"If the ocean was whiskey and I were a duck, I'd swim to the bottom and drink my way up. Rye whiskey..rye whiskey..rye whiskey I cry. If I don't get rye whisky..I'll live til' I die." Michael, Danny and Lacey's five year old son, sung at the top of his lungs. He looked more like Lacey than all three of the Desai children. His hair was in tight natural curls on his head. His dimples flashed when he smiled.

"Mikey. Enough!" Clara turned to yell. Clara was thirteen. She was the only daughter of Danny's and Lacey's. "He never shuts up!"

Lacey glanced at Danny smiling. Whenever any of their children laughed or spoke..or even threw a tantrum, it was a unique and cherished experienced.

"Dad, can I please have the window seat on the way home? I'm tired of staring at the back of your and mom's head." Clara whined with a bat of long looked so much like Lacey's mother, Judith.

"Sure, Baby Girl." Danny glanced back quickly. "Besides, Thomas will be going out after graduation to Marie's party. Won't you, Thomas?"

Thomas smiled weakly then glanced out the window. "Yes."

"Are you frightened?" Lacey reached behind her to take Thomas's hand.

"Yes." Thomas stared beyond Lacey as he breathed out anxiously.

"Real articulate there, Einstein." Clara huffed out. "And to think, you're giving the graduation Valedictorian speech."

"That's enough, Clara Judith Desai." Danny warned as he sternly looked at his lovely daughter. "He's already nervous enough. Don't be, Son. You'll do great. Kristin will be there to support you."

"Kristin…" Michael started kissing his hand. "Smooching Thomas before the speech."

Kristin was a beautiful girl that Thomas met in 1st grade. She soon befriended Thomas and Marie. Both girls had crushes on Thomas by the time he was around the age of thirteen. However, Thomas found Kristin much more in the romantic nature than Marie. She was like his sister to him. He couldn't look beyond that with Marie.

Thomas closed his eyes concentrating. "Shhhut up. Mikey!"

"Ha! Even Thomas is getting tired of your constant chatter." Clara laughed smugly "Kristin is going to show me how to put on make up."

"You don't need make up." Danny frowned as he thought about his own little girl growing up.

Lacey laughed at her family. "Danny, she's old enough."

"Don't think about rolling your shorts like her. I mean it." Danny wasn't going to give on that one.

They finally arrived at Green Grove High School. The gymnasium was full of parents and friends of the future graduates.

"What if I stttutter?" Thomas swallowed as he looked towards his mother for reassurance.

"What if you do?" Danny patted his shoulder. "It's not how you say it. It's what you say."

"Thanks…" Thomas stopped to think. He looked at Danny. "Dad. I appreciate it."

"You'll do great, Baby." Lacey kissed his cheek. Thomas smiled but shrugged Lacey off like any typical teen boy would in front of his friends and girlfriend.

Thomas had dated Kristin since he was fifteen. Three years Kristin had given her all in her relationship with Thomas. She had to go to classes as well. In order to let Thomas know what she wanted in a relationship, she had to get beyond nonverbal cues. Basically, if she wanted a kiss. She had to kiss him or ask for it. Having autism was difficult for dating relationships. But it could be done as long as the partner knew what they were in for. Kristin felt it was worth the strife to be Thomas's partner. They were in every sense of the word. Engaged! It came as a shock. But Thomas had actually been able to ask the question two nights before graduation.

They decided on a long engagement of at least two years or more. Thomas and Kristin needed special marriage counseling that went beyond the norm. Autism was involved. Thomas couldn't miraculously be healed from it. However, with learning new ways of dealing with Thomas's social quirks. Life would continue. Kristin had to know that sometimes Thomas would be so self involved. She may feel neglected. She had to go beyond a normal wife and tell him.

There were other things that needed worked out. Things trivial to most. But not to the marriage of an autistic person. Thomas couldn't stand the constant ticking of a clock. He couldn't stand to hear people brush their teeth or swish mouthwash. Most of all, a baby's cry was excruciating to him. That may play in the future if they had children. All these things would have to be considered. Kristin took down tedious notes. Kristin was his dream. He was her first play date. His first homework date. His first serious date. And his first and only sexual partner . He was hers as well. The parents on both sides didn't know about that one.

Thomas stood in front of the auditorium. He glanced at his fiance. Then his grandfather and uncle. Phoebe was there with Trevor. It turned out that Lacey was right about those two making a great couple. Their ten year old twin girls squirmed in their seats beside them. His eyes fell on the Lacey and Danny. They were his rock in many a storm.

Thomas cleared his throat.

"We never know the future." Yes. He stuttered on his words. He then looked back at Kristin. Fear hit him. Marie touched Kristin's shoulder telling her to go help him. Kristin stood up and lay his notes on the podium. She kissed his cheek. Thomas smiled knowing he could read anything without stuttering.

Thomas cleared his throat as he read his speech.

"We never know the future. We can't relive the past. All we have is the present. The past mistakes can't be taken away but we can build from them with the knowledge of the lessons learned from them. Each experience in life can make us stronger if we choose to allow it. Single mothers can teach their children to grow wise and strong. Or they can wallow in self pity to make their child weak. Fathers can choose to be an absent or be involved as the child grows. I am glad my parents decided that I was worth the fight to bring me from my own world of seclusion. I'm proud they saw beyond my silence into the potential of the man they know I will become. For that, I thank them.

"My father once told me that finding my mother again was due to her being out with a blind date. Seeing my mother with another person caused him to open up his eyes to his own blindness. He saw how much he'd lose if he hadn't opened his eyes to the woman he loved. Which lead to opening his eyes to me being his son. Shouldn't we all open our eyes to the world around us? Shouldn't we all realize that we make our futures by living and learning from our mistakes? Because we will all make mistakes. But the biggest mistake we can make is not allowing ourselves the chance to make our mistakes because we fear trying and attempting life."

Thomas looked away from his paper. He stared into the eyes of each of his parents. "We have a choice. We can muddle through life or we can live it to it's full potential. The choice is up to you. We can be blinded to a future we all desire or we can grasp that future by opening our eyes and embracing what we know is meant to be."

The End

Author's NOTE: Thanks for reading. I appreciate all reviews and all readers. I enjoyed writing my character Thomas more than I thought. Therefore, I appreciate those that enjoyed this story from me.