CHASING DREAMS

Chasing Dreams Nov. 14th 2007 by Lisa Vinson
Prologue:

“WOOO HOOO, I did it. I finally did it!” If anyone was looking at her jumping around and yelling at the top of her lungs they would probably call the authorities and have her carted away. She knew no one could see her because of the overgrown shrubs and the distance between this and the next properties but she actually didn’t care who saw her. Her greatest dream was finally happening and she was so excited that she couldn’t contain herself. After so much wrong happening in her life, she was almost afraid to believe that this was really true but, now she had the legal paperwork completed that said that this is hers and also because of the money that Auntie left when she died, and another small inheritance that had been in trust for her until she turned 25, she had no mortgage payment to worry about.

The house and grounds need a lot of work. Some of her friends had said that she was out of her mind to take on a house that needs so much work but she knew when she saw it that it was absolutely perfect, or it would be when she got done with it. As she had walked the grounds and through each individual room, she could see all of the possibilities. What money is left after paying for the house and property will need to be spent very wisely while renovating, Lisa thought to herself. There is so much I would like to do and much, much more that is absolutely necessary to be done to even make the house livable. So, she decided to sit down and make some lists. One list for all of the necessary work that needs to be done and the other for the many luxuries that she would like to have but probably wouldn’t have the money for, at least not right away and definitely not all at once. They might get done later as she had a little extra cash.

Some of them were big things like a playground with safe play equipment with the floor surface like she had seen at a church playground and had actually watched it being put in. The man was pouring in a kind of rubbery looking pile of pellets into a small area. Then he spread them out into the specific area and when they were all evened out he had a machine like a giant blow drier that blew heat onto the pellets making them hot and soft. Then he pressed the surface to make it level. The pellets were in several different bright colors, red, yellow, blue and green. Certain areas were done in different colors to make up letters or numbers and even some game areas like hopscotch. When the area dried, the surface was a bright colorful but soft place for the children to play on. Months after that playground was finished she saw the children playing on it and little ones who fell down just jumped back up and went right back to running and playing, no skinned knees or elbows on rocks or wood chips like you usually see on playgrounds. But that would be a huge expense that would have to wait.

Right now. The first goal is to make the kitchen, one bathroom and at least one bedroom livable to start with so that she and Kayti could move in. Her friend Alex had already put up with them imposing on her for two months in her apartment while all of this was going on.

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Chapter 1:

Eight months earlier:

Lisa was at work at the child care center where she had been the lead supervisor for almost five years. She and the other ladies had gotten all thirty-two children fed and the smaller children were thankfully getting settled down for their afternoon naps while some of the older three and four year olds were outside running off some of their limitless energy.

Lisa was sitting rocking a child to sleep listening to an Il Divo CD that one of the other girls had brought in. They had a nice peaceful sound she thought. Jenna was crazy about them and talked about them incessantly. It was a nice change from some of the other music that the girls brought in to listen to so she didn’t mind. So here she was listening and thinking about how her life had gotten to where it is now.

*

Children had always been her passion. Even when she was just a child, she was always drawn to the little ones. She had worked in some form of childcare starting with babysitting when she was ten years old. But her dream was to start a home for children where some of the children who were taken away from their parents or who had lost their parents in one way or the other would have a permanent home and not have to be bounced around to a bunch of foster homes.

She had heard for so long how difficult it was to try to adopt a child for a single woman so had decided to go a different route. She figured if she could find a home that was large enough to house around a dozen children plus herself and a few other part time caregivers; she would be able to start a small group home. The powers that be looked on that arrangement differently than the traditional family adoption. The rules were different.

The day came that she decided that she would finally tell Auntie what she was planning and see what she thought. Aunt Jessie always did just that too. If she liked something or not, she would tell you straight up with no beating around the bush. So, she knew she would get the truth from her.

Lisa waited until after they were all done cleaning up after dinner and told her everything, all the details that she had thought out in her head and then waited for her to say what she was thinking. A smile crept over her face and she told Lisa that she thought that it was the greatest idea she had heard in a long time. Lisa didn’t mind telling her that she was relieved that she had her support and that it meant so much to her.

Aunt Jessie, who Lisa had always just called Auntie, had taken Lisa in when she was only five years old. She was actually her great aunt as she was her father’s aunt. She and her husband, great uncle Jonathan had never had any children of their own but had willingly taken Lisa in when she was unexpectedly orphaned when both of her parents were killed by a drunk driver on their way home one night. They had loved her and had always done their very best for her.

They had another loss when Lisa was twelve. Uncle Jonathan had a stroke. He didn’t die but had to be put into a nursing home and lived there for the next three years.

When he died, Auntie decided they needed a change. Lisa was fifteen and at first she was very unhappy about the move to say the least. She had to leave her friends, her school and she had been happy there in Massachusetts since her parents died. Auntie said she had always thought that she would like to live in Florida but Uncle Jonathan wouldn’t have been able to take the intense heat that is the normal weather there for close to three quarters of the year.

They moved that summer right after school ended for the year. Auntie said that way Lisa could start the next school year off fresh. She said maybe she would even make some friends over the summer. Lisa had to admit she wasn’t very helpful. In fact, she was downright dreadful for the first month at least. But, in the end she realized she was not only making Auntie miserable but herself as well.

They had moved into a nice house, not huge, but it was comfortable and had a pool which after Lisa got over being angry about the move, she began to really enjoy. It was even screened in so they could enjoy it even in the evenings when the mosquitoes were swarming outside.

One day about six weeks after they moved in, Lisa was sweeping out the pool area and in ran a little yellow kitten. After he ran in the screen door which she had propped open to let some extra breeze in, he couldn’t figure out how to get back out. He was getting very nervous so Lisa scooped him up into her arms and promptly got scratched for her trouble. She grabbed a pool towel that had been thrown over a chair to dry and wrapped the little guy up to calm him and to protect herself.

She walked around to the front wondering how she could find out where he belonged. She saw a girl walking up the street looking like she was searching for something. At the same time that Lisa saw her, the other girl spotted Lisa but couldn’t see the kitten because she had him wrapped up. The girl walked over and was about to ask if Lisa had seen a yellow kitten but she finally saw him. He had settled down and was purring and falling asleep.

“Oh, you found him, Thank You!” she said with a huge smile on her face.

“He ran into our screen porch and got scared. I was just trying to figure out where he belonged” Lisa answered.

“You just moved in here, didn’t you?”

“Yes, my Great Aunt and I moved here about six weeks ago.” Lisa said, not sounding too thrilled.

“My name is Alex Huggins” the other girl said and without much pause asked, “How old are you? Do you know where you will be going to school yet?”

Since she was from Massachusetts, Lisa was well used to people who spoke very fast, but she could tell right then that Alex Huggins had enough energy for six people. Now, Lisa was not antisocial by any means but Alex was so full of life and it seemed like she was someone whom you could have fun with. And she did!!

From that day on, they were practically inseparable. They were always at each others houses and went out to all the same places. Alex introduced Lisa to some of the other neighborhood kids and she made other friends but it was always Lisa and Alex together. Alex’s parents and Auntie even had their graduation party together to make it easier since they would both want to be at each other’s party.

Auntie gave Lisa a small portion of her inheritance from her parents for graduation. It took some convincing, but Lisa talked Auntie into letting her go on a trip for part of the summer. She told her that she wanted to do this before starting college in the fall. Lisa had always wanted to go to Paris and was afraid that if she didn’t go now, she would get busy with life and would never get there.

Once she knew that she was going to go (along with Alex, of course), they spent hours deciding what they would need to pack and what kind of clothes to bring, both deciding not to bring too many clothes because they knew they would probably be buying a lot there anyway. Alex had taken French classes for three years in school but Lisa had taken Spanish so she was glad that Alex was coming with her. They researched all of the major sights in Paris that they would want to go to like, The Eiffel Tower, The Louvre, etc.

When the day finally came for them to go, they were both so excited. Alex’s dad rented a van so they could all go to the airport together. They said goodbye to Alex’s parents and Auntie who had all come to see the girls off. Auntie had a tear in her eye as she hugged Lisa. “Have lots and lots of fun Lisa, but please be careful and take care of yourselves, look out for each other.” she said.

“We will Auntie” Lisa promised.

Lisa had spoken to Alex’s mother a few days before they left and asked her to check on Auntie. She had never lived alone and now she was almost 80 years old so Lisa was a bit worried about her being all alone for three weeks. Mrs. Huggins assured her that she would keep an eye on her and not to worry but to enjoy this time of freedom before college.

The girls boarded the plane and took their seats and just looked at each other and squealed. Thinking back, Lisa pitied the poor people who had to sit around two young girls who were almost unable to remain in their seats for all the anticipation they were feeling. It was quite a few hours into the long flight before they were able to settle down and try to get some sleep. She imagined the other passengers were quite relieved when that finally happened.

After landing in Paris, they were actually quite tired and by the time they retrieved their luggage, found their way out of the airport and to the hotel, they both just crashed onto the beds and promptly fell asleep. It was early afternoon when Alex woke up and showered then woke Lisa up. After Lisa showered and dressed they decided to go exploring a bit and to find something to eat.

Down in the lobby of the hotel, there were racks of brochures for different attractions and points of interest. They went through and picked one of each and took them to look through later.

As they left the hotel they both just stood there in awe.

“We are really here, aren’t we?” Lisa said to Alex.

“We sure are!” She said, sounding just as breathless as Lisa felt.

There in the distance, right in front of their hotel was the Eiffel Tower in all its glory. They both felt like just the fact that they were allowed to make this trip totally on their own was a miracle in itself.

They found a small café and Alex helped Lisa decipher the menu and they ordered something substantial enough to last for the night. After eating, they walked around and discussed what they might want to do next and decided they would wait until they weren’t quite so tired before tackling going to the tower. They would probably go and have lunch there one afternoon.

Chapter 2:

Over the next three weeks, they saw everything they had planned on and more. They had taken so many pictures and videos so they could show everyone back home all of their adventures. Lisa had even brought a notebook with her so that she could write down special memories and thoughts of the day so that when the trip was long over, she would be able to remember as many details as possible.

One thing that they did that was not on their original agenda was that they went to a concert. One afternoon, when they had stopped at the café for lunch, and were sitting at an outdoor table, Alex struck up a conversation with a young and very cute French man. He was seated at a table next to them. Alex must have told him Lisa didn’t speak French because he looked at her and nodded and smiled at her.

He said his name was Sebastien and he told her that he had released his first solo album and he was doing a concert the next night and if they would like to come he would leave some tickets at the door. Alex told him she really wanted to go. Lisa agreed to go and although she didn’t say it out loud, she wasn’t expecting to enjoy it very much even if he was really cute, because it would all be in French.

Before he left, Alex asked him if they could get their picture taken with him so that when he became rich and famous all over the world, they could brag that they knew him. He laughed at that and agreed happily to the photo. He asked a lady who was sitting next to them to take the photo so that all three of them could be in it. He stood in the middle of the two of them and placed his right arm across Alex’s shoulder and his left arm across Lisa's. The lady took a few pictures to make sure they got a good one. For the last shot, his arm slid down Lisa's shoulder and on down her back until it was resting on her waist.

He kissed Alex on each cheek and said he looked forward to seeing them in the audience tomorrow night. Then he stepped in front of Lisa and took hold of one of her hands and looked into her eyes. When he kissed her cheeks she felt like she had been burned and she automatically reached up with her other hand and touched her cheek where his lips had just been. He smiled at her with a smile that reached all the way to his eyes.

“Au revoir, Ma Cherie”.

When he finally let go of her hand and turned and left the café, Lisa stood there stunned. She had been watching Sebastien and Alex having their conversation, not understanding a word of it. But, when he turned to her with those beautiful green eyes, she was lost.

After he had gone, Alex just sat there looking at Lisa with a huge grin on her face.

“Well, will you look at that? I try to pick up a really cute French man and try to impress him with my knowledge of his language and then he falls all over you who didn’t say one word to him.”

” I’m sorry, Alex. I didn’t mean to do anything. What did I do?” She was afraid that she had made Alex upset..

“You didn’t DO anything. But, he was obviously attracted to you.” She replied with the grin still firmly in place.

”I doubt it. He probably did that so I wouldn’t feel left out of the conversation you two were having. You aren’t mad at me are you? I would never want any guy to come between our friendship.”

”Of course I’m not, Lisa. Except for the concert tomorrow night, we will probably never see him again. But he sure is cute isn’t he?” she sighed.

“Yes, I suppose so.”

Alex just rolled her eyes at Lisa. She knew her well enough to know that she had been struck by cupid even if nothing was ever going to come of it.

Alex decided they both needed to go shopping to find some really great outfits to wear to the concert. So they finished their lunch and headed off to the shops to do just that. They wound up spending most of the rest of that afternoon trying on different combinations until finding what they thought were the perfect outfits. Of course, they had to also buy shoes and purses and other accessories to go with the outfits and had great fun while they were looking.

The next morning when Lisa woke up, Alex was actually pacing and when she saw Lisa had woken up a smile lit up her face.

“Oh good. You're awake. I had an idea for today. I think we should go to a day spa and have the works. You know, a massage, hair and nails done and all of that.” She said without ever taking a breath.

Trying to wipe the sleep out of her eyes, Lisa laughed.

“As hyper as you are right now, how will you ever sit still long enough for any of that?”

“Oh, I will. I was just so excited to tell you. But, I didn’t want to wake you up” she said with a look like a child on Christmas.

“You are hopeless” Lisa said shaking her head. “Give me thirty minutes and I will be ready to go, Ok?”

“Sure thing, I’ll just have a cup of coffee” she said still pacing a bit.

“Like you need any more caffeine” Lisa mumbled and shook her head as she walked into the bathroom.

“I heard that!” she hollered through the door that Lisa had just closed between them.

They went and had their day at the spa and then came back and began to get ready for the concert. As she looked in the mirror, after she got dressed in her new outfit, make-up, hair and nails just perfect, Lisa had to admit that the spa had been a good idea. She looked and felt terrific.

She wasn’t nervous about the concert or of seeing Sebastien because she didn’t believe they would be seeing him close up. She figured any tickets that were left at this late date were probably in the nosebleed section anyway. Boy was she wrong on both counts!

When they walked up to the ticket window, Alex asked the man behind the glass if there were any tickets waiting for Alex Huggins. He looked and picked up an envelope that contained two tickets and a note.

Lisa stood there looking over Alex’s shoulder as she read the note.

“What does it say?”

“He says he is glad we made it and hopes that we enjoy the show. He also asks if we would like to have a late dinner with him after the concert. We don’t really care about going to dinner with him, do we?” She said with a mischievous grin on her face.

Lisa just gave her a look and said ”You don’t have to go but, I will go even if I can’t have a conversation with him. I will just stare into those beautiful green eyes all night.”

Lisa didn’t even give her time to reply to that. She just snatched the note from Alex's hands and turned and made her way to the door but she had to stop and wait for Alex to catch up because she was still holding both of the tickets.

Alex showed an employee the tickets and asked which direction they needed to go to find their seats. He took the tickets, looked at them and said to her in heavily accented English,

“Come this way with me” He walked into the auditorium and kept walking long after they thought he should have stopped.

When he finally stopped and pointed to two seats, their jaws dropped. “But these are front row seats! How were these available so close to the concert time?” Lisa asked.

“I don’t know Mademoiselle. Sometimes several seats in the front rows are held back for special guests of the artist. Enjoy the concert.”

“Thank You” they both said to him as he walked away.

They got settled into their seats and Lisa just sat there staring at the note that Sebastien had written, not that she could read it or anything.

“What are you going to do with that?” Alex asked with a little grin.

“I will put it into my notebook with all of my other memories of this trip.” she said smugly. Lisa knew that after tonight they would never see each other again but he would be one memory that would stay with her forever.

After awhile, the lights went down and quite a few people started cheering. It seemed that Sebastien either had a lot of family and friends here tonight or else he was more well known than they had imagined. Lisa thought back to something that Alex had said to her at the spa. She had told a spa employee where they were going that night and the girl got very excited. She knew who Sebastien Izambard was and was also going to the concert. She had said that he was wonderful and they would really have a great time.

As the music started, out walked the man with the eyes that had stolen her heart. He immediately sought them out and smiled first at Alex and then when he smiled at Lisa he held her eyes for just a bit longer. It probably wasn’t as long as it seemed but, to her it felt an eternity. Alex elbowed her in the side and Lisa just said “Shhh” He is going to sing.” And sing he did.

When he started his first song, “J't'en veux” It was as if Lisa was in a trance. His voice was like a gentle breeze blowing over her soul. On some songs he played the guitar and on others he played the piano and sometimes he just sang. As he sang each song she fell in love a bit more. Every now and then he would look into her eyes and she couldn’t look away.

All too soon, the concert came to an end after he sang his last song, “C'est un mystere.” He waved, said goodnight to the audience and blew a kiss which was suspiciously thrown right at her and then he left the stage for the final time.

They weren’t sure what to do now. He had asked them to go to dinner but were they supposed to wait here or go and find him? Would they even be allowed back stage if they tried?

Before they had too much time to talk about it, Sebastien himself came from behind a curtain on the stage and spoke to Alex but was looking at Lisa. He was asking if they minded waiting ten minutes while he got cleaned up. She told him of course they didn’t mind waiting. He took one more quick look at Lisa and then turned and went back behind the curtain.

Ten minutes seemed more like ten hours. Lisa was so nervous now that he had so obviously been looking at her all evening. She couldn’t even have a conversation with the guy and here she was getting all these ideas that they were attracted to each other.

He came through a side door and they followed him out to the street. Alex asked him should they get a cab and he told her that they could ride with him if they didn’t mind. She grabbed Lisa's arm and said “Let’s go. We are riding with Sebastien in his car.”

“Okay” Before she could do anything about it, Alex had climbed in the back seat and pulled the front seat back towards her. Sebastien took her hand to help her into the car. For a second she just looked at him and he raised his eyebrows in question. Lisa turned and got into the car and he carefully shut the door and went and got in the driver’s seat.

Her nerves were so tight that she jumped when he began speaking. He reached over and placed his hand on top of hers as it lay in her lap. He looked into Lisa's eyes and she knew he was asking her to relax and trust him, and she did. Well, she trusted him anyway. She didn’t think she relaxed too much all night. He drove them all to a restaurant. He told them that he was taking them to a nice Italian restaurant if that was ok. Alex told him it was fine.

When they arrived, Sebastien jumped out and rushed around the car to open the car door for them. He took Lisa’s hand as she got out. “Vous paraissez beau ce soir, Cherie” he said to Lisa quietly with his mouth very close to her ear. She would definitely need a translation later, she thought as he helped Alex from the back seat.

They went in and were seated. Sebastien excused himself for a moment and as soon as he left Alex said “Oh My God, What did he say to you?”

“How should I know? You are the French expert here.”

“Well tell me what it sounded like.”

“Vous paraissez beau ce soir” Lisa said with a very bad accent.

“Vous paraissez beau ce soir?” Alex said, correcting the pronunciation.

“Yes, that is what he said... So what did he say?”

She smiled, looking like a Cheshire cat. “He told you that you looked beautiful tonight.”

Before Lisa could say anything, Sebastien came back to the table. He looked between them and asked Alex if everything was ok. Alex assured him that everything was fine and told him that she had translated his words to Lisa. He smiled and looked at Lisa and winked.

“Did you tell him?”

“Of course I did!” she said with a grin.

Lisa knew she must have turned about six shades of red right then.

They ended up having a delicious meal and as usual Alex and Sebastien talked while Alex translated for both Lisa and Sebastien. After she had told him about their earlier conversation, Lisa was concerned about what else they might be saying that she couldn’t understand.

It was a good thing that Alex loved to talk. She told him about their trip and he told them about his growing music career and the girls both told him how much they enjoyed his concert and that they were sure that he would do well with his career.

Lisa said, “I would like to get a copy of your CD Sebastien. Should we get it here in France or is it available in the US?”

He smiled at her as Alex repeated and said, “It is only in Europe for now, Ma Cherie. Maybe someday it will be available worldwide.” After Alex translated that, Lisa said “Oh, OK”

But then he reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out two copies of his CD “Libre” and gave one to each of them after looking inside like each one was different and he wanted to make sure to give them the right one.

They both thanked him and Sebastien said it was getting late and he had to be somewhere in the morning. They were going to be filming the video to Libre and he wanted to get enough sleep. Alex told him that it was ok because tomorrow was their last day and that their flight home left in the late afternoon and they still had to pack.

He drove them back to the hotel and after they were all out of the car, he kissed Alex’s cheeks and gave her a hug. She thanked him for both of them for the concert tickets and the dinner which he insisted on paying for. Then he turned to Lisa and took her hands in his.

As much as she loved her friend, she really wished that she could have been alone with Sebastien right then. He asked Alex to translate for him again.

”He wants you to know that he is very glad to have met you. He wishes you both had more time together and that there wasn’t the language barrier between you.....And now I am going to leave you alone for a minute. I will be just inside in the lobby.” Alex finished. She winked at Lisa and then turned and went into the hotel.

After Alex walked inside, Lisa and Sebastien just stood there for a few minutes. He was still holding her hands. She wasn’t sure what to do and just when she was about to say goodbye and go inside, he laid his hand on her cheek and raised her face up, dipped his head down and very lightly pressed his lips to hers. It took her breath away. He raised his head and looked at her like he was seeing if she was upset that he had kissed her.

She wanted to make sure he knew she wasn’t upset at all so she stood on her tiptoes and kissed him on the cheek. He looked a bit surprised but then he smiled and brought both of his hands up on either side of her face and kissed her again. This time it started out very light like before but he very quickly deepened the kiss. One hand went from her face to around her waist, pulling her closer to him.

No one had ever kissed her like this before. She had dated in high school but she was with a man, not a boy and it was very obvious that this was a man kissing a woman he desired. She was stunned and had totally forgotten about Alex standing in the lobby watching and waiting for her. Lisa's hands found themselves wrapped around his waist and then as the kiss deepened, when his tongue teased its way between her lips, her hands went up around his neck and pulled him closer.

She really couldn’t believe she was doing this. There was no future with this man and here they were kissing like they were lovers.

Eventually Sebastien put an end to the kiss and with one last slow kiss on each of her cheeks he said, ”Au revoir, Ma Cherie.”

Lisa said goodbye to him as well as he walked around to the driver’s side of his car. He blew her one last kiss and then he got into his car and drove away.

When she was sure that her rubbery legs would carry her, she made her way into the hotel and walked straight past Alex and pushed the elevator button.

“Where are you going?” Alex said, barely containing her laughter.

Lisa gave her an extremely irritated look and said “To the room. Where do you think?”

“Well, unless you are going to sleep in the parking garage or the laundry room, you have hit the wrong button. Our room is up not down.”

Finally, not able to contain her amusement any longer, she busted out laughing. Lisa just stuck out her tongue and waited for the elevator to arrive.

“Oh, that was really mature” Alex said still laughing.

They made it to their room, no thanks to Lisa, and she just sat on the end of the bed staring into space.

“Earth to Lisa” Alex said, as she was poking her shoulder.

“Were you watching the whole time?”

“Yup, and it was a good show too.”

“Very funny” Lisa said with a catch in her voice that told Alex that she was upset.

She sat down beside Lisa and said “Oh sweetie, I am so sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings.”

“You didn’t.” she said, desperately trying to hold back the tears that were threatening to fall.

“Talk to me” Alex pleaded.

“How is it possible to fall in love with someone that I don’t even really know and that I will never see again?” she said as she started to cry.

“I am sorry, Lisa. This is all my fault. If I hadn’t started the conversation with Sebastien…”

“No, I don’t regret meeting him at all. I just wish so many things were different. Like I wish I had taken French like you wanted me to instead of Spanish and that there was some way for me to be able to see him again.”

Lisa told Alex she was going to have a quick shower and go to bed. It had been a long day and she was tired. As she stood under the water in the shower, she let the tears fall for all that could never be.

The next day, they flew home and were a bit more subdued than on the way to Paris. So much had happened. They had seen so much and plus they were just plain tired.

On the flight, Lisa pulled out the CD that Sebastien had given her. He had written something on a blank spot in the insert. She showed it to Alex and asked her what it said. As she was taking it from Lisa to get a good look at it, she told Lisa what he had written inside of hers, “Take Care of yourself and especially take care of Lisa for me. Seb xoxo”.

She looked at Lisa's and smiled.

“What does it say?” Lisa asked again.

”To the most beautiful woman I have ever met. Thank You for spending part of your holiday with me. I hope that someday we will meet again. Love, Sebastien XXX”

Lisa had no words. She just sat there stunned. Did he really feel the same as she did? She really didn’t think that she would ever find out the answer to that question.

Alex’s dad picked them up at the airport and Lisa was a bit disappointed at first that Auntie hadn’t come too. Her disappointment quickly turned to concern as Mr. Huggins told them that Mrs. Huggins had stayed behind at Lisa's house to help care for Auntie.

A few days earlier, she had fallen spraining her ankle and at her age, that is no small thing. Mr. Huggins assured them that Auntie was just fine but was better off staying at home with her leg propped up.

When they arrived, Mr. Huggins helped Lisa get inside with her luggage and Alex came in and gave Auntie a hug and told her that she would be by tomorrow to see her. Lisa hugged Auntie and cried. Auntie thought it was only due to her injury but it was also compounded by Lisa's being tired and most of all she was still hurting over the fact that she would never see Sebastien again and she truly believed that she had fallen in love in those two short days.

Chapter 3:

They finished out the summer and started college. Lisa still thought about Sebastien often but was trying to do well in her studies. So after some time, she decided that she had to try to forget him and get on with her life. She couldn’t spend the rest of her life dwelling on the impossible when she had so many things she wanted to accomplish with her life.

Over the next four years, she still thought about that trip to Paris and especially Sebastien and hoped that he was doing well. At times she wondered if things would have been different if she could have spoken French or if Sebastien could speak English. Would they have kept in touch? Would anything have developed from the very obvious attraction that they felt for each other?

Lisa had majored in Early Childhood Education and Alex was majoring in Communications. She wanted to be a news anchor. They both worked part time in their chosen fields in between their various classes. Alex had gotten an intern position at a radio station and Lisa had a part time job at a day care on the afternoons when she had only morning classes.

They both graduated with Honors in their chosen fields and they were both very relieved that Alex was able to find an entry level position at a local television station in Tampa. They were afraid that she might have to move to another city or state if there wasn’t anything open here at home. Thankfully, they didn’t have to deal with that.

Lisa also found a child care center that was looking for a supervisor over the staff. She didn’t think that she had any chance of getting that job so soon out of college. But, due to her grades and the interview she had with the manager, she got the job.

It wasn’t easy coming into a work environment and becoming the supervisor over people who had been there for years, especially when this person is only 22 years old and fresh out of school. But, over time the resentment dissipated and when they saw that she did at least as much as they did with the children and the cleaning, they at least had respect for her if nothing else.

Lisa had been out on very few dates in college. She had been concentrating too hard on her studies to allow anything to distract her. Besides, every guy who asked her out wound up being measured by Sebastien’s standards, or what she had built him up to be in her mind over the four years and they just didn’t come close to measuring up to him on any level. Sure, some of them were nice looking but their manners usually left a lot to be desired. Then others were perfect gentlemen but there just wasn’t any attraction for her.

She was beginning to think that she was going to be quite left out in the love department when she met Jeremy. It definitely wasn’t the same as when she felt she was in love with Sebastien so quickly but, as they spent time together, she decided that what she felt was the closest thing to love she would ever get without Sebastien.

That Christmas, she and Jeremy had been dating for almost six months. Alex and Lisa were all excited about their new jobs and were getting settled into routines. Jeremy and Lisa seemed to everyone to be getting along quite well.

Auntie liked him and often invited him to stay for dinner. Being the old fashioned woman that she was, she knew that she wouldn’t live forever and she held onto a hope that Lisa would find a nice man and settle down with him so she wouldn’t have to worry about her being taken care of.

Lisa constantly told Auntie that no matter what, she would be fine and had plans for her life that didn’t depend on a man to take care of her. But, Auntie still wanted this for her and Lisa didn’t spend too much time arguing with her about it.

Lisa was at Jeremy’s house with him one evening and he was as usual trying to sweet talk her into sleeping with him and she was really getting tired of this conversation with him.

“I have told you Jeremy, that I have waited this long and I want my first time to be really special so I want to wait for my wedding night.”

She hadn’t started out her adult life intending to wait but as she finished college and began to really date, she made this decision and felt very strongly about it.

As usual, Jeremy got angry with her and Lisa went for her coat because she usually would end up walking home or calling Alex to come and pick her up if she didn’t have her own car there.

Alex was not happy with the situation either. She said “If he really loved you he would respect your decision and support you even if he didn’t like it. Lisa did believe that he loved her but that he just did not understand her position on the subject.

That night, as she went to retrieve her coat and purse, Jeremy grabbed her arm and spun her around.

“Where do you think you are going?” She could feel his anger as he glared at her and she knew she was making the right decision in leaving tonight..

“The same place that I always go when we end up angry when we have this discussion. I am going home. And let go of me. You are hurting my arm.” she said as she was trying to shake her arm loose.

He didn’t let go, in fact his grip became tighter and she started to get really nervous. Lisa was seeing a look on his face that she had never seen before.

“Jeremy, please just let me go home for tonight and we can discuss this again when we aren’t so tired.”

She ran her other hand that he wasn’t holding down the side of his face. “I love you Jeremy and I hate it when we argue. We can work this out. I know we can.”

With venom in his voice he spat out as his grip became even tighter on her wrist, “The only way we are going to work this out is if you turn around right now and we go to bed.”

“I am really sorry that you feel that way Jeremy, but I can’t do that.”

Lisa was becoming frightened now like she had never been in her life. She could feel her heartbeat racing and was trying to think of a way to calm him down long enough for her to get outside and leave.

“You mean you won’t!” he snarled.

“No, you are right. I won’t! She said firmly.

As nervous as she was, he had made her angry and when she said that, without any warning, the back of his hand came up and struck her across the face sending her sailing across the room.

She felt herself falling after her foot became caught under the edge of a rug. She couldn’t stop herself and on the way down she struck the side of her head on the side table next to the couch.

She was dazed but had not lost consciousness. She began to cry and he just stood there looking down at her with no compassion at all.

“Please let me leave and go home now Jeremy. We obviously aren’t ever going to agree on this.”

Even up to this point, Lisa believed that she had just made him angry and he had overreacted. What happened next had never entered her mind as a possibility.

“We will see about that. I am sure that you will like it once you have tried it.” He said and she was thrown into a panic when she watched him undoing his belt and kicking off his shoes.

“Jeremy, please. I just want to go home” she said as the fear was rising up inside of her. She was also beginning to feel nauseous and her eyes were having trouble focusing on anything from hitting her head.

She tried to slide further back out of his reach as with wide eyes she watched him remove his jeans and then his shirt. His movements were determined and he continued to look at her with a look of hatred and not the love that she had so foolishly believed he felt for her. All he had on now was his boxers and she knew that if she didn’t try to get out now, she would have no chance at all. He had let her back up just so much then he reached down and grabbed a fistful of her hair.

“Don’t move! You aren’t going anywhere”

“Why are you doing this? I thought you loved me. I thought we were building a future together.” she said, trying to stall long enough to figure a way out. She was having trouble thinking clearly. Whether it was the terror she was feeling or hitting her head she wasn’t sure but probably a bit of both.

“I’m tired of hanging around here waiting for that old aunt of yours to kick the bucket and all you ever talk about is all those little brats at the daycare. I might have stayed around longer if your aunt would die so we could have her inheritance.” he said and Lisa was wondering how she could have been fooled so completely by this man.

“You wouldn’t even make it worth my while to hang around and I am tired of it. But, before we are done here you are going to regret making me wait for so long. Or maybe when we are done you will be happy we finally did and we can just forget the rest of the evening ever happened. Tomorrow when you wake up, you will be a real woman.” He sneered at her and she knew that no matter what she did, she wasn’t going to get out of that house.

“NO, I won’t let you, Jeremy and I am going home now.” She tried to sound forceful one more time

She tried to stand up but, he was now naked and kneeling next to her on the floor. He hit her again and she felt the blood running from her lip.

“Now you can enjoy this or not Lisa, I really don’t care but there isn’t any way out of it this time for you.”

From then on, all she remembered is fighting him and then getting hit when she struggled against him and in the end, he did what he wanted.

By then the fight had gone out of her and she was just laying there on the floor wishing she could just die so it would be over. He must have believed that she had passed out because he finally went into the bathroom. She quickly got dressed the best she could. Her clothes were ripped and bloody. Grabbing her purse on the way to the door, she stumbled her way out to her car.

He came running out but was too late to catch her. She didn’t really even remember driving home but somehow she made it there. Lisa just sat there in her car unable to move for a while. She laid her head back on the seat and began trying to piece together what had gone so terribly wrong to make him do what he had just done. Where had the man she thought she knew disappeared to? She guessed that was the point wasn’t it? She hadn’t ever known the real Jeremy. Thinking back on what he had said about Auntie and the children she loved, she realized he had just been using her, hoping Auntie would die so he could live off of any inheritance to her.

Eventually, she slowly went into the house trying not to wake Auntie up but was really dizzy and she stumbled, knocking over a picture that was on the table by the door. Auntie called out. “Lisa, Is that you?”

“Yes, Auntie, It’s me. I’m sorry I woke you. Go back to sleep. I am going straight to bed.” Lisa really didn’t want her to come out and see the state she was in but Auntie was already coming out of her bedroom.

“Oh My God, Child. What has happened to you?” She came over and took in Lisa's appearance, her eyes following all the tears in her clothing and the cuts and bruises that seemed to multiply as she looked. But the worst was all the blood. Her head wound had begun to bleed again and looked very scary..

Lisa saw the look on her face and knew that Auntie knew what had happened. “Who did this to you?” she said with tears running down her face.

“Jeremy” Lisa said almost in a whisper and as the word was spoken, Lisa's legs gave out and she wound up in a heap on the floor. Auntie was checking her out for injuries and found the gash on her head and she knew that it could be serious and she needed to call for help. After she called the paramedics she made the decision to call Alex. She knew Lisa would need her.

Alex turned on the bedside light as she was trying to see her phone that was ringing. “What time is it anyway? Oh Brother, two o’clock in the morning?” She said out loud.

She found the phone and answered it in a groggy voice. “Hey, this better be good for you to be calling me at this time of night or should I say morning.”

Auntie had just reached in Lisa's purse and used her cell phone to make the calls so that she wouldn’t have to leave her, so Alex thought it was Lisa when she saw her name on the screen.

“Alex Dear? It is Aunt Jessie.” Hearing Auntie’s voice woke Alex up in a hurry.

“What is wrong Auntie?” Before Jessie even had a chance to answer her, Alex began to hear a siren coming closer.

“Alex, I can’t stay on the phone. Can you come over?”

Alex heard the intense agitation in Auntie’s voice and said “I will be there as soon as I throw my clothes on.”

“Thank You Child” Auntie said and hung up the phone.

At the same time the paramedics arrived and she moved to let them in. Auntie told them what little she knew and backed off to let them examine Lisa. Alex came running into the house a few short minutes later and saw the medics working on her.

“Auntie, what happened here?” Alex said with wild eyes that told of her fear.

Auntie pulled Alex to the side of the room and told Alex about what had happened since Lisa had been home but that she didn’t know anymore details yet.

“Are you sure it was Jeremy? Maybe she was calling for him not accusing him. Alex replied hoping Auntie was wrong.

Lisa was beginning to regain consciousness and started weakly thrashing around trying to get up. “Please, stay still Miss. We need to make sure that you are alright. You have taken a pretty bad hit to your head and it is still bleeding a bit.”

“I don’t want to go to the hospital” she said emphatically.

A police officer stepped up to her. ” I need to ask you some questions if you are up to it.”

” It would be better if you could wait” the medic said.

“I really need to get the information to catch whoever did this to her.” the officer said.

“Alright, but please make it quick. She really does need to go to the hospital soon.”

“I told you, I don’t want to go to a hospital”

Auntie stepped over. She had tears running down her face and looked like she had aged several years since Lisa had seen her earlier. She took Lisa's hand and said “Young lady, you will do whatever these nice young men think is best for you. You have been injured and need to be in the hospital”

As fuzzy as her head felt at that moment, she knew that there was no arguing with Auntie. “Yes, Auntie,” she said in a resigned tone.

“That’s my girl” she said and she patted Lisa's hand.

After Lisa gave the information to the officer that did in fact confirm to Auntie and Alex their worst fears, he moved over to the other side of the room and spoke into his radio and passed on Jeremy’s address to someone else.

“I’ll kill him, Alex said with a hatred and venom that frightened Lisa.

“Alex, please just let the police handle this, ok? I need you by my side, not in a jail cell.”

Lisa made her promise that she would stay out of it and not get herself into trouble.

She was transported to the hospital and examined by several doctors and nurses and as if she wasn’t humiliated enough, she had to go through the whole procedure that was necessary when a rape has occurred. They did that as quickly as they could she supposed and almost at the same time a doctor. was examining her head and other injuries.

“There is not much that I can do for your lip. It will heal in time. We will put some stitches in your wound to your head but I also want to get a CAT scan to make sure there is no skull fracture or brain injury. We will get that done as quickly as possible. At the least, you have a concussion and I want to admit you for a couple of days to keep an eye on you.”

Auntie was giving her a look that said “Don’t try to argue about staying.”

Alex and Auntie both stayed as much as they were allowed to in between the tests and while she was being admitted. Auntie looked very tired and Lisa called Alex over.

“Alex, please take Auntie home. I am worried about her.”

Alex agreed to try to get Auntie to leave but before she left the side of the bed Lisa said to her,

“So, you were right about him not loving me. Aren’t you going to say I told you so?”

Alex had felt so many emotions in the last few hours and she was tired and she answered a bit more sharply than she wanted to.

“After all the years we have been friends, do you really think that I would say that to you now? I love you. You are my sister and my best friend and this is tearing me apart that he did this to you. How could you think I would throw anything in your face like that?”

Alex began to cry a flood of tears that she had tried to hold in all night. She had been trying to be strong for both Lisa and for Auntie but it was all too much. Lisa reached out to her and they hugged each other and cried together for a while.

“Auntie, Alex is going to take you home so you both can get some rest.”

“No, I am staying here with you. I am not leaving you here alone.” She answered in a very tired voice that told Lisa that she was right in making her leave.

She tried another tactic. “Auntie please go. I need some time alone. I need to get some sleep and I can’t rest very well if I am worried about you.”

“Well, Alright. I don’t like leaving you alone and I will be back in a few hours, OK?” Lisa could tell that she wasn’t very happy about it.

“That will be good Auntie. By then I should have been able to get some rest. You get some as well ok? Promise me you will.”

“I promise” she said and she and Alex each gave Lisa one last hug and then they left.

When she was finally alone, Lisa laid her head back and let all of the tears fall. She hadn’t allowed Alex or Auntie to see how bad she was really feeling. She knew that she was exhausted and tried to get some sleep but after several hours of laying there wide awake, one of the nurses brought something to help her sleep.

An officer came to see her the next day and told her that Jeremy had been arrested. They said he was high on cocaine at the time they picked him up. That was another shock to Lisa. She was rather naïve about the drug scene. But, she would have thought that if someone she was that close to was addicted to drugs, she would have known it.

It seemed like everything she thought she knew about him was a lie. That made her feel like she had been very much a fool. But Auntie kept trying to assure her that he had fooled a lot of other people too.

Chapter 4:

Over the next few months, Lisa tried to look like she was getting her life back to normal. But she refused to talk to anyone about what had happened that night. She didn’t want Auntie to be hurt by what Jeremy had said about her so she had not spoken about the specific words that were said.

Finally, the lawyer who would be prosecuting Jeremy came to talk to her the week before the trial.

“We’ve tried to get him to admit to what he did to avoid putting you on the stand, but he still denies doing anything wrong. Even with all of the evidence to the contrary, the pictures and the doctor’s notes about your physical and emotional condition that night, he still thinks he can fool everyone. He still says that it was consensual and that it just got a bit rough and out of hand.”

On one hand, Lisa didn’t think she could get up in front of people and tell everyone what had gone on there but, on the other hand, she was so angry that Jeremy had played her for a fool and then took away what was so precious to her, that she knew she could not let him get away with it.

“I know I said I wouldn’t testify but I have changed my mind. He needs to know that he can’t ever do that to anyone else again.”

Lisa sat Auntie down and told her the rest of the story that she hadn’t already told her. She didn’t want Auntie to hear things for the first time while they were sitting in the courtroom. The whole thing was going to be hard enough without any shocks for her.

The trial was very unpleasant to say the least and sitting there in the same room with him for several days made Lisa want to be sick. Several times she had to leave the courtroom to get some fresh air.

On the last day, she had gone outside and as she stood there she felt Alex’s hand on her shoulder.

“It’s almost over” she said giving Lisa a hug. “

“It can’t be soon enough for me. But what if they believe him over me? What will I do if he is released back out onto the streets? The only reason I have gotten any sleep is because I knew he was locked up. I was so relieved when he couldn’t pay the bail which kept him in jail while we waited for the trial.”

“I honestly don’t think that will happen. I was watching the jury and I think they know that you were telling the truth.”

Mr. Huggins stepped out beside them. ”Girls, the jury is back in. Let us finish this.”

He was between both of the girls and put his arms around them, gave them each a squeeze and they all went back into the courtroom. Lisa really appreciated him being there and told him so. He was the closest to a father that she'd had since Uncle Jonathan died.

Lisa sat down with Alex on one side and Auntie on the other and they each took a hold of one of her hands while they waited for the verdict. She really wasn’t hearing all of the preliminary things that were said until she heard “Guilty on all charges” and Alex, Auntie and Mr. and Mrs. Huggins all reacted with smiles and tears of relief.

Lisa was still in a daze but she felt an overwhelming sense of relief that she didn’t have to worry anymore about him out and on the streets. He turned around in his seat and gave her an evil look that sent chills through her.

“Don’t look at him, Lisa. He can’t hurt you anymore.” Alex whispered in her ear.

**
What Jeremy did proved to change her life. It tore down her trust in her own judgment in people. The part of her life that was to suffer the most was her trust in what a man will say to get what he wants and she vowed to never allow any man to make a fool out of her ever again.

She started thinking more about her dream for the group home for children and put every bit of time and energy into it that she could.

Three years after the trial, Lisa went into work one day. She had always said goodbye to Auntie in the mornings before leaving for work but the night before she wasn’t feeling well and Lisa told her she was going to take a half day and come home to take her to the doctor for a check.

She was still sleeping when Lisa left so she wanted to let her get some extra rest. Lisa had arranged with another part-time worker to come in at lunch time to take over so she could leave and not leave the others short of help.

As she rocked a child to sleep she was getting anxious that it was getting late and she needed to have left already. Jenna finally got there and Lisa spoke to her privately, saying that they needed to talk about her tardiness tomorrow when she came in.

Lisa arrived at home expecting to see Auntie waiting impatiently and when she didn’t see her she called out “Auntie, I’m home. She didn’t answer, so Lisa headed towards Auntie's bedroom, afraid that she had gotten too ill to get ready by herself.

Lisa knocked on the door and still got no reply. So she opened the bedroom door and saw her lying in her bed just like Lisa had left her. Then it hit her!

“Oh God! That is exactly how I left her this morning!” Lisa went over and touched Auntie's face and said in a soft, trembling voice, ”Auntie, It’s me, Lisa. I came home to take you to the doctor.”

Lisa knew she was gone. Auntie's face was so cold. She sat on the bed next to her and laid her head on Auntie's chest and cried.

“What am I going to do without you Auntie? You were all I had left in this world.” There was an unimaginable pain in Lisa's chest that left her feeling like she couldn’t breathe. “I am alone now. I have no one else.”

Lisa didn’t know what to do next so she called Alex’s dad.

“Mr. Huggins, It‘s Lisa. I just came home to take Auntie to the doctor. She wasn’t feeling very well last night. She wouldn’t let me take her last night. She said she could wait until today. She is gone Mr. Huggins. I don’t know what to do.

He was trying to make sense out of what Lisa was saying and he misinterpreted what she had said.

“Where did she go Lisa? Did she leave a note?”

Realizing that he didn’t understand, she said, “No, I mean she is dead. She is still in her bed where I left her this morning.”

“Are you sure that she is dead? Have you called the paramedics yet?” he said as he was quickly writing a note to his secretary that he had an emergency and had to leave for the day and for her to cancel all of his appointments. He passed the secretary the note as he rushed past her on his way out the door.

“No, I know she is gone. Her lips and fingertips are blue and she is so cold. What do I do now?” she was crying so hard it was a wonder that he could understand anything she said.

“I am on my way Honey. You won’t be alone long. I’ll call Alex and Marie as well. I am so sorry Honey” he said before he hung up to make the other phone calls.
…………………………………………………..

Dan Huggins called his wife and told her what had happened and asked her to go up to the house and stay with Lisa until he got there so she wouldn’t be alone. She quickly agreed and rushed up the short distance that was in between their houses. He also called Alex who told her father that she would be there as soon as possible.

A short time later, Lisa still sat there next to Auntie with Mrs. Huggins in the chair next to her. Lisa was still holding Auntie's hand and wouldn’t move. Mrs. Huggins had tried to get her to come out of the room with her but she refused.

Marie was very relieved when Dan got there and he said that the coroner and a police officer were on their way inside as well.

Lisa was asked questions to create the timeline for the day for their reports and then she was told that it was time for them to take her Aunt away to the morgue.

Lisa knew it was what needed to be done but it was too hard for her to watch Auntie be taken away. Mrs. Huggins convinced her to go to the kitchen with her while they moved Auntie out of the house.

Alex arrived just as the car drove away with Auntie. She held onto Lisa and told her how sorry she was.

Lisa wasn’t really aware of much that was going on around her. Mrs. Huggins had insisted that she come to their house with them. After they had eaten dinner which she mostly just pushed around on her plate, Alex led Lisa into her old bedroom and Lisa just laid on the bed and cried herself to sleep.

She didn’t know what she would have done without their help and their support over the next week. They had helped to make all the arrangements for Auntie’s services and were there just for support.

A couple of days later, Auntie’s body was released for burial and they got the coroner’s report. It said that she’d had a massive heart attack and probably never even woke up. It gave Lisa a measure of comfort that at least she hadn’t suffered.

After the funeral, Lisa did finally go back to her house. She told them that she just needed some time by herself. For most of the last few days, she had been surrounded by well meaning people but, now she really needed some time alone.

As the next weeks passed, Lisa felt so alone in the house all by herself and eventually Alex asked if she wanted to move in with her. Through the years, since graduating college, Lisa never thought of moving out of the house because she couldn’t leave Auntie alone. Now there was no one there who needed her and she decided to rent out the house to a young couple with a baby and by the time they were ready to move in, Lisa had packed up and put in a storage unit anything that wasn’t going to Alex’s apartment.

She wasn’t emotionally ready to go through Auntie’s things and especially not ready to get rid of anything so she felt like it would be better to wait a while.

Lisa only took what she really needed to Alex’s apartment. It was a two bedroom and two bath apartment and she didn’t want to take up more than her share of space.

As she was finishing up packing, she came across her scrapbook that she'd made after their trip to Paris. She could use a break so she went to the kitchen for a cold drink, sat on the couch with the scrapbook and started reliving the memories that even now, almost eight years later were very vivid.

She had incorporated both the pictures, and the diary pages that she'd written as well as the concert tickets and program. As she neared the end of the book, she came to the pictures of them and Sebastien and diary pages about the time they'd spent with him.

Lisa read the diary pages through twice and then just stared at his picture, wondering what he was doing now. How was his career in music going now, if it even was still going? Although, from her memory of the concert, she was pretty sure it was. He was a wonderful performer and connected well with his audience and his voice was amazing.

As she read through all of her memories, impressions and feelings that she had experienced, she wondered how her life would be different if there had been a way for them to be together back then. But with them unable to communicate, they hadn’t been able to have the type of discussion that people in that situation usually have. Sometimes when she thought about him, she wondered if he was really as special as she remembered or was it her imagination making him larger than life. It had been eight years after all and the mind can inflate things.

She unconsciously touched her fingers to her lips as she thought about how amazing his kiss and being held in his arms had made her feel. She didn’t imagine that she would ever feel like that again in her life.

Once she even asked Alex if he was as special as she had made him to be in her memories. She told Lisa that he was a terrific guy and he had an amazing voice that was going to take him a long way. Alex reminded Lisa just how had she'd felt and behaved after his goodbye kiss.

Lisa debated whether to pack the scrapbook into the things going into storage or take it with her to Alex’s. She decided to take it with her. She and Alex hadn’t gone through the book together for quite a while and she knew that she could use some good memories right now.

Chapter 5:

After she moved in with Alex, Lisa continued to do her planning for the group home as well as her job at the child care center.

She loved all the children there but it is inevitable that several of them will find their way deeper into your heart no matter how hard you try not to play favorites. Kayti Davenport was one of those children. She was just a year old and had been coming to the daycare since she was six weeks old. It is hard not to get attached to a child that you spend so much time with.

Kayti was a beautiful child. She had very fine light blonde hair that had these little ringlets that lay around her head. When she was walking around, or maybe waddle would be more accurate as she was just beginning to walk, the curls would bounce around on her little head.

Most of the time, her disposition was as beautiful as her face. That isn’t to say she didn’t try to get what she wanted but she was rarely given to have any major tantrums and usually when she did they all knew she seriously needed a nap or just wasn’t feeling well.

One day, her mother, Anna, came and asked Lisa if she could speak to her in private. They didn’t know each other well; in fact they hadn’t ever seen each other outside of the center. But, she was always very pleasant and seemed to love her daughter very much.

Lisa led her to her office and shut the door. She offered Anna a cold drink and she smiled a tight smile that to Lisa seemed to be a bit forced and said “Yes, thank you.”

They both sat down and Lisa asked, ”What can I do for you, Mrs. Davenport?”

Anna took a deep breath. She seemed to be having a great deal of trouble trying to start saying what was on her mind. Finally, she looked up at Lisa.

“My Kayti has been here with you for almost her whole life. I have appreciated the way you care for her as if she were your own child.”

“I love all of the children here Mrs. Davenport. I find myself getting attached to them. So much so that when they grow up and have to leave to go off to school or the family moves, it can be hard to say goodbye.”

She nodded and then continued as if what she was about to say was very difficult.

“Please call me Anna.” She asked and then continued, “You know that I am a single mother, right?”

“Yes, Anna, I do know that. Has there been a problem at the center I should know about?”

She seemed so upset that Lisa started worrying that there may have been some incident about Kayti and another worker. She hadn’t had any complaints from the parents about anyone, but you never knew what might happen.

Lisa was quite relieved when she quickly answered, ”NO, Lisa. It is nothing like that. I am sorry. This is difficult for me.”

“It‘s alright. Take your time and tell me when you are ready.” Lisa assured her.

She took another breath and started again

”I have no family in the world and I found out about three weeks ago that I have a cancer that will take my life very soon. It is aggressive and there is no treatment for it at this stage. The doctors are just trying to help me stay as comfortable as possible for as long as they can.

Lisa sat back in her chair absolutely stunned. At first, she didn’t know what to say. This woman was just telling her she was dying but Lisa knew that she was telling her for a reason so she had to try to hold her own emotions together for Anna's sake.

“Anna, I am so sorry to hear this. I wish there was something that I could do to help. If there is anything, anything at all, please do not hesitate to let me know. I am sure that everyone else here will feel the same.”

Anna sat up straight in her chair looking like she had all of a sudden gained a determination and said with conviction,

” Thank You I really appreciate that, But there is something, if you are willing.”

“Okay, what is it?” Lisa asked her. She really hoped there was something that she could do make things easier for her.

“Be my Kayti’s Mom after I am gone.”

Now Lisa was totally speechless!

Anna watched Lisa's expressions as she digested what she had just asked of her, then continued on.

“I have watched you with her. She loves you already. I know that you would love her too. She is comfortable with you so it wouldn’t be as hard as if she went to a foster home with strangers. I have heard about the group home that you hope to start one day. Kayti could be your first child. They are saying I have about three months left. It could be more or it could be less. I would like to try to get everything taken care of for Kayti before I am gone so I know that she will be alright. It won’t be as hard to go. I haven’t got much money so unfortunately I won’t have much to leave her. I am trying to sell off what I can so that it won’t be left for someone else to do. I have a few things I want to leave for her to remember me by, if I can.”

Anna was rambling because of nerves. Her hands that were lying in her lap were fidgeting nervously as she spoke. Lisa felt so many emotions running through her as she listened. It really hadn’t been that long since Auntie had died and a lot of the time Lisa was super emotional still.

She knew she had to say something to help Anna settle down.

“Anna, it sounds like you've already gotten quite a bit organized or at least thought about. Would you mind if I asked you some questions?”

“Oh No, Please do.”

Lisa paused, then began, ”This would take some thinking about and there are things I need to know before I can even begin to make any decisions. Such as, are there really no other relatives out there that might want to take Kayti?”

“No, there’s no one. Kayti’s father died. He was in the military and died overseas and he had no family either. So she will receive a check monthly from the government from the death of her father and after I am gone she will get a much smaller check from my Social Security benefits. I have already talked to someone with the state office and told them about you and asked if there would be any problems with me giving her to you upon my death. She said that a home study would have to be done and that as long as there were no problems in your past regarding child safety or anything like that, then there wouldn’t be a problem. I want to go draft a will up that would allow you to adopt her if you choose to do that someday.”

She had obviously been giving this a great deal of thought. She didn’t hesitate as she explained all of that.

“Please let me go home and do some serious thinking about this. It would change my whole life and to be totally honest with you, I wouldn’t want to take her and then realize I couldn’t keep her. I have lost a lot myself and I couldn’t take it if I got her only to find out they wouldn’t let me keep her.”

“I understand completely, Lisa. Please think seriously about this because I think it could benefit both of you. I know that I would feel so much better if I knew that she would have you as a mom.”

Later, as she sat at home and started to go over in her mind everything that Anna had said to her, Lisa wondered where Anna was getting the strength to organize all that she had already, especially the decisions she was having to make about finding her daughter a family and a home that she would be safe and loved in.

How difficult must it have been to come and ask someone to take your child that you love with all of your heart and was the only person that was connected to you in the world?

Anna was right. She did already love Kayti and it wasn’t too hard for her to close her eyes and imagine herself holding that little girl in her arms.

When Alex came home from the television studio that night they had dinner and Lisa told her about Anna and Kayti and what Anna had asked of her. She was as shocked as Lisa was. Alex asked her what her first impression was when Anna had asked her.

“After the initial absolute shock, I thought sure, I would do it in a heartbeat. But, then reality hit me and I knew I had to be realistic and find out everything that could stand in the way of Kayti staying with me forever. Because I couldn’t take her and then have someone come to lay claim to her or say that for whatever reason I couldn’t keep her”.

Alex told her that she would support her no matter what the decision was. Lisa resolved to begin in the morning to find out everything she needed to do from the Family Court to make it legal if she was to take Kayti.

Also, if she took Kayti, she would have to find other housing arrangements pretty soon even though Alex said that she wouldn’t be in any hurry for them to move out.

The next day Lisa sat down at her desk after she got to work and began making phone calls. She thought that the most important was to the Children’s Services office to find out if they were going to need anything from her to make this happen.

If she was going to do this, Lisa wanted to make it happen quickly so that Anna could relax as much as possible. At least she would know that her daughter would be settled instead of possibly being passed around through foster homes for the rest of her childhood.

After getting off the phone with Children’s Services, Lisa sat back and sighed. This was going to be easier than she thought if there were no glitches that popped up.

Because Anna was going to name her as the guardian of her child, the only problem they would have was if Lisa had any skeletons hidden in her closet. She told the worker that she was welcome to speak to her manager here at the center and she would be willing to provide any information they needed and Lisa even went so far as to tell her about the situation with Jeremy so there would be no surprises later.

The worker said that she remembered the case in the newspaper and that she was sorry about what had happened. But more importantly, she said it would have no bearing on the situation with Kayti. She said that this situation with Anna and Kayti was one of her most urgent cases to get finalized at least as far as getting the paperwork in place for after Anna’s death so that if Lisa decided to take her, there wouldn’t be any legal problems later.

Lisa told her that since it wasn’t going to be a legal problem for her to take Kayti, that she did in fact want to go ahead with the paperwork if Anna was still sure about her choice of guardian.

After lunch, she started looking online for houses that would have what she would need for the children she would care for in the coming years. Lisa saw a few that looked interesting but quite a few of those had major problems.

She spent another hour looking online through houses and properties and just when she was about to quit for the day after saving pages that had interesting properties, she saw it! THE HOUSE! She searched the online site for a phone number and when she located it, she dialed and waited impatiently for someone to pick up. She could hardly sit still.

“Hello, How may I help you” the voice on the other end of the line said.“

Hello, I am interested in a house I just found online and I need to find out first if it is still available and second if it is available when is the earliest that I could look at it.”

She gave the lady the code for the house so she could look it up and Lisa sat in her chair tapping on the desk while she waited. She could feel the nervous excitement coursing through her. Is this it? Is my dream really about to begin?

Finally, the voice came back on the line.

“Yes ma’am. It is still available and I will contact the realtor in charge of this property and have him call you about seeing it.”

“Okay, thank you” Lisa said and gave her contact information.

After hanging up, there were so many emotions fighting for dominance inside of her. She was so happy that the property was still available but she was a bit frustrated and impatient. She wanted to go right now and look at it. Then she thought, “why can’t I at least go look at the outside by myself? At least then I could get more of an idea whether the outside of the property would be acceptable for what I needed. If not, then I wouldn’t waste the realtor’s time.” She made the decision to do just that as soon as she could manage to leave work.

She printed out the page that had the information on the house and then MapQuested it to get the directions. She waited until the after lunch help came and then told the rest of the girls that she would be going out for a while. She was almost afraid to get her hopes up but, from what she had seen in the picture and read on the site, this house was exactly what she had wanted.

Lisa followed the directions and with only a twenty minute drive she arrived at the property.

It was an old estate house with large white columns across the front, well at least they used to be white, Lisa thought. She knew by the age of the house, that it would probably need a great deal of updating and repairs.

It looked like at one time it had been a grand estate and most probably very lovely when it was being kept up properly. She stepped out of her car and made her way around the house, taking her time to look at everything. It looked like at one time there were some fantastic gardens on the grounds.

One thing that she hadn’t seen on the webpage was that there was a large pool in the backyard. That could be good or bad depending on how you looked at it. Personally, she loved being able to go out for a swim whenever she wanted but, she was going to be having a lot of children on the property and pools and kids can be a scary combination. If she decided to buy this property, she would have to look into some safe fencing and special locks on the gates to the pool area. It looked like there was a door directly from one of the main rooms of the house into the pool area with no other fence in between. She would have to fix that as well.

As she made her way around the rest of the house, she was getting more and more excited and hadn’t even seen the inside yet except for the online pictures. As she was making her way around a corner of the house, she collided with a large man.

Lisa's first instinct was a paralyzing fear at being out here all alone with a strange man.

She was furious with herself for being so careless. In her over excitement she hadn’t thought about her safety with the remoteness of this property. There wasn’t another house for about a half a mile. She never should have come out here alone. She hadn’t even told anyone where she was going.

When they had collided, he had reached out to steady her but, all Lisa saw was that a strange man was reaching for her.

She began to back away very quickly, trying to picture in her mind the layout of the land between here and her car. The man was probably in his fifties and had at least an extra hundred pounds attached to his frame so she hoped that if she started to run that she would be able to out run him.

He could see that Lisa was panicking at his sudden arrival. Her eyes were darting around looking for escape and he tried to quickly put her at ease.

“Hello Ma’am, my name is Steve Cooper. I am sorry to have startled you. I am the realtor that is in charge of this house. Can I help you?” He said, as he poked his chubby hand out for her to shake and then handed her one of his business cards.

After she gathered her wits about her and allowed herself to relax, she shook his hand and told him she was glad he was able to come out so quickly. “I just called your office about an hour ago about seeing the property and house and I decided to come take a look at the outside while I was waiting to hear from you.”

He chuckled and said “Well, I guess this is just a case of good timing then because I hadn’t even gotten your message yet. I had gone to lunch and I decided to stop out here to check on things. We had been having some vandals in the area knocking out windows. I think it’s just kids doing it but we haven’t caught them yet.”

That bit of news made her a bit anxious again about safety on the property, but she wasn’t going to let it deter her from at least looking at it.

He directed her around to the front and began telling her about all the finer points of the property such as the pool which she had already seen and the fact that the house had no less than seven bedrooms and six bathrooms.

The kitchen was enormous. It had very old appliances and she was imagining that all the wiring in the house would need to be updated to be able to handle twenty first century power supply needs. There weren’t many cabinets but plenty of space to put in whatever cabinets would fit her needs.

Lisa was seeing all that would need to be done to renovate but was also seeing endless possibilities, little extras that could be added over time to make things easier or just better looking. One example would be to install a laundry room in the main part of the house. At the time that the house was originally built, the laundry was done in an offshoot from the main house. In today’s world, it wasn’t very practical the way it was set up.

Another bonus to the property was a nice sized three bedroom, two bath, guest house towards the back of the property. Lisa asked if they could see the inside of it. She thought that maybe if it didn’t need too much work she and Kayti could move in there until enough of the main house was renovated to be lived in. She was rather disappointed when they went in and saw that someone had been using it as somewhat of a clubhouse. It was probably the same kids that had broken the windows out. It would need quite a bit of work to be able to be lived in. If it was just her, it wouldn’t matter but with a toddler, it would not be safe. Mr. Cooper assured her that a new lock would be installed immediately to prevent any more damage inside.

They returned to the main house and she told him that she would need to have someone she trusted come out to look everything over and make sure that she wasn’t buying a house that wouldn’t ever be able to be lived in.

Lisa gave him all her contact information and he made sure that she still had his card and she told him she would be in touch as soon as she had someone to appraise and inspect the property. She also told him that if the property proved to be what she needed, she was definitely interested in putting in an offer for it. She just hoped she wasn’t getting in over her head.

After that day, things moved fairly quickly with the purchase of the house. Mr. Huggins helped Lisa to find a reputable appraiser and an inspector for the house. She made sure that they looked for things like lead paint and asbestos and mold problems. They did find some mold but she was told that it could be removed and totally cleaned up upon renovation.

Once she knew that there were no big problems with it, she put an offer on the house. Just the previous week, Auntie’s estate had been settled and everything she had was left to her. Auntie wasn’t rich by any means but she had been smart and careful to invest and save where she could. Having that amount of money available, Lisa decided to pay for the property right out and the paperwork was in the process of being done.

Every spare minute was spent interviewing workers for different projects that needed to be done in the house.

When Lisa brought Alex to see the house for the first time, she just stood there with her mouth hanging open.

“Are you crazy? Do you have any idea what you have gotten yourself into with this old place? I mean, I bet this was a beautiful place at one time but it is huge and will need so much work done to it to be lived in.

”Yes, I know. But I also see that it will be the perfect place for me and the children when it gets finished.”

Lisa didn’t tell her that she had the same worries..

Chapter 6:

At the same time she was finalizing the purchase of the house, she was spending a lot of time with Anna and Kayti. Lisa and Alex had Anna over for dinner many nights so that they could talk about what she wanted done when the time came. Lisa had agreed to handle all of the arrangements. They also talked about what Anna’s dreams had been for Kayti and Lisa promised her that she would do everything in her power to see that Kayti finished school and went to college.

Anna was very relieved to have all of the paperwork in place, so that when she was gone Kayti would come directly to Lisa. The CS worker promised to make sure that the transition went smoothly. It was to everyone’s advantage for Kayti to not be floundering around in the system after her mom was gone.
The three months that the Dr. had given Anna turned out to be six months which allowed Anna that much more precious time with her daughter.

In the six months she spent with her, Lisa made sure to take many photos of Anna and of Anna and Kayti together so Kayti would have them when she got older. Anna also made a video of herself speaking to Kayti to tell her about herself and about her father. She made sure that Kayti would know that she was very much loved by both of them. She also wrote some letters to be given to her at different times in her life such as her sixteenth birthday, her wedding and the birth of her first child.

The last few weeks with Anna were very hard. She knew it was getting close and Lisa took time off from work and they just spent the time together. Lisa had gone to stay at the apartment with them so she could help Anna when she was too ill to do things by herself. Another advantage of Lisa staying with them at their house was that Kayti was getting used to Lisa being around at bedtime which can be the hardest time for a child when they are missing their parents.

Finally the last week Anna needed to be admitted to the hospital. Dan and Marie Huggins helped out by taking Kayti. They brought her to see her mom every day.

On the last day, Lisa was sitting there holding Anna’s hand. It had gotten very difficult for her to speak and she was trying to tell Lisa something. Her words were whispered and you could tell that every word was a struggle.

“Lisa, Thank you so much for taking care of my Kayti for me. It has made this so much easier than it would have been without you. Just please love her always and don’t let her forget how much I love her.”

“I will never let her forget you Anna. I promise you that. It has been such a pleasure having the time to get to know you.”

“There is something else I want you to do for me.”

“Tell me “

“When it feels right to you, I want Kayti to call you Mama.”

This request had Lisa shaking her head.

“Anna, how could I possibly do that? You will always be her mother.”

“Yes, I will and I know that because of you she will grow up and have a happy life and I also know that you won’t let her forget where she came from. But, Kayti is only eighteen months old. I don’t want her to go through the rest of her life and never be able to call anyone Mama. There is a song I heard, I meant to play it for you but I didn’t get to it, but it made me think about her going through her life and never being able to say that again. She is just barely able to say it now. Please,… please do this for me Lisa.”

Lisa sat there looking at this woman who over the last six months had taught her so much about the inner strength that people can have when it is necessary. She had dealt with her illness and all of the consequences of it with a strength and determination that Lisa hoped she could have in that position.

She had also become a very dear friend. During their times together, they talked about so many things and Lisa had told her thoughts and feelings that besides Alex, she hadn’t told anyone else. How could she deny her this request that meant so much to her?

“If it is truly your wish then I will have Kayti call me Mama, But definitely not right away. I wouldn’t feel right.”

“Thank You, You have been so good to me and I treasure the friendship we have forged through this horrible time.”

There were tears in both of their eyes and Lisa leaned down and hugged her and kissed her on the cheek. When she stood back up, Lisa realized that Anna was gone.

After the Dr. came in and verified that Anna was indeed gone, the nurse disconnected all of the machines that were attached to her. Lisa sat in the chair next to the bed, silent tears falling down her face, tears for this woman who had been robbed of the chance to see her daughter grow up, tears for Kayti who had been robbed of her mother who loved her so very much, and also for herself who with all of the business with the house and spending time with Anna and Kayti had not taken the time that she should have to grieve for Auntie properly and now with this new death she was feeling her loss so much more.

Mr. and Mrs. Huggins came through the door just a few minutes later. Kayti saw her mom in the bed and called for her but at eighteen months old she could not know that her mother was gone.

Lisa took her into her arms and Kayti tried to climb down to her mom. “Kayti, Sweetheart, Give your mommy a big kiss and a hug and then we have to leave”

Lisa let her lay next to her mother and she gave her a baby’s hug and kiss and started to suck her thumb as she laid her head on her mom’s chest. Seeing that sight, Lisa started sobbing all over again.

Mrs. Huggins pulled Lisa to her and held her.. As Lisa lifted Kayti to leave the room, Kayti began to cry for her mom and it was all she could do to hold it together.

“I am so sorry baby, we need to go now. I promise I will take care of you.”

Lisa held her tight to her and spoke soothing words to Kayti as they left her mother behind and slowly she laid her head on Lisa's shoulder and her crying was reduced to little sobs as they made their way out to the parking lot.

The Huggins’ offered to keep Kayti for a few more days while Lisa took care of Anna’s affairs and she went to their house from the hospital. They were worried that Lisa had not been taking care of herself and Mrs. Huggins wanted her to come and have a good meal with them.

“Lisa, you won’t be able to care for this child if you don’t take care of yourself first.” Mrs. Huggins said.

