~*~Singer & The Soldier~*~ By: Ree

Late in the day Izzy went looking for Urs who had disappeared during the afternoon. She had noticed him looking bemused several times during the visiting with friends, remembered the doodling he had been doing on a hastily lined paper in the office when they worked on some e.mails and the humming that was almost inaudible when they had lunch in the small dining room, so she had a pretty good idea where he was.

Sure enough, as she opened the door to the top floor studio she could hear strumming on one of the guitars he had set up in the main room.

She crept in quietly, not wanting to disturb him and stood by the door for a moment watching as he played a few chords then paused and played it back from the portable recorder, tried it again with different harmonics and nodded in satisfaction as he heard the playback.

As if he sensed her presence he turned his head to smile at her.

“How long have you been eavesdropping, Little Wife?”

“Not long…it’s beautiful…part of a larger piece or a stand alone?”

Urs laughed and flashed his long fingers across the strings in a TA DA! flourish.

“We’ll make a musician out of you yet. Just something that’s been running through my head….sometimes I just have to get it down or it gets lost. Where is everyone?”

He put the battered old Gibson back on it’s stand and held his arm out to her for a cuddle.

“Adam and Ami are in the play room, immersed in one of his numbers games. He’s a very happy little boy, Urs…he really likes her…I think this will turn out to be a good decision.”

He nestled her closer, breathing deep of the light scent of Escada and the fragrance of her shampoo.

“Me too. I think she’ll be a good fit with the family…and a big help to Adam…her approach to teaching him is very much like ours, just…just…”

“More,” Izzy supplied and he nodded, rewarding her with a kiss on top of her curls.

“Ja…I like the way her mind works…she’s quite willing to admit when she doesn’t know something but eager to search out the answers, almost like an older, better informed version of our son…they should make a good team.”

“Cody and Martine just got back…she says he only fell about a gazillion times on the bunny hills but he’s learning…I can’t picture Cody not excelling at something physical…I hope she took some pictures.”

“At last…something I can beat him at,” Urs said with a laugh as he began shutting down the equipment and turning off lights.

“Oh, you two…you’re so competitive!”

“Just like Gerd and I…but if it was needed, I know we would each have the other’s back. Your hair is damp…did you just shower?”

“Yes…sorry I didn’t wait for you but I did an hour on the elliptical and the tread mill and was all sweaty.”

He slipped his arm around her shoulders as they started down the stairs, grinning at her.

“MMMMMM…just the way I like you…all sweaty and breathless.”

Before she could react he had pinned her to the wall in the stairwell, grinding his hips against her, taking her mouth in a deep, searing kiss that left her shaking, her breasts aching when he released them from his groping hands, her groin burning with the need to feel his solid bulge against her again.

“Coming?” he said with a cheeky grin when she opened her eyes to find he had gone down a couple of steps.

“Almost…” She smiled back at him with glazed eyes.

They could hear the laughter from the play room and Urs cuddled her against his side again as they went down the hall.

“Hold that thought…” he whispered as they neared the open play room door.

**

CHAPTER 123…HAPPY {?} HIPPO TIME

June 2009

They were getting to be old hands at settling in back at home after 10 days of visitng with Urs on the tour.

Ambra hovered, helping with the unpacking and collecting laundry, eagerly listening to tales of the places they had been, this time in Canada and the U.S. Adam took Homer out for a romp in the rapidly changing-to-summer weather while Ami put away the new books he had accumulated on their trip and once Ambra had left, Izzy called Marta to let her know they were home, was disappointed to only reach her voice mail but left a message.

Little had changed while they were away: the Chateau was still full of guests recovering from minor or major wounds, being cared for by the well trained staff, some apt to be seen taking walks about the estate or out riding on one of the horses, work had started again in the vinyards, the vines budding in fresh lime-green leaves, the snow was of course all gone from the land and the trees beginning to rapidly fill out …there were actually some tulips still flowering in front of Tranquilitte and the lovely scent of fresh mown grass was on the air.

Hugo had already put up the hammock in the back yard and Izzy went down to it, taking a chance that she would be able to get back up with her swollen belly after lazing in the fresh air for a few minutes.

She had only been studying the far off clouds for a short time when she heard someone approaching from the kitchen and shaded her eyes to see who was coming.

Sally…she must have seen the car passing the Chateau.

“So how was the trip? You look happy.”

“It was good…the guys are doing well, still refreshed from that break in April, even more from this one since they all went different directions….still playing to great audiences but the pace is tiring. It always amazes me how far some of the fans travel to see them…and Ami and Adam had a blast…Lincoln City, Oregon was such a great choice for his break…they made a bunch of little side trips while we just lazed at the cottage…planetarium, a butterfly conservatory, a museum, flying kites, which Urs and I did too, what a great day that was…and she used each one as a teaching tool as well as a fun outing…how did everything go here?”

“Good…we’ve got three leaving at the end of the week, all going home for a month and then being re-assigned…Doc. Bryan is a marvel…and he’s so much happier now with something to do and no traumas making his BP rise…Gerd and I got married…and my parents are planning on coming back over in August for a few weeks.”

Izzy stared at her and then burst out laughing.

“Was that just to see if I was paying attention or did you you two really get married?”

“Just as quick as ever aren’t you Major…just the civil ceremony…we figured the family would string us up if we did the real thing privately…but we don’t want anything splashy…probably when Urs is home, or after your boys arrive. It was time, Iz…I’m expecting….around Adam’s birthday I think.”

Sally helped her unwieldy body up out of the hammock and they hugged, giggling in shared happiness and parking on a double lounge beside the wicker table. Sally had brought out a large jug of juice and glasses on a tray and they sipped their cooling drinks, talking about their men.

“I think Urs spent most of our alone time with his head against my bump, feeling the boys kicking…and the ultra sound picture that I took for him to see is his current “Want to see a picture of our twins?” photo…everyone on the tour has seen it at least once. He’s taken to calling me his little Duckie now, says I waddle like one.”

“Gerd is almost hysterical about the baby…he smothers me with his good intentions…I don’t know how you ever managed with Urs…Mami is of course delighted and says she’s going to have to knit like crazy to keep up with us…I told her not to worry since I’ll likely only have one, not two like you.”

“Trust me, one is enough…I feel like a hippo this time…haven’t gained much weight really but a lot of belly. I have an appointment with Dr. Hebert next Monday and I think he’ll probably put a stop to the traveling…it really tires me out now and this week I’m at 33 weeks…even in the corporate jet it isn’t a great idea.”

“So 5 weeks of cyber sex until he gets home…Urs can’t be happy about that.”

“Not happy but resigned,” Izzy said with a smile, thinking of her randy mate and how inventive they had learned to be.

They sat in companionable silence for a few minutes, their years of friendship and all they had been through together meaning they didn’t have to talk all the time to enjoy each other’s company. Sally broke the silence with a sigh, reluctant to leave the peace and stillness of this little space in the back garden but duty bound to return to work.

“Have to get back…I need to confirm when the new guests are arriving…By the way I’ve meant to ask you before but keep forgetting…How did the fans react to seeing you on the tour?…you mentioned something about a group of fans recognizing you.”

“Oh, Sal, you wouldn’t believe it…they were so sweet, concerned about the babies, happy for Urs and I…when I asked them not to take pictures of Adam they understood immediately…one woman said she wasn’t surprised to learn that my name was Isabella since Urs had always done such a marvelous job singing ‘Isabel’…she claims it was Karma…”

They took the empty jug and glasses back in the kitchen, hugged once more then parted, Sally back to work and Izzy off to see what Ami and Adam were up to.

**

Izzy had been correct in her assumption about travel restrictions. Dr. Hebert was happy with her progress but wanted to be sure that she continued to be in such good health. Twins often decided to arrive early but the problems that could arise with a very early birth were to be avoided so he forbade air travel or even long journeys by car since sitting for a prolonged period of time was bad for circulation.

“At least he didn’t put me on bed-rest,” she thought as she puttered, sorting through some of the momentos they had collected on the tour so far.

It really had started for them in January with the Purple Ball and the party the night before which the now President had invited the guys to attend.

She sorted through the photos until she found the ones from Washington, the private party with Urs looking so dashing in his tuxedo and herself in a black ****tail dress…the next photo was of the Purple Ball …she smiled as she remembered how Urs had argued with her over that one, wanting her to have a new gown while she had insisted that her eggplant silk was perfectly fine and anyway she wasn’t the star, he was. He had won that one…the first glimpse of the deep purple Vera Wang gown he bought and hung in their suite was her undoing and she wore it with only one comment about him fighting dirty.

She framed the photos and piled up the ones from the U.K. start of the tour, making a collage to go in a larger frame…that had been the real startand was fun, even though it had involved a couple of weeks of hotels while the guys put the finishing touches on in London… and then the real beginning, the nightly flitting from one city to another. Adam and Ami had gone with them on that part until Izzy saw that the constant moving around was telling on him. So for the first time, Ami took him home to Reve and Izzy stayed on for another week.

Then the on and off portion of the tour began…a week or ten days with Urs then home for 3 or 4 weeks, sometimes with Adam and Ami going too, the break in April…a godsend since they were all tired from the grueling pace… the 2 weeks at the beinning of June when they had escaped to the Oregon coast to a quaint little cottage and done nothing except whatever the mood of the day dictated…it had been a wonderful, relaxed time…and now the last stretch before having 2 months off prior to heading to NZ and Australia….enough time to recharge batteries…and in Urs’ case to be home for the birth of his sons.

“What a crazy life we live!” she thought. “It’s a good thing we have this little island of sanity for him to come home to.”

As if to challenge her thoughts there was a babble of voices calling out, laughter and shouting, the crash of the front door opening and sound of running feet on the polished floor of the hall way downstairs as Adam and what sounded like at least 30 other boys came racing into the house, all laughing or talking at the top of their lungs and racing through the house towards the kitchen. A loud crash, followed by dead silence, could be heard clearly then hissing whispers as the culprits discussed whether to flee the scene or not.

Izzy hurried as fast as her bulky body would allow, was half way down the stairs when she saw Stefan and Denys tiptoeing towards the still open door door.

“Freeze!” she called out, making her way the remainder of the way down the stairs until she could see Adam, August and 2 other friends staring in remorse at the shattered remains of a porcelain vase and the cut flowers that had once been in it, all in a puddle of water on the floor beside an upended small table.

“Adam, I don’t believe I know your friends,” she said from the bottom step, not really smiling unless you could call the twist of her grim mouth, as she stared at the forlorn boy, a smile.

He wouldn’t look at her but introduced Rene and Paul to his mother in a voice barely above a whisper.

“Rene, Paul, I’m sure Adam forgot to tell you the rules in this house as he seems to have forgotten them himself…just like his other 3 accomplices who also should know better. The front door is for guests, the kitchen door for dusty little boys who have been playing…we do NOT run flat out on the slippery floors in this house, nor do we use our outside voices when we enter since there are other people who live here and may not want to be disturbed….and most important, when accidents happen we do not slink away to let others clean up the mess. Denys, a garbage can for the mess, please…Stefan, you will be in charge of picking up the sharp pieces…please be careful…Adam you will go to the kitchen and politely ask Ambra for cloths to wipe up the water, then hang them out back to dry….Paul will help you. Rene and August, please put the table back where it belongs and straighten the hall runner.”

