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A CUTE COUPLE By Rhayna Tera, copyright 2019 Warning: Sweet & Sentimental. Author's Note: None. Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental. RT THE RUNT Ever heard of the 'Tangmere Trio', the male triplets? Rex, Odin, and Zeus they were, and each lived up to his namesake. By the time they were 15 years old, each was six feet tall, 185 lbs, handsome beyond human comprehension, an athletic god, a scholastic genius, and a good character role model. Adulation and admiration were their shadows. They were unlike Terry, the fourth of the triplets. Yes, the Tangmere Trio were actually quadruplets, but most people forgot about Terry. Even his mother --- a distant soul with a room temperature heart ("Oh Terry, please call me 'Mrs. Tangmere'!") --- considered her sons as 'those three, and that little one over there too'. Truth be told, after the triplets were delivered, she had been sensing some post-partum diarrhea only to see Terry finally ooze out of her womb. From strangers, "He's their brother?" was invariably heard. Terry at 15 was 5 foot zero, 115 pounds soaking wet, B average smart, intellectually lazy, and --- was there ever any doubt? --- a virgin. There was no visible similarity between the triplets and the runt. That said, the triplets were always kind and considerate toward him. They knew Terry's limitations and respected them; they loved him. There was never any brotherly betrayal and nastiness. Terry reciprocated; he loved them too. Mrs. Tangmere watched her boys head off to school, their last day of Grade 10. Two more years then university; certainly, for the triplets, it was beyond doubt. University then high-flying work at her Tangmere International, a multi-million-dollar import/export company. Within ten years, she should be able to hand over the chair'ship of the Board to each of them on a rotating basis. Find them appropriate wives. Urge them to have two or three children each. Three perfect futures for three perfect sons. What about Terry? She saw her triplets take leisurely strides down the road; Terry ran just to keep up to them. She sighed. He might do okay at some university taking some course toward some degree that might get him some job in some company somewhere. Whatever. She turned to re-read the latest Margaret Atwood novel. THE COMMITMENT School had let out 20 minutes ago. Terry stood patiently near a bush by an edge of a path near a corner with a garbage can in a park close to two high schools. He was waiting to see her again. Her. She. He didn't know her name, age, address, phone number, email address, height, weight, blood type, or genetic sequence. Whatever her name, she personified Terry's dream of a loving, beautiful woman. She was taller than his brothers, seemingly just as strong (at least just as fit), and incredibly stunningly beautiful. Ponytail. Long eyebrows. Green eyes. The sweetest mouth. She exuded confidence. Her mannerisms conveyed certainty. He adored her, alas, from afar. Day after day, for a couple of years, at the exact same time and place, Terry sighed as she walked by (presumably) on her way home. Terry never stalked her; that would be so un-Tangmere'ish. He simply felt grateful for her inspiring presence, albeit brief, every day. He had witnessed many boys from the other school pursue her over the years. Some seemed to have succeeded; most seemed to have failed. Today, he saw her turn and start swearing at an older boy, from the other school, who had been walking with her today. Her swearing worked; the other boy fled. She continued walking away. Terry saw her drop something. She didn't seem to notice. Terry dashed to the dropped object and picked it up. It was a gold choker with a big round sapphire. It was beautiful and plainly too valuable to lose. Terry ran and ran after the girl. She was tall; her strides long. He was panting when he finally caught up to her, ten minutes later. She turned around and glared at him. "You! You're the little boy who spies on me every day, aren't you?" Terry was so bedazzled that he could only nod yes. "What do you want?" she asked. "I'm sorry to bother you, but you dropped this back there. I couldn't let you lose something so beautiful." He held out his hand, the choker in his palm. She was in fact gorgeous. She looked down at him. He was very cute, in a little boy way, she thought. He wasn't like most young men and older boys who approached her. He seemed instead quite humble and modest (and meek, don't forget meek). She took the choker from him. "This choker, little boy... Wait, what's your name?" he answered. She continued: "Terry, this choker may glitter to you, but, to me, it's void of substance. The young man whom you saw flee, he gave it to me. I did not ask for it. I did not want it. And he meant nothing to me. Accordingly, it meant nothing to me and so I disposed of it. Do you understand what it is I might not consider to be substantive?" Terry