Bill and Bridget enjoyed the dance competition on Saturday and loved Dibe’s dancing. We also met a boy, Gad Deschene, who lost a brother in the Vietnam war, and I had to try and help him. I hope I did. Then we saw Mrs. Benallie, who owns the clothing shop just outside of Santa Fe, and Bridget bought a skirt from her. Then we found a silversmith, Niyol Hatathli, from Santa Fe. Bridget purchased a pair of earrings from him.

We took Bill and Bridget for a walk past the round barn and to the remote hogan. We wanted her to see what a real hogan was like. Bridget picked up on the colored sand on the floor of the hogan, and we told her it was from ceremonies.

Sunday, on the way home, we went to the Taos Pueblo, and we saw Quah Ah and the new Governor. We also stopped by where the Eagle’s nest is, and all five of them showed up. Bill and Bridget were amazed as to how the Eagles acted towards us. We made a stop at Nunzio's for pizza, and that got good reviews from our guests.

When we were back at the house, Bridget went into the entrance hall and looked at the two sand paintings that were on the wall, and Ajie and I explained them to her and Bill.

Bridget looked at the Wolf Prayer wall hanging and said, “Kai, th’ Wolf Prayer is ye.”

Then as we walked into the big room, I looked at the answering machine, and the light was blinking. I rewound the tape, pressed play, and heard, “Kai, it’s Dr. Joe. It’s Friday afternoon, and there’s been a change of plans with Los Alamo. Give me a call as soon as you can.”

I said, “Now what!?”

“There’s only one way to find out, Kai.”, Ajie said.

“I know.”

“You’d better call him and find out.”

“Do I have to?”

“You know you do.”

I excused myself, went into the office, called Dr. Joe, and the conversation went like this.

When Dr. Joe answered the phone, he said, “Hello, Oshie residence.”

“Dr. Joe.”, I said. “It’s Kai.”

“Oh, good. You’re home.”

“I hope it’s good. But why were you home so early.”

“Things were better then we thought, so we came back early.”

“How’s Mary’s grandmother?”

“She’s better. Now, Miss Nez, what did you do?”

“Nothing.”

“Kai, I know better. What did you do.”

“Nothing but meditated in the hogan about her.”

“You do have a connection with the Great Spirit.”

“Maybe I do.

“Now, what’s going on with the project.”

“Mary and I came back late Friday afternoon, and the Dean called me at home.”, Dr. Joe said. “And I don’t think that you’re going to like this. But they want to put the current project on the back burner.”

“Why?”, I asked.

“They have something else that they need.”

“Need?”

“I guess it’s something that’s important and needs to be designed from the ground up. And falls into the secret category.”

“So they’re going to tell us what this thing is and what it needs to do. And we design and build it?”, I said.

“That’s how it sounds.”, Dr. Joe said.

“Hmm. And I assume that they want to meet as soon as possible.”

“Tomorrow at Noon.”

“I have company from out of town!”

“I know. But we need you.”

“Okay. If you don’t hear from me, I’ll see you tomorrow at Noon.”

“No.”

“No?”, I said.

“We’re going there.”, Dr. Joe said. “So, in the Dean’s office at ten.”

“You are kidding me?”

“Sorry, Kai, I’m not kidding.”

“Okay. Talk to you later. Bye.”

“Kai, don’t be mad.”

“I’m not mad yet, just a little upset.”

“I know you are. Hágoónee' - (see you later), Kai.”

“Yeah, hágoónee', Dr. Joe.”

And we hung up. I sat there for a few minutes, trying to calm down. Finally, I got up, went out to the kitchen, and looked in the refrigerator. I was looking for some of Amy’s sangria. And there wasn’t any.

So I looked to see where the other three were, and they were out in the courtyard. I walked out and sat next to Amy. She looked at me and asked, “Kai, what’s wrong.”

“Los Alamos wants us to put the current project on hold and jump on another one.”, I replied.

“Is that bad?”

“That’s not bad. What’s bad is that they want to meet tomorrow at Noon in Los Alamos.”

“That isn’t bad is it?”, Bill asked.

“It is.”, I said. “You and Bridget are here. And I want to spend time with you guys, and the Dean knew that.”

“Kai, we’ll still be here fur four more days.”, Bridget said.

“I know. But meetings at that time of the day mess up the whole day.”

“I’ll be right back.”, Amy said as she got up.

Amy walked out of the courtyard and into the house. Then Bill asked, “Didn’t you say that the people from Los Alamos usually come to the university?”

“They usually do.”, I replied. “But, when it’s special, they sometimes ask us to come to them.”

Then I changed the subject, and Bill, Bridget, and I talked until Amy came back carrying four glasses. She handed a glass to each of us, and said, “Kai, our sangrias have alcohol in them. And Bill and Bridget’s are non-alcohol sangria, and hopefully, I made them so they taste like ours.”

