Published: 2 Jul 2026

Chapter 36 – The End of the Semester

Devin and I spent our days attending classes and getting our minds readapted to thinking about the subject matter in our various classes. We spent our nights working on the other assignments that we had coming due, but we still started each morning with a trip to the dog park.

We’d also planned on going to the hunting camp on Saturday, but before we left the house, I received a call. “Hi, Mom. I didn’t expect to hear from you so soon.”

“I know, sweetie, but I have some information that I wanted to share with you and Devin. I contacted Pastor Norman Stewart from the Jamesville Presbyterian Church on Thursday to see if he would be willing to perform your wedding ceremony. He said he already has two weddings scheduled for the first date that you told me would be good for you – one at noon and another at 5:00, but the third Saturday was open. I hope you don’t mind, but I asked him to schedule your wedding for noon on that Saturday.”

“That’s sounds fine, Mom.”

“I also hope you and Devin don’t mind that I booked your wedding at that particular church either, since it’s not the church you boys used to go to with us when Devin slept over on Saturday night. I attempted to schedule the wedding at that church, but the minister there said he didn’t think it would be appropriate for him to perform a gay wedding, whether it was held at his church or another location.”

“No, we don’t mind using that church and it’s not a big deal. Devin and I were willing to let anyone with the power to marry us preside over our wedding, even if the ceremony took place on the lawn at our house.”

“Good! I’m glad you’re ok with getting married at the Presbyterian church and it will provide a marvelous background for the wedding photos, because I plan on hiring a photographer and a videographer. I’m also going to see if The Shamrock restaurant will cater the reception. I thought it would be appropriate, seeing it’s the restaurant we always go to when Devin’s parents are in town. It has a banquet room that they rent out for meetings and other special events. Will that be ok with you?”

“Yes, that will be fine, as long as it must be large enough for 30 to 40 wedding guests to sit down and eat. There might even be enough room for us to dance.”

“That’s a good idea, so I’ll check on hiring a DJ as well. I’ll also talk your father into taking me to The Shamrock for supper on Friday night, so I can talk to the owner about holding the reception in the banquet room. Would you prefer a sit-down dinner or buffet style meal?”

“Buffet style will be fine, since it will only be family members and a few friends, and that way everyone can select the items they want to eat.”

“Yes, I’m sure that will be fine. I won’t bother to call you back then, unless they can’t do it.”

“Ok, and thank you for taking care of these things for us.”

“You don’t have to thank me. I’m thrilled that you’re getting married in Jamesville, so I’m happy to do this for you.”​

“I appreciate that, Mom, and I’ll see you on graduation weekend in a few weeks.”

Devin wasn’t with me when Mom called, because he’d been working on his projects in another room all morning, so when he took a break from doing that, I explained about Mom’s call. He thought everything Mom was doing was fine too, so we headed outside to get in the SUV so we could go to the hunting camp for a little exercise and a break from studying and working on our projects.

After we’d undressed, transitioned, and locked the cabin, we raced down the trail to the meadow and started chasing each other. We’d only been doing this for a short time when we began hearing two very distinct sounds. The first was a loud rumbling noise that reminded me of a car that had lost its muffler, and the other was the distant sounds of sirens. The noises caught our attention and caused us to stop what we were doing, at least until they passed by.

We were staring in the direction of the entrance of the hunting camp, but couldn’t actually see, because the trail leading from the road to the meadow wasn’t laid out in a straight line. It bent around a copse of trees, bushes, and other shrubbery that blocked our ability to see the roadway. We were only able to see a short way in that direction before our ability to observe anything further was blocked by the undergrowth.

I don’t know for sure how long we were listening and looking down the trail, but it seemed as if the rumble and sirens were gradually getting closer. We thought it merely meant that those vehicles were approaching the entrance to the hunting camp as they traveled down the roadway, but the sounds didn’t seem to pass us by. Instead, the sounds became even louder and we saw a blur of motion emerging from behind the undergrowth, followed by series of flashing lights.

This caused Devin and I to dart into the woods, as we sought a safe area that would keep us from being seen. We only went a short ways inside the tree line before we stopped, turned around, and crouched down so we could watch whatever action was coming in our direction. The car that was in the lead, and apparently the one that accounted for the rumbling noise we heard, suddenly came to a sudden halt. It didn’t even skid on the dirt and the abrupt stop caused the occupants to smack into the steering wheel and dashboard. And even though the car was no longer moving, the engine continued to rev up, but the flashing lights were getting closer.

