Jaime sat at her kitchen table, midterm exams piled in front of her. She had given the kids a challenging essay question which was proving equally challenging to mark. The din of the basketball game, though turned down very low, wormed its way into her head and she found herself reading the same sentence over and over. She glanced at Chris on the couch. He had very sweetly offered to help by taking half of the pile to mark the multiple choice section for her. She was slightly concerned that he was doing it while watching the game, but he was a conscientious person and he did seem to be doing most of it during commercial breaks, so they would surely be okay. She had just today bought him a wedding present - season's tickets for two to the Laker's games. It was going to make him incredibly happy. She thought she might attend a few games with him, and that he could take one of his buddies to the others. She liked basketball well enough, but not on the scale Chris did. She only hoped that he would not attempt to hang framed jerseys in their house once they were married.

She looked at her right thumb with irritation. It was "sticking" for want of a better word, and writing was tricky. She would have to call Rudy tomorrow and tell him about it. The last thing she needed right now was a bionic hiccup. There was so much to do in the next few months!

Now thoroughly distracted from her marking, Jaime pondered the conversation they had with Helen and Jim over dinner. They had been discussing just who would be included in the wedding party. Chris had chosen his oldest friend Gary Baum (somebody she wasn't entirely crazy about, to tell the truth) as his best man, and Tim Barnett, a pal from the OSI, as groomsman. Jaime was not quite decided. She thought her old school friend Brenda Stukey would be a wonderful bridesmaid. She was a bubbly person who brought fun with her wherever she went. And then of course there was Callahan. But then there was someone else Jaime wanted to be there for her - and she had to screw up her courage to bring the idea up to Chris and Jim and Helen.

She cleared her throat. "I was thinking that I want Oscar to stand up for me."

The three of them looked at her as though she had sprouted another head.

"What?!" sputtered Chris. "You want him to be - what - your bridesmaid?!"

"Noooo! I just thought..." This was not going to be easy. "I just thought he could be my Best Man. He's done so much for me - I wouldn't even be here without him - and he's my friend."

"You wouldn't be here without Steve, either." Helen pointed out quietly.

"Well, I know that." Jaime felt defensive. "But I can hardly ask my ex-fiancé to be in the wedding party, can I?

Chris was looking as though he had just eaten something unpleasant. "I'm your best man!" he said.

"Better than that sweetie. You're the groom." Jaime replied soothingly, squeezing his arm.

"Oscar." he said, drawing the name with disgust. "I just look at him and see 'The Boss'. I don't want to see 'The Boss' on my wedding day! Besides, I don't even think he likes me."

"He does like you!" Jaime protested.

"That's just weird." Chris said. "Would you like it if I had some woman stand up for me?"

Jim took Jaime's hand. She turned to him. "It is a little odd, sweetheart." he said quietly.

Jaime sighed and sat back in her chair. "Okay, okay, forget it. Sorry I mentioned it. You're right. It's weird."

"How about we put him right up front with family?" Helen suggested. "He should sit with Jim and me."

"Sure." Jaime replied, eager to end the conversation.

Chris dropped the pile of exams in front of her with a smile. He was being extra friendly - Jaime suspected her felt a little badly about the Oscar thing. "Thanks, sweetie." she said.

"Got more for me?" She handed him a few more, and he took them back to the couch. Jaime paused to look at the first page of multiple choice he had marked. Question 4 caught her eye.

Gregor Mendel discovered the nature of dominant and recessive genetic traits by experiments with what garden vegetable?

a) turnips
b) runner beans
c) peas
d) all of the above.

The student had correctly chosen c) peas. Why was there an "X" beside it?

Jaime felt a wave of irritation. "Christopher..." she called, as coolly as possible.