A few days later Mike comes by the office and hands me a form. "Need your signature on this, dad."
It's a late admission form. "For my class?"
He smiles broadly, and pulls two grade forms from his notebook. "Got A's in both."
"Congratulations, babe. Guess I'll have to let you in since I promised, but don't get cocky and try to challenge my courses. Won't happen."
"I won't if you'll make me your assistant."
"Don't try one of your con jobs on me. Me professor, you student. Me teach, you study."
He holds his hands up; his eyes twinkle. "Okay, professor. Just thought I'd offer."
"I know you mean it and I appreciate it, but we're ready to move into areas where you have no experience, If you were any later, I couldn't admit you. You've already missed one test, but it was on stuff you do well, so I'll give you an A on it."
"Thanks."
"You earned it doing those sections for Tor, but don't expect to get off so easy on the rest. I'm not cutting you any slack."
"I know."
"Good. Now get out of here and let me do some work."
In class I see a definite cooling in Mike's attention to Moreland. It comes to a head when he comes sulky in one evening.
"What's wrong?"
"Women!" He yells in disgust. "I swear I wish I was gay like you, then I wouldn't have to put up with all this shit."
"Calm down, babe. What happened?"
He goes in the kitchen and comes back with a cold beer, then plops down and takes a long drink. After he wipes his mouth with the back of his hand, he tells me. "Tommy asked me if Sandra and me wanted to go with him and Andrea to the flicks Friday night and maybe get a burger after. I told Sandra we were double dating Friday, and she asked me if it was with Tommy. When I said yes, she said she wouldn't be caught dead anywhere with Indians, then jumped my ass because they were there when we had dinner the other night. I told her Tommy's my brother and I'm proud of him. She said that's my tough luck. I'm not taking that shit from a stupid bitch like her or anybody. I'm glad Tommy's found a great girl like Andrea."
I go over and pull him to his feet, then hug him. "I'm proud of you for standing up for Tommy, because he loves you. I'm sorry you've been disappointed, but you'll find a nice girl who will like you and Tommy, too. Don't get discouraged."
He hugs me back. "I love you, dad. A lot of guys can't talk to their dads like I can."
"I'll always listen to you, Mike. So will Tor."
He pulls back a little and gives me a smile. "I know, but Tor doesn't always let me finish like you do."
"One thing, babe."
"What?"
"Don't ever let Tommy know about this."
"Oh, hell, no. He's been hurt enough already. I wish he'd been lucky as me."
I hug him again. "I wish I knew what it was Tor and I did for you to turn out to be such a great guy."
"That's easy. You listen when I want to talk and don't put me down. You always encourage me and don't give me any shit if something doesn't work out. And you guys always show me how much you love me, no matter what. I guess I realized all this after you and Tor made Tommy part of us when he didn't have anybody."
Hearing this from an analytical science major, I can't help the tears that trickle down my face. God, what a fantastic kid!
Tommy comes in just then and sees my tears. "What's wrong?"
Mike holds out his arm. "Nothing's wrong. Come here, brother." I stretch out my arm and we pull him into our hug. "We love you, guy." Mike adds.
Though he's never learned to show his emotions without embarrassment, he mumbles, "Aw, gee. I love you guys, too."
I notice that soon after the break-up, Moreland's grades take a nose-dive while Mike effortlessly stays ahead of the class. Without the distraction he's burning the books. With his change in major, Tommy, too, smiles more and his grades improve. He and Andrea still wisely limit their dates to weekends.
A few days before the Thanksgiving break Tommy comes by the office. He looks at me and blurts, "I don't know what to do."
"Sit down and tell me about it."
He hitches the chair closer to my desk. "Andrea wants me to go home with her for Thanksgiving, so her parents can meet me."
"That's nice of her, but I hope you aren't rushing into anything serious. You need to finish school."
He blushes. "Naw, nothing like that. I mean we ain't doin' nothin' 'til we finish and I can find a job."
"Good. So what's the problem?"
"I want to go back home with you and Mike."
"It's only a four-day break."
"Yeah. But I like havin' a real home to go to, an' I feel like I'm lettin' you all down."
"It's always your home and we're your family, but you're also a man and we understand your wanting to be with Andrea. You must make your own decisions. Have you gotten an invitation from her parents?"
"Yeah. Come today, that's why I come to see you. I'm gonna feel funny 'bout meetin' them an' all. What if they don't like me?"
"Andrea's parents want her to be happy. She likes you, otherwise she wouldn't have invited you home with her. You're a handsome young man, so relax, be yourself, and let them come to know how fine you are. I'll give you enough money to take Andrea out, and I want you to use the credit card to take her parents out to dinner while you're there. Ask Andrea to select a place. It would be nice for you to send her mother some flowers as well. I'll take you to the florist and help you select a nice arrangement which you can send ahead. We'd better buy you a good suit to wear while you're there."
"I gotta do all this?"
"It's customary, especially among people with the social standing I rather suspect her parents enjoy."
He suddenly looks crushed. "I really like Andrea and I'd like to go, but I guess I'd better stay home. They ain't gonna like a poor guy like me, an' if they're rich there ain't no way I can act like them," he says sadly.
"Nonsense. Maybe you're not rich, but you're not poor either. I know you don't spend much of your allowance, because you never ask me for money like Mike does."
He shakes his head. "Savin' it for when I get out of school."
"Don't you know Tor and I will help you get started? We appreciate your being thoughtful, but your allowance and the credit card are for you to enjoy now."
He shakes his head again. "Hunh unh. You done give me too much already."
I get up and hug him. "No more than we give Mike. You're our son, too."
"I know."
"If you decide to go, I want you to relax and have a good time. Think about it and let me know."
"Okay." He leaves my office in deep thought.
