The Professor and Sean II
By: Scotty
(Copyright 2006 by the author)
 

The author retains all rights. No reproductions are allowed without the author's consent. Comments are appreciated at...

Chapter 27

(Rita Crosby narrates)

The first person to come into the conference room was a young man, probably in his twenties. He was a strikingly handsome blond and seemed a bit nervous. However, he maintained his decorum. An older man, perhaps in his late twenties or early thirties, came next. He was equally handsome and his maturity and sophistication was immediately evident. He, too, seemed nervous. I asked them to be seated at the other end of the table. They were seated beside each other.

Larry Bigotan was watching them carefully, his face blank of any emotion. I thought I could see fire in his eyes.

"I think it would be helpful if you gentlemen would introduce yourselves. Then the committee members will introduce themselves. By the way, I am Rita Crosby and this gentleman is Benjamin Costin our attorney. You already know Mr. Hazelton and Mr. Danvers." The two glanced at their attorneys and acknowledged their presence.

The older man got to his feet, smiling amicably, he began to speak,

"My name is Ryan Taylor. I am a professor of English at State College where my area of expertise is Shakespeare and James Joyce. I have been at State for over six years, and with the completion of this academic year, I will be a tenured professor. I earned my Ph.D. four years ago. Sean and I have been together since last fall. He is my life partner and I love him very much.

Dick Silverstone smiled broadly at that remark while Larry Bigotan nearly fell out of his chair. His face was almost purple with rage. Ryan Taylor smiled directly at him.

He sat down quietly, taking his partner's hand into his and squeezing it. The majority of the committee was charmed by Ryan Taylor. The younger man rose to his feet, smiled at all of us, and said,

"My name is Sean Kelly. I was born and raised in Vermont. When I was a small child, my parents were killed in an automobile accident. My uncle and aunt were my guardians. I had a very unhappy childhood, because I was emotionally and physically abused by my uncle. With the help and caring of my high school English teacher, I was accepted at State on a scholarship because of my musical ability. Presently I am a music major at State College.

"I just returned from Boston where I was guest pianist with the New England All-college Orchestra at Symphony Hall. Eventually I want to teach piano at State when I am academically qualified. I am a President's Honor Roll student having earned all A's. I love my life partner, Ryan, deeply. We want to establish a family so that we can share our love with these boys. We have no problem adopting all three of the boys.

The room was quiet and I noticed that Larry Bigotan's face was not as hardened as it had been. Sheila had tears in her eyes. I looked around and could see no one who seemed interested in speaking.

In a brief moment, the members of the committee introduced themselves. All seemed pleasant at that moment, even Larry.

"Thank you, gentlemen. Before we go further and discuss the actual petition to adopt, it is necessary that you be aware of the boys' background. Marian Cantor, a member of the committee, will provide you with that private information," I said. Larry groaned obscenely again.

Marian rose from her chair, the papers in her hands shaking a little in a sympathetic reaction to her nervousness. She cleared her throat, and quietly related this,

"It is a pleasure to meet both of you. It is not often; in fact, it is rare, that anyone wants to adopt three children from the same family. You are rare for that reason. However, there are circumstances about the background of the family that you must know as there could be repercussions..."

"For heaven's sake, Marian, get to the point," interrupted Larry Bigotan.

"Please, Larry, don't interrupt Marian. You can make comments once she is finished," I chided Larry.

Marian continued,

"For a number of years it was a happy family. But shortly after Zachary was born things took a turn for the worse. The children's mother, Rachel, suffered from severe depression. Their father, Justin, a hardworking man, tried his best to make things go smoothly. Rachel did receive some counseling, but it didn't seem to change anything.

"Justin noticed bruises on the oldest boy, Jacob, but the boy could tell him nothing, stating that he didn't know how he got them. When Justin confronted Rachel about the bruises, she adamantly denied knowledge of them. Justin, although, suspicious, did nothing.

"About two weeks later, Justin received a telephone call from the principal of Ethan's school. She was alarmed, and related to his father that the boy not only had bruises, but there was evidence that he had been burned with a cigarette. Justin was dumbfounded. He felt guilty that he had not noticed, but Rachel had insisted on putting the boys to bed, so he had not seen either Jacob or Ethan without their being fully clothed.