Bridget sipped hers and said, “This is guid, Amy.”

Bill sipped his and said, “Yes, it is good.”

“Thanks.”, Amy said. “I played around with a few things trying to make it taste like what I made Kai and me, and I thought I had it.”

“Sis, I am twenty-one.”

“I know, little brother, but Bridget isn’t. If you want the alcohol version, I’ll get you one.”

“Maybe next time.”

We spent the evening relaxing out in the courtyard.

I slept well last night, but when I woke up Monday morning, I remembered that I had to go into the university and then to Los Alamos. That set my mood for the day. I rolled over, and Amy wasn’t there, but then I smelled something, something that smelled very good. So I knew what woke me up.

I got up, slipped on my underwear and a robe, and walked out into the house. The kitchen was a bevy of activity. Amy was cooking. Bill had gotten the coffee maker out and was making coffee. And Bridget was working on toast. So, as I walked over, I got a “Yá’át’ééh abiní, Kai. - (Good morning, Kai.)” from all three of them.

I returned the “Yá’át’ééh abiní.” Then I said, “Amy, have you been giving Navajo lessons?”

“Just a quick lesson in good morning.”, Amy replied.

“So, what’s cooking?”

“Just an egg and potato skillet.”

Amy’s egg and potato skillet contained, of course, eggs, diced potatoes, thick-sliced bacon, chunky salsa, and shredded smokey cheddar cheese. With warm tortillas on the side.

I went and poured orange juice for everyone. Bill asked who wanted coffee, and it was just him and Bridget. And of course, what we had on our toast was butter and honey.

As we ate breakfast, I asked, “So what are you three going to do today?”

“We haven’t figured that out yet.”, Bill said.

“You could always take the Tramway up to the Crest.”

“Since you and I have never done that, I thought we’d save that until you can go.”, Amy said.

“Good thinking. You could go to Old Town and wander the shops. Be sure to say hello to Cousin Ahiga if you do.”, I said.

“That’s a good thought.”

“Then, there’s the zoo and the botanic gardens.”

“Oh, another good idea.”

After breakfast, which had helped my attitude, I went and got cleaned up and dressed. And, yes, I dressed for a meeting. Long fancy skirt, a fancy blouse, and fancy wrap moccasins. A few pieces of jewelry. And I did my hair in a single braid, and I had that over my left shoulder with a fancy end. My earrings were one of the pairs of silver feather ones. And my choker was the one that both of my grandfathers had made.

When I walked out of the bedroom, it hit me. I need to call Chief Chah’s office this morning. But, I think we’d better look at our petitions first, which had been in my purse since he gave them to me. Oops.

I found my purse and took out the two envelopes. Then I found Amy, and as I handed her the envelope, I said, “I think we need to read these.”

She took the envelope and said, “Yes, we should.”

We both opened our envelopes and read over the petitions. Chief Clah had listed my current legal name, Thomas Bly Young, then list what I want it changed to, Kai Nez. My place of birth and birth name. And a few other items of importance.

Amy was the first to say, “Everything looks good.”

“Mine too.”, I said. “Don’t sign it.”

“I won’t. What reasons for the name change did he list on yours?”, Amy asked.

“He listed three things. The new name was given to me by the Navajo Nation’s Tribal Elders. It’s the way that most people know me. It’s a more ethnic name as I feel that I’m a part of the Navajo Nation.

“How about yours?”

“It’s almost the same as yours, except he listed four reasons.”, Amy said. “The name was given to me by the Navajo Nation’s Tribal Elders. It’s the way that the Navajo people know me. It’s a more ethnic name as I feel that I’m a part of the Navajo Nation. My husband, Thomas Bly Young, is changing his name to Kai Nez.”

Then I found Chief Clah’s business card and called his Albuquerque office. I explained who I was to his secretary, and she knew who I was and what we were doing. And she asked if we could meet Mr. Clah at nine on Wednesday at the Clerk of Court’s Office at the Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court on Lomas Boulevard. And I told her that we’d be there.

Bill and Bridget had overheard all of this, and Bridget said, “Those reasons aur interestin’.”

“Do you two want to go to the courthouse with us on Wednesday?”, Amy asked.

“Won’t we be intrudin’?”

“No, honey, you won’t. Then we can do something if you want.”

“Okay.”

I left for the university at about nine, and half an hour later, I was walking into my office. Okay, I share the office with Dr. Joe, and he was there, so as I walked in, he looked up and said, “Good morning.”

I didn’t say anything, but walked over, plopped my purse on the work table, and sat behind the table. Dr. Joe then said, “You’re still mad?”

