Senior Year Box Set

“That might not be a bad idea,” Mom shot back.

“Fine. Be no help,” I said and sulked.

“Bless his heart,” Dad said, mimicking Grandma Felton.

I put my earbuds in and ignored their laughter. I needed Greg to move back in so I wasn’t the only target for their amusement.

◊◊◊

When I got home, I took the boys for a walk in the stroller. Duke came along to protect them from evil squirrels. We strolled to the park where I pulled out a blanket, and the three of us watched Duke chase his ball. The warm sun did its magic, and we all took naps.

“Your mom said I would find you here,” Tami said, scaring the crap out of me.

Coby fussed, so she sat down and picked him up.

“Did she tell you what they pulled on me?” I asked.

“Yes, but maybe you should tell me about it in your own words.”

“It was the whole ‘what do you want to be when you grow up?’ ploy.”

“I thought it was more than that,” Tami prodded.

“If you already know, why am I telling you?” I asked.

“Because I know you. If you talk it out, you’ll figure it out.”

“I thought I just told you, and you figured it out,” I observed.

“Smartass.”

“No, I get it. I need to go through the process, or I won’t buy into it.”

“We’ve been pushing for you to do so for a while. When you’re picking your college, you need to consider more than which has the best football program. If you decide you want to be a movie star, you’re not going to want to go somewhere that’s focused on engineering or hard science. On the other hand, if you decide you only want to play football, you’re not going to want to go somewhere they expect you to go to class. Today was just your final wake-up call that you can’t keep putting this off,” Tami suggested.

“Maybe I’ll go to a liberal arts college and just get a well-rounded education.”

“If it were anything like the class schedule you picked, I would have to say, ‘No.’ I mean seriously, rock music appreciation?”

“But I like rock music,” I said to defend myself.

“I like kitten videos, but you don’t see me taking a class on that.”

“They have a class like that? Dang it, I want to take that. All those AP classes make me learn things,” I complained.

“Poor baby.”

We both knew I was just throwing a fit.

“What are you doing home?” I asked to change the topic.

Tami recognized I was done talking about what she’d been sent to do, so she just smiled.

“We start classes tomorrow. I was home to hang out with my mom and boyfriend,” she said and her smile got bigger. “OMG! You didn’t even flinch when I used the ‘B’ word. What happened? You don’t love me anymore?”

“I guess my love for you has finally changed. I want to see you happy. That’s not new, I’ve always wanted that. I also want Tim to be happy. If you two going out makes that happen, great,” I said and meant it.

“I didn’t think I would ever see the day,” she admitted.

“Not to jinx this or anything, but why do you still wear my promise ring?” I asked.

“David, I’ve never said I didn’t love you. I said that I wanted to be your last love. This reminds me that we might still have a future. I hope you know that even if I end up marrying Tim and we live happily ever after, you will always hold a special place in my heart.

“I never wanted to hurt you. As hard as it was, I did what I thought was best for both of us. I hope you realize that,” Tami said.

“Same here. Like you and Tim, I don’t know what the future will hold for Brook and me. She’s a good fit, and I’m looking forward to seeing what our future’s like. Who knows what ‘someday’ holds?”

“Do you want me to take it off?” she asked.

“That’s up to you. I just wondered.”

The boys woke up and were hungry, so Tami helped me get them in the stroller. She hugged me and kissed my cheek.

“Make me proud,” she said and walked to her car.

I felt like I’d been letting everyone down. They’d been pushing me to figure out where I was going to school. Pam was the first one to say to heck with it and start picking colleges, assuming I wasn’t going to the same one she was.

I saw the logic in thinking long-term to help me make shorter-term decisions. Now I just needed to figure it out.

◊◊◊

When I got home, I fed the boys and gave them their baths. I put them down for naps while I cooked dinner.

“I got an interesting call while you were out,” Mom said as she checked to see what I was cooking.

“What’s that?”

“It was from the Make-A-Wish Foundation. They have a boy who would like to meet you and go to one of your football games.”

“I’m fine with that. You might want them to talk to the school and find out if there are any rules we have to follow. Coach Hope has been acting grouchy enough. I don’t need him upset about something like this,” I said.

“I’ll take care of it,” Mom said.

Reflecting on what the Make-A-Wish Foundation represented—fulfilling wishes of very sick kids—my issues didn’t seem quite so big.

◊◊◊ Wednesday August 31