All the jobs were done in a silence broken only by a few whispers as each boy helped the other accomplish his task with reminders of exactly where the table should go, a missed shard of the vase, a small puddle of water that had been over looked. When they had finished and stood in front of her with downcast eyes and quietly said they were sorry she relaxed her rigid posture on the stairs and smiled gently.

“Thank you…it was an accident and I’m sure you won’t let it happen again. Now, gentlemen, I believe you were all thirsty and needing a snack…I’m sure Ambra must have something for you to nibble on in the kitchen.”

August started to run towards the kitchen but Adam pulled on his shirt to stop him and they all walked down the hall, beginning to talk again and breathing a sigh of relief.

‘Island of sanity indeed!!’ she thought, stifling the urge she had to laugh.

Ever efficient, Urs had worked out a timetable for her…they were in the U.S. still, at venues in the southern states…he would be available online about the time when she was preparing for bed.

She had just finished in the bathroom and was crossing to the laptop on the small secretary when an excruciating spasm low down in her stomach made her stop and clutch at the back of the chair.

‘NO! It’s too early! Gott, I don’t remember it hurting this much with Adam!!!’

The contraction eased and she sank onto the chair, suddenly sweaty and shaking, her mind a jumble of emotions: fear mixed with medical knowledge, faintly remembered trauma from her labour with Adam, possibilities that she grasped at like a lifeline.

‘Please Gott let this be Braxton-Hicks…it’s too early for our boys…but BH would be logical…Dr. Hebert says that the boys are ‘a good size’ and I know there isn’t much room in there now…calm down, Major! Wait to see if you have another one and time it…and Pray!’

Just to be on the safe side she treated herself like a patient, opening a bottle of water to guzzle half of it as a sop against possible dehydration and laying across their bed with her eyes on the bedside clock, on her left side to take the pressure off internal organs and trying to breathe calmly while she waited.

Intensely aware of every twinge or movement in her tummy now, she analyzed every little movement she felt but there was nothing even coming close to the actual contraction and pain she had experienced earlier.

After half an hour she rose, feeling a little more confident and went back to the computer to talk to Urs.

He had already sent her two queries, one merely asking if she was there, the second holding tones of concern that even across the span of continents and ocean she could easily detect.

Major Medic says: Yes, Luv, I’m here…sorry to be so long answering…I’m a little slow tonight…need more timing lessons from my Swiss Lover…did you have a good night?

She clicked on Skype, knowing well that if she didn’t he would be alerted that something was wrong.

Looli says: That’s better…I needed to see your lovely face…yes, had a great night…the concert went well….the AC kept the stage area fairly cool…Dallas is a great venue…one of the fans gave us a gift of two matching hand made sweaters for the boys…I held them up so others could see and got royally reamed out by Sam after… ‘doesn’t go with your image, Buhler’ but I just laughed at him.

Major Medic says: You’ve changed, SRG and it’s for the better…you’re much more mellow now since you let Aneliese ‘out’ us… I have news…Gerd and Sally got married in a civil ceremony…at a Notary and apparently it was quite lovely…AND they’re expecting…she thinks in November.

Looli says: YES!!! I knew they wouldn’t be far behind us…tell them I said welcome to the club and congratulations…has Adam asked any embarrassing questions about babies yet? I’m hoping that I’ll still be on the road when that happens…sorry Baby, but I don’t know if I could deal with the explanation.

Major Medic says: COWARD!! No, not yet but I think it’s coming…so far he’s just like when we were with you…coming to me to put his head on my bump just like you do and then going off to one of his pursuits…Ami keeps him pretty well occupied

Looli says: something is bothering you, I can see it in your eyes…not ready to talk about it yet?

Major Medic says: How do you do that? I’m not even sure if it’s something worth mentioning yet…do you remember reading about Braxton Hicks contractions? Well I had one earlier, only one and I’m keeping an eye on things… drinking some water and laying on my left side made it go away….so I don’t think we need to worry.

He was silent for a moment, not even typing in a message and had purposely moved the camera so she couldn’t see his eyes.

‘He’s trying hard not to panic, doesn’t want to upset me…’

Looli says: I got an A+ in Izzy 101….Promise me you will be careful…and if the boys can’t wait for me to be home physically, remember that I’m with you, in my heart every minute of every day… I love you, my own special wife…

Major Medic says: and I love you too, mein geliebt….I will be careful …

Looli says: the porter is here for the luggage so I have to go…I’m not sure where this time but soon it will be where I want to be…home with you and our boys…hug Adam for me and remember how much I love you both…keep to the schedule, Liebe…I should be checked in about the time you wake up

Major Medic says: Safe flight!! Later, Luv!!

She closed the laptop reluctantly, as always, hating it when they had to finish their chats.

‘Why is it that I can think of so many things I wanted to say when we are no longer able to chat, when real life intrudes once more? I didn’t want to tell him about that BH contraction…but there’s no point in trying to hide anything from him…and of course now he’s going to worry, which is why I didn’t want him to know…slow down my precious little boys…give me at least 4 more weeks to finish making your lungs strong…longer if possible so your Papa can be home for the arrival…’

As if they were listening to her she felt a series of fluttery kicks in her tummy as she lowered her cumbersome body onto the bed and pulled the pillows into place so she could be moderately comfortable. The red Harley tee shirt she had pulled over Urs’ pillow still held a faint trace of Bulgari and she breathed it in, letting her mind form an image of the man who wore it as she drifted off to sleep.

**

A world away, Urs tried to calm his racing heart as he sank back into the soft leather of the limo seat.

‘I WILL NOT PANIC!! I WILL treat this news just like Izzy is, calmly and with the knowledge that it’s probably just those Braxton Hicks things…but what if it isn’t? should I go home? Impossible and she would be so angry with me…and realistically what could I do except get her really pissed off? She won’t lie to me so I have to just trust her medical knowledge and finish my work…I can talk to her daily, several times if we like….or…YES!!!brilliant!! Of course …that’s what I’ll do!’

He dug his cell phone out of his pocket and hit #2 on the speed dial, thought about the time difference but the phone was already ringing.

“This better be important,” the sleepy voice on the other end answered and he cringed…just a bit.

“Gerd…it’s Urs…I need to talk to Sally…”

**

CHAPTER 124…HOME AGAIN

EARLY JULY 2009

‘It’s a conspiracy…and somehow Urs is behind it!!’

Over the past 3 weeks she had spoken to him daily, sometimes several times, either on the phone or through the magic of cyber-space. He didn’t seem, on the surface, to be concerned but several times she had caught him knowing things that only contact with someone at Reve would know. He always had a logical explanation but now, thinking back she could see definite signs of his handiwork.

Someone was always around, dropping in to the house for a brief visit, quietly talking to Ambra and changing the subject with a big smile when she walked in the room, joining her when she went for a walk, even dropping to their knees beside her when she was planting herbs in the little garden that Hugo had dug for her behind the house.

‘It’s like the entire village is in on the plot except me…’keep an eye on Izzy’…this really just screams of something that Urs would do!
And the daily Braxton Hicks I’ve had are no longer secret…Bloody Hell!!! Why do they always happen when someone is around…FOOL!! Because there’s always someone around!!...Like now…Dee just left to take Amelia home which means that Ami will be out soon to keep me company…’

As if it were prophetic she heard Adam coming across the back lawn calling her and sat back on her heels in the bed of carrots to smile at him and wave.

“Amelia had to go home with her Maman and Ami is having tea with Ambra…can I help?”

“Of course you can…I’ve left a mess of weeds all along the row…you could start by putting them in that paper bag so we can throw them away later,” she answered with a laugh, fully aware that Ami’s cuppa would be a fast one.

“Why don’t we put them in the…compost pile like Hugo does with the grass?”

“Because they have seeds to make more weeds and we don’t want that. We want our carrots to be big and plump so I’m taking out the weeds that would steal nutrients from the soil and loosening the soil around the baby carrots so they can grow.”

He collected the bag and began heaping the wilting weeds in it but she could feel that there was something on his mind.

“Mama?”

She had seen the question being formed and waited patiently for her son to get his thoughts organized so he could voice them, recognizing this trait in her son as so much like one of her own. Now she sat back on her heels and looked down the row at him where he was bagging the weeds she had just pulled from around the carrots.

“Yes, dear, what is it?”

He had a frown on his smooth forehead and was twirling a dandelion between his fingers as he watched her face.

“Paul says that Papa carries seeds for making babies in his sacs…he says that when we get older we will have them too…he says that when you want a baby to grow in your tummy that Papa gets a boner and puts his penis inside your vagina and sends a seed into your tummy to look for an egg…and that when they join then a baby starts…Is this true? Is that how my brothers got in your tummy?”

‘Whoa!!! I don’t think I’m quite ready for this…but obviously Adam is…Okay, no freaking out, Girl!!’

“Yes that’s sort of what happens, Adam….your father and I are very much in love with each other and that kind of love creates a feeling that makes us want to join our bodies…. it’s very special and very private, not something you should share with people you just like or don’t know very well…sometimes when we join together, our seeds do too and then a baby is the result….and sometimes there are two eggs and two seeds ….. We are very happy that God has given us two more babies to love.”

“Will you still love me too?”

“Oh Adam, come here.”

She sat back in the soft soil and held her arms open to him, snuggling him against her breasts when he came to her.

“Of course we will still love you, more than ever. Love is a funny thing…the more you love, the more love you have to give…you will always be our first born, Adam and have a very special place in our hearts…and now you’re going to be a Big Brother, just like Cody is to me or Papa is to Gerd, and your Tantes. That’s also a very special thing to be.”

He nestled against her for another moment then leaned back and smiled.

“I’m going to be a very good Big Brother…Mama?”

‘Oh gott…now what has he thought of?’

“Yes dear…”

“I think Tia Sally and Tia Dee also have babies growing in them…did Papa give them babies too?”

She felt like laughing but he was serious so she held it in.

“No dear…when you love someone the way Papa loves me, he only gives his seed to me…and Onkle Claude gives his to Tia Dee, Onkle Gerd to Tia Sally…It’s a very special thing that is shared between a man and woman who love each other very much….babies are so precious, they shouldn’t be created unless they are wanted and will be loved.”

“And did you and Papa want me?”

“Very much…you know we both love you!!”

“I’m glad Papa gave you my seed.”

“Me too.”

She hugged him and kissed the top of his head and after a minute he wiggled away and began picking up the discarded weeds again, satisfied with her answers.

They went back to work and after a while she heard Adam chuckling.

When she turned to look at him he was grinning.

“Papa is the gardener, the babies and I are the carrots and you, Mama, are the earth.”

He came to her and got another laughing hug, helped her back onto her knees and giggled when she said her little carrot should get back to work.

They finished the last row and Adam was just trying to help her regain her feet when Hugo came around the corner of the house and trotted over to lift her gently.