“Thank you Mrs. Huggins. You're right and I promise to take better care of myself from now on. I have just had so much to deal with lately.”

Mrs. Huggins stood from where she had been sitting at the kitchen table peeling potatoes for supper and came to kneel on the floor in front of the chair where Lisa was sitting. She wondered what Mrs. Huggins was doing but didn’t say anything. She took Lisa's hands into hers.

”Lisa, you have been like our own daughter since you and Alex met when you were fifteen years old.”

“I know that and I appreciate it”

“Let me finish, Honey” she said softly. “Dan and I both love you just as much as we love Alex and if you would like to, we would like for you to call us Mom and Dad. We can never replace your parents or especially Aunt Jessie but, Alex has been like your sister and you have spent so much time with us that you are already part of our family anyway. You need to know that you aren’t alone in the world and we also want to have Kayti call us Grandma and Grandpa if that is okay with you. We already love her too.” She finished.

Lisa sat there stunned beyond words at what she was asking..

“I don’t know what to say”

It was then that Lisa noticed that Mr. Huggins was standing in the kitchen doorway when he said with a smile,

”That comes from me too, Honey”

“Thank You Mr..” she paused and grinned, “I mean Mom and Dad. You don’t know how much it means to me to know that you care so much for me. I have felt alone but, now I know I won’t ever be.” she said with a smile.

Lisa gave them both a big hug and told them she was going to go home and try to get some rest. The last few days she hadn’t gotten more than a few hours sleep at a time.

“I will eat something quick when I get home. But I feel like I need sleep more than food right now.”

“Don’t worry about Kayti. She will be fine.” Marie told her.

“Thank You for your help, I will call you later then.”

Lisa drove back to Alex’s apartment and unbelievably, even through the grief of losing Auntie and now Anna, she felt a wonderful lightness and happiness and most of all hope for her life.

She had had these wonderful people in her life for a long time but never truly knew the extent of their caring for her. After Auntie’s death, the aloneness that she'd felt had threatened to consume her. Now she knew that she still had a family to call her own, just like Kayti. They were both going to be alright.

Lisa took care of the funeral arrangements for Anna that hadn’t been prearranged. Anna had done so much in preparation that there really wasn't much left for her to do. Kayti wore a beautiful dress with a matching hair bow that Anna had picked out for her to wear. The church wasn’t packed but Anna had obviously had more friends than Lisa knew about. Alex, Mom and Dad sat together with her. Mom and Dad had brought Kayti just before the services so that she could have a nap. Afterwards, quite a few people came to Lisa and thanked her for all that she did for Anna and for taking care of Kayti. Several of them requested to be able to keep in contact with Kayti and Lisa saw no problem with that.

The next few weeks, Lisa concentrated on getting herself into better shape physically and emotionally. Like Mom had said she needed to do that in order to be able to take proper care of Kayti. She made sure she ate right and got enough sleep and also took the time to go through some of Auntie’s clothes to take and donate them to the Salvation Army. She figured all of her other personal things could wait until she was better prepared to go through them. Lisa kept a few things of Auntie's, like a few sweaters and a jacket mainly for sentimental reasons but the rest was not likely to be used again so she finished sorting through the clothes and drove to the drop off area. It wasn’t easy to drive away and leave her things there at the charity. It made it so final.

Later, when she thought about it, she realized that part of her pain was that she had not had the chance to say goodbye to Auntie like she had with Anna before she died. So she drove to the cemetery and pulled up along side of where Auntie's grave was, right next to Uncle Jonathan’s. She laid some roses on their stones. Auntie's stone had just been put in place a few days before. “A Loving Wife and Mother” It read. And as Lisa stood there and read the inscription, she smiled and thought, “I wish I had told her that I had felt more like she was my mother than just a Great Aunt. I think she knew that I felt that way but I had never told her.” and as she stood there, Lisa decided she would tell her now.

“I miss you Auntie, so much. I hope that you knew how much I loved you and appreciated all that you and Uncle Jonathan did for me. At first, you were strangers to me but, over the years you became my mother and my best friend and ally in all my battles. I don’t think I would have made it through the Jeremy ordeal without you there to support me. I will always love you and miss your presence in my life. My dream house is slowly becoming a reality and I wish you could see it. I am a mother now, Auntie. Her name is Kayti. She is eighteen months old and she is so beautiful. She misses her mother too but, we are dealing with that together. Sleep in peace Auntie, I Love You.”

After standing there drying her tears for a few minutes, Lisa left the cemetery feeling a lot better than when she had arrived.

Things were coming along with the house. Several contractors had been hired, with one contractor overseeing the entire project and they were ready to begin work as soon as the papers were signed. They had a closing date coming up in two weeks, and then the renovations could get underway. Lisa spent many hours looking through magazines and online and even made several trips to the local home improvement stores to figure out what she wanted for each room for fixtures and colors as well as flooring. Some rooms she wanted to have the original hardwood restored and in others she wanted to have carpeting laid especially in the bedrooms and any areas she thought would be major play areas. For the kitchen and baths, she chose several different tile patterns.

A large old mud room in the main house was to be converted into a combination laundry and storage area that would be much more convenient than the present laundry in the other area.

It would be quite a while before anything would be able to be installed because a lot of old walls and wiring would need to be removed and replaced first.

She also researched the fencing she would need to make the pool area totally safe for the children.

Alex, Mom and Dad had a hand in helping to choose everything and they all actually had a lot of fun together doing that. The excitement they were feeling about all that was happening so quickly helped Lisa to begin to move on through her grief since Auntie’s and Anna’s deaths.

Because of Kayti’s young age she didn’t understand that her mom was gone. All she knew when she was tired was that she wanted her mom to come to get her. Sometimes she cried like she wouldn’t stop. Lisa tried to find things like a favorite toy or a favorite show on the TV to distract her. Most of the time, it worked. She knew that if Kayti had gone to strangers it would have been much worse on her.
Lisa wanted to put pictures of her mom out for her to see but after talking to a child psychologist they decided that because of Kayti's age, for at least the beginning, they shouldn’t leave them out because it would just bring her mother to mind more often and make her cry for her. In time, she would hang several pictures in her room of Anna alone as well as some of them together.

She decided to make a scrapbook for Kayti similar to the one she'd made after her Paris trip. She put pictures of Kayti and her mom and lines about where and when the photo was taken. Lisa also added little thoughts about Anna that made her smile or a memory that she'd had while she knew her. Lisa showed it to Alex and Mom when she finished it and they agreed that it was something that when she was old enough to appreciate it, Kayti would treasure it forever.

Doing the scrapbook for Kayti made her think of Paris and in turn, Sebastien. She thought again about looking online when she had time to see if she could find out anything about what he was doing in his career, not that she would ever contact him or anything. But, she still could remember his smile and his touch like it had happened yesterday and she was curious about him. She still had his CD and played it occasionally and would sit back with her eyes closed and remember him standing on the stage looking at her while he sang those songs. One day she had it on and had her eyes closed and she was so wrapped up in the music that she didn’t hear Alex come into the room. Lisa jumped when she heard her speak.

“You still think about him, don’t you?”

“Sometimes, I do. It has been almost nine years and I can still see him in my mind like it was yesterday, that night we were sitting with him at that Italian restaurant. I enjoy pulling this out every once in a while and remembering those couple of days with him. But, he is probably married with a bunch of kids now. I hope that he found someone to love him like he deserved.”

Chapter 7:

“Today is the day!!!” Lisa said out loud with a huge smile as she woke and realized what day it was. This is better than Christmas. The closing of the house is at one o’clock. When she left the attorney’s office this afternoon, the house and property would be hers. Being a Friday, the contractors were going to wait until Monday to begin working and she was going crazy with anticipation. She wanted to get started. “The sooner we start, the sooner Kayti and I can move into it and I can start finding the children that will fill this house and my heart.”

Alex had a busy day at the television station so she wasn’t able to come with Lisa to the house until late in the afternoon. She stopped by Mom and Dad’s and picked Kayti up then stopped and picked them up some take-out for dinner.

When she got there she just kept laughing at Lisa. “Lisa, you are acting all hyper. That’s my job.” She said with a smile.

“I can’t help it Alex. I am so excited and I want to jump right in there and begin working in the house but, I don’t have any idea where to begin.”

“Well, there doesn’t seem to be a lot you can do except walk through and make note of what needs to be done in each room. As soon as it gets dark, we won’t be able to see to do anything anyway.” She said.

“Ahhh but you are wrong. I had a large generator installed today so that contractors wouldn’t have to stop working in the evening if they didn’t want to. Also, I will not have to worry about us ever being without power if it goes out in a storm once we get moved in. So, I felt like it was a worthwhile investment.”

Alex stopped and looked at her.

“It is so good to see you so happy, Lisa. This is going to be a wonderful place. I can’t wait for it to be finished and see it restored to its original beauty, with the updates of course.”

“Yeah, you just can’t wait to have your apartment back all to yourself” Lisa laughed

They spent the next couple of hours walking through the rooms and listing what needed to be done. Unfortunately, there wasn’t much they could do without the contractors. Kayti began to get fussy so they packed up and left to go home.

“I am going to get a crib put over here so she can nap while we are working.”

“Good idea. Also with the generator here, a refrigerator could be plugged in for drinks and other food so people can get something while they are working.” Alex suggested.

“That’s a great idea. I will do that this weekend so it will be here for the contractors on Monday.”

Once the contractors were underway with the work, Lisa spoke to them about leaving her a list of anything that she could do without them there after she got off of work and for the weekend even if it was sweeping up the floors of the debris. It drove her mad not to be doing something there.

The renovations were becoming a family affair. Dad frequently came over with his tool belt on and ready to help, especially on the weekends and they were beginning to see real progress.

Quite a few evenings, Mom would pick Kayti up at the child care center and feed her dinner to keep her from being under foot while they worked. It wasn’t safe for her there either with all of the construction going on.

Things were going reasonably well but, not totally without problems, like the time a delivery that the carpenter ordered from the home improvement store wound up being the wrong order which was the major part of the work for that day. They had delivered theirs to someone else as well. So someone else’s day was messed up too.

Then more mold was found in the basement area so she couldn’t bring Kayti around for about a week while they cleaned it up. She didn’t want to take the chance of making her sick from it.

The mix-up of the order that day was not a total loss for the day. When they realized they couldn’t do what they planned, they went into the guest house and started seeing what they could get done in there.

True to his word, Mr. Cooper had immediately gotten new locks installed and no further damage was done inside. In fact, once it was obvious that someone was buying the house, no further signs of vandalism were noticed anywhere on the property much to her relief.

The carpenter and his team did some general clean-up and checked out the rest of the guest house. By the end of the day, they had found that other than the necessary wiring and plumbing updating it wasn’t as bad as they originally thought. The damage was mostly cosmetic to the drywall which would be replaced anyway. It was made a priority to get it made livable as soon as possible. Lisa was told it would be about two months before it would be ready for them.

About a month after she bought the house, Lisa and Alex were there doing some small jobs on a Saturday afternoon and Alex was telling her about a new holiday promotion they were putting together at the TV station.

It was the end of October and they were going to find some non profit organizations and families to make donations to for Christmas. She said they were trying to get some celebrities involved as well.

“That sounds nice. I haven’t even started thinking about Christmas much yet.” Lisa said with a grimace. “I can’t wait for next Christmas. At least most of the house should be finished and this place will be glorious all decked out for the holidays. Maybe there will even be more children by then too.” she said with great excitement.

*

Alex was at work the next week and the buzz around the station was about all of the different celebrities that they were talking to about the fundraiser for Christmas. Several had already signed on to help. Some were going to be actively helping and others that already had too many commitments were going to at least give generous donations. It was decided that the big donation was going to go to one organization or family that would be chosen by a celebrity. Two weeks before Christmas there was to be a gathering of all the recipients chosen to receive donations, although they would not know ahead of time what the donations would be. It would be a holiday party with Christmas decorations, celebrity performances and a buffet.

Alex was trying unsuccessfully to talk Lisa into submitting an entry into the pool of organizations and families that wanted to be considered for the donations.

“This isn’t just for you that I am suggesting that you put your name in. It could go a long way towards you getting this place ready to take care of more children that need you” she said.

“Well, aren’t you sneaky putting it to me like that? Alright, what do I need to do to put my entry in?” Lisa said with a grin.

“Well, you have already been taking videos and photos of your renovations of the property. You just need to organize it into a presentation that the judges can look at to make their decisions.”

“Okay, who is going to be making the decisions?”

“There is a panel of judges who are going to weed out some of the entries and narrow it down to about twenty entries and then a celebrity that the station has yet to announce will help make a final decision on who will get the big donation. And other than the big donation there will be many other smaller donations. Some in money and others will be in actual gifts such as toys and food vouchers for families who are having trouble feeding their children.

Alex had talked Lisa into it so she gathered some photos and video of the renovation progress and put together a presentation that told about the group home and what she wanted to do there. She included photos and video of Kayti playing and the story of her losing her mom and told them that she was glad that she was able to do this because it meant that Kayti and any future children that she would find would have a safe and happy childhood as long as they stayed with her because they wouldn’t have to be bounced around to a lot of different foster homes. This was not going to be a temporary stop for these children. She hoped that once she had chosen a child that they would be happy to stay with her until they were grown.

Lisa also included in the presentation her dream of the safe playground area for her children. She thought that if they needed ideas of what kind of donation to give that the playground would be perfect.
The deadline for submissions was coming up fast so she finished it and sent it to the judging panel. She knew that there would be many entries so she was realistic about her chances of getting any donation.

Unknown to everyone outside of a small group of judges in place for the promotion and a handful of the TV station employees, Il Divo was the group that was going to pick the entrant that would receive the biggest donation as well as help to allocate the rest of the donations amongst the other nineteen entrants.

Alex and the rest of the employees found out on the day that they were coming to view the entries. She had only heard of them through other ladies at the station but hadn’t heard them sing and she definitely hadn’t seen any pictures of them. She would have remembered if she had.

It was the Friday after Thanksgiving and the party for the announcement of the winners was to be in just over two weeks. The recipients would be chosen and notified that they were to attend the party to receive whatever they would be given.

Alex was reading over some of the news of the day that she would be reporting on during the evening broadcast and she heard a lot of voices and commotion coming from out in the hallway.

“That group must be here” she said offhandedly to one of the other employees.

“That group!!! You mean Il Divo!! Oh My God. Are they really here?” The girl jumped up and ran out to see if it was really them.

“I guess I need to go check them out and see what all the fuss is about” Alex said to herself.

She made her way out to the conference room where they were setting up to view the entries. There were a lot of people gathered around and Alex couldn’t see anyone who looked like a celebrity in the crowd although there were quite a few unfamiliar faces in the room.

Then all of a sudden she did see one guy who took her breath away. He was standing over to the other side of the room talking to the Station Manager. He had longish hair with cute curls and he was wearing a very tight T-Shirt that showed that he was very nicely built underneath it, and jeans topped off with a really nice brown leather jacket that he was just now removing. He had a goatee that was nicely trimmed close to his face and while she didn’t normally care for facial hair on her man, it looked very good on him.

“Wow, that guy is gorgeous, but it can’t be one of the Il Divo group. They sing some kind of opera and he doesn’t look like an opera singer to me.” She thought to herself. In her mind she was picturing a Pavarotti type person.

She was brought back out of the fantasies she was having about this unbelievably handsome man to reality by the laughter of a very tall man. He had a thousand watt smile that encompassed his whole face and he looked like he smiled often. He was wearing earrings and a baseball cap and was talking to one of the female employees and seemed to be enjoying it.

”Nope that can’t be one of them either. Maybe they went to another room.”

She noticed another man who was very obviously flirting with some of the ladies. They were blushing and giggling acting much like a bunch of school girls and not looking a bit like the professional women they were usually known to be.

This man was also very handsome with very dark hair with one long curl that came down to lie on his forehead. He was wearing a shirt with several of the buttons undone and you could easily see the mass of hair that covered his chest as he moved around, which made Alex roll her eyes. He obviously loved all of the female attention he was getting.

Alex was still scanning the room for some sign of who the opera singers were when she saw him.

“Is it really him? “It can’t be, can it?” He looked quite a bit different but she believed she would recognize him anywhere, his smile and his expressive green eyes that now had a bit more crinkle in the corners when he smiled at something someone said to him.

But it was Sebastien. She was almost positive. She wasn’t sure what she should do. She wanted to get closer and hear him speak. See if he was speaking French or not, but this guy was definitely understanding what was being said to him in English so it made her start to doubt. Just as she was about to try to make her way closer to him, a voice was raised above all the chatter in the room.

“Alright everyone, anyone who is not on the judging panel or in Il Divo please leave the room so that we can get underway here.”

A collective sound of groans and “Oh No’s” was heard from the ladies in the room and she heard the man she believed to be Sebastien say with a bit of a chuckle at the reaction that the announcement got.

“Sorry Ladies, If we have any time when we are done here we might have a bit of time to chat.”

Now Alex was really confused. This man was speaking English but with an accent.

“It has been nine years now since I saw him. Maybe he has learned to speak English, or maybe it isn’t him at all.” She thought.

She was swept up in the crowd leaving the room and was forced by the movement to turn around and make her way out of the room as well. When she was back out in the main studio area she saw a group of the female employees in a rapid sea of conversation. It was obvious that they were overly excited so Alex decided to join them and see if she could get anymore information about the group. She asked about Il Divo and was almost sorry she had. She was barraged by six extremely excited women talking to her almost all at once about the men that they were so enamored with. Carlos this and David that and something about an ooors whatever that was.

“Ok, Hold it a minute” Alex said holding her hands up to the excited ladies. “I can’t understand anything you are saying when you talk all at once. Deanna, please tell me a bit about who these guys are. Like what are their names and where are they from.”

So, like the expert that she was on all things Il Divo, Deanna began to tell Alex all about Il Divo from the beginning, starting with Simon Cowell and his search for the guys.

Alex was a bit frustrated. As interesting as the story was, she wanted Deanna to get to telling her their names and where they were from but she didn’t want to sound too eager. Finally Deanna said,

“So anyway the group was finally chosen and the four guys all met and began recording their first CD together. David Miller is from the United States, Carlos Marin was born in Germany but is Spanish. Urs Buhler is from Switzerland and Sebastien Izambard is from France.

Alex’s mind immediately went into a whirl.

“Oh My God, I was right. It is him!!!” She thought.

She barely heard Deanna telling how the other three were trained opera singers but Sebastien was a pop singer in France.

“I know.” Alex said softly, almost to herself.

“How would you know that?” Deanna said a bit sarcastically.

Alex just ignored the tone of the question and answered it “A friend of mine and I went to Paris right after High School graduation and we saw him in concert shortly after he released his first CD.” Alex explained. She didn’t tell them that they had actually met Sebastien back then.

The girls started up their swirl of conversation about the guys and how they could possibly get back in to talk to them again before they left. Alex just wandered away with her mind all in a jumble. She too wanted to get in there to talk to at least one of them. She wanted to find out if there was any chance that Sebastien would remember her and Lisa.

Alex tried to concentrate on her job but the memories of that time that she and Lisa spent with Sebastien kept invading her thoughts. She remembered how they looked at each other and even though there was very little verbal communication between them, Sebastien and Lisa were very much attracted to each other.

Her boss leaned over the desk to get her attention and he said with a grimace. “Alex, please don’t tell me you are one of their crazy fans too! Nothing is getting done around here today with them here.”

“I am sorry Jeff. No, I am not a fan. Before today, I had just heard about them. But do you think there is any chance of me getting back there and talking to one of them? I met him a long time ago and I would love to say hello if it is possible.”

Jeff looked at her a bit skeptically and said,

“Which one?”

“Sebastien”

“Well, I will see what I can do on the sly. If it is possible, I will let you know, Okay?”

Meanwhile, locked away in the room, the judges were showing the guys the entries that remained after their prior eliminations were done. Twenty entries that were chosen to be the recipients of the prizes and they were discussing whether the entry was worthy of the big donation or one of the smaller ones.

After about half of them had been viewed, one of the judges started the next PowerPoint presentation that had been submitted. Some of the entries were submitted on paper with just a written explanation and photos of their particular situation and some, like this next one, were more elaborate and showed that the entrant or someone helping them had made sure to include a lot of information about themselves and what they were about.

About thirty seconds into the presentation, Sebastien sat glued to the computer screen. He knew it was her. He would know that face anywhere. She of course looked a bit older but then so did he. After all, it had been nine years since they had met. He watched the presentation with total concentration and when it was over he didn’t hear the question that was asked of him. Finally after a punch in the shoulder by David he said,

”Oh, I’m sorry. Did you say something?” Sebastien said seeming very distracted.

“We were asking what you thought of that entry. You seemed to be paying particularly strong attention to it.” Urs said to him.

“I know her. We met nine years ago. I had just released Libre.” He said and sat back obviously still deep in thought.

David chuckled and said” Well, it looks like she made one heck of an impression on you buddy.”

“She did” Sebastien said still far away.

One of the judges stood and stretched and said, ”We have lunch being catered in for all of us. How about we take a break?”

Everyone agreed they could use a break and went their separate ways. Some of them stood talking, some went for a restroom break and some were talking on their cell phones.

Sebastien still sat in the chair thinking back to the two days that he had spent with Alex and Lisa. He remembered every detail about the time he spent with them. His career was just beginning to pay off then and he supposed he might have been a little bit cocky but when Alex struck up the conversation with him in French and she introduced him to her friend that had traveled with her to France, he told them all about his blossoming career in music and invited them to his concert.

He remembered feeling so relieved when he saw them sitting in the seats in the front row. He had thought they might change their minds and not come. But there they were. He was lost the minute he looked into her eyes. She didn’t speak any French so Alex had to do almost all of the talking and translating although with his assessment of Alex he didn’t think she minded one bit. She seemed to be a bit hyper to say the least compared to Lisa’s more reserved demeanor. He supposed it could have been the communication barrier that made her seem that way but he didn’t think so. But, even so the girls seemed to make great friends for each other, no matter how different their personalities were.

He thought about how he and Lisa would just wind up staring into each other’s eyes and the feelings that he had, like he wanted to take her into his arms and care for and protect her.

The night that was to be their last, he had taken the chance and very lightly kissed her. He had waited for a few seconds after to see what her reaction was. He didn’t know if she would be angry that he had been so bold as to kiss her like that. He even waited for the slap to his face that he imagined might be coming. But there was no slap or even an angry look. Instead she had raised her hand to his cheek and stood on her tiptoes and had kissed his cheek. He remembered the shock to his senses he had felt when she touched him and then when he realized that she had liked that he had kissed her, he boldly decided to do it again. That kiss had started out like the first but turned into a kiss that had rocked his world and had made him sure that he was falling in love with this woman.

But he knew then that it was not to be. She was leaving and there was no future for them, especially when they couldn’t even communicate with each other. So, he had just kissed her cheeks, told her goodbye and blew her a kiss as he got into his car and waved as he drove away.

He had spent quite some time regretting that he hadn’t even gotten either one of their addresses before they left. He had wondered many times over the years what had become of them, of her.

Life and time had passed and he had thought himself in love several times but he never forgot how this one young woman had made him feel in just two short days. Now there she was in front of him on the large computer screen. There didn’t seem to be a man in her life just now. If she was married surely her husband would be part of this group home of hers that she was trying so hard to make happen.

Now he just had to figure out if he should try to see her and what about the judging process. The fact that he knew Lisa could make for a sticky situation if they should decide that hers was the chosen one.
Even without seeing the rest of the entries, he knew he would vote for hers. So, he had to decide if he should remove himself from the judging process to make it fair. He decided to bring it up with the others when they all got back together after lunch.

Chapter 8:

A while after she had spoken to her boss about getting to speak to Sebastien, Jeff stepped over to her desk and whispered,

“I have gotten you five minutes, Alex. They are taking a lunch break from viewing the entries.

“Okay Jeff, Thank you so much for getting me that much time. I just want to say hello and see if he even remembers me and my friend from nine years ago.”

Alex stood up and all of a sudden some very uncharacteristic nerves began to surface. She was not usually one to let anything get to her but this situation was unusual. Here was a guy who back then seemed to be a very normal guy and now he was part of an internationally known singing quartet. Would he have changed at all? Would he remember her and more important, would he remember how things seemed to be between him and Lisa? Did it mean near as much to him as it had to her? He could be married and have a family now too and if he did, would he appreciate someone reminding him of that time?

As Alex walked towards the conference room, she was so lost in her thoughts that she didn’t see that someone else was walking around the corner straight at her. He was on the phone and didn’t see her either until it was too late and they came crashing into each other.

His arms came out to steady her and she looked up with a look of confusion in her eyes. He told the person on the other end of the phone that he would call them back later and hung up then dropped the phone into a pocket in his jacket, all the while his eyes never left her face.

“Oh I am so sorry Sir” She said nervously. “I wasn’t paying attention. I had something on my mind.”

“It is quite alright, Miss. I wasn’t looking where I was going either so don’t worry about it.” He said with a gorgeous smile on his face.

“Um, are you in Il Divo?” Alex asked him.

Urs looked mildly surprised and answered her “Yes, I am. My name is Urs Buhler.” He answered with a very smooth and sexy accent.

All at once they both realized that he still had his arms around her and Alex jumped back a bit.

“I don’t bite, you know.” he said with a smile

Alex didn’t reply to that comment but said “Urs is an unusual name. I like it.”

“Thank you, it means Bear in Russian” he said then didn’t know why he had added that last part.

“What is your name?” He asked her.

“My name is Alex, Alex Huggins. It is nice to meet you” She said boldly now that she was beginning to get her wits back together. “I am sorry. I have to go. I only have a few minutes to do what I need to do”

“Oh, of course. It must stay pretty busy around here.”

“Yes, but this isn’t work that I am going to do. Actually I am going to say hello to your band mate, Sebastien. We met a long time ago in France and I just wanted to say hello to him and I was told he would only have a few minutes to talk to me.” She said hurriedly.

“Oh, then I won’t hold you up any longer. It was nice meeting you, Alex Huggins” He said giving her one of his now famous Blinky Winks. Then he continued on the way he had been walking, but just before he turned the next corner he turned to watch her walking away from him.

Alex was floored. She never reacted to men this way. Of course she dated. She actually dated a lot but very rarely got serious with anyone. She was very career minded and was hoping to eventually get a spot on a national news team someday. But this unbelievably gorgeous man, Urs, had made her feel things just by touching her arms and speaking to her in that smooth sexy voice of his. Oh, how she wanted him to keep talking just so she could keep hearing the sound of it. If he spoke like that, what did his singing voice sound like? She made a mental note to herself to find out the first minute she could. Then she suddenly realized that she had better hurry before she lost her chance to speak to Sebastien.

She entered the room and he was the only one in there. He had his back to her and seemed lost in thought or he was dozing.

“Sebastien, she said quietly in case he was sleeping.

Sebastien heard the voice calling his name and it brought him quickly out of his thoughts of Lisa only to have him turn around in his seat and see the face of one of the last people he would ever have imagined running into.

“Alex? Alex, Is that you?” Sebastien said in total shock as he stood quickly and turned to face her.

“You do remember me then” She answered, the smile on her face growing rapidly.

“Remember you?? How could I forget! He chuckled as he came towards her and wrapped her in a giant hug that told her he hadn’t forgotten at all.

“Wow, this is great. How are you, Alex?” He said with a question in his eyes that said that he was asking more than how SHE was.

“I am fine Sebastien. I don’t have to ask how you have been doing. You’re speaking English too! This is so unbelievable. I had no idea that you were in Il Divo. I have heard some of the girls speak about the group but I hadn’t heard it or seen any pictures or I would have known.” She said excitedly.

Sebastien stood there thinking that Alex sure hadn’t changed much. She was still rather hyper, but it was a bit tempered now.

“What are you doing here? How did you find me?”

“I work here at the TV station and just came into the conference room earlier to see what all of the commotion with the girls was about. I was scanning the room and there you were. I was trying to figure out if it was really you when we were all driven out of the room.”

“I just saw Lisa’s entry. How is she? You do still see her, don’t you?” He asked, his excitement matching hers.

Alex was so pleased that he remembered their names and was inquiring after Lisa. “Yes, I see her every day. She and Kayti are living with me until she can move into the guest house on her property. In fact, she is doing pretty well. Very busy trying to get this group home finished so that she can begin taking other children.”

“It is a really great thing that she is trying to do. I have always tried to help poor children when I can.” He stated with the feelings of someone who has experienced it and sympathizes.

“She already has the one little girl right? She has no other children of her own?”

“No, No other children. There is just Kayti for now. She has had her for just over three months now, since her mom died.”

“Yes, that is so sad. But at least the child has Lisa and it looked like she already loves her. Do you think I should try to see her while I am here now or wait until the party? It will be alright to try to see her won’t it? He asked nervously. The fact that she may not want to see him was just hitting him and he didn’t like that feeling at all.

Alex studied him and realized he was nervous about seeing Lisa. “Sebastien, it has been a long time and Lisa has been through some very hard times. I don’t think that it is my place to tell you about her life except that now she is finally realizing her dream. I think that she would really love to see you. She never forgot you. I am sure of that. We have actually discussed you many times over the years and the last time was only a few weeks ago.”

Alex watched the array of emotions playing over his face. The absolute joy she saw in his expressive eyes as she revealed this to him gave her the confidence to continue, “I need you to promise me that whatever happens when you see her, that you won’t do anything to hurt her in any way.”

“Oh Alex, I care for Lisa. I always have and I have often thought of her and I would never intentionally do anything to hurt her. He looked a bit hesitant but added, “I guess I should ask, is she with someone? I mean, I didn’t see a man or hear her speak of a husband on her presentation.”

“No, she isn’t married or even seeing anyone right now. How long will you be in town now?” Alex was thrilled that Sebastien wanted to see Lisa and since he had asked about Lisa’s availability he wasn’t just thinking of saying hello and then a quick goodbye.

“We will leave tomorrow night and be back two days before the party.”

Sebastien was overjoyed that Lisa wasn’t married and in fact not even dating anyone. That would make things a lot less complicated.

Just then, the rest of the guys and the judges came back into the room and were ready to start back with viewing the rest of the entrant’s submissions. Sebastien asked Alex to wait outside of the conference room for him. “I’ll just be a few minutes” he told her.

Alex had to walk right by Urs on her way out the door and as their eyes met Urs smiled at her and Alex thought her heart skipped a beat. She smiled back but just kept walking. She really didn’t want to seem like some of the other women who were falling all over themselves just to talk to them.

After Alex had left the room Sebastien turned to the group and began to tell him what was on his mind.

“I need to excuse myself from the judging. The last submission that we saw before the break was from a woman that I met nine years ago and we have not seen each other since but, I do intend to try to see her and to avoid any impression that the judging is biased I feel like I should not be a part of your decision process.”

There was a long pause as everyone digested what Sebastien had said. Then one of the TV station judges said, ”Sebastien, I appreciate your honesty and I agree with your decision. Thank You for keeping this process from being tainted.”

“It was only the right thing for me to do and if you all don’t mind, I am going to try to go make a visit to her now.”

David stood up and shook Seb’s hand and said, “Good Luck buddy”. The others echoed David’s good wishes and then Sebastien left the room.

The lead judge looked around the room and said, “Now that this is settled we should finish going through the other half of the entries.

When Sebastien came out of the conference room he asked Alex how much longer she had to work for the day. “I will be doing the evening newscast at five o’clock then I will be going home. Would you like to come for dinner?”

” I would but, I promised one of the other guys that he could join me for dinner tonight because David and Carlos already have plans.”

Alex did a quick mental inventory of the names of the rest of the men in the group. “He said David and Carlos have plans, so that leaves Urs she thought happily.

Trying not to sound overly eager, she added, “Sebastien, you are more than welcome to bring your friend with you. Let me call Lisa and make sure that she didn’t already have plans. She said as she pulled out her phone and called the child care center.

When the phone was answered, Alex asked to speak to Lisa. While she waited for Lisa to come to the phone, Sebastien said, “Can I hear her voice please?”

Alex pushed the button that turned on the speaker phone so that Sebastien could hear.

“Hello, this is Lisa. How can I help you?”

Sebastien smiled so big his face almost hurt.

“Hi Chickie. How is your day going?”

“It's going ok. No major disasters. They finally got out to the house with the new windows this morning. I can’t wait to see them installed. They are going to look so great.”

Sebastien could hear the unmistakable excitement in her voice. A voice he hadn’t heard in nine years but, it still made him get goose bumps when he heard it.

“How is your day? Are they doing the judging today as they planned? And what celebrity do they have doing the judging?”

“Oh I am doing great. And Yeah, I believe they are doing the judging in the conference room. And they’ve got some guys back there that sing.” She looked at Sebastien and grinned.

“Listen, I was wondering if you were going to be home early enough to put together one of Auntie’s lasagnas? I am bringing a couple of friends home for dinner.” Alex said still grinning.

“Oh, do you want me and Kayti to make ourselves scarce for the evening? We could go to the guest house. It isn’t finished all the way but it wouldn’t hurt for one night.”

Alex almost laughed at the looked of panic on Sebastien’s face at the thought that Lisa wouldn’t be there when they arrived.

“No, of course not, I want you there. I really wanted you to meet them anyway.”

“Ok, I will make sure I get out of here early enough to stop at the store for everything. Should I get something for dessert?”

Alex looked to Sebastien for confirmation that they would like something for dessert and he gave her a thumbs up. “Sure, get something chocolate and gooey.”

Sebastien made a face like he loved that idea.

“Okay well, I need to get back to the kids, so I will see you this evening.” Lisa said.

“Okay bye, see you later.”

After Alex hung up, Sebastien let go of the breath he didn’t realize he had been holding. So far, so good. He told her he was going to go get something to eat. He had missed his lunch when they had been talking in the conference room.

Sebastien had a few hours to kill while he waited for Urs to be done in the conference room and Alex to be finished working so he left a message for Alex and one for Urs about their dinner plans with the station manager and decided to go out and do a bit of shopping. He didn’t want to arrive at the house empty handed. He had also decided a bit of a trim was in order so he found a salon and after the cut he stopped back at the hotel to shower and shave and rid himself of any loose hair. It wouldn’t do for him to be sitting there itching all through dinner. That wouldn’t leave a very good impression at all.

He arrived back at the station just as Alex and the other employees were beginning the broadcast. He had left his bag for this evening with the receptionist. She had been more than happy to come to his aid when he needed a place for the bag until they were ready to leave. He spotted Urs over in the corner observing what was going on and quietly went to join him. During a commercial break, Seb asked Urs if the plans he had made for the two of them were acceptable.

“That will be just fine. I actually met Miss Huggins earlier. It was just before she was going to meet with you. I am glad you two found each other after all of this time.”

“Yes, it is incredible. I met Alex and her friend Lisa during the summer, just after I had released Libre. They were on holiday in Paris.”

“So tell me about Lisa. You had feelings for this woman?”

Sebastien knew it sounded crazy to say that he did but it was the truth.

“Yes, as crazy as it sounds, there was a connection there. I am sure that she felt it too. But there was no way for it to work out back then. They were leaving and the worst part was that I couldn’t speak English and she couldn’t speak any French. Alex had to translate everything for us.”

The conversation had to end there because the broadcast went live again and they just waited for Alex to be finished so they could leave. Sebastien was wound so tight. He was excited and nervous all at once at the thought of seeing her again. How would she feel about him popping back into her life at this busy time in her life? Did she have any room for him in it?

Just after Alex completed her five o’clock newscast, she saw Sebastien and Urs standing over in the corner watching her. It was a good thing that she didn’t know that they had been standing there or she might have gotten a case of nerves. She was never nervous. That is one reason she was so good at this job. But something about knowing that Urs was watching her made her very uncomfortable. Not like from someone who gave you the creeps but he was making her have some very naughty thoughts. How was she ever going to get through dinner with him in her house? Well, she was just going to have to deal with it if he was still coming with Sebastien to the house.

She walked over to them and asked Sebastien, “How long were you watching me French boy?” Urs started laughing at her use of that name for Seb. They had all called him that many times but it was funny to hear this beautiful woman calling him that. Seb just gave him a look.

“Long enough to see how good you are at your job” Sebastien replied.

“Why thank you kind Sir.” She said with a bow. “Are you ready to go?”

“More than ready.” Seb said with a look that told Alex that he was anxious to be going.

“Okay, just let me get my things and we will be on our way. Do you have a car here?”

“No, if we can ride with you on the way there and then we can call a taxi when we are ready to go back to the hotel that would be good.”

“That is fine with me.” Alex said.

Sebastien picked his bag up at the reception desk with a thank you and a wink for the young receptionist who thought she had died and gone to heaven. It had driven her crazy to know that they were in the building but because of the nature of her job, she couldn’t spend much time following them around. She couldn’t leave the desk unmanned.

On the ride to the house, Urs said to Alex “Thank you Miss Huggins for allowing me to join you for dinner.“

There is that sexy voice again” Alex thought “You are very welcome, Mr. Buhler. Alex said using the same formal tone that he just had in addressing her. “And you may call me Alex. May I call you Urs?” She said and looked in the rear view mirror in time to see the smile on his face.

“Of course you may.” He replied with humor in his tone.

Sebastien was sitting next to Alex in the front and was enjoying listening to the exchange between Alex and Urs. He knew that Urs was flirting and it was a bit uncharacteristic for him to do, especially in front of someone else.

He was trying not to be nervous about seeing Lisa but he just kept wondering how she would react. Alex had said that she had had some bad times and he was curious to know about them but tonight probably wouldn’t give him many answers. Had a man hurt her, broken her heart?

He knew that if they still had the same chemistry that was evident in Paris, then he was definitely not going to let her go again. But, it had been a long time since then and maybe she would not feel the same way as she had. He was quite sure that she had been attracted to him then. He was still thinking along these lines and vaguely was still hearing Urs and Alex speaking to each other. Then Alex broke into his thoughts when she put her hand on his arm and said,

“We are here Sebastien. Are you ready? Don’t worry about anything. She really is going to be so happy to see you.”

“I hope you are right Alex.” He said to her as he stepped out of the car.

Alex lived on the fourth floor of the apartment complex so they made their way to the elevator. While they were waiting for the elevator to come to the lobby, Sebastien asked Alex, “If Lisa had Kayti and had done the shopping, how would she have gotten everything up to the apartment by herself?”

“Oh, she has a nice stroller for Kayti that has a big basket underneath and she tries not to get any more than she can fit in the basket. Of course if it isn’t squishable or breakable, she can set some things in Kayti’s lap. But, sometimes Kayti decides to throw the things out.” She said with a chuckle.

The two men stood there with a bemused look on their faces. Neither one of the men had had many close dealings with a young child. They wondered how people handled that sort of thing.

When they finally got to the door to the apartment, Alex said excitedly as she squeezed Sebastien’s arm, “Here we are. This is going to be so great.”

Sebastien was trying to be as confident as Alex seemed to be but he was afraid that Lisa wouldn’t be as excited to see him as he was to see her.

Urs wondered about Sebastien’s demeanor. He was not a nervous man around women normally but, this woman they were about to meet had obviously had a major affect on his friend in the past. He knew though that he was going to enjoy himself this evening. He was amused at the way Alex was subtly flirting right back with him when he had been speaking to her in the car.

Alex used her key to open the door and put her finger to her lips, signaling for them to be quiet. She hoped that Lisa was either in the kitchen or the bedroom taking care of Kayti.

When they came through the door, the men saw a nice apartment, Not very large but nicely decorated. Clutter was to a minimum and Sebastien hoped that Lisa hadn’t worked too hard at cleaning the apartment today, knowing that guests were coming. She had enough to do taking care of Kayti and she had obviously been working hard at making dinner.

It smelled absolutely wonderful and both Urs and Sebastien’s lunch had long worn off so the lovely smells coming from the kitchen were making their stomachs growl. The whole apartment was filled with the aroma of the lasagna and they hoped it tasted as good as it smelled. They looked at each other and chuckled at the sound of their stomachs.

It gave Sebastien a bit of relief from the nerves that were fluttering. He could hear some noises coming from the same direction as the glorious aromas and he wanted to head right in there but Alex held up her hand asking them to wait there for a minute.

Chapter 9:

Alex came into the kitchen to see that Lisa had everything for dinner well under way. The lasagna was in the oven and there was a basket of French bread all cut up with a towel over it to keep it fresh. She was just finishing up the tossed salad and as Alex looked around the corner to the table.

She said with a smile “looks like you didn’t leave anything for me to do”

“Oh, Hi, I didn’t hear you come in. How was your day? Are the guests already here or do you have time to shower and change?” Lisa said all this while continuing to finish the salad or she would have seen the twitches at the corners of her friend’s lips as she was trying to contain her excitement.

“Are you about done here? I want to introduce you to our guests. Have you heard of Il Divo?”

“Yes, I have. Jenna has brought their CD’s to work and plays them. They have a nice sound. I can take a break here for a minute to meet your guests. It really just needs to be put on the table now.”

“Good, come on then” Alex said as she grabbed Lisa’s arm and almost dragged her out of the kitchen.

As they came out to the living room, Sebastien looked up and there she was after all this time. She was still very beautiful and he wanted to rush to her but knew that would not be appropriate.

Lisa was giving Alex an aggravated look for pulling her along like she was so she hadn’t actually seen the men yet. When she looked up she said “Oh Hello, My name is Lisa. I hope you enjoy your dinner with us tonight. I hope that you like lasagna.”

She had really only taken a general look at the two men together and was thinking how nice looking they were, more than nice looking actually. They were both gorgeous! Alex sure had good taste in men she thought.

Urs thought that Sebastien looked a little dumbstruck so he stepped in front of him and took Lisa’s hand and kissed it and said, “We both love lasagna and it smells fantastic.”

“Nice accent too!” Lisa thought to herself.

Alex stepped around to stand closer to the guys and she said “Let me introduce you to one half of Il Divo.”

Lisa’s jaw dropped. Here she was in an apron and just everyday clothes she had changed into and a ponytail to keep her hair out of her way when she got home from shopping and began cooking and Alex had brought celebrities home with her. Boy was she going to get an earful later for not telling her who she was bringing home so she could have at least made sure she had gotten dressed before they got there. Alex introduced her to Urs and if she wasn’t mistaken, Lisa saw more than a hint of attraction in Alex’s eyes when she looked at this man. She would have to ask her about this later. Alex then stepped closer to the other man and it was then that Lisa finally looked into Sebastien’s eyes.

“Boy, my mind is really playing tricks on me. It must be all the heat from working in the kitchen. He sure looks a lot like Sebastien.” Lisa thought as she studied the face of the other man. He was staring right back and she waited for Alex to introduce them, but Alex was stalling for some reason.

Lisa finally looked at Alex to find out why she wasn’t introducing her to him.

Alex was just standing there with a really silly look on her face. Alex looked back at Sebastien which made Lisa look back.

When she met his eyes again she knew. It is him!! Her eyes grew as big as saucers and her mouth opened but she was utterly speechless.

Sebastien couldn’t tell if she was happy to see him or not. Finally, he stepped forward and took one of her hands in his and said, “Hello, Lisa. It is so wonderful to see you again after all of this time.”

Lisa was still struck dumb. First of all, she was just thinking that his voice and his touch still made her shiver all over, that definitely had not changed. Then it hit her that she could understand what he was saying to her. He was actually speaking English! She regained the use of her voice but it came out in a crackle with a bit of a squeak as she said, “Hello, Sebastien.” She cleared her throat and tried again. “It is wonderful to see you too.”

Her hands were shaking and she wasn’t sure if her legs were going to continue holding her up so she suggested that they all take a seat on the sofa. She was shocked at seeing Sebastien and he still made her feel an electricity, an attraction that no one else ever had and it made her legs feel very wobbly.

“It is also wonderful that we can actually speak to each other now. You speak English very well. I am sorry that I couldn’t speak your language when we were in Paris.”

Lisa was starting to ramble so Alex stepped in and asked her,

“Is there anything that you need me to do to help you get dinner on the table?”

Lisa broke her eye contact with Sebastien for the first time and said, “Everything’s ready. It just needs to be put on the table and see what everyone wants to drink.”

Sebastien gestured to the bag he had brought and said, “I brought a couple of bottles of wine. It helped that I knew what was for dinner.” He said with a smile that was turning Lisa to jelly. “I also brought you some flowers.” He said as he pulled the beautiful bouquet of peach colored roses out of the bag.

“I hope you aren’t allergic.” Urs said with a chuckle.

“Thank you Sebastien. They are lovely and no I am not allergic.” Lisa said blushing at the way Sebastien’s eyes were locked onto hers.

“Good because David bought a girl some flowers once and she was so allergic she wound up on medication.” Urs explained and both of the men chuckled at the memory.

Urs took the wine from Sebastien and stepped over to Alex and said, “Let me help you, Alex.” So, Alex took the flowers to the kitchen and Urs left Sebastien and Lisa still sitting there and went to join her.

Sebastien still had a hold of her hand and he lowered his voice a bit and said, “Lisa, You still are so very beautiful. I wanted so much to be able to tell you that back then.”

“But you did tell me. Remember the CD you gave me of Libre? Alex told me what you wrote.”

She was trying to get her thoughts together and she was so flustered. She couldn’t believe he was sitting here right next to her. It wasn’t a dream.

“Yes I remember. But I wanted to be able to say it to you. I was very frustrated that we could not communicate with each other.”

“Well, you have done very well learning English. But, do I hear some British accent in there as well?”

“Yes, I suppose. When Il Divo was put together, we were in London as our base, it still is. So, it makes sense that our English would have a British accent.”

“Yes, I suppose that makes sense.”

Sebastien was thrilled that Lisa seemed to be happy he was here. He could tell she was very nervous but then so was he. He didn’t know how she felt about him yet but he realized that whatever it was between them that he felt back then was still there. Was it love or just a chemical attraction? He didn’t know but he was very willing to take the time to find out if there was anything lasting between them.

While Sebastien and Lisa were talking, Urs and Alex were in the kitchen getting the drinks and putting the food on the table.

“It is still there, I think.” Alex said quietly, almost to herself.

“Excuse me?”

“Oh, I was just commenting on their attraction to each other. I think it is still there.”

“Well, I didn’t see them together before but, I would have to agree with you. I haven’t seen Seb acting this way about any woman. He is usually very confident around the ladies. But I have almost been able to feel his nervousness since he knew he was going to see her again.”

Alex poked her head out and said, “Dinner is on the table you two. Where is Kayti? Alex directed to Lisa.

Oh, she is sleeping. I thought maybe if she had a nap she wouldn’t get fussy during dinner.”

Almost as if on cue, they all heard Kayti calling out. “Mama, Mama.

“She still calls for her mother? Urs asked.

“Yes, sometimes she does.” Alex answered sadly.

“I’ll be right back everyone. Don’t wait for me. Start serving yourselves.” Lisa told the rest of them and then went to get Kayti up for dinner.

She walked into the bedroom and Kayti raised her arms to be picked up out of the crib.
Lisa was wishing that she had a few minutes to change into some nicer clothes.

“Hello, My love. Did you have a nice nap?” Lisa said to the still sleepy looking child.”

They gave each other a big hug. She loved the time right after Kayti woke up. She was so snuggly. Sometimes she would just sit in the chair with her and Kayti would wrap her arms around Lisa’s neck and lay her head on her shoulder.

“Let’s get you a dry diaper and then we can go have a nice dinner, Ok?”

The little girl didn’t say anything. She was still rubbing her sleepy eyes as Lisa worked to put the diaper on and get her pants back on. As Lisa put the used diaper into the diaper pail, she helped Kayti slide backwards off of the bed that Lisa slept in. Her little feet hit the floor and she would have been running out to see Alex but she stopped dead in her tracks when she saw the strange man that was standing in the bedroom doorway.

Lisa had stepped into the bathroom to wash her hands and she took her hair down and gave it a quick brushing when she heard Kayti start to cry and came back to see what the matter was.

“Oh Sebastien. I didn’t know that you were standing there.” He was standing just outside of the doorway to Lisa’s bedroom.

“I’m sorry; I didn’t mean to scare her.” He said as Lisa picked up the crying child who promptly hid her face in Lisa’s shoulder.

“It’s ok” she said to either himself or to Kayti. He wasn’t sure. But she continued to speak to Kayti in soft tones.

“Everything is alright, Baby. Sebastien won’t hurt you. Can you say hello?”

Kayti slowly peeked out at the strange man and just looked like she wasn’t sure if she wanted to speak to him.

“I am sorry, Sebastien. She has had a rough time and has been very timid around people she doesn’t know.”

“I understand and it is ok if she isn’t ready to talk to me.” He said as they made their way back to the table.

“Hey, Chickie. Where’s my hug?” Alex said to Kayti. Kayti went willingly into Alex’s outstretched arms but then she saw that there was a second strange man at the table and all but jumped back into Lisa’s lap, hanging on for dear life.

“Just continue on eating everyone. I think when she sees that you are both ok on her own, she’ll relax.”

Eventually Lisa could tell that Kayti had relaxed enough that she thought she would try to get her into her high chair. She got her settled in, put a bib on her and quickly put some broken up pieces of bread and lasagna noodles directly on the high chair tray.

Alex saw the look on Urs’ face as Kayti dug into the saucy noodles with her hands. “It is easier than picking a plate of dinner up off of the floor. Lisa forgot to tell me this nugget of information the first time I fed her by myself. It was quite a mess, I can tell you. She still manages to make enough mess without the plate. I am glad to help out but I am very relieved when Lisa comes back to take over.”

“Yes, you take to caring for children like I’d love to step in front of the camera.” Lisa said back to her.

Sebastien was enjoying watching Lisa taking care of Kayti. It was the most relaxed he had seen her. She was meant to do this group home of hers, taking care of children. He hoped it would go well for her.

When Lisa got Kayti eating and had fixed her own plate, she asked. “So Sebastien, tell me about this Il Divo group. How did you go from singing in France in your solo pop career to singing opera type music in this group?”

Over the next hour as they ate, both Urs and Sebastien told Lisa and Alex the Il Divo story up to then. Lisa was thoroughly enjoying listening to him speaking. She still couldn’t believe that he was sitting in their dining room after all of this time.

“I have heard some of the CD’s at the child care center where I work. You are all very good. I have enjoyed the music, especially when we are laying the children down for their naps. It relaxes them and helps them to fall asleep quicker.”

“So you think it is boring enough to put people to sleep, Huh.” Sebastien said with a huge grin on his gorgeous face.

Lisa got all flustered and said quickly, Oh No, Sebastien. I didn’t mean that.”

Sebastien laid his hand gently over hers and said softly, “I was only joking, Ma Cherie. Actually, we hear from people all the time that tell us how relaxing they find our music.”

“Oh God, He called her “Ma Cherie” again.” She had loved it when he said that to her. It made her all mushy inside and she didn’t do mushy. She used to but not anymore. Jeremy had seen to that.

When they had finished eating, Alex told Lisa that she would clean up so that she could take care of Kayti and catch up with Sebastien. Urs offered to help Alex clean up. She refused his help at first until he came to stand very close behind her and whispered in her ear making her stomach do these little flip flops, “Let me help you so that they can speak alone.”

How could she argue with that logic or the fact that he would be near her while they cleaned up? She couldn’t, so she and Urs stood shoulder to shoulder with their sleeves rolled up as she washed and he rinsed, then they dried the dishes together. She could have put them in the dishwasher she thought. It would have been quicker, but then she wouldn’t have him standing so close to her while they hand washed them. She was certainly no dummy.

Lisa had pulled out some of Kayti’s toys and put them in the center of the floor. She got down on the floor to play with her and was surprised when Sebastien followed her and sat on the floor next to them. Kayti gave him a cautious look and scooted over a bit closer to Lisa but then she started playing with her toys.

“She is so beautiful” Sebastien said. He reached out and very lightly, so as not to disturb the child, ran his hand down her silky blonde hair. He was amazed at how soft it was.

Lisa watched him as he watched Kayti playing. She was enjoying being able to look at him without him knowing while his attention was on Kayti. She was noticing the little changes in his face that had appeared since she saw him last. He had a few extra lines that appeared beside his eyes when he smiled and the bigger the smile, the more noticeable the lines were. She thought they looked very sexy on him. There was something else that was different but she couldn’t put her finger on it just yet. His hair was a bit different but a simple haircut on a man can change his looks very easily. But No, it wasn’t his hair.

While Lisa thought that Sebastien didn’t know she was looking so intently at him, he had to try very hard not to turn and look at her. He could feel her studying him. He hoped that was a good sign.

Sebastien had begun speaking very softly to Kayti and slowly touching her toys to see what her reaction would be. Lisa just leaned back against the couch and did not interfere. She was also curious as to how Kayti would take to this man that she had never seen before. Except for Dad, Kayti hadn’t been close to too many men so it was natural that she was a little shy around them.

Sebastien starting picking up the building blocks and was stacking them while he was watching Kayti out of the corner of his eye. She stopped playing with the toy she had and was watching what he was doing. When the tower he was building fell over, crashing to the floor and making a lot of noise, Kayti became momentarily startled and jumped but then she just busted out laughing like it was the funniest thing that she had ever seen.

Urs and Alex heard the baby’s laughter and poked their heads out of the kitchen to see what had been so funny. Neither one of them said anything as they stood looking at the scene in front of them.

Lisa, Sebastien and Kayti were all sitting on the floor amidst the pile of toys. They were building towers and either waiting for them to fall on their own or if they took too long to fall they would give them a bit of help and knock them over which would bring a big belly laugh from Kayti which in turn made Lisa and Sebastien laugh. Kayti had even begun handing Sebastien the blocks so he could stack them up.

Urs began to feel like an intruder so he gently took Alex’s arm and led her back into the kitchen so they would not disturb the trio. They sat at the table just chatting quietly until they heard the toys being put back into the toy box. Alex knew that meant that it was Kayti’s bedtime.

Lisa sat there both amazed and thrilled at the quick change in Kayti towards Sebastien. Children had kind of a sixth sense about people. When she decided that Kayti needed to get ready for bed, she stood up and started cleaning up the toys.

“I’ll put these away while you get her to bed” Sebastien said.

“Thanks. I appreciate that. I won’t be long.” and to Kayti she said, Kayti, can you say goodnight to Sebastien?”

Without any warning, Kayti leaned out of Lisa’s arms and flew right at Sebastien. It was a good thing he reacted quickly or she might have fallen to the floor. He took her into his arms and kissed her on both cheeks and it made her giggle.

“Goodnight, sweet girl, sweet dreams” He said and she kissed his cheek and threw her arms around his neck.

“She likes big hugs” Lisa said to him.

“So do I, Ma Cherie” He replied with a look into her eyes that she could not mistake. She blushed from her head to her toes as she walked into the bedroom.

While Lisa had gone to put the baby to bed, he thought about his feelings for this woman. They had not changed in all this time, he knew that for sure. But what were the feelings? What name did he put to them? They didn’t really even know much about each other. And what did she feel for him? He couldn’t even begin to tell.

She was definitely very open with her feelings with Kayti. He could see the way everything she did with the child was so easy and without thought and that made the way she was around him even more obvious. Except for the time they had spent playing with Kayti, which felt very comfortable, she was very nervous and she seemed very closed off and that was not the impression that he had gotten from her back in Paris. He wondered what had caused this change in her. He hoped it wasn’t him showing up unannounced that had upset her.

He didn’t think that they had spent enough time for him to begin asking her questions like that yet so he would wait and hope that he got the chance to spend some time alone with her. Maybe then he would be able to find out if there was any chance for them or if they would just have the memories of Paris for the rest of their lives.

Chapter 10:

Alex and Urs finally came out of hiding in the kitchen. Sebastien said with a grin, “It sure took you two a long time to clean up.

“We thought we would give you some time alone” Alex said.

“Thanks” Sebastien said and he meant it.

Lisa came back and said,” She must have been tired. Even after having a late nap, she laid right down, started sucking her thumb and fell asleep really quickly tonight. I didn’t even finish the book we were reading. Is anyone ready for some dessert? Alex told me to get something chocolate and gooey.”

“I sure am ready. I was there when she asked you to get it and I have been waiting all night to find out what you had gotten.” Sebastien said and was looking very excited. “We both love chocolate. We usually have to try to behave ourselves but I think we can make an exception tonight.” Sebastien said while rubbing his hands together. He made Lisa think of what he must have looked like as a boy when he was excited about something and it made her smile.

They all followed Lisa back to the table where she went about getting dessert plates and some forks and then she pulled out a chocolate cake that had crushed Oreos all over the icing and a cherry in the middle on top. When Lisa cut the cake they could see that it was layered with a chocolate fudge sauce that looked delicious.

“If you would like, we could heat it in the microwave for a few seconds to heat the fudge. And I also got some French Vanilla ice cream to go on top for whoever wants it.”

“I’ll take it heated and with ice cream. If I am going to have it, I might as well have it all the way.” Urs said.

Everyone agreed and they heated their slices and scooped the ice cream on top then settled down into the living room. Sebastien sat next to Lisa on the love seat and Urs sat on the sofa along with Alex.

“Alex, you said that some celebrity was judging the entries. Who would that be?” Lisa asked although she had a sneaking suspicion that she already knew the answer to the question.

“Il Divo” Alex answered and grinned at her.

“Lisa, we watched your submission today. I knew it was you right away and after Alex came in to talk to me, I informed the judges that I was excusing myself from the judging.”

“You did? Why?” Lisa said in shock.

“Because, I didn’t want there to be any sign of favoritism in the judging, I told them if I had a vote, I would definitely vote for you and that wouldn’t be fair. We had only watched half of the entries at that point and it wouldn’t have mattered what was on the rest of them. I don’t know what the outcome of the judging was.”

Everyone looked to Urs who was not saying anything.

“Urs, I hope this doesn’t put you in an uncomfortable position.” Lisa said.

“No, But if you don’t mind could we change the subject? I do know the outcome and it would not be fair for me to say now what that is. But I am glad that the judging is over because I would have had to excuse myself too.” Urs said smiling as he looked at the two girls.

“I understand and we won’t speak of it again.” Lisa said and Alex agreed.

Lisa thought about what Sebastien had said about voting for her submission. He would have voted for me no matter what was on the other entries. This admission by him gave her such a feeling of joy that she had not felt inside of her in so long, if ever. They continued chatting amongst themselves for a while longer and the long day was catching up with her. She could no longer stifle the yawn that had been threatening to escape for several minutes.

“Tired?” Sebastien said as he laid his hand on her knee.

“I am so sorry about that.” Lisa was embarrassed that she had been unable to hide the yawn.

“Don’t apologize, Ma Cherie.” You have so much going on already and today you rushed home and cooked us all that amazing dinner. You have every right to be tired. We should go and let you get some sleep. I know that you have to be at work again tomorrow.”

“I do, and then I am supposed to meet the lead contractor out at the house in the afternoon. He said he had some things to go over with me and it would be easier to show me than to tell me over the phone. But I really hate to put an end to this evening.”

Urs stood up and stretched and said, “We have had a lovely time and thank you so much for dinner. We enjoy home cooked meals so much when we can get them. Eating in hotels and restaurants has gotten so boring. There is nothing like a meal like the one we had tonight and the company was great too.”

Urs had let his eyes rest on Alex and she could feel the heat rising up in her again. So many times today, this man had caught her off guard when he was looking at her and made her very aware of herself as a woman.

She stood up beside him and said, “We enjoyed the company as well. I really hope that we can do this again sometime.”

“You can count on it.” Urs said looking into her eyes. It was as if they had forgotten the other two were still in the room.

Lisa smiled bashfully as she noticed the interaction between her friend and Urs and she stood and began to stack the dessert plates and silverware. She started to make her way to the kitchen. Sebastien picked up the glasses and followed her.

“Lisa, this evening has been wonderful. It was such a surprise to have found you both and now we will never be letting nine years go before we see each other.”

He waited to hear what she would say to this as she was loading the dishes into the dishwasher.

“I hope not Sebastien. I am so glad that you were able to come for dinner tonight. But I am going to have words with Alex later about not calling me to let me know so I could have changed into something more presentable. I feel like a mess tonight. I am sorry. I spend most of my time taking care of children or working on my house so I am not usually dressed up for dinner.”

He could see the color rising in her cheeks and he waited for her to finish what she was doing and to dry her hands and then he put his finger under her chin and gently turned her face to his.

“Lisa, tonight I didn’t care at all what you were wearing, that you weren’t dressed up. I was just so happy to be able to see you again. I had thought I would never get this chance again. You are very beautiful no matter what you are wearing.”

“Thank you Sebastien. That is very kind of you to say.”

“Are you free for lunch tomorrow?” Sebastien said to Lisa as they walked to the door when he and Urs were leaving. They had already called the taxi and it would be there shortly.

“If I take a lunch I usually just have time to eat in my office or I just eat with the kids.”

“Would it be ok for me to bring lunch to you? Whatever time is good for you. I would really like to see you again before we leave tomorrow evening.”

He really hoped that she would accept. The thought of not seeing her again for two weeks was a feeling he didn’t like one bit. They had already lost so much time.

“I guess that would be ok as long as you don’t mind almost forty kids in one spot.”

“I love children. They won’t bother me at all.”

“Ok then. It would probably be best around one o’clock. Most of the younger ones will be down for their naps and the others go out to play so hopefully it won’t be too crazy then.”

“Alright, I’ll see you then. I’m really looking forward to it.” Sebastien said after Lisa gave him the address to the center.

When she had handed him the paper he took it and smiled that slow sexy smile that kept making her feel like a bucket of butterflies had been released inside of her belly.

Lisa smiled back at him and said,” I am looking forward to it too Sebastien.”

Just before he went out the door, he took a hold of Lisa’s hands and leaned in very close and kissed her slowly on the cheek, in no hurry to break the contact. “This is so much better than our last goodbye. Last time I didn’t think I was ever going to see you again.” He said softly while his lips were still very close to her face, so close that Lisa could feel his breath against her cheek as he spoke each word.

Sebastien’s breath caressed her cheek as he spoke, she shivered and she knew that there was no way that he didn’t notice it. He didn’t comment. He only smiled again and winked.

While Sebastien and Lisa were setting up their lunch date, Urs and Alex were standing there and Urs said to Alex, “It has been very nice getting to know you. Could I ask you to accompany me to the party, unless you already have someone to take you?”

“Yes, I would like that Urs and thank you for asking.”

“Great, I will get back to you about when and how and all of that.” He raised her hand to his lips and kissed the back of it. Alex blushed.

“Oh My God. I think I am blushing. I never blush.” She thought to herself.

They all said goodnight to each other and then Urs and Sebastien left. When they reached the lobby, the taxi was just pulling up and they got in and gave the address of their hotel. When they got settled in their seats, Urs asked Seb, “So, was she as special as you remembered? I mean, to me she seems like a really great girl and man can she cook.”

Seb leaned back into the seat, “Yes, she was just as special if not more so. I still felt the same as when we met back then. And watching her take care of Kayti made me feel so happy to be there with her. I am not sure about her though, about how she feels about me. Alex did say that Lisa had had a rough time and I didn’t want to push her tonight for any answers about what has happened in her life. It was a very nice evening. I hope there will be many more of the same. But, my friend what about you and Alex? You two seemed to hit it off pretty well too.” Seb finished with a grin.

“I like her. We will see if anything develops between us. I have asked her to attend the party with me.” Urs said with a smile.

“Oh that will be nice.” Seb replied then added, I am really looking forward to that party now. I hope that she can get a good donation. And no, I don’t want you to tell me what the decision was. I wouldn’t ask you to do that. ”

“Good because I wouldn’t anyway.” Urs said as he smiled and leaned his head back against the seat and closed his eyes thinking about the woman who had stirred feelings in him that he was wanting very much to explore.

“I would like to see the house she bought for the group home.” Seb added and then they both just sat back and got lost in their own thoughts about the evening as they headed for the hotel.

After Lisa had shut the door, she and Alex sat on the sofa and just thought about the evening they had just enjoyed with the two handsome men. Finally, Alex spoke up, “Well?”

“Well, What” Lisa said.

“How did you feel when you realized that it was Sebastien standing in the living room?”

“You mean AFTER I almost had a heart attack? I can’t believe you didn’t call me when you first realized that he was there.” Lisa said as she punched Alex playfully in the arm, then continued, “He still looks great doesn’t he? I think he is even more handsome than he was back then. I didn’t think I would ever see him again. And he speaks English. Oh My God. I loved listening to him speaking French but it was very frustrating for me not to know what he was saying and having to wait for you to translate everything. Urs seems like a great guy too Alex. What about you two? I saw the looks between the two of you.”

“I don’t know but he makes me nuts. You know I have never blushed and he made me blush several times today. And on top of that he kissed my hand like some hero out of a romance novel. He has also asked me to accompany him to the party.”

They continued to discuss the guys and the party and the judging and how great Sebastien was to be so honest to back out of the judging like he did.

“Well, I can’t keep my eyes open. I am going to bed. I will see you in the morning.” Lisa said

“Maybe not. I don’t have to be at the station until after lunch, so I may sleep in.” Alex replied starting to yawn herself.

“Okay well, goodnight then.”

Lisa went to her room and sat down on her bed and continued to think about Sebastien actually being here and how he still made her feel. Many times over the years she had thought that maybe she had built him up into more than he actually was and tonight proved that theory very wrong. Actually, everything she had learned about him tonight made her feel more positive about the wonderful man he is. She finally went to get ready for bed then checked one last time to make sure that Kayti was still covered up and then climbed into bed to try to get some sleep but as sleepy as she had felt earlier, it proved to be a long time in coming.

In the morning, the first thing that Lisa thought about when she woke up, before she even fully opened her eyes was that Sebastien had actually been in their house last night. So many times over the years, she had dreamed about him coming back into her life, but this had been no dream. He had really been here, talking to her, touching her and she couldn’t wait for lunchtime to come now so she could see him again. She lay there for a while just smiling. That is until Kayti woke up and let her displeasure be known about the wet diaper she was wearing.

Chapter 11:

And so her day started and she didn’t have much time to dwell on anything for several hours. When she got to work however, she did make sure that everything was covered sufficiently so that when Sebastien showed up to have lunch with her she didn’t have to worry about what was going on with the children.

When it was playtime, just after the children’s lunch, Lisa was outside with all of the older children along with Jenna and several other workers. Lisa overheard Jenna talking about finding out that Il Divo was in town. Until yesterday, Lisa only knew about Il Divo from Jenna bringing the CD’s to work. She had absolutely no idea of the fan base that the guys had. And she definitely had no idea about the resourcefulness and the commitment that the fans had to the band. So, she was quite shocked at the reaction she got when she innocently mentioned,

“Sebastien and Urs had dinner with Alex, Kayti and I last night.

“Yeah, sure they did.” Jenna laughed a laugh that wasn’t very pleasant.

“Actually Jenna, they did.” And to the whole group she said, “Alex and I had met Sebastien in France nine years ago just after he had released his first solo pop album. I had no idea that he was in Il Divo until last night.”

Jenna’s eyes were huge and she was speechless, at least for a moment “You must have been hiding under a rock to have not seen them on TV or anything.” Jenna said snidely. She didn’t usually get this way but she was more than a little jealous that Lisa actually knew any of the Divo’s, especially Seb and it was bringing out a side of her that wasn’t all that nice and then she started rambling, asking Lisa all sorts of questions like, could she get autographs and would she be able to introduce them to the guys.

As Lisa saw the desperation in Jenna’s eyes she started to regret saying anything, especially since Sebastien was on his way in a few minutes. She didn’t want to make him feel uncomfortable.

“I’ll talk to Sebastien when he gets here. He is coming here to have lunch with me.”

“I think I am going to faint” Jenna said and Lisa thought she really was by the sound of her breathing.

Mary, the receptionist that worked in the office stuck her head out the door to the playground and said, “Lisa, You have a visitor.” and then turned and went back inside.

“OH MY GOD!!! It must be Seb!!!! Jenna said and started to move quickly towards the door and she only halted when Lisa said in a stern voice that left no mistake that she meant business,

“Jenna …, JENNA! Please wait here. We can’t both go inside. It would leave the others shorthanded out here. I said I would speak to Sebastien, and I will and if he wants to take time to come out and speak to you then it will be his choice. I will not have him hounded like that unless it is his decision to do so.

