Tony Robbins made good on his offer. Paul enrolled in the top rated Management Consultant program in the country. And Mr Robbins paid for the education. But he was floored when Mr Robbins offered to pay for Linda's education also. So Paul and Linda got to spend their first year of college in the same town, which was beneficial for the both of them. They had never been away from their families before, and being able to spend time with each other as they embarked on this new journey gave them a measure of comfort that they wouldn't have been able to rely on otherwise.
As the only Beta in an Alpha program, Paul was by far the best student, and the one with the greatest potential. His quiet self-confidence, as well as his ability to handle any situation with his much larger classmates without any fear or intimidation, marked him as the one student that his teachers would recommend, with the highest regards, for any employer looking for the best and brightest.
Linda had decided to major in Third grade education. Her height of 8’ would be the perfect bridge for students who wouldn't be quite as tall as her at that stage of their growth, and would allow her to guide them on their journey more effectively. But it was a struggle for her at first. Despite Paul being close, she suffered terribly from homesickness. She missed her parents, and she missed her friends, and thought about dropping out, until Paul talked to her one night. All he kept telling her was that she had more inner strength than she realized. She was beautiful, kind, caring, and truly wanted to help people. She just needed to stop doubting herself. And when he was done talking, he surprised her. There was a knock on her dorm door. Paul suggested that she answer, and gave her a wink. A puzzled Linda opened the door, and not only was there a gentleman with a dozen roses for her, but there was a delivery driver bringing dinner for the both of them.
Linda was shocked. Paul had gone through all that trouble to make sure that she knew how much he loved her, and how much he believed in her. She started crying and hugged him tightly, making it difficult for him to breathe at first. But he never complained. He truly loved her, and he just wanted to reinforce something that he had always told her. Whenever she felt down, or suffered from self-doubt, he would always be there for her.
Eventually Linda settled down and became more comfortable with her surroundings. She was extremely bright, and once she learned to relax, school became easier. And it was all because of one person.
Linda considered herself to be so fortunate to have Paul. She shared a room with an Alpha girl, Missy, who couldn't believe that Linda would be seeing a Beta. She had that Alpha air of superiority about her. Then she met Paul. She at first tried the usual intimidation tactic. That didn't work. Then she tried the condescending attitude tactic. That too didn't work. And before she could think of doing anything else, Paul started cracking jokes, which caused Missy to become speechless. She couldn't understand why the little Beta wasn't afraid of, or intimidated, by her size. But she found that he had a confidence about him that most Alpha males didn't have. And slowly, but surely, she was won over by his personality. So he was welcomed in the dorm room any time, except when Missy wanted to “relax” with a date. Then Linda and Paul made other arrangements.
Paul and Linda also made an effort to keep in touch with John, Mindy, Todd, Betty, George, and Alice. The summer after graduation had become a memorable time. They hung out every weekend, got to know their families, and truly developed a closeness. And they each had different interests. John entered the quickly growing field of computer programming, paid for by some unknown company based in Washington state. Mindy, like Linda, went to college to become a preschool teacher. Todd entered a trade school to become an electrician. Betty was studying fashion design, George was preparing to take over his father's construction business, and Alice was in college, majoring in Business Administration. If George was going to run a successful business, she thought that he would need all the help he could get, and this would help her maintain the finances of his computer. Everyone had their goals, and everyone had the support group to offer advice and help when needed.
The Thanksgiving holiday was quickly approaching. Unknown to Linda, Paul had gone into town one afternoon. He got back to the school with three bags filled with food. He was going to surprise her the night before school closed for the break. Linda's dad was coming early the next morning to take them back home.
Paul and Linda enjoyed the quiet meal. It gave them a chance to talk about how the school year was progressing, and how they were excited to be able to see their friends and family again. Paul had visited Jill at least once a week before he left for college. She had made tremendous progress, and was back at home. Her mom homeschooled her, and although she was getting better at controlling her emotions, the Robbins still were present at all of his visits. And once Paul got to college, he made sure that he wrote Jill a letter every week, just to make sure that she was doing well. Both Paul and Linda enjoyed being away at college, but they also missed their homes, and their parents.
Victor Mills arrived at 10am, and after receiving a big hug from his daughter, shook Paul’s hand, and the three of them got in and drove off. Victor was pleasantly surprised by the fact that Linda looked happy. He had been sure that she would have left school just after arriving because of homesickness, but he was proud that she stayed. She was growing up.
The hour it took to get back to Rockway went quickly, due to Linda and Paul talking like they hadn't seen each other in years. Her father just laughed to himself. They had been together since the first day of their sophomore year of highschool, yet they always found things to talk about.
Victor offered to drop Paul off first, but he asked her father if they could go to her house instead. Victor was a little surprised, but it wouldn't be any trouble to drop Paul off later. Once the vehicle stopped, Linda ran out and into the house to hug her mother.
But Paul and Victor remained in the vehicle for a few minutes before exiting. Once in the house, Linda's mom, Stephanie, gave Paul a hug.
After a couple of minutes, Paul and Linda went into her room. It was 5 minutes later that Victor and Stephanie heard their daughter scream. Stephanie started to get up to see what was wrong, but was stopped by her husband, who had a smile on his face. She asked why he was smiling, but he just kissed her hand and held it tightly.
When the door closed to Linda's room, she plopped down on her bed and laid back. She reached her hand out for Paul to take, but he didn't move. She sat back up and asked him what was wrong. He just looked at her with a twinkle in his eyes, and produced a box in his hand. Linda wasn't sure what he was up to, until she saw him get on his knee and open the box, revealing a beautiful diamond ring. And asked her to marry him?
Linda screamed in excitement. Paul had just proposed to her. It was the moment that she waited for more than any other, and it just happened. She cried, and said yes! She pulled him on top of her lap and gave him the most passionate kiss she could muster. He returned the passion with his own. After what seemed like an eternity, the embrace ended, and Paul put the ring on her finger. It fit perfectly. Linda didn't know how he knew her exact ring size, but there it was on her finger. She didn't know that Paul had asked Missy to get one of Linda's rings that she didn't wear often, and used that to size the engagement ring. And unknown to Linda, Paul was a paid tutor, helping fellow students when he could. So the money he made from that paid for the ring.
Linda and Paul emerged from her room. Stephanie could see that Linda had been crying, and was about to yell at Paul when Linda showed her mom the ring on her finger, which caused her to scream in excitement, just like her daughter had done earlier. Tears and hugs flowed, and after some time, Paul asked Victor if could use the phone. Paul called his parents and asked them to pick him up at Linda's house, and said that he needed both there.
5 minutes later, there was a knock on the door. Greg and Debbie Barton entered the house after Victor opened the door. They saw nothing but happiness on the faces of the four people in front of them. They didn't know what was going on, until Paul explained that he had asked Linda to marry him, and she accepted.
This caused even more rounds of hugs and congratulations. The four parents always knew that their children would be together, and now the first part had occurred, the engagement. Victor had a bottle of wine on hand, and poured glasses for everyone, including Paul and Linda. It was a time for celebration.