Over dinner the next evening, Tommy looks at me. "I guess I'll go. I talked to Andrea and she really wants me to."
"Go where?" Mike asks.
"Home with Andrea for Thanksgiving."
"You luck dog! How'd a scrawny red-skin ..."
"Enough, Mike."
"I'm teasing, dad."
Tommy gives him a little smile. "That's okay. I'm sure gonna miss you."
"We'll miss you, too. Have a good time." He winks at Tommy. "Don't do anything I wouldn't."
"If I did all that, I'd be in jail for sure." Tommy fires back.
Mike grins, and I'm happy to see Tommy come back at him. "Okay. We'll go looking for a suit tomorrow afternoon."
"New threads? Wow! Can I come, too?"
"If Tommy doesn't care, but we're shopping for him, not you, so don't get your hopes up."
"Naaah. I just want him to look cool."
When we get to the mall, Mike is in one of his playful moods. He picks some of the most outlandish things I've ever seen for Tommy to look at. When he holds up a garish plaid sports coat I would be ashamed to give a street person, Tommy looks horrified. I tell Mike to back off.
At a better men's shop I note the sale sign in the window and go in. Mike immediately zeros in on a blue wool blazer I'd like for myself. "Try it," he urges Tommy. With Tommy's light bronze skin, it's too beautiful to resist. It's a perfect fit and half price as well. The clerk helps us find a pair of slacks to go with it, then two light blue shirts and a paisley tie which pulls all the shades of blue together with an added touch of burgundy. I've thought Tommy a neat looking boy, but when he tries on the blazer and slacks he's far more handsome than the pictures of the teen-age heart-throbs I've seen in the entertainment section of the Sunday paper.
After a lot of argument, Mike and I manage to convince him that he looks better in a navy blue suit than the black one he picked out. I hear Mike whisper, "You look like a damn undertaker in that." It's true, especially with Tommy's coal black hair. Mike finds a dark heather blue sweater that goes well with the slacks, and brings it over. I know I told him we were shopping for Tommy, but Mike is so taken with a green and white patterned sweater that goes nicely with his coloring, I relent. Once he stopped playing, Mike's good at selecting things Tommy can wear well.
I haul out the plastic, telling Tommy he can have the car to pickup his clothes the following afternoon, for the pants we've bought him have to be altered slightly and the legs hemmed. At the florist shop I help Tommy select an arrangement from the FTD book, to be delivered to Andrea's mother on Wednesday, then on to the barbershop with both of them. The barber leaves Tommy's hair styled a bit longer than I'd prefer, but the cut gives him character, offsetting some of the angularity of his features. When Mike demands a brush cut, the barber and I talk him into getting his styled similar to Tommy's, though much shorter.
That evening, I call Tor and tell him to bring something dressy with him on Friday, then I make reservations at the best restaurant in town to give Tommy a little exposure in case Andrea's parents happen to take them to one of the finer places in Charlotte.
When the boys come out of their room Friday evening Tor's expression is priceless. Mike looks great in his light tan slacks, brown loafers, and green blazer. I had to fight to get him to wear the tie, but Tommy is nothing short of gorgeous in his new slacks and blazer.
"Well, damn!" Tor finally says. "Is that Tommy?"
Tommy's smile is worth every penny I've spent. "You like the way I look?"
"Drew and I better stay home and let you guys go. We look shabby by comparison." Our suits are good, but conservative. Both Tor and I prefer comfort to fashion.
We let Tommy drive our Mercedes, which Tor has washed and waxed to perfection. When he hands it over to the attendant at the restaurant, the kid looks at Tommy with open envy. I don't blame him. I've told Tommy to take the lead, so he's assured when he gives the maitre d' his name. He gets a nod of approval and we're shown immediately to our table.
Both boys are so awed by the quiet elegance of the subdued lighting, sparkling white table linens, and quiet classical music that they speak softly, when they speak at all. Tommy acquits himself with dignity when the sommelier comes to the table, ordering the half bottle of white zinfandel I had suggested earlier, and a bottle of the sparkling grape juice for Mike and him. The spread of silver is precisely what I had hoped to see. Tommy watches me covertly through the several courses of our dinner, starting to go wrong only once. He sees the tiny shake of my head when he starts to pick up the salad fork instead of the seafood fork when the shrimp cocktail is served and makes the correction. Once again I'm thankful for what I learned from Vince. It's been a good lesson for Mike as well, for I felt Tor kick him under the table when Mike started to butter a whole hard roll instead of breaking it apart.
When the waiter places the small black leather folder in front of Tommy, he opens it and goes pale, then passes it to me. I see the gratuity is included, though I had told him to add twenty percent if it was not. I pass it back to him and whisper, "Put your credit card inside with the check."
"I ain't believing people pay that much money just to eat," Tommy says while we're waiting for our car to be brought around.
I slip him a five to tip the parking attendant. "Some do. A lot of it is atmosphere. Most of us come to places like this for special occasions."
"What's special about tonight?"
"Part of your education, babe. Mike's, too." Tor says. "We want you to be prepared when you go to Andrea's."
"Makes me glad I'm poor. I sure hope Andrea don't go for all this stuff."
Tor grins. "I don't either. Damn a restaurant that puts gunk on good meat."
"Has Andrea ever said anything to make you think otherwise?" I ask.
Tommy shakes his head. "She's great. She likes burgers much as me."
"Perhaps, but it wouldn't hurt to take her the steak house or some other nice place once in a while. You could take her some roses occasionally, too."
"We ain't even thinkin' 'bout getting' married 'til we're done with school. Why I got to do all that?"
"Just trying to help you stay in her good graces."
Our car comes up just then, but poor Tommy's so flustered I have to nudge him to remind him to tip the attendant. He blushes when the attendant takes the five and says sotto voce, "You're one cool dude."