“Mom, this exam is one of the most important for me. I need to get this right.”
“Willa, you’ve aced every exam so far. Ajei and Kelsey said you’re a natural. They even said you should go to medical school,” said Kev.
“No. No, way. I don’t want to be a doctor. I feel like I do more good just being a nurse.”
She finished her last bite of eggs, grabbed the pancake and folded it in half, shoving the piece of sausage between the folds. She kissed Finn again and ran toward the door.
“I’m guessing as a nurse she knows that all that food wasn’t good for her,” smirked Finn.
“You would think so,” laughed Tila. “Our daughter has an appetite. When she’s nervous, her favorites are peanut butter dipped pretzels, salt and vinegar potato chips, and popcorn. She reminds me of Brit.”
“Well, I don’t care if she eats all day, every day. I love your daughter and I should have said something sooner.”
“It all worked out,” smiled Tila. “What are you guys up to today? Or do I even want to know?”
“Well, the last of the Mardi Gras parades are coming through in the next week or so. That always brings excitement. Plus, with doing the parade of boats through the bayou, we’ve got to have them all ready to roll on time,” said Finn.
“We’ll make it happen,” said Quinn. “Speaking of, let’s go. Mama Irene, Claudette, Erin, and the others want to meet with us.”
“What’s wrong?” asked River.
“Nothing wrong. They want us to build a secret viewing stand for Irene, Matthew, Ruby, Sven, George, Mary and the other ghosts.”
“Can’t they just make themselves disappear?” asked Kev.
“That’s what I said and the look I got back was not one I’d like to experience again. See y’all later.”
CHAPTER FOUR
Willa stared at the question on the exam once again and dug deep into her memory. She knew the answer but she was second-guessing herself, which wasn’t normal for her.
“Two minutes,” said the professor.
She nodded to herself, checked the box and submitted her responses via the electronic portal. She took in a deep cleansing breath and smiled, closing her laptop.
She couldn’t wait to leave and get back to Finn. One more exam and she’d be permanently home and wouldn’t have to see the inside of the classroom again for a long time.
“Times up.”
Groans and moans indicated that not everyone was finished, nor were they happy with their responses. She heard the sounds of people clicking their send buttons and laptops closing.
“As with every other exam, you’ll get your results via electronic communication this evening. You all have one final exam and then you’ll know your graduation status and date. Good luck to you all.”
With that, they were effectively dismissed. The campus was relatively quiet given that Mardi Gras holiday started in a few days. Their small group exited the building together, breathing a sigh of relief.
“Anyone want to go for po’boys and beer?” asked one of the students.
Jeannie was about the same age as Willa but she was a talker, often to her detriment. The professor on more than one occasion asked her to keep it quiet. She seemed oblivious to the comments and wasn’t embarrassed at all.
“I could go for something,” said another student. Three more nodded and Willa suddenly felt pressured to say yes. “Willa? Are you coming?”
“I don’t know. We still have one more and I need to study,” she said frowning.
“It’s just lunch, Willa,” said Jeannie.
“Let me call my fiancé so he doesn’t worry,” she said smiling.
“You’re engaged?” asked Morris. “When did that happen?”
