Seb felt a tap on his shoulder, make that a jab in his shoulder and when he turned around and saw Lisa’s face, he had to fight to keep the grin from his. She was as mad as a hornet.
He held up his hands in surrender before they had even spoken a word.
“I’m sorry. I hadn’t intended for you to take a nap but when you fell asleep I didn’t have the heart to wake you.”
She couldn’t stay mad at him. He was right. She had fallen asleep and quite quickly too. She actually did feel better now. Her feet and back weren’t so sore now. She just wasn’t letting him know that she was letting him off the hook.
“You’ll pay for it later Mister.” She said and turned and walked over to get a drink.
He came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, dropping a kiss on her neck.
“Forgive me?”
“Hmmm maybe, maybe not.” Smiling, as she took a sip of her drink, though he couldn’t see it.
They were interrupted by the Gilmours who were coming to say goodbye and thank them for being invited to this momentous occasion.
“Thank you for coming. I feel as if we are connected through the contest last year and I hope that you will keep in touch and please do try to come to the open house at Christmas.”
“Oh we’ll come but with the children we’ll probably come early and just stay for an hour or so. We’ll see.”
Seb and Lisa walked them to the door and watched them load all seven children into their van that they had received.
Tom and Laray left soon after. Having to catch a flight back early in the morning and they wanted to have some time on the beach this evening. Laray promised that if possible they would come to the open house, but as always it may just be her that comes if Tom is unable to get away.
Seb told Lisa of the orphanage that was being closed by the state and needed homes for the children and that Brenda had asked if they were interested in going to the get together next Sunday.
“I guess we could go and see what happens. I don’t want to feel pressure to take a child unless it looks like it would be permanent.”
“Oh I agree, Baby. But at least we’ll go and meet them and see if any of them would fit in here. We’ll just need the information and directions from Brenda as long as you don’t want to wait until after Jessica is born.”
“It seems as if this is an emergency situation. So we should go and see if we can help in any way. If I knew that they would get homes within a week or two, I might think about taking a couple to help them out. But I don’t want to take any that are going to be here for 6 months and then leave us.”
The crew from the TV station had left as well as a few of the other guests now so the pool was opened up and those that wanted to had changed out of their suits and dresses and some got into their swimsuits and had a dip in the pool to cool off. Blake and Brandon as well as Sammy and Kayti were some of the first to get in the pools.
“They’ll all sleep tonight.” Debbie said as she sat next to Lisa and Seb.
“They sure will. I don’t know how they are still going, at least ours. With the exception of Lauren, our children didn’t take much of a nap today and they have been going non stop since the party started.” Lisa said.
“Can I speak to you both for a moment?”
“Sure Debbie”
“Well… I’ve made my decision…. That is if you haven’t changed your mind. I’d love to come and work for you.”
“Of course we haven’t changed our minds. We can already see how well you and the children fit in here.” Lisa said excitedly.
Their staff was now complete and Lisa felt like things had fallen into place just perfectly.
“What about Hannah?” Seb asked.
“Oh she came to me a couple of hours ago and gave me her blessing. I still don’t know what changed her mind but, I was worried about how she would react if I decided to move while she was still so upset about it. But anyway, now I don’t have to worry about that and the boys will be thrilled. I’m actually worried about how they’ll react when they realize we’re leaving to go home tomorrow. I have a lot to do to get things straightened out before I can move. I need to give notice to the landlord and my jobs. And get packed up.”
Seb took her hand. “Debbie, I don’t want you to worry about the move at all. We’ll take care of everything and if it’s all right with you, I would like to offer your landlord a sum of money to let you out of your lease without it being a problem, you know enough to cover a couple of months rent. We’d like to have you here as soon as possible. There is a chance we could have at least one more child as soon as next week and with Lisa so close to the end of the pregnancy, we could really use you here..”
“Well, okay but I still need to give two weeks notice at my jobs.”
“That should work out just fine. We can plan to do the final part of the move two weeks from today then. How does that sound?”
“Scary.” She said with a smile. Her life was changing very rapidly. Granted it was for the better but everything was happening so fast her head was spinning.
They all laughed as Ty did a cannon ball in the deep end soaking those in the lounge chairs that hadn’t gotten changed yet. His head came above the water and he shook it, spraying water everywhere, and further soaking the startled people on the sides.
“Sorry.” He said looking like a naughty five year old.
“Yeah I bet you are.” David hollered as he dove in.
“I’m sure glad we still had all of our things in the motor home and hadn’t dropped them off at the hotel yet. This feels great.” Paige said as she floated on her back.
“Debbie I have an idea. Why don’t you let the boys stay here? They’d be out of your hair while you work to get everything ready for the move and they would be able to be with Jim.”
”Lisa, I don’t know. I’ve never left them anywhere. Two weeks is a long time.” Debbie said thoughtfully but, she watched them playing with Jim in the shallow end of the pool and knew that they would be fine. In fact, they would love it, being here with Jim and being able to swim every day and even though they made comments about Sammy being little, they seemed to enjoy playing with him. It was her that would have the problem being away from them for that long.
“I guess if Jim wants them to stay….I guess it would be alright. They don’t have many clothes with them though.”
“Don’t worry about that.”
“Well, I guess I should talk to Jim in private in case he doesn’t want them to stay. I don’t want the boys to be disappointed.”
Over the next couple of hours, the crowd dwindled. Alex, Urs and Mami took Aaron home and Carlos and Vicki left with Juan Carlos. Both babies had been total angels all day, not minding being passed around to everyone who just had to hold them.
When Lauren got fussy, Mary took her upstairs and gave her a bath and put her to bed, making sure that the intercom was on so they could hear if she woke up. When she came downstairs, Mary expected to have last minute cleaning up to do. The caterers were gone and so was everything she thought she’d have to clean up. All of the left over food had been wrapped and put in the fridge or freezer and all of the dishes had been run through the dishwasher and even had been put away. All that would be left for dirty dishes was whatever was used for the rest of the evening much to her relief.
They did wind up pulling some of the food out for themselves and the stragglers that hadn’t left yet. Ty and his crew had hung around until after they had eaten a late evening snack. When some of the girls began to get sleepy, they said goodnight, giving hugs all around. Lisa made them promise that as many of them as could, would come at Christmas.
Sammy rode high on Ty’s shoulders as they headed for the motor home. He laughed as Ty spun around.
“Sammy, tell Mommy Bye. You can come home with me.” Ty said as he bounced Sammy up and down.
Ty felt Sammy’s whole body stiffen.
“I need to stay home with my Mommy and Papa. Please Mr. Ty.” Sammy said and the fear was quite evident.
Ty set Sammy down in front of him and he knelt down and looked him in the eye. He could tell that as much as Sammy liked him, he had crossed a line and he needed to be sure he fixed it before he left.
“Sammy, I was joking. I would never take you away from your Mommy and Papa. I’m sorry if I scared you. Are we still buddies?”
Sammy nodded his head and Ty put his hand up asking for a high five. Sammy slapped his little hand against Ty’s large one then Ty pulled Sammy in for a hug and told him that he would see him in a few months. Then he watched and waited until he saw Sammy safely standing on the porch as they got into the motor home and pulled slowly out of the driveway. Ty leaned on the horn in his ever dramatic way as they disappeared from sight.
As darkness came, Jim helped Debbie herd their children towards the guest house. Once the children were all inside, Debbie asked him if she could speak to him for a moment.
“Jim, I told Seb and Lisa that I would take the job.”
Jim thought he would burst from excitement.
“I am so happy to hear you say that.”
“I haven’t been sure that you really wanted me to. You haven’t said much about it.”
“Not want you to? Of course I do. I just didn’t want you to feel pressured by what I wanted. It will be great to have you all here, Deb.”
“Okay, Well…there’s one more thing. Seb said we’ll move in two weeks from today. How would you feel about keeping the boys here for the two weeks while I get things straightened out there in Kissimmee?”
Jim was speechless. She would trust him to keep the boys here?
“Deb, I would love to have them stay here. Are you sure?”
“Lisa is actually the one who suggested it and it would help actually to not have to worry about them and I could save the money that I would be paying a babysitter for those two weeks.”
“What about Hannah? I guess she’ll go back with you.”
“Yeah I don’t want to push my luck. They’ll need time to say goodbye. She’ll probably be a help in packing too.”
Jim and Debbie went in to get the boys settled for the night.
Lisa and Seb went to sit on the veranda after Sammy and Kayti had been put to bed. They had both fallen asleep quickly. Mary and Marlene were sitting in the family room talking about the successful day.
Unaware that they were being watched, Seb sat with his legs outstretched and Lisa sat a bit sideways, her legs drawn up onto the love seat and pressed herself against his side. He lifted his arm and draped it over her shoulder, running his fingers through her hair since she had taken it out of the style she’d worn it in today.
“You looked so beautiful today. The pregnancy only makes you even more sexy.”
“Thank you Seb. You looked rather handsome yourself.”
He slid his fingers around her neck and under her chin, raising it so he could look into her eyes. In just a second her eyes locked on his and she lifted her face to meet his lips. Just before they met his lips, she moistened hers with her tongue and that only made his kiss come with even more fervor. His other arm came around her to pull her as close as he could. She stroked his face and threaded her fingers in his hair, drawing his head down for a longer, more passionate kiss.
“Wow, don’t they look like the people in the movies?” Amanda whispered.
“C’mon, we shouldn’t be sitting here spying on them.” Hannah whispered back.
“We were out here first.”
“Yeah but I’d be embarrassed if they knew we were watching them do that. Remember, I’m going to be living here near them.”
“I guess neither of us has a chance with any of the Divos, huh? Not with all of them married or with steady girlfriends.”
“Nope, I guess not. When I met Lisa at Busch Gardens, I didn’t want to like her. I hoped she was a jerk or something and maybe Seb wouldn’t stay married to her for very long but, she’s okay I guess and he definitely seems to love her a lot.”
“Oh well, there’s lot’s of guys in Florida.”
“Yup.” Hannah sighed as she took one more look at Seb and Lisa kissing before getting up and heading for the house and Amanda reluctantly followed her.
Seb and Lisa were none the wiser about the girls. They were too wrapped up in each other to notice anything or anyone right now. Seb could tell that things were heading to the point that they needed to go inside and in confirmation Lisa whispered in his ear…
“Seb, take me up to bed.”
He stood and helped her up from the seat and tucking into the corner of his mind that he’d need to come down later and take care of the dogs. They stopped for just a moment and said goodnight to Mary and Maman and then they went upstairs, closing themselves off from the rest of the world as they made love to each other.
*
As expected the boys were more than thrilled to get to stay in Clearwater with Jim and have all of this great stuff to do here instead of having to go to their babysitter while their Mom worked. They had always complained about being treated like a baby having to go there. Debbie kissed them both goodbye and made them promise to behave.
Hannah didn’t even try to hide the fact that she wouldn’t have her little brothers under foot or in her stuff for two whole weeks.
“Bye squirts.” She said to them with a smile as she put her bag in the car.
“Bye Hannah.” They both said and went to hug her. She looked bothered but didn’t push them away. She supposed she might miss them just a little. They were fun to pick on.
She saw her Dad standing there and she kind of wanted to hug him but still wasn’t sure she was comfortable. He made the decision for her as he came over and wrapped his arms tightly around her.
“I love you Princess and I’ll miss you these two weeks. I’m looking forward to you being here where I can see you every day.” He said against her hair, then kissed the top of her head. He realized that she would almost be looking him in the eye soon.
She looked up into his eyes and saw that he was telling the truth and had to fight to hold the tears back.
“I love you too, Daddy. Bye”
Jim went to where Debbie was carrying the last suitcase out and he took it from her and placed it in the trunk.
“Be careful going back”
“I will.”
“Call when you get there, okay?”
“Alright, I will want to say goodnight to the boys anyway. Would you do me a favor?”
“Okay.”
“Please get the children all signed up for school here for me. They will be starting just after we get moved.”
“Oh sure. I’ll take care of that.”
Jim waited to make sure that Debbie was all the way in the car and then he shut her door. There was so much he wanted to say but there hadn’t been time this morning with the children around. He figured he’d have to wait until she got moved here but it sure would be a long two weeks in the meantime.
The boys barely waited for the car to leave the driveway before they were heading for the playground. Blake turned around as he was running,
“Hey Dad, can we go swimming later?”
“Sure Buddy, after I get some work done first.”
“Okay.” He said and ran to catch up with his brother.
Lisa let Sammy loose from the front of the house after she was sure the car was gone and he wasted no time in running to catch up with the older boys. Maman took Kayti and offered to go out and keep an eye on the children while Lisa did some work in the office.
Jim moved some of his things over to the guest house. He would sleep on the sofa and the boys could have the double bed. He made plans to go and buy the boys a new bunk bed set and dressers for their new room in the next couple of days and also a set for Hannah. He was sure that she probably had the same old set she’d had since she was little. The set in the master bedroom was nice and Lisa said that it would stay here unless Debbie wanted something else so he decided to leave that to her to decide.
He decided to paint the walls in the kid’s rooms before everything got moved in. There were a few spots where Kayti had gotten crayon on the walls. He wanted everything to be perfect when his girls got here. He took the boys with him in the afternoon to pick up the car he’d decided to buy and they went and picked out their new bedroom set.
By the weekend it was ready. He’d painted and had the furniture he’d picked out delivered and he and the boys had had fun putting everything together. They were thrilled with their new room. He had also taken them both clothes shopping since they didn’t have much with them.
“Jim?”
“Come on in, Lisa”
“I just wanted to see it all done in here. It looks great. Debbie will be surprised to see all you’ve done.”
“I just wanted her to get here and unpack without having to worry about anything needing to be done.. Now it’s done. She told me that she is taking this opportunity to sort through things and get rid of things she doesn’t use. She said she was packing up a box of clothes that are too small for our kids to bring in case you get a child that can wear them.”
“That is very nice of her. You never know. We are going to that event on Sunday.”
Contessa Admin
Posts : 5300 Join date : 2008-12-13 Age : 68 Location : Urs Buhler, The man of my dreams!! Humor : I found it and as always the joke is on me!!
It had all been arranged. In fact Brenda had been asked to go too since they would need as many social workers as they could get to answer questions and to help supervise the children. She would also be bringing back a couple of children to take to another facility.
They met Brenda near the interstate Sunday morning so they could follow her since she was familiar with the area they were going to.
“Hi Sammy. I didn’t know that you were coming.”
“Hi Miss Brenda. I’m going on a picnic but we have to drive a long way first to get there.”
Sammy wound up falling asleep in the middle of watching the Movie “Cars” on the DVD player.
When they arrived at the park, it looked like bedlam but was actually very well under control. There were just so many children running around that it seemed impossible to keep up with them all.
Someone with a bullhorn welcomed everyone here and told them to mingle and talk to the children.
“Each child that is available has a name tag on their shirt with their first name and their age. That will help to distinguish them from the children who have been brought by all of you.” We’ll start cooking some burgers and hot dogs in just a few minutes. I know the children are hungry. There’s plenty to eat and drink so help yourselves. If you have any questions, we have social workers available. They also have name tags and theirs are blue so that you know who to look for. Have a fun afternoon.”
Either Seb hadn’t noticed or he was pretending not to. But Lisa had. He had been recognized by several women and they were standing huddled together and obviously talking about him. She hid her grin but she did loop her arm through his and smiled inside as he let go of her arm and wrapped his arm tightly around her waist.
She didn’t want to be jealous and petty but she did feel rather protective after the Sweden incident, not to mention she felt a bit self conscious in her enlarged state. She did however stand just a bit off to the side later as he finally had acknowledged them and took some time to sign autographs.
Sammy put an end to it though when he pulled on Seb’s sleeve and asked if they could go over to the playground.
“Sorry ladies. Gotta go.” He said and scooped Sammy up to sit on his shoulders.
The ladies hated for him to go but stood around gushing over what a great Daddy he seemed to be.
Seb and Lisa sat on a bench as they watched Sammy playing with the other children. He seemed to be playing with one older boy in particular.
Lisa saw a little girl who looked to be about seven years old. She could see that the girl had a sticker on her shirt but couldn’t read it from where she was sitting. She was long and thin, had freckles dotting her cheeks and across the bridge of her nose and had long brown hair put into two braids, making her look like Laura Ingalls from Little House on the Prairie. She was sitting alone on a swing, not really swinging but just kicking at the dirt at her feet.
“I’ll be right back.” She said to Seb.
“Hi, My name is Lisa. What’s yours?”
The girl was bent over so she couldn’t read the tag.
“Holly.”
When Holly straightened up, Lisa could see the tag and it said that Holly was six years old.
“Wow, you are big for six.”
“I’m gonna be seven on my birthday.”
“When’s your birthday?”
“I don’t know. It’s kind of the same time as Chrismiss.”
“Ahh, so is it in December?”
“Yup, I think that’s it.”
“That’s pretty soon then. Would you like for me to give you a push?”
“Okay.” Holly said and sat back on the swing and held onto the chains.
Lisa stood behind her and gave her a small push to start with and pushed a little harder until she was swinging fairly high.
They had been asked not to ask the children too many questions about their pasts today. If they had questions they were asked to take them to the social workers.
Seb saw Lisa catch his eye and he knew she wanted to talk to him. It could only mean one thing. She was interested in the cute little girl.
“Hello.” Seb said, looking down at the little girl.
“Holly, this is my husband.”
“Whatchor name?”
Seb took a few seconds to figure out what she’d said then answered her.
“My name is Sebastien. Holly is a very pretty name.”
“Seb, would you go talk to Brenda about what we discussed?”
“Sure, I’ll be right back. Do you want me to take Sammy?”
“No, that’s alright. I can see him from here.”
He was still on the jungle gym playing with the same little boy he’d been with for a while.
On the ride over, they had come up with a kind of code. If either of them were interested in a particular child, they would go to Brenda and have her help in finding out the information on that child and find out specifically if the child was in the system permanently or just on a temporary basis. There was always the chance of them losing a child before they adopted it but they were going to do everything possible to keep the risks to a minimum.
Little did they know that at that moment Lisa’s greatest fears were about to be brought to the surface.
*
Someone was ringing the doorbell and Mary was hurrying to get it before it woke Lauren up. She’d just gone in for her afternoon nap. She wiped her hands on her apron as she hurried into the foyer, her hands covered in flour. She was taking this opportunity to do some baking while the house was quiet.
She opened the door and there stood a tall thin man. He was rather nice looking but a bit too thin for her liking. He had a military style haircut and stood so straight that she thought he must be a soldier. He reminded her of her husband when he was young. As she looked at him, his face held something very familiar but she couldn’t put her finger on what it was.
“Hello, may I help you?”
“Are Mr. or Mrs. Izambard here?”
“No Sir, I’m sorry. They are out for the day and won’t return until late this evening. Is there anything I can do for you?”
He looked past her as if he was looking for something. In his hand he held a page of newspaper. It was one they’d seen already this week. Jeff Sanborn had sent them several copies of the edition that had the article about the Grand Opening party. At the top of the article there was a photo of Sebastien and Lisa along with the children that was taken outside in front of the house.
“If I leave a number, could you have one of them call me tomorrow?”
“Of course I will. Actually I have paper and pen right here in my pocket. I was just starting a shopping list.”
She waited while the young man wrote his name and number down and he handed it back to her, looking rather nervous.
“Thank you Ma’am. I won’t take up any more of your time.”
With that he turned and went out the door. She stood at the window, watching as he left the property, wondering what was so important and what it had to do with the article.
On the paper, all he’d written was:
Sam Clearwater Hotel Room 215 555-1623
Mary placed it in the basket where the messages were always left on Lisa’s desk in her office.
*
“Hey Sweetheart, can I talk to you for a moment?” Seb asked her when he’d come back from speaking with Brenda.
“What did she find out?” Lisa asked him after they’d moved away from Holly.
“Well, first of all, how interested are you in taking Holly? Because, she has a nine year old brother too and they are really trying to keep them together.”
“Wow ok. I guess the big question is, are they a permanent placement?”
“Yes, they would be permanent. Both parents have had their parental rights removed by the state and none of their extended family was willing to take them. She said both sets of grandparents felt they were too old to take two children that would require so much care.”
“I’m glad Aunt Jessie didn’t feel that way when I needed her.”
They looked at Holly who was still swinging.
“Let’s try to find her brother and talk to him too.” Lisa said. “Hey Holly which one is your brother?”
Without stopping the swing, she pointed to the boy that Sammy had been playing with.
Lisa and Seb walked over to the Jungle Gym and looked up at the two boys. They were playing well together and Sammy was laughing.
“Hi Mommy and Papa. Look at me way up here. This is my best friend.”
“What is your best friend’s name” Seb asked him.”
“I don’t know.”
Seb and Lisa laughed at that. The boys had played together all this time and Sammy was calling him his best friend, yet Sammy hadn’t even asked him his name.
“Well, why don’t you ask him?” Lisa said.
All this time, the boy had been right there and heard the whole thing but still hadn’t offered his name.
“What’s your name?” Sammy asked him finally.
“Jeremy.”
Lisa’s heart just about stopped as she heard the name. Her hands immediately became clammy and the perspiration became evident on her forehead.
“Did he just say Jeremy?” she asked Seb in a choked voice.
“Yes, Baby, he did.” He put his arm around her when he saw how distressed she looked. The blood had drained from her face and he could see her wringing her hands together nervously.
She turned and walked away, pacing and saying just under her breath, Oh God, Oh God Oh God.
“Baby, it’s alright. We can talk to some other children. I understand.” He tried to get her to look at him but he could see that this was really upsetting her.
“It’s not his fault Seb….or Holly’s. Can I really turn them away just because of his name? If he was a baby I could change it but he’s too old now.” She was still pacing and looking at Holly and then back at Jeremy.
“They’ll find another home, baby.”
“What if they don’t? What if they wind up being separated in this shut down of the facility just because I couldn’t handle hearing his name?”
“Listen to me. The children that we decide to take need to be a perfect fit for our family and I do understand that this would be too hard. Everyone would understand.”
“What about them? Would they understand?” she asked, looking at the children.
“We don’t need to decide anything right now. Let’s take a while and think about this and give ourselves time to see the rest of the children. What if we haven’t found the child that was meant to come home with us?”
She nodded her head and they called to Sammy and asked him to come with them. He wasn’t happy but he finally came down, telling Jeremy that he would see him later.
“Let’s go get you a drink, Buddy. You’ve been playing hard.” Seb said, swinging him up onto his shoulders, Sammy’s favorite place to be.
Lisa couldn’t stop searching out the two children, especially Jeremy. They were beautiful children. Jeremy had the same color hair as his sister also with matching freckles but not quite as many. Sammy told them that Jeremy had been really nice to him while they were playing. That was a good sign being that Jeremy was so much older. He was actually the same age as Blake and Brandon.
“Hey guys, Are you interested in the brother and sister that Seb was asking about?” Brenda asked.
“The boy’s name is Jeremy, Brenda.” Seb told her and her face fell, just as Lisa’s had when she’d heard the boy say it.
“Oh boy. You okay?” she asked Lisa.
“It’s not fair to them for us to turn them away just because of his name. I couldn’t live with myself for being so selfish.”
“That’s not being selfish, Lisa. Jeremy wasn’t just some guy you broke up with and just don’t like.”
“See I told you Baby. No one would blame you.”
“I would. They need a home and a family. Brenda what is the chance of them staying together if they don’t find a family today?”
“At their age, not very good, I’m afraid. Without a family, they would probably be sent to gender specific group homes. There aren’t many like yours that take both boys and girls. I was told that they have already been separated before but the boy has misbehaved just so he could be sent back to be with his sister.”
“That settles it Seb. Unless there is another reason why we can’t take them, I can’t turn them away just because of his name. I’ll learn to live with it. It will give the name another meaning for me. Maybe that will be a good thing.”
She’d made up her mind. Both Seb and Brenda could see it. Brenda looked at Sebastien for confirmation and he nodded his head. He just hoped that she could get past the distaste when she heard the name before the boy picked up on any bad feelings, not that Lisa would intentionally slight the boy.
Lisa asked Brenda if she could keep an eye on Sammy for a while so she and Seb could sit and talk to the children for a few minutes. Seb went and got the pair and brought them to the picnic table that Lisa was sitting at, lost in thought.
“I sure hope this isn’t a mistake.” Seb thought to himself as they got settled at the table.
“Hi you two. We wanted to know how you would feel about maybe coming home with us to live.” Lisa said to the two children .
They looked at each other and back at her.
“We can both come?” Jeremy asked, not really believing at first that he and Holly might not have to be separated. “Cuz I don’t want to go if Holly can’t come and she doesn’t want to go no where without me. We take care of each other.”
“I bet you do. And yes, you would both come and stay together, forever if you want to. Our son Sammy likes you already.” Seb assured him.
“Sammy lives there too?”
“Yes he does.”
“That’s cool then. I guess we could go with you. That’s alright with you isn’t it Holly?”
She looked to her brother for guidance. He seemed okay with it and at least Jeremy wasn’t being sent away from her again. She was always so afraid when Jeremy had been sent away to another home without her. They just had to stay together.
She nodded her head.
“Are you sure Holly?”
“Yes, Ma’am.” She said almost inaudibly.
“She doesn’t say too much. People done bad things to us before.” Her brother supplied.
“You won’t have to worry about that any more. If you don’t believe us, you can always ask Sammy if he likes living with us.” Seb told the boy.
“Is he not your real kid?”
“Well, no not like you mean but we love Sammy and all of our children. It doesn’t matter if they have been born to us or not.”
“Hmmm, do you have any kids that are just yours?”
“You mean that belonged to us since they were born? No, but..”
Jeremy interrupted Seb. “You wait till that baby comes. You will love that baby way more than any kid from an orphanage.”
Lisa stepped in just then. “That is not true, Jeremy. You will just have to take my word for that right now. But, when little Jessica is born I want you to tell me if you ever feel that way.”
Seb and Lisa told the children about their home and told them that they would each have their own rooms and could even help to pick out what their room would look like.
Jeremy was having a very hard time believing all of this. He had been told so many lies and things that the adults in his life wished would come true but for whatever reason, they just didn’t.
Once the decision was made, things seemed to move rather quickly. The officials that were there had brought all the appropriate paperwork to transfer temporary custody of the children. Brenda had reminded them to bring the papers they had on the group home to identify themselves.
“What about their personal belongings?”
“If you have room to take them with you, you could go pick them up. There are a couple of our staff still there today. We had a few children who had come down with the flu so they couldn’t come today.”
“We’ll do that then. Just point us in the right direction.” Seb said, knowing it would be important for the children to have their personal things with them as they went to a new home.
Brenda was taking two children with her back to Tampa to another facility and Seb and Lisa agreed to keep two children, a boy that was 12 and a little girl who they thought was about five years old, that would be picked up on Wednesday by another worker from the southern part of the state.
Within an hour, they had gone to the facility, picked up the children’s things and were back on the road, heading home to Clearwater. They still had almost four hours to drive so they put on a movie for the kids to watch to keep them all occupied.
The little five year old girl was being called Emma. They didn’t know her name. She had been found abandoned in a campground a few months ago and no one had ever come back to claim her. She was a lovely child, a dark olive skin and jet black hair that flowed down to her waist with a good bit of curl. Lisa suspected that if the hair was cut a few inches shorter, there would be many more curls to it. The biggest problem with her was that she either couldn’t or wouldn’t speak. When she was picked up this week by the other worker, she was being taken to some doctors in Tampa before heading south. They wanted to find out if there was any physical reason for her inability to speak.
It was past the children’s bed time by the time they arrived at home. Lisa had called Mary and told her about the two children they had chosen and also about the two who were stopping over for a few days. So between Mary, Maman and Jim they had at least temporary sleeping areas set up for each of them. They all worked together to get the children settled. They fed them all a snack and a glass of milk and just had them wash up before bed, deciding that it was too late to try to give everyone a bath tonight.
Sammy was all tucked into bed and Seb was reading him a short story.
“Papa, does Jeremy and the girl get to live here now?”
“The girl’s name is Holly, Buddy.”
“Oh yeah I keep forgetting.”
“And yes, they are going to live here and be your brother and sister. What do you think of that?”
“It will be funnest and Blake and Brandon will have more friends to play with too.”
“That’s right, They will. Goodnight Sammy. I love you.”
“I love you too Papa.” Sammy said and squeezed Seb’s neck in a tight hug. He laid his head on Seb’s shoulder and Seb could feel Sammy going limp in his arms as sleep began to overtake him. He softly hummed a lullaby until he could hear Sammy’s even breathing and then he gently laid him down and covered him up, making sure that Bob was tucked into the crook of Sammy’s arm.
Lisa poked her head in at Kayti and Lauren and they were both sound asleep. Kayti sure would have a surprise when she woke up.
Lisa showed all the new children where she and Seb would be as well as Mary in case they needed anything in the night. She knew very little about these children and hoped that they would all be able to sleep soundly tonight.
Devon, the twelve year old that would only be here a few days and Jeremy were in a room right next to Holly and little Emma. Lisa asked Holly to come and get her if Emma got upset in the night.
Lisa thought that she wouldn’t be able to get a good night’s sleep because she was worried that the children might wake up and be afraid in their unfamiliar surroundings. She also had thoughts of her nightmares returning because of the thoughts of Jeremy today. But, thankfully she did sleep after their long day and was not plagued by the nightmares that she hoped were gone forever.
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Posts : 5300 Join date : 2008-12-13 Age : 68 Location : Urs Buhler, The man of my dreams!! Humor : I found it and as always the joke is on me!!
Lisa woke in the morning, surprised that there had been no emergencies in the night that had woken her. She could hear Seb in the nursery talking to Lauren. She stood silently in the doorway and saw that he was changing her diaper and putting an outfit on her for the day.
“Papa missed you yesterday, Ma Petite. I don’t know how I will ever stand to be away from all of you when I have to go to work.” He said to her as he finished buttoning her buttons on her light cotton top. Lauren just smiled as she listened to his voice.
Lisa left them alone without announcing her presence. He always took special time with each of their children and she knew that it would be important for the children as they grew to have that special time with him. Seb still took Sammy on their walks all alone, exploring the woods and letting Sammy experiment with his camera.
She peeked in the bedrooms and Sammy as well as Jeremy and Devon were not in theirs. Kayti was gone as well. When she got to Emma and Holly’s room, they were still sound asleep and she decided to let them sleep until they woke on their own. They looked so cute huddled together.
She was trying not to think too much about Emma. She looked so sad but Lisa knew she was leaving and didn’t want to form an emotional attachment to her. It would not be an easy task.
She found the rest of the missing children all gathered around the big dining room table with Maman and Mary. There wasn’t enough room now for them all to eat in the kitchen. The special dining table they had had several additional sections that could be added as needed or removed if they needed extra space in the room.
“Hi Mama” Kayti said, waving her sticky hands that were covered in maple syrup.
“Hello my little Kaytibug. Were you a good girl for Mary and Grandmere yesterday?”
Kayti nodded her head, curls bouncing wildly except for one section of her hair that had clumped together. She had obviously gotten the syrup stuck in it and would need a bath after breakfast..
Lisa looked to Mary for confirmation.
“We had a very good day, didn’t we Kayti? Not even a time out.” Mary said beaming.
“Oh that is a good day then. Mama is very proud of you. And how did you boys sleep last night? I hope you were comfortable. I know it was a little hectic getting settled last night.”
“I slept just fine, Ma’am. Thank you.” Devon said.
“Me too. Thank you.” Jeremy added.
“Wow what a polite boys you are. Maybe after breakfast, we can all head outside and go for a swim.”
“That would be really cool.” Devon said after he finished the bite of pancake he was eating.
Seb came into the dining room with Lauren and placed her in the high chair after leaning her down so Lisa could give her a kiss, then he gave Lisa one of his own.
“Good morning boys.”
“Good morning.”
“And how’s my girl?” he said kissing Kayti on top of her head.
“No time out, Papa”
“Well, if you are a good girl today, you won’t have to go in time out.”
“No, she’s telling you that she didn’t have to go in time out at all yesterday.” Lisa told him.
“Ohhhh, that is very good. That makes Papa very happy. I don’t like for you to have to sit there.”
“She woke up.” Holly said from the doorway where she was holding Emma’s hand.
Lisa got up and got them settled in chairs and Mary brought them each a plate of food.
Both girls ate well and then Holly sat there and looked at the plate of pancakes.
“Would you like more pancakes, Holly?”
“Yes please, I’m hungry.”
Lisa gave her another and looked at Emma.
“Would you like another one too?”
No answer. So Lisa put another small one on her plate.
“Now if you aren’t hungry, you don’t have to eat that.”
But she did eat it, every bite and then drank her whole glass of milk.
“Hola.” came Carlos’s booming voice from out in the foyer.
“We’re in the dining room, Carlos.” Seb called to him.
No one noticed that Emma’s eyebrows shot up when she heard the call from Carlos.
“We were out early this morning so we thought we’d stop in and see how it went yesterday.” He said wide eyed as he looked around at all of the children.
Vicki came in and sat down holding Carlito. Lisa reached for him and Vicki passed him over.
“Wow, we thought you might take one child, but this is something. Four children!”
“Devon and little Emma here are only staying over for a few days. They will be picked up and taken to their new homes by another social worker. Holly and her brother Jeremy have agreed to stay here and live with us.” Seb said.
Carlos and Vicki hadn’t missed the boy’s name but said nothing.
“Well, okay. You will like it here. I know it.” Carlos assured the children. They sat around talking while everyone finished eating.
When the children started getting up from the table, Emma came around and stood near Carlos, staring up at him.
“Carlos, I think you have a new Cutie.” Vicki said chuckling after a few minutes of watching the little girl’s infatuation with Carlos.
“Who? Where?” he asked. He and Seb had been deep in a conversation so he hadn’t noticed the little girl standing in the other side of him.
When he turned and saw her looking so intently at him, he leaned down and smiled at her.
“Hello Emma.”
The almost happy face turned very sad and tears filled her eyes.
“What is wrong little one? Can I hold you?” he asked reaching out to her. She didn’t back away, so he lifted her onto his lap.
“Es muy pequena” (She’s very little)
She nodded her head.
“Carlos! Say something else to her in Spanish. Ask her what her name is.” Lisa said excited at what looked to be the answer to this little girls problem, although why they wouldn’t have been able to get her to speak to them at the orphanage was beyond her.
“Cuál es su nombre?” (What is your name?)
“Mi nombre es Amelia, no es Emma.” Said the tiny voice. (My name is Amelia. It’s not Emma.)
“Even I understood that. I’ll be right back. I’m going to call Brenda.”
While Lisa was gone from the room, Carlos kept making small talk with Amelia. Once she started talking, the floodgates had opened. She told him that she couldn’t find her mama and papa. They were camping after coming across the big river from Mexico. Her Mama and Papa had told her to wait where she was and someone would find her there but they didn’t come back and then some people took her away and now her mama and papa would never find her.
With this she began to cry and Carlos held her close to him and let her get it out. He looked to Vicki with the saddest look that she had ever seen on his face.
“They left her there, Vicki. Maybe they were desperate but how on earth could they leave their child to fend for herself like that. And she can’t even speak English. She must have been so frightened.” Carlos told his wife.
Brenda came right over and she asked Amelia questions through Carlos as her interpreter and it seemed as if there was not a thing wrong with this child physically but she had been abandoned and did not know a word of English and had been scared out of her mind.
She was staying firmly planted in Carlos’s lap and he didn’t seem to be in any hurry to have her get down either. In between speaking to the adults in the room, Carlos and Vicki would speak softly to Amelia, trying to let her know that she was safe and they were all going to help her.
Brenda made some phone calls to let the other social workers know this new information and that they could cancel all of those doctor’s appointments. She wasn’t sick, just lost and scared.
“What will happen to her now?” Carlos asked Brenda.
“They are going to see if there is an available foster home that has people that speak Spanish, even as a second language. They will of course try to find her parents but it is highly unlikely they would ever be found unless they come forward asking for help in finding her. But now that we know why she wasn’t speaking, she will be placed where she can communicate and she will be given all of the care she needs. She should adjust in time.”
Lisa didn’t know who had the harder time when Carlos and Vicki were leaving, Amelia or Carlos. Amelia was very vocal and cried desperately for Carlos not to leave her. But, Carlos’s pain although not shown in visible tears was no less evident. His eyes told it all. He had asked Brenda if there was any way that Amelia could come and stay with them at least until the foster home was found for her.
Brenda felt so torn. Her official duties sometimes caused her to say or do things that caused pain to others. She would have liked nothing better than to have sent Amelia with them. She knew the child would be loved and cared for with Carlos and Vicki but, according to the State of Florida, not only were the Marin’s not US citizen’s, neither were they cleared as foster parents. This was not a speedy process to achieve.
So they reluctantly left her behind, assuring Amelia that she would be alright here and that they would come visit with her tomorrow.
Seb and Sammy knew enough basic Spanish between them to at least make Amelia feel a little bit more comfortable. Kayti even tried to help. She kept saying “Hola” like she always heard Tio Carlos say.
Finally Amelia’s tears subsided as they got her involved in playing on the playground. She was still silent most of the time and they figured if she tried to tell them something and they couldn’t figure it out, they would call Carlos or Vicki to help translate. Urs also knew the language if they needed him in a pinch. At least she didn’t seem as afraid now that she knew they could understand her a little.
