"Two things. I made dean's list both semesters and earned the varsity slot in my weight class." Oh, a scholarly jock."I could taste the disdain in her... voice."That from someone who painted murals on her dorm room walls." Hey, jerk! Those paintings had meaning." Uh-huh... expensive meaning." I couldn't hold the laughter in again.She sniffed and looked away until I got control again."So what was the best part of your year?" I asked her, wiping my hands to get rid of the lettuce stuck on. There's a learning period boys, girls, and parents need to go through.For now, be yourself." Tori smiled brightly at that.Back on the farm John smiled to himself. He checked Tori's family casenotes again and surreptitiously scheduled a checkup from his localcontact for the new family. "Be yourself." He remembered, and shruggedat the advice. If Serena couldn't accept him as he was then she wasn'tthe woman for him. He had families out there to care for and they werehis priorities. He did. Okay Daryl, I told myself, she is a friend of the family and to tread lightly. We went to the back field and out of site from the farm house there was a little flower garden that Joann and her mom and sister put in. In the middle was a grassy area large enough for the blanket she had brought with her. She spread the blanket out and I put the basket of food and drink on the blanket and we both sat down on it and she opened the basket. She had packed some fried chicken, a small salad for both of. " I'm glad your alive. I met some of your family yesterday."They are a crazy bunch of assholes, but hey, you can't pick your family right." We shared a little laugh before I introduced him to Becky. "Listen Andrew, thanks for saving me. I hear your the talk of the plant now."Again with the hero business... "You would have done the same for me Mike."We talked for a bit before his family came back. Becky left and brought his son in, who ran over and hugged his dad. I noticed he had my dog.