“Yes, Ma’am” Jenna said with a pout. It was very obvious to everyone that Jenna was not happy that Sebastien was right inside and she might not get the chance to see him but she did as she was told.

Lisa made her way inside towards the front lobby and she saw him standing there looking at his surroundings. He was dressed casual and comfortable but definitely not sloppy in a nice pair of jeans and converse tennis shoes, topping it off with a light blue silk button down shirt and he had left the first two buttons undone, not quite enough to get a peek at the chest underneath. He had gelled his hair so it looked a bit messy but she thought it looked really cute on him.

“He always looks so good” she thought as she approached him smiling and feeling very happy to have him here with her.

“Hello, Sebastien. How are you today?”

When he heard her voice he turned to her with an award winning smile ”I am great, especially now that I am here with you.”

She smiled shyly at his reply and asked “What’s for lunch?”

“Oh, the nice lady out at the front desk showed me where your desk is and I set the bags in there. I brought us some dishes from the hotel kitchen. I hope you like what I chose. I brought two different dishes in hopes that one would be to your liking.”

“I am sure they will be fine” She answered as he unloaded the bags.

“I normally would like a glass of wine with this but I didn’t think I should bring it here around the children.”

“Thank you, I appreciate your thoughtfulness.”

The first dish was a Chicken Parmesan that looked heavenly and the other dish was a rosemary chicken with blueberry sauce.

“Oh Sebastien, they both look terrific. I’m not sure which one I would like more.”

“Well, then don’t pick. We can share and try both of them.”

So they ate and chatted about little things. Sebastien wanted to wait until they were alone to ask her anything of importance. The intimacy of the two of them sitting so close to each other and sharing the meal was not lost on either of them. They both reached for the last small piece of chicken at the same time and their hands touched sending waves of electricity through the both of them.

“You go ahead Sebastien. I don’t really need it, but it was so good.” Lisa said trying to cover her reaction to his touch.

“I don’t need it either. Why don’t we share it?”

He split the chicken in half and pierced one half with the fork and raised it to Lisa’s lips. She hesitated for a few seconds before opening her mouth and letting him put the meat in. She lowered her face to hide her embarrassment at this unaccustomed intimacy and finished chewing.

Then Sebastien put his piece into his mouth and licked the sauce off of his lips.

During their meal, Lisa had been trying to avoid looking at him while he was doing that because it was driving her crazy. Once, she had dropped her fork into her lap when he did it.

“This was wonderful Sebastien. Thank You.”

They were cleaning up the dishes and throwing the trash out, Lisa stopped short and said out loud, “That’s it!!”

“What’s it?”

“I have been trying since last night to figure out what was different about you since Paris and I just figured it out.”

“Oh, and what do you think is different then? He asked with a cheeky grin on his face.

“Your gap in your top teeth is gone” she stated.

Sebastien roared with laughter.

“What is so funny?” Lisa said with her face immediately coloring when he laughed at what she said.

It was a few seconds before Sebastien could control his laughter enough to answer her.

“The ladies on the forum have been going nuts since I did this over the summer. I didn’t ever like the gap, so I got it fixed when we had a long enough break. It didn’t take any time at all before it was spotted and the women are split about down the middle as to whether they like it or whether I should have left it alone. Although, I don’t see what the big deal is about a few centimeter gap being gone or not, but it sure has stirred up a hornet’s nest.” Sebastien said still chuckling.

Lisa stood there very confused. “The forum? What forum?”

“Oh, I suppose you haven’t seen the Il Divo forum yet. Well, if you do go check it out be prepared. The women on there have very strong opinions about everything that has to do with the four of us. Just don’t believe everything they say on there ok. If you have any specific questions please ask me.”

“Oh I see” she said but she really didn’t. She was going to have to check this forum out and see what he was talking about.

“While we are talking about your fans”, she said and then she paused uncertainly then continued, “There is at least one of them here.”

“Well, I would hope so” he said with that killer smile as he let his hand rest on her shoulder.

“I don’t mean me. I mean, not that I am not a fan but I am talking about another girl. I had no idea that she was that big of a fan. I knew that she had the CD’s but that’s all.”

Sebastien was enjoying the way that she was getting all flustered but then took pity on her. “Does she know that I am here?”

“Yes, I am so sorry Sebastien. I didn’t know what I was doing to you when I mentioned you and Urs coming for dinner last night or I wouldn’t have said anything. I just heard her talking about Il Divo and I just mentioned it and she went all crazy looking”

Sebastien laughed at that. “Ok where is she” he said with a smile.

“You don’t have to do this if you don’t want to. They are still outside with the children and you could probably leave unnoticed.”

“I don’t mind really. The fans are why we have gotten as far as we have.”

Lisa led Sebastien out of the office and into the childcare areas and gave him a guided tour on their way through. They quietly passed the rows of cribs with sleeping babies in them and the low cots where some of the other children were napping. Sebastien pretended like he was going to wake a little boy up and Lisa whispered with a smile “Don’t you dare, Sebastien” He had only done that to get a reaction out of her and was pleased to see that she had felt comfortable enough to play along with him.

As they headed to the door leading out to the playground Lisa noticed the ladies who were in the room keeping watch over the babies were definitely looking at Sebastien. They weren’t looking at him like they knew he was a celebrity but just like they were looking at a very good looking man. What she didn’t know was their surprise that Lisa was with him and how friendly they looked as he had been teasing her about waking the boy up. As far as they knew, Lisa never dated. Her whole existence was for Kayti and the group home that she was preparing to open.

Sebastien stopped by a crib when he realized that it was Kayti that was asleep in it. He stood watching her and smiled at Lisa. “She is so sweet, Lisa. She made my night last night when she came and gave me that hug and kiss before she went to bed. She was obviously afraid when she first saw me.”

“She hasn’t been around many men except for Alex’s dad.”

Sebastien reached out and ever so lightly pushed back a lock of hair that had fallen into Kayti’s face. They continued on and Sebastien treated the ladies to one of his smiles and whispered “Hello” as they passed. Sebastien reached out and opened the door in front of them that led to the playground.

Jenna had been on pins and needles ever since Lisa had gone inside. Every time that door had opened she had jumped and looked to see if it was him coming out. This time she heard the door and when she saw that it was in fact Lisa coming out with Sebastien right behind her, she had to try very hard to control herself so she wouldn’t make a fool out of herself in front of the man of her dreams. “He looks so good, even better in person.” she thought to herself.

It didn’t go unnoticed by Lisa or Jenna though that Sebastien had placed his hand in the small of Lisa’s back as they walked over to them. It was a gesture of familiarity that both pleased Lisa to a huge degree and drove Jenna crazy with jealousy.

Lisa walked up to Jenna and said, “Sebastien, I would like to introduce you to Jenna Mitchell. She is a big fan of yours.”

“Hello, Jenna. It is a pleasure to meet you. How are you?”

“Hello Seb. I’m fine and thank you for taking the time to meet me.”

Sebastien turned to Lisa and asked “Are the ladies that work here coming to the party?”

“I think most of them said they wanted to come but they were going to check on ticket availability.”

“Well, I will see that they all get tickets. How many will there be that need them?

“There are twelve of us all together that work here.”

“Well you won’t need a ticket since you are an entrant, so I will make sure that eleven more tickets are delivered here.” he said and smiled at Jenna. “It was nice meeting you and I hope to see you at the party. Maybe we can get some pictures then, Ok? The rest of the guys will be there too.”

Jenna said “Oh thank you Seb. That would be great.” As she placed her hand on Sebastien’s arm.

Lisa was amazed at the way Jenna talked to Sebastien as if she already knew him. She wondered at her use of the shortened version of his name. He didn’t seem put off by it either. But she felt a twinge of something as she saw it. Was she actually jealous? Jenna seemed to feel very comfortable touching him and every time she and Sebastien had touched during last evening and today at lunch she had gotten so nervous. She finished introducing Sebastien to the rest of the ladies and then they made their way back inside.

“I guess I better go and let you get back to work then.” Sebastien said as they headed for the lobby.

“Do a lot of people call you just Seb instead of Sebastien?”

“Yes, most of my friends and family and now a lot of the fans do too. Some of them refuse to shorten it. They say they like the whole name better. You can call me Seb too if you want to. It’s up to you.”

“Oh, Ok. And thank you for bringing that wonderful lunch today. I hardly stop long enough lately to have much of a lunch so this was quite a treat.”

Seb took a hold of one of Lisa’s hands and said, “I am so glad that you enjoyed it and I hope that we can find time to spend together to talk more, especially now that we don’t need a translator. Not that I mind Alex, she’s great, but I am glad to be able to be alone with you.”

Lisa blushed crimson and said, “When do you leave?”

“All of my things were packed and in my rental car this morning. I told the guys that I would just meet them at the airport.”

“Alright. I guess I will see you at the party in two weeks then.” Lisa said and Sebastien was glad when he noticed by her tone that she seemed unhappy that he was leaving. It was the most that he had seen that told him she still had at least some feelings for him.

“I can’t wait. You will let me escort you to the party won’t you? I will bring a car for you and Kayti. I believe that Urs will be picking Alex up.”

“I would like that Sebast..Seb. Thank You.” Lisa said to him with a shy smile.

“Could I get your number and email address? I would like to be able to contact you while I am on the road if that is alright.”

She went back to her office and came back with her business card that had her work phone number, her cell number and her email address on it. She also added Alex’s house phone on the back.

“Thank You” Seb said.

She walked him out to the car and except for the location and time of day; this reminded them both of standing outside of his car in Paris that last night.

Seb didn’t want to embarrass her but couldn’t help the smile that came over his face as he thought of that kiss. She started blushing and got a bit fidgety.

“Don’t be nervous with me Lisa, Please. I want us to spend some time together and see what happens between us. I never forgot those two days with you.”

“You didn’t? Lisa said with surprise in her voice.

“No I didn’t… Did you?

“No” She said in a small voice and looking at the ground.

He lifted her chin so she had to look at him. “I want to kiss you goodbye Lisa, but I don’t want to give the others a show so I am going to wait until we have some privacy but I just wanted you to know that I wanted to.” He said with a grin.

After saying all of that he still leaned in and kissed both of her cheeks. No one could fault a French man for doing that, he thought happily.

“Goodbye Seb. Have a safe trip.” Lisa said and with a boldness she certainly didn’t feel she reached out and touched his arm. Well, if Jenna could get away with it, why couldn’t she.

“Goodbye, Ma Cheri. Take care. I will be in touch.” With that he got into the car, waved and pulled out of the driveway.

What neither Seb nor Lisa knew was that Jenna had been watching from the fence where the playground corner met the parking lot. She had seen Seb kiss both of Lisa’s cheeks and she was watching as Lisa watched Sebastien leave and she also saw when Lisa raised her hands to her cheeks where Sebastien had placed his kisses.

Jenna stood there anxiously wondering just how good of friends they really were. It sure looked like more than friendship to her and she didn’t like it one bit. Maybe Lisa would tell her more about their relationship if she brought it up in casual conversation. She would have to find out. She couldn’t wait to PM some of her other Diva friends and tell them this juicy piece of information but she would have to swear them to secrecy, at least for now.

Later that evening after Kayti had been put to bed, Lisa was sitting in front of her computer. Her intention had been to work on her plans for her house that needed her attention. Alex came into the living room and found Lisa completely lost in thought.

‘Are you ok? You have been really quiet tonight.”

“I’m ok, I guess. I was just thinking about Sebastien and all that has happened in the last twenty four hours. I am just nervous. I don’t know what he wants.”

“Well it looks to me like he still wants you, Silly.” Alex said with a chuckle. Then she realized that Lisa wasn’t smiling at her attempt at humor.

“I can’t Alex. I have been thinking about it all afternoon. I can’t have a relationship with him, not other than friendship. I am too messed up.” Without giving Alex a chance to respond to that, Lisa stood up and said goodnight and headed for bed.

Alex knew that Lisa had been avoiding dating but hadn’t said too much up until now. Lisa had come out with her and groups of friends but never on a solo date since Jeremy. Until Sebastien came back into the picture yesterday there hadn’t really been anyone that Alex thought was all that special that it would have caused her to bring the subject up to her. Now Alex was really starting to think that she should have a serious talk with her friend. She was too special a lady to wind up being alone forever because of what Jeremy had done and Sebastien certainly seemed to still be interested if last night and their lunch date today was any indication.

She decided to leave it alone for a while and see what happened. Maybe being with Sebastien, even as “friends” for a while would help Lisa heal from the incredible wounds that were festering inside of her. Alex was confident that Sebastien was a man that would treat Lisa right if they could ever get together.
As she had said to Sebastien yesterday, she didn’t really feel like it was her place to tell him everything about her but there could come a time when she would change her mind about that.

After Lisa had gotten into bed she lay there and thought about how much she would have truly loved to have a relationship with Sebastien, at least she would have several years ago. Now the thought scared her to death. She knew without any doubt that Sebastien was absolutely nothing like Jeremy. She didn’t know how she knew but she did. But, she couldn’t even begin to imagine herself getting that close to anyone again. The thought made her almost physically ill.

She was trying to decide how to tell Sebastien that all they could ever be is friends. Maybe after the party would be a good time. She wasn’t sure how long he was going to be in town when he was there for the party so she figured she better plan to talk to him then. She didn’t want to hurt him and the longer she waited to talk to him the harder it would be.

For the second night in a row she had the hardest time falling asleep. Even when she did finally fall asleep it was an extremely restless sleep. Around 2 o’clock in the morning she woke up screaming and that in turn woke Kayti up who started crying uncontrollably because Lisa’s screams scared her.

Alex came running into the room to find out what was wrong. She finished tying her robe and sat on the edge of Lisa’s bed. Kayti’s crying hadn’t even woken Lisa up. Alex started shaking Lisa and calling out to her to wake her. “Wake up Sweetie, Please. It is alright. You are safe.”

Lisa was thrashing around as if she was fighting someone off and even wound up hitting Alex in the face. Alex was momentarily startled but not really hurt. Finally Lisa opened her eyes and looked around as if she didn’t realize where she was.

“Lisa it is alright. You are safe.” Alex said again as she pulled Lisa into her arms. Lisa just slumped against her. All of her strength had been used in the fight she had in her dream.

“Honey let me go get Kayti. She is afraid.” Alex said

All of a sudden Lisa straightened up and said “What happened, Alex?”

“You were having a nightmare. Don’t you remember?”

Lisa thought for a moment. “I had hoped they were going away. It has been a while since I had one.”

As Alex was lifting Kayti out of the crib and carrying her over to the bed she said “I didn’t know that you were having nightmares.”

“I had them really bad right after the attack and they picked back up during the trial. Then they slowed down for quite a while. They picked back up again for a short time after Auntie died and then slowed down again lately. But they have never totally gone away.”

“You have been here for over three months. How come I have never heard you having one before?”

“I don’t know. But I don’t think I have had one this bad before. I literally felt like I was fighting for my life.” Lisa said as she took Kayti from Alex’s arms.

Kayti actually looked a little afraid going to Lisa.

“It’s ok Baby. Lisa had a bad dream and she needs one of your special hugs and a big kiss.” Alex told the little girl.

Kayti laid her head on Lisa’s shoulder and began to suck her thumb although she was still in the final bits of her sniffling from crying so hard. Lisa rubbed her back and began speaking softly to her and rocking her.

“I am so sorry little one. I didn’t mean to frighten you. Please forgive me. I am sorry. I Love You Baby.”

Alex left them and went to the kitchen and quickly heated up some milk. She poured some into Kayti’s sippy cup and then filled two mugs of the milk and carried them on a tray into Lisa’s room.

By the time she came back, Kayti had settled down considerably and was now in Lisa’s lap sucking her thumb. Alex gave Kayti her cup and she took several long gulps of the milk and then she smiled up at Alex and Lisa. They were relieved that Kayti seemed to be alright after the ordeal.

After they had all had their milk, Lisa changed Kayti’s diaper and settled her back into bed. Usually Kayti went to bed very easily but this time she cried and tried to get back up. Lisa laid her back down and stood there rubbing her back and whispering to her. Finally she put her thumb back in her mouth and slowly fell back to sleep.

Lisa and Alex stepped out of the room to talk so they wouldn’t wake Kayti back up.

“I am so sorry about this Alex, about waking both of you up like that.” Just then she noticed a very red area on Alex’s cheek. “Alex, what happened to your cheek?”

“Oh, it’s nothing” Alex said trying to brush it off as unimportant.

“That isn’t nothing, Alex. I did that, didn’t I? Well, DID I?” she said raising her voice a bit and then realized she needed to quiet down or she would wake Kayti back up.

Alex dropped her head a bit. She didn’t want Lisa to feel bad. She knew it was an accident because of the dream. “Yes, you did. But I know it was an accident. You thought you were fighting Jeremy off again, right?”

“Yes, but that is no excuse. I am so sorry Alex. I love you. Please forgive me.” Lisa said as she started crying and hugged her best friend.

“Aww sweetie it is ok. It wasn’t your fault. And I love you too, you know.” Alex said as she hugged Lisa back. “Do you think you could go back to sleep? I will stay up with you if you want me to.”

“No, we both have to work in a few hours. Let’s try to get some sleep.”

So, they both went to their beds and surprisingly both fell back to sleep rather quickly.

Chapter 12:

Jenna had rushed home after work and immediately turned her computer on. She couldn’t wait to PM some of the Diva’s and tell them that she had met Seb today and that he was going to see to it that she and the other ladies at the daycare got tickets for the party.

While her computer was loading, she quickly fixed herself a plate of leftovers and a drink and carried them over to her computer desk. She knew that once she sat down here, it would be several hours before she would get back up.She was glad when she saw that several of the girls that she chatted with regularly were logged on as well. She began typing a PM that she would send to all of them.
************************************************************************
From: SEBSSEXGODDESS:

Hi Girls,

OMG-You are not going to believe this!!!! Are you sitting down?? You had better be and make sure to have a pile of thud cushions handy.

Today has been the best day of my life. I MET SEB TODAY!!!!!!! It was totally out of the blue. You know I told you I had heard they were in town for some promotion thingy. Well, a lady I work for is part of it. She is an entrant in the running for some kind of Christmas donations for a group home she is building. Il Divo is the group that is helping to choose the big winner.

It seems that she had met Seb in Paris when she and a friend went there on vacation nine years ago. He had just released Libre then.

She had to brag and tell us that Seb AND Urs had come to their apartment last night and had dinner. The dimwit doesn’t even know anything about Il Divo. She wouldn’t have even heard them if it wasn’t for me bringing the CD’s to work.

So anyway, HE came and brought lunch to her today and then he came outside especially to meet me. He told me he was pleased to meet me then immediately made sure that I would be at the party by offering to make sure tickets were delivered for us. He had such a big smile on his face.

I will keep you posted on the party developments but please keep this quiet for a while.
I don’t want too many local Diva’s getting wind of this event until it is too late for them to try to snatch up a bunch of tickets.

I already have a bit of competition with her being there. You should have seen it today. Seb kissed her on the cheeks and she got all bashful looking. If he did that to me I would be making sure to turn my head so it was my lips he was kissing and not my cheeks. Yes, I know I am being selfish. I don’t care. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for me and I am going to grab on and not let go. I am going to meet the rest of the guys too but I especially can’t wait to hopefully get to dance with Seb.

Well, I am going to eat my dinner that is getting cold. I’ll be around if anyone wants to chat.

Jenna
***********************************************************************

Jenna sent the PM and sat back to eat her dinner and browse the forum checking out the new threads. She was still on cloud nine thinking about their short but lovely meeting.

She was imagining herself all dressed up and looking beautiful. Seb would not be able to resist her. She would get him to dance with her and she couldn’t contain the happiness she was feeling when she imagined Seb’s arms around her as they danced. She would make sure it was a slow one so she could be close to him. Then she would turn on every bit of charm she had and reel him in. She had a shopping trip for a dress to plan.

*

As is the case in a lot of these online relationships, you never really know who you are talking to. Jenna had sent the PM out to ten Diva’s expecting that they would each be overjoyed at her good fortune.

Jayme Steel was not one of them. Jayme had chatted with Jenna a bit over the last few months and thought she sounded like a nice enough girl. She knew Jenna was a bit younger than her own thirty-six years.

The forum was filled with ladies of all ages. It was funny to think that so many women from different countries, cultures and especially the age difference would all find four men so attractive, love their music and find common ground to talk about them and their own lives to each other. She considered herself a SCUD. She found each of the four men to be incredibly attractive in their own way.

When she read Jenna’s email, she grimaced at the tone of it. It sounded like Sebastien was enjoying some personal downtime with a friend and it seemed as if Jenna was intent on making sure that she got herself noticed even if she intruded on his personal life. Jayme didn’t like the sound of it at all.

Another Diva that had received Jenna’s PM was Deanna Templeton, Alex’s co-worker. She hadn’t realized that Jenna lived so close to her. They had chatted online a few times but had not disclosed their locations as of yet. But, Jenna must be living pretty close to be going to work nearby and to be going to this event. She sent Jenna a quick reply saying that they HAD to meet. She had some other information to pass on. When Jenna got the message she happily replied and a Saturday lunch date was set up.

When they met the girls found that they were two peas in a pod. They were the same age at twenty-five and they also had similar problems. Deanna was an Uber and although Alex and Urs had just met, she had seen at the station that there was a very obvious attraction between them. She had been able to obtain a ticket to the event since she worked at the station. She just had to be available to help for the setting up and cleaning up afterwards. She didn’t mind the setting up but she was hoping to be able to get out of the cleanup. She hoped to have gotten the attention of the Uberlord by then.

They decided that maybe they would be able to convince the two gorgeous men to escort them to some of the local clubs together after the party was over. She thought that with Jenna in on the plans they would both have a better chance at success if they worked together.

During the two weeks before the party, Seb called Lisa a few times and they emailed or PM’d each other almost every day. Nothing serious was said by either of them. They just chatted about their day and got to know each other better.

He told her about where they were and what they were doing. He told her that he would be back in town two days before the party and couldn’t wait to see them. He never failed to ask her about Kayti and how she was doing. As with most children, there was always some little story about something Kayti had said or done that was either comical or distressing.

Kayti was still dealing with the loss of her mother. Although it was not a daily occurrence anymore, there were still times when she would be inconsolable and even if she didn’t specifically ask for her mother all of the time, it was obvious that that was the underlying problem. They took each day, one at a time and dealt with it as best as they could.

Lisa told Seb about Anna’s request for Kayti to start calling her Mama. Even though it had been several months since Anna’s passing, Lisa still didn’t feel comfortable prompting Kayti to say that yet. Even with Anna’s blessing to do so, it still felt like she would be disrespecting Anna’s memory.

They talked a little bit about Urs and Alex and after a bit of discussion on that matter, they decided that they would probably be better off staying out of that situation and let Urs and Alex find out if there was anything there by themselves.

She told him about what was happening out at the new house. “I am so excited Seb. The party is on a Friday and then the next day, Kayti and I will be able to move into the guest house. Not that I want to move out of Alex’s place so much, I have actually enjoyed the almost four months we have lived together. But, I can’t wait to be on my own property and I will be able to do more work out there. I have some painting and other small projects in the guest house that I can work on after I get home from the center every afternoon and on the weekends. I have already been doing that but I usually wind up having to go get us something to eat and to get Kayti to bed before it gets too late. Now I will be able to do all of it and not leave. I think they are almost ready to begin putting all of the new drywall up in the main house too. That is a huge step to get done. That means that the wiring, plumbing and mold removal are finished. It’s just that the sooner this gets completed, the sooner I can start looking for my children.”

Seb loved hearing her excitement. As he leaned back into the pillows he had stacked behind his head on the bed in the hotel, he was formulating a plan in his mind about ways to help her out a bit while they were in town. He decided to speak to Alex and get her opinion and maybe some ideas.

The next day, Seb got Alex’s work number and called her. It was Tuesday and there was just over a week until he and the guys would be back. Then they would have two days before the party and they were going to be in town for almost a week after the party doing promotions. There were several TV and radio appearances during that week but they also would have lots of free time in between.

When he reached Alex, she was busy but he gave her a brief idea of what he wanted to do and then he let her get back to work. She promised to call him back as soon as she had a few minutes to talk. She called him back later and told him that she loved his idea and would love to help. She had quite a few suggestions and had offered to find out what would be possible.

Once when he was speaking to Lisa on the phone, Alex beeped in. He got a bit flustered thinking Lisa was going to find out about their surprise. “She doesn’t know what is going on” Alex promised him. “She has been so busy that we haven’t really seen each other that much this week.”

By the Wednesday before the party, the plan was completely set in motion and he couldn’t wait for the weekend to get here.

In the meantime, when they spoke, he spent a lot of time asking Lisa questions about what her plans were for the house and the property. She had very definite plans about every aspect of it. She seemed thrilled to have a willing listener to her ramblings about all of it. He was getting excited to see the house and hoped to be able to go see it sometime before the party.

On Friday, one week before the party, a courier from the TV station had brought an envelope that contained all eleven tickets that Sebastien had promised to get for everyone that worked at the center.
Mary handed Lisa the envelope, as it had been addressed to her. She opened it and found the tickets and smiled. “He is such a great guy.” She thought to herself.

“Here is your ticket Mary. I do hope that you will be going.” Lisa said as she handed the ticket to the smiling woman.

Mary Bennett was in her sixties and a widow with four grown children. She had worked as their receptionist for about two years and she was a wonderful lady. Everyone loved her and she was always willing to help out wherever she was needed.

“Thank You, Lisa. I am so excited to be going. I am of course excited for you. I hope that you get the donation you need, but I also love Il Divo and I am so excited to be going to the party and to be able to see all of them. I have never had the opportunity to see them live and I almost had a heart attack when Seb walked in here that day.” Mary said as she was blushing.

“Mary, I didn’t know that you were a fan. I know you spoke to Seb when he came in, but did you tell him you were a fan?”

“I really didn’t get the chance to speak to him much other than to show him where your office was. The phone was ringing and someone else had walked in with their child so I was a bit busy. I thought I would catch him on his way out but I guess I was gone to the ladies when he left.”

“I’m sorry Mary. I promise, I’ll make sure that you get to meet him properly at the party.”

This conversation had a whole different feel to it than the one with Jenna. Jenna’s tone had been rather hostile to her although she couldn’t understand why.

“Thank You, Lisa. That would be great. I really hope though that maybe I could get to meet Carlos too. I am a Cutie after all.”

“Mary, please tell me about that. I have been checking out their forum this week and I have seen so many things I don’t understand yet.”

“Well, as I said, I am a Cutie. The fans that prefer one of them over another have names. Seb’s fans are called Sirens. I guess that would be you.”

Lisa knew she had to be turning several shades of red at that comment.

“Urs’ fans are Ubers and David’s are Diva’s but at the same time all of Il Divo’s female fans are called Diva’s. Then there are SCUD’s. They are the fans who claim not to have an allegiance to any specific Divo. Then there are also the Smidges too. I am a Cutie but I have a smidge of Diva too. That David and his smile, gets me every time. I know it sounds odd for a woman my age to be acting this way but I just can’t help it where they are concerned.”

Just then the phone rang and Mary went to go answer it. But as she was walking over to the desk she turned and said, “If you have any other Divo questions just come ask me. I would be glad to educate you.” She grinned then turned to get back to the phone.

Lisa walked away chuckling. Mary had totally surprised her. This was the most Lisa had ever heard her talk about any particular subject other than about what was going on here, in the whole time she had worked here.

When she had gone to the Il Divo site, Lisa had sat there reading everything and soaking it all in. Then she had gone to the forum and was stunned at how much content there was. It would take weeks to read through everything. So she just started at the beginning and went through each of the threads.

Sebastien wasn’t kidding when he told her about how much the ladies knew or thought they knew about the guys. And she didn’t know how many hours she spent going through the Gallery pages with photos of them. There was an abundance of concert photos from concerts that had been held all over the world. She just stared at the screen when she saw how amazing he looked in the suits. He had of course, dressed much more casual in his solo concert that they went to.

Lisa couldn’t believe how many pictures were of the group at airports. Did these women just happen to get lucky while they themselves were traveling or did they sit waiting at the airport for them to come? She was going to have to ask Seb about this when she talked to him next.

It was now only a few days until he would be back in town and then Friday was the party. She had so much on her mind with the house and all of the feelings swimming around inside of her because of Sebastien. She was feeling unbelievable confusion inside of her. She had been lonely a lot of the time since Jeremy but felt so afraid of opening herself up to a man again. She just didn’t feel like that was going to be possible. The thought terrified her.

She wanted Sebastien to stay in her life. She just hoped that he would be satisfied with a friendship between them. The thought that he might not be was niggling at the back of her mind. What if it upset him so much that he just decided it would be better to remove himself from her life altogether? She couldn’t bear to think about that possibility.

Lisa was doing some packing at the apartment of things she and Kayti weren’t likely to need before the move into the guest house. It was Tuesday. The two of them would be moving into the guest house on Saturday. With the party on Friday, she didn’t want to leave too much for the last minute.

Eric Samuels called to discuss the possibility of purchasing the house they were renting from her.
Their family was growing. In addition to their 1 year old boy Eric Jr., Lainey and Eric Samuels Sr. had found out in September that they were going to have twins. She was due in February.
.
“We should be able to stay here if no more children come along. The twins will have the third bedroom. If it ends up as one of each I will put the boy in with Eric and make the other room a girl’s room.”

“That sounds good. Well, I think we should be able to come to an agreement. Just let me finish my move this weekend and then we’ll discuss it more.

Tuesday night Seb called Lisa to let her know that he would definitely be in town late Wednesday night, but it would probably be late enough that he wouldn’t be able to see her before Thursday morning. They chatted for a while until it was time for her to put Kayti to bed.

“Have a good night Seb”

“I will. Give Kayti a kiss for me and say hello to Alex.”

“Ok, I will”

“Lisa?”

“Yes?”

Seb had thoughts of telling Lisa that he loved her, but something was stopping him. So, instead he asked her,

“I was wondering what color you were wearing to the party on Friday.”

“Oh, I am wearing a red dress. Why?”

“Just wondering. Ok, Well, I need to get some sleep. We have an early appointment and then another in the afternoon and then we will head straight to the airport from there.”

“Alright Seb, You take care and have a good flight.”

After they hung up Lisa briefly wondered why he wanted to know what she was wearing and figured he probably wanted to make sure their outfits didn’t clash or something. So she decided to email him a picture of the dress.

On Wednesday, when Seb had a few minutes after their first appointment, he decided to check his email as it would be the last opportunity until tomorrow.

He turned his laptop on and while it was booting up he went to get himself a drink from the small refrigerator in his room. When He sat down he was pleased as he always was when he saw that there was a message from Lisa.

Subject: Dress for Friday
Date: Dec 4, 2007 10:04 PM
Attachments: image001.jpg

Hi Seb,

Earlier tonight you asked me what I was wearing to the party. I figured you probably wanted to know so our outfits wouldn’t clash so I thought it might help if you saw the color of the dress. I hope it is ok. If not let me know.

I am really looking forward to the end of this week. There is so much happening.

Take Care and I guess I will see or hear from you on Thursday.


Sincerely,

Lisa
……………………………………………………………………………………

Seb grimaced a bit at the formal tone of the word “Sincerely” that ended her emails. He wanted so much for them to get closer. He was really hoping that the time that he would be able to spend with her and Kayti over the next week would go a long way towards helping them get to know each other better and most of all help Lisa to feel more comfortable with him. Most of their conversations were nice but nothing too personal. She seemed to change the subject if anything was brought up that was on the personal side. He really hoped that would change this week. Being together in the same place would be different than on the phone or the computer. He would be better able to tell her reactions to things when he was sitting right there with her. He clicked on the link to the attachment and the picture of the dress came up on the screen.



“Wow, that is a great dress. I can’t wait to see her in it.” He said out loud.

“What did you say, Seb? Urs asked him.

“Oh, Lisa sent me a picture of her dress for the party. I asked her about it. Is Alex still going with you?”

“Yes, as far as I know nothing has changed. I haven’t spoken to her since we left there.”

“I thought you would call her while we have been on the road. I can tell you really liked her.”

“Yeah, but does she like me? I am glad though that she wasn’t already a fan.”

“I can understand that. Alex is pretty straight forward though. She will say what is on her mind most of the time, I think.”

“Yeah, I got that impression when we were talking. We’ll see how it goes. We are doing so much traveling now. I don’t know if I want to get back into another long distance relationship or not. Even if we just end up as friends, I will be happy with that, for now at least.”

Ever since Urs and Seb had been at the house, Alex had been looking forward to seeing Urs again. She thought he was gorgeous of course and since they were there she had listened to their CD’s and she had fallen in love with his voice, but most of all she had enjoyed the time they had spent talking. She had especially enjoyed it when they were by themselves in the kitchen. Urs had seemed to be very quiet at first, not initiating much of the conversation but as he got more comfortable with her he had opened up and they wound up talking about their jobs, what they loved and hated about them, about their families and she also found him to have a wonderful sense of humor.

She hadn’t heard anything from him since he had left but then he hadn’t said he would be calling. She was just assuming that their plans of going to the party together were still on. She wanted to knock his socks off so she took some time one day and went shopping, which wasn’t a hardship. It was one of her favorite things to do. She knew that Lisa had chosen a red dress so she decided to stay away from red. She tried quite a few dresses on and finally she found the perfect dress. It was a black, Sophia Silk Georgette dress. It accentuated her tiny waist and her long legs. She found some black strappy two inch heels. She was already tall so she didn’t want to wind up being taller than Urs in higher heels.

She showed Lisa the dress on the Wednesday before the party.



“Wow, Alex. That dress was made for you. It is perfect. Urs won’t know what hit him.”

“I hope he likes it. What about you? Are you all ready?”

“I just need to go after work today and see if I can find some shoes to go with the dress.
I have a pair but I am not happy with how they look with this dress.”

“Wait here. I’ll be right back.”

Alex was several inches taller than Lisa but they wore the same shoe size and often shared their shoes with each other. She came back into the living room carrying a pair of red heels. The straps wound up around the ankle.

Lisa tried them on and they were perfect.

“Alex these are great. I had forgotten about them. They will be perfect with my new dress. Thank You. This saves me a lot of time today.”

“Aren’t the guys coming back into town today?”

“Yes, But Seb said it would be very late, so he would call me tomorrow morning.”

“Are you excited to see him?”

“Yes, of course I am. I still can’t believe how this has all worked out with us all finding each other.”

“What are you going to do about your relationship with him? I really think he cares about you.”

Alex didn’t think she was going to answer. She had a faraway look in her eyes but finally she said, “I am just going to have to tell him we can only be friends Alex. It can’t be more than that.”

Alex just sighed and shook her head. They didn’t have the time for any long conversations this morning so she was just going to have to let it go for now.

“I’m only doing the five o’clock broadcast tomorrow and then I’m off until Monday morning except for helping to set up for the party on Friday morning and then I’ll be home until it’s time to go.”

“Hey that’s great. How did you get so lucky to have that many days off in a row?”

“Oh, Well, It just kind of worked out that way.” Alex hoped Lisa wouldn’t ask any more about that. Seb had enlisted her help and sworn her to secrecy and she didn’t want to ruin his surprise.

Chapter 13:

Thursday morning Lisa was trying to get Kayti dressed and fed as quietly as possible so they wouldn’t wake Alex since she didn’t have to be up until nine. She had Kayti dressed and sitting in her high chair with some dry cereal, pieces of cheese and her sippy cup of juice. All she had to do was fix her hair and make-up and she would be ready to go.

Just as she was finishing up and was just about to get Kayti’s coat on to leave, her cell phone rang. She knew who was calling by the Nights in White Satin ring tone that she found and had assigned to his phone number.

“Good Morning Seb. How are you? Are you here in town now?”

“Good morning, to you as well, Ma Cheri. I’m fine. Yes, we are here at the hotel. I wanted to try to catch you before you got busy at work. How are you and Kayti doing today?”

“We’re great. I know that you must be looking forward to the time that you will have to catch up on some rest. You have been going non stop for weeks now.”

“Actually, it has been months, but yes we are all looking forward to relaxing and having some fun. What time will you be off of work today? I’d like to take you and Kayti out for dinner if you don’t have any other plans.”

“I’m there until three. There are a few afternoon part time helpers that come in and it allows us to rotate leaving earlier than the usual six thirty.”

“Are you free for the evening then?”

“Yes, I don’t have anything pressing to do. I was just going to go out to the house and do some work for a few hours.”

“I have been looking forward to seeing the house. Could I go with you and have a look around and then take you two out to dinner?”

“Sure Seb that would be great. I’ve been so excited for you to see it. I wish you had seen it before we started. There have already been so many changes. When they finished installing the new windows, it made such a difference. I kept the original look to the front of the house with the two big windows. But, these new windows will be able to be completely cleaned from the inside.”

“I did see the bit that you had in your PowerPoint presentation. You said you had more pictures and video from before you started. I would like to see them when we have time.”

“Speaking of time, I really need to go for now. What time will you be coming?”

“How about four o’clock? That will give you time to get home.”

“Sounds good. We’ll be ready then.”

“Have a good day, Cheri. Bye.”

“You too, Seb. Bye”

As Lisa was dropping her cell phone back into the holder attached to her waist, Alex stepped into the kitchen.

“Was that Seb?”

“Oh Hi. Good Morning. I hope we didn’t wake you. Yes, that was Seb. He wants to see the house and then take me and Kayti out for dinner. You weren’t going to be home were you?”

“No, I will be at work until about eight. You go and have a great time with Seb.”

“I can’t wait to show him the house. We’ve spent so much time talking about it on the phone and even without seeing it he has given me some great ideas. Well, I need to get going. I’ll see you when we get home.”

“Have a good day” Alex said and gave her a hug and picked Kayti up.

“And you my little chickadee, you have a good day too. Can I get a hug and a kiss?”

Kayti giggled when Alex started kissing her on her ticklish spot on her neck. Kayti gave her a kiss and one of her big squeezes that she loved to give out as Alex carried her out to put her in her car seat.

Alex grinned as she walked back into the apartment building. She was glad that Seb wasn’t letting any time go by without working his way into Lisa’s life. Maybe she wouldn’t have to interfere at all. She hoped that she wouldn’t have to be the one that told Seb about all that had changed Lisa so much. She knew Lisa was happy with all the progress on the house and with the way she and Kayti were settling in together but, she wanted so much more for her friend. Lisa had so much love to give if and when she realized that she didn’t have to be afraid anymore. She hoped it would work out for them both. Seb was a great guy and she knew he could make her happy.

It had been non stop all day for all of them at the day care and Lisa was really looking forward to three o’clock. Fifteen more minutes and she and Kayti could leave and go home to get ready for their date.
Did she really just think of that word? She hadn’t even thought about a date in so long. Hadn’t she already decided that she was going to tell Seb they could only ever be friends?

It had been two weeks and they had spent quite a bit of time talking on the phone, emailing and PM’ing each other. He was so busy. She knew that and yet he had taken time everyday to contact her in one way or the other to check on her and Kayti. Could she continue their relationship like this and yet still consider it only friendship? Would he? She was happier than she had been in a lot of years since Sebastien came back into her life. She didn’t want to lose him again. But, she didn’t know if he would settle for friendship. The things he had said to her told her that he definitely wanted more out of their relationship than that. It saddened her to think that he may just drop back out of their lives, of her life.

Fifteen minutes later, she and Kayti were on their way home and as nervous as she was about spending time alone with him, well, as alone as you can be with a baby in tow, She was still very excited to be seeing him again. That first visit had been such an incredible shock and even the lunch the next day was at work and sort of rushed. Tonight would be very different. No other adults with them and no time constraints as long as Kayti behaved.

When she got home she was trying to get Kayti down for a nap before Seb arrived. She hurried in and took a quick shower to get any residual odor of baby spit up off of her. She had spent most of the day in with the young infants today and it was a rare day when you worked in that room and didn’t get hit at least once with it.

She was standing there staring into her closet trying to decide what to wear. They were going to be going out to the house and it was pretty dusty from the construction but she wanted to dress fairly nice for dinner. Not that she thought they would go anywhere too fancy with Kayti there but, she wanted to look nice especially after the way she had felt when they arrived unannounced the first night and she hadn’t been given the time to get dressed nicely. Maybe she would bring an extra outfit for her and for Kayti to change into when they were ready to go to dinner.

She had gotten dressed in comfortable but nice jeans and a sweater and had picked out Kayti’s extra outfit and was still trying to decide what to bring for her dinner outfit when her phone rang.

“Hi Mom, How’s it going?”

“We’re fine here honey. How are you?”

“I’m good”

“Listen, Alex told me you had a date tonight and were going to be taking Kayti with you. Why don’t you let me keep her for the night?”

“Well, it isn’t really a date.”

She didn’t admit even to herself that just a while ago she had called it a date too.

“We’re just going out with a friend. I am showing him the house and then he’s taking Kayti and I to dinner. He really seems to enjoy her.”

Lisa began to panic a bit. Her comfort zone would shrink considerably if Kayti wasn’t there as a buffer. If she began to feel uncomfortable she figured she could claim that she needed to get Kayti home to bed.

“I have a great idea then. Why don’t you head out to the house and he can spend time with her for a while and then I will meet you out there and pick her up for the night. Then you can enjoy your dinner.” Marie knew that Lisa wasn’t really comfortable with this suggestion. She had discussed it with Alex earlier. They knew Lisa would probably not be comfortable out with Seb alone at first but they hoped that if she was given the chance she would soon see that she had nothing to fear.

“Mom, I really appreciate the offer but,…”

“Lisa, you have been working so hard at the center and then over at the house and taking care of Kayti on top of all of that. You need to take some time for yourself once in a while. Even after you take in more children you will need to arrange a way for you to have some time for yourself to unwind without children underfoot or you will burn out. I learned that early on when Alex was little.”

Lisa started laughing and said, “It’s no wonder you needed a break when Alex was little. I am very thankful that Kayti isn’t near as hyper as her Auntie Alex. Alright, I give in. I’ll call you later when I know what time would be good for you to pick her up.”

“Great! You know how much we love having her here. Dad will be thrilled too. You are still planning on me taking her home with us from the party aren’t you? That way you can get right on with the move on Saturday morning without having to take care of her too.”

“That’s the plan if that’s still okay with you and Dad. It will make it easier to get going.”

“That will be just fine.”

“Well, Seb will be here in about twenty minutes and I still need to get an outfit for dinner.
I’ll call you in a bit.” Lisa headed back to the closet to stare at her clothes to try to decide what to bring.

She finally picked a nice pair of slacks and a sweater that was a bit heavier than the one she had on. It was not overly dressy but would be appropriate for many restaurants. It was beginning to get pretty chilly after dark so the sweater would be perfect for later.

Kayti had not gone to sleep but had played quietly in her crib while Lisa was getting ready. She was so thankful that she had such a good child to initiate her into the life of motherhood. She had worked with children long enough to know that eventually she would wind up with one that wasn’t so agreeable but for now it was certainly a blessing.

The doorbell sounded and Lisa felt a bit nervous. She wasn’t afraid of being alone with Seb out of an actual fear of him but it had been so long since she had been alone with a man. When she couldn’t stall any longer she went and opened the door and there he was. He looked absolutely gorgeous. He wasn’t dressed up or anything but he had a huge smile on his face and it was just for her.

“Hello Ma Cherie. You are looking very lovely.”

“Hi Seb. Thank you”

“Are you ready or do you need anymore time before we leave?”

“We’re ready to go. Let me just get everything together.”

“Is there anything I can do to help?”

“You can see if Kayti will let you get her out of her crib.”

“Ok” he said as he walked into the bedroom. Kayti was sitting in her crib playing with a stuffed bear. The only toys that were in the crib were soft toys that she couldn’t get hurt on in her sleep.

He looked around the room. It was a bit crowded with the crib and a bed but he could see that Lisa had made good use of the available space. It couldn’t be easy having to have hers and Kayti’s things all in one room. He knew Saturday would be a big day for them to be able to spread out.

“Hello Kayti. How are you Ma Petite?”

At first, Kayti swung around and looked to see who belonged to the strange voice and then he could see the recognition in her eyes.

“Boks” Kayti said as she stood up and started jumping up and down while holding onto the crib rail. Then she raised her arms for him to lift her.

“What did you say sweetheart?”

“Boks” She said again.

Just then Lisa came up to them.

“Kayti, you remember Sebastien, don’t you? Can you say hello?”

“Boks” Kayti said for the third time.”

“She is saying something but I am having a hard time understanding what she is trying to say.” Seb said a bit frustrated that he couldn’t figure it out for himself.

“What did you say to Seb, baby?”

“Boks” she said once more. She also sounded a little frustrated as babies do when they can’t make us idiot adults understand one simple word.

“Ooohh, she is saying Blocks. She remembers you playing blocks with her that night.”

“Really, she can remember that?”

As Seb said that, Kayti started bouncing up and down in his arms. She was obviously excited that they had finally understood her.

“Boks, Boks, Boks”

“We are going to our big house Sweety. We have blocks there we can play with.” Lisa told her.

She looked a bit deflated for a minute but she loved to ride in the car so she was happy again when she saw that they were heading outside.

Lisa picked up Kayti’s diaper bag and the bag with her other outfit for later and they headed out to the elevator.

“Do you mind if we take my car? Then I wouldn’t have to move her seat.”

“That’s just fine” He said. And it was. She knew where she was going. Besides, he was just as happy to be able to sit back in comfort and enjoy watching her instead of having to pay attention to the road.

Chapter 14:

Lisa’s heart was racing as she drove to the house. She remembered feeling these same feelings when they were together in Paris. How did he do that? He hadn’t even tried to kiss her except for on the cheek but he made her feel like a school girl out on her first date. She could feel him watching her. She tried to make small talk to calm herself. It wasn’t working at all and having to tell him this next piece of information made her nerves even worse.

“Plans have changed a bit for tonight. I hope that you don’t mind. Alex’s mom called a while ago and asked if she could pick Kayti up and keep her for the night. She will pick her up at the house in a while. I just have to call her when we are ready for her to come. So Kayti will not be with us for dinner. I hope that doesn’t spoil any of your plans.

Seb had to control himself so he wouldn’t physically jump for joy. Not that he didn’t like having Kayti with them because he did but, to have some time together with no one else and no distractions was more than he had dared to hope for. He still had no idea what made Lisa so nervous but he instinctively knew that it would take them time alone together for him to make her trust him.

“That’s ok. She will be with us at the house for a while and I will still be around for the next week so we will have lots of time to play.” He said as he turned and smiled at Kayti.

They pulled up to a large old iron gate that was open. Lisa had to stop to let a pickup truck pull out. The sign on the side of the truck said it was from the local hardware store and had probably been delivering some supplies that were needed.

When the truck had passed and they were able to drive into the long driveway, Seb got his first look at the big old house. It was amazing. It looked to be three stories but probably also had a basement which Lisa confirmed when he asked her and it had so many windows. Of course, when this was built it was practical to have more windows for lighting purposes.

The house was over one hundred years old and had four large columns along the front and each one had originally been hand carved. The detail was fantastic. Seb couldn't wait to see them restored to their original beauty.

The front door was quite a large door that would undoubtedly open into a large foyer. It had a brick porch on the front that covered the right side of the house from the door to the corner of the house.

As she pulled into the circular drive up against the front of the house he could see that it had been neglected for quite some time. The paint was worn and the hedges and bushes needed a major trim but it must have been fantastic when it was being taken care of. He could see immediately what had Lisa so excited about it and he hadn’t even been inside yet. She didn’t stop there as she pulled around to the right side of the house and into view came another house. It was much smaller than the main house and he correctly figured that it must be the guest house.

“I just need to run in here for a minute before we go to the main house. I put some things in the trunk so I would have less to bring on Saturday.”

“Okay, show me what to take and where to put it.”

“You must be tired Seb. You just relax. It will only take me a minute.”

He placed his hand on her arm to stop her as she was moving to get out of the car and looked into her eyes.

“Please, Lisa, let me help. You have had me so excited about all of this. I’ll be happy to do anything I can to help you.”

Lisa stared back at him at the seriousness in his eyes and right now there wasn’t much of anything she could deny him when he looked at her like that.

“Ok Thanks.” she said past the lump forming in her throat. They moved to the rear of the vehicle and she pointed into the trunk. ”These are some things I thought we could do without until Saturday. Just these bags and that box there.”

“Great, just show me where you want them.”

They unloaded the car and just placed the things in the spare room to get them out of the way. Then Lisa brought Kayti in and showed Seb around the three bedroom 1800 square foot house.

“This is a bit bigger than the house that Auntie and I lived in. If it was just going to be me and Kayti it would be plenty big enough.”

“In your presentation, you said you hoped to eventually have about twelve children?”

“Yes, eventually. I’m sure that it will be quite a while before my house is full. I am not going to be in a huge hurry. I want to find children that fit in with me and with Kayti but I also want us to be right for that particular child’s needs. Once I get going I thought maybe I could find a married couple that would work here. Maybe the husband would be able to do small maintenance jobs and upkeep on the property as well as both of them helping with the children if we go on a big outing all together. If I get really lucky, she might be able to help with the cooking as well. In return they could live here in this house rent free and eat whatever meals they wanted to up at the main house. All they would be responsible for is their own utilities out here.”

“I am so amazed at how organized you are with all of this. You have everything worked out.” Seb said

“Yeah, in my head. That doesn’t mean it will all work out the way I want it to though.” Lisa said while rolling her eyes.

Seb stepped over to where Lisa was standing and laid his hands on her shoulders and lowered his head so that he was looking into her eyes. Then he placed one hand on her cheek, his thumb stroking the skin beneath it.

“You may have setbacks or have to readjust some of your plans but this is too perfect not to work.”

“Thank you for your vote of confidence. It really means a lot to me Seb.” Lisa said while she was trying to keep her breathing under control. His hands on her were making her have feelings that she definitely wasn’t prepared for. Her skin was on fire under his thumb as it stroked her cheek. Her head was telling her to back away and stop this before it went any further but she couldn’t stop herself from remembering how she had felt when he kissed her nine years ago and she desperately wanted to feel that again. She wanted so much for him to take her into his arms and kiss her as he had before.

Sebastien could see and feel the confusion in her. He wanted to kiss her so badly but he didn’t want to do anything to frighten her off before they even had a chance. Then he saw the desire in her eyes and he couldn’t stop himself from taking that last small step to bring himself close to her and leaning forward to touch his lips softly to hers.

He rejoiced inside when she didn’t back away as their lips met. He knew it was going to take every bit of self control he had not to just crush her to him and kiss the breath right out of her. He knew in his head that that would be a big mistake. But he wasn’t ready either to put an end to this kiss.

“Oh My God. This is just as good as I remember. How does he make me feel so good with just this little kiss? Please don’t stop.” Lisa thought.

He felt Lisa leaning into him as if wanting to deepen the kiss. He wanted the same thing and he couldn’t keep himself pulled back any longer. He brought his other hand up so that both of his hands were cradling her face and he slid his feet the last little bit that brought them together completely. One of his arms came around Lisa’s back and pulled her closer to him as he finally began to deepen the kiss and then just that quick, they both jumped back away from each other like teenagers who had been caught hiding behind the woodshed kissing. Someone was knocking on the door.

In his head Sebastien was cursing in every language he knew, which was a lot. Since they had all been traveling around the world it seemed like the quickest words to learn were the curse words. Someone had very bad timing.

While he and Lisa were standing there trying to catch their breath, the person was still knocking. Kayti walked over to the door and started knocking on the inside of the door with her tiny fist.

“Come in” she said.

The sight of Kayti knocking on their side of the door and saying “come in” sent both of them into fits of laughter which broke the nervous tension in the room.

Lisa opened the door to find Steve Cooper, the realtor at the door.

“Hi Steve, as Kayti said, Come in. What’s up?”

“I was just in the neighborhood and wanted to check out the progress on the house. One of the contractors told me you were here so I thought I would come and say hello. Everything seems to be going great. I can’t believe the progress since I was here a few weeks ago.”

“Oh ok. I thought something might be wrong. And yes, things have been going slowly but surely. I get excited over each new thing that is accomplished up there. Actually Kayti and I are moving here in the guest house on Saturday. I can’t wait.”

She introduced the two men and while they were saying hello, Lisa picked Kayti up and said to her, “I guess you and I will have to have some chats about you inviting everyone into the house, little girl.”

Her head was in a whirl. She felt like her face was on fire. She had just done exactly what she had said she wouldn’t do. Kissing him like that wasn’t exactly going to make it very believable when she said they could only be friends.

Seb broke into her thoughts when he stepped up behind her touching her shoulder and asked her if she was ready to go up to the main house.

“Oh yeah, sure. Steve, do you want to come have a look at the changes since the closing?”

“I’d love to, Thanks.”

They went out the door and Lisa locked it and then they all walked to the house. Seb was quiet and Lisa was wondering if he was upset that she had invited Steve to go with them but there wasn’t any way for her to ask him right now.

Everything else was temporarily forgotten once they entered the house. As always Lisa loved seeing whatever progress was made each day and of course the men started chatting with the contractors about details that she knew nothing about and was just as happy to leave it to the ones who knew what they were doing.

“Steve, it was good to meet you. Lisa is going to show me around the house and then we are going to dinner so we will see you another time.” Seb said as they were wrapping the conversation up with the contractor.

When Seb had finally been able to break away and come over to Lisa, she had a strange look on her face.

“I’m sorry Seb.”

“For what?

“For inviting Steve over now. I didn’t think about it until after I invited him that you might not have appreciated it.”

He took her hand and led her out of the room and then stopped once he found an unoccupied room. There were at least a dozen men working on various projects in the house.

“Lisa, you don’t have to be sorry about that. It wasn’t your fault that he showed up now. You did the only polite thing you could do inviting him over here and besides I had already asked him to come up with us. Seb was going to comment on their being interrupted but thought better of it. He didn’t want to make her uncomfortable and definitely hoped for a repeat of that kiss later on.

“Ok, if you’re sure. I guess I’ll call Mom and let her know she can head over to pick Kayti up. It will probably take her thirty minutes to drive over at this time of day.”

“Sounds good. That sure was funny what she did back in the guest house.”

“Yeah, but like I told her she can’t be telling people to come in when they knock. That could be dangerous. We’ll just have to be watching her closely and make sure there are inside locks she can’t reach.”

“Here, I’ll take her for a while if she will let me.”

Seb took Kayti into his arms with no fuss from her at all. Lisa called Mom, then proceeded to give him the grand tour of the house and told him what her plans were for each room.

They went up to the second floor seeing the bedrooms and their progress and discussing what Lisa had planned for each room. Most of the bedrooms were very large but had very small closets so she had decided to sacrifice some of the space to have additional closet space with lots of shelves and hanging space built in each room. She was telling him which was the master bedroom and showing him Kayti’s room that was actually a connecting nursery off of the master bedroom.

The master bedroom was going to have the biggest changes made. It also needed closet space added so they were installing a large walk-in closet. This room was so big that the room that the closet took up wouldn’t be missed.

She showed him the French doors that had just been installed in place of a single door that lead out onto a small balcony. The balcony still needed reinforcement or replacement. They hadn’t come to a conclusion yet which they would do. In any case, it wasn’t safe for anyone to be standing on it yet but even standing in the doorway you could see the amazing view of the backyard and gardens. Well, the view would be a lot more amazing once it was cleaned up and someone who knew what they were doing had gotten the gardens back to their once beautiful state.

“Lisa, this is such a fantastic piece of property. You were so lucky to have found it. I just love it here. These past couple of weeks when you were telling me all about it, I was thinking I had a good imagining of it but this is so much better. I had seen the pictures and video in your presentation but seeing it firsthand makes all the difference.”

After shutting the French doors, Lisa showed him the large master bath that had a huge antique claw foot tub. She was going to keep the tub but one of the contractors knew how to restore it so it would be like new, or so he said. But, Lisa did like showers and there wasn’t one in the master bath, so this was going to be one of her most frivolous splurges. She was installing a large walk-in shower with ten shower heads that were scattered on two of the four walls and at different levels. It also had two bench seats inside the shower and glass on two of the four sides.

Lisa got embarrassed all of a sudden when she was explaining about the shower to Seb. He was listening very intently with a silly grin on his face as he saw her turning red. Then very quickly she took Kayti’s hand and stepped out of the bathroom into the hall and turned to another bedroom and changed the subject.

“I’m not going to paint these other bedrooms anything but an eggshell color or do any real decorating of them until the children are chosen. I want to decorate each room as they come. If the child is old enough, they can help decide what they want it to look like.”

“That sounds great. It will make the child feel special, like the room belongs to them.”

“Lisa” a female voice called from downstairs.

“That’s Mom”

“Gamma, Gamma” Kayti said jumping up and down. Then without warning, she ran out the door towards the top of the long, marble staircase that curved down to the first floor.

“Kayti, STOP!!!.....Kayti, PLEASE STOP!!!” Lisa yelled frantically again. Her heart was beating so fast she was afraid it was going to burst right out of her chest.

Seb, who was closest to the door, was already running down the hallway and scooped her up into his arms just as she was reaching the top of the stairs. He spun around so that he was leaning his back up against the wall while trying to catch his breath, not from exertion but from fear. He crushed Kayti to him, closed his eyes and said a silent prayer of thanks that he had been able to reach her in time.

“Oh Seb, Thank You. Thank you so much. She can be really fast when she wants something.” Lisa said as she wrapped both Kayti and Seb up in a hug at the same time. She was very relieved that Seb had reacted so quickly, keeping Kayti from possibly having a bad fall down a long flight of stairs. It could have been terrible.

Lisa was stroking Kayti’s head and kissing her cheek. Seb’s other arm came around Lisa holding her tightly against him and stroking up and down her back.

“It’s alright. She’s alright, Ma Cheri.” He spoke quietly against her ear and then kissed her temple. He was telling her as well as reassuring himself. He could feel both of their hearts beating very fast. He had been afraid as well. He hadn’t been sure that he would reach Kayti in time.

Kayti was struggling against Seb’s hold and the fact that she was being squashed by the two adults who it seemed might have forgotten that she was stuck in the middle of them and she started saying, “Gamma” again.

“Hello there, my sweet girl. Grandma is here. Are you going to come and play with me and Grandpa.” Marie said to Kayti and at the same time she was looking Seb over.

Lisa had backed away from Seb and was blushing profusely at being caught in Seb’s embrace no matter what the circumstances. She was a grown woman and had no idea why she reacted that way but then, she hadn’t been this close to any man in years and her emotions were all in conflict with one another. Then again, Seb wasn’t just any man.

“Hello, you must be Sebastien. That was quite a good catch you just made there. I have heard so much about you, ever since my girls got home from Paris.”

She stuck her hand out for Sebastien to shake and he shocked her just a bit when he held it in his larger one and then leaned in and kissed both of her cheeks.

“Yes, Mrs. Huggins. Thank You. I am Sebastien and you have two great girls. I can’t tell you how happy I have been these last few weeks.”

“Please call me Marie. Mrs. Huggins sounds so old. I am so glad that you all found each other again. You will be at the party on Friday right won’t you?”

“I sure will. I am looking forward to escorting these two lovely ladies.”

Kayti was finally able to get the adults to pay attention to her and Seb let her go to her Grandma.

She liked going to Grandma’s house. Grandma let her play in her cupboards with all of her bowls with lots of colors and there were some really big ones that she could sit and rock in and some little ones that she could stack inside of the bigger ones. Sometimes Grandpa would come into the kitchen and let her sit in Grandma’s great big mixing bowl and he would spin her around and around and make her giggle until her belly got the hiccups. Once in a while Grandma even let her get into the cabinet that had a lot of really noisy, shiny ones that went “BANG, BANG, BANG when she hit them on the floor or against each other especially if she had a spoon to bang with. That was lots of fun at least until Grandma said “That’s enough noise for now.” Then she had to play with the color bowls or some of her other toys that were kept at Grandma’s house.

“I guess Kayti and I will get out of the way here and go get Dan some dinner. I’ll have her helping me in the kitchen before you know it. You two have fun tonight and don’t worry about her. Lisa, I will drop her off at the center around nine or ten in the morning.”

”Alright Mom, and thank you for keeping her for me.”

Lisa and Seb walked down the stairs and out to the car to say goodbye and then they were standing in the driveway totally alone for the first time ever.

Chapter 15:

After Mom pulled out of the driveway, Lisa was a bit nervous but she was desperately trying not to show it. She had been working so hard with everything she had going and Mom was right. She needed to have some time to herself to unwind from everything that had her life tied down. So, she was going to try to relax and enjoy this evening.

“There was only the basement left to show you and I am not sure if we can even get in there. The last time I tried, it was so full of construction materials I couldn’t get past the bottom of the stairs.”

“We can save that for another time then. Are you ready to go have dinner?”

“Yes, I just need to stop in the guest house and change. I wasn’t sure if I would be getting dirty in the main house so I brought another outfit just in case.”

“You look great in what you have on and don’t seem to have gotten dirty, but if you still want to change, let’s go.”

She decided she did still want to change into the warmer sweater since it was going to be cooler later on. They stepped into the guest house and Lisa avoided looking at Sebastien as she walked into the bathroom with her change of clothes. She was remembering what they had been doing just before Steve had knocked on the door.

“I’ll be right out. I believe there are some drinks in the fridge if you want one while you are waiting.”

“Thank you, take your time.”

Sebastien was also remembering the kiss they had shared in here earlier. It had felt so right to him to have her in his arms again. The emotions coursing through him as he had kissed her and felt her responding to him had made him so happy.

He had thought of her many times over the nine years and had wondered, “What if things had been different for them.” Now they were getting a second chance to find out if they really were meant to be together. It seemed too much of a coincidence to him for them to meet twice in a lifetime and have these same feelings and not wind up together. But then he started thinking of the conflict he was feeling inside of her. One minute he saw her looking at him with all of the same feelings he had for her and then she would get a much different look about her. One of… fear? She didn’t fear him did she? He sure hoped not. He knew he needed to find out soon what was causing this war inside of her and help to put an end to it if they were going to have any chance.

Lisa was getting changed and touching up her make-up while thinking about this man standing in the other room waiting for her. When they had met nine years ago she had thought herself in love with him. She now felt that it was impossible for anyone to know that they were in love after only two days. But there had definitely been something there between them. Now he had come into her life again and she knew that he made her happy when she was with him or even just talking to him on the phone. Just having his presence in her life gave her a joy that she had never felt, not even with Jeremy when she thought that they were happy.

She didn’t want it to end. She hoped that she could somehow keep him in her life after she told him they could only be friends. She had to tell him soon. She knew she was never going to be the kind of woman that Seb would want or need long term even if he didn’t know it. She just hoped that they could remain friends. She would learn to be happy with that. She would just have to make sure that they didn’t end up in the position they were in earlier. As much as she had thoroughly enjoyed him kissing her and feeling his protective arms around her, she didn’t want to keep giving him conflicting signals. That wouldn’t be fair to him at all. Maybe someday she would feel strong enough to tell him everything but not now. She didn’t want to lose him altogether.

“I’m ready, how about you?” Lisa said as she stepped out of the bathroom.

“Sure, I ‘m ready to go. Wow you look great.” Seb looked up and said as he stepped over towards her.

Lisa felt as if Seb was going to embrace her as he stepped closer to her and she quickly sidestepped him to pick up her purse. She did it so subtly though that Seb thought he might have imagined that she had avoided getting too close to him.

“Where are we going to go for dinner?”

“I saw a French restaurant close to my hotel that I thought we might try.”

“Ooooo that will be nice. It has been a while since I’ve been there. Their food is pretty good, although, I am not sure if it will be up to your standards of French cooking.” She said with a grin.

Lisa and Seb got into her car and waved to the contractors that were outside packing up for the day as she pulled out of the driveway and headed back towards town. The next time she came through these gates, she and Kayti would be moving into the guest house.

“What are you smiling about?”

“I won’t be coming over here tomorrow, so Saturday will be the next time I’m here and it’s when Kayti and I are moving into the guest house. I am so excited. It just brings all of this one step closer to becoming a reality for me.”

“You are going to do wonderfully here. I have watched you and Kayti together. You make a great mother Lisa.”

“Thank you, Seb. I hope so. This is all I have ever really wanted to do and now it is happening.”

“Where will you look for your other children?”

“Well, for a long time I wasn’t sure exactly but when I was dealing with Children’s Services, sorting everything out with Anna so that Kayti would come directly to me after her death, I had a few conversations with Brenda Chandler, the worker I was dealing with and she told me that when I was ready and had all of the necessary paperwork and permits completed to be classified as a group home that I could call her and she would be happy to assist me.”

“That must be nice knowing you have an ally there.”

“Yes, it is. They can be a bit scary sometimes. But in Kayti’s case, it worked out wonderfully and it really is a help to them in the long run to help get some of the children out of the foster home merry-go-round. Some of the children change homes so often and they never have the opportunity to feel settled anywhere, like they’re home. That’s what I want for my children.” She said with undisguised passion.

They arrived at the restaurant a short time later and were seated fairly quickly considering they didn’t have a reservation.

“Seb, Alex usually helps me order. Would you mind helping me tonight? I am embarrassed to say that I still haven’t learned much French.”

“I would be very happy to help translate the menu for you, Ma Cheri. And maybe I could help you with those French lessons. What do you think?” He said with a twinkle in his eye and a cheeky grin on his face.”

Lisa couldn’t help but laugh at the way he had said it. He just made her feel so happy just to be sitting here with him. She wasn’t going to let herself spoil her enjoyment of this wonderful evening with thoughts of what would happen next. It had been way too long since she had felt this carefree and was going to take advantage of every minute of this special night.

“Great, she’s finally relaxing with me” Seb thought to himself.

He just had to be sure not to try to move things along too quickly. He didn’t want to see the shield that she had up earlier come crashing back down. As long as he kept things light he thought she might stay relaxed and enjoy their time together as much as he was. So during dinner, he did just that, he steered clear of any personal subjects that might turn too serious. They talked about Kayti and the changes in Lisa’s life since taking over the role as her mother. She told him how much she already loved the child and already felt a bond with her. They talked about the house and the move on Saturday.

He told her a lot about his life since he had joined Il Divo and how much it had changed everything for him in such a short time. How he loved so much about it but there were several drawbacks to it as well such as not getting to see family and friends near as much as he would like to.

“This has been a wonderful evening Seb. I can’t tell you how long it’s been since I have had such a relaxing time with no need to rush. It seems like I am always in a hurry to go somewhere or do something lately. Thank you so much for suggesting this.”

“It has been terrific. Especially since we didn’t need a translator this time” he chuckled.

“Yeah, it’s just a good thing that Alex never minds talking or we would have never been able to communicate at all.”

“You two have a wonderful relationship don’t you.” It was a statement not a question.

“Oh Yes, we sure do. I met Alex just a couple of months after moving here with Auntie and I wasn’t happy about the move. Alex and I became inseparable pretty fast after we met. We’ve been more like sisters. We have our disagreements but we have never let anything get so bad that it threatened to ruin our friendship. A lot of people have called us the odd couple because our personalities are so different.”

“Well, maybe that is why it works. Can you imagine two of Alex trying to talk to each other and being as hyper as she is most of the time?” He said laughing.

They both laughed and found themselves dreading putting an end to the wonderful evening but finally Seb said,

“I know that you have a long day tomorrow, working in the morning and then getting yourself and Kayti ready for the party and then the party itself so we should really call it a night so you can get some rest.” Seb said as he made a gesture to the waiter signaling for the check.

“I suppose you are right. I know you must be tired too.”

Seb paid the check and took her arm as they went to her car.

They were both a bit more quiet on the way to her apartment. They were both tired and each of them was lost in their own thoughts of the evening and how nice it had been, how their conversation had flowed effortlessly and comfortably between the two of them during their meal. When she pulled into the parking lot of her apartment, she said to him,

“Seb, thank you again for such a nice evening. I really enjoyed it.”

“You are very welcome, Ma Cheri. I enjoyed it too. Come, I’ll walk you up”

“There’s no need. You must be ready to go get some rest.”

“I always see my lady to her door.”

“Oh Alright then. Thank you.” She said trying not to get too worked up that he had called her “his lady”

Seb came to the driver’s side and gave Lisa his hand as she exited the car.