They got all of the children ready to go out to the pool. Jim had brought Blake and Brandon over so they had a total of nine children in the water. Lisa was sitting in the small pool; holding Lauren and letting her splash her arms and legs and get used to being in the water but safely held by her mother and Kayti was playing next to Lisa.
The big pool held the rest of the children under the watchful eyes of Jim, Seb, Maman, and Mary, all except for one. Even Amelia was swimming like a fish in the shallow end.
Sitting on one of the patio chairs was Holly. At first it didn’t seem strange for her not to be in the water but when she didn’t ever get in, Seb pulled himself out of the water on the side of the pool and sat on the chair next to her.
“Holly, do you not like to swim?”
She just shook her head no.
“Do you know how to swim?”
Her head shook again.
“I could teach you.”
“No thank you.”
Seb wasn’t going to force her to swim, but he and Lisa had decided that as soon as possible, each child needed to learn how to swim at least a basic stroke and know how to float and tread water if they were going to have the pools.
Later when Lisa had taken Kayti and Lauren inside, he went and sat in the little pool, resting his head against the back of the soft pool.
“Ahhh, this feels so good. It’s very comfortable and feels good staying wet since it is so hot out.” He said to no one in particular, although Holly was the only one within hearing distance since the others were making so much noise in the other pool.
“Holly, would you like to just come and sit in here with me and cool off. You don’t have to put your face in the water? See, it isn’t very deep at all. Kayti can stand in here and the water only comes up to her waist.”
Holly looked longingly at the water and slowly inched her way over. She stuck her hand over the side of the pool, running it through the water. Finally, she lifted one leg over the side and then the other and just stood at the side of the pool holding on for dear life.
“You can sit down. It won’t be in your face.”
She looked doubtful but slowly lowered her thin body down, still holding onto the side.
Seb heard the sigh of relief when she got herself seated and realized that the water only came up to her chest. He was very careful not to stir up the water too much, causing it to come up into her face. He just wanted her to get comfortable just sitting here for now.
From where she was sitting, Holly watched the boys all laughing and having so much fun in the pool. She wanted so much to be over there playing with her brother but she had always been afraid of deep water. She was alright in the bath tub with just a little water but any time she had been around a pool or other large body of water, she had been frightened.
Seb began to slowly stream his hands through the water, making it ripple in different directions. Holly watched him and wasn’t afraid because this water wasn’t too deep and she knew she could get out in a hurry if she didn’t like it anymore.
He figured that this was enough of a step for today. He’d see about going a little further the next time.
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Posts : 5300 Join date : 2008-12-13 Age : 68 Location : Urs Buhler, The man of my dreams!! Humor : I found it and as always the joke is on me!!
“Lisa, have you had time to go in your office and check your messages yet today?”
Mary had just remembered the stranger and his message left for Seb or Lisa to call him. They had been so busy with the arrival of the new children and the excitement over Amelia’s sudden ability to speak when Carlos and Vicki had arrived this morning that it had totally slipped her mind.
“No, not yet. Was there anything important or can it wait until later?”
Mary told Lisa about the man showing up at the door and how nervous he seemed and also about him having a copy of the newspaper article with him but that he had not given her any idea at all what he wanted to speak to them about.
“Okay, well, I guess I should just give him a call and let him tell me then. All three girls are down for their naps. They should sleep for a while now after all of the exercise they’ve gotten already this morning.” She said, referring to Lauren, Kayti and Amelia who had already had their lunch.
Lisa closed the door behind her when she entered the office. She sat in the chair behind her desk and picked up the top message in the small pile that had accumulated yesterday.
She read what he’d written. No last name, just Sam. She dialed the number listed on the scrap of paper and tapped her pen on the desk as she waited for the line to connect.
“Hello?”
“Hello, I’m looking for Sam. This is Lisa Izambard.”
“Yes hello, Mrs. Izambard. This is Sam Prater. Thank you for calling me.”
“What can I do for you Mr. Prater?”
“Well, I would like to speak to you in person but I would like to come by when both you and your husband are available. Do you have any time today or tomorrow? I only have a short leave this time before I have to head back overseas.”
Lisa put him on hold and went to speak to Seb and ask him if he was alright with her telling Mr. Prater to come by today.
“Sure today is fine. The guys want to get together to do some rehearsing tomorrow for a couple of hours so today would be better. Did he give any indication of what he wanted to speak to us about?”
“No not a thing.”
She went back to the office and told Mr. Prater that he was welcome to come by this afternoon. He sounded both relieved and nervous as he thanked her and told her he’d be there in about an hour.
After hanging up, Lisa sat and wondered what he wanted that he had to be so secretive about it. She continued to sift through the other messages, grinning when she saw the one from Adrienne. She and Cecile had been gone almost a week, seeing some of the sights in the U.S.
Cecile said that if she was coming to the U. S. she might as well see some of the country before going home. She wanted to see the nation’s capital, the Grand Canyon, Mount Rushmore and she definitely wanted to go to Los Angeles and see if she could spot any celebrities. It wasn’t lost on Adrienne that they had their own celebrity right in the family. But she tagged along with Cecile, hoping that they would get back to Seb’s in time for her to enjoy a visit with them before she had to return home.
Lisa stopped in the kitchen and told Mary that she was going to go up and lie down for a bit while it was quiet. Seb was on the playground with his mother, keeping an eye on Devon, Sammy, Jeremy and Holly. Jim had left with his boys to go keep his promise to Debbie and get the children registered to start school.
Almost exactly an hour later Sam pulled into the driveway and took another look around. He smiled as he saw the children running around on the playground. He stepped out of the rental car and headed for the house, ringing the doorbell, nervously stepping from one foot to the other as he waited.
Through the glass in the front door Sam could see a young woman descending the large staircase and then he saw the same woman who had spoken to him yesterday approaching the door.
“Good afternoon, Mr. Prater. Come on in.” Mary told him just as Lisa reached the bottom of the stairs.
“Hello Mr. Prater. Mary, would you tell Seb that our guest is here?”
“Sure, and can I get you all something to drink?”
“That would be great. Thanks Mary. I was really thirsty when I woke up just now.”
Lisa directed Sam into the office, then sat in her chair behind the desk. She noticed that he was again carrying the newspaper article that Mary said he had brought yesterday. She studied his face as he was looking around the room. He sure looked familiar to her.
“Seb will be right in. Make yourself comfortable. Have we met, Mr. Prater? You look very familiar to me but I can’t place where I might have met you. Have you ever had any children in daycare?”
“I don’t think we have met, Mrs. Izambard and please call me Sam.” He said just as Seb walked through the door.
Sam stood and shook Seb’s offered hand before he sat back down. Seb took the seat next to Sam.
“Are the children alright out there?” Lisa asked Seb.
“Yes, Maman is out there and Mary will join her in a minute.”
Right on cue, Mary entered through the open doorway and set a tray of three glasses of lemonade on Lisa’s desk. Then she turned and left the room, shutting the door on her way out. She knew she may or may not know what was said in the room. As close as they were, she didn’t expect to be privy to every conversation in the house. She headed outside to help Marlene keep an eye on the children.
“Alright, Mr. Prater…Sam, what can we do for you?”
“This is hard. I’m not sure where to start so I guess I’ll just come out with it. I do want to tell you up front that I am not here to cause any of you any trouble.”
Sam felt it necessary to say that since he had seen that Lisa was very close to giving birth and he didn’t want to be the cause of her having any problems.
He held out the newspaper clipping towards Seb who took it and looked at the now familiar photo. Jeff had sent them a beautifully framed 11 X 14 copy of the picture of he and Lisa with the children standing outside in front of the house the day of the Grand opening party. They had hung it over the mantle in the family room.
“The boy, it says his name is Sammy. His name is Samuel Jenkins isn’t it?”
All of a sudden Lisa’s face lost all color as she realized in that instant why this man looked so familiar. Sammy, he looked like Sammy. Or Sammy looked like him.
“Yes, it was Samuel Jenkins before we adopted him. Why?” Seb asked, not yet having any idea who this man might be.
“Are you his father?” Lisa said in a choked voice, barely able to say the words.
“WHAT?” Seb hollered and stood to his feet, ready to toss the man out on his ear.
“Yes, I am. But as I said a moment ago, I am not here to cause you any trouble, so please don’t worry. I’m not here to take him from you.”
Lisa was having a difficult time believing that this man would actually leave without wanting his son back. She and Seb locked gazes for a moment before Seb sat back down.
“Then why are you here, Mr. Prater?” Seb asked him still not trusting him.
“Kathy and I….you know Samuel’s mother…”
“He prefers to be called Sammy.” Seb informed him.
“I had already signed on the dotted line to go into the Army when I started dating Sammy’s mother. I did love her but soon after, I realized that she had a drug problem. I tried to get her to get some help. She would make me believe that she wanted help and then she would be right back into it all over again. Even in the short time we had been together, we had spoken of marriage but, once I realized that she would not be able to kick the drugs anytime soon, I told her that there was no way I could marry her since I was entering the military. Her drug use could have caused me loads of trouble and even possibly may have gotten me kicked out. For my whole life, all I wanted to do was have a lifetime career in the Army, just like my father had. So before leaving for boot camp, even though it broke my heart, I broke things off with her. I missed her so much while I was in boot camp. Kathy was not always strung out. When she was clean, she was a wonderful, loving and happy person and so much fun to be with.
When I got out of boot camp, I had a short leave before I had to report to my first base assignment so I decided to stop by and see how she was doing. I knew it might be a bad move since I had broken up with her but I missed her so much. I really hoped that maybe she had realized that her habit had ruined the best thing that had happened to either of us.
So I pulled up at her house and went to knock on the door but through the window, I saw her, another woman and three men all passed out in the living room, all of them half naked, with drug paraphernalia all over the room. I never even knocked. I just left and headed to Georgia, where I would be stationed for almost the next year.
I received a letter from her a couple of weeks later, forwarded through the military. She told me that she was pregnant and that I was the father. I was still so angry about what I had seen. I just wrote back, telling her what I had seen and that I didn’t believe that I was the father. I told her to ask the three guys she had been with if they were the father of her baby. I know now what a bad decision I made back then and if I could change it I would. My mother always said that I had plenty of book smarts but was sometimes running short on common sense.
It was about a year later when I ran into a mutual friend when I was home on leave. She told me that Kathy had indeed had a baby, a boy, and that Kathy truly believed that I was the father. The problem was that by then, Kathy had moved, gotten evicted actually, which would be the pattern of her life up until she died. Every time I would get close to finding her and Sammy, she had moved again with no forwarding address. It was only a few months ago that I found the last place they lived. I even spoke to a neighbor who told me all about what had gone on in the house with Kathy and all of her boyfriends and about how Sammy had been mistreated. She told me of the events on the day that Kathy was killed and that Sammy had gone into State’s custody. By the time I found the right people to speak to, he was already in your care and you had adopted him.
I never intended to take him. My life is no place for a child. I don’t intend to marry and I move constantly when they change my orders. I am currently serving in Iraq and I am home on leave for just a few more days. I just need to know that he is alright and being cared for. I can see that he is. By the article, it looks like you have a wonderful place here for the children to grow up in.
“You said something about having a lot of book smarts. Sammy is a very bright child. He is already learning to read and does quite well with kindergarten and even some first grade books. And since Seb and his band mates speak several different languages, he is already picking up several of them. He is like a sponge and soaks up everything he hears.”
“What about physically? Is he alright after the way he was treated?”
“He is small for his age but the doctor says he should catch up in time. He has a wonderful appetite. He was quite malnourished when he came to live here. He was worried about not getting enough to eat but he knows now he will never have to worry about that again. He does still have security issues. He still worries about having to leave us. After he left the home where he lived with his mother, he was in a bad foster home. It took some time for him to relax and start acting like the happy little boy he is today.”
“I know I have no right to ask this of you but…could I meet him? We don’t have to tell him who I am or anything. I just want to look at him once before I go.”
Seb looked to Lisa to see how she felt about that.
“Sure Sam, he’s out back. Let’s go see him.”
Lisa paused and opened one of her desk drawers, pulling out a photo and handed it to Sam.
He looked into the smiling face of his son, his blood. How he wished his parents could see him. He did look so much like he had as a boy. Could he really walk away and never see the boy again? He knew he couldn’t take him. Maybe if his parents had still been alive, they might have wanted to keep him and raise him but there was no way now since they had been killed a couple of years ago in a wreck. They never even knew about Sammy. He was going to wait until he had found Kathy and the boy and then tell them.
They went out through the back patio and down the stairs of the back deck.
“Sammy, come here and see us for a minute.” Seb called to him.
Sammy was usually running wherever he went lately. He had gained so much strength in his legs in the past few months. He got no shortage of exercise. He stopped just short of Seb, who ruffled his hair.
“Hi Papa. Did you see me go fastest down the slide?”
“Yes, I did. You are getting good at that. I would like you to say hello to someone. His name is Sam, Mr. Prater.”
“Hi Mr. Sam. Your name is kinda like mine. But mine has two M’s and Y and yours doesn’t.”
“That’s right, Sammy and you are very smart.”
“Thank you. Wanna see my birfday train?” Sammy asked him, taking Sam’s hand, not even waiting for an answer.
Sam half turned and grinned at Seb and Lisa who followed behind, still not totally comfortable with this situation.
Sammy showed Sam where to sit and climbed on after him. Sammy always had to be the engineer. As much as he usually shared his toys, this job was one he rarely gave up unless it was to Seb or Lisa.
“I forgot my engineer hat and my whistle. I’ll have to show them to you the next time you come over for a visit.”
Sam wasn’t about to ruin either his or Sammy’s moment by telling him that there would be no next visit. That this was the one and only time he would spend even a moment with his son. This memory would have to last a lifetime.
When the ride was over, Sam told Sammy that he had to leave now as they met back up with Seb and Lisa. Sammy was still grinning from ear to ear as he always was after riding his train.
Sam got down on one knee. He held out his hand and smiled when Sammy took it and shook it firmly.
“It was very nice to meet you Sammy. You be a good boy and grow up to be a good man, alright?”
“Yup I will. My Papa says that if I am a good boy now, then I will be a good big man.”
“That’s right. You listen to your Papa. I think he and your Mom love you very much.”
“Yup and I love them lots and lots too.”
Sam wanted to tell Sammy that he loved him but knew it would be inappropriate since the boy had no idea who he really was. He watched as Sammy ran back into the playground and joined the other children playing. He held out his hand and shook Seb’s hand. He could see the distrust in the Izambard’s eyes. He supposed he could understand. They were still afraid that he was going to try to take their son from them. That made him happy in a way. It told him how much they loved Sammy.
“Sam, would it be possible for you to send us your medical history? It could benefit Sammy in the future.”
“Sure, I’ll do it this week when I get back to base and I’ll send it to you. Here’s my contact information, just in case you ever need to reach me.” The business card had a cell number and an email address as well as his name and rank, Captain Samuel D. Prater, U.S. Army.
Lisa took the card and Sam’s hand.
“Be careful over there. We appreciate everything you all do in the military.”
“I’ll do my best and thank you very much for saying that.”
Seb had his arm around Lisa’s waist as they watched him drive away. They saw him look towards Sammy one last time before he was out of sight.
They wanted to believe what he said about not wanting to take Sammy and it did help a week later when a large packet arrived, delivered by UPS, signature required. It contained not only all of Sam’s medical records but his parent’s records as well. These could be invaluable later on in Sammy’s life.
Contessa Admin
Posts : 5300 Join date : 2008-12-13 Age : 68 Location : Urs Buhler, The man of my dreams!! Humor : I found it and as always the joke is on me!!
Urs was sleeping beside her as she sat up against the headboard with Aaron nursing at her breast. She had her last check with the doctor today and then maybe Urs would stop acting like a mother hen where she was concerned. She had had no trouble with her blood pressure since just a couple of days after Aaron was born and she felt wonderful, well except for the occasional pain caused by nursing.
Aaron sure had a good grip. She was glad that he could nurse though and was willing to put up with the discomfort to be able to give him the best start she could. He had enough hurdles to overcome.
It was much too early to tell how much his muscles would be affected by the spina bifida. He was already scheduled to see both a specialist and had an appointment for an early intervention evaluation to discuss when to start physical therapy to give his muscles the help they needed to minimize any delay in his development.
As she resettled Aaron to the other side after burping him, Alex reached over with her free hand and slid it lightly down Urs’s bare arm. She wasn’t trying to wake him. She just felt the overwhelming need to touch him. In his sleep, Urs reached over and draped his arm across her legs, trying to draw her closer.
They had fallen into a nice routine. Mami had been a great help especially in the beginning as Aaron adjusted to being home. With the lights always on in the NICU, babies have to adjust to the differences between day and night once they get to go home.
Aaron finally seemed like his body was on a good schedule, usually falling right back to sleep after eating and getting a dry diaper, most of the time not even eating the full amount of time on the second breast before he would be sound asleep.
This morning, Aaron was wide awake looking right into her eyes, studying his mother’s features, memorizing them. His little hand was reaching up and lying on her chest. She traced each little finger and looked to Urs’s large hand and had trouble imagining that one day her tiny boy would be as big as his Papi.
Urs began to stir and when his attempts at pulling her closer had failed his eyes opened and a slow grin spread over his face as he saw Alex feeding Aaron.
“Good Morning, sleepy head.”
“Morning”
He made a beeline for the bathroom and then came back and climbed back under the sheets. He ran his hand up her legs and pushed her nightgown up as far as it would go in the position she was sitting in.
He moved over and laid his head in her lap and Alex had such an overwhelming feeling as she stroked her fingers through his hair and at the same time was still nursing their son. Could she have ever imagined this life for herself less than a year ago? Definitely not! If you had told her that she would be so in love that she couldn’t wait to be married and would also be a mother, she would have said that you were nuts. These things had been at most, at the very bottom of her to do list. Now however, she could not imagine her life being anything else. To think what she would have missed if Urs had not come into her life.
They had decided to wait on talking about the actual wedding plans when they found out about Aaron’s birth defect. Now that things were settling down and there was little they could do except for some therapy for him, she was getting anxious to start talking about it again. She hoped he wouldn’t think it was too soon, because she was more than ready to be his wife. They hadn’t even made any kind of announcement about their relationship, trying to keep the press at bay for as long as possible.
“Urs?” she said quietly, not sure if he might have drifted off again.
“Hmm?”
“Do you still want to get married?”
“Of course I do. What a silly question.” He sat up so that he was leaning on his elbow and looked up at her face.
“Well, can we start planning it soon?”
“Sure I guess so. Do you already have some kind of idea of what you want?”
“Yes, I actually want to ask Lisa if we could have it at the house.”
“Okay, and do you have an idea of when? We do need to keep in mind our schedule that will be getting very busy before too long.”
“I know, that is why I want to do it soon, if it is all right with you.”
I’m going to leave the planning up to you girls. As long as we can figure out when to do it when we aren’t off on promotions for the new Cd then I’m all for it. Otherwise we would probably have to wait until after the tour.”
He saw her face fall quickly at that prospect and knew that that was not an option.
“I don’t care about a big affair, Urs. I just want to be your wife. We already know from Seb and Lisa’s wedding that we can put a beautiful wedding together in a very short time. One thing I guess you’ll need to do is make a list of any family or friends that you would want to invite. The rest, I can handle with Mom, Lisa and Mami’s help.”
“Alright. What about a honeymoon? Would we be able to go away?”
“Hmm, I hadn’t thought about that. I do know that I won’t go anywhere without taking Aaron with us, not even for a few days. I hope that you are alright with that.”
“I wouldn’t expect anything else.”
“We can talk about that issue another time. All I care about is the wedding right now.”
After Alex laid Aaron back into his cradle, Urs lured her back to bed for some morning excersise.
Alex called Lisa to let her know that they were going to go ahead and begin planning the wedding and asked if they could have it at the house.
“Of course. That would be lovely. When did you want to have it?”
“As soon as possible. If we can’t arrange it soon, we will probably have to wait until after the tour and for me that is not an option if there is any chance of us getting married before they start the tour.”
“Yeah that would be a long time away if you wind up having to wait.”
Lisa told Alex about Sam Prater’s visit and had to calm Alex down so she could assure her that she believed that he had no intention of taking Sammy away from them.
“He’d better not try. He would have a major war on his hands if he thinks he could take him away from us.” Alex said still sounding agitated. “Well, I need to go get ready for the doctor’s appointment. I’ll call or come by later. We need to set up a time when You, Mom, Mami and I can sit down and start doing some planning.
“Sure, just let me know.”
Seb asked her what she was smiling at when she was still standing there with the phone in her hand.
“Alex and Urs are going to start planning their wedding.”
“Oh good, I know they had decided to put it on hold.”
Now they are feeling like they need to kind of put a rush on it or wait until after you all get finished with the new tour.”
“That would be quite a long time away wouldn’t it?”
“Yes and I could tell that Alex at least was not willing to wait that long.”
Lisa and Seb headed downstairs at Mary’s call that the social worker was here to pick Devon up. It was Wednesday and in the past two days a lot had happened. Carlos and Vicki had left Monday, calling later that afternoon and telling Lisa that they wanted to find a way to keep Amelia. The phone was burning up as it went round and round the past two days between Lisa, Brenda and Carlos and Vicki, trying to figure out if there was any way for it to happen.
For now it seemed as if it was not going to be easy to accomplish but in the mean time, Brenda had gotten permission for Amelia to stay with Seb and Lisa while they tried to cut through all of the red tape. They hoped that maybe they would find a way for Carlos and Vicki to do a foreign adoption much like the people from the U.S. adopt children from China, Korea and Russia, etc.
With her at Seb and Lisa’s, the Marin’s would be able to spend plenty of time with Amelia. One thing they did not do was to tell Amelia that they were trying to adopt her. They didn’t want her to get her hopes up. It would be disappointing enough for the adults if it couldn’t happen. Besides, they saw that she was still not convinced that she would not be reunited with her parents.
They had had a talk with Devon, who had been good as gold while he had been with them. They explained to him that since he was not available for adoption, that they would be unable to keep him here. They told him that they wanted him to keep in touch with them and let them know how he was doing. He was very subdued as he left and Lisa shed tears as soon as he was gone.
It made her think of Amelia and how it would be if they couldn’t work this adoption out for Carlos and Vicki. Would she be able to let her go? Now that she was speaking on a limited basis, her personality was beginning to come out. She was an avid swimmer and always wanted to be in the pool. That’s when she was the happiest. She did play with the other children in the house or on the playground but didn’t speak often. But at least she didn’t seem to be so upset most of the time. She was even more apt to start laughing now. She had the cutest little voice and Lisa kept trying to coax her to talk as much as she would.
Lisa made an even stronger effort to learn more basic Spanish so she could communicate with her. When Carlos and Vicki were around, they helped everyone in the house. Lisa had had installed the program called Rosetta Stone, a language teaching software. Every language under the sun was available and they had installed Spanish, French, German, and Italian to start with. Any languages that someone wanted to learn would be added as needed. At the same time, they coached Amelia on learning English words, starting with everyone’s names. Then they moved on to basic necessary words, like help, eat, hurt, etc.
*
Saturday morning dawned bright and cloudless, which was going to make getting Debbie moved a much easier task. She had told Lisa that everything was ready for the mover’s.
As The Izambard’s were finishing up their breakfast, Debbie was sitting back and watching the movers carry all of their belongings out to the truck. There wasn’t really all that much. She had already called the local Salvation Army to come and pick up the bedroom furniture and various boxes. None of the appliances were hers.
Hannah had asked to sleep over Amanda’s last night and she had been unable to deny her this. Hannah really had been a great help these past two weeks as they sorted through the house, packing what they would take with them to Clearwater and boxing up what Debbie had decided to donate to charity. She had told Hannah that she would come and pick her up when they were ready to head to Clearwater.
Debbie had put in her notice at both jobs right after returning from her visit to Clearwater and had worked her last shifts yesterday. It had felt really strange saying goodbye to everyone. She had been working at the same places for the past five years. But they had all been so happy for her, knowing that she was definitely moving up to a better position and being able to be with her children all the time was something all of her coworkers envied.
She had had a lot of time to think over the past couple of weeks. Tonight she would be sleeping in a new house, and starting a new job, but of all of the changes this move would bring, she was still in such turmoil over her relationship with Jim. She was trying to be civil for the children. She and Jim had had some superficial discussions but hadn’t had the time or the privacy to really talk about the main issues. She felt like he assumed they could fall right back together and for her, that was definitely not the case. From the time they had fallen in love, Jim Fletcher had had control of her heart and soul. When he left without a word, he had ripped her to shreds, especially as time passed and she realized that he wasn’t just gone for a few days and then he would return. As days turned into months and then into years, Debbie had hardened her heart against the old feelings she had for him.
Even though on some level, she did understand why he had gotten to the point he had, how could she ever trust him again and forget that he had just thrown their love away and he had left their children without the father they adored.
But now they would be living right near each other and they would be forced to spend many hours together. She just hoped that she hadn’t been too hasty in deciding to move there. If it turned out that she and Jim could not get along, it could be immensely unpleasant for everyone there to live with.
The men finished and told her that they were heading out and would stop for a bite to eat before heading over to Clearwater, which would put them in Clearwater in about three hours. So she got her last bits loaded that she was transporting in the rental car and went to pick up Hannah.
It was only after many tears and hugs that she finally got Hannah into the car, with more promises that she would make sure that the girls were able to keep in touch with each other.
They stopped and picked up a sub at Subway and ate on the way. Debbie wanted to get to Clearwater and at least get somewhat organized before bedtime. She knew that they wouldn’t have to set beds up. The boys had excitedly told her of their new bunk beds and she knew there was a double bed in the master bedroom. Hannah was under the impression that she was going to have to sleep with Debbie until they went and found her a new bedroom set but Jim had told Debbie about the set he’d purchased for Hannah.
They made good time heading across the state. The traffic was light and they ran into no delays. Debbie was more than ready to be out of the car when they pulled into the driveway. She was also very excited to see the boys. She had never been apart from them for more than a day or two at the most. Two whole weeks had been way too long for her liking. They hadn’t seemed to mind and she knew that they were enjoying being with Jim. It did make her feel good when they both flew at her almost before the car had stopped in front of the guest house. Both of them wrapped their tanned arms around her, squeezing her waist and neck until their father told them gently to let her breathe.
“Did you have a good trip over?” Jim asked her.
“Yes, it was uneventful. I’m glad I didn’t have to drive that old car over here.”
“We’ll get you another car this week.”
Jim directed the boys to help their mother unload the car. He asked Hannah to follow him into the house for a minute. She looked at him skeptically but did as he asked. They passed the boys room and she commented on how great their room looked with the bunk beds and dressers as well as quite a few toys strewn around the room.
Jim turned the handle on Hannah’s door and pushed it open, stepping aside so she could step into the room.
“What…Who…Daddy did you do this?”
“Yes, but I will admit I had some help from Lisa in picking out everything. It was a little bit easier for me in picking out the boys stuff. I hope you like your room Hannah.”
“I love it Daddy. Thank you.” She said just above a whisper.
Jim draped his arm over her shoulder and pulled her against his side.
“I’m really glad you’re here, Princess.”
Hannah couldn’t get any more words past her throat which had a giant lump in it. So she just wrapped her arms around his waist and gave him a squeeze.
The moving truck hadn’t arrived yet and when Debbie was just about to call the moving company to check on them, they pulled into the driveway. A moment later, Seb and Carlos rushed out to help get everything unloaded so they could get settled.
Besides seeing the beginning of the music building going up, the next couple of weeks were filled with getting Blake, Brandon and Hannah, Jeremy and Holly started in school, acclimating Debbie to how they were running the house and trying to get some semblance of order to their daily activities. It hadn’t seemed as necessary before to have Sammy and Kayti on too much of a schedule but now with the other children here, it was a whole new ball game.
Sammy and Kayti no longer went to the daycare. Sammy was not old enough to begin kindergarten until next year, but Lisa wanted to feed his never ending curiosity so she kept him busy during the day with activities that would feed his mind in one way or another.
Amelia was of an age when they could have sent her to kindergarten but they also had the option to wait another year and they felt this was best with her still being so unsettled. The extra year would also give her the opportunity to learn English before being thrust into a classroom of students who could be cruel enough on a good day.
As far as the status of her future, they were in kind of a limbo because Brenda let them know that the Immigration department was now searching for any family that Amelia might have back in Mexico. If they found anyone, she would most likely be sent back to her home country. In the meantime it seemed like Lisa as pretty much forced to do what she had said that she didn’t want to do when she took a child into the home.
As much as she had tried to keep her relationship different than the other children without being obvious, Lisa loved this little girl. Amelia was opening up especially in Carlos’s presence. It was so obvious how much she missed her own Papa. At least if Carlos and Vicki wound up taking her in the future, Amelia would still be around just like Aaron and Carlito were. If Amelia was deported back to Mexico, it would break her heart.
Contessa Admin
Posts : 5300 Join date : 2008-12-13 Age : 68 Location : Urs Buhler, The man of my dreams!! Humor : I found it and as always the joke is on me!!
Lisa had gone to a shop where they sold teaching supplies and had gotten a stack of books that had math, reading and spelling activities as well as books that had simple science activities. They had fun doing the little experiments together. Even Amelia seemed to enjoy watching the outcomes. Sometimes if Carlos or Vicki were around, they would participate and translate for her what was happening, which gave her the chance to understand the entire exercise.
She had put up a wall sized world map and they were beginning to learn some of the different areas of the world, starting with learning the names of the continents. She especially focused on the teaching the states in the U.S. and where they were located. Lisa often found Sammy reading the maps and studying them as if he was planning a trip. The guys would also tell the children where they were from and all of the places that they had been and pointed them out on the map.
Kayti was frequently in the room as they worked on the simple lessons and Lisa figured that she would pick up little bits of what they were learning as she watched them.
They also made sure to have plenty of fun time doing some sort of craft project, music activity or going out for a swim. She didn’t want to overload them so the lessons were always kept short so they wouldn’t get bored or frustrated.
When the older kids started bringing homework home, Sammy decided that he needed to have homework too. So Lisa came up with very short lessons for him to do while the older kids did their homework. She would make a list of several spelling words for him to study and like the older kids, at the end of the week she would give him a spelling test to see how many he had learned. Very rarely did he miss a word. She would give him a few pages to read in one of his books or she would give him some simple addition equations and watch him sitting there with his tongue poking out between his teeth as he concentrated on figuring them out. She would give him a pile of pennies, buttons or beads or even some dried beans to use in helping him with his counting.
Amelia became interested when she saw Sammy “Playing with the beans” So Lisa would give her a pile of her own and begin counting with her, Uno, dos, très etc. Then she would start over and say, one, two three, etc. After just a few times, Amelia figured out what Lisa was doing and was eager to learn her numbers. After just a couple of weeks, Amelia could count to twenty with the beans, in English as well.
*
Debbie was not concerned about the boys making new friends in their new school. They had always made friends easily. She figured it helped their confidence to have their brother beside them. It was Hannah that she was worried about. Although she had agreed to the move, Hannah seemed to be moping. Both Alex and Lisa told her about how rough it was for Lisa when she had first moved to the area from an entirely different state. Hannah wasn’t impressed.
All she knew was she was living around a bunch of little kids and had no friends where she could escape for even just a little while. She didn’t mind the kids really but at her age she wanted her privacy and they always wanted to follow her around and be in her stuff. She was glad that both Mom and Lisa had made it a rule that none of the other kids could enter her bedroom without her permission. She was very glad about that.
She did like to help with the babies. At least they were cute. Lately, there were three of them when Alex and Vicki would come over to talk about the wedding plans. Hannah would sometimes help to amuse the babies while the ladies talked. Sometimes Lisa would go up to lie down for a short nap and she would help her Mom and Mary to keep an eye on the kids. Lisa always made sure she gave her some money for helping too, which was a real bonus.
She felt bad that Urs’s baby had something wrong with him. But he didn’t seem any different than the other babies to her. He was beginning to really smile a lot and even cooed once in a while like Carlito did. Then one day she changed his little diaper and saw the scar on his back. She almost cried when she saw it. After that day, she always held Aaron just a little longer than the other ones. She felt like he needed the extra loving since he had gotten such a raw deal.
At the end of her second week at school Hannah’s life took a wonderful turn. She was changing classes and hurrying down the hall when she bumped into another girl. Now a lot of the time, girls her age could be really nasty. She had seen it enough times. This girl acted like Hannah was going to be like that to her. But Hannah bent down quickly to help her pick up her scattered books and papers. Hannah was glad that all of hers were tucked safely into her back pack or they would have really had a mess.
She thought that she had seen the girl, maybe in her English class. They were both aware that they needed to hurry so there was no time for talk but the girl did thank her and with one last look back at Hannah, the girl scurried off down the hall in the direction she’d been heading in the first place. She later found her suspicions to be true when she went to her English class, the last class of the day. There in the back row all the way in the far corner sat that same girl. This teacher allowed the kids to sit where they wanted so long as they weren’t disruptive in class, talking or causing trouble, so Hannah headed for the back of the class and sat next to the girl.
“Hi, did you make it to your class in time earlier?”
“Yes, just barely. Thank you again for helping me pick everything up.”
“Well, it was partly my fault that it was on the floor.” Hannah chuckled.
The girl’s face curled up in a smile.
The teacher called for attention so they had to stop talking but slowly over the next several days, they began to talk to each other, finding out that they had a lot in common.
The other girl, Jenny Hathaway, had also just moved here but she had moved all the way from Iowa. She also had siblings, and older brother and a younger brother and younger sister.
Hannah asked her Mom if it would be alright to invite Jenny over sometime after school and Debbie was thrilled that Hannah had made a friend and told her that would be fine if they cleared it with Jenny’s parents first. Debbie also wanted to always get to know her children’s friends so she could make sure that Hannah wasn’t heading in the wrong direction.
Cecile and Adrienne came back to Clearwater after being gone just over three weeks. They were tired but thrilled with all that they had taken the time to see of the country. Cecile said they would stay just another week and then they would head back to Paris.
Lisa handed Adrienne a couple of messages that she had been holding for her. Donovan Michaels had called for her, hoping to see her again before she left to go home.
“Thanks for the messages, Lisa. I’ll go give him a call.” Adrienne said with a smile as she headed for her room.
She wound up going to dinner with him the very next evening and also out for the whole day on Saturday. When she returned that evening, Adrienne didn’t look as happy as when she’d left.
Seb steered her into the library and shut the door.
“What happened? Did he hurt you?”
“No Sebbie. Why would you think that? We had a wonderful day together. That’s just it. It seems that whenever we’ve spent time together, it’s been great. But he has to go out of town for work early tomorrow morning and by the time he returns, I’ll be gone home to France.”
“Oh, I’m sorry Adrienne. That’s too bad. Do you really like him?”
“Yes, I like him a lot and I can tell that he likes me too at least I think he does.”
“Well, take it from me; don’t just let him disappear out of your life without staying in touch and see if something develops, even after you go home. Of course, staying in touch is much easier now than it was when I met Lisa. I didn’t even think to get her address though and we lost nine years that we could have been together.” He said shaking his head. Most of the time, Seb tried not to think of what they had lost. There was nothing he could do to change it. So he always concentrated on making the best of every day they had together.
That week flew by and then they were seeing Cecile and Adrienne off at the airport. They were made to promise to send plenty of pictures and videos of the children, and often. They were especially anxious to see pictures right away when Jessica was born.
Adrienne got Seb alone while they waited to board.
“Seb, would it be alright for me to come back alone sometime?”
“Adrienne, don’t you know yet that you are welcome here any time? Lisa really enjoys your company too so I know she would love for you to come back just as much as I would.”
“Thanks Sebbie.” She said and kissed his cheeks. She didn’t think Seb knew she had been speaking to Donovan on the phone while he was away on assignment but he had heard her several times and knew that there was just a bit of a romance developing between his cousin and the young man.
Unknown to Lisa, Seb had arranged for them to have a quiet dinner out, just the two of them on the way home from the airport. They didn’t go anywhere fancy, just somewhere that they could be alone and talk for a while.
“How are you feeling today, Baby?”
“Like a beached whale.” She said rubbing on the round mound of her belly.
“I wish you wouldn’t say that. You look amazing. I don’t know how you have kept up with all you are doing, the wedding plans, organizing the house, making sure that the children have their schoolwork done.”
“You’re talking like I’ve been doing it all on my own. You’ve helped and so have Mary and Debbie and your Mom. Hannah has even been a big help.”
“Yes but we all know who the boss is.” He said with a grin.
“Are you saying that I am bossy?” she asked, upset that people might actually be thinking that of her.
“Non, Ma Cherie. You are not bossy at all, just very organized and we are all extremely thankful for that.” He lifted her hand from where it was lying on the table and he lightly kissed the back of it.
“Now that things are settling into a good routine, I would like for you to let others take over more of the things around the house. Debbie is fitting in great and with so much help, there is no reason for you to over do it. I know that your feet and back have been really uncomfortable. I know it won’t be easy for you to sit back and watch others do the work, but this last month of your pregnancy should be spent relaxing. It was hard enough watching Alex go through her troubled pregnancy. I don’t want there to be any problems for us, just a nice normal, healthy delivery.”
She could see how hard he was trying to say what was on his mind without sounding like he was ordering her around, but she could also tell that he was very serious. Just when she didn’t think it was possible for her to love him any more than she already did, he said or did something that swelled her heart to overflowing.
