Published: 27 Aug 2026

Chapter 44 – The End of Our Vacation

When we arrived where the caterers were setting up for lunch, we discovered it was basically the same as what we had the previous day. That was fine though, because we knew it would be tasty and filling. After we loaded our paper plates with what we wanted and grabbed a drink, the four of us, along with Lonny, Jack, Brian, and Wes, went over to one of the tables and sat down together.

“We’re really glad that we asked if you had anything planned for today,” Brian announced, “otherwise we might have missed out on doing these things.”

“And we’re glad that Lonny agreed to sign the rental agreement for us, since we weren’t old enough to do that,” Wes added. “We’re also thankful that he agreed to ride with us, because the three of us are all under twenty-one, so we needed someone over twenty-one to be with us, or else we wouldn’t have been able to drive. Since we couldn’t have done either of those things, then we wouldn’t have been able to spend today with you, because renting the UTVs and the rafting were a package deal.”

“It would have been a shame if you three had missed out on doing these things,” Lonny agreed, “and I’m glad you invited me to go with you.”

“I think you’ve got that backwards,” Jack corrected. “We’re glad you offered to do both of those things for us, or else we would have missed out on riding the UTVs and going on another rafting trip. You also made sure that the three of us all got to drive for about the same amount of time, and you only took over when an experienced driver was needed.”

“Well, except for that one time when the trail got really narrow,” Lonny admitted, “because I didn’t know that was going to happen, so Jack had to drive through there.”

“I know, and I was scared shitless and afraid that I was going to do something wrong and we would all end up rolling down the steep bank still strapped in our safety harnesses.”

“I’m glad that didn’t happen,” I stated, “and I know how scared you must have been, because I was driving at the time and felt the same way.”

We talked for a while longer while we ate, and then Pa came over to our table to make an announcement.

“Ok, fellas, it’s time to finish up eating, because our group has to change before we can head over to the next site.”

We were almost done anyway, so we finished up quickly and went out to the truck to grab the plastic bags with our long johns and wetsuits inside. Once we had those things, we followed Pa down to the location where we were going to change.

This facility wasn’t as big as where we changed the previous day and was merely a typical men’s restroom you’d find at a park. However, it was clean and there was sufficient space by the sinks where we could change, but we couldn’t all do it at once. After talking it over, we decided to do it in pairs and let Clint and Daniel go first. After that, we told Dad and Pa they could go next, and since Lonny didn’t have a partner, Devin and I invited him to join us when we changed, We felt the three of us could squeeze in there together, and even though it was slightly cramped, we made it work, and then we went out to join up with the others.

Mom and Ma had finished changing long before we came out, so now that we were all together again, we headed over to get on the vehicles for the trip to the launch point. It was a short drive to get there, and when we arrived we discovered the rafts had already been taken off the trailer since the van with our guides in it had arrived ahead of us.

After we were given our safety helmets to wear, we carried the rafts down to the river’s edge, which was only about 20 yards (18 m) away. We then loaded into them, and once everyone was set, we let the current take us downstream. Since we didn’t have to paddle and there were no obstacles in our path, we had a brief chance to look at the various places we passed by.

This included examining an area with steep banks on either side of the river that were covered by large rocks, but that’s when our guide shouted his first command.

“Get ready now. Right three forward!” he demanded, in order to avoid an extremely large boulder in our path.

Almost immediately after we passed that, we heard him deliver his next command. “Left two backward!”, he directed us in an effort to avoid the next massive obstacle.

One of these areas with the large boulders was in an area with strong rapids, which made avoiding the boulders even more difficult. Due to these circumstances, our rafts were at times driven into the boulders by the volatile current. Even though we did our best to avoid them, sometimes that just wasn’t possible. Whenever it appeared as if we were going to smash into one, we’d instinctively try to protect ourselves.

One way we did this was by using the wide part of the paddle to keep the raft from making contact. We would use it to push the raft away from the boulder or to act as a shock absorber, with our arms serving as a spring. If the person sitting at the contact location wasn’t strong enough to do one of those things, they’d merely lean away from the boulder, if possible. This move would prevent their head and upper body from being catapulted into the boulder upon impact.

