Adam walked onto the stage in cap and gown to receive his degree of Bachelor of Arts (Honours) and later Bachelor of Science (Honours), both times to the thunderous applause of the crowned auditorium. Beaming from their seats, just two rows behind the assembled candidates sat his parents, Eli and Mary Murphy, those whom he considered his adopted parents, George and Isabella Fox and his fiancée Mona Peddle. Adam had given Mona an engagement ring the day before, on the anniversary of their first date. After the ceremonies at the university, all six sat down to dinner at the Newfoundland Hotel, courtesy of the Foxs.

Eli and Mary were in St. John’s for three more days and Adam decided to make the most of it. They visited the museum on Duckworth street, attended mass at the Basilica, and rode the train to Holyrood where George and Isabella waited to bring them home in their New Oldsmobile. He also took them to see where Good Luck margarine, a product known throughout all Newfoundland was made. Operated by the Crosby family, it was often referred to as the Butterine factory. He did not forget the Brookfield Ice cream factory where he worked every summer and where the management insisted on giving his parents a tour of the premises.

At last the day came for them to join the coastal boat for the trip back to Little Valley. Adam and Mona had promised that they would be home for their annual visit in August, before Adam left for Montreal and McGill university. As Adam hugged and kissed his parents after carrying their luggage unto the boat and to their living quarters, he noticed that his father returned the hug as naturally as if he’d been doing it all his life. He smiled as his mind went back to that night in the hospital when he’d taken them all by surprise by breaking the taboo against fathers and sons showing such familiarity.

Later that day Adam’s thoughts turned to the Foxs and he introduced them to a young man, Jordan Wilkinson, who lived about a twenty minute walk from their house. Adam knew Jordan from MUN, where he’d just completed his first year and was confident that he would be the ideal person to help take care of George and Isabella. The decision of course would be their own but Adam saw very quickly that they were as impressed with Jordan as he had been. Before the visit was over, he knew that the decision to hire the young man had already been made, though neither of them said so.