“I love you Seb. And I really love you for worrying about me and I promise that I will do my best to take it easy for the rest of the pregnancy.” She said and leaned over to kiss him.
They sat and talked for a while until they decided they should go home and help get the children settled. It was a weeknight and the older children had school in the morning.
Organization for Urs and Alex’s wedding was well under way. Invitations had been sent and the date had been chosen near the end of September, just a couple of weeks away, when Il Divo wouldn’t be too involved with promotions yet. They would even have time for a short honeymoon getaway. After a lot of discussion, Alex finally convinced Mami to come along with them. That way they could have Aaron with them but it would also give them some freedom to have some private time too. Mami had offered to just keep Aaron home since they would only be going away for a few days but Alex knew that she would not be able to relax and enjoy herself if she was too far away from him. It was just too soon.
They booked Mami a suite on the same floor as they would be on but down the hall so it wouldn’t seem so much like they had company. Alex assured her that they would make sure that she had some time to herself while they were away. Mami insisted that Aaron’s crib would be in her suite and if Alex pumped her milk, Mami could feed him overnight instead of waking Alex. So that settled, all of the girls picked the next Saturday to go and look at dresses.
* Debbie was sitting at the kitchen table trying to reorganize her bills. She had had a place for everything back in Kissimmee and now she needed to figure out where best to put everything here in their new home. She had changed the location of some things several times in the few weeks she’d been here.
The job was going well. She felt comfortable now around most everyone, even the Divo’s. She was not immune to their charms by any means but the novelty of seeing them frequently had worn off. Hannah had brought her friend Jenny over and introduced her to Seb, and Carlos who was there at the time. Jenny had no idea who they were but was quickly initiated.
Debbie was almost glad at the interruption from what she was doing when someone knocked on the door. It was the time after lunch when the young children were down for their naps and Debbie stole a few minutes away to come to her house to do some things in the peace and quiet while her children were at school.
“Hi Deb. Are you busy?”
“Well, I was doing some organizing but it can wait.”
“Good, well, I just wanted to ask you if I could take you to dinner Saturday night.”
“Jim….”
“Debbie I’m not asking for anything from you. I just want to give us some time alone to talk. It’s kind of hard here to have a totally private conversation. If the children are around, they always want our attention in one way or another. Seb already agreed that they could stay over there while we’re gone to dinner….if you agree that is.”
“I suppose so Jim.” She said with a sigh, not sounding totally thrilled with the idea. But Jim was just glad that at least she’d agreed to go.
He decided not to stick around and risk upsetting her so he turned and headed for the door, stopping and looking longingly at her before he said, “Wear something nice, like maybe the dress you wore to the Grand Opening party. You looked so beautiful in that.”
“The nerve of that man. How dare he tell me what I should wear? I should dress in my rattiest robe and slippers. Wouldn’t that show him?” Debbie thought to herself as she went back to what she had been doing before he had interrupted her.
*
Lisa, Alex, Mom and Vicki got an early start dress hunting on Saturday morning. Carlos stayed with Seb and his Mom and Mary to help with the children and to spend some time with Amelia. He kept Carlito so Vicki could have some time to herself. The only baby tagging along on the otherwise all girl outing was Aaron. Mom was going to take care of him while Alex tried dresses on.
Today was Debbie’s day off. She would have most Saturdays and Sundays off unless something special came up. Mary also had Saturdays and Sundays off but since she lived there, she was always involved in the goings on in the house. The children often went to her for something to eat or to ask a question if she was the first person they saw. Although if it was a question of something that they felt that Lisa or Seb needed to decide, Mary and Debbie always sent the children to one of them.
Lisa was distracted after they left. Lauren had cried when she left for the very first time. Usually she wasn’t right at the door when Lisa went anywhere but this time she was just at the wrong place at the wrong time. She saw Lisa taking her purse and start to go out the door. Seb was holding her and tried to distract her to no avail. Lisa almost relented and was about to say that she would just take her but Seb insisted that she would be fine and for her to go and have a good time. Just a few minutes after they had left the driveway, Lisa’s phone rang and when she answered it, she could hear Lauren laughing.
“Hi Baby. I know that you were worried that she would keep crying but as you can hear, she is just fine. Go and have a good time out with the girls. We will all be fine here.”
“I know you will and thanks for calling. It is much better to hear her laughing than crying like her little heart was breaking. I couldn’t stand it.”
So Lisa was able to go on without worrying but with a promise from Seb that he would call if anything came up.
“We should have these ladies days out more often. We always have such a great time.” Alex said, two hours later as they sat together having a light lunch before hitting some more bridal shops.
“Yeah, too bad Grace wasn’t here to join us though. At least David said that she was definitely going to be here for the wedding.” Lisa told them. She was rubbing her belly lightly and smiled as she felt Jessica moving.
“She sure is an active little girl.” Mom said, reaching over to see if she could feel the baby move.
“Tell me about it. It is most noticeable just when I’m getting settled for the night. She decides that it is playtime just as I’m ready for some sleep.”
“Get used to it. They do the same once they’re here too.” Vicki said and Alex nodded in agreement.
“Well at least Lauren is sleeping through the night, most of the time. She does wake up once in a while but Seb usually is up and in with her by the time I can roll myself off of the bed. It doesn’t take much to put her back to sleep. Usually just sticking her pacifier back in and a few light pats on her back has her back in dreamland.”
“I’m ready to get going. He’s finished his lunch.” Alex said as she strapped a sleeping Aaron back in the infant seat.
Before they found Alex’s wedding dress, they found a dress for Lisa to wear as Matron of Honor. It would be comfortable even in the heat, letting her body breathe. Then they picked out some dresses for Vicki and Grace to wear, pending Grace’s approval of course. Alex was going to email a photo of the dress to her this evening. So they had the shop keeper put the two dresses on hold until hearing back from Grace.
When they did find it, Mom and the other girls were speechless when Alex walked out of the dressing room with the dress on, knowing immediately that this was it, the perfect dress for Alex.
*
In the few days leading up to Saturday, Debbie had thought of dressing in jeans and a t-shirt just to spite him for being so presumptuous in telling her what to wear. But in the end she did wear the dress Jim requested just because she hadn’t had very many opportunities to dress up in the last several years and she had missed it.
She could see for herself as she looked in the full length mirror that she looked better than she had in a long time. It had done wonders for her complexion and the general look of her face to have so many of the worries that she had been carrying all alone for the last several years to have just vanished in just the past few weeks.
She liked the idea of getting out for the evening, child free for a few hours but she wasn’t sure about this alone time with Jim. She had been trying to concentrate on her settling into the house and her new job without thinking too much on the situation with her and Jim. It was inevitable that the time would come where she would have to face the issue and it looked like tonight was the night.
She was just finishing up by slipping on her shoes when she heard Hannah speaking to her father.
She was very pleased with the relationship between him and his children. She knew they needed him in their lives and she had seen so much happiness especially in the boys having their Dad around. He had been taking every advantage to spend time with all three of them but he had really been doing a lot with the boys. He was beginning to show them about the different tools and equipment he had and worked with and when it was safe he gave them instruction on their use and let them have a try at it.
With Hannah, of course it was a different dynamic. Not only did she have more of a memory of life with her father before he left and therefore felt his disappearance from her life so much more painfully but, she was now a teenager and had her own life. Besides all of the homework and class projects that she had to accomplish for school, she was spending time with Jenny. Either they were together or on the phone. She also was keeping in touch with Amanda on an almost daily basis.
Debbie would notice Hannah letting her guard down and enjoying her time with Jim and then the next day she would be ignoring him or seeming hostile to him. She decided that unless Hannah became outright disrespectful to him that she was going to let Hannah work all of this out on her own over time. It would really be up to Jim to permanently heal their relationship.
Debbie stepped out of her bedroom and saw Jim’s jaw drop. No woman could fail to be affected by that look on a man’s face, especially a man that she had loved so completely.
“Deb, you look amazing. It looks even better today than at the Grand opening party.”
He stepped forward and brought out a beautiful bouquet of flowers from behind his back and held them out to her.
“Happy Birthday, Deb.”
“Oh My God, Mom. Is today really your birthday?” Hannah asked.
Debbie was stunned. She hadn’t even thought about the date. It had actually been several years since she had really acknowledged it.
She reached out and took the flowers. “Thank you Jim. I had forgotten that it was even my birthday today.”
“We shoulda had a party for your birthday, Mom.” Brandon said.
“I don’t need a party, Baby.” She told her son as she tipped her head to smell the flowers.
“We should go. We have reservations.” Jim told her.
“Hannah before you go over to the Izambard’s would you put these in a vase. I think it is in the top cupboard beside the sink.”
“Sure Mom.”
“Boys, you behave for them tonight. Set a good example for the little ones.”
“Jeremy isn’t a little one, Mom. He’s the same age as me and Brandon.” Blake informed them.
“We know that, son. Just do as your mother said, alright.”
“Yes sir.”
“Okay we are going. As soon as Hannah is finished with the flowers you all head over.” Jim told them.
After her parents had gone out the door, Hannah went to put the flowers in a vase and then told her brothers to start going next door. She stopped in her room to get her cell phone and her school books that she needed to study for some tests.
As soon as she made sure that her brothers were in the house, she went to find Lisa.
“Mrs. Izambard?”
“Hannah, I really don’t mind if you call me Lisa.”
“Oh well, okay Thanks.”
“What did you need?” Lisa asked as she looked up from the papers she was reading. She had just arrived home from her day out shopping with the girls and was glad to be off of her feet.
“I just found out that today was my Mom’s birthday.”
“Oh really, that’s nice.”
“I was wondering…..”
“Go ahead Hannah.”
“Could we make a cake to have for my Mom tomorrow? I know it will be a day too late but it’s better than not at all.”
“I totally agree.”
“I wish I had known it was her birthday. I would have bought her a present with some of my money you and Seb have paid me for babysitting.”
“If you really want to, you and I could go shopping now.”
“Would you really take me?”
“Sure. It will be fun.”
As tired as Lisa was, she remembered when she was young and Auntie’s birthday came around and she always hoped to have some extra money and a way to go get her a present.
After a mild private go around with Seb about her needing rest after a long day, she convinced him that this was important to Hannah. He finally relented after she promised that they wouldn’t be gone long. She spoke to Mary about whether they had the ingredients for a cake and Mary said she would enlist the boys help in preparing a cake for their mother as soon as they were finished with dinner.
Their shopping trip would prove to be a nice bonding time for Hannah and Lisa and when they arrived back home, Hannah seemed very happy, showing everyone what she’d chosen as a gift for her Mom and she had even gotten something for the boys to give her.
“Thank you so much Mrs. Iz.. I mean Lisa. Thank you for taking me. My Mom works so hard all of the time and I’m glad that we could do this.”
“We’ll have a surprise for her at lunch tomorrow.” Lisa said to her.
Maman and Mary took the children into the craft room and helped them to wrap their gifts for their mother. Seb guided Lisa to the sofa in the family room and lifted her feet up onto his lap and began softly rubbing the soreness and swelling from them. As he felt her relax he knew he could gradually put more pressure as he rubbed them.
“That was a very nice thing for you to do, taking her out like that. I know that you were tired.”
“I was glad to do it. I wish we had known it. We could have had a party today.”
“Well, I think that Jim was happy to take her out tonight. He remembered that it was her birthday. I know he still loves her, baby and I just hope that someday they can find their way back together.”
“Maybe tonight will help to move them in that direction.” Lisa said as she thought of Jim and Debbie out alone together for the first time in a very long time.
Contessa Admin
Posts : 5300 Join date : 2008-12-13 Age : 68 Location : Urs Buhler, The man of my dreams!! Humor : I found it and as always the joke is on me!!
Jim had helped Debbie into the car, making sure that her dress didn’t get shut in the car door. Then as he walked around behind the car, he took a deep breath. So much was riding on tonight. Not only did he want to talk with her, he also wanted to show her that he still loved her.
He loved her, but did she still have even a bit of feeling left for him in her heart. He had seen anger in her eyes at times when they were together and he knew he deserved it. But could she ever get past what he’d done and allow them to start over. They belonged together. They always had. He had just let his fears and frustration send him into a downward spiral that threatened to destroy him when he left. It hadn’t taken him long to discover what a mistake he’d made but he had felt it was too late, that now that he had left them that there was no way back for him. If it hadn’t been for Seb’s intervention, he might never have gotten his family back.
It wasn’t totally back together but at least he was repairing the relationship with his children. The boys had been so young and they just knew that they had their Dad back. He imagined that when they got older and understood what had happened, he might have to revisit the issue with them. Hannah on the other hand still had so much anger at what he had done to them.
Hannah was getting it out now though. They had had several times since Debbie and the kids moved to Clearwater that she had lashed out at him, telling him just how angry and hurt she felt at his leaving them, and especially her. One thing though that he was seeing in her was the way she was being the champion for her mother. Hannah was letting him know just how hard things had been for Debbie. She was telling him of all of the times that Debbie had sat and cried for hours when things had gotten hard. Sometimes she couldn’t pay the bills or go to buy the food they needed. And just at the twins last birthday, she hadn’t even had the money to buy them a birthday gift. Jim knew it would probably take years to know if his relationship with Hannah could ever truly be saved.
He knew though that he didn’t want to wait years to have Debbie back in his life and his bed. So many times this past couple of months, he had wanted to kiss her and see what her reaction would be but he had always lost his nerve and now looking back, he figured it would have been a mistake anyway. She would have just gotten angry, putting even further distance between them.
She was sitting rather stiffly next to him in her seat. What could he say to lighten her up a bit?
Debbie was looking out the car window as they drove. She had no idea where he was taking her. She almost asked him but decided she’d know soon enough. She could see that he was trying to get on her good side, opening doors, helping her, giving her those little smiles that used to turn her to jelly. If she was honest, they still did and that was what made her so angry, mostly at herself for being unable to make herself immune to him.
She sat back and remembered the first time she had laid eyes on Jim Fletcher. She had just entered High School. She was young and he was a year older than her. Her sister Leanne was in the same grade as Jim and Debbie had been so jealous of her sister’s ability to talk with the older boys and she didn’t seem afraid to do it.
He was so handsome and his smile lit up his whole face. She knew right then that she was in love.
Debbie had watched Jim for two years and every day she fell more in love with him. Only her two closest friends knew of her feelings for him. Those feelings only got more intense as she learned more about him. He was so kind and friendly with everyone, not snobby or mean like a lot of the other kids in school. When it came to the end of her Sophomore year of High School, she knew if she didn’t at least talk to him before they went on summer break, she would regret it for the rest of her life.
She had made sure that she looked her best that day. She knew his schedule as well as she knew her own. So she waited several times throughout the day to find the perfect moment. It seemed like it would never come. There were always other kids around him. He was so popular.
She had rehearsed all last evening and all day today, just what she would say to him. She didn’t want to sound like a stupid kid.
“Hi Jim.”
“Um, hi” he’d said as he tried to figure out if he knew who she was. She looked familiar but he couldn’t think of her name.
“I just wanted to say congratulations. I heard that the kids want you to run for Senior class President next year. If you need any help with your campaign let me know and I would be glad to help you.”
“Oh well, thanks. I might just take you up on that. I have no idea what to do.”
“Oh I have tons of ideas, just call me and I’ll do whatever I can to help.”
“I don’t have your number.”
“Oh yeah right.” She scrambled to pull out a piece of paper and she wrote her name and phone number on it and handed it to him.
“Oh are you Leanne’s little sister?” he said as he saw the family resemblance.
“Yes.” She said wondering if that was a good thing or bad.
“Well, thanks for the offer and I will probably call you. Gotta get to class now.”
“Oh Yeah.. sure. Well, bye Jim.
“Bye…. Debbie” he said after he looked again at the paper to see what her name was.
After that day, she had taken it upon herself to speak to him whenever she saw him, even if it was just to say hi. She also told everyone she could that Jim Fletcher would make a fantastic Senior class President, getting a head start on the efforts for next year.
Unfortunately she didn’t see him over the summer. She’d heard that he had gone away for the summer to some kind of camp.
Later she would find out it was a camp that was kind of like boot camp, preparing kids who thought of going into the military. They learned exercises, survival techniques and all kinds of things that would help them later on when they went to the real boot camp.
When Debbie had gone to school the first day of her Junior year, she thought she would have a heart attack when she saw him. He was all tanned from being outside so much but what she noticed the most was his physical condition. Whatever he had been doing all summer had filled him out in all of the right places. He seemed to have muscles upon muscles now.
He had seen her in the hall later that first day and asked her if she was still interested in helping him with the campaign and of course she told him calmly that she was glad to help, while inwardly screaming at her good fortune.
Over the next month, they wound up spending a lot of time together both in school and after and even on some weekends as they made flyers and posters telling everyone to vote for Jim Fletcher for Senior class President. Jim took her to get a bite to eat sometimes for pizza or a burger while they discussed the election. She knew it wasn’t like a real date or anything but she loved every minute of it.
One person who hadn’t liked it was Jim’s sometimes girlfriend Jane. They seemed to be off more than on over the two years that Debbie had been in school with him. Jane did a lot of complaining about the time Jim was spending with Debbie but she didn’t want to help him do the legwork needed to get himself elected.
She didn’t like Jane. Not only because she had Jim, but because she felt that Jane didn’t really care about Jim. She thought Jane just wanted to be with a popular guy so she would be popular too. Debbie hadn’t cared about that. She just liked being with him.
Jim did get elected President and he even invited her to a small party his parents let him have to celebrate his win. During that evening, Jim had taken all of her faraway dreams that she had never felt she had a hope of coming true and made her feel like maybe she had a chance with him after all.
Jim asked her to dance much to Jane’s disapproval. So much so that she told him she was leaving. Debbie was afraid he would abandon their dance and go after Jane, but he didn’t.
Debbie had been lucky enough to touch Jim a few times in their times together but being held by him as they danced a slow dance was heaven to her. She took the chance and let herself melt against him and when she thought he might back away, he didn’t. He pulled her closer and smiled down at her with that gorgeous smile she had adored for so long.
At the end of the dance, Debbie almost couldn’t breathe as Jim looked intently into her eyes. Then he tipped his head down and lightly pressed his lips to hers. It wasn’t a long kiss or particularly passionate but there were other people around including his parents. Jim straightened up and brushed a lock of hair off of her cheek.
“Debbie, I want to thank you for all of the help you gave me. I wouldn’t have been elected if it wasn’t for you.”
“You’re welcome Jim. I was glad to do it.”
Jim was called away by one of his friends and their moment was gone. Debbie wound up convincing herself that the kiss was only a thank you for helping, not anything more. She fought with feelings of elation that the kiss even happened and with disappointment that it would never happen again. Then a couple of weeks later, Jim met her at her locker and asked her if she would like to go to a movie with him. At first she couldn’t speak, she just stared at him not quite believing her ears. Finally, she found her tongue and answered him that she would love to go with him.
That was their beginning, he had finally told Jane that he was tired of her selfishness and her snobbishness and that they were through for good.
So Debbie and Jim had spent the rest of his Senior year together. She went to the Senior prom with him and they were crowned King and Queen.
Debbie had had such a hard time when he signed up for the military right after his graduation. They hadn’t been apart for more than a day or two since they had become a couple and now he was going away to boot camp and then he would be given his orders to wherever they wanted to send him.
Debbie had waited for Jim as he began his time in the military. She finished High School and even started college near her home. If she thought she was amazed at how he had changed during the summer just before his Senior year, she was totally unprepared for the man that stood at her door almost two years after her graduation.
He had been overseas where he had been stationed and was now on an extended leave while awaiting his next orders. He stood tall and looked so amazing, so trim and muscular in his uniform as he took her in his arms and held her. He had been visibly relieved when she told him that she had waited for him. There had never been anyone else for her. They had gotten married in a rather hurried manner as he wanted to be able to take her wherever he was stationed next.
They had lived an almost fairytale life as they began their marriage. She adjusted well to the life of a military wife, taking part time jobs to help with their finances and to help pass the time while he was at work, that is until the day that she found out she was pregnant with Hannah.
As soon as she’d told Jim, he’d insisted that she quit working and take care of herself and their baby. By this time, they had been married almost four years and he had been promoted a couple of times and therefore was making a sufficient salary to support them. Then several years later they welcomed the twins, completing their little family.
The next year was when Jim had gotten hurt and had been honorably discharged on a medical discharge. He got a small amount monthly from the military after that but definitely not enough to support the five of them. So he had taken whatever job he could get, eventually getting a good steady job that appeared for a time to have solved their problems. Then his back injury began flaring up more frequently and wound up costing him the job he’d had for several years and his mental state went downhill rapidly as their financial situation became more serious.
As their finances suffered, so did their marriage. Arguments flared up over the smallest things now and although Debbie never blamed him for the loss of his employment, she had a hard time putting up with his increasingly dark moods.
Then one day she came home from taking the children up the street to the local park where she let them run off their boundless energy. If they stayed inside too long, especially the boys, Jim would get irritated at their noise and lash out, immediately sorry but by then the damage had been done. So she wore them out as often as possible so that they would be ready for dinner, a bath and bedtime as early as possible.
This afternoon when they came home, Debbie immediately noticed that Jim had gone out. He had left no note and she just continued to prepare dinner, not knowing anything was out of the ordinary except that he wasn’t there.
It was only after she had fed the children and had had time to go into their bedroom that Debbie noticed that the closet was open and there were quite a few empty hangars on the rod. She knew she had just done laundry and everything was hung up yesterday.
Panic set in and she rushed over and looked in his dresser drawers and immediately noticed that they were not totally empty but the majority of his clothes were gone. As her breathing had gotten shallower and as she struggled for a breath, she had gone around the house looking everywhere she could think of in search of a note that she thought he must have left. Finding none, she fell into bed that night, struggling to come to terms with his leaving and thinking about how she would ever be able to tell her children that their father was gone. She held on to the slim hope that just maybe Jim would realize that he had made a mistake and would come back to them.
It was only after several days of waiting for some word that she knew that he really was gone and only after the first few months that she made herself acknowledge that he wasn’t coming back.
“Here we are.” Jim said, breaking into her dark memory that she wished she could lock away but was fighting to come to the surface.
She looked at him as she reached for her door handle and he saw a terrible sadness there in the depths of her eyes. He took a deep breath and got out of the car, joining her on the sidewalk.
“Jim, I’m not so sure this was a good idea. I’m not really up to this.”
“Deb….Please.. if nothing else, let me treat you to a nice birthday dinner. If you don’t want to talk, we don’t have to tonight.”
He was just hoping to be able to spend time with her. He was sure that over time she would remember the good times as he was beginning to. He didn’t realize that she had done just that but in turn it had made way into the memories that came after those good times.
Contessa Admin
Posts : 5300 Join date : 2008-12-13 Age : 68 Location : Urs Buhler, The man of my dreams!! Humor : I found it and as always the joke is on me!!
Debbie nodded in resignation, deciding that it couldn’t get any worse especially not just by eating dinner out with him. So she turned, they walked the half block and entered the Italian restaurant, hoping that she could at least enjoy her meal. It was her birthday after all.
Jim wanted so badly to reach out and pull her into his arms and beg for her forgiveness and to let her know that he still loved her just as much as he had when they had gotten married but he just followed her in and told the hostess the name the reservation was under.
They were seated within just a few moments. Jim pulled out her chair and waited for her to be seated and helped to push her in.
“Thank you.”
He sat down, pulling his own seat in while never taking his eyes off of her.
They were handed their menus and then put in their order, Jim had told her to order whatever she wished to have.
“This looks like a nice place.”
“Seb proposed to Lisa here back in December. He told me that we would enjoy it.” Jim answered.
She wasn’t sure whether to thank Seb for telling Jim about this nice restaurant or slap him for interfering again. She could tell that Seb was pushing however slightly to steer them back towards each other. She felt like it would be a long journey for them just to become friends again, never mind becoming a couple. She just couldn’t imagine letting her guard down to him again.
While they ate, they did manage some small talk. Jim asked her how she was settling in to her new job and if she really liked it. She told him that of course she liked it. The whole situation of being able to work but also be accessible to the children at all times was the biggest perk of the job as far as she was concerned.
Their hands touched as they both reached for the salt. Jim held the salt out to her, allowing her to use it first.
“His touch still sends electricity through me.”
“God, I want to touch her so badly.”
They each sat there with their own thoughts.
She did make a concession and tell him that it was also a huge weight off of her to have his help and support where the children were concerned. More than once already the boys had tried to pit her and Jim against each other, asking him something after she had already told them no. Thankfully, he had steered them right back to her and found out that she had already answered them, causing them to be punished for trying to be sneaky. They were too young to remember Hannah trying the very same tactics against their parents and finding out that they were smarter than she realized. They had always parented well together; working together to be sure they were both on the same page when it came to what they wanted for the children. At least in this one thing, they seem not to have changed.
Debbie kept noticing the way he looked so deeply into her eyes as if he was searching her soul for the answers to the questions she knew that he wanted answered, namely did she still love him and was there a chance for them to repair their marriage.
They came to a lull in the conversation that became uncomfortable as both of them fought to think of something neutral to say.
“Deb”
“Jim”
They both had spoken at the same time. Jim gestured for Debbie to go first.
Jim, first I want to say thank you for remembering my birthday and for taking me out tonight. But……but I need to tell you up front that I am in no way ready to even think about us getting back together.”
She saw the pain those words caused him and part of her felt badly to have had to speak them but she had felt it necessary. “I’m not saying this to hurt you, Jim.”
He knew that she wasn’t trying to be deliberately cruel. That just wasn’t her. But she was dashing his hopes that he had been building for several weeks.
“Deb, I know that I deserve everything you can throw at me. What I did is unforgiveable. But I have to tell you that I still love you. I need for you to know that. I don’t want to put pressure on you but I need you to know that. I will spend the rest of my life trying to make it up to you…..even if you don’t love me anymore.”
Debbie felt her heart constricting at his declaration of love for her. Then his last words floated through her mind “Even if you don’t love me any more.”
As she looked at him and thought of the man she’d seen since she had moved to Clearwater and remembered the man she had fallen in love with, she realized that that was the same man. The hard working, loving man who cared for his family and made sure that they had everything they needed.
She did love him. She knew that without a doubt. She loved this man just as she always had. It was the other man that with total disregard for hers or the children’s feelings, had packed up and disappeared from their lives and without even a goodbye. That was the man she didn’t, couldn’t love. Was that man truly gone forever now that he had a job, given by people who understood Jim’s special needs? Would that man reappear one day to rip apart her life, her soul and that of their children’s once again?
Debbie felt so much confusion inside of her. She had been lonely. She had missed their closeness. Not only the intimate part of their lives which was hard enough to be without but the long talks into the night about everything and nothing, just connecting of their two days and the things that were running through their minds. She had had no one to share with for all of this time. Did he miss that as much as she had?
The waiter interrupted her thoughts, asking if they would like a dessert. Without waiting for her to answer, Jim spoke to him.
“Yes, we need two pieces of that fabulous chocolate cake that I saw passing by here and two coffees. We have a birthday girl here.”
Debbie turned several shades of pink as Jim did this. Not only did the waiter bring the cake but also sent over the violinist that had been strolling through the restaurant entertaining them with his talent.
Debbie struggled to maintain her anger at him but she couldn’t stop the smile that crept up her face as the musician played, standing next to their table.
Jim took a huge chance as he reached across and took just her fingers in his hand and caressed the backs of them with his thumb.
When the musician finished the song they thanked him and he moved away to another area of the restaurant. Jim placed his hand back in his lap, hoping that she wouldn’t be angry about his forwardness in touching her. Legally they were still married but he knew he had no right to touch her. Thankfully she let it go without comment and he breathed a sigh of relief as he took the last bite of his dessert, washing it down with the last of his coffee.
He paid the bill and they exited that restaurant. It had been a very nice weather day today and it seemed as if many people were out enjoying the mild evening tonight. They had had to park a way down the street, The restaurant was right on the water and Debbie had always loved the ocean. She and Jim had spent many hours walking the beach, looking for shells or sharks teeth, especially before the children had been born.
“Would you mind taking a short walk on the beach? I haven’t been near the ocean in a while.” She asked him.
“Of course not. Come on.”
He thought to himself that at least she wasn’t in a hurry to end their evening. Maybe there had been a bit of progress tonight. As much as he would like it, he did not hold any illusions that she was going to fall back into his arms without a lot of work on his part to prove his love and faithfulness to her and the children. Tonight was just the beginning.
After a short walk, Jim had driven Debbie home. They went together to the Izambards to get their children rounded up and home to bed.
“Hi you two. Did you enjoy your dinner?”
“Yes Seb, we did. Thank you for the tip on the restaurant. It was fabulous.” Jim said.
“It’s quiet in here. Did you lock all of the children in a closet or something?” Debbie asked him.
“Nope, they were all just tired out. We let them swim after dinner and every one of them was worn out. Hannah even fell asleep on the sofa studying so we just covered her up. Why don’t you just let them sleep? We’ll get them up in the morning and send them home.”
After a moments thought, Debbie agreed that that would be best. She thanked Seb and turned to head home. She got to the door and turned to say goodnight and thank you to Jim but she realized that he was intending to walk her home. She told him it wasn’t necessary. It was just across the yard.
“I don’t mind. I’m not quite ready for bed yet.”
She didn’t wish to make a scene in front of Seb, so she just turned and let Jim follow her out into the night.
No words were spoken as they crossed to her house and climbed the few steps. It was only when Debbie slid the key into the lock that Jim laid his hand on her wrist. Still without a word, he leaned down and she knew that he was going to kiss her. She moved her head so that he would only be able to kiss her cheek but he stopped her by gently placing his palm on her cheek. Then he softly touched her lips with his.
“I need to get away.” She thought as she tried to keep her thoughts together. She stayed where she was just a moment longer than she thought she should then stepped across the threshold.
“You shouldn’t have done that Jim.”
“I guess I should say that I’m sorry. But I would be lying to you. Goodnight Deb. Sleep well and Happy Birthday.” Without another word, Jim turned and slowly went down the steps and headed back to the house.
Debbie shut the door and sat on the sofa. Her fingers lightly pressed her lips, still feeling the touch of his lips on hers.
She looked around the quiet house trying to decide what to do now. Usually she had children to shuffle off to showers and bed. She wasn’t used to such quiet. So she took advantage and went and ran herself a bath, turned on her CD player which happened to have Siempre already loaded and slid into the warm water and laid her head back as she replayed the kiss over in her mind.
The next morning Debbie was slowly stirring as she came out of her dream. She slid her arm over to the unoccupied side of the bed. She came wide awake when she realized that what had just been played out had in fact been a dream. Jim was not lying beside her in the bed after a night of making love to each other.
A large part of her felt an immense loss that he wasn’t there. It was almost a tangible thing, the feelings that she had. She could feel his hands on her, loving her just as he used to. Then just as quickly, she felt her anger taking the place in her that it had for the last three years that he had thrown away the precious love that they had between them.
Glad to have a diversion, she slid out of bed when she heard the children coming home. Dealing with their needs would help to distract her from these conflicting feelings that were driving her insane.
*
“No Papa, I don’t want to go into the big pool. I’m afraid.” She said tightening her arms around his neck.
“Holly, do you think Papa would let you get hurt?”
Holly looked like she was really thinking about his question and it made Seb upset and angry that this little girl had so little trust for the adults in her life to care for and protect her. He didn’t wait for her answer which looked like it might not come anyway.
“Holly, Papa would not ever let you get hurt and the reason that I am taking you into the pool is because I don’t want you to get hurt in the pool. It is very important to me that you learn how to swim.”
He let her think about that for a second then added,
“What if you came outside here and no one else was with you and you tripped and fell into the pool? What would you do?”
“I won’t fall into the pool Papa, I promise.”
“But you might and if you fell in, you couldn’t swim to get out. If you let Papa teach you how to swim, you would be able to help yourself out of the pool and the best thing would be that you could swim and play with the rest of the children. I know that you want to.”
Again she looked thoughtful and he imagined that she was thinking about how much she wanted to play with her brother in the pool while he was off with the other children and not playing with her. Most of the time, they stuck pretty close together.
“Papa knows that you are afraid and we will take this very slowly and for now we will just sit on the steps, alright?”
Up until now, Seb had let her get comfortable just sitting in the water in the smaller pool and she had even gotten to the point where she would play with Kayti. She hadn’t liked it for quite a while when she got splashed, especially in the face. But she was getting used to it and didn’t seem as nervous. He had even gotten her to let him help her float on her back but he never released her. He had showed her how to keep her head up and her arms out to the sides.
So Seb decided to take this next step and work their way into the big pool today.
None of the other children were allowed out in the pool this morning while he took Holly out alone. He didn’t want her worrying about the older children splashing her. So Lisa had helped her into her one piece suit and matching hat to protect her from the sun and then she had lathered them both up with sunscreen.
He slowly sat down on the side of the pool, dangling his legs in the water and swishing his feet, just letting her little feet hang in the water up to her ankles. Then he slid down into the water so he was sitting on the top step. She was barely even getting wet above her bottom as she sat in his lap but she still increased her grip on him.
“It’s alright, Love. Papa’s got you. I promise, I won’t let you go.” He said as he loosened her grip on his neck just a bit. He stroked her hair and kissed her forehead.
After several minutes passed and he had felt her relax, he slid down another step, getting wet up to the top of his abdomen and the middle of her chest. Again she tightened her grip for a bit, until she realized he still wasn’t letting her go. She laid her head on his shoulder. This exercise was exhausting to her, not physically but mentally.
“See, Papa is right here and I won’t let you fall in.”
After a moment, Holly loosened her arms enough that they were just laying on his shoulders.
He spoke softly to her as they sat there. He even told her the secret about having Debbie’s birthday cake after lunch and he felt her smile against his chest.
A breeze came up that caused them both to shiver. It wasn’t yet mid day and the wind made it a bit chilly. So he slid them down into the water, then he knelt on the bottom of the shallow end, bringing the water level up to the top of Holly’s shoulders. He could see the fear in her eyes as she looked around for something else to grab on to. They were not near the edge. All she had for protection was him and his arms holding her. He was desperate for her to begin to trust him.
“Papa?” A large tear fell from her eye and then another.
“Shhh baby, it’s alright. Papa is here.”
He didn’t move in the water for some time, just letting her get used to the feel of it around her. He looked up trying to squelch his own tears and saw Lisa standing at the window watching them. He managed a small smile for her before Holly regained his attention when he heard her hiccup from crying and he tightened his hold on her.
Just then, they both heard a small splash and Seb turned them towards the sound. There just behind them, a toad had jumped right into the pool and was swimming around them.
“Papa, look at the frog, he’s swimming in the pool. He might not be able to get out.”
“What do you say that we go over and help him out then?”
She nodded and he moved slowly over to where the toad was swimming.
“I need to let one arm loose to get him, sweetheart but I won’t let you go.”
She tightened her grip on him but didn’t cry as he reached for the toad. He scooped it up and set it on the pool deck then they watched it as it hopped off into the grass.
“Thank you for helping the frog Papa.”
“What do you say we try a little floating? I won’t let you go. It will be just like in the other pool.”
She didn’t look like she believed him and wouldn’t let go of her grip on his arm as he tried to help her lie back.
“Do you think Papa will let you fall in?”
She nodded that yes she was afraid that he would.
He brought her back up against his chest and looked into her eyes.
“Holly, I swear I won’t drop you. Please try to trust Papa.” He was struggling to keep his emotions in check as she looked back into his eyes. “I love you sweetheart.”
Holly threw her arms around his neck. “I love you too, Papa. I’ve never had a Papa that loved me before.”
That was Seb’s undoing. He cried as he held her, trying to hide it by looking away.
She took his face in her small hands.
“Don’t cry, Papa. I’ll try to float.” She kissed his wet cheek and smiled.
As emotional as the moment was, Seb had won a major battle that morning. She did allow him to help her float for a while and he felt that that was a big enough victory for her for one day. They got dried off, went inside to tell everyone of her accomplishment and to get ready for lunch. She grinned at him as she remembered the secret she was supposed to keep.
Debbie hadn’t seen Jim since he had left her the night before. She was trying to keep from her mind all of the conflicting emotions as she went through the morning chores at home. The children had eaten breakfast next door so she had sent them to get changed and to clean their rooms.
One part of her was irritated at Jim’s boldness in thinking he had a right to kiss her. But she couldn’t lie, especially not to herself. She had enjoyed the feeling of his lips on hers and had mourned the loss of contact when it was over. It had been so long.
“Mom, we have to go next door for lunch. Lisa invited us to eat over there.”
“They’ve already fed you breakfast. You don’t have to eat there for every meal you know.” She told Hannah.
“No, they wanted us all to come over.. Please Mom!”
Debbie had no real good reason to say no, so she nodded and chuckled as Hannah smiled really big and skipped into her room. Debbie assumed it was just to go over to see Seb. If Hannah still had a crush on Sebastien, she had done well to hide it lately, Debbie thought. She had seemed more interested in the goings on at school. But she sure did seem happy about going over there today. So she finished up what they had to do at home and then shuffled her brood across the yard.
