Nora cautioned.
“ I won’t. I need his help.”
She nodded. She thought of her dad. She knew he loved her but at this point, that ’s about all he could give her.
Jeremy leaned over conspiratorially to confide in her, “I will study law for him, but it will be business law.” He pointed to his brain, “I’ll be half way there.”
Nora shook her head, and smiled, “ Jeremy, you’re a mess, but a smart one.”
Samantha had stood just inside the kitchen door and heard the whole conversation, she steppe d into the dining room and said,” I agree, Nora, Jeremy is a smart one. He will get through this.” She patted Jeremy on the back, letting him know he had her support. “If you need any help with those applications, I’ll be happy to help you. I’ll be right in the next room.”
By the next week the applications were sent off to their respective universities. Waiting was the only thing left to do. They both were on pins and needles. Nora worried because she wanted to be accepted. Jeremy worried because he thought he might be accepted.
One day Nora confided her worries to her mother, “What if I get accepted into the medical school but I don’t receive a scholarship? I still won’t be able to go without taking out so many loans, I’ll never get them all paid.”
After Su nday dinner John said, “Your mom and I have something we want to tell both of you children. We sold the land, the dairy, the barns, and the cows for a reasonable amount of money. I planned to see that you children were raised without having to work to support all of us, which was how it has turning out. I’m not pleased about that, but that was just how it is. Anyway, I need to see to it that your mom can make her own way when I’m gone.”
“ Please, Daddy, don’t say that,” Nora said as her throat choked up.
Laura wiped a tear as she pulled Danny over into a hug.
John raised his hands to ward off their complaints. “Now, now, don’t start fretting over me. I know where I am on this. I won’t be here too much longer.” He stopped and cleared his voice. “Like I said, the farm sold for a reasonable amount of money. I said I wanted to see to it that your mom was able to make it, but I also care about you children. I have studied on this a considerable bit to figure the thing I see that could help you the most. So what I did was put a savings account in each of your names at the bank which is set aside to help with your college expenses.”
He glanced at Nora as she took in a quick breath. “ This won’t be enough to pay for everything but if you get in a pinch, it’s there for you.”
“ Thank you, so much,” Nora blurted out as she jumped up to hug his neck.
On the weekend before they needed to head off to college, Jeremy came by to take Nora to dinner and the movies. John, Nora ’s dad, sat on the porch swing waiting to talk to Jeremy.
“ Would you have a minute before you go in?” John inquired.
“ Sure.”
“ I wondered if you would go with me tomorrow afternoon, I have something I want to show you?” John continued, “I know you young people are so busy these days, but this is important to me.”
Jeremy had his curiosity up and since this was Nora ’s dad, he would do almost anything for him. “Now, you have my curiosity up. Of course, Mr. Ray, I’d be happy to go with you.”
Seeing Jeremy on the porch with her dad, Nora walked out, and then wondered what she had interrupted. She looked curiously at each of them.
Her dad looked at Jeremy and shook his head.
Jeremy understood that this might be private between the two of them so he said, “Look at you! You look gorgeous in that cute pink dress and long blond hair hanging down your back like a waterfall.” He reached for both her hands and held them out.
She immediately curtsied for him.
He whirled her in a circle and said, “We might just go dancing. Let’s go. You’re mine for the evening.”
Waving good bye, they left for the
C. J. Cherryh
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