“If I get any bigger we’re going to need a crane,” she groused, brushing the soil off her legs and maternity shorts.

“It is too much for you Mme. I have time now that you have insisted I have a helper.”

“Hugo, I need the exercise …and I enjoy working with the earth…please don’t deny me this small pleasure…I promise to only do it when you are nearby so you can help me get up…Okay?”

“Okay,” he said, somehow making the English word sound foreign. He took the bag of weeds and tossed it in the bin to be discarded, watching as the mother and son walked up the lawn towards the house. There…she had another of those pains that Ambra had told him about, stopping to rub her back in slow circles, after nearly a minute continuing on, tentatively at first, then with the curious duck-like gait her size had forced on her the past months. He glanced at his watch, making a mental note to tell Ambra about this when he went to the house for coffee.

MID JULY

Urs was in Phoenix, hiding out in the AC coolness of the Hotel. He had tried going to the pool as the others had but the sweltering heat drove him back inside.

He wandered around the suite, dressed only in cotton shorts, sipping on a freshly squeezed juice he had picked up on the way past the smaller of the two restaurants and scowling out the tall expanse of glass on the closed balcony doors.

‘How do people survive living in a place like this? I suppose after a while you get acclimatized, like I sort of did in Columbia but today I feel like I can’t breathe the minute I step outside. Maybe it’s stress…I try not to worry about Izzy and the babies and the reports I’m getting back from Sally are good. She’s still having those contractions but not to the point of needing to worry…I wonder if she suspects something?…I usually can’t hide anything from her…maybe this time I got away with it!!!’

He smiled smugly and went to the computer sitting on the desk to flip it open and click on his e.mail…Yes!! There was something from Sally.

“HI: Secret Agent Sal here…LOL!! Thank goodness there are only 10 days to go before you come home…I think the Happy Hippo is getting suspicious…she keeps looking at me with that frown that I remember so well from our service days. Between Dee and I we conscripted quite a formidable team of eager spies to keep watch over her and she is seldom alone except in bed…haven’t figured out how to infiltrate that haven yet. On the plus side I don’t think we need to worry since the BH come often but at irregular intervals and they are short of duration…it’s hard to see her suffer so much but she never complains…and Honestly I think Izzy is sensible enough that if there were a real problem she would scurry off to see Dr. Hebert…and we would know because she can’t drive anymore…can’t reach both the pedals and the steering wheel at the same time since the babies are in the way….LOL. Still it will be nice to have you here to assume the watching game and offer some comfort, something we can’t very well do since we aren’t supposed to know how frequently she gets them.

Gerd says to tell you that our ultrasound picture is waiting for you to see but you mustn’t be too envious…ours is a girl!! He’s already scheming ways to protect her from lascivious boys!!

Sally”

He laughed, picturing Gerd as a father and how protective he would be, especially since he knew every trick in the book about deflowering pretty young women.

Gott how he missed her!....the scent of her, the feeling of her soft skin, that quirky humor, the ripe look of her as she waddled on those tiny feet, her body swollen with their sons, the way she had of smiling that turned her freckled girl-next-door face into something incredibly beautiful..and he missed the way she had of reading his moods, his needs, of her own being so in tune with his…even at 8 months pregnant she was still the most sensuous and sensual woman he had ever known.

He clicked on Messenger in the hope that she would be on…Cyber Sex wasn’t the same but it would have to do for 10 more days.


**

Izzy woke on the last day of this part of the tour with a feeling of joy. Tomorrow when she woke up she wouldn’t be alone in this huge bed…that is if all things went well and he made all the flights to get home. Reno to New York right after the concert, which was probably going on right now, then only an hour between flights and on to Berlin around mid afternoon here, Geneva by dinner and home before dark.

‘Don’t borrow trouble! Just think positive thoughts all day and see what happens…’

He would call, she knew this beyond a doubt, likely from New York and again from the Heli-Port in Geneva…this time he had decided to use the Heli commuter service to get home and would land in the empty paddock out near the front gate.

She struggled out of bed, sitting on the edge for a moment listening to the silence from the BB monitor and planning her day.

Breakfast of course, food being a constant nag at her conciousness with these two nearly ready to emerge boys demanding sustenance on a regular basis.

Butter tarts as a surprise treat for the SRG…she better make some extra to go to the Chateau since they now had two Canadian soldiers in residence and it would be a nice treat for them as well.

Then she had promised Adam an hour or so in the workroom, letting him sort through the raw stones Trudi had sent and explaining how to cut and polish them properly. She smiled, thinking that as usual their hour or so would likely turn into all afternoon {after his short nap}as they both got caught up in the magic of turning something dull and lifeless into a vibrant thing of beauty. And Ami was just as bad, was fascinated by the ‘work’ Izzy did with the stones, learned quickly but didn’t have the dexterity to do much more than sort, tumble or machine polish.

Right after dinner she would go for her usual walk with Adam, a nightly ritual every day that it wasn’t raining, one they both enjoyed…he would tell her some of the things he had discovered during the day or who he had played with and what they did…they both would watch for wildlife, rabbits, birds, once even a bright green frog that hopped away from them or play a game identifiying the wild flowers that grew in profusion on the estate, sometimes stopping so Adam could feel the babies kicking at the walls of their watery home.

‘Gott, I’ll be happy when these boys get here and I don’t have to tinkle every 10 minutes …I spend more time on this toilet than anywhere else on the estate…’

She had a quick shower, using the long handled sponge since she couldn’t any longer reach her feet, then dressed in the ankle length smock/sundress that Marta had found in a shop in Bern and sent to her, the emerald print design very cheerful and the reason that Marta had splurged on it.

“It matches your eyes, Doter,” the note had read “..and you can use it later with a belt.”

Marta and Zus would be visiting for a few days beginning on Monday, hopefully about the time that they would celebrate Urs’ birthday, a little late but possible now that he would be home.

She endured one of the BH contractions just before putting on her sandals, tried to ease her way through it with steady breathing exercises then stripped the bed, leaving it unmade since that was just a bit beyond her lately.

‘Thirty-eight weeks…there was a time that I thought I’d never make it this far…Dr. Hebert says that the boys are full term now, this last two weeks is just for them to put on weight… just what I need…bigger babies…Gott if they press on my bladder any more I’ll have to move into the bathroom….’

She peeked into Adam’s room. He was still sleeping, looking like a little angel with his messy curls, rosy cheeks and light tan from being out of doors so much. Today’s clothes were on the bench by his closet…he would dress himself, neatly now that he had been practicing and come down for breakfast when he was ready, all part of the new regime of letting him have a little more independence.

The day maids had just begun working when she reached the bottom of the stairs and she greeted them with friendly smiles.

“Anya, I’d like you to do the master suite today, please…it’s getting difficult for me to reach across the bed, these babies are getting so big…the good red satin sheets, I think…M. Urs is coming home tonight.”

“Oh, that is good news…perhaps some of the flowers in a vase, Mme…it would scent the room.”

“Lovely idea, thank you.”

She went on to the kitchen, smiling and humming Adagio.

**

In spite of starting the day well and being busy all day, by dinner time Izzy was an emotional wreck. She kept telling herself to calm down, that she was letting her hormones rule her good sense but it was doing little good.

The baking was all done, with Ambra’s help since she wanted to learn the recipe for Canadian pastry made with sour cream {that, Izzy had gleaned out of an Amish cookbook that Trudi sent from Toronto}, she had spent most of the afternoon in the workshop with Adam and Ami, checked out the work the maids had done throughout the house, even had a short nap herself and toyed with the excellent dinner Ambra had left for them. What she wanted to do now was go hide in a corner somewhere and cry…reason…Unknown!

‘What’s the matter with me? I’m tougher than this! A few little pains in the tummy and I’m ready to fold up like an old dishrag…well that’s what I feel like!...a big fat old dishrag with the sexiest husband in the world who is coming home tonight after hanging out with all those beautiful, adoring women for months! Gott, those pictures of him at the Meet and Greets with all those women, hair perfectly curled, makeup just so, with their nice clothes and tiny waists….STOP IT!!!...you have no reason to be jealous! He is coming home, to you, to Adam, to the babies! Some home coming…he returns to a sniveling harpy who has suddenly turned green with envy!...and no crying!! It would only upset Adam and he would want to know why…’

Adam finished his dinner and helped her clear the table. They both went in the bathroom of the empty suite Marta usually stayed in when she visited and brushed their teeth, Izzy wielding her brush with such energy that her gums hurt before she finished, then Adam whistled for Homer and they went for their walk.

He seemed to understand that his Mama wasn’t in a sociable mood and talked mostly to the dog, racing off to pick up a stick and throwing it for Homer to fetch, once coming back with a pretty blue flowering weed that he presented to Izzy quietly, nearly making her cry at his loving gesture. She gave him a hug, choking back tears that actually hurt her throat and they went on their way.

Urs had called from New York, again from Berlin. He was on time and would call again from Geneva but this time to Hugo to be picked up at the paddock.

So she wasn’t surprised when they heard, then saw, the helicopter slipping down the valley near the Jura, dip over the trees and hover in a landing pattern over the paddock as they came down the long driveway.

“Is that Papa?”

“Yes, Adam…but you have to stay back until he gets out of the heli…he must have phoned…I see Hugo coming down the drive.” Her heart was racing, she wanted to run to him…or away, to hide her unattractive body from the perfection that she was married to.

Hugo passed them, cutting across the field on a faint path and stopping well back from the slowly spinning blades.

They went on, Izzy holding Adam’s hand so he wouldn’t dash forward and her heart lightening, the bad mood vanishing when she saw Urs get out of the passenger door and grin, waving madly at them. Then the side door opened and a woman began handing out luggage…a blond, slender and tall, mid thirties. With her slender body she easily jumped down when all the luggage was out and stood talking to Urs while Hugo grabbed the luggage and tossed it in the back of the truck.

Izzy stopped walking, turned Adam loose and felt her body shaking…raging jealousy made her gasp, sorrow made her eyes tear up when Urs leaned forward and …and KISSED the woman on the cheek then grasped her tiny waist and lifted her back into the open door. He waved and turned away, bending down to scoop Adam up as the heli lifted off and drifted away to the south.

She waited, seething with anger and pain, a Braxton Hicks taking advantage of her current vulnerability and sweeping a contraction through her lower body.

Urs took long steps towards her letting Adam walk beside him now and laughing as he relayed some silly tale to his father. A few feet away Urs looked up at Izzy and began talking…..

“Did you see that woman on the chopper? Mein gott she looks good…Izzy what…”

Her hand lashed out, catching him off guard as she slapped him across the cheek, hard enough to make him stagger off balance. He stood in stunned silence, one hand going to the stinging mark on his face as she began to weep and whirled around, taking herself away from him as fast as her awkward body would allow.

“Papa?”

Urs looked down at their son, their confused son who looked ready to cry as well.

Hugo picked the boy up.

“Mama isn’t feeling well, Little Prince…come with Hugo and let Papa make everything better.”

He put Adam in the truck and as he passed Urs, murmured softly…

“They get moody when the time is near.”