As the patrol cars were skidding to a stop behind the other vehicle, the passenger and driver’s doors burst open and two men jumped out and started running across the meadow. A few seconds later the deputies were scrambling out of their vehicles and chasing after the other pair. The two men appeared desperate to get away, but it also gave us an opportunity to observe them.

I have to admit that I had a bad feeling as soon as I saw them, since they had very intimidating expressions on their faces and their clothes were torn and bloody. The blood may have resulted when they were catapulted into the steering wheel and dashboard earlier, but the ripped clothes made me think that they’d been in a fight. They were both quite well built and their arms were covered with tattoos, and one of the guys even had a couple of tats on his face. The other one had a jagged and nasty looking scar on his cheek, and it wasn’t a recent scar either. They’d already run about fifty yards (45.7 m) and I felt they were going to get away, so I made a hasty decision and charged directly at them.

I was barking fiercely as I raced in their direction and could hear Bear doing the same thing behind me. As I got closer to the guy in the lead, I started growling and bared my teeth to let him know that I wasn’t just messing around. I assume Bear was doing the same thing as he approached the other man, since I saw Bear heading in his direction when the two men split up.

When the men saw us, it appeared that they thought they could still get away, because they feinted one way and then attempted to race off in the other direction. Bear and I were much quicker and able to block their path, and that’s when they realized they had no choice but to either stop and stay put or attempted to turn around and run toward the pursuing deputies. They momentarily froze, without taking their eyes off of Bear or me, and this gave the deputies time to catch up

As soon as the officers had them on the ground, I turned and ran back toward the woods, and once again Bear followed me, but we didn’t go very far inside the trees line again. We merely stopped and turned around behind some trees, and then we crouched low enough that we could still peer through the gaps in the undergrowth to watch and listened to what was going on.

“You boys weren’t too bright driving in here like that,” one of the officers said as he was handcuffing one of the men. “If you thought you could duck in here and we wouldn’t see you and just drive on by, then you obviously weren’t thinking too clearly. We weren’t that far behind and saw your brake lights come on when you tried to slow down so you could turn in here.”

“Nah, we would have got away once we got to the woods, if those fuckin’ dogs hadn’t got in our way. Where the hell did they come from and where the fuck did they go after you caught us?”

“I’m not sure about that, but they didn’t bother us, so they must not have liked the way you two looked or how you smelled. Now, you’re going to end up in jail and facing charges of kidnapping, false imprisonment, and repeatedly raping the victim until they finally escaped. And after you go to trial and are convicted by a jury for those crimes, you’re going to end up being sentenced to a very lengthy stay at a maximum-security prison.”

Devin and I watched as the deputies escorted the two men to their squad cars and placed them in the back seat, and after they drove away, they left the prisoners’ car where it had come to a halt. We were curious about what caused the car’s sudden and unexpected stop, so we decided to have a look around. After checking out the car from all angles and inspecting underneath the vehicle, at least as much as we could see, we felt we spotted what caused the problem.

It had something to do with the owner allowing certain farmers to drive their tractors over the trail, which at the time was just an open area where the trees and most of the stumps had been removed. Over the years, as those tractors made multiple trips over that trail in order to get to the meadow, the large rear tires on the tractor, which had thick treads, had managed to dig deep grooves in the trail. They made those trips to the meadow to mow and bale the hay, which they then used to feed their livestock.

The car’s lower undercarriage got hung up on a stump that had become more and more of an obstacle as the tractor’s tires had dug deeper with every trip. You see, the tractors, and any other off-road vehicles that the owner allowed to use the trail, had a higher clearance and could easily drive over the stump. However, the car, which sat lower, got hung up on the stump. It also caused the car’s drive wheels to be lifted off the ground. Then when, the driver pushed the gas pedal down to move the car forward, the engine only revved up and the car didn’t move. This caused the driver to shift into reverse and try again, but since the drive wheels still weren’t touching the dirt, the same thing happened. Frustrated, and wanting to avoid arrest, the driver and passenger both fled the vehicle and attempted to reach a wooded area.