"The principal told Justin that she would have to notify the authorities as it appeared to be a case of child abuse. Justin begged her to wait until later that day so that he could investigate what was happening. He rushed home from work and quietly entered the house. He could hear Rachel in the bathroom, but there was little sound from Zachary. As he peered through the open bathroom door, he saw Rachel pushing the boy down under the water. She would watch him struggling, and then would let him up for a breath, only to submerge the child again.

"Justin ran into the bathroom, pushing Rachel away from the tub. He grabbed Zachary and took him to the boys' room. After some coughing and spitting, the child began to cry, as did Justin out of sheer joy that his son was alive. Rachel was standing in the door to the room. She had a bewildered faraway look on her face.

"How could you?" screamed Justin.

"He was dirty and needed a bath. He wouldn't stop wiggling. He's a naughty boy. All boys are naughty. Justin, sometimes I have to beat them so that the devil won't take them away from us," she told him calmly.

"By the way, all this information comes from the court records. I am adding nothing." Marian reminded the group. The look on Sean's face showed pain, sorrow, and fear. Ryan now had his arm around Sean's shoulders and he too had a countenance filled with sorrow.

"We'll all be old and decrepit by the time you finish, Marian," added Larry.

"I'm gonna rap you beside the head if you interrupt again, Larry. For heaven's sake act like a gentlemen even if you aren't one," said an irritated Richard Silverstone. Larry gave him an ugly face, but remained quiet. Marian continued,

"In the meantime, Justin called Rachel's counselor and they agreed that she should be hospitalized in the psychiatric ward. Zachary was asleep in his crib and Rachel was lying down resting. The counselor called 911 and before long the ambulance arrived and with much crying and accusations from Rachel, she was bundled up and taken away.

"Justin informed the principal of the situation, and asked that the boys be dismissed early as he wanted to pick them up. It was agreed. After Justin got home with the boys, he made them undress down to their underwear. As he looked at their bruised bodies, tears ran down his face. He hugged the boys to himself and told them that he loved them. The boys hugged their daddy and wept.

"Justin called the child welfare department and reported the incident to the investigator. Everything was entered into the record."

It was at this point that we all noticed the tears running freely down Sean's face. He was sobbing quietly. His partner was whispering softly to him, but his weeping continued.

Mr. Taylor told us,

"Please excuse Sean for losing control, but as a youngster, he was beaten by his uncle who reared him after his parents were killed. Hearing about the boys opened those wounds again." Before anyone could say anything, Sean, after blowing his nose, told us,

"Please forgive me, but I know how the boys must have felt as I have felt it, too. Those poor boys. Those poor boys."

A quick glance around the room made me aware of the emotion in the room; there were few dry eyes.

"Would you like us to take a break, Mr. Kelly?"

"No, no, I will be fine in a minute or two. Please go on, Mrs. Cantor."

Marian straightened herself and continued, everyone aware of the tears in her eyes.

"A week later, Rachel was discharged from the hospital. Justin brought her home. She was on strong medication and seemed disinterested in the children. The boys stayed away from her. Justin's mother was at the house helping with Zachary. His mother later testified that Rachel wandered about the house as if she were trying to find something she had lost. She didn't want to hold Zachary, much to Justin's relief.

"Justin was finishing up with the boys bedtime stories while his mother cleaned up the kitchen. Rachel came into the room, distracted and crying,

"'You, you, son-of-a-bitch, you're the trouble. You want the devil to get the boys. Well, I won't let you,' she screamed.

"Justin's mother called up from the bottom of the stairs,

"'Is everything okay? Do you need me?'

"For an answer she heard a number of gun shots and the screaming boys. Even at age sixty-one, she made the steps to the upstairs in record time. What she found terrified her.

"Lying across Ethan's blood spattered bed was her son, Justin. She screamed even louder when she nearly tripped over the body of Rachel whose head was only partly there. With superhuman strength she gathered up the two boys and got them outside the room. She returned to get Zachary and then closed the door behind her.

