Chapter 7

Tom whispered to Karen and me. “Will your sister be gentle to Larry if she puts him down.”

Karen whispered back. “Yes. He just needs to appreciate her and communicate. There might be something there. That’s why she and Matt are no longer a couple.” Tom nodded. Sunday school began and we listened to the lesson. When it ended, Suzie-Q and Larry followed Karen and me I to our parents. Suzie-Q introduced him as “Larry, the guy from last night.” Larry was polite and expressed appreciation at being allowed to sit with us last night and for the opportunity to dance with Suzie-Q. He said, “She is a delightful dance partner and a great conversationalist.”

My mother liked that. A little polite grilling from Mom exposed that he went to another college and had ridden into town with his roommate, Tom, who was from our town.

At the end of the service, Larry and my sister held hands as he walked her to my car. He said, “May I call you and talk?”

She thought for a second, “Yes, Larry. I would like that. We can get to know each other better that way.” He smiled and she smiled back at him. He closed the car door gently but firmly and stepped back as I cranked and pulled away toward my parents’ home.

Karen said, “Suzie-Q, what do you think about him?”

She smiled. “He was very nice yesterday evening and this morning. He didn’t impress me much at the mall but I wasn’t really paying attention then. I’m glad I gave him the benefit of the doubt. I’ll wait for him to call though I won’t wait for long. I want a life going forward. No guy will find me convenient anymore. I’ve learned that lesson.”

I smiled to hear that. I figured that Matt might find it impossible to find a crow big enough to eat to satisfy my sister.

We arrived at the house and went to our rooms to change and pack for our return trip. Our mothers were in the kitchen when we came into the living room. The doorbell chimed. I went to open it. Matt was standing there looking worried.

He said, “May I come in?”

I flipped my gaze over to Suzie-Q who reluctantly nodded very slowly. He came in and we were all standing looking at each other.

The silence was becoming uncomfortable. Finally, I said, “Matt, I would think you came here to say something. You need to talk or, if there is nothing to say, leave.”

He jerked. “I did. I apologize for my actions of the last months. I didn’t talk and haven’t been good company. While you have tolerated that, Q, it strained my relationship with you beyond recognition. I regret that. It was an unfortunate byproduct of a promise I made. I still can’t talk because I’m still subject to that promise.” He looked at Suzie-Q yearningly.

Her face was impassive. She said, “I’m sorry, too. You made a promise and thought too little of me and my brains or emotional stability to let me in. I’m over it. All I can say now is that I accept your apology. Good bye, Matt.” She slowly walked out of the room toward her bedroom. Karen went with her.

Matt and I looked at each other. Matt said, “Is there anything I can do to fix things with Q?”

“No, Matt. You have dug this hole with someone else in mind as your priority. I hope they were worth it. My sister will go on with her life without you though she learned a harsh lesson.” I moved toward the door and he took the hint. He left driving his mother’s car. His was still at college to my knowledge. He would have to deal with that. I had no plans to do so or make any offer.

I went to the door to Suzie-Q’s room and knocked lightly. I said, “He’s gone.” Karen came out and went across the hall to wash her face. I could hear water run in Suzie-Q’s bathroom. Moments later, they came out.

We went into the kitchen. Lunch was ready and Mom said, “Who was at the door?”

I said, “Matt came to say good bye. His explanation was a promise made to someone unnamed. I don’t suspect that he will be back. Some day, we may hear the story but it already doesn’t matter.”

Mom said, “I’m sorry it ended that way. Suzie, are you going to be okay?”

She looked at Mom and grimaced. “Yes, Ma’am. I have Bradley and Karen to hold me. I will be more choosy in the future.” Mom nodded.

Our fathers joined us and, after a blessing, we ate. After lunch, we loaded my car and headed back to college. The trip was without incident though Suzie-Q wanted to stay with us tonight. Karen nodded and the three of us prepared for bed. It was a quiet night and we woke and prepared for our classes. In the morning, we dropped my sister at her dorm and proceeded to our classes.

It was quiet this week and none of us saw Matt. Tuesday afternoon, I noticed that his car was gone or moved.

None of us had heard from Matt during the entire week. I wondered if he was still in school. After a few more days, I started checking around. I found that he had withdrawn. For here at college at least, that seemed to end things. When we were at home with my parents, I would try to quietly check further.

It was a couple of weeks later. We would be in town this weekend to teach the class while Paul and Melissa visited one of their sets of parents. Suzie-Q called Wednesday and said, “May I join you for supper?” Karen and I were cooking so we said to come on.

The five of us ate and enjoyed the time of fellowship. After supper, Suzie-Q helped with the dishes. She asked, “Larry wants to come for the weekend. I haven’t given an answer yet. What should I do?”

Karen said, “Suzie-Q, you’re a big girl but you’re hesitating. Why?”

“I’m not sure. It may be once bitten twice shy but I keep remembering meeting him at the mall and thinking him a creep. It makes me wonder.”

I said, “You could compromise. You could stay here or he could stay here. If you tell him ahead of time and he balks, that tells you something.”

Karen said, “Also, let’s perform a quick check of this weekend’s activities and the four of us will go together. If you stay here, that will foreclose some possibilities easily.”

She was excited. “That would work! He said something about staying a his frat’s local house.”

The two searched the college’s listings and found a Mozart concert and a play for Friday and Saturday respectively. I said, “That takes care of the evenings. You need to give some thought to Saturday during the day. Sunday will be covered with Sunday school and church and then lunch. They looked at weather guesses and weather was not going to be good. Cold and blustery left the lake as a poor choice. I said, “We can walk the mall and even do a walking tour of the campus. There might be a movie with a Saturday afternoon deal worth watching.”

My wife and sister took over and planned a weekend that the three of us would enjoy. If Larry didn’t like it, that would suggest something about compatibility. Later, Suzie-Q called him.