In Love With An Older Man 22

June 1995

The long-awaited day of Jake's high school graduation finally arrived. Preparations for Jake's future had been in the making for a number of months; one of his most important decisions was whether to attend college in northern California in order to experience dorm life while avoiding out-of-state fees, as Carly was doing, or to attend UCLA and commute from home. Since he wanted to major in pre-law, an important issue was what college had the best pre-law courses.

As the stadium seats filled, Cindy searched for her family members. She spied her mother and father with Willy, Miranda, Jessica, and Nicky sitting with them. Jessica at thirteen had grown a lot taller, and Cindy noticed that her breasts were a lot larger as well. She had a mild case of acne and wore her hair pulled back in a scrunchie. She wore a tight-fitting shirt with a low neckline and was chewing a big wad of pink bubble gum. Nicky at eleven looked very small compared to his sister.

Not far away sat George and Nina with eleven-year-old Kevin, who wore a pair of nice slacks and a button-down-the-front shirt. He stared straight ahead with a serious expression on his face.

Philip and Jane were there too, with eleven-year-old Penny, who was beautiful in a yellow dress, pantyhose, and sandals. Little Peyton made a game of going up and down the bleachers, and Jane held the family's newest addition, a six-month-old boy whom they had adopted from an orphanage in South America and named Preston.

"We had decided to try for a third baby, but nothing was happening, so we decided to adopt again," Jane had explained. "Philip thought that since we already had two girls, it would be nice to adopt a boy this time."

Cindy made her way to where the family was sitting.

"Hi Preston, I'm your Aunt Cindy," Cindy said, reaching for the baby, who turned his head and hid his face in the front of Jane's shirt.

"He's a little shy around people he's never met before," Jane explained.

Cindy lightly touched the baby's head and returned to Gary and the twins.

Gary's sister Melissa and her husband, Jeff Shapiro, arrived with their daughter, Ariel, who was Jessica's age and in some of her classes at school.

"Hey, Jessica!" Ariel called, heading for where Miranda and her family were seated.

At last the band began to play 'Pomp and Circumstance', and the audience grew quiet as the graduates solemnly entered in their caps and gowns.

The principal, class president, salutitorian, and valedictorian all made their speeches, and then it was time for the graduates to receive their diplomas.

"Jacob Warren Greenberg, cum laude," the principal announced as Jake walked across the stage to receive his diploma. Cindy and the rest of the family all cheered loudly for him.

After the ceremony was finally over, the graduates all threw their caps into the air, and then their families and friends all rushed onto the field to take pictures.

Jake left with a group of his friends, so Gary and Cindy drove back home with just the twins.

"Jackie's brother Philip is taking Jake to spend part of the summer with his other grandparents," Gary told Cindy. "They live in Miami, Florida and haven't seen him since before we got married, and they'd like to spend some time with him before he goes away to college."

"So when are they flying out?"

"Not flying, driving."

"But Gary, that's all the way across the coast! It'll take days!"

"They're taking the interstate and staying in motels along the way. Phil says that will give him plenty of time to get to know Jake and to bond with him."

"But they'll have to drive through Mississippi! I remember when you told me about the time Jason stopped at a gas station in Mississippi and got a swastika spray-painted on his car."

"You can't let people who do things like that determine your travel plans, Cindy. That's the same thing as letting them win."

"Well, I guess you're right."

"Of course I'm right!"

"But..."

Gary silenced her with a kiss to her lips.

Gary and Jake were at the hardware store the day a middle-aged man who bore a slight resemblance to both Jake and Carly arrived at the door.

"You must be Cindy."

Cindy nodded.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Phil Stern, Jake's uncle." He shook Cindy's hand. "Sorry, I'm a little early."

"That's all right. They just went to get some bolts and nuts to work on Jake's bike. They'll be back in a few minutes. Come on in."

"You look awfully young. Jake and Carly must be more like a younger brother and sister to you than a son and daughter. How old are you, anyway?" Phil peered over his spectacles at her.

"Twenty-nine and holding." Cindy knew that Phil hadn't meant it as a compliment.

"So these are your two little ones?"

"Yes, this is Rebecca and Jonathan," Cindy said proudly.

"You sure are a pretty little girl," Phil told Rebecca as he ruffled her hair. She beamed up at him while Jonathan watched warily from a distance.

"Sure is tough to lose a parent at a young age," Phil remarked. "That lush who killed my sister never realized what he did to my family, especially to Carly and Jake."

"I lost my biological father when I was just a baby," Cindy told him. "The ship he was on sank. They never even found his body."

"Oh, I'm sorry. Vietnam?"

"No, it was a civilian ship. He wasn't in the military. I did lose an uncle in 'Nam, though. My mom's younger brother. His name was Patrick Taylor and he was just twenty-two years old. I remember the day we went to the airport when they brought him back. It was before my mom married Mick Bradford, but not too long before. It was the same day I lost my first baby tooth." Cindy did have a vague but definite memory of standing there with her mother and sisters looking at her Uncle Pat's flag-draped coffin while wiggling her loose front tooth.

"You remember the darndest things about days like that, don't you?" Phil concurred. "Remember that godawful song 'Rock Me Amadeus'? The day we got the news about my sister, every time you turned on the radio, they were playing that song. Now every time I hear it I just want to throw up."

Cindy, who had previously liked the song, didn't know what to say.

Soon Gary and Jake arrived home.

"Uncle Phil!" Jake shouted, running to meet him.

"Good to see you again, Phil." Gary and Phil shook hands.

"Looks like you have a lovely new family," Phil told Gary. "Well, I guess we'll be on our way, as soon as Jake's ready to go."

"He seems like a nice man," Cindy told Gary after they were gone.

"Phil's a lobbyist," Gary told her. "He goes to the state capital several times a year, trying to get bills passed for tougher drunk driving laws and things like that. He tried to get me into that too, but at the time I was a single father struggling with my own grief while trying to give the kids as normal a life as possible under the circumstances. I didn't have the time nor the energy for that type of thing."

"You do plenty, Gary."

"I know, but I'm always asking myself, am I doing the best that I can?"

"You do a lot more than anybody else I know. I'm proud of you." She went to him and hugged and kissed him. "Come on, let's take the kids to the park."