After we answered those questions, we started running around the meadow again, but we continued to keep an eye on the car. We thought the cops might call a wrecker and ask them to tow the car back to the impound lot. After we grew tired and were ready to stop, we continued to listen for the sound of a wrecker as we made our way to the cabin. It wasn’t so much about running into them as dogs, but I didn’t want to get caught off guard and be naked after I’d transitioned and prepared to retrieve the key so I could unlock the padlock.

Neither of us said anything while we were doing this, nor as we were getting into the SUV, but as soon as we we’re driving away, Devin finally broke the silence. “What in the hell were you thinking when you raced out like you were going to attack those guys? They could have had guns and shot us.”

“They weren’t shooting at the cops, so I assumed they didn’t have guns. There was also something about their appearance that gave me a creepy feeling, and since they were being chased by the cops, it made me want to make sure they didn’t get away.”

“Well, from what we overheard, it sounds like your intuition was correct. Those guys apparently abducted, restrained, and raped someone, but due to the cops vague language, we don’t have enough information to determine if the person was female or male.”

“That’s probably why I wanted to see them caught, because they looked like guys that would do something like that. Hell, they might even be gay bashers.”

“You might be right about that, so we’ll have to check and see if there’s anything about a kidnapping and sexual assault or rape in the news.”

When we got back to the house, we temporarily forgot about the excitement at the hunting camp and went back to studying and working on the projects we had coming due. We did that until it was time to walk to the dining hall for supper, and shortly after we got back to the house, Devin’s phone rang.

“It’s my dad,” he told me before he answered, and then he put his phone on speaker. “What’s up, Dad? I wasn’t expecting a call from you so soon. Is everything ok?”

“Yes, everything is fine, but your grandfather wanted me ask you a question and he didn’t want to wait until your graduation.”

“Why didn’t he just call me instead?”

“He wanted to run this by me first, to see what I thought, and then he said he’d let me call and ask you the same question. Anyway, he’s thinking it might be a good time to list a few of the coins for sale in “Numismatic News” and “Coin World” to determine how much interest there is in purchasing some of the coins. Those magazines are the ones he feels are the most suitable to determine whether it’s time to sell even more of the coins. He wouldn’t be selling the most valuable coins this way, but if there is a lot of interest, he might even try auctioning a few more coins on eBay.”

“Yeah, that’s probably a good idea, because we could use some extra cash in my account before the first group of baseball cards go up for auction and before we start job hunting.”

“I’m glad you brought that up, because my dad and granddad want to know which auction house you’re planning on using when you put the baseball cards up for sale?”

“Heritage Auctions in Dallas, Texas.”

“That’s the same place they mentioned they were planning to use when it’s time to sell some of the most valuable coins. Maybe you could even sell some of each at the same auction. Have you contacted them yet to set up a date to auction off the baseball cards?” Devin looked at me, so I answered.

“I talked to a woman there about their commission schedule and their listing and cataloguing fees when we’re ready to use them for the baseball cards, but I haven’t set up a specific date yet.”

“Then I’ll suggest to my dad and grandad that they put some of the less valuable coins up for sale in the magazines, and some slightly more valuable coins on eBay first, to see how many bids they get. If they get a sufficient response and there’s a lot of interest, then it might be time to sell 10 or 20 of the more valuable coins at the same auction where you’ll be selling the baseball cards.”

“It may sound like a good idea to us, but it might create a huge problem for us. We’ve already selected ten baseball cards for the auction and taken photos of both the front and back of each card. I’ve also added a description for each card and uploaded those with the photos for that card to an online website that I created. Heritage will be able to access the website so they can use the information when they’re advertising the auction, which will allow us to avoid paying any cataloguing fee. We won’t have time to do each of those same steps for the coins until after we graduate and go on the rafting trip, which means it will be impossible to have the auction in mid-July as I hoped to do.”

“Why do you want to hold the auction in mid-July?”

“We wanted to have the auction behind us when we start applying and interviewing for jobs, and we won’t start our job searches until after that date. It’s because we have the rafting trip scheduled for the end of May and we’re getting married in June, and then there’s the two Fourth of July cookouts with the Fitzpatricks.”

“Ok, so what if I have my dad and granddad select ten or twenty coins for the auction, and then I’ll photograph both sides of each of those coins for you. That way, all you’ll have to do is add a brief description for each coin before you upload the information to the website.”

“I’m going to have to design another website for the coins, so that’s another thing I’ll have to do, but I suppose I can get everything done in time.”