"She took the boys downstairs where she called the police. The two older boys clung to their grandmother as she tried to comfort them. They were both spattered with their father's blood. In minutes, the police arrived with the EMT's and other emergency personnel. Both parents were dead, Justin murdered by his unbalanced wife and she dead at her own hand.

"Two months later, Justin's mother, the boys only relative, died of a heart attack, leaving the boys alone and finally in the care of the agency. For these reasons, the agency will not allow the boys to be split up. You two have a right to know all this if you want to adopt the boys. Thank you for listening." Marian sat down, rather heavily I thought, but no wonder having to undertake that job.

Ryan and Sean were ashen faced, neither were ashamed of the tears that were running down their faces. Even the worldly attorneys were wiping their eyes. I asked the difficult question,

"Do you wish to continue, or after hearing about this situation, would you like to withdraw your petition? Only a millisecond passed before Sean spoke,

"More than ever, we want those boys. My God, what a terrible thing to have seen."

Ryan added,

"We still want them in our family, more now than before."

Sheila Devonsted spoke,

"Since we all have had an opportunity to review the paperwork related to this petition, we are aware of the excellent financial situation of the petitioners and we are aware of the home on which they have placed a deposit. I would like to call for a vote on the petition to adopt. But before that vote, I want to ask you both why you want these poor boys."

In unison, they answered,

"To give the boys the love they deserve and to provide them a home that is safe and supportive. We want them to be a part of our family."

Larry Bigotan, stood and faced the two petitioners, saying,

"I have just one question, if you please. Do you think that because of your lifestyle, any of the boys will become homo-sex-u-als?"

Ryan sprang to his feet, his face red the veins pulsing in his forehead. Sean stood and took Ryan's hand and whispered to him. You could see the color begin to return to normal on his face, but the body was still straight and imposing,

"In answer to your question, Mr. Bigotan, all I can do is tell you this. My mother and father are heterosexuals, but I am gay, not because of them but in spite of them; it was my inborn nature. The same is true for Sean. No gay person is that way because of his childhood or the way he was raised. I can't guarantee you that the boys will be gay or straight, but I can assure you that they will be raised as children in any home, with love and caring."

"Thank you, Mr. Taylor. Let's vote," urged Larry Bigotan to the surprise of all of us.

"If there is no further discussion, or if no one objects, we will vote," I said. No one made any move to discuss or object. I continued,

"All those in favor of the petition signify by raising their right hand."

Instantaneously, five hands shot into the air. The first hand up was Larry Bigotan. How often we misjudge other people.

As I walked to the end of the conference table, Ryan and Sean remained standing. I moved between them taking one of their hands and speaking, surprisingly with much emotion in my voice,

"I am happy to inform you that your petition to adopt three boys, Jacob, Ethan, and Zachary Carson has been approved."

There was spontaneous applause. I got strong hugs from both Ryan and Sean. Tears slid down my face as I thought that my son would be about the age of Sean. Deep in my heart I knew that we had never approved an adoption for which I felt so good.

As the applause continued, Sean and Ryan hugged each other, holding each other with firmness and love.

I needed to tell them one other thing,

"Please sit. You realize that you have to appear in Family Court before the adoption can be final. If you plan to have their surname changed, be ready to offer that name to the judge. I ask that everyone remain seated even as I declare this meeting closed. You'll be put on the docket; the boys will remain at St. Anthony's Home. Family Court moves slowly so be prepared for a wait. I hope you understand."

"We understand and will be waiting as we prepare the new house as a home for our family," Sean told us. Ryan just shook his head in agreement.

Dan Hazelton got up and went out into the next room closing the door behind him. I knew there would be questions, so I told everyone,

"Mr. Hazelton, Mr. Danvers, and I planned a little surprise. All the necessary people were informed and are here to help us." Everyone turned and looked at the door.

Dan opened the door and then stepped aside. First into the room was Ellen Taylor carrying a young child of eight or nine months. She was quietly followed by Gerry Taylor holding the hands of two shy young boys. I heard an enormous gasp from Sean and Ryan. They leapt from their seats and went to their family,

Sean fell to his knees enveloping young Ethan in his arms; together they wept; one from the unknown, the other with joy. Ryan was holding Jacob in his arms, speaking softly to the boy. Zachary, now wiggling in his new grandmother's arms, was making all kinds of wonderful baby noises. Gerry Taylor brought them all into a family hug.

