Page 126 of All Roads Lead to You

“That, too!”

The day had been long and hot as we held the ceremony outside. I hated not being able to sit next to Logan, but he was way before me since his last name started with a ‘C’ and mine started with a ‘T.’

Once graduation was over, Logan and I rushed at each other and hugged, lifting me off the ground.

“Congratulations, Mr. Theodoropoulos,” he said.

“Congratulations, Mr. Conrad.”

Logan and I also hugged Hunter when he walked up to us, smiling like a loon. No longer did he look like his punk rock days back in high school. He cleaned up good, and had an on-again, off-again girlfriend, who was currently off and would probably stay that way now that we’d finished school.

Eventually, Ryan and Jamie met up with us, giving each other hugs. Jamie towered over all of us, even Logan, standing at six-foot-seven, whereas Ryan was about a foot shorter. They were so opposite, but they weirdly worked.

“I guess we’re all off on new adventures,” Ryan said.

“Yep, I have a job lined up with U.S. AID, so it’s back to Virginia for us,” Logan said.

“I wish you guys were coming with us. We’re going to miss you,” I said.

Jamie wrapped a meaty arm around my shoulders. “Well, you better visit us then, or I’m going to have to hunt you down.”

“And you don’t want my guy hunting you down,” Ryan said. “We’ll be too busy starting an LGB outreach program, helping kids who have been abandoned by their parents, offering job programs and stand-in parents and such.”

We’d talked about this before, and I helped them make plans and offer ideas, but I was still amazed.

“While I’m headed off to med school soon,” Hunter said. “It’s going to be grueling, but after mom…”

Logan placed a hand on Hunter’s shoulder. “You’re going to be an amazing doctor.”

I was the only one out of the five of us who wasn’t doing a job that benefited humanity in some way.

By my sophomore year, I played tennis for enjoyment and focused on my business degree, losing my scholarship, so I had to take out student loans.

While I wanted to start something innovative or interesting, the fact was we were in a huge recession, and jobs were scarce. So, I managed to secure a teaching job at a high school in Fairfax County, teaching tennis and algebra. It wasn’t ideal, but I could wait until the economy improved. At least I would have summers off to travel with Logan.

As we chatted about our futures, Mom and Wyatt found us with little Hannah in tow. Hannah was now almost five and the cutest kid in the world. She still had no idea about Logan and me.

Soon, Hunter’s dad and sister showed up. It was one big, happy family. And our small world suddenly got bigger and brighter.

A few days later, everything in our apartment had been packed up and shipped off. Hunter headed home with his family, and our parents flew home with Hannah. Ryan and Jamie headed back to San Francisco to their families.

It was just Logan and me sitting in the old Mustang. I’d sold my Escort for next to nothing to a student who needed a car so we wouldn’t have to deal with it.

Logan started the car, shoved sunglasses over his eyes, and reached out to me, palm up, with a broad smile. I clasped his hand.

“Ready for new roads and a new adventure?” he asked.

“More than ready. I’ll take dusty roads, graveled roads, roads filled with potholes, or congested highways as long as we take them together. It sounds corny, but I mean every word. I don’t care what we do or where we go, as long as we’re always by each other’s sides.”

“It’s going to be amazing, baby.”

Chapter 39

Logan - Epilogue

Ten Years Later – Summer of 2001

When I signed up for the U.S. AID, I expected to travel, and I expected to have to move to another country once in a while, but I hadn’t expected to leave Nick behind while I lived in Sudan for two years. He couldn’t leave his students behind after starting up a tennis program for kids three years ago. It was demanding work, trying to keep the business going and juggling employees. I understood why he couldn’t come.

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