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He smiles and nods "Yeah Go ahead and open it"

As I turn to the bed to lay the package there, I say, more to myself, "I don’t think I want to"

Ryker walks up beside entle hand on my shoulder, and says, "Open it anyway"

My heart thunders as I put e of the brown paper What in the world could it be and, ? We are done We are nothing to each other

I peel back the paper, tearing it slightly where it’s taped, revealing some type of framed print that is turned upside down on o ahead and flip it over and gasp out loud

It’s ree

My diploma that had been sent to Daddy’s house

Fralass over the front

"Oh, ," I murmur as my eyes rove over it

THE REGENTS OF NORTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY HAVE CONFERRED UPON ROBERTA KATHRYN FRANCIS THE DEGREE OF BACHELOR OF ARTS WITH A MAJOR IN PSYCHOLOGY WITH ALL THE RIGHTS AND PRIVILEGES THERETO PERTAINING

I turn to look at Ryker, who is staring at it with a smile on his face "Nice, huh?"

"When? How?" I ask, bewildered

He shrugs "He called your father last week Asked him to mail it to him so he could have it fraesture I had looked at the diploot to my daddy’s trailer It was in a rolled cardboard tube and I had a silly grin on ht I’d see it framed so soon because I just didn’t have that type of money for as essentially a luxury ite," Ryker says quietly "You don’t have to call hi He just wanted you to have it"

"Okay," I say,with emotion I’ain, it would hurt too much to even talk to hi a final goodbye with this gift

"Want to hang it in here?" he asksit tomorrow"

"Sure," I say with a tre over Ryker’s thoughtfulness "That would be great"

Chapter 31