Sister Mary stood in the doorway smiling, joy and contentment shining in her eyes.

The boys would now be safe. The good Lord had answered my prayers.

********

(Ellen Taylor narrates)

We were surprised when Dan Hazelton called us this morning to tell us that a Sister Mary from St. Anthony's Home would be calling us later. She would explain everything to us, but he assured us that we would be thrilled.

"What the hell is this all about? Why couldn't Dan just tell us what's going on? I mean, Ellen, for God's sake, you know how I hate surprises," Gerry complained.

Trying to placate my dear husband of over forty years, I quietly told him,

"Dear, relax. If Dan had known all the details, he would have told us what was going on. Read your newspaper or watch the Today Show on TV. Let's try to remain calm since we have no idea why we should be anything but calm."

"Just the same, Ellen, I hope this doesn't upset our whole day. You know we wanted to scoot over to Mattson's office and then to the house to take a quick look at the furnishings. I know Sean will not like it if we agree to purchase anything, so we'll have to make sure that the Burkes don't say anything when he and Ryan take a look at the stuff. I think they should just let you take over that part of the deal," he sputtered.

"It's their house, their life, Dearie," I reminded him.

The phone rang and I went to the desk and picked it up.

"Is this Mrs. Ellen Taylor?" came a sweet inquiry.

"It is," I assured the caller.

"Fine. This is Sister Mary from St. Anthony's Home. Rita Crosby of the adoption agency called me this morning and asked if I could take the boys to the meeting so that the couple petitioning to adopt them could meet them. I need some help, and I wondered if you and your husband could give me a hand with the boys?" she asked.

"Of course. But Sister Mary, what exactly is going on? It wouldn't be wise for Ryan and Sean to see the boys only to discover that they can't adopt them."

"That's true. That's why we will not enter the room until a decision has been made to approve the adoption. If the committee turns them down, we will quietly return the boys to the home."

"What are the boys being told?" I asked.

"They know that they might meet the new fathers. Ethan asked about a mother and I told him that he would have two fathers but no mother. I did tell him he would have a grandmother. I hope you don't mind that I did that. He seems fine with the entire matter. Jacob is having problems. He fears having a new father. He doesn't know if he wants two fathers. He can be just a little firm in his opinions. Time will change all that. I am not at liberty to tell you their story, but if the adoption is approved, your son will fill you in with all the details."

"Thank goodness for that," I told her.

"Could you be here in half an hour?" she asked.

"We're on our way," I told her.

After our good-byes, I hung up the phone.

"What the hell was that all about?" demanded Gerry.

"It looks like we're going to meet our new grandsons before our sons meet their new sons. Come on, stop looking as if you were hit in the face by a pie. Let's get going. I'll give you all the details as we drive to the St. Anthony's."

"Jeez!" was all he said in response. I almost laughed. I was so happy.

********

(Ryan narrates)

I had told Sean to relax as much as possible just before we were called into the meeting. I laughed to myself because I was as nervous as a mouse crossing the room with two cats watching.

The committee was imposing, especially one of the men. He seemed to have made up his mind before we uttered a single word. He was an older man, graying at the temples, swarthy complexion, and beginning to show the inevitable weight gain of men in their seventies and eighties. He wasn't fat, just plump in some places. He seemed agitated or angry. He did not smile but all the rest did. It was good to see Dan and Craig. Benjamin Costin seemed professional and objective. But I really liked Rita Crosby. Not only was she in control, but there was a certain gentleness about her. I knew immediately that she would be fair.

I could feel Sean shaking as he sat beside me. I wondered what he thought of the angry man on the committee. As I was wondering about that, Mrs. Crosby asked us to introduce ourselves. I went first and was well received. Sean followed me and everyone, including the angry older man, seemed even happier. When Sean said 'I love Ryan deeply and want to establish a family with him so that we can share our love,' I knew he was a hit with the committee.