There were also a couple of short drops of about one yard (0.9 m) each to contend with, along with the boulders. When we came to the first one, we quickly discovered that after we dropped down to the lower level, we encountered what could be best described as suction. It would attempt to drag the raft backward, until it was under the falling water cascading over the one-yard drop, and as the raft filled with water, our guide shouted his next command.

“Bend forward and use your upper bodies to paddle as hard as you can to get us out of here!”

We immediately did as he instructed. We used our upper body and arms to produce more powerful strokes and we paddled like crazy. It took a lot of effort, but eventually we pulled free from our invisible foe and continued our journey down the river.

As we approached the second drop off, we had to avoid another boulder first. Unfortunately, the swift current drove the back of the raft into the boulder, and that caused the raft to turn slightly sideways. The strong current exacerbated the situation and pushed the raft even more askew, which caused us to approach the drop off at a severe angle.

“Left three backward,” the guide shouted, hoping to straighten the raft before it went over the drop off, but the current continued to fight against us. No matter how hard those on the left side of the raft (Lonny, Clint, and Devin) worked to avoid it, they were unable to correct the situation completely.

Since we were still at a significant angle, it looked as if we might capsize, so everyone instinctively attempted to lean in the opposite direction of the tilt. We also tried to grab ahold of something to keep from falling out of the raft or slide into the person on the other side as we went over the drop. I also grabbed ahold of Daniel, because I wanted to protect him.

Amazingly, as the first side landed below, the current pushed them forward, rather than downward. The water falling over the drop continued pushing us forward until we also dropped downward, and then it began filling the raft instead.

“Put your backs into it and paddle like hell!” our guide urged us.

Those of us on the right side also attempted to use our paddles to push off of the drop off first, and then we all paddled as hard as we could. Even though the raft wasn’t heading down river at the time, we were getting far enough away from the suction of the falling water before the raft filled completely. As soon as we escaped that dangerous situation, we now had to straighten the raft out so we weren’t floating sideways.

“Right three forward, left two backward,” the guide instructed us, and that succeeded in correcting the situation before we encountered the next set of rapids.

In this location, there was an increasing number of obstacles in our way that we had to avoid, and occasionally we had to navigate between two huge boulders. After I saw what we were facing, I assumed this was the reason we were told that using a larger, eight-person raft wasn’t feasible. As we approached one of these rocky gates, I realized a larger raft wouldn’t have fit through the gaps.

These obstacles weren’t exactly side-by- side either, so we’d often have to angle the raft between the boulders, since we couldn’t go around them. And as the current slammed into the boulders, the backlash created turbulence, eddies, and waves that we had to deal with, so we had to remain alert.

After dodging the plethora of obstacles and struggling against forceful and unpredictable current for a considerable amount of time, we finally reached calmer water again. From that point on, we enjoyed a leisurely conclusion to our final rafting adventure.

As we approached the pickup location, we guided the rafts toward the shore, and as soon as they were grounded, we hopped out and carried them up to the trailer. Once they were secured, we began to chat.

“That was a fucking unbelievable challenge,” Jack stated first, “but we obviously had it a little easier than you did. We could see you guys were having problems as you went over that last drop, and when we didn’t see you continuing down the river right away, we began to worry.”

“Trust me, we were worried too!”

Our guide directed us to paddle toward the other side of the river as we came to the drop off, so we wouldn’t crash into you. The problem was, we had to fight like hell to escape the backwash following the drop before the raft completely filled with water.”

“Yes, we were also wondering if we were going to break free of that area as well, although we didn’t know the term for what we were dealing with,” I concurred. “We eventually made it, but it was a fight, and I’m glad you made it through there as well.”

“And I almost got knocked out of the raft again when we went over where it dropped off, but Michael grabbed ahold of my lifejacket and kept me safe. He must be really strong, cuz that’s the second time he saved me.”

“Yeah, Devin grabbed onto me as well, to make sure I stayed in the raft,” Clint added.

“The problem we had is that our raft was driven into one of the boulders, so it was slightly crooked as we approached the drop off,” Devin followed. “Then the current pushed us even more sideways, so I was worried the raft was going to tip over.”

“I’m glad we all made it through there safely,” Wes added, “because that was the most challenging rafting trip I’ve ever been on. I’m glad that we ended up hooking up with you guys yesterday and then joining you today, or else I would have missed out on a great experience.”