She noticed that it wasn’t only Hannah that seemed excited. The twins were also acting really silly about it. They always enjoyed going to play with the other kids but they kept giggling and looking at each other like they had a secret. When she entered the kitchen, Debbie found out the reason for her children’s behavior. Sammy forgot to keep it quiet until they went into the dining room and he let the cat out of the bag.
“Happy Birthday, Miss Debbie. We got a party for you.”
“SAMMY!” All of the children cried out to him.
“It’s all right. It’s time for the party. Don’t worry about it.” Lisa saw Sammy’s face fall as he realized it wasn’t time for the surprise yet and she was afraid he’d cry. “Come on everyone sit down. We’ll have cake after we eat our lunch. Kayti, remember you have to eat your lunch if you want cake.” She said taking the focus off of Sammy.
Jim had also joined them and held her chair out for her to sit and then he helped her push it in just as he always had.
Debbie loved it. No one had celebrated her birthday for several years and she felt very emotional. Her children especially looked so happy to be doing this and she was surprised when they handed her gifts to open. Hannah had gotten the boys a pretty 8X10 picture frame to give her. Lisa had taken a photo of the three children last night and printed it out and Hannah had put it in the frame. It had been a while since they’d had one taken together. All they had gotten was the school pictures separately.
Hannah had gotten her a necklace that said MOM on it..
Debbie had tears in her eyes as she read the inscription. She knew that Hannah must have spent most if not all of the money she’d been making to pay for this. Her first instinct was to tell Hannah that it was too much but she saw the joy on her daughter’s face at being able to give her this gift so she hugged her tightly and thanked her and the boys for their gifts. Debbie was able to get herself under control as she looked at the card the other children had made for her in their craft room, complete with stickers and glitter, wishing her a happy birthday.
“I ate my lunch Mama. Can I eat cake now?”
“Yes, Kaytibug. We will have our cake now.” Lisa chuckled.
Debbie thanked them for doing this for her and Lisa told her that it was Hannah that had arranged it all.
“Yes, but I think she had some help.”” Debbie said as she was hugging her.
Everyone helped to clean up the party mess and then after enough time had passed since eating, they all went out to swim in the pool. Seb looked to Holly from where he was standing in the shallow end of the pool. She was sitting in the small pool with Lisa and Kayti. He wordlessly held his arms out to her, hoping that she would trust him enough to come and get in the pool with him.
She looked afraid but she did get up and out of the little pool. But she stood on the side of the pool, not sure what to do next.
He told her to sit on the edge, which she did. Then he reached up and lifted her down into his arms. She held on for dear life but she had come of her own free will. She hadn’t had as much choice this morning.
She watched the other children playing and Seb tried to stay as far from their splashing as possible. He didn’t try to float or anything else but getting her used to being in there with them splashing around.
Sammy had his swimmies on and was swimming under water with his eyes wide open. He always had red eyes after they’d been swimming. But he was turning into a fish. They all were. All of the other children swam well enough to be in the deep end and they even let Sammy in there as long as an adult was in the pool with them.
Amelia climbed out of the pool and ran as fast as her legs would carry her when she saw Carlos and Vicki come in the gate to the pool enclosure.
“Swim?” she said up into Carlos’s eyes as she pulled his hand.
“How can I turn this little beauty down?”
He told her in Spanish that he would be back as soon as he got changed into his swimming trunks. When he came back out, he made the kids laugh as he did a cannonball into the pool in the deep end. Holly hid her face in Seb’s shoulder as the wall of water came over them. He wiped her face and laughed with the rest of the kids, hoping at least that she wouldn’t cry. She didn’t look like she loved it but didn’t get upset, much to Seb’s relief. When Carlos came up from under water and saw that Seb had Holly, he apologized for splashing her and praised her for being brave and getting into the big pool.
Amelia swam over to Carlos and he promptly picked her up and threw her as far as he could. Then she swam back over for another ride. It was a game they had started playing and since she weighed so little, he was able to give her a good toss.. She loved it. She would ask him repeatedly until his arms gave out and one of the other guys would have to take over.
The other kids were too big to be picked up like that, all except for Sammy and Holly but so far they didn’t want to join in.
Amelia was getting a little better when Carlos and Vicki left to go back to their condo. She still wasn’t happy but she didn’t cry most of the time. They were hoping that they would hear something from the immigration office soon. If no family was found, Amelia would be put in the system for long term foster care. If no family turned up after one year, she would be released for adoption.
Contessa Admin
Posts : 5300 Join date : 2008-12-13 Age : 68 Location : Urs Buhler, The man of my dreams!! Humor : I found it and as always the joke is on me!!
Lisa was in the kitchen with Mary. They were putting the finishing touches on the food for tonight. This was the eve of Urs and Alex's wedding. The pre wedding parties were going to be a just bit scaled back compared to Lisa and Seb's. Neither Urs nor Alex wanted to be away from Aaron overnight. So they would each have their parties, Alex's at Lisa's and Urs's at David's condo and then they would go home for the night. Hannah and her friend Jenny were being paid to watch most of the children over at Debbie's. Only the three infant's would stay at the main house with their mothers.
Kayti came into the kitchen crying and holding her arm. When Lisa sat in the chair to try to figure out what was wrong, she saw that there was a red spot on Kayti's upper arm.
“Kayti, Mama needs you to stop crying so you can tell me what is wrong.”
Kayti swiped her hands down her cheeks, smearing her tears.
“Jeremy, hurt me. He did this on my arm.” Kayti made a grabbing motion on her upper arm.
“Why did he hurt you?”
Lisa knew from experience to get as much of both sides of a story as possible before being able to get a clear picture of squabbles between the children.
“I want to read Jeremy's book.”
“Baby, was Jeremy still doing his homework for school?”
Kayti nodded her head.
“Did you try to take his book?”
Kayti shook her head, that no she hadn't tried to take it.
She knew that now she needed to go hear Jeremy's side to it. He had never been mean to any of the other kids. On the contrary, he was always helping one of the little ones tie their shoes or she would find him helping Holly to brush her long hair.
“Kayti, stay here with Mary for a minute. Mama will be back.”
Lisa went into the computer room where they had some empty tables along a wall and plenty of good light set up for the children to do their school work with as little distraction as possible. She pulled a chair over next to where Jeremy was sitting. She could tell that he was purposely not looking in her direction and that made her think that Kayti had been telling the truth.
“Hi.....What are you working on?”
“Stupid math.”he said shoving the book back away from himself angrily.
Lisa had to hide a smile. She knew he struggled with math and they were working on getting him a tutor to help him. He seemed to be pretty much on grade level in most of his academics, but math and science were giving him a hard time and he got very frustrated. Lisa suspected that Kayti just wound up being in his way at the wrong time.
“Did you hurt Kayti's arm?” she asked him quietly.
“Yes, but she was getting on my nerves. I was trying to figure this out and she kept saying she wanted to read it. She's a pest.” He said, dropping his head onto his folded arms.
Again, Lisa had to stifle a grin. He was right. Kayti could really be a pest sometimes, especially when she wanted something or just wanted some attention.
“Jeremy, I know that you are struggling with your math. If you are having a hard time with a problem, please come and ask one of the adults for help. We will be more than happy to sit with you and try to help you figure it out. We might not know all of the answers but we will do our best.”
She let him think on what she had said for a minute before she continued.
“What you can't do is hurt anyone. I understand that Kayti can get on your nerves. If you feel like that and especially if she is interrupting your homework, come and tell us and we will get her involved somewhere else.”
“Am I going to get a punishment?”
“Do you think that what you did deserves one?”
She could tell he really didn't want to answer that question, but he finally lifted his head and nodded.
Lisa leaned over and gathered him into her arms. At first he was very stiff and his arms were straight down at his sides with closed fists. He was still getting used to all of the shows of affection around here. She didn't let go. She just stroked his back and his hair.
“I love you, Jeremy.”
It was not the first time she had told him. The first few days it was just something that she said to the new children, just like she said to Kayti, Sammy and Lauren but, over the time that they had been here, Lisa really felt it in her heart that she did love them. Like the others, these new children were carving their own little niches in her heart, never to be replaced.
She also hadn't had the problem she had feared due to Jeremy's name. She did occasionally think of the other Jeremy when she heard it but after the first few days most of the time thoughts of him didn't even enter her mind. She supposed it did help that they were always so busy that she didn't have time to let her mind wander lately.
She felt him slowly beginning to relax in her arms. His arms wrapped around her and she felt more than heard the long sigh of contentment that escaped him.
Jeremy didn't talk much, not to the adults anyway. But he probably hadn't had too many adults that had shown a willingness to sit and listen to what he had to say. She made a mental note to make sure that they made extra alone time for him with the different adults in the house. Maybe someone would be able to break through his walls and get him to open up one day.
Lisa took his face in her hands, kissed the tip of his nose and actually got an almost smile from him then she helped him finish up the few math equations he had left. When those were finished, she brought him to the kitchen, made sure he apologized to Kayti and then she gave him some extra chores to do instead of going outside to play. Being the first time he had acted out, she didn't want to be too heavy handed. She wanted to give him sufficient time to adjust to his new home with all of their different rules and this family life that he and Holly were obviously unaccustomed to. But she made sure that he understood that no behavior like that would ever be tolerated from any of the children.
Seb and Jim cleared out a large portion of the living room at Debbie's. The children were going to lay out blankets, sleeping bags and pillows and have a slumber party. Age appropriate movies were supplied and their own selection of fun food and drinks would be laid out on the kitchen table.
The kids had requested pizza rolls, tater tots, Doritos and salsa and pigs in a blanket. (Little sausages wrapped in crescent roll dough.) Debbie knew that even though the children wouldn't request it, that if they made up a veggie tray with ranch dressing that some of the children would eat the healthy foods too. Her children always loved it. Hannah had also made them a pan of brownies.
*
As he was getting ready to leave for David's, Seb wrapped his arms around Lisa's neck and pulled her against him and immediately got kicked in the stomach, not by Lisa but by his unborn daughter.
“Hey little girl, you behave in there while Papa is gone tonight. No trying to show up when I am not around either.” He said leaning down and kissing Lisa's belly before coming back to kiss her lips.
“And you behave too. Take it easy. Don't try to do everything. There will be plenty of people here to take care of things.”
“Yes, but I am the Matron of Honor. It is my job to do this. But I promise I won't do too much. I doubt they'll let me anyway.”
“I'm counting on it.” He said against her cheek then he kissed her long and slow and had thoughts of being late to David's.
Seb, Jim and Urs said goodbye to their ladies and their children. Then they along with Urs's brother Jens who had arrived the night before to perform his duties as Best Man, headed for David's. They went in the Escalade. Jim wasn't going to be drinking so he would make sure that the others got home safely. Vicki drove their rental and dropped Carlos off before heading to Lisa's. He would either get a cab back or she would pick him up on her way home. Alex and Mami headed for Lisa's. When they arrived, the older children were just being shuffled over across the yard for their own little party. Mom pulled into the driveway right behind them.
Lisa took a minute to thank Hannah for agreeing to this. She knew that Hannah might have liked to be at the party too. She promised that someone would be checking periodically to make sure that the children weren't giving her and Jenny a hard time. They were told that there didn't have to be any set bedtimes. They could just let them fall asleep on the floor whenever they got tired. That would be one battle they wouldn't have to fight in getting the children to sleep. She had heard Jim talking to the twins earlier, making sure that they understood that they were not to get too rowdy and that Hannah was in charge tonight and that they'd better listen to her instructions.
As Lisa made the rounds, saying goodnight to each child, she made sure that they knew that she would be right next door and that Hannah would call her if they needed her. She didn't think that they would have a problem staying here but she wanted to reassure them anyway. Jeremy was the last to get his goodnight hug and kiss and when she wrapped her arms around him he held on to her tightly.
For the second time this afternoon Lisa told him that she loved him and was pleasantly surprised when he responded that he loved her too. She gave him an extra squeeze and kiss on the cheek and asked him to be a big help to Hannah and Jenny tonight. She could see that he looked happy that she had given him that responsibility. Lisa caught a tear with her finger just as it fell as she walked back to the house. With each struggle or hurdle with one of the children, there was almost always a victory that came right behind it. She didn't imagine it would be that way every time but she would rejoice each time it did.
*
David went to answer the door. Everyone they'd expected to be here was already here. He and the rest of the guys were happy to see Simon in the doorway. He had said that he wouldn't be able to arrive until early tomorrow morning. David shook his hand and welcomed him. They always had a great time when he was with them. They found Simon to be a very funny guy even though his humor was a bit dry at times.
There was a nice mix of music on the stereo as they ate, drank and all caught up together. Urs's brother Jens had met the other three Divos before but he had not met Simon. Urs had told his brother about the view the American public had of their founder and the very different side of him that they saw when they were with him. Jens was also introduced to Dan, Urs’s soon to be Father in Law.
Later as they sat around talking and joking that Urs's life as he knew it was over as of tomorrow.
“You know that I have never even given marriage serious consideration until I met Alex. Now I feel as if I already am married. I don't think that I could feel more married. I love Alex and Aaron so much and can't imagine my life without them.”
“What about you, Seb? How are you settling in to the full house you have? In the space of just over ten months you have gotten married and become a father of six children.” Simon commented.
“Yes, and I love every minute of it. Even the hard parts. Every day brings new challenges and the three new children are still adjusting. I suppose we all are. It hasn't been all that long since we moved into the house and now with the new children, it changes the whole dynamic. We may be down to five though before too long.” Seb said catching Carlos's eyes and saw the pain in them.
“Why, who would be leaving?” Simon asked, seeing the silent exchange between Seb and Carlos.
“Little Amelia.... Right now INS is trying to find some of her relatives in Mexico. If any are found, Amelia would be sent to them. The other part is that Carlos and Vicki want to adopt her and even if no relatives are found, she can't live with them because they are not US citizens or foster parents and she won't be free for adoption for a year from when she was found, which is in about six more months. They only accept me as her guardian because I am married to Lisa.”
“Isn't it soon after having Juan Carlos to adopt another child?” Simon asked, never one to beat around the bush.
“Like with most of their children, Seb and Lisa didn't go hunting for them. They just happened into their lives. Well, Amelia has stolen mi corazon. I already feel like she is my little girl.”
“Wait until tomorrow. You will understand when you see them together.” Urs said.
“How does Vicki feel about it?”
“She feels the same. At first I too was afraid the she was agreeing with me just to make me happy, but now I know that she loves Amelia as much as I do.
Just as they were discussing the little girl, she had woken up and wanted to go home to her bed. When Hannah and Jenny were unsuccessful in quieting her, they broke down and called Lisa. They didn't want her waking all of the other kids who except for Jeremy, had all fallen asleep about an hour ago.
Hannah apologized for calling when Lisa came in the door.
“You have nothing to apologize for. You girls have done a wonderful job here tonight. I'll take her home and put her into her own bed and she'll be fine. You have a good night. Your Mom will be home in a while. But don't hesitate to call again if you need to.”
When Vicki saw Lisa in the foyer with Amelia and she was about to carry her up the stairs, she quickly went to her and told Lisa that she would carry her up and put her to bed. Lisa didn't relish the thought of carrying her up the stairs so she smiled and thanked her.
“Goodnight Amelia. Sleep well, Sweetheart.” Lisa said, then went back to the living room.
Amelia laid her head on Vicki's shoulder and wrapped her arms around Vicki's neck, already drowsy and ready to go back to sleep. Vicki carried her up, tucked her in and sat on the edge of her bed. She brushed the strands of hair from Amelia's face as she softly sang a lullaby to her until she fell asleep.
“Buenos noches.” she whispered as she leaned down and kissed her temple, before going to rejoin the party.
At first she hadn't wanted to let the little girl into her heart. Now she fully understood what Lisa had been talking about all along. She was afraid of what would happen if Amelia was sent back to Mexico. It would be very painful to her but even more so to Carlos whose heart had been stolen from the minute he had laid eyes on the child.
They had spoken to Lisa and Seb when they had seen how she was settling in here and with the other children. They wanted to be sure that Lisa and Seb didn't feel like they were trying to take away one of their children. Lisa told them that if it wasn't for she and Carlos wanting her that first day that Amelia probably would have left them as planned before she had had any time to get settled here. Lisa already felt like Amelia was Carlos and Vicki's child. She was just on a sleepover, hopefully.
When they began to wind down, they put on a romantic comedy and gathered on the sofas. Lisa sat next to Alex and saw the faraway look in her friend's eyes.
“You okay? Not having second thought's are you?” she asked only half kidding. Everyone who knew Alex, knew that she had never intended to get married. She was such a different person now that Urs was in her life and Lisa could see that most of the time Alex was happier than she had ever seen her.
“Absolutely not. I was just thinking that at this time tomorrow, Urs and I will be married and on our honeymoon. I have never been so happy or content in my life. I think of what I would have missed out on if he hadn't walked into my life.”
“I know. I feel the same way. Look how my life has changed, how I have changed since December. It's mind boggling when you think of all that has happened in such a short time.”
“We are two very lucky girls.” Alex said looking very dreamy.
“We sure are.” Lisa said as they snuggled together to watch the movie like they used to when they were still teenagers.
Contessa Admin
Posts : 5300 Join date : 2008-12-13 Age : 68 Location : Urs Buhler, The man of my dreams!! Humor : I found it and as always the joke is on me!!
She began waking slowly as she felt a tickle on her cheek. She tried swatting at it to brush it away from her face. As she came more awake she realized what it was. He was brushing very light stubbly kisses over her cheeks and across her jaw.
“Good morning, My Love.” she said with still closed eyes but wearing the biggest smile.
“Good morning, Liebe. Do you know what today is?”
“Hmmm, Nope do we have plans that I forgot?” she said as she stretched her naked body under the covers.
Her eyes were still closed so she felt more than saw him back away from her. She opened her eyes to see the look of astonishment on his face. Then she started giggling.
“Do you honestly think I could forget my wedding day, you silly goose.”
She drew him back to her and pressed her lips to his and waited for just a moment before he responded.
“Okay, so you want to tease me today, do you? Well, maybe I will make you wait a few extra months before we get married.” he said but couldn't keep a straight face to look serious in his threat.
“You couldn't wait any more than I could. Now come here and love me before your son wakes up and needs to eat.
He laid his hand over her now flat belly and began touching her, blazing a trail that he knew would set her on fire in a matter of seconds.
*
“OMG Seb wake up... Seb, Please Hurry!”
Seb flew out of the bed, grabbed his jeans and began putting them on. “Is it time? Is Jessica coming?”
“No, It's late. We were supposed to be up over an hour ago. Alex is expecting me there.”
Seb plopped back down on the bed, rubbed his eyes and ran his hands through his hair and tried to get his breathing back under control. He was shaking all over.
“ Lisa, I thought you were in labor.”
“I'm sorry, Seb.” Lisa said and kneeled up to massage his shoulders and kiss him on his bare skin around his neck and shoulders. She wrapped her arms around his neck from behind and rested her chin on his shoulder.
“It's alright, Baby. You do realize that it is all your fault that we overslept, don't you? I was more than ready to fall into bed and go right to sleep after I got home from David's.”
“Are you complaining?”
He reached around and pulled her so he could properly reach her lips.
“I will never in this lifetime complain about you wanting to make love to me.”
Taking her face in his hands, he began kissing her. Just then there was a knock on their bedroom door and Seb went to answer it.
“Oh good morning Mary.”
“Good morning, you two. We hadn't heard anything from either of you and figured that you might have overslept.”
“We did. But we're getting going now. We'll be down soon.” he told her and gratefully took the tray that held steaming cups of coffee to help them to wake up and get rid of the morning cobwebs. “Thanks, You are an angel.”
“You're welcome. Don't worry about the children. They are all up and have already eaten.”
After he'd shut the door and set the tray down, Seb stepped up behind Lisa who was just tying the sash to her robe and heading into the bathroom.
“Hey, we will continue later what we just started.”
“Sounds good to me.” she said giving him a quick kiss before she hurried off. He knew that she was in a hurry in the morning. Jessica's head was sitting right on her full bladder.
*
As she often did if she needed something to occupy the children for a bit, Lisa turned on the computer and navigated until she brought up the web cam to the koala enclosure at the Caversham Wildlife Park in Perth, Australia where she and Seb had gone on their honeymoon. The three new children were seeing and hearing about Matilda and her twins Lillie and Paris, for the first time.
“Mommy and Papa dopted them just like they dopted me and Kayti. We get to help take care of them. Mommy said we can go visit them someday too.
Kayti showed the children her stuffed koala that she had had since her mother had bought it for her when she was an infant. It was now well loved and rather scruffy looking since it had been chewed on when she was teething and cried on many times as well as having teeth marks from Jasmine where Kayti and Jasmine had played tug of war with it before the puppies had learned to follow commands.
Lisa was making sure that she had everything together for her and the girls. Lisa, Holly, Amelia and Kayti were going to Alex and Urs's to get ready. Urs was coming here to get ready and wait for the ceremony.
The catering company was already here setting up as was the rental company for the tents and chairs. They were also laying a temporary wood floor and runners that would protect the ladies dresses from dragging on the ground as they came from the house.
Seb helped her to get the girls all settled into the truck and gave her one last kiss.
Jessica could come any day but he still hated to see Lisa so uncomfortable. He could see that her back was giving her more trouble every day. She said it had been a relief when the temperatures had fallen in the last month. It was still around eighty to eighty five degrees most days but that was much better than the ninety plus it had been for the last few months.
Today was going to be perfect. It was supposed to be right at eighty with just a slight breeze and according to the weatherman, there was absolutely no chance of rain. That was a relief considering what they had had to worry about for his and Lisa's wedding.
He had the help of Mary and Maman to help him keep Jeremy, Sammy and Lauren occupied for the rest of the morning. They would get them lunch a bit early and put Lauren in for a nap and even see if Sammy would rest for a while before the wedding.
*
Lisa rushed herself and the girls into Alex's, apologizing profusely for being late.
“Lisa, you aren't really late. We have everything under control. I've had my shower and Marlene told Mami about the people from the salon coming out to the house for your wedding and she has done the same for us. They'll be here in an hour. So sit down, relax and have a cup of coffee.”
“Well, alright but please make it juice. I've already had my one cup this morning.”
“Actually I have too, so we'll both have juice.”
The doctors suggest that they don't have too much caffeine as it can affect the babies so both of the girls had been trying to be good.
Vicki, Carlito and Grace arrived together a short time later, dresses in hand, just waiting for the right time to get dressed.
Everyone was hovering, exclaiming over Carlito all dressed in his suit minus the little jacket. Aaron would have his on when it was time. They had arranged that Aaron, Carlito, Sammy and Jeremy would all have the same black tux and they had been thrilled when they found that they did in fact make them small enough for the babies. They would all be so cute.
Mami actually made Lisa go into the living room and put her feet up.
“Have you been talking to Seb?”
“No Why?”
“Well, he just kept telling me to take it easy today.”
“And so you should.”
“I'm fine really. The only trouble I'm having is a pain in my lower back off and on.”
“You'll be on your feet quite a bit later so keep them up as much as possible for now.” Mom said entering the room and getting in on the lecture.
“Alright, I can see I'm being ganged up on here. So I'll keep my feet up.” she said with a grin.
“Mom. Where's Dad?” Alex asked her Mom when they went to check that they had everything laid out and ready for when they would get dressed.
“He dropped me off and said he wanted to check on the guys and he'll be back in plenty of time. I think he just didn't want to be here while all of us girls were getting ready.” She laughed.
“Yeah, sounds like Dad alright. Just as long as he's ready when it's time for him to walk me down the aisle.”
“He's ready, Sweetheart. He is so proud of you, and so am I.”
“Thank you Mom.”
“Are you ready? I know you and Urs have been living together and you already have Aaron. But this is a whole different thing for you to be getting married. Your father and I had pretty much come to terms with the fact that you would never be married and we would probably never have Grandchildren. We were a bit sad but we just wanted you to be happy with whatever you chose for your life. Now look at us. After today, two girls married and enough Grandchildren to keep us happy for many years.”
“I am more than ready, Mom. I love him so much. He takes such good care of me and Aaron. I have never known a man that put me first, well except seeing Dad being that way with you. I think that is part of what I was afraid of all of these years. I didn't think I would ever meet a man that would be as good to me as Dad has been to you and to me.”
“You've found him. I have no doubt about that. And your father has even said how glad he is that he doesn't have to worry about you. He knows that Urs will take good care of his family.”
“I'm sorry to interrupt but the ladies from the salon are here. They are a bit early so you let them know if you want them to help the rest of us first or if you want to get ready now. The photographer is here as well to take photos of everyone getting ready.
“Okay Thank you Mami.”
Over the next hour, all of the girls had their hair and makeup expertly done. Even the little girls had their hair curled. When Holly insisted she wanted to wear lipstick like the ladies, Lisa pulled out some shaded lip gloss from her bag and put some on all the girls. They giggled and walked around puckering their lips like they saw the women doing.
The photographer had followed everyone around expertly getting the shots that he knew meant a lot to brides and their families so they would have them to look back on over the years such as Alex and her Mom talking quietly together as she helped her with her necklace, Alex and Lisa together as they got their hair done at the same time, Mami giving Alex a hug and he took shots of the little girls when they were all dressed and ready. He knew from past experience to get those pictures as soon as possible when there were little ones involved. By the time the actual post wedding shots were being taken, there had been many times he had seen children get into no shortage of messes. At least there would be some shots of them at their prettiest.
Alex heard her cell phone ringing and knew it was Urs.
“Hi.”
“Hi, how's it going over there?”
“It's going just fine. How about all of you guys? Is everyone ready?”
“Oh yeah. Maman and Mary have had us all set. They've made sure that everything will be perfect. You know I don't even care as long as at the end of the day you are Mrs. Urs Buhler.”
“I will be.”
“No second thoughts?”
“No! Not one.”
“I love you Alex.”
“I love you too. I can't wait for it to be time to come over there. Is everything all set outdoors?”
“Everything is ready. We are just waiting for my bride to get here.”
“I'll be there.”
Mom and Mami smiled at each other as they saw Alex huddled away from everyone. They knew who she was talking to.
Alex had seemed very relaxed for a bride on her wedding day. She hadn't been flitting around trying to keep busy. She just went about her normal routine of feeding and changing Aaron and got him down for a nap. It was only when she was completely ready and realized that all there was nothing left but to wait, that she got antsy.
“Mom, are you sure Dad was coming back here?”
“Yes, Sweetheart. He will be here soon. Please don't worry. Everything is fine and it is all going just as planned.”
Right on cue, they heard a car outside. Alex hurried to the door to see if it was her father and she gasped when she saw her Dad getting out of a limo. She thought she'd be riding over in Lisa's vehicle.
Mom came up behind her and told her that Urs had insisted that she arrive in the limo.
Dan stopped short when he came in the door. He just stared at his little girl, tears immediately showing.
“None of that now, Dan Huggins. If you get us all crying they'll have to redo our makeup.” Marie said to her husband and kissed his cheek. “She is beautiful, isn't she?” she said unnecessarily.
“I.....I've never seen a more beautiful sight in my entire life, except for you of course.” he said returning her kiss.
“Hi Daddy.”
“Hi Baby. Do you have any idea where I can find my little girl, because the person standing in front of me is a very beautiful woman.”
“Oh Daddy, I'll always be your little girl.” Alex said and had to struggle to hold back her own tears. Seeing her father so emotional was about to wreak havoc on her makeup. Dan gently hugged Alex, making sure not to squish her too much. He knew that would get him into trouble.
“The photographer again had been unobtrusively right where he should be and got those perfect shots of Alex and her Dad embracing. And again he was with them as Alex stood in her room at her full length mirror adjusting her dress and checking to make sure she had everything perfect one last time. Then Dan held out his arm for her to hold while they walked down the stairs.
The limo driver was loading the car with the bags that had been packed for their trip. Mami was watching and making sure that Aaron's car seat was buckled in securely.
Mom got the three girls into their seats and was ready to drive Lisa's truck. Lisa would ride with Dan and Alex in the Limo. Marie had told Ava to go ahead with them in the limo when she saw that she looked excited by it.
Dan called ahead to make sure that Seb would have Urs somewhere where he wouldn't see Alex as she came in and went upstairs. Seb assured him that they would go right now
The little entourage wound up taking the long way around so the limo wouldn't get scratched in the woods. The vehicles unloaded their passengers then drove over to the left of the house so they would be out of the way.
Alex saw that there was already quite a few cars here. Her eyes swept across the lawn where everything was set up as they had arranged it to be. She saw Simon standing on the front steps. He came down and kissed her cheeks.
“You look lovely, Alex. He will be speechless.”
“Thank you Simon. I'm glad you could make it today.”
“I wouldn't have missed it.”
Alex was whisked upstairs before Urs appeared and saw her before it was time.
Contessa Admin
Posts : 5300 Join date : 2008-12-13 Age : 68 Location : Urs Buhler, The man of my dreams!! Humor : I found it and as always the joke is on me!!
Down in the basement in the wine cellar, Seb, Urs and Jim were collecting bottles of wine to have brought up for the reception.
“Is she here?” Urs asked, knowing Seb had ulterior motives for just about pushing him down the stairs.
“They're on their way now. Are you ready?” Seb asked his friend.
“Yes, I'm very ready.” he said taking a deep breath.
Upstairs, the boys were being helped into their suits. Jeremy looked so proud to be so dressed up.
“I never had stuff like this before.”
“You look so handsome, Sweetheart.” Lisa told him as she helped him with his hair.
Seb had gone and taken both of the boys with him to get their hair trimmed the other day and it was lying perfectly now.
Urs had gone as well and had shocked everyone by coming back with several inches of his curls gone. Alex had been stunned and actually wasn't totally thrilled with the new cut but since she would never want him to tell her how to wear her hair, she wasn't going to tell him how to wear his. But she would really miss his curls. She secretly hoped he would grow them back someday. Over the next few days, she got used to the new cut and actually decided that she did like it even if she missed the curls she liked to run her fingers through.
Vicki took Carlito into the nursery and fed him once more before the ceremony. Alex had fed Aaron at home just before putting on her dress and she had pumped some extra milk several times over the last twenty four hours to make sure she could feed him later without worrying about her dress being in the way. He still had to eat strictly every two hours or even more if he acted hungry. He still had some catching up to do.
They began hearing the musicians tuning up and then they began playing some soft music as they waited for the wedding to start. When everyone upstairs was ready, Alex asked Dan to make sure they were ready downstairs. He came back and told her that everyone was ready. The minister was here as well.
Outside everyone began to take their seats when they saw that Urs, his brother Jens and the other Divos were coming to take their places. Next to Urs was Jens as his best man and Seb, Carlos and David as Groomsmen.
Once they were assured that the men were outside, the ladies began coming down the stairs ushering the children down with them. Marlene took Lauren and Jeremy out with her to be seated. Jeremy wasn't in the wedding party but had been given the all important job of making sure that everyone signed the guest book during the reception.
The foyer was filled with the rest of the wedding party. Lisa was speaking to the girls, reminding them what they were going to do. Alex wanted all three girls to be flower girls. She also thought with Kayti being older and being flanked by the two older girls that they would do fine. Holly seemed to be confident in her task. They just had to hope that Amelia and Kayti would follow her lead.
Mom kissed Alex's cheek one last time then headed out, followed by Mami who was carrying Aaron in his little seat. When it was just Alex, Dan Lisa, Sammy, Grace and Vicki and the three girls, they just stood in the doorway waiting for their cue. The children were told to just to follow behind Grace and Vicki and they would be shown where to stand.
The music began and Vicki squeezed Alex's hand and smiled, then slowly made her way down the steps.
They wouldn't be able to be seen until they rounded the corner of the house. Grace waited several seconds before she began to head out then Lisa instructed Sammy to follow her with his little pillow. He had the biggest smile on his face to be doing his portant job again.
When Sammy had gotten to the bottom of the steps, Lisa told the girls to go ahead. They would walk side by side with Kayti in the middle, each with their own little basket of rose petals.
Lisa turned and lightly hugged Alex.
“I love you and I am so happy for you.”
“I love you too and thank you for all of your help.”
With one more little squeeze, Lisa turned and carefully made her way down the stairs. She realized that she was enjoying this so much. She had been so nervous during her own wedding that she hadn't thought to take it all in and enjoy it.
As they waited for Lisa to descend the steps, Dan again took in the appearance of his daughter. He knew he wasn't just being prejudiced when he thought that she was beautiful. Even on a regular day, Alex was beautiful and so full of life. Today though, she was amazing and she radiated complete happiness as she nervously played with her bouquet and shifted from foot to foot.
“Here we go.” Dan told her as he slipped his arm under hers for her to hold. “I'm so proud of you, Baby. I love you and I feel so at peace with the life you have made for yourself with Urs and Aaron. I guess as your Dad, I'll always worry about you. But now I don't have to worry as much. Urs is such a good man and I know he will take good care of my little girl.”
He kissed her cheek and she lightly laid her head on his arm for a brief moment before they headed out the door. “I love you, Daddy.”
Under the tent, the men stood in line and watched first Vicki and then Grace take their places, followed by Sammy who smiled up at them, looking for approval that he'd done his job well. Urs winked at him and Seb gave his shoulder a squeeze and directed him to where he needed to stand.
Next came the three pixies dropping their rose petals as they strolled down the aisle. They thought it was going flawlessly and even Kayti was doing what she had been instructed to. Then just as they reached the front of the aisle she smiled up at her Papa.
“Hi Papa. I put my flowers on the floor.”
All throughout the wedding party and the guests, sounds of chuckles and snickering were heard. Kayti smiled even bigger when she realized that she had made everyone laugh. Vicki, who was closest to her, reached out and gently directed her to her appointed spot. Amelia was happy to get closer to Vicki. She was nervous around all of the strange people.
Seb looked away from Kayti just in time to see his own bride turn the corner and begin the walk down the aisle. She may not be the bride today and not in an actual wedding dress but she was still the most lovely vision he'd ever seen in his life. Her filmy dress slid softly over her curves. She'd said it was comfortable, not making her feel like she was being squished.
She looked happy. He knew though that her back was really beginning to bother her over the last couple of days. The extra weight of the pregnancy becoming uncomfortable on her small frame. He knew that she wouldn't let it ruin her enjoyment of her best friend and sister's most special day. She met his eyes and he held them all the way until she'd taken her place and the music changed to signal the coming of the bride.
The guests stood as the Wedding March began. They turned and watched as Alex and Dan rounded the corner. Tears sprung into many eyes when they saw how beautiful she looked. Not only her dress was beautiful, which it definitely was but also the radiant face of its wearer.
Urs didn't realize that he was holding his breath until he felt the overwhelming need to get some air into his lungs. Of course he knew that she would look beautiful. Didn't all brides? But when he saw her and she raised her eyes to search for him, he was floored by her beauty. She seemed to just float on her father's arm as she came nearer to him and her smile boosted his confidence that she was as happy as he was at this moment.
He had had the same niggling worries over the past few days that maybe she would change her mind about wanting to get married. He knew she loved him but like him, this was a totally different direction that her life was taking from the path that she had envisioned for herself.
No one in the audience took pictures. The photographer and his videographer were taking care of that so they were able to fully enjoy the proceedings without worrying about getting the perfect pictures.
When they reached the front, Dan turned Alex''s arm over to Urs who still looked totally stunned. Dan smiled when he saw the look on Urs's face. He leaned in and kissed his unmarried little girl's face for the last time. In a few minutes she would be a married woman and he couldn't be happier. He stepped back to join Marie who had tears running silently down her face. He wrapped his arm around her waist and gently pulled her close to his side as they turned to watch their daughter be married.
Next to Marie, Aaron slept blissfully unaware that his parents were in the middle of the most important day of their lives. All he cared about was that he was warm and dry and thankfully had a full belly. His Oma had just fed him a bit of a bottle before the ceremony would begin.
Standing together holding hands were the bride and groom, trying to focus on what the minister was saying and making sure they gave the correct responses as required and at the same time they each had their own thoughts of how the other had made them the happiest person in the world by agreeing to join together in the sacred sacrament of marriage. They did pull themselves back from their thoughts enough to be able to recite their vows as well as add their own words.
Urs slid the ring onto her finger as he said the words the minister read to him then he held her hand in his and looked deep into her soul as he told her how she had changed his life.
“Alex Huggins, the day we literally ran into each other last December changed the course of my life forever from the moment I laid eyes on you. As we concentrated on the reuniting of our friends and our happiness for them, unknowingly our own story was beginning to unfold. I left here after that first day and thought for many hours about the impact you had had on me in those few hours we'd had together. By the time I came back and we spent those next days together, I became sure that I loved you and I was so afraid that you didn't feel the same. Now we know that we were each having the same thoughts and fears. I feel like the luckiest man on earth as I stand here with you. You have blessed me not only with yourself and your love for me that you show in everything you do but also with our son who you gave to me. Through the two of you I am finding out things about myself that I didn't even know I had in me. I am looking forward to spending the next lifetime with you and our children, creating many adventures together. But most of all I am looking forward to loving you with every breath I take. I love you Alex.”
Jens handed Urs's ring to the minister who said a prayer of blessing on it as he'd done with Alex's. Then he handed it to Alex and she had to take a moment to clear her throat which was so thick with emotion after Urs's words. Then she slid his ring on his finger and recited her own words of her love for him.
