When Nathan finally closed the book for the night, his home, the entire neighborhood had gone completely still.
He removed his glasses and placed them on the end table.
He crept quietly up to the bedroom, where Anita lay slumbering in their bed.
He smiled.
As he slipped beneath the covers, she stirred.
"You're just now getting to bed?" she said, her voice crackling with sleep.
He leaned over and kissed her. "I think you may have a few more book awards coming with that one."
"You're biased." she said, chucking.
"A little bit." he replied, sliding a hand over her thigh.
****
The ball had been a dream for them all.
Fred had gotten a bit frustrated as Jasmine's card had been filled by a few of the more adventurous white boys in attendance as well, but he was polite.
They even had a portrait taken. The photographer refused to take Nate and Nita together alone, so they all took a group photo.
As the night ended, they lingered on the weathered porch of the old frat-house, listening to the distant tinkling sounds of the classical band, which played on into the night.
After a while, most of the group went back to their rooms.
Nate sat on the steps with Anita and held her hand in his own, bringing it up to his lips, for a brief kiss.
"I can hardly believe how beautiful you look tonight, and that I was the one who got to escort you." he said.
She smiled, and scooted closer while he gathered her into his arms, warming her.
"I've written my mom about you." he continued, seriously.
"...She knows you're colored."
"...How's she taking it?" Anita asked.
"She's worried for me, of course, but she doesn't know you yet. When she does, she'll love you as much as I do."
"Nathan.-"
Anita had her doubts and she could see where this was going. She had wanted to delay the inevitable talk about their future for as long as possible.
She had been living in the present with it came to them. All thoughts on the future brought up possibilities of all kinds of frightening and very real dangers for them as a couple.
"-Classes are over next week..." he said, taking a deep breath.
"But I don't want us to be."
"I'm not going down that road again, Nathan." she said.
"Everything else is a bigger concern, right now. Getting through our courses. I just haven't had the time to stop and really think about these things."
"Well, I have and I want us to be together. I can't imagine my life without you, Anita..."
Nathan raised her face with a gentle nudge under her chin, until their eyes met.
"When all is said and done here, I won't have anything less than you being my wife."
Anita froze, her eyes wide.
YOU ARE READING
ASHWOOD ACADEMY
Historical Fiction[EDITORS' CHOICE, June 2020][#1 History June 2020] -- Five black students make history as the first to integrate a prestigious school for gifted students in 1950's Vermont. One student, Anita Prescott, is a young girl whose strength and leadership...
