A/N: I debated ending things with Chapter 8 even though the rest had been written following the break-up. But then I decided to go ahead and post the rest. This is the longest chapter and the one I have agonized over the most. The idea came from a 20/20 or Dateline documentary I saw years ago as a kid. Hopefully, I'm able to get the idea across.
Disclaimer: I own nothing associated with Joan of Arcadia, nor am I associated with the Olympics, Paralympics or any TV network.
Chapter 9 A Few Years Later
"Kevin, I told you to get a haircut. That looks ridiculous," Beth chastised.
"It's a mortarboard and tassel, my dear. Its only function is to make its wearer look utterly ridiculous," Kevin countered.
Beth grabbed the mirror from his hand, threw it on the couch and attempted to adjust the cap and Kevin's overgrowth of hair. She reached for a few hairpins she had left on the coffee table, and Kevin unlocked the wheelchair's brakes to move away from her outstretched hands.
He gasped as she stood, poised with pin in hand, "What do you think you're going to do with those? They aren't coming near me, I'll tell you that right now."
"You're supposed to pin the hat on your head so it won't blow off during the ceremony. That would be even more ridiculous. Plus, the top has to be flat, you can't slant it like that."
Kevin was getting a little agitated as the hideous polyester gown was already pulling at his collar. He didn't think he could handle Beth's apparent super knowledge of graduation procedures. "Beth, I don't want any pins in my head."
"Don't be stupid, they aren't going to be IN your head, they're on it." She cornered him and anchored the hat to his head. "Perfect!" she exclaimed. "Now get with it or we're going to be late, and there will be nowhere to park anyway."
"Uh, I think we'll be able to get a parking space, probably a really good one."
"Oh yeah, why do I always forget that?"
"I'm not sure but it's one of the only perks of being attached to me." He smiled at her and headed toward the door. "Get your shoes and your purse already, we're gonna be late."
When they arrived on campus, Kevin joined his fellow graduates as Beth searched the crowd for sight of the Girardi family. They had spotted her first, and as she scanned the rows, she noticed a sea of waving hands. Helen had somehow secured tickets for half the state of New York it seemed, even though each graduate had been allotted only four. Grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, Joan, Luke, Adam, Grace, everyone was there! Beth climbed the bleachers to the seat they had saved her between Joan and Grace, Luke's long-time girlfriend, just as "Pomp and Circumstance" began to play. The entire family anxiously and almost impatiently endured the graduation speech given by someone famous as they waited for Kevin's big moment. Finally the time arrived. Of course, the number of graduates was far to great to call each person individually, but they were still about to watch him fulfill a major milestone in life, graduation from college.
The President of the University was simply supposed to instruct all of the graduates to stand and change the tassels, but before he did so he began to address the crowd.
"We at the University of Maryland are a community proud of our students' achievements today. In general, we praise them and offer sincere congratulations on the commitments that they have fulfilled today as they receive their diplomas. These commitments are of course academic goals, social, political, athletic, and familial promises. However, the most important goals a person can strive to achieve are ones of personal betterment and advancement, whatever they may be. Today, I am inviting one of our graduates to join me on stage as a representation of these goals that have been reached by these fine men and women and in honor of the goals they hold in life yet to be realized. This young man, like many of today's graduates, faced unique hardships that derailed his educational goals and threatened to keep him from living, in his opinion, a fulfilled life. Today he comes before you in recognition of everyone here who had reached that educational goal, but also to make you aware of another important personal goal that he is in the process of realizing. Ladies and gentlemen please welcome Kevin Girardi, graduating today with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism."
The family looked at one another with shocked glances that indicated complete ignorance of the entire event. The crowd murmured as Kevin approached the ramp set up on the left side of the stage. Behind him were two classmates Beth recognized as Jerrod Knightly and Jack Cunningham, regular study group members for many of Kevin's journalism classes and Kevin's closest friends. Kevin stopped beside the lectern, set the brake on the wheelchair, and Jack moved in front to place Kevin's feet on the floor. After this was finished, Jack moved to Kevin's right side and Jerrod to the left. The three of them locked arms tightly as the President began to speak once again.
"Would those who have completed the requirements for the degree of Bachelor of Arts or Sciences please stand at this time?"
