Wilma Higbee

Higbee's evolution over the past four years has astounded his mother, Wilma Higbee.

"I'm amazed at how much he's grown up," she said."He's such a good little father to Emily.He's begun to shape up.He's taken responsibility for things.He's going to school."

Higbee has decided that getting a degree was perhaps a good idea after all.

In May, he began work toward his associate's degree in business administration from an online university.When that's done, he plans to transfer his credits to a four-year college and go for his bachelor's degree.

The guy who joked about majoring in curling now works on his college degree at night after putting in a full day at the Hollywood job he accepted in February.

"I'm 'in the industry,' " he said, raising his hands and gesturing with his fingers to signal quotation marks.

Through a headhunter, Higbee landed a job as a software engineer for a music-industry marketing company called Fanscape.

So far, he loves it.He's making $20,000 more per year than he did at his previous job, and he gets free CDs, movie passes and videos.

"We get a lot of private concerts inside the office," Higbee said.
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"She not only wants more kids, but three," Higbee said.

Asked how he felt about that, Higbee said:
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About 60 guests rose from their plastic chairs as Angela walked across a grassy clearing to the arched trellis where Higbee waited with the minister.
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With his left hand stuffed nonchalantly into a pocket, Higbee smiled at his bride as she approached in a floor-length white chiffon gown with fitted sleeves that flared at the elbow, a jeweled circlet anchoring a veil to her dark hair.In her hands was a bouquet of white roses and purple blooms.

An instrumental version of "Here Comes the Bride" emanated from amplifiers Higbee had hooked up to his laptop, which he set up to play all of the wedding music.

The tune faded into silence.The guests grew quiet.Angela's parents lifted her hand into Higbee's and then left her side.

As Angela and Higbee stood at the altar, Emily leapt from her front row seat to greet them, drawing chuckles from the crowd.