They took the elevator up to her floor and she reached into her purse and pulled out her key which Seb promptly took from her fingers which were shaking a bit and proceeded to unlock the door.

That same evening, Alex had finished her day at the TV station and had gone home and made herself dinner and had a shower. She was sitting on the sofa in her comfy flannel pajamas, flipping through the channels on the remote, trying to find something to watch on TV and her cell phone rang. The number said restricted so she almost didn’t answer it but changed her mind when she remembered that Urs had said that he would be calling sometime today to confirm the time he would be picking her up for the party and she hoped this was him calling. She wasn’t disappointed.

“Hello, this is Alex”

“Hello Alex, This is Urs Buhler. Are you busy?”

Alex was amazed at how her heart seemed to skip a beat or two when she heard his voice. It was so smooth and sexy. She could just sit and do nothing else but listen to him. She was really looking forward to hearing them sing live tomorrow night.

“No, I finished work earlier and actually don’t have to be back for several days. I am just sitting here relaxing. I am looking forward to this weekend. I’m really excited for Lisa. No matter what happens tomorrow night, the rest of the weekend will actually be the start of everything she has worked for.”

“Oh yeah. Seb told me about that. This will be a great weekend. I’m sorry I called so late but I went to bed and didn’t set an alarm and slept right through until just a few minutes ago.”

“Are you in town now?”

“Yes, we arrived late last night and I’ve spent most of the day getting caught up on some sleep so I will be feeling fresh for the party and have enough energy for the rest of the weekend’s activities.

Alex got a bit sidetracked thinking about some activities she would like to do with Urs, then she snapped herself out of it and got back to paying attention to what he was actually saying with a big smile on her face.

Urs and Alex spoke for a few minutes longer and Urs did confirm that he would pick Alex up at six o’clock.

“I guess I’ll see you tomorrow night then. I am really looking forward to it Alex.”

“I am too Urs. It should be a really fun night.”

“I’ve thought of you over the last two weeks. I wanted to call but I didn’t know if I should.” He said and she could hear the hesitation in his revelation.

“I wish you had, Urs.” She said in a wistful tone.

“Goodnight Alex. I’ll see you tomorrow. Sleep well.”

“You too. Goodnight”

Just as Alex hung up her phone, she heard the key in the door and knew Lisa was home.
She was mildly surprised to see Seb standing in the doorway with her.

When Seb opened the door they were greeted by a smiling Alex.

“Hello there you two. Did you have a nice evening?” She said in a sunny voice.

“Hello Alex, It’s good to see you” Seb said as he hugged her tight and kissed her cheeks.

“I could really get used to that French Boy” Alex said winking at him.

Lisa felt an emotion she hadn’t felt in a very long time, if ever, extreme jealousy. She had felt the twinge of it when he and Jenna were speaking so familiarly. But this was much more intense than that.
She didn’t believe for a minute that Alex was interested in Seb in that way. In fact, she was pretty sure that Alex had some pretty strong feelings for Urs but hadn’t had the time to spend too much time discussing it with her as of yet. So why did she feel jealous especially when she had already decided that she would only ever be friends with him? How was she going to handle it if they were friends and he had a girlfriend or even worse, if he ever became engaged and got married?

Lisa had been lost in her thoughts and didn’t hear that Alex had spoken to her.

“Lisa, are you alright.” Alex asked her with concern in her voice.

“Oh yes, I’m fine. She answered trying to shake the feeling she’d had.

“You looked upset there for a minute.”

“Oh no, I’m fine she said again but Alex knew better but decided she would drop it for now and speak to her later after Seb left.

Well, ladies it has been a long day and we all have a busy day tomorrow. So, I am going to say goodnight.”

“Goodnight Seb. I’ll see you at the party tomorrow night. Alex said and turned to Lisa and said,” I am going to turn in. I’ll talk to you later.” With that she turned and went into her bedroom and shut the door.

Sebastien and Lisa stepped toward the door and he wanted so much to kiss her goodnight. He leaned towards her and softly pressed his lips to hers. He could feel her nerves return again and decided that he would have to be content with that small kiss for tonight so he let his lips caress her softness for just a second longer and then he pulled away. When he looked into her eyes he saw a sadness there that made him want to take her into his arms and make her tell him what it was that had hurt her so much. Tonight wasn’t the right time. Maybe after this busy weekend was over they would have some time to relax and talk seriously. He hoped so.

Sebastien left and Lisa just sat on the sofa and cried till there were no tears left. She was cursing the day that she had ever met Jeremy Chambliss.

Alex had fallen asleep as soon as she had laid down last night. She had wanted to speak to Lisa. She looked at the clock when she woke up and saw that it was still early. Maybe she could catch her this morning before she left for work.

She put her robe on and came out to the kitchen and found Lisa sitting at the table just staring into her cup of coffee.

“Hey, you ok?”

“Huh? Yeah I’m ok. Just didn’t sleep very well last night.”

“You nervous about what will happen at the party?”

“No, not really. Actually I have had so much else on my mind that I haven’t had the time to be nervous about that. Sure I would like to be able to get help for the house but I figure if I don’t get the big donation there must be others who were more deserving than me. I am already chosen as one of the finalists so I must be getting something right? So, I am not going to worry about it.”

“Is it about Seb?”

Lisa finally looked up and Alex could tell that Lisa had done a lot of crying and she felt bad about having fallen asleep when Lisa had obviously needed her.

“Do you want to talk about it?”

“It won’t do much good. It won’t change anything.”

“Ok Well, for starters. Tell me what upset you last night when you and Seb came in. When you first came through the door you looked happy enough and then I saw a look cross your face that worried me and don’t tell me it was nothing.”

Lisa was about to do just that but she knew that she and Alex knew enough about each other to know when something was wrong.

“Alex, do you like Seb?” She asked, not quite meeting Alex’s eyes.

“Of course I like him. He’s a really great guy. He has nice friends too.” Alex said with a grin.

Something in Lisa’s eyes told her what she was really asking.

“Oh Lisa, You mean, do I like him romantically? Alex said, her eyes wide in shock and after Lisa’s barely perceptible nod she continued, “No Lisa, I don’t feel anything more than friendship for Sebastien and I never have. Honey, you and I have never let a man come between us and I am not about to start now. You have loved Sebastien for nine years. No one knows that better than I do.”

“I don’t know why it bothered me last night. It doesn’t matter really.”

“Of course it matters and I am sorry I wasn’t here for you last night. I had intended to come back out and talk to you after Seb left but I guess I fell asleep pretty quickly.”

“I keep telling myself that we can only be friends but then something happens that makes me have feelings that I can’t control. Like last night when he kissed me.”

“He kissed you? Like really kissed you? Not a kiss on the cheek? ” Alex said all excited.

“Yes, twice. Once at the guest house and then a little one after you went to bed.” Lisa said not as excited as Alex thought she should be.

“Ok girl. I want details.” Alex said trying to lighten the mood.” Lisa couldn’t help but smile at Alex’s enthusiasm. “Come on, tell me. Was it as good as you remembered?”

“Yes, it was even better than I remembered. We were in the guest house and he kissed me and I think it was about to get pretty steamy until Steve Cooper, the realtor knocked on the door.”

She went on to tell Alex about Kayti’s antics both in the guest house and in the main house when she almost fell down the stairs.

“Yeah, Mom told me last night about Seb catching her just before she would have fallen. That must have been really scary. Okay, so what about when he said goodnight and kissed you?”

“He just kissed me really gently on the lips for a few seconds and then he left. It was nothing like earlier. Maybe he changed his mind. Maybe he decided during dinner that he only wants to be friends. It would actually make things a lot easier if that was the case.”

“I really don’t think that is true at all. I think he can sense your nervousness and is afraid of pushing you too fast. You need to talk to him, Lisa. Tell him about Jeremy, about what happened. He will understand. Then you can take things slowly until you feel more comfortable about a romantic relationship with him.”

Alex had decided before not to say these things to Lisa but she didn’t want her to wind up losing the best thing that had ever happened to her because of her fears. She had to say what was on her mind. It was all she could do to help right now even though she wished there was more.

“That’s just it, Alex. I don’t think I will ever be ready for that kind of relationship again, with anyone.” Lisa couldn’t hold back the tears she had been fighting.

“Do you think for one minute that Seb would ever hurt you in any way?”

“No.” Lisa said softly

“You don’t sound so sure to me.”

“Of course I don’t think he would hurt me, especially not like Jeremy did. But, when I even think of going any further than kissing with a relationship, I can’t breathe and I get almost physically sick. It has nothing to do with Seb.”

“But you enjoy his kisses, don’t you?”

“Yes, I do, very much. I….I didn’t want him to stop and when Steve knocked on the door I was really irritated.”

“Why can’t you just keep things as they are and see what happens over time. I bet after a while you will feel so comfortable with Seb that it will help with how you feel about it.”

“But what if I don’t feel any different? I don’t want to string him along and wind up hurting him.”

“I think he will be hurting anyway if you tell him you can only be friends, especially when you both know that it should be more than that. Listen, I know you have to go to work but please think about what I have said. Don’t make any hasty decisions.”

Lisa agreed, for now. She really did have to hurry now so she wouldn’t be late for work.

Chapter 16:

After Lisa left for work, Alex decided to do some housework. They had brought some boxes home for Lisa to pack her things into for the move tomorrow. As she was cleaning, Alex started putting things into boxes that would go to the guest house. After they left for the party, Kayti wouldn’t be coming back tonight. They had already put aside a small basket of toys for Kayti to play with when she would come to visit Auntie Alex so she packed the rest of Kayti’s toys as well. They were going to switch the big crib that Kayti had here to the guest house and put the smaller portable crib here in case she spent the night or just needed a nap when they were visiting, so she took the crib apart too. They were going to get as early a start as possible in the morning. Lisa had reserved a small rental truck so they could just move everything in one trip and Alex figured this would help if some of it was ready to go. People who knew Alex knew enough to stay out of her way when she got in one of her cleaning moods.

She finished up what she was doing and headed for the Grand Hyatt Tampa Bay’s Audubon Ballroom, where the event was being held tonight. She was on the list of people who were going to help decorate and set up.

She was pleasantly surprised when she saw that all four guys from Il Divo were there up on the staging area. She didn’t know they would be here this early. Sebastien saw her and waved. She waved back and then Urs saw her and smiled one of his killer smiles that was fast becoming one of her favorite sights.

“Hi Alex. How are you?” Urs said.

Alex turned around to find all four of them standing there. She was standing up on a chair helping to hang some streamers.

“I am doing great! How about you? Are you ready for tonight?” She said as she stepped down off of the chair. Urs had taken her hand as she stepped down.

“Such a gentleman, Thank you.” She said to him with her smile matching his.

“Yes, we had just finished our sound check for tonight when you got here. We wanted to make sure everything was set up right. We didn’t want any surprises later.” Seb said then he turned slightly and said, “I wanted to introduce you to the other two members of Il Divo. This is David Miller.”

“Hi David. It is nice to meet you. You are the lone American, right?”

“Yes, that’s right” And it is very nice to meet you.” He said with his wide smile that made everyone around him smile in return. Seb then turned in the other direction and gestured to the dark haired man the she had seen two weeks ago shamelessly flirting with the women at the station.

“And this old man is Carlos Marin. He is the only married one of the group as of yet.”

“Hello beautiful lady. You are even more lovely than my friend Urs has told me.”

Both Urs and Alex gasped at the same time then looked at each other with embarrassed smiles when Carlos said this. Urs gave him a look that might just put him in his grave but this didn’t deter Carlos from his flirting. He took Alex’s hand and kissed the back of it and bowed a bit. Then he wiggled his eyebrows as she had seen him do before.

“Is he always like this” Alex said to Seb with a smile.

“I’m afraid so” Seb shook his head and said with feigned sadness then smiled when Carlos slapped him on the back of his shoulder.

They all talked amongst themselves for a few more minutes then Alex told them she needed to get back to helping set up. After the other three guys had said their goodbyes to Alex, Urs had stayed behind and continued to talk to her.

“I wouldn’t mind helping you if you can tell me what needs to be done.”

“I am not going to turn down a pair of strong arms today. You may be sorry you offered.”

“I doubt it.” Urs said looking intently into Alex’s eyes.

Alex cleared her throat and said,

“That’s great that you guys are singing tonight. I’ve listened to your CD’s. I wouldn’t have thought I would like that type of music but I found myself really enjoying it.”

“Yes, we’re singing as well as several other entertainers. We’ll actually do two sets of three songs each. One early in the evening and one right as the night is wrapping up. The last set will be Christmas oriented and it may wind up as more than the three originally planned songs but we will see.” Urs said then asked, “How about you? What are you up to? I mean how long will you be here setting up?”

“Well, it’s going pretty well. Everyone showed up that was scheduled to help if you can believe that. So we should be done in an hour or so and with you helping it may be less than that.”

“Could I talk you into going to lunch with me after we finish here?

“I would like that Urs. Let’s get done here so we can go.”

Seb was waiting for Alex to finish speaking with Urs and he smiled when he saw that she had put Urs to work. When she was alone, he walked over to where she was working and asked to speak with her for a moment.

“Sure Seb. What’s up?”

“Is Lisa alright today? I mean she seemed a bit upset when I left last night.”

“Seb, here sit down with me for a minute.” She said as she pointed him to a table that was set up for tonight.

“She is ok I guess but, I need to ask you to take things slowly with her. I wish I could tell you everything but it isn’t my place and I can’t break her confidence. Please understand that. I am hoping in time she will be able to talk to you.”

“Does she care about me at all. I don’t want to be pushing her into something she has no interest in.”

“She does care for you. I know that. Just please be patient, Ok?”

“Ok Alex, I don’t want to upset her. I just care about her so much and I want her in my life.”

“I know you do and I am really glad.” Alex squeezed his arm and then added “Hey, can I talk you into helping here?”

“I would Alex, really, but I have to go somewhere. There is something I need to get for tonight. I’m sorry”

“Hey, no problem, can’t blame a girl for trying. I’ll see you tonight.” Alex hopped up and gave Seb a hug, then continued on with what she was doing.

“Sure, see you tonight.” Seb said kissing her on the cheek and then left the Hotel to go do his errand with thoughts of Lisa and all he hoped for them in the future.

Urs had seen them sitting together talking and they looked so serious for most of it. It had him wondering if his friend had feelings for this woman that he himself was beginning to care about. He needed to find out before he let himself get any more involved with her and got hurt. He and Seb didn’t need any problems between them either.

When the ballroom was completely decorated everyone looked around at their handiwork and saw how beautiful it looked.

“It will look even better at night. The lights will show up better then.” Someone said.

“Are you ready to go?” Alex asked Urs

“I am if you are” he said treating her to another killer smile and then one of his cute winks.”

They left the hotel and discussed what to have for lunch. They went to a small Italian restaurant and had a quiet lunch with no one recognizing Urs until they were on their way out. He was gracious and stopped and spoke to a few ladies who had obviously recognized him. He was glad no one had any cameras though. Alex would find out what it was like to be with him around fans soon enough. He wanted to have this afternoon to themselves as much as possible.

She had offered to drop him back off at his hotel. When they arrived, Urs seemed far away and Alex wondered if something was bothering him. She didn’t know him very well, but she was already beginning to be able to pick up on his moods a bit.

She turned off the ignition and turned to him,

“Urs, is everything alright?”

“Alex, I need to ask you something. I know we don’t know each other very well but I have enjoyed the time we have spent together. I would like to continue to see you after all of this party business is over, that is if you wish for the same thing. But there is something I need to know before I start thinking along those lines too much.

“You can ask me anything Urs. What is it?”

Alex’s mind was going crazy. He wants to keep seeing me? She was so happy to hear him say that. She knew if Lisa and Seb got together that she and Urs might see each other every once in a while but she hadn’t thought that he would be asking about them becoming a couple.

“Do you have feelings for Sebastien? I saw the two of you talking earlier and it looked serious. I don’t want to cause any problems between you two or Seb and myself.”

Urs started to get a bit offended when Alex started laughing at his question. She saw his face change and said,

“I am so sorry for laughing Urs but this is the second time today that I have been asked that question.”

“Oh Really? Who else asked you?”

“Lisa did. When Seb brought her home last night he kissed my cheeks as he always does and I made a comment that I could get used to that and she thought I had feelings for him.”

“You don’t?”

“No Urs, only as a friend. I’m so glad we found each other again. We enjoyed the time we spent with him in Paris and I hope that we will be able to continue being friends but that is all there is on my part. It’s Lisa that is in love with Seb. Oh Boy, please don’t tell him I said that.”

“Why don’t you want him to know that? He would be thrilled to hear it.”

“I’m sorry Urs. I wish I could tell you more. Just as I said to Seb, it’s up to Lisa to decide when she is ready to talk to him. I wish I could tell you, maybe someday.”

He felt like she was being sincere so he left it at that. He was relieved though that she didn’t care for Seb as more than a friend.

“Alright, I understand and you are a good friend Alex. I’m going to go up and get some rest before tonight. I’ll be there at six to pick you up.”

“I’m really looking forward to tonight Urs.” Alex said and touched his arm.

Urs looked at her hand where it lay on his sleeve. She had beautiful hands, long slender fingers. Her nails were perfectly manicured and polished and he began imagining those fingers touching him and when he raised his eyes to meet hers, he could see the same desires in her eyes. He leaned across the seat and gently kissed her on the cheek. When he looked into her eyes again he thought he saw… disappointment? So he gently touched her face and ran the back of his fingers along her cheek and down her jaw then leaned to her again and this time she was definitely not disappointed when he touched his lips to hers.

She placed her hand on his where it was resting on her cheek and pressed her lips to his, letting him know that she wanted this too. They each explored the others lips with slow, gentle kisses and then Alex opened her mouth inviting him in.

Urs wanted to draw Alex closer to him but her car was a small sports car and the stick shift was in the way which frustrated him.

When they drew apart, they were both a bit breathless. Urs leaned back into his own seat and cleared his throat. When he looked at her his smile had her heart melting.

“Go get some rest. It will be a busy night. I’ll be ready when you get there.” Alex said still having to catch her breath and treating him to the most beautiful angelic smile he had ever seen.

“Ok, I’ll see you at six then.” He said as he got out of the car, waving to her as she drove off.

Alex drove home and wondered how she had gotten there in one piece. Her mind certainly had not been on the road as she was driving. She found that Lisa and Kayti were already home too.

“Hi”

“Hi yourself. It looks like you were busy this morning.”

“You know me when I get on one of my cleaning binges. I can’t help myself. I got a few of your boxes packed too, things I didn’t think you would need before tomorrow. I hope you don’t mind.” Alex said chuckling then added, “You are home early.”

“We’ve had quite a few children out this week. The two year old twins Peyton and Eli Carpenter both started it the end of last week by coming down with the chicken pox while they were at the daycare. It seems their older brother Randy brought it home from kindergarten. It’s spread like wildfire. Every day we have more parents calling and telling us their child or children won’t be in for about a week until they are over them. There are currently eighteen children out with them. Thank Heavens none of the adults have gotten them. We have three teachers that have never had them. So, with so few children in attendance, I was able to leave early. I was hoping to get Kayti down for a nap so she would be in a good mood for tonight, but someone took her crib apart.” Lisa said with a grin.

“OOOPS, I’m Sorry. I wasn’t thinking about this afternoon I just knew she wouldn’t be sleeping here tonight.”

With a smile that told Alex that she was kidding Lisa said, “You really are in a hurry to get rid of us aren’t you? Don’t worry about it. I’ll lay some blankets down and sit with her until she falls asleep. Actually, think I might try to lie down and get a nap in myself. I didn’t get much sleep last night. I was going to fix a sandwich first. Have you had lunch?”

“Yes, I did. After all of the decorating was finished Urs asked me to go to lunch with him. We had Italian at a new restaurant that has just opened and had a very nice time.” Alex said smiling like a Cheshire cat.

“How nice of a time? Come on, like you said to me, I want details.” Lisa asked when she realized that Alex had more to tell.

“Just,.. nice.” She continued to grin. “We talked a lot. But then when I dropped him off back at the hotel, he kissed me. Well, first he kissed my cheek and it was nice enough but I am not going to lie. I wanted more than that. Then he leaned back over and kissed me, I mean really kissed me.” She said with a dreamy look about her that Lisa was really not used to seeing on Alex.

“I’m glad for you Alex. I really do hope things work out for you and Urs.”

Alex wanted to say the same to Lisa about her and Seb but decided she would let it go for now. They both had things to do to get ready for tonight. She stopped to say hello to Kayti who was sitting in her highchair eating her lunch, then went into her room to lie on her bed and think about how wonderful she felt when she and Urs were kissing. She hoped to be able to sample more of the same tonight.

Lisa helped Kayti finish up her lunch then wiped her off. It was already past the time when Kayti would have had her nap at the daycare so Kayti was more than ready to go to sleep and within minutes she was off to dreamland with her thumb firmly planted in her mouth and her favorite toy, a fluffy stuffed koala, in her arms.

Lisa was glad Alex didn’t bring up her and Seb again. She could tell Alex had wanted to.
She had decided today not to say anything yet to Seb about them just being friends, maybe after the weekend, but most definitely she would have to be honest with him, well as honest as she was prepared to be at the present time, before he left town again. It was only fair to him. But for now, she was going to try to squeeze every single moment of happiness she could out of this weekend and the couple of days after that she had with him. They might be the last days she would have with him like this and she wanted to be able to tuck some more precious memories away in her heart before he left again, possibly forever this time.

She laid on her bed thinking she might just rest for a few minutes and then do some more packing since Alex had been so kind as to get it started for her but she had slept so poorly the night before that she wound up falling asleep almost as quickly as Kayti had and didn’t wake up until she heard Kayti’s voice almost three hours later. When Alex saw Lisa emerging from the bedroom she smiled and said,

“Hello sleeping beauty. I hope we didn’t wake you up. Kayti and I were trying to play quietly so you could sleep for a while.”

“Thanks Alex. I know you need to start getting ready but thanks again for taking care of her for me.”

All three of the girls spent the next couple of hours making themselves beautiful for their men. When they were ready there was only about thirty minutes until their chariots were scheduled to arrive to take them to the ball.

Urs arrived first which wasn’t a surprise. He knew that Alex really needed to be there a little early in case any help was needed. When he knocked on the door, Lisa again noticed Alex having uncharacteristic nerves. She was fidgeting with her necklace and was pacing.

“I’ll answer it.” Lisa said snickering at the comical sight of Alex actually nervous about a date. He must be really getting under her skin. She would be thrilled if Alex found happiness with Urs. He seemed like a really nice man. She opened the door and welcomed Urs into the apartment.

“It is really nice to see you again Urs.”

“It is nice to see you too. Are you anxious about tonight?”

“No, not at all really. There are a lot of other people who would need it more than I do. So, there are probably a lot better entries than mine.”

“Is Alex ready? I know she wanted to be there a bit early.” Urs said knowing he couldn’t reveal any information about the judging results, so he just changed the subject.

Lisa turned around looking for Alex. She had been right there in the living room before she had opened the door.

Just then, Alex came walking into the living room and Urs was having trouble catching his breath. He stepped up to her and ran his hand down her bare arm.

“Alex you look amazing, you are so beautiful. I am a very lucky man to be having you on my arm tonight.”

In Alex’s mind, Urs couldn’t have said anything more romantic to make her feel like the most beautiful woman in the world. Not only had his words told her but the look in his eyes spoke volumes about his approval. She had hoped that Urs would like her dress. She didn’t know him well enough to know what his tastes were. The reaction he had shown was much better than she could have hoped for.

“Thank you Urs. That is very nice of you to say and yes I am ready to go. Lisa, I will see you later. Good luck Sweety. All of my fingers and toes are crossed for you.”

“Thanks Alex. We will be along shortly”

“Lisa, you are going to knock Seb’s socks off. You look lovely.” Urs told her as he and Alex were leaving.

“Thank you. I hope he likes it.” She said while nervously and unnecessarily smoothing down the dress with the palms of her hands.

Alex and Urs made their way to the elevator and Alex pushed the button only to have the elevator arrive with Sebastien in it.

“Hi, you two. Wow Alex, you look great.” Seb said and kissed her on the cheek. “Are Lisa and Kayti ready to go?”

“Yes, they’re ready. She is really nervous Seb” Alex said seriously.

“I imagine she would be. This is a big night for her. It could make a really big difference in her plans.”

“I am not talking about the donations Seb.” Alex said in a tone that let him know exactly what she was saying.

“Oh, Ok Well we are going to have a great time tonight. I promise you that.”

“Well, we’re going to get going. See you there.” Urs said as he hit the elevator button again because it had already closed while they were talking.

Seb walked the remaining steps to the apartment door. He thought about how serious Alex looked when she said how nervous Lisa was. He really couldn’t wait for them to have some time alone together. They needed to talk seriously about why she seemed so anxious around him, especially when they were alone. He hoped it was just a case of bashfulness since they hadn’t seen each other for so long. If that was all it was, he would make sure that they spent enough time together to get rid of those feelings so she could really start enjoying their time together as much as he did.

He straightened his tie and his suit jacket and knocked on the door. He was very excited about this night for many reasons. Lisa opened the door after only a few seconds. She must have been close and waiting.

Chapter 17:

Jenna was so excited she couldn’t stand it. She was all ready to go to the party. She was going to see Seb again and hopefully get to talk to him a lot longer than the couple of minutes she had two weeks ago. She was also going to get to meet the rest of the guys too, but it was Seb that she wanted to see so badly.

Taking extra time on her appearance, she had gone to the salon and had her hair done and then her nails. They were left a lot longer than she usually kept them this time. She usually kept them shorter like the rest of the ladies she worked with. If they were too long, you always wound up scratching one of the children. She usually didn’t wear much make-up at work. What was the point? But for tonight, she had made sure to take extra time in that area as well. She had spent an ungodly amount on a new dress but she felt it was definitely worth it if it was going to get Seb to look at her. That was her goal, to get Seb to notice her and want to spend some time alone with her. Maybe he would even ask her to go to dinner or to a club with him while he was in town. She just had to make sure he knew that she was interested.

There was going to be a lot of people there tonight but nowhere near the amount of people that would be at a concert. This event was by invitation only so even with the Diva’s that got wind of the guys being in town that would surely be trying to catch a glimpse of any of the Divo’s, they would not be able to gain entrance to the ballroom. That fact alone clearly made her chances a whole lot better.

She knew already her biggest rival for Seb’s attention would be Lisa. She had said they were friends. No amount of trying to get further information about her relationship with Seb had been successful. Over the last two weeks, she had tried subtlety and then had gotten desperate today and had actually come right out and asked Lisa if she and Seb were seeing each other. Lisa had turned a bit red and Jenna wasn’t quite sure if it was anger or embarrassment. She didn’t care. But, unfortunately they had been interrupted when Mary came out and said that Lisa had a phone call. So she was just going to have to watch and look for her chance to get close to him. Surely Lisa wouldn’t be attached to him all night. After all, the guys would be singing too. She couldn’t wait for that either. She had been to a couple of concerts but this was going to be a much more intimate setting than a big auditorium or arena.

She had a few minutes before she had to leave, so she logged on to the forum and PM’d the few Diva’s that she had already told about her meeting with Seb and about Lisa trying to worm her way into his life. She reminded them about tonight and told them that she would send a message when she got home but she hoped it would be very, very late when that happened. Tonight was going to be her big night. She could just feel it.

Mary was also getting ready for the party. She was looking forward tonight so much. She was really excited for Lisa. Mary had been working for the daycare for two years and she had seen how much Lisa loved all of the children. Lisa had definitely chosen the right career for herself. She had seen how well Lisa had dealt with Anna’s death and then having Kayti fulltime. That was a big adjustment for her after being a single woman. She also had seen a small change in Lisa since Seb had been here with her. She knew about the progress on the house. Lisa always had pictures for everyone to look at as new projects were accomplished. But she thought that the extra smiles that she saw on Lisa’s face when she thought no one was paying attention were from more than the house progress. She hadn’t wanted to pry and ask any questions about their personal relationship but she hoped for Lisa’s sake that Seb was the reason for Lisa’s increased happiness lately. She thought they would make a lovely couple.

She was also very excited about meeting Il Divo and most especially Carlos. She wished she was a few decades younger. She knew he was married but what could it hurt to have a bit of a fantasy. She had been a widow for almost twelve years but she herself was not dead quite yet.

She also had time to get on the forum and talk to a couple of her Diva friends before she left and promised to take as many pictures as possible and post them as soon as she could. She read the latest posted chapter from her favorite fan fiction then posted her comment and just as she was about to log off, a private message appeared in her inbox.

The message was from a Diva who she had become friendly with. They were both older than the men of the band, but they had found a wonderful elixir, a fountain of youth, that was keeping them feeling much younger since discovering these amazing men.

Mary opened the message from her friend and began to read it.

Mary,

I hope you’re getting this message before you leave. I just wanted to pass on some information to you. I don’t know if this is true but I thought you might want to keep your eyes open tonight. There is a buzz going around about the event tonight. It’s being said that there is a Siren that has a ticket and has her eyes set on Sebastien and she is going to be pulling out all the stops to try to gain his attention. I’m not sure about any of this but it seems she’s willing to go to any lengths to make sure he pays attention to her. She says she already met him when he happened to be at her place of employment.

I know that you said that the nice lady that you work with might be seeing him. It doesn’t sound like it could be her. (Don’t worry, I haven’t spoken about what you told me to anyone else. My lips are sealed.) You said she isn’t very familiar yet with the forum and the Siren in question has been a member for more than two years. Her forum name is Sebssexgoddess. Sounds a little full of herself if you ask me.

Anyway, I don’t want to spoil your night. I know how very excited you must be to be meeting the guys, especially Carlos. Don’t forget my autograph from Urs if it is possible. BIG WINK.  I just remember how fond you seem to be of your supervisor so I just thought you might be able to run a little interference if you see anything fishy going on.

Have a great time tonight Mary and I look forward to seeing your pictures when we meet for coffee again next week.

Theresa

When Mary finished reading the message it was getting late and if she didn’t leave now she might have a hard time finding a parking space. While she wasn’t handicapped, her knees were beginning to give her some trouble so she wanted to park as close as possible to the entrance of the hotel. She really wanted to get a hold of Theresa and check to see if she had seen anything else online about this woman. It would really help if she had the name of the woman. If the woman worked at the daycare like the message seemed to suggest, all she would need is a name and she could keep an eye out for her. She decided she would call Theresa. They had spoken on the phone only a few times such as when they were setting up their two coffee dates that they had already had.

When Theresa answered, Mary asked her if there had been any more chatter about this supposed Siren and Theresa said there hadn’t been anything new since her PM. Mary asked her to call or text her if she saw anything else that she thought Mary should know. Theresa agreed and they said their goodbyes and Mary retrieved her purse and her sweater. It wasn’t cold now but may get chilly later.

Mary arrived in plenty of time and found a spot that wasn’t too far from the entrance. As she was walking up to the entrance of the hotel, a limo pulled up almost beside her. She couldn’t help but look to see if it might be one of the celebrities that would be at the event, maybe even a Divo. She was pleasantly surprised when Urs stepped out and held out his hand to whoever had accompanied him tonight. She recognized Lisa’s friend Alex immediately. Alex was a frequent visitor at the daycare. Sometimes she picked Kayti up and the girls went to lunch once in a while.

Alex spotted Mary as she stepped out of the limo.

“Hello Mary, How are you? You look great. I am so glad that you could come. It is going to be a spectacular night.”

“Hello Alex. It is nice to see you. And yes, it will be a lot of fun.” Mary said while trying not to show that she was especially nervous in front of Urs.

“Urs, this is Mary. She works at the same daycare as Lisa. I believe that Lisa said you are also an Il Divo fan as well.” Alex said directing the last part to Mary who had turned crimson at the question.

”Yes I am a fan. I am very excited to be getting to hear you all live. I have never had the pleasure before.” She said, slowly gaining a bit of her composure back.

“Well, Mary, I am very pleased to meet you and I’m glad you were able to be here tonight.” Urs said treating Mary to one of his Blinky winks and although Mary professed to be a Cutie with a Diva smidge, her knees were getting weak at this special attention she was getting from the Uber lord. She could definitely see the attraction his Ubers had for him.

They made their way into the hotel. Other than the fact that she was absolutely thrilled to be walking in with Urs Buhler, Mary was glad to be with them because they knew their way directly to the ballroom without having to search for it. Mary thought this was already starting out as a wonderful night.

*

When Lisa opened the door and saw Sebastien standing there in his Armani suit she thought she might faint. She knew that her thoughts were a little dramatic, like something out of one of those historical romance novels where the damsel would faint and need to be awakened by the story’s hero, but she had literally felt a weakness in her legs at the sight of him. She always thought he looked good and she had seen all of the pictures on the forum of the guys in their suits but to see him standing there in the flesh with the killer smile he had on his face was a vision that she would never forget for as long as she lived. Everything about him was reaching out and taking hold of her senses. His aftershave or cologne was perfect. It wasn’t too heavy but it definitely made itself known.

“Hello Ma Cheri, WOW! You look… You look absolutely gorgeous.” Sebastien said taking her hands in his and letting his eyes roam over her, caressing her every place his eyes skimmed over. I saw the picture of the dress when you sent it to me but just seeing the picture was deceiving without you in it. You look radiant.” Sebastien had not taken his eyes off of her since she had opened the door.

“Thank You Seb. You look fantastic too. I am not used to seeing you so dressed up.” Lisa said having a hard time herself not staring at him. She started doing the motion of straightening invisible wrinkles out of her dress again.

“This is our usual concert attire. We have several suits that we usually change into during a concert but tonight we won’t have to change.” Seb said then stooped down to Kayti’s level and said to her, “Well, hello ma petite femme, you look very lovely tonight too.”




Kayti thought since Seb was there, that meant it was time to play. She walked over to the basket of toys and dumped them out in one swift move then plopped herself down in the midst of them, paying no attention to the fancy dress she was wearing.

“No, Sweetheart. We are going to a party. We can’t play right now. Remember, I told you? That is why we are all dressed up in our pretty dresses. We are going to have a fun time and Auntie Alex and Grandma and Grandpa are waiting for us there.” Lisa thought Kayti might start to fuss about being denied her playtime but she didn’t resist when Lisa began placing the toys back in the basket and helped her to her feet.

She invited him in while she went to get their sweaters as well as Kayti’s diaper bag that was necessary wherever they were going.

“Is there anything I can do to help you? I could carry Kayti for you.”

“No thank you. I am all set. I made sure I had her stroller to transport her and all of her gear in on the way down to the car. It just makes it so much easier.”

When Lisa came back out of the bedroom, Seb already had Kayti strapped into her stroller and was bent down talking to her and she saw that he had Kayti’s undivided attention.

“And what are you two discussing over there? Lisa said smiling at the pair when she saw Seb whispering to Kayti.

“Mine” Kayti said loudly and beaming up at Lisa.

“What is yours, Sweety? Lisa said bending down as gracefully as she could in her dress and heels. What she saw made her mouth drop open. “Um Seb, did you put that on her?”

“Yes, I did. I wanted to buy a gift for my ladies to wear tonight.” He said as he opened another box to reveal a beautiful Ruby bracelet that would look absolutely fantastic with her dress.




For Kayti, he had bought a cute gold bracelet with puffy daisy’s that was designed specifically for baby girls. It had a plate with her name engraved. It fit snug enough so it wouldn’t slip off over her little hand but also came with several extra links that could be added as the child’s wrist grew. He informed Lisa that just a quick trip to the jeweler would be needed to add a link. Kayti was shaking her arm around, enjoying the movement of it on her wrist. Seb also assured her that the clasp was specifically designed to be impossible for a child to open by themselves.



“Oh Seb. I don’t know. They’re amazing but they are too much.” she said as she stood back up and looked again at the lovely bracelet. She had never seen anything so beautiful and obviously expensive so close up before.

“Please….Please don’t deny me this pleasure, Ma Cheri. After you sent me the picture of your dress, I had this made specifically for you. I want you to have it. Think of them as early Christmas presents.”

The pleading she saw in his eyes was her undoing. She couldn’t deny him this pleasure, could she? But with her resolve of only friendship between them, she felt awkward accepting expensive gifts when they were most likely gifts from a man who hoped for much more from their relationship. She decided she would wear it for the party tonight. She could always return hers if she decided that was what she should do.

“I will wear mine tonight and I’ll think about whether I should keep it or not, Alright? It really is beautiful. Thank you Sebastien.” Lisa said as she ran her fingers over the shimmering red stones. When she looked up at him and saw the naked pleasure in his eyes at her acceptance of his gifts, her breath caught in her throat.

“You are very welcome, Lisa. Allow me to help you with it.” Seb said as he removed the bracelet from the box. He turned her arm over and wrapped the bracelet around her wrist and worked to fasten the clasp, although it proved a bit difficult since not only was her arm shaking but his hands were a bit shaky as well. He was enjoying the feel of the incredibly soft skin on the inside of her wrist. Even after he had the clasp closed he did not release her arm from his grasp. His thumb was stroking the tender skin and she could feel each and every nerve ending as it tingled under his touch.

“We should go” Lisa said stepping out of his space, breaking Seb out of his thoughts of Lisa’s delicate skin touching his. She placed the diaper bag and their sweaters into the basket underneath Kayti’s seat and Seb held open the door as she wheeled Kayti out into the hallway.

As they waited for the elevator Lisa caught his gaze and blushed profusely at the obvious pleasure he was taking in admiring her appearance. She really was beginning to feel like Cinderella on the way to the ball. But, was there any way for this night to turn out as perfect? She was going to have to stick to her earlier resolve to just enjoy tonight and not worry about what was next for her and Seb.

Jenna had arrived at the hotel just in time to see Mary and Alex going in the front door and if she was not mistaken, it was Urs that they were talking to. She was looking around for Deanna who had said she would be there early.

She made her way into the ballroom showing her ticket as required and was informed to keep her ticket handy if she left the ballroom, because she would not be allowed to re-enter without it. There were about two dozen celebrities including local personalities from TV and radio in attendance as well as some press who had been allowed to attend to report on the night’s events and security was very tight.

She scanned the room searching for any sign of Seb. She would settle for a sighting of any Divo right now to make sure that they were in fact there. The first one she saw was Urs who was still with Mary and Lisa’s friend Alex. Jenna knew that Alex along with Deanna worked for the TV station that had sponsored this event. When Urs stepped over a few inches, Jenna was able to see that they were speaking to Carlos. It appeared that Urs was introducing the ladies to him. She took the advantage of knowing Mary to work her way into the introductions.

She approached Mary and tapped her on the shoulder.

“Hi Mary, I am glad you made it. I didn’t know if you would be too tired at your age to make a late night event like this.” Jenna said with a smile that wasn’t actually fooling anyone.

Mary was mortified that Jenna would say such a thing to her especially in front of other people, to be specific, in front of Urs and Carlos.

“I am actually a night owl” Mary said back to her and tried to keep any venom out of her voice. She would have plenty of time at a later date to put Jenna in her place.

“Ah Senorita, as am I most nights,” Carlos said rewarding her with a killer smile that made even Jenna’s ugly comment worth it.

Carlos wasn’t sure but it seemed as if this younger woman who had just arrived had made her comment with the intention of upsetting Mary and he didn’t like it one bit. Mary was a Cutie. He would bet a week’s pay on it, the way she blushed and wouldn’t always meet his eyes when she was speaking to him told him this. She wasn’t having any problem speaking to Urs. So he took Mary’s arm and led her away from that unlikable chit and told Mary how nice it was to have met one of his Cuties here tonight. He was very amused at the color that quickly rose to her cheeks.

“Please, save a dance for me Mary for after we are done with our first set.” He said to a very pleased Mary.

“I would like that very much Carlos. Thank you”

Once Mary was able to gain control over all of her emotions from actually speaking to Carlos and from the confrontation with Jenna, Mary noticed for the first time the way Jenna looked tonight as she found her assigned seat at the dinner tables.

Like most of the ladies at the daycare, Jenna usually just wore jeans and the uniform pullover shirt or a T-Shirt with the daycare’s logo on it and just a little bit of make-up. Working with children didn’t require fancy clothes. The only ones who ever dressed up were the Owner/Manager when she was there and occasionally Lisa depending on what they had planned for the day and Mary usually dressed a bit more formal being that she was the receptionist and the first person that people saw when they entered the building. Tonight though, Jenna looked very different. She wore way too much make-up and the dress she had chosen for herself was incredibly revealing and in Mary’s opinion it was in very bad taste for the type of event they were attending, well any type of event, she thought. The front of the dress scooped down so low it revealed way too much skin when Jenna moved in certain ways.

This look that Jenna had created for herself was in no way flattering, not at all. Mary was no prude but maybe she was just getting too old to appreciate the new styles, she thought to herself. That is until the other ladies from the daycare began to arrive and Mary heard them voicing the same opinions that she had just had and some of them were in the same age range as Jenna. Mary got thinking that maybe Jenna was the Siren that Theresa told her about. She was trying to think of a way to find out. It would surely explain this new Jenna she was seeing tonight.

All of a sudden she had a brainstorm. She began talking to all of the ladies about Il Divo. She wanted to find out who had already been a fan and who was already a regular on the forum like herself. She suggested exchanging forum names so they could chat about the guys when they were at home. Her plan worked better than she thought it would. Jenna was more than happy to share her forum name with the group and unnecessarily announced that she was a Siren. In black and white, there it was printed on the paper. Jenna was SEBSSEXGODDESS.

Now that Mary knew who it was, had seen how Jenna was dressed as well as how she was behaving tonight, it all made sense and Mary was going to need to be on her toes. She was not going to let Jenna spoil this night for Lisa if she had anything to say about it.

Chapter 18:

Lisa had previously told Seb that she would be satisfied just driving her own car since she would need a car seat for Kayti but he had insisted that he would take care of everything. When they exited the front of the apartment building, Lisa couldn’t believe what she was seeing. There was a beautiful white limousine, the driver standing beside it holding the door open, patiently waiting for them to enter.

“Wow, Seb this is beautiful. I’m not used to riding in a limo.”

“I am glad that you like it.. I was not going to have you driving yourself there on your special night.” He said as he unstrapped Kayti from her seat. Lisa took the bag and their sweaters and stuck her head inside of the car. Seb had indeed taken care of everything. All buckled in, was a car seat waiting for Kayti.

Seb handed Kayti in to her and she buckled her in. Kayti seemed very happy, swinging her feet and looking at the new surroundings. When he had gotten himself settled into the car, Lisa leaned over and kissed him on the cheek.

“Thanks Seb, this is very lovely and I am really feeling like Cinderella now.” She said voicing her earlier thoughts about being Cinderella and going to the ball.

He was thrilled when she kissed him on the cheek. Sure, he would prefer it on the lips but it was definitely a start. He had high hopes for what was to come later tonight.

They arrived at the Hotel to see a multitude of people entering ahead of them. They got everything organized in Kayti’s stroller and Lisa searched through her purse for her invitation for tonight. It was a bit different looking than the tickets that most of the other guests had been given. The twenty finalists and their families were identified by these different invitations. She had not been nervous about this up till now but she was finally starting to feel a little bit of anxiousness about it. She was surely not poor, like she was sure that some of the entries were, but undertaking an enormous project the size of the group home could always use a helping hand.

Seb saw that Lisa seemed a bit distracted.

“Is everything ok?”

“Oh Yes, I was just thinking about what would be happening tonight, but I am just going to enjoy myself and not worry about it.”

“It’s going to be a terrific night” he said smiling and laid his arm around her shoulder as they worked their way inside along with the other guests.

Seb showed his credentials that allowed him in as part of the evening’s entertainment and Lisa showed her invitation and they were pointed in the direction of the ballroom.

When they entered the ballroom Lisa was stopped in her tracks by the enchanting vision before her. The ballroom had been transformed into a perfect winter wonderland with thousands and thousands of the tiny white Christmas lights over the whole room. With a little imagination you could forget that it was still almost seventy degrees outside here in Tampa, Florida in the early evening in the middle of December. Christmas music was being piped in from somewhere.

An area in one corner had a set up like you would find in the mall where the children would go to visit with Santa. It was complete with a large fancy chair that looked more like a throne. A twenty foot, live Christmas tree had been set up and decorated beautifully with a Victorian look to it adding to the fantasy world in front of them.

The tables that were set up for dinner were lovely. They each had a Christmas centerpiece, each table having one that was just a bit different, but all made of fragrant spruce branches and holly leaves with a candle sitting in the center of it. The candles were a mixture of cinnamon and spice or gingerbread fragrances adding to the feel of Christmas in the room as they burned. The house lights were turned down low enough that the candlelight was reflecting off of the tiny Christmas lights creating an even more spectacular scene. The tables had alternating red and white tablecloths. The tables with the red tablecloths had wide green ribbon laid across it hanging to the floor. The white tables had red ribbon on them.

One end of the room had a stage area set up ready for the evening’s entertainment. There was a nice sized area of open wooden floor in front of the stage where people would be dancing after dinner was finished.

She was glad that she would be able to look back at pictures and video later when the night was long over. The representative from Channel 4 had told her that the evening was to be videotaped and a copy would be given to each of the entrants approximately a week after the event.

Seb touched Lisa’s arm breaking Lisa out of her trance finally making her realize that she probably needed to move further into the room to allow other guests to enter as well. She turned to Seb and smiled. This indeed was going to be an amazing night no matter what else happened.

Lisa began noticing that some of her co-workers were already here. She knew that Alex was here somewhere as well. Seb helped her find her table and they found Mom and Dad already sitting there both just as amazed as Lisa had been about the extent to which the ballroom had been decorated creating this wonderland that made even the oldest of the guests feel the wonder and excitement of the season.

It seemed that the organizers of this event had thought of everything. There were even high chairs placed at each of the tables that might need them. Seb helped Lisa get Kayti out of the stroller and then Lisa introduced Seb to Dad.

“Hello Sir, It is very nice to meet you. I hope that you enjoy yourself tonight. You have a lovely family” Seb said as he firmly shook Dad’s hand.

“It is nice to meet you too Sebastien. I met your friend Urs a bit ago. Alex introduced us both to him.” Dan Huggins said to the younger man who it seemed had his eye on his adopted daughter according to his wife and daughter. He was impressed with the way that he had not acted nervous meeting him, looking him directly in the eye. He knew that both girls were on the verge of starting some very serious relationships if the way these two young men were looking at the girls said anything. He hoped to get to spend some time alone to speak to both of them to find out their intentions with his girls. He didn’t care about how rich and famous they were as long as they treated them right.

He wasn’t so worried with Alex. She regularly and plainly spoke her mind on whatever subject was being discussed. They would know before long if her gentleman was worth continuing a relationship with. It was Lisa he was very concerned with. He knew a bit about the history between Sebastien and Lisa. He was sure he didn’t know everything but he had heard the name being brought up in conversation enough over the years that there must have been something worth talking about. Nine years was a long time to keep talking about a person you had only just met and knew for only two days.

As she took her seat, Lisa was looking at all of the people and wondering who the celebrities were and who the other entrants were. Most people were still milling around talking to others and just admiring the room. Two people she recognized were Ty Pennington and Ed Sanders from the Extreme Makeover Home Edition TV show. They were at the back of the room talking with some people. She loved that show. What they did for the families they helped was nothing short of miraculous the way it transformed their lives.

Their table was near the front of the room and each table held twelve people not including high chairs. They already had the four of them plus Kayti’s chair. Marie got up and walked round to the other chairs to look at the place cards that were at each place setting. It was a pleasant surprise that the four Divos were four of the other’s that would be seated with them during dinner. That left four other seats. She read off the names on the cards. “

“Tom and Laray Brady are at these two seats, Tedy Bruschi is here and the final seat is Garry Wallis” Marie read out loud.

“Oh Wow. I can’t believe it.” Dan said quite excited unlike his normal quiet laid back nature.

“What, Dad?”

“Tom Brady and Tedy Bruschi are gong to be sitting right here. This is fantastic!”

“Who are they? Marie asked

“They are professional football players with the New England Patriots. They are currently 13-0 and only have three more games before the playoffs.” He said almost breathlessly which earned him a few chuckles from Lisa and his wife.

Well, Marie thought, He wouldn’t be able to say anything when they began fawning over all of the gorgeous men in the room tonight. She was still deeply in love with Dan after almost thirty years of marriage but she could still appreciate a fine looking man.

“Wow, they must be good then” Lisa said.

“Good? That is like saying that Florida gets warm in the summer, a huge understatement to be sure. Does anyone have any idea who Garry is?” he said, effectively changing the subject.

Both of the ladies answered that they had never heard of him. They guessed they would find out soon enough because just then someone came to the microphone and asked for everyone to find their seats as the evening would be commencing shortly.

Just after the announcement was made, Lisa saw Seb, Urs and Alex making their way over to their table. Seb and Urs ignored the seating arrangement and made sure to sit next to their ladies. They had been followed by three other men, two of whom Lisa knew from pictures on the forum were the other two Divo’s, David and Carlos. They were introduced around the table to everyone. The other man was introduced as Garry Wallis, Il Divo’s musical director. When the Divo’s had gotten into their seats, two men came to the table along with a very beautiful woman on the arm of the taller of the two men. Lisa knew they must be the football players by the way Dad was getting all fidgety and grinning like a child waiting to unwrap a gift.

They introduced themselves as Tom Brady and his wife Laray and Tedy Bruschi. They didn’t have much time to get acquainted other than quick introductions all around the table yet as the house lights were dimmed the rest of the way leaving only the White Christmas lights and the candles on the tables for illumination except for on the stage.

It took a few minutes for all of the people to find their seats and get settled and then a man stepped up to the microphone, cleared his throat and asked for everyone’s attention.

“Good evening ladies and gentlemen, I would like to welcome all of you here tonight. My name is Jeff Sanborn. It is already looking to be an amazing night of music, dancing, laughter, meeting new friends and most of all the main reason for tonight, our gifts to the twenty finalists of our Christmas promotion. The list of the people who have donated everything from money, time and gifts is incredible. Some of these friends are here with us tonight and others were unable to be here because of other obligations. There are way too many for me to stand here and name so you will find the list of names and organizations in the program that is located under your plates”

Immediately, the sound of the salad and dinner plates clanking together as the programs were retrieved was heard all over the room.

Jeff continued, “The first thing we’re going to do is get dinner out of the way and while everyone is going through the three sets of buffet lines, we’ll have the privilege of listening to a very talented musician, a pianist who is only twelve years old and has many accomplishments to his name already. You will find these listed in the program. So, without further ado, please welcome, Joshua Blake.

Everyone clapped as the youngster took his place at the Grand Piano that was on the corner of the stage. While some people immediately went to stand in the buffet lines, others decided to wait until the lines weren’t as long and just sat and enjoyed listening to the Christmas music that was being played expertly by the boy.

The four Divos went quickly to get a plate because they would need to be finished eating in time for their first set. Lisa and Alex went with Seb and Urs to get their plates. The assortment of dishes was wonderful. There was something for all kinds of tastes from chicken, pork and beef and of course seafood. The array of vegetables, fruits and salad makings was enormous. Lisa also brought an extra plate back to the table for Kayti and just took little bits of everything from her own plate to fix Kayti’s.

Jenna and Deanna had managed to switch place cards so they were sitting together. The familiarity and closeness that they were seeing between Seb and Urs with Lisa and Alex was driving them crazy. They were watching for any opening to which they could speak to the men and get to know them and try to invite them out to the local clubs with them after the event was over.

Dinner went smoothly with people heading back to the buffet tables to sample more of the many tasty dishes that they hadn’t had room on their plates for the first time around. Conversation flowed as a low hum around the room. Sometimes a loud laugh was heard or a fussy child was heard crying. Everyone was very impressed with the young pianist who played beautifully all through dinner until the stage was being set up for Il Divo.

Kayti of course was an angel and the star of her table. She was a bit shy at first with all of the new faces. But after she had gotten comfortable, she was eating and babbling in her baby talk. Their family understood a few words that she was saying but for the most part she was speaking a language only she understood but it didn’t bother her because she had enough different interesting looking foods to try to keep her occupied for quite a while.

The men got around to opening up the subject of football. Seb, Carlos and Urs weren’t completely familiar with American football but had learned a bit about it over the years they had been together with David who was of course a Denver Broncos fan. Tom’s wife Laray apologized to the other ladies for football monopolizing the conversation. None of the other three ladies actually minded. They were all enjoying seeing the men in such an animated conversation.

When the Divo’s and Garry were finished eating they excused themselves from the table and left to get ready for their first set of the evening.

Lisa was enjoying herself so much already this evening but she was waiting for Il Divo to sing. Seb had done a bit of humming but she wanted to hear his full singing voice again. She was definitely not prepared for what she was about to hear.

Jeff came back out as waiters were finishing up removing the dinner plates from the tables.

“Ladies and gentlemen excuse me for a minute. In just a few moments we are going to have the privilege of hearing the musical talents of the International singing group Il Divo. They will do one set now and one at the end of the evening.” He went on to give a brief biography of the group for any of those who had not heard of them before.

Once all of the commotion from the buffets being removed was finished Jeff came to the microphone again to introduce the group.

“Please everyone; join me in welcoming Il Divo to our stage tonight.”

The applause was deafening. There were whistles and Woo Hoo’s coming from all over the room. You could see some of the men rolling their eyes in embarrassment as their wives and girlfriends shamelessly let their love for the band be known.

The four men sauntered out to the four mic stands and smiled and looked at each other waiting for the applause to die down but it only got louder. As they looked out into the crowd, it was difficult to see a lot of faces clearly but they did notice there was at least a couple of dozen red scarves among the women. Carlos hadn’t actually noticed earlier but Mary was one of those with a scarf and he purposely smiled and tipped his head to her which made her old heart skip a few beats.

Finally, they knew they just needed to begin and hopefully the noise would die down. David stepped to his mic and began speaking and just like that the noise level dropped considerably. The clapping stopped and the ladies tried their best to be quiet enough so they wouldn’t miss anything the guys said.

“Good evening everyone. We are so happy to be able to share this evening with all of you and hope that you are enjoying it as much as we are. For our first set we have chosen several songs that to us were in keeping with the theme of the evening. When we were viewing the entries for the donations several factors were prevalent throughout. Giving, sharing, selflessness, bravery and we wanted our music tonight to reflect those themes. So for our first song we will sing a song that is not actually on one of our albums….. Yet! I hope that you enjoy, I Believe I Can Fly.”

David placed his mic back on the stand as the music began. Lisa was watching as Seb began his opening solo. He sounded much like she was used to hearing him. Then he stopped and Urs came in until David took over. Mary didn’t know if her heart could stand it when Carlos began the second verse. She had goose bumps all over. Alex was in much the same state as Mary was, hearing Urs singing live for the first time.

Lisa was getting impatient waiting for Seb to start singing again. She was enjoying very much hearing the other angelic voices but it was Seb that her heart wanted to hear. His eyes kept connecting with hers. He loved how she had watched him singing his opening with a total look of pure joy on her face.

The excitement level went through the roof when the four guys all came in to sing together. Many of the guests had never heard of Il Divo and were amazed at the wondrous sound that they were hearing. For many it was not their usual taste in music, but there was no denying the mastery of the four voices blending together. With that one song they had created many new Divas in that room and even a lot of the men would become fans as well.

When that song ended, Urs began to introduce each of the four guys individually and then the next song. “As David said, all of the entries that were chosen to be finalists were chosen for their love for their families and the people in their communities, many times giving to others when they themselves haven’t got very much at all. Ladies and Gentlemen, This is Heroe.”

There was much applause but this time everyone remained seated and just watched the mastery of the singers. When Heroe was finished, Carlos stepped up to his mic and began,

“For our third song of the evening we will perform the Duet that we did with Celine Dion, I Believe in You. Unfortunately she could not be here, so our own David Miller will be performing her parts.”

As they sang what was supposed to be the final song of the first set, Lisa thought she had died and gone to heaven. She had heard the CD’s. She had even gone out and purchased all of their CD’s and the two videos so she could see and hear them, but to see them right here in front of her was heart stopping. At first she thought that Seb’s voice sounded the same as before but as she heard him soaring with the others, she knew that his voice had grown immensely.

When they stopped singing, they had originally planned to head back to the table but while they were waiting for Jeff to introduce them onto the stage Seb had asked if they could do one more song that was unrehearsed and could they just sing it Acapella? The others readily agreed that this song also fit well as most of the guests were families.

Seb pulled his mic up to his smiling lips and began to speak to the audience. “Good evening everyone. This has already been a fantastic night and it’s hardly even begun. This song was unplanned but I felt like it also fit in with what this evening was all about, not only with the entrants but many others here tonight. Our mothers do so much for us; take care of us with our basic needs but also with their love. Most of you that are mothers got there the old fashioned way but there are also mothers of children who have come into your lives through other circumstances. You have taken these children young and older into your hearts and lives and loved them and protected them.”

At this point all of the Diva’s in the audience knew where Seb was going with his speech and were already lightly clapping. He smiled and continued.

“For all of the mothers here tonight, I give you MAMA.”

Cheers went up throughout the room as the song began.

Lisa sat there with tears in her eyes as she listened to the song and thought about what Seb had said. She thought about it from two perspectives. Marie had taken her into her heart as if she was Alex’s true sister and not just a friend. She knew then how truly blessed she was. She looked over to Marie and mouthed “I Love You” which brought tears to Marie’s eyes. She returned the words to her daughter. Dan had witnessed the exchange with a tear in his own eye and put his arm around his wife and hugged her. They too felt blessed for the additions of Lisa and now Kayti into their lives.

She also thought about it from the perspective of herself as Kayti’s mom. Anna had asked this of her. She hadn’t wanted Kayti to go through her whole life never being able to call anyone Mama. Up until now she had been uncomfortable with the request. But now she understood and resolved to honor Anna’s request from now on. She watched her little girl as she watched the men singing with a smile beaming from her little face. Even as young as she is, she already has good taste Lisa thought.

After Il Divo had left the stage and were seated back at the table Jeff came back up with an unnecessary announcement that the dessert buffets were now in place, unnecessary because the aromas had been flowing throughout the expansive room awaking the palates of those that were supposedly full after dinner.

He also began pointing out some of the other celebrities who were in attendance starting with Tom and Tedy from the Patriots. Then he introduced several other athletes from the other major sports. He announced that all of these gentlemen would be available for autographs and pictures during the evening.

Alex returned to the table for a minute looking a little upset.

“What’s wrong Alex? Mom asked her.

“Oh, it hadn’t been announced, but Santa was supposed to be here. But the guy called and said he is at home with a bad case of the flu. We have loads of gifts that we were going to have him hand out to the children. Up until now, the evening has been flawless” Alex whispered looking very disappointed.

“Is the Santa suit here?” Dad asked.

“Yes, but we have no one to wear it.”

“I’ll do it” he told his daughter and got an immediate hug that about broke his neck and then she grabbed his arm taking him to the room where he could get ready.

“Thank you, Dad. This means a lot to me.”

“I don’t mind really. It will be fun. Just tell me what was planned.”

She introduced him to Donovan Michaels and Shayla Jurvis, two of her co-workers who would be assisting him as his elves. Then she had to leave the room to go do an important introduction

While Jeff had been introducing the sportsmen, there had been activity behind him as some guitars and different microphones were put in place. He introduced another local young artist, a seventeen year old soloist Stacie Friedman, who had become well known at area functions over the last two years. She sang one song and left the stage as Alex approached the mic.

“Now, I would like to have your help in welcoming a couple of surprise guests who were last minute additions to our event and were therefore not included in the printed program. Please welcome country singer and songwriter Billy Ray Cyrus and his lovely and talented daughter Miley, AKA Hannah Montana.”

If they thought the noise level had been loud before, the sound of little girls’ shrieks and clapping when they heard Miley’s name was deafening, almost painful to the ears. Miley bounced onto the stage with her usual exuberance and her father with his easy smile and as with the Divos, Billy Ray and Miley had to wait for the noise to die down a bit. They each spoke a bit and sang a couple of songs together and one solo each. All the while the children had worked their way up in front of the stage area and were totally engrossed in the music clapping and dancing; dessert had been forgotten for the moment so a lot of the adults took advantage and made their way up to the dessert buffets. After Miley announced that they could see her performing in the Walt Disney World Christmas parade on Christmas morning, Billy Ray and Miley said their goodbyes and left the hotel. They had a flight leaving Tampa International in an hour. Alex returned to the mic and started speaking to the disappointed young Hannah Montana fans who had hoped to get to meet her.

“We have another surprise guest this evening. All children under the age of eighteen should make their way over to Santa. I believe he has brought you some gifts.” She pointed to the chair where Santa had slipped in unnoticed a few seconds earlier.

There was almost a stampede as parents tried to control their children’s enthusiasm.

The next hour was spent with the children visiting Santa and Joshua came back and played the piano to which people began dancing.

Seb tapped Lisa on the shoulder and asked for a dance. She looked at Kayti and Mom immediately told her to go, that she would take care of her. They were waiting for the line to die down before taking her to see Santa.

Carlos also went to get his promised dance partner. When he touched Mary’s shoulder she turned and saw him standing there with his trademark grin and he wiggled his eyebrows at her. She giggled like she was sixteen again and put her slightly wrinkled hand in his smooth tanned one. They took to the dance floor and Carlos couldn’t wait to tell his Vicki about this lovely lady.

As Seb held Lisa he could feel her tense body language at first but as the dance went on, she slowly relaxed in his arms. He looked into her eyes trying to see what was hiding in their depths.

Lisa did feel tense when they first began dancing but as he held her she began to feel like it was the nicest feeling she had ever experienced in her life, being held safely in his arms. She let her arms wrap around him and hold onto him as well.

Jenna felt like she would explode as she watched Seb dancing with Lisa. It got worse as she watched Lisa lay her head against his chest. This was not going how she wanted it to. She needed to cut in or something. That’s it. That is exactly what she would do.

Chapter 19:

Jenna quietly slipped away from the table where she had been watching the dance floor. She made her way through the crowd of dancers. She saw Mary dancing with Carlos, Alex and Urs were just arriving on the dance floor. David had also chosen a lady who looked very happy to get a chance to dance with him. There were many couples taking advantage of the dancing just to be able to be close together for a while.

Jenna stepped up behind Seb and tapped him on the shoulder.

“May I cut in? You wouldn’t want to keep Seb all to yourself all night now would you?” Jenna said with a phony smile towards Lisa and batted her eyelashes at Seb.

Seb looked into Lisa’s eyes. He really didn’t want to let go of her now that he had her this close. He knew Jenna was Lisa’s co-worker that he had met but he had been hearing snippets of conversation that Jenna was out to snare herself a Divo; namely him. Neither Seb nor Lisa wanted to make a scene so Seb did the only thing he could and agreed to dance with her.

“I’ll be right back with you, Ma Cherie.” He said to Lisa with a smile and a wink just for her.

“Alright, I’ll go see if Kayti is ready to go see Santa.”

She felt chilly after being separated from Seb’s embrace. It wasn’t a nice feeling at all she thought as she rubbed up and down her bare arms. She was thinking about how Jenna was dressed and was overly made up and she started getting a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach. She tried to push it away. Seb was a grown man. With the way he looked and the amount of women that he met, he must know how to avoid unwanted advances. He wasn’t hers anyway, not really.

She and Marie took Kayti and got in line to see Santa. Marie had seen what happened and was actually quite encouraged by what she had seen between Lisa and Seb as they danced closely together, even when Jenna had interrupted because by the look on Lisa’s face as she walked off of the dance floor she could tell that Lisa had been disappointed to have to stop dancing with Seb. She wished she knew what to do to help Lisa feel able to move on and be happy, hopefully with Seb. Just the little she had seen them together, she could see that Seb was in love with her. She believed that Lisa was in love with Seb but was still afraid.

They were the last in line to see Santa and as they approached him Kayti began to look a little apprehensive, holding on to Lisa a bit tighter and then she just started screaming her lungs out. Some of the other young children had been afraid too. Their parents just took their gifts for them and moved away to calm their child. Lisa turned Kayti away and held her tight and spoke lovingly to her.

“It’s ok Kayti. Mama is here baby. Santa won’t hurt you. He wants to give you something.”

Marie was thrilled to hear Lisa call herself Mama to Kayti. This was the final step for her to begin creating a lasting lifelong bond with the baby.

Dan was upset that Kayti was afraid of him, well not him, Santa. But, still he didn’t want her to continue to be upset so he motioned for Lisa to follow him into the room where he had changed before. He didn’t want any of the other kids to see him take off his beard and hat. Kayti had calmed down, but was still crying a bit.

When they all entered the room he removed his hat and beard and called Kayti’s name. Her head popped up like it was on a spring when she heard her Grandpa speaking to her in his regular voice and not the deeper voice he had used as Santa. She looked at him and said “Gampa” and threw herself into his arms much to his delight.

When Jenna had interrupted his and Lisa’s dancing, Seb had been more than a little irritated but he had been unable to think of a way to decline without looking like a jerk. So he had agreed. He was really regretting that decision now.

Jenna had plastered herself to him in a much too familiar way for his liking. Her breasts that were just barely contained in the top of her dress were pressed tightly to his chest. He had to be sure not to look down or he might get an eyeful of her bare breasts. He was extremely relieved when the song was over and he excused himself saying that he had to talk to the guys about their other set.

Jenna was so wrapped up in her own little fantasy that she never realized how uncomfortable Seb was with her. All she knew was that she was touching him and he was touching her and she hoped that he was falling under her spell. She cursed under her breath when she saw that all of the Divo’s and Lisa, Alex and the rest of her family were all back at their table talking and laughing about something. It looked like Kayti was the center of attention again.

She grabbed Deanna and told her that if they had any hope of getting the guys to go out with them they needed to team up. As much as Deanna liked Urs, She wasn’t as delusional as Jenna and she could see that Urs and Seb were definitely happy with their dates and there was no way that they had a chance with them and she was not about to put her job in jeopardy to help Jenna out either. Her boss was here and would be very unhappy if she was part of anything that put tonight’s event in a bad light.

Jenna walked off in a huff and thought to herself that she was just going to have to figure it out on her own if Deanna wouldn’t help her.

During the dancing and visitation with Santa, the tables had been cleared of all the dinner and dessert dishes only leaving the water glasses. The wrapping paper from the children’s gifts had now also been cleared away.

Jeff came to the microphone again and announced that the time had finally come that the finalists had been waiting for. He was joined on the stage by some guests from Radio Disney that would be helping him out.

To begin with, six of the families were called to the stage. One by one their entry was either read or if it was a presentation it was shown on a large screen behind the stage area. Each of these families were heavily involved in some type of direct and constant community service such as Habitat for Humanity helpers, Salvation Army volunteers and Soup kitchen and shelter volunteers. Some of them had their own activities that they did as a family like going to the children’s hospitals and nursing homes and visiting, especially at Christmas.

When the six entries were finished, Jennifer Kobashi, from Radio Disney announced that each of these families would be given a complete weekend getaway to Disney World Resorts in Orlando, Florida. Also they would receive gift cards totaling $5000.00 to each family to several different participating stores for food, clothing and home improvement purchases.

Another group of six families went through the same routine while their entries were read or shown on the screen, all receiving the same gifts as the first six families.

There were many tears shed as the families realized what those gift certificates would buy for their children. Food and clothing that until now had been a struggle for them to purchase, money to help fix up their house or apartment a bit.

The third group was called to the stage and it left Lisa a bit shell shocked. She was in the final two entries. She couldn’t believe it.

She looked at the other family left, the man and his wife and their seven children. She knew it must be financially difficult to raise all of those children. Most of them looked right around the same age. The oldest one looked several years older than any of the others.

Seb saw her fidgeting and knew she was getting really nervous or excited and he slipped his hand inside of hers and gave it a gentle squeeze then didn’t let it go.

The third group was finished and had received their gifts of the weekend getaway to Disney, the same $5000.00 in gift cards to the various stores and one extra gift of a new vehicle from a local auto dealer. Each of these six families would be able to choose between four different vehicles and decide which one they wanted.