As he finished speaking, none of the graduates had risen from their seats. The crowd noises intensified as neighbors shrugged their shoulders, not understanding. Suddenly a gasp from the front of the crowd silenced the entire gathering. With the help of his two friends, Kevin was struggling to stand. Slowly, he rose unsteadily to his feet as the two guys supported him on each side. When he was standing, the remainder of the graduates also stood. The President then finished this part of the ceremony. "Inasmuch as you have completed necessary course work and all assignments in a satisfactory manner and that you have presented yourselves here today in front of this assembly, the University of Maryland has given me the honor and the privilege to declare that you are now graduated and may signify so by switching your tassels. Congratulations to all of you."
Beth was utterly in shock. The entire crowd was completely noiseless as Kevin stood in front of them. Then they erupted in thunderous applause. The entire family was crying, even Will, but she sat silently, hand on her throat, mouth open, dumbfounded. Kevin sat, switched his tassel, and the rest of the class followed suit. Jack and Jerrod were mobbing him now with handshakes, laughter and hugs. The President left the lectern to shake his hand as did all of the honorees on the podium. Now all the family members were hugging and smiling as well, but still, Beth didn't participate. She was so amazed by what she had just seen that she didn't even notice Joan and Helen shaking her. Before they had a chance to speak, however, the President spoke once again.
"I have one final message to everyone here today. Goals are only dreams until you begin working to achieve them. Similarly, they are still only goals until they have been reached. At that point they become accomplishments. So to all of you who have dreams, do something about them and to those of you who are working to reach goals, keep going." He was looking directly at Kevin now, "They may seem impossible at time, but keep going and don't ever give up. You just might surprise yourself with the degree of internal fortitude you actually do possess. That being said, I officially close today's ceremonies and invite everyone to please attend the respective departmental receptions being offered throughout campus. Congratulations to all of our graduates today on a job very well done. We are all proud of you. Thank you and have a wonderful evening."
The recessional began as Kevin, Jerrod, and Jack joined the rest of the graduates. The three of them fell into line and exited the field to wait for friends and family. Kevin had been so nervous on stage that he had completely forgotten to look for the family. He tried to look around the stadium, but it was impossible to distinguish anyone in the sea of faces. His heart was still racing, and he was shaking so badly he didn't know if he'd be able to make it down the aisle. Jack seemed to notice and clapped Kevin on the shoulder asking, "Do you mind?" Kevin shook his head no as Jack began to push the wheelchair for him.
When they had made it outside the gates, Kevin felt a little more calm. He turned to Jack. "Thanks man, I think I'm cooled off enough to take it from here." Jack laughed and hugged his friend again. Jerrod and Kevin shook hands and pulled into yet another hug. Kevin was so thankful for the strong friendship that had formed between the three of them over the past two years. It was with the two of them that Kevin had come up with the idea for graduation day. PT had been going amazingly well. The therapist had said he was surprisingly pleased with Kevin's continued progress. Usually after two years or so, patients had regained nearly all the function and feeling that they ever would, yet Kevin was still showing gradual improvement. They had cautioned him, though, that there were no guarantees that he would continue to get any better, but the first day he had been able to stand in the therapy pool convinced him that he would prove everyone wrong. That had been almost six months ago, so in addition to finishing the projects and assignments required for graduation, the three of them had been working hard to achieve Kevin's goal.
A few moments later while Kevin was talking to classmates who were surrounding him, the crowd suddenly parted and his parents were standing in front of him. They both grabbed him and all three of them were crying. Kevin looked up to see Joan and even Luke with tears in their eyes. Beside Joan, Adam offered his hand and the two men shook. Grace gave him a thumbs up gesture and joked that she would kiss him but Luke might get jealous. Everyone laughed, and Kevin noticed that Beth was missing. He wheeled through the crowd of family members searching for her. Then he saw her standing alone beside the stadium gate. He approached her, but her back was turned to him. She could hear him coming, yet she didn't turn around until he grabbed her hand. She turned to face him. He noticed that she was very pale and still silent. He pulled her onto his lap. She lay her head against his shoulder and began to cry, her arms wrapping around him.
"Beth, it's ok. Don't cry. This is a good thing." He didn't understand what was happening.
She continued to cry for a few seconds more before she whispered in his ear, "I love you."