“We enjoyed having you guys join us as well,” Lonny stated, “and it was a pleasure meeting each of you.”

“And we’re glad we met all of you too,” Brian stipulated, “and we wish you a safe journey home and a wonderful life.”

“And we wish you the same,” Ma countered, “and we found the three of you to be a wonderful addition to our group.”

“Yes, it was nice meeting each of you,” Mom concurred. “You’re all very nice young men.”

When we reached the outfitters, we all said a final goodbye to each other, and then we used the restrooms there to change out of the wetsuits and back into our street clothes again. After that, we rushed back to the Quality Inn to get cleaned up and changed for supper.

While we were eating, Clint made a comment to our parents. “I know we’re all heading home in the morning, and Daniel and I want Michael and Devin to ride with us. Ok?”

After our parents talked it over quickly, my dad responded. “They can ride back partway with you, but Devin’s family lives in an area before we reach Colorado Springs. We’ll let them ride back partway with you, and then we’ll stop for gas and they can ride with us the rest of the way.”

“Ok, that works for us,” he agreed, but I could tell he wasn’t completely satisfied.

After eating supper, we returned to our rooms and packed up for the trip home. We planned to check out before going out for breakfast and head home after we eat.

We could tell that Clint and Daniel were acting morose as we were getting ready for bed, so we confronted them about it. “What are you two so gloomy about? We just had a wonderful and exciting vacation.”

“Yeah, but this is probably the last time we get to do anything like this again.”

“Maybe not, since we don’t know where we’ll be living. That will all depend on where we get jobs.”

“I know, but we won’t be seeing much of you after this.”

“You’ll be seeing us again in a couple of weeks, at our wedding, so cheer up. We don’t want you sulking around that day and making our wedding seem more like a funeral.”

“Ok, we won’t do that, but we’re gonna miss you. You’re both very special to us.”

“And you’re very important to us too, so we’ll try to get together as often as we can.”

We went to bed shortly after that conversation, but we knew they weren’t completely satisfied.

When the alarm went off, Devin and I went over to wake Clint and Daniel up, but they weren’t quite as enthusiastic this morning.

“Come on, guys. We’ve got to carry our things with us when we go to meet up with our parents, so get moving.”

“We just hate to leave here, because we’ve had so much fun,” Clint responded.

“We know, because we’ve had a great time too, but the vacation’s over and it’s time to return home.”

“Yeah, we know, but we won’t be with you guys after this,” Daniel stated, his expression pleading me to let him enjoy this for as long as possible. “I got to do things here that I’ve only dreamed about before, and I just met you two, but I feel like I’m losing my big brothers.”

“And we think of you two as our little brothers, so we’ll stay in touch. Now explain something to me. You mean you’ve dreamed about going whitewater rafting, sliding down ziplines, and riding on UTVs?”

“Yeah, I guess I kind of thought about doing stuff like that before, but that’s not exactly what I meant. It’s more about having two big brothers to do fun things with and who’d save me when I got in trouble. I also like being naked with you guys at bedtime, and now I’ve got an idea about how I’m going to develop, physically.”

“You probably would have learned about that in a health or sex education class.”

“Yeah, in words, but being with you guys I’ve been able to see the differences too. I’ve always been too shy to suggest doing that with anyone else and no one’s ever asked me to do it with them either – well, not until I meant Clint. And when he asked me to come on this trip and told me about you guys, I got so excited that I begged my parents to let me come with Clint and his dad.”

“I guess I can understand that, but it’s time to go home now.”

“Yeah, I know, but I’m just sad that we probably won’t ever be together like this again.”

“We can’t make any promises, but we’ll try to keep in touch with both of you. And if we come home to visit our parents, then we’ll try to find time to get together with you and Clint too, and maybe we can even plan more vacations together.”

“I hope so, but since nothing is certain, it’s why I’m not excited about leaving here.”

“Me either,” Clint added. “You’ve really helped me too and I don’t want to lose being close to you guys.”

“You’ll never lose us, because you’re our little brothers now,” Devin assured him. “We may not see you as often, but like Mac said, we’ll keep in touch, no matter where we end up. We’ll even try to plan more vacations together in the future.”