“I wish I could help with that, but I’ll do all I can and I’ll make sure my dad and granddad do everything they can to help out as well. I’ll also pass this information along to them when I see them at work, and then I’ll start photographing each coin as soon as they give them to me.”

“That will help a lot, so thank you, Pa.”

“Yeah, thanks Dad, and thank Gramps and Pops for us too.”

We then exchanged goodbyes, and as soon as the call ended, Devin turned to me and spoke. “I’m glad you told Dad that you were going to set up another website for the coins, because I didn’t think you should use the D&M name to do that. You should create a similar name for the other website that you’ll use for just the coins.”

“I was already planning to do that. I thought I’d change the D&M name to D&M Collectibles, and that way we can also sell the antiques from the cave on the website as well. I’ll use M&M Coins for the other website I create, and I’m sure that you’ve already figured out that I’m using the first initial from each of our surnames to create the second website. After we start selling things, the proceeds from the baseball cards will be listed under my name for tax purposes, and the money from the coins will be listed under your name.”

“That works for me.”

With that covered, we went back to studying and working on our projects until we decided to turn in.

After we returned from the dog park the next morning, I spotted a news article on my phone that appeared to be about the two guys that were arrested at the hunting camp. I went to where Devin was working and read the article to him.

“Two suspects were apprehended yesterday after a high-speed chase that occurred on a series of rural roads to an area located just west of the city limits. The suspects, Esteban Hernandez and Darnell Whitaker, were wanted for allegedly kidnapping a local resident six days ago, holding her captive, and raping her numerous times. She managed to free herself from the restraints they were using on her and and escaped from the house where they’d been keeping her hostage. She was able to flag down a passing motorist on a nearby road and asked him to contact 9-1-1.

“We were told she had to walk nearly a mile before she spotted a car that she knew didn’t belong to her kidnappers, since she didn’t find any other houses near the property where she was being held. The men were at work when all of that occurred, so they didn’t discover she was missing until they arrived home from work later.

“When the 9-1-1 operator received the call, she notified the sheriff’s department and they dispatched two patrol cars to meet up with the victim and take her report. As one deputy was taking her information, the other one was taking a report from the driver who’d stopped to assist her. Now that she’d explained where her captors had been holding her, the deputies asked the driver if he’d remain with her until another deputy showed up to drive her back to the station.

“They explained to the man that they didn’t want her to be with them when they went to arrest the two men who were responsible for the alleged crimes, since they didn’t know how they might react. Once he agreed, one deputy radioed in to have another car dispatched to the location to pick up the victim, while they went to arrest her kidnappers.

“The suspects had only been dropped off at the house a few minutes earlier by a friend they worked with and that’s when they discovered the woman had escaped. They were debating whether they should look for her or leave the county, or possibly even the state, when they saw two squad cars pulling up in front of the house. Realizing their captive had already been discovered and reported the kidnapping, the suspects headed out the back door before the deputies had even gotten out of their vehicles.

The suspects then attempted to get to their car while the deputies were searching the house. Unfortunately for them, one of the deputies was near a window on the second floor and spotted them. That deputy alerted his fellow officer that the suspects were trying to escape, and they raced to the front door. When they got there, they noticed the suspects had gotten into their car, which noisily roared to life and began to pull away. The deputies then bolted toward their own vehicles and began pursuing them.

“The suspects’ souped-up vehicle was able to stay ahead of the sheriff’s vehicles until Whitaker unexpectedly decided to turn onto a dirt trail on private property. It’s believed that he hoped to lose the pursuers if they didn’t see him make that move and merely drove by the off-road trail he had taken. However, his vehicle became stuck as it drove over rough terrain, and then both suspects attempted to flee on foot, pursued by the deputies. They were eventually captured and arrested, and they are currently in the local jail awaiting arraignment.”

“Why the hell did they turn onto the trail at the hunting camp if they were already outrunning the cops in the car?” Devin asked.

“I don’t know for sure, but maybe they were running out of gas, since muscle cars like the one they were in are notorious gas guzzlers. Or possibly it had something to do with the loud noise their car was making and they were afraid it would make them too easy to find if they did manage to get away from the deputies. They might have also decided they had a better chance of getting away on foot by heading into the woods, so they must have grown up around here to know about those things.”

