[Monday, April 24, 1989]

The door to Eric's dorm room flew open and Tami yanked the bed sheet up over them.

"Damn!" Stumpy exclaimed. "Eric, man, you're supposed to put the tie on the door."

"I did!"

Stumpy opened the door and looked on the handle. He looked down on the ground. He plucked up the fallen tie. "Ah. It fell."

"Man, you had to have stepped right over that," Eric said.

Stumpy came in, pulled out his desk chair, and sat in it. "Don't worry, Tami, I didn't get to see anything."

Eric had so far gotten her down to her panties.

"Stumpy, leave," Eric said. "Come back in an hour."

"Aw, man, don't worry about it. She's probably not in the mood anymore anyway."

Eric shook his head.

"And I have big news."

"Yeah? What?"

"Ray Crockett," Stumpy said. "And John Simpson."

Eric sat bolt upright. Tami had to grasp the sheet to make sure it didn't fall below her breasts. "Both of them?" Eric asked. "They both got drafted?"

Stumpy nodded. "Ray's going to the Lions. John's going to the Bears."

Eric leapt out of bed in only his boxers and pulled on his pants. "That means there's a chance for us one day," he said.

"Well, a chance for you anyway," Stumpy told him.

Eric looked at Tami. "You want to go party?" he asked her. "This is cause for celebration. John and Ray."

She threw up a hand. "Why not?" she asked. "But, Stumpy, would you mind stepping out of the room?"

[Friday, May 19, 1989]

Eight of Eric's teammates graduated from Baylor that May. Two would go on to summer training for the NFL. Gretchen earned her associate's degree in business accounting and resolved to begin applying for jobs that would finally enable her to make more than she did at Bazookas, without having to take off her shirt.

That night, Eric brought a six pack and a bottle of wine to Tami's apartment to celebrate the end of their freshman year and Gretchen's graduation. With him, he brought Stumpy.

"How long do y'all have off before summer classes and work-outs?" Tami asked as she opened the cupboard and pulled down the two wineglasses she had bought last week. Stumpy didn't drink wine, and Gretchen didn't drink period.

"Two weeks," Stumpy said. "Then it's right back to work outs. And summer classes."

"Headed to New York for the break?" Gretchen asked as she pulled open a drawer and slapped the cork screw on the counter top. When Stumpy nodded, she said, "Well, tell your sometimes girlfriend I said hello, and remember to wrap it when you're fucking her."

Eric shot Tami a look of discomfort, and Tami shrugged. He should know by now that Gretchen was...Gretchen.

"Well you know who I'd rather be doing," Stumpy said.

Gretchen snorted and went to the fridge for a Sprite. She cracked it open with a loud hiss, about the same time Stumpy cracked open a beer. "Get a glass," Stumpy said, "I'll mix them. Make you a shandy. You'll like it."

"You know I'm Straight Edge."

"Aren't you a little old for that Straight Edge stuff by now?" Stumpy asked. "Come on. Just try one shandy. It'll loosen you up, and I know you're funny when you're not pissed off. I've seen it."

"Oh what the hell," Gretchen said. "It is my graduation after all. And I'll be entering the business world. I think you have to drink cocktails there or something."

They settled in the living room, Gretchen with her shandy, Tami with her wine, and Eric and Stumpy with their beer. They talked about their future plans. Tami was going to be working full-time this summer, plus overtime - six days a week, nine hours a day, waitressing.

"That's a hell of a lot of time on your feet," Gretchen told her.

"I looked into which of my classes will transfer to Baylor, and basically - almost nothing I need to take my spring semester at Waco. So I'm going to try to transfer after the fall instead. I've got to save up some money. Baylor is over $5,000 a year. I only have $500 left of the money my mom gave me."

"Bet you'll get at least a partial academic scholarship," Eric assured her. "You have a 3.85 this year."

"I can't wait to get a real job," Gretchen said.

"I'm sure you'll make a great accountant or business manager or whatever," Stumpy told her. "But I'll miss seeing you at Bazookas. Don't guess I'll bother to go there anymore."

