Getting to the Happily Ever After - 3. University of Texas at Austin

Aug. 20, 1981

It had been a long time coming. Once again Randy had everything he owned loaded in the back of his truck, and he was opening a new chapter in his life. Jeff Beck’s Freeway Jam was playing in his tape deck.

Mississippi was behind him now. He had learned a lot, made many friends, some of them he even loved, but that was just a stop on his journey. His most important lesson learned was not all families are blood.

Travis had become like a kid brother to him. It had astonished him how fast and completely that had happened. There was no doubt in either of their minds that they would be lifelong friends.

Byrum Academy had been a Godsend to all three. Alex and Clay had blossomed. They were popular and quickly made many friends, and Travis was named sophomore class favorite. They would graduate over the next several years.

Jim graduated in Randy’s class and was on his way to Mississippi State. Randy worried about him being up there all alone. Of the whole group maybe Jim had come the farthest of them all. He was different now; his darkness was gone and he was happy. He had met someone special, and now they were on their own journey and Randy wished them well.

He arrived in Austin just before sunset and drove to the little house on 22^nd street and parked beside Lee’s truck.

He went inside, hugged Lee and said, “It’s been a long strange trip. What do you say we start working on our happily ever after?”

And that they did, in each other’s arms, in the golden rays of a magical Texas sunset.