“You could say that.”, I replied.

“Kai, these things happen.”

“I know. But, we’ve been planing this week since last Christmas.”

“I know, Kai. I’ve had these things happen to me. It’s part of the job.”

“When we go to Hawaii, I don’t want that messed up.”

“Hawaii!?”

“We’re thinking of doing a week there just before classes start.”

“Okay. That will be fun.”

“So, what’s this all about.”

“You know as much as I do. And like I told you, the Dean called me Friday and just said that the current project was on hold. And that we had a meeting in Los Alamos at Noon today, and you and I needed to be there to discuss a new project. And that it was to be kept quiet.”

“I see.”

Just before ten, Dr. Joe and I were walking into the Dean’s office, and Sara and I exchanged hellos. Then Sara said, “The Dean maybe a few minutes. You might as well take a seat.”

Dr. Joe and I sat. And that few minutes turned into ten. Then it turned into fifteen. Finally, Dean Rutherford walked out of his office and said, “Sorry. But I was on the phone with Dr. Lingham. Let’s go.” (Dr. Lingham is the president of the university.)

The three of us walked out to the faculty parking lot, got into the Dean’s car, and headed for Los Alamos. As we got onto the Interstate, Dean Rutherford said, “Miss Nez, this may interest you. I was talking to the President about your friend.”

“My friend, sir?”, I said.

“Yes, Mr. McLaughlin.” (Mr. McLaughlin, was the head of Student Housing who I’d had a run-in with after the fire.)

“He’s no friend of mine, sir.”

“I know, Miss Nez. And he’s no longer with the university.”

“Oh.”

“After what he pulled, he was given a choice. Resign or get fired. He resigned.”

“It seems that they give people that option a lot.”

“If they’re fired, they lose their pension. So we try to give them that option. Unless they’ve done something terrible.”

Sarcastically I said, “I guess what he did wasn’t that bad then.”

“I agree with you, Miss Nez, he should have been fired. But it wasn’t my call. They found that he had fixed it so that a couple of construction contracts went to his friends, and he was also planning on doing that with the electrical work that was going to be done in the married student’s housing.”

“They’re not going fire him or bring him up on criminal charges for that?”

“That hasn’t been decided yet.”

“Hmm.”

“And, Miss Nez.”, the Dean said. “I know you’re not happy about today. But it couldn’t be helped.”

“I know, Dean. Personal plans take a backseat to what the government wants.”

“Miss Nez, please don’t go into this meeting with an attitude.”

“I won’t, Dean. I understand that it’s important to work with them.”

“Thank you, Miss Nez.”

We finished the drive in almost silence, except that I told Dr. Joe about the dance competition and the Annual Indian Market next weekend in Santa Fe.

When we arrived at the Los Alamos National Laboratory, we went through the regular security check and received out visitor badges. Then we were driven to the administrative building and went through security again. Then we sat and waited.

Finally, Dr. Fontheim came to the reception area and greeted us. The first thing that he said was, “I must apologize for such short notice for this meeting. But something has come up.”

We walked with Dr. Fontheim back to a conference room, and when we walked in both Dr. Millman, who is an Assistant Director of the whole Laboratory and Dr. Höllmann, who is the head of research were there. We exchanged greetings. And Dr. Millman also apologized for the short notice.

Then Dr. Höllmann said, “What we have to propose to you is something a little different. There is no pre-design or design on this. You are going to be given the details of what is wanted, and then you are to determine if it’s feasible or not. If it is, you are to design and build a prototype. If it isn’t, you are to return everything to us.

“There is one item that’s special that you’ll receive today if you decide to do the project. You won’t find any information anywhere on it other than what’s in the binder that you will receive.”

“I understand that this is in the realm of being secret.”, I said.

“It’s more than just in the realm, Miss Nez. It is secret and verging on top secret.”

“And we can do this?”

“Yes. So, we have new nondisclosure agreements for you to sign again. Dr. Fontheim.”

Dr. Fontheim then took two binders out of a briefcase and handed one to me and one to Dr. Joe. Then he gave a sheet of paper to Dean Rutherford, and said, “Dean Rutherford, most of the information in the binders that Dr. Oshie and Miss Nez have is secret, so you will not be receiving anything at this time.”

I looked over the nondisclosure agreement, and it was identical to the last one that we’d signed. And they were already filled in with our names. We each signed our copy and gave them back to Dr. Fontheim.

Then Dr. Fontheim said, “Read over the first five pages in the binder and let us know what you think.”

“And.”, Dean Rutherford said. “As I usually do on these things, I’ll rely on Dr. Oshie and Miss Nez’s opinion about accepting the project or not.”

Dr. Joe and I read over the first five pages, which spelled out the basics of the project. And all of those pages were stamped secret.

