Two Years From Today

Four

Johnson, Kate, Juliet, and I got into the habit of carpooling together from seminary to school. It wasn't a verbal decision, but eventually we were doing it every day. Jenna approached me after seminary one day, when Johnson wasn't by my side.

"Hey," She said playfully, hitting my shoulder. "Have you sent Connor his letter?"

"Why the emphasis on 'letter'?" I asked her, falsely interested in this conversation. I knew what she meant. The breakup letter. The Dear John. To most girls with missionaries as boyfriends, it happened eventually.

The truth was, I was stressed about my relationship with Connor. It had been exactly two weeks since I sent him my email, and my inbox was still empty. On top of it, I had been praying harder and harder, because I knew something in my life wasn't right.

Jenna rolled her eyes. "You know what I mean."

I sighed. "We're still together," I tried, but I felt like I was convincing myself more than I was convincing her. 

She touched my shoulder gently. "Are you okay?"

Just as I was about to respond, Johnson came down the hallway in his warm flannel shirt and his brown eyes twinkling like they were smiling.

"Hey, are you ready to go?" He asked me, noticing the heaviness around Jenna and me. 

I nodded, and Jenna hugged me, holding on a little longer than normal. 

She walked down the hallways, and I watched her, in a daze. Johnson reached out and touched my shoulder. 

"Are you okay?" He asked me.

I shrugged, smiling. "I think I'm okay, actually."

---

That Sunday at church, Kate and I were restless. My mom had a meeting the previous Sunday, and since she was between callings, we assumed she had been called to something. It was her tradition we had to find out with everyone else, so she wouldn't say a word.

During sacrament meeting, the bishop got up, ready to tell us ward business.

"We would like to thank Sister Caroline Jamison for her service as a Mia Maid advisor, all those who can thank her for her service please manifest."

Juliet and I manually raised our right arms. 

"We would like to inform you that Sister Emma Summerline has been called to be a Mia Maid advisor. All those who would support her in this calling please manifest." 

My mom stood, a smile playing on her lips. Kate seemed to be squirming because she was so happy. She looked across the aisle to Juliet and gave her two thumbs up. Since I had made the concious decision the stay in Young Women's, she would be with me. 

When my mom finally sat down, she leaned across and squeezed my shoulder and whispered, "The Young Women's president wants to meet with you after church."

I nodded in response, because it didn't upset me. My Young Women's president was one of the best presidents I had ever had. Technically, I was supposed to call her Sister Kennish, but we all just affectionately called her Kelli, her first name. 

She was the sweetest woman I had ever met. She was thin, with blue eyes and a blonde pixie cut. She never left anyone else or let them say one bad thing about themselves. She cried at everything, but it was always a happy cry. 

After sacrament meeting, I looked for Kelli. She stood with her husband, and when she saw me, she spoke over the chatting crowd to me.

"Reagan! Darling, come here!" She laughed, all bubbly and sweet. She hugged me tightly, and looked at me with a smile. 

"Hey, my mom said you wanted to meet with me?" I told her, looking down at her just a little, because she was smaller than me.

She nodded. "Yeah, I do. Let's try and find and empty classroom to chat, okay?"

I smiled and followed her until we found a classroom, with a freshly cleaned blackboard and chairs stacked neatly in the corner of the room. She sat me down in the windowsill and smiled at me, her laughter lines showing gently. 

"Oh my sweet Reagan," She told me, touching my cheek.

With anyone else, it would've been strange, but with Kelli it was different. She was so gentle and sweet that you didn't question her actions.

I held her hand and she took a deep breath.

"Sorry, I am so sentimental." She joked, letting out an easy laugh. "I have a question for you."

I looked at her expectantly. "Yeah?"

"I know it's typical of an eighteen year old woman to be in Relief Society by now, but since you are staying with us until you graduate, and we are one YCL short at Girl's Camp..."

I jumped up, a smile forming on my face. "Are you asking me to come to Girl's Camp?"

She nodded. "You're willing?"

I laughed. "Of course I am willing! I thought I'd have to wait until I was a leader to go back. Girl's Camp is always a life changer for me."

"Thank you, thank you, thank you darling! You are wonderful!" Kelli said, hugging me. "I know it's a little early, since it's only October, but I thought I would tell you now."

I smiled at her. "Thank you, it's really just what I wanted to hear."

---

That night when I was browsing my e-mail, there was a new email from Connor. I was ecstatic, and I clicked on it, to find only a few words. 

Reagan,

Things are great. Blue skies this entire week, which isn't typical.

Love,

Connor

His email was so short and to the point, I wondered if he was doing okay. Usually they were a lot longer. Then again, maybe he wondered the same thing about me. I started to think about what my mom had said weeks ago about Connor, before I left for seminary. 

I'm just saying, I don't think it's healthy for you to be waiting for Connor.

Just as I thought it, my mom came into the room, still looking as beautiful as ever, even without her makeup. I thought about how much she looked like Kate. With Kate's tan skin and dark brown hair, they were nearly twins. I looked more like my dad, with wavy ash blonde hair.

I also saw the happiness in her eyes as she said, "Up for a late night sundae?"

I followed her out of my room and down to the kitchen, feeling happiness and sadness all at the same time.