“Urs Buhler, you know as does my whole family and my friends that I was so career driven and only saw myself as a career woman and not even close to being a wife or a mother. You showed me just by being with me that I did need those things in my life. Now this new part of my life has taken over as the most important thing to me. I love being Aaron's mother and I have loved being with you every minute we have shared and now I have the rest of our lives to look forward to as we begin our lives together. You have made me the happiest woman in the world. I am so thankful for your presence in my life. I will love you forever, Urs.
During the ceremony and the following reception, the music was an eclectic mix, reflecting several different types of music. Before Alex found her new love for Popera, especially Il Divo, she listened to a great deal of country music. The song that played in the background after the giving of the rings was Amazed by Lonestar.
Like Seb and Lisa, they lit the unity candle together, showing that they were no longer two people but were now one as they joined their lives together.
Grace and Vicki had gotten together and made an arrangement for themselves to sing Ave Maria during the candle lighting and they sounded so lovely together.
When they once more stood in front of the minister, Urs and Alex were each a bit relieved that the hard part was over. They smiled out at the crowd as the minister said the words they had waited for.
“I now pronounce you man and wife. Urs, you may kiss your bride.”
Urs, with one hand lightly resting on her waist and the other laying on her cheek, he leaned into her and captured her waiting lips. He could feel her pressing closer to him as she always did. He let just the smallest bit of space come between their lips for just a second before he recaptured them in a searing kiss that had those that looked on holding their collective breath as they could see the passion that flew between them. Finally, they broke apart and everyone clapped, cheered and those that could, whistled loudly, making Alex actually blush for a change.
“Ladies and Gentlemen, Please let me introduce the new Mr. And Mrs. Urs Toni Buhler. Welcome them and give them your blessings on their marriage.”
Everyone clapped again then the minister held up his hand signaling for quiet.
Marie had already taken Aaron out of his seat. He was still sound asleep as she placed him in Urs's arms and straightened his little tux. Urs held Aaron in the crook of his right arm and had his other arm around Alex's waist as the minister began to speak again. He placed his hand on Aaron's head.
“Dear God, we ask you to bless this new marriage as they are joined together. And please bless their son, Aaron as he grows. Give him the strength to push through all of the challenges he will face in his life. And bless his parents and give them the wisdom to know how to give him the best life possible. In your Holy name, Amen.
Amens were murmured throughout the crowd as Urs hugged a very teary Alex.
Although they had already felt like it before, they were now officially a family. Together with their son, they made their way down the aisle through the smiling faces of their friends and family. The rest of the wedding party followed them out, Seb taking Lisa's arm and Carlos and David following suit with their ladies.
The formal pictures were taken, the official papers were signed to finish with the legal necessities and then they were free to party and celebrate for the next several hours with their friends and family.
While the professional wedding photos were being taken, all of the guests were either wandering around checking the place out or finding a seat under the dining tent. There were a lot of Alex's co workers attending the wedding that hadn't been here before.
Those that were caring for the babies, were taking this time before they ate to change diapers and see if the infants were hungry. Once Aaron and Carlito were taken care of they fell right back to sleep, totally oblivious to the party atmosphere. Lauren however was placed in a high chair that had been brought out for her to sit in. She was old enough to enjoy all of the people hovering around gently pinching her cheeks and talking to her. When she was tired, she would be able to nap in the pack and play that had been brought out for her.
The wedding party had taken all of their pictures and while the families were finishing their pictures, Carlos was stretching his legs and wandered outside of the tents. He saw Amelia standing over near the edge of the trees, looking up at them and it looked like she was talking to them.
He was too far away to hear what she was saying but he could see her movements. She had even started laughing as he approached her. His heart swelled with his growing love for this child. He was glad that she was settling in here, not seeming so afraid anymore. She played well with the other children and as she was learning some English, the other children were learning some Spanish from her.
"Hola, Mi pequeno amor. ¿Qué le dices a los árboles?" (What are you saying to the trees?)
"Usted es tonto. No estoy hablando con los árboles. Estoy hablando con el Pájaro. El me saludo' y me dijo que quería una galleta. Yo le dije que le tendría que preguntar a Mamá Lisa si podría conseguir una." (You're silly. I'm not talking to the trees. I'm talking to the bird. He was saying Hello to me, and he said he wants a cracker. I told him that I would have to ask Mama Lisa if I could get him one.)
Carlos laughed so hard at the little girl's imagination. Of course a bird hadn't spoken to her. She must have heard the birds chirping and mistook them.
"Hello."
Carlos looked around to see who was speaking.
"Hello, cracker please."
As Carlos continued to turn and look for who was speaking, Amelia pointed her skinny little finger up into the trees where he finally saw it.
"Ahhh you were right, my love. It is a speaking bird. But I think he should not be out here. El debe ser perdido. (He must be lost.)"
Sitting on the branch about twenty feet up, was a Scarlet Macaw.
He'd only seen them in zoos and on television. He was pretty sure that these birds did not live in the wild in Florida. Carlos turned and caught Jim's eye and beckoned him over.
Jim, Debbie and the children were all at the wedding and he hated to put Jim to work when he was enjoying himself but they really did need to alert the authorities and at least make an effort to capture it and return it to its owner or to a zoo where it could be properly cared for. He didn't know if this bird could feed itself or protect itself from predators.
Seb saw Carlos and Jim over by the woods with Amelia and they were deep in conversation and frequently looking up into the stand of trees. Out of curiosity he headed in their direction.
"Hey what's up over here?"
"Look what Amelia found." Carlos told him pointing up at the bird.
"Cracker Please." the bird said again to the new arrival.
"Papa Seb, tiene hambre. (He's hungry). can we give the bird a cracker, Por Favor?" she asked in her broken English.
"Sure we can but how will we get it down? It's awfiully high up there."
Maybe if we get some crackers it would come down on its own." Jim offered.
"It's worth a try isn't it? I'll be right back. Jim, why don't you try to call the authorities and see if they have any suggestions on what we should do if we do catch him."
"Okay, Seb."
Jim pulled out his cell phone, called information and got the local non emergency police number. When he explained the situation, they gave him both the wildlife rescue number and the local animal shelter. He called the animal shelter first and they told him that so far they had not had a report of a missing Macaw but they took phone numbers down in case someone did call looking for their lost bird. Then he called the Wildlife Rescue Center. This bird obviously wasn't wild but, maybe they would be able to help them capture it without harming the bird or themselves. Once he had explained about the bird to the receptionist, she put him through to someone who said he'd be right out with a crate in case they did wind up catching it.
Carlos brought a reluctant Amelia back to the tent so she could eat some lunch with a promise that she could see the bird again later.
Urs and Alex were just getting seated at the head table and Dan stood to let everyone know that they were all free to eat now, with Alex and Urs being sent to the buffet first. Urs took her hand and held it until they had to let go to fix their plates. He leaned forward so that his lips were right against her neck.
"How do you feel, Mrs. Buhler?" he said softly aganst her skin. Then he placed a light kiss just below her ear.
"I feel wonderful. I'm so glad that we didn't wait, Urs. It would have been so long once your tour began. Now I am your wife and I couldn't be happier."
She looked at the ring that was now on her finger. It felt so right to be married to him. She smiled up at him once more before moving along to fill her plate.
"Onkle Urs, are you gonna kiss Auntie Alex for the wedding like Mommy and Papa did at our wedding? I liked to bang on the glasses with my fork."
Sammy was next in line right behind he and Alex, with Lisa holding Kayti's hand behind Sammy.
"I think we just might do that Sammy." Urs said giving him a wink.
"Oh goody, that will be funnest."
"Don't tell Auntie Alex though. I'll surprise her okay?"
"Okay, I like prizes."
During their meal, Urs did kiss Alex, frequently, especially when spurred on by Sammy or one of the other guests tapping on their glasses.
The meal was fabulous. They had used the same catering company for Lisa and Seb's wedding as well as the Grand Opening party and had never been disappointed. Once the main meal was over, the majority of the guests moved over to the tent that was set up for music and dancing. They would return later to a clean tent to cut the cake.
Music flowed, varied by soft, slow love songs and faster, more energetic tunes for the dancers who wanted to really kick up their heels. They had begun though, by the bride and groom having their first dance as a married couple. Urs had told Alex that he would pick that song and she had tears running down her face as they danced to Bon Jovi's Thank You For Loving Me.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ESOVrc4K3CQ
Next, Alex had the Father/ Daughter dance. Marie was very emotional watching them dancing together. She remembered when Dan used to dance Alex around the living room, almost before she could walk. He would put her feet on top of his and move them both around the room. Those dances moved on as she got older to dances where she was standing alone but they would float around the room together while she sat and watched them. Now their baby was all grown up and most of her dances would be reserved for her husband, as it should be. But Marie knew that Alex would always be his little girl, no matter how old she got. She smiled as she saw Alex hug her father and kiss his cheek as the dance ended and she was returned to Urs's arms. He'd been dancing with his mother.
Ava was now dancing with Jens and when their dance ended, Ava came to relieve Marie of babysitting duties so that Urs could dance with his new mother in law.
After a few more partner changes, Urs and Alex found their way back to each other just in time for one of Alex's favorite songs, Don't Want To Miss A Thing, by Aerosmth.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vo_0UXRY_rY&NR=1
Jim came back to their table and told Debbie that they had successfully gotten the bird down. Jason Traynor from the Wildlife Center had come and just when he was about to climb a ladder to try to coax it down, the bird flew right down, landing on Amelia's shoulder.
Jim told her that everyone had been immediately concerned that the bird might bite her but he seemed content where he was and she hadn't been nervous. They'd let Amelia hold it before Jason had taken the bird and gotten it into a crate to safely transport it to the Center, where they would check to make sure it was healthy and unharmed. Then they would make all attempts to find the bird's owner. Donovan was here and had gotten his video camera out of his car that he kept in case he came upon some breaking news. He filmed a short piece that they would air on the TV news later tonight and tomorrow and they would also put notice in the newspaper. Hopefully the right people would see it.
Seb took the opportunity to speak to the young man who was stealing his cousin's heart. He inquired whether they were still corresponding and Donovan said they were and that Adrienne was hoping to come for another visit before too long.
"That's great. We'll enjoy having her here again. You do know that Adrienne and I are very close and I care for her a great deal, don't you? I mean, I know things happen in relationships but I am counting on you to do your best not to break her heart."
"I care for her too, Mr. Izambard. I just hope we can get the opportunity to see if this is going to go anywhere."
"Good, and you can call me Seb." he said as he shook the young man's hand.
Last edited by Contessa on Wed Oct 14, 2015 12:31 am; edited 1 time in total
Contessa Admin
Posts : 5300 Join date : 2008-12-13 Age : 68 Location : Urs Buhler, The man of my dreams!! Humor : I found it and as always the joke is on me!!
Jim sat watching the people who were dancing and was trying hard to strike up the courage to ask Debbie to dance. They used to love to dance together, even at home with their own stereo. He realized now, just how much he'd missed things like that. What he didn't know was that Debbie was reminiscing in her own mind about those special times of closeness between them.
She could smell his cologne and the smell that was just Jim as he sat in the chair next to her and it was doing things to her senses as she was also thinking of their dances. Part of her wanted to push those memories so far out of her mind that they would never be remembered again. But she couldn't do that. They were too precious to her. Even if they never got back together, she wanted to have at least the memories of the good times they'd had.
All of a sudden Jim's large, work roughened hand was sliding on top of the one she had lying on top of the table.
"Dance with me Deb."
She wasn't sure if it was a question, an order or a maybe plea as she turned to look at him. But as soon as she looked into his eyes she saw that he was indeed pleading with her. She wanted to refuse him. She didn't want to add any more confusion to the situation. But another part of her took over and she moved to stand and she gave him a slight nod of acceptance. This was too nice of a day to pass up the chance of maybe one last dance with her husband.
She was thrilled to be here and knew how fortunate she was to have been able to witness Urs's wedding to Alex. She had spent the last two years daydreaming about him and now as much as she still thought he was gorgeous and could listen to him sing forever without tiring of it, Debbie was very happy for him. She could see how much he loved Alex and Aaron and if you really care about someone, isn't that the best thing, to see that person just bursting with joy?
As they joined the other dancers on the floor, Jim placed his hand on her waist and gently pulled her closer to him as he held her other hand in his, just over his heart.. It was a slow song. He had chosen it so he could be as close to her as possible. He wanted, no he needed her to remember just how much they loved each other once and he hoped she still did. He knew he still loved her and if she chose to divorce him, he knew his life would never be the same and quite frankly he wasn't sure how he would deal with that as much as he knew he deserved it. He hoped to see even the smallest spark of the love she had had for him. But he prayed even more to find out that she still loved him with all of her heart as she once had.
*
"When can we go? And are we all ready to go?" Urs asked as he swayed with Alex, just barely moving to the music.
"Yes, Mami helped me to finish packing and everything is all stowed in the car. And we just need to cut the cake and then we can go."
"Oh Good, because I just can't wait to get you out of this dress."
"Why, didn't you like it?" she asked him with a sly grin on her face.
"This dress is absolutely gorgeous and even more so with you in it. But I am so looking forward to having you out of any clothes and in my arms for the first time as my wife."
"Oh that sounds good to me too. Let's find out who we need to push to get us out of here."
Within minutes, the DJ was calling for everyone to join the bride and groom to cut the cake.
Urs howled with laughter when he saw the absolutely perfect wedding cake topper that Alex had found for them. It was a male and female bear sitting on a motorcycle and they were dressed in their wedding clothes and the female had her wedding bouquet in her hand.
By mutual agreeement, they kept things clean and neat as they lovingly fed each other a piece of the cake that had been cut for them. Now each of them just eager to finish the traditional things that people expected of them so they could be on their way.
Mom reminded Alex that she would need to throw her bouquet and the extra bouquet was brought out, as Alex wanted to keep hers. Saying goodbye and thank you to everyone was done as quickly as possible without seeming rude.
Urs made sure that Jens was still okay with house sitting and taking care of Max and Bella for the few days they'd be gone. He told them he'd really enjoyed the dogs and like Urs, he was always in the training mode even as they played together.
Mami had once more offered to just keep Aaron home for them but, as before they both declined knowing there was no way they could totally enjoy themselves away from Aaron for three days.
So Marie called for all of the unmarried ladies to gather out on the open lawn so that Alex could give the bouquet a good toss. She turned her back to them and let it sail high over her head. She turned and watched the scrambling and smiled when she saw that Deanna had come up with it.
She and Deanna had had several talks since the events last December. Alex really admired the courage it took for Deanna to tell her and the authorities what she knew of what Jenna had done at the party. Since then Alex and Deanna weren't exactly best friends but, at least there wasn't the uncomfortable air between them anymore. And now it seemed that Deanna had herself a pretty serious relationship going with one of the TV station staff that had been hired since she'd been on leave. Deanna looked like a much happier person than Alex remembered ever seeing the younger woman. She smiled as she saw Deanna blushing and smiling at her young man as the crowd clapped for her.
Mom had Aaron and she quickly checked and changed his diaper so he would be ready to travel. Alex hurried inside and changed into a new skirt and top that she'd bought for today. She would have liked to stay in the dress a while longer but it wasn't practical when she needed to be able to nurse Aaron. She had actually been getting rather uncomfortable over the last hour as her breasts had filled with milk in the form fitting dress. Mom told her to leave it there and she would see that it was taken care of.
The limo was slowly pulled over closer to the tents. Urs got Aaron's seat securely buckled inside and then stood back up to say goodbye to everyone and as Alex stood beside him, they were pelted with showers of bird seed from every side. All of the children loved being able to throw it and began throwing it at everyone and before you knew it it was a free for all with everyone getting in on the bird seed fight. Alex and Urs had even gotten into it and then with one last wave, they slipped into the limo with Mami climbing in after them and they pulled away, hearing cheers for them as they left the driveway.
It was still early for the rest of the partiers and it was several hours before this party wound down.
Debbie sat at her kitchen table letting her mind wander over the events of the last few hours. The wedding had been beautiful and a great time had been had by all. It had moved along as planned for everyone........except for her.
That dance that Jim had initiated had quickly turned into much more. She touched her lips where he had slowly, almost imperceptibly touched his lips to hers as they danced. When she had flinched as if she was going to back away, Jim had backed off and just pulled her back against him as they continued to dance.
Things had changed when she had lifted her head to look into his eyes as they moved to the song. A lump had formed swiftly in her throat. She did want him to kiss her. As much as she had tried to deny these feelings and to bury the love they'd shared, she couldn't. She knew he wasn't the same man now as he was when they had gone through the bad times leading up to and after he'd left them. She also knew that he loved her and the children with all of his heart. It was so obvious that he was trying to prove that to her each and every day, not in words as much as with his actions.
He had been faithful in helping her get all of her past due bills taken care of and now she was current with everything for the first time in several years. The loss of that stress was immeasurable. On top of that, daily he made sure to do everything he could to lessen her load with raising their children, especially when the boys got out of hand, trying to see how far they could push her. He was always quick to scold or discipline as needed if he saw them being disrespectful. And probably most important as far as the children were concerned, he made sure to make time for each of them every day as much as possible and to be available to them if they wanted his attention.
These things had brought them almost back to being a family. Their children, especially the boys were seeming to trust him more each day. Hannah would probably have issues off and on for quite some time but they had definitely made progress. Jim had even taken her out on a Daddy date to dinner and a goofy teen movie and Debbie could see the happiness on her daughter's face when they had returned that night. But up until now Debbie had tightly closed her heart to any possibiliy of the two of them reuniting. She was so afraid of giving her heart back to him, in case he would break it all over again.
At first Jim hadn't responded when she had closed the space between their lips. She thought he was probably in a state of shock. She didn't back away though and she began to be afraid that she'd waited too long when he didn't seem to want her kiss. But just a moment later he wrapped both arms around her and pulled her tightly to him and kissed her until they both needed to come up for air.
He had leaned in for one more soft kiss then had gone to Lisa and to Hannah to ask if they would help keep an eye on the boys for a while. Lisa had seen their kiss and wanted to jump up and down in excitement. Instead she just told them to take their time and the boys would be fine.
They had gone off together, Jim taking a hold of her hand once they had gone around the house to the gazebo that he knew Debbie liked to sit in. For several moments they just sat on the swing in silence, rocking slowly, her hand still resting in his. Then he heard her sniffle and tipped her chin up to see her face awash with tears.
"I'm afraid, Jim. I know I would die if you broke my heart again." she said between sobs.
"I'm sorry, Baby. I am so so sorry I hurt you. I couldn't blame you if you could never forgive me, but I promise things will never be that way again. I know you may have trouble believing that but all I can do is spend the rest of my life proving it to you. Please give me another chance to show you how much I love you....Please."
"I want our family back Jim. I really do. Is it that simple for us to just go back to how it was before?"
"No, it will never be the same as before. Because now I know what I have to lose if I was to screw up again and I promise you I will never let that happen. I've missed you and the children so much. I felt so hollow without all of you."
She believed what he said. She had seen a changed man these last weeks as they tried to coexisit here in all the awkwardness between them.
"I don't want to pressure you. You take all the time you need, Deb. I just need to make sure that you know how much I love you."
"I love you too, Jim. We've wasted so much time. I don't want to be alone anymore. I've been so lonely without you."
Jim pulled her into his arms and just held her against him, almost afraid to believe he'd heard the words she just said. She rested her head against his chest and settled there as they rocked the swing together. He wanted to give her some time to think about all they'd just said and after a while he tipped her chin up and kissed her with all of the built up longing he had for her.
"Please Deb, let me come home. I don't want to be without you for one more night."
She was quiet for several moments and he was afraid that she would refuse him, say that it was too soon.
"I don't either. Can you tell Lisa and Seb that they can have the bedroom back. Come home tonight."
He'd hugged her to him and had tried to sit still there with her but after only a few minutes, he couldn't sit still any longer. He kissed her and told her he was going to start packing his belongings together and after the guests had left, he would move what was necessary tonight and have the boys help him get the rest tomorrow.
So that was where he was now. All but a few guests had left and Jim was up in his room in the main house packing his things.
She still had some feelings of fear that were trying to hang on but she knew if she took him back, she would have to rid herself of them once and for all or their marriage would fall apart again and forever this time.
They had gathered their children together away from the reception and told them that their father was coming home to live with them. Of course, the boys didn't think twice. They just whooped and hollered with joy and promised to help him get his stuff from the other house. Hannah had quietly hugged her father and tried to hide her tears. He knew that he still had a long way to go to permanently regain her trust of him.
When they had told Lisa and Seb, Lisa had hugged them both and Seb had hugged her and shook Jim's hand but Jim had pulled Seb in and hugged him too, thanking him for his part in reuniting him with his family.
When she heard Jim and the boys coming up the porch steps, she hurried over and held the door open for them as they carried his things in. It seemed like they had wound up getting more than just a few things for tonight.
"These guys sure were a great help. There's only a few things to get tomorrow."
Everyone had eaten so much today, there was no need to make a big meal. The boys who were always hungry, had a platefull of some pizza rolls dipped in marinara sauce while they played a video game. They had done well all day not hounding their parents about going in the house to play. They had been told that today was to be an outside day.
Jim and Debbie sat on the couch together snuggled up watching their boys playing. Hannah emerged from her room now and then but had spent the majority of the evening on the phone with Amanda and Jenny, telling them both about the wedding and her father coming home.
A few hours later with the house quiet and dark, Jim held out his hand to Debbie and she had a shy smile as she placed her hand in his, almost as if this was to be their first time sleeping together. They both had their nerves to deal with, worried that after these years had passed, would the intimate part of their marriage be the same? There had been no need to worry. They were made for each other and after loving each other long into the night, they had slept comfortably in each other's arms.
Lisa was pacing their bedroom when Seb came in for bed that night.
"Is something wrong, Baby?"
"Just my back screaming at me. You saw me. I stayed off my feet most of the day. No one would let me do anything but still my back is really hurting now."
"I wish I could do something to help. We've tried that massaging that they showed us at the birthing classes but you said that made it hurt more."
"I know Seb. It's alright. It won't be long now... at least I hope not."
"Can we try to get some sleep? Maybe that will help."
"Yeah, let's try. We do need the rest for when I do go into labor."
They both fell asleep rather quickly after the long day. They got up in the morning and Lisa's back was still hurting but not as bad as yesterday. Seb helped Jim and the boys finish moving his things over and Jim told them to just keep the bedroom set in there for now. They might need it in a pinch if they got an unexpected child.
Lisa spent a good portion of the morning reclining in the library. It did help in the early part of the day to have her feet up. But as mid day approached, the back pain began again with an occasional pain shooting around her middle. After talking to Mary and Maman, they decided to call the doctor.
The doctor told Lisa to go to the hospital and let them check to see if she was actually having contractions and to see if she had dilated any. If they said that she was indeed going into labor, she would be on her way in to deliver the baby. On Lisa's last visit four days ago, she had dilated to almost one centimeter but the doctor told her that she could stay in that state for a week or more before she had any further progress.
They took her hospital bag, just in case they wound up admitting her. It was also filled with some things for Seb to do in the long hours before the actual birth as well as after. He also took his laptop so he could contact his family and friends in one email when Jessica arrived.
She kissed the children goodbye and told them that maybe the next time they saw her, she might have their baby sister to show them.
When they got to the hospital, they set her up on a monitor to check for contractions, they also did a sonogram to make sure that Jessica was facing head down as she should be and everything in that department looked fine. The monitor showed occassional contractions. Some were even fairly strong but after several hours of no change in the intensity or the spacing of the contractions, she and Seb were sent home. They were told to call or come back if things got moving along any faster.
Lisa tried to keep in good spirits when they were back at the house but she was so uncomfortable and it had been frustrating to be sent home when she had been so sure that they would keep her and she would have the baby today or tonight. Now it looked like she could be roaming around miserable for several more days like this.
She was getting tired and Seb found her hiding away in the library, crying from the pain in her back.
"Why are you hiding this from me? At least let me comfort you."
"I'm not hiding from you, Seb. I just don't want to scare the little ones. They won't understand."
"I understand that, Love. Why don't we go outside and walk for a bit. The nurses said it might help."
Lisa bit back the smart retort that had threatened to fly out at him. She had been walking for the last several hours and it wasn't helping one bit. Of course they meant that it might help bring on more regular contractions but right now she was in too ill of a mood to care, which was another reason to stay away from the children as much as possible. She didn't want to wind up snapping at one of them and hurting their feelings.
She reluctantly followed him out and it did brighten her sprits to see Jim and Debbie sitting outside on the porch of their house together.
"You did a wonderful thing, Mr. Izambard."
"Why thank you, Mrs. Izambard." he said and dropped a feather light kiss on her lips.
They wandered around the yard, seeing that everything had been cleaned up from yesterday's events. Lisa tired after a while and Seb held her arm as they climbed the steps to go back inside.
He settled her on the sofa in the living room and went to the kitchen to get her a cup of hot tea. It might settle her for a while.
Hannah came over and helped to entertain the children until it was their bedtime. Once the children were in bed for the night, Seb helped Lisa to climb the stairs and they retired to their room. Lisa was pacing the room, obviously in pain again.
"Is it worse?" He so wanted her to say that it was and that they needed to go back to the hospital. He didn't know how much more he could handle of seeing her in so much pain and this was only the beginning. He knew it would get worse, much worse before it was over.
"No, about the same and they aren't any closer together yet. I do think I've been having more strong contractions than I was before. It's just that they are so far apart still."
He convinced her to lie down and try to sleep for a while and when he woke up a few hours later, she wasn't in the bedroom. He realized that she was in the bathroom.
"Hi Baby. Are you all right?"
"I just thought a hot shower might help. I am having more contractions but they aren't very strong in my belly. It's all in my back."
"Can I get you something, maybe some of that sleepytime tea you like?"
"That sounds good, Thank you."
Seb ran his fingers down her cheek and kissed her.
"I just feel so helpless. I wish I could help you more."
"You are doing everything you can and I love you."
"I love you too, Ma Cherie. I'll be right back." he said softly and sounding rather choked up.
He'd only been gone just long enough to run the puppies out for a few minutes while the tea was heating and then he'd come right back up. When he entered the bathroom, Lisa was standing holding onto the counter. Down at her feet was a good sized puddle, which he thought was from her shower.
"My water broke and I feel really funny. It's hard to move."
"What do you want me to do?"
"I guess I need to get dressed so we can go to the hospital now. Could you bring me something to wear?"
Seb was laying towels on the floor so she wouldn't slip and fall.
"Sure." he said as he was already heading back out into the bedroom.
He brought her some clothes and went back out to get himself dressed. They had left the things for the hospital out in the Escalade so they wouldn't have to worry about remembering them when the time came.
He was just slipping his feet into his shoes when she called to him. "Seb, Please hurry. I really think something's happening here." she said sounding very distressed.
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Posts : 5300 Join date : 2008-12-13 Age : 68 Location : Urs Buhler, The man of my dreams!! Humor : I found it and as always the joke is on me!!
He rushed back over to the bathroom and saw her sinking to the floor. She looked up at him, looking very afraid.
"Seb, I think she's coming."
"Okay, I just need to grab my keys and we're ready to go." he said as he helped her to sit back up on the closed toilet.
"NO Seb. I mean, I think she's coming right now."
She had managed to put on her bra and the sundress that he'd brought her and then a very long contraction had gripped her so hard that she couldn't stand any longer. She was trying to remember the breathing techniques they had tought her at the birthing classes but right now she was having trouble remembering anything.
"Seb get Maman or Mary, or maybe even both of them. I don't think I'm going to make it to the hospital."
"This can't be happening." Seb thought to himself. She should be delivering at the hospital so that she had medical help if she needed it. He was becoming very afraid of what was about to happen.
He knocked on his mother's door and told her to hurry. Mary heard the noise in the hall and came to find out what was wrong. When she found out, she told Seb that she would call 911 so they could send an ambulance. Maybe they would get here and help to get her to the hospital before the baby came.
Seb and Maman came to the bathroom together and found Lisa in the middle of another strong contraction.
"I'm scared, Seb." she said when the contraction had eased a bit.
"We'll be just fine, even if we have to deliver her ourselves." Maman told them, trying to calm them both. She could see that her son was just as afraid as Lisa, even though he wasn't saying so. "Do you have any of that plastic sheeting left that the construction crew was using? I'd like to try to get her up off of the floor and onto the bed."
"I'll find some, Maman." Seb said and ran off to look for it. He passed Mary in the hall as she headed for the master bedroom and she was on the phone with 911.
"Yes, I'm heading in there right now. I'm here. Her husband is here and his mother as well."
The 911 operator gave Mary a list of information he needed, starting with could they see the baby yet. She had already told him that the water had broken about fifteen minutes ago but they couldn't see the baby yet. He told her that was good.
Seb rushed past her with a large piece of plastic which he laid on the bed, then covered it with the sheet. They all worked together to help Lisa onto the bed in between contractions that were suddenly coming almost one right after the other..
Maman went and wet a cloth to wipe Lisa's forehead with as Mary was answering the questions to the person on the phone. He promised her that help was on the way.
"Oh God, I need to push." Lisa said, frightened that she should not be here doing this.
"No, tell her not to push." the operator said.
"He says not to push, Honey. Just breathe." Mary said and reminded her how she should be breathing.
Lisa was trying, she really was, but she could feel an unbelievable pressure that wasn't stopping even when she wasn't pushing.
"I can't help it. I think she's coming."
"Tell her to keep breathing and whatever she does, don't push." he said again as he could hear her words. "keep watching to see if the baby is crowning."
"Try to breathe, Baby. Help is coming." Seb said, hoping it was true and they would be here soon.
Seb was sitting down by her hip and when Lisa let out a long scream and he could see that she was pushing, he looked down just in time to see his daughter's head emerging.
"What do we do?" He said to Mary. "Should we push her back in?"
Mary told the operator that the baby's head was coming out and should they try to stop it. He told them no, to just let it ease out slowly and for her not to push hard or she would tear.
After Mary relayed the information, Seb placed his hands under the baby's head and supported it as Lisa gave a long gentle push to deliver the shoulders and then the rest of her body just slid right on out into his hands.
"Oh My God." he said as he looked down at his daughter. She wasn't crying but just looking up at him. "She's beautiful, Baby, just perfect." he said with huge tears streaming down his face.
When he'd seen the videos of births during the prenatal classes, he just thought it looked really nasty with all of the blood and fluids surrounding the newborns. But now, looking down at his little girl, he barely even noticed all of that. All he saw was his daughter looking right into his eyes.
"What's happening?" the operator asked.
"The baby is here, but she's not crying. What should we do?" Mary asked him.
First of all, get her wrapped up in a couple of bath towels, including over her head with just her face uncovered to keep her warm and rub her briskly all over to stimulate her."
"What about the cord.? It's still attached."
"Just leave it for now. Don't cut it. The paramedics will decide whether to cut it or leave it until they arrive at the hospital."
They were just hearing the sounds of the siren wailing in the distance and Seb asked Maman to go push the button to open the gate at the road.
He and Mary got Jessica wrapped up in several large bath sheets and rubbed her body, arms and legs.
"Look at her Baby, she's so beautiful."
"Why isn't she crying, Seb." she asked and just then Jessica opened her mouth wide and let out a long wail at the treatment she was being given. She continued to cry, opening up her lungs, as they continued to massage her.
The operator was told that the paramedics were on their way in and he congratulated them on the birth and on them doing a great job before hanging up.
Seb drew Jessica against his chest and leaned down and began to softly sing the lullaby he'd sang to her each night against Lisa's belly for the last several months. In only a few seconds, her crying stopped and she seemed to be listening as he sang to her. Her big eyes blinking against the bright lights of the bedroom.
Just as the paramedics were entering the bedroom, Lisa had another contraction that delivered the placenta. So they clamped off the cord and let Seb cut it.
They laid the baby on the bed and while one of the paramedics attended to Lisa, making sure that she was alright and that her bleeding was as it should be, the other was unwrapping Jessica and doing a quick check to make sure she was breathing well on her own.
"Is she alright?" Lisa asked.
"She looks just fine. She's beautiful." the female paramedic told her. Once she was sure that the baby was okay, she wrapped her in a foil looking blanket and told them that it was designed to keep her warm until they got her to the hospital.
"Dad, why don't you go get changed while we get your wife ready to go."
Lisa leaned back against the pillows and let herself relax for the first time.
It was then that Seb looked down and saw that he was indeed covered in all of the messy fluids from the birth. He just smiled up a goofy smile as he realized that he had just delivered his own baby. He did go and change really quickly and when he came back into the room, they had Lisa on the stretcher and ready to head downstairs.
"Dad, do you want to hold your daughter while we go down the stairs?"
"Sure." he said reaching out for her.
Maman and Mary each took one last peek at her before they headed out of the room.
Just as they were passing, Jeremy opened his door. Surprisingly, he was the only one who was awakened by all of the commotion.
"Mom, what's wrong? Are you sick?" he asked, looking afraid.
"No Baby. I'm just fine. Jessica decided not to wait until I went to the hospital to come out. See, Papa has her there."
Jeremy stepped over to Seb and looked at the bundle he was holding. Seb leaned her down so Jeremy could see her face.
"She's really little isn't she?"
"Yes, but she will grow quickly and before we know it she'll be chasing all you bigger kids all over the house." Seb told him.
"Go back to bed Sweetheart. Mary and Grandmere will be here with you and Papa will be home later."
"When will you be home?"
"In a day or two, after the doctors check me and Jessica out. Can you be a big help with the little kids for me?"
"I will Mama. I love you."
"I love you too, baby. I'll see you soon." Lisa leaned over and hugged him, then he backed up and watched the tricky maneuver of getting the stretcher down the long, curved flight of stairs.
Mary shuffled him back off to bed and made sure he was settled before going to help Marlene clean up the bedroom and bathroom.
The stretcher was settled into the ambulance and the female paramedic reached out to take Jessica from Seb. He paused to push back the part of the blanket that had fallen over her face so he could kiss her cheek.
"Papa will see you in a few minutes, Ma Petite."
After he handed Jessica up into the ambulance and she was placed on Lisa's chest, he looked into Lisa's eyes. His own were shining with unshed tears.
"I love you, Baby and I'm so proud of you. I'll be right behind you."
"Alright, and I love you too." she said smiling down at him as she held Jessica tightly against her.
He followed right behind them and she was taken right into the emergency department, not stopping there but heading right on up to the labor and delivery floor. Her doctor had been called and informed of the birth and she was going to be waiting up there to check Lisa out to be sure that she was alright after the untimely birth.
Jessica was whisked off to the nursery to have her own checkup and to get her first bath. The nurse asked Seb if he wanted to come with her to the nursery. He hesitated as if he couldn't decide. He wanted to stay with Lisa but he also wanted to be with Jessica.
"Go Seb. I'll be fine. Do you have the camera? You can take pictures for me."
"Yes, I have it. Are you sure? I'll stay here if you want me to."
"No I'd rather you were with Jessica since I can't be."
He kissed her lips and paused with his forehead leaning gently on hers. "I love you so much."
"I know. Thank you for helping me through that. Can you believe that you delivered her? That’s so great."
"Well, I guess it is but I sure didn't think so at the time. I was so scared something was going to go wrong."
"Well, it didn't and you were amazing. Now go be with our daughter and tell her Mommy loves her."
As soon as the doctor had finished checking Lisa out and she had declared that everything was as it should be. She told her that she would probably be released tomorrow morning as long as everything still looked alright.
"Get some sleep now, Mama. You'll need it." She told Lisa with a smile.
Lisa decided that she should call Mom and let them know about Jessica's arrival. It was now almost six on Monday morning and Dad would be getting ready for work.
She was really sleepy and her eyes wanted to close as she listened to the phone ringing.
"Hello." Dan said, not recognising the phone number that had come up on his Caller ID.
"Hi Dad."
"Lisa? Where are you?"
"At the hospital. Jessica was born two hours ago."
"Oh Honey congratulations. Are you and the baby alright?"
"Dan, what's going on?" Lisa heard Mom saying in the background. He told her and she grabbed the phone from him.
"Lisa? You had the baby? You should have called us. We would have come up there while you were in labor."
"I would have, Mom but Jessica wasn't born here. She was born at home. Seb delivered her. He was amazing, Mom. My back was hurting so bad and I took a shower. Then my water broke and as soon as that happened it all went so fast. She was born just a few minutes before the paramedics got there."
"Are you both alright?"
"I'm fine, just really tired and I think she is.They've taken her to the nursery to check her out. Seb went with her."
"Tell her we'll be up in just a bit." Dan called from the other room.
"I heard him Mom. I'll see you when you get here. I can't wait for you to see her. She's so beautiful."
"Well of course she is." Mom laughed.
They spoke for just a few more minutes until Mom could hear that Lisa was fading.
"Get some sleep. We love you. We'll see you in a while."
"Okay Mom. I love you too."
Lisa barely got the phone hung up before she drifted off to sleep, unbothered by the back pains that had been prevalent for the last couple of weeks.
Seb was sitting in the chair next to Lisa's bed with Jessica sleeping in his arms when Mom and Dad came into the room. He silently put his finger up to his lips and pointed that Lisa was sleeping. He hadn't woken her since he and Jessica had come from the nursery. The nurses had given Jessica an ounce of sugar water to ease her hungry belly until Lisa had a chance for a nap.
They moved to the far side of the room as Seb passed Jessica to her Grandma. She was no longer totally buried in the big warming blanket but was now all fresh and clean from her first bath and swaddled in a white hospital blanket, her head covered with a little pink hat.