“Yes, they probably did grow up around here, since they apparently knew about the hunting camp. I guess they might have also thought they could get away on foot if they could drive out to the meadow and then run into the woods on foot, but I guess that scheme blew up when their car got stuck. Even if they had gotten to the woods and escaped, the cops could have used the cars ID numbers to track them down.”

“Even if they’d never registered it, because it appeared they were working on fixing it up?” I asked.

“You might be right, because I noticed there weren’t any license plates on the car. In fact, that might have been another reason they pulled into the hunting camp. They might have realized that even if they managed to get away from the sheriff’s deputies, then another cop might have spotted the missing license plates and tried to stop them for that.”

“Yeah, we’ll probably never know what they were thinking, so let’s get back to studying and working on our projects.”

A couple of days later, we spotted another news report about the suspects. “Darnell Whitaker and Esteban Hernandez have now been charged with the kidnapping, false imprisonment, and a rape of a Colorado resident. It was reported that Whitaker and Esteban held her at a house inherited by Whitaker, but the woman managed to escape and flagged down a passing motorist, who called 9-1-1 on her behalf.

“After interviewing the victim and having her describe where she was being held, the deputies approached the house make an arrest, but the suspects spotted them and fled out the backdoor. While the deputies were searching the house looking for the suspects, they got in a car and sped away. The deputies chased them for several miles, and when the suspects’ vehicle got stuck, they got out of the vehicle and attempted to escape on foot, but the deputies chased them down and arrested them.”

“Yeah, sure,” Devin scoffed. “The deputies weren’t even close to catching them, and possibly never would have, if we hadn’t caused Whitaker and Esteban to stop.”

“Yeah, I know, but let’s finish reading the rest of the article.” Devin made a face, so I took it as a signal that I could continue reading.

“Both men are currently being held at the local jail and have been arraigned on charges of kidnaping, false imprisonment and rape. It has been discovered that they’re currently being represented by an attorney from the Public Defender’s Office. It is unknown if the same lawyer will represent them if this case goes to trial.”

“Well, no matter who’s representing them, they’re still not going to get away with it,” I stated. “I’m just glad that we took part in their capture or maybe they would have got away.”

“Yeah, I’m glad that you decided on charging toward them, and as usual, I was happy to follow your lead.”

“It’s usually the other way around and I’m usually following your lead,” I countered, and he merely smirked before walking away.

The article was merely a shorter recap of what had been reported previously, so we went back to studying and working on our projects. Devin actually had two projects coming due, and they were much more difficult and more involved than the project I’d been assigned for one of my software engineering courses. I also had a major paper coming due for a physics course I was taking, so we were extremely busy and didn’t have much time for doing anything else.

In addition to being a major part of our grades, the professors who’d assigned these things to us were among those who were willing to give us an incentive. They’d agreed to excuse the top three students in each of their classes from having to take the final, since the project and paper would be a big part of our grade. Devin and I hoped to be part of those being exempt from the final, as long as we didn’t screw up on these assignments. If each of us was exempt from two of our finals, it would give us a little more time to get the house ready before everyone arrives for graduation weekend.

We spent every free minute we had to work on these assignments, because we were determined to be one of the top three students in each of those classes. There couldn’t have been a bigger incentive than not having to take the final, and we knew the other students would also be doing their best as well. Since we didn’t know exactly how well the other students had been doing thus far, we concluded that we just had to do better than all of them on these assignments.

The projects and my paper were all due one week before finals were to begin, so the professors would have time to grade them and let us know who was exempt. While we were waiting to learn if we were part of the honored group, we studied for our other exams. By the Friday before final week, we finally knew whether or not we were exempt. I hurried back to the house to wait for Devin after my last class ended, since I was eager to discover how he had made out.

“Well, are you exempt or not?” I asked as soon as he walked through the door.

“Yes, I’m exempt from both finals. What about you?”

“I’m exempt from both of those finals too, It was a huge relief when I heard my name called.”

Now, we just had to continue studying for our other finals, and since this was one of the semesters that we had to take six courses to fulfill our dual majors, it meant we still had four finals to prepare for. It was a definite advantage that we were exempt from two of those finals, but we still had a rough road ahead before we graduated.

On Friday night before finals, I asked Devin a question. “Are you still going to the dog park every day during finals week?”

“I’ll probably make up my mind each morning, depending on how prepared I feel I am for the exam.”

