Charlie's love for Mindy, and hers for him, get deeper and stronger with every passing day as they support each other through disaster. It remains to be seen, however, whether Charlie can keep the promises he made to Mindy and to his parents. And they still carry on their forbidden love under the shadow of a dark secret and in conflict with an official college policy that prohibits “extra-marital sexual intercourse.” But now they have supportive friends who are lovers, too—and they hope to share a house with those friends.
They are to be separated for an entire month, and they realize that they must keep their love alive, even though they've never been so far apart for so long. Facing this separation, Mindy worries about how they will handle it, especially when Charlie speaks blithely of “other girlfriends.”
To make matters worse, they're not sure where they'll find the money they need to complete their educations. One of them could drop out to earn enough, maybe, to keep the other in, but each insists that the other must stay in school. The disagreement is fundamental, and it promises to turn into a real fight!
And, even if they finish college, they both are coming to realize that they want to go on for advanced degrees. They must find a way to carry that through, too.
Then there are the questions of careers, marriage, children…and beyond. Is their mantra “Now and always!” just a dream, or can they turn it into reality?