had no fucking idea what she meant but he nodded his agreement anyway. She seemed so smart. Deep sigh. "Very well," she continued, "if I mean something to you, then you shall wear this choker until we meet again. That may well be years from now if ever at all. I treasure deeds, not words. I value promises. I place inestimable weight upon proven commitment. So, teeny weeny tiny Terry, imbue this choker with some personal substance. Make it signify something to me, for me, by wearing it until that day, whenever it may be." She bent down and put the choker on him. He stared down her chest as she did so. She noticed and jiggled a little bit, saw his positive reaction, and then jiggled a little bit more. She grinned and looked at him again. He had puppy dog eyes. She lifted his chin with her finger, slowly kissed him once on the lips, and then walked off into the sunset. "My name is Stephanie," were her last words to him. "Take care, Stephanie, and thank you," were his last words to her. Terry let the moment linger, and then went home. His brothers asked him where he got the necklace. "It's a choker," he corrected them, "and the most beautiful girl in the world gave it to me to wear until I see her again." His eyes shone with joy. His brothers were happy for him; they reminisced with him about their first loves and conquests of four years ago. His mother simply raised her eyebrows and went back to her computer. TWO YEARS LATER: TERRY GOES TO UNIVERSITY "Oh my god! Look at this weirdo," Judy said to the other student union reps who were allocating dorm rooms. Zelda giggled at the picture on the application form and passed it to Simone who laughed and passed it to Billy who cried and passed it to Steve. "No one will want to room with him!" The entire room broke out in laughter. The president of the State University's student union strode into the room. She was entering year three of a five-year mixed law and MBA program, was brilliant, focused and single-minded, and was reputed to be a ruthless man-eater. Her official suite was a double in the residence building. She was glad to see her fellow residents in good morale. "What's so funny?" Someone passed the application form to the president. Applicant was age 18. Graduate of Pleasantville Secondary School. B average. No sports or hobbies save Dungeons and Dragons. Entering a first-year humanities program. No scholarship. Lots of student loans. The picture was remarkable for its subject's youthfulness. And because of the gold choker with a blue sapphire the subject wore in the photo. "This one's mine," the president immediately said. The others gasped. "Seriously?" they asked. "Yes," she answered with conviction. -----000----- "Enter!" the voice on the other side of the door growled. Terry cautiously opened the door to room 666. He had no idea how he had been selected to dorm with the president of the student union; he had been expecting to dorm in a room alone and about the size of a closet. Room 666 was dark, the sun barely coming through the closed blinds on the common room window. Might the president also be a troglodyte? "Don't turn on the lights," the voice snapped. "Put down your bags and close the door." He complied. "Step into the centre of the room and stand on the 'X' taped to the floor." He complied. "Now close your eyes." He complied. He heard movement: the troglodyte drew closer. He felt breathing on his face. He smelled Eternity for Women. His choker was lifted slightly and gently let back down. The figure moved away, he heard a click, and the room brightened through his eyelids. He heard the blinds being raised; more light came in. Warm hands were placed on his cheeks and his face was tilted upward. "Open your eyes." He complied. "So, we meet again, Terry," Stephanie's voice was soothingly sweet. Terry stared up at her, awestruck. "How long have you worn this?" she asked. "Every day for the past two-and- a-half years," he replied. "Why?" she asked. Terry remembered his brothers' sage words of life advice: "dare yourself every now and then," per Rex, "risk it: live a little," per Odin, and, per Zeus, "you'll regret never trying." Terry took a deep breath and answered her: "Because Stephanie, every minute of my life was sweeter with you in mind. As every flower enjoys the air it breathes, so I knew I would love you to the last and bear the memory of you to my grave. I could never take it off. And I never did." Terry exhaled and looked up at her nervously. Stephanie stared down at him. She saw sincerity in his boyish face and heard a modest confidence in his calm voice. "Terry, please get me a chair so I may sit here," she said pointing at the floor where they stood. He complied. She sat, finally face-to-face with him. "Take off the choker, Terry." she flatly said. He gulped, feared the worst, and complied. Stephanie held the choker up to the light and smiled at it. "Terry, this choker is now mine. It means something to me now. You