Forty-five minutes later, Jack was back at UCR. After giving Rose a quick call and telling Mari and Lizzy that the baby was here and Rose was fine, he set off across campus, hoping to catch his psychology professor before he left for the night. He knew that he would have a hard time convincing him to let him make up the final, but he had to try. His grade depended upon it.
Luck was with him. Professor Kimmel was still in his office, finishing some last minute questions for a final exam the next day. Jack knocked on the open door, getting his attention.
"Excuse me."
Kimmel looked up. "Hello, Jack. Good of you to show up."
Jack winced. "Dr. Kimmel, I know I missed the final, but I had a good reason."
"Oh? You don’t appear to be seriously ill or dead."
"My wife went into labor," Jack explained. "I was driving her to the hospital, but there was a traffic jam blocking our way. The baby was determined to make his way into the world, so we didn’t make it to the hospital, and I wound up delivering him myself."
"So, it’s a boy, is it?"
Jack’s eyes shone with pride at the thought of his new son. "Yes. Paul Michael Dawson, born in the front seat of the car about two hours ago." He paused. "Dr. Kimmel, I know it’s a lot to ask, but could I possibly make up the final? It really was an emergency that made me miss it. You know that I’m not one to make up a lot of excuses—I was always in class on time, and always got papers and such turned in when they were due."
"I’ll consider it, but your story sounds a little far-fetched."
"Dr. Kimmel, you know my wife was pregnant. She was with me when I was talking to you about a week ago. She had the baby this afternoon."
"Is she in the hospital now?"
"Yes, she is. Riverside Community Hospital."
"All right. If she and her doctor can confirm your story, you can make up the final this afternoon. No extra time to study."
"That will be fine. Thank you, Dr. Kimmel." Inwardly, Jack sighed in relief. Kimmel was hard-nosed; there was no denying it. He was known for his toughness and for not accepting any excuses without proof.
"What’s your wife’s name?"
"Rose Dawson."
Kimmel picked up a phone book and leafed through it, finding the number of Riverside Community Hospital. Dialing the phone, he waited a moment, then requested to speak to Rose Dawson. A moment later, Rose picked up the phone, sounding sleepy.
"Hello?"
"Hello, is this Rose Dawson?"
"Speaking."
"Mrs. Dawson, this is Dr. Kimmel, your husband’s psychology professor. I’m calling to confirm his story that he was unable to take the final because you were in labor and stuck in traffic."
"That’s right. The traffic was so heavy that we couldn’t get through. He delivered our son himself."
"What’s the baby’s name?"
"Paul Michael Dawson."
"Okay, you’ve confirmed it for your part, but I would like to speak to your doctor to be sure. What is your doctor’s name?"
"Dr. Juan Ortega. Fortunately, he had just finished delivering another baby when I arrived, so he was able to see me right away."
"Is he still at the hospital?"
"I don’t know. You could have him paged."
"All right. Thank you, Mrs. Dawson."
Kimmel hung up the phone, then dialed the hospital’s number again, requesting to speak with Dr. Ortega. As luck would have it, he was making one last round before leaving, allowing Kimmel to speak with him almost immediately.
After confirming that Jack was indeed telling the truth, Kimmel hung up the phone and turned to him.
"Okay, Jack, you’ve convinced me that it was a genuine emergency. You can make up the final right now. The classroom next door is empty, so go in there and have a seat. I’ll be with you in a moment."
"Thank you, Dr. Kimmel."
"You’ll have three hours to complete the exam, like any other student."
"Of course. I hope it won’t take me that long, but if it does, thank you."
"I hope it takes a shorter time, too. I’d like to get home sometime tonight. Now, get over there."
Jack nodded gratefully, picking up his backpack and hurrying into the next room, and settled down to take the test.