Marie sat down in a chair and just had to unwrap her and get a look just to make sure she had all of her fingers and toes, which of course she did. Then she pulled the hat off to reveal a head full of the fuzziest white blonde hair, which seemed funny since Lisa and Seb had dark hair. Seb reminded her that he had been blonde as a child. They weren't sure about Lisa since they had no pictures of her when she was an infant.
Dan had his turn at holding the tiny infant before he had to hand her back to Marie. He could just see her fingers itching to get to hold her again.
Marie put the hat back on and was starting to wrap her back up in the blanket but obviously wasn't quite fast enough. Jessica woke up and immediately began voicing her displeasure at being unwrapped, exposed to the cool air except for a tiny diaper and a white t-shirt. Seb took her and tried to sing softly into her ear but she was having none of it. Her cries got louder and louder.
Lisa sat up with a start.
"Lauren's awake." she said and immediately realized where she was and what had happened. "Oh My God. That's Jessica."
"Hello, my Love. Yes, this is our Jessica Marie and I think she's hungry." he said as he handed the baby to her mother.
As soon as Jessica heard Lisa's voice, she went from a very loud, boisterous cry to a small mewling cry, almost as if she was having a conversation with Lisa.
"I guess I need to head out of here for a bit. Would anyone like some coffee or anything else?" Dan said.
"I'm starving." Lisa said.
"I could drink a cup of coffee." Marie told him.
As much as he wanted to stay with Lisa and Jessica, Seb decided he'd go to the cafeteria with Dan and let the ladies have a few minutes alone. He kissed both of his girls before they left.
"How do you feel, Honey?" Marie asked when the men had gone.
"Tired and a little sore but actually much better than I've felt in weeks. I don't know if she was lying on a nerve or what and then the contractions I had seemed to be mostly in my back. It was terrible. Now that is all gone, I can handle the rest of the discomfort."
Just then a woman came in that introduced herself and said that she was the lactation specialist and if Lisa planned to nurse the baby, she would help her get started seeing it was her first baby. Lisa was grateful for the help. She had seen Vicki and Alex nursing and they made it look easy but she was still nervous that she might not get the hang of it and she really did want to nurse Jessica. After a few false starts and a little frustration both on Lisa's and Jessica's parts, Jessica finally latched on and by the time she switched to the other breast several minutes later, Jessica latched on there with no trouble at all.
"Sometimes it's a little harder when they are really hungry because they are over eager and try to latch on before they are in the right spot. Then they get upset and it makes it even harder."
She told Lisa about drinking plenty of fluids, especially water and switching which breast she started to nurse on each time.
"A lot of the time, the second breast won't get emptied if their bellys get full."
She also showed her the different positions to try in holding her if Jessica wound up being hard to burp, which didn't wind up being the case as she let out a loud burp with just a few pats on her back.
Lisa was out of bed and just finishing changing a wet diaper when Seb and Dad came back. Seb was also carrying the bag he'd forgotten to bring in in his excitement earlier. It had her nightgown and robe she'd packed to wear in the hospital. She excused herself and went to change into them and felt more like herself once she was out of the hospital garb and had brushed her teeth and washed up a bit. She'd been told she could shower later. Then she went to find out what he'd brought her to eat. She was really hungry now.
As she passed Jessica on her way to the bed, she stopped for a minute and ran her finger down her soft cheek. Jessica had already fallen back to sleep since her belly was full and she had a dry diaper. Lisa couldn't get enough of looking at her. She and Seb had created this beautiful baby together. A tear escaped as she looked at her.
"Sorry, must be hormones." she said when she realized they were all watching her.
"You don't have to apologize. I remember feeling the same way when Alex was born. The enormity of it, that we had created such a beautiful child together." Marie said, smiling up at her husband.
"Yes, that's exactly what I was thinking." Lisa said.
She got comfortable in the bed while Seb pulled out and unwrapped the bacon, egg and cheese sandwich on an English muffin.
"Oh thank you. That looks good."
While she ate, she asked him for details. Since Jessica hadn't been born in the hospital with all of the waiting equipment, they'd had to wait for the particulars like height and weight.
"She is 19 inches long and weighes six pounds and seven ounces."
"Perfect. Not too tiny and not too big either." Mom said.
"And the pediatrician said her lungs and heart sound just fine;
"That's good. I know she sounds like she has your lungs when she's crying........We need to call Alex and Urs. I just don't want them coming home early. They'll be home tomorrow night anyway. We'll probably be home by the time they get back. But I know she would never forgive me if I didn't at least call and tell her that she's an Auntie again."
"Okay, you call them and I'll call David and Carlos."
Marie gave Lisa the number for the resort Urs and Alex were staying at in case the cell phones weren't working. Then she took a few pictures.
Dan said they needed to go so he could get to work. They kissed and hugged Lisa, held the baby once more and kissed her before they left, leaving Seb and Lisa alone with their daughter.
Seb took a few minutes to call David and Carlos and then he picked Jessica up and held her close to his heart as he walked around the room. He was still holding her as he sat next to Lisa on the bed.
"We did good, didn't we?" Lisa said to him.
"We sure did. She is so pretty. I love the fuzzy hair. It's so soft."
"If it stays like that, we won't be able to do a thing with it." she said smiling as she ran her fingers through it. "I hope it gets curly like yours was."
When the nurse came in a while later to check Lisa's blood pressure and temperature, she found the little family sound asleep on the bed together with the baby snuggled in Lisa's arms in the middle.
Contessa Admin
Posts : 5300 Join date : 2008-12-13 Age : 68 Location : Urs Buhler, The man of my dreams!! Humor : I found it and as always the joke is on me!!
Alex was in the bathroom drying her hair after their particularly long shower this morning. This was the second day of their marriage and they only had today as their last full day of their honeymoon at the seaside resort they were staying at. Urs did promise that as soon as they had the time, he would take her on a real honeymoon trip. He kept saying how excited he was to take her to Switzerland and France as well as London so she could see their other homes.
He came into the doorway and leaned against the doorjam with a grin befitting the Cheshire Cat.
"I know something that you don't know but I know that you would like to know."
"Urs Buhler, you sound like you're in the second grade. Is someone on the phone?"
"Yes, but I still know something that you don't." he said with his grin getting even wider if that was possible.
"Oh for heaven's sake. Let me have my phone." she said and after he'd passed it over she gave him a playful swat on the behind as he turned to walk away, still smiling like a fool.
"Hello?" Alex said, still not knowing who she was talking to and all she heard was someone laughing. Then she heard a young baby cry.
"Mami, is that you?" It didn't sound like Aaron, but maybe the phone would make him sound different.
"No, it's Lisa and you have your hands full with that husband of yours."
"Oh don't I know it. So what's this that he knows and I don't?' As soon as she asked the question and put the sound of the baby crying with it, she squealed.
"Oh My God. Lisa. Is that Jessica crying?"
"Yes, Auntie Alex. It is our new little princess and I can't wait for you to see her."
"I can't wait either. Tell her she's a naughty girl for not waiting for me to get back. We won't be home until late afternoon or early evening tomorrow. Now I wish I had brought my laptop with me. I didn't bring it since we were only going for a few days. I knew I wouldn't have time to use it."
"Don't worry. I've already told Urs to go to the lobby and ask for use of theirs. Seb is already uploading some pictures from the memory card onto his laptop to send out."
"Okay, we were just getting ready to go down to see Aaron then go out for the day. So we'll stop in the lobby and get into my email from there. Are you both doing alright? How long was your labor and when was she born?"
"Okay, one question at a time. First, we are both fine. She was born at four o'clock this morning. She weighs six pounds seven ounces and is nineteen inches long. As far as my labor, they said I wasn't in full labor when we came to the hospital yesterday around lunch time. They sent us home but my back was killing me. We went to bed and I woke up really hurting bad in my back so I decided to see if a shower would help. It didn't really and shortly after I'd gotten out, Seb woke up and he went to get me some tea. Just before he came back upstairs, my water broke and we decided we'd better go back to the hospital. We didn't make it. As we were getting dressed, I began to feel some major contractions and a lot of pressure. Jessica wound up being born on our bed at home."
"What? Wow, Lisa. I'm so glad everything is alright. That must have been scary."
"Yes, I was afraid but I think Seb was even worse. But you should have seen his face as he delivered her and held her in his hands for the first time. She just laid there looking at him. She wasn't even crying yet. It was so beautiful seeing the wonder on his face as he looked at her."
"Of course Urs didn't deliver Aaron, but I know exactly what you mean about seeing them holding the babies. It takes my breath away to see Aaron's little body being safely held in Urs's big strong hands."
"Seb sang to her when she did start crying and you could tell she was listening. He's been singing to her for months and you could tell that she recognised it."
"Isn't that amazing? When Urs sings to Aaron, most of the time it calms him right down. Lisa, Urs is ready to head out and you sound tired. I'll call you later. Give Jessica a kiss from her Auntie and tell Dr. Izambard congratulations on the delivery. I love you and I'll see you tomorrow."
"I love you too. Enjoy the rest of your honeymoon."
Lisa was sleeping later that afternoon when the noise level in the room rose sharply. She opened her eyes to find Mom and Dad there again but they had brought Maman and the five oldest children with them. Mary had stayed home with Lauren. They came bearing gifts of some flowers and several tiny little girl outfits for Jessica.
They were all excited, all wanting to be the first to see and hold the new baby, all except for Kayti. All she wanted was for Mama to hold her. She didn't like it when she woke up this morning and Mama and Papa were both not there. So Lisa let her snuggle up against her in the bed. Kayti just leaned back against her and watched what was going on around her.
The children all looked at the tiny baby in awe as Seb moved her from one lap to another, making sure they were gentle and holding her correctly.
"Mommy, is she going to live with us too?" Sammy asked.
"Of course she is. Jessica is your new sister."
Sammy looked like he had something heavy on his mind. He was looking very intently at the baby. Then finally he looked back up at Lisa.
"Where is she going to sleep? Cuz I don't want Lauren to go to nuther house."
"Sammy, for a long time, Jessica will sleep in the cradle in Mommy's and Papa's room and Lauren will stay in the nursery. She isn't going anywhere."
"Oh......okay." he said sounding very relieved. After that he was happy to look at Jessica and touch her little fingers.
David, Grace, Carlos and Vicki arrived a short time later, each couple with large gift baskets of baby items, leaving very little room to move around in the hospital room.
After a few minutes of checking the baby out, the three oldest children were just as happy to go around the room and look in the closets and the bathroom and play with the television remote. Seb finally took them all down to the cafeteria with Grandpa to get something to eat. Kayti almost didn't go but Lisa promised her that they would come back up to say goodnight to her before they left.
David, Carlos and the girls took a few minutes to hold the new baby, congratulating them on their beautiful daughter, then said goodbye and that they would come by the house in a couple of days once Lisa had gotten some rest..
Besides a few seconds before they left for the hospital, Maman hadn't gotten to hold Jessica. So she was thrilled for the chance now and sat in the rocker and looked her Grandaughter in the eyes, seeing Seb's green eyes just as he looked when he was a newborn. She could see Lisa's features though too so for now she seemed to be a mix of both of her parents.
Lisa told Mom that she had called Alex and told her and it seemed as if they were having a great time away at the resort.
When they came back from the cafeteria, most of the kids were covered in chocolate ice cream, they spent just a few more minutes visiting, then they all headed home to get baths and get ready for bed. Jeremy and Holly had school tomorrow and they were told that maybe by the time they got home, she and Jessica would be there.
Not long after, they had a short visit from Debbie and Hannah. They also brought a gift for the baby. It was an outfit and a little comb and brush set which Lisa thanked them for. They all laughed when Lisa showed them Jessica's hair that was almost like a newly hatched chick's feathers and she used the new brush to try to make it lay down and was quite unsuccessful for the moment.
Lisa wanted to ask Debbie how things were going between her and Jim but felt like that might not be a conversation to have with Hannah sitting there. So she would wait for a better time.
They didn't stay long. Debbie knew how tired Lisa was and tomorrow she would be home and thrust back into the life with all of the other kids as well as recovering from giving birth and taking care of the new baby.
Seb was glad that they finally had some time alone. He wasn't upset about the visitors but once they were home tomorrow, they would have precious little time alone together and then next week he and the guys would be starting their busy promotion schedule for the release of The Promise. So he took advantage of the relative quiet of the hospital and snuggled with his wife and their new baby. He left for a short time later to go out and get them a special celebration dinner that he brought back to the hospital. Lisa was glad for the restaurant meal. The hospital food wasn't all that great.
No one bothered them during the night. They only woke when Jessica did and as soon as her needs were met, she went right back to sleep.
In the morning, Seb left just long enough to go home and shower, change and pick up the new infant car seat for the baby. Lauren wasn't big enough yet to move up into the bigger seat. So they would have two in infant seats for a while.
She relaxed and made a couple of calls, including to Brenda to announce Jessica's arrival.
By the time Seb returned, Lisa had taken her own shower and gotten dressed and had already been given her discharge papers, so she was free to go as soon as Jessica had finished with her final check up from the pediatrician.
The pediatrican came into the room pushing Jessica's little crib in front of him.
"She's all set to go home."
"She's alright then?"
"She passed with flying colors. There's a note with a phone number on her discharge papers for you to make an appointment for two weeks from now for her check up." He wished them well and left them to finish getting ready to go.
A nurse accompanied them down in the elevator, Lisa in a wheelchair, holding Jessica. She told the nurse that she felt just fine but, the nurse told her that it was hospital policy for the patient to be in a wheelchair until they reached the door upon discharge. Seb walked beside them, carrying the rest of their belongings that he hadn't already taken to the Escalade. He went ahead and pulled the truck into the drop off/pick up zone, jumped out and opened the rear passenger door. He saw the smile of approval from the discharge nurse after he'd taken Jessica and buckled her securely into her seat.
Seb and Lisa thanked the nurse for all of the great care that she and Jessica had received from the hospital staff. Then Seb helped Lisa climb up into her seat. She claimed to be feeling fine but during movements like that, you could see that she was still rather sore even if she wouldn't admit it.
"What's all this?"
"Oh, I grabbed the mail as I was leaving the house." he said as he turned out of the hospital parking lot.
Lisa flipped through the stack of mail. As had happened since the Diva community had found out where he lived, there was a good sized stack of mail for Seb and the other Divos.
She came upon an official looking envelope that had the Florida State Social Services name and address on it. She got all excited. It must be her group home licence.
She opened it and pulled out the single sheet of paper and her face fell as she saw that it was not the licence but a letter from Mrs. Collins, Brenda's Supervisor. Just seeing the name on the heading, made Lisa's pulse rate jump up.
Seb heard her intake of breath and stole a peek sideways at her before returning his eyes to the road.
"What's wrong?"
Lisa didn't answer him as she read the rest of the letter. Then she let out a holler that startled Seb.
"Seb, they are waiving the remainder of Lauren's waiting period. Mrs. Collins recommended that we be allowed to adopt her as soon as possible if we still wanted to. She wrote to ask us to contact her with our answer. It says that if we didn't wish to adopt her, then she would be placed on the adoption waiting list."
"Well, of course we want to adopt her......don't we?" he asked, knowing the answer but needing to hear confirmation from Lisa.
"Yes, of course we do and it's a good thing too because I think we'd have a serious problem with our son if we didn't." she chuckled but then got serious. "He actually thought that she would be leaving to make room for Jessica in the nursery."
"She'll be officially an Izambard soon, then he will be able to relax. It's been amazing how attached he got to her from the first day." Seb said.
"I've thought about that. Even though he may not understand it, I think the loss of his sister may have something to do with it."
"You know, you're right. I never thought of that but it's very possible."
Lisa looked back to make sure Jessica was still asleep and she was, then she pulled the letter close to her chest and let out a big breath of relief. There had been an underlying fear that someone may come forward to claim Lauren as their daughter or relative in some way. It seemed as if that fear would soon be put to rest. According to the letter, as soon as the state had confirmation of their intent to adopt her, the request for a court date would be made.
Seb pulled the truck along the circular part of the driveway so that Lisa's door was right at the steps. He had barely gotten out of the truck before the front door opened and the top of the steps became filled with Mary, Debbie, who was holding Lauren, Amelia, Sammy and Kayti. Jim came around the side of the house and welcomed them home and took his first look at the newest Izambard.
Seb helped Lisa out of the truck before turning to get Jessica. The first thing Lisa did was hand Mary the letter and while Mary read it Lisa took Lauren from Debbie, hugging her close.
"Mommy loves you so much Lauren and I am so happy that you will be ours forever." she said, even though the baby had no idea what was being said. Then she filled Debbie and Jim on the contents of the letter.
"Mommy is Lauren gonna be dopted like me and Kayti now?"
"Yes Sammy, we will go to see the judge and sign all the papers just like we did with you and Kayti."
Sammy smiled and then got the thoughtful look he was having more often lately. They could frequently see him deep in thought about something. Sometimes he would tell them what it was and sometimes not, at least not without a bit of probing.
"Mommy, Lauren can't write her name on the papers. I can write it for her if she wants me to."
"Thank you Sammy. I'm sure that she would appreciate it very much if you would help her. Now, let's go inside and get settled before it's time for Jessica to eat again and I'm kind of hungry myself."
"We've got lunch all ready. We were just about to sit the children down when you pulled up." Debbie told her.
Once lunch was finished and the excitement had died down from Lisa and Jessica coming home, Seb talked Lisa into going up for a nap with Jessica and Lauren before the other children returned from school and the excitement would begin again. She agreed only if he would take care of the call to Mrs. Collins so they could complete the adoption as soon as possible. He got her and the babies settled upstairs and then went down to the office right away to take care of that. He was as anxious to finalize this as she was.
Lisa woke from her nap to Jessica crying next to her in the cradle. She rubbed her sleepy eyes and quickly changed Jessica's diaper and quieted her before making her own trip to the bathroom. She had just gotten settled in the rocking chair to nurse Jessica when she began hearing Lauren talking to herself in her crib in the nursery next door.
Lisa didn't talk back to her. She just listened to the baby babbling to herself. She was occasionally beginning to make sounds that sounded like words. This time she was definitely saying "Ma, Ma, Ma. Her happy sounds lasted for several minutes but she must have decided she had been sitting there alone for quite long enough, because she began sounding more insistant in her words. They quickly went from happy babbling to irritation and then to frustration and definite upset.
Lisa was just about to get up and go to her when Seb came in the room.
"We heard her. We were listening to her talking from downstairs. She is really getting vocal isn't she? She's definitely got Mama straight." he said when he'd come back from getting her up and changing her diaper.
He set Lauren down on the floor to let her crawl around as he sat in the chair next to Lisa and watched as she fed their daughter.
"Is it alright that I think you look incredibly sexy while you are nursing Jessica?"
Lisa giggled a bit before answering.
"Well, I guess there's nothing wrong with it but I sure don't feel one bit sexy at the moment."
"Well you are. Just take my word for it."
Seb was now kneeling on the floor in front of her legs and caressing her cheek. Then he pulled her down for a bone melting kiss that left her no doubt that he was very serious.
"Alright." she said with a shy smile, just before he resumed the kiss.
Contessa Admin
Posts : 5300 Join date : 2008-12-13 Age : 68 Location : Urs Buhler, The man of my dreams!! Humor : I found it and as always the joke is on me!!
"Lisa, Seb... Urs and Alex are here." Mary said over the intercom.
"They weren't supposed to be back until late this evening." Lisa said, but really wasn't all that surprised that they were here.
"We'll be right down." Seb answered Mary with a push of a button.
Seb carried Lauren and Lisa brought Jessica downstairs and Lisa and Jessica were immediately wrapped up in a hug from Alex right at the bottom of the staircase. She took the small bundle from Lisa's arms and headed for the sofa where she began immediately speaking to the baby.
"Hello beautiful. Oh wow, look at your hair. You know, you were very naughty not waiting for Auntie Alex and Onkle Urs to come home."
Jessica hiccuped, burped and then spit up some of her milk in response to Alex.
"Well, I guess she told you." Urs said laughing at her.
"Sorry Alex. I was just feeding her and I forgot to burp her when I heard you were down here."
"Don't worry about it. I'm used to spit ups." she said as she dabbed at the milk on Jessica's chin with the burp towel Lisa handed her. Then she raised the baby to her shoulder and expertly gave her a few pats on the back to release any bubbles that might still be in Jessica's tummy.
The events surrounding Jessica's birth were recounted and Urs and Alex told them about the beautiful resort they'd stayed at.
"I'll bring my memory cards over and show you all the pictures another day. You've just gotten home and so have we. I'm ready to get home and have a soak in the tub."
"Congratulations my friend. You have a beautiful daughter." Urs said patting Seb on the back.
"Merci. She is beautiful isn't she. It was so scary and messy and amazing. I still can't believe that I was the first to touch her. I was so afraid at the time that something would happen to her or to Lisa with no medical help around, but now I feel very lucky. I'm just glad that everything was alright in the end. Oh and we've gotten some great news today. We have gotten permission to set the court date for Lauren's adoption." He told Urs and Alex then he turned to Lisa. "Baby, I spoke to Mrs. Collins and told her we definitely did want to adopt her and she said she'd call us as soon as the court date is scheduled."
"That's such a relief to know that soon she will be an Izambard. I've been so worried about it." Lisa said.
"I hear the bus. The kids are home. I'm going to go greet mine and get them settled doing homework and I'll be back."
"Debbie, just take the rest of the day. We're just going to relax and have a quiet night here." Lisa told her.
"Thank you. I'll go get my dinner started then."
"We'll be off too. Aaron was really fussy on the return trip so Mami offered to stay at the house with him." Urs said.
As Urs and Alex were heading out the door, Jeremy and Holly came rushing in, anxious to see Lisa and Jessica. Lisa could see that she was going to have plenty of help holding Jessica, at least until the novelty wore off. The children were practically fighting over who would hold her first.
That first afternoon together as a family with their new daughter was one of the many days that Seb and Lisa would never forget as they ate dinner and then gathered in the family room, snuggled on the sofa together to watch Finding Nemo with the children, everyone taking turns holding the baby. Then they got them ready for bed in stages from youngest to oldest except for Jessica who of course was up to eat every two hours.
As he lay next to Lisa in their bed, leaning up on his elbow and stroking her hair, he knew he was the luckiest man on earth. He smiled as thoughts of each of their children floated through his mind as they often did. Each and every one of them brought something unique to their family.
Even though Seb felt they had a very long way to go in learning all about their two oldest, Jeremy and Holly seemed to be settling in well. They were both very close to the other and could often be seen snuggling together somewhere but they were not so afraid anymore that they would be separated from each other. Jeremy especially was seen laughing more in the last few weeks than he had when they'd first arrived. Seb was glad that he and Lisa had found them and brought them home before they had been separated, probably for the last time as the group home was no longer in operation that they had lived at for the last few years.
For now, Holly was sharing a room with Amelia and neither girl seemed to mind. Holly actually frequently sat with Amelia and helped her with her English as they played together.
Holly was a good reader for her age and she loved their library that was constantly growing. They'd even gotten her her own book shelf for her room for her favorite books.
Lisa had found a small, family owned book store that mostly had second hand books that were still in great condition. She had taken the children one day last month and let them scour through the children's section for special books that they would like to read. In the end, she wound up buying out quite a large portion of the children's books as well as some for her and the other adults to read. She had told him that she had also felt good to be able to help the book store owner. In this tough economy, so many people were struggling to make ends meet. She knew that her large purchase of books that day had probably been more than would have been bought in several months.
Jeremy was still needing a bit of extra help, mostly in math and now that he was getting some extra tutoring at school, his frustration level seemed to have dropped quite a bit since he knew if there was something he needed help with, he would only have to ask at school or at home instead of struggling with it on his own.
Sammy was ever the inquisitive one, always asking dozens of questions and could be seen deep in thought about something throughout the day. Mostly an inane question about how something worked or why something was done that way. But every once in a while, he would ask hard questions like today when he had asked Seb how Jessica had gotten out of his Mommy's tummy. He thought it may be a bit cowardly but he was very glad when Brandon had come running in and asked if Sammy could come out and play with the bigger kids. He wanted to talk to Lisa and ask her how much they should be telling a four year old about things like that.
Kayti, their fearless one, at two and a half, had to be watched every minute. She wasn't very afraid of getting into trouble. Now that she knew that even if she wound up in time out, she would eventually get back to her playtime, she took her punishment and then went on her merry way, usually to find another way to get into mischief. The adults relied heavily on the other children to come to them if she was doing something she shouldn't when none of the adults were right there. Sammy especially had taken it upon himself to be her guardian. He definitely didn't want a repeat of their adventure in the woods. They often overheard him telling her that something she was doing would get her into trouble. Sometimes she listened, other times she just did her own thing, usually getting her into trouble just as her brother had said. At least now, the house was completely outfitted with any security measures they could think of such as to alert them if a door was opened or locks to keep her out of places that she could harm herself in or just make a mess in that wasn't actually a playroom.
They had even gotten locks for the large walk in freezer and the two refrigerators. They were plenty large enough for the children to get into and they didn't want to have any unnecessary tragedies because a child had climbed into one of them to play and wound up getting closed in.
Lauren was such a joy, watching her growing and changing. Almost every day she learned something new or began doing something she hadn't before. She was now pulling herself up and slowly moving along furniture as long as she had something to hold on to. Eventually her legs would tire and she would plop back down onto her diapered bottom and crawl off to play somewhere else. In one of the playrooms, Lisa had installed several ballet bars and if she was helped to stand up, Lauren would stand there and bounce up and down laughing at her reflection in the long, low mirrors that were hung behind the bars.
Seb knew that as soon as they had a court date for her adoption, he would need to make sure to notify everyone that unless they were needed to sing somewhere, he would be flying back to be here. Welcoming one of his children permanently into their family and giving them his name was not something he wanted to do while he was half a world away.
He leaned up to take a peek at their newest angel. She was lying on her side in between two foam wedges just as Lauren had done when she had first come to them. Lisa wasn't comfortable with the sleeping on their backs idea as she worried about them spitting up and choking, so she compromised by laying the babies on their sides, both to keep their mouths and noses from being blocked and also allowing anything that might be spit up to roll out of their mouths.
Then, last but certainly not least was Amelia. She was also doing well, learning English quickly as it was spoken in the house. She still struggled occassionally but they would usually figure out what she wanted. As a last resort, they would call Carlos and Vicki to get some help. Seb and Lisa were both being very careful not to treat her any different than any of the other children but he knew that Lisa, as he was, was guarding her heart where Amelia was concerned. They were both afraid that she would leave them, to be sent back to Mexico.
He and Lisa both had agreed to have her stay with them even though it had been against everything Lisa had planned. It would be very hard to let Amelia go but they knew if it happened, there would be little they could do about it. They just wanted to make her life here as happy as possible in the meantime.
The other side of that was that if they found no relatives, Carlos and Vicki were serious about wanting to adopt her. He and Lisa had talked several times about this possibility. Right now she was their child and a sister to the other children. How would the children feel if all of a sudden, she went to live with Carlos and Vicki? He supposed they would adjust.
They didn't discuss much of this sitaution with the youngest children but Jeremy had overheard them talking one day and had asked him if Amelia was going to be adopted by someone else. He had been honest with Jeremy, telling him that Social Services were still looking for any family she might have and that yes, Carlos and Vicki were interested in adopting Amelia. But he also told the boy that if she was adopted by the Marin's that she would still be around often to play with them. Jeremy seemed okay with that scenario. He was old enough to see the special bond Amelia had with Carlos and Vicki so he knew that she would be happy with them.
Lisa was already asleep, laying on her side and snuggling as close to him as she could get, her arm thrown over his hip. He knew they would have to wait for several weeks before they could be intimate again. It would be hard to wait but he could do it. Look how patient he'd been before they were married, he thought. He kissed her forehead before sliding down a few inches and pulling her against his side.
"Love you, Seb." she said, still mostly asleep.
"I love you too, Baby. Bonne Nuit."
Urs and Alex went and made a quick stop at the grocery store for milk and a few other things before heading home for the night. Mami was very glad to see them, Alex in particular, when they returned.
Jens, who had been here all week housesitting had excused himself earlier to go out to the beach and see the nightlife along the bordwalk at Clearwater beach.
Aaron was still acting very fussy and would not be calmed, not even with a bottle. It was only after Alex nursed him, Urs gave him a warm bath and he was settled into his own bed that Aaron finally quieted.
"I think this little boy just wanted to be home in his own bed." Mami said as they all looked in on the peacefully sleeping baby.
They went to the kitchen and had some dessert and then Mami said goodnight. She was going to go have a soak in the bath and go to bed.
"That bath sounds really good. Do you want to join me?" Alex asked, sliding her arms over his shoulders, letting her fingertips just barely touch the bare skin peeking out of the top of his shirt, and rapidly blinking her eyes, doing her best impression of a flirt.
Urs chuckled and quickly followed after her, up the stairs and into their master bath. He ran the water in the tub while Alex was wrapping her hair up to keep it dry. While the water was still running he poured in some of her bubble bath and swished it around to make more bubbles.
They were both undressed in short order and Urs brushed his fingers across her cheek and softly kissed her before helping her to enter the tub without slipping. Once she was settled, he stepped in behind her and sat down carefully so he wouldn't send the water sloshing over the edges and onto the floor. Then he pulled her back against him.
For several moments neither moved much except for fingers softly sliding over whatever skin they could reach. Both of them were just enjoying the quiet and closeness. Almost on cue as if they had spoken out loud to each other, Alex's head turned and Urs's dropped down so they could share a kiss.
Only when they both knew they needed to get out of the tub and finish what they had started did Urs stand up and reach for their towels. He quickly dried himself after stepping out and held out his hand to Alex to help her out. His act of drying her took on a life of its own as he lovingly touched each part of her. When he could stand it no more, he dropped the towel and scooped Alex up and deposited her on their bed, quickly joining her to finish what they had begun in the tub.
While her son was loving his wife, Ava was struggling to come to a difficult decision. She felt that it was time for her to go home and get back to her life in Switzerland and let Urs and Alex have their privacy. She had gotten no sign from him or even Alex for that matter that they wished for her to go but she just felt that it was time.
Aaron was here and doing extremely well for a child with his birth defect. Nothing more would be done for several months as they allowed him to grow and put on a few more pounds. Then his physical therapy would start to ensure that all of his muscles were given the best chance of being normal and strong.
She had been here to witness Urs's wedding and even helped them to have a honeymoon, short as it was.
But as much as she felt it was time, she was struggling with the thought of leaving them. Aaron would grow quickly and she would miss it. She knew they would take loads of pictures for her and the computer with all of its newfangled technology would help them keep in touch but it wouldn't be the same as getting to hold him every day. It was quite a while before Ava was able to shut her mind off and go to sleep as she wrestled with her decision.
Contessa Admin
Posts : 5300 Join date : 2008-12-13 Age : 68 Location : Urs Buhler, The man of my dreams!! Humor : I found it and as always the joke is on me!!
"Mami, No!" Urs said emotionally, taking her hands in his and pleading with his eyes.
"Not yet, Please Mami" Alex echoed his sentiment.
This was in response to her telling them that she felt that it was time for her to get back to her life in Switzerland and to give them their privacy as a newly married couple.
Ava had expected a somewhat less emotional plea from them and this had her rethinking her decision a bit.
"Don't you want your house to yourselves? Aaron is doing well and you two haven't really had much time to yourselves, especially not when Alex has been feeling well and healthy, not for a very long time."
"Mami, this house is more than big enough for all of us to be in without us feeling crowded. We love having you here. You would miss so much if you left." Alex told her.
"I know. This hasn't been an easy decision. I will miss you all so much when I go home."
"Then don't go Mami, not yet anyway. I know that you have a life there and you probably miss your own things. I understand that. But please wait just a while longer. I'm not ready for you to go. Besides, I have to go in a couple of days when we start our promotions for The Promise and I will feel so much better knowing that you are here with Alex and Aaron."
How could she leave now, she thought. With him pleading for her to stay like that. And he was right. It would probably help Alex for her to be here while he was gone. Even Alex seemed sincere in her pleading.
"Alright, I'll stay for a bit longer, just a couple more weeks though."
She was immediately wrapped up in a tight hug from both of them at once that took the breath right out of her.
"Okay, If I am going to stay, I need to make myself useful. So tonight I want you both to go out and do something fun. Like you said, Urs. You'll be going in a couple of days so you two need some alone time. I will stay here with Aaron."
"That would be great Mami. Thank you." Alex said giving her a kiss on the cheek.
That settled, they cleared up their breakfast just in time for Jens to mope into the kitchen, looking like he'd been dragged behind a bus.
"Well, good morning Sunshine." Urs teased his brother.
"Yeah, Yeah. Leave me alone." Jens said, swiping Urs across the back of the head as he passed behind him.
Urs jumped up like he was going to chase after Jens, caught him quickly placing him in a headlock, that is until Mami stepped in between them.
"Alright boys, behave yourselves."
"Yes, Mami." They said in unison and separated, Urs going back to sit next to Alex and Jens sitting on the opposite side of the table.
Grown men or not, Urs and Jens had great respect for their Mami and if she spoke to them, they obeyed without question. Jens did sneak a kick at Urs's foot under the table when her back was turned, fixing him a plate of breakfast.
"I heard that, Jens Buhler. You're not too big for me to take a belt to you." Mami said without turning around, although unbeknownst to them, she had a big smile on her face as she said it.
"How did you know it wasn't Urs?"
"Because you always have to get the last lick in."
Urs laughed heartily at that acurate fact. Jens was never happy if any of his siblings had the last word, punch, kick, etc.
They all chatted while Jens ate his breakfast and then Urs talked Jens into coming out to the shed to help him move things around and make it a more workable space.
"Let me just bring another cup of coffee out with me." Jens told his brother as they headed out the door. He was still feeling a bit worse for wear after his late night on the town.
*
The weather had been showing definite signs of heading towards winter, even here in Florida. They had waited as long as possible to close the pool and winterize it. They had the inflateable pool to fill up if they had an occassional warm day.
While they were waiting for the arrival of the pool company that was going to handle the closing of the pool, the children were enjoying one last swim in the big pool. Seb was in the water playing with the children and even Maman was in the pool holding Kayti in the shallow end.
Debbie and Lisa were on the patio watching from the sidelines. Lisa was holding Jessica and sitting under the umbrella to keep the sun off of her. Seb pulled himself out of the pool and took Lauren from the playpen and joined Maman and Kayti in the shallow end of the pool.
He laid Lauren on her back as he supported her. She already loved playing in the bathtub so she immediately began splashing her hands in the water and kicking her legs. She would draw a breath in as she splashed the water into her face and then she would laugh and begin splashing again.
Holly was sitting on the steps that entered the shallow end and watched the other children playing. Papa had been helping her to learn to swim. She could now hold her breath under water and blow bubbles and when she wasn't too scared, she could even float on her back for a bit. She also now knew how to paddle her arms and legs to do the doggie paddle. But she had only ever done it while Papa was holding on to her.
She wanted to go see Lauren playing but Papa had her several feet away in the center of the shallow end, swishing her around and making her laugh really hard. Holly took a big breath and stood up on the bottom step and looked down into the water. She knew she wouldn't drown, not with everyone else here and Papa was only a few feet away. She stepped off, placing her feet on the bottom of the pool and walked towards Seb.
Lisa caught Seb's eye and tipped her head, indicating that he should turn around and see something. He swished Lauren through the water and spun them around so he was facing Holly. She was almost right in front of him. He debated whether to make a big deal out of it and congratulate her or just pretend that it was a normal occurance. He didn't want to wind up sending her right back to the stairs or out of the pool altogether.
When she looked up at him with her big brown eyes and looked so proud of herself, he couldn't ignore it. He took his free arm and wrapped it around her shoulder and drew her against him and kissed the top of her head. Then he leaned down enough to speak in her ear.
"I knew you could do it Sweetheart."
Her smile was so wide and her eyes were shining at the praise from Seb.
"Jeremy, look at me. I'm swimming in the big pool." she hollered to her brother. She wasn't exactly swimming but no one clarified that point. Just having her get in the pool all by herself had been a major step of progress.
Jeremy swam under the rope that divided the deep end from the shallow and swam under water all the way to Holly.
"That's really good, Holly. You'll see how much fun it is to swim. Pretty soon you can come swim with me in the deep end. That thought was a bit much for her at this point and she shook her head no emphatically.
Seb told the boy not to push her. She'd move along at her own pace. He was just glad that she at least could hold her breath, float and tread water a bit. As soon as the pool was reopened in the spring, he would get back to work on her swimming lessons. Hopefully she wouldn't regress back to being afraid over the winter. He had even thought of having someone come out that was trained in teaching children to swim.
Lisa and Debbie went inside to fix lunch to take out to the patio. Mary had taken a day off for some doctor's appointments so they had the kitchen to themselves.
"Debbie, you can tell me to mind my own business if I'm being too nosey. I was just wondering how things were going between you and Jim."
"You aren't being too nosey. If it wasn't for you and Seb, Jim would still be living in the woods and me and the children would still be seriously struggling. I can't believe how good I feel now. My bills are paid and I feel like I have my life back. To answer your question, Jim and I are doing okay. The first couple of days we were back together were pretty intense. You know....the intimacy.... It had been so long...for both of us. But after those first days, we knew we still had a long way to go to make everything right between us. I told him that I forgave him and that now he needed to forgive himself. I also realized that I needed to decide that I could put my trust back in him. I trusted him with my whole life before he left and at first the thought of giving that back to him terrified me. But I knew that we would never truly be back together as the couple we once were until I could do that."
