Elizabeth Kilcourse

Forever and Always Elizabeth Kilcourse

It was in the early fall of 1941. Meg Graham and Peer Erickson were students at a southern state university. From the day they met they knew that their love would last forever and always. Peer, an esteemed football player, was from a remote village near the Canadian border. His father was a dairy farmer. Meg's family was extremely wealthy. Initially, Peer was unaware of Meg's abundant riches. Marriage was discussed but Peer felt that the war in Europe could hamper their plans. Meg's mother, Octavia, allowed her daughter to make everyday mundane decisions but was unbending in her demand that Meg marry Thomas Parker. Thomas' mother ruled high society and greatly influenced Octavia. Mrs. Parker wanted Meg for her daughter-in-law. Octavia was elated with Mrs. Parker's choice. As Peer had suspected, America entered the war in December 1941. For Christmas vacation Peer drove Meg and her roommate, Helen, to their homes. He discovered what he had already begun to strongly suspect about Meg's wealth and seriously doubted that they would or could ever marry. From the events that unfolded during and after the Christmas holidays, Meg finally realized that she would never see Peer again. She carried her love for Peer in her heart and in her mind, with the wish that she could see him one more time. Then Peer would hold her in his strong arms and tell her how much he loved her, but knew that now she would have only the memory of Peer. Meg could never, nor did she desire, to surrender her wish. The war finally ended in 1945 and Meg tried to live her life in the present, not in the past. She did the best she could, unaware of what the future held.