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become a driver, the job took him away for weeks at a time. With the two of them still living in their parents’ homes, time together dwindled to a minimum. More often than not, they spent their time at her home because his family lived in a small apartment. Even her place didn’t allow for privacy, with the constant presence of April, her snooping, tattletale younger sister.
    Adding more stress to sustaining a long-distance romance, before graduation, the relationship had been mellow. Joel’s attempts to make love with her had been half-hearted. If petting became too hot and heavy, he’d concede graciously when she’d called a halt, making her love him more. Considering some of the tactics she’d used to fend off previous boyfriends, his control had been refreshing. After graduation, at first, changes were subtle. Then he applied not-so-subtle pressure.
    “Marissa, don’t you believe I love you?”
    “Joel—”
    “No! You said after graduation. What are you afraid of...getting pregnant?”
    Damn. After years of restrained curiosity, and chomping at the bit to know the ultimate sexual experience, wasn’t it time to go for the real deal. She loved the man, didn’t she? They’d talked about a life together. Yet her nagging sixth sense continued to urge caution. Why, wasn’t clear.
    “Joel...” He started to speak. “No, let me finish. I believe you love me, I hope you believe I love you, but we don’t have any privacy. It has nothing to do with getting pregnant, because you can use protection.”
    “True, but condoms aren’t one hundred percent foolproof. If you become pregnant, we’ll get married sooner than we planned.”
    “Joel, you’re missing the point. I refuse to have my first experience on the back seat of a car.”
     
    * * * *
     
    One Year later
     
    At last, eighteen.
    They had decided to move in together. It hadn’t taken long for him to save sufficient money to purchase a used 1963 Chevy Impala and move out of his parents’ home. He’d been lucky to acquire a second-floor duplex in East Falls, within walking distance to the Schuylkill River and Fairmount Park. The Philadelphia College of Textiles and Science was part of the community.
    In a predominately white upscale neighborhood, the duplex had two bedrooms, two baths, and powder room. Master bedroom, at the front of the place, had a door to a balcony overlooking the street. Joel’s duplex connected to the other five duplexes on the block. Commercial businesses were on one side of the duplexes, and private homes lined the opposite side of the street.
    The apartment had hardwood flooring, but its main appeal was a spacious, airy living room. It had three windows arched at the top and sills wide enough for seating, evenly spaced along one wall. A large eat-in kitchen with a small laundry alcove came in as an appealing second.
    Jazzed about the move, after a quick walk-through, she had color schemes and plans for the décor mapped out in her mind. The place came with a refrigerator and a stove. Joel had bedroom furniture and not much else. Her dad purchased the necessary furnishings she needed to fill in the blanks, and she purchased a small portable washer and dryer.
    She’d wanted to move in a few months ago, but Joel kept giving her grief about getting a job. He didn’t want her to work, making her suspicious of the motivation behind his attitude. Why would he want her dependent on him?
    Always a self-sufficient soul, since the age of twelve, she’d had babysitting jobs and had run errands for the elderly in her neighborhood to supplement her allowance. Uh-uh, she refused to play the needy dependent role. Furthermore, she’d had a year of leisure, time to put her costly education to good use and start a career.
    He conceded, ungraciously, when she told him she wanted something to do with her time while he wasn’t there. Not that he could have stopped her from getting a job. She only consulted him because she thought relationships