He was the adult.

Having a boyfriend made life worth living, but having a boyfriend who was not exactly boyfriend material made it complicated. The relationship was even more conflicted by the fact that he was an honorable man, experiencing his own confusing mix of guilt and affection. As long as I was in high school, we never went on a real date... he took me skiing, to afternoon concerts, hiking... all public, and many group activities with the church. Never anywhere after dark.

It was a small town. Everyone wanted to know everyone else's business, especially if that business didn't conform to acceptable norms. Anyone with a perceptive eye could have guessed there was more between us than necessary. His boss, (whose daughter was in my class) in passing, once asked whether or not he might be cradle robbing? His own family issued an ultimatum... no girlfriends under the age of twenty-one. My own friends just wanted to be included in any juicy details. There weren't any. We were attracted, but we weren't doing anything about it, except kissing. Boring.

That didn't mean that my imagination was bored. No siree. My hormones were raging and I was already fantasizing picket fences, four children and a washer/dryer combination. He was adamant that I needed college, life experiences, and time to grow up. His heart may have been singing yes, but his head was shouting NO!!! And he was the adult. He won.