Urs jogged after her, hardly noticing when the truck passed them, falling into step beside her with his hands jammed in his pockets, not speaking at first, just keeping pace until she stopped and faced him.

“YOU KISSED HER!”

“I DID NOT… sorry, Baby I didn’t mean to yell…I didn’t kiss Jeanne, I gave her a friendly peck on the cheek.”

“BAH! …YOU HELD HER TINY WAIST AND YOU KISSED HER!” she hissed and let the tears flow as she stomped on again, wailing about the woman being tall and freckle-less.

He took a couple of steps and caught up.

“When we were in school she was a fat little thing, tall but really fat and everyone, including me used to tease her…I was happy for her…she’s married, has a little girl, 6 years old…she and her husband own the Helicopter company… Izzy I was just happy for her and kissed her on the cheek, that’s all…Damn it…it’s the European way…Baby you are the one I love…you know I would never cheat on you.”

He reached out to touch her and she flailed at him, dissolving into more tears and breaking away to lean her streaming face against one of the trees lining the drive.

“What’s the matter with me? I wouldn’t blame you if you did stray…what a nasty harpy I’ve become…a nasty, fat harpy who walks like a damned short, freckled duck….Bloody Hell!.... I can’t even sit down …I’m so fat I can’t get back up.”

She moaned and beat her little hands against the boll of the tree for a few seconds but he spun her around and rocked her in his arms, letting her cry it out against his chest. When her sobs eased to gasps for breath he eased back a bit and smiled down at her.

“I love you, you know…in spite of the red nose and leaky eyes…and the girlie way you throw a punch, I love you, all of you, the moody times as well as the fun, the times when you were half starved, just skin and bones, and now when your body is so lush with our babies safe inside, the times when you try to hide things from me so I won’t worry, which by the way didn’t work…I come home to you because it’s where I want to be, with you, not with someone else who wouldn’t understand me, wouldn’t love me the way you do. I’m home, now, Geliebt…share your burdens with me.”

He sat under the tree and pulled her down onto his lap, cradling her against his chest while she calmed down, teasing a smile out of her, demonstrating what a real kiss was, admiring the freckles he loved and she seemed to dislike today.

They talked about what was bothering her, laughing together when they agreed that her fears were unfounded, that her hormones were playing tricks on her, together working through yet another BH contraction and had actually started walking, hand in hand, down the lane in the colorful twilight when Hugo came back for them half an hour later.

**

CHAPTER 125…HERE WE GO!

Except for the scene on his arrival, just having him home seemed to level out Izzy’s mood swings. She couldn’t hide anything from him and he was a master at teasing her into a better mood, making her laugh away the groundless fears, just being himself, loving her and making sure she knew without any doubts that he did.

He installed the baby car seats in the new 8 passenger hybrid van, with Adam’s help of course, was always somewhere nearby to help her out of chairs, assure her that the little feet she couldn’t see were still there and loved her senseless in inventive ways that she had never even dreamed were possible.

The 39th week flew by.

By mutual agreement they put off the birthday party until after the boys arrived, neither wanting company right now except for immediate family.

They visited Dr. Hebert, together, prepared with Izzy’s small bag in the van in case he decided to induce labor but he merely smiled benignly and sent them home with the parting predicition that he would hear from them within 72 hours.

Marta had arrived with Zus the day after Urs arrived home and stayed on when he went back to work in Willisau. She spent some time at the Home Farm doing some baking for Dee who had produced another baby girl for Claude to adore, assuming the role of Oma that Dee’s mother neglected, the thoughtless woman prone to making comments about Dee being a baby factory and idolizing her other daughter who was a high powered executive in a marketing firm. Claude’s mother was not much better, living now on the Cote d’Azur and seldom leaving her sunny location.

As always Marta knew someone who would be perfect for the nanny Dee and Claude desperately needed and within 4 days matronly cousin Bea was installed at the Home Farm, instantly fitting in and mothering them all with a firm yet loving hand, as if she had always belonged right there.

Sam and Joanna arrived from the U.S. and came for dinner at Tranquillitte the first night after arriving.

It was a grown up party since Horst and Hans had volunteered to take a bunch of the boys {and 3 tomboy girls including Amelia who refused to wear dresses now, much to Claude’s dismay} on an overnight camping, hiking trip, only going as far as the plateau below the Observatory and Urs had reluctantly agreed to let Adam go.

“We’ll have to keep a close watch on the nervous Papa so he doesn’t sneak up the trail and spy on the kids,” Izzy teased when they were all seated at the oval table in the small dining room, small in that it would only easily accommodate 20 at the most.

“Not a problem…Horst and Hans are good boys…well young men actually …and they took radios so they can check in with Hugo if needs be,” Urs said with a grin as he passed behind her with the wine.

“I’m surprised you didn’t put a GPS bug on Adam,” Marta teased and laughed when he flushed bright red. “You!! Did you or did you just think about it?”

“Alright, I’ll admit it…I thought about it but…decided it would just earn me a really big load of grief if Izzy found out.”

“They are all good kids…they’ll be fine,” Amida volunteered, smiling down the table at Urs as he sat again with a sigh. “You just need to catch up on the way they’ve all grown during the past 6 months…give yourself a break…it’s hard keeping up at this stage of their lives…they change so much week to week.”

Sam kindly decided to take the pressure off of Urs and caught Bryan’s eye across the table {Bryan, the interim doctor who worked at the Retreat when Izzy couldn’t}.

“I would assume that the pace at the Retreat is calmer than your former position, Bryan…have you settled in to a routine now?”

The burly man smiled, shifting mental gears from when he had been an over protective new father and glancing at his wife who had laughed lightly at the question.

“…and I have a much happier wife now. We’ve been welcomed into this extended family in such a charming way…I thought I would miss the excitement of new places, the decisions we had to make under fire so to speak…but I don’t…Trina and I have a lot of free time and there’s just so much to do…if we want…we’ve even taken to helping out in the vinyards…great exercise and the air is so fresh, so clean.”

Trina giggled, somehow managing to not sound silly though she was hardly a young woman any more.

“And I’ve actually stopped being so nervous all the time. I used to worry about Bryan constantly when he was with SAR…never had any fingernails left when he came home…and look at them now.”

She laughed and held her hands up to have the medium length French polished nails admired by everyone.

“MMM…nice,” Sally said looking at her own short nails. “When I have to take my maternity leave I’m going to let my nails grow…”

Izzy laughed as she looked at hers.

“I haven’t had long nails since I started medical school…Doctors don’t have long nails…it wouldn’t do to scratch your patients accidentally. And of course you two have longer ones on one hand because of playing guitar,” she said indicating Urs and Gerd.

Urs chuckled remembering the arguements he had with each new makeup person about that very thing.

Dinner progressed, several people returning to the buffet for seconds and the conversation flowed, going from one subject to the next in the manner of friends who were comfortable with each other. Several times Urs thought that Izzy looked uncomfortable and he began watching her more closely, trying not to appear obvious about it.

It was during the dessert course, after Marta and Amida had helped Ambra clear away the main, that he listened to a quiet conversation between Izzy and Sally, then Marta, all of them speaking in the code that women use when they didn’t want their men to understand.

“Back?”

“Yes…”

“Since?”

“Noon…”

Sally sat back beside Gerd and exchanged a look with Marta, who rose and went to the buffet for the ice water jug.

She filled her own glass and offered some to others, gradually making her way to Izzy and leaning over to whisper something to her. Urs saw his mother’s eyebrows raise…and the hair at the back of his neck tingled as he watched, unable to hear.

“Maybe…” Izzy replied with a little smile and she looked up, right into the hazel eyes of her husband as he stared at her and fought the urge to panic.

She sighed and reached under the table to pat his hand, raising the other to wiggle it back and forth in a ‘maybe’ sign. He clutched at her hand under the table, grasping it like a drowning man would a life preserver.

And then he made a very big mistake, starting a topic of conversation that quickly freaked him out.

“I just thought of something…we have three doctors and a nurse at the table tonight…how many of you have actually ever delivered a baby?”

Sally choked on the sip of wine she had just taken then burst into laughter.

“Well I have…and did a damned fine job…Adam is proof of that.”

“Ah, Sal…you couldn’t have done it without me,” Izzy teased. “I’ve only been on the deliveree end of things since med school.”

“Once in an airport, once when we were digging some people out of a mud-slide…that one was nasty…we lost the mother and baby….and two during Katrina…it was a race to see which one would pop first,” Bryan said.

Urs mind was still replaying the words that had made his heart thud, the terrible words he really didn’t need to hear at this moment in time… ‘we lost the mother and baby’…did he say that? That kind of thing doesn’t happen anymore does it?...with all the modern science and wonders of medicine, do they still lose…gott!…that was during a disaster…things like that wouldn’t happen, not to Izzy, not to our boys….Could it?’

Sam had a wealth of stories to offer. As a small town GP he had seen it all, done it all and lived to tell some of it, not noticing that at the other end of the table his host was having a full blown panic attack.

“Urs…Urs…have a sip of your wine, Luv…” Izzy said quietly, handing him his glass and stealing a quick glance at Marta who caught on immediately.

“Enough with the morbid details, you two old fogeys…I want to hear what plans my youngest son has made for a proper wedding to this lovely woman. You have made some plans for while Sam and Joanna are here haven’t you, Gerd?”

Urs took the wineglass from Izzy and downed the contents in one gulp. She poured him another and took the glass back after he had one normal sip, squeezing his hand when the color flooded back into his ashen face.

“We are NOT in the middle of a mudslide, Luv…and I’m counting on you to be with me,” she whispered, leaning close to him and smiling. “Sally is great but I bet she doesn’t kiss like you do.”

It was only a few minutes later that the first real contraction gripped her. She clutched at Urs’ hand, the other on the edge of the table as the spasm rolled through her stomach.

“OHHHHH! That’s not a Braxton Hicks!...Here we go!”

Her eyes went glassy as she concentrated on her breathing while around her everyone created a commotion of dismay….except Urs who held her hand and timed the contraction, tuning out all the talk around them.

When it was over Izzy began to laugh.

“What’s with the surprised looks?.... you didn’t know I was pregnant? Marta, Ami, could you take care of everyone please…Urs and I are going to be a little busy.”

The second contraction came only 2 minutes after the first and General Urs marshaled his troops when Izzy actually swore.

“Scheisse!… Transition already…Urs, we have to go…NOW!”

With a firm, calm voice Urs directed everyone to jobs that needed done: Ami phoned Dr. Hebert, Gerd went for the van, Sally threw in a couple of blankets and a surprised Dr. Sam was pushed into the back seat, as insurance, his wife said, agreeing with Urs’ orders as she thrust Izzy’s medical bag into his hands and shut the door. Urs and Izzy sat in the middle row of seats while Gerd drove, fast but carefully.

“You’re doing fine, Liebe…rest now, here lean on me…every two minutes, lasting 58 seconds…I wonder which one will be first…”

“Urs, slide that blanket under me…if my water breaks we’ll never get the ammonia smell out of the seats…”

“Then we’ll buy another van…you worry about the damndest things, Woman!… there…better?”