“I hope so, because that would help to make us feel a little better.”

“Ok, then let’s hurry up and get going before our parents start calling and complaining about us taking so long.”

“Ok,” they agreed. We each grabbed our bag and I did one final check of the room to make sure no one was leaving anything behind.

“It’s about time you got here,” Mom said when we entered the hallway. “I was just about to call you when I heard you undoing the safety latch.”

“I’m sorry, but some of us were a little slow getting going this morning.”

“And I’ll bet I can guess who was slowing you down,” Lonny responded while place a comforting hand on Clint and Daniel’s shoulders.

“Yeah, it was us,” Clint confirmed. “We’re just unhappy about this vacation coming to an end.”

“We understand,” Ma concurred, “because we hate to see it end as well. We’ve made a lot of new friends on this trip, including Daniel and the three young men that spent the last two days with us. And you and your dad are now our old friends, since this is our second vacation together.”

“And we hope we can do it again,” Clint added.

“Ok, let’s pack your things in the appropriate vehicles,” Dad said in order to get us moving, “and that means Devin and Michael need to put their bags in our SUV. They can still ride with you, but it’s time to head to a restaurant to get something to eat, because I’m starving!”

“You’re always starving!” Mom quipped while staring at his belly.

I’ll give him credit though, because it’s been getting smaller, since he’s been watching his eating and exercising, like on this trip. Even though he was doing better, his belly still stuck out like a sore thumb. And when he was wearing the tight-fitting wetsuit, you could even see his love handles, although he claimed what we were referring to was caused by the long underwear he was wearing underneath.

As soon as we loaded everything in the appropriate vehicles, we headed to one of the restaurants that we’d eaten at before. When we arrived there, we ordered and then began chatting, and Daniel was the first to speak.

“I want to thank all of you for letting me come on this vacation with you. I had a really great time and I hope I’ll get to see all of you again, besides at Michael and Devin’s wedding.”

“Oh, that’s so sweet of you,” Mom gushed, “and we enjoyed having you join us. You were very well-behaved the entire time and a pleasure to be around.”

“That’s because you weren’t sharing a room with him,” Devin quipped as a devious grin spread across his face.

“Hey, what did I do?”

“You mean besides you two hogging the bathroom?” Devin countered, which caused both boys to blush. You could all see that they were both thankful when Ma came to their rescue.

“You should be grateful that they weren’t girls, or you might never have gotten to use the bathroom.”

“And you and Michael should be grateful you won’t have to worry about always waiting for your wife,” Dad followed, and that earned him a dirty look from Mom.

“I hope you have a comfortable sofa at home,” Lonny said as he focused on me, “because I think your dad might be sleeping there tonight.”

This banter might have continued, but the staff arrived with our meals and we began filling our mouths with food, instead of words.

When we finished eating, we went outside to get in our vehicles to leave. Lonny followed my dad all the way until we reached a town not very far from the cabin, and that’s where we switched vehicles while Dad was pumping gas. Daniel and Clint got out to say goodbye to us before we got in the SUV.

“We’ll miss both of you and can’t wait to see you again at your wedding,” Clint stated while trying to hold back the tears.

“I’m really glad I got to come on this trip and meet both of you,” Daniel added. “Even though I don’t know you two as well as Clint, I’m going to miss you too.” And I could see the moisture building in his eyes as well.

“And we’ll miss both of you,” I assured them, “but we’ll see you at the wedding.”

“Yes, we’ll need both of you and Clint’s Dad to serve as ushers, so I hope you’ve all got a suit,” Devin added.

“We do!” they confirmed.

We then took turns giving each other a hug, and then we got in our vehicles and started the final leg home.

When we arrived at the cabin, I helped Devin carry their belongings into the cabin while our parents were saying goodbye to each other. Once that was taken care of, and before we returned outside, Devin made a promise.

“I’ll check with Gramps and Pops about how they’re doing with selling the coins that weren’t valuable enough to include in the auction. I’ll also go to the café so I can use my phone to call and let you know when I’ll be leaving here and coming to stay with you until the wedding.”