have given it significance now. Do you not realize the implications of that?" Once again, Terry had no fucking idea what she meant but nodded his agreement anyway. "Yes, Terry, that's right. You are now significant to me too." As Stephanie spoke, she put the choker on herself, leaned forward, and kissed him once, softly, on his lips. She then grinned, spanked his butt hard, and told him to move all his belongings into the second bedroom. FIRST YEAR UNIVERSITY The two of them swiftly became a fixture on campus. Almost everyone already knew Stephanie; she was greeted warmly wherever she went. But they now started to see her living shadow, that small figure who occasionally carried her books. "Little Terry" as he became known, ate with her in the cafeteria, went to the library with her, and did laundry with her. But for their separate classes, they became inseparable. "They're a cute couple," many said. It struck many as more than just that. Stephanie's reputed ruthlessness towards men did not seem to extend to Terry. She drew him into her circles of friends and into their conversations. She paid attention to him the few times he spoke, and then others did too. They liked him. He was genuine and humble, intelligent though not intellectually gifted. He avoided antagonizing others, was very kind and helpful, and proved to be a reliable friend and cheerful soul. Harmlessly witty and empathetically charming, he made her laugh. Their living together was mutually satisfactory, Terry willingly helped organize and clean; he adjusted his lax humanities schedule to accommodate her busier law/MBA schedule. The few times they used the suite's small kitchen, they cooked together. When she was a bit down, he brought her back up and always left her with a smile on her face. And, once she indicated to him that it would be permitted, there had been a bit of kissing too, mutually wanted, mutually enjoyed. She knew he was truly special. -----000----- And then one night in mid-December, after exams were over... "So, you're not going home this Christmas, right?" she asked. He knew she wasn't going home, and he was looking forward to spending time with her. "Correct," Terry said, "my brothers are staying at Harvard, Yale, and Princeton, but I already sent them gifts. And I have no desire to go home to see my mother; I sent her a Discount Superstore gift card a few weeks ago. Therefore, here I am, here I stay, and here I relax a bit. With you?" He smiled at her hopefully. "Really?" Stephanie said. The seductive tone of her voice energized Terry. He looked at her as she sat on the couch. "Come," she said eagerly, pointing at a spot on the floor in front of her. He quickly went and stood on the spot. "Take off your shirt, little man." He complied, anxiously. "Take off your pants, little boy." He complied, nervously. "Take off your underwear, little baby." He paused. She raised her eyebrows at him, silently commanding him. He complied, slowly, wondering whether this would be the day he finally lost his virginity. He adored Stephanie and looked forward to every kiss she gave him. This was the first time he was naked with a woman, let alone a beautiful one, let alone one he adored. "Well, look at that. It's Terry's Tiny Tiger." She held her right hand up to his four inch erection and began to stroke it. His body trembled with joy. "You like this?" she asked, caressing it. Terry was too far lost in the moment to answer. He simply moaned and nodded. She gently tugged it and pulled him over onto her lap, his stomach down. Using her left hand, she held his hands behind his back. Suddenly, she stopped caressing him and dug her fingernails deep into his scrotum. "You little worm! Your marks arrived. Six courses, four D's and two C's. Unacceptable!" She began to spank him with a wooden paddle that had seemingly magically appeared in her hand. "I am a straight A student! I have been on the Dean's Honors List every year I have been here! I work hard for my marks and I get them! I relentlessly pursue excellence and it shows!" The pace and intensity of the spanking increased as she spoke, more furiously by the minute. "I refuse to be associated with academically challenged losers! I hate stupid people! Which of those are you? Your marks say both! You shall not humiliate me! Never!" Harder and harder she spanked him. "I want a partner whom I can be proud of, a person of whom I need to say nothing because his achievements and accomplishments will stand on their own, without my intervention! I have zero desire to spend time with a pathetic, retarded, indolent failure, and right now, oh, mark my words, right now, I feel like dumping you into a garbage-strewn ravine frequented by rabid dogs and hungry polar bears!" Terry's butt cheeks were turning crimson from her aggressive spanking. He began to cry. "If you want to stay here with me," she hissed, "then you will change! But you must make the effort to change! You must want it too! Let