Both she and Kayti and the other family were called up to the stage. She never liked to be in the spotlight so she was a bit bashful being in front of all of these people. She looked down at Seb and he winked and gave her a thumbs up. She wished that she was still sitting down there next to him.

Both entries were PowerPoint presentations and were shown on the screen.

The Gilmour Family consisted of the father, Thomas who is a construction worker, his wife Jane, a kindergarten teacher, their oldest son Thomas Jr. who just turned twelve and last but certainly not least the seven year old sextuplets Grace, Rebecah, Katherine, Matthew, Ryan and Sean. The sextuplets were not a product of any medical intervention. They were an extremely rare occurrence where several eggs get fertilized. Ryan and Sean were actually identical twins. They had gotten an unbelievable shock when they had found out about the six babies that would be expanding their family exponentially. They had received help from family members, friends and their church but it was still a struggle and their house was not big enough and also had many structural problems that even with his construction knowledge, Thomas could not fix without the money to do so. Also, whenever the family all went somewhere together like tonight, they had to take two vehicles because of the size of the family.

Even with the struggles their family dealt with every day, the Gilmour’s made sure to teach their children about giving and sharing with those who have less than they did. Thomas Jr. always helped with his younger siblings and also helped tutor younger children at the elementary school where his mother worked. He did this for no compensation other than knowing that he was helping to educate the children. The younger children had several volunteer activities they did throughout the year, some they did alone and some they did as a family.

Everyone including Lisa was impressed with this family and how the parents were raising their children. You could tell just by watching them that they were very well behaved children. As she watched the presentation she only hoped to be half as good a parent to her children as they seemed to be.

When their presentation was over, it moved right into Lisa’s presentation about the group home that was being built and her hopes of having about twelve children to care for and to keep them from having to be floating around the foster care system for the rest of their lives. As the video showed Kayti, she pointed up to the screen with her little index finger and said excitedly, “Me, Kayti” earning her a laugh from the entire room.

Her video ended and Michael Peterson from Radio Disney asked David, Urs and Carlos to join them up on the stage for the presentation of the final two sets of gifts, announcing that the three Divo’s had been the ones to decide between the finalists. There was a murmur through the room. Undoubtedly, people were wondering why Seb hadn’t been included but this was not explained to the guests.

All that was left was for the last two finalists to find out what their gifts would be.

The Gilmour children and Kayti were getting fidgety and wanted to go play. The only one who was really paying any attention was Thomas Jr. He was old enough to know how important to his family this was.

David took the microphone and spoke to the audience as well as Lisa and the Gilmour Family.

“Making the choice between these last two entries was very difficult. They both had the wonderful qualities for parenting, community service and vision for their children both the ones already here and those children still to come into their lives. In the end, after consulting the other judges as well as some of the sponsors that had made large donations, a decision was made.”

David looked to the back of the room and said, “Ty and Ed, would you join us up here and help me with this?” Everyone there knew that if these two were involved it was going to be good.

Urs took over with the mic. “As David said the decision was very difficult at first but then after speaking directly to Ty and his team we were satisfied that we had made the right choice.”

Then Carlos stepped up and added, “After viewing the building that the Gilmors were calling a home we knew that they needed to have a new one. Ty, would you please explain?”

“Gilmours” Ty said in his usual loud and boisterous manner. “Starting on January 6th, the rest of our design team will arrive and within one week your current house will be completely demolished and replaced. While this is being done, your whole family will be on vacation at Disney World.”

“We have three sets of plans that you will be shown and you will choose which house plan you prefer. In addition, your house will be completely furnished. We will be speaking with you and your children to find out what your interests are and what you would like your bedrooms to look like.”

Ed stepped forward and added,” And last but not least, outside the hotel is sitting a brand new fifteen passenger van so that from now on when you leave the house to go on a family outing you will only have to take one vehicle. But the best part is that both the house and its contents as well as the van are completely paid for.”

The Gilmours were in hysterics, The Mom and Dad and even Thomas Jr. were hugging each other and crying tears of joy and relief that their family was going to have a much better life because of the generous help of these people and others who had contributed. The younger children looked like they were in a daze as they watched their brother and their parents getting so emotional. They weren’t sure that they understood everything that had been said but they would soon enough.

Even Lisa was crying tears of joy and hugging this family who were obviously so very thankful for everything they were receiving here. Their lives were going to be changed forever.

Urs spoke again directing his words to Lisa who was still over congratulating the Gilmours.

“Miss Daniels,…. Miss Daniels… Lisa” Urs had to raise his voice a bit to be heard over all of the commotion. Then when things quieted down a bit he continued,

“Lisa, we haven’t forgotten about you here you know. He said and gave her a Blinky wink. She smiled and carrying Kayti she stepped back over to where she had been standing before. Kayti was getting tired and a bit fussy and was trying to get down so Alex took her and handed her down to Dad and she curled right up in his lap and stuck her thumb in her mouth. It had already been a long night for her.

Carlos continued on where Urs had left off.

“Lisa, what you want to do with your group home for the orphaned, neglected and abandoned children is such a wonderful thing. The only difference between the Gilmour’s entry and yours was that you already have that fantastic house with the construction underway. Since we learned that you have already paid for the house up front when you purchased it, the only thing left is the cost of the rest of the renovations of the houses and property.”

Urs picked back up and said”

We found out from a friend what you had chosen for a name for your home. So, in the name of The Jessie Daniels Home for Children, we have a check made out in the amount of One Million dollars for the completion of your beautiful home and to help get you started furnishing and decorating it. After the renovations whatever is left is yours to help you begin to hire a staff to help with the cooking, the care of the children and the property. Also, besides this check, Ty has seen your plans for your playground and he and some of his team will be out the week after the Gilmour house is finished to make sure that your playground is installed and fenced. Kayti should have a safe place to play at home.

Lisa was crying so hard that her legs began to give way and Seb jumped up onto the stage and put his arm around her waist to support her. He also had tears flowing. He knew what this money would mean to her. He pulled her into his embrace and was rewarded by her arms going around his waist holding onto him and pressing her face into his shoulder.

David handed Seb a microphone. When he began to speak Lisa stood up straight and backed up a step to look at him.

“Lisa, I have seen your home and have heard you explain to me in detail everything that you have planned there. The four of us have discussed this with Simon Cowell who wished he could have been here and unknown to the other sponsors we have decided that in the future, the Jessie Daniels Home for Children will be supported by the Il Divo team. Now all you will have to do is get your home finished and find the children to fill it. Money will never be a concern in your care of them.

Lisa just stood there in total shock. Well, not just Lisa but everyone in the room. She just stared at him. She couldn’t even begin to think of what to say. Mr. and Mrs. Gilmour started to come over and hug her and congratulate her as she had to them. She was like she was on auto pilot. She couldn’t tell you what anyone said to her after that point.

Now that all of the presentations were made, everyone was milling around and talking to each other about all that had gone on.

Surprisingly, Jenna even came up to Lisa congratulating her and wishing her well. She offered Lisa a glass of water, saying that she must be thirsty. Actually she was thirsty and she thanked Jenna and gratefully accepted it and sat down to try to absorb what this all meant for her.

About ten minutes after the final presentations, Jeff got back up and announced that Il Divo would be performing their final set in just a few moments.

When the four Divo’s left the table to get prepared to sing, Tom, Laray, Tedy and Garry congratulated Lisa, wishing her well in her endeavors. Laray moved over to sit where Seb had been and asked Lisa if she could keep in touch with her as she would love to know how things were going. She said she would come to visit and see the house once it was finished.

Kayti had fallen asleep in the stroller holding her stuffed koala that she never went anywhere without. Mom and Dad kept hugging and kissing Lisa and she kept starting to cry all over again. She knew she must look a mess. Her co-workers began coming over and speaking to her. Mary was so happy for Lisa knowing what she would be able to accomplish now that money wasn’t going to be a concern.

Alex was at the mic announcing that Il Divo was now going to perform their last set and then she wished everyone a Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year before returning to her seat. The Divo’s came out onto the stage and sat on some stools that had been brought out for them. As before, there was a loud applause when they came out. But it soon died down as most everyone was tired and had eaten too much making them feel a bit less energetic.

They began with David announcing that this set was going to be in keeping with the season. O Holy Night was the first selection then they went right into, When a Child is Born. Seb stepped over to the side of the stage and picked up an acoustic guitar and sat back on his stool. All the Diva’s knew what that meant. Seb introduced the next song, Rejoice.

Lisa couldn’t get enough of hearing him sing. As before when she first heard him in Paris, his voice felt like a balm to her weary soul. Back then she didn’t have all that much going wrong in her life except for losing her parents but now with everything that life had thrown at her she felt how his soothing voice was like a medicine to her.

After Rejoice, Carlos told the audience that they were going to sing a medley of Christmas songs, White Christmas, Silent Night, & Adeste Fideles and invited everyone to sing along with them. Joshua accompanied them on the piano, and Stacie joined them on stage as well to her great delight. She was one of their newest Diva’s, to be specific, David’s Diva, although she didn’t know those terms yet.

The combination of Il Divo singing and everyone joining in with them to sing the familiar songs, the atmosphere in the room made for an amazing conclusion to a night that had changed a lot of lives.

Lisa knew it had been a long night. She had worked today and had gotten herself and Kayti ready and then all of the excitement of this wonderful evening had her so tired all of a sudden. She could hardly keep her eyes open. She was enjoying the music and watching Seb sing and he kept looking right at her and smiling. She shouldn’t be falling asleep in the middle of them singing but she was getting so drowsy. She took the last few sips of her glass of cold water to try to wake herself up. Mom asked her if she was ok. She told her she was fine, just tired.

Seb spoke to the audience for the final time of the evening.

“Thank you to everyone who made this night possible and contributed in any way and we wish you all a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Please, drive safely home.”

The evening was over, at least the party was. Most everyone was still running on a bit of adrenaline from all the excitement. People were packing up. The families were trying to corral their tired and somewhat cranky children to get them home and into their beds.

Mom and Dad were saying goodnight to everyone at their table. The Divo’s had stepped right off of the stage to the table. When Seb realized the Huggins’ were leaving, he bent down and kissed a sleeping Kayti on her forehead. “Sleep tight, little one.” He saw Lisa sitting in her chair just staring into space. He imagined she was still in a state of shock after everything she had learned tonight. Mom pushed Kayti’s stroller over to Lisa so she could say goodnight. Lisa leaned in and kissed Kayti and gave Mom and Dad a hug.

Dan stepped over to Seb and asked him if he intended to see Lisa home safely.

“Yes sir, Of course I will. Urs and Alex should be going soon too.”

“Ok, because she doesn’t look well. It may just be fatigue combined with all of the excitement but I just worry about her.”

“Well, don’t worry, I will take good care of her. I promise.”

Dan took Seb at his word and after he found Alex to say goodnight he took Kayti and Marie and they headed home. They had another long day tomorrow.

Alex finally was able to make her way back over to their table. She sat next to Lisa and asked her if she was alright.

“I am just really tired all of a sudden and I might have eaten something that didn’t agree with me or maybe it is just all the nerves and excitement. My stomach feels terrible.”

Just as she said that, she jumped up and ran to the ladies room and totally emptied her stomach. Alex came in directly behind her to make sure she was alright.

“I think I just really need to go home and get some sleep. Do you think the guys are able to leave yet? If not, I may just take a cab home.”

“I’ll go talk to Seb. Lie here and I will be back in a minute.” Alex said and helped Lisa to lie down on the sofa in the sitting room of the ladies room.

When Alex walked out of the ladies she walked right into Seb. He looked frantic.

“Is she alright?” he asked Alex and ran his hand through his hair.

“She isn’t feeling very well. She says she just needs to go home to bed.”

“Of course, I will go make sure our driver is ready to leave immediately.” He said and turned and quickly left the ballroom.

Alex explained to Urs that Seb and Lisa would be leaving but if he still wanted to go and have a drink, she was still willing to. Earlier, the foursome had discussed going for a drink to celebrate. Since Lisa didn’t have Kayti, it would have been perfect. They agreed to still go out if Seb was going to be able to make sure that Lisa was ok when he got her home.

Chapter 20:

When Seb re-entered the hotel after having the limo brought right to the door, he was waylaid by a very happy Jenna. She was happy that he was alone. Things might just work out yet, she thought.

“Hi Seb. It was a really great night wasn’t it?”

“Yes, it was.”

“It would be a shame to end it so soon. I wanted to see if you and any of the other guys wanted a tour guide tonight. We could make the rounds of the clubs. It is still really early for the club scene.”

He wanted to try to be polite but he was worried about Lisa and all he wanted to do right then was get her to the limo and take her home but Jenna was effectively blocking the doorway.

“I’m really sorry Jenna. I can’t tonight and I think the others all have already made plans. Please excuse me. I need to get Lisa. We are leaving.”

She didn’t bother trying to hide her disappointment. Her lips were a bit looser than normal. She had been having a few extra drinks while she waited for her plan to start.

“It’s her isn’t it? Lisa I mean. She already has her hooks into you, and Alex is all over Urs. They didn’t waste any time at all, did they? They aren’t even fans. They don’t care about you like I do.”

Seb was very quickly losing his patience.

“Please excuse me Jenna. Lisa isn’t feeling well. She is in the ladies feeling very ill and I am going to take her home so she can rest.” He said, unable to disguise his anger.

It was then that Jenna realized that her plan had backfired. She should have just asked them to come out and let Lisa come too. She would have at least gotten to dance with him a bit probably. She had gotten a bit too greedy hoping that Lisa would just get really sleepy from the sleeping pill she had put in the water and would beg off and go home alone. But it had made her ill and now Seb was in his knight in shining armor mode, taking care of Lisa instead of going clubbing like she had hoped he would.

In desperation, Jenna placed her hands on his chest. “I’m sorry, Seb. I didn’t mean to say those things. I’ve had a bit too much to drink I guess. But, can’t you get Lisa settled for the night and come out and join us for some fun? It sounds like Lisa wouldn’t feel up to it anyway.

“No, Jenna. I am not going to be leaving Lisa alone when she’s feeling this ill. I have to go. Please move out of the way.” He said as he removed her hands from his chest and physically guided her out of the doorway.

Deflated, Jenna moved out of the way and let him pass. Then she perked up a bit. There were still three other Divo’s she could try to talk into going out if she could find them. She tried unsuccessfully to talk to each of them individually about going out. They were always surrounded by others. It was a very dejected Diva that went home alone that night after being unable to talk the other guys into going out.

She didn’t know that she had been the topic of conversation earlier. The guys knew that Jenna was out to snare Seb and then when she came to them trying to talk them into going out, she pouted to them saying that Seb was busy but she would love to take them to the clubs anyway. They knew better than to get involved with her in any way. People like her would only be causing them trouble in the end.

Seb knocked lightly on the door to the ladies and Alex opened it. He told her the car was waiting right at the entrance. She went and got Lisa who came out looking weak, very pale and her eyes were quite glassy looking.

“Are you sure you don’t need to go to the hospital, Lisa?”

“No, Alex. You know how much I hate hospitals. I’ll be fine after I get some sleep. I promise.”

Seb put his arm around her waist and they made their way through the remaining people who were still hanging around, occasionally they were stopped by another well wisher. Alex told Seb and Lisa about the plans that she and Urs had made if they didn’t need her. They both told her to go and for them to enjoy themselves.

Seb helped Lisa get settled lying down on a seat with her head lying in his lap as they were driven to the apartment. She looked so pale that he was concerned. He lovingly stroked her head and cheek and brushed her hair away from her face.

God, how he loved her. He wanted to tell her just how much but now was not the time. Tonight had been a long, tiring and very emotional time. When he told her, he didn’t want it to look like he was just saying it because he was on some emotional high. He wanted her to know that he meant it with every fiber of his being.

They rode up to the apartment in the elevator with Lisa leaning heavily on Sebastien for support. Lisa went into her room to change out of her dress and into some comfortable sweats. She shouldn’t be cold. It wasn’t cold inside at all but she felt like she was freezing. She hoped she didn’t have the flu. She went to the kitchen and got herself a glass of water and asked Seb if he wanted anything to which he declined. Then she went and curled up on the couch, trying to get comfortable.

“Do you need to leave?”

“I’m not going anywhere, not until Alex comes home. I won’t leave you here alone in your condition.”

“Thanks Sebastien. If you don’t mind, I am going to close my eyes for a few minutes. I think it will help. I’m sorry for ruining the evening Seb.”

He wanted to tell her that she hadn’t ruined anything but she had already fallen asleep so Seb just settled himself in the chair next to her with the TV remote, trying to find something interesting on so he wouldn’t fall asleep himself. He wanted to be aware if she needed him for anything.

When Urs and Alex left the Hotel, they had dismissed their limo driver for the evening choosing instead to walk for a while. It was a very pleasant evening outside. They could catch a cab home. Urs thought that Alex seemed distracted.

“Alex, would you feel better if we went back to your place to check on her? I really wouldn’t mind.”

Alex sighed and said, ”No Urs, she will be fine with Seb I’m sure. Let’s go have that drink and then I guess we do need to get some sleep. I hope she is feeling better tomorrow. She has been so excited about being able to move into the guest house.”

“Her plans will change quite a bit now I imagine, since she won’t have to count pennies during the renovations.” Urs said.

“Oh Urs, what everyone has done for her…” She stopped speaking because she had gotten choked up as she thought of how wonderful this was all going to be. It already was but now it would happen so much faster and easier with the gifts and the coming support the home was receiving.

He pulled Alex into his embrace and held her for a minute. Slowly, he ran his fingers down her face, memorizing it for when he would be away. She was so beautiful, not only outside but inside as well. He dipped his head the short distance for his lips to meet hers and they kissed for several minutes, a slow and undemanding kiss, each exploring the others lips as hands roamed and then they broke apart a bit breathless. He smiled down at her and they resumed walking.

So many of the women he'd dated were out for themselves, only for what they could get out of the relationship. He could tell Alex was nothing like that. She could have acted very possessive tonight. She made sure he knew that she enjoyed his company without looking like she would be upset if he spent time with others. Even though he and Alex hadn’t known each other long, he had seen enough of her with Lisa and Kayti and her parents to know what kind of person she was. She was as excited as Lisa to find out about the gifts Lisa had received tonight.

As they were walking, Urs was spotted by some fans. As much as he would have liked to decline, he stopped and spoke to them and signed a few autographs. One of the girls started shooting pictures with her camera phone of both he and Alex. He wasn’t sure how she felt about that so he nicely asked her to stop which she reluctantly did. He told the fans that he and Alex needed to go and the fans respectfully moved on but they did keep watch of the couple until they were out of sight when they turned a corner.

They entered a club that was busy but not too noisy and they found a table near the back in a corner. They each decided they would like a coffee. After it arrived, they discussed how well the evening had gone. Alex told him how happy she was that her dad had offered to play Santa. According to her, he was always the best Santa in the world, but of course she was a bit prejudiced.

He asked her how she felt about motorcycles. When she said she didn’t have anything against them but had never ridden on one, he asked her if she would take a ride with him on one someday.

“Well, I guess I would. Actually it sounds like it would be fun, so sure I’ll ride with you.”

He sat back satisfied with a smile on his face and just watched her as she sipped her coffee. When they had finished, Alex called for a cab. She told Urs that he didn’t have to accompany her home but he wouldn’t hear of it.

They rode back to her apartment and Urs reached across the seat and took Alex’s hand in his.

“I had a wonderful time tonight Alex, and not just because of all that went on. I had a good time because I had you there to share it with me. I’ve felt happier since I met you than I have felt in a long time. I know my lifestyle doesn’t make it easy to have a relationship but if you are willing, I would like to try and see how it goes.” He said and waited to hear what she thought about it.

Alex felt shy, an emotion that she was very unaccustomed to but had felt on more than one occasion since meeting Urs. She looked down at where their hands were laying on the seat connected. Was she falling in love with him?

“I had a wonderful time with you too Urs and …and I would love to spend more time with you and explore our relationship.” She looked up into his eyes to find him smiling and she also saw desire in his eyes.

They pulled up in front of the apartment complex and Urs assisted Alex as she stepped out of the cab. He paid the cabbie and walked Alex inside. While they were in the elevator Urs was running his hand up and down Alex’s bare back. Her skin was tingling all over and she moved a step closer to him so he pulled her even closer so their bodies were touching from chests to thighs.

He bent to kiss her in a soft, gentle kiss to begin with but it quickly escalated into a searing, bone melting kiss. Alex wound up with her bare back touching the cold metal wall of the elevator and when Urs heard her sharp intake of breath and realized why, he swiftly spun them so that it was him that was leaning on the wall and pulled her even tighter to him. His wide open hands were traveling from her neck down over the back of her shoulders to her lower back and even over her backside and all the way back up sending noticeable shivers all over Alex.

Neither had noticed that the elevator had come to their floor. The door had opened and then shut but the elevator hadn’t moved again since no one on another floor had pushed the button.

Finally, they came up for air and when they realized that they were standing in a closed elevator that was just sitting there, they both started giggling. Alex smiled at him and hit the button for her floor and the doors reopened to let them exit.

Urs took her hand in his as they walked the short distance to the door and just when she would have unlocked it he pulled her to him again. “You do know you are making me crazy don’t you?” He said to her with his piercing gaze holding her right where she was.

She looked to the floor bashfully and said, ”I think it is mutual Mr. Buhler.”

Then she looked back up to find his lips were already descending to meet hers again. They remained locked together in their embrace for several minutes and then when they finally ended the kiss, Urs took the key from her hand and unlocked her door.

“This is only goodnight. I will see you early tomorrow.”

“Actually, I think it is today.” Alex said looking to her watch for confirmation.”

“So it is.” He said looking at his own. “Time flies when you are having fun. Isn’t that how the saying goes?” he said giving her a Blinky wink.

They entered the apartment to find Lisa sleeping curled up on the couch, the TV on and Seb dozing in a chair right next to her and it really didn’t look like he could be all that comfortable.

“Seb… Seb wake up.” Alex whispered touching Seb’s shoulder.

When Alex woke him, Seb jumped up and then immediately regretted the hasty movement. He had indeed fallen asleep in an uncomfortable position and his body was screaming at him.

“Oh No, I didn’t mean to fall asleep. I was trying to stay awake in case she needed me.” He said while at the same time kneeling on the floor and touching her forehead to check for a fever and just to reassure himself the she was indeed just sleeping. She didn’t seem to have even the slightest fever, so that was a relief.

“I’m sure she will be ok, Seb.” Alex said to him and beckoned him to follow her and Urs into the kitchen so they could talk without worrying about waking her up.

Alex asked him how she had been when they got home and he told her that she hadn’t been sick again, at least not that he knew of, but had fallen right to sleep after changing. He hoped that she hadn’t woken and needed him while he was sleeping.

“That was so strange how it came on so quickly and so violently. She hardly ever gets sick. I think she has built up some immunities working with children who are always getting one thing or another.” Alex said.

“I know. I never get ill like that. It was kind of scary.”

All three in the kitchen turned to find Lisa standing there, her hand holding on to the door frame. She still looked quite pale. Seb immediately went to her side and ran his hand over the side of her face. He was still concerned.

“Are you feeling any better, Ma Cherie?”

“I think so but I still don’t feel great. Like Alex said, I never get sick like that. Only once before did I get so violently ill. It was after I was…. Umm.. after… I mean when a doctor gave me something to take when I was having trouble sleeping. Lisa had been about to say “after she was raped” but stopped herself just in time. Alex noticed this and shifted uncomfortably. Lisa saw Alex’s reaction and hoped that Seb hadn’t noticed that she was about to say something else.

“I had never taken any kind of sleeping pills and I quickly found out that they definitely didn’t agree with me. I thought I had the flu so I continued to take them for several days until Auntie finally made me go to the doctor.”

“Oh yeah, I remember that. He said you were allergic and not to take them again. You stayed sick for a week.”

Lisa looked at the clock and said, “have you stayed with me all of this time?”

“Of course I have. I told you I wasn’t leaving until Alex returned home. They’ve only just arrived. I was worried about you, Ma Cherie. “He said and pulled her into his arms hugging her.

She laid her head against his chest enjoying the warmth and the feelings she was having when she was close to him. It felt so good to have him hold her like that. She had felt so bad earlier and still didn’t feel wonderful but being in his arms like this sure was helping. Neither of them moved for a minute. Alex and Urs had moved quietly out into the living room giving them some privacy.

Seb was running his hands over her hair and her shoulder and down her back and he was also quite enjoying holding her like this. So far, she hadn’t seemed to have the nervousness that had been evident any other time they had gotten close. When she looked up into his eyes and saw the love and caring that shown in them, she kissed him softly on his cheek and then laid her head back against him and said,

“Thank you Seb, for taking care of me tonight.”

The emotions that welled up inside of him were almost overwhelming. He drew in a big breath and pulled her tighter to him.

“I’m sorry Seb, but I really need to go crawl into my bed. I still feel so sleepy. My legs feel like rubber.”

“No apologies needed. You go to bed and I will see you sometime tomorrow, ok? He leaned down and placed the softest of kisses on her lips and then backed away a step so she could leave the kitchen.

“Alright then.” She said and retreated to the living room and said goodnight to Alex and Urs and went to her room and shut the door, immediately touching her lips where he had just kissed her. She always loved the way his lips felt on hers. She did want him to kiss her but it was unfair to him for her to continue letting him while she was determined that they could only be friends.

Seb joined Alex and Urs in the living room and asked Alex, “What was it that Lisa was about to say in there?”

Alex knew exactly what he meant and turned away nervously. When she turned back, she answered him in a whisper.

“Seb, I told you before that Lisa had had a hard time. Things have happened that have changed her life. I wish I could tell you. I really do. I think if you knew, you could help her but I am afraid I will lose her friendship if I was to break this confidence. Maybe I am being selfish, but I can’t risk that. I hope that in time with you two spending time together she will tell you herself. Please just be good to her, ok?” Alex finished with tears falling down her cheeks.

Urs put his arm around her and pulled her to him.

“Alright Alex, I understand your position. I just hope that she can begin to trust me before long.” Seb said disappointed but he truly did understand her not being able to tell him.

“We need to let you get some sleep. I hope that Lisa is feeling better when she wakes up. It will be a long day. We will be here with breakfast about 8 am, alright”

“That’s great, Seb. I am really excited to see her reaction at the house.”

“Yeah, me too.” Seb said smiling. Then he kissed Alex on the cheek and stepped out into the hall and waited for Urs to join him.

Urs was still holding Alex close to him. He kissed her temple and said “I will see you in the morning.”

“Sure, Ok. Urs… I hope he does understand why I can’t tell him. I want to, really I do.
She needs him. I know he loves her and would take good care of her if she would only let him in.”

“I’m sure he understands. Don’t worry. They will be spending time together this week and hopefully it will help.”

He kissed her softly, wanting to take the kiss deeper but knew Seb was standing in the hallway waiting for him so he ended it much sooner than he wished to.

“Hold that thought. We will have to pick this up where we left off.” He said grinning at her.

He turned and left and after Alex shut the door she sat on the couch for quite some time thinking about the change in course her life was beginning to take. Finally, when she realized that she only had a few hours left to get some sleep, she went to bed and hoped to dream of her handsome man.

Chapter 21:

When Lisa woke up she heard several voices and thought she must have over slept. The guys delivering the rental truck must be here already. She took the fastest shower in history and threw on her jeans and a T-shirt, brushed her hair and put it up, still wet, into a ponytail.

She still felt that same drugged feeling but at least she wasn’t nauseous anymore. She felt like she was moving in slow motion and her body felt so heavy. Every movement was a chore. When she hurried out of her room she stopped short when she saw Alex, Urs and Seb heading into the kitchen. She smelled food. Alex must have cooked breakfast. She also smelled coffee. She needed coffee and lots of it to rid herself of this drowsy, fuzzy feeling. Usually she was wide awake as soon as she opened her eyes.

When she entered the kitchen she saw several bags from a local diner sitting on the counter and several trays of food lying out on the counter beside them.

“Good morning, everyone. Did any of you get any sleep last night? It seems like you three were all here when I went to bed.”

Three sets of eyes were immediately upon her with questioning looks.

“Good morning Ma Cherie. How are you feeling this morning?” Seb said smiling and coming over to kiss her on the cheek.

“I feel much better. The sickness has gone and once I get rid of this terribly drowsy feeling with some strong coffee I will be as right as rain. I didn’t expect to see you until later this evening if at all.” She said to Seb with a puzzled look as if trying to remember if she had forgotten something.

“I know, but we are here to help you get moved to the guest house today.”

“Wow, thanks guys. That will be great. It will go much quicker and then maybe we could cook some dinner later and relax.”

“Well, let’s get finished with breakfast and get started.” Alex said changing the subject.


Seb and Urs put themselves to work taping up the boxes that were full and labeled them with what room Lisa said they would go in. Then they carried Kayti’s disassembled crib to out near the door, stacking all of the packed boxes in front of it. By the time the call came from the guys delivering the truck, saying that they were downstairs, everything was done and all that was left was for it to be loaded. Seb went down with Lisa when she went to sign for the truck and when they came back up he had brought the hand truck to help load the boxes into the elevator.

When they came back up after the truck was loaded and locked, they plopped themselves down in the kitchen with one last cup of coffee before they would head over to the house.

“I don’t know how to thank you all for your help. It hasn’t even been quite an hour since we started packing and it is done. Unloading into the guest house is going to be so much easier.” Lisa said sincerely.

“We are glad to help” Urs said.

The phone rang and Alex answered it.

“Oh Hi, Good morning Mom. Yes. Actually, the truck is all loaded and we will be leaving here shortly to go get it unpacked. Yes, she is ok I think. Sure hang on.”

“Lisa, Mom wants to talk to you.” She said and handed the phone over to her.

Alex, Urs and Seb were sitting at the table hearing only one side of the phone conversation.

“Hi Mom, Is everything alright? I’m Alright. Just a little drowsy. Yes, I promise I won’t overdo it today.” Lisa said with a grin and then her face suddenly changed to concern, “What! Is she alright? Should I come get her? Are you sure? Does she have a fever? Oh Good. Yes, it’s the Aveeno Oatmeal Bath. Just let her soak in it for as long as she wants to sit in the tub and occasionally pour some of it over her upper body. She doesn’t mind water in her face so pour some on her head too. Yes, several times a day if you can. Ok, but please call me if you need me. I’ll have my cell phone. The house phone will be turned on on Monday. Thanks Mom, for everything. I’ll call later to check on her. Bye.

When Seb had heard the distress in her voice he had placed his hand over hers where it lay on the table, waiting for her to hang up so they could find out what was wrong with Kayti.

“Kayti has broken out with the chicken pox, another victim of Peyton and Eli. She’s alright. She has no fever as of yet and is happily playing and unless she was to get seriously ill from them, I really don’t mind her getting them now and having them over with while she is still young. The older you get the worse they are. Mom says she is fine to stay there. She will take care of her. Dad is on his way to the store to get the oatmeal bath that helps the blisters to dry up quicker.”

“Well, I am glad that it isn’t something more serious and we know that Mom will take good care of her.” Alex said

“I know she will. It’s just that this is her first illness since she’s been with me and I feel like I should be taking care of her myself.”

Seb gave her hand a squeeze and said, “Do you want to stop over and see her on the way to the house?”

“Yes, I really would like to check on her if you all don’t mind taking that extra few minutes.”

They all finished their coffee and headed down to the parking lot. Seb said he would ride with Lisa and Urs rode with Alex for the short ride over to see Kayti.

Mom was not at all surprised to see them pulling in the driveway thirty minutes after hanging up with Lisa. She’s was going to make a good mom, Marie thought. She opened the door welcoming them all in and told Lisa that Kayti was already enjoying her first bath with the oatmeal powder. Mom had thrown a bunch of toys in with her and she was playing happily with Dad on watch duty for a few minutes.

Lisa excused herself from the group and rushed into the bathroom to find Kayti as happy as Mom had said she was. She was filling up the cups and pouring them back out into another cup, such a simple thing but she was content. She was a sight with hundreds of little blisters all over her body but the baby didn’t seem to be bothered by them. Hopefully she wouldn’t get too itchy with them and scratch them. They would scar if she did.

Kayti was so intent on what she was doing that she didn’t see Lisa until she leaned over to check Kayti’s forehead for a fever. Her face lit up with a smile and she tried to stand up and get out of the tub. Lisa knelt down on the floor and told her to sit back down and she began playing with her toys with her to encourage her to stay in the tub a bit longer. When the water had turned cold, Lisa lifted her out and dabbed at the water on Kayti’s body, trying not to pop the blisters. She wrapped her up in the towel and carried her into Alex’s old room where Kayti’s portable crib was kept for when she stayed with Grandma and Grandpa.

Alex came into the room and started laughing when she saw what Kayti looked like. Lisa had finished putting the diaper on but that was all Kayti was wearing and Alex pulled out her camera phone and took some pictures of her all polka dotted like she was. Then Lisa put on a light cotton outfit that would hopefully be comfortable enough. If she got hot, the blisters would itch.

They came out into the living room and Seb felt a pang of distress when he saw what Kayti looked like. He knew that the chicken pox weren’t usually anything serious but he hated to see her with any kind of illness and understood Lisa’s need to come and see for herself that the baby was indeed alright. He wanted to hug her but knew that might make her sore so he knelt down and spoke to her,

“Hello, ma petite. I am so sorry that you have all these boo boo’s on you. They will go away soon and you will feel better.” And then he gave her a light kiss on a vacant spot on her cheek.

“I guess we better get going and get the truck unloaded and returned. I am still drowsy feeling. I can’t get rid of it. If I didn’t know better, I would think I had taken a sleeping pill yesterday.”

Lisa knelt down next to Kayti.

“Kayti, you are going to stay and play with Grandma today, alright? You be a good girl and do what Grandma says. I Love You, baby girl.”

Lisa kissed her in the same spot that Seb had and she had a tear in her eye when she stood back up. Mom gave her a hug and said,

“She will be fine. I’ll call you and you can talk to her later. Don’t worry ok. Enjoy your day today.”

“Thanks Mom, I know she will be fine. Don’t pay any attention to me.” Lisa said wiping her tears away. “I may pick her up and bring her home if I get unpacked and organized before her bedtime.”

Mom just agreed with her and waved to all of them as they got back into the vehicles and left.

“Ok, so you were right as usual. But that was close though.” Dan said.

“I knew she wouldn’t be able to go and get anything done if she didn’t see for herself that Kayti was alright.”

Dan smiled and kissed his wife and said, “I wish you were going to be there today but I understand Kayti needs you here. I will call you and let you know how it’s going. It turned out to be a beautiful day today, perfect weather. I better get going. I want to see her face when she sees everyone.”

Marie did wish she could have gone but when Lisa was in the bathroom with Kayti, Seb had assured her that David was an avid videographer and would no doubt take plenty of photos and video of the day so she would be able to see at least some of it.

Dan had seen that Alex’s car had been in front of the truck as they left so he called her and asked her to slow down until he could catch up with them. She told him that they were stopping off at the grocery store to pick up a few snacks and drinks for later. When Lisa had said that they needed to do this, Alex couldn’t argue with her, so she’d just let her get them. Dan was glad to hear this. That gave him time to pass and get there ahead of them. Dan had been there about ten minutes when he saw Alex’s car pulling into the long driveway followed slowly by Seb driving the truck. He backed out of sight around the corner of the house so she wouldn’t see him yet.

When they were pulling into the driveway, Seb was trying to keep Lisa distracted by talking to her. He didn’t know if she had seen anything unusual yet but didn’t think so. They pulled around to the side of the main house and stopped in front of the guest house.

Out front there had been several of the contractor’s vehicles but she had just figured that they had decided to do some work today. For them to be here on a Saturday wasn’t very common but they had done so a few times. Seb pulled to a stop as close as he could get the truck to the door of the guest house and shut off the ignition and it was then that she saw them all.

In the back of the main house, all waving, smiling, clapping, and cheering were a crowd of people. Most she knew; a few she wasn’t sure but she was in shock. What were they all doing here? She slowly opened the door of the truck to find Seb already out of his side and standing there waiting to help her down. Next to him were Alex, Urs and Dad all smiling at her.

“Welcome home, Honey” Dad said.

She slowly slid down out of the high seat still looking around at everyone and Seb reached out and helped her down to the ground.

“What is all of this?”

“Sebastien and Alex planned all of it.” Dad answered.

“It was all Seb’s idea. He wanted to do some things around here while he is in town and well, it just kind of kept growing and turned into this” Alex said turning around with her arms outstretched to encompass all of the people she saw in front of her.

Lisa looked to Seb who was watching her with a smile on his face, hoping she was happy with what they were here to do. Some people didn’t handle surprises like this very well.

“What is all this, Seb? What is everyone here for?” she said in a soft voice, still not sure what was happening here.

He placed his hands on her shoulders, his thumbs touching the softness of her neck and told her,

“As Alex said, I wanted to do something to help you and as she also said it just grew. Initially I thought it would just be me and maybe a couple of the other guys if they weren’t busy but, every time Alex or I told someone that we were going to come here today and help do some cleanup on the property, well, they all just wanted to come and help too.”

“What are they all going to do?”

“We have a few projects, starting with getting you unloaded and the truck will be picked up instead of you taking it back. Then some will be starting to get the immediate area around the guest house cleaned up of the leaves and such. Others are going to do the same around the main house.” Alex and your contractor, who has been a really big help organizing everything, already had your plans for the landscaping so we are going to see how much of that can be done today and tomorrow after the yard is cleaned up. The existing bushes and trees will be trimmed and checked to see what is not salvageable and get them removed. We want the area cleaned up where the playground will be installed, so the contractor has roped it off. You just need to check it and make sure that is indeed where you want it before Ty and his crew come.” Seb told her.

Dad stepped closer and said “and finally, we have a food crew. We have several big propane gas grills over out of the way, set up and ready to go and plenty of food and drinks coming to keep feeding everyone as they get hungry. If you see something that is being done that is not in keeping with your plans, please do not hesitate to speak up and we will correct it. I am so happy for you and proud of what you have already done here. We are all just happy to be able to be a small part of it in some way.”

All this time while they were telling her all of this, tears had been streaming down Lisa’s face. She couldn’t believe the generosity of all of these people. This was a huge project to get the yard cleaned up. It was a large piece of property. To have all of these people helping, it would get done in just a day or two at the most instead of a week or two like she had planned.

“Seb, I don’t know what to say. I mean, this is incredible. Thank You”

“You don’t have to say anything. Just let us help you to make this home a reality as soon as possible.”

Dan shouted so everyone could hear him, “Okay everyone, Let’s get started.”

People started moving out of the crowd they were in and began picking up rakes, leaf blowers and hedge trimmers. Everyone had something to do. Long before Lisa had arrived they had all met and split into groups by what task they were going to work on.

Lisa was so overwhelmed. She really had no words to describe how she was feeling. Seb led her into the guest house out of the view of most of the people who were there and pulled her to him and held her and whispered in her ear. “I am so happy that your dream is coming true, Ma Cherie. I hope that you want me to be part of that dream.”

She gasped lightly and looked up into his eyes and saw all of his emotion shining right there for her to see. Before she could think of the wisdom of doing it, she felt herself being drawn to him, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him to her as she pressed her lips to his in a hesitant kiss. He was so afraid of doing anything to make her back away so he just let her take the lead and then he very willingly and happily followed her down whatever path she was ready to take.

Lisa was enjoying the feel of his lips on hers again. She loved the way he held her. She felt so safe in his arms and wished she could stay right there.

Behind them, people had started bringing in the crib and the boxes from the rental truck. Lisa was jarred out of her reverie as they were still locked in their embrace and kissing like they had been the only ones in the room but they weren’t. They were in the way.

Seb was disappointed but understanding when Lisa finally backed away from him with a bashful smile on her face.

“Right then, I guess I’d better get to work. I started all of this. If I don’t help too, we might have a mutiny.” He said smiling at her and stepping in to plant one more, light kiss on her lips he winked and turned and went outside to help unload.

She couldn’t believe that she had just initiated that kiss. She didn’t regret it really but she was just shocked that she had taken that step. She might regret it later but not now when she could still feel his warmth and feel the tingling in her lips and tongue and smell his aftershave that clung fragrantly to her clothes where they had been pressed to him. She stood still for just a few more moments, still getting herself together and then she made herself snap out of it and get to work.

She started putting the already labeled boxes into their correct rooms and Seb popped his head in and said that was the last of the boxes and the truck was empty but they had one more thing to do with it. Seb asked her to follow him towards the main house for a minute.

They entered the side door of the old laundry room that was connected to the house by a breezeway that had protected the original owners and their staff from the glaring sun and the rain as they passed between the main house and laundry room. Lisa hadn’t been in here in at least a month. She didn’t even know it was being worked on yet. There had been other priorities. It still wasn’t totally renovated but it had its new windows installed and the doors hadn’t been replaced but had been restored as were the rest of doors to the house to maintain the original look of the old estate. It was totally empty. Before when Lisa had been in here they had been storing construction equipment and supplies.

“We are going to get your things out of storage. Mr. and Mrs. Samuels are here helping today and Mr. Samuels is going to go with us to help. You will have the rest of your things right here and you will be able to go through them at your convenience.”

“You have thought of everything, haven’t you?” Lisa said squeezing his arm in excitement.

“Well actually, Alex is the one to give credit for this one. She thought you might want more of your things that you weren’t able to bring to her apartment.”

“I do want them. But I was just going to bring a few boxes at a time and go through them. Now they will be here and I can do them when I have time. The Samuel’s have twins coming in February. I hope Lainey isn’t overdoing it here.”

“We have given her a comfortable seat over at the food area, she is helping Mary and the others to cook and serve. She has been forbidden to do anything any more strenuous.

By lunchtime everything had been brought from storage, unloaded and the truck had been picked up by the rental company. It gave Lisa such a surge of joy that they had something so important accomplished in just a few hours. They could see the smoke rising from the grills and smell the wonderful aromas rising from inside of them. By the time they had the truck picked up, they were all famished.

There were quite a few dishes to sample. No one would go hungry here today.

Some of the workers had already eaten by the time Lisa was able to make her way over to the tables. The makeshift tables were actually large sheets of plywood resting on saw horses but they were perfect. A couple of the carpenters had fashioned some quick benches out of scrap wood that was laying in a pile waiting for any use. There were several people already sitting and eating when Lisa and Seb sat down with their plates piled high. Lisa had been thanking people non stop since she had gotten here. She wanted everyone to know how much she appreciated their help. Lisa looked down the table at each of the faces as she was finishing speaking to David and Carlos who had been hard at it all morning. Of course as promised, David had been pulling his camera out frequently to catch some interaction between people or a section of the yard that was just being completed. A lot of people were leaving Lisa video messages telling her how privileged they felt to be able to help make this home a reality.

At first she thought she must be mistaken. It had only been last night that they had met. She told Seb that she would be right back.

“Laray? It is you. I didn’t know that you were here. Thank you so much” It was obvious that Laray had been working right along with everyone else from the dirt and leaves clinging to her clothes.

“I told you last night that I was interested in seeing the house, so when I overheard Alex and Sebastien talking about it, I decided to stay and help. Tom and Tedy had to be back for their game tomorrow so they couldn’t stay but they wanted you to know that they would have loved to help.”

“Well, I understand that. Of course they had to go. After Dad told me about the season they are having I was surprised they were there last night.”

“They have a friend that has a jet and was flying down so we flew to Florida with him. They went commercial back to Massachusetts. I’ll leave late tonight and be able to be at the game tomorrow.”

“Well, again thank you and you are welcome here anytime.”

“I am looking forward to seeing the house filled with children running around.”

“You and me both”

“I need to speak to a few more people while they are stopped for a break and then get back to work. Please don’t leave without saying goodbye later.”

Laray agreed, and thought she and Lisa might just end up as friends.

Chapter 22:

Lunch was officially over but food was still available for anyone who wanted to grab a snack. Mary had been helping to cook. She loved to cook. She hadn’t done a lot of it lately with only herself in the house. With her husband gone and all of her children out, cooking for one just isn’t very appealing. She began having an idea and when she was finished cooking she went in search of Lisa.

“Hi Lisa. Things seem to be going very well today.”

“Oh, Hi Mary. Yes, they are and I am so pleased at all that has been accomplished already and thank you for your help today. “

“You are very welcome. I looked for you so I could say goodnight last night but I couldn’t find you.”

“I got very ill shortly before I left there last night. I got very sleepy and then my stomach got very upset. I’m still feeling it a little but most of it is gone, thankfully.”

“Oh, that’s terrible and after the wonderful night you had, too.”

“I know, I was upset at the way my night ended too. But I’m better and so thrilled today. I’ll never be able to properly thank everyone who helped here today.”

“Lisa, I have a question to ask and I don’t want you to answer me right now. I know that it’s a way off until you will have need of a cook and other household help, but when you do would you consider me as an applicant? I will bring you some samples of my cooking for you to try. I know that my age might be a negative factor but I am still in fairly good health and I would love to be a part of this if possible.”

Like Mary said, it was too soon for cooks and household help but it wasn’t too early to start thinking about it. She promised Mary that she would keep her in mind for when she was at that point. Later, when Lisa had time to think about it more, she realized that if Mary could in fact cook well enough, then she would be perfect for the position. They already got along well and she knew Mary liked children. Mary had her job at the daycare still so she wouldn’t be in a terrible hurry to have a job. They would just have to find a new receptionist for the daycare when the time came.

“Alex, I feel terrible about this but I need to go lay down for a few minutes. I feel so sleepy again. I hope I am not getting sick. I have too much going on. Would you come and wake me up in an hour, or less if someone needs me?”

“Sure, you go ahead. Don’t worry. Most everyone knows you weren’t feeling well last night and this morning. You have already done a lot of work today.”

“I feel awkward sleeping while everyone else is working but I won’t be of much use until I can shake this feeling.”

“Go get some sleep and don’t worry about it.”

Lisa walked back to the guest house making a phone call to check on Kayti who of course was doing just fine. She went to her bedroom and placed the boxes on the floor that had been put on the bed. She laid down and promptly fell asleep.

Seb realized that he hadn’t seen Lisa in a while and began looking for her. He passed Alex and asked her if she knew where Lisa was. She told him about Lisa needing to get a short nap. It was about time for her to go wake Lisa up. He told her that he would go do it. He thanked her and went into the house.

He stopped to wash his hands, get a drink and splashed some cold water on his face and wiped it with a paper towel. He listened for any sounds coming from her room and when he didn’t hear any, he knocked lightly on the door. She didn’t answer so he quietly opened the door to find her still sound asleep, covered only by a light blanket. He knew he needed to wake her like he had promised Alex but he wanted to watch her sleep for just a few minutes. He sat on the side of the bed and let his eyes wander over her sleeping form. She was so beautiful even with her hair all messed up from working all day. Some of it had escaped from the ponytail and was draped across her brow. He reached over and pushed the hair off of her face and let his fingers run lightly down the side of her face. He loved how she looked, so relaxed and carefree. He wanted to wake her with a kiss but before he even had a chance to think anymore about it her eyes flew open and that relaxed, carefree look was gone in an instant, replaced by the most terrible look of terror on her face.

She would have screamed but no sound would come out, she was so afraid. She had been slowly coming to a state of semi-consciousness and felt that there was someone in the room. When she had opened her eyes, she wasn’t awake enough to focus and all she saw was the form of a man sitting beside her on the bed.

“Lisa what is it? What is wrong?”

Seb had been momentarily startled when he saw the look on her face and he had jumped up off of the bed. Now as he moved back towards the bed he saw her eyes open even wider if that was even possible.

“Cherie, Are you awake? It’s Seb.”

Instead of sitting back on the bed he knelt on the carpet next to her. He reached out and touched her hand. He thought she was going to pull away but it finally looked like she was coming around.

“Seb? Seb, I’m sorry. I wasn’t awake. I…I didn’t know it was you.” She said as she sat up and swung her legs off of the bed and rubbed her eyes trying to shake the fuzzy feeling out of her head.

He stood up and backed up enough so she could stand up then ran his hand down her arm and could feel that she was still trembling.

“Lisa are you ok? I’m sorry that I frightened you. That is the last thing I wanted to do.”

“I’m alright. I just wasn’t awake, that’s all. What time is it?”

“Four o’clock. Alex said you wanted to be woken up.”

“I did, I mean I do. I got so terribly sleepy again. I am afraid I might be coming down with something. I don’t ever get sick. This is a rotten time for it too.”

As they were talking they went to the kitchen and Lisa started a pot of fresh coffee and when it was ready she asked Seb if he wanted a cup and she poured herself one.

“I think I’m all coffee’d out today, thanks though.” He said giving her a small smile.

She could tell he was still shaken by the way she had acted upon waking. She wanted to make him forget about it so she began asking what had been done and what still needed to be done. “As soon as I drink this I will get back out there and get busy.”

“Are you feeling better after your nap?

“Yes, for now I’m good, ready to get back to work. I hated having to stop earlier, but I couldn’t keep my eyes open, much like last night. Alex has made me promise to go get checked out if I am not over this by tomorrow.”

“Good, I agree.”

She finished her coffee and they went outside and he showed her all that had been accomplished that day. All of the grassy areas around both the main and guest house had been totally cleaned up of the leaves and downed branches and other debris. It looked so much better. The grass was in its dormant stage. It would look much better in a month or two especially now that it wasn’t packed down with years of leaves. Later someone told her when would be a good time for them to come out and plant some new grass seed, for it to come up at the right time of year, to fill in the bare spots and all around thickening up of the entire lawn. All of the trees and bushes had been trimmed or removed if they were in too bad a shape to be saved. Over to the edge of the open part of the yard a burn pile had been going, getting rid of all the leaves and branches and the removed bushes.

“Tomorrow a few people will be back to help with the planting of the trees and all of the flowers. It is late and everyone was beginning to get tired so they are beginning to quit for today.”

“I can’t believe how much got done today. The difference is incredible.” She said then her phone rang.

“Hello,..Hi how is she… Oh Good….. Are you sure…. I could still come and get her… Alright. Yes, Everything that had been planned was accomplished today except for the planting which will be done tomorrow…. I’ll see you tomorrow then. Yes,…I Love you too, goodnight.

“Is everything ok over there?”

“Yes, Mom suggested that I leave her there for tonight. Dad told her we would be working here again tomorrow so it would be better for her to be there. She can’t be outside, so I guess it’s for the best.”

By six o’clock, everyone except Alex, Urs, and Seb, had said their goodbyes and had either gone home or to their hotels. Everyone was justifiably tired. So much work had gotten done today. When the foursome stood in the yard looking around at the progress, they were all amazed and after all of the commotion here all day, now it was so quiet except for the evening sounds of the birds beginning to settle for the night in the nearby trees and bugs that were buzzing around the area.

“Does anyone feel like having Chinese take-out for dinner? Urs asked

Everyone agreed that Chinese sounded great. Alex had the number of the place she usually went to already programmed into her phone. They ordered and agreed that Urs and Alex would go to pick it up.

“I would really love to stop at the hotel and take a shower.” Would anyone mind if we called back and delayed the food just a few minutes?” Urs asked

Nobody minded and Seb asked Lisa if she minded if he asked Urs to bring some clothes back with him if he could take a shower here when they returned.

“Sure, You have all done so much here today. I’m sure you’ll feel a lot better after you get cleaned up.

“You know what would be nice out here?” Seb asked Lisa.

“What?” she said as they stood on the front porch of the guest house. The porch light automatically turned itself on as it got dark. The actual power had finally been turned on after the new wiring had been finished on Monday.

“A set of chairs and maybe a porch swing. It would be nice to sit out here and look at the stars.”

“Yes, that would be nice. I’ll look around and find some soon. Seb, would you mind if I went and had a shower? I will be done before they come back and then you can get yours.”

“No, go ahead. I’m just going to stay out here for a few minutes.”

Lisa went in and quickly got a change of clothes and took them into the bathroom with her and locked the door. She wasn’t totally comfortable doing this while alone in the house with a man but for some reason she trusted Seb implicitly. Still, she hurried through her shower and got dressed as fast as possible. It wasn’t until she opened the bathroom door and found Seb still outside enjoying the night air that she released a huge breath. She shouldn’t have been nervous she knew but she couldn’t help it.

When she stepped back outside Seb turned and smiled at her.

“Feel better?”

“You have no idea” She said with a double meaning known only to her.

Urs and Alex came back, Urs was driving Alex’s car and she was driving Lisa’s.
When he got out of the car, Urs was carrying a bag with Seb’s clothes.

“Thanks, I didn’t like the idea of being out here by myself with no vehicle. I’m glad you thought of it.” She said to them.

Seb took the bag and stepped into the bathroom to shower and change. When he was done, it was a bit warm in the bathroom so he opened the door while he was combing his hair. Lisa was walking by the bathroom door and stopped short at the sight of him.

His arm was raised as he was combing his hair and he hadn’t buttoned his shirt yet. She was glued to the spot and couldn’t resist looking at the bare portion of his chest that was exposed to her in the mirror as he moved through the task. She could see the sprinkling of hair that covered a fair amount of his chest and continued on down to disappear below the waistband of his jeans.

All of a sudden he saw her in the mirror as he looked up. Their eyes met and Seb just said, “I’ll be right out.” He knew she was embarrassed at being caught looking and normally he would have made some kind of wise crack but with Lisa at this stage of their relationship, he thought better of it, but he couldn’t resist a wink.

Lisa knew she must be red as a beet but she tried to cover up her embarrassment.
“The food is all set up whenever you are ready.”

They ate their dinner and relaxed just enjoying being together. It had been a long day. All of a sudden everyone got a case of the yawns that kept going around the room. Then they all had a fit of the giggles which gave Alex the hiccups increasing the giggles from everyone.

They finally decided that after the long night last night and all of the hard work today that they needed to get some sleep if they were going to get the rest finished tomorrow. Alex was going to take Seb and Urs back to their hotel. They all stood and stretched and Alex motioned to Urs to follow her outside.

After Urs and Alex had gone outside, Seb stood in front of Lisa and looked into her eyes.

“Are you going to be alright all the way out here all by yourself?”

“I’m going to have to be, aren’t I? I live here now. Tomorrow I will have Kayti back home and it won’t be so quiet then.”

He brushed the loose hairs away from her face and then he took her face between his hands looking for any sign that said she didn’t want him to kiss her. He didn’t find any such sign.

She felt a little nervous. She knew he wanted to kiss her goodnight. Did she stop him now before it got any harder to? She knew she should, but before she could talk herself into telling him no, he had already started kissing her and once his lips were on hers there was no way she could stop him, not that he wouldn’t stop if she had asked him to, but she couldn’t make herself stop him no matter how much her head told her to.

He pulled her so close to him that he could feel her increased heartbeat and her heavy breathing as he deepened the kiss, slipping his tongue between her lips and tasting her sweet mouth. He left her mouth and his soul rejoiced as he heard her groan and felt her hands tighten on his waist at his desertion of her mouth, but he hadn’t gone far.

He was pressing a line of kisses across her jaw and then down her neck and on the sensitive spot just below her ear. She groaned again pressing her body closer to his, feeling sensations that no other man had ever made her feel.

They were brought back to their senses when they heard Urs and Alex laughing at something outside.

“I will be back first thing in the morning, Cherie” He said softly, still touching her face. He hated leaving her out here all alone, but didn’t know how to ask her to let him stay. He knew somehow that she wasn’t ready to take their relationship any further and he wasn’t about to push it. “Goodnight”

“Goodnight Seb. Thank you for everything you did, starting with planning what happened here today. ” She said taking hold of his hand and kissed his cheek which earned her an award winning smile.

He turned and went out to join Alex and Urs. Lisa stood on the front porch waving until she couldn’t see Alex’s car anymore. Then she went into her house to do some more unpacking and organizing until she knew that she needed to try to go to sleep.

She went into the bedroom and wound up spending another hour emptying more boxes and putting things away. She may end up rearranging things at a later date but for now she just wanted the boxes gone. Finally, she looked around the bedroom and found that she had emptied all of the bedroom boxes and put everything away. Tomorrow she would tackle Kayti’s bedroom and the kitchen. Maybe she would be able to talk one of the guys into helping her put Kayti’s crib back together so it would be ready when she came home.

She really couldn’t wait to bring Kayti home tomorrow. It would be so exciting to finally be here with her on the property and soon in the house that Kayti would grow up in.

Lisa finally forced herself to get into bed. She pushed away the thoughts of Seb that were invading her mind. She knew if she started thinking about him she would never go to sleep.

She had intended to be up and dressed when they arrived back, but she woke in the morning to a knock on the door. She threw on her robe over her pajamas and went to the door. There were no curtains hung up yet so she could see immediately that it was Seb and he was all alone. She saw a bit of the yellow cab through the trees, exiting the driveway onto the road.

She opened the inside door, speaking to him through the screen. “Good morning, Seb. Come on in. Are you always such an early riser?”

“No, Not usually, but I am still so excited about getting as much done here as possible while I’m in town. Urs was on his way over to Alex’s and will be here whenever she gets ready to come and David and Carlos will be here in a couple of hours.” He said and leaned in and kissed her cheek after she opened the screen door. “Good morning, Cherie.”

“How can I ever thank you for making all of this happen. I am still shocked at everything people did yesterday.” She said as she started the coffee brewing. “Have you eaten this morning?”

“Just a cup of coffee and toast. I couldn’t wait to get here.” He said grinning. “I don’t suppose you’ve spoken to Alex’s mom this morning to check on Kayti?”

“No, I just woke up when I heard you knocking.”

“I’m sorry I woke you.” But he really wasn’t. He liked the look of her still drowsy and her hair all messed up and her still in her pajamas. She ran her fingers through her hair trying to straighten it out a little self consciously.

“That’s quite alright. I needed to get up anyway. Others will be coming too. I need to go get dressed then I will make some breakfast.”

“What would you like to eat? I can get it started.”

“I was thinking of some bacon and eggs. How does that sound to you?”

“Perfect, I will get the bacon going while you get dressed then.

When she came out dressed in Capri’s and a light top with her hair still falling loosely around her shoulders, he couldn’t take his eyes off of her. This weekend he had seen her in everything from evening gown to jeans to pajamas and no matter what she wore she looked beautiful to him.

“Did you sleep well?”

“I did once I actually forced myself into bed. When you left I started unpacking things out here and then I thought I would go to bed but when I got into the bedroom I started in there and didn’t stop until I had every box in there emptied and put away. So my bedroom is fairly organized now. I was going to see if I could get some help putting Kayti’s crib back together?”

“Sure, we’ll tackle that as soon as we eat, ok?”

“Great thanks”

By the time Alex and Urs arrived, breakfast was cooked and the table set.

“Wow, I like coming here. The service is great.” Urs said with a big grin as he walked in and saw breakfast all ready.

They all ate at a leisurely pace and chatted. Alex was thinking how comfortable the foursome had become together. It hardly seemed possible that she had only met Urs two weeks ago. Things were getting extremely comfortable between the two of them. They were enjoying their alone time learning things about each other and just that morning before he had arrived, she had told her mom on the phone that she was happier then she had ever been with a man and no they had not been intimate yet.

Soon other people started arriving for today’s activities. Yesterday, all of the helpers had met before everyone had left for the day and decided that such a big group wouldn’t be needed and if anyone had other things they needed to do they didn’t have to feel obligated to come again today.

The contractors would also not be here today. They were all thanked for their help no matter what they had done. Also, other than drinks and some snacks, they didn’t feel the need to have the food crew today. They had decided to order pizza to be delivered for lunch. So people came off and on all day. Some would stay for an hour or two and some would stay most of the day.

When they all emerged from the house and looked around at the property in the light of day it was amazing at the transformation and the new trees, shrubs that needed to be replaced and new flowers weren’t even planted yet. It even smelled different out there with all of the grass being uncovered and the trimming of the existing bushes it gave off a fresh, clean scent.

As the group waited for the delivery from the nursery, they all chatted amongst themselves. Some of the volunteers were meeting others that they hadn’t gotten a chance to speak to yesterday.

Lisa looked around and knew that she was going to enjoy being outside in the yard as much as possible. It was already such a beautiful piece of property and it had so much more potential. As she sat there looking at all of these wonderful people who had come to help her, friends both old an new, giving freely of their time to make this home a reality, She felt truly blessed.

Chapter 23:

They heard the loud sound of a diesel truck approaching and saw it slowly turning into the driveway. The truck was from a local nursery and it had been arranged by Alex last week that they would make this special delivery on Sunday even thought they weren’t normally open. This was a huge order that the nursery could not afford to turn down.

The trees, shrubs and flats of flowers were unloaded and distributed to the area of the property that they would be planted. The shrubs were easy. They just went in the spots where the dead ones had been pulled out. The flowers were going into several different flower beds. Lisa had a plan that had been drawn up to show which flowers were going where.

There were about two dozen rose bushes being planted around the property as well as some wisteria which Lisa was going to keep trimmed to actually grow into sort of a small tree in several years. There was a trellis on the left side of the house and it had been in terrible shape so that had been replaced yesterday with a new one so that hummingbird vine could be planted there. By the end of the following summer it would be almost to the top of the house. It grows extremely fast. Auntie had told her that she had known it to grow two feet in a single day. Hummingbirds love to come and eat the nectar from its little red flowers. Several Butterfly bushes were planted around the property to attract butterflies.

Crepe Myrtles were being placed all along the driveway. The ones along the main part of the driveway would be allowed to grow quite large but the ones edging the outside of the circular part of the driveway would be continuously pruned to stay fairly small, more like a hedge. There were also several dogwood trees going in, scattered around the property. And towards the back of the property near the edge of the woods, orange, grapefruit, pear and banana trees were planted to provide fruit. The last trees to be planted were two Pecan trees. Lisa loved pecans but it could be several years before they would see any pecans after the transplant.

She hoped to have the time to have a vegetable garden every year to provide fresh foods and give her something to do with the children for an activity.

By lunchtime half of the trees were planted and most of the shrubs and flowers were in as well. They stopped only when the pizza delivery guy got there and only long enough to eat. It looked like they could possibly have rain in the evening so they wanted to try to finish as soon as possible.

Shortly after they finished lunch, Mom pulled in the driveway. Lisa hurried over to her car thinking something might be wrong but there wasn’t. Mom came bearing gifts. She had made several batches of brownies and chocolate chip cookies. More importantly though, she brought Kayti home to visit for a few minutes. She knew that Lisa missed her. She had called every few hours to check on her.

Kayti was handling the chicken pox as well as could be expected but still had several days before the blisters would dry up so they decided that Mom would keep Kayti until they did. Then Lisa wouldn’t have to miss work. They visited in the guest house for a few minutes and Kayti was happy running around in the different rooms. It had looked different every time she came as it was being renovated. It might be a while before she would be adjusted to her new home. Urs and Seb had taken direction from Lisa after breakfast and had easily put Kayti’s crib back together. She saw it in her new room and tried to climb in.

After Mom had eaten a brownie and had a cup of coffee, she packed a reluctant Kayti back into the car and headed home. Seb saw Lisa’s wistful look as they were leaving and put his arm around her waist and pulled her to him.

“She will be home soon, Cherie. I know you wanted her to stay.” He kissed her on the temple and saw the lone tear that escaped and ran down her cheek.

“I know I am being silly but I miss her.”

“That is not silly. That is being a good mom.”

“I never thanked you for what you said at the party on Friday night when you introduced MAMA. It really made me think of how blessed I am to have Mom and Dad and Kayti too.”

“I did notice that you had started calling yourself Mama to her. I’m glad.” He said smiling down on her.

He started thinking that if he and Lisa were able to get together that he would all of a sudden be Kayti’s Papa. He already felt his heart growing with love for the little girl. He loved the way her face lit up when she saw him. He decided right then that he would count it a privilege to be able to be her Papa. He just hoped that they would be able to get past whatever was holding Lisa back. It had to be something serious or Alex would have been able to tell him. He thought about trying to talk to Lisa tonight after everyone else had gone. He decided to see how it went over the evening.

About three hours after Mom had left, she looked around and a lot of people were standing around talking. She walked over to Seb, Alex and Urs and said, “Is there anything left to be planted?”

“No, we were just realizing ourselves that everything is done. Can you believe it?” Urs said.

“No way, really? This is unbelievable. In two days, work has been done that I had been told might take two to three weeks to accomplish.” Lisa told them.

The rest of the helpers gathered themselves into their little group.

“I don’t know how I will ever be able to thank all of you here and those that were here yesterday. This weekend has been absolutely wonderful. First all of the gifts I received for the home at the party and finding out that Il Divo would be supporting the home and last but not least, all that got done these past two days because of all of the volunteers that came and gave of their time and hard work. This home is going to be a reality so much sooner now. Children who are being shifted from foster home to foster home will soon come home for good. I hope that none of you will ever forget that when these children finally feel like the have a permanent home that it is because of you that it was possible. There is no way to do it this year but starting next Christmas, I would love to have an open house to welcome all of our friends each year and wish each one of you personally a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. So watch out next fall for invitations to be coming for each of you. I want you all to be able to see what your generosity has helped to accomplish. Ok, I am done with my speech.” Lisa said and chuckled.

Everyone came up to Lisa, said their goodbyes and left except for Alex and the four Divo’s. Dad had said goodbye and kissed her and told her how proud he was of her after her speech. She asked him to have Mom call her so she could talk to Kayti before she went to bed.

“Before Carlos and I came today, Seb told me that the grills were still here, so I stopped and picked up some steaks for dinner if that is ok.” David announced.

“I don’t know about everyone else but it sounds great to me. I can eat a steak anytime. Actually I just like to grill for a lot of my cooking. I am going to have to add a gas grill to my fast growing shopping list. I left the one Auntie and I used with the Samuels’.”

“You know with all of the people that will be living here, you might want to check into having a large propane tank installed when you do get a grill. Then you don’t have to worry about changing out the small tanks all the time. In Colorado, my parents have a hundred gallon tank that only has to get filled once or twice a year depending on how often you grill.”

“David, that sounds like a great idea. When the back deck is done being built, I will check into getting one. I do hate those little tanks as much as I grill out. Thanks for the suggestion.”

Lisa and Alex went inside and with all of them working together, they quickly made a nice dinner with the steaks that David had brought, along with baked potatoes and a salad. As tired as everyone was, they just sat at the table and talked amongst themselves for a while….

Later, when the girls were cleaning up, the guys were working on getting all of Lisa’s TV and stereo equipment hooked up. Most of it had been in the Samuels’ attic.

“That speech you gave earlier was so nice Lisa. I wish Mom had been here to hear it.”

“I was just saying what was in my heart, that’s all. I meant every word.”

“Don’t worry Alex, I got it on video” David said winking at Lisa.

“You did?” Lisa asked him coloring slightly.

“Yup, I’m glad too. It was a great speech.” He said smiling at her.

“I’ve been trying to figure out a practical way to thank everyone for their help. Like I said, we couldn’t do the Christmas party I had in mind. There just isn’t enough time to plan one and it will be so much nicer to have it in the completed house. Next year though, the house will be finished and we can do some great decorating here. It will be so beautiful.”

“What about like at the zoo and other places like that? You are still going to be having the front walkway redone aren’t you? Well, at the zoo, they sometimes sell bricks for the walkways and the contributors name is engraved in that brick and laid in the walkway. You could have each of the contributors and volunteers names engraved into a brick and lay it in the new front walk. It would be a permanent thank you. Or you could do one of those plaques that would hang in the house in the front hall with individual little plates with their names engraved.” Alex suggested.

“You guys are full of great ideas aren’t you? I think that I like the walkway bricks idea the best. I just need to try to make sure to have a complete list of contributors and volunteers. I wouldn’t want to leave anyone out.”

“I think we already have a list of volunteers that were here the past two days and I can have my boss check the party program to make sure it is complete.”

“Well, we know that Miley and Billy Ray as well as Ty and Ed were not listed in the program.” Lisa reminded her.

“Yeah Miley and Billy Ray were last minute additions but Ty and Ed were purposely omitted to avoid any hints of what was going to be happening.” Alex told them.

When the guys had gotten the TV hooked up, they turned it on and while Carlos was flipping through the channels David hollered for him to go back to the previous channel.

“What, you don’t want to get watching that right now, do you?” Carlos scolded him.