He was a little confused, but her response had been a good one. He kissed her and soon she was smiling and laughing like the rest of the family. He asked her about her reaction and she responded that she thought she may have gone into shock to which he replied that he would shock her every day for the rest of her life if she would say those words to him every time she came out of it. She rolled her eyes and said that she was sure he could find a better way to make her profess her love for him every day. The family had gathered around the two and after a little time of mingling and greeting the out of town family members, the group decided to stop for a little while at the department's reception.
Kevin, Beth, Jack, Jerrod and their girlfriends Annika and Jocelyn covered the two blocks deep in conversation about apartments and cars and job offers while the rest of the family trailed behind. Joan was attending college in Baltimore at Loyola College. She was completing programs in Psychology and Theology. She was planning to move to New York where Adam was continuing to study art once she had finished. Luke had two years left at MIT before he began working on his Ph.D. He was thinking about biomedical engineering but wasn't sure which institution would be best for his research. Kevin had suggested the mental institution, and while Luke didn't find this one bit amusing, everyone else did. Grace's semester at Brandeis University just outside Boston had ended the day before and had delayed the arrival of those two, who had made it home just in time to leave for Kevin's event.
The group arrived at the reception. Kevin, Jack and Jerrod mingled with professors and other classmates, introducing them to the various members of the Girardi family. After they had been there for about fifteen minutes, Kevin's favorite professor, Dr. Tim Dylan, walked over to speak to the family. He expressed how much he had enjoyed having Kevin in the program for the past few years and how he was sure that Kevin would have a great career reporting the news. He shook hands with Will and then asked to speak to Kevin privately.
The two broke away from the group, and Dr. Dylan pulled an envelope from his jacket pocket. His eyes were gleaming with excitement. "Kev, do you know what I have in here?" he asked waving the piece of paper in front of Kevin's face. Kevin shook his head. Dylan continued. "This is the ticket to your future! This is a job offer from ESPN for an on-air reporter working this summer at the games in China."
Kevin could barely believe his ears. "The Olympics?" he nearly yelled in disbelief.
"Well, not exactly. It's the Paralympics. They have never been broadcast in this magnitude before, and they're looking for new faces with credibility to try to maximize the number of viewers."
Kevin looked a little unsure. "I'm not sure, Tim. That sounds a little like exploitation."
"I thought you might think that, so when I spoke with the network guys I asked them how much of their decision was going to be based on this need for 'credibility.' They said they like to employ former athletes who know what it's like to be on the field, in the game. You may get mad at me for this, but I sent them your demo, as well as demos from a couple other guys in the program. I simply said that one of the three was disabled, but I wasn't saying who. Long story short, they picked you."
"I've never been too gung-ho about this stuff, Tim. I don't want to get typecast. I've been fighting that for years." Kevin countered.
"I understand completely. I mean, Kelsey Grammer may as well change his name to Frasier Crane. But I asked them about this. They said if things go well, they are fully prepared to offer you a full-time on air position reporting on all sports. There's always the chance that you would become the Peter Gammons of wheelchair basketball, but let's not get carried away."
Kevin smiled at his mentor and friend. "You're right. This is the opportunity of a lifetime, and I'm not going to be too dense to at least check it out."
"Great, I'll call them and let them know you're coming up for the interview. It's Friday in a week. Better bring the little lady so she can pick out a Connecticut mansion. Have you proposed yet, by the way?"
Kevin ducked his head. "I, uh, I'm planning to do it really soon. I just want to do it the right way. Maybe while we're up there after I'm sure the job is locked up."
Tim laughed. "She has a lot more patience with you than I would have by now. How long have the two of you been together now?"
"Well, we had a 'time-out' that lasted about three years, but other than that, we've been together since I was a sophomore in high school, so that's like six years together out of the last nine. Oh man, I'm a bum."
Tim doubled over with laughter. "I agree. You'd better get with it. Do you at least have a ring?"
"No, but I know the one she wants and there's no way I can afford it." Kevin rationalized.
"Well, if this helps your decision making process any, I'm sure there's quite a signing bonus." Tim winked.
"Have you been talking to her? She makes way more than me at the Embassy, and she's been saving like crazy. Probably in order to leave me."
"What exactly does she do? Will that job travel?" Tim inquired.
"She's director of events and public relations at the French Embassy's La Maison Française. I don't know that they have consulates in New England, but she's been talking about going somewhere new after I finished up here."