me change you!" She could tell his butt was getting to its spank limit. "Do you want me to change you?" She was almost screaming in his ear. "Yes! Yes! Yes! I'm so sorry! Please change me!" Terry cried loudly. She instantly turned him over in her lap, pulled up her T-shirt, and exposed her braless breasts to him. He had never seen real breasts before. She quickly tapped the back of his head twice, drew it to her left breast, and pinned it there, suckling him, while she started to slowly jerk him off. Switching to her softest, most soothing voice, she continued: "My Tiny Tiger. You will do what I say. If you obey, then you will be rewarded. Like this. If you do not, then you will be punished. At a minimum, like this." She paused her hand movements. "To be clear, the worst punishment will come if you ever, I mean EVER, get any mark less than an A minus in future. If you get straight A's," she started jerking him off again, "then I will give you pleasure beyond your comprehension and experience. Do you understand?" Tears falling, he nodded as he kept sucking her breast and as she kept stroking him. "That's my good little kitten. Straight A's: get straight A's for Ms. Stephanie. Now, cum on my hand, right now, sweetie, cum right now." And he instantly complied. "I love you, Terry," she whispered, meaning it. They looked at each other with mutual affection. His eyes went wide, and he tried to say the same to her. But she gently tapped the back of his head twice to keep him at her breast. He sucked frantically and stared at her. She smiled back and started slowly jerking him off again. CHANGING TERRY Terry was a Dean's List student for the first-year spring semester and in every semester after that. He never got less than an A ever again. His motivations have just been described. So now to the mechanisms of change: how did this happen? -----000----- First, Stephanie imposed a new daily routine upon Terry: no more languishing in bed or idling about the suite. From the moment he woke at seven o'clock, he was busy. Shower. Dress (invariably the same: loafers, jeans, collared shirts, a fleece jacket, and a Gore-tex outer if needed). Clean his room. Clean their shared space (if Stephanie hadn't, but she often did). Pack for class. Classes. Library. Lunch at the cafeteria. Library. Classes. Library. Last class. Back to the dorm room. Put on his Sailor Moon uniform. Study at his desk facing a wall: no windows, no distractions. Prepare dinner or, if Stephanie had cooked (and she often did), clean up after dinner; alternatively, uniform off, eat at the cafeteria with Stephanie, back to the dorm, uniform on. Back to studying. At eight o'clock, change out of his Sailor Moon uniform. Socialize with Stephanie and their friends. At ten o'clock every Monday to Thursday night, Stephanie put him to bed. The weekend routine Stephanie had established was similarly stringent, with a much later bedtime being the norm. This routine lasted the remainder of Terry's first year and, loosened up a bit, into his second. Eventually, it was revised yet again when he got a part-time job at the school bookstore to help pay his mounting bills. -----000----- Second, Stephanie drugged him and hypnotized him every Monday to Thursday night. The drugs were mild, low dose soporifics; Stephanie had tenderly persuaded Terry to take them. The drugs simply facilitated his hypnosis. And Terry had informedly consented to hypnosis. Stephanie acquired excellent headphones, a VR headset, an awesome laptop to control them, and several different video and audio series of humanities classes from various universities. By day in his class and by night in his bed, Terry was bombarded with humanities. Well, to be honest, not just humanities. Once she knew Terry was asleep, Stephanie caused the laptop to briefly (for five minutes every half hour) interrupt the academic courses so as to play a different hypnosis tape. Terry had not consented to this tape for which Stephanie rationalized the consent issue as follows: fuck it. His subconscious brain registered the many pictures of a very attractive Stephanie in all diverse poses and degrees of dressing. It also registered her comforting, mellifluous voice repeatedly telling him that she loved him, that she cared for him, that she could make decisions for him out of love and compassion, that he could politely question and advise her, that he should ultimately accept and obey --- with respect and loyalty --- her final decisions, that they had to work as a team, and that, if all these things held true, then they would live together forever as the best possible loving partners. Night after night, month after month, semester after semester. Terry was bombarded with humanities --- and Stephanie. -----000----- Third, Stephanie implemented a reasonable, graduated, and achievable reward system. Its foundation was a chastity device. The day after his first spanking, she caught him masturbating. "Unacceptable," she