Katie was on her way to college. She had taken the bus because her dad could not take her. It was a long trip. The bus stopped in a little town about 15 miles outside of the town where Katie lived. Katie loved living in Kentucky. She loved the mountains, the horses, and the fresh air.
Several passengers got on and found their seats. A very nice looking young man sat in the seat next to Katie and introduced himself.
"Hello, my name is Billy, and I am going to the military academy at West Point."
Katie smiled. She always liked military men.
"Hello, my name is Katie, and I am on my way to college."
Katie remembered all the things they had in common and how they seemed to have known each other for a long time. They talked the entire bus ride.
At the final stop they decided to have dinner together. They continued getting to know each other. As they left, they decided to keep in touch since the college where Katie attended wasn't that far from West Point.
They talked on the phone almost everyday and got together on weekends. They really enjoyed being with each other. They kept seeing each other the four years they both were in school. When she graduated, Billy was there. When he graduated, Katie was there. They had been through a lot together in four years. Somehow they both knew they would one day get married. After graduation, they decided they would take the bus home since that was how they first met. Only this bus ride would be more memorable.
About half way home, Billy gets down in the aisle beside Katie, pulls out a ring, and says, "Katie, we have been through so much together. It was on this same bus trip we first started our relationship and it seems only fitting that this is where we take the next step. Katie, I love you more than any words could ever say, and I want to be with you forever. Will you marry me?"
Katie remembers that everyone on the bus was staring at her for an answer. With tears in her eyes, she puts her arms around Billy and yells, "Yes!" Everyone on the bus clapped and cheered as Billy put the ring on her finger and they kissed.
As Katie remembered all this, she began to cry. She knew that she and Billy now would never marry. She took her engagement ring off her finger, kissed it and said, "Billy, I'll always love you." However, she knew that as long as she wore the ring, Billy would be with her, so she slipped it back on her finger with a smile.
Katie sat there all night remembering all the good times with Billy. The time they went to the concert of their favorite country singer, the trip to New York City to shop, and one of her favorites, her surprise 21st birthday party. With every remembrance came more tears and more love. Katie finally drifted off to sleep just as the sun began to rise over the Kentucky Mountains.
The only time Katie had ever experienced such grief and pain was when her mother died. Katie was only seven. Her mother was a doctor and had gone to the hospital late one night for an emergency. It was the middle of winter and the roads were slick and icy. She was on her way back home when she noticed a car that had ran off the road in a ditch. She stopped to see if anyone was hurt and needed help. When she approached the car, a man pulled out a gun, shot her, and stole her car. The man apparently was on the run from the police for armed robbery. Help came but it was too late. Katie's mother died before the ambulance arrived and the man was never caught.
Now Katie was experiencing that grief again. Only this time she was old enough to understand it and deal with the pain and grief but it seemed more difficult. She was really too young when her mother died to go through the grieving process, so now she was reliving it and grieving again, not only for Billy, but again for her mother.
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