Katrina in The Summer Heat

"This is our last time together isn't it Brad?"

"Yes princess it is."

"Why?"

"You will have a very busy week and I will too. You have to get yourself ready to leave and I have a son and daughter that need to do the same. Neither of us will have very much time to ourselves."

"What about next weekend," she asked?

"Katrina darling, next weekend will be very important for you and your family. It is important that you spend it with them. I will be doing the same with Brad Jr. and Chris. It will be important family time for all of us and I don't want anything to interfere with mine or yours."

"Well then, we can get together when I come home for vacations."

I disengaged myself and moved so we could see each other's faces. I wanted to make this clear for her.

"Katrina, you are about to begin the rest of your life. You will be leaving on a glorious journey. You need to be free to be able to experience all of the wonderful things that are about to start happening. I would never be able to forgive myself if I thought for one minute that because of me you would be unable to live that life. I think too much of you to ever let that happen."

"What about you Brad," she wanted to know?

"I have my life to continue. You are and will always be in my heart. The memories of our time together will be with me to warm me whenever I want to recall them. They are yours and mine to share forever but they must be shared separately."

"I love you so much Brad. I know I said I'd be able to move on when it was time but it's so hard."

She buried her head in my shoulder and sobbed her heart out. I let her cry and stroked her gently to comfort her. When she finally calmed down and I felt she was able to listen again I continued.

"I know it's hard kitten. You will find that there are many hard things in life. If you love me the way you say you do you must try to understand what it would do to me if I were the reason you could not live the life you were meant to freely. When you have some time alone I want you to think about that as objectively as you can. You'll see that I'm right. Will you do that for me?"

"Ok. I'll try."

"Good. Now you need to get yourself ready to leave. Your folks will be home in a while and I want you to be there when the come."

I left Katrina in the shower and went to get some coffee. I was sitting at the kitchen table when she came down stairs ready to leave. We walked to the door arm in arm slowly and embraced one last time when we got there. One last long lingering kiss and one more time I ran my hands over that gorgeous body I had come to know so well.

We were looking in each other's eyes when I said, "Princess, you will be missed I can assure you."

"I'll miss you too Brad. Thank you for being my teacher."

"It was my pleasure more than you will ever know kitten."

"Bye Brad."

"Good bye Katrina."

"I love you Brad."

Those were her last words to me for a long time and I could not answer. I had a huge lump in my throat when the door closed and my eyes were hazed with tears. The next few weeks were going to be very long and very lonely I was not looking forward to the misery of loneliness again. The light in my life would never be as bright again.

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