said. Soon thereafter, he had to lock himself up and put the key for the device on a chain around his neck. She in turn locked the chain on him and kept that second lock's key. "I don't have the key to your chastity device; you do," she reminded him. "Focus on courses during the week, darling," she said, "and remember it comes off every Friday after dinner cleanup until Monday breakfast," she paused, "if you're a good little boy of course." Regarding rewards, to begin, he was permitted to pet her. Only after he demonstrated sufficient skill were there weekend handjobs. Eventually, there was cunnilingus. Always, kisses and caresses. Constantly, Stephanie's guidance, instructions, and encouragement. He got paddled severely once for having not shaved beforehand. He cried but never made the same mistake ever again. Once he had cunnilingus licked, Stephanie allowed fellatio: "you've earned it," she said. She pointed out that his little size made it easier for her mouth, and easier for her meant more enjoyable for her, and more enjoyable for her led to more often for him. Thus, she persuaded him that having a little cock could sometimes be for the best. And she mostly meant it too. "Small is beautiful," she teased. It was after his second-year fall semester marks arrived that he finally lost his virginity. After extensive foreplay, Stephanie moved him into the missionary position, tapped the back of his head twice, and kept him at her breasts as the Tiny Tiger wiggled around inside her. She really couldn't feel the Tiny Tiger inside her. But she loved him, so that didn't matter to her. She reassured herself: she had taught him to be a tongue maestro and a deft, masterful wielder of various sex toys. She realized that, on the whole, he was a far better lover than any larger man she had ever known; his four inches packed true love. Oh, the difference to me, she thought happily. "Cum for me, right now, baby, cum right now!" No, she never lessened control on when he could cum. She just couldn't let that go. COUPLING There was a great deal more to this couple than just sex and a study routine. Indeed, had they remained so static, Stephanie would have surely dumped him, naked, pummeled, beaten, in a muddy ditch during mosquito season, or would have undoubtedly left him to die, alone, starving, thirsty, in a deserted, derelict, rat-infested apartment building. -----000----- Consider a few moments that exemplified their deepening bonds and appreciation for one another: There was that time when Stephanie went to hand-in her paper for her Aircraft Financing course. She'd been gone about 20 minutes when Terry saw the brown envelope with the paper on her desk. He raced with it in hand as fast as he could to meet her before the deadline passed. He got to the hand-in desk with one minute to spare. "You forgot this," he wheezed. She kissed him and thanked him. He headed back to their room. Her friends told her that their boyfriends would never have done that for them; they were too lazy. She didn't have the heart to tell Terry that the paper in the envelope was her copy of the original she had just turned in. There was also that time when Stephanie's student union nemesis --- Sara Collins, a ghastly woman, a profoundly stupid and immensely dumb woman --- tried to sabotage Stephanie's efforts to get students to read for children at the on-campus daycare centre. Collins discouraged participation by warning that the children were infested with lice. Terry dressed up as a baby, sat in the daycare centre, and let the university newspaper take pictures of him, including closeups of his clean hair, for their story. The counter campaign had its intended effect; Collins' cynical efforts were ridiculed and ignored. Stephanie had been surprised to read the story. When someone joked that Stephanie was a "mommy", she swiftly and decisively and aggressively informed that person that she, Stephanie, was extremely proud to be the girlfriend of someone man enough to publicly wear a diaper for a noble, charitable cause. Then there was that time when they went to the zoo. As Terry returned from the washroom, he saw a Japanese tourist, in a wheelchair, with an obvious neuro-muscular disorder, trying to take a selfie with elephants in the background. The tourist couldn't. Without prompting, Terry offered to help, baited some of the beasts with his own peanuts to gather them for the background, and then lay on the ground for the perfect angle for the perfect shot. The tourist cried with joy at the spectacular pictures. Terry shook his thankful hand, declined payment, and scampered away, looking for Stephanie. Stephanie had witnessed the entire episode while standing next to the lionesses' cage. Terry never mentioned to her what he had done: "Sorry I'm late. There was a long line at the washrooms." Consider too the time when Stephanie hosted her informal club ("The Dirty Dozen Dommes") at their residence dorm suite. She asked Terry to