As Marian Cantor related the horrible story of the boys, I was upset. But the one who was more distraught was Sean who had experienced the abuse the boys had known. It was worse for the boys who had to witness the horrible events of the day that took away both their parents. Adding to that trauma was the loss of their grandmother a short time later. After I told the committee about Sean, I knew again that Mr. Bigotan was melting even more.

Everything seemed to be going our way until Bigotan stood. He asked if we thought because of our lifestyle that the boys might become homo-sex-u-als. I jumped from my chair, raging with anger. Sean stood and took my hand and whispered softly into my ear not to lose it or we might lose the boys. I began to calm down as my answer took form in my mind.

I told him that neither Sean nor I had been raised by homosexual parents and we were both homosexuals. By that same logic, even if we raised the boys, we could not know what their sexual preferences would be. Then in what seemed a short hiccup in time, Rita Crosby was telling us that we had been approved for adoption. After that announcement, Dan left the room for what Rita Crosby told us was a surprise for us.

We all turned toward the door, waiting and wondering. Dan opened the door, and then stood out of the way. Smiling and as happy as I could remember, except at Sean's and my wedding, Mom walked into the room holding a young child. We both knew it was Zachary.

Next came an jubilant Dad holding the hands of two young boys. We knew that they were Jacob, who was the taller of the two, and Ethan. I joined Sean in a gasp!

We were immediately out of our seats. We both took a child into our arms, Sean was hugging Ethan, and I had Jacob in my arms. Tears ran down our faces, but the emotion was too much for Sean who was weeping for joy. Ethan was also crying because, I think, he couldn't understand what was happening.

Even with tears running down my face, I spoke quietly to Jacob reassuring him that everything was fine and that he and his brothers would soon be our sons and live with us in a big house. He suddenly hugged me tightly, letting me know that he was okay with me. Dad pulled all of us into one large family hug. We had our family.

"Thank you, dear God, thank you," I prayed.

********

(Sean narrates)

I began the day filled with apprehension about the meeting. I couldn't help it. I was afraid something would go wrong and we wouldn't be approved for the adoption. Ry tried to reassure me that everything would turn out the way we wanted. He would trust God to answer our prayers. He was sure we would have our family and would be able to share our love. I silently prayed that he was right.

We were ushered into the conference room by the receptionist, Margot. I was really nervous; in fact, I was shaking. Ryan took my hand and squeezed it very tightly which gave me some strength and helped me to control my nervousness. He introduced himself and told the committee I was his life partner and that he loved me. Then it was my turn.

I knew I had to be honest and direct. I told them about my childhood, my acceptance at State, my musical ability, and my participation as a soloist with the college orchestra in Boston. I could tell the committee was impressed. I finally told them that Ryan was my life partner and that I loved him. I finished by telling them that we wanted to have the boys so that we could share our love with them as a family.

Then the horror began when Mrs. Cantor started to tell us the history of the Carson family. The abuse of the children had been terrible at the hands of the mentally incompetent mother. Her husband, who had been called by the school because of the bruises and apparent cigarette burns on Ethan's body, rushed home to confront his wife.

He found her in the bathroom with Zachary. She was actually trying to drown the baby. Justin intervened, grabbing the baby and getting him safely away from his wife. She went to take a nap while he called her counselor and the decision was made to place her in the psychiatric ward at the hospital. A week later she was released and came home. Ryan explained the situation to me. Mrs. Crosby wanted to know if I needed a break, but I said no, and we continued.

Mrs. Cantor continued her story, Justin's mother was helping him care for the boys. One night he was reading to the boys when his wife came into the room. After screaming at him about the devil, she shot him a couple of times and then shot herself in the head. The two older boys saw it all. Their grandmother rushed up the stairs, and unbelieving and emotionally distraught, took the boys from the room, closed the door and called the police. She was now their only living relative, however a few weeks later she died of a heart attack. The boys were left orphans. By this time, I was a mess of sobbing.

Finally, the story of the boys' background was finished. It was one of the most horrendous things I had ever heard.

After the story was finished, Mrs. Crosby asked if we wished to continue or if we would like to withdraw our petition. I quickly answered that, now more than ever, we wanted the boys. Ryan agreed immediately.