“Sure we do. That’s the Patriots. You know, you guys met Tom and Tedy on Friday night. They are playing the Pittsburgh Steelers. I’m a Broncos fan but no one can deny that these guys are having an amazing season.”

“That’s alright, David. Go ahead and leave it on. I wonder if we’ll be able to see Laray too, wherever she is sitting.” Lisa said

They had some of Mom’s treats for dessert and watched as the Patriots beat the Steelers 34-13. At one point in the game, the cameras focused on Tom’s wife Laray as she was jumping up and down and whistling after her husband had just thrown a touchdown pass.

“She must be so proud of Tom.” Alex said

Just after the game ended, David and Carlos said their goodnights to everyone and left in their rental car and shortly after that Alex said,

“I don’t know about the rest of you, but I am really tired and I am going to head home to bed. I have tomorrow off to rest up after this busy weekend. Urs, Are you and Seb ready to go?

“I guess I am. What about you, Seb?” Urs said hoping that Seb wasn’t leaving yet so he could be alone with Alex

“I don’t know. Lisa, would you mind if I stuck around for a while?”

“Sure Seb, that will be ok but aren’t you tired too.”

“I guess I should be, but I’m not feeling it yet. I’ll just call a cab when I’m ready to go or whenever you are ready to kick me out. Next time I am in town I will just rent a car.

Alex and Urs said goodnight and headed out leaving Lisa and Seb standing on the front porch.

“I can call the cab now if you’re tired. I just got the impression that they wanted to be alone together.”

“You don’t have to leave unless you want to. I’m going to go unpack some of the boxes in Kayti’s room. I want it to be ready for when she comes home so she can play with her toys. Alex helped me finish with what I had for the kitchen. Tomorrow, I need to go out to the storage and see if I can find the rest of the kitchen boxes. There may be things that I will take to the donation box or throw away. I wasn’t ready to get rid of any of Auntie’s things yet when I packed the house up. All I sorted through was her clothes. It was really hard to get rid of any of those but I knew I couldn’t keep them all so I just kept a few special things.”

“Well, I’ll stay and help you unpack Kayti’s room, then tomorrow I can come and help you move whatever boxes you are ready for from the storage.”

“Thank You Seb. I’d appreciate that. I don’t have to be at work until between twelve and one. So I would love to get those at least moved over here before then. I can unpack them when I get home.”

Lisa smiled at him and moved into Kayti’s room and together they unpacked all of Kayti’s clothes and toys. For now Lisa had the dresser that was at Anna’s for Kayti but Lisa wanted to get Kayti a whole new bedroom set for the nursery in the main house whenever it was ready.

All that was left was for pictures and curtains to be hung up and the gate that would be installed in front of her door to keep her out of mischief when Lisa was cooking or otherwise busy. Lisa decided that they had done more than enough for today. At least there were no more boxes left in her room for Kayti to get into. Kayti had been used to sleeping in the same room with her. She hoped there wouldn’t be too hard of an adjustment for her sleeping in her room alone.

“Can I get you something to drink, Sebastien?”

“Yes, is there any coffee left?”

“I think there is. She looked around the corner to check. Yes, there is. I think I’d like one too, but I’m going to make mine an iced coffee. Have a seat”

“I’ve never had an iced coffee. Is it pretty good then?”

“I like it when it is hot sometimes over having a hot drink. Would you like to try one?”

“Why don’t you make yours, I’ll try a sip and then maybe I’ll have one too if I like it.”

They both settled on the sofa sipping at their coffees. He had tried hers and liked it so she made him one too.

Seb wanted to talk to her about what was holding her back, making her nervous. No, she wasn’t just nervous she was frightened of something. He could feel it sometimes but he couldn’t figure out what it was. They had three days before he would leave and he wanted to spend most of it with her and Kayti.
He figured that now would be the best time to talk to her about such a serious matter. Tomorrow, Kayti might be home and he didn’t know if they would get anymore time totally alone before he left.

Lisa could feel him looking at her and he seemed lost in thought.

“Seb thank you for all of your help. I know I’ve already said it but I can’t thank you enough for all this that you planned and helped accomplish and the extra help in the evenings. Is everything all hooked up and working over there?” She indicated her entertainment center.

“Yes, we checked everything. It’s working fine. And you don’t have to keep thanking me, Lisa. I am here because I want to be. Every minute we spend together is special to me, Cherie.

Lisa smiled and blushed at his revelation.

“Lisa, I don’t want to do anything to upset you or ruin the lovely time that we have had tonight but there is something I would like,… no I need, to discuss with you.

Lisa couldn’t imagine what it would be but the way he had said it made her uncomfortable.

“I care for you so much Lisa. Each day I feel it growing stronger. As I said, every minute we spend together I consider precious to me.”

Lisa was panicking. This is what she had been so afraid of, the moment that she had been dreading. She never should have let him kiss her and she definitely shouldn’t have kissed him. It had sent him the wrong signals and now she had to tell him. She hated that she would probably lose even his friendship now. He would have every right to be angry that she had led him on these past couple of days, but there was nothing else she could do.

He watched her getting increasingly agitated as he had spoken those words to her. Why? Why when he knew she had enjoyed his kisses. They had gotten along so well, talking for hours about their separate lives. He needed to find out. He wasn’t going to let this go without her explaining why she was so afraid of him. He reached out to her and took her shaking hand in his.

“Talk to me. Tell me what is wrong. In the two weeks we have been together I have felt so many conflicting things from you. Sometimes you seem overjoyed to see me, to be near me. When we have kissed”….He put his finger under her chin to make her look at him. When she was, he continued.

“When we have kissed, I felt like you wanted it as much as I did. I felt your desire for me. But sometimes… sometimes you seem to want to run away. I feel sometimes that you are actually afraid of me. Do you think I will hurt you?

Her head snapped back up after it had dropped away from his gaze again.

“NO, No Seb. I don’t think that you would ever hurt me. It isn’t you. I swear. It’s… it’s me. I can’t. I’m sorry Seb. I never, ever should have let things go so far. I knew I was sending you mixed signals and I tried to stop, I promise I did. but….I care for you too…. But all there can ever be between us is friendship. I’m so sorry.”

She was crying and Seb wanted to comfort her but he was also in shock that she was telling him this. The kisses they had shared, some that were initiated by her were not those of friendship. He knew she had stronger feelings than friendship. He had to make her at least tell him why.

“Can you tell me why it is that you feel this way? Is it my job, the traveling, because I won’t be here as much as I should be for us to be in a normal relationship?”

She should say yes. She should tell him that is exactly why they can’t go any further. Then she wouldn’t ever have to tell him the truth. But she couldn’t do that, put the blame on him. It wouldn’t be fair. She loved him too much for that. Yes, she knew now that she did love him because this was killing her inside to tell him these things. The few times she had been out with friends and the occasional guy would try to break past her walls that she had built up, there was never one that had come close to making her feel what she was feeling now, sitting here watching the pain and confusion in his face. But to her there was no other alternative.

“Seb, No, it isn’t your job. I know what you do is important to you. You are an amazing singer and you are doing exactly what you were meant to be doing. I am sorry that I’ve hurt you. I understand if you don’t want to even be friends with me now. I never, ever meant to hurt you. You have made me feel so special and cared for these past two weeks and I can never thank you enough for that. I’m so sorry.

Tears were still running down her face. He couldn’t stand the pain he saw in her eyes. He knew that she cared for him. He could see it in her eyes. So why then would she turn him away?

“Please just tell me why. Why when I can see that you do care for me as I care for you. Why do you say that we can only be friends? I just need for you to make me understand why. Do you just need more time? I can give you that if you just tell me that’s all it is. We have both waited for each other for so long now, but now that we’ve found each other again, I’ll wait as long as you need me to.”

Lisa shook her head. She was having a hard time catching her breath because she was crying so hard. “No Seb, it can never be what you want. I wish it was different. I really do, but it can’t, not ever.

As she had spoken those words, she couldn’t stand the look of raw undisguised pain that she saw in his face. She had put it there and she hated herself for it. She stood as she looked at him and saw how much she was hurting him by turning him away and she ran to the door and out into the night not thinking about anything but escaping those eyes that had looked at her with so much sorrow.

Sebastien sat there in shock for several seconds until he thought about her out in the pitch black night. Other than the front porch light on the guest house, the street light out at the road, the tiny thumbnail of the moon and a few stars that were sprinkled in between the scattered clouds above, there was no other illumination. His sorrow at what she had said to him suddenly took a backseat as he began to fear for her safety out here. There were no other houses for quite a way up the road. He pulled himself together and ran out after her calling for her to answer him.

“Lisa, Please, please answer me. If you want me to leave, I will. But please let me get you inside before I go. I can’t leave with you outside here alone. Lisa… Lisa Please answer me.”

He was running blind. He had no idea which way she had run and he couldn’t see very far in front of him. He stopped and listened intently, trying to see if he might be able to hear something, finally he did. He heard her crying. He heard no sounds like she was running anymore, just the crying.

“Lisa, Please tell me where you are. I can’t see you. Please let me get you inside.”

He leaned against the tree. He was tired. It had been a long weekend so full of excitement, fun and promise for him, for them. He had done more actual physical labor than he had in quite some time, they all had and it was catching up with him.

“Seb? Are you still there?” He heard her call in a small voice.

“Yes, I am right here, Cherie. Please tell me where you are.” The relief flooded through him that she was calling for him.

“To your right, I think.”

He stood up straight and told her to keep calling out to him. She did and within a minute he had located her sitting on the ground, dirty, with leaves all stuck to her clothes and hair. Her legs were bent close to her and she was holding onto her left ankle.

“Are you hurt?” He said with fear in his eyes as he stooped down to where she was.

Unable to meet his eyes, she answered him softly. “Yes, I hurt my ankle.”

“Do you think it is broken?”

“No, I don’t think so. I just tripped over something and twisted it. It’s probably just sprained.”

“Let me help you up and we’ll see if you can put any weight on it.”

He went behind her and put his arms under hers and let her use him to pull herself up without using her left leg yet. When she was upright, she tried to put her weight on it and cried out in pain.

“That’s it. Don’t try it again. Let’s get you in and we will see if it is just a sprain or if we need to take you to hospital.”

She still wouldn’t meet his eyes. He had lifted her into his arms and slowly carried her to the house. He was careful, watching for anything that might trip him up. He wanted her to lay her head on his shoulder. That might be a sign that she had changed her mind. But she didn’t do it. She held it up and wouldn’t look at him. When they reached the door, He asked her to reach the handle and open it. When he had her inside, he carefully set her down on the sofa and put a couple of the sofa pillows under her ankle for support.

“Are you hurt anywhere else?” He asked as he noticed the large scrapes on her arm and cheek on her left side.

“Maybe a few scrapes and bruises, but my ankle is the worst thing.” She said with a few tears still escaping and rolling down her cheeks, leaving a trail through the dirt on her face from falling down.

Seb went to the linen closet and wet a face cloth with warm water. When he returned she was picking leaves out of her hair and clothes and dropping them on the floor. He knelt next to her on the floor. His touch was so gentle, so caring as he slowly wiped the dirt and tears from her face. She wanted to tell him to stop, to go and she would be fine, but she didn’t know if she could even stand on her ankle yet.
She hated herself so much for what she had done to him but she didn’t know how to change it. Finally, when she had the courage to look into his eyes, she didn’t see the hate and anger that she expected to see there after what she had done. Instead she still saw the love and caring that she had always seen in them. How could he, after her saying that to him?

“I think we need to take you to get that ankle X-rayed. Please, let me take you.”

He looked to her for a response. Her eyes looked glazed and unseeing, almost as if she no longer knew he was there. The response he got from her was not what he was expecting, not in a million years.

Chapter 24:

“I was raped Sebastien…. Five years ago, I was brutally raped and beaten by the man that I loved and thought loved me and I would be marrying and eventually on our wedding night I would learn about how to make love to him.” She was still looking across the room out of vacant eyes and was speaking in a monotone voice, void of emotion except for the tears that were evident.

“It was the only sex I have ever experienced. He knew I was a virgin and that I wanted to wait until my wedding night so it would be extra special. We had argued about it quite a few times. I would always end up going home with us both upset but I thought, in time maybe he would understand how I felt. I certainly never imagined what would happen.”

“One night, he wouldn’t let it go and we wound up angry as usual but I also started to be afraid. I had never been frightened of him before. He told me that the only reason he had hung around so long was he was hoping Auntie would die so we could live off of her inheritance. He said that all I cared about was Auntie and the rotten kids at the daycare and that I hadn’t even given him anything for a reason to keep him around, in other words, sex.”

Sebastien sat back on his heels, still holding the wet face cloth that he wasn’t even aware of anymore. He didn’t speak. He just let her get it all out. He was afraid if he interrupted her that she would stop telling him. He had asked her and now that she was telling him he didn’t know if he could bare to hear anymore of it. He felt like his heart was being ripped to shreds as she told him of the violation and physical pain the man had inflicted on her. But he knew that even though the physical pain had long since gone, the emotional pain may never be banished from her mind.

She stopped speaking momentarily and he thought she might not go on. She was staring off into space. She was shaking and as much as he wanted to hold her he knew that would be a mistake right now.

“Somehow I got myself home and Auntie had called the paramedics and police. When they went to arrest him, he was high on cocaine. I felt like such a fool. How could I not know about that? I was naïve about the drug scene, yes, but how can you not know something like that, as much time as we spent together? And how could I be so wrong about a person’s character? He wasn’t ever the most sensitive man but I never had a clue about his true nature.

Finally, Sebastien figured she was finished. She had slumped wearily against the back of the couch and closed her eyes. Her breathing was ragged. She wasn’t sobbing like before but a steady stream of tears was rolling down her face. He had so much he wanted to say. He was broken inside at what she had just told him. He had so many thoughts going through his head.

Where was this man now? Had he been punished? Sebastien wanted to kill him. He had never had this feeling about anyone in his life and his younger years had not been all that easy. He himself had experienced cruelty in his life. He just wanted five minutes alone with the man that had damaged such a beautiful creature. He knew that some of the damage may be irreparable but he knew without a doubt that he had to do everything within his power to try to make her whole again.

He went to brush the hair off of her face and realized that she had nodded off to sleep. He wasn’t sure what to do. Should he call Alex and leave when she arrived? While he was trying to make a decision he looked at her ankle which he had pulled her shoe off of earlier. It was swelling quite a bit now. He was afraid it might be broken. So, without further thought, he went and found her purse and the keys inside of it. Then he went out and opened the back door to her car, put her purse on the seat and came back into the house.

He hoped that she wouldn’t wake up and argue about his decision to take her to hospital. He had heard her talking to Alex at the party about hating going to the hospital and figured she would fight with him about it but there was no way around it. If it was broken it needed to be seen and fixed and he couldn’t make the diagnosis about whether or not it was broken or just sprained.

He stepped out to the kitchen and dialed Alex’s number. He didn’t get an answer on the house phone so he tried her cell phone.

“Alex? Hi I am sorry to bother you, but Lisa needs you. Can you tell me how to get to hospital from her house and then meet me there?”

“Sebastien? What’s happened? Is she still sick?”

“No Alex. She’s hurt her ankle and I want to drive her to the hospital and find out if it is broken. It’s pretty swollen.”

Alex wondered at the sound of Seb’s voice. He was understandably upset about Lisa’s ankle but it seemed more serious than that.

“Sebastien? Is there something more that you aren’t telling me?”

“She told me, Alex. She told me everything, I think. She has fallen asleep on the sofa and I want to get her into the car and to hospital. I heard how adamant she was Friday night about not going to the hospital so I don’t want to ask her permission again. Can you meet me there?”

“Yes, of course. I should be there before you.”

Alex dictated the directions to the hospital for Seb and told him she’d be there when they arrived.

After hanging up with Alex, Seb slowly and carefully lifted Lisa’s sleeping body off of the sofa and into his arms. For a few seconds he stood there enjoying the feel of her weight in his arms. Would he ever be able to feel her this close to him again after tonight? Would she now be able to move on and try to let him love her like he wanted to, or would this be the end for them? Sure, he was a red blooded man who enjoyed sex, but more than that right now he loved this woman with all of his heart and he needed to make sure she knew that he would never ever force her or even try to coerce her into sleeping with him if it wasn’t what she wanted as much as he did. He was afraid of what would happen to them if she remained adamant about not having a relationship other than friendship between them.

He moved out the door and gently slid her into the car and shut the door as quietly as possible. He ran up on the porch to lock the door to the house and got in the car and followed Alex’s directions to the hospital.

Alex had been sound asleep when Sebastien called. It took her a few seconds to realize that it was serious. Not so much physically but emotionally. Alex knew how much Lisa loved Sebastien. She could see the joy in her eyes, on her face this weekend, just to be able to be with him. Two of her biggest loves together, her house and Sebastien and he was here doing so much to help her to make it a reality.

Alex was curious how it had finally come out and what happened that had caused Lisa to injure her ankle? She had quickly gotten the message that Seb didn’t want to sit there wasting time telling her so she would just find out all of it when she got there.

She slid out of bed, trying to move quietly enough so she wouldn’t wake Urs up. She quickly wrote him a note and laid it on the bathroom counter where she thought he would be sure to see it if he woke before she got back. She had no idea how long she would be gone. She had taken her clothes into the bathroom and swiftly got dressed and ran the brush haphazardly through her hair. She wanted to be there when Seb arrived with Lisa.

As she drove to the hospital she thought how different hers and Lisa’s relationships were progressing with their men.

Alex had been intimate with men in her life but rarely had she thought that she might possibly be falling into the kind of forever love that she had seen in the marriage that her parents had together. Sure, her parents argued but they hardly had ever gone to bed without settling whatever disagreement was between them. She never had a minutes doubt about their love and devotion for each other.

She had had several relationships that had lasted a year or more but neither of the parties had any illusions about them becoming permanent. Most men quickly found out about Alex’s drive for her career and knew that they would always come second to it in her life. They were just there for mutual companionship. There was always the odd dinner party or work function that required a date and then of course the occasional sleepovers.

Alex was in a bit of shock lately at the speed at which she was falling for Urs. It was actually scary for her. She had planned her whole life out and if marriage never happened she wasn’t sure she would even be disappointed. But Urs was making her doubt everything. She found herself wanting to spend every possible minute with him. She hadn’t felt like this since she was in High School and had a huge crush on the star quarterback. Of course, that guy hardly knew she even existed but Urs, he was telling her in so many ways that he was having the same thoughts and feelings as she was.

Tonight after they had left Lisa and Seb, they had just been talking on the way to Urs’ hotel. Alex always had a really hard time keeping her eyes on the road when Urs was sitting in the passenger seat. She kept wanting to look over at him. It never ceased to make her stomach do these little flips when she looked at him.

Urs knew she was looking at him out of the side of her vision as she was driving. He was trying not to grin too much, but she saw him and blushed profusely. When they arrived at the hotel, Urs asked her if she would like to come up for a drink before she went home. There was no way she could have said no. She found a parking space and they went up to his room.

When they entered Urs’ suite Alex was stunned at the size of it.

“Are you sure that you don’t have the whole band staying in this room? She had asked him with a cheeky grin on her face.

“No, it is all mine. Way more space than one person needs really.”

He moved over to the mini bar and asked her if she would like to share a bottle of wine with him.

“Well, maybe one glass. I still need to drive home.”

He poured them both a glass, stopped to turn on some soft music and brought the glasses and the bottle over to the couch where Alex was already seated. He saw her trying to stifle and hide a yawn.

“It has been a great but long and tiring weekend hasn’t it?” Urs said

“Yes, but every part of it has been wonderful and I don’t mind doing whatever I can to help her get going.”

“I can tell how close you two are, more like sisters.”

“We always have been, almost since the first week we met. We just connected somehow and have been that way ever since. We’ve never had any serious disagreements. Although, sometimes I think that Lisa takes the easy road and let’s me have my way to avoid an argument. I don’t intend for things to work out that way but I think it is true sometimes anyway.” Alex said looking a little bit repentant. “I don’t think it happens now as much as when we were younger. We both usually agree on most things now.”

Urs had set his glass on the coffee table in front of him. As much as he liked Lisa, She was not what he wanted to discuss right now. He sat back against the back of the couch and put his arm around Alex’s shoulder, letting his fingers stroll through her hair and over her neck and shoulders. She still had a smile on her face so he was hoping that she wanted the same thing he did.

Alex leaned her head back against his hand and was basking in the wonderful feelings he was creating as he touched her. She leaned in closer to him and lifted her face to his, effectively letting him know for sure that she did want him to kiss her. His large hand put just a hint of pressure on the back of her head, guiding her closer to him. She moved the last tiny bit of space there was between them and pressed her lips to his.

They weren’t in any hurry. They just sat back, Alex leaning into Urs’ chest. He held her close to him and they nipped and tasted each others lips and eventually she invited him in to allow their tongues to dance together. Their hands began to explore each other and for just a second, Urs stopped and looked into Alex’s eyes for any sign of her wanting him to stop as he let his hands move over her chest.

“Please Urs, don’t stop.” She said and thought she would die if he didn’t make love to her. She wanted him so much that she was afraid that she was being too forward with him but she had no power to stop herself.

Urs saw the desire in her eyes and could hear it in her raspy voice. He wasn’t going to make love to her all squished on the couch. He stood up and held out his hand and when she placed her hand in his he raised it to his lips kissing the back of it and then turned it over kissing her palm as well. Then he shocked her a bit when he swept her into his arms, carrying her to the huge king size bed.

They soon had removed all the barriers between them and were each showing the other how special they were to them. She had slept with men before but by the time she and Urs were satisfied, well, at least for the time being, she knew that this was the first time ever in her life that she had made love to any man. No matter what else happened in her life after tonight, her life would never be the same again. Never could she be satisfied to have the comfort sex that she had thought was sufficient before.

They fell asleep in each others arms, Alex’s arm draped over Urs’ wide chest, their legs entwined together, until her phone rang. She had answered it as quick as possible so it wouldn’t wake him up.

When she saw Lisa’s car pull into the emergency area of the hospital she was standing just inside the door and went out to him. When he stepped out of the car and opened the back door, Lisa began stirring.

“Do you need me to get a wheelchair?” Alex quietly asked him. She didn’t know who to be more worried about, Lisa or Seb. He looked much older than the man that she had left several hours earlier. He looked very tired and drawn. The smile that was always so plain to see both on his lips and in his eyes wasn’t anywhere to be found.

“No Alex thanks though. I’ll carry her in.” He leaned into the car and Lisa was indeed beginning to wake. “Shhh Cherie, I am going to carry you for a bit. It’s okay, Baby. He spoke so softly that Alex almost couldn’t hear what he was saying.

Thankfully, Lisa settled against his chest with no struggle and seemed to fall back into a deep sleep.

Seb was beginning to pace the floor. When they had finally gotten Lisa back into a room, Alex had gone with her and he had stayed out in the waiting room. The waiting was beginning to drive him crazy. He just wanted to know that she was alright, not just physically but emotionally as well. He knew he had done the right thing in calling Alex to come and be with her. As he continued his pacing, his cell phone began to vibrate indicating that he had a call. As he answered it he stepped to just outside the door so that Alex could find him if she came looking for him.

“Oui, Hello. This is Sebastien.” He answered his phone sounding more than a bit distracted.

“Hey, Seb it’s Urs. Where are you? I tried Alex’s phone but she isn’t answering.”

Seb’s mind and emotions were a bit out of whack and he misunderstood what Urs was saying.

“Urs, there is nothing going on with me and Alex. I promise you that.”

“Seb, I didn’t think there was. I just woke up and found a note that there was an emergency and she needed to meet you at the hospital.”

“Oh, Sorry. I am a little messed up right now Urs.”

“Can you tell me what’s happened?”

Seb kept his eyes focused towards the swinging doors that led back to the area that they had taken Lisa to.

“Lisa hurt her ankle. It may be broken.”

“How did she do that and were you still there with her?”

“Yes, I was there. It was my fault that she got hurt. I pushed her to tell me why she was fighting against the feelings we are having for each other. She really freaked out. She told me we couldn’t be any more than friends but she was so upset that she ran out into the darkness and wound up tripping on something and hurt her left ankle. But when I was able to find her,… Seb had paused and Urs thought that they had been disconnected when he didn’t hear anything. Then he realized he was still hearing the other hospital sounds in the background.

“Seb?”

“Yeah Sorry, I’m here. When I was able to find her and get her inside, she finally told me….. She told me she was raped and beaten by her Ex. He turned out also to be a cocaine addict which she had no idea about. That is the short version. Hey, listen I see Alex coming back. I want to find out if Lisa is alright. I’ll have her call you.

Seb didn’t think about anything else, he hadn’t even said goodbye. He had just hung up on Urs. He would have to apologize later when he saw him. He hurried back inside and over to Alex.

“How is she? Is it broken?”

“Yes, they just looked at the X-rays. She has a small fracture. They debated whether or not they needed to fix it surgically and they finally decided that with the area that the break is in, it would be best. So, they are taking her up in a few minutes to operate and fix the break. I’m glad you brought her, Seb.”

“Me too. Can I go in and see her before they take her to surgery?”

“I don’t see why not but she is mostly still sleeping. I told the doctor about her illness this weekend and her uncharacteristic need to sleep so much and her upset stomach on Friday night.”

“I am sure it was good for them to know everything. I am going to go in for just a few minutes.” Just as he was heading through the doors he turned and said to her, “Oh yeah, Urs was trying to call you. I just spoke to him and I told him I would have you call him.”

“Ok Thanks Seb. I’ll call him now.”

Sebastien asked the nurse he passed which bed Lisa Daniels was in. She obviously recognized him and he saw the look of concern on her face at his appearance but she made no comment. He was still dirty from the work they had done and then getting down on the ground with Lisa when he found her, he was pretty dirty, not to mention how distraught he looked. She showed him which bed and turned to go and let him have his privacy.

When he stepped inside the curtained area, his heart wanted so much to pull her into his arms and love and protect her. He didn’t know now if she would ever let him do that, but for now he wanted to just sit with her until they took her to surgery. He pulled a chair over by her bed and held her hand in between both of his and he kissed the back of it.

The doctor had given Lisa a small amount of pain medicine to help until he could get her into surgery. It wasn’t enough to totally knock her out but she was a bit fuzzy as she started to wake up. She knew she was in the hospital but what she didn’t know was when it was and what she was here for.

After dredging up what happened with Jeremy, Lisa’s mind was still reliving those events and as she woke she thought it was the time right after the rape. She felt her hand being held and she knew it wasn’t Alex’s or Aunt Jessie’s hands that were holding hers. She went into a blind panic and began screaming, frightening Seb. He jumped back and then tried to calm her but she wasn’t hearing him as he tried to soothe her.

The nurse and a doctor came running in and asked him what was wrong.

“I’m not sure. She woke up and started screaming. I can’t make her hear me to let her know it is alright. That she is safe.” Seb told them.

They had to resort to giving her a mild sedative that would calm her so she wouldn’t hurt herself.

“Is there something I should know about her mental condition tonight? The doctor asked him.

“Probably. Tonight, Lisa told me about being raped and beaten by an Ex and she was very upset earlier. That’s how she hurt her ankle. She was upset and ran outside in the dark and twisted her ankle.”

“Ok, well, she will sleep now and she will go to surgery in a few minutes. You might as well go wait in the waiting room.” The doctor told him.

“Oh… Ok” Seb said visibly disappointed but he leaned over and kissed Lisa’s forehead and went back out to find Alex.

When he came back out to the waiting room he found Urs there with Alex, holding her hand, her head resting on his shoulder. He was glad for his two friends that they had found each other. He hoped that they would be happy. But he was also a bit jealous that his relationship with Lisa had to be so difficult.

“Hi Seb. How’s Lisa?” Urs asked waking Alex from her light sleep.

“She is sleeping now. It was bad for a few minutes. She woke up and started screaming and they had to give her a shot of something to calm her down.”

“Oh No!! Why would she be screaming like that?” Urs asked him

“It was terrible. I tried to talk to her but it was like she wasn’t even hearing me. She was calling for Auntie and saying no…, I couldn’t help her.”

“Oh Seb, she has done that before. Actually I didn’t know until one night a couple of weeks ago that she had been having nightmares off and on since the rape. It seems like they get more frequent and more violent when she is agitated or upset about something, like her Aunt’s death, Anna’s death and then again the first one I ever witnessed that night. It was terrible. She has been in such terrible conflict about her feelings for you and not feeling able to tell you.”

“I think she is terrified at the thought of being intimate.”

“She is Seb. I know she is and only time will tell if she can ever be able to break away from what Jeremy did to her.”

Jeremy, that was the first time he had heard the name of her attacker. Even more than earlier, he wanted to murder that scum.

“Lisa fell asleep on the couch and didn’t get around to telling me what happened to him? Where is he?”

“He is in prison. Actually he comes up for a parole hearing in a few months.”

“What does that mean?”

“If they think he has been rehabilitated and is no longer a threat to society and has behaved himself while he has been incarcerated, he could be released eighteen months early. If they decide against it he won’t get out for another year and a half when his sentence is over. I hate that he will ever get out.”

“I’d better never come across him. I’ll kill him.” Seb said with such venom and Alex and Urs were worried that he truly meant it.

They all got quiet and just sat back in their seats with their own thoughts while they waited for Lisa to get out of surgery.

Chapter 25:

Urs felt bad for Lisa about what she had been through and he felt bad for Seb. He could tell how much he loved Lisa. He had never seen him this crazy about anyone before. He worried about how Seb would react if Lisa was never going to be able to have any kind of normal relationship with him. When things affected one of the guys this much, it always affected every one of them. It was inevitable.

He started thinking about him and Alex and the evening they had shared. He hoped that she felt the same way he did about their time together. For him it was definitely not just a roll in the hay with someone. He was in love with Alex Huggins. This was not the place to ask her about her feelings but at their first opportunity together alone he intended to do just that.

Alex was hurting so bad inside for her friend, her sister. They had always been so close. When the rape had happened it had been so difficult to get Lisa to communicate with anyone, even her. But finally, on one of their girl’s night out outings, she had finally gotten Lisa to open up to her. At the time she hadn’t told Auntie everything Jeremy had said for fear of hurting Auntie more than she already was. Lisa went to Alex’s apartment for a drink after dinner and she finally told her everything that had happened that night. After Lisa told her, she almost wished she didn’t know all the details. It was so painful to think about them. She wanted so much for Lisa to begin to heal from this and be able to move on and hopefully begin a relationship with Sebastien. She just knew that if they were ever able to get close that Seb would take care of her and she would never hurt like this again.

She thought about her and Urs together earlier. She had never felt so completely loved and cared for after being with a man. Usually it was just a mutual, what she had previously thought to be satisfying bit of sex and then they both went their separate ways the next morning without much thought of it the next day. But as she remembered their loving she knew that she hoped to have many repeats of it with him. She knew that a relationship with Urs would be difficult because of the nature of his work but she knew that she loved him and would do whatever was necessary to make it work with him. She just hoped he felt the same. She thought that she would be devastated if she found out that he only wanted a casual, passing through your life, type of thing between them. She looked up at him and he rewarded her with one of his smiles that made her feel so happy to be with him.

Seb couldn’t stop remembering Lisa’s face and the sounds when she woke up screaming in there. People use the word terror and sometimes it is used mistakenly. Tonight he saw pure terror. Tonight, the woman he loved had such terror in her eyes and there wasn’t a damn thing he could do about it. He felt so helpless. How could he help her to heal? What was there that would help her to know without a doubt that he loved her and wanted to make her feel safe forever? He knew she cared for him. She had said so tonight. But she didn’t feel able to put aside what had happened to try to be with him.. He intended to find out and do whatever he had to to let her know how much he loved her no matter what had occurred.

It wasn’t too long before the doctor came out to tell them that Lisa was awake and was asking for Alex. Seb was a bit disappointed that she hadn’t asked for him but maybe she still was thinking like it was five years ago.

Alex went with the doctor to where Lisa was in recovery. They were deliberating whether Lisa would be able to go home tonight or not. Alex told him that if she did go home she would stay with her for the rest of the night and tomorrow so he agreed if Lisa woke up enough and showed them that she wasn’t still delusional like she had been before surgery that he would allow her to be discharged.

“I want to discuss something else with you, Miss Huggins. You had mentioned Lisa feeling ill and very sleepy Friday and just overly sleepy on Saturday. I ran a tox screen on her to check for medications before surgery. You said she was allergic to sleeping pills.”

“Yes it was actually right after the rape when the doctor prescribed some for her that she found that she was allergic to them. She was sick for almost a week. She had kept taking them thinking it was the flu or something until her Aunt made her go back to the doctor and they found the allergy. Why, what did you find?

“I found a trace amount of a sleeping medication. It fit with your time frame of Friday night. Are you sure that she wouldn’t have taken one that afternoon?”

“I am positive doctor. I know her and she has even been talking about it, saying that if she didn’t know better, she would have thought she had taken a sleeping pill. It really upset her. It ruined the end of a very special night for her. I don’t understand how she would have it in her system.”

Lisa began to wake up at the sound of the voices at the end of her bed.

“Alex?”

“I’m here Sweety. How do you feel?”

“I’m ok, I guess….Alex? Where is Seb?”

“He’s out in the waiting room. He has been so worried about you.”

Through her tears Lisa said, “I hurt him so bad Alex. When I told him we could only be friends. You should have seen his face. And then I told him about what happened with Jeremy. I don’t remember much about his reaction. I think I fell asleep or something.”

“You did. He brought you here because your ankle was swelling. It’s a good thing. It was broken.”

“Yeah, I know… How will I ever be able to face him now, Alex?”

“The same way you have faced him every other time. He loves you so much Lisa. If I had any doubts before tonight, they have all been wiped away. He is in agony out there thinking that you will never want a relationship with him and it isn’t just about sex Lisa. I can tell you so much more tonight than I ever could before about the difference between sex and a pure loving sexual relationship with the person that you want to spend the rest of your life with.”

Lisa’s eyes opened wider at Alex’s revelation. “You and Urs?”

“Yes, I have never felt the way I do right now after being with anyone else. I can’t ever imagine being with another man now.”

“Does he feel the same way?”

“I hope so. I’m not positive but I think so.” Alex said with a smile.

“I can’t believe it Alex. You have never given thought to having a permanent relationship with anyone before that I know of.”

“I haven’t”

“Get me out if here Alex, Please. I want to go home.”

“Will you at least speak to Seb?”

“Yes, I guess I need to, don’t I?”

“Well, I won’t make you if you really didn’t want to.”

“It’s not that I don’t want to. I’m just scared about seeing him now. It was a terrible night.”

“I know Sweety, I know. But like I said, he loves you and just wants you to know that.”

“He didn’t say that to me. He said he cared for me.”

“He will.” Alex said with assurance.

They told the doctor that Lisa would have people to help care for her for a few days and then she would be able to go back to work. Because it was her left foot, it would not affect her driving after she had rested for a few days. Alex was going to go out to let the guys know what was happening. But Lisa called her back for a minute.

I know that you said you would come and stay with me…. But you only have a few days before Urs will be leaving town again.”

Lisa immediately saw the pain in Alex’s eyes when she brought up the fact that Urs would be leaving soon and almost regretted it. But she had her reason for doing so.

“You can’t stay alone. What else would you do?”

“I thought I would ask Seb if he would be able to.” Lisa said in a quiet voice.

Alex was jumping for joy inside, both for herself and Urs and also for Seb. Maybe there was hope yet. She kissed Lisa on the cheek and hugged her and rushed out to tell the guys and to get Seb for Lisa while the nurses were finishing her discharge papers.

Seb saw Alex coming out of the recovery area with a smile on her face. Seb thought that a bit odd after the night they had been through.

Alex explained to them what the doctors had said, including about the sleeping pill trace that was found in Lisa’s system. Alex assured the two men that Lisa must have gotten it in her system unknowingly. But it did explain her symptoms for those two days. She told them about the agreement that someone would be staying with Lisa for a couple of days if they allowed her to go home. Then she told Seb that Lisa wanted to see him. She was very relieved that he broke out into one of his lovely smiles when she told him, looking just a bit more like the man she was used to seeing.

Seb walked slowly and cautiously into Lisa’s curtained off area of the recovery room. She was laying back with her eyes closed and he thought she might have fallen back to sleep. Alex had assured him that she knew when and where she was now. The doctor had told her it was probably the pain medication that had helped her to feel like she was back there earlier, especially when the whole attack had just been brought up again. Why did she want to see him, he wondered? He was more than a bit afraid that she would say that she couldn’t see him anymore.

“Lisa? Cherie, Are you awake” Seb whispered

Her eyes flew open and for a moment he thought she might be afraid again and he was right to an extent.

“Hi Seb…. Please forgive me for earlier… I am so sorry I hurt you. I never wanted to.”
She said, tears beginning to fall again.

He pulled a chair over and sat next to her bed.

“Are you in pain, Cherie?”

“Not much. They gave me something for pain a while ago.”

He hesitantly reached over and touched her hand lightly that was lying on the bed. He just let the tips of his fingers barely touch her hand, trying to gauge her reaction to him touching her. He felt like it was important for him to start from scratch and see what happened. He had to, at least temporarily; forget the kissing that they had already done. For now at least, she didn’t draw away from him, for which he was very thankful.

“Lisa, none of this was your fault. I understand it all now. I understand why I have been feeling the mixed signals from you. You care for me but are afraid. Am I right?”

“Yes” Lisa said looking into his eyes trying to figure out what he was feeling.

“Do you think that I would ever hurt you that way, the way he did?”

“No, I told you at the house. I don’t think that at all. I never did, Seb. I swear. I am just so afraid of……of…you know,… being intimate.” Lisa said unable to meet his eyes. Can I ask a favor of you? I understand it if you can’t or don’t want to, so please just tell me.”

He nodded and she continued, “I was wondering if you would come and stay at the house with me. I was told that I could go home if someone stayed with me for a couple of days. I really don’t want to stay here, Seb. And, I know that Urs and Alex really want to be together while they have time, before you all leave again.”

“I would consider it an honor for you to feel comfortable enough for me to stay with you, Cherie. Are you sure?”

“Yes, I am, if it’s alright with you.”

“Well, let’s get you home then.” Seb said with a huge smile that he couldn’t hold back. He was so happy he wanted to shout it out loud. She wanted him to stay with her. That meant first of all that she wasn’t afraid to be alone with him and second that they would hopefully have plenty of time to talk about everything.

They waited for the nurses to finish the paperwork, but in the meantime Lisa asked Seb to get Alex for her. She told Alex that she could leave with Urs. Alex said she would call tomorrow or actually later today. When they were gone, Lisa asked Seb how he got her to the hospital without her knowing.

“After you told me about what happened, you pretty well passed out. I carried you to the car and put you in the back seat and then carried you into the hospital and you only stirred a bit. You have been pretty exhausted. Speaking of that, Alex said that they found a trace amount of a sleeping pill in your system and the amount was in keeping with when you began feeling ill on Friday night.”

“I know, but I have no idea how I could have gotten it. I would never have taken one. I know they make me ill and I especially wouldn’t have taken it before I was ready to lie down for the night, knowing how quickly they work for me. It is a mystery that might never be solved. I just keep thinking that maybe it was in something I ate that night, but that doesn’t seem possible. I do need to call work in the morning and have them find a replacement for my shifts for a few days.”

“We’ll take care of that later. I want you to get some rest first.”

She was finally released and Seb drove them to the guest house with only a few minute detour so he could pick up his bags from the hotel. Once they were back home, Seb told Lisa to wait for him and not to try to get out of the car. He went and unlocked the front door and opened it wide and returned to help Lisa out of the car.

“I’ve never used crutches before. It seems they will take a bit of getting used to.”

“They will. I hurt my foot playing tennis several years ago and I hated them. Even the wheelchair seemed to be against me.” He chuckled as he told her about the incident of the wheelchair tipping over backwards with him in it.

“I’ll sleep on the couch, Seb. I don’t want you to have to. I don’t have a spare bed for the third bedroom yet. You’ve worked so hard these last few days and then you’ve been up almost all night tonight. You must be exhausted. I’ll take the couch and you can have the bed.”

“You’ll do no such thing. I will not take your bed, Lisa. I will be just fine on the couch. You wouldn’t believe the places I have had to try to get a bit of sleep when we are traveling. Your couch looks very comfortable.” He said with a look that told her, she would not win this battle.

“I’ll get you some sheets and a blanket then”

“You just tell me where they are and I will get them. I am supposed to be here to take care of you, not the other way around.” He said as he gently guided her towards her bedroom. “You go do whatever you need to and get ready for bed. Alright? Just call me if you need help with anything.”

“Alright, and thanks Seb, for everything.”

He didn’t respond. He only leaned into the doorway and kissed her cheek then took a blanket and sheets out of the linen closet and went to make himself a bed. He knew he wouldn’t be awake long once his head hit the pillow.

Chapter 26:

Morning came and when Seb looked at the clock he realized that it was actually almost noon. He jumped up and looked around to see if Lisa was up. He never imagined that he would sleep that long or that soundly. Once he lay down he never woke up until now. He sat on the edge of the couch and scratched his head vigorously with both hands and rubbed his face trying to shake the cobwebs from his head. It had been a very long weekend and then he was up almost all night last night. They hadn’t actually gone to bed until almost five in the morning.

He went into the bathroom and intended to go see if Lisa was still asleep when he came out but he was already starting to hear her moving about in her room. When he knocked on her door she told him to come in.

“Good Morning, Cherie. How are you feeling? Did you sleep well?” he said with concern in his eyes.

“Good Morning or almost afternoon. Yes, I actually slept well. I only woke up an hour ago myself. You sure must have been tired. You didn’t budge even when I was walking around in the kitchen.”

“Hmm, some nurse I’d make Huh? Sorry.” He said looking very repentant.

“Seb, please don’t worry about it. I’m fine and you guys all worked so hard all weekend and then you didn’t actually get to bed till it was almost morning. You needed that sleep. I only got up to take the pain meds and I don’t like to take them on an empty stomach so I came out to get something. I usually would have had coffee and toast but I thought just the smell of those would wake you so I just had some crackers and cheese.”

“You are probably right about that smell waking me up. I am rather hungry and I would love a cup of coffee. I’m going to fix myself something. Would you like anything?”

“Sure, I’ll have whatever you feel like fixing and I would love a coffee too.”

“Coming right up, Madam.” He said with his gorgeous French accent and bowing like a waiter in a fancy restaurant.

Seb was rewarded with a radiant smile and a giggle from her and he almost couldn’t contain his happiness that she had come home from the hospital a lot better than when they had left here last night, at least for now. Eventually, they would have to talk about what she told him and how she was letting it affect their relationship. But for today at least he wouldn’t bring it up. She needed to recover from the surgery and he didn’t want to make her upset today.

When he returned to the bedroom, he asked her where she wanted to sit to eat. Did she want to stay in bed with her leg propped up or on the sofa in the reclining end it had?

“I think I would like to come out there and sit on the couch. This is terrible. I had so much I wanted to do today. They said I will be in the cast for six to eight weeks. I am going to go crazy. There is so much I won’t be able to do.”

“You will have plenty of time to do things after the plaster is off. Do what they tell you or it could be longer before it comes off. I will do as I promised and get some of the boxes from the storage and bring them in to you and I can help you sort through them if you would like. I can bring as many in as you want me to and put them in the spare room. You should be able to work on sorting them while you are recuperating. That will give you something to do.”

“You’re right. That would be something I can get accomplished without hurting myself.”

They finished eating some sandwiches and Seb went to start bringing boxes in.

“Are there any in particular that you want first?”

“Well, Any of them that say kitchen. I am missing a lot of those things. Other than that I don’t care which ones.”

Lisa knew that going through these boxes wasn’t going to be as easy a task as Seb thought. There were going to be so many memories of Auntie in those boxes. She figured that the kitchen would also be the easiest to go through emotionally. As soon as he brought the first box in she began to open the tape on it and got a very stern warning from Seb.

“You take it easy. Stay sitting down, and if you need anything, and I mean anything you let me know, OK?” The look he was giving let her know that he was very serious.

“O.K., I promise.” She said, giving him one of her sweetest smiles.

He was beginning to think he was going to have his work cut out for him in making her take it easy. He knew how much she wanted to see progress all the time with the unpacking, the renovations etc., But she needed to be careful and it was his job to see that she was.

When he came in several boxes later, she had the first one all emptied and the contents sorted into several piles. Some of the items were just so old and not really usable anymore and Lisa was just going to throw them away. She had a pile of the items that she needed in her kitchen and they were all on the counter waiting to be washed and put away. Then there were the items that were usable but that she didn’t need or really weren’t something that she would ever use herself. That pile was now getting put back into the empty box to go to the Salvation Army.

Sebastien stopped bringing in boxes after he had brought about a dozen in and put everything but the kitchen boxes into the spare bedroom until Lisa was ready to sort through them. He noticed that she was very organized and had specific places where she put things. That made it very easy to find things when he had been cooking in her kitchen.

He watched her as she was going through another box. He had gotten them each a drink and was sitting on the couch just enjoying being there with her while he took a break. He noticed that occasionally she would have an item in her hand and she would be staring at it with a faraway look in her eyes. She noticed him watching her and said,

“It’s funny that something as simple as a baking pan can bring so many memories back. I really miss her.” She had a tear that was threatening to fall and she quickly wiped it away. She knew in the state she was in, that if she started crying now she would have a hard time stopping.

Seb had come across several boxes labeled Christmas. He set them aside in the storage so they were all together but didn’t bring them in. He called Alex and asked if she and Urs had made any plans for tomorrow’s dinner. She said they hadn’t. He asked her to see if Urs and maybe her parent’s and Kayti would be able to come for dinner. He would cook and then they could help to decorate the guest house for Christmas. Lisa wouldn’t be able to do much of it. It was two weeks before Christmas and he wanted her to have the house decorated. Before hanging up, he asked for her parent’s number.

When he came back in the house, he looked to see where a tree might fit the best. There was a large empty corner that would be perfect. He stepped back outside to make his call. While he was on the phone, he went through the boxes to make sure they would have everything they would need.

He told Marie what he wanted to do tomorrow and she loved it. She even said that she would call her husband about seeing if they could help pick up the tree in his large pick up truck. She would have Dan call him back and find out how tall of a tree would fit in there. Then he asked if there was any time today that she could come and sit with Lisa while he did some errands. She said to give her an hour and they would be there.

By lunchtime, Seb had brought in as many boxes as he could fit into the spare bedroom. This would keep her busy for a while. By the time Marie came, Lisa had all the kitchen boxes emptied and the ones for the Salvation Army were all stacked next to the door waiting to go. Seb was helping her load up the dishwasher with the ones that she was keeping. She wanted to wash them before putting them away.
They worked well together in the chores they were doing. He thought about how relaxed and easy things seemed to go as long as there wasn’t any hint of sexual tension in the room. He loved to see her face light up when she came across something special that had been packed away for all the months she lived with Alex.

Marie came with Kayti and Lisa and Kayti were so happy to see each other. Kayti wouldn’t let Lisa put her down for quite a while. The blisters were beginning to dry up and she had never gotten a fever with the chicken pox, so all in all Kayti had had quite an easy time with them.

Seb nonchalantly mentioned running to do some errands since Lisa had a substitute nurse on hand. He kissed Lisa on the cheek and asked her if she needed anything while he was out. She said no and he told her to call him if she thought of anything.

When Seb asked her if she needed anything, she wanted so much to say “YOU” But she didn’t and now he was gone and with him the moment was gone too. She had been doing a lot of thinking today while they had been working side by side and he was being so good about transferring all of the boxes.

She had a hard time believing that he still wanted to be here with her after all that was said yesterday. He hadn’t tried once all day to kiss her though, just on the cheek a few times. What did that mean? Did he still love her and want to be with her or was he just being friendly and helping her because he felt bad about what had happened to her and about her ankle?

Mom didn’t miss a thing and got Lisa talking and Lisa opened up about everything she was feeling, the struggle inside of her with how much she wanted to have him in her life and then on the other hand how afraid she was about the intimate part of a relationship.

Mom asked her a question. “Do you still feel the same way about waiting for your wedding night to be with a man?”

Lisa turned crimson. She had never openly discussed this or anything like this with anyone. Even with Auntie these type of conversations didn’t get so specific. Auntie was great. Lisa loved her immensely but she was very old fashioned and she wasn’t the type to discuss these things like a lot of mother’s and daughters do.

“Lisa please don’t feel embarrassed talking to me. Alex and I have always had a very open relationship when it comes to talking about things like this. It is important. And I want you to know that you can talk to me about anything….. Do you Love Sebastien?”

“Yes Mom, I do, I love him so much. I have been so happy in so many ways since he has been back in my life. I never knew I could be so happy. But, at the same time, I have felt so scared, nervous, all of those things with him here too. I know he wouldn’t hurt me but I don’t know if I can ever be intimate with him, I’m too afraid.”

“I am going to ask you again, Do you still feel like you want to wait until your wedding night to be with him if he asked you to marry him?”

“I guess it really doesn’t matter anymore does it?”

“Of course it does matter.” Mom said very forcefully. “It matters very much. You haven’t willingly slept with a man yet have you?”

“No”

“Then in my eyes you are still a virgin. What Jeremy took from you, was terrible but you can turn it around if you are able to and decide that you are still the same person as you were before Jeremy hurt you. If you can do this, you take Jeremy’s power over you away. If you don’t, then he will have won.”

Marie pulled Lisa into her arms and hugged her. Lisa was crying and Kayti came over and laid her head in Lisa’s lap like she was hugging her too. Lisa ran her hand over Kayti’s hair gently so as not to disturb any of the blisters. She was trying to stop her tears so she wouldn’t upset the baby.

“Please try to think about what I’ve said Lisa. We all love you so much and we want you to be happy. I wouldn’t be pushing you towards a man that I didn’t believe was worthy of you and would not take care of you properly. Sebastien is a good man. Even Dan likes him and thinks he would be good for you. He is very protective about his girls, you know.

That statement made Lisa smile. She was so lucky to have a family again. Actually, they had been there for her all of these years. The words they had spoken to her after Anna’s funeral were just a formality.

Mom had brought Lisa a housewarming gift. During one of the days that she had been here helping when they were renovating the guest house, she had measured all of the windows for curtains. She already basically knew the colors Lisa wanted for each room so she had bought curtains for the windows in each of the rooms.

“WOW Mom, This is great. Thank You so much. It will look so much better in here.”

“If there are any you don’t like, feel free to exchange them.”

“No Mom, they are all great. I can’t wait to get them all hung up.”

“Well, what are we waiting for? Let’s do Kayti’s room. Then she can lie down in her crib and take a nap without us disturbing her.”

When Seb came back from his shopping trip, all of the curtains were hung up and they made a wonderful difference.

“You ladies have been busy. You aren’t overdoing it are you?” Seb asked concerned.

“Mom brought me all these curtains to hang. Doesn’t it look great in here? I can’t wait to have the rest of the unpacking finished. And no I am not overdoing it. Mom wouldn’t let me if I tried.” Lisa said rolling her eyes.

They began hearing Kayti calling out from her crib, wanting to get out so Lisa went to get her and when she had left the room. Seb told Marie that he had purchased the food and wine for dinner tomorrow and had made sure that they were going to have enough lights and extension cords to fully decorate the outside as well as the inside of the house. He had even bought one of the large blowup snowmen and a few other Christmas lawn ornaments.

He was like a giant kid at Christmas and he couldn’t wait to see the wonder and excitement in Kayti’s face at all of the lights and decorations. The more he thought about being her Papa, the more he loved it. She had no reservations with him anymore. In fact, the opposite was true. Each time she saw him now, she would run to him, curls bouncing and want to be picked up and held by him and she would have the biggest most angelic smile on her face. It truly made his heart swell at the sight of it. It still made him shudder at the thought that she could have been seriously hurt on those steps the other day. He loved her. He had already known that he loved Lisa and wanted to be with her but he was gaining so much more in the bargain, adding Kayti to his life as well, that is if they could work through the difficulties that Lisa was having because of the attack.

Marie was getting ready to leave and go cook dinner at home and Kayti decided that this was the perfect time to throw her first honest to goodness full blown tantrum. She did not want to leave Lisa. She was so upset and was making sure that the whole world knew it.

Lisa was taken off guard with Kayti’s uncharacteristic behavior. She wasn’t sure how to handle it. She was definitely not new to the world of children’s tantrums. They dealt with them every day at the center, but not Kayti. She cried sometimes if she didn’t get her way but was usually easily placated and distracted so she would forget what she was upset about in the first place, but not this time. This time she wanted to stay with Lisa and was not about to be swayed otherwise.

“Mom, maybe I should just let her stay. She has been through so much upheaval. This weekend hasn’t been easy on her either. The long night on Friday and then getting the chicken pox and being away from me all this time and now coming to stay here instead of Alex’s. I know kids are resilient but I don’t want to put too much on her.”

“It is of course your decision. You are her mother and have to decide what is best for her but I will tell you that, if you allow her to win when she has thrown this tantrum she is going to come away with a very bad message from you. She will think that it will work the next time too. Let’s try to settle her down and try to find a gentle way to make her go without giving in to her.”

“I know you’re right. Let’s see what we can do. I just don’t want her to leave so upset.”

While they had been discussing this, Seb had sat on the floor pulling Kayti into his lap. She had fought him at first but he began singing softly to her. She slowly settled down and was sucking her thumb and tears and hiccups finally became the only evidence of her being upset minutes earlier.

“I have an idea. Does she have a ball in her toys?” Seb asked quietly, trying to maintain the calm that he had achieved with her.

“Yes?” Lisa answered with a question in her voice.

“Marie, could you find it for me? I have an idea to try.”

Mom went into Kayti’s bedroom and she came back with a medium sized ball which she handed it to Seb who was standing holding Kayti in his arms.

“Ma Petite, let’s you and me go outside for a few minutes and play ball.” He then turned and whispered to Marie for her to get their things into the car.

Both women were just watching him and Marie realized what he was trying to do. Getting her outside would be a big step towards getting her happily into the car. This man was smart, she thought.

Seb put Kayti down when they got outside and began throwing the ball to her. Of course she couldn’t catch it yet but she would pick it up and carry it back to him for him to throw to her again. All the while, she had the biggest smile on her face. He played with her for about ten minutes while the ladies sat on the porch steps enjoying watching this lovely man playing with the baby. A lot of men weren’t comfortable playing with small children, but Seb was taking to it like it was just natural for him. The affection he had for Kayti was evident in how he smiled at her and played with her silky curls, having patience when she didn’t immediately bring the ball back to him when she found something interesting to look at on the ground.

He had come over and sat next to her to see what she was looking at so intently. She was watching a bug crawling across the ground carrying some piece of treasure it had found, taking it back home, Seb figured. He was very gentle but firm when he was telling her she couldn’t touch the bug or she would squish it. He convinced her to let it go on its way and they got up to throw the ball again. All of a sudden Seb said in an overly excited way for Kayti’s benefit,

“Kayti, I bet your Grandpa wants to play ball too. Why don’t you take the ball with you and ask Grandpa to play with you too?”

It worked like a dream. At the mention of her beloved Grandpa, Kayti’s face lit up like the proverbial Christmas tree. She hurried over and took the ball from Seb and looked up at Marie on the porch steps and started babbling in Kayti speak. She was in a hurry too, like she was saying “What are you waiting for? My Grandpa is waiting to play ball with me.”

Lisa wanted to kiss her goodbye but thought that might put a halt to their forward progress. So she stayed where she was as Seb kissed and hugged Kayti and buckled her into her seat. As Marie was getting into the car she smiled at Seb over the hood of the car and said, “Excellent job. Goodnight, you two.” And then she pulled away without one more tear from Kayti.

“That was amazing Seb. Are you sure you don’t want to quit Il Divo and come work for me full time?” Lisa said with a huge smile and only a hint of the tear she had at Kayti’s departure.

“Well, she is so precious to me, but I don’t think I could do the childcare full time. He said letting out a breath as he sat on the step next to her. “That was as stressful as confronting Simon about something we disagree on. I wasn’t sure if she wouldn’t just start up all over again when we started actually putting her into the car.”

Lisa was chuckling, amused at his obvious relief at his success.

“Well, I know that I could never steal you away from Il Divo anyway, I have spent a lot of time on the forum reading since you told me about it and I would be afraid to be the cause of you leaving. I think I would have to go into the witness protection program and into hiding. A lot of those women seem awfully possessive of the four of you. But after seeing you all in action the other night, I can see why. You all sound so amazing together and none of you are very hard to look at. I hope that someday I can see a whole concert.” She had begun what she was saying with humor but ended seriously.

“I will make sure that you do then, Cherie, As soon as we can arrange it. What do you say we go in and I will rustle us up something for dinner?”

“Sounds good. I am kind of hungry.”

He helped her to her feet and to get the crutches in place and held the door as she hobbled inside. Lisa made a quick call to Mom to make sure that Kayti was still alright and then they proceeded to eat dinner and settle in for the evening.

Chapter 27:

Seb made them an easy dinner of Spaghetti and a semi-homemade sauce, with French bread and a tossed salad. It was filling and tasted wonderful. She declined the wine he offered and opted for a glass of Sprite because she was still taking medication. She hadn’t had to take it very often, but she had taken one while he was cooking. She supposed she had done a bit too much moving around today after all.

They ate and she thanked him for his assistance with Kayti earlier. When Lisa called to check on her, Mom said that Kayti was fine and had run into the house looking for Dan. She had dropped the ball in his lap where he was sitting back in his recliner taking a nap. When Marie had told him what had happened and that Seb had told her that Grandpa wanted to play with her, he happily dragged his drowsy body out of the chair and sat on the floor playing ball while Marie fixed their dinner.

Lisa had so enjoyed watching Seb interact with Kayti. She could easily see how much he cared for her already. He was so gentle with her and Kayti obviously adored him as well.

“Seb, if you keep showing me all of the helpful things you could do around here, I might just not let you leave. This was wonderful.” Lisa said wiping her face with her napkin just in case there was any sauce left on her lips and then saw the serious look on his face.

“I would love to stay here with you and Kayti, Cherie. I don’t mean leaving Il Divo of course, but I would be so pleased to be able to come home here, if you will let me, when I can.”

He waited patiently and watched the emotions he saw in her eyes and on her face as if she were trying to decide how to answer him. He had to maintain hope that they would work everything out and be together.

“Seb, I know we haven’t talked about what I told you yet. I never intended to tell you like that. I’m sorry.”

“I’m just glad that you did tell me. It helped me to understand a lot of things, why you reacted the way you did to certain things.”

She looked into his eyes. She was looking for disgust or even pity, a sign that he thought less of her because of what had happened in the attack. She saw nothing there but his ever present love shining in them.

“This isn’t easy talking about this.” She said softly.

“I know and I don’t want to rush you. If you want more time before we do talk about it, it is ok. I just want to make sure you know that I will be ready and willing to listen to whatever you have to say.”

He took her hand in his across the table, letting his thumb glide over her soft skin and felt her tremble at his touch and for a moment he mistook her trembling for fear until when he pulled his hand off of hers, she reached over and took his hand back in hers and looked intently into his questioning eyes.

“Seb, you’ve said that you care for me and more importantly than that, over the last two weeks, you have shown me countless times that you do. I have felt more happiness inside of me since you came to the apartment that night than I have felt in my whole life. At the same time I have been afraid too. It isn’t you or anything that you have done that has frightened me. Since the attack, I have never been able to imagine myself being intimate with any man….The thought of it has made me feel ill and….and I just don’t know how to change that.”

Seb’s heart fell as he heard those last words. He wanted to marry her and have children with her. Yes, he loved Kayti and he knew that there would be a whole houseful of children to love as they were found and brought to the home. But, he wanted biological children as well. He had always loved the idea of holding his own child in his arms when they were born and he couldn’t imagine anyone he would want as his child’s mother more than Lisa. Here she was telling him that was impossible. For, without intimacy between them, no matter how much he loved her, biological children of his own wouldn’t happen. He didn’t want to; No, he couldn’t give up this easily. He took her hand that was already lying in one of his and wrapped it in both of his own.

“You said that you know that I care for you. It is much, much more than that.” He said and moved around the table and turned her gently, being careful of her leg, and bent to kneel in front of her.

“I love you with all of my heart, Lisa and I am willing to do whatever it takes, to wait as long as you need to feel safe in my embrace, in my love. I can only pray that one day…..One day, I will be able to chase all of the terrible memories away forever. When you think about making love, I want to be the only thought in that beautiful head of yours. I want the day to come when you will be waiting for me to come home and that you will be thinking with absolute joy and impatience about my return and the love we will share in our bed.”

“Even now I can feel your fear as I said those words to you. I can feel you trembling inside.”

Lisa began to interrupt him but he stopped her. “No, Cheri, let me finish, Please. Now that I understand why you tremble when you hear things like that, I am not offended or upset by them except that I wish there was no need for you to feel that way. But as I said, now I understand and I can be patient. I just want to hear three words from you and then I can wait for as long as you need me to.”

Lisa knew what he wanted to hear. She was rejoicing from when he had just said them to her. She had not missed the fact either that he had used the word “home” twice in reference to coming here. Yes, he had felt her trembling, but it had not been from fear, it was in absolute bliss that he had just told her that he loved her even though she was damaged, even though she was not untouched, as she wanted to be when he touched her for the first time.

“How about two words? Well, I think it’s two.” She said with a bit of a nervous smile.

“Je Taime.”

Seb was stunned. He was still trying to figure out if she had actually said what he thought she had. Granted, her pronunciation needed work but it would never sound more beautiful to him, not in a million years.

“Say it again, Cherie. Please say it again.” He said with so much emotion flowing out of his words and tears were falling down both of their faces.

“Je Taime, Seb. I Love you so much. I think I have for over nine years. But now I know it for sure.” She said as she leaned forward and laid her hand along his jaw, their foreheads touching. He had been resting his well shaped behind on his heels and he rose up fully on his knees so their faces were just a couple of inches apart.

“Can I kiss you, Cherie? I want to, but I need you to tell me if you don’t want me to.”

“I do, Seb. I do want you to kiss me, please.” Her voice became quiet but husky at the same time.

Seb placed his hands on either side of her head lacing his fingers through her long hair.
He could so easily lose control here but he knew it was imperative that he didn’t or all of the forward progress that had been made tonight could be lost. He kept his eyes locked on hers as he watched for the slightest hint of wariness, or anything that would indicate that she was becoming uncomfortable.

Lisa thought she would go crazy if he didn’t hurry up and kiss her so she took matters into her own hands, tilting her head just a tad and pressing her lips against his. She brought her other hand up to his face and caressed his cheeks and wiped his tears away. Then she began placing tiny kisses all along his jaw line, and on his cheeks.

Seb couldn’t take it anymore and turned his head enough to search out her lips. This time he kissed her and held her to him, her arms finally going around his neck and allowing their bodies to be close together. Seb was still kneeling in front of her and he broke their kiss long enough to stand up and he scooped her up into his arms. He saw her swallow heavily and realized she was getting nervous.

“I am just taking you to the couch so you can get your leg put up on the pillows, Baby.
I promise.”

Lisa laid her head in the crook of his neck, snuggling as close to him as possible as he carried her into the living room, showing him she was no longer concerned. He got her settled and propped her leg up to make her more comfortable. He knew from experience that raising the leg up would help to reduce the swelling and in turn, reduce the pain.

He sat on the edge of the sofa and she scooted as far into the couch as possible to give him more room to sit beside her.

“Now, where were we? Oh Yeah, Right here.” He said and pulled her back against him and resumed the searing kiss that they were engaged in before. When they finally backed away from each other a little, Lisa was having a hard time catching her breath.

She had never been kissed so thoroughly and felt so comfortable in an embrace. Even before Jeremy, all of her relationships were closer to being friendships with a little light kissing. She had always made it plain that she would not be sleeping with the men she dated and they knew she was serious. She knew that she had to talk to Seb about this. Mom had convinced her that she should still consider herself a virgin and if she still felt the same about waiting until her wedding night then she needed to make that plain to Seb. And she still didn’t know if she would be able to go through with it anyway so he needed to know that she was still going to have to work through all of her feelings of fear. Of course, she was letting her head get way ahead of things. If she planned on waiting for her wedding night, that was a long way off if ever. He certainly hadn’t mentioned marriage.

Eventually, it became difficult for Seb to keep sitting where he was. Lisa could see that he wasn’t very comfortable. She scooted over so she had bent her legs and moved down a bit so that Seb could sit on the couch behind her.

After he sat down, she backed up enough so her head could rest against his arm. He was still mostly behind her so he gently tugged her and helped her back up until she was sitting in his lap, reclining a bit and laying her head against his shoulder. He just held her there enjoying the feel of her against him, occasionally stealing a kiss. She seemed relaxed in his arms and that was a good sign he thought.

“Seb there is something I need to say. I don’t know if you have even thought about it but it is important to me to make this clear from the start.”

“You want to tell me that you won’t be sleeping with me until our wedding night, right?” He said so nonchalantly like it was no big deal but Lisa knew differently.

“Yes, that is what I want to say.” She said looking at him trying to gauge his words and figure out if this had made him upset with her.

“Lisa, you had already told me that is what you wanted before the attack. Why would it be any different now?” he said running his hands through her hair and down her back creating little shivers all over her.

“I did think it was different. I thought since physically I was no longer a virgin that it didn’t matter if that was what I wanted before. But Mom convinced me that since I haven’t given myself to anyone, that I was, I mean I am still a virgin.” She said color rising up in her cheeks as she thought about the wisdom of having this conversation while sitting in his lap.

Seb hugged her to him and said, “Smart lady, Marie is. She is right, Baby. I totally agree with her and I don’t want you to be worried about that all the time when we are together that I am going to be like him, not even the part about trying to talk you into it. I promise. It makes me happy that you wanted to wait for me.” he said and leaned back into the couch getting a bit more comfortable and just reveling in the fact that they had made such immense progress tonight.

“I guess I’d better see about getting the kitchen cleaned up. It’s getting late.” Lisa said after they had been sitting there for quite some time. She hadn’t wanted to move from where she was but didn’t think they could stay like that all night as much as she would have liked to. She had just pleasured in the feeling of closeness and contentment she felt just being held in his arms. It was a place she hoped to spend a lot of time in. She felt so safe there. She knew that he would keep his word and she could just enjoy the time they spent together without feeling any pressure.

“You get ready for bed and I’ll take care of the kitchen. You have done too much already today. I could tell that your ankle was bothering you earlier. I shouldn’t have let you do so much unpacking all in one day when you should have been resting.” He said as he slid out from underneath her and then helped her to her feet.

When he had cleaned the kitchen he tapped on her bedroom door.

“Come in, Seb.”

“Are you all set? Is there anything you need before you go to sleep?” He asked as he approached where she was sitting on her bed.

“I’m fine. You’ve done enough today too. Thank You.”

“It has been my pleasure, Cheri.” He sat down beside her and brushed his fingers across her face enjoying the softness beneath his fingers. “I love you. Sleep well and don’t hesitate to call me if you need anything.” He said kissing her on the lips softly then he headed towards the door.

“Alright, Good night, Seb. Sweet dreams. And Seb?” she said making him halt in his tracks.

“Yes?” he said turning back to look at her sitting there with her hair falling down around her shoulders framing her face. She is so beautiful, he thought to himself.

“I love you too.” She said with a smile and after he had closed her door she scooted down in the bed and got herself comfortable and thought about the change her life had probably taken tonight.

When Urs and Alex had gotten back to the hotel, after leaving the hospital, they had fallen into bed. They had gotten some sleep before they had gone. Urs had actually slept for two hours after she had gone to meet Seb at the Hospital, but they were still tired. They had all done a lot of physical labor at the house over the weekend and their bodies were feeling the results. Urs was by no means out of shape. He frequently spent time in the gym and it showed, but the work they did used lots of muscles that Urs hadn’t realized he hadn’t exercised enough. Well, he would change that in his workout routine.

He knew Alex must be tired too but when he pulled her into his arms intending to just cuddle her close to him and let her get some sleep, she began placing tiny kisses all over his face, then moved down the strong column of his neck. She was letting her hands roam over the wide expanse of his bare chest, feeling the texture of the hair covering it. She pressed kisses into a sensitive place in his collarbone that caused him to groan out loud and when he could no longer control himself, he crushed her to him rolling her over so that she was lying trapped beneath him.