"I'm so glad to hear that. It is obvious that you two were meant to be together. And the children seem to be thriving here. Are they all happy with the move now?"
Well, the boys were fine with it the second I told them we were moving. They were so thrilled to be moving near Jim. They're doing pretty good in school too. They have some extra motivation here. There is so much more for them to do and therefore more privileges for me to take away if they aren't taking care of business like they should and they know it, so they have been pretty good. They also know now that Jim will get after them in a heartbeat if they get out of line. Hannah is doing great now too, after the shaky beginning. She and Jenny are becoming close and she still talks with Amanda. She and Jim seem to be doing well, at least on the surface. He knows that her trust issues may have long lasting consequences with their relationship. But I can really see him trying to mend things between them. He spends a lot of time alone with her. So, all in all, we seem to be doing great." she said as they headed outside with lunch.
"That is so good to hear, Debbie. I'm happy for you."
* David and Grace stopped by in the afternoon to say goodbye. They were flying out in a few hours and David would meet the guys at their first promotional stop the day after tomorrow. They were heading up to New York to take care of some things up there.
Carlos would leave from Tampa with Urs and Seb. Vicki had decided that she was enjoying the condo and all of the things to do in the area so much that she would stay right here for the time being. Her tour was still on hold for a bit longer. She was going to go back and Carlito would travel with her but she wasn't quite ready to have to divide her time between all she would have to do on the tour and time with her baby. She hadn't thought that it would be this strong, this love, the total infatuation with this tiny human being. Yes, he depended on her for everything but it was more than that. She wanted to be with him all the time. Even when he was asleep, sometimes she just had to sneek in and take a peek at this little person who had so taken over such a large portion of her heart.
After David and Grace left, Seb went down to the backside of the property to say hello to Drew and take a walk through the music building. It was now totally enclosed and work was being done inside and out.
Drew greeted him and took him on a walkthrough to show him the progress. They had made the facility large enough that they wouldn't immediately be thinking of enlarging it.
Three quarters of the building was essentially split right down the middle with the children's music rooms on one side and the recording studio and sound booth down the other side. Several rooms would be set up with pianos and chairs so the children could sit and just hear the music being played and they would learn songs to sing and as they grew and showed an interest in any instrument, they would be given every opportunity to learn to play it. They were already ordering lot's of different children's musical toys to begin to expose the children to the different sounds that would make music. There were different types of drums and cymbals and every kind of thing for even the youngest of the children to bang together and begin to make music.
Everything was being soundproofed so that one person practicing wouldn't disturb the person practicing in the next room.
Then there was the recording studio that all of the guys were very excited about. To have their own place to record their music would be wonderful. That didn't mean that all of Il Divo's future CD's would be recorded there but they could do practice runs and even record some of their own solo projects there without having to schedule or pay for outside studio time which could get expensive.
Once they had finished touring the music part of the building, Seb asked how the secret room was coming along. Just as they were putting the finishing touches on the building plans for the music building, Seb had come up with an idea for a surprise for Lisa and the children. It hadn't taken much to add the additional footage on the end of the building. He had decided with the size that their family was getting to be plus all of their friends and family that were always around or visiting, it would be fun to have a movie theater right on the property.
They would equip it with a few dozen seats and it was also going to have a stage just below the movie screen for the guys to give a small concert and also to give the children a place to put on any little plays they wanted to or to show off their musical talent as they grew. He wanted to give his children every chance for an outlet of their talents.
Right now it was just a big open room and when Lisa had asked him what that room was going to be used for, he had been very vague in his answers, just short of lying to her. He wanted it to be a surprise and only show her when it was completed.
"We can't do too much more in here until we are finished with all of our other messy construction. Then we will equip this room, the recording studio and sound booth." Drew told him.
"Well, when we start putting the finishing touches on it, we'll have to come up with an excuse to keep everyone out until it is finished."
"I won't let anyone in while you're away either."
"Good. How long would you say before it's finished?"
"We should have it done by Thanksgiving."
"Wow, that's only about six weeks away. You guys have done a great job."
"We would have been done by now, but all that rain when we first started, really put us behind."
"Well, there really wasn't a rush on it. It isn't like with the house. We really needed to get moved in there. We were getting quite crowded in the guest house."
"If you keep adding children to your family, you'll be needing an addition there too." Drew laughed.
"As long as you're free to do it. We wouldn't have anyone else now." Seb said slapping Drew on the back.
"It's truly been my pleasure."
Seb said goodbye and headed for the house. He had less than two days left to spend with his family before Il Divo's life would be taken over by promotions and the beginning of the tour coming up in February.
Contessa Admin
Posts : 5300 Join date : 2008-12-13 Age : 68 Location : Urs Buhler, The man of my dreams!! Humor : I found it and as always the joke is on me!!
She was having the most delicious dream. As she snuggled deeper under the covers to hide from the early morning chill a small smile turned her lips upwards. If she didn't know better, she would swear that she could actually smell his cologne, maybe she did. Maybe it was just the residual fragrance in the room. She knew he wasn't here. Even in her sleep she knew that he was away but he would be home after lunch. She gripped his pillow closer to her chest and willed herself to not wake up but to slip back totally into the dream world where he would be with her, loving her. Oh, how she missed him.
Seb stepped quietly out of the room after slipping his shoes off and gently lifting Jessica out of her cradle. He stopped in the nursery to peek at Lauren who was still sleeping soundly. So he shut her door and padded as quietly as possible down the hall. It was still dark out but the sun's rays would be shining soon and waking everyone up.
He had wanted to kiss Lisa and let her know he was home but when he saw her peaceful smile and that she seemed to be dreaming, he left her alone to sleep a while longer. He would need to bring Jessica back to her before too long to eat.
He came down to the kitchen and started the coffee knowing that usually with the size of the house that the aroma of the coffee would not find its way up into the bedrooms especially not with the doors closed.
Mary would be up soon. She was always an early riser and usually early to bed. Seb wasn't sure if that was always because she was tired or maybe sometimes just to give them some time alone after all of the children had gone to bed.
After changing Jessica's diaper, he sat down on the sofa and leaned back into the corner of it swinging his legs up, snuggling her into the crook of his arm near the back of the sofa. He just watched her sleep. He could tell that she was slowly waking after being exposed to the air when her diaper was changed.
He'd been gone almost three weeks and he could see how much she had changed just in that short time. It hadn't felt short while he'd been away. Every minute that he wasn't totally involved in what he and the guys were doing was spent missing Lisa and the kids.
"Hi Papa. You home?"
Seb sat up with a start. He hadn't meant to fall asleep. He quickly checked for Jessica and began to panic when he saw that she was no longer in his arms."
"She's over there in the pack and play. She's just had her breakfast." Lisa said sitting beside him and snuggling against him. "I thought I was dreaming earlier. I could smell your cologne."
With one arm, Seb lifted Kayti onto his lap and with the other, he pulled Lisa against him kissing Kayti's temple and then turning to kiss Lisa.
After a minute of being sort of squished and seemingly forgotten by her parents, Kayti slipped off of Seb's lap. She was not a child who sat still very long. She headed for the kitchen and the yummy smell of the bacon that Mary was cooking.
"I hungry, Mary."
"Okay sweetheart. Hop up in your chair and I'll get you something for while you are waiting for me to finish cooking."
Mary poured some dry Cheerios into a cup for Kayti to snack on.
"Is Papa awake?"
"Yup, Kiss Mama." she said with a mouthful of cereal.
Mary smiled. She was sure he was kissing Lisa. She knew they missed each other terribly when Seb had to be away.
The rest of the children came downstairs and became suitably excited when they saw that Papa was home early. As they all headed for the kitchen and breakfast, he took the stairs two at a time to get Lauren who they could hear calling for someone to get her up.
"Good Morning, Ma Petite. Is this your very special day?"
Lauren began babbling back at him as he changed her diaper.
"Papapapapa."
"Hello my Love. Are you saying Papa? Yes, I am your Papa, for now and always. I love you Lauren." He held her tightly against his chest for a moment until he felt her struggling against being held so tightly. She was starting to get much more active and like Kayti, she wanted to be down and moving around as much as possible.
He brought her down to the kitchen and as he strapped her into the high chair, he told every one that Lauren had just said Papa for the first time.
Lisa could see how his eyes were shining as he struggled to hold his tears in as he settled himself into the chair next to hers. Could these children get any luckier than to have a man like Seb as their Papa? He loved them so much.
Today was another of the Izambard's big days. They and their family and friends would all be meeting at the courthouse once again. This time for Lauren's adoption.
The older children were going to miss a day of school. A note had been sent to their teachers the day before explaining why they would not be attending class the following day. As requested by Lisa, their daily work and homework had been sent home with them and in their excitement for having a special day off, both Jeremy and Holly had completed not only their regular homework the night before but also much of the following day's work as well.
By the time they had finished breakfast and were getting the children cleaned up, Debbie arrived. Her children were gone to school. They, especially the twins, weren't thrilled that Jeremy and Holly were getting to miss school and they weren't. But they would be home in time for the small party they were having in the afternoon.
Debbie was here to help them get all of the children ready to go to the courthouse. They would be allowed to play for a bit in the morning the smaller ones given a nap and then they would begin getting dressed and hair done.
"Maman, I'm so glad that you are here this time. It means a lot to me to have you here for such an important day."
"I'm glad to be here with you too." she said as she hugged her son. "But, I do have to tell you......I'm going to go home for a while in a few days."
"Maman, why?"
"I just have some things to take care of. I'll be back, maybe by Christmas. I've spoken to Ava who is also going home to Switzerland and we've decided to fly together."
He could see that she was serious and he thought about trying to change her mind but decided that if she felt like she needed to go home to Paris, then he wouldn't try to stop her. Of course she had her own life back home. It was just that he had gotten so used to having her back in his life on a regular basis that it would be hard not having her here. Even when he was away, he liked the thought that she was here with Lisa and the children.
She asked him not to talk about it today. She didn't want to upset the children. She wished she hadn't brought it up yet with Seb after she saw how upset he was by it.
After naptime, they began getting the children dressed and ready to go. They had fun trying to keep the little ones still long enough to get ready. Kayti was even more hyper than usual. She wasn't sure what was going on but she knew it was something big by all of the excitement in the house.
Sammy tried to explain to her about Lauren having to go to court today.
"She has to go and tell the judge that she wants Mommy and Papa to be her very own forever Mommy and Papa and not go to nuther house just like I did and you did." But since Lauren can't talk. I'm going to help her."
Kayti just stared at her brother for a minute, still not sure what he was talking about but finally she just grinned at him then ran off to play.
* Seb looked up to find Jeremy standing beside him. Seb was sitting on the floor playing with Lauren with Jessica lying next to them in one of the playrooms.
"Hi Jeremy. You sure look handsome. Are you all ready to go?"
"Yes Sir."
Seb could tell that the boy had something on his mind. Sometimes Jeremy was hard to get to open up but once he started they had had some really nice talks between them.
"Is there something you want to talk about?"
"Well......I was just wondering....I mean.....I like to live here and my sister does too."
"We love having you and Holly here Jeremy and I'm glad that you're happy here."
Seb could tell that Jeremy wasn't finished and let him gather his thoughts.
"Holly and me.....we were wondering......can we get adopted today too, like Lauren, so we don't have to leave?"
Seb could just imagine the two of them huddled together somewhere having this conversation. He lifted Jessica over to his other side, laid her down and let Lauren crawl off to play. Then he got up on his knees to look Jeremy in the eyes. He softly placed his hands on Jeremy's cheeks.
“Jeremy, you have no idea how happy it makes me that you and Holly are happy here with us and want to stay here with us forever. That is exactly what we want too. There is no way we can adopt you and Holly today. It takes a lot of paperwork to do that. We are working on it and as soon as everything has been straightened out, Brenda will tell us. When that happens you and Holly will have your own special adoption day just like Lauren."
Seb wasn't sure if Jeremy would get upset that they couldn't be adopted today but was relieved when Jeremy smiled at last.
"Can we have a party with a cake like Lauren is going to have too?"
"Absolutely."
Seb pulled Jeremy in for a hug and it was so much different than when the two children had arrived. Jeremy had been very stiff when given a hug and never hugged back. His arms would just hang at his sides. Now however, his arms came around Seb and hugged him tightly and Seb could feel the boy's excitement.
"Can I go tell Holly that we're going to get adopted like Lauren?"
"Sure you can, Buddy."
Seb watched the boy run off in search of his sister and smiled. It was good to see him opening up and voicing his feelings more.
Mid afternoon arrived and they were all sitting in the courtroom. Mom, Dad, Alex, Urs and Ava were there along with Brenda and Vicki. Carlos had stayed with David to handle some of the interviews.
Maman was holding Jessica and between her and Mom, the other children were all lined up on the bench seat, with Kayti sitting in Grandpa's lap and Mary on the end. Lisa and Seb sat in two chairs right in front of them with Lauren sitting on Seb's lap while they waited for the Judge to sort the papers out.
"Alright I think we're all set here. Again I see that we are here for Sebastien and Lisa Izambard to adopt this child, Lauren."
He looked up and scanned the row of children, recognizing Sammy and Kayti immediately.
Sammy waved at him and smiled.
"Hello Sammy. And how are you doing? You and Kayti have grown so much since I saw you."
"I'm four years old now, Mr. Judge."
"Wow four years old. You are almost grown up."
"I'm two." Kayti said, holding up two fingers.
"Such a big girl." he said before getting back to the task at hand.
"I won't go through everything we went through last time. I can see by Miss Chandler's report that the children are doing well in your home. So we will dispense with all of that and get right to signing the papers. I do have to ask you both as a formality, Do you Sebastien and Lisa Izambard agree to have this child and be her parents aquiring all of the moral, legal and financial resposibilities of raising her and supporting her for the rest of her life?"
"We do, Your Honor." They both answered.
"Alright then, we just have to get your signatures on these documents and it will be done."
Sammy slipped off of the seat and stood beside Lisa which reminded her of his request.
"Your Honor, Sammy would like to sign Lauren's name like he did his own and Kayti's last time."
"Yup, cuz she can't read or write anything yet." Sammy added.
"Sure you can, son. Come on up here."
"I can't be your son, Mr. Judge because I am Mommy and Papa's son."
"Oh yes, that's right." he said with a chuckle as he handed Sammy a pen and showed him where to sign it just under where he had already written her name.
"Do you need me to tell you how to spell it?"
"Nope. I can spell it all by myself."
The Judge looked up and smiled at Lisa and Sebastien. They would surely have their hands full with this bright child.
"We're gonna come back nuther time too. Jeremy and Holly are gonna get dopted and then Jessica will get dopted too."
"Oh really?"
"Yup"
Sammy went back to his seat and Lisa and Seb came up with Lauren so they could sign the papers. Quietly they told the judge that Jessica was their natural child but that Sammy didn't understand the difference yet. They would need to make sure however, that none of the children felt like there was a difference between Jessica and the rest of the children.
The Judge held Lauren and spoke to her while her parents signed the papers. She just looked up at him and when she decided that she had had enough of the strange man, she screwed up her face and let out a cry that had him immediately handing her back to Seb.
"Sorry about that." Lisa said.
"That's alright. Even my Grandchildren cry for their parents sometimes. So I'm used to it."
When he checked to make sure that everything was in order with the documents, he declared them officially done and shook their hands.
"I guess I'll be seeing you again." he told them, in reference to Jeremy and Holly.
"Yes, and we hope it is soon." Seb said.
They all filed out of the court room and piled into the different vehicles to head home.
Jim and Debbie had been helping to set everything up for their little party. Everyone who had been at court as well as Jim and Debbie and their children would help them celebrate Lauren's adoption.
They got home and Seb had Lisa and the children stay outside in front of the house to document this special day with some photographs. Urs did the honors, taking some of the whole family and some with just the children.
They capped their day off with dinner and a special cake, officially welcoming Lauren Izambard into their family.
Contessa Admin
Posts : 5300 Join date : 2008-12-13 Age : 68 Location : Urs Buhler, The man of my dreams!! Humor : I found it and as always the joke is on me!!
Seb and Urs had been home less than forty eight hours and were now back with Carlos and David, continuing their promotional tour in advance of the release of The Promise.
The girls were both busy with their children so it helped a little but night time was always the worst after the children were settled and it was quiet in the house. Lisa had Maman and Mary as well for company and Alex had Mami but that was about to change in a few hours.
Ava and Marlene were heading back to their respective homes. They were flying from Tampa and would be together until they reached London, where they would catch their final plane home, separately. When they realized that they would be having a layover in New York, they decided to change their flights and extend their time in New York by a day and a half before continuing on home. It seemed silly to both of the ladies to be in one of the greatest cities in the world and not stop and do some sight seeing and of course some shopping.
Dan and Marie were going to pick them both up and drive them to the airport in Tampa. Then they were going to go out to dinner and a movie. Dan had been taking a lot more short days since Marie's attack. He'd told Alex that it made him realize how much time they'd been apart in the past few years while he had been working so many hours. He was financially set and didn't need to work so many hours. He just had to discipline himself to leave it where it would still be waiting for him in the morning when he returned to the office.
While she was in no way happy about her mother's attack, Alex was glad that her Dad was slowing down a bit and enjoying his life and in turn her mother seemed happier than she had in years, not that she'd been unhappy before but she had built much of her life apart from Dan while he had been working. Now they were finding things to do together and often.
Sammy was following Grandmere around like a sad puppy when he realized that this was the day that she was going home to France.
"I'll be back soon Sammy. I promise."
"But I will miss you, Grandmere, lots and lots like I miss Papa."
"Oh you sweet boy. I will miss you too. I will call you on the phone and talk to you just like Papa does." she said, giving him a squeeze.
Grandmere spent her last few hours playing with the children. It was a Saturday so all of the children were home. None of them were happy about her leaving.
Lisa and Mary watched her from outside the playroom.
"She's really such a wonderful Grandmother, isn't she."
"Yes she is. She loves every one of the children. But I do think that she has an extra soft spot for Sammy." Mary commented.
"I think so too." Lisa said with a sad grin as she watched her young son practically glueing himself to his Grandmere. He had such a hard time with goodbyes. He had cried so hard the other day when Seb had left this time. She hated that partially because she didn't like for Sammy to be so upset but also for Seb because she knew it was hard enough on him to leave her and the children and for Sammy to cry so hard.... well it just broke Seb's heart.
The atmosphere wasn't a whole lot better over with Alex and Mami. One or the other of them had tears all morning. One would stop and get themselves under control and a while later the other one would start, creating a merry go round of tears.
Mami held Aaron almost constantly from the time they got up until it was time for her to leave. When Mom and Dad came to pick her up, she held the baby close and kissed him several times leaving a large wet spot on his little cheek where her tears had rubbed off.
"Mami, we'll send pictures and videos all the time and you can talk to him on the webcam too. We won't let him forget about you."
While Marie held Aaron for a moment, Ava pulled Alex to her for a hug.
"I love you daughter, just as if you were my own." She said the words and was not bashful about saying them in front of Alex's own parents.
"I love you too, Mami. I was so nervous when you first came, that you wouldn't like me or think me good enough for your son."
"Not good enough? Don't you ever think that for even one second. You are plenty good enough for him and you just let me know if there is ever a time that he isn't taking good care of you or Aaron and I'll take a switch to him." she said, only half joking.
"Thank you Mami. But I don't think you have to worry about that. He's a wonderful man and loves me and Aaron so much. He is always looking for ways to show me, even though I already know."
"Ladies, I guess we'd better go. We still have to pick Marlene up and I imagine it will be just as hard for her to leave there."
"Yes, I imagine so." Ava said with a sad smile.
"You call me when you arrive home." Alex told her.
"I will and please ask Urs to call me when he gets a chance. I guess it's better that he wasn't here today. This is hard enough." she said as she got settled into the back seat of Marie's car. Marie handed Aaron in for her to kiss him once more. Then went to get into the front seat.
Alex took Aaron and held him with his back against her chest so he was facing out and as they drove away, she held his hand and helped him wave goodbye.
Grandma and Grandpa come, Grandma and Grandpa come." Kayti ran through the house telling everyone. She didn't realize that since they were here, that meant that Grandmere was leaving but almost everyone else did. Marlene started with Jessica and Lauren, giving hugs and kisses. Amelia, Holly and Jeremy got their hugs and kisses too. She knelt down and gave Kayti a tight squeeze.
"You be a good girl for your Mama."
"K, Grandmere." Kayti said with the most angelic smile on her face. It made her smile in spite of her sadness knowing full well that Kayti's current mission in life was to see how much trouble she could fit into each day.
The whole family headed outside. Lisa said goodbye to Ava and wished her a good trip home.
"It's been nice to get to know you these last months. I'm sorry I hurt your feelings when I first came." Ava told her quietly when they were alone while Marlene was giving Jessica another cuddle.
"It's alright. Once I understood that you were just being protective of Seb, I was glad that he had someone else who cared so much for him. I know that you will be missed." Lisa said looking towards Alex and Urs's house."
"I'll miss them too but I'll be back before too long. I won't be able to go very long without seeing and holding my Grandson.
"Goodbye, Ava. Safe trip home."
Marlene was reluctant to give Jessica up to her other surrogate Grandmother, but finally handed her over to Mary. She knew that Mary loved the children just as much as she did and would take very good care of her family.
"Goodbye Maman. Come back soon." Lisa said giving her Mother in Law a hug.
"I will. You remember to take care of yourself while you are taking care of everyone else."
"I will. Say hello to Aunt Cecile, Adreinne and the rest of the family for us."
"Oh I will and I have so many pictures to show them of the house and all of the children."
"That's it. Everything is in the trunk. Let me know when you are ready." Dan said, hinting that they should be leaving soon.
"I guess we'd better go. It wouldn't do for us to miss our flight now would it." Marlene said.
She hurried around kissing the children once more and hugging Lisa and Jessica. As the others got into the car Sammy wrapped his arms around her legs and big tears were sliding down his cheeks.
She put her purse on the seat and even though her old knees protested, she kneeled down to him.
"Sammy Grandmere is going to miss you very much. I have to go home for a while but I will come back."
"When Grandmere? When will you come back? Will it be a long time?"
"Well it might seem like a long time but I am going to try to be back by Christmas. That is about eight weeks away. Maybe Mommy or Mary will help you make a calendar so you can start counting the days until Christmas when Santa Claus will come."
"Santa came to our house when we lived in Mr. Jim's house. He might not know where we live now and bring our presents to Brandon and Blake."
"Well then, I think you and the rest of the children better get busy and write some letters to let Santa know where you all live now. If you do it now, he will have plenty of time to find the new house."
"I better tell Blake and Brandon and Hannah too, cuz they moved too."
"That's right. You should tell them."
"Okay Grandmere. I love you lots and lots."
"I love you too Sammy, lots and lots." Marlene squeezed Sammy so hard that he grunted and then he giggled.
Lisa gave her one last hug and thanked her for helping to calm Sammy down.
"He's a special boy. He shows his love so openly. He reminds me of another boy I knew." Marlene said unable to hide her own tears any longer. Then she turned and got into the car, giving everyone one last wave before she shut the door and put on her seatbelt.
"You two ladies will be greatly missed around here." Dan commented as he left the driveway.
Sammy didn't waste any time once they'd entered the house. He immediately went to the craft room to begin writing his Santa letter. He hollered to the other children to come and write theirs.
Jeremy was in the kitchen still.
"Holly and me, we know that there's no such thing as Santa Claus."
Alright Jeremy I understand that you are a bit older but would you mind not telling Sammy yet or the other little ones, especially not today when he was so upset about Grandmere leaving?"
"Okay, I won't tell him. I'll even write a letter so I can pretend with Sammy."
"Thank you Sweetheart."
Lisa looked in on the children once she had Lauren and Jessica down for a nap and they were all writing on the pieces of construction paper. Holly was helping Amelia to write hers and Sammy was writing one for Kayti who was babbling about something. She also noticed that even Jeremy seemed to be concentrating quite hard on what he was writing in his letter. Maybe he didn't want to let go of that little bit of magic just yet. She was looking forward to reading their letters.
When they were finished, Sammy was in a hurry to run over and tell the Fletcher kids that they needed to write their letters too. She hoped that they wouldn't burst Sammy's bubble about Santa either so while he was rushing across the yard, Lisa called and warned Debbie who gave her children a quick talking to on the subject just as Sammy knocked on the door.
Thankfully, Sammy was none the wiser when he returned, happy that he had saved the Flethcer kids from a Christmas with no presents since Santa would bring their presents to the correct house.
Over the next couple of weeks Alex frequently either drove or walked to Lisa's for some company. She and Lisa knew that they each felt the same without words. No matter how busy or otherwise occupied they tried to be, the hole in their lives was enormous when their men were away.
Every day so much happened in the Izambard house, with a schedule that was adhered to pretty closely during the week to make sure that Jeremy and Holly were able to keep up with their studies and get enough sleep but the weekend was totally different. Unless they were going somewhere, they let the children sleep until they woke on their own.
Lisa tried to keep them occupied and stimulated and therefore hopefully out of trouble. The children probably didn't know they were learning things such as when they went on a hike through the woods, taking pictures and some of the children drawing pictures of animals and plants they had seen, each of them so excited to tell the others about what they found, Lisa knew that they were indeed learning. She would ask the younger ones the names of things like the Spanish moss that hung abundantly in most of the trees in Florida and if they didn't know, one of the older children was usually quite ready to enlighten them. It was so exciting to see the enthusiasm in their young minds that were so like a sponge, soaking up everything around them. It was thrilling to see a face light up as some new thing was learned or realized by one of the children.
The babies especially were growing and changing daily and Lisa couldn't help but feel a sadness at all Seb was missing and while there was no way to let him see each and every thing that went on, she did come up with an idea to at least give him a small glimpse into their day. . She went to her closet and got the video camera out, made sure it had a fully charged battery and the memory card was inside since they had taken it out after Lauren's adoption and party to upload the video onto the computer.
Seeing that it had been charged and the memory card put back in place and then one quick look in the mirror to make sure that she looked okay, she began by setting the camera on her dresser, turned it on and hit the record button before sitting on the edge of their bed.
"Hi Sweetheart. I've thought of a way to let you share a bit of our day with us. I hope this will help and not make you even more homesick. I love you and I miss you so much."
She blew him a kiss then got up and hit the pause button. Then she lifted Jessica out of the cradle and took the camera into the nursery where Lauren was awake and playing with her teddy bear. Lisa laid Jessica in the crib next to Lauren who with a reminder touched Jessica very gently on her cheek.
Lisa pressed the button to resume recording.
"Good morning sweet girl. Can you say Hi?"
"Hi, Hi.......Baby" she said poking Jessica's belly.
"Can you give Jessica a gentle kiss?"
Lauren leaned down and kissed Jessica's forhead then patted her belly none too gently. Lisa paused the camera and carried both of the girls out of the nursery and down the hall, stopping at each bedroom and recording a short message for Seb, each child with their own special way of greeting him. It was easier with the other children because as soon as she told them that they were sending a message to Papa, they were more than eager to speak to him on the camera.
She had begun with Jeremy and Holly since they had to leave for school soon. She would have all day to catch bits of the smaller children as they played.
By the end of the day, Lisa had recorded about twenty minutes of short clips, including each of the children, even letting them say goodnight to Papa all together before they went to bed that night.
Once the house was quiet, she recorded one last goodnight message, from herself. Then she sat at the computer and uploaded the video to their mediafire account and included the link in an email, telling him to check it out when he had time.
The following day, Seb had about an hour before he needed to meet up with the guys and decided to check his email. He read through the list, deleting the junk as he went along and reading a fairly long one from Adrienne, telling him how she was doing, that she and Donovan were doing as well as could be expected with a long distance relationship but that she hoped to arrange things so she could come back before too long to visit. She still had high hopes that they could make this relationship work. He replied, telling her again that he and Lisa would absolutely love to have her come and stay with them and that she would be welcome for as long as she'd like to stay.
After reading through a couple more emails from family and friends in France and deleting the rest of the junk mail, he saw the one from Lisa, hiding at the bottom of the list.
He opened the email, quickly reading through what she had written, mainly making sure that everything was alright at home. He was relieved to find out that everyone was well and happy. He continued reading until the end and found the link.
He watched the video, touching the screen at the beginning when he saw Lisa sitting on their bed, where he would much like to be right now making love to her. He missed her so much. She was just a couple of weeks away from being able to resume normal marital relations after giving birth to Jessica.
He thought that her short message was the end but after the screen went black for a fraction of a second, it came to life again with Lauren and Jessica in the nursery. How fast Jessica was growing. He could tell by the little nightgown that she had worn several times since coming home from the hospital. The sleeves had initially extended beyond the tips of her fingers but already the sleeves came almost to her wrists. Lisa had also told him that Jessica was already having some longer awake times where she would appear to be looking around at her family and listening to all of the sounds around her.
Next, Jeremy and Holly said good morning to him and told him that they were getting ready to leave for school.
"I got an A on my math test yesterday, Papa." Jeremy told him, looking so obviously proud of himself. "He should be" Seb said out loud only to himself. The boy was working so hard. He was intent on pleasing them with his accomplishments but in turn he was actually coming to understand the facts and figures that had had him stumped for so long. The tutor he was working with was a patient and kind teacher and Jeremy seemed to like her.
Holly jumped in front of Jeremy, making sure that she got her time to speak to Papa.
"Hi Papa. I miss you. Mama says that I can go to swimming lessons at the YMCA. They got a pool inside the big building so you can swim in the winter. Then when it gets summertime again, I will know how to swim just like Jeremy."
Lisa had already spoken to him about finding the program that would help Holly, Sammy and Kayti become better swimmers over the winter, before they opened their pool back up. They wanted each child to be the best swimmer possible to avoid any accidents. She said that they even had a program for Lauren to learn how to hold her breath and kick her feet in the water. Jeremy and Amelia would be able to go and just have a swim while the others were learning. While Sammy swam fairly well, Seb and Lisa wanted an expert to tell them that he swam as well as could be expected for his age.
The screen went black momentarily and then came back on. Amelia, Sammy and Kayti were playing in the playroom that had the music toys.
"Hi Papa. Me and Kayti and Amelia are going to play you a song."
For the next several minutes Sammy was blowing into the recorder, Kayti was banging happily on the small drum and Amelia was hitting the xylophone with the small mallets that came with it. There was definitely no recognizable tune as they each were playing at different speeds and rhythms but to Seb it was the most beautiful sound as he watched his children enjoying the music they were making. Then all of a sudden Kayti had had enough and jumped up.
"Mama, I go play with the puppies?"
"May I go play with the puppies." Lisa said, correcting her gently. "Yes, you may go find Jasmine and Maya." Seb heard Lisa answer from behind the camera.
Losing Kayti's drum must have taken the wind out of Sammy and Amelia's sails. They ceased to play and went on to play with some other toys.
After another short pause, the picture returned with Lauren crawling around another playroom that had been designed just for the smallest ones with no toys that could harm them or be swallowed by the babies who put everything in their mouths. There were however plenty of toys and there were several places for Lauren to be able to pull herself up. She loved to stand at the short tables and look around. She would start to bang her hands on the table but inevitably she would fall back onto her bottom as she didn't quite have the balance yet to stand without holding on to something.
The next segment was of the children all gathered together in Kayti's room. They were all dressed in their pajamas. Several books lay on the bed either having been read or waiting to be. Lisa rotated who got to choose which books would be read at bedtime. They would always have a couple for the younger children and then once they were settled, she would move on to Amelia and Holly's room where they would read a book that was more for their age.
At the book store, Jeremy had found the whole series of Little House on the Prairie books. They had just begun the second book. Amelia would sit between Holly and Jeremy and look at the words as they took turns reading a passage. Depending on the day of the week and how late they'd gotten settled, she would adjust how much they read each night. Most nights, both she and the children didn't want to stop reading. It seemed that they would have to end right at a good part and the wait for tomorrow night seemed a long time away.
The final segment of the video had Lisa back in their bedroom, all ready for bed in her night shirt. Up until now he had thoroughly enjoyed each part of the video but seeing her as she was just about to climb into their bed alone, just as he would have to sleep alone, made his heart clench. He could see that she was trying to smile but knew her well enough to recognize the choked sound to her voice as she said goodnight to him.
"I love you Seb. Take care of yourself and say hello to the others for me. Goodnight Sweetheart." And with one last kiss blown to him, the screen went dark, for good this time.
He watched the video twice more before the guys knocked on the door asking if he was ready to leave.
"Sure, I'm coming." he said as he closed his laptop with a sigh.
"You okay?" Urs asked him as they walked down the hall to the bank of elevators.
"Yeah, I'm okay. I just miss Lisa and the kids."
"I know exactly how you feel, my friend." Urs said as he squeezed his shoulder and Seb knew that he did. Urs missed Alex and Aaron just as much.
Contessa Admin
Posts : 5300 Join date : 2008-12-13 Age : 68 Location : Urs Buhler, The man of my dreams!! Humor : I found it and as always the joke is on me!!
Dan leaned back in his chair in his office, momentarily stopping to think about his wife. She was almost back to her old self. But he had learned a hard lesson during the time after her attack. He seldom allowed himself to think of that night but occassionaly it would creep into his mind, disturbing an otherwise peaceful day. With a deep intake of his breath, he made the split second decision to hurry and finish the work that absolutely needed to be finished today and then he would leave for the day and take his beautiful wife wherever she wanted to go or even stay at home and just enjoy each other for the afternoon and evening. He thought about calling her and telling her he'd be home early but changed his mind and decided to surprise her.
His eagerness to get home to Marie, spurred him on and helped him to finish several tasks in almost record time. Although a couple of things frustrated him as he needed to call and get input from another department before finishing it up. This held him up for far longer than he would have liked as he had no control over when things would get done so he could leave.
By now he had finished everything he could and was just puttering around his office, straightening things up as he waited for the call from upstairs.
He even went out into the small alcove outside of his office where they had a coffee pot and microwave. He needed something to do and saw his secretary's eyebrows go up when he took the empty coffe pot to wash it out. She usually did that as part of her closing the office tasks each day.
He just shrugged his shoulders and grinned as he walked down the hall into the men's room.
In the metal cabinet which held some supplies, Dan found the scrub brush that was just for cleaning the coffee pot. It hadn't been used in quite some time, he realized, knowing that Lea had in fact been doing this chore for a very long time with no assistance from him.
It got him thinking about all of the little things she did behind the scenes that he wasn't generally aware of. She just kept his office running smoothly. He decided that he'd have to remember that when it came time for raises to be discussed. He wasn't sure that she had been paid what she was worth. If not, he was determined to rectify that as soon as possible.
As he scrubbed the pot under the water, Dan felt a growing tightness in his chest. It began as a feeling like when you have a gas bubble after drinking a soft drink or eating too much. The feeling went very rapidly from being just a small noticable occurance to being uncomfortable. Then it became an actual pain in his chest and started to radiate all the way down his left arm. With one hand still holding the coffee pot and the other hand supporting himself on the porcelain sink, he looked in the mirror and became very afraid.
Lea was standing at a file cabinet, putting away some files they had used earlier when she heard the crash and the sound of glass breaking and then almost immediately a thud. She rushed down the hall and knocked on the door.
Mr. Huggins?..... Dan are you alright in there?"
She received no answer but was not comfortable entering the men's room so she ran the rest of the way down the hall and barged into another man's office.
"Please help me. I think something is wrong with Dan. I heard a crash in the men's room and he isn't answering me."
Both of the men that were sitting in the room rushed after her and actually pushed past her and into the men's room.
She stood outside the room and though it was only a matter of seconds, it felt much longer as she waited for them to come out and tell her what was happening. They didn't come out. The next thing she heard was one of the men, Steve Sarver, yelling to her to go get the AED. She knew that that meant it was serious.
The AED or Automated External Defibrillator when used correctly could actually shock a person's heart back to life when it had stopped beating. They had gotten several of these devices to mount throughout the building several years ago and to her knowledge they had not been used up until now.
She ran into the room and placed the device on the floor. Steve immediately opened it and after a quick read of the instructions to refresh his memory, he placed the pads in the required spots and told her and John, the other man, to back away from Dan and don't touch him while the machine was shocking him.
"Have you called 911?"
"Yes, I called," John answered.
Steve checked for a pulse after the first shock and upon finding none, he prepared to shock Dan again.
"Get back." he said again when the machine had charged itself and was ready again.
They all jumped a little as the machine shocked Dan and his body jumped from the electricity flooding his body.
Just as Steve was checking for a pulse, the elevator doors opened and out stepped four paramedics with their gear.
They quickly knelt down while simultaneouly asking questions about what had happened and what had been done for him up till now.
Lea told them about the crash and getting Steve and John and then Steve filled them in on what he'd done after that time, letting them know that he had shocked Dan twice.
One of the paramedics hooked Dan up to an EEG machine and also manually felt for a pulse.
"We have a heartbeat here." he said confidently.
The three co-workers all breathed a sigh of relief but at the same time, that didn't mean that Dan was out of the woods yet.