“Ok, then I’d better warn Preston that we may not be there every day, and possibly not at all.”

“I don’t think things will get that drastic.”

“I still better warn him, just in case.”

As soon as I saw Preston the next morning, I steeled myself for how he might react to the news I was about to deliver. “Preston, I’m not sure if I’ll be able to bring Bear to the dog park again before Devin and I graduate. I told Bear’s owner that earlier in the week and he said he’d try to find someone to take over a week early, but he wasn’t sure how that was going to go. He said it has been difficult getting someone to take over for me after I graduate. He said this would be even harder, because it would be on very short notice.”

“I understand, but Bear might not get any exercise that week and it’s one less week that Bailey and Finn will have to spend with him too.”

“I know, and I asked Devin if he could possibly help out, but we’re both cramming for finals, because we’ve each got a chance to become the Valedictorian or Salutatorian for our particular schools.”

“That’s awesome, and I wish you both the best with that. I know each school has put the professors with any of the top ten students in their classes on notice. They’ve been told that they should turn the grades for each of those students in as soon as possible during finals weeks, but no later than noon Thursday, since all finals should be over by then. It will give the schools time to notify the Valedictorian and Salutatorian so they can write their speeches.”

“That’s kind of short notice to write a speech.”

“That’s the worst-case scenario, so any student who thinks they might have a chance at either of those honors should already be writing a speech. It’s the same as the nominees for an Oscar, Emmy, Tony, Golden Globe, or People’s Choice Award – they’ve been advised to have a speech prepared, just in case they win.”

“Yes, you’re correct, but there’s so much going on during the final week of classes and finals week that it’s not easy to find more time to do one more thing.”

“I know, and you and Devin would be wise to prepare speeches, but remember that the speeches are different. The Salutatorian gives the opening, welcoming remarks, while the Valedictorian gives an encouraging farewell.”  

“Thanks, I’m glad you reminded me about that. I’ll call Bear’s owner again to see if he found someone else who can do it. And not only will Devin and I be cramming for finals, but we also have to get the house ready before our families show up to see us graduate. Our parents will be arriving on Thursday, since there are so many ceremonies and they want to attend all of them.”

“Yes, I imagine they would want to be at each of those ceremonies, so I understand completely. And since I might not see you again, I’ll take this opportunity to let you know that I received your wedding invitation in the mail, but I haven’t returned it yet because I’m trying to see if I can get a date to accompany me to your nuptials.”

“That’s fine, and you still have four weeks or so until the ceremony, but text me if there’s a problem.”

“Oh, I plan to be there, one way or another, but I’m hoping to convince another professor to join me. She’s in the sociology department, which is one of several other majors, like anthropology, that falls under the heading of Social Sciences.”

“I hope she accepts, because receptions are always more fun if you have someone to dance with.”

“I’m not sure about the dancing part, but I do enjoy her company and hope she’ll agree to come with me. If not, I’ll come stag.”

“That will be fine and we’ll be happy to see you either way.”

I gave Devin as much time as he wanted to run around with Bailey and Finn, since I wasn’t sure how many more times we’d be coming here, and he took advantage of every second. I even walked down to set up a couple of the agility course stations that had been knocked over, since I knew all three dogs enjoyed going through the course. Preston and I also tossed the tennis ball and Frisbee for them to fetch, and they also chased one another.

Bear eventually came over and let me know he was ready to leave, which he did by staring at the gate that we used when entering and leaving the dog park. Getting the message, I said goodbye to Preston and explained that it was time for us to leave.

“Ok, take care, and I wish you and Devin the best with becoming the Salutatorian or Valedictorian.”

“Thanks, Preston. I appreciate that.”

When we got back to the house, Devin and I made a quick trip to the dining hall for lunch, and when we returned to the house, we hit the books again, because our first finals were on Monday. We didn’t take another break until we went to the dining hall for supper, and then we studied some more until we decided to call it a night.

“I’m exhausted,” Devin said as we were heading to the bathroom to shower and brush our teeth.

“I am too, so let’s get a good night’s sleep, and then we can hit the books again in the morning to get ready for our afternoon exams. Do you want to go to the dog park again?”

“No, I think I’d better do more studying, because tomorrow is the day that I have one of my most difficult finals. The professor is a stickler for details and there are plenty of details involved with this course.”