“There are a great many things we still have to do before then, so don’t wait too long. We still have to select our wedding bands and buy small gifts for each member of the wedding party, and we also have to write our wedding vows. I know I haven’t written mine yet. Have you?”

“No, but I have an idea about what I want to say. I mostly want to spend my time at the cabin with my mom, since she’s not working over the summer. I’ll probably go into work with my dad a couple of times so I can spend some time alone with him, but I’ll probably spend some of that time chatting with Gramps and Pops too.”

“Ok, and I’ll fill you in about the information I learn when I call the auction house to find out when we might be able to have the auction.”

“Then I’ll call you on Tuesday to talk about those things, and I’ll also let you know when I’ll be arriving at your place.”

“Ok, just let me know what’s happening,” I agreed, and then we hugged and kissed again, before I left with my parents.

During the ride home, I was thinking about all of the things I had coming up in rapid succession. Thankfully, graduation weekend and the vacation with our combined families are behind us, but now there are several more issues that Devin and I will have to deal with concerning the wedding.

I’m grateful that my mom took care of most of the details concerning the wedding, but there are still a few things that Devin and I need to do, starting with writing our vows. We’ll also have to make time to pick out our wedding bands, along with selecting the gifts for the members of our wedding party. I know those aren’t required, but it’s something I want to do so they’ll have a lasting reminder about our special day. We’ll give the gifts to everyone at the rehearsal dinner, so it won’t take away focus at the wedding ceremony and reception.

Before the wedding, I’ll be making calls to arrange for the auction of the baseball cards that we discovered after a storm and the coins that we found in the cave. And after the wedding is over, we’ll have to deliver those items to the auction house, along with starting our job search.

That means Devin and I will have to get serious about creating our resumes and doing research about what agencies dealing in space travel are hiring. The recent Artemis I moon mission and the four being planned have sparked an increased interest in space travel. This has also resulted in NASA recruiting and hiring more engineers and support staff, so we’ll have to act fast before all of those positions are filled. We can’t wait and allow this opportunity to pass us by.

After we both finally secure a job, it will determine where we are going to live, and then we’ll have to start apartment hunting and packing up everything we want to take with us. After that we’ll have to either hire a moving company or do it ourselves, which means there is a great deal to accomplish over the next few months.

When the SUV finally arrived at the house, I helped Dad carry everything inside. I also decided to take the things out of my duffle bag and launder them, including the duffle bag itself. Before I could do that, however, I asked Mom if she was going to use the washer and dryer.

“No. Your father and I will have to go grocery shopping first, since we used up all of the perishables before we left on vacation. I’ll need some of those items to make our lunch and fix supper later, and seeing that I have to go to work tomorrow, I plan on relaxing as much as possible until I go to bed.

“Ok, then I’m going to do my laundry. If you want, I’ll also do some of your laundry tomorrow while you’re at work. You’ll just have to give me the things you want me to wash for you. I’d be worried that I might wash some things that you’d preter to do yourself.”

“Ok, I’ll do that when we get back from shopping and after we have lunch. I really appreciate that you’re willing to do that for me and that you’re not planning on leaving your laundry for me to do.”

“I’ve gotten used to doing things like that for myself, and Devin and I will have to split up the various chores when we get jobs and our own place to live.”

After I put the first load of laundry in the washing machine, I sat down with my laptop and tried to come up with ideas for small gifts for our wedding party.

To tell you the truth, this was a lot harder than I expected. How do you select a special gift to signify their participation in our wedding day? I’ll have to do some brainstorming with Devin about this, because I doubt either of us will be able to come up with suitable ideas on our own.

Mom and Dad had gone shopping while I was doing this, and shortly after they left, I had to get up and move the first load of clothes to the dryer and put the next load into the washer. Once that had been taken care of, I went back to my computer and started looking for ideas on the internet.

I immediately ran into a problem, because I first typed in “wedding gifts” and what came up were gifts for the newlyweds. Then, I typed in “gifts for the wedding party”, and what came up a variety of options: “personalized gifts”, “pampering gifts”, “practical gifts”, “gift baskets”, “bridesmaid jewelry”, and “groomsmen gifts”. The last category came closest to being helpful, but the choices didn’t convey the sentiment or connection to us that I wanted to convey.

