cared of much, excepting Alanis Morissette, the sand dude was his friend. The sand dude wanted Charles and Jolene to be together, and Charles saw that now--but for how long? How long had this game been going on?
"So tell me about yours!" Jolene pulled Chuck back into her world. Which, coincidentally was always going to be his as well. He couldn't lie to her. Looking at her face, seeing her freckles and her sweet hazel eyes, he couldn't lie.
"I was in that field. The sand dude was picking the pears for me and I was eating them. They were the best pears I've ever eaten."
Jolene was silent. She just looked at Charles, then away, then back at him.
"You know what this means," she finally said.
"Yes. I know."
"I should probably--"
"You might want to--"
Jolene and Charles looked into one another's eyes with a sadness that was like listening to "Thunder Road" one too many times; it was unbearable.
"I love you," they once again spoke in tandem, "but--"
"I think we both know what we have to do, Jo," Chuck said.
"Oh, Chuck..."
"We have to get married today!"
"Charles. No."
"What do you mean? That's what he said, that's what he wanted, that's what we have to do!"
"Will we always do what _________ wants us to?"
"Why shouldn't we?"
"Because, Charles, I don't want another man running my life. I don't want anyone running my life. I want to run my life. I love you. I always have and I always will. But, I think...." Jolene began to cry. "I think it's best, it's best if I move out. And if we cancel the wedding."
It was Chuck who was speechless now. He got out of the bed and ran into the bathroom, and despite all his manliness, he began to cry himself. He cried for their first date, when she took her delicate pointer finger and whisked the whipped cream from his cappuccino off of his nose. He cried for the time her cat Lizzy died and he had to bury her because Jo couldn't stand it. But most of all, Chuck cried because he knew that Jolene was right. They couldn't be together. They couldn't get married, and their
"So tell me about yours!" Jolene pulled Chuck back into her world. Which, coincidentally was always going to be his as well. He couldn't lie to her. Looking at her face, seeing her freckles and her sweet hazel eyes, he couldn't lie.
"I was in that field. The sand dude was picking the pears for me and I was eating them. They were the best pears I've ever eaten."
Jolene was silent. She just looked at Charles, then away, then back at him.
"You know what this means," she finally said.
"Yes. I know."
"I should probably--"
"You might want to--"
Jolene and Charles looked into one another's eyes with a sadness that was like listening to "Thunder Road" one too many times; it was unbearable.
"I love you," they once again spoke in tandem, "but--"
"I think we both know what we have to do, Jo," Chuck said.
"Oh, Chuck..."
"We have to get married today!"
"Charles. No."
"What do you mean? That's what he said, that's what he wanted, that's what we have to do!"
"Will we always do what _________ wants us to?"
"Why shouldn't we?"
"Because, Charles, I don't want another man running my life. I don't want anyone running my life. I want to run my life. I love you. I always have and I always will. But, I think...." Jolene began to cry. "I think it's best, it's best if I move out. And if we cancel the wedding."
It was Chuck who was speechless now. He got out of the bed and ran into the bathroom, and despite all his manliness, he began to cry himself. He cried for their first date, when she took her delicate pointer finger and whisked the whipped cream from his cappuccino off of his nose. He cried for the time her cat Lizzy died and he had to bury her because Jo couldn't stand it. But most of all, Chuck cried because he knew that Jolene was right. They couldn't be together. They couldn't get married, and their