She didn’t answer, just grabbed his hand and began panting.

The trip into Lausanne seemed to take forever, even Izzy was beginning to lose it when they pulled into the drive just as she felt the first urge to push.

“NO!! Pant!!! That’s a good girl…”

Later Urs didn’t remember lifting her bulky body out of the van and into a wheelchair, nor racing into the building with two nurses trying to keep up and calling out directions…his next coherent thought was of Dr. Hebert telling him to brace Izzy, of her cut off clothing being stripped away, of her fingers digging into his shoulders and her sweaty body straining, of a tiny head cradled by the doctor’s hands, lots of wet hair, then the little body following, turning over and the face of his son as he gulped in his first breath of air and howled a lusty, strong A sharp at the indignity of being squeezed out of his comfy home.

There was only time for a brief cuddle of the vernix covered little boy, the warm, solid, magical feeling of this tiny life in his hands before they had to do it again, the nurses and pediatrician tending to the first baby while the second took his time, already showing his independence by being not as rushed as his impatient twin. This time his first sound was a clear C, an octave above Middle C and made his Papa smile… definitely a tenor!

Urs wasn’t aware of the tears on his cheeks until he bent over Izzy to kiss her tenderly and she wiped them away with her fingers.

“Thank you for being here for me…you bring so much joy to my life, Urs and I thank Gott for bringing us together.”

He managed to smile but couldn’t stop his eyes from leaking.

“I guess I’m supposed to say something profound but I seem to have something squeezing my throat and it’s affected my brain……I’m so proud of you, of us…Gott we do good work!”

They held each other, ignoring the nurses and Dr. Hebert who were taking care of other things at the bottom of the table, the new parents crying with the joy of this precious moment, then laughing at themselves as they kissed again and waited for the nurses to bring their sons over to be held.

Urs looked like he had been on a pub crawl when he came out to the waiting room, his shirt wrinkled and pulled out of hs creased trousers, eyes red rimmed from emotion but his face dimpled with a huge smile. The emotional drain had left him exhausted and he leaned against the wall for a second before Marta spotted him and leapt to her feet.

“Well? Everything is fine, Ja?”

“Ja…Izzy is tired but glowing she’s so happy…both boys are fine, big and healthy…Sean was first, 4 minutes after we got here…he weighs 3.1 Kilos and is 22 inches long …Robse is shorter, 21 inches …he took his time and arrived 14 minutes later…3Kilos exactly…it’s no wonder she suffered with those Braxton Hicks contractions…there couldn’t have been much room left in there….Gott they’re beautiful…and so much hair…Sean’s is lighter…they should be in the room in about half an hour…sorry, my legs feel weak…I need to sit down.”

“A good size for twins, around 7lbs. for Sean, and 6 and a half for Robse…” Sam said, making room for Urs on the hard leatherette sofa and Sally laughed.

“Spoken like a true man…I’m sure Izzy was wishing they were a little smaller.”

“Urs, you need to call Claude and Dee…they had to go home to feed Jacqui but they won’t rest until you call them.” Mami handed him the phone he had forgotten in his hasty departure. “And Ambra…she was so concerned that Ami offered to stay with her to keep her from going to pieces.”

For some reason spreading the news had a calming effect on Urs and by the time he and Mami went in the private room for a quick visit with Izzy and a peek at the newly cleaned up boys, he was energized, back in control and quite eager to hold his sons and his wife.

They admired the newborns, amazed at the visible differences in them already, Sean with hair that was several shades lighter and curlier than his brother’s now that it was dry but both with a healthy crop that actually had to be brushed back off their tiny foreheads.

“Next time we’re taking a suite in the hotel across the street for the last couple of weeks,” Urs teased as he hugged his sleepy wife.

“Next time I’ll pay more attention to the back ache…I should have known better…that’s how it started with Adam too.” Izzy smiled at him but he could see that what she really wanted was to close her eyes and sleep.

Her eyes popped open as she remembered something.

“Will you call Cody and Martine before you go home to bed? He made me promise we would let them know when the boys arrived.”

“I’ll take care of it, Liebling…but I’m staying here….”

“Don’t fight me on this Urs…this may be the last good night’s sleep you get for a while…and I need some clothes to go home in…the pale blue track suit I think should fit…don’t forget a bra…I think the one I had on is toast…I seem to remember a nurse with scissors doing some major work on my clothes.”

She was almost asleep before he and Mami left the room with one last look at the peacefully sleeping boys in their little isolets.

Urs called Cody on the way back to Reve, Mami called Zus, then Nadia, convinced that telling her youngest daughter would spread the word among the family.

They talked with Ambra and Ami for only a few minutes, then, realizing that it was now well after midnight said Good Night.

Urs lay on their bed in the master suite, so sure that he wouldn’t be able to sleep that he didn’t even strip down…and promptly fell into happy dreams, not waking until dawn.

**

CHAPTER 126…ADJUSTING

Urs entered into being the father of newborns much as he had with Adam when they first met in Columbia… with whole hearted love.

Once again it was a learning experience for him as he learned how to diaper boys without getting sprayed, surprised himself and everyone else by not being afraid to hold them or give them baths, crooned as he changed their clothing and brought them to Izzy to be fed, one at a time since they hadn’t managed to get their schedules synchronized yet.

The first day home, when they were less than 24 hours new, Adam was waiting silently with Ami on the steps when they drove into the yard. He stood and watched as Urs helped Izzy out of the van, his face breaking into a smile so like his Papa’s when she immediately called out to him and held her arms open.

“You’re skinny again…where are my brothers?” he said after being thoroughly hugged and patting her more or less flat tummy.

Izzy laughed and pointed to the car seats, one on each side of Sally who had gone with Urs to bring his family home.

“I can’t see them with the seats backwards,” he said trying to stand really tall to peek in.

“Remember, Papa explained that when you helped him install the new seats…they need to be that way until the babies get bigger…climb up and have a look…I think they liked riding in the car…they fell asleep right away.”

Adam climbed up into the middle row of seats while Izzy reined Urs in, holding his arms around her so he wouldn’t get over protective and let Adam think he didn’t trust him.

She felt Urs about to speak, heard him whisper, more for himself than his son… ‘Gently, Adam…gently…’ and patted his hand.

“He knows, Luv…think how he is with Roger,” she whispered.

Indeed they didn’t have any reason to worry.

Adam squirmed in between the seats, leaning on Sally’s legs as she unstrapped the tiny boys in their crocheted blankets and tiny bonnets, handiwork of their Oma.

His smile broadened and he held out a pudgy hand to touch Sean on the arm, the baby beginning to scrunch up his face at being disturbed from lovely baby dreams.

“You must be Sean…Papa said your hair was lighter…Gruezi…I’m Adam, your Big Brother…Don’t cry…this is a really, really nice place to live.”

Sean seemed to be fascinated by the new, soft voice and waved his little hands, staring, but Adam wasn’t fooled and laughed.

“You can’t see me yet, so don’t try to trick me…Mama explained how babies eyes aren’t strong yet. So I’ll watch out for you, don’t worry…”

Little fingers curled around Adam’s and held on while Adam inspected Robse, the still sleeping brother.

“Are his eyes blue too?” he asked Sally as she lifted the baby out, pausing for a moment to let Adam gently touch one finger to the rosy cheek.

“For now…most babies are born with blue eyes that change as he gets bigger. Yours were blue at first too.”

“Can I hold them?”

Ami had come up to the little group and stepped in now, picking up Sean and smiling at her eager charge.

“Why don’t we get the babies and your Mama inside first, Adam? It’s hard work having babies and your Mama needs to rest a bit, often…then you can help your Papa get them into their cradles.”

All the casual but thorough preparations they had made over the past months paid off as Adam had few questions left to ask. He knew his jobs: fetching diapers, gently rocking cradles, singing his favorite lullabies softly, sitting very still and supporting the twin’s head when he held them, always with permission first…but his favorite was just talking softly as he held one of them, sitting beside Mama in one of the large Lazy-Boy chairs while she fed the other one… ‘nursed’ they called it even though she was still a doctor.

The times he didn’t like much was when the babies cried…no amount of explaining that Mama was coming as quick as could be with their dinner did anything to curb the piercing cries so Adam learned to make himself scarce when that happened. There were some things even a Big Brother couldn’t cope with.

After the first week of both himself and Izzy only managing to sleep in less than 2 hour increments Urs went into Lausanne, purchased a breast pump and bottles and called on the nurse they had on standby, asking her to come out to Reve for the night shift for the next 2 months. Izzy was too tired and grateful to argue when he just quietly voiced his opinion that there was no point in having all that money if it didn’t get spread around when necessary….and since his time to enjoy being with his wife and their children was limited at the moment, it was necessary.

Adam wasn’t forgotten in the bustle of caring for two very demanding babies. Both Izzy and Urs made sure that Big Brother was included in caring for the newcomers and also had plenty of alone time with one parent or the other. He was fascinated by his brothers and gentle, imitating his Papa when he held them by talking in a soft, almost musical voice that seemed to appeal to the boys, especially Sean who would lay quietly in Adam’s arms and wave his tiny hands around as if conducting.

Izzy recovered quickly, was back to her normal weight just days after coming home, though she decided that at least 10 pounds of that was fat and started on an exercise regime to tone her supposedly flabby stomach…and of course she started doing Kegels again for the time when their celibacy would end. Not that they abstained completely, frequently indulging in what Urs liked to call ‘Playtime’ …and he discovered that he quite liked the taste of breast milk, though he only sampled it briefly twice, claiming that he felt guilty of stealing his sons’ dinner.

August passed. In another week the boys would have their checkup with the pediatrician and Izzy should get the all clear from Dr. Hebert…so it was a surprise when he woke in the early hours of one more beautiful day to find his wrists tied to the headboard with velvet cords and his wife, naked, busily creating the erotic dream he had woken from, her little hands and mouth working exquisite magic on his very erect shaft.

“Ahhhh!...Baby, untie me…let me touch you…I want to Play too…”

She just smiled at him and shook her head.

“No more waiting…we’ve been patient long enough…” she said, swinging her leg over his and rubbing against his groin, her hands moving to his nipples and pulling gently.

“IZZY!...the doctor said 6 weeks…Bitte!!! Untie me!”

“If I untie you, you’ll try to stop us…no more Playtime…I want you inside me…NOW!”

She leaned forward and captured his mouth in a kiss that set him on fire, grinding her hips against him, making him groan when he felt how wet, how ready she was.

She sat back, raising herself up on her knees then lowering down on him, guiding his shaft into her slowly while he watched, not breathing when he felt the tight, hot sensation of her flesh wrapping around him.

“Mein gott!!...Yes!”

He had no resistance left, wanting desperately to go deeper, harder, afraid of hurting her but even if he had been loose unable to stop now.

Their long abstinence meant that neither could prolong the sharing, not like they would have before. She slipped the knots on his wrists and turned him free….he gathered her tenderly into his arms and rolled them over so he could control the pace, trying to be gentle but both so close…he took her mouth, devouring her cries as she peaked and he followed almost immediately.