I continued working on this until the dryer buzzed, and then I took my clothes out and folded them before they wrinkled. When I finished doing that, I moved the second load out of the washer and into the dryer. Once that was taken care of, I went back to my laptop to see if I could come up with gifts that would be both meaningful and long lasting.

The last load of clothes was still in the dryer when Mom and Dad arrived home, so I went out to help them carry in the groceries. After everything was inside, I also helped them put some of the things away, and while we were doing that, Mom asked me a question.

“What did you do while we were gone?”

“Besides doing my laundry, I spent time checking out a few things online that we’ll need for the wedding.”

“What things? I’ve already taken care of most of that stuff.”

“I know, but there’s still a few personal things that Devin and I have to take care of, like selecting our wedding bands and picking out a few other items.”

“Oh, ok,” she responded.

When the buzzer on the dryer sounded, I went out to remove the clothes and fold them, and then I carried everything up to my room and put them away. When I came downstairs again, I picked up my laptop and began searching for other ideas about gifts for the wedding party.

Eventually, Mom announced it was time to eat, and she’d fixed us a simple, yet wonderful supper that consisted of flat iron steaks, baked potatoes, broccoli, and a salad. It was very tasty and quite filling, and after we finished eating, I washed the dishes. While I was doing that, Mom collected the laundry that she wanted me to wash the next day, and then we both went into the living room to watch TV with my dad.

When the programs we were watching ended, we went upstairs to turn in. It had been a long day and we were all tired, and I looked forward to getting a little extra sleep tonight.

When I woke up in the morning, my parents had already gone to work, so I fixed myself a quick breakfast. After that, I put the first load of my parents’ clothes in the washer, and then I went online to look for other sites that might have small gifts that would be appropriate for the wedding party.

I did that until the first load was done, and then I moved those items over to the dryer. Once that was going, I put the next load into the washer before hopping back on my laptop. I’d already come up with ideas for Ma and Mom, but now I had to look for something for Dad and Pa, before I took care of the three ushers.

When the dryer buzzed, I took the clothes out and folded them, and then I moved the second load out of the washer and placed them in the dryer. Once that was going, I made myself a quick lunch.

After I finished eating, I took out my phone and called Heritage Auctions in Dallas, Texas to arrange a date for auctioning off a dozen baseball cards and ten coins. After the switchboard answered, I asked to speak with someone about putting some things up for auction.

“I’ll need more information from you first. What types of items do you wish to auction off?”

“Well, there are ten U.S. coins from before the Civil War…” I began, but she cut me off.

“Thank you, so please hold and I’ll transfer your call.”

After a brief wait while an extension rang, it was answered by someone with a deep and pleasant voice. “This is Dustin Johnson. How may I help you?”

“My name is Michael MacPherson and my friend and I have some items we’d like to have auctioned off.”

“Are these U.S. or International coins?”

“They’re ten U.S. coins from prior to the Civil War and they’ve all been professional rated by PCGS. I’ve taken photos of them and I’d be willing to send those photos to you.”

“You can upload them via the website and I’ll be happy to look at them. Do you have an idea as to when you’d like the auction to be held?”

“We were hoping in July?”

“That’s awfully soon, since our catalogues have all been printed for this year, but let me take a look at your photos and possibly I can squeeze them in with a catalogue listing similar items. How are you planning to deliver them to us or do you wish for us to arrange having them picked up, providing I can work something out about an auction date.”

“We’ll deliver them ourselves, since we’ll be doing some job hunting in the surrounding area. We also have some vintage baseball cards, a few antiques, and some jewelry that we’d like to auction off as well.”

“I’m afraid those items are handled by others. Chris Ivy is in charge of Sports Memorabilia and Brett O’Conner handles jewelry and timepieces. What type of antiques are you talking about?”

After I told him, he responded. “You’d be better off having those items appraised first and then selling them on your own or dealing with an organization that focuses on antiques. Would you like for me to transfer your call to Chris Ivy’s extension?”

“No, but thank you. I’ll call back and request his extension later, but I appreciate your help. I’ll upload the photos of the coins to the website by tomorrow, and I look forward to hearing back from you.”

