Your relationship will always take second place to being a doctor.”I nodded, “That is something that Doctor Hart and I have discussed.”“Who’... that?”“A counselor in Student Health Services. He’s mentoring me on things like that, as well as other stuff that would affect both getting into medical school and becoming a good doctor. He’s the one who advised me to warn anyone I might get seriously involved with about just how bad things will be for the next eight years. Things will only get worse. They stood there for a time, holding each other. Eventually he pulled back from her and looked into her eyes, searching her soul. ‘Everything’s going to be fine. I’ll see you soon.’ He never said goodbye at times like this. That word left the world with an arid sense of finality. Her wordless response was to bring her lips to his, embracing them in a soft kiss. The kiss started off small but quickly grew. She parted her mouth and his tongue filled the gap, caressing hers. They kissed. Our parents asked the usual questions of Chuck and Roy that they had of those who we had dated in the past: their ages, where they lived, where they had gone to school, et cetera.We learned that both of them had several years of college; had played football in high school; and had decided to join the Agency as a way of seeing other countries and to help America at the same time. It was for FTA as they put it, for Fun, Travel, and Adventure. Dad knew a different meaning for that letter. She asked me to go with her. So we set out for the piercing parlor, Raul's Of Salem, up Route 28 past Rockingham Park just over the Massachusetts line. We talked to several very pleasant artists, any one of whom could have been Raul himself. She decided to go ahead and I stayed beside her while it was done. When it was over Rae was a little unsteady on her feet but otherwise okay. Just as a precaution I drove us home after a quick stop at Starbucks. As we drove home she told me it had been a.