Gretchen laughed and shook her head. "Yeah. Right."

"I only went for you."

Gretchen turned away from Stumpy to look at Eric. "What classes are you taking this summer?"

"Two courses for my history major. History classes are my hardest, so I thought I should get 'em done in summer when I don't have games."

"But you have work-outs," Tami reminded him. "Then camp. And you'll be working part-time at the bookstore. It's going to be one busy summer."

"I don't know why you don't just major in P.E.," Stumpy said, "instead of double majoring in P.E. and history."

If Eric didn't make it to the NFL, he would likely have to teach while he coached. Someone who could teach history, P.E., and coach football? Tami thought he ought to be attractive to a lot of junior high and high schools.

"Seriously, man," Stumpy continued. "You should make it easy on yourself."

Eric snorted. "Says the guy who just declared a major in mechanical engineering."

Gretchen raised and eyebrow. "Seriously?"

Stumpy shrugged. "Eh. It's easy for me. I'm good at math. And seeing how things work."

Tami smiled and leaned against Eric on the couch. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and kissed the top of her head. When the beer and wine were gone, they slipped off quietly to Tami's bed, while Stumpy and Gretchen remained in the living room to talk.

[Saturday, June 3, 1989]

Eric and Tami returned to Tyler for Mr. Taylor's summer wedding. Pastor John performed the ceremony, since Karen attended his church. As Mr. Taylor and his new wife departed for their honeymoon, the traditional rice was thrown in their direction. Tami hadn't even been trying, but somehow she caught the bouquet as it sailed from the new Mrs. Taylor's hands straight in her direction. She looked at it and laughed.

Eric smiled and whispered, "Who knows? Maybe in three years, you'll get really lucky and marry a rookie NFL player."

It was the first time he had ever mentioned the possibility of marriage. Still, three years seemed a lifetime away. They both had a lot to accomplish before then, and no doubt some growing yet to do.

Eric looked so incredibly handsome in his tux that Tami couldn't wait to get him in his old bedroom later that night. They had the house to themselves. As he leaned against the desk where he'd once done his high school homework, she tugged loose his bow tie and yanked his shirt from his pants before fumbling madly with his belt buckle.

He laughed. "You're in a hurry."

They started on the desk but ended up in the bed eventually, and afterward they talked about Eric's summer classes, her job, and the upcoming football season.

It was quiet for awhile, and Tami was drifting off to sleep, when he said, "My dad's married. That's...weird."

Tami smiled. He'd been so nonchalant about the engagement, but she'd suspected he must have his concerns. "That's how I felt when my mom got married. I never imagined her with anyone but my dad."

"I never imagined my dad with anyone. I never saw him with anyone. He's thirty-nine. He's lived his entire adult life alone."

Tami kissed his shoulder. "Well, maybe he's tired of being alone."

"Karen seems like such a career woman. And I feel weird calling her that. Karen. But what else can I call her? I'm sure as hell not calling her Mom. She's not Ms. Jones anymore. And Mrs. Taylor...well...that's even weirder."

"So what if she is a career woman?" Tami asked defensively. Surely Eric wasn't opposed to women working?

"It's just...my dad is used to having things his way. She's used to having things her way. They both have lives already. Different houses. Different churches. Different friends. Different goals. How does that work?"

"I don't know. I'm sure they'll work it out. Your dad waited a long time to get married, Eric. Maybe he was waiting for just the right person. Did you think of that?"

"Maybe he was just waiting for me to move out of the house, and he proposed to the woman he happened to be dating at the time."

"Maybe," Tami said. "Or maybe they have strong chemistry. I mean, you heard them that one night."

Eric groaned. "Did you have to remind me of that?"

Tami chuckled. "I worried about my mom, too, and their marriage has turned out fine. So far. We have to let our parents make their own decisions."

Eric laughed, and Tami smiled. It did sound odd. They were the kids, not the other way around. Except, they weren't exactly kids anymore...but they weren't quite adults yet either.

Life was marching on, a little too quickly.