Like before, we did everything together. We were inseparable. One of the inevitable events in any young man's life is the development of an interest in young girls. For my best friend and me it happened at nearly the same time and, unfortunately, it manifested itself with the same girl. At the time we were both working for the same employer and the owner of the business had a daughter who was our age and was quite attractive. At first neither of us commented on our individual interest but, in time, it became obvious that we both were and, like we did everything, we began discussing the issue. We spent hours discussing our interests. It may seem odd to others but our friendship was intense and secure and I can honestly state that either of us would have been happy for the other if the young lady involved should choose either one of us.

Initially, I was the lucky recipient of the young lady's attention. We began seeing each other and did so for nearly a year and a half. My relationship with her did little, however, to change my relationship with my childhood best friend. We simply became a threesome. Occasionally, my friend would be dating someone as well and the threesome would become a foursome. The only constant was that we remained inseparable.

High school graduation brought a dramatic change. I left town to attend college and, for the first...

While I was gone, my friend and my old girlfriend started dating each other. Surprisingly, I was upset by this. I never felt that I would be but whether it was because I was not there or because I was so far away it bothered me greatly. After several acrimonious long-distance conversations regarding the matter my best friend and I stopped talking. The person who I had spent nearly every waking moment with for over a decade ceased being a part of my life but I was too stubborn to make the effort to resolve the matter.
Unfortunately, I was never afforded the opportunity to address the issue maturely. A few weeks later I received a telephone call that my best friend and lifelong confidant had been killed in an automobile accident. I was completely devastated. I was totally consumed not only by the sadness of having lost him but also by my guilt for having allowed my stubbornness to have not allowed me to resolve the issue of the girlfriend. My anger at myself resulted in a deep depression that took me months to resolve but the regret is something that has never been resolved. Some relationships are sacred and, for a time, I had forgotten their importance. Unfortunately, circumstances made this short time last a lifetime. I have resolved to never allow it to happen again.

Narration