiled, “There’s always common-law marriage.”

I raised my newly-refilled glass, “So long as I get to be with you, I don’t care what we call it.”

Reviews

[Nicole (Carpe Diem)]

short and sweet - but still very significant in the story...
ha ha - i love that they even had to promise the priest that they wouldn't do the deed on prom night... ha