When the after shocks had subsided he left a trail of kisses down her neck, easing himself off her breasts and laughing at the wet marks her engorged breasts had made on his chest.

“You alright?”

“No…I want more…” she answered, nipping his shoulder with her strong teeth.

“That can be arranged…let’s see if we can last a little longer this time…” he murmured and reacquainted himself with some of the places they had neglected in their haste, a slow, thorough exploration of erotic delights.

For only a second Izzy thought about her bet with herself, the prediction of carrying another child while she was still nursing what she now knew were the twins…but only for a second as Urs played her senses like a well tuned violin and all she could think of was this man she loved beyond all reason.

**

The remainder of September any stranger watching them would have thought them a newly married couple, still in the honeymoon stage.

Urs’ well developed romantic switch had been turned on, a combination of joy at the beautiful, healthy sons Izzy had given him, the impending separation while he was away on the Tour and the no-longer-in-effect ban on sharing intimacy.

He seemed unable to go longer than a few minutes without touching her, a caress on the cheek as he left the table, holding hands when they went for walks or even walked down the stairs side by side, playing with her fingers when they talked to friends in the Lounge, often pinning her to the wall as he passed by, to steal a passionate embrace. There were unexpected gifts of flowers, jewelry, trinkets that made her laugh, notes that she would find tucked into the lingerie drawer, inside her closed laptop, taped to the bathroom mirror, in her jacket pocket when the weather turned cool.

And all too soon the day was almost here when he would have to leave his little family and go back to his other passion, performing for his loyal fans.

They had gone outside to recline in the hammock and watch the stars…at least that had been the excuse but one thing lead to another and talk of the hammock in the little courtyard in Tribeca soon lead them to carefully sharing love in the hammock under the watching stars, gently so they wouldn’t flip over.

Unknown to them, EVER, Horst cut through the back lawn on his way home from the stables and peered through the trees when a faint sound caught his attention. He had seen the animals mating many times and never had a problem but there was something very arousing about seeing two people he admired enjoying each other…. he watched for several minutes before his guilty conscience made him quietly return to the stables to spend the night, seeking his own relief while the few moments he had seen played in a loop in his mind. It was weeks before he could look Izzy in the eyes comfortably and then only with his cheeks flaming. Fortunately she thought it was merely his awakening hormones and an inate shyness around women so she didn’t pursue the matter.

**

The chill of the night air after their exertions drove them back inside. They checked on the boys in the nursery, whispered Good Night to the nurse, checked on Adam then Izzy used the breast pump and put the bottles of baby food in one of the little frigs Urs had purchased for their suite for just this purpose {it’s twin in the nursery} while he attended to the remainder of his packing.

“I’ve arranged for the Heli to pick me up in the paddock again…will it bother you if Jeanne is on board? She often co-pilots on the short hauls.”

Izzy flushed at his question and shook her head.

“No…it won’t even bother me if you kiss her cheek again…I really am sorry for slapping you and blowing up like that, Urs…I do trust you…that was a moment of insanity, I think from those damned Braxton Hicks and my hormones…it won’t happen again….I hope.”

He left his packing and came to her, holding her tenderly against his chest and his voice making vibrations against her head as he spoke.

“I need you to have faith in me, Liebe…especially this time since the boys are too young to be left without you or to travel so far.”

“I do have faith in you…I trust you, Urs…it was myself that I disliked before and I took it out on you…even when I said those things I didn’t believe them…I was trying to hurt myself and you were a handy target. You’ll see…when you come home before Christmas I’ll be more like myself.”

“Hopefully I’ll even make it for Adam’s birthday this time. Gott, I’m going to miss you and the boys so much…make sure you take lots of pictures…oh and remind Ami that I want Adam to take a lot of photos of that comet…that night we spent up at the Observatory was such a blast….I didn’t realize that the Duc had such advanced equipment up there.”

“I’d like to go up again when the comet is due to be seen…Gerd says if it snows he’ll take us up on snow mobiles, then he has an excuse to stay and see it too. Silly bugger, as if he needed an excuse.”

Urs laughed and hugged her.

“Watch your language, Little Mama…you’ve been hanging out with me and my brother too much…soon Mami will be threatening you with that nasty soap she used on us a couple of times.”

She had pushed his tee shirt up and inched her mouth in fluttery kisses over his chest, giggling when he shivered from the ticklish feeling.

“Are you nearly finished with your packing?”

“Just my shaving…kit…Gott that feels so good, Baby…I’ll give you an hour to stop…OW!!!”

She wiggled out of his arms and bounced across the bed, standing on the other side and beginning a slow strip while he tried to examine the bite mark he was sure he must have just below his ribs.

“You want to Play? Come here!!”

She smiled and shook her head, backing up a few steps when he lunged for her. He laughed, then rolled off the bed to stalk her slowly as she backed across the room, his cheeks dimpled with a wicked grin.

A quick deke to the right did her little good…he caught her around the waist and threw her on the bed, following to land on her {taking most of his weight on his stretched out arms}…they wrestled, both losing their clothing, somehow without ripping anything, both weak from laughter that suddenly faded as lust took over and they made love, a fast and furious coupling that built memories for the time when they would be thousands of miles apart, then starting again with tender touches before they had really finished, the journey of anticipation almost more than either could bear, the explosion of release a breathless pleasure that the poets accurately call ‘The Little Death’.

**

One last time, in the morning, Urs helped change diapers and watched while Izzy fed Sean, then Robse. He rubbed little backs to get the air bubbles out and carried both babies downstairs to place them in the day cradles in the office.

He was thoroughly hugged by Adam who took over rocking Sean back to sleep, talking quietly to his Papa about the places he was going.

Urs’ travels were a learning experience for Adam too…Ami had found some books on Australia and New Zealand that they were pouring over, lots of pictures so he now knew what Kangaroos were and Koala bears, the beauty of the wilderness areas…and of course he had seen the sapphires and opals in the workshop.

Izzy had gone to the kitchen and surprised them with pancakes, exchanging smiles with Urs as he said they were almost as good as the first ones she had made for him.

Hugo took his luggage to the paddock while they walked through the village and down the driveway, the twins in the new double stroller and Adam playing with Homer part of the time, coming to Urs with treasures he found on the roadside several times, really just for a hug…he was trying to be brave like his Mama about Papa going off to work but the wistful way he looked at this man who meant so much to him was evidence of how he really felt.

Urs picked him up and placed him on his shoulders, wincing when the grip on his hair was a bit too tight.

“Adam, when Sean and Robse get a bit older, I’m going to tell them what a good Big Brother you’ve been right from the first day they came home. I’m very proud of you, for so many reasons and I’m going to miss you…but I know I can leave Mama and the twins for you to watch over. And now that you have your own computer if you ever want to talk to me just check the schedule I left for you, just like Mama’s…we’ll talk on IM and the time will pass quickly until I’m home again. I love you, Sohn.”

“I love you too, Papa…I’m glad you gave Mama your seed to make me.”

Urs literally felt the color leave his face as he held his breath, hoping that Adam wouldn’t pursue that line of thought any further. Izzy had told him of the conversation in the carrot patch and, though he had laughed at the time, he was glad he hadn’t had to cope with it. He glanced at the twins in the push cart and wondered if his luck would hold when they got old enough to ask questions.

The leisurely walk down the lane ended abruptly when they heard, then saw the Helicopter coming in to land. Last minute hugs and kisses were hurried, thankfully since it was much less painful that way. He jogged for the open side door, waved and was gone in a flurry of spinning rotors and swirling dust from the field…they watched until it was out of sight beyond the trees, wiped tears from sad faces and hugged each other in shared pain, then turned for home.

CHAPTER 127…

To take the edge off of the sense of loss that Urs going back to the tour had cast over the house, Izzy had suggested that she and Ami and the boys go on an overnight to the Observatory again. It was much too early for the viewing of the comet which had been carefully plotted as being visible in this part of the world on October 27th, but it was an outing and something different that would take their minds off of his absence…she hoped.

The first trip up there had been in two stages, Urs, Gerd and Adam going first for several reasons: to test the sure-footedness of the horses on the trail, to see if the equipment was still working and to clean up the accumulated dust of several years abandonment before the twins were brought up.

Everything had been left carefully covered or oiled, so except for cleaning the lenses and oiling the moving parts once again the equipment was in great shape. They found the manuals, cleaned, dusted, especially the tiny living quarters and set up tents on a level piece of land adjacent to the building, all catching naps so they could stay up later and actually try out the telescope.

Adam was fascinated by the photos they found that the Duc had taken and together with equally rapt Papa and Onkle poured over the star charts in anticipation of the approaching night.

Urs had worried that the abilities of the small telescope and camera would discourage Adam but it was not so. Yes, the display was not as amazing as the more powerful one he had looked at through the viewer in Berlin but there was something about peering at the night sky with your own equipment that was thrilling and satisfied the yearning they all had to see something wonderful. It was well after midnight when Adam feel asleep leaning into the view- piece and Urs carried him out to his sleeping bag while Gerd retracted the telescope, closed the roof and turned off the interior lights to join them.

The next day Ami, Izzy, Sally and the twins had come up after talking to Urs on the radio and getting the all-clear.

He had come down part way to meet them, transferring the 7 week old babies to his own chest in their carrier and patiently going slowly so the girls could enjoy the amazing view of the estate from this elevation.

“How late did Adam manage to stay awake?” Izzy asked as she rode up beside him on a wide spot of the trail.

He laughed remembering how his son had fought sleep, finally giving in with a contented sigh.

“Ten after one…there always seemed to be just one more area he wanted to look at and finally when he was quiet for a few minutes I realized that he lost the battle and had fallen asleep. Gerd was almost as bad…it took him nearly an hour to throw a few switches and close up for the night….he said he kept getting side-tracked….it makes such a big difference when you actually know what you’re looking at. And this morning there was a bonus…when I first came out of the tent there was a small herd of Ibex on the ridge beyond the camp site. What cheeky devils they are…they seem to know just how close they can come without being in danger…the ram kept an eye on us but the rest just went on with their grazing.”

They spent the day exploring and throwing together a corral for the horses so it wouldn’t be necessary to hobble them…though Urs was pretty sure that the big friendly animals wouldn’t stray far anyway as long as he still had apples in the bag he had brought up for them.

Izzy proved that she hadn’t lost her camping skills by producing a dinner fit for the most exclusive dining rooms: perfectly grilled trout that the guys had caught with little effort in the stream, with packages of veggies done in the ashes and light, flaky biscuits from the little oven she fashioned out of foil…of course the twins were no problem to feed since their meals were only a bra cup away.

Later, Urs and Gerd were pouring over some old photos that the Duc had taken, Ami and Sally were taking their turns on the telescope and Adam was sitting with Izzy, gently rocking Robse to sleep as Izzy finished feeding Sean who seemed to be a bottomless pit tonight.

“Mama?”

‘Oh, gott…here it comes…we’ve been waiting nearly 8 weeks for him to ask questions…why now when there are others around?’

“Yes, Luv…”

“Did you feed me like that when I was a baby?”

