Ralph was stuck since he had to plan his trip to meeting Karen's parents, Don and Shirley McCarey and find somebody to sub for him. The only person in his mind was his friend, Potsie Webber. He called Potsie's number in Utah and waited for somebody to pick up the telephone. Ralph recognized the musical voice of Donny Osmond on the other end of the phone.
"Is Warren there?" Ralph asked.
"One minute," Donny said.
A few minutes later, Ralph heard Potsie say, "Hello?"
"Hi, Pots," Ralph said.
"Hi, Ralph. My dad told me a friend was on the phone. I thought it was Richie," he said.
"Nope. Just me," Ralph said.
Ralph remembered Donny Osmond was Potsie's adopted father. Potsie had lived in Utah since he was four years old but he would visit with him and Richie and Fonzie from time to time but he had been busy with his music career.
"I have something to ask you, Pots," Ralph said.
"What's that?" Potsie asked, interested in what Ralph was going to ask him.
"I just got a job here in Milwaukee and it turns out I can't go to the job on my first day, Pots. I was wondering if you could fly out here to Milwaukee on Monday and sub for me. I have to fly out to Washington, D. C. to meet my girlfriend's parents. I had that planned out before I got the job here," Ralph told Potsie.
"That sounds tough, Ralph. I guess I can take your place while you're gone. How long do you plan to be in Washington?" Potsie asked.
"A week."
"Okay. I can take your place, Ralph. What school is this?" Potsie asked.
"Jefferson High. I guess Richie can take you there," Ralph said.
"I'm sure he can. You know I don't know anything about piano, Ralph. Can I bring my guitar with me and play it for the kids?" Potsie asked.
"Sure. Go ahead," Ralph said, thinking it wasn't a bad idea.
It was finally time for Ralph to catch his plane ride to Washington, D. C. the following day. Richie was able to take Ralph to the airport. Richie was eating breakfast with his family that morning when he remembered he had to take Ralph to the airport afterwards.
"What are you doing today, Richard?" Howard asked, sipping his coffee.
"I've got to take Ralph to the airport after breakfast. Ralph is flying into Washington, D. C. and today is also his first day of teaching piano at Jefferson, so he had to ask Potsie to take over while he flew out to D. C. and Potsie said he could do it for Ralph until he came back. Ralph had this planned out a long time ago. He's meeting his girlfriend's parents out there for the first time," Richie said, taking a bite of Corn Flakes.
"I hope Ralph and his girlfriend's parents get along for the first time. What did you say his girlfriend's name was again?" Howard asked.
"Karen McCarey. She's a nice girl," Richie said, "and Ralph says he wants to marry her."
"How long have they been seeing each other?" Marion asked.
"Not very long. She's a redhead like the two of us. She's pretty," Richie said.
"I think I've seen her around a few times. I like her long hair," Joanie said.
"That's her," Richie said.
"Ask Ralph if I can meet her sometime," Joanie said.
"I don't know, Joanie. She's on the police force," Richie said.
"A policewoman? Wow," Joanie said.
"This I've got to see!" she said.
Richie rolled his eyes. Joanie noticed.
"Richie!" she said.
"What?" he asked.
"I saw that! That wasn't very nice," Joanie said.
"I also have another question about Ralph's girlfriend," Joanie added.
"What?" Richie asked.
"How long have his girlfriend's parents been married?" Joanie asked.
"He said they've been married seventy – one years," Richie said, still surprised that Mr. and Mrs. McCarey have been married that long.
"Wow," Joanie and Marion said in unison.
"That's what love does to you," Howard said.
"Do you think you and Mom will reach seventy – one like Ralph's girlfriend's parents did?" Joanie asked Howard.
"We're working on it," Howard said.
"Aren't we, Marion?" Howard asked.
"Yes, we are, Howard," she agreed and the couple kissed.
The family finished eating breakfast and Richie dropped Joanie off at school and drove straight to Ralph's apartment. He parked the car in the parking lot and headed for the apartment upstairs. He knocked on the door and waited for a few minutes until Ralph let him into the apartment.
"Hi, Rich. I'm almost ready," Ralph said.
"Okay. I just dropped Joanie off at school," Richie said.
Ralph nodded as he went to his bedroom to get his suitcase. Richie followed his friend if he needed to help with anything.
"I wonder how Potsie's doing at the high school," Richie said as the two locked up the apartment and headed for the trunk.
"I don't know. I'll get the results later this week. I'll be gone this whole week anyway. He asked if he could bring along his guitar, and I said it was okay. He doesn't know much piano like I do, but it won't hurt for them to listen to another instrument but I'm opposite of Potsie who knows so much about guitar and I don't know much guitar," Ralph said.
"True. Look at Pots. He had a music career and was popular," Richie said.
"True," Ralph said, "and he lives with a famous family."
Richie didn't say anything since he was pulling on the interstate. Richie pulled on the interstate and twenty minutes later the two of them were at the airport.
"Busy traffic today, huh, Rich?" Ralph asked.
"Yeah. I've never seen so much traffic these days," Richie agreed.
"Me either, but it makes me wonder why so much had come and going. Karen doesn't talk much about her job as deputy sheriff. She's been working on a twelve – year – old cold case murder about a deputy sheriff so I haven't gotten any details on it so I think she wants me out of it. She's been telling me the sheriff in the department she works for has got a lot of health problems lately. I don't blame him. She hasn't said what problems they are since the department hasn't found out yet," Ralph said.
"That's too bad," Richie said.
"I know. I hope the sheriff will be able to stay here at the department since he's a good sheriff," Ralph said.
"What's his name again?" Richie asked.
"Jeremy Cline."
"I remember him now," Richie said.
The two made it into the airport.
"You call me once you get into Washington and let me know you made it okay," Richie said, remembering he wanted his friend to be safe.
"I will, Rich. I know I don't travel much since the war happened," Ralph said.
"I know. I agree I don't either. I'll stay here until your plane leaves and I'll head back," Richie said.
"Okay."
Ralph headed to his seat on the plane. Richie watched as Ralph left for the plane. He stayed until the plane flew away from the airport and after it was gone, he did leave the airport and went back to the airport's parking lot and drove back to where he lived with Lori Beth. He remembered after looking at the clock, now was the time for him to take his painkillers after being involved in a gunshot a few years ago and he had survived with a bullet in the buttocks for life. He still felt pain until today but not as badly as he had back then.
Note: Hope you enjoy this chapter even if it did have a bit or two with real people.