"So she's at least planning a future with you. That's a good sign. But you'd better get with it my man, she's too cute to wait forever."
"You're right, Tim. I know I need to get with it." Kevin resolved.
Tim handed Kevin the envelope. "Look that stuff over and give me a call on Monday. If that itinerary doesn't work, I'm sure we can take care of that. You have a couple decent suits, right? If not, you'd better get two. Black with a bright blue shirt and then a lighter one, maybe brown with yellow."
"Tim. That's all taken care of, but I'll call you Monday. I may still have questions and I'll definitely want to go over the interview."
"Hey, I didn't mean to keep you from everyone for so long."
"That's not a problem Tim. Thanks so much for everything. I never would have made it without you."
"Nah, you would have made it. I knew it the first time I saw you in front of a camera in your first TV class. You were born to do this." Tim extended his hand and Kevin shook it.
They rejoined the group and Kevin, Tim, and the Girardis talked a bit more. Joan, Luke, Adam and Grace were nowhere to be found, though. Beth glanced at her watch, whispered something in Helen's ear and faded out of the crowd. Tim also excused himself after a few more minutes. He passed Luke, Grace, and Adam returning from getting punch. He also headed toward the refreshment table and saw Joan standing alone. He approached and spoke to her. "You did a good job, Joan."
She looked confused and asked, "Have we met?"
"Really, Joan, are we going to have to go through this every single time?"
"It's you? No way, you were just talking to Kevin. Does he know who you are?"
"Let's just say I've been directing his paths, heading him in a new direction," was the reply Joan got. "Go celebrate. This is an important time for your family. It was touchy there for a while after the accident, but you've all made it, and you've been a wonderful help to your family."
Joan wanted more answers. "This sounds a little like goodbye. Are you trying to tell me something?"
He touched her shoulder and smiled. "I'm always trying to tell you something. Go to your family, and don't let Kevin in on the secret just yet, that's my job." He turned to leave.
"Wait!" she called. "When will I see you again?"
He raised his right hand as he walked away. "Soon, Joan. Soon."
Everyone had finally gathered into one group around Kevin, Helen, and Will. Helen suggested that they all head back to Beth's. It was at this time that Kevin noticed that she wasn't with the rest of them. Helen said that Beth had to take care of something at the apartment. Kevin replied that she should just break down and buy the curling iron that shuts off by itself after a few hours. They all laughed as they headed to their cars. Will and Helen rode with Kevin, as Beth had taken their car. The drive from College Park to Silver Spring was around 15 minutes, during which Helen and Will did nothing but pepper Kevin with questions about the graduation exhibition. Kevin promised to tell everyone the story at one time so he didn't have to repeat it 40 different times. His parents agreed that this was a fair deal.
His mom asked if he would take them through town so they could see where he and Beth had been living. Kevin turned right at the next stoplight and showed them the main part of the town. After about fifteen more minutes, Kevin declared that they had seen just about all there was to see in the town of Silver Spring. He headed home, but as he turned down the street where he and Beth lived, he was surprised to see his family members and friends standing outside the front door under a huge banner that said "Congratulations Kevin, We Are Proud of You!"
Kevin parked the car and the threesome joined the crowd. Everyone moved to the fenced-in back yard where a full out party had been set up. Beth had rented video equipment that was now playing a slide show of Kevin's life from childhood all the way up to that very afternoon. There were photos and memorabilia set up at various stations around the yard so that everyone could re-experience Kevin's past. A buffet table held all of Kevin's favorite foods, which was basically anything edible. Everyone began eating and mingling with the crowd and the photos until Beth called for everyone to gather around the video screen. Jack and Jerrod joined her in front of the crowd.
"Thank you all so much for being here today. As you probably know, finishing college is a tremendous accomplishment that takes a ton of hard work and a very strong commitment to yourself. We're here to honor Kevin, but I also want to congratulate Jack, Jerrod, Annika and Jocelyn for reaching this milestone. Congratulations! Today, Kevin gave us all another reason to keep hope alive even when we think things can't possibly get any better. I'm not going to tell you that I knew what was going on, because I didn't and actually think I went into shock as he stood on that stage. However, his good friends knew about today and they used Kevin's quest as their documentary project. They have graciously agreed to share that with us here today. Jack, Jerrod, the floor is all yours."