I had to do that because the buzzer on the dryer went off and I wanted to fold my parents’ clothes before they began to wrinkle. After I finished doing that, I jotted down Dustin Johnson, Chris Ivy, and Brett O’Connor’s names, along with the items they were responsible for, so I didn’t forget them. After that, I got on my laptop and uploaded the photos of the coins.

As soon as I finished doing that. I called Heritage Auctions again, and this time I asked to speak with Chris Ivy. After another short break, an extension rang and the next person answered, and this person had a slightly higher pitched voice.

“Chris Ivy speaking. How can I assist you?”

“Hello, my name is Michael MacPherson and I have twelve vintage Goudey, Bowman, and Topps baseball cards that I’d like to have auctioned off. They’ve been professionally rated by PSA and I’ve taken photos of each of them. I can upload the photos on your website so you can determine if you can squeeze me into one of your upcoming auctions.”

“It sounds as if you’ve spoken to someone else about these or other items already, since you’ve pretty much covered all of the important details.”

“Yes, I spoke to Dustin Johnson earlier, because we also have some old coins that we want to auction off as well.”

“Then upload those photos to the website and I’ll take a look at them and see what I can do for you.”

“Thank you, and I look forward to hearing from you.”

As soon as I ended the call, I got my laptop and uploaded the photos of the baseball cards. Once that was taken care of, I looked for someone who could appraise the antiques that we’d found packed in the bags with the coins. It didn’t take long before I came up with the name Candance A. Hill who’s associated with WorthWise Art & Antiques Appraisals. Now that I had a name, business, and location, I’d have to wait for Devin to get here before I can do more, because I don’t have a vehicle to take those items to her.

It had been a very productive day so far, but it doesn’t seem that will be auctioning off any of these items as quickly as we were hoping, but at least it’s moving in the right direction. But now, it was time for me to move on to the next item on my list of things to do.

First, I looked to see what Mom had purchased yesterday that I could use to make supper. Then, I got on my laptop to look for recipes that included these items. Once I found one that sounded good, I had to see if we had all of the additional items that the recipe called for. Once I was certain that I had everything I needed, I began preparing supper.

I kept it warm until my parents arrived home from work, and then I greeted them at the door. “I hope your first day back at work wasn’t too bad.”

“Not any worse than usual, except trying to get back into the swing of things,” Mom replied. “Oh, what’s that wonderful smell?”

“I fixed supper, but you’ve still got time to freshen up before I start putting it on the table.”

“Ok, we’ll be right back.”

“What are we having?” Dad wanted to know.

“I’ll tell you when you get back, but right now I’ve got to get back in the kitchen to make sure it doesn’t burn.”

When they returned, I was putting things on the table, so I answered Dad’s question as I finished setting the last item down. “I fixed Chicken Parmigiana, but this time I used a different recipe. I also fixed a side of spaghetti and I made each of us a salad with vinegar and oil dressing, and there’s garlic bread as well.”

“It sounds as wonderful as it smells,” Mom responded.

“I hope it tastes as good as it smells too,” I added.

“I’m sure it will,” Mom said soothingly while giving me one of her patented smiles.

“Just give me your honest opinion, no matter if it’s good or bad.”

“Don’t worry. I will.”

“Are you kidding me! This is delicious,” Dad said while still chewing. “It’s as good as anything I could get at an Italian restaurant.”

“Yes, and I don’t think I could have done this well,” Mom followed.

“Thank you. I’m sorry there isn’t any dessert, but I didn’t have any wheels to go get anything.”

“We’ll survive,” Mom quickly responded.

Once we finished eating, Mom offered to do the dishes, since I’d fixed the meal, but I told her that I’d take care of that chore. I suggested that she should go to the living room with Dad to relax while watching TV.

After they went into the other room, I took care of washing the dishes, and then I went into the living room to see what my parents were watching on TV. The program looked interesting, so I joined them, and then I watched the next program with them as well. When it ended, my parents went upstairs to turn in, but I decided to stay up for a little longer.

I quickly flipped through the channels looking for something good to watch, but I couldn’t find anything that interest me. Instead, I turned off the TV and got my laptop so I could look for more ideas about what we could get the others in our wedding party. Hopefully, it won’t take me much longer to decide on the items for all of the guys, since there were only a couple of weeks left until our wedding day.

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