Despite being so heartbroken, Dennis and Karen had to move on with their lives. During an interview, Dennis once said: "I went through hell to be with her, but I couldn't. We couldn't be together."
As time went by, the two high school sweethearts lived their separate lives. In the meantime, Karen had graduated from college with a Bachelor of Science in Interior Design. She even got married and had children. After finishing his military service, Dennis got married as well and got two kids with his wife. Fifty years passed without the two of them ever communicating again.