Hey all! I am hoping to have a chapter up every Monday-Friday, until finished. I am sorry in advance if I happen to miss a day, but I am working on getting chapters written. There is an end point in view and by the middle of May is when this story should be wrapped up.

Thank you to Storyteller24 for the reviews on the last few chapters, and I do try to keep things as realistic as possible when writing anything.
Thank you to tish11, family road trips can be quite fun. I haven't had the chance to go on one quite as long as the ones I have written about, but I have been on a few of them over the years for various reasons, had one a few weekends ago.

Enjoy!

"Are you about ready?" Zoe asked her husband, looking her outfit over. Instead of staying in Bluebell last night they headed for Tuscaloosa. With Will graduating from college, they figured instead of sitting in traffic for over 4 hours and showing up to his ceremony in wrinkled clothes, they had left Bluebell after Aurora got out of school for the day. Less chance of being late, by taking the traffic situation right out of the equation for the most part, as they can't avoid the traffic from the hotel to the college auditorium.

"I've been waiting on you and Aurora for the past half an hour," Wade chimed in from the sofa. "Is our daughter ready to go?" He asked. The older she gets, the longer it takes for her to get ready. He misses his little tomboy of a girl. Where she didn't care if she was covered in mud, to go and get an ice cream. Now she can't leave her bedroom with a single hair out of place.

"I'll go check," Zoe said, moving to the closed door of the suit they rented for a couple of days, to knock on it. If they didn't get a move on soon they wouldn't be late, but they wouldn't have their choice of seating either. And Zoe needed to be in a spot where she'd be able to see her son walk across the stage and graduate from college. Zoe didn't want to be seated where it would be hard to see Will. "Aurora, please tell me that you're ready," Zoe pleaded through the door.

"I'm ready," Aurora said, opening the door, showing her parents that they could leave now.

Much like when Will graduated from high school, Zoe had a hard time to keep her tears at bay. Watching him walk across the stage at 18 to move on to the next phase of his life was hard to watch, as happy as she was at that time. Watching him cross the stage at 22, to be done with school altogether and moving on to the rest of his life with a job and to find his special person to settle down with. It warmed her heart, and it made her sad to see how fast her firstborn had grown up before her eyes. She's proud of everything that he has accomplished, she just at times misses when he'd need her the most.

There's no way they remembered the words that were spoken before the graduating class walked across the stage. Everything blurred into one long speech being made. When Will's name was called they cheered for him, proud of him. Football became less and less important to him through the four years of college, he played all four years, because he enjoyed the game, he just doesn't have the ambition it takes to make it his career. He's already got a job lined up, a few perks of meeting the right people at the right times, he'd thank his parents for that one later. Bluebell may be his childhood home but for the unforeseeable future his home would be in Tuscaloosa. He's grown to appreciate the city. What he likes the most is that not everyone knows his business, and that is the best thing he could ask for.

Will was ready for the tight loving hugs that came once the ceremony was over with from his mom. His dad gave him a hug, one that wasn't quite as tight as his mom's. Aurora gave him the shortest hug of the bunch. Once hugs and pictures were out of the way, they followed Will's lead to where he wanted to go for an early dinner, Will having plans later in the night with his friends.

They had to wait a few minutes for a table to be free, but they didn't mind the wait, they knew they'd be in for a wait when they saw how packed the restaurant was when they first arrived. Small talk had been made when they waited. Will telling them how excited he is about being done with assignments, term papers and exams.

They talked and laughed while they ate. They had a good time while they ate. Will told them many tales that were safe to repeat with his sister at the table. And that his mom wouldn't try to ground him for being a part of. He wouldn't put it past his mom either.

"We'll meet you for lunch," Zoe assured her son. She doesn't know what it is that he has to tell them, but she won't miss out on finding out. And she did want to see her son before they head back home.

"You could just tell us what it is you are hiding," Aurora stated. She is curious as to what her brother has to share.

"I can't," Will shrugged. He didn't want to tell them until tomorrow, when everyone was in on what needs to be told. He wants to tell them, it pains him to keep it from his parents, but there is another party involved, and it's best to wait until all parties are informed of his intentions.

"Your mother and sister will survive until tomorrow," Wade stated. "We will see you at 11:45," he informed Will.

"We love you," Zoe said, pulling her son into a hug. "We're proud of you," she whispered in his ear, giving him a motherly kiss to the temple.

"Thanks, Ma," he laughed lightly, happy at that moment that his friends weren't around to watch his mother's display. "I love you, as well," he repeated the sentiment.

After leaving their son, they let Aurora decide what they did, and all she wanted to do was go swimming in the pool the hotel offered. As Aurora headed down to the pool, Zoe and Wade took a bit of an afternoon nap that wasn't planned, they just fell asleep while watching pointless daytime TV. It was Aurora waking them up because she was hungry.

The next day they met up with Will at a local park, having stopped for sandwiches and other goodies for a small picnic in the park. Will telling them to grab an extra two of everything they bought. Wade and Zoe shared a look with each other on what that could mean for their son. Aurora out right told them she has no idea what is going on with her brother. They may be close, but not close enough that they share everything about their lives with each other.

Imagine how surprised they were when they got to the park and saw a pretty woman with their son and a very hyper what looked to be 3-year-old hanging off of Will. Without noticing his parents were there watching his every move, he had shared small kisses with her and lingering touches. He played the part of a father very well, the little boy's laughter floating through the air.

"Is this what you needed to tell us?" Wade asked, approaching his son, and what looked to be his little family of sorts.

"Yes and no," Will nodded, picking the little boy up. With one look you could see that Will wasn't the father. Will's hair is dark and the little boy has bright red hair, which he gets from his mom, as her red hair is braided over her right shoulder. "Maggie is my girlfriend and Isaac is her son from a previous relationship," he explained.

"It's nice to meet you Maggie," Zoe said, stepping forward to hug the young mother. "I'm Zoe, this is my husband Wade and this is our daughter Aurora," she introduced to the young woman.

"Hi," Wade said, settling for a handshake.

"Hey," Aurora waved.

"Hey," Maggie smiled. "Will has told me so much about all of you. All good things, so don't worry," she teased.

"We've been together for the better part of the last year, we moved at a snail's pace because of Isaac, and yes, we're being careful. No, we don't know where this relationship is headed yet, but we want it to last," Will quickly filled in for his parents. He doesn't want his parents to grill Maggie about them, when they're still figuring things out. He loves her, he doesn't have to question that. And he loves Isaac, like his own, but it's because of Isaac that they haven't rushed into things. He would hate himself if he ever did anything to hurt the little boy.

"And do we have to worry about his father coming after Will?" Zoe asked. Her main worry was Will, and she doesn't want her son to get in any sort of trouble.

"His father isn't in the picture, nor will he ever be," Maggie said, understanding where Zoe was coming from with her question. "I don't expect Will to be a replacement father for my son either," she added on, wanting her boyfriend's parents to understand she's not out looking for a father for Isaac. She wants to find someone to love the both of them.

"Can we eat already?" Aurora asked, helping herself to the food. She's happy for her brother, but they can keep the conversation going over lunch. She wasn't the only one hungry as she watched Isaac dig into a bag of chips that were open. Really she was doing everyone a favor by butting in the way she did. If she can see the way her brother loves his girlfriend and her little boy, then her parents can see it as well. She doesn't know this Maggie very well, but even she can see that Maggie thinks the world of her brother.