“I thought you would be ready for some sleep. If you want sleep, that is definitely not the way to get it.” He said with a devilish grin on his handsome face.

She just giggled and leaned up to connect their lips and told him without words that sleep was not what she was needing at this very moment. So he obliged her and with an exaggerated sigh he said, “I guess I’ll just have to tire you out some more so I can get some sleep.” and he proceeded to do that very thing for the next several hours until finally sated and exhausted they both fell asleep very happy with the good fortune that had brought them together.

Alex didn’t have to work today doing any reporting but at the party, her boss had asked her to come in if she had time and help with the editing and putting together the final copy of the video from the party. They had promised the entrants a video of the evening’s events.

Urs and Alex showered and dressed and made their way down to the hotel dining room and ate a leisurely brunch. Urs told her to go and not worry about him. He would find something to do today. They would meet back here and go out to dinner somewhere and then Urs would be going to stay with Alex for the rest of his time here.

While they were eating, David and Carlos came in and sat down with them for a minute. They were going to take the interview duties today and there were several scheduled at various TV and radio stations as well as one for a magazine that they had already done early this morning. They informed Urs that late Thursday evening they would need to be at the airport together to fly out. Urs saw the look of disappointment cross Alex’s face. While he wasn’t happy to be leaving her either, he was glad that he had seen that she didn’t want him to go anymore than he wanted to.

When they were done eating, Alex kissed him goodbye and left for the station. She hadn’t had to get particularly dressed up for today so she was dressed comfortable in a pair of dressy jeans and a light pullover shirt. It was unseasonably warm still, even for Florida for this time of year.

Except for missing Urs, Alex was glad to be helping with the video. It was going to be nice to be able to look back at all that had transpired that evening. There were so many special moments and people that were there sharing it with them. Getting to watch the musicians again was wonderful. She sat there glued to the screen while Il Divo was singing and blushed when her coworkers laughed at her obvious attraction to Urs.

Alex was amazed at all of the little details that had gone on that she had been unaware of. When you are in the middle of it you can miss a lot of what is happening around you, as Alex would later find out. As they were coming to the close of the evening on the tape, while Il Divo was singing their final set, the cameraman had gone from focusing on the Divo’s to focusing on the audience as they were watching and then on into the part where everyone was singing along with the familiar Christmas carols.

“Hey, that’s Lisa there and that must be when she was feeling the first effects of the sleeping pill. Look at her. She looks like a zombie and a bit green in the gills already.” Alex said out loud.

“Why on earth would anyone purposely take a sleeping pill while they were still out somewhere?” Jeff Sanborn asked her with a look of disbelief on his face.

“She didn’t take it. It is a total mystery how it got into her system.”

Alex went on to tell them how ill Lisa got from it and felt its effects for two days and then she told them about Lisa’s mishap last night and her broken ankle without telling them any unnecessary details of course and she mentioned the doctor had run tests showing the trace of sleep aid medicine that was still in her system.

“We have no idea how she could have wound up with it in her system. She is allergic to sleeping pills and would never have willingly taken one. They made her so ill the only other time she had ever taken any. I doubt we will ever know what happened.”

One of the other employees that were helping with the editing quietly excused herself from the room. She suddenly got nauseous and thought she was going to be sick herself.

************
Jenna was still so frustrated and had spent the rest of the weekend brooding at the rotten luck she had had in getting any of the guys to go out with her after the party. She did have the few memories that were very clear from that night, like getting to dance with Seb. He had held her in his arms and she had so thoroughly enjoyed being able to run her hands over his chest when they were parting after the song was over. She was sure that he had shuddered at her touch. But then she had ruined the evening by getting too greedy. If she had just let Lisa come along too, who knows what might have happened at the clubs. How was she to know that Lisa would get sleepy so quickly or get so sick from one tiny pill? It just figured! Every time she began thinking about it again she got so angry. She had just wanted to have Seb to herself for a little while so he could see how much she cared for him. She had visions of Seb telling Lisa that as much as he liked her he had found his soul mate and there was no future for them.

She had decided to go shopping to try to get her mind off of all of that mess. Just as she was heading out the door, her cell phone rang.

“Hello, this is Jenna.”

“Jenna, this is Deanna. What’s up?”

“I am going shopping. What are you doing?”

“I just had to work for a few hours. It was more like a volunteer thing for a few hours but I was able to leave. Shopping sounds like a good idea. Can I meet you? It’s always more fun than shopping alone.”

Jenna was thinking about the request. She was still very upset with Deanna for not doing more to try to get the guys to go out with them. But she guessed she could sort of understand that Deanna’s boss had been there and she knew how serious Deanna was about her job. She agreed that it would be more fun than shopping alone and she would have a like minded person to commiserate with about their lack of success Friday night so she agreed and they planned to meet at the mall that was about equal distance from both of their houses.

Deanna hung up and sat in her car and stared through the windshield at nothing in particular. Could she have done it? Is Jenna that desperate? Of course she herself had wanted to get to spend more close up time with the guys. Who didn’t? But, she wasn’t delusional either. She had seen Urs and Alex together several times that evening and had gotten the distinct impression that there was a very real romance building there and now after seeing Alex’s reaction as she watched the playback of the video she was sure of it. She didn’t even think that the two of them realized how much their eyes were searching the other out in the crowd all evening when they weren’t actually together.

And then there was Seb and Lisa. Seb was definitely not trying to hide his feelings for her. He had been so attentive to her and her little girl. Deanna liked babies and she had thought that Kayti was one of the prettiest little girls she had ever seen. Alex had mentioned her many times but the party was the first time Deanna had seen her. Seb had shown his concern for Lisa when she heard what donations she would be given. She had witnessed his quick jump onto the stage when Lisa was so overwhelmed and it looked like her legs might give way. Then later she had seen Lisa looking a little pale as Seb had his arm around her when they were leaving. He was definitely in love with her. She wasn’t sure if it was mutual or not though.

She was going to try to get Jenna talking about that night. If she was lucky, maybe Jenna still trusted her enough to divulge everything without any suspicion that she already knew anything.

Three hours and several shopping bags later, Deanna came through her front door and plopped wearily onto her couch, letting the bags lay where they dropped. This outing had been successful in more ways than one. She had almost finished her Christmas shopping and more importantly, she had gotten Jenna talking. It wasn’t even a difficult thing to do. Jenna had been already waiting for a sympathetic ear about their unsuccessful venture on Friday night. She had to try so hard not to let on that what Jenna was telling her was making her feel as ill as the way she imagined Lisa must have felt.

Finally, Deanna had gotten all of the information that she thought she would get from Jenna and told her that she really needed to get home and soak her feet from all of their walking.

As she sat there on her couch remembering all that Jenna had told her, she was horrified as she put together what Jenna had said and what Alex had said about Lisa being allergic. What if Lisa had been so allergic that it has caused her death? Jenna didn’t seem in the least bit concerned about that. She was just mad that it had backfired on her. She knew she had to tell someone. Should she call the police or go to Lisa herself? She decided to go take that long hot bath that she was craving and think on it some more and make a decision who to speak to by the morning.

Chapter 28:

When Deanna woke the next morning and began to think on what her decision should be, she wondered for just a minute if she wasn’t over reacting. But that was a short lived thought as she began thinking about the fact that she was seen with Jenna for a good portion of the evening and if this ever came to light by some other avenue, she could be included as a suspect as well. People would be continuously viewing the recording of the party and would see them together frequently. She was not going to take any of the blame for Jenna’s craziness and decided that she would tell Alex and see what she thought the next course of action should be. With that decided, she began getting ready for work.

It was Tuesday morning and Alex had to work today. This was her first full day back after her nice vacation. So much had happened in their lives over the long weekend they had. Lisa had called her last night and had quietly told her about what was happening with her and Seb. She had squealed with happiness when she heard of the progress with the two of them. She sincerely hoped that Lisa could continue to just let their relationship happen naturally over time and not worry about the future.

She couldn’t believe how close she and Urs had become so quickly. In just a few days they had gone from virtual strangers to sharing a bed and talking about their possible future together. She had never dreamed that she would allow any man to become so important to her that she thought of him and what he wanted over her career. She still loved her job but she didn’t see it as so all important that she would be excluding him from her life because of it like she had done with so many men before him.

She was basking in the memories of the lovely way he had woken her this morning with breakfast in bed and a single rose laying on the tray. Then they had showered together almost making her late for work. She remembered with a smile and that is how she looked when there was a knock on the door to her office.

When Deanna arrived at work, she felt physically ill because of the nerves she was feeling. She knew this was necessary but what if it wasn’t believed that she had nothing to do with it? She didn’t allow those thoughts to deter her from her course and proceeded to Alex’s office, hoping to find her alone.
When she was standing in the open doorway to Alex’s office, she saw the features on Alex’s face changing and finally growing into a huge smile as she was obviously thinking of something pleasant. Deanna almost lost her nerve, thinking she could come back later and not disturb Alex from her thoughts, but she couldn’t let herself back out now. She might never get the nerve back up. She just kept reminding herself that Jenna could have caused Lisa’s child to have to suffer through the loss of a second mother if things had gone differently.

Alex shook herself quickly out of her memories of this morning’s activities when she heard the knocking on her door. She looked up to see Deanna standing there shuffling her feet, her eyes darting around and looking like she would rather be somewhere else.

“Good Morning, Deanna. What can I do for you?”

“Do you have a few minutes? I need to discuss something with you.”

Alex gestured for her to come in and when the girl shut the door Alex began to wonder what was so important. She and Deanna weren’t enemies but they certainly hadn’t been friends either. The day the Divo’s were there for the judging, and the tone that Deanna had spoken to her in was evidence of that.

“What did you want to discuss with me?” Alex asked curiously.

“You mentioned yesterday about your friend Lisa becoming ill Friday night and later finding out that she had unknowingly taken a sleeping pill that she was allergic to…..”

“Yes, And?....”

“Well, I know how she came to have it in her system.” Deanna said looking at the floor.

Alex was stunned but quickly regained her composure and went and got Jeff so she would not be the only one hearing what Alex thought was going to be a confession by Deanna.

Over the next hour Deanna sat there and recounted the events starting at the beginning with her seeing Jenna’s posts about meeting Seb at the daycare and how he was getting them tickets. She was very specific about the details of Jenna believing he was getting them just so he would be sure that she would be there. She went through all the events all the way through yesterday when Alex had mentioned Lisa being ill from the unknown pill and her subsequent shopping trip with Jenna.

“When I left here I just was so shocked that she might have done that but I knew I had to find out. So I called her and we met at the mall and she was still so mad about not getting the guys to spend more time with her that she willingly told me all about it. She had seen her opening when Lisa was coming off of the stage and Lisa was still so emotional about her donations. She told me that she had taken a sleeping pill that she had in her purse and put it in a glass of water and had offered it to Lisa. She said she felt so lucky that Lisa had been so grateful for the water and Jenna had watched as Lisa had just about emptied the glass in one sip and had later seen her finish it off completely. I swear to you, I didn’t have any such sinister plans. I’ll admit, I was excited about the prospect of meeting Il Divo and especially Urs and I willingly went along with the plans to try to get them to leave you and Lisa and go clubbing with us after the party but during the evening, I saw things and heard things that Jenna said that made me change my mind about helping her. She just seemed off somehow so I told her I wasn’t going to help her anymore.”

“What other things did you see?” Alex asked her, thinking Jenna had done other things that needed to be documented.

“I saw Urs and you and Lisa and Seb, and I thought about how happy the guys looked with the both of you. Urs is a bit on the quiet side and his emotions are usually hard to read when we see them but Friday night he was so obviously happy. I knew I had no chance at all, so I backed off.”

Alex was thrilled when she heard Deanna’s account of Urs’s emotions and that to others he looked happy.

Jeff had had the foresight to bring a small tape recorder into Alex’s office when she told him what was being discussed. He was thinking of the possible legal implications for the TV Station as much as solving the mystery for Alex’s friend, since it was the TV Station that had sponsored the event.

“Well, I think that for our next step it is necessary to contact the police and get them involved before Jenna gets wind that we are on to what she did. Also, if she is that unstable I would think that she shouldn’t be working with children.” Alex said.

“You do believe me don’t you, that I had nothing to do with the pill?”

Alex regarded her and saw the obvious distress in her coworker that she might be implicated as an accomplice in Jenna’s scheme.

“I believe you Deanna. You could have stayed quiet and let this go and maybe we wouldn’t have ever found out what had really happened that night. Thank you for your courage in telling the truth.”

“Thank you Alex. I appreciate it. I will be willing to cooperate with the police if they need any further proof. I just kept thinking of her little girl after you said that she was allergic. What if the allergy had been severe enough to kill her. Kayti would have been without a mother for the second time.”

Alex shuddered at the thought of Lisa dying even though she knew Lisa’s allergy wasn’t that severe. But she was very angry that this had been an intentional incident and not accidental like they had all thought it probably was.

Jeff stood and stretched and said he was going to go call the authorities and have them listen to the taped conversation and they would contact Deanna if she was needed further.

Deanna left Alex’s office and went to the ladies room and had a good cry. She was so relieved to have the story out and that they believed her. She pulled herself together and fixed her make up and brushed her hair and went out to do her job. She actually felt better than she had in quite a while that she had done something good.

Alex was so disturbed at the thought that someone had intentionally tried to harm her friend. She was trying to wait for the police to come talk to them before calling Lisa. She wanted to be able to tell her what they were doing about it. Jenna didn’t belong working at the daycare if she was that unstable and delusional.

Alex thought about Deanna telling her that Jenna had thought that Seb was enjoying her rubbing herself all over him and touching him so familiarly like she was when he agreed to the one dance with her. But Alex knew differently, Seb had mentioned it later that she had made him very uncomfortable with her advances towards him but he hadn’t wanted to make a scene.

Just when she had decided to call Lisa and tell her what was going on. Jeff knocked on her office door with a police detective in tow. Jeff introduced them to each other and informed Alex that Detective Garza had already listened to the tape and wanted to know if she had any other input before he went to speak to Lisa and then they would be tracking Jenna down to arrest her.

This is happening so fast. Alex thought. “Other than what’s on the tape, I don’t think I know anything else to tell you, detective. But, would you mind if I went with you to Lisa’s when you talk to her. I know she would appreciate me being there with her when she finds out.”

“You haven’t told her yet?” The detective asked.

“No, I wanted to wait until you were involved so I could tell her what was being done. She has been through so much. I just wanted to have all of my facts straight first.”

“Yeah, your boss told me about her and her group home. It’s a great thing. My wife and I do foster care. We currently have two brothers that may get put back in their Mother’s custody and I hate it because she isn’t fit to have them. Well, I guess it would be alright for you to come. Do you just want to ride with me?”

“No, I’ll just drive my car in case I need to go somewhere else afterwards.”

Alex arranged with Jeff to have someone fill in for her for the evening broadcast and she left and led the detective to Lisa’s house.

It was Tuesday and Lisa had today, tomorrow and part of Thursday with Sebastien and then he would be leaving and she didn’t know when he would be able to get back to visit. So she decided that she was going to make the most of her time with him. She was going to try to steer clear of any dark subjects and focus on all of the exciting things that were beginning to happen for her and the group home but more importantly between her and Seb.

When she woke she had gone to the kitchen to start the coffee. She knew that just the fragrance alone would have him stirring soon. Then she went to start a load of laundry and tried to do a bit of picking up around the house. There were still objects that had been unloaded from boxes that hadn’t been put away. She jumped and was startled so bad when Sebastien spoke to her that she almost fell over. She had been trying to lean over to pick something up and was trying to maintain her balance without putting any weight on her foot.

“And what do you think you are doing Madam?” He said sternly and then had to wrap his arm around her waist and pull her to him to keep her from falling over.

When she looked at him, thinking he was upset with her, he had a smile on his gorgeous face and Lisa was first relieved and then she started feeling the butterflies return to her stomach at being held so close to him. It was still so new to her to feel comfortable being near him like this. So much had happened yesterday. She hoped that it would only get better today.

“I was just trying to get a few things done around here this morning. I needed laundry done and I was just putting a few things away. I didn’t want to start sorting through anymore boxes until I had put away what was already sitting out.”

“Well, I know that you overdid it yesterday and I won’t allow that today. When we finish breakfast, you tell me what you want done and you can direct me and tell me what you want to be put away and where you want it.” He said seriously.

Lisa was enjoying the way he was taking charge and taking care of her. It was a totally new feeling for her.

Her back was pressed against his chest from him catching her when she was about to fall and she leaned further back into him and turned her head to the side giving him access to the side of her face and with just a bit of leaning on his part he was able to capture her lips. When he got frustrated with the limited access to her lips, he moved around so he was standing in front of her and picked up where he left off, wrapping her up in his arms. He ran his hands up and down her back. He was ever watchful for the signs he thought might come, that she was becoming afraid but so far he hadn’t seen anything so he kept kissing her. He figured that she would stop when she was ready.

Finally, they ended the kiss and Lisa had such a carefree smile on her face. Seb caressed her face and placed a few more light kisses on her cheeks and lips. He was looking into her eyes and he noticed that she didn’t look so haunted anymore. He pulled her close for one more hug and then they moved out to the kitchen to have some breakfast.

They were sitting at the table talking about what Lisa wanted to try to accomplish today. He told her that they would not be attempting to do near as much today. They had been going all out for over four days and he wasn’t going to let her do so much today. They would do a few boxes but not try to clear the whole spare bedroom like he figured Lisa would try to do if he didn’t stop her. He had promised to take care of her and he was taking his job very seriously.

While they were having a discussion on which boxes Lisa would like to sort through, they heard the sound of two vehicles pulling into the driveway. Seb got up and got to the door just in time to find Alex and a man at the door. The man looked serious and was dressed in a suit and tie. But what got Seb’s attention even more was the distraught look on Alex’s face.

“Good morning, Alex.” Seb said kissing her cheeks and he looked at her questioningly.

Alex saw the look the detective gave her. She had told him that Seb would be there and that he was Lisa’s boyfriend.

Alex grinned and said, “Don’t mind him. He’s French.”

“Hi Alex. I thought you had to work all day” Lisa said looking curiously at the man that was with her friend. She picked up her crutches and started walking towards her.

“Hi How’s the ankle?”

“I have to take the pain pill once in a while but not too many. I have my own private nurse here that is making sure I don’t overdo it.” She said with such a beautiful smile that Alex hated that they were about to spoil the wonderful time she was having with Seb.

“Lisa, I hate to disturb you but there is something we need to talk to you about.” Alex said and her tone made Lisa wary of the situation. What was wrong? She knew Alex and by Alex’s tone and body language, she knew it must be bad.

“Alex what’s wrong? Are Mom and Dad ok?” she said breathlessly and Seb came and sat next to her and put his arm around her.

“Oh No Sweety, I’m sorry to have frightened you like that. It isn’t anything like that. We’ve found out how you got the sleeping pill in your system.”

“What? How did you find out? How did I get it?” Lisa was looking between Alex and the man that Alex hadn’t yet introduced to them.

“Lisa, Seb, This is Detective Garza. He is here to get any other information you might have before they make an arrest.”

“An Arrest?” Seb said incredulously.

“Miss Daniels..”

“Lisa” she said to him.

“Lisa, It has been discovered that a Miss Jenna Richards gave you a sleeping pill that made you ill.”

“Jenna? How would she have done that, and why?”

“Let me make this easier and play a tape that was made a couple of hours ago and it will answer most of your questions.”

The detective turned on the tape and they listened to Deanna’s account of the events. When it was done, Lisa was in shock.

“I remember Jenna giving me that glass of water. I was so grateful because it was so hot up under the lights on the stage and when I came down she handed it right to me. I drank almost the whole glass all at once. What happens now?” she said, directing the question to the detective.

“Well, we will go and arrest her. Is she at work right now?”

“I can find out” and she pulled out her cell phone and dialed the daycare and when Mary answered she was thrilled to hear from Lisa.

“Lisa, Hi How are you? I heard that you broke your ankle.”

“I’m ok Mary. Listen I need to know if Jenna is there today. Is she working?”

“Yes, she’s here. Do you want me to get her to the phone for you?”

“No, thank you. Could you hang on for a minute?”

“Sure”

Lisa asked the detective what he would do now and he told her that they would go straight to the daycare and other police officers would meet him there to arrest Jenna.

“Can we do this so that Jenna is not at the daycare? I would hate for the children to be traumatized by the sight of that.”

“How would you suggest we do it then?”

Lisa got back on with Mary. “Mary, I have a file on my Desk. I think it is the only folder on the desk. Can you please see if it is there?

“Sure, Hang on.”

In just a couple of minutes, Mary came back and told Lisa that she had the folder.

“Could you put it into a sealed yellow envelope and ask Jenna to bring it to my house? I need it immediately. Tell her I will compensate her gasoline.’

“Oh Ok. But I am leaving early today and I could drop it off for you if you need me to.”

“Thanks Mary But I really would like Jenna to bring it. I will explain later and please don’t say anything else about our conversation to anyone else except that I asked for the folder. And one more thing Mary, could you call me and let me know when Jenna leaves there?”

“Sure”

They hung up and about fifteen minutes later, Mary called back to say that Jenna had just left with the envelope.

“Lisa, Is everything ok?” Mary asked sounding very agitated.

“Mary, Jenna tried to drug me Friday night. She put a sleeping pill in my water glass that she offered me after I came off stage.”

“Oh My God! NO, I knew something was going to happen. I thought I was watching well enough. I missed that. I am so sorry. Please forgive me.”

“Mary, you aren’t making any sense. What are you talking about? What do you mean you knew?”

“Lisa, I will be at your house within an hour. I have some things to show you.”

Lisa relayed the curious conversation she had just had with Mary to Alex, Seb and the detective. The detective wanted to know if she trusted Mary. She stated that she did. Then the detective went outside to move his car from in front of her house to behind the main house. While they had been waiting for Mary to call back, the detective had called for another detective to meet him here to pick Jenna up. He would be in another unmarked car like detective Garza’s. Detective Garza asked him to park out back and wait in the main house until he called him back.

“Lisa, I would like for you to ask Jenna straight out about the pill. I am curious as to what she will say and I think that I will go in the other room here and I would like the two of you to join me so that Jenna thinks she’s alone with Lisa.” Detective Garza said to Seb and Alex.

“I’m not sure I like the idea of leaving her alone with that woman.” Seb said with his arm around her waist.

“Sir, I promise you, we will be right behind that door and she won’t have the chance to do anything.”

“I’ll do as you ask but I still don’t like it.” Seb said as he pulled Lisa into his arms and kissed her.

Although she hated the circumstances of why she was here, Alex really loved seeing the open affection that Seb was showing Lisa. She seemed a bit bashful to have him kiss her so openly but she didn’t pull away. This was definitely a great sign, Alex thought with a grin.

When Jenna pulled into the driveway, the detective and Alex went into Kayti’s room which was the closest to the living room. Seb kissed her one more time and pulled her close for a hug and said, ”If I even think she is going to do anything I will be coming out and no one will be able to stop me, Cherie.”

“I love you, Seb. I’ll be fine.” She said to him as he was now rushing to get into the bedroom before Jenna came to the door.

Lisa walked with her crutches to the door and hesitated for just a second before opening it. She still couldn’t imagine why Jenna had done this. Jenna had her whole life ahead of her. She was only in her early twenties and now she would have a record. She opened the door and told Jenna to come in and hobbled over to the couch and plopped down. She still didn’t like those crutches. They really hurt under your arms.

“So, I heard you broke your ankle. How did you manage to do a dumb thing like that?” Jenna knew it was a mistake as soon as it came out like that but she was still so angry about Lisa wrecking her plans to spend time with Sebastien.

“Jenna, I don’t know what I ever did to you to cause you to be so angry with me, but I want to know why you tried to drug me Friday night with that sleeping pill.” Lisa could tell that Jenna had been caught completely off guard. She had definitely not expected to get caught. She hadn’t told anyone about the pill. She decided that she might as well tell her since she obviously knew about it anyway.

“I have been an Il Divo fan for going on three years, and all of a sudden you come along. You weren’t even a fan and you slithered in and stole Sebastien from right under us. We never had a chance with him. All I wanted was a chance to get him to go out with me. He would have liked me if he got the chance to know me. And then how was I to know that you would get sick from it. It figures. I should have just talked the guys into going to the clubs and let you come along and then I would have had a chance with him.”

“So you slipped the pill into the water glass that you handed me, right?” Lisa was amazed at the cockiness with which Jenna was saying all of this. She never expected Jenna to actually admit to putting the pill in the water in the first place, never mind telling her why.

“Yes I just thought you would get sleepy and go home after the party, but you got sick and that sent Seb into his knight in shining armor mode to take care of you.” Jenna said with so much venom.

Seb had been standing behind the door listening to every word and he was so angry. He had heard enough and both Alex and the detective realized it too late when all of a sudden Seb went flying out the door and rushed over to the couch.

“DO YOU REALLY THINK THAT I WANTED TO GO OUT WITH YOU???”

“Seb!!! I didn’t know you were here. I’m sorry. I just wanted a chance that’s all.” Jenna said embarrassed only at the thought that he had heard everything.

Seb was trying to calm down but he was furious. “You have no idea how to get a decent guy interested. I heard that you were dressed provocatively and had extra make up on to try to attract me. Well, even if I wasn’t all ready in love with Lisa that would not have worked on me. In fact, it worked exactly the opposite. It was a definite turn off when you were rubbing yourself all over me like that.”

Jenna was in tears hearing Sebastien Izambard speaking to her this way. She had only wanted him to love her like he obviously loved Lisa.

Lisa sat there listening to Seb. She had never heard him angry and she hoped that that angry voice would never be directed at her. She also noticed that his French accent was much more pronounced when he was speaking so quickly.

Finally, Alex and the detective came out of the bedroom and Detective Garza called his partner in and told him he had what he needed. He had turned on the tape recorder that Deanna’s statement was on and added Jenna’s own confession onto it.

“Miss Richard’s, you are being arrested for the poisoning of Miss Daniels. You should consider yourself extremely lucky that her allergy to the drug you gave her wasn’t more severe or it could have been fatal and you would now be looking at a murder charge.

Jenna was in shock. She wasn’t really trying to do any long term damage but she was now finally realizing how serious the situation was. After her rights were read to her she was placed in handcuffs and taken out to the other detective’s car which he had pulled up in front of the guest house. Just before she was put in the car, she turned to take one last look at Seb. He wouldn’t even look at her. He was too busy hugging all over Lisa. So she just got in the back seat of the car and stared straight ahead. She still wanted to know how they had found out since she hadn’t told anyone about it. Then she remembered. DEANNA. She now realized that when they were at the mall yesterday, Deanna had been fishing for information. She had been so upset that she had just told her everything thinking she had an ally. Well, what a snitch she is, Jenna thought.

“There won’t be any problem getting a conviction here, with both Deanna’s statement and Jenna’s taped confession to you. We’ll get back to you with any updates on the case.” Detective Garza said as he headed across the yard to his own car and then he was gone.

“I still can’t believe she did this.” Lisa said sadly.

By the time Mary got there, it was all over and the detectives and Jenna were already gone. Lisa explained everything to her and Mary explained to them what had been told to her by Theresa on Friday.

Mary sat next to Lisa on the couch. “I am so sorry Lisa. I thought about telling you before the party what I had heard but I didn’t want to ruin your night, especially when I didn’t have any proof of anything. I thought I would just watch out for her and try to catch her if she tried anything. I missed this and it could have been much more serious.”

“Mary, it’s alright. I understand and I appreciate you trying to look out for me. Jenna is obviously a very delusional person. Maybe she will learn a valuable lesson now. We can only hope so.” Lisa gave Mary a hug before she left.

Chapter 29:

Alex called Urs who was on his way to Lisa’s to meet Alex there since they were staying for dinner anyway. She gave him a brief summary of what had happened and told him that she would fill in the blanks when he arrived.

Seb spoke to Alex when Lisa left the room for a minute. “Are you going to tell your parents before they arrive or wait until they get here?”

“I guess I should call. I’ll call my Dad and he can fill Mom in. Then they won’t be in such a state of shock when they get here and hear about it.”

So Alex went for a walk in the yard to call her Dad at work. He was so furious when she told him. He wanted to go right to the police station and have it out with Jenna. Alex assured him that everything had been taken care of and there was no way that Jenna was going to get away with it. He finally calmed down a bit and told her he was leaving work soon so he would have time to talk to her Mom before they came over to Lisa’s. He was going to be stopping on the way to pick up the tree.

Seb told Lisa he was going to go talk to some of the contractors and see what they were up to in the main house. When he was outside, Lisa did a little shout of joy that had Alex wondering what was going on.

“I can’t believe I am glad he has gone out.”

“Is the romance over before it has really started?” Alex said laughing.

“No, But he is taking his job of taking care of me very seriously. In the morning and when Mom was here yesterday afternoon I will have to admit I kind of overdid it and my ankle was quite sore last night. I really am being more careful today but, he is like a watchdog. He won’t let me do much of anything today. I want to get those boxes sorted through and I already lost so much time today with all that business with Jenna.”

“He loves you and just wants to take care of you.”

“I know that and I am so glad he’s here really.” Lisa said with the most genuinely happy smile Alex had seen on her in a long time. “But can you help me for a bit until Urs comes? I just want to go through a few boxes while Seb is gone.” She said with a sly smile.

“You are bad. He will have a fit if he comes in here and you are doing that.”

“I’ll take my chances” Lisa said looking out the window watching for Seb.

Alex and Lisa went into the spare bedroom and began going through the boxes. Alex had brought a chair for Lisa to sit in and they actually got three boxes sorted and into separate piles but the inevitable happened.

Seb came back into the house after having met Urs pulling into the driveway. When he came in the door, he didn’t see the girls and right away he knew where he would find them. He went and stood in the doorway to the spare bedroom and motioned for Urs to be quiet with a grin on his face.

Lisa and Alex were facing away from the door. Lisa was still sitting but she was bent over leaning into a huge box trying to reach something down in the bottom. She couldn’t bend that far from her position so Alex leaned into it and all the guys could see were her long legs beginning at the floor and her behind sticking up in the air. The rest of her body was immersed upside down in the box.

Lisa heard a funny sound coming from behind her, kind of like a snort. Someone was trying to hold in a laugh. Lisa knew she was busted. She spun around in her chair to find Seb leaning against the door frame with his arms crossed menacingly over his chest, looking at her with what was supposed to be an angry look but he hadn’t succeeded in pulling it off. Urs was leaning over Seb’s shoulder, thoroughly enjoying the view in front of him. Lisa tapped Alex on her hip. “Umm, Alex?”

“Just a second, I’ve just about got it.” And just as she said that, Alex lost her balance while still upside down and she and the box went flipping over leaving Alex lying in a heap on the floor. Once she had extricated herself from the offending box she found the three of them laughing hysterically at her.

“I am so glad that I can provide the entertainment this afternoon.” Alex said sarcastically but the smile on her face let them all know she was joking.

“I loved the view” Urs said still chuckling and he had to duck when a sofa pillow, which had been packed in the box they had just emptied, came flying towards his head. He strolled in and took his chances that he would have to fend off any more flying objects and held out his hand to her. She placed her soft hand in his and he gave her a pull up into his chest and firmly planted his lips on hers. She wrapped her arms around his neck and was allowing herself to completely enjoy the kiss. To Seb and Lisa, it became very obvious that the two had forgotten the other occupants of the room so they quietly slipped out of the room and left them alone.

“And you young lady, what do you think you were doing in there?”

“I wanted to sort through just a few boxes. Alex was helping me. I wasn’t hurting myself.” she said trying to defend her actions.

Seb chuckled but didn’t say anything, just shook his head and walked into the kitchen. He spoke to her from the kitchen a minute later telling her that he was getting dinner started.

“Do you need any help?”

“Actually, I am fixing this all by myself and I think you should go into your room and take a nap for a while.”

“Oh.. You do Huh”

“Yes,” He said poking his head out of the kitchen.

“Well, Fine. I just might do that since you are trying to get rid of me.” She said and headed for her bedroom, but was stopped suddenly when his arms came around her from behind.

“I love you, Cherie. Sleep well.” He said, kissing her hair on the top of her head and her temple before releasing her and after she passed through the door he reached in and shut it.

On his way back to the kitchen he stuck his head in the doorway where Alex and Urs were still in lip lock and he grinned. He really was happy for both of his friends to have found each other.

“Hey, you two. I’ve gotten Lisa to go take a nap.” He whispered.

“Well, let’s get going then.” Urs whispered back.

When Lisa woke up it was to the sound of Kayti’s laughter. She was obviously very happy. She sounded like maybe someone was tickling her. Lisa jumped up so fast that she gave herself a head rush. She sat still for a minute getting her equilibrium straightened out and then picked up her crutches and hurried into her bathroom and then opened her bedroom door to see why Kayti was here.

She just looked around the room at everyone. They had heard the bedroom door open and they all had stopped what they were doing to see her reaction. Lisa knew that Alex and Urs would be there but Mom, Dad and Kayti, as well as David and Carlos were also there and in one corner of the living room a large tree, that went all the way to just below the high ceiling, was set up and had the lights and garland already on it. All that was left was to put the decorations on it. Alex and Urs were sitting close together on the couch stringing popcorn for the tree. The tree lights were already turned on and already gave the room a festive air about it.

It wasn’t totally dark out yet but Lisa could see that the porch railing had lights strung on it and were turned on. She took a few more steps out of the bedroom and said,

“So, you are all having a party without me.”

“Mama, Mama.” Kayti said when she finally saw that her Mama was awake she ran over to Lisa.

“Hi Baby. How are you? How are your boo boo’s? They look like they are getting better sweetheart. I’ve missed you so much.” She said wrapping the baby up in a hug and didn’t let go until Kayti starting squirming to get down. When her feet hit the floor she ran to Seb who was showing her all of the ornaments that were being laid out on the big coffee table.

Seb walked over to Lisa and kissed her lightly on the lips and asked her how her nap was.

“I guess I must have needed it to have slept this long. I’m hungry though and something smells really great. You sure have been busy.” She ended with a smile as she looked into Seb’s gorgeous green eyes.

“Seb has fixed an amazing dinner.” Mom said coming over to give Lisa a hug and kissed her on the cheek. “Honey, we heard what happened with Jenna. Are you alright? That is terrible what she did.”

“I’m fine Mom. I’m just really disappointed in her. So what’s with the party?”

“I wanted you and Kayti to have your house decorated for Christmas before we leave. Dinner will be ready in about 30 minutes.” Seb said and retreated to the kitchen to finish cooking and Mom went to help him finish up.

Lisa looked around the room that was being turned into a child’s Christmas dream. There had been so much happening with the party, the work on the house, meeting Seb and moving that Lisa had all but decided she wouldn’t bother decorating this year, but she was glad now that it was getting done. She could already see how mesmerized Kayti was by everything. As she looked at the piles of ornaments that were lying out she remembered something and went to her room to get a small box. She set it on the coffee table with the rest of the ornaments.

For Dinner, Seb had fixed Filet Mignon with a rich balsamic glaze made with red wine. He served it with lobster tails, rosemary-roasted potatoes and asparagus and by the time everyone was finished eating, they were all so stuffed they could hardly move. Seb informed her that David and Carlos had bought a housewarming gift for her.

“You didn’t have to do that. You have all done so much already.”

“Well, we had already discussed how much we all liked to grill out so when we heard what Seb was cooking for dinner, we knew you needed it because the big grills that were rented for the work over the weekend, were picked up today.” David said gracing her with a huge smile.”

“It is a really nice one too. I was going to just broil the steaks but grilling them was even better, so I think their gift was a bit on the selfish side too.” Seb said and gave David a bit of a shove and laughed.

Seb told Lisa to go get comfortable on the couch and everyone else helped to clear the table and load the dishwasher. They worked together quickly so they could get on with decorating the tree before Kayti started getting sleepy.

When the kitchen was finished, Seb took Lisa’s hand to help her off of the couch and told her he had something to show her. He picked Kayti up and carried her outside with Lisa and the rest following him. Seb walked down the steps turning to make sure that Lisa was alright on the stairs then he walked out further into the yard and waited for Lisa to catch up to him and Kayti.

When Lisa stood before him he told her to turn around and look at the house. The men had spent the afternoon stringing lights on the house and the porch. On the roof was a Santa sitting in his sleigh that had lights on it and a big bag sitting in the back of the sleigh. Out in front of the sleigh were eight reindeer harnessed to the sleigh and the front two were suspended off the ground, preparing for take-off. In the front yard was an enormous blow up Snowman that was moving slightly in the gentle breeze that was blowing. His arm that was raised was moving, making him look like he was waving at them.

Lisa leaned into Sebastien’s embrace, tears forming in her eyes. She didn’t know what she had done to deserve this man coming into her life, not once but twice and he was showing her constantly how much he cared for her and Kayti.

“This is lovely Seb. I was being lazy and I wasn’t going to do any decorating this year with everything going on. Thank You so much.”

“I told you I don’t need thanks. I am just so glad to be able to do these things for you and Kayti. Look at her. She is so awed by everything. She deserves to have a wonderful Christmas and I just wanted to help.”

They made their way back into the house to decorate the tree and on their way in Kayti wiggled for Seb to put her down which he did but held firmly to her hand. Thoughts of not being able to find Lisa in the heavy darkness weighed on his mind. This property would need extra lighting installed for safety.

Kayti pulled Sebastien’s hand so he was following her to the snowman. When she was standing in front of it she looked up at it and waved at it watching for it to wave back. Seb chuckled and lifted her back up and she leaned over and gave the snowman one of her hugs but was startled a bit that the snowman squished so much when she squeezed it. After all, it was only filled with air.

Lisa walked over to the grill sitting to the side of the house near the side door that led directly into the kitchen. This was no ordinary grill. It was huge. It had several burners on the side for pans of veggies or sauces, a rotisserie and it had a large cabinet below to store all if the grill utensils. But the best thing was the amount of actual grilling space. There was plenty of space to cook for quite a few people. She turned to find David and Carlos behind her and she hugged each of them tightly and kissed them on the cheek and thanked them for their thoughtful gift.

“Hey, watch it over there, you two. That’s my girl that you are hugging all over.” Seb said grinning at his two friends as they made their way back inside.

They all spent the next hour finishing the tree. Seb lifted Kayti up and helped her to put the angel on top of the tree. Lisa had several moments while they did the tree that had made her misty eyed. As they had put Auntie’s special ornaments that had been on hers and Uncle Jonathan’s tree since they were married, and also when she opened the little box that she had brought out earlier.

It contained several ornaments that Anna had given Lisa for Kayti. There was one with Anna’s name on it and one with her father’s name, Pete, it said, and Lisa asked Mom to help Kayti place them on the tree. Then there were a couple with Kayti’s name on them including one with a baby in a carriage that said “Baby’s First Christmas” from last year.

They all paused for a moment to remember Kayti’s mother. The Divos hadn’t met her, of course but she was an important member to the others in this room. Someday, having these special ornaments from her mother would be very special to Kayti and Lisa vowed to make it a special tradition for Kayti to place these ornaments on the tree in remembrance of her birth parents.

Seb saw the sadness in Lisa’s eyes and knew she was thinking of her friend Anna. He knew they had become close during Anna’s final months. He sat next to her and pulled her into a hug and she clung to him and quietly let the tears fall. She knew it would come to be not quite as painful as the years passed, but for now it was only a few months and it was still raw.

Lisa pulled herself together and they all made their way back to the table. None of them could believe they could fit any more food in, but when they began smelling the dessert that Seb had put in the oven, they were determined to squeeze it in. They knew it was chocolate, they could smell it, but that was all. Seb had been very secretive.

When he brought the individual dishes to the table they all oooo’d and aaah’d over the wonderful confection. He had made a very simple Hot Fudge Pudding cake and had topped it with ice cream. Not one bite of it was left when they were finished.

“I told you that if you keep doing all these wonderful things around here that you won’t be able to leave. You are a handy man and a chef and just an all around wonderful man Sebastien Izambard.” She said as she wrapped her arms around his waist and held him close to her.

Alex and Urs were the first to leave followed closely by Carlos and David. Mom and Lisa were discussing whether Kayti should go back with them or stay here. Mom thought that Lisa needed at least another day before having to keep up with the busy toddler. Lisa agreed but she had missed her so much. Kayti was lying in her arms and had her thumb in her mouth. Her eyes were getting very heavy and she was so comfortable in her Mama’s arms that she could no longer fight the sleep that finally overtook her.

“I don’t mind helping to watch out for her. With everything going on and then Kayti getting sick, I haven’t really had all that much time with her myself and tomorrow is our last full day here.” Seb said.

“Seb are you sure? I would really like to have her stay here if you really don’t mind helping to chase after her tomorrow.” Lisa said excitedly.

“Then she will stay right here then.” He said with a smile and a wink.

Mom offered to take Kayti in and get her changed and tucked into her crib for the night. Lisa had such a feeling of contentment as she looked around at their temporary home. Things had gotten unpacked rather quickly. There were still boxes left but nothing of importance and the house was beautifully decorated for the holidays and now she had her little girl home with her for the first night.

Then she looked at Seb standing across the room talking quietly to Dad. He had become so special to her and Kayti. He had made comments referring to the long term but nothing specific. What were his plans? Did he care for them enough to want to marry her? It really was too soon to really be thinking about marriage, but if so, how would they make this relationship work with him on the road so much and her tied down to the group home. It had been her dream for so many years and it wasn’t something she thought she could give up on and now she had Kayti to consider.

When Mom finished putting Kayti to bed, she came out and told Dan they really needed to go. He had to work the next day. “Yes, mother.” Dan said cheekily, causing Seb and Lisa to laugh at their playfulness. They got their things together and hugged Lisa. Mom hugged Seb and Dan shook his hand and with one last serious look at Seb he went out the door, holding it for his wife.

When they were gone Lisa asked Seb “Is everything alright with you and Dad? She asked with concern on her face.

Seb came and gathered her into his arms and held her close to him.

“Everything is just fine, Cheri. Just guy talk, that’s all.”

They did a bit of picking up and when Lisa went to check on Kayti, Seb started the dishwasher and stood there thinking of his conversations with Dan Huggins. He was not Lisa’s biological father. He wasn’t even officially her adopted father, but he was taking his job very seriously. It made him smile to think that Lisa had such a protector. He was really the only father figure Lisa remembered except for the years that her Uncle Jonathan was still alive.

From what Lisa had told him, Jonathan wasn’t unkind to her but he wasn’t a man that was comfortable with children and he had left most of the care of Lisa to Jessie. Lisa didn’t have more than a few fleeting memories of her biological father. Apparently, he had traveled frequently for his job and so he had missed out on much of Lisa’s first five years and then he and his wife, Lisa’s mother, had been killed in the car accident shortly after she turned five.

But Dan had been a figure in her life since she was fifteen and although it was only recently that they had voiced their feelings, apparently they had been there for her through most of the events in her life and had been a great support for her. Now though, Dan was making it known that whatever happened with not only Alex and Urs but also he and Lisa, these two men would sincerely regret it if they were to ever hurt either of his girls.

He had been very friendly with the men. They had had many great laughs and interesting conversations over the last several days, but he made it known that he was serious about the care of his girls. Seb was actually glad about that. He knew that Lisa and Kayti would be well looked after when he couldn’t be here and that was a great comfort to him.

Lisa came back and sat next to Seb on the couch just enjoying looking at the decorations and the tree lights flashing. He put his arm around her drawing her close to his side. He loved the feeling of contented closeness between the two of them. He didn’t think she had had any times over the last couple of days when she had gotten nervous with him and that made his heart so happy that they had come such a long way in just a few days. He gave another squeeze to pull her closer to him and hated the thought of leaving her on Thursday. It was going to be very difficult to say goodbye. He was already trying to figure out when he would be able to come home. Yes, his home. Lisa was his home and he knew that this group home was every bit her passion as singing was to him and had no thoughts of asking her to leave that dream behind.

They would work it out. He would make sure of it.

Marie hadn’t missed the intense look that Dan had sent Sebastien’s way and she was determined to find out what was going on between her husband and Lisa’s young man.

As they were driving home, Marie thought now was as good a time as any to get her husband to talk. He was, after all, pretty well trapped in the car and would have little choice in the matter. But she figured she would approach this in a careful manner. She didn’t want to have him start right off feeling like he was being attacked.

“Dan, Sweetheart? What was going on between you and Sebastien? Is something wrong? I saw you both talking and then I saw you give him quite a stern look before we left.”

“It’s nothing, Love. I was just having a chat with him. I wanted to know what his plans are as far as Lisa is concerned. I know it is early yet but they seem to have gotten pretty close in the last couple of weeks, even more so just in the last two days. I am concerned that she will end up hurt again.”

“DAN!!! You don’t for one minute think that that sweet young man would hurt a hair on her head?? Tell me you don’t.” Marie said incredulously.

“No, I don’t think he would ever hurt her physically but I see how she looks at him and I know it wouldn’t take much for him to destroy her.” He said very seriously.

“Seb would not hurt her, Daniel Huggins. He loves her just as much as she loves him.”

“I know Marie, I really do. Don’t get me wrong, sweetheart. But, he has so much going in his life and I am afraid that Lisa will get left behind as his career gets even bigger than it already is.” He paused and then continued, “He asked my permission tonight to ask her to marry him.” He said sneaking a peek away from the road to see what his wife’s reaction would be to this piece of news.

“HE DID!! Really?? Oh this is fantastic. When is he going to ask her?” she said excitedly, barely able to sit still in her seat.

“He didn’t say. He just wanted to ask me before he asked her.” He said returning his undivided attention back to the road.

“Well, what did you say to him?”

“I gave him my blessing as long as he promised not to hurt her and to take care of her and Kayti and any other children they may have. He gave me his word as a gentleman and I do believe he meant it. I just hope that things don’t happen to keep him away from her for too long. I would love to see her happy, Marie. She has had far too much tragedy in her life. It is about time for that to change.”

“I can’t wait. We may have a wedding to plan soon.” She said still just about bouncing up and down in her seat.

Dan stole a quick look at her again and smiled. He still loved this woman who had been his companion, his friend and lover for almost thirty years. She never ceased to give him a reason to smile.

“Now Marie, You take it easy and don’t interfere. I mean don’t tell anyone that Seb is going to ask her. You let him do it in his own time.”

“Yes, Father. She said, using his own pun from earlier, right back at him.

“Touché” he said with a wink and he blew her a kiss. “I love you Marie.”

“I know you do. You just can’t help yourself. But I love you too, you know.”

“Sure do. You’ve been showing me for twenty-nine years now.”

They finished the ride home in companionable silence. Marie would never admit it to anyone, Dan thought, but she was tired. She had taken care of Kayti since Friday night. Not only was she taking care of a toddler but one that was a bit irritable from being itchy from the chicken pox. It could have been much worse. Kayti could have had a fever and really felt ill. So they had come out on the easy end. But he knew his wife and she needed a rest.

As he was driving, he got to thinking that it had been quite a while since he had taken her away for a vacation, even a short one. He would have to rectify that situation, and soon. Maybe he could come up with some plans in time to take her away soon for a few days. He would have to get working on it right away. Maybe Alex would have some good ideas.

Chapter 30:

Seb could feel that Lisa had fallen asleep leaning against him. After everyone left, she had finally decided to take a pain pill. Her ankle was bothering her. So now the effects of the medication and the busy evening were causing her to sleep soundly and he slid out from beside her and lifted her into his arms and carried her into her bedroom. He stood there staring at her bed, wishing he’d thought to come in and turn the bed down before carrying her in. It was too late now, so he laid her down on one side and pulled the comforter and blanket up over her from the other side of the bed. He leaned over and kissed her forehead and then lightly kissed her lips.

He stepped out of the bedroom leaving the door open in case she needed him for anything. On his way by her door, he went in and peeked into Kayti’s crib and covered her back up. She had kicked her blanket off. As he stood there watching her sleep, he thought of the difference in his life in less than three short weeks.

Before they had come here three weeks ago, he had sworn off women, well at least long term relationships. He was tired of the games and trying to figure out what women want, besides the obvious three main things, Money, sex, and/or fame. He had been in so many relationships that turned out bad. He had found that all they wanted from him was what they could get out of him. They didn’t love him for himself.

He watched as Kayti was sucking on her tongue in her sleep. Her little lips moving in the sucking motion was so cute. He felt the need to pick her up and hold her but he resisted in case he would wake her. He would have all day tomorrow to spend with her. He would have to try to think of some fun activities to do with her. “Bonne Nuit, Ma petite fille. Papa loves you.”

When he got back to the couch, he realized that Lisa’s crutches were still out here. He took them into her room and put them where she could easily reach them if she woke up. With one last kiss on her cheek he turned to leave the room.

“Seb? Seb?” Lisa called out sounding like she was distressed.

“I’m here Baby. I’m right here. He said sitting on the edge of her bed, stroking her hair. He realized that she was sleeping and probably dreaming.

“Seb, please help me. Please make him go away.” She muttered.

Seb got down on his knees next to her bed so his face was right next to hers and he whispered gently into her ear. “Baby, it’s Seb, Honey. I’m right here. He won’t hurt you anymore. I promise you that. I’ll take care of you.”

He was gently touching his fingertips to her cheek and running the other hand slowly through her hair and for several minutes they had this curious conversation. He wasn’t sure but she was settling down as if she was hearing what he was saying and incorporating it into her dream. Then all of a sudden she woke up and looked at his face, allowing herself to focus and when she realized she wasn’t dreaming anymore she reached up and put her arms around his neck and held on to him like he was her lifeline.

She was holding onto him rather tightly and he gently extricated himself from her death grip and stood up and made a spur of the moment decision. He told her he would be right back, went out by the couch and removed his shoes and then his belt, laying it on the couch. He stopped to turn out the remaining lights in the house, leaving only a small lamp on for a nightlight. He didn’t allow himself to change his mind. He needed to know if Lisa was ever going to be able to trust him to love her without hurting her.

When he came back into the room Lisa had gone into the bathroom and when she came back out she was in her pajamas. She crawled under the covers and looked at him, wondering what he was doing. He was standing at the other side of the bed and he made it very obvious that he was lifting the comforter and didn’t disturb the blanket or sheet that were still between him and her and he got onto the bed and covered himself with the comforter. All this time he never broke eye contact with her. His eyes were begging her to trust him.

When Seb got comfortable, he asked her to come closer to him.

“I want to hold you while you sleep, Cherie. That’s all. I just want to hold you. Will you let me? If you want me to go, all you have to do is tell me and I’ll go back to the sofa. I will understand.”

She looked into his eyes for just a moment longer then she slid over the few inches that separated them and he held his arm out to her. She laid her head on his shoulder and he could feel her tensing up. He didn’t want to make her so uncomfortable that she would be unable to sleep.

If he asked, she would have been unable to lie to him. She was so afraid; she thought she would have to hurry into the bathroom to be sick. She hated feeling like this. She knew without a doubt if she told Seb to go, he would. She wanted to have a life with this special man. She knew she would never have another chance like this in her entire life if she blew this. She took a deep breath and told herself to relax. She knew that he had not gotten under the blanket just so she would not be afraid.

He felt her heavy breathing, but as the minutes ticked by and he just held her he could feel her begin to relax a bit.

“I love you, Cherie. I just want you to sleep and not be afraid.”

She raised herself up just enough so she could see his face. She leaned up on her elbow and looked into his eyes and saw every bit of his love for her plainly shining there for her to see. Reaching out her hand, she caressed his face, feeling the bit of stubble that was there after a day’s growth. Then she leaned towards him and began by kissing his cheek. Her hand was still touching his face and ran down his neck. She had not broken eye contact and he didn’t dare to move for fear of startling her. He wanted to let her go at her own pace to wherever it lead, even if she stopped now, he would be satisfied, especially if she would let him hold her through the night. That would be much more than he could have hoped for so soon.

He touched his fingertips to her cheek and lightly ran them across her cheek and over her lips and his eyes followed wherever his fingers went. He could see the signs of her increased breathing. He wasn’t sure if it was from fear or from the fact that his touch was arousing her.

When he began touching her face and then touched her lips Lisa began feeling a flutter in her stomach. She wanted him to kiss her but she was afraid that he would think that meant she wanted more than that. She didn’t want him to think she was being a tease.

“Seb, please kiss me.” She whispered

He replaced his fingertips with his lips, slowly and gently he pressed them to her, letting her set the pace. He had made his lips available and was allowing her to take from him whatever she needed without feeling like she needed to give anything else in return. He was so adamant that she was not going to feel like she was under any pressure from him that he decided to put an end to the kiss himself.

Slowly he began to lessen the intensity of the kiss. He tasted each of her lips once more and her cheeks and her forehead and then he did one of the hardest things he had ever done. He pulled her down so she was lying with her head against his shoulder and then he pulled the covers up over them both and settled in for what he imagined would be a very long night.

“Goodnight, Cherie. I love you very much. Sleep well,”

“I love you too Seb. Thank you.” She said. As inexperienced sexually as she was, she still knew how difficult it was for Seb to have been kissing her like that and then to be holding her now without going any further than they had.

He pulled her in close to him and kissed the top of her head and giving the hand that was resting on his chest a squeeze. He did lay there listening for her to fall asleep but when he woke in the morning, he realized it was he who had fallen asleep first.

Lisa had laid there listening to his breathing. While they were kissing, his breathing had gotten swift and ragged and she had been concerned just for a few seconds and just then, Seb had noticeably slowed the kiss down and had put a stop to it and gotten them settled for sleep. Shortly after, she heard his even breathing, signaling to her that he had dropped off to sleep and then after just a couple of minutes she followed him feeling safe and unafraid into a blessed sleep that was undisturbed by any terrible dreams.

Lisa was the first to wake in the morning. There was a momentary confusion as she was slowly waking up. She was not in his arms anymore but was still pressed closely to his side as he slept. The memory of last night became vivid as she remembered him getting into bed with her very carefully so he wouldn’t frighten her. “This man is so special.“ She thought. After they had gotten settled as he had wrapped her in his embrace, she had only spent just a couple of uncomfortable minutes before she had settled down and had relaxed enough to fall asleep in his arms.

She began hearing Kayti stirring in her crib. She wasn’t crying or upset, just playing and talking to her toys but Lisa was just about to try to get up and get her before she woke Seb up. She turned towards her crutches and was about to swing her legs out of bed when his arm came around her waist from behind and his lips were on her neck where he pulled her hair back.

“Good morning, Cherie. Did you sleep well?”

“Yes, I did. Thank you. Did you?”

“I guess I did. I don’t remember much after we snuggled down.” He said with his usual smile.

“Kayti is awake. I was going to try to get her before she woke you.” Lisa wasn’t sure what she should do now. She hadn’t ever woken up with a man and she had always seen movies where they showed people kissing each other when they awoke, but she felt like she really wanted to brush her teeth first before she kissed him.

“You look like something is bothering you, Cherie. What is it?”

“Nothing much, really. I just…. I want to kiss you good morning but I haven’t brushed my teeth yet.”

“Oh,” He said and was visibly trying not to laugh at that.

“What’s so funny?” She said coloring a bit.

“It’s alright. Come here. I haven’t brushed mine either.” He said as he brushed his lips across hers. She was turned awkwardly since she had already started getting off the bed so she turned back to him and wound up laying back on the pillows and his arm under her holding her to him. He brushed her hair off of her face and said, “You are even beautiful when you first wake up.” causing her to blush.

“You don’t look too bad yourself first thing in the morning, but your hair looks more like David’s.” she said with a chuckle and ran her hand through the hair sticking up all over his head. “What would you like for breakfast?” She asked him.

Seb thought of a comeback that he would have normally made to a question like that but he didn’t want to ruin what distance they had already come so he held it back.

“I will get breakfast. After I go, you will have plenty of time to do things on your own. But for now, I will do things that will keep you standing for long periods. Why don’t you get Kayti up and dressed while I fix us something.” He instantly regretted mentioning his leaving. He saw the sadness in her eyes.

“Are you alright, Cherie? I don’t want to leave you. You do know that, don’t you? I wish I could pack you up and bring you and Kayti with me. I will miss you both so much.” He said pulling her to him again and he felt her tears wetting his shirt.

She wrapped her arms around him and held him close to her. She didn’t want to make it harder on him to leave but she couldn’t help the tears that had escaped.

“I’m sorry, Seb. I know you have to go. We’ll be alright. But, we’ll miss you too, very much. You have made yourself indispensable around here you know.” She said with a cheeky grin, trying to lighten the mood.

“I’ll just have to make sure that when you do hire a handy man, that he is old and ugly. I wouldn’t want you falling in love with another man now that I have found you.” He said returning her smile.

Instantly, her face got serious again. “Seb, there will never be anyone else for me. It has always been you. My heart has been waiting a long time for you to find me again.” She said with one tear escaping and running down her temple as she was lying in the circle of his arm.

His lips came down on hers and told her what that meant to him. He kissed her with all of the passion and love he held for her. When things could have spiraled out of control, Kayti decided she’d had enough play time in her crib.

“Mama” she called. “Juice, Mama”

“I guess that’s it then.” Lisa said a hint of disappointment in her voice which made Seb a very happy man. He pulled her close for one last quick kiss, and then let her get up.

“Seb, could you help me, in a few minutes, to wrap my cast again? I want to get a shower.”

“I sure will. Just let me know when you’re ready.”

He had gone the other day and had snitched a roll of duct tape and a roll of plastic from the construction supplies in the main house and had been wrapping up Lisa’s cast and taping it so it wouldn’t get wet during her showers. He had shown her how to do it when she would be alone but it was easier for someone else to do it.

When she broke her ankle, Lisa had arranged to be off work until Seb left. She didn’t want to miss one minute with him. As she showered and dressed she thought about how emotional this past week had been for her. There had been such an array of events both good and bad. But she knew that last night was a defining moment for her. She had slept all night soundly and unafraid in Seb’s arms.

Kayti was still enthralled by the tree being in the house. Only once did she have to be told not to touch the ornaments. She stood on her tip toes looking out the window at the snowman. Seb promised her they would go out to play when breakfast was over. Lisa had said that Kayti’s blisters were dried up enough so she could go out.

He got her strapped into her high chair and gave her a piece of toast to eat while they waited for Lisa to come. He was amazed at the mess someone could make with a little piece of toast. She had crumbs from ear to ear and in her hair. He had noticed that before. Kayti never neglected her hair during a meal. It always got just as messy as the rest of her. Lisa had told him that most of the time it was just easier to take her right from the table to the tub instead of trying to wash her up at the table.

Lisa came out to the kitchen to find Seb and Kayti in a conversation. She loved seeing them together. She felt such a feeling of rightness about all of them here together. She was more than pleasantly surprised when she heard what Seb was saying to Kayti.

“Love, you sure do make quite a mess but you seem to be enjoying it. Papa will have fun cleaning you up too, I imagine.” He said and Kayti was giggling at him.

He had called himself Papa to Kayti. She hoped that this meant what she hoped it did. That somehow they would be a family, a real family.

They had a pleasant morning together. Seb kept Kayti entertained both inside and out. When it was time for lunch he brought her in and Lisa had already put an easy lunch on the table of sandwiches and chips and some raw veggies to munch on.

When Kayti was finished and had been washed and her diaper changed Seb carried her to her crib and she fell asleep very quickly.

“Thank you, Seb. You really are good with her. I enjoy watching you playing with her.”

“She isn’t hard to have fun with. She’s such a happy child.”

“I heard you call yourself Papa to her several times today.”

“Is that alright? I guess I really should have asked you first.” Afraid he had overstepped his bounds by saying that to Kayti.

“No, Seb. It is fine. I love hearing it. I hope you really do want to be her Papa.” She said putting her hand on his and looking to him seriously.

“Oh I really do, Cherie. She is very special to me already.” He said as he played with her fingers and was looking like he was trying to say something else. “I was wondering if you would want to go out to dinner. You haven’t been out of the house for several days. If you could get a babysitter fine, but if not I wouldn’t mind Kayti coming along. What do you think?”

“I know Mom would if I asked but I could see that she was tired yesterday. She had had Kayti since Friday. Alex has only the same amount of time with Urs as you and I have so I don’t want to bother them. I’ll try Mary and see if she is busy. Kayti really shouldn’t be out in public just in case she is still contagious. I don’t think so but just to be safe, you know.”

Lisa called Mary who was thrilled to be able to come and sit with Kayti for Lisa. Mary was still apologizing for not doing more to stop Jenna. She felt responsible for Jenna being able to do what she did. Lisa was trying to figure out how to convince Mary that she didn’t blame her at all. There was no way she could have prevented it.

When Mary arrived, Lisa told her that Kayti had already been fed her dinner. All she needed was to be put in her pajamas which were laid out on the changing table. All the necessary emergency numbers were on a dry erase board by the phone. Lisa knew that everything would be fine but this was the first time that she had been out for pleasure since she’d had Kayti with her so it was hard for her to leave.

“We will be fine. Go and enjoy yourselves.”

“I know Mary. I’m sorry. I know I must sound like I don’t trust leaving her with you but that isn’t true at all.”

“I know that isn’t it. You are acting like a brand new Mom, leaving her baby with a babysitter for the first time.” Mary said with a grin.

Seb and Lisa left and Mary was so glad to see how happy they looked together and she noticed that Lisa looked much more comfortable with Seb than she had over the weekend. She knew that she had information that the Diva’s on the forum would die to have and a small part of her was dying to tell them all how happy Sebastien looked with his new lady, but she would never break their trust. She had shared dozens of pictures of the guys at the party on the forum but none of them alone with Lisa or Alex. She figured if they wanted it made public about their new relationships they would do it when they were ready. They deserved all of their privacy to allow their relationship to blossom without cameras popping in their faces all the time. It would happen soon enough that someone would see them together and shout it out for the entire world to hear but it wouldn’t be her that would do the telling. She hadn’t even told Theresa. She liked the woman but didn’t know her well enough to trust her that much yet. The other ladies at the daycare didn’t even know how serious the two were yet. They saw them together at the party but they hadn’t been here at the house over the weekend to see how he touched her as he passed her in the yard and the way they looked at each other. There had been a bit of that at the party but Seb had been in his professional mode then so it wasn’t as noticeable.

She got Kayti all ready for bed and played with her for a while and then read her a story in the rocking chair in her bedroom. Before she had even finished the story, Kayti was sound asleep and Mary settled in with her cross stitch project that she was making for a friend’s new grandbaby. She only had a couple of weeks to finish it before the baby was due but as long as Kayti stayed asleep, she would get quite a bit done tonight.

Chapter 31:

Seb decided to take Lisa to the Italian restaurant that Urs had taken Alex to. Their friends had both raved over the food and service so he hoped they wouldn’t be disappointed.

The restaurant wasn’t a large one. It was actually quite intimate and very formal in the evenings. Men and their ladies were dressed in their finery and enjoying the peaceful atmosphere inside. Outside was a loud bustling city, with car horns beeping, diesel trucks driving noisily down the roads, and even the squawking seagulls at the ocean’s edge were making their presence known. But in here, in the quiet, they were alone and able to focus on their partners and enjoy their dinner.

Their friends had been exactly right in their assessment of the place. The service was excellent and the food was even better. Seb was well known for making his displeasure known when a meal wasn’t as it should be but thankfully tonight he’d had no need to voice any complaints.

As they sat there talking at their corner table in the back of the restaurant, Seb was just a bit nervous. Was it too soon? Would he be scaring her away? He didn’t want to, but he didn’t want to leave town without Lisa knowing his full intentions. He wanted to leave her no doubt about where he felt their relationship stood.

“Seb, are you alright? You look a bit distracted. Is there something wrong?”

“There is absolutely nothing wrong, Cherie. Everything and I mean everything is just perfect. You are so very beautiful and I love you very much.” He said seriously but with a smile for her. Then he took one last sip of his wine for courage and stood from his seat.

Lisa thought he was about to excuse himself to the restroom or something. The next thing she knew, he was kneeling on one knee beside her chair and she had to turn to face him. She started actually sweating and her hands were shaking as she knew what he must be doing.

She watched in silence as he pulled a small box from his jacket pocket then he looked up into her eyes. She didn’t think she had ever been this scared and excited at the same time in her entire life.

“Lisa” he said sounding a bit choked, and then he cleared his throat and began again. “Lisa, I love you so much. I have for many years. No matter what else has happened in my life, the memory of you was always there. There is no way that I can think that our meeting for a second time is just a coincidence. My biggest regret is that it wasn’t much sooner. But, now that we have found each other again and I have found that my feelings that I had held in my heart for so long were not false, I cannot allow us to drift apart again, not ever. I can only hope that your feelings are the same, and that you want to spend the rest of your life with me as I do you.”

He opened the box to reveal a very beautiful ring and looked back up into her eyes for some sign that she was happy. He wasn’t sure though. She was obviously in shock.

“Lisa, I know that our relationship has many things to work out on both our parts. It won’t be easy with my career and my being gone a lot, but I can’t imagine going another day without saying that you are mine. Lisa Daniels, would you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”

Lisa knew she had to answer. She was just in so much shock that he was asking her this question and so soon. They had only been back together three weeks. But as he said they had held each other in their hearts for nine years. She reached out and touched his beloved face. She had so many fears to deal with, but he had shown her in so many ways that she could trust him to protect her and to deal with each of their problems together and she couldn’t imagine for one second not having him in her life again. The thought was physically painful now.

“I love you too, Sebastien Izambard. I love you so much and if you can put up with my insecurities and fears and continue helping me to work through them, then yes, I would love to be your wife.” She said with tears streaming down her face.

Sebastien had been so afraid of her saying no or not yet. But she hadn’t, she had actually said yes. He pulled her to him and he had his own tears running down his face of relief and joy at having finally found the love that he had searched his whole life for.

When he finally backed away, he sat back in the chair next to her and showed her the ring.

“Cherie, this ring belonged to my Great-Grandmother. I would like for you to have it, but if you also want another engagement ring that you pick out, I would be happy to buy one for you.”

“Seb, This ring is beautiful. I would feel honored to wear it. I don’t need you to buy me anything else.”

She couldn’t stop her hand from shaking as he was placing the ring on her finger. It was a bit loose and Seb promised her they would go first thing tomorrow to get it sized for her. He leaned towards her and kissed her lips softly. When he looked into her eyes, he saw happiness and he didn’t see any of the fear and nervousness that had plagued her for so long.

The waiter had started to come over earlier to ask if they wanted any dessert, but when he saw the gentleman down on one knee, he knew to back off and give them their privacy. Now, as he peeked around the corner, he saw that the man was back in his seat and looking like a very happy man. They were holding hands across the table and talking softly to each other.

He had worked in the restaurant business for a long time and had witnessed this scene many times. He had seen it go both ways and the alternative usually wasn’t very nice.

He stepped gingerly back over to their table asking if they wanted any dessert or any more to drink. They placed an order for a dessert to share and two forks and he moved away smiling at their obvious love for each other shining in their eyes.

When they had finished their dessert, Seb gestured for the check and after he had paid they made their way out into the night air.

“It’s lovely out here tonight. I wish we could go for a walk. But, that will have to wait until I am out of this cast, I guess.”

“We can go over to the benches by the ocean if it isn’t too far for you. It is nice out and I don’t want the evening to end quite yet.”

“I think I would like that and it isn’t that far.”

They made their way slowly over to the benches that faced the ocean and they sat there watching the birds diving into the water to grab whatever fish had veered to close to the surface. There were also the little birds that just ran along the beach just at the water’s edge searching for their dinner.

There was a light breeze coming off of the water that was just enough to add a bit of chill in the air and when Sebastien felt her tiny shiver, he put his arm around her shoulder and drew her into his side to shield her from the breeze as much as possible.

Lisa couldn’t stop looking at the beautiful ring that Seb had just placed on her finger. How did she get so lucky to have this man in her life? He could have just about any woman in the world that he wanted. She knew that she was no great beauty and yet he made her feel as if she was. She looked up into his face as he was looking out over the water and they just sat there enjoying the closeness and the serenity they were both feeling.

