CHAPTER TWENTY

Lucy's graduation day finally came. The last Sunday in April was bright and sunny. Lucy's residency at PPTH would start after Labor Day. Lucy was going to be a pediatrician, but during her residency, she would also be working with patients who suffered from chronic pain and had drug major addictions; that was going to be her sub-specialty. She had already done research on and had credit on a paper that one of her professors had written. He was at Columbia now, and his treatment success rate was very high. She would also be in Greg's department whenever he had a case. Knowing how hard she planned on working herself during the next two years, Lucy wisely decided to take the summer off. Her father approved of her decision. She was free to enjoy herself that summer.

Greg took her out for a celebratory dinner the night before graduation, and afterward they went to a little hotel on the outskirts of Princeton. That was the first time they didn't use condoms. Lucy was apprehensive because she was still afraid of getting pregnant, but Greg reassured her. They made love twice, and Lucy saw fireworks both times. She just kept looking at Greg while they were getting dressed. Greg couldn't read her expression. "What's wrong, baby?" he asked. "Why didn't you tell me it was going to be that good without a condom?" Greg just smiled. "Every time with you has been good, but tonight? There's no comparison" Lucy said. "You're too stubborn to listen to reason, so I decided to let you find out on your own." he said with a smirk. Lucy let him have the last word just this once. She went up to him and kissed him and told him she loved him instead.

The next morning, Lucy showered and came down to breakfast a little late, still in her pajamas. She got herself a cup of coffee, and sat down. "Lucy, how about some breakfast?" Lina asked her daughter. "You have a big day today." "No thanks, mom." she replied. "I'm not really hungry. Just coffee for now" She stole sections of the paper from her father while she drank her coffee. Greg knew this was a regular thing between them, and he enjoyed watching it. Lucy was about to go back upstairs to get ready when Greg stopped her.

The whole time Lucy had been in the dining room, Greg hadn't spoken directly to her. Now he said, "Lucy, wait a minute. I have a graduation present for you." Lucy stopped in her tracks. Greg handed her a small, beautifully wrapped package. Lucy didn't know what to do. She took the package from Greg and sat down next to him and unwrapped it. It was a jeweler's box. Lucy slowly opened it, and inside was the most beautiful necklace Lucy had ever seen. It was a huge pear-shaped opal slide (her birth stone) surrounded with diamonds and banded in gold on a thick gold chain. It looked like an antique, and Lucy just knew Greg had it custom-made. She took a deep breath and looked up at Greg. "It's beautiful, Greg. You shouldn't have. Thank you." She gave him a quick kiss, this time on his mouth instead of his cheek, and ran upstairs to get dressed.

Greg had the biggest smile imaginable on his face. This was as close as he could get to declaring his intentions about Lucy in front of her parents without proposing marriage, which he desperately wanted to do. Watching her daughter and Greg, Lina was glad she listened to her husband. Not pushing this was the right thing to do. Her headstrong, beautiful little daughter had fallen in love on her own. Greg was certainly in love with her and had been almost from the day they met. Her dreams of happiness for Lucy were coming true. Lina knew they were sleeping together and that didn't bother her. She couldn't criticize Lucy for doing the same thing she and Frank had done any more than Frank could.

She and Frank were actually amused that they were sneaking around, Greg because of his age, and Lucy because she was always open about everything, even her disastrous college affair. Did they really think that no one would notice that Greg was barely using his room any more except to change his clothes and take a shower? Lina and Frank had decided not to try to "catch "them doing anything or confront them. Who knew how Lucy would react if they got caught red-handed or if she was confronted with the fact that her parents knew she and Greg were sleeping together! They would come to Lina and Frank when they were ready. The only problem was making Loretta keep her mouth shut and leave them alone. Her brother-in-law wasn't a problem. He and Frank were always on the same side where Lucy was concerned. Lina knew Greg would take care of Lucy. If God blessed them further and Lucy was able to have babies, she would have beautiful grandchildren one day.

"That's a beautiful necklace, Greg. Lucy loves jewelry." Lina said. Greg had forgotten Lina and Frank were in the room. He just kept grinning and went up to his room to change for the commencement exercise. He didn't go into Lucy's room.

About an hour later, Lucy came running back downstairs with the necklace in her hand. She was quite capable of putting it on herself, but somehow she knew it would mean a lot to Greg if she let him do that in front of her family, and she went directly to him with it. Uncle Tony, Aunt Loretta, Jim and Julie were there by then. This was the first time Julie had been around since Easter dinner, and she turned green with envy when she saw Lucy's necklace. She turned to Jim and asked him why he never bought her jewelry like that. Jim quickly replied, "When you accomplish what Lucy has, I'll buy you the biggest diamond in New Jersey."

Jim was a little puzzled at the nature of the gift House had given Lucy. That was a serious piece jewelry he was about to hook around his little sister's neck. What was he up to? Lucy went over to Greg and handed the necklace to him. For a brief moment, Lucy's parents saw exactly how much Lucy loved Greg, that there were no limits to it; then her poker face came back. "Can you fasten it for me, please?" Lucy asked. She was glad her brother answered his wife the way he did and she was trying not to laugh. She turned her back to Greg and he fastened the necklace for her, lightly brushing her collarbone with his fingers as her brought the necklace around her neck. He was still smiling. Julie wasn't going to ruin this day for Lucy or him.

Lucy grabbed her car keys and said to Greg, "Come on, Stretch, ride with me!" "What do you mean, Lucy?" he said warily. He knew how Lucy drove. Like a bat out of Hell! "We can't all fit in one car." she said with a smile on her face. Greg looked at Jim helplessly. All Jim did was put his hands up in surrender and say, "She's right. Everyone won't fit in one car." "Why don't you want to ride with me, Greg? I know all the short cuts!" Lucy said mischievously. Then she took a good look at Greg's face. He was almost panic stricken at the thought of riding down to Philly with her behind the wheel. It was all Lucy could do not to laugh. She wasn't a bad driver; she just liked to drive fast. She tossed her keys to Greg. "You drive my car then. Let's go before we're late!" Greg breathed a sigh of relief, but had to admire how she managed to make some time for them alone, even if it was only on the drive down to Philly and back! As she went outside, you could hear her say, "Hurry up, Greg! If I ride shot gun, I'm in charge of the radio!"