Promises

"I promise I'll wait for you to come home from college."

"Will you still marry me when I come home?"

Smiling softly into his dark brown eyes, Korreenna lays her hand gently against Darin's cheek. Her own hazel eyes shining with love and unshed tears.

"I'll marry you when you come home Darin, that promise is sealed in gold."

Lifting her hand toward his lips Darin glances the shimmering diamond resting lovingly against Korreeanna's finger. Kissing her knuckles tenderly he watches as a single tear slides down her cheek, her soft smile trembling slightly. Releasing her hand, he pulls her into his strong embrace.

"Well, I better go before I'm late for my flight."

Lifting his duffle bag with a sigh Darin turns to meet with his parents.

"Darin, remember that I love you."

Turning at her voice, he smiles brightly.

"And I love you."

Those were the last words we spoke to one another on August 15th, 1990. The last words I'll remember for the rest of my life...

It was a beautiful day in August, I was going away to college and Korreeanna was helping me do a few last minute things. We had been going together for four years and were planning on getting married as soon as possible.

She was beautiful, long brown hair and brown eyes that changed to green whenever she was happy or excited about something. She was sun kissed to a golden tan, with a wonderfully beautiful complexion. She would almost outshine the sun, at least in my eyes.

Her figure, so fit, she could turn heads and not even realize what she was doing. If she did realize, she didn't say. When she was in school, the guys tried to get her to go out. Korreeanna was quick to turn them down. A shake of her head, and down the hall she went. I was the only man alive in her world; I wish she were still alive in mine.

What she saw in me, I don't know. At the time I was always depressed and I ate a lot in my depression, which in turn caused some health problems and a weight struggle. I've always like the girl, the first day when she walked into the Youth room at church I almost couldn't believe what I saw. I laid eyes on her and something inside of me snapped, a voice kept saying go for it. Don't let her get away.

I had a sinking feeling that she wouldn't even take notice of me. Boy was I wrong. It took me two and a half years but I did it. I got my Korreeanna.

That day she was helping me pack for college, when she came across some pictures I had taken of her and of us together. She sat down on the floor and spread them out all around her I had taken what seemed to be over hundreds of pictures of my girl. We had also gone to have professional shots done at a local photography. She was so beautiful that day, It was a couple days before her senior prom so instead of going through the line at the school, we killed the time by having fun in an intimate matter. Worked for us.

It did take us some time to find a tux that would fit my build; the place we finally managed to get one said I was extremely hard to fit. I did bench 250 at the time and Korreeanna loved it! I was her Big Grizzly Koz. That was fine, since Koz was a nickname of mine. I'd had it since I was in school co coaching the football team.

We also decided to get our pictures done as husband and wife, since we were planning on getting married very soon. My mom thought it was a pretty neat idea, which would take some of the pressure off when we started planning the big event. Korreeanna was using my mothers wedding gown, since I had no sisters and her mother didn't have a gown. That was cool.

Mom and Korree took a couple days to alter the dress and fashion it up a bit. When I saw Korree in that gown, I almost cried because we weren't actually husband and wife. But I was consoled with the knowledge that the plans were in motion and people close to us were gearing up for the big event.

She sat on the floor looking at the pictures, smiling at the ones she really liked. Picking up one of us together in our prom outfits, she handed it to me saying that she wanted me to keep it as close to my heart as possible until we could be together again.

That was a long time ago.

I was in my second week of college, my grades were great. I was sitting in photography when I was called out of class for an important meeting with the Dean. Wondering what I could have done, or then chuckling I figured it was dad calling to say he'd wrecked that Impala of mine, or that maybe he and mom were coming to visit. I wasn't prepared for what met me in the office.

I walked in completely expecting to speak to dad or mom or even Korree, when I entered the darkened room I stood dumbfounded to see my father standing in the middle of the floor. The look on his face made my heart clench and that little voice in my head said go pack, you're going home lad.

"Darin, I hate to be the one to tell you this, but it's best that it comes from someone in person and not on the phone. Not this type of information."

"It's about Korree isn't it?"

I remember clenching my fists as if I would break something.

"Yes lad it's about Korreeanna. Darin, she's."

"She's not going to marry me now is she?"

I would kill the guy that turned my girls head.

"No lad, it isn't that, how can I say this?"

I remember dad turning away from me with a look I'd never seen on his face before.

"Maybe you should sit down son."

I sat down but still wasn't prepared for what was about to come.

"Lad, she's been in a very bad car accident. The Impala is totally destroyed and.."

"As long as Korree's alright I don't give a wooden nickel about the car, it can be replaced dad."

"That's just it son, Korree didn't make it."

I sat there stunned, not believing my ears, not wanting to believe my father or what he had just told me. It couldn't be. She was a safe driver, always wore her belt. Never speeding, or running lights. This wasn't happening.

Looking up at my father I saw the pain in his eyes, the tears were hot against my cheeks. I could have cared less at that moment, my Korree was gone. This was some horrible joke. I felt dead inside, no pain, just emptiness.

Standing silently I turned and left the room, heading for my dorm. Walking down the long corridor I began to think about all the fun times we'd had together. Her laughter rang in my ears and her smiling face flashed before my eyes, I packed my things and the pictures she'd sent with me. I packed without seeing what I was doing. All I could see was my Korree's face.

The time passed without me even knowing it. Her funeral was in two days, during the visiting hours at the funeral home, I heard the apologies and the cries of family and friends. How unfair life was. I was bitter.

The day of the funeral I went up to the casket and looked down on her beautiful face. She was dressed in a lovely white dress, the gold necklace I had given her for our second anniversary lying against her throat. She wore the intertwining heart band I had given her for our first anniversary. Oh God this was so unfair.

The diamond engagement ring I had given her lay nestled safely behind my class ring. Smiling I could hear her say that was the way until she got the real band. I leaned down and kissed her gently on the cheek and then on the lips. Lifting her left hand I fixed the diamond so it lay properly on her finger and settled the class ring as well, I couldn't bear to think that they were uncomfortable on her.

Laying her hand back down, I leaned close to her ear and whispered how much I loved her, and how I would wait until we could be together as it was meant to be. Backing away from her, I watched with breaking heart as they closed the lid and sealed her body into the satin lined tomb. I stood motionless as she was carried out of the funeral home and taken to the hurse.

Standing there amongst friends and family in the August sunshine, we watched as Korreeanna was put into the ground, painful tears choked me as I threw the first handful of warm soil onto her casket and then watched as my Korreeanna and my heart were buried forever.