“Yes, I did, Adam,” she answered, trying not to be aware of the silence and held breaths as everyone waited for the conversation to continue.

“I don’t remember…why don’t you still do it?”

“Well, I could I suppose…but then you wouldn’t be enjoying cookies and hot chocolate like a Big Boy, or have so much energy to play…once a baby gets older the milk I produce isn’t enough to supply all the energy a big boy needs…and so when your teeth came in and you could chew your food then we started giving you the same food that adults eat.”

“Then what happens to the milk if the babies aren’t drinking it?”

“I stop making it until I have another baby.”

He stopped rocking his sleeping brother in the portable bed, slipped off the seat beside her and grinned, using this week’s favorite word.

“Very efficient…I think it’s my turn on the viewer again,” and without any more questions he had scooted off to the viewer that Ami and Sally had abandoned as they shamelessly eavesdropped.

Urs had grinned at her and wiped imaginary sweat from his brow, made a comment to Gerd that had his brother laughing, then they returned to the photos.

**

This time Ami, Sally, Izzy and the twins joined Adam on the ride up the mountain, turned the horses loose in the small corral and set up camp in the building, using the folding beds for the twins and sleeping bags with air mattresses for everyone else, none of them quite brave enough to camp out without the guys here.

It was a nice outing, a change from their regular routines with the added benefit of some interesting viewing after dark. Even the twins seemed to enjoy it, perhaps because of the different things to look at or or perhaps merely because of the quiet and clean air…whatever the reason, they slept through the night for the first time.

**

“You’ve changed,” David said when he managed to stop laughing, wiping the tears from his streaming eyes and holding the small photo album carefully.

“Now if we can just get you using the computer more you wouldn’t have to carry old-fashioned things like this around.”

Urs just smiled and tapped the cover on the album.

“I like it this way…more personal somehow.”

David flipped slowly through the pictures, chuckling over some which had caught the subjects candidly, smiling over others which clearly showed the love this little family had one for the other and sighing when he came to the last insert.

“I usually think babies are kind of homely but these little guys could be models for baby food. Nice job there, Buddy. Sean looks like he’s going to have reddish hair…handy when it comes to telling them apart.”

“We think so too…it’s not surprising with Izzy’s background…and Cody has a lot of red in his beard. Adam has really taken to the twins well…he’s very serious about being the world’s best Big Brother…though I noticed that he tends to disappear when the impatient ‘FEED ME!!’ crying gets too loud. Not that I blame him…they each have great lungs but as a duet…Mein Gott!!!”

David looked at his friend and smiled…that last statement had been made with fatherly pride, not complaint and he found it really told how much Urs had changed.

It was a long flight to Oz, long and tedious, made a little less so by doing part of it at night when the cabin of the plane was dimly lit and quiet so the passengers could sleep away the airmiles. Gradually all the Divos on this flight {Seb and his family had gone earlier} settled in for a sleep or just to think as Urs was doing.

‘He’s right…I have changed…and it’s not just the willingness to be more open about my life…I think before, I was like most guys, just a little selfish, most of my thoughts centered around ME…when did I change? Was it gradual, after I realized how much I needed Izzy in my life? Or when I found out about being a father? No…those are still ME moments…how I felt, how fulfilled it made me feel…or is that the secret? There is no completely separate Me anymore…and I don’t want there to be.’

The attendant came quietly down the aisle, checking her charges and leaned over to whisper to Urs.

“May I get you anything, Mr. Buhler…a drink, a blanket…?”

“No, Thank you…I’m just thinking…enjoying the quiet,” he said with a smile that made the poor woman’s knees feel weak.

‘I’m a Siren, I’m a Siren, I’m a Siren…’ Air Bunny mentally chanted as she went on down the aisle.

Urs thought back to the previous tour, his meandering mind centering on an incident during the South African part of the tour.

They had gone on a side trip, a safari into the Nature Park to see some of the animals allowed to roam freely. When the open air, windowless buses had arrived at the Hotel to pick them up he scooted immediately to a seat on the outside wall so he would have an unobstructed view.

‘Selfish bugger!! Poor Alicia had to fend for herself…I wouldn’t do that with Izzy or the boys…I’d get them the very best seats and look over top of them…it’s become automatic to put them first…and it makes me happy…that way I can watch them enjoying what we see, share their feelings as well as my own….now if I could just remember to put the toilet seat up!!’

He laughed quietly as he thought about the ongoing argument they had about the cold porcelain surprise for Izzy in the middle of the night….fortunately that wouldn’t be so often now that she no longer had the pressure on her bladder.

Sam, across the aisle from him was sound asleep when he glanced over, thinking of something he wanted to ask their manager…well, it would keep. The guys had suggested doing an extra concert in Oz as a benefit for all the people who had suffered so terribly during the floods and fires that ravaged the country this year…management as usual had to ‘think’ about it…meaning that the big shots needed to figure out a way that it would benefit the Il Divo organization as well. David had suggested an alternative, quietly and just mentioning it to the guys so Sam couldn’t interfere.

“In the States there’s things like Habitat for Humanity…if Oz has anything like it we could volunteer and actually help with the rebuilding….anonymously.”

Seb’s pretty little wife was looking into it for them, one of the reasons they had preceded the group to Australia, the other being her family.

Urs fell asleep thinking about how nice it would be to actually be able to physically do some good…and enjoy the hands on work as well.

**

Izzy decided to try taking the boys to the Retreat with her so she could ease back into the routine.

Adam would be no problem of course. With his insatiable appetite for new things he would likely be fascinated by the equipment in the work areas and with his friendly-little- puppy attitude would be thrilled to meet so many new people…unless the sight of a few uniforms that some of the guests chose to wear brought back unpleasant memories.

Sean and Robse were still at the stage when they were sleeping more than awake and so long as their dairy bar was no more than a grope away would be fine.

As it turned out taking the children was a major hit. Most of the guests had family that they missed, some even children of their own and their reaction to the three Buhler babies…oops! Boys, Adam sternly reminded the first guest who called him a BABY…the reaction triggered the next evolution in the services offered at the Retreat.

There was a marked change in the attitude of the men who had the chance to interact even briefly with the boys…they were much more cheerful, more determined to get better, more aware that the future could be better if they chose it to be. Within a few weeks the first of the carefully selected families was invited to join their recovering relative. The success was astounding.

Adam talked for a few seconds with Urs that first night, casually mentioning that he had been ‘working’ with Mama then moving on to something else so it was up to Izzy to answer the many questions he had.

BBB says: Jus got home from working with Mama…member that nice soldier who wouldn’t talk to anyone?...he likes our babies…the piano came today and its tuned n evrythin…Onkle Gerd took me for a ride but it’s funner with u…only as far as the gates…Mama was really loud and made me walk back…Ich Liebe dich, Papa…did you know that Mama’s face gets really red when she shouts?...going to play with the piano now…3Bs

Looli says: Wait Adam…Izzy are you there?...Mercy you two…don’t leave me hanging…

Major Medic says: I’m here…YOUR son has beetled off where I can’t reach him….the piano came today, the little one you and Adam bought on your trip into Geneva and I hear him doing scales. He’s trying to be good since I caught him and Gerd riding on Gerd’s Yamaha WITHOUT HELMETS and going far too fast on the gravel drive…. they both knew better!!! Adam is on no desserts for a week and Gerd is supposed to be nookie free…if Sally doesn’t cave in before the week is up…LOL

Looli says: Ouch!! I don’t know which I would hate worse…but they were wrong to do it and I approve the punishment…most accidents happen within a few K of home and Gerd knows it. The trouble is that Adam really liked riding with me into Geneva…he’s a born bike rider, Luv…but he needs to learn some caution.

Major Medic says: I don’t want to curb his natural enthusiasm or spirit of adventure but he’s a little young to have developed much real sense yet…I don’t know what Gerd’s excuse was…I lit into him when I caught up out near the gates and he couldn’t get a word in…then I frog marched Adam home…I think he was trotting to keep up with me but he didn’t say a word…anyway it’s over and I don’t think either of them will forget helmets again. I have news about the new program at the Retreat.

Looli says: Adam started to tell me but I think he was concerned that I would question him about the bike thing and he just typed a short message then was gone.

Major Medic says: I took the children to work with me and noticed the reaction of a few of the guests…they perked up, laughing and talking with Adam, showing interest in what the twins were doing…Sally and I took them out on the lawn and sat on the grass near where Captain Josephs was sitting staring into space. Sean was waving his arms around like he does and Adam started singing to him and Sally nudged me…the Captain was watching the boys and actually smiling…anyway the short version is that he’s actually talking a bit now and asked about his family…his wife and 2 boys are going to come over for a visit in a couple of weeks, only a part day at first till we see how it goes….

Looli says: Wonderful news!! If it works for him will you consider doing it for others?

Major Medic says: We’ll have to be very careful and house the families on the estate at first…but if it works…

Looli says: I have a good feeling about it, Baby…it will work…speaking of work we’ve done a couple of jobs now helping to raise homes to replace the ones lost here during the fires etc. What amazing spirit these people have…nothing keeps them down long…even being around them and trying to figure out what they’re saying is energizing…yesterday my face actually ached from laughing so much.

Major Medic says: I’m late….

There was nothing on the screen for a few seconds then…

Looli says: U upset?

Major Medic says: GOTT NO!!! U?

Looli says: NO!…concerned…have you recovered enough for it to be safe?

Major Medic says: My Swiss lover takes excellent care of me…I’ve never been so healthy…and obviously your little swimmers are too…I’m pretty sure, Urs but I’ll go see Dr. Hebert later this week. Seriously, are you happy about this?

Looli says: I’m just trying to figure out how to get more seats in the van…Liebeling we wanted to have our family close together and I guess someone upstairs was listening…and I find you even more of a turn on when you’re pregnant…Gott… just thinking about it now and I’m like a rod

He adjusted the Skype camera for a view of his nether regions, panning back to his hooded eyes after only a few seconds, just in case Adam came back.

Looli says: Playtime tonite?

Major Medic says: Absolutley!! As soon as Adam is in bed and the twins are settled.

Looli says: I love you, Wife…you make me very happy.

Major Medic says: I love you too…now go have your breakfast {right time?} and think about later…

A row of couples engaging in Kama Sutra sex positions appeared on the screen followed by huge red lips that smacked a resounding kiss…then she was gone and Urs laughed as he tried to decide whether to shower now and take care of the aching in his groin or try to calm down with a meal…the shower won!!

**

CHAPTER 128 ….HOME…2041

He eased the Harley into the turn, passing under the open arched gateway into Reve and stopping to admire the stretch of trees bordering each side of the drive, quivering in the light afternoon breeze. The scent of freshly mown grass came to him, filling his senses with memories, one leading into another in an endless stream: Riding on the mower behind Hugo, sliding down the gentle slopes near the house on a flattened cardboard box, Sean on another trying to beat him to the bottom and knocking over his twin, Robse, both of them rolling to the bottom in a tangle of legs and laughter, riding the Paso Finos through the long autumn grass on the way to the Observatory…swimming at the lake, that had always been a great time, even that time they had gone without Mama…until she paged them that the third set of twins, Henri and Andre, were eager to be born…my, how Papa had panicked that time.