Then Larry Bigotan rose and asked the question about our raising the boys, and because we were gay, wouldn't the boys be homosexuals, too. I thought Ry was going to lose it. I grabbed his hand and whispered into his ear to keep calm, to get control because, I told him, if he lost it we could lose the boys. His face returned to a more normal color and I watched his body relax. Next, he spoke eloquently about sexual preference and how straight parents have gay children and gay parents have straight children. He told Bigotan that he didn't know if our boys would be straight or gay, but he did know that no matter what our orientation was, the boys preferences would be what they would be. Bigotan immediately asked for a vote on the petition.

Moments later, Mrs. Crosby told us that we had been approved. Then the surprise: Mom and Dad brought the boys into the room. I fell to my knees and took Ethan into my arms. I wept for joy and soon Ethan was crying, too. I whispered to him that it was okay. That we would all be together and we would be happy. Dad somehow got us all into a family hug and to my utter surprise, Larry Bigotan began to applaud and the committee members, the attorneys, and Margot all joined in.

I knew then, in that moment of epiphany that there was a God and that He was good and that He had brought us all together in a family.

I was not able to thank Him enough for His kindness. I resolved that my life would be devoted to my partner and husband, and to our sons.

How wonderful are the works of God!

********

(Larry Bigotan narrates)

I had watched the two men carefully. It became more and more obvious to me that there was a strong, true love between them. And as the story of the boys' early lives was revealed to them, I could see the horror and disbelief cross their faces.

Sean, the younger of the two, at first seemed to be the more emotionally involved. But I soon discovered when I asked about gay men being able to raise straight children, that Ryan was also emotionally committed to the petition. At first I thought he might hit me, but Sean spoke quietly to him, and I saw that his breeding, his sophistication, his intelligence, his desire for a family took precedence over his anger. His answer was articulate and sincere. I made up my mind right then that these two men deserved the boys and I was certain, or a least as certain as we can be in this life, that they would be exemplary parents.

I immediately called for the vote on the petition and for a moment I wondered if Rita Crosby would faint. Marian and Sheila seemed shocked, but good old Dick Silverstone just smiled a knowing smile, letting me know that he knew long before I did that I would approve. Friends of many years know you better than you know yourself. The vote was unanimous! I was happy!

When the boys were brought into the room and I saw the love emanating from everyone at the other end of the room, my original thoughts were confirmed. I couldn't help myself so I began to applaud. Everyone joined me. God is good!

I was sure that His hand had guided the happenings of the day.

I quietly thanked Him.

********

(Ryan narrates)

We left the conference room after thanking the committee for their vote of confidence. Once in the outer room, we besieged Sister Mary with questions.

Would we be able to visit the boys? How often? Could they come to our place for lunch or dinner? Could we show them the house where they would eventually live? Could we get them clothes or toys? What could we do to help at St. Anthony's?

Calmly, Sister Mary answered all of our questions. Before we said goodbye to the boys, we had volunteered to help at the home on Saturday mornings. The boys could come for meals providing someone from the home accompanied them. As they were not yet our adopted sons, we had no real legal rights. We accepted the arrangements. We could show them the house that was to be their home. No toys, but clothes were fine as long as we didn't overdo it. Mom and Dad volunteered to help at the home on Wednesday mornings, at least for the next few months.

Ethan refused to let go of Sean. He kept hugging him and putting his head in the crook of Sean's neck. Sean kept talking to him, kissing him on the forehead, mussing his blond hair and eventually Ethan began to laugh. Sean picked him up and raised him high into the air with a quick swing about, soon Ethan was squealing with happiness. Slowly, Sister Mary kept suggesting that they had to go back to St. Anthony's for lunch.

Jacob thought we should go with them and have lunch there. It suddenly dawned on me that lunch with the boys and Mom and Dad would give us additional time to get to know each other better. I invited them all, including Sister Mary to lunch. Dad thought it was a great idea. Mom and Sean were pleased with the idea. Sister Mary was slow to agree, but finally said yes, but only after she called the home and let everyone know what was happening. And so it was that we took our family to lunch for the first time.