Sebastien was stroking the side of her arm and her shoulder where he was holding her against his side and she laid her head against his chest, pressing herself tightly to him. When he felt the big sigh that had escaped her, he shifted just enough so he could look down into her face. She looked up into his eyes and smiled at him and ran her hand along his smooth jaw.

She wanted so much for him to kiss her just then so she straightened herself up, moving her face to within an inch of his and pulled his face until their lips were just barely touching.

He loved it so much at the boldness she was acquiring. He slowly and softly tasted her lips one at a time and his lips moved over her cheeks and to the sensitive areas of her neck until they missed the taste of her lips and promptly returned there. His fingers were lacing themselves in the long flow of her hair that was hanging loosely around her shoulders, feeling its silkiness sliding through his fingers.

She pressed herself closer to his chest and she was silently begging him to increase the intensity of the kiss. Her body was screaming out for something…she didn’t know what, but she knew that only he could satisfy this unknown craving that she felt. She couldn’t get enough of him kissing her.

He knew she was becoming aroused as the kiss was gaining momentum. He could feel her trembling and knew it wasn’t from fear. She was trying to press herself closer to him, not pull away. He languished in the feelings of joy he felt at her growing arousal but knew he had to end it soon.

First of all, they were sitting out in a public place and his own arousal would soon become very noticeable and second, as much as he wanted to help to ease some of what she was feeling by showing her that her body was begging for the touch of his hands on her, a feeling he was having himself, very much needing her touch, he knew he had to stop. He had promised her that there would be no pressure for intimacy and he was determined, no matter how hard it was to do so, that he would not break her trust of him.

So, he went back to the tiny kisses on her cheeks and he ran his hands down her arms until he was holding her hands in his and he pulled back and looked into her eyes that were glazed and he knew what she was feeling as he saw the disappointment in their depths. He kissed her forehead and sat back against the bench and pulled her back against his side allowing both of them a moment for their breathing to become less ragged.

He kissed the top of her head and kept his cheek pressed there. “I love you so much, Lisa. I have never felt this much happiness and contentment in my entire life, even though right now I am struggling to control the urges that my body craves when I am touching you. I need you to trust my promise to you that I will wait to make love to you.

She leaned so she could look into his eyes. That statement should have created a mountain of fear, but it didn’t. It only made her love and trust him even more that he was being so open and honest with her about how he was feeling.

It was getting a bit late and they started making their way to the car. They wanted to let Mary get home. Seb drove Lisa’s car and held her hand in his. He didn’t want to break their contact and didn’t unless it was necessary.

When they pulled into the driveway of course everything was as it should be. Lisa knew she had no need to worry but she had never been a mother before either. They came in the door and found Mary still working on her project which she put away when they came in the door. “Did you enjoy your evening?”

“We sure did” Seb answered quickly and with a smile that lit up his whole face.

“Yes, we did. Everything was absolutely perfect.” Lisa said looking into Sebastien’s eyes.

Mary was enjoying watching the two of them. They were so evidently in love and just as she was about to say goodnight, she saw the ring shining on Lisa’s finger. The lights from the Christmas tree were reflecting off of the stone. She couldn’t help the gasp that escaped from her lips as she saw it. She quickly covered her mouth with her hand.

“Seb asked me to marry him, Mary. Can you believe it?” Lisa told her and Mary drew her into a hug and said,

“Yes, I can. You two make the loveliest couple and you both deserve to be very happy and I know that together you will be. Now, I’m going to head home and get out of your way.”

“And Kayti, was she alright for you tonight?”

“She was an angel as always. After getting ready for bed, we played for a bit then we read a book and she didn’t even stay awake for the whole thing and I haven’t heard a peep out of her since. I just checked on her a short time ago but she hadn’t even kicked her blanket off. I was able to finish all but a few stitches of the cross stitch I’ve been working on. Those pesky French knots with my eye sight.” She said grinning at the pair.

“Yes, we French can be very pesky.” Seb said cheekily. “Thank you Mary, for taking care of her for us.” Seb said as he began escorting her out the door and down the steps with her arm securely in the crook of his own and he wouldn’t take no for an answer as he paid her for her care of Kayti.

“Mary, on one hand I don’t think I need to even say this to you, but I am going to ask you not to tell anyone else yet. It will probably be a while before we will actually get married. We haven’t even discussed that yet, but also I don’t want the press here hounding Lisa about our personal life. I know we won’t be able to avoid it forever but I want to protect her for as long as possible.”

“I understand, Seb and I won’t tell a soul. You have my word. It is up to the two of you when you want to make it public. But I will warn you that if Lisa is wearing that ring when she goes back to work, there will be a lot of questions asked.”

“Thank you, Mary. We’ll have to talk about it and decide what is best. Be careful driving home. I won’t see you again before I leave so I will say goodbye now. Please look after her for me while I’m away.”

“I will, Seb. I don’t know Lisa’s whole story. I’ve heard things and don’t know how much is true. But I do know that she is happier than I have ever seen her. You take care and come back soon.”

“I’ll be back as soon as it’s possible.” He said and kissed her cheeks. He watched as Mary drove away and was glad that Lisa had so many people who cared for her. When he could no longer see Mary’s car, he turned and went back inside. Lisa was just coming out of Kayti’s room.

“Is she alright?” he said softly.

“Yes, I just wanted to see her.” Lisa said with a bashful smile.

Seb came close to her and wrapped his arms around her. “Do you know that you have made me the happiest man alive? I know it may be a while before we can actually get married but I am just so happy to know that in time we will be husband and wife and be together forever.”

“I am happy too, Seb. I never thought I could be this happy. I thought my life would consist only of the children. I hope that I can always make you happy. I feel so lucky that you love me like you do.”

He guided her over so she could sit on the couch. He pulled her close to him and she laid her head on his shoulder. They had been sitting there for a while and it was getting late. Seb wanted to sleep with her again and was just about to ask her when she said,

“Seb, do you want to sleep in my room again? I do want you to but if it is too hard for you to stay in there knowing there won’t be more than kissing, I understand.” She said not quite meeting his eyes.

“I really want to Baby, if it doesn’t make you uncomfortable.” He answered raising her chin so she had to look at him.

“I trust you and it is silly for you to sleep all squished up on the couch when I have this big bed all to myself. I slept soundly last night with you next to me.” She said finally meeting his eyes fully.

“I’ll join you in a few minutes. I just want to lock up and shut off the lights. Do you want anything from the kitchen, like a drink or anything?” he asked as he had already started locking the door.

“I would like some ice water, please.” She said and turned to hobble into her room to get ready for bed.
She went into the master bathroom and took care of her nightly rituals and when she came out Seb was already in the room. Like last night, he had removed his shoes, but tonight he had put on a pair of sweatpants. The biggest shock to Lisa was that Seb wasn’t wearing a shirt. He was standing right in front of her and she couldn’t tear her eyes away from his bare chest that was sprinkled with hair that was thicker in the middle of his chest and then there was a thin line of hair that continued on down the middle of his abdomen to disappear below the waistband of his pants.

Seb wanted to give her a minute to calm herself and then he would find out if this was going to be okay with her. He handed her the glass of water and she quickly averted her eyes as she took a long sip. Setting the glass on her night stand, she began fiddling with the comforter and blanket.

“If you would rather, I can put a t-shirt back on, if it makes you uncomfortable.”

“UM. Well.. No, I guess it’s alright.” She said as she slipped between the sheets. But he could hear her hesitation.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, it’s fine Seb, really.” She slid backwards so she was further towards the middle and swung her legs up onto the bed, pulling the sheet and blanket over her. Before she lay down fully, she leaned over to take one last sip of her water and she was hoping he would hurry up and get settled in the bed. The faster she went to sleep the faster she would be able to get the view of Seb’s bare chest out of her mind. He was so gorgeous. She had already gotten a peek the other day and she thought he looked very nice.

“What do I do now? Will he want me to lie in his arms like last night? It will be very different lying against his bare skin.” She thought to herself as she lay back on the pillows.

Seb turned a bit towards her and very lightly touched her face, running his fingertips from her temple downwards to her jaw and up to her lips. He leaned over and kissed her, slowly with the lightest pressure and leaned back a bit and waited to get a response from her.

It was quite a bit warmer tonight and Lisa knew that the comforter was going to be uncomfortable for Seb. She was trying to think of anything but how his kisses made her feel.

“Seb, it really is too hot for the comforter. If you want, you can throw it on the chair and just get under the sheet and blanket with me.”

He took that as a very good sign and did as she suggested and climbed back in bed holding his arm out to her as he had last night. Again, she hesitated. He knew it was because he wasn’t wearing a shirt. He had just about decided to go put on a t-shirt, when she slid over and let him wrap her up in his embrace. This time they were both under the sheet together and Lisa felt the hair on his ankle as her foot bumped into him and she drew her leg back just a bit.

He kissed her on the top of her head and when she looked up at him he let his lips caress her forehead and cheek and then her lips with slow gentle kisses. The kisses were undemanding but Lisa could feel the passion building between them again as his arm drew her closer to him, his other hand caressing her face and running through her hair, both of their breathing increasing in intensity.

Seb knew he needed to stop before he made Lisa nervous but right now he needed to feel her lips on his. As their kiss continued, he let the tip of his tongue glide across her bottom lip and he could feel the shiver run through her and he was surprised when she leaned even closer to him.

When his tongue had slid across her lip, Lisa couldn’t stop the shiver that ran through her. She didn’t want him to stop kissing her but was it fair to him to allow it to continue and then tell him he had to stop all of a sudden? Her mouth opened to take in a breath of air just as his tongue was coming back to taste her lips again. When his tongue would have just grazed her lips, now it encountered her open mouth and her tongue. Of its own volition, her tongue reached out to taste his and the sensation it created in her made her pull herself closer to him.

As their tongues danced in a slow mating dance, Seb knew he would have to stop. His arousal was fast becoming very noticeable. They were making such tremendous progress and he was concerned that she would be frightened by the state he was in. It was much different now than when they were in a place that was out in public and they had had to put a stop to their kisses. He drew back and then briefly kissed her lips once more before leaning over her to shut off the bedside light and then he laid down and pulled her to him, keeping his protective arm around her.

“Sleep Well, Cherie. I love you. Wake me if you need anything.” He said as he brushed her hair back from her face and then took her hand in his and laid their clasped hands on his chest, just above his heart, enabling Lisa to feel that his heart rate was just as elevated as hers was.

“I love you too, Seb. Have a good sleep.” She said trying to ignore the fact that she had noticed that he had become very aroused. She knew she had no need to fear but she still had to try to think about other things. She forced her mind to think about things like the party and the two days of volunteer help she had gotten to help work on the property as well as what was to be done next and this is how she fell asleep.

Chapter 32:

When Lisa woke in the morning, she was still lying in the circle of Seb’s arm and her left leg, cast and all was draped over top of Seb’s leg. She very gently and slowly lifted her leg and dropped it down on top of her right leg. She didn’t move from his embrace however. She felt much too comfortable there to move right now.

He knew that she thought he was still asleep. He could tell by her slow movements, she was trying not to wake him. But, he had awakened on his own several minutes ago and had been laying there enjoying holding her sleeping body close to his.

When he had woken and found her leg draped across his own, he had smiled, enjoying the feeling of her wrapped so closely around him and then she had woken and quickly removed it. He imagined that was just a bit too intimate a position for her. But he was so pleased that she didn’t seem to be in a hurry to move away from him just yet. He knew he should let her know he was awake but quite frankly he was curious as to how long she might stay there so he didn’t move or make any sounds that would let her know he had been awake all along.

When they had fallen asleep, Seb had been holding her hand. Now his hand was lying beside hers on his chest. She looked at his hand and then let her fingers lightly run over the top of his wrist and gliding over the back of his hand and down each of his fingers. She loved the feel of his hands on her skin. When he would touch her face she could feel the slight roughness of the calluses on his fingers from playing the guitar. But his hands were always so gentle on her. He treated her like a porcelain doll most of the time and while she loved his gentle nature, she didn’t want him to continue to feel the need to treat her like a wounded soul. She wanted so much to have a normal relationship with him where thoughts of what had happened to her would become a very distant memory.

She turned her hand looking at the beautiful ring that he had placed on her finger last night. She felt so blessed to have him in her life. She laid her hand back on top of his giving his hand a gentle squeeze and pressing her body closer to his.

Seb couldn’t stay still any longer. He slowly moved to let her know that he was no longer asleep.

“How long have you been awake?” She asked him with a grin he could feel against his bare skin.

“Before you woke up.”

She lifted her head to look at his face and found him smiling at her. He turned his hand so he was holding hers and raised it to his lips, kissing it.

“I was enjoying holding you while you slept. Then when you woke, I was enjoying the fact that you felt comfortable in my arms and weren’t in a hurry to move away. Did you sleep well?”

She leaned into him pressing her lips to his then said, “I slept like a baby. I’ll miss you now when you aren’t beside me at night.”

As soon as she said that, reminding them both that today was their last day together for a while, tears immediately sprung to her eyes. She tried to hold them back but they were determined to fall.

He pulled her close to him. He was feeling it too. He didn’t like the thought of leaving her either. “Cherie, you know that I would stay longer if I could.”

“Yes, I know, Seb. I am not upset with you. I’ll just miss you terribly.”

“You don’t know how happy I am to hear that. I will be in touch with you as often as possible. I noticed that you have a web camera on your computer. Do you know how to use it?”

“It has only been used once when Alex was away for a week on business for the station. She installed it so she could talk to Kayti and I while she was gone. But I am sure I can figure it out.”

“Good, I have one on my laptop and we will be able to chat.”

“Kayti will love that too. She kept looking behind the computer for Alex the last time, but that was several months ago.”

“When is Kayti’s birthday? I know she is almost two.”

“Her birthday is the day after mine actually. Mine is February 15th and hers is the 16th.”

“Your birthday is the day after Valentine’s Day! That is perfect.” He said all excited, making her blush.

Changing the subject, she asked him what he would like for breakfast. She wanted to cook for him this time and wouldn’t take no for an answer. She had only taken one pain pill all of yesterday. Her ankle was beginning to feel much better. He relented and told her to surprise him and he kissed her and left the room to go shower in the other bathroom.

Lisa was determined to give him a pleasant day to remember before he had to leave. She would have plenty of time for crying after he was gone.

That same morning Urs and Alex were lying in bed after making love and they were both very reluctant to get up and allow the reality of the day to sink in any further than it already had. She was lying in his arms and they both were continuously letting their hands roam over the other’s body, wanting to remember each curve, every line or scar, and enjoyed watching the effects that their touches had on their lover’s breathing and their bodies.

“Alex?”

“Hmmm?” Alex said sounding sleepy or just very content, he wasn’t sure.

He turned himself so he was still holding her but he was now leaning over her as she still lay on the pillow with his arm under her neck. He looked into her eyes. He wanted to tell her how he felt. He didn’t want to leave and have her thinking it was even close to just being a quick fling for him. Several days ago, he had thought about talking to her and every time he had started, something interrupted him or he lost his nerve. But he was out of time now and he just had to make his feelings known.

She looked at him questioningly. She had dreaded this day coming. Had it only been three weeks since he had walked into the TV station, forever changing her? She was so afraid of him leaving and not remaining in her life. What if she never saw him again? That thought was like a knife in her heart. One part of her hated that she was losing control of her well planned out life. She was always so controlled in everything. She didn’t let other’s decide which direction her life would take, until now. Now, she didn’t have any control over how he felt about her and that mattered to her more than she would have ever dreamed. What if he was about to tell her that while he had really enjoyed their time together, it could never work out long term for them? She knew she had always been a strong person and if he did tell her that, she would just have to accept it and move on, but it would be devastating to her now that she knew what real love felt like.

He was stroking her hair and her face, just watching the emotions that were flitting through her eyes just then. He didn’t know when he had been so nervous about stating his feelings to a woman. But he knew that Alex had her life so planned out. What if she didn’t have room for him in it?

Suddenly, a tear escaped from Alex’s eye and rolled down her temple and into her hair.

“Alex… Liebe. What’s wrong?”

“I’m sorry Urs. I don’t want to make you feel bad about leaving. I knew this day was coming.”

“I’ll be back, sweetheart, as soon as I can.” He said kissing her temple where the tear had just been and took a deep breath and then continued. “I am falling in love with you Alex Huggins. I can’t imagine my life without you in it. I hope you feel the same.”

Alex couldn’t hold back the tears any longer. She was not one to cry very often but she had never felt so emotional about anything in her life. He loved her. She hadn’t dared to hope that he felt this way. She lifted her arms and wrapped them around his neck and pulled him down to her. “I love you too, Urs. I was afraid to hope that you loved me too.” She said quietly into his ear. She was a bit embarrassed at being so emotional and crying like she was but she couldn’t help it.

He lifted himself so he could see her face and he made her look at him. He smiled at her and began placing little tiny kisses all over her face, tasting her tears and finally came to rest on her lips and then neither of them could hold back any longer and it was several hours before they finally left the bed to eat and hurriedly get ready to leave for the airport.

By the time Seb was out of the bathroom, Lisa had Kayti sitting in her high chair snacking on some dry cereal and had a sippy cup of juice while she waited for the main course of Pancakes with strawberries and whipped cream and bacon. On the table was a bottle of real Vermont maple syrup which the Granddaughter of an old friend of her Aunt’s had sent to her.

The young woman had come in place of her Grandmother to Auntie’s funeral. Her Grandmother had been too ill to travel but the two women got on well and when they got on the subject of how Lisa loved the real syrup that was made there in Vermont, Jennifer had promised to send her some and now every once in a while, a package would arrive with a gallon can or two of the wonderful confection.

“You really are a fantastic cook.”

“Thank you but there really isn’t much to making pancakes.”

“This syrup is wonderful.”

“Isn’t it, though? It is real Vermont Grade A syrup. There is nothing like it. I can’t even buy the phony stuff anymore.

Kayti also enjoyed it. By the time they had finished eating, she was covered in it. She would definitely need a bath.

“I can bathe her and dress her if you’d like me too.” Seb said.

Lisa had been bathing her in the kitchen sink. It was too difficult to get up off of the floor with her cast.

“If you would like to that would be great. I’ll go run the tub and get her some clothes out and then I’ll get dressed while she has her bath.”

Lisa ran the tub and threw the handful of toys in that Kayti liked to play with while sitting in the tub. She thought of how different things would be now when Seb was around. She had imagined herself always as a single mother for her children and now Kayti had a man who loved her and wanted to be her Daddy. Kayti sure was a lucky girl whether she knew it or not.

Seb came rushing into the bathroom with Kayti, naked except for her diaper, and clinging to him. Lisa couldn’t suppress the giggles as she saw that Kayti had already transferred some of her breakfast into Seb’s hair as he carried her. His once clean hair now looked very much like David’s when he has it all sticking up. The syrup was acting as a styling gel with pancake crumbs added into the mix.

“Oh, you think it is funny, do you?” and to Kayti he said, “Don’t you think Mama needs to look pretty too, ma petite?” And he took Kayti’s sticky hand and rubbed it in Lisa’s hair and down her face.

Lisa squealed and jumped back as much as the crutches allowed and said to him, “Okay Mister, now when you are done with her there, you will have to help me wrap my leg up so I can shower and remove all of the syrup from my hair.”

“Anything you need, my love. If you can get the plastic and tape, I can do it in here while she plays with her toys.”

Lisa moved into her room to gather what was needed and she was laughing the whole time. She imagined that living with this man would never be boring. When she came back Seb was kneeling on the floor, tipped upside down with his head leaning into the tub and he was rinsing his hair. She just stood there appreciating the view of his well shaped behind sticking out.

“Are you enjoying the view?” He asked with his back still to her and smiled when he heard her intake of breath at being caught.

She could hear the laughter in his voice as he had asked her and she replied with a boldness that she didn’t know she possessed, “I sure am.” Eliciting a hearty laugh from him as he towel dried his hair, leaving it all messy.

When their eyes met he saw the color in her cheeks but she didn’t turn away and he pulled her to him and kissed her. He was holding her close and she had wound her arms around his neck and then they were kissing each other with an abandon that had not existed for them before the past twenty four hours. They were both trying to squeeze every moment of happiness out of the time they had left today.
Reluctantly, Seb pulled away and knelt down, indicating for Lisa to sit on the toilet so he could wrap her cast in the plastic. Their eyes kept connecting but they didn’t voice the feelings that were coursing through them. This coming separation was going to be very painful for both of them.

Lisa had gone and gotten a shower and dressed and came back to find Seb finishing getting Kayti washed up.

Seb got quite a shock when Kayti stood up in the tub and said “Pee Pee”

“Um, does she need to get on the toilet or get a diaper on? He asked Lisa.

Lisa started laughing and told him “No, I think she already did. She tells me AFTER she goes pee in the tub. I really would like to start her on the little potty, but it isn’t usually successful to potty train when a child is going through any major upheaval or changes in their lives. But once we have gotten settled in here, in a couple of weeks, I will get her started.

Seb just shook his head and rinsed Kayti off before removing her from the now empty tub. This parenting stuff sure was going to take some getting used to. He marveled at the way all of these little things that Kayti did didn’t phase Lisa. She just handled them and moved on.

Lisa didn’t do any unpacking or any other housework since they only had until shortly after lunch to be together, then he would need to head to the airport.

“Would it be alright for me and Kayti to come to the airport to see you off?”

“I don’t see why not. It would be a lot of walking but I’m sure they have wheelchairs to rent there for the walk to the lounge. That is as far as you would be able to go because of airport security.”

The time to leave for the airport came all too soon for them. They were going to make a stop at the Jewelers so Lisa’s ring could be sized. Seb packed all of his belongings and took them to the car. He stood outside looking around at the property and was pleased with all that had been accomplished. He wondered how much more would be finished before he was able to come home again.

“That’s everything. Are you and Kayti ready to go?” he asked her as he came back inside.

“Yes, and I just spoke with Alex and she is going to be there too with Urs.”

“Good, I’m glad that you won’t be leaving the airport alone.” He said as he pulled her into his arms and holding her close to him and ran his fingers through her long hair and down her back and he felt her trembling against him.

She just let herself relax against him and enjoy the feeling of his warm body against hers. She was determined not to cry as she laid her face against his chest, hearing the beat of his heart quicken at her nearness. She wanted to savor these last moments alone with him. The airport was going to be full of people and Lisa wasn’t sure how he would feel about showing his feelings for her in public.

She knew that last night he mentioned not letting the press get a hold of the fact that they were engaged quite yet. He said he didn’t want them hounding her about their personal life. She hoped that was all there was to it and not that he was having second thoughts about asking her to marry him. She didn’t think that was the case but you never knew what was really going on in someone’s head. She had learned that lesson all too well.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and raised her face up and kissed him.

“Seb, I love you, and Kayti and I will be here waiting for you to come home.”

“I love you too, Cherie and I will return to you as soon as I can. Are you sure it won’t be too much for you to go to the airport?”

“I’ll have plenty of time to rest when we get home. I want to spend as much time with you as possible.”

“Alright then, let’s get going in case of heavy traffic. I’ll get Kayti and lock up and if you don’t mind I’ll drive.” He said trying to keep a smile on his face.

She slung her purse and Kayti’s diaper bag over her shoulder and made her way to the car. When she was all settled, she saw Seb holding Kayti in his arms and he was locking the house up. He turned and she saw that he was speaking to Kayti and she was giggling at whatever he was saying. Then she wrapped her arms around his neck in one of her big hugs she gave out as he came down the steps.

Lisa knew that Seb would miss them. She could see the look of distress on his face as he spoke to Kayti, but she also knew that Kayti would miss this gentle man. He had brought so much joy to their lives already.

He had been in relationships that had made the goodbyes difficult but this was his home, his heart that he was leaving behind. He thought of all of Kayti’s little antics that constantly made them laugh that he would be missing. Would she still be as eager for him to hold her and play with her when he returned or would she have forgotten him? He gave the baby an extra tight squeeze and said to her “Ma petite Kayti, please don’t forget how much your Papa loves you. Be a good girl for your Mama while Papa is gone. Can I have a big hug?”

Kayti giggled at him and slung her little arms around his neck, squeezing his neck and smiling into his eyes.

“Je T’aime, Sweetheart. Papa loves you very much.” He said trying to hold back the tear that was threatening to fall.

They made the stop at the Jeweler’s and the man in attendance wasn’t busy so he was able to take care of Lisa’s ring right away and they had left the house soon enough that they were able to wait for the ring to be finished.

When he brought it back to them he handed it to Seb for inspection. Seb took a hold of Lisa’s left hand and put it back on her finger like he had last night, then he kissed her hand and smiled at her as she was admiring the ring again. It fit perfect and after Seb paid the man they made their way back out to the car. He was carrying Kayti and he unlocked the car and got Kayti all strapped into her seat. Then he stooped down outside the car, beside Lisa’s seat and leaned in and kissed her before putting her crutches on the floor of the back seat and heading back around to the driver’s seat.

The ride to the airport was a bit somber for both of them. The thirty minute ride passed with occasional bits of light conversation and listening to Kayti’s jabber in her car seat. Seb drove and held Lisa’s hand as much as was safely possible. When they would be stopped at a traffic light he would look at her and smile, hoping to ease some of the unhappiness that they were both feeling.

“I will call you later tonight when we land. How late can I call you? I don’t want to wake Kayti up.”

“I don’t care how late you call, Seb. Your time differences over the next weeks may be such that you have to call in the middle of my night and I don’t care. Just call so I know that you are alright. Kayti won’t wake up. Her door is shut at night and she is a fairly heavy sleeper.”

“Alright, if you are sure” he said releasing her hand as he made the right off of the highway onto the airport road.

He found a parking space in the short term parking garage, gave Lisa the parking slip and got Kayti’s stroller set up and got her strapped into it. He pulled out his phone and dialed Urs’ cell.

“Hi, it’s Seb. Are you here at the airport yet? Ok Good. I was going to see if you and Alex could find out of they rent wheelchairs for Lisa. Oh Great. We’ll meet you at the door in just a couple of minutes.”
He hung up and told Lisa that Alex had already thought of it and had gotten one and they were waiting for them at the entrance of the departures.

Lisa had Kayti hold her diaper bag so Seb could put his carryon bag in the stroller basket. He then pulled the handle of his big rolling suitcase in one hand and drove the stroller with the other.. They took the elevator to the correct floor and when the door opened, Urs and Alex were waiting right there. After Lisa was settled into the chair holding her crutches, they made their way over to the check in counter. Alex had taken over the stroller driving duties and Urs had taken Seb’s handle of his suitcase so he could push the chair.

Lisa, Alex and Kayti waited off to the side while Seb and Urs got into the line to get their luggage checked in. Then they would have their hands free except for their carryon bags. The line moved fairly quickly but not quick enough to keep them from being recognized as they were standing in the line. They were pretty well stuck where they were but they graciously spoke to the women and signed autographs and let them get a few photos of half of the Divos. Several women asked where Carlos and David were and were told that they were either already checked in or they would be along shortly.

Other travelers in the line were curious as to why these two men were getting all this attention. A couple of women asked some of the excited Divas who these two very nice looking men were and were quickly informed and told to make sure to go check out their music.

The Diva’s couldn’t believe their luck. It wasn’t as if they had been waiting for the guys to show up. They didn’t even know that Il Divo was still in town. After all, the party they had attended had been on Friday, almost a week ago.

Some not so tolerant people were just getting irritated at the disruption of the quiet, orderly line and wished the women would just go away and let them wait in peace. Urs looked at one such man and shrugged and gave him an apologetic look. It wasn’t like he and Seb could walk away right now.

Finally Seb and Urs’s turns came to get checked in and they told the women that they had to go and to have a nice day. They got their bags checked and turned and saw that David and Carlos were in line and had the same group of ladies talking to them plus quite a few more had joined them. They tried to move out of the line of sight and get back to their girls without being seen. David saw this, whispered to Carlos and started talking a bit louder and they got the attention of all of the ladies, effectively letting Urs and Seb get the girls to the elevator that led up to the lounge without being seen again.

“Is it like that at every airport?” Lisa asked them.

“Sometimes it’s much worse, especially if they are expecting us. But then sometimes we only have a small group that winds up showing up and then we aren’t so overwhelmed. Although we have all gotten accustomed to dealing with the fans. We know when one or the other of us isn’t up to it or like when we wanted to get you three up here without being bombarded, the others will run interference like David and Carlos did.” Urs answered.

A few minutes later Carlos and David came into the Business Lounge and everyone said hello. Seb and Urs thanked them for their help and they all settled in to wait for the time for them to board their plane.

Chapter 33:

Lisa and Seb had decided to wait for them all to be together here to tell them their news. No one, not even Alex had noticed the ring on Lisa’s finger yet. Seb looked to Lisa for confirmation that she was okay with the announcement and when she smiled at him and nodded he gave her hand he was holding against his thigh a squeeze and cleared his throat and asked for everyone’s attention, well a bit quietly so that only their little group could hear.

When he saw that he had their attention, he looked around to make sure that no one else was lurking too close then he said,

“I have an announcement to make. Last night, I asked Lisa to marry me and I am very, very happy to tell you that she said yes.”

Even though Seb had tried to keep the announcement low keyed, when the others heard it, they all erupted with sounds of cheering and congratulations, especially Alex who came to squish the life out of Lisa with tears in her eyes and told her how happy she was for her. There were hugs and handshakes all around and Alex was admiring the engagement ring that Lisa had received from Seb.

Eventually the excitement from the wonderful news died down and Urs and Alex got up and walked over to the other side of the room. Urs had his arm around Alex’s shoulder and she had herself pressed very close to his side. He kissed her and wanted so badly to continue where they had left off this morning in her bed. Suddenly, Alex was pulling him silently over towards a wall and she kept going until she reached one of the family bathrooms that were designed for either men or women and are usually quite large. She opened the door, looking around to see if anyone was watching them. At this point, she really didn’t care. When they were in the bathroom, Urs was grinning at her and asking her what she was up to.

“I can’t stand the thought that you’re leaving and I don’t know when I will be able to touch you again. I know we’ll talk but I’ll miss being able to touch you.” She said while running her hands all over his chest and shoulders, reaching down and sliding her hands up under his t-shirt and feeling his warm skin beneath her hands.

She was always so pleased to be able to see his reaction to her efforts. He pulled her to him and kissed her until she was breathless and let his hands glide down her sides and even lower until they were cupping her behind and pulling her to him, allowing her to feel his need for her. He also found the bottom of her shirt and pushed his eager hands under it and laid his hands flat on her stomach and sides and then roamed up to cup her breasts. There was too much in the way and he quickly slipped her shirt up over her head and hung it on the hook attached to the door. She shivered just a bit and he wasn’t sure if she had a chill or was it because of her arousal? She pulled his shirt up and it joined hers on the hook, then she let her hands explore the wide expanse of his well toned chest. She loved to see the rippling of his muscles as they reacted to her touch. This wasn’t the most romantic place in the world but still, it was almost time for them to board the plane before anyone saw them again.

Seb spent some time walking around with Kayti showing her all of the planes through the large windows and telling her that someday he would take her flying in a plane and if she wanted to learn, someday he would teach her how to fly. Then he returned to Lisa and they sat together holding hands.

Carlos and David were sitting in the row of chairs facing Lisa and Seb. They were playing with Kayti who was thoroughly enjoying all the attention she was getting. Seb saw his opportunity and asked them if they would watch her for a few minutes.

“We would be more than happy to play with this beautiful Senorita.” Carlos said tickling her.

Seb pushed the wheelchair over to the little café that was just beside the lounge they had been waiting in. He sat in a chair next to where he stopped and took her hands in his.

“I just wanted a few minutes alone with you before I go. I’m going to miss you so much, Lisa. You have no idea how much you have changed my life. I want to spend the rest of it trying to make you happy. I only hope that these separations won’t prove to be too hard for you to deal with. I promise I will get home to you as often as possible.”

“I’ll miss you too. I know that this is your life and I could never ask you to give it up. Seb, until you came back into my life, I thought I would be all alone raising children for the rest of my life. Now I have hope that I will finally be able to put all of the bad things behind me and have a wonderful life with you, however much I can be with you. The alternative is not being with you at all and that, to me, is not an option.”

She was holding his hand in both of hers and was touching each of his fingers, running her index finger down the long length of each of his fingers creating delicious sensations all over him. He didn’t think she even knew what she was doing to him. He could feel his heart swelling with his love for her. He pulled her to him, not even caring who might be watching and he kissed her. “I Love You, Cherie. Please don’t ever doubt that for even one second. Take care of yourself and don’t overdo it, especially before the plaster is off.”

“I love you too, Sebastien. I’ll try. It’s going to be hard being so limited for the next several weeks until this is healed.”

“You will have Drew Williams and the rest of his contractors there. Once the new schedule is finished, they will be adding more workers and you should start seeing a big surge in the progress. I can’t wait to see how much gets done in the next couple of months.” He said as he stood. “We should go relieve David and Carlos in case they have anything they need to do before we board.

When they re-entered the lounge they saw that Kayti was having a grand old time with her new friends. David had placed the headphones from his Ipod in Kayti’s ears and she was entertaining everyone in the lounge dancing to the techno music that David had on it. She had drawn quite a crowd of fans of her own. Seb and Lisa stayed back so they wouldn’t disturb her. She was tapping her feet, wiggling her little behind and waving her arms around. Her blonde curls were bouncing around on her head as she wiggled her head and she had the biggest smile on her face. When the song was over Kayti stopped dancing and looked to David to fix it and then the next song had started without any interference and she happily started dancing again. Seb and Lisa moved into the group and watched their beautiful little girl as she entertained everyone.

“We definitely need to get her some music related toys. That was great” David said to Lisa and Seb.

Just as the song was ending, the flight that the guys were on was called. Everyone clapped for Kayti and she giggled and clapped with them. The other travelers that had been watching Kayti moved away to collect their belongings and to board the plane. The group now consisted of the four Divos, Lisa, Kayti and Alex who had just a few minutes before had reappeared with Urs after their disappearance.

David pulled the headphones out of Kayti’s ears to put the IPod into his carry on and she didn’t look too happy about it so Seb stepped in and picked her up and began talking to her, effectively distracting her and soon she forgot about the IPod. David and Carlos said goodbye to the ladies and then they moved to where the flight attendant was waiting to check their boarding passes.

Urs kissed Lisa on the cheek and ruffled Kayti’s curls. He was still holding Alex’s hand and pulled her to him in a rib crushing hug. Then he drew her away from Seb and Lisa and began kissing her. She clung to him and kissed him back, hating to let him go but she knew she must. They looked into each other’s eyes and really needed no words to tell the other how much they hated this. After one last kiss and a squeeze of her hand, Urs picked up his carry on bag and joined David and Carlos. The three Divo’s showed the attendant their boarding passes and made their way to the walkway entering the plane. The last view Alex had of Urs was when he turned one last time and gave her one of his beautiful smiles and a Blinky wink, and then he turned and disappeared from view.

While Urs and Alex had been saying their final goodbye, Seb had been speaking to Kayti and holding Lisa’s hand. He told Kayti to be a good girl for her Mama.

“Papa loves you very much, Kayti.” He said and hugged her to him.

“Here, let me play with my little Chickadee for a minute.” Alex said coming up behind Seb.

She took Kayti and moved over to some chairs and distracted her so Seb and Lisa could say goodbye alone. She knew all too well how difficult this was. She was glad for the distraction of taking care of Kayti. It made her pain just a bit easier, for the moment.

Seb sat in the chair next to Lisa and took her face in his hands and looked into her eyes. Even though he knew she was unhappy that he was leaving, the sadness he saw in her was not the same as the haunted look he had often seen in them. He hoped that over time he would be able to help her to banish that area of her life forever.

“I love you, please take care of yourself. I will be home as soon as I can.”

“I love you too, Seb. You be careful, too. I’ll miss you.”

She stood up and he pulled her into his arms and held her as close as he possibly could and didn’t want to let go but he heard the final boarding call and knew he needed to go.

He kissed her and ran his fingers down her face, memorizing its softness. Then he took a deep breath and picked up his carry on bag, stopping to hug Alex and kiss Kayti’s cheek one last time and then he was gone. The girls stood and watched as he had his boarding pass checked and just before he would be out of sight, he turned and blew them a kiss and waved. He smiled when Alex had taken Kayti’s hand and helped her to wave goodbye.

If they had been able to see him after he turned back to walk down the long entrance into the plane, they would have seen the tears that Seb had to wipe away. This had been the hardest goodbye he had ever experienced. Seb found that Urs had waited for him about halfway up the walkway and he slung his arm around Seb’s shoulder in a gesture of solidarity. Each knew what the other was feeling. No words were needed.

The girls made their way to the exit and taking Kayti with her, Alex went to get Lisa’s car. She had come by taxi with Urs so she could ride home with Lisa. Lisa was allowed to drive now and she decided to see how it went while Alex was with her. If it didn’t feel comfortable, at least she had Alex here to take over.

Their ride home was pretty quiet. Neither one of them were looking very happy but they knew they had to snap out of it if for no other reason that Kayti wouldn’t understand why they were so sad and they didn’t want to upset her. They made a stop on the way home to tell Mom and Dad Lisa’s news. Dan and Marie smiled at each other when they saw how happy Lisa looked about the engagement, but they could also tell that both of their girls were very upset that the guys had left. They were going to have to get used to it if they were ever going to have a life together. This was going to become a very common occurrence in their lives.

Lisa invited Alex to come over for dinner but it really had been a long week and between work and with the little sleep she had gotten while Urs was there, Alex was ready for an early night and hopefully a good night’s sleep. Not that she was complaining, not at all. She wouldn’t have changed one minute of the time they had spent together.

So Lisa dropped Alex off at the apartment and she and Kayti went home alone together for the first time since moving into the little house. It was a good thing that Kayti was such a good child. Getting out of the car and into the house could have been worse if Kayti wanted to run off. But she followed Lisa’s instructions with only one detour to wave hello to her snowman and then she climbed the steps holding onto the lower part of the railing and waited for her Mama to unlock the door. When they entered the house Kayti quickly ran into her room to pull out her blocks. These were the same blocks that she always got Seb to play with with her.

Lisa was sitting on the couch just looking around at all of the evidence she could see that Seb had been here. He had put so much of himself into this place in such a short time and she was so glad to be able to see all of the little things he had done. It made her feel closer to him somehow, even though right now that blasted plane was taking him further away from her every second. She was determined not to cry. It was going to be quite a while until he could come home and she was going to spend every minute she could making this property a place that he would be proud to come home to.

“Papa…..PAPA..” Kayti called out from her room.

This was almost Lisa’s undoing as she heard Kayti calling for Seb. This was the first time Kayti had said “Papa.”

“Oh, Sweetheart, Papa had to go to work. Remember, we just took him to fly on the big airplane? He will come home to see us as soon as he can, Baby.”

Lisa sat in the rocking chair in Kayti’s room and played with her. She couldn’t wait to tell Seb that Kayti had called for him and she did when he called later that night.

The day after Seb left, Lisa went back to work. When she arrived that morning, Mary saw her getting out of the car and rushed out to help her with Kayti. Mary greeted her with a hug and told her how glad she was to have her back at work.

“If you need any extra help with anything here or at home while you are still in the cast please don’t hesitate to let me know.”

“Thank you Mary, I really appreciate that. I may have to take you up on that. So far Kayti has behaved well and she holds onto my crutch when we are walking but I do get nervous that she will let go and run off and I’d never catch her. I won’t go anywhere except for here and home by myself with her I don’t think. Mom is picking up some groceries for me when she goes tomorrow, so I won’t have to worry about that.”

“I didn’t get a chance to ask you how you broke your ankle.”

Mary saw Lisa’s face quickly change to looking very uncomfortable.

“I’m sorry, Lisa. It really isn’t any of my business. Don’t worry about it.”

“Mary, it isn’t that I don’t want to tell you. It was just a really bad night and this isn’t a good time or place to talk about it, but I promise that when we have time you and I will sit down and talk. I also wanted to talk to you about the position that you asked me about. I do want you to be part of the home if you are still interested. I guess we just need to talk about the details.”

“Of course I’m interested. You just tell me when you want to talk and I will make the time.” Mary said. She was so excited to know that she would be part of such a wonderful place. It also wouldn’t hurt that she would probably see the Divo’s every now and then.

“I see you are wearing your ring. Have you decided to go public then?”

“We talked about it. I don’t want to hide it. I love Seb and I am proud to be marrying him and if the press finds out, I will deal with them. I assume I’ll have to learn to deal with them eventually anyway. But I’m not going to go announcing it yet. If people here ask me, I guess I’ll have to tell them but I hope none of them will feel like they have to run to the press or the forum before Seb and I decide to make the announcement ourselves.”

Lisa’s first order of business once she got Kayti settled playing with her friends, was to set up interviews to hire a replacement for Jenna. After quite a few questions that morning, Lisa finally had a quick word with the employees who were working that day. There were so many different rumors and theories as to why Jenna was gone so Lisa decided to tell them the truth and to put an end to it and she requested that they not sit around discussing this anymore especially around the children. She also had to answer the inevitable question about her beautiful engagement ring she was wearing.

She told the other ladies about Seb asking her to marry him and she was overwhelmed by the well wishes of her co-workers. She did ask however that any of the Il Divo fans would please not broadcast this news on the forum. She told them that Seb would make an announcement on the forum when they were ready to do so. She and Seb knew that it still might get leaked out but hopefully not in the next couple of weeks.

She made the calls to schedule the interviews for Monday and then got caught up with all of the paperwork that had been piling up on her desk. The owner of the daycare had come in to take care of the things that were priority while she was out, but there was still quite a pile left for Lisa to catch up on.

Lisa had discussed with her that they needed to have a talk pretty soon about finding someone to replace her when she began to add more children to the group home although it would still be months away. Previously, they had discussed that Lisa would probably stay on as at least a part time employee but with the change in her monetary needs for the group home, she and Seb had talked about her just staying home full time unless she really wanted to be at the daycare. She thought it would be a good idea to get someone completely trained before she left for good. She had originally thought that she would need the extra income. She was happy that now she would be able to devote all of her efforts to her own children without worrying about paying all the bills.

Over the next few days Lisa stayed very busy. So busy that except for at night after Kayti went to bed, she hardly had any time to stay upset about Seb being gone. Not that she didn’t miss him because she did miss him terribly, but she didn’t let herself sit around and wallow in self pity. She just looked forward to each telephone call, email, or message she got from Seb. She unpacked most of the boxes that Seb had brought in and sorted through them. And when Mom and Dad came to deliver some groceries they had picked up for her on Tuesday night, Dad brought her in some more boxes so she would have something to keep her busy in the evenings.

Nights when she was sitting alone after Kayti went to bed were a different story. She had all of those evening hours before she went to bed to think about how much she missed his presence in her little house. Those days he had spent here with her and Kayti were so special to her. She was really missing his kisses and having him hold her when she was sleeping. The nights Seb had slept in her bed with her, she hadn’t had any nightmares and she hoped that that meant that once they were married the nightmares would disappear altogether.

She could already feel the changes beginning within herself. She trusted Seb with her heart and with her whole life. She knew that he would eventually help her move past the effects of what Jeremy had done to her. But she knew that it would be mostly up to her to dig down deep inside of herself and come up with the strength to chase away her fears. She still wanted to wait for her wedding night to be with Sebastien. She just hoped that she wouldn’t be a disappointment to him when it came time for them to be together.

One evening when Alex came over for dinner after work, they were sitting at the table just chatting about their guys and how happy they were. It was really the first time that they had had time to sit and talk about everything that had happened over the last few weeks. Neither of their lives was ever going to be the same again.

“Alex, can I ask you a question?”

“Of course you can.”

“Um....well…I know this is kind of personal and if you don’t want to answer, I’ll understand.”

“Just ask. There isn’t anything you can’t talk to me about.” Alex said and squeezed Lisa’s hand.

“Ok..well…I was wondering... Does it hurt?” Lisa saw that Alex didn’t yet know what she was referring to so she continued. “I mean….. when you’ve been with a man, like when you were with Urs… You seemed really happy about it. Does it hurt at all?”

When Alex figured out what Lisa was trying to ask her, she grinned. The memories of lying in Urs’ arms making love with him were running through her mind like the fun time they’d had in the airport restroom. But, she knew that Lisa was serious and was very afraid after the extent that Jeremy had hurt her physically. Alex scooted over closer to her on the couch and put her arm around her shoulder.

“Sweety, when you are finally with Seb, it shouldn’t hurt at all. The barrier that would have hurt just a bit has already been broken so there should be no pain. Have you seen your Doctor lately?”

“It has been almost a year. It is almost time to see her for my yearly checkup.”

“Well, when you go, talk to her. Tell her about your engagement and ask her to check to see if she sees any reason you would feel pain from the previous damage. Does she know about the rape?”

“Yes, she is the same doctor I saw right after it happened. I kept her as my doctor after that because she was familiar with my case and I felt comfortable with her.”

“Good, well talk to her. Tell her about your fears and she should be able to tell you whether there is any reason for you to worry about it. But normally, no, you should not feel pain when you are making love. Seb loves you Lisa. He knows how afraid you are and I am sure he will take it slow and stay within your comfort zone. But I have a feeling that once you have been with him and know that you have nothing to worry about, you and he will wind up having a healthy, happy relationship.”

“I hope so. I am so afraid that when it comes time to be intimate with him, I will be a disappointment to him.”

“Don’t you even think like that, Lisa! I think the only way that you could disappoint him is for the two of you to not get married, for you to tell him that you wouldn’t be with him anymore. When it happens, I think that you will be ready and you will see pretty quickly that you have nothing to be afraid of with him. I’ve seen the two of you kissing you know and I’ve seen how you have reacted to those kisses. When you are really getting into it, don’t you just want to keep pulling him closer and closer to you?”

Lisa was turning red at Alex’s references to the kisses that she had shared with Seb.

“Well, don’t you?” Alex asked again.

“Yes, I do. I have had some really intense feelings, like in my stomach when we have kissed. Sometimes, I think my reaction has frightened me almost as much as his reactions did.”

“Over time, when you and Seb are together, and I am just talking about sitting together and maybe kissing each other on the couch, you are going to have those feelings more and more and they will get increasingly more intense. By the day of your wedding, you are going to be going crazy waiting for the time when you can be with him and feel him touching you. I know you must already want to touch him, don’t you, I mean even just his bare chest?”

“Well, I already have, a bit.” Lisa said looking down at her hands.

“Come on girl. You’ve been holding out on me. Tell me about it.” Alex said sounding very much like when they were in high school, sitting on one of their beds talking about their latest boyfriend or crush.

“He slept with me in my bed the last two nights he was here.” Lisa said very sheepishly.

“SHUT UP!!! NO WAY!!!!!” Alex said in her usual over exuberant manner, then remembered that Kayti was asleep in the next room.

Lisa nodded and said, “He just held me and he did kiss me. But that’s all.”

“And you were comfortable with this? You weren’t nervous sleeping with him?”

“Well, the first night I was more nervous because of having a man in my bed but he fell asleep pretty quickly and I fell asleep and slept surprisingly well.”

“And the second night?” Alex asked

“The second night, he came to bed without a shirt on and I was really nervous about that and he offered to go put a shirt on but I told him he didn’t have to.”

“And?....” Alex was digging for Lisa to think about the feelings she’d had while she was with Sebastien. She wanted her friend to realize how much she really did want to be with Seb.

“After I got past the fact that he was shirtless, we settled in and he held me all night again. I felt so safe there. Even when we kissed before we fell asleep and in the mornings, I felt no pressure from him. Before we fell asleep on the second night, I could tell that he had become… you know… excited”

“You mean he was obviously aroused when you were kissing?”

“Yes, but he put a stop to the kiss and just said goodnight and we went to sleep.”

“Don’t you see, Lisa, you are already well on your way to being comfortable being intimate with Seb? You felt safe enough to allow yourself to fall asleep in the same bed with him. That’s fantastic! Now just talk to your doctor and make sure she doesn’t foresee any problems and then just relax and let your relationship with Seb just move along at its own pace. You’ll know what you are comfortable with.”

Alex gave Lisa a big squeeze and then she told Lisa that she had to get home to bed. She had an early day tomorrow. She was working a double to fill in for someone who was out of town. She was also hoping to hear from Urs tonight before she went to sleep.

Alex helped Lisa make sure everything was cleaned up from dinner and then she said goodnight and left with thoughts of how happy she was that Lisa was opening up not only to her but especially to Seb. Hopefully, Lisa would just keep going as she was in just letting their relationship happen over time.

Chapter 34:

After Alex left, Lisa just sat there thinking about what Alex had said. She hoped Alex was right, that things would just happen naturally and she would stop being afraid eventually. She was noticing a big change in Alex too. Alex had a happiness about her that Lisa had never seen. She was always the life of a party and was usually very comical but with all of her previous planning of her life, Alex had only had superficial relationships with others except for her family and with Lisa, and a few other friends and now Kayti. Over the last week when Il Divo was all there and spent so much time together, Lisa could see some real friendships growing amongst all of them. But it was the relationship that Alex had with Urs that Lisa was thinking about. Were they as serious as her and Seb? She hoped so. She wanted Alex to feel as happy as she had when Seb asked her to marry him. It seemed like Alex was definitely in love with Urs and not just having a fling like she usually did when she dated.

She finished cleaning up and checked on Kayti who was sleeping peacefully, then she began getting ready for bed. She was just turning out her light when her cell phone rang. With the time differences the past couple of days, they had mostly only communicated through emails and PM’s, so she was overjoyed that he was finally able to call her.

“Hi Seb, How are you?”

“Hi Baby. I’m fine except that I am missing you so much. How is everything there? Is Kayti ok?”

“We’re both fine. Her spots are almost totally gone and I think there are only a few that might leave a scar but none on her face thankfully. I’ve gotten a lot of the boxes sorted through. All I have left now are Auntie’s personal belongings and those will be hard to sort through. I didn’t do anything tonight. Alex came for dinner and we just relaxed.”

“Good, I’m glad. I know that most of the time you try to do too much.”

“I can’t help it. I just get so excited seeing things getting accomplished. Dad brought the last of the boxes out of the storage room. All that’s in there now are the empty boxes from the Christmas decorations and the few pieces of antique furniture that I kept of Auntie’s. He took a bunch of boxes to the Salvation Army for me. That just leaves around ten large boxes with Auntie’s things in them in the spare bedroom. I had Dad stack them in the closet. I’m going to get a Daybed for in that room and also use it for a temporary office until my office is ready in the main house.

“Wow, that’s fantastic. Don’t worry about finishing going through those last boxes. Wait until you’re ready. If you want to, wait until I am home with you. I know how much you miss her and it will be very hard for you to sort through her things.”

“It will just be really hard to get rid of anything. I know I can’t keep everything.”

“Why not? There’s no hurry for you to have to get rid of any of it. It isn’t like you need the space. You have plenty of storage space to keep it.”

“Thanks Seb. I was thinking that I was being silly not wanting to get rid of her things.”

“There is nothing silly about it at all. You do whatever you feel is right for you.”

“How did I ever get so lucky as to find you, not once, but twice in a lifetime? I love you Seb.”

“I love you too, Lisa and I’m the lucky one.”

They spoke for a few more minutes until Seb heard Lisa yawning.

“You sound like you need some sleep.”

“I’m all tucked into bed. I was just turning out the light when you called. I’m glad you did. I’ve missed hearing your voice. I don’t want to sound like I’m hounding you or anything, but what did you have planned for Christmas? Is there any chance you will be able to come?”

She really hoped that he would be able to come and share their first Christmas together here in this little house. Next year they would be in the main house, but for now she was happy enough right here.

“I am so sorry Cherie. I really want to spend Christmas with you and Kayti, but we will be too far away and with the schedule we have, there is no way to spend Christmas with you and get back to where we need to be. There are a couple of charity concerts that were scheduled for the week between Christmas and New Years. We usually are off for the holidays, but we agreed to do these months ago. I am going home to Paris. David is coming with me since it is also too far for him to go home. Carlos is going home to Victoria and Urs is going to his apartment in France. Then we will meet back up on the night of Boxing Day to resume our schedule. I am hoping however, that I can come and we will see in the New Year together. I have already been getting things together and will be sending a Christmas package.”

“Oh ok. I understand. At least you will be around your family and friends for Christmas.”

Seb could hear the disappointment she was trying to hide.

“I would rather be with you, Lisa. I really would and I really wish I could see Kayti opening all of her gifts.”

“I know Seb. I’m not upset with you at all, I promise. I just miss you so much. I have a small video camera. I’ll get some of her opening gifts and you can see it when you come home.”

“I miss you too. Go get some sleep and I’ll call again at the same time tomorrow if this is a good time.”

“It is. I love you Seb”

“I love you too, Cherie. Sleep well. Goodnight.”

After they hung up Lisa couldn’t hold back the tears she had been trying not to let Seb know about. After spending the last five years convincing herself that she would live her life alone with only her children to love, now she loved Seb so much and couldn’t imagine her life without him in it.

During that week, in between catching up at work, Lisa decided to finish most of the rest of her Christmas shopping online. If she stuck to local merchants that had online sales, she would be assured of delivery before Christmas Eve. It would be much easier than hobbling around the stores on crutches. There were just a few other items she would have to get or have someone pick up for her. By Friday, about a week and a half before Christmas, she had everything bought and wrapped for Kayti and the rest of her family. She decided not to put anything under the tree. She wanted to allow Kayti to have the whole Christmas morning experience, finding all of her presents under the tree.

It was decided that since Seb and Urs wouldn’t be able to make it for Christmas, that Alex would spend the night at Lisa’s Christmas Eve. Mom and Dad would come over for dinner. After breakfast and opening presents on Christmas morning, the three girls would go to Mom and Dad’s for dinner and exchanging gifts.

The week leading up to Christmas was spent training the new employee that had been hired to replace Jenna, meeting with the owner to discuss a date when they would hire and begin training Lisa’s replacement and Lisa was also informed that Mary had told the owner of her intent to leave as soon as Lisa was ready for her to join her staff. She also met with Detective Garza to find that Jenna had admitted to everything and would be sentenced right after the New Year, so there would be no need for a trial. Lisa was very relieved to hear that. The thought of sitting in a courtroom, brought memories up that she would much rather stay buried.

On the Tuesday before Christmas, Lisa had a visitor at the daycare that threatened to rid her of all of her Christmas spirit. It wasn’t him that made her upset, but the news that he brought. Jerry Bradford was the prosecuting attorney that had handled the criminal case against Jeremy five years ago.

Mary showed him to Lisa’s office and when Mary knocked lightly on the door and announced the visitor, Lisa looked up and Mary could see how quickly Lisa’s face paled when she saw the man.

“Lisa, this is Mr. Bradford. He says he knows you and needed to speak to you. Is that alright?” Mary said with a definitely concerned tone which endeared her even more to Lisa. It had seemed to Lisa that Mary had assumed the role of her assistant in many areas already. Mary seemed to know what she needed before she asked most of the time.

“It’s fine Mary. Yes, I know Mr. Bradford. Thank you for showing him in.” Lisa said as she rose from her desk and held her hand out and he shook it before sitting in the chair across from her desk.

Once Mary had left and shut the door, Jerry Bradford apologized for coming by unannounced, explaining that he was passing by and wanted to speak to her in person instead of over the phone.

“I’ve run into Dan Huggins and Mitchell Everly several times this past few months and they have both told me about the wonderful things you are doing at your group home and then I saw the news coverage about the contest and the results that have definitely given you quite a boost. I’m happy for you, Lisa. How have you been, otherwise?”

Mitchell Everly was the attorney Lisa had used during the purchase of the property and helped her to find the Samuels’ who were renting Auntie’s little house. Now five years after meeting him, Lisa realized that she really didn’t know much about Mr. Bradford, who had actually been an almost permanent fixture in her life for quite a while. All she knew was that Dad had hired him to make sure that Jeremy paid for what he had done and he trusted him implicitly. During the time right after the attack and even by the time of the actual trial, she had still been running on autopilot, just barely surviving day to day and when she saw him standing there, her mind just equated him with that terrible time in her life and it made her feel ill.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Bradford. Please forgive my reaction when I saw you. I don’t know what I would have done without your help during that terrible time in my life. I’ve really been trying to put it behind me. I’ve just recently become engaged to a wonderful man and I have a little girl that has been living with me for several months since her mother died. She is the first of my children that will live in the group home when it is completed.”

“Wow, congratulations on your engagement. Is he a local man? Maybe I know him”

“No, actually, Sebastien is from France. He is one quarter of an international singing group. We have actually known each other for a while but hadn’t seen each other for a long time.”

“Wait, Sebastien, he wouldn’t be the Sebastien in the group Il Divo would he?”

Lisa’s face colored a bit and told him that yes, he was in fact, that Sebastien.

“Oh boy, My wife will be very jealous to hear that. He’s her favorite. I even have to see his face on her screensaver on the computer at home.” He chuckled and it was then that he saw the picture of Lisa with Sebastien and Kayti on the wall beside her desk.

“Ah yes, that would be him. I’d know that face anywhere and your little girl is beautiful.” He said and when she followed his gaze and saw that he was referring to the photo of the three of them, he saw the smile that revealed the depth of her feelings for the both of them.

“Yes, that’s Seb and my daughter’s name is Kayti. She is adjusting very well. Of course, it helped that she was so young. It will be harder if I ever have any older children that have had a bad life or a tragedy that has taken their family.” Lisa was wondering what had brought him here after so long and he finally realized that she was curious as to why he was here and he pulled an envelope out of the inside pocket of his suit coat, removing the paper that was folded up inside of it.

He took a breath and leaned forward a bit towards her and looked into her eyes.

“Lisa I really hate to even bring this up to you now, especially right during the holidays, but I am sure that you will have a copy of this in your own mail when you get home and I didn’t want you to be alone when you saw it. As the attorney that handled the case, it was natural for me to also receive a copy.” He said and unfolded the paper.

“This is informing you that on January 20, 2008, Jeremy will go before the parole board and they will decide whether they think he should be eligible for early release from prison.”

He watched as again her face paled considerably and she leaned forward and put her head in her hands and he thought she might be ill. He was debating whether or not to go and get her coworker who knew her better and would be able to help if she did wind up getting sick. He was used to these types of reactions from victims of violent crimes.

“Lisa, Are you alright? Should I get someone in here for you?”

“No, I’ll be alright. It isn’t like I thought that he would never get out.”

“Well, it isn’t definite that he will get out now. He still has an actual eighteen months left on his sentence if they deny his parole. So try not to let it spoil your Christmas.”

“Is there anything I’m supposed to do?”

“The paper explains your right to be there the day of the hearing and you can just sit there and witness it, or you can choose to speak on your behalf and tell the board what exactly he did and why you feel like he shouldn’t be released early. You can also opt to write a letter and send it to the board before the hearing. I will tell you that it is usually much more effective for the victim to actually be there, but of course it is your choice. You don’t have to decide today or even until after the holidays but then you’ll need to decide if you want to do anything at all or just leave it up to the parole board to decide on their own.”

“Will he be there?”

“Sometimes, his attorney will be there though. Sometimes the inmate is informed that the hearing is being held and they can submit a statement on why they feel like they should be released early, but no matter what the outcome is, he will be sent a statement of the hearing and why he is or isn’t granted his parole. There are instances though that the inmate is allowed to come and state in person, why they feel like they should be granted parole. You won’t know for sure until you actually get there I’m afraid. Just enjoy your holidays and contact me when you have decided what you want to do. If you decide to go, you just let me know and I’ll clear my calendar for that day and go with you if you’d like me to.” He said and stood to leave.

“Alright Mr. Bradford, Thank you for taking the time to tell me this in person. It would have been awful to get home and find that letter. I’ll let you know as soon as I decide what to do. You’re right. I don’t want to ruin mine or Kayti’s Christmas. I don’t know if I could put it totally out of my mind though. It seems rather impossible.”

“Please call me Jerry. Here’s my card in case you don’t have my number handy. Please don’t hesitate to call me if you have any questions or concerns.” He said and after they shook hands once more, he left and Lisa sat back in her chair and felt like she was floating, very light headed and nauseous.

She was trying so hard to rid herself of those terrible memories and move on with all of the new and wonderful things that were happening in her life. How was she supposed to do that with Jeremy again invading her life? What if he was released? Would he bother her? She had Kayti to think of now too. She hated the thought of having to be afraid, wondering each day if he would decide to contact her or even worse, find out where she lived and come to try to talk to her. Just the thought of him calling to talk to her repulsed her, but what if he was still angry. He had spent the last five years in prison and could have been sitting there thinking of ways to make her pay for his incarceration.

Lisa was so upset and still not feeling well a while later, so she decided to leave work a bit early. She didn’t want to go straight home from work and she knew that Alex was working late, so she called Mom and invited herself and Kayti for Dinner.

Having the extra sense that Mom’s sometimes have, Marie could hear it in Lisa’s voice that there was something bothering her and was determined to get her to talk. Maybe it was just that she was missing Sebastien. She had been talking to Alex and knew that Alex was working a bunch of extra hours trying to stay busy because she missed Urs so much. Marie would be glad when the boys could come back to visit. As of now it looked like they were still going to be able to come for the New Year.

Lisa and Kayti stayed at Mom and Dad’s for a few hours. Lisa helped Mom with dinner, sitting at the table doing whatever cutting and chopping needed to be done and Dad played with Kayti when he got home from work. When they were at the table eating dinner and Lisa hadn’t said anything about what might be bothering her, Marie decided to just come out and ask her.

“What’s bothering you Sweetheart?”

“I can’t get anything past you can I?” Lisa said trying to smile but didn’t quite succeed and she looked down at her hands and let out a big breath. “Jerry Bradford came to see me at the daycare today.” She said looking at Dad, knowing he would surely know who she was talking about.

“Lisa’s attorney during the trial.” Dan said to Marie’s unasked question.

“What did he want?” Marie asked immediately understanding Lisa’s frightened eyes.

“Jeremy’s parole hearing is coming up on January 20th.” Lisa said and then went on to explain everything that Jerry had told her.

“So… I have a decision to make about whether I want to go or not. I don’t have to decide quite yet. I have a month to decide and Jerry said he’d go with me if I wanted him to.

The three of them discussed the pros and cons of each side of it and agreed that they would discuss it again after the holidays and they assured her that if she decided to go that they would be there too. She would not go through this alone. When she was getting Kayti’s bag ready to go, Dad took it from her and took Kayti out to strap her in her seat. Mom kissed her cheek and hugged her tightly and told her to call if she needed to talk, understanding that this was bringing up memories that Lisa had been trying to bury. Dad was waiting for her by the car when she came out and he repeated the order for her to call at any time if she needed to. Dad gave her a bear hug and helped her into the car and placed the crutches in back.

“Take care, honey. It’s going to be okay. We love you.”

“I love you both very much. I don’t know what I would do without you in my life.”

“Love you Grandpa” Kayti hollered from her seat, wanting to get in on the conversation.

“Love you too, little girl.” Dan said and blew Kayti a kiss. “Bye Honey, go home and get some rest.”

It wasn’t long after she had gotten home and Kayti was in bed asleep that Seb called and she had to go through it all again, telling him about the letter that had been in her mail as Jerry had said it would. Again, she was thankful that Jerry had told her in person so he was there to answer all of her questions.

Seb had already heard from Alex that this was coming, so he was at least a bit prepared for it himself. What he wasn’t prepared for was the sound of fear he heard in Lisa’s voice.

“Baby, I love you so much. It’s going to be alright. Mon Dieu, I wish I was there with you now. I want to hold you so much. Where are you right now?”

“I’m sitting on the couch with my foot propped up on the coffee table.”

“Good, lay your head back and close your eyes…. Are they closed?”

“Yes?”

“Okay, now, I want you to imagine that I am sitting right there with you. I’ve got my arm around your shoulder, holding you tight to me. I’m stroking your beautiful hair and your face and kissing your face. Wow, I can almost smell the fruity smell of your shampoo. My fingertips are touching your lips, lightly running across their softness. Now remember how it felt when our lips touched and we kissed for so long, our tongues playing together.”

He smiled as he heard the sharp intake of her breath as she did as he asked.

“Do you remember, Cherie?”

“Yes, of course I do.” Lisa said with labored breathing.

It was almost as real as him sitting right there. With her eyes closed, her imagination was running at top speed and together with the sound of his velvety voice in her ear it was creating wonderful, delicious sensations all over her body. Her breasts were tingling and she was feeling butterflies in her stomach and sensations even lower that she was unaccustomed to. She had however felt these same feelings when Seb had kissed her. How was he making her feel like this without even touching her? Was this the kind of thing that Alex was talking about? Maybe she’d ask her.

Sebastien was also lying back in his hotel room bed, one arm behind his head, dressed only in his underwear with his eyes closed and as he was saying these things to her his imagination was going wild. He hoped that she was getting as distracted as he was. That was his initial goal, to make her forget, if even for a few minutes, the fears that were tearing her apart. But he had also succeeded in putting himself in a terribly aroused state.

“I love you Lisa, so much that it hurts sometimes.”

“I’m sorry Seb.”

“Don’t be. We are going to be fine. I know it. We’ve already come so far haven’t we?” he hadn’t meant to make her feel bad about his predicament, but he wanted her to know what she did to him, how intense his feelings were for her even with all of the miles that separated them at the moment.

“Yes, we have. I know I have….Seb?”

“Yes, Baby?”

“When can we get married?” …Oh my God!! Did I just ask him that? She thought to herself.

Seb shot up straight in the bed. “When do you want to get married, Cherie?”

“Whenever it’s good for you. I think that your schedule is a bit fuller than mine.”

“Are you sure? I mean, I’m thrilled Baby, don’t get me wrong. I’d marry you tomorrow, last week even, but I just didn’t want to rush you, you know.”

“I know and I love you so much. My only fear about us getting married…I just…. I don’t want to disappoint you… you know…..when….on our wedding night.” Lisa was so glad right then that he wasn’t there to see how red she knew her face must be when she said that.

“I’m not worried about that at all Baby. I already know how I feel when I am with you. Actually, I can tell you right now that I don’t even have to be physically with you for you to make me crazy with need for you. Please don’t spend one more minute worrying about that, Cherie. I mean it and let me look at our schedule a bit and maybe I will be able to have an answer to that by the time I come home.”

They talked about what type of wedding they would want. Lisa really had no idea. She had put the idea of ever getting married right out of her mind for the last five years so she was pretty much starting from scratch, but she knew that Mom and Alex would want to help. They agreed to discuss it more after giving it some more thought.

That night, Lisa went to bed feeling so happy thinking about her wedding to Seb. What a wonderful day that would be. She hoped they wouldn’t have to wait too long. She fell asleep with the photo of Seb clasped firmly to her that she kept in a frame on the table beside her bed. She slept soundly and peacefully until shortly before dawn.

She woke up in a sweat and hoped that she hadn’t woken Kayti up. She remembered how frightened Kayti had been a few weeks ago when she had the nightmare while they still lived with Alex.

She had just dreamed that she had gone to the parole hearing and the second that Jeremy saw her in the room he had jumped over a row of chairs and began beating on her. There had been more than a dozen other faces in the room when the dream started but when he had started hitting her, there wasn’t a soul to be found in the room with them. She was alone and screaming for help but it was as if no one cared or they didn’t hear her cries for help.

Lisa got out of bed and quietly went to see if Kayti was awake. She opened Kayti’s bedroom door and was relieved when she saw that Kayti was still sleeping. She closed the door and when she realized what time it was, she just went ahead and started getting ready for work. It would help for her to have the extra time to get ready without Kayti up yet. She looked into her bathroom mirror. She looked hollow. She couldn’t let him control her this way. He had stolen way too much of her life already. Now she was happy and she wasn’t going to let him ruin that.

She needed to hear Seb’s voice. Hoping she wouldn’t wake him or interrupt him when he was busy, she hit the number one on her speed dial and listened to it ring. She was disappointed when it went straight to his voicemail. While the recording was playing, she was deciding whether she should just hang up or leave some kind of message, she decided to just leave him a good morning message.

“Good Morning Seb. I just wanted to hear your voice. You don’t have to call back right away, just when ever you have time. I’m going to get ready for work. I love you. Bye”

She hung up and did feel a bit better just hearing his voice on the voicemail recording.