Jack spoke for the pair. "Thanks Beth. Isn't this a great set-up? Leave it to the PR professional to throw the best parties. Jerrod and I are fledgling film makers, and when Kevin came to us over Christmas and told us about his plan, we asked him if he would mind being the subject of our film. You are all Kev's close friends and family, so you may as well know that he loves to be in front of a camera. He's a little vain, as well. No, don't laugh. I'm serious. Anyway, I'd like to present to you the world premiere of our documentary "All Rise." If you don't like it, blame Kevin. It's his life."
The audience laughed again as the screen jumped to life. The film began with a clip of Kevin playing quarterback in high school. He eluded at least three would-be tacklers as he attempted to find an open receiver down field. He then crossed the line of scrimmage, tucked the ball and ran nearly 70 yards for the touchdown. The shot cut from Kevin celebrating in the end zone to the crowd. The audio clip of the crowd continued as the picture faded out and back in to show the smashed car from the accident. The sound faded to silence, and the opening credits began to the Counting Crows song "A Long December." Following the credits, Kevin appeared on the screen. "It was one moment in my life and suddenly everything was over. I was a stupid kid and I was fairly certain I was Superman. I guess a big-ass car accident is just kryptonite in its most concentrated form," he began.
For the next hour, the crowd sat transfixed as they watched Kevin's story unfold. There was footage from the hospital from Will's own personal home movie collection as well as family gathering and holiday film, Kevin's first therapy sessions from so many years ago, the day just a few months earlier when he stood unassisted in the pool, his explanation to Jerrod and Jack that he would stand in front of the class on graduation day, and that one day, even if it was years down the road, he would walk. They then covered the last few months of intense therapy, imperative school work, the imminent job search, and finally his relationship with Beth. As the film drew to a close, Jack asked Kevin what he felt the most important message they could leave with the audience.
Kevin thought for a moment and answered, "This life is so unpredictable. We may not have tomorrow to tell the important people in our lives how much we appreciate them, how much we love them. I still forget that from time to time as I get caught up in the day-to-day rush. I guess what I've learned most about myself throughout everything is that we're not alone and sometimes we have to ask these loved ones for help, no matter how out of character that may be. I'm still learning that every day. I'm still working on a lot of stuff. I'm not where I want to be yet, but I'm moving in that direction. Don't count me out, and don't ever say I can't because I will." The screen faded to black and Bob Dylan's "Like A Rolling Stone" played during the ending credits and additional photos of Kevin, Beth, and the family.
The audience applauded loudly and some members even whistled. Jack and Jerrod stood and took a bow in front of the crowd. Beth moved back to the front of the screen to address the crowd again. Jack stood at Kevin's side. He leaned and handed Kevin a small box. He whispered in Kevin's ear, "Open it discretely." Kevin did so to reveal a beautiful diamond ring exactly like Beth had indicated she would like. Jack continued, "Take it and ask her to marry you. Jer and I sold the film for a ton of money, twenty times what that ring cost, so don't object. It's your cut. She needs you to make this commitment to her since you've made it very clear that you can make commitments." Kevin tried to protest, but Jack just pushed him in front of the crowd. The conversation had ended because the crowd was now calling for Kevin to speak.
He raised his hand to indicate that he would do so. "Thank you all again for being here. I'm so glad that Jack and Jerrod convinced me to do that if for no other reason than I don't have to tell each and every one of you what's been going on around here for the past six months or so. No, seriously, I want to thank these guys for all they've meant to me. Jack just told me that they sold the film to a distributor. That's an amazing accomplishment for documentary makers, and I couldn't be more excited for them.
"Now I actually have a little news on the job search front myself. Today after the ceremony, one of our professors pulled me aside and told me that he had slyly sent my demo tape to a network after he heard they had an opening this summer for a sportscaster. I was a little shocked at the news, but ESPN liked what they saw and has invited me to interview in Bristol next week. I know this is big news, pun intended, and I haven't even had a chance to discuss it with Beth yet, but it seems like I haven't gotten around to discussing something even more important with her, so I'm going to do it right now."
The women in the crowd began to squeal and Joan even jumped up and down. Jack brought a chair for Beth to sit facing Kevin as he began to speak again. "Beth, I love you with everything I am and everything I want to be. I keep telling myself that it just hasn't been the right time or the right place, but I could wait forever for the perfect conditions and miss out how perfect you are. I can't imagine my life without you. Actually, I experienced it and it was terrible.