Dr. Joe and I finished at about the same time. When he finished, Dr. Joe looked at me and asked, “What do you think, Kai?”

“I don’t see a problem.”, I replied. “It sounds interesting.”

“Are you two telling me that we should accept it?”, Dean Rutherford asked.

“Yes, sir.”, Dr. Joe said.

“Good.”

“Any comments Dr. Oshie or Miss Nez?”, Dr. Fontheim asked.

As I said, “Yes.”, I saw the Dean roll his eyes.

“And, what is that, Miss Nez?”

“I just wanted you to know that I have company at the house from out of state this week. And that I’ll be out of town for a long weekend this coming weekend.”

“That shouldn’t be a problem, Miss Nez. We know your work ethic.”

“Thank you, Dr. Fontheim.”

Then Dr. Fontheim placed a locking metal briefcase on the table and opened it. Then as he handed Dr. Joe and me an envelope, he said, “These are the combinations for this briefcase. And you may want to put your binders in it.”

Dr. Joe put his envelope in his jacket pocket, and I put mine in my purse. Then we put our binders in the briefcase, closed it, and locked it.

Then Dr. Millman said, “Dr. Joe. Miss Nez. I’d suggest that you don’t talk about this project in any place but your office or in a secure lab.”

“Yes, sir.”, Dr. Joe replied. “We’re careful about anything like that.”

“That’s good to hear.”

A little later, as we were walking from the entrance building to our car, Dean Rutherford asked, “Where would you like to stop for lunch?”

“If you don’t mind, sir.”, I said. “I’d like to go straight to the university, put this case in the file cabinet, and then go home to my guests.”

With the sound of disappointment, the Dean said, “I guess we can do that.”

I looked at the time and said, “Okay, let’s go into Los Alamos and see if we can find a place to eat.”

“Never eaten in Los Alamos before, Miss Nez.”, the Dean said.

“No, sir.”

We drove into Los Alamos and drove around looking for a restaurant. We finally came across one that, even though it was after lunchtime, was busy. We parked and went in with Dr. Joe carrying the briefcase. We did have a nice meal and were back on the road a little after two. I did make sure that Dr. Joe had brought the briefcase back to the car with him.

It was almost three when we were back at the university. The three of us went to our office and put the briefcase in the fireproof file cabinet and locked it. Dr. Joe was heading home as was I, so we set the alarm and locked the office door as we left.

The Dean went to his office, and Dr. Joe and I headed to the faculty parking lot. As we walked, Dr. Joe said, “Thanks for going along with stopping for lunch.”

“I figured that the Dean looks forward to that sort of thing.”, I replied.

“He does. Also, thanks for keeping your anger under control.”

“As I said, I understand the importance of working with them. And that sometimes we need to bend a little.”

“So, what do you think of the project?”, Dr. Joe asked.

“It’s interesting and will be a little challenging. But it’s doable.”

“You already have some thoughts on it. Don’t you?”

“Of course. It’s just going to take reading the details. But, I’ll have a week just to think over the basics, and that may give me some more ideas.”

“Don’t dwell on it.”

“I won’t. I’ve got better things to do.”, I said with a grin.

“And what’s that?”

“Anything else, but. But there’s one special thing.”

“And that is?”

“Become the godparents to a friend's baby.”

“That is a much better thing.”

“See you next Tuesday, Dr. Joe.”

“See you, Dr. Kai.”

And we both headed to our homes. During my twenty-minute drive home, I didn’t think about the project but wondered what Amy, Bill, and Bridget had done. When I pulled into the garage, Amy’s car was there. So, they were home.

When I walked in from the garage, Amy greeted me with a hug, a kiss, and a glass of sangria. I followed Amy out to the courtyard where Bill and Bridget were. I sat, and they filled me in on going to Old Town, meeting Cousin Ahiga, eating at the La Placita Dining Rooms, and then going to the zoo. When they finished telling me everything, Bridget asked, “How was yer meetin’.”

“It was a meeting?”, I replied. “I would have rather been with you guys.”

“So, was it worth it?”, Amy asked.

“I guess. This new project is more important and is needed well before the other one is.”

“Can you tell us anything?”, Bill asked.

I looked at Bill and said, “I can tell you one thing. It’s secret, almost top secret, so I can’t tell you anything.”

Bill just shook his head. And Bridget said, “It must be hard tae nae talk about it?”

“Not really, especially when you realize that if you do, you could end up in Federal prison.”

“Och!”

“Honey.”, Amy said. “Would you like trying your hand at grilling some steaks again?”

“I’ll try.”, I replied. “But do you have a backup just in case I make charcoal out of ‘em?”

“You won’t. You did a good job on the last ones.”

“Beginners luck.”

