I said, "I need time to think about some things." "Julie?" Richard had listened to Mother's request to watch over me. “Yes, and if I will be able to live my life without her.” Telling him I would be down shortly, he exited the train car and my thoughts returned to Julie.# # #After placing the pizza on the dresser plate, she quickly came to me and hugged me with a passion I had never seen in her before. His lips seemed fuller and more sensual and his breathing had become rather rapid. Our tongues met and soon it felt like two puppeteers were arguing with each other in our joined mouths. She moaned softly. Suddenly she pulled away from me and said, “I want you. I want you so much. Undress me, just like he did in 'A Summer Place'.” I was on fire! She loosened her ponytail and her long brown hair fell like a veil over her shoulders. Patiently and tenderly, I undressed her, savoring every moment as one garment after another fell to the floor. After I took off the last article of clothing, we hugged for a long time. Separately from her, I was unprepared for the raw emotions that quickly overwhelmed me. He anticipated my hesitation and smiled, “Now it's my turn.” It worked its magic and, moments later, he pulled back the covers and we lay on the bed. After several awkward starts and stops, we finally felt satisfied. Lying next to her later, in the darkness, we told each other things we never imagined we'd reveal to another living person. I held her close to me until she fell asleep in my arms. At that moment, I truly believed that I would love her for the rest of my life. Eventually sleep carried me until morning. We never ate pizza that night. I woke up in the sunlit room with Julie sleeping... in the middle of a sheet of paper... an ice cream cone with her baby before leaving the house. Ten days later, I found myself on the Silver Spring train platform awaiting the arrival of the Capitol Limited.# # #Somewhere in the middle of Indiana, I finally fell asleep. Around seven Richard found me huddled in the canopy car. He woke me up and, after shaving and washing my face, we went to the dining car for a quick snack before leaving the train. The journey had taken longer than expected. Not only had I traveled the six hundred miles from Bethesda to Chicago, but I had also completed a trip from October 1964 to September 1965. About nine o'clock the train began to slow. Looking out the window, I saw a huge city surrounding me. It was a beautiful sunny day. By the time the train arrived at Union Station, our trip was halfway done. We would arrive in Omaha around midnight.