*****
Early on the morning of graduation day, Jack brought Rose home from the hospital. Fortunately, in spite of the precarious birth, both Rose and Paul were fine and ready to go home. Jack had brought Mari and Lizzy to visit, and Mari had cooed over her new "nephew", while Lizzy had been fascinated by her tiny brother with his clinging hands, random movements, and unfocused eyes. They had told Lizzy that she was much the same way when she born, which she hadn’t quite believed, but thought was interesting nonetheless.
As they neared the campus and stopped at a red light, Jack looked at Rose, who was turned around in her seat, checking on the dozing baby in the back seat. Satisfied that he was fine, she turned back to the front, looking at Jack with a smile.
"Did you manage to make up your final?" she asked, sitting back as the light turned green.
"Yes. After Dr. Kimmel talked to you, he talked to Dr. Ortega and was convinced that I was telling the truth. He let me make it up, grumbling the whole time about wanting to leave."
"That was rude of him."
"He didn’t hold it against me. I got an A on it anyway."
"That’s great, Jack. I knew you could do it." She smiled, proud of his accomplishments.
In spite of working and caring for a family, Jack had managed to maintain a 4.0 GPA during his years at UCR and had been chosen to make a speech at his graduation ceremony. Due to the large size of the UCR graduating class, there were several ceremonies being held, enabling Jack and Rose to attend each other’s graduations.
"You haven’t done so badly yourself," he told her. "You’re graduating, too, at the seven o’clock ceremony, and you’re singing the national anthem. I wouldn’t even try that. I know it would be a disaster."
Rose grinned at that. It was true. Jack could not sing. "You have your own talents." Rose looked at her watch. "Your graduation is at three o’clock, isn’t it?"
"Yeah."
"We’ll all be there. I’ll take the kids. Then it’ll be your turn in the evening."
As they drove back onto campus, Jack asked, "Do you think you’re up to trying to make up your music final? You can pass without it, can’t you?"
Rose thought for a moment. "I think I’ll try it, anyway. It might mean a higher grade."
"Even though you’re not planning on going to school anymore?"
She shrugged. "You never know what will happen. Besides, it’s a matter of pride. I can do it, if my instructor will allow it."
"Okay." Jack pulled into a parking space near married student housing and got out of the car, going around to the back and picking up the baby, who whimpered at being disturbed.
"Come on, Paul. There’s nothing to cry about."
Paul soon calmed, soothed by both of his parents. Easing the walk for Rose, Jack carried the newborn, eliciting stares and smiles from students that they passed on the way.
When they reached Rose’s music instructor’s office, they sat down to wait. A sign on the door told them that the instructor, Jane Scott, would be back shortly. After about fifteen minutes, she showed up.
"Rose!" she said, looking at her student in surprise. "What are you doing? Do you realize you missed the final?"
"I know. I had a good reason, though." Rose stood up, showing her much-smaller stomach, then took the baby from Jack.
"Oh, you had the baby." She looked closely at Paul, reaching irresistibly to touch a tiny hand. "Is it a boy or a girl?"
"A boy," Rose told her. "Paul Michael Dawson."
"When was he born?"
"About three days ago."
"Your final was only two days ago."
"I know, but I was in the hospital, and they wouldn’t let me leave." Rose dug a doctor’s note from her purse. "Here."
Jane looked it over, then nodded. "Do you want to make up the final?"
"If I can."
"Okay, since you have a medical excuse, I’ll allow it. Which part do you want to do first—written or lab?"
"Um...I think I’ll do the written part first, so I have a chance to warm up my voice before the singing part."
"All right. You have an hour and a half for the written part. You’ll have about twenty minutes to warm up your voice, unless you get done early. Then you can take the lab portion early, too, if you choose. Uh...but you’ll have to find something to do with the baby while you take the test. You can’t keep him with you."
"Jack, will you take him home? I’m sure Lizzy is eager to see him."
"Sure." Jack took the infant from her, cradling him against his shoulder and patting his back as he whimpered at being disturbed. "Come on home as soon as you’re done—Lizzy misses you."
"Thanks, Jack. I’ll be home as soon as I can."
Jack gave her a quick kiss. "You’re welcome. Good luck."