"You keep sticking with me even when I'm awful to be around, so you must like me at least a little bit. I want to spend my life with you. I want to support you in all that you do and be there for you when you need a shoulder to cry on. I've seen our unborn children in your eyes, and I want to see them in your arms. I don't have all the answers, and I don't even know where to find them, but I'm asking you to take a chance on me, on us. Beth Reinhart, will you marry me?"
He pulled the ring box from his pocket and held it out to her. Before she opened it, she sat on his lap and kissed him passionately. She whispered something in his ear and hugged him. Kevin looked up and asked her if she was going to inform the crowd of her decision. Beth smiled, opened the box, gasped, and Kevin placed the ring on her left ring finger.
"I told him it was about damned time!" She exclaimed to the group. Everyone laughed.
After words of congratulations, the crowd dispersed to their hotels and homes. Kevin and Jack embraced as Beth and Annika planned to go wedding dress shopping very soon. Jerrod and Jocelyn said their goodbyes as well and the three couples promised to get together for dinner one day in the next week. Finally only the Girardis, Adam and Grace remained.
The apartment had three bedrooms, one of which was on the second floor and was seldom used since Beth's former roommate had moved out in December. Beth had prepared it for Joan and Grace. She had made up her room for Will and Helen and planned to bunk with Kevin for the night. Luke and Adam were left with their choices of pullout sofas and an air mattress on the living room floor. Beth didn't know what time it was but by the time everything had been moved from the back yard into the garage, she was exhausted. She was emotionally tired as well. So much had happened in one day. She saw that all her guests had everything they needed to prepare for bed, and then she retired to Kevin's room. She fell asleep as soon as she hit the pillow but woke up when Kevin got in bed. She snuggled close to him and he kissed the top of her head. "You're amazing. Did you know that?" he asked her. "Thank you so much for today, for everything you planned. It was more than I could have ever dreamed of. I do love you."
"You're welcome, Kevin. I love you, too. I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you. Good night." She reached over and turned off the light on the bedside table, kissed him, and fell asleep.
The next morning, Helen had already made breakfast when Beth came into the kitchen. "I hope you don't mind me doing this. You worked so hard yesterday. I thought I could do something nice for you. And don't worry about the dishes. Joan and Grace are taking care of them. Adam, Luke, Kevin and Will are cleaning up out back and in the garage. Why don't you sit down and have a cup of coffee and something to eat, and we can talk?"
Beth smiled. "You don't have to do all of this. I'll just make Kevin clean it up later, I promise." Helen laughed and said that as guests it was the least they could do. Beth thanked her for her help and the two women sat at the table to chat.
"Did you talk to Kevin last night?" Helen asked.
Beth blushed. "No, we didn't do anything. I was asleep when he came in and I only woke up long enough to say good night."
"I just wondered how you were dealing with everything that happened yesterday. It was quite eventful. Kevin, the job offer, the proposal, the party and the film, all very emotional stuff. I just wanted to make sure that the two of you were talking," continued Helen.
"We haven't yet, but we will. Other than yesterday, he's usually not too bad about telling me what's going on with him. We've talked about what we would do when he finished school. I like working at the Embassy, but I'm definitely willing to relocate, try something new."
"Have you heard from your parents lately? Where are they traveling now?" Helen asked.
"The last time I talked to them they were going to India and then sub-Saharan Africa with the WHO. My dad was really excited when my mom gave up the real estate business to volunteer with the Organization. They're supposed to be back in July, but those dates are usually flexible." Beth explained. Her father had been a family doctor while she was growing up, but once she and her sister had left for college, he began volunteering overseas in medically under served areas. Only a year ago he had accepted an advisory position with the World Health Organization. It required a great deal of travel, but her mother had decided to go with him and the decision was made to close the practice. Her father and Kevin had developed a close relationship over the past few years, and she was certain that her parents would be pleased with the engagement.