help serve dinner, drinks, and snacks and to clean as the night went along. Terry knew each of the dozen as a friend; they would not tease him. He wore, per Stephanie's request, women's glittery pink running shoes, white tights, a yellow tutu, an orange blaze halter top, and a black cat ears headband; cat whiskers were painted on his face. Of course, the Dozen wore black leather domme gear that night. By the end of the evening, he was sitting on Stephanie's lap, his arms around her neck, her arms around his waist, as the Dozen thanked him for an excellent meal and his great assistance in making their evening a complete success. Stephanie marveled at his quiet, unassuming character and the depth of his sincere love for her. THE FUNERAL The message from his mother, sorry, Mrs. Tangmere, came one Sunday afternoon during reading week of his third-year spring semester. The message was characteristically heartless and succinct: "Terry, your brothers died 2 days ago base jumping at Troll Wall, Norway. The funeral is tomorrow. Wear a jacket and tie. Best wishes, Mrs. Tangmere." Terry was devastated and collapsed on the couch as soon as he read it. Stephanie saw him in pain and asked what the matter was. He showed her the message. Stephanie had met the Tangmere Triplets once, at Thanksgiving last year, when they visited their brother. She had witnessed first-hand their close relationship and genuine feelings for each other. The four of them were so heartwarming to watch, playing and joking together. She knew Terry was sad that they had not been able to reunite more often. And now the Triplets were dead. Stephanie comforted Terry as best she could and arranged for the both of them to attend the funeral. It was a clich? dreary, damp, chilly, grey, overcast, windy, depressing day for a funeral. By the graveside, Terry stood next to Stephanie and watched his three brothers make their final descent into the hereafter. He cried and cried and cried. His mother scowled at him and hissed, "Tangmeres don't cry. Toughen up!" Stephanie shot her a look and rubbed Terry's back. The bodies in their graves, Terry excused himself to go for a little walk alone. Stephanie turned to meet Mrs. Tangmere for the first time. After some brief and cursory introductions, Mrs. Tangmere went substantive: "I understand that you have been instrumental in turning Terry into a gifted student. I would ask that you continue your efforts in that regard." Mrs. Tangmere raised her eyebrows, commandingly. "Terry," Stephanie replied, "was always gifted. He simply needed to be unwrapped. I deserve little applause because he's the one who made the effort. You may wish to learn that one of his academic papers has been accepted for publication in the 'Journal of English Literature'. His article is called 'Misandry, Misogyny, and Dystopian Outcomes in Transgender Fiction' and has already won two literary awards. Shall I forward you a copy at your convenience?" Stephanie raised her eyebrows, defiantly. Mrs. Tangmere turned to face Stephanie directly. She liked what she saw. "Whatever you are doing this summer, drop it and come work with me as my Executive Assistant. I am always on the prowl for good executive material. And a mixed law and MBA candidate, female at that, would be appreciated. If it works out, then stay on beyond summer. I wish to see how high you can fly." Mrs. Tangmere raised her eyebrows, teasingly. Stephanie quickly decided. "I'll tell daddy that I have changed my mind about working for him this summer. Perhaps you know him? Lester Dewey, of the law firm Dewey, Cheetem, and Howe?" Stephanie raised her eyebrows, a tad arrogantly. Mrs. Tangmere nodded; that firm had done some M&A work for Tangmere International a few years back. "Let's walk and talk," said Mrs. Tangmere, taking Stephanie's arm and smiling as only a CEO can smile when they want somebody to do something for them. -----000----- A few hours later, Terry and Stephanie were back at the dorm in their common room. Terry was drinking Grand Marnier and listening to some to the golden oldies that his brothers had loved so much, like the Smiths and like Siouxsie and the Banshees. Stephanie leaned back in her study chair and put her feet on the table. She asked Terry why he paid his own way through school, amassing debt, working part-time jobs, when, instead, he could've eased his burdens by asking his mother to pay for school and residence. "I wanted to prove to myself that I didn't need her. Maybe I need someone to help me get through life, but not her. Anyway, we have a long history. When it was time for me to apply to university, she asked me straight to my face, 'why?' as though it was pointless." He chugged an ounce of his drink. "And when I told her that I was interested in becoming a university professor and writing children's books, she flatly stated that I would never amount to much doing that." He chugged an ounce of his drink. "I informed her that I attached importance