How it began

Tony

Anthony came from New Jersey. Everyone called him Tony.

He was Italian by descent and had two brothers and two sisters. They grew up in a three-family house. His grandparents lived on the first floor. His family lived on the second floor, and they rented the third floor. His mom, Carmela, and dad, Vincent, had their bedroom. All the boys shared another bedroom, and his sisters shared another. When they were young, this arrangement was fine. As they got older, privacy became important. Eventually, the girls moved downstairs with their grandparents. Tony was the oldest. His family did not come from the rich side of town. They came from "the other side of the tracks." Tony's father was a hard worker, he worked overtime almost every week. He did not want his wife to work. Tony's father worked in a union shop and made good money. They made ends meet. Tony's father walked to and from work each day regardless of the weather. Taking time off from work was not an option. Even when he was ill, he went to work.

There were no fancy vacations each year. When it was hot, the kids sprayed themselves with a garden hose to cool off. Tony started working at the local grocery store delivering groceries at a young age. He was the eldest son and needed to help his family. As they all got older, one of his brothers got involved with the wrong crowd and started using drugs. Those were very difficult times for Tony's family. They needed his help. Tony's mother was a strict Italian woman. She taught Tony self-respect and how important it was to respect others. Their father didn't buy their first car until Tony was thirteen years old. It was used but in good shape. He bought what they could afford. In the old neighborhood, the fish man came by once a week. People could buy fresh fish right off the truck. Groceries were delivered by the local market, and the milkman delivered milk daily. Garbage was kept in a container dug into the ground. Each week the garbage collector would pull the container from the ground, carry it over his shoulder to the garbage truck, empty it, and return it to the back to the yard. Not a glorious job. Many did not want to do it.

Tony did exceptionally well in high school. He graduated first in his class. There was no money for college. Tony received a small scholarship, and the remainder was financed through student loans. He was attending college for Architectural Engineering. He was in his junior year of college and made the dean's list every semester since he was a freshman. Tony was not a flashy dresser. There was no money for that. Tony didn't date much in high school. He was always working and studying. He was considered a "nerd," or a "geek." Mostly because his classmates never took the time to get to know him. He was an average looking man. Reserved and shy. Once someone got to know Tony, it was clear that he had a great personality as was not as he appeared. Looks can be deceiving. Tony's had very little self-confidence. He could approach a girl, but when it came to asking her out, he simply froze and walked away. If he met them prior, and the ice was broken, it was no longer a problem. Tony feared rejection, and never learned how to approach a girl. He was halfway through his junior year at college. He noticed Jill at the end of his freshman year. He was spellbound. When he started his sophomore year, he roamed the campus looking to see if she had returned. They were in different academic programs and were the same age and graduating class. Because they had different majors, they never shared any classes together. He never had the opportunity to casually meet her. The first time he noticed Jill she was in the library, and then again in the student center. His heart pounded every time he saw her. He could not get the courage to approach her. A sad situation since this had now been going on for almost two years. Tony would go out of his way to find out what classes she was taking and always tried to be where Jill was with the hopes of gaining the courage to approach her. Sadly, he could only admire her from a distance.

JILL

Jill was a Physiology major. Her background was completely different. She came from California. Her father, Frank, was a prominent attorney. She came from money. She lived in a beautifully landscaped home. Jill had a twin sister Callie. They each had their own bedroom that had a bathroom. There was a large built-in swimming pool in the yard. Her parents entertained and hosted many parties at their home. They were members of the golf club, lake Club, and other social organizations. Jill was raised learning respect. Unlike her sister Callie, she never acted like a rich snob or a spoiled brat. Many of her friends displayed those traits, but not Jill. She was a down-to-earth good-hearted person. Regular vacations and all the other amenities were their way of life. Jill was an excellent student and always worn nice clothes.

Tony was intimidated by Jill because he could tell they came from two different backgrounds. Jill was a member of a sorority and served on many student committees. Jill's twin sister was attending a different university to study law. Their educations were completely paid for. Jill was outgoing and social. Tony always wondered why he never saw her with boys on a date. What Tony did not know was Jill did not trust men any longer. In high school, Jill dated a young man whom she met the summer before their freshman year of high school. They spend much of their time together. Jill was madly in love with him. His name was Carl. He also came from a wealthy family. Jill's parents liked him. Jill's mother, Julia, told her many times not to get serious. When they both left for college, they would be meeting other people, and they should have that opportunity. Jill would have no part of it. She and Carl claimed their love for one another. For Jill, that was all she needed.

Carl was studying literature at a different university. They wanted to attend the same college, but the programs they were majoring in were not offered at the same universities. They agreed they would be fine. They would talk every day, spend the holiday and school breaks together, and have the entire summer as well. Their plan seemed perfect. Carl was also very social. He was the captain of the football team at their high school, and Jill was a cheerleader. About three months after the start their freshman year of college, Jill noticed she didn't hear from Carl as much. Her attempts at calling him mostly went to his voicemail. On numerous occasions, he did not return her calls. When they spoke, he used the same excuse.

"I'm sorry. These classes are much harder than I expected."

At the beginning of the school year, they exchanged schedule's so they would know one another's availability. Shortly...