A sense of déjà vu played over Kari as she waited silently, watching the academic adviser at the community college look over her transcripts. When the adviser finally glanced up, she said, “We’ve already received your official transcripts from Vanderbilt, so we shouldn’t have any problem getting you registered for classes.”
“Are there still classes open that would transfer toward a pre-med degree? My plan is to start at George Mason in the spring.”
“We can help you with the general ed classes. Unfortunately, a lot of the medical classes are limited by program. I don’t suppose you are interested in nursing instead of pre-med?”
Kari shook her head. “Not really.”
“Let me show you what we have available. Even though some of these may not directly transfer into requirements in your pre-med program, you may find them useful when you get further into your program. And, of course, it never hurts to beef up your résumé before you apply for med school.”
Kari looked at the list of medical courses offered. Besides several nursing programs, she saw offerings in radiology, sonography, and dental hygiene. “Would I be able to take one of these?” Kari asked, pointing at the radiology courses.
“Technically, you’re supposed to be admitted to the program, but if there’s room, we might be able to get you a waiver since you’ve already completed the prerequisites and your grades would most certainly gain you admittance into our program.”
“That would be great.” Kari waited while the counselor tapped a few keys on her computer.
“We have two classes we can get you in. They’re in the second year of the radiology program, but we had two students wash out.”
“That’s great. Thanks.” Kari waited while the counselor input the classes. Several minutes later, she handed Kari a class schedule, a bill for her tuition, and a student handbook.
“In the back of the handbook, you’ll find the requirements for our various programs. One thing you might want to consider is completing your associate’s degree before transferring to Mason,” she said. “The tuition alone would be several thousand dollars less, and we have an automatic acceptance agreement with them provided you maintain a high enough GPA. Looking at your transcripts, I’m sure that won’t be a problem for you.”
“I’ll think about it. Thanks.” Kari stood. “It was nice meeting you.”
“You too. I hope you enjoy your last few weeks of freedom before classes start.”
“I’ll certainly try.”
* * *
Ryan’s hands shook as he dialed the phone. He couldn’t put this off any longer. He wanted Kari to be his future, and before he tried to put a ring on her finger, he needed to talk to her father. The team would leave for New York tonight, and he already had reservations for an elegant restaurant overlooking the city for Wednesday after the game. He didn’t know if he was quite ready to ask Kari to marry him, but he wanted to have everything in place in case the timing felt right.
“Hello?” Kari’s father’s voice came over the phone.
“Mr. Evans? This is Ryan Strobel. I play for the Nationals with Ben.”
“Is he okay?”
“He’s fine.”
“And Kari?”
“Everyone’s great,” Ryan assured him. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to worry you. It’s actually Kari I’m calling about.”
“Does this have anything to with the fact that you’ve been dating her for the past several months?”
“Yes, sir.” He mustered his courage. “The truth is I’m very much in love with your daughter, and I want to know if you can support me in asking for her hand in marriage.”
Silence hummed over the line for a moment. “Can I assume that you’ve already discussed this with her?”
“No, sir. Not yet. I felt it was appropriate that I speak with you first.”
“Well, I appreciate that.” He fell silent again, and Ryan felt like his heart might explode. “Ben has spoken very highly of you, Ryan, so please don’t think my hesitation is a reflection on you.”
“But you have reservations,” Ryan managed to say. “I know we haven’t been dating long . . .”
“It isn’t that,” Steve said. “My concern has more to do with Kari’s goals for her future.”
“You’re talking about medical school,” Ryan said, beginning to understand.
“Yes. It’s been something she’s talked about a lot this past year. If you really love my daughter, her future goals and plans need to be part of your discussion about marriage.”
“I’ve already thought a lot about that. There are several good medical schools in this area, and she’s already planning to finish her undergrad here.”
“The logistics are something the two of you will need to discuss,” he said, and Ryan wasn’t sure exactly what to think when he added, “If the two of you do decide to get married, you will have to recognize the challenges that will come from her goals and the obstacles your career could put in front of them. If you get traded at an inopportune time, the two of you will have to be unified on how to handle it.”
“You make a lot of good points,” Ryan said, deflated.
“With that said, if you love each other and want to get married, I’m certainly not going to stand in your way,” Steve said. “In fact, I hope things do work out. Every time I’ve talked to Kari on the phone since she moved to Virginia, she has seemed very happy.”
“Thank you, sir. I appreciate your time.”
“And, Ryan?”
“Yes.”
“Best of luck to you.”
“Thank you.” Ryan hung up the phone, his gut churning more now than before he had called Kari’s dad. Steve Evans was right. If Ryan really loved Kari, he couldn’t get in her way. He had expected the result of the call would leave him wondering when to pop the question. Instead, he was faced with a more pressing question: how could he make sure he wouldn’t derail Kari’s dreams if he tried to make his own come true?
He opened the drawer of his nightstand and retrieved the ring his mother had given him. He wanted nothing more than to see it on Kari’s finger, and he was afraid that the promise it held could also be a noose around her neck. His heart breaking, he replaced the ring and closed the drawer once more. He couldn’t let her go, but he couldn’t move forward. What in the world was he supposed to do for the next ten years while Kari pursued her medical career?