and significance to somethings in life to which she might not. Such as a family: husband, wife, children, and so on. Such as a warm, cozy home: fireplace, comfy couches and chairs, not Versailles style ones, you understand? No mansions for me. I want blankets and cuddling." He chugged an ounce of his drink. "I'm a small, puny runt, but I'm gonna make my own way, without her. Using my brains, my hands, and my feet, I'm going to create a loving family, a caring home, and, with a wife whom I adore, three children who will grow up devoted to each other forever. I can do all that --- without her. I simply need a great wife to help me achieve this." He chugged an ounce of his drink and looked at Stephanie with those puppy dog eyes that she found so adorable when she first met him. "I love you, Stephanie." "Don't be so tough on your mom," Stephanie offhandedly remarked. Terry raised his eyebrows, in disbelief. TERRY GRADUATES Stephanie had it planned to the smallest detail. Friday, graduation day. She invited Terry's mother who, after re-arranging her schedule and reminding Stephanie of the trouble, begrudgingly accepted the invitation. Her parents would attend too. The parents would meet; Stephanie was certain they would get along well. All of them would come together at brunch to witness Stephanie propose to Terry. Immediately afterward, the graduation ceremony that would see Terry being the Valedictorian for the Faculty of Arts and Stephanie for the Faculty of Law. She had the gold choker melted into a ring and the blue sapphire set into it. She would ask Terry to be her partner, after first jokingly asking him to become her wife. She took for granted that their partnership would forever be a bit tilted, her being the senior partner and him the junior. But that was the pattern of their life together. And she never wanted it to end. It began with that jewelry; it would continue with that jewelry, until death did them part. -----000----- Terry had it planned to the smallest detail. Thursday night, just before graduation day. He had been frugal and now felt confident spending his money on his future, their future. He reserved that special table at Restaurant 21, the finest in town. He scheduled a violinist to play Roberta Flack's 'Making Love' and a soloist, a young teenage girl, to accompany it. He requested Stephanie's favourite dishes for the dinner. Candles. A quiet corner. Romance. The ring cost a pretty penny; its two small emeralds, two small rubies, and two small sapphires flanked a petite but distinguished flawless diamond. It was substantive, both literally as well as in the sense of common memory Terry and Stephanie shared; Terry was certain of that. -----000----- Thursday night. The delicious dinner eaten. The violinist and soloist just departed the table. The candles flickered. Terry got on his knee. Others in the restaurant caught the move and started looking, smiling. "Stephanie, I love you. I always have, and I always will. I am so tremendously grateful that you invited me into your life. You have comforted me through some of the darkest times of my life and been my biggest champion during the brightest. You are the best. I cannot imagine living without you." He took a nervous breath and continued. "I would be privileged were you to accept this ring as a symbol of my devotion to and adoration of you. And of my eternal commitment to you. I will give you everything I can give. Would you please marry me and be my wife?" His eyes said it all as he opened the ring box and held it before her. He waited for her answer. He saw her smirk. Then she giggled. She then laughed. "No, my little Tiny Tiger. No, no, no. I'm not going to be teeny weeny tiny Terry's wife. Not a wife. I can't do 'wife'. I can be the husband; you can be the wife. I would probably make a better husband than you would." She laughed and smiled at him. "Oh, the look on your face is priceless! Now sit back up and let's have another glass of champagne! And let's see what tomorrow brings!" Terry got up, put the ring on the table, and left. -----000----- Stephanie was starting to get concerned. It had rained heavily last night but Terry had never returned to their dorm. The parents would be arriving soonest. "I don't know where he is," she shortly explained to them. It was a muted brunch, but Mr. Dewey and Mrs. Tangmere got along quite well. Stephanie's mom pulled her aside and asked, "What happened?" Stephanie described the entire Thursday dinner in detail to her. Her mom gasped, speechless, stunned: "You stupid, stupid, stupid cunt." She slapped Stephanie in the face and walked away. Stephanie frantically tried to contact Terry on her phone. The automated reply stung: "We're sorry. This number is no longer in service." The graduation ceremony was painful. Terry did not appear when the Dean summoned him to give his valedictorian speech. Nor did he appear to receive his diploma. Stephanie, crying, finally realizing the calamity