After lunch we all went to the home and helped get the boys settled. Zachary was a wonderful baby, who, Mom reminded us, would soon be scurrying about, first creeping and then walking and he would demand careful watching so that he would not injure himself. Dad thought it might not hurt for the boys to skin a knee or loosen a tooth, but Mom wouldn't buy into that. Sean and I smiled at each other and thanked the good Lord for the two of them.

********

(Sean narrates)

In the days following the meeting with the adoption committee, our lives got busy and complicated. There were many decisions to make about the house. We purchased many of the things already in the house, but Mom's ideas, mixed with Ry's and mine, slowly began to turn the house into ours. When we took the boys there, they ran excitedly about the house, checking out the rooms. They loved the great room, but the backyard and the pool became their first love.

There were decisions about the cabin, too. Dan and Craig kept us posted, and we gave Naomi Stephenson a free hand in the decorating. Everyone assured us that the new place would be ready late in June. Much was happening.

I was asked to see President Williams on the Tuesday of the week of the convocation where the chair in honor of Ry was to be announced. I imagined that it would be about the wording of the proclamation and such. When I arrived at his office, Carrie Flanders, his secretary, smiled at me and told me I would have to wait a moment. She notified the president that I was there and he told her it would be about five minutes.

It was actually much less time than that before I was summoned into his office. Everything about the room spoke of good taste. Dr. Williams asked me to take a seat, and then began to talk.

"You may not know how much this chair means to the college, but I want you to understand how the Trustees and the Governor feel about it. They are just overjoyed, so much so, that all of them will be at the convocation," he related to me.

I was surprised, but happy that everyone was pleased with the idea. I smiled and told him that I was happy about it all. He continued,

"Sean, the Trustees and the Governor have asked me to let you know that they would like you to announce the chair." He paused, waiting for my reaction.

I couldn't speak because I felt as if someone had knocked the wind out of me. I know I paled because President Williams looked at me, and quickly asked,

"Are you okay, Sean?"

I gathered up all my courage and breath, and said,

"I'm just surprised. Isn't it your duty to make those kinds of announcements?"

"Usually, but this is the first time in the history of State that an enrolled student has ever given such a wonderful gift to the college. It's extraordinary and we all want you to have the honor, which is well deserved, to make the announcement."

"I am honored, too, sir. I will do my best to do it appropriately," I told him.

"Don't worry, Sean. There is no appropriate way. Just speak from the heart and it will be fine. Can you do that?"

"Yes, sir, I will certainly try."

"He smiled at me, and added,

"By the way, there is one other thing, and you may tell Ryan about this. You need to get measured for academic apparel. The Trustees voted last night to award you an Honorary Doctor of Music, It's in recognition of your contribution to the college and your remarkable musical ability. There is no need to tell Dr. Fillimore about this, as he will assist me in the procedure."

"Sir, I don't think I deserve such a wonderful honor. I mean, Sir, I'm just an ordinary guy, a student at State, who was financially able to make it possible for the college to have this chair. It really honors my husband, Sir."

"We know all that, Sean. Will you accept the Honorary Degree?" he asked.

My heart was beating very rapidly, and the thought of making the announcement of the chair and receiving the honorary degree had sapped much of my energy away. Dr. Williams waited patiently for me to answer.

"Yes, I will."

"Excellent!" was his response. In the next few minutes he reviewed what would happen at the convocation. If I chose not to tell Ryan about the honorary degree, that was up to me. The program was already set and could not be changed, so no one would know about it until it happened. I would have to be in the academic procession. Although I could march with either the English Department or the Music Department, President Williams wished I would march with him, the governor and the trustees, the usual place for a person who is to receive an honorary degree. He asked that I tell him tomorrow.

I left the office in a daze, stopping only long enough to have Carrie take my measurements. I walked across the quad toward Ry's office. What would I tell him? I couldn't think clearly about all that was happening.

We had learned on Monday that our appearance in Family Court was scheduled for the Tuesday after Ry returned from Denver.

What a couple of weeks it had been! Our lives now seemed to be headed for a calmer time when we could enjoy our family, moving with love into the future.

To be continued...

A special 'thank you' goes to my editor and proof reader, Wayne. His contribution is significant and greatly appreciated.

As Sean would say, "He's "Awesome!"

Feedback always welcome:     

 

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