Time to Graduate, Texas 1964

Carol slumps down at her writing desk with a sigh. The Jessels pay well and the kids are cute, but gosh do these parties run late. Her clock reads just past midnight. She sifts through the stack of mail on her desk, tossing the sorority pamphlets and ripping open her fall semester grades (four As and a B- in economics). A couple of football advertisements and… a letter from John Mark. 

Carol enjoys spending the holidays in Austin. As the only non-Christian in a walkable radius, Christmas party babysitting makes good money. Besides, she likes the freedom of independence, staying out late with friends and going on dates. But Carol had gone home for Chanukah last week, and that’s when she ran into John Mark.

It had been nearly three years years since that tearful goodbye at graduation. She was off to college and he was staying put. It was a natural time to split. Seeing John Mark at the mall last week though… he looked good. He was making good money and taking classes at the University of Houston. Memories flooded back. Carol decided there was no harm in catching up. They went for a stroll through Piney Point Village to look at the huge houses with their Christmas lights.

The letter is five pages long. In it, John Mark recounts the ups and downs of their relationship and how she had permanently influenced his development. He discusses in greater detail where he has been since their breakup and his plans for the future. And finally, he discusses their chance encounter at the mall. Seeing you brought back everything I had been missing. He’s dated others, sure, but he’s never fully stopped loving her. It was like no time had passed. When she graduates college this May, will she marry him?

Jesus Christ.

“I’m going to live in one of these houses one day,” he had said in Piney Point. And she had replied, “Me too.” Had he read into that? Is that why he suddenly sees a future together? A part of her loves John Mark as well, and maybe always will, but the truth is that she can’t marry him. Her parents escaped the Holocaust. They had lost everything — their loved ones, their houses, and their careers. They started over in a new country with nothing, all in the name of freely practicing their religion. Carol is not particularly religious, but she cannot marry a Catholic, lest she put her parents in their graves. And she has her sights on somebody else…

She tries to sleep but can’t. She tries writing a letter to John Mark and scratches it out. At 6am she calls David and asks if he wants breakfast. He works the night shift and gets off soon, so he agrees. They had met at a date function a few months ago. He is kind with deep brown eyes and neatly pressed clothes. David is nice to spend meals with, but their conversations are always a bit dull. With no spark, their courtship has been steadily transforming into a pleasant friendship.

Carol takes a bite of her pancake and watches the sunrise through the window. It’s Christmas Eve and the street is empty. David is talking about some extended relative, and she’s not paying attention. Suddenly he’s on the ground. Carol snaps out of her exhausted reverie. He’s talking about his second cousin and some marriage, and he’s on his knee, and he’s reaching into his pocket… This is too much for someone running on no sleep and a mouth full of pancakes. Carol’s about to panic, but she pulls herself together and grabs his hands. “David? Please sit down. Let’s talk.” 

Carol manages to nap until her phone rings from the wall above her head. “You know the Baileys who live down the street?” her mom begins without pause. “Their son has always been in this relationship with that blonde prom queen girl, you know the one. Well anyway, they broke up, and I KNOW, and the Baileys know he’s always had an eye for you. And Carol, you know he’s in law school. He’s so upset. She dumped him I believe. I’m not entirely sure. Anyway, we — the Baileys and I — we just know he’s looking to settle down. Did you hear me? Settle down. And with you graduating… I mean this is just a Christmas miracle if I’ve ever seen one! He’s so kind, and you’ve always been interested in him too, yes?”

Carol lets her mother’s rant reach a stopping point before cutting her off. She can’t deal with this today, Carol says. She’s running late for something. And Carol actually does need to get ready for dinner with Noah. Noah is smart and funny and interesting, but boy does he need you to know it. Carol is planning to cut it off today. Just her timing!

Carol and Noah are arguing and laughing over their Chinese food when he puts down his fork. “We’re graduating this year. We should get married.”

The look of disgusted surprise on his face when she politely declines almost makes this day tolerable. Noah isn’t a man accustomed to rejection. Carol uses the Jessels’ babysitting stipend to pay for their meal and heads home. She needs to crash. 

There’s just one last thing she has to do. 

She calls Philip at his home address in San Antonio. His sister picks up and soon Phillip’s voice echoes through the speaker. “Carol?” 

“Philip.”

“Is this an emergency?” 

“Must it be an emergency for a woman to call her suitor on Christmas Eve?” They argue about the merits and lack thereof for calling one’s family home phone unannounced. They argue whether the fact that it’s Christmas Eve matters in this instance among Texan Jews. 

Carol says, “Philip we are always arguing.”

“Always.”

“But also never really arguing. Just intellectually debating.”

“Over stupid things.”

“And also sometimes smart things.”

“Yes, also smart things,” he agrees. 

“Would you like to propose to me when you get back to campus?”

“Are you proposing that I propose to you? Isn’t that in itself a proposal?”

“I’m not on one knee am I?”

“You think I’m going to get on one knee? A ring and kind words a proposal does make.”

“Is that a yes?”

“Is that a yes to your proposal for a proposal?”

“Stop repeating my question.”

“Yes.”

“Good,” Carol hangs up, giddy. 

As she lays in bed, she still can’t sleep. She’s too busy imagining her life with Philip. She knows she’ll constantly be intellectually challenged by his quick wit and stubbornness. She pictures his constant acts of kindness which demonstrate how much he cares about her. She sees their big house in Piney Point with a menorah in every window, and it’s perfect.