Well, I did do a good job with the steaks using the wood again. And the corn on the cob and potatoes that Amy and Bridget did were terrific. Afterward, we took them to the drive-in for dessert, ginger ale milkshakes. Then we went for a walk along the river. We walked upriver and sat on the bench that was across the river from the island with a dead tree on it. We’d been sitting there for a few minutes when one of the adult Eagles flew in and landed on the dead tree. Then within a minute, he was joined by the other adult Eagle.

“Are those Bald Eagles?”, Bill asked.

“Yes. They’re the two adult Bald Eagles that you saw the other day.”, I said.

“How can ye be sure?”, Bridget asked.

“There aren’t any other Bald Eagles in the area except for the three Eaglets. And we just know that they are.”

“So, they have come tae ye?”

“Yes, they started showing up not long after we moved out here.”

“That is sae cool.”

The Eagles stayed about five minutes and then flew off north. Then we walked back to the parking area and headed back to the house. On the way back, Bill asked if they could spend the night in the hogan. Of course, they could.

When they were ready to turn in, we went with them to the hogan. And with the help of a flashlight, I lit the two bedside lanterns and then the fire that was in the fire pit. As we said Yá'át'ééh hiilchi'i' – (good night) to them, I gave them the flashlight and keys.

Amy and I went to the courtyard, cuddled on one of the couch, and star gazed for a while before turning in ourselves.

When Amy and I were up, we found our visitors again cuddled out in the courtyard. We walked out and joined them, and Amy asked, “So how was your night in the hogan.”

Bridget said, “How can someplace be sae peaceful.”

“It just can. You are away from the city and traffic noises. And the walls are thick, and there are no windows. So it’s just a peaceful place.”

I’m not going to bore you with else what went on Tuesday. We just did some tourist things and hung out together. It felt good to do nothing unless we wanted to do it.

Wednesday, we were meeting Chief Clah at the Clerk of Courts Office in downtown Albuquerque. And Bill and Bridget were going with us. When I got up this morning, I dressed as my male Navajo self, the white linen pants, ribbon shirt, and moccasins. I’d done my hair in a male braid. My jewelry was at a minimum, a couple of rings, one bracelet, a pair of man’s earrings, and the ever-present meteorite necklace.

When Bridget saw me, she said, “Oh ma. Kai ye make a handsome man.”

“Not for long I hope.”, I replied.

At about eight-thirty, we were parking the car and walking towards the courthouse. Bill and Bridget had come with us.

We walked into the Clerk of Court’s Office. Chief Clah was already there, he looked at us, and I think he recognized Amy and possibly Bill and Bridget. But he gave me a questioning look. Then he finally smiled and walked over to us.

As he walked up, I said, “Yá’át’ééh abiní, Naat'áanii Clah. – (Good morning Chief Clah.)”

“Here it’s just Mr. Clah.”, Chief Clah said. “And I didn’t recognize you, Kai Nez. Seeing Amy, I figured that man with her had to be you.”

“And it’s just Kai.”

“Okay, Kai. Are you and Amy ready to do this?”

I looked at Amy. She smiled and said, “Yes.”

I then said, “Yes.”

“Good.”, Chief Clah said, “Come with me.”

The four of us followed Chief Clah to a door that was marked, ‘Private’. The Chief knocked on the door, and we heard a woman’s voice say, “Come in.”

The Chief opened the door, and the five of us walked in. Chief Clah introduced us to Mrs. Breedlove, who’s the Clerk of Courts. She looked at the Chief and said, “Asta, I thought you were only bringing two people.”

“The other two are friends of Tom and Amy, and I didn’t think you’d mind if they came along.”, Chief Clah replied.

“It’s not a problem.”

Over the next few minutes, both Amy and I signed our petitions, Chief Clah witnessed them, and Mrs. Breedlove notarized them. Then we set a date and time to see the judge. It would be Thursday, August the fifteenth, at nine.

As we started to walk out of the Clerk’s office, we thanked her, then we thanked Chief Clah. And he said, “I’ll see you on the fifteenth if not before.”

“Not before?”, I asked.

“You might see me at the barbecue.”

“We’d love to see you at the barbecue.”

As we walked to the car, Bill said, “So, Amy, after next Thursday, you’ll no longer be my sister Amy?”

“Little brother.”, Amy said. “I’ll always be your big sister, no matter what.”

“I know. It just seems a little strange.”

“And just think, if we adopt, you and Bridget will be the child’s aunt and uncle.”

I saw Bridget’s eyes light up and said, “Aye, that could be fun.”

“It could.”, Bill said. “We could come out here, spoil ‘em rotten, and then go home.”

We headed back to the house. I changed clothes and became the female Kai. Amy went back with me while I changed. As I changed, Amy asked, “Did you have any problems being your male self?”

