Chapter 17

Time: Tuesday, June 13, 2006 11:57 AM

We had promised Melanie's parents we would show up at noon, and Melanie pulled into their driveway just a few minutes early. We were astonished by what we saw. Melanie's parents had a gigantic white tent erected in their backyard and were catering a large party. The party was for us.

We received warm greetings from both parents, and Patty spent a long time hugging both of us. Remarkably, the party wasn't just for the upper-crust circle of friends that Melanie's parents hang out with. Many of our true friends from Sterling High had been invited, and it was so delightful seeing them, Melanie and I actually started to relax and have a good time. In the back of my mind, I felt a distant pang of worry that I was letting my guard down, but there was no visible danger. I decided that just keeping alert was all that was necessary for the occasion. And it was so nice to see all our old friends.

It was a very pleasant afternoon. A rather amusing moment occurred when a jeweler friend of Melanie's dad got a close look at Melanie's engagement ring. He was flabbergasted by the visible quality of diamonds, and I couldn't help but smile at what his reaction would be if he saw them under a microscope. He pleaded with Melanie several times to divulge from where the ring was purchased, but Melanie politely declined, saying the ring's origin was a marital secret.

Our old friends congratulated me for my Bachelors from M.I.T. and my upcoming Masters program, but they were captivated with the thought of Melanie being accepted to Harvard Medical School. With her parents mixing with a large circle of friends around her, Melanie began to be peppered with questions about the program.

"How long will it last?"

"I'll get my M.D. in four years, and have an optional fifth year to do research before I start my internship."

"Are you going into research then?"

"No, my particular program is oriented around case-based care. I'll be connected with Children's Hospital in Boston. It's a pediatric teaching hospital."

"Wow Melanie! Harvard Medical School! It must have been so difficult to get into!"

"Oh yeah! Close to six thousand applicants this year, for a total of 165 seats; it was quite an honor being accepted."

"Isn't it hugely expensive?"

"Oh, gosh yes! Just the tuition and mandatory fees are about $41,000 this year. That's not including living expenses."

"Wow! And your parents are paying for that?"

Melanie looked over to the person asking the question. It was a person she just knew dimly from high school, and Melanie decided it was just an innocent question. She glanced at her parents. They both seemed relaxed and unconcerned that the question had been asked. Melanie thought for a moment for a diplomatic answer.

"Well, my husband and I are trying to do this with our own resources. We have a combination of scholarships and student loans arranged. Eric has a research grant that covers all his expenses."

"But wait!" another voice called out. "Didn't I hear you bought a condo in Cambridge too?! How could you do that?!"

Melanie smiled. "Actually, the living costs aren't that much different. Some of the rooms in Vanderbilt Hall are close to $7,000 a year. Grad student housing for Eric wouldn't be quite that expensive, but when you throw in the costs of meal plans for two people, having a condo was quite competitive."

Still another voice called out, "I still don't understand how you got a mortgage! What'd you two do, rob a bank?"

Melanie was magnificent. She laughed good-naturedly and deflected the question. "Oh, I've guess Eric and I have been tempted!" And then she steered the conversation back to the medical program.

It was a delightful afternoon, nothing what we were expecting. The party broke up shortly before dinner. Melanie and I were shown our room, Melanie's old bedroom. There was a new king-sized bed squeezed into it, the door would barely close. Melanie's dad took me aside and gave me a tour of the house as the caterers cleaned up after the party outside. Afterwards the five of us sat around in the spacious living room and heard the last of the caterer's trucks drive off. Melanie and I were both feeling a bit bewildered, wondering what would happen next.

We sat around and chatted. The conversations stayed on current topics, no one appeared to want to broach the subject of what had happened four years ago. Melanie's mom even asked me politely if she could call me son. I gulped and felt very awkward, glancing at Melanie for guidance. She had an expression on her face I couldn't read, which was damn unusual. I finally smiled back and said sure. But I must say, when they served a light dinner later in the evening, I couldn't help but use my sense-sphere to scan the food for poison. It was fine.

Over after-dinner brandy, Melanie's dad returned to the party's conversation about our college costs. "Eric, I wouldn't expect you to get into particulars with the public about your finances, but now that you're with family, how are you and my daughter managing?"

I tried to speak in generalities, but Melanie's dad politely and skillfully pressed me for details. I looked over to Melanie for guidance. I saw a look of bewilderment in her eyes, and then she signaled me it would be okay with her if I talked. So, I cleared my throat and looked back at her father, and decided to tell the truth.

"Well, right now we have about $100k outstanding in student loans."