90 Miles to Freedom Read Online Free PDF Page B

mother sat quietly in her favorite reading chair near the outdoor fire pit, legs folded in front of her. His father walked towards her and stood a few steps away, his hand outstretched. “Shall we dance, my love?” he asked.
    Betty, caught off guard by one of George’s rare spontaneous yet romantic moments, smiled up at her husband, her eyes glittering. She glanced back at her book and carefully placed a bookmark in the spot where she’d stopped, then set the book down on the side table. She placed her hand in his and slowly stood in front of him. They smiled at each other as if they were two teenagers at their first high school dance. Collin could swear his mother blushed. Then they took a few steps away from Betty’s chair and began to dance.
    George and Betty swayed back and forth, holding each other close and giving every appearance that they didn’t have a care in the world. George placed his left arm at the base of Betty’s back and wrapped the other around the tops of her shoulders. He held her against his chest and rested his chin tenderly on the top of her head. Betty’s cheek pressed against George’s chest, her eyes were gently shut, and her lips were formed into the softest smile Collin could remember ever having seen. It was as if she were reminiscing about their days gone past.
    Halfway through the song, George lifted his chin ever so slightly so that he could place a soft kiss on the top of Betty’s head. Betty’s arms squeezed a bit tighter around his waist, saying nothing, expressing so much.
    Collin crossed his arms and leaned against the far wall, not wanting to disturb his parents, but too caught up in the moment to leave. Sometimes Collin thought his parents’ simple romantic gestures were a bit corny. In the past he had stumbled upon several little lovesick notes carrying different messages, like “I love you”, “I’ll miss you while you’re gone”, and so many more. Every time Collin found those little notes he couldn’t help but roll his eyes. It just seemed to him that his parents were too old to be all mushy and lovey-dovey.
    Collin had always thought that “romance” was a term that could only be used when a man was wooing a woman, something a couple did while they were dating. Once a couple was married, the romance should naturally stop and a routine life begin. He assumed there would be no more need for romance or anything of the sort. Dating leads to marriage, marriage leads to children, having children leads to grandchildren and before you know it, life in general becomes busy and mundane. And if a person is lucky enough to fall in love with someone with whom he or she can coexist happily, then that is all there ever needed to be.
    But in that moment, that very moment, witnessing his starry-eyed mother and chivalrous father holding each other with such compassion, he decided that this was the type of love that he would one day have for himself. That was the moment when Collin learned that nothing less would do.
    Collin and Joey grew up in a happy home and had a wonderful childhood. As a family they enjoyed not only the playful, affectionate times, but also the occasions when there was no need to say a word to one another. Sometimes just knowing that they were together meant more than words could possibly say.
    To Collin’s knowledge, his parents had never had an argument. Sure, they’d had a few disagreements, but he’d never seen or heard them yell or scream at each other. They believed, and taught their sons, that most disagreements could be sorted out by simply listening to each other’s opinions. And they were consistently interested in each other’s opinions. The pros and cons for each issue were discussed rationally, and with respect.  Collin thought his parents were unusual in that way, since he’d witnessed a lot of relationships which weren’t nearly as open and understanding.
    Collin vowed that he would have a marriage like the one his parents had. They