“You know. I didn’t.”, I said. “It was like my female spirit was happy about what’s going on.”

“She should be.”

We had lunch, and then we took our guests to someplace we’d never been, even though it’s only five minutes, from the house. We took them to the Sandia Peak Tramway.

As I pulled into the parking lot, I asked, “Are either of you afraid of heights?”

“Na.”, Bridget said.

“Not me.”, Bill said.

We went in and bought our tickets, and then we watched as one of the tram cars left the base departure station. Fifteen minutes later, the other tram car arrived at the departure station. There are two tram cars, and we’d pass the other one at the half-way point. After the few people coming down exited the car, we walked on. And Bridget said, “Na seats?”

“No, it’s only fifteen minutes to the top.”, I replied.

As the tramcar left the station and started up, I said, “You’ll be able to see all of Albuquerque and a big chunk of New Mexico from here.”

When we passed the point where the TWA airliner crashed in 1955, I pointed out what was left of the airplane. Bill said, “I thought that you’ve never been on the tram before?”

“I haven’t.”, I replied. “I read a lot.”

As we were at our highest point above ground, I said something about it. And Amy tightly grabbed my arm. I looked at her, and she looked at me with a nervous smile. I whispered, “I didn’t think you were afraid of heights?”

Amy whispered back, “Normally, I’m not. But something like this tram car bothers me. I like to have my feet on the ground.”

“Want to hike back down?”

“Yes, but we’re not dressed for it. So I’ll manage.”

When we were at the top, we got off the tram car and walked out of the upper departure station into the bright sunlight and cooler temperatures. Bridget remarked, “It’s cooler up here.”

“You’re almost a mile above Albuquerque.”, I said. “You’re at a little over ten-thousand three-hundred feet above sea level here. Albuquerque’s airport is a little over five-thousand three-hundred feet. So it’s cooler up here.”

“I’ll bet that the Sunsets are somethin’ else from up here?”, Bridget said.

“They are. But the tram doesn’t run at night, their last run is at eight, so we’d have to drive up.”

“You’ve done that?”

“Many times.”, Amy replied.

“Coud we?”, Bridget asked.

“Sure.”

“Tonight?”

“I don’t see why not.”

Then Bill asked, “What’s there to do up here?”

“There’s a downhill ski area on the east slope. That’s why the tramway is here. And here are miles and miles of hiking trails up here.”, I replied.

We hung out in the area of the tramway departure station, pointing things out to Bill and Bridget for about an hour then took the tram back down. As we were getting into the car, Bill asked, “Could we eat at the pizza place again before we go back home?”

“Nunzio's?”, I asked.

“Yeah, Nunzio's.”

“No problem. It’s one of our favorite places. Want to go tonight?, I asked.”

“We’d have to be sure that we were up on the Crest before eight to see the Sunset.”, Amy said.

“So, tomorrow might be best for Nunzio's?”, I asked.

“Yeah. Let’s go back to the house, have an early dinner, then drive up on to the Crest.”

“Early dinner?”, Bill asked.

“It takes an hour to drive up there from the house.”, I replied.

“An hour!?”, Bill said.

I chuckled a bit, then said, “In a straight line, it’s about two-and-a-half miles from the house to Sandia Crest, but there is no straight road up there. It’s a thirty-six-mile drive with several switchbacks. And that works to about an hour.”

“Everything is a long way out here.”

“It’s a big place. Remember that New Mexico is about three times the size of Ohio and four times the size of Scotland. And the Navajo Nation is six-tenth the size of Ohio and would just barely fit inside Scotland.”

“Kai, dae ye always remember things like this?”, Bridget asked.

“Most of the time she does.”, Amy said.

On the way home, we stopped and picked up something for dinner. Amy wanted to have fish, so it was salmon, sweet potatoes, and green beans. And we had a wonderful dinner.

Then about six-thirty, after tossing four jackets into the car, we headed to the Crest. And when we hit the switchbacks on the Sandia Crest National Scenic Highway, Bridget said, “Ah, don’t think I’ve iver been on a road like this.”

“And the view is amazing.”, Bill said.

“Aye, it is.”

I glanced at Amy and smiled. She smiled back.

Once we were at the top, we had a little time before Sunset, so first, I dug the jackets out of the car and handed them out. I wasn’t sure that the one I had for Bill would fit him. Then as everyone that we’ve ever brought up here do, Bill and Bridget walked over to the information center, and Amy and I followed. Then we heard Bill say, “We’re at ten-thousand six-hundred and seventy-nine feet above sea level. That’s over two miles!”

“And Denver thinks they’re high at a mile.”, I said.

“And there are a lot o hikin’ trails up here.”, Bridget added.

