Chapter Sixty-Five
T hatcher had heard about people whose lives were changed in an instant. But those were usually tales of lottery winners or people who’d found weird items in their food and been awarded great sums. For him, the change hadn’t had anything to do with money, yet he felt somehow richer.
The past weeks had been some of the happiest of his life. The holidays had been perfect. Vickie had fit in so well with his family and they’d had such a wonderful time. And although Katherine had spent most of the holidays with her mother, he’d gotten together with his daughter several times. It would be a slow process, but the time spent getting to know her was precious. He felt more comfortable in the fatherly role with each passing day.
And now he stood before his colleagues, surprised at his lack of nerves. But he was ready. Vickie had helped him prepare for the presentation until he practically had the entire thing memorized.
He took a deep breath and clicked to the first screen of his presentation. “As Abraham Lincoln once said ‘If you once forfeit the confidence of your fellow citizens, you can never regain their respect and esteem’.” He met Clark’s eyes on the front row. “Friends and colleagues, I stand before you today, hoping that I still have your confidence. It is no secret that I’ve been resistant to changing my methods of instruction. But after much consideration, I have decided that an overhaul is needed if we want to continue to attract quality students to our esteemed program.”
He paused and clicked through to the next slide. “But perhaps not in the way you might think. I still stand by my opinion that I am not here to entertain students. Instead, as a professor of American history, I am called to teach them the history of our country. One of our great presidents, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, once advised that our nation must learn from the past in order to create a better future.”
Thatcher looked out over the crowd and nodded in John’s direction. It was nice to have some support. “Taking that into consideration, I have come to the conclusion that one of the things I can do to increase enrollment is to make sure my students have access to the wonderful historical lessons that are provided in our great city.”
He moved through the slides and took the room through some of the monuments, memorials, museums and educational opportunities that could be found in the city or within a short drive. Many of them had clips of Vickie’s ranger programs from different monuments along the National Mall. Being able to hear her voice and see her on the screen made him feel like she was right there, helping him present the information. “While it would be far too lengthy to go through each opportunity, you can consult the handout I provided. There are literally hundreds of opportunities which will enable us to offer a more hands-on approach to history.”
Thatcher clicked to the final slide, this one him and Vickie. She wore her ranger uniform and they stood, smiling, in front of the Jefferson Memorial. “Thomas Jefferson, one of our founding fathers, is quoted as saying ‘I cannot live without books’. And I, too, firmly believe in the importance of books and what can be learned from books. But I also believe we will better serve our students by creating partnerships with some of our local institutions, particularly the National Park Service and the Smithsonian Institute.”
He concluded his presentation and took his seat. John leaned forward and clapped him on the back. “Nicely done,” he whispered.
Thatcher grinned. Partly because he was proud of the presentation, but mainly because he knew Vickie would be waiting when the meeting was over. He couldn’t wait to share the success.
∞∞∞
Thatcher shook Dean White’s hand and made his way out the double doors of the auditorium. Vickie was standing in the lobby. He’d told her she didn’t have to come, but he was really glad she was there.
“Hey,” He grinned.
Her eyes were wide with excitement. “Well? How did it go?”
He grabbed her hand. “Let’s go for a walk and I’ll tell you.” He held the door for her and ushered her out into the courtyard.
“It was a homerun. They loved the idea of the partnerships and were very excited about our plan to incorporate area sites into classes.”
Vickie squeezed his hand. “I knew it. What about Clark? Did he say anything ugly about it?”
“Actually, no. He wasn’t exactly cheering, but he did say it was a nice job.” Thatcher grew serious. “There is one thing, though.”
“What?”
“They offered me the Department Chair position.”
She let out a squeal. “Oh, I’m so happy for you. I know how important this was to you.”
“I turned it down.”
Vickie drew her brows together. “What? I don’t understand. Why would you do something like that?”
He cleared his throat. “When I set out to be named the Department Chair, my entire life was devoted to my job. But now I have you. And Katherine.” He shook his head. “I don’t want my whole life to be about work anymore.” He glanced at her, trying to gauge her reaction.
“Are you sure?”
“I’ve been praying so much about this decision. And when Dean White told me the position was mine if I wanted it, I just knew. I’m honored to have been considered. But I don’t want to add work responsibilities right now.”
She grinned. “I’m glad you feel good about the decision.”
“I do. But do you want to know what I feel even better about?”
“What’s that?”
He pulled her close. “The thought of a future with you,” he whispered.
Vickie stood on her tiptoes and planted a kiss on his grinning lips. “I feel pretty good about that myself.” She stepped back. “Okay, I really have to get to work. This may have been the longest lunch break ever.”
Thatcher grinned. “See you after work?”
She nodded. “You know it.”