“Ok, that’s fine with me, and I already warned Preston that we might not be showing up on any more days.”

“What final do you have tomorrow.”

“Quantum Physics, so it will be one of my toughest finals too. Luckily, I’m exempt from the Astrophysics course, thanks to my research paper on exoplanet detection.”

In the morning, we studied as we were eating breakfast at the dining hall, but then we had to go to the library to continue studying until we walked back to the dining hall for lunch. When we finished eating, we wished each other good luck on our finals before we walked to the test site.

When we met up again after we’d taken those finals, we both agreed that they’d been as difficult as we’d feared, so we found a bench to sit on and chat until it was time for supper. After we finished eating, we walked back to the house and studied for the next exams until we went upstairs to get ready for bed.

The following day, our exams were after breakfast, and then we met up at the dining hall for lunch. After that, we walked back to the house and started studying for the next final, and we did that until we walked back to the dining hall for supper. After we ate, we walked back to the house and studied some more until we finally gave up due to exhaustion. After going upstairs and getting ready for bed, we cuddled together in bed and drifted off to sleep.

The next day we both had another final, but mine was in the morning, while Devin’s was in the afternoon. After we ate breakfast, I headed off to take my next exam, while Devin went to the library to continue studying.

After we met up for lunch and finished eating, Devin took off to go to his final, while I headed back to the house to study for my last exam. I’d been doing that for about an hour when my phone rang.

“Hi, Mom. Is there a problem?”

“Not a problem. I just want to know how many you want to have in the wedding party. A traditional wedding party would include the bride, a maid or matron of honor, and some bridesmaids. On the other side would be the groom, a best man, and an equal number of ushers to match with the number of bridesmaids. There would also be a ring bearer and a flower girl, so I just want to know how many you and Devin are planning on having in your wedding party.”

“Well, there will obviously be two grooms, and I think it would be best if we each have a best man, and I think they should be Dad and Pa. I also think we should have you and Ma walk us down the aisle, and the best men can meet us at the altar. I’ll check with Devin, though, to make sure that’s ok with him.”

“You should probably each have one usher, because they usually lead the guests to their seats.”

“Ok, let me think about that.”

“Next question: Do you want a ring bearer or a flower girl?”

“They would usually be young kids, and neither of us have relatives that young, so I guess we’ll do without.”

“Clint would probably be thrilled to be your ring bearer.”

“I never thought about him, and he might feel he’s too old for that, but I can ask him when we go on the rafting trip with them. In fact, if he wants to be the ring bearer, that would be fine, but if not, he and Lonny could be our ushers.”

“What if Clint wants to be the ring bearer?”

“Would it be ok for Lonny to be the only usher.”

“That would be a lot of walking back and forth for him.”

“Mom, we’re not going to have that many guests.”

“Yes, I suppose he could do that, and maybe your father and Aaron could help out if a lot of people show up at the same time. Pastor Norman also said you can rehearse the wedding at 6:00 the night before, which requires the entire wedding party to attend, so do you want to have a rehearsal dinner afterward?”

“Yes, that’s a good idea and you can set that up at The Shamrock too, except we’ll let everyone order from the menu, since it’s just for the wedding party.”

“Ok, and that takes care of everything I wanted to ask you.”

“Great, and I’ll fill Devin in about everything we talked about when he gets back from his exam. “And, Mom, thank you for bringing these things to our attention and for handling all of these details.”

“I told you that you don’t have to thank me for doing these things, and it’s my pleasure to take care of these things for you.”

After we ended the call, I walked to the dining hall to meet Devin for supper. While we were eating, I told him about my call from Mom.

“We probably wouldn’t have thought about any of those things, so I’m glad your mom brought them up. I like the idea of having our dads act as our best men and having our moms walk us down the aisle. Do you think Clint will want to be the ring bearer?”

“I’m not sure, and he may feel he’s too old, but if he doesn’t want to do it, we’ll just have our dads hold the rings until the minister calls for them. Mom said we should have ushers, to lead the guests to their seats, and I told Mom we could ask Lonny to do that, and if Clint doesn’t want to be the ring bearer, he can just help his dad.”

“Yeah, ok. That works for me.”

After we finished eating, we walked back to the house and studied for our last finals until we felt too tired to retain anything else. At that point, we went to the bathroom and performed our ablutions before getting into bed, cuddling, and falling asleep.

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