“Some of the best in the state.”, Amy said.

Then Amy, pointing at the information sign, said, “Kai, have you ever read this?”

I looked at what she was pointing at. And read it out loud, “The Sandia Crest is part of the Cibola National Forest, the Sandias are home to Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep, mule deer, black bear and many other mammals and birds – including the golden eagle.

“Golden eagle!”, I said.

“Yes, golden eagle.”, Amy said.

“Now, I’m wondering if the eagle we saw in the backyard was a golden eagle.”

“I wonder?”

We then wandered over to an observation point, I pointed and said, “Two and a half miles that way, and one mile down is the house.”

“Have you ever hiked it?”, Bill asked.

“No, but one day we will.”, I said.

“As long as it’s only down.”, Amy said.

Then I pointed out some interesting spots that we could see from up here.

Finally, the Sunset and it was really lovely. And then Bill and Bridget found out why I handed out coats, it got cold, and the wind picked up. And Bill said, “It sure didn’t take long for the temperature to drop.”

“It never does.”, I said. “What’s worse is getting caught up here in a summer rainstorm without the proper clothes, and coming down with hypothermia.”

“That wouldn’t be good.”

Then we watched as the lights in Albuquerque came on. Finally, Bridget said, “I’m getting cold.”

I said, “Okay, let’s go.”

“We walked over to the car and started heading down the east slope on the Scenic Highway. Just as we passed to Sandia Peak Ski Area, Amy said, “I could do with a milkshake and some french fries.”

“That sounds yummy.”, Bridget said.

So we headed to the drive-in. We all got french fries and ginger ale milkshakes, except Bridget, and she went with a strawberry milkshake instead of the ginger ale.

Bill and Bridget found out what fresh cold air can do to you. After we were back at the house, they could hardly stay awake and went to bed early. And I’d be lying if I said that the sandman didn’t also hit Amy and me because we didn’t stay up much later that Bill and Bridget did.

Thursday was another tourist thing, we took Bill and Bridget to several places that Amy and I had never been to, and we ate dinner at the High Noon Restaurant and Saloon in Old Town. Then we just spent the evening chilling out in the courtyard.

Friday before we went to the resort for the barbecue, Bill and Bridget packed everything except what they were wearing tonight to the barbecue and tomorrow to fly home. Amy and I did the same thing.

We went up to the resort as early as we could, because Bill and Bridget wanted to soak in one of the mineral pools again. And we got there just in time for lunch. So after lunch, it was to the pools. Then we took a hike up the cliff trail. We stopped at the little tree, and then took a walk on the P’osi loop trail with a stop at the ruins of the pueblo. Bill and Bridget also met a local resident, a rattlesnake. We kept our distance, but the snake wasn’t happy with us and kept rattling at us.

The barbecue was the usual thing. Meet with friends and family, my Aunt Ginny and Uncle Gaagii were there. Both Chief Kinlicheeny, Chief Clah, and their wives were there. So was Chief Tom and Vickie. The dancers, minus Dibe, were there. I was told Dibe was in Denver for some reason or another.

Right after I introduced the special guests and we’d eaten, we said hágoónee' - (see you later) to everyone and headed for home. We had an early flight tomorrow.

Saturday we were up early and put together a good breakfast. Then after a quick check of the house, we finished our packing, loaded the four suitcases, and one carry on into the ‘67 Chevy and headed for the airport. We were there in plenty of time to make our flight. I dropped Amy, Bill, Bridget, and the luggage off at the front of the terminal, a red cap helped them with the luggage, and I went to park the car. I pulled the camera bag out of the trunk and slung the strap over my shoulder.

As I walked into the terminal, my companions were just walking away from the airline counter after checking in. We then walked down the concourse to our gate. And waited. Finally, they called for boarding, and there appeared to be a dozen of us boarding this early morning flight. We showed the person at the gate our tickets, walked across the tarmac, and up the boarding stairs.

We found our seats. They were in the same row and on opposite sides of the aisle. Bill and I took the window seats, and Amy and Bridget took the aisle seats so they could talk.

We settled in for the flight to Dallas. And as I figured, Amy was asleep very quickly after we took off. About two hours after we left Albuquerque, we landed in Dallas, and Amy woke up and said, “Sorry.”

“For what?”, I asked.

“For falling asleep.”

“At least you can do that.”

An hour later, we were back in the air for the two and a half hour flight to Columbus. Amy was finally fully awake, and she and Bridget talked. Bill was looking out the window, watching the scenery fly by. And I was also looking out the window, but I was thinking about the new project.

About two and a half hours later, we were on the ground in Columbus. We taxied up to the gate, they wheeled the boarding stairs up to the plane and opened the door. As we were walking down the boarding stairs, Bridget stopped and said, “Carson a tha mo mhàthair is m ’athair an seo!?”