she may have caused, stumbled through her speech (which Terry had printed out for her a few days before). The ceremony over, they all went back to the dorm room to see whether Terry had shown up. He was not there. His two bags were gone, as were his clothing and his few beloved books. One could survey the room and conclude that he had never been there at all. Stephanie's mom left the room, crying, stating that she would be waiting in the car. "We can deal with this tomorrow," Stephanie's dad said, "let's start getting your belongings in the car Stephanie. Your new job awaits!" He smiled at Mrs. Tangmere. "He'll be okay," Mrs. Tangmere said, "he's used to getting by on his own. And, if he really loves you, then he'll come back. Don't worry about him." It then suddenly hit Stephanie; he was gone. She sobbed and clutched the beautiful ring Terry had so romantically offered her when he had proposed to her. It was the only thing of his that was left. FIVE YEARS LATER "Are you ready?" CEO Mrs. Tangmere walked down the shiny hallway toward the boardroom. Business power suit. Click-clack of power heels. Stylish reading glasses. Greying hair in a French bun. Minions in her tow. "Yes. The litigation is going to cripple those shmucks, and then we can hit them with the July 50 calls. They'll get de-listed. They're dead meat," said the similarly dressed and equally composed Senior Vice- President Stephanie Dewey, walking side-by-side with the CEO. Tangmere International was thriving. The combination of Dewey, Cheetem, and Howe's M&A acumen and Tangmere International's ambitions and resources was a deadly one, specifically, to other companies, it was deadly. Stephanie had risen through the senior executive ranks and had became Mrs. Tangmere's most trusted advisor. Her father's firm handled all significant corporate legal matters for the company too. And Mrs. Tangmere had tapped Stephanie to replace her upon retirement in two more years. -----000----- Nothing had been seen or heard of Terry since that fateful Thursday five years ago. Mrs. Tangmere sauntered into Stephanie's office, dropped the magazine on her desk, and sat down. Stephanie looked at her, puzzled. Mrs. Tangmere pointed to the cover. Stephanie looked at it. The magazine was 'Modern Writing'. On the cover was a picture of Terry surrounded by children in a children's centre of some kind. He was laughing as though the children were tickling him (they had been when the picture was taken). On page 9 was the cover article: 'Inside The Mind Of A Best Selling Children's Writer'. Stephanie cautiously turned the pages to the article. Her heart raced as it had not in years. She felt herself starting to sweat. She read the article. -----000----- A few extracts... "Q: Why children's writing? A: There are few things more rewarding than raising a child. If one can assist others in raising theirs, then one can take great satisfaction from that." Stephanie recognized his sincerity. "Q: Did that zoo story really happen? A: Yes, a friend of mine did a wonderful thing for that tourist. I thought her example of helping others would be inspirational to youngsters, so I put it in. It was long ago, and I forget her name." Stephanie snorted at his typical modesty. "Q: Where did you meet your wife? A: I was wandering down some streets many years ago, late at night, after dinner, I may have been lost and I recall it was raining, and Aleida took pity upon me, I guess, offered me a cup of coffee, and we started talking. She's a nurse at the local hospital." Stephanie winced at the memory of that night. "Q: Your triplets have very distinctive names. How did you arrive at them? A: Regina came out first so that seemed apt. Freya started slobbering all over my face, kisses as they may have been, so Freya for love it was. Lois, well, actually, it's Achelois, and she was the first to laugh. Some of my favourite childhood memories concern playing with people named after gods; so I get to do it again as an adult!" Stephanie sniffled, remembering Terry's love for his brothers, and theirs for him. "Q: Any muses? Past? Present? A: Just Aleida now. Any muses I had as a kid are dead. Any muses I had in university are... [ed: he paused for a minute]. Aleida now, just Aleida." Stephanie's heart sank reading that. "Q: Worst bit of advice in literature? A: Milton. 'Better to reign in hell than serve in heaven'. It's so false. I worship my wife and wouldn't have it any other way [ed: Aleida added, 'Neither would I' and laughed]." Stephanie paused --- "wife" --- and looked out her window: her face was empty. The picture accompanying the article showed a family of five entangled like weasels on a comfy bed, all of them wearing pajamas, a German Shepherd anxiously looking on from the foot of the bed. Smiles. Laughing. Love. -----000----- Mrs. Tangmere asked Stephanie, "Don't they make a cute couple?" Stephanie twirled her two rings around her ring finger. END By Rhayna Tera, copyright 2019