He wondered if his two youngest brothers were here yet… Henri and Andre had the shortest distance to travel, both being at universities here in Switzerland, though Henri was in Geneva and Andy in Bern…of course they wouldn’t miss Papa’s birthday, especially this one…70 years and the man was still going strong, putting in a full day’s work on his music, producing successful show after show or yet another CD, some of his own creations, some classic works, one every other year with one or all the others from Il Divo.

There were a few people on the lawns around the Retreat, guests out for a walk or lounging in the recliners catching a a healing nap in the warm sunshine, the attendants in their slax and light colored shirts bringing out cool drinks or snacks, one helping a guest who looked to be learning motor skills again….he thought that it might even be one of his cousins…yes, that long blonde hair and the tall body…that was probably Sally and Gerd’s Jo-Jo, their second daughter, a physio therapy specialist who worked full time at the Retreat.

The village was quiet, doors and windows open, most of the adults likely working with the vines, or at one of the other many jobs around the estate. He smiled as he thought about catching up with Stefan who now managed the vineyards, Claude reluctantly retiring 2 years ago though he still kept his hand in in the caves.

Even the office looked empty though the show room had a car parked in front…likely a merchant from town replenishing supplies or Hans sneaking away from the office in Geneva. He was a genius at managing the varied businesses that Reve now owned but still needed that boost of energy that Reve gave him on a regular basis. A workaholic, he had never found a woman who would put up with his obsessive ways for long..…he was the polar opposite of his brother, Horst, who would leave the quiet of Reve now and then for the bustle of night life in the city but never stayed away long.

Adam smiled as he recalled that it had been on one of Horst’s trips into Geneva when he had become reacquainted with Amelia. It wasn’t until they were married several months later that he learned she had always known they would be together…if he would just wait for her to grow up. The poor quiet man didn’t have a chance once she finished her Animal Husbandry training and set out to charm him. A year later she was back at Reve, married to the only man she had ever wanted and round with the first of their large brood of children…five, he thought…or was it six?

He pulled slowly into the drive at Tranquillite, as always feeling a real sense of HOME even though he had lived with his wife Shari and their 6 year old daughter Bella for the past 8 years in Hilo, Hawaii, working as Director of the Gemini facility at the Mauna Kea Observatories complex, a much different environment from here. There was something comforting about the sameness whenever he came back…nothing ever changed much except the seasons. The roses still crept over the arbors, scenting the air, the wisteria continued to crawl across the stonework at the end of the house, in winter the snow was still clean and crisp as it blanketed the land when he was home for Christmas…’and Baby Jesus still appears as if by magic Christmas Eve’, he thought as he followed the drive around back to ‘the Shed’.

Henri and Sofie’s bicycles and Andy’s Harley were parked along the wisteria clad end wall of the Shed…they had arrived already…Good…he was eager to see them, to hear how their classes were going. Henri and his wife were heavily into their teaching of Botany and working on plans for the 8 month long field trip they would take next year to Peru and of course, as they had known as soon as he could read and write, Andy was determined to make his mark in the world of the stage, producing his first 3 act play at the tender age of 8, with Ami’s help of course and now teaching Drama part time while he worked on yet another best-seller….Dear Ami, so much a part of all their lives and so missed since cancer had taken her from them 2 years ago, within a month of their darling Oma quietly passing in her sleep one dreadful night. Zus would be here but not now the same, quiet and withdrawn, slowly willing himself to join her in endless sleep.

Sean and Robse would both be coming, with their wives and children, from Canada, although Robse was in British Columbia, a Professor of Mathematics at UBC, and Sean had just recently accepted the position of Paediatric Cardiac Resident at Sick Children’s Hospital in Toronto…he would have to tease them about their lack of communication skills since he hadn’t heard from either for a month…except junk mail of course….they both loved to forward copious amounts of spam.

Adam slipped his helmet off and rubbed his curly head to get rid of helmet head, remembering that first little red helmet he had worn every chance he got….and the first time Papa had taken him for a ride on one of his bikes, that long ago trip into Geneva to look for a piano scaled down small enough for little hands. He could still remember the thrill, the feeling of fear, quickly subdued when he felt Papa’s strong arms caging him in safely. That had been the start of a love affair with motorbikes that still gave him a rush…as evidenced by the rental he had just dismounted from.

It had been bikes that brought him and Shari together, back when he first went to Hawaii to interview for the position at Mauna Kea.

He remembered it so clearly, going to the party held by a biker friend, that first moment when he had seen her, the feeling of his heart skipping as she swayed to the music playing while the line of lovely women danced…not that he noticed the others…he was transfixed, staring at the lustrous long black hair, her glorious coffee au lait tanned skin and those amazing eyes that seemed to burn as she smiled at him. One look and the first conscious thought he had was “Danke, Papa! Danke!”

Now that had been a memorable time, when Papa explained what, in his opinion, was the duty of a man…in bed……

They had gone for a walk up the trail to the Observatory and paused part way to look out over the estate. Adam was 15 and would be leaving shortly to attend University in Berlin….and Urs had reluctantly decided that this was the last chance he would have to broach this delicate subject to his son.

He could tell that Papa was nervous about something, the way he turtled his head into his shoulders and rammed his hands into his pockets, then sighed as if he had made a decision and leaned forward, putting his arms on his legs and staring at the ground by his boots.

“Adam…I need to talk to you …about women…no don’t grin like a fool, I’m sure you know all about where babies come from and all that…this is more important. I’ll have to assume that you and your friends have talked about having …sex…maybe even with your brothers although they are a bit young…I hope. There’s more to it than just getting off…we’re different…it’s easier for men but if you ever want to have a lasting relationship with a good woman you need to learn how to control yourself, how to give her the pleasure and the…. foreplay that she needs…it takes longer for a woman and if you are too fast some will pretend just to save your ego…you are cheating her and yourself if you don’t take your time, ask her what she likes, how she feels, explore, make it last…trust me, it will be worth it.”

“Are you going to ask me if I’ve ever…you know…? Because I haven’t but it’s been close.”

“Then I’m glad I decided to talk to you now…if you think you might …score, get lucky…whatever the guys call it nowdays then before you go out with a girl take the time to… jerk off…it takes the edge off so you don’t just last 30 seconds …like I did the first time…and if it’s the first time for her, take it easy, slow…be sure she really wants to lose her virginity to YOU, not something she thinks she has to do to keep you interested…there’s only one first time for a girl, no going back and it should be really special…go slow and gentle, build the anticipation until she is nearly begging you…then she won’t even notice the little pain…at least not much. And from today on, don’t leave the house without a couple of condoms in your wallet.”

Urs was quiet for a moment then glanced at his son to gauge his reaction.

“If you want I can take you to a professional in Lausanne for your first time…”

Adam tried not to appear shocked but failed.

“YOU know one?…Papa, how could you?”

“Don’t be a Looli! I’m not stupid…I hear my friends talk, that’s how I know…I have never cheated on your mother! She’s all the woman I want, ever…”

Urs squirmed on the log he was sitting on as if suddenly uncomfortable and Adam smiled. Everyone who spent much time with his parents knew that they were still very much in love and very…randy.

That little talk with his Papa replayed in his mind a few months later when an older girl in one of his classes, came on to him one night at a dorm party. He was prepared, at least with a condom though he only lasted a short 10 minutes, long enough for them both to reach the peak fortunately and for him to gain a reputation as ‘that tall Buhler guy that’s hung like a horse and knows how to use it’. The rest of his University years he bought his condoms in fairly large quantities.

So when he met Shari he liked what he saw and wanted her…NOW…but more importantly he wanted to hear her call his name out as she climaxed, wanted to give her pleasure that would keep her by his side forever. And 8 years later they were still like newly weds…like his parents.

Movement caught his eye and he looked toward the Kitchen …Mama…she must have heard the bike. Gott, she never changed…still tiny, dwarfed by her big tall sons by the time they were teenagers, but ruling with a firm yet loving hand. Yes, her hair was completely white now, but her eyes were still that wonderful shiny green like the emeralds she worked with in her chain of exclusive stores, there were a few more laugh lines crinkling the corners, freckles still splashed across her little nose and cheeks, that smile was still as infectious as she came towards him, a smile that he thought her few remaining patients were always eager to see so they made the effort to heal quickly.

“Adam…I thought it must be you. You look wonderful, so fit and tanned…how is Shari, getting impatient for that baby to arrive?”

He bent down to hug her, breathing deep of the scent of her perfume and baking.

“She says she feels like a Hippo…only three weeks to go so of course she couldn’t fly this year. Cody and Martine came over from Lahaina to stay with her. Who else is here besides Henri and Andy and their ladies?”

“The kids of course, here for the summer like always… they’re out at the lake with their nannies and Dee’s grand kids…missing Bella but it’s such a great opportunity for her to spend the summer in New York with David as her voice coach…and Piet and Evan…they both came with Papa…this latest production he’s doing of ‘Soldier’ is so well received…and the boys are getting rave reviews, trading off the lead every other night…but I’m glad the house is dark for the week…I think your Papa has something he needs to get on paper…you know how he is when his muse takes over.”

Adam laughed, remembering all too well the times when they had to coax Urs to come down from the studio just long enough to eat or ambushed him with dinner for all in picnic baskets that they shared on the floor of the studio.

“I’ll see if I can’t interest him in some of the new discoveries we’ve made at the observatory…that always used to work…actually I brought some photos with me, taken by the big telescope…wait until you see the recent ones of the Sculptor Nebulae…and there’s a whole series of new photos from the Orbiter…”

There was a stir at the doorway and bodies began emerging…his tall curly headed brothers, all so alike but different in small ways, every one with either the emerald eyes of Mama or Papa’s slanted hazel coloring and long dark lashes…and Papa…not quite as tall as his sons by the time they hit their mid teens but always such a presence that he seemed larger than life, the cornerstone of their family…unshaven as always when he was immersed in his work but lithe and fit, his thick pure silver hair longish and wildly curling, a huge dimpled smile on his face as he rushed forward to give his firstborn son a bear hug…but only for a moment before the brothers became involved in mock wrestling, laughing and jostling each other, teasing, circled by the noisy, barking mutt, Three, who had finally made it out of the house on his arthritic old legs {each of their dogs was named Homer, hence since this was the third he was lovingly called Three}…and the tangle of legs and arms was suddenly joined by two more tall men, bear-like Sean with his mop of long mahogany red hair tied back in a ponytail and lanky Robse, his chestnut hair even longer and uncontrolled, both coming in the front door and attracted to the noise, their wives holding back out of the way but grinning and waving at Urs and Izzy over the pile of bodies.

Izzy and Urs stood back, arms around each other’s waists, watching their sons, laughing, sharing this moment as they had shared so much over the years.

“Gott, we do good work!” he said looking down at her with a smile that made her heart thud.

“And had fun doing it…” she answered, letting her hand slip down to gently squeeze his butt, then laughing when his eyes began to get ‘that look’.

************************************************