“What did you say?”, Bill asked.

“Sorry. But why are my mom and dad here!?”

“Where!?”

“Standing with your parents and Kai’s parents.”

I looked and found my parents. Then I saw a big man and a red-headed lady standing with them and Amy’s parents. Then I whispered to Amy, “I’m sensing anger.”

Amy looked at me and whispered, “Are you sure?”

I just nodded, yes.

As we walked up to the gate in the fence, I could sense the tension between Bridget and her parents. When we were with them, Bridget said, “Mom an dad whit are ye doin here!?”

“Young lady ye are in big trouble!”, Bridget’s mother said.

“Whit ... Whit did A dae?”

“Ye know whit ye did, young lady. We'll talk whan we get back tae the Young's house. No here.”

I gave my mother a questioning look. She shrugged her shoulders.

Bill’s dad then said to Bill, “Let’s get your luggage, and we’ll go to the house. We need to talk too.”

We all walked to the luggage pickup area, grabbed our luggage, and walked out to the parking deck. Our parents and Bridget’s parents were parked relatively close together. We first came to Bridget’s parent’s rental car, we hugged Bridget, and I whispered, “Call us when you get a chance.”

“I will.”, she whispered back.

Bridget and her parents got into their car and left. Bill and his parents got into his parent’s car and followed Bridget’s parent’s car. I looked at my parents and said, “All right. Bridget’s parents came all the way over here from Scotland. And I could feel the anger. What is going on?”

My mother said, “Bridget is their only daughter, and they found out that she and Bill were secretly married while they were in Scotland. And they are not happy.”

“So, they came over here?”

“Yes, they were talking about trying to annul the marriage.”

“They can’t. They’re both over eighteen?”

“Yes, I know. We haven’t had a good chance to talk to them. They only got here yesterday. But they’ve been talking to Bill’s parents for a few days. His parents aren’t happy either.”

“What else have they been talking about doing to them?”, Amy asked.

“I guess they talked about disowning Bridget.”, my mother said.

“That’s not fair.”, I said.

“I know. They’re paying for her schooling.”

Amy looked at me and asked, “Kai, what did you feel?”

“I felt anger.”, I said. “More from Bridget’s parents then from yours and Bills.”

“Really?”

“Honey.”, my mother said. “What did you feel about Bill and Bridget?”

“Mom.”, I said. “Even last Christmas, when we first met Bridget, I felt a strong attachment between her and Bill. And when they came out to New Mexico, I knew that they were married when they walked off the plane.”

“So, it’s a real thing between them?”

“Yes.”

“Getting married the way they did was wrong.”, my mother said.

“It probably was.”, I replied. “They were talking to us about a wedding after Bridget graduated.”

“They just couldn’t wait and wanted to tie the knot?”

“Yes, like Amy and I did.”

“But, you didn’t go behind our backs.”

“I know, but you and Amy’s parents were open to it. And I thought Amy’s parents were open to Bill and Bridget.”

“So did I.”, Amy said. “Maybe it was because they went behind their backs. But I can’t believe Bridget’s parents coming over here.”

“She’s their only daughter.”, my mother said. “And her dad is very protective of her.”

“I got the feeling that her parents and Bill got along when he was over there.”

“They did. From what little I heard, Bill even asked her dad for Bridget’s hand in marriage, and they were happy with it. They even had an engagement party for them.”

“Then they run off and get married.”, I said.

“I wish I was a fly on the wall.”, Amy said.

We finally got in my dad’s car and headed home. As we pulled up to the house, I thought, there’s that for sale sign again.

We took our stuff into the house, then Amy called Maria and told her that we were here. And we made arrangements to meet at the church before the ten o’clock mass tomorrow to talk with the priest. And then Amy called and spoke with Kelly.

Later we were talking with my mother, planning dinner when the phone rang. Mom answered it, then looking at Amy and said, “Honey, it’s Bridget, and she wants to talk to you.”

Amy got up, walked over to my mother, my mother handed her the phone. Amy took it and said, “Bridget. Honey. Is everything okay?”

Amy listened for a minute, then said, “Oh good. We were so worried.” … “I’m glad. You and Bill are such a wonderful couple. Kai saw it from the beginning.” … “That would be fun.” … “Okay, hold on.”

Amy looked at my mom, and as she handed her the phone said, “Mom, talk to my mom about dinner.”

I looked at Amy and asked, “Well?”

“I guess there was some yelling, a lot of crying, a lot of talking, then a lot of hugs, and a few handshakes.”, Amy replied.

“So, they’re not going to disown her.”

“No, that was just talk.”

“I’m glad. So, we’re going over for dinner?”