The two heard a racket in the garage and the rest of the gang entered the kitchen to get breakfast. Kevin and his dad were laughing about Joan's attempt to build a boat when she was in high school, and Joan was trying to convince them all that she had a perfectly good reason for all of her strange actions while she was growing up. Luke, Kevin and Will all exchanged glances, but Adam put his arm around Joan's waist and kissed her cheek. Helen told them all to stop picking on Joan before the waffles got cold. They all grabbed plates and soon were sitting throughout the kitchen and living room. Joan and Grace joined Beth and Helen at the table. The guys gathered around the TV to watch Sportscenter. The ladies began talking about wedding plans as Kevin and Will could be heard arguing about the Orioles' starting pitching rotation.
Grace asked Beth if she had any ideas about what type of wedding she wanted to have. Beth replied that while she had dreamed of a huge church wedding as a little girl, but with her parents being gone so much and Kevin possibly traveling to China in August, she didn't know if that would be feasible. Helen told her that she didn't have to make any decisions right away. Joan offered to help with any details since she wouldn't be too busy until she started school in the Fall. Beth sat at the table and looked at the family surrounding her. She had grown up in a stable and loving home, but they had never been as close or dependent on each other as the Girardi family. She was glad that she was going to be a part of this family as well as her own.
Kevin came back into the kitchen to refill his plate. Beth warned him that ESPN had already hired John Kruk as an analyst, thus meeting their obesity quota. He looked a bit dejected, but Beth ran over to give him kisses while the rest of the family laughed in agreement. Will told the kids to come in and clean up the kitchen, bathrooms, and bedrooms so that Beth wouldn't have so much to do when they all left. Joan and Adam went upstairs to take care of those rooms. Luke and Grace worked on the kitchen while Will and Helen went back to Beth's room and the downstairs bathroom. Helen suggested that Beth and Kevin take a walk while the others were cleaning up. Beth tried to protest, but Will basically pushed both of them out the door.
They started down the sidewalk and had made it about a block when they reached the park. Children were running and playing on the toys while their mothers, fathers, and nannies observed from benches surrounding the area. Kevin led Beth to an empty bench near the swings. She sat and he came around to face her. "So let's talk a little."
"Ok." was all she said in response.
"Tim gave me the plane tickets and travel itinerary for the trip to Connecticut. The interview is next Friday. He says they told him the job is mine if I want it. This 'interview' is mainly to discuss the details of the job. At this point I don't have any better offers, and I'm not sure when they'd want me to start. If at all possible, I think you should come, too. That way you'll see and hear everything and we can decide together what will be best for us. There are stations in Baltimore and D.C., so if you want to stay here that's what we'll do. I can still do this Paralympics thing and then turn down the full-time job if it won't work out for us."
"You came up with all of that in one night?"she asked.
"I've been thinking about it since Tim told me about the job yesterday. I was up most of the night trying to figure it out in my head, and that's the best I could come up with in just a few hours. What do you think?" He wanted to know.
"What you have proposed is very fair. I feel that I should go with you, too. It shouldn't be a problem to get time off. We don't have anything big going on right now. I think we should reserve judgment on the position until we talk to them and see what they have to offer," was her reply.
"Yeah, I agree. This may just be too good to be true. We have to keep level heads about this and not get too excited."
"Right, you're about ready to float out of that chair. I'm sure you'll not be too excited at all."
He grabbed her hands and squeezed them. "I know, I'm so excited about this. I would have never even dreamed that I could get a job like this. Not without any real TV experience anyway. But enough about that, do you have any wedding ideas yet? Should we set a date? A location? A dress?"
"Stop! I think the first thing we should check out the job situation and then we'll decide about the wedding. Let's head back to the house, your parents are planning to leave by noon, and I want to visit with them a little more." She rose from the bench, wrapped her arms around his shoulders and kissed his neck. The two of them turned from the park and covered the block back to the house in just a few minutes.
When they got back to the house, Adam and Luke were loading Joan's car. Will carried suitcases to the front walk and tossed his keys to Luke who began placing them in his parents' car as well. Joan and Grace were inside finishing the dishes as Helen gathered sheets and towels for the washing machine. She filled Beth in on all the work that had been completed: sheets and towels changed, bathrooms cleaned, dishes washed, kitchen scrubbed. Beth hugged Helen and thanked her and the rest of the family for all of their help. A few minutes later they were all out front as everyone said goodbyes. They hugged each other and piled into the cars. Adam and Will drove away as Beth and Kevin waved from the sidewalk. When they were out of sight, the couple turned to go back inside. Kevin closed the door and followed Beth into the bedroom. They finally had some time alone.