Marie realized that it was a rather breezy day outside so when she pulled the clean bed sheets out of the washer, she decided to hang them out on the clothesline to dry. They wouldn't take long at all as they swung in the breeze.
She pulled a chair from the patio set over to just beside the line and set her laundry basket on it so she wouldn't have to bend so low to pull out the wet laundry. Making sure that she had some clothes pins strategically placed along the line, she pulled the first sheet out of the basket, shook it to untangle it and smooth out some of the wrinkles before she began to clip it to the line.
There was just a bit of a nip to the breeze. It was by no means cold but it was just enough to remind you that winter, such as it was in Florida, was on its way. Most years, winter just meant making sure that you had a jacket handy for the early and late parts of the day. Only a handfull of days could actually be catagorized as truly cold. Although that was left to interpretation by individuals. Even during the summers, you could find elderly people with sweaters on. Marie had to admit that she frequently carried a sweater inside when she went shopping or even to the movies, even in the hottest part of the summer. Some places turned the air conditioning up so high that it seemed as if they were actually trying to run people off, freezing them out instead of welcoming them and wishing for them to stay and shop.
She was wrangling the last sheet onto the line when the phone began to ring. She hurriedly finished placing the last clothes pin on the sheet to keep it on the line and then ran into the house, trying to catch the phone before it stopped ringing.
"Hello?" she said slightly out of breath.
"Mrs. Huggins?"
"Yes?"
"Mrs. Huggins, this is Lea....Your husband...Dan..he's on his way to the hospital. We think he's had a heart attack." Lea said sounding extremely distressed.
"Lea, is he alive?" Marie asked, trying to keep her wits about her but her mind was swinging in so many directions at once.
"He was when he left here. He did stop breathing for a time but, Steve Sarver used the AED on him and restarted his heart."
"Oh My God." Marie knew that if that device was used on Dan, he had been in serious condition, maybe even had died for a time.
"Where were they taking him?"
"Tampa General Hospital."
"Thank you Lea."
"You’re welcome, Mrs. Huggins. Please let me know how he is. You will both be in my prayers."
"I will, and thank you again."
After hanging up, Marie stood in the middle of the kitchen with her hand over her mouth, trying not to release the scream that was trying to escape. She couldn't lose him. He was her life, the other half of her soul. She spun around trying to decide what to do first. She knew that she needed to call the girls, but should she wait and go to the hospital first and see how he was doing and then call them? No, if Dan did die, they needed the chance to say goodbye to him too.
She took a deep breath and dialed Alex's number.
"Hi Mom. You must have read my mind. I was going to call you and see if you and Dad wanted to come for dinner. Aaron said he misses his Grandma and Grandpa."
That did it. Marie lost it right there.
Alex heard her mother's sobs and became very afraid. "Mom, what's wrong. Are you alright?"
Marie was trying to catch her breath so she could speak to her daughter. It took some doing but she finally got the words out.
"Alex, your father.....he's had a heart attack. He's on his way to Tampa General."
"NO! Mom is he alright?"
"I don't know. I have to go. Do you want to ride in with me?"
"I'll put Aaron in the car and I'll drive. We need to call Lisa. She'll want to come too. I hope she's home."
"Fine but please hurry Alex. I'm afraid....I'm so afraid he will be gone when we get there."
"Don't think like that Mom. He's strong. He's always been strong. He won't leave us. Not yet."
"I hope you're right. Just please hurry."
"I will Mom. I love you."
She hung up and as she ran around throwing a few necessities in Aaron's diaper bag she dialed Lisa's number.
"Hello, This is Mary."
"Mary please get Lisa. It's an emergency."
Alex kept moving as she waited. She made sure the dogs were secure, got Aaron's bag into the car then got him strapped into his seat.
"Hi Alex. Mary said it was an emergency. Is Aaron alright?"
"He's fine. It's Dad, Lisa. He's had a heart attack at work. They're taking him to the hospital. I'm going to pick Mom up. Do you want me to swing by and get you too?"
"No, I'll follow behind you. It'll take too long to move Jessica's seat. Just go, I'll meet you at Mom's."
Tears were already flowing down Lisa's face. Mary and Debbie were waiting to hear what was happening. When she hung up she looked blankly at them, then with a deep breath she hurriedly told them.
Go, don't worry about the children. We'll take care of them."
Lisa nodded then said, "I'll take Jessica." she didn't want to have to worry about there being enough milk here for her. She had no idea how long she'd be at the hospital.
On her way out the door she turned to them. "Please don't tell the children. I'll decide what we need to tell them later when I see how serious it is."
Alex ran into the house and she and Mom gripped each other in a tight hug, holding onto hope that Dan was going to be alright.
"I'm ready, let's go."
"Lisa's coming. She's going to follow behind us."
As Lisa was approaching the Huggins' street, Alex called her and told her to meet them at the corner where the gas station was. She and Mom had already left the house.
No one got out of their vehicles. As soon as Alex saw Lisa behind her, she pulled back out into the street, heading for the hospital. It was a thirty minute drive on a good day. Hopefully the traffic would be kind to them today when they needed to get there as quickly as possible.
They pulled into the parking garage almost forty minutes later and made their way to the emergency room, each of the girls pushing a stroller.
Marie asked where they could find Dan Huggins. He had been brought in by ambulance over an hour ago.
"Wait here. I'll go check." a receptionist said.
Marie paced in the small area as she waited for an answer. When she returned, the receptionist had a nurse with her.
"Mrs. Huggins?"
"Yes, that's me." she said stepping forward.
"Mrs. Huggins, your husband had a massive heart attack. They've already rushed him into surgery. Come with me and I will take you to the surgical waiting room."
"But was he alive when they took him up?"
"Yes, but I won't lie to you. He is in very serious condition. They will do the best they can to save him."
Marie and both of the girls had tears streaming down their faces as they followed the nurse, fear gripping each of them.
The nurse left them to go back to the emergency department after showing them to the waiting room. Thankfully it was empty, no other families were there.
"Do you think we should call the guys?" Alex asked.
"Maybe we should wait until he's out of surgery so we can give them more information." Lisa answered.
"Yeah, you're probably right."
The waiting was brutal. Each time they heard footsteps out in the hall, they hoped that it was someone coming to tell them something only to be disappointed as the person would just keep walking past. Tears had stopped and started several times. Marie was almost totally silent. She just sat there with memories of their life together running like a movie through her mind.
They hadn't had a totally blissful marriage. Not even Alex knew of the time during the years when she couldn't conceive another child. It had taken a lot out of both she and Dan. She had felt like she was letting him down and Dan had retreated into himself for a time, not communicating his own feelings to her. Although later, she realized that was mostly her fault because of her deep depression she had fallen into. It was only when Dan had seen that they were in danger of ending their marriage, that he had made her sit down and talk to him. It hadn't been easy to get that process going. She had fought him at first, denying that there was even a problem. In the end, they decided that they were just not meant to have another child, Alex would be it. They also knew that if they didn't fix their marriage, they would be letting Alex down and neither of them wanted to do that.
It wasn't a quick fix either. It took nearly a year for them both to completely quit grieving over the inablility to add to their family and just be a happy family of three.
Alex seemed to have come through that time relatively unscathed. She hadn't seemed to notice that anything was wrong, but then she was very young, just about Sammy's age.
He was her rock, her lover, her best friend. She could not imagine living without him.
She thought about the time around her attack, how devastated he'd been but also in the time afterwards when he gently and lovingly pushed her bits at a time to return to her normal life instead of letting the event forever change her life. She only thought of that event once in a while now and although she was infinitely more careful and aware of her surroundings now than she had been before, she wasn't walking around afraid all of the time like she had been in the beginning.
Both babies had been fed and changed and were now back to sleep, although Aaron had stayed awake for longer than his newborn cousin. Marie had even held him, thankful for the distraction.
Alex's phone rang and she saw that it was Vicki.
"Hello."
"Hi Alex. What are you up to? Do you feel like some company? I'm going a bit stir carzy here in the condo."
"I'm sorry, Vicki. I'm not home. Lisa, Mom and I are in Tampa at the hospital. My father had a heart attack while he was at work."
"Dios Mio. Oh Alex I'm sorry. Is he going to be alright?"
"We don't know. He's in surgery. It's been such a long time and no one has told us anything."
"Please let me know how he is."
"I will, Thanks Vicki."
Alex dropped her phone back into the pocket on the side of Aaron's bag and rested her head back against the wall, closing her eyes.
She was not ready to lose her father. She still needed him in her life. He had always been the most important man in her life, even when she was out trying to make a name for herself in the television business. His opinion meant so much to her and even though she didn't always follow every suggestion he had, she locked everything away in her heart. She knew how much he loved her.
At the same time, Lisa was trying to hold herself together for Mom and Alex, but she wasn't doing a very good job. She had been through so many losses in her life and this one would be as devastating as losing Auntie was if Dad didn't make it through this.
She had never had a hands on father that had purposely invovled himself in her life. Her birth father was only a shadow to her. Auntie had told her that her Daddy had loved her very much even though he was away for work often. Uncle Jonathan had cared for her but just wasn't the type of person to play with children like Dan was.
Not only had he made her feel loved but he had taken each one of the children immediately into his heart and given them a Grandfather that made sure he was available to them and made them laugh, playing games with them and just listening to their sillyness, neverending chatter and questions, never seeming to get bored or irritated with them. It would be an unbelievable loss to all of the children to lose his presence in their lives and the babies would never even get to know him if he didn't pull through.
She hadn't even realized that she was sobbing again until Alex and Marie both wrapped themselves around her, all of them holding onto each other.
"Mrs. Huggins?" a woman in scrubs and looking very tired, asked for her.
"Yes, I'm Marie Huggins."
" Hello, My name is Dr. Deavers. I'm the cardiologist that operated on your husband. Please sit down." she said making Marie even more nervous. Marie sat down between both of the girls and they reached out and each took one of her hands.
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"Your husband Daniel, he's out of surgery." she said, wiping her forearm across her brow.
"He's alive?"
"Yes, he made it through the surgery. He is still in very critical condition. We had to do a triple bypass. I can't make you any predictions this early on. He suffered a great deal of damage to his heart muscle. We'll have to wait and see how he does. For now it will be hour by hour. If he makes it forty eight hours, then we can start taking it day by day. He also lost quite a bit of blood during the surgery and we had to give him several units."
Marie was trying very hard to listen and hear what the doctor was telling her but right now she really just wanted to see her husband, see that he was in fact still breathing. She felt like she needed to get in there and tell him that she couldn't bear to lose him, that he needed to fight to stay with her.
She felt Alex's arm go around her shoulder.
"Mom, are you alright?" Alex said softly as she leaned against her mother..
"I just need to go see him, Please." she said almost inaudibly.
"I'm sorry but you will still have to wait just a while longer. He's in recovery, probably for at least another hour. Then he'll be moved to the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit. Why don't you go get something to eat and then go to the sixth floor when you're done. By then, maybe they'll know where he'll be. You'll have to take turns. Only two people are allowed in at a time and of course the babies won't be allowed in. Here, write down your cell phone numbers so that I can reach you if necessary."
After the doctor had left the room, the three women sat there in silence for several minutes, absorbing all that they had been told.
"Mom, you really should have something to eat. Your blood sugar is probably already low." Lisa said.
"I'm not hungry. I doubt I could even eat."
"I know, Mom but you need to eat something, at least try. Lisa and I need to eat too and get something to drink. Come on. We won't stay in the cafeteria long."
Finally persuading her to join them, they searched for the cafeteria and quickly ordered some dinner. Marie only ate a few bites of the sandwich she'd bought but when they were ready to go, Alex wrapped up the rest of the sandwich, brought it along with an apple and a bag of pretzels she'd convinced her mom to get. She could always eat them up in the waiting room later if she was hungry or needed the food to raise her sugar level.
Lisa looked at her watch when they were in the elevator rising to the sixth floor and found that it had been almost forty minutes since they'd spoken to the doctor. They would still have to wait for at least thirty minutes before Dad would be moved up here to the CICU.
They found the sixth floor waiting room, then Mom and Alex went to the nurses station to let them know that Dan Huggins's family was here and would be waiting to see him as soon as it was possible.
Lisa and Alex took advantage of this waiting to feed and change the babies. Then Lisa went to call Seb to let the guys know what was happening here and found out that Vicki had gotten a hold of Carlos already with the news. He told her he would have called but knew she would call as soon as she had time. He was concerned about her but she told him that she was alright. Besides Dad, it was Mom that she was most worried about. She told him that she would call often with updates when the doctor came back to speak to them. Then she made a quick call to Mary to update her and check on the children.
Mary told her that the children were asking where she was so Lisa gave her permission to tell them that Grandpa was sick and she and Auntie Alex were with Grandma at the hospital with him.
It was nearly an hour and a half later that Dr. Deavers appeared in the doorway.
"Hi, I'm sorry it's been so long but we had some difficulty stabilizing his blood pressure down in the recovery room. He's up here now and still mostly out from the anesthesia so don't expect him to talk to you. He shouldn't be pressured to speak now anyway. He needs as much rest as possible. So I am going to request that you have a quick visit now and then only go in once every couple of hours through the night. We'll see how he's doing tomorrow and adjust the visiting accordingly."
" Alright, thank you doctor." Alex said with a choked voice as the doctor was leaving.
Marie had asked the girls to please let her go in alone for this first visit. Now that she was walking into the little room that only had glass walls and a sliding door that was open at present, she almost wished that she had one of them with her for support. She didn't know if she could do this alone.
Except for her inability to conceive a second child, neither she nor Dan had had any serious medical issues in all of their married years.
She slowly approached the bed, her eyes taking in all of the machines and tubes attached to him and the assorted supplies scattered on the counter at the side of the room. Her ears heard all of the beeps and other sounds that came from the machines as they helped to keep her husband stable.
She stood next to him, looking him over, starting at his forehead just over his left eye where he had a few butterfly strips holding a small cut closed. Then her eyes scanned and took in each tube and IV line that was attached to him. They settled on his hands that were lying on each side of him. One hand had the IV lines inserted and she wouldn't touch that but his other had was lying free and she crossed to his other side and carefully slid her hand underneath his, just needing to feel his skin on hers.
She saw several areas on his left arm that looked like small cuts. "How on earth had he gotten all of those?" She wondered, not knowing about the broken glass from the coffee pot he'd landed on when he fell.
Tears were threatening to fall again but she knew if she started right now, there was no way she'd stay on her feet. Taking a deep breath, she leaned closer to his ear and spoke to him.
"Dan...It's Marie.... Honey, Don't try to talk. I just wanted you to know that I am here with you. Keep resting so you can get strong. The girls and I will be taking turns coming in to see you....I love you Daniel Huggins and I still need you, so you need to get well and come home to me. Don't you give up. You're going to be just fine. You come home to me and I will take care of you....Please come home." she finished in not much more than a whisper.
When she knew that she was not going to be able to contain her emotions any longer she raised his hand to her lips and kissed the back of it, then brushed a lock of hair off of his forehead and turned to leave. She started out of the room and just as she was turning the corner and looked at him once more.
"Don't you leave me, Dan Huggins. I couldn't survive it." she thought as she went back to the waiting room.
Alex and Lisa went in together after a warning from Mom, letting them know to be prepared for all of the equipment he was hooked up to and the small cut on his head as well as the ones on his arms.
Alex covered her mouth as she entered the room, trying desperately not to cry. But this was her Daddy lying there. He'd always been so strong.
For some reason, the fight she'd had with Cyndie Carver during recess one day in the second grade popped into her head. She couldn't exactly remember who started it but the two young girls had started shouting at each other, each one adamant that their Daddy was the strongest.
Any other day, Alex would be laughing so hard at that memory, so would her Dad. When she'd come home with the note from her teacher telling her parents that Alex had gotten into trouble only after punching Cyndie in the stomach, they had of course had to punish her. But years later, Dad had told her how special that had made him feel and they had both gotten a good laugh out of the memory.
Looking at him now, Alex thought he looked very frail as he lay there and his skin was very pale.
"Hi Dad. Alex and I are here. Don't you worry about anything. Just rest. We'll take good care of Mom for you while you get better. We love you." Lisa said near his ear.
Alex held his hand and couldn't stop the tears that fell onto it. "Sorry Daddy. I'm trying to be strong for Mom. But I'm scared. Please be okay. We all need you so much. We still need your strength and your guidance. That hasn't changed just because we got married, you know."
For several minutes, they both stood there in the room just hoping he'd open his eyes so they'd know he heard them and understood. He didn't. He stayed sleeping soundly and finally they decided that even though they didn't want to leave, they'd better go and let him rest quietly.
Through the night, the three women took their turns sitting with Dan for short visits. He never woke or even stirred when they were with him but the doctor that was on during the overnight hours had come a few times and told them that he was stable and doing as well as could be expected at this point.
A nurse brought them pillows and blankets so they could at least try to rest in the hours when they couldn't be in with Dan. After a bit of a struggle, Alex got her Mom to lie down on one of the sofas. Marie thought that there was no way that she would be able to sleep but it wasn't long after her head hit the pillow that she did fall asleep.
The girls were careful to keep the babies quiet so Mom could rest. Once when Aaron got tired of being in the infant seat and began crying, Alex took him out and walked the halls with him to give him some different scenery and he finally quieted and even fell back to sleep.
*
Lisa was turning a corner, pushing the stroller after leaving the cafeteria. In the top behind the handle were two cup holders which now held cups of coffee and in one hand she carried the third cup. In the basket underneath she had pieces of fruit and some breakfast Danish with packets of flavored cream cheese to spread on them.
It had been a very long night. They had each dozed at one time or another, she and Alex taking turns sleeping so someone was awake to keep an eye on the babies. Mom had actually slept for a few hours in between her visits to Dan's room. It was now almost ten in the morning and so far Dad had made it through the night with no additional problems.
She was just thinking that she should call Seb and give him an update after they spoke to the doctor who was just going in to assess him when she was leaving for the cafeteria when she heard her name being called. She turned and found Seb and Urs hurrying towards her and saw David and Carlos not far behind.
She set her cup of coffee on a ledge along the wall and fell into his arms as they wrapped around her.
"Oh Seb, I'm so glad that you are here." she said clinging tightly to him.
"We couldn't leave you girls here alone to deal with all of this. I didn't know that as soon as Vicki had called Carlos, Urs had started making flight preparations for all of us. We just put everything on hold until we know what is happening here."
"Where do we need to go?" Urs asked, anxious to get to Alex.
"I'm sorry Urs. Follow me." She said and picked up her coffee.
Seb reached in the stroller and picked Jessica up, snuggling her against his chest as they walked.
Alex let out a small squeal and ran to Urs when she saw him. He pulled her tightly against him and let her cry into his shoulder.
"Where's Mom?" Lisa asked her.
The doctor let her go back in to see Dad. I couldn't take Aaron in so I was waiting for you to come back."
"Ok well go ahead. I'll go in next."
Alex looked at Urs, not really wanting to leave him out here but with the two person limit, he told her to go. He'd be here when she came out. He took that time to say hello to his son who was lying wide awake in his seat attached to the stroller. He unbuckled him and lifted him into his arms and was promptly rewarded with what Urs was sure was a genuine smile and not just a bit of gas.
"Hello Aaron. Papi is here. Have you been a good boy for your Mami?"
Urs had laid Aaron on his legs after he'd sat down and Aaron kicked his feet in response to Urs speaking to him. The doctor had been pleased to hear that Aaron was making these movements. It was encouraging to see that he was able to control those muscles so well on his own.
"Are the other children alright?" Seb asked.
"Yes, I spoke to Mary last night and this morning I called and spoke to Debbie. She said the children were fine. We only told them that Grandpa is sick and in the hospital. I didn't want to scare them. They can't visit either. No one under twelve can go into the CICU. I wouldn't really want any of them to see him like that anyway."
"After we visit here for a while, I'll go home for a while and check on them."
"Alright, Seb."
Mom came hurrying into the waiting room and hugged Urs then Sebastien and then the other two guys, thanking them profusely for rushing home to them.
"You don't have to thank us. This is where we belong at a time like this. We didn't give anyone any choice. We just told them we were going and that was that." Urs told her as he hugged her once more. "How is he? Can we see him?"
"His doctor just checked him out for the first time this morning. He is still not waking up much and he hasn't woken at all when the girls and I have been in there but she says that is pretty normal for him to need a lot of sleep now. She did say that his heart sounds fine today and his blood pressure has stabilized overnight."
That is great news." Lisa said.
"She said we can go in once an hour for fifteen minutes, meaning we have to take turns visiting in that fifteen minutes and let him rest for the rest of the hour. Urs, why don't you and Seb go in now and then I'll go back in with Lisa after you come out."
"Sounds good." Urs told her.
Alex came back in just as Urs and Seb were heading out of the waiting room. She smiled a weak smile at Urs as they passed each other and he reached out to stop her long enough to plant a gentle, comforting kiss on her lips.
Visits had rotated throughout the day, Carlos had gone home to Vicki and Carlito, David had gone as well to his condo to stretch out in his bed and Marie had insisted that Urs and Seb take their girls and the babies home for a good night's sleep with a promise to call with any news, good or bad.
The following day, after whatever sleep they could get and a good meal the CICU waitng room was full again as everyone was back except for Carlos and David. The room was too small and they didn't want to take up the much needed space. But they stayed in contact to get updates on Dan's condition.
Lisa had relented when Mary and Debbie offered to keep Jessica for the day. Even though she had slept some of the night, she like the rest was still both physically and emotionally exhausted as people tend to be when something of this magnitude shakes up their world.
Mary had sent not only something for Marie to eat for breakfast but enough goodies and sandwiches for them to eat for the day.
They were all relieved to find out that Dan had had an uneventful night for the second night in a row.
Marie was waiting now for the doctor to come out after she had done her rounds so that she could go in and visit. The night nurses had told her that he had stirred several times in the night but he was still on such strong medication for the pain that he never gained full conciousness.
When she was allowed to go in, she stopped to speak to the doctor to hear how she thought Dan was doing.
"His blood pressure has been good all night and his other vitals as well. We'll start backing off on the meds now and let him wake up some more. Then we'll only medicate him as he requests it. So far everything is as well as we could hope for after such a massive attack." Dr. Deavers saw the absolute relief on Marie Huggins' face.
"Mrs. Huggins, this is good news but I must caution you that there is a very long road of recovery ahead. At this point, I doubt that your husband will be able to go back to his normal routine. He will probably need to retire from his job and restrict his activities to some extent. We will go into more detail on all of that as time passes. For now, we just need to get him recovered from the surgery."
Marie's face fell again at this news. She knew Dan, and like Alex when she was on restrictions during her pregnancy, this would not go over very well with him. But for now, she wasn't going to worry about that. The important thing was to get him well enough to come home. Everything else could be dealt with later. Marie thanked the doctor for her candidness and told her that she hoped that she would keep her informed of every detail as they went through this process. Dr. Deavers assured her that she would and then went on to her next patient.
Stepping along the side of Dan's bed, Marie could tell that they had moved him a bit so he was lying a bit more to his other side. When she asked the nurse, she said that it was to keep the patient from getting pressure sores from lying in one position for too long.
Marie pulled a chair as close to him as she could and sat down, taking his hand in hers. Today it was the opposite hand as they had moved the IV to his other hand since the last time she'd been in. She was careful not to touch too close to the angry looking bruising from where the old IV had been but she just had to touch him. She didn't dare touch his chest. She still hadn't seen his incision so she was afraid of hurting him.
She was so tired. She had honestly tried to sleep last night after the others had left. Alex had pleaded with her to get some sleep. But she only slept for short times and then something would wake her. With Dan moved over as he was, there was a bit of space on the edge of his bed and she laid her head onto her arm, still holding his hand and closed her eyes. If they wanted her to leave, they'd have to wake her.
*
"I'm thirsty."
"Alright, Mr. Huggins. I'll see if I can get you some water." the nurse answered him.
"Where's my wife?"
"She's right there beside you. She fell asleep and we haven't had the heart to wake her. She wasn't in the way."
With a bit of effort, Dan turned his head and lifted it enough to see her with her head still propped on her arm. Her other hand had slipped from his but was within his reach. He placed his hand gently on top of hers and with the slightest pressure he gave it a squeeze, just to reassure himself that she was in fact there with him. He hadn't intended to wake her, but she began stirring, startling herself when she thought she was falling because of the strange position she'd slept in.
"Marie." he said in the smallest voice.
Instantly she was wide awake and standing to look at him.
"Dan?....Dan...hello my love. You've been a sleepy head you know." she said trying to smile at him but not sure she succeded very well.
"I had a heart attack didn't I?"
"Yes Sweetheart, you did. A bad one, but you've had surgery and you are doing very well. You just need a lot of rest."
"I knew it. I could feel it coming. I thought I was going to die without telling you how much I love you...How much you mean to me. I was so scared." tears flooded his eyes as he spoke to her.
"I know how much you love me you knucklehead. How could I not know? I feel it in everything you do and say. But I am so glad that you are still here to keep telling me. I don't know what I would have done without you by my side for the next fifty years."
"Fifty more years, Huh. I'm not sure about that but I'll give it my best shot."
"I love you Dan Huggins. Get some rest. I'm not supposed to wear you out with a lot of chit chatting."
"Are the girls alright?"
"They've been worried. We all have been. But now things will get better. The guys all came home too when they heard."
"Good, I'm glad they're home. They're good boys." Dan said sounding very sleepy.
"Go back to sleep My Love. I'll be here. If I'm not in here, I won't be far away."
Marie held his hand until she knew that he was in a deep sleep and then hurried out to the waiting room.
Alex jumped up, immediately very afraid when she saw the tears streaming down her mother's face.
"MOM, what's wrong. Is something wrong with Daddy......."
"No, No. He's alright. He woke up and spoke to me for a few minutes. That was the first time since he'd left for work the other day." she finished and broke down.
Urs wrapped his arm around her and guided her to the sofa and made her sit down and he held her and just let her get it out. It had been a very stressful couple of days. Now maybe she could relax a bit since Dan seemed to be out of the woods.
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Dan woke up later flanked on either side by his girls. Alex was holding one hand and Lisa was just holding his fingers since the IV was still there.
"Hi" he croaked out. His mouth felt so dry.
"Hi Daddy."
"Hi Dad, How do you feel?"
"Like I've been kicked by a horse. But I'm also a bit hungry and very thirsty. The doctor said I could try to eat some soup in a while....How is your mother doing. She looked very tired."
"She hasn't gotten a lot of sleep. She was too worried about you."
"I want you to take her home with you tonight and see that she gets a good night's sleep."
"Daddy, you know that Mom isn't going to do anything she doesn't want to."
"We've had a hard enough time getting her to go to the cafeteria. So we just started bringing food up here to her." Lisa told him.
"Don't worry about it. I'll make sure she goes." he told them.
"Just don't stress yourself about it if she refuses. We'll make sure she eats and sleeps, somehow." Alex pleaded.
Marie was helping Dan to get some soup into him later that evening when he broached the subject of her going to Alex's for some rest.
"No Dan. I'm doing alright here. It's too far away for me to leave."
"Please don't argue with me on this. You are exhausted. I'm worried about you."
"Don't worry about me. You need to concentrate on getting well."
"Then please just do as I ask. I will be fine. I'll be right here when you come back."
She opened her mouth to say something and he put his hand up.
"Marie, please. I won't rest like I need to while I'm worrying about you."
"Oh that's playing dirty Dan Huggins."
"I'm sorry I'm not meaning to but it's the truth. Go to Alex's, get a good meal and a full night's sleep and come see me tomorrow and I bet we'll both feel much better. And give Aaron a big kiss and tell him Grandpa misses him. I miss all the kids. I wish they could visit."
"Dr. Deavers said they can once you get moved down onto a regular floor but that won't be for several more days, at least."
"Alright. Give them all a kiss for me."
"Marie couldn't argue with him anymore as much as she'd like to. She didn't want to upset him. She really didn't want to leave and even considered staying in the waiting room and not letting him know she had stayed but she'd bet the girls wouldn't go for it and would tattle on her. So she resigned herself to leaving just for the night but would be right back first thing in the morning.
Urs and Seb came in for a visit for the first time since Dan had been awake. The girls were packing up the mess they'd all made in the waiting room while they had been camped out there today.
"Hi Dad." both guys said and gently shook his hand.
"Hi guys. Thanks for coming home. I know I messed your schedule up."
"Don't you even worry about that. We've already got people arranging things to get us back on track when we get back to it." Urs told him.
"Well the doctor seems to think I'll pull through this, so whenever you need to go....."
The next week went much the same with visits when they were allowed and people catching a nap in the waiting room when they could.
Dan was of course in a lot of pain from the surgery but on the fifth day, they got him out of bed to try and walk for a short time. When he did walk successfully out to the nurses station and back without too much difficulty, the doctor was pleased and said that he would be moved down to the regular cardiac floor as soon as they found a bed for him.
"You look far away, Sweetheart. Do you feel alright after that walk?"
"Yes, I feel really tired but that's all. But I was a bit afraid to start walking. I was afraid of another attack coming on."
Marie could see how afraid he'd actually been, especially for him to voice that fear. Dan had never been a weak person or one to complain and even when she knew he had been sick or hurting, he would cover it up so she wouldn't worry. This time it was too big to hide within himself.
"Dan, they've taken care of the blockages. You'll be fine now. You just need to build your strength back up a little at a time."
"I know there is a chance of another attack with all of the damage that was done to my heart. The doctor told me."
Marie was rather irritated that the doctor would give him something more to worry about when he needed to be resting.
Just after the seven o'clock shift change, Dan was moved to his new room and although the visiting restrictions were a bit more relaxed in here, the doctor requested that for tonight, they let him rest. Just the moving from one room to another had worn him out.
He had asked them all to go home and get some sleep and had barely stayed awake long enough to eat a light supper. Even though Marie still wasn't happy about leaving him, she did go when the rest of them were leaving but this time instead of going to Alex and Urs', she requested that they drop her off at home and pick her up in the morning. She felt like she just needed some time alone.
She wasn't all that hungry but she ate because she knew she needed to and then she ran herself a hot bath and put on some relaxing instrumental music and took a long soak in the tub. If it wasn't for someone beeping a car horn sometime later, she might have slept all night in the cold water.
She started to climb into their bed after she'd put on a nightgown but stopped just after lifting the covers. She was looking at the empty side of the bed where Dan should be and decided that she couldn't sleep there without him so she took her pillow, stopped at the closet for a blanket and went out to the sofa, where she slept soundly until Alex was knocking on her door to pick her up the next morning.
"Hi Dad. Seb and I just wanted to stop and say goodbye before we headed for the airport."
"Thank you Urs. I really appreciate it that you came home. I know the girls felt better with you both here."
"We'll be checking in with Mom and the girls. You just do what the doctor tells you so you can come home soon. I know the kids can't wait to see you." Seb told him.
"I wish they could have come up to visit."
"Yeah well after they all had a cold, the doctor said it wasn't a good idea to bring them up here. Kayti still has a bit of a cough. But it hasn't slowed her down any."
"I understand. I just miss them."
The next week, Lisa had taken the boys out for some time alone with her and brought them up to see him, surprising both the boys and Dan with the unexpected visit. She had already told Jeremy and Sammy what to expect when they saw Grandpa. He still had the little oxygen tubes just under his nose and the IV was still there as well.
He was also on a very restricted diet now so she had to tell them no when they wanted to bring him some treats.
"Hi Grandpa." Jeremy said at the same time he was getting a hug from Grandma.
"Hi Grandpa and Grandma. Grandpa do you have lots of popsicles in the hostible."
Dan had to try very hard not to laugh. It would have hurt too much.
"No Sammy, I haven't had any popsicles."
"Tell the doctor you want a popsicle. They make you feel lots better."
"I'll have to remember that. I'm so glad that you boys came up to visit me."
"Are you coming home soon Grandpa?"
"I'm not sure Jeremy. I hope it won't be too long but I have to wait until the doctor says I can leave."
"Does your heart still hurt Grandpa?"
The adults in the room were all surprised that Sammy had overheard them talking. They had tried to keep too much of the scary talk away from the children since the attack.
"No Sammy, my heart doesn't hurt. But do you remember when you had your appendix out and you had to have stitches in your belly?"
"Yup."
"Well I have a lot of stitches on my belly too and they hurt a little. But they are getting better every day."
Dan wasn't going to go into detail about all of the pain he was in. He didn't want to frighten them.
When they were leaving, Sammy wanted to kiss Grandpa goodbye so Lisa showed him where he couldn't touch Grandpa and then she lifted him up so he could reach.
"I'll see you boys soon. You help out at home and be good. I love you."
"Love you too." The boys echoed.
His co workers visited him several times in the hospital and the first visit from the three of them that were instrumental in keeping him alive until the paramedics arrived had been very emotional for all of them. Lea had tried to hide her tears but she wasn't fooling anyone.
Marie had thanked them all as well, knowing that without their quick reactions, Dan would most likely not be with them now. She decided that once Dan was feeling better, she would take a large basket of goodies to the office for them to share. It was the very least that she could do to show her appreciation.
After three weeks and so many tests, many of which Dan said seemed like they were trying to finish him off, he was allowed to go home. A visiting nurse was scheduled to come out once a day for the first couple of weeks to monitor his progress. He also had a follow up appointment scheduled with Dr. Deavers in a week.
Marie was thrilled to have him home and tried to keep things light hearted around their house. Dan frequently got frustrated with his lack of stamina. He tired so easily, sleeping most of the day and he would get irritated with himself for not being able to do more for himself. She hadn't told him yet of the doctor's prediction about him having to retire. There was no need in borrowing trouble right now when he had so much on his mind already.
*
"Hi Drew, It looks like you guys are finishing up around here. It looks great from out here. Can I go inside and look around?"
Drew got a bit red in the face and averted his eyes from Lisa's
"I'm sorry Lisa. I promised Seb that I'd keep everyone out until he came home so that he could give the grand tour himself."
That only made Lisa even more curious to see what was inside of the new music building. She knew that they had been almost finished with the actual build when Seb was home a few weeks ago and then she had seen the trucks come that had unloaded boxes and crates last week.
Now Drew and his crew were doing the finishing touches on cleaning up their construction mess from outside around the building and a few of them were marking off the area where they would pour a concrete walkway that would extend all the way from the back of the main house to the music building.
"When is he due home?" Drew asked her.
"They'll be home on Saturday afternoon. I can't wait. We've got our dinner menu all set for Thanksgiving next Thursday and then next weekend we are going to begin decorating for Christmas. I had so many ideas for the decorations when I looked at the house last year, imagining how beautiful it would be all lit up. Debbie and I are going shopping tomorrow for some more lights and decorations."
"It will be beautiful here and I know that the children are already getting excited for Christmas. I hear the older ones talking about what they saw on TV that they hope to find under their Christmas tree."
"Oh well, if you hear anything specific, please let me know. I'd like to get them some special things that will make them happy."
"Alright, I will and you let me know if you need me to help with the outside decorations. It will be quite a job to string the lights for a house this size. When will you get your tree?"
"I'm not sure. Seb and I hadn't talked about it yet. But if I know him, he'll be ready to put it up next weekend as well when we do the other decorating."
"I think you're right." Drew laughed. "The tree lots will begin selling them in a few days I think."
"I guess I'll let you get back to work, that is unless I can persuade you to let me take a peek inside." Lisa said fluttering her eyelashes and grinning at him.
Drew just laughed and turned around and went back inside. Lisa could still hear him laughing as she walked back to the house.
"Well, you can't blame a girl for trying." she thought. She just couldn't imagine what the big secret was. They had discussed in detail what would be in the music building, right down to all of the instruments. A Baby Grande piano was due to be delivered on Tuesday. They hadn't wanted it delivered before all of the dusty work was finished and it looked like Drew was right on schedule.
The children already liked to play on the piano they'd put in the large room that had once been the ballroom. None of them could play anything specific yet but Lisa was just happy that they were showing an interest in it. After the Christmas holidays, they were going to begin having a piano teacher come out and begin teaching some basics to whichever of the children seemed to take an interest in learning. Even Seb said he did not want to force it on any of the children. He wanted their music experiences to be fun. They might change their minds several times over the years about what musical instruments they want to learn to play if they chose any at all.
*
He stepped through the front door and listened to all of the sounds of the children talking and he heard Jessica crying upstairs. No one knew he was here yet and for a moment he just stood in the foyer enjoying the sights and sounds of his home.
He saw in the room off to his left that there were stacks of Christmas decorations just waitng to be hung throughout the house, some of which were for outside. A row of at least a dozen pine wreaths gave off a fragrance that already helped to bring the holiday feelings of joy inside of him. This was his favorite time of the year. It had been since he was a child.
Last year had been wonderful, sharing his first holidays with Lisa, even though they hadn't been together on the day. This year though, he would be home with his family, able to enjoy seeing the children's faces on Christmas morning when they would see the bounty underneath their tree.
Kayti was older this year and would be so much fun. She was so inquisitive. He wondered if she would still love their inflatable snowman that he'd gotten for her last year. Sammy had so much joy all of the time. He knew Sammy would be close to bursting when he experienced this Christmas. Last year had been such a contradiction of feelings in their son. On Christmas last year, he had just come to live with Lisa and was still dealing with his fears and insecurities. This year, he would be able to fully enjoy all that encompassed the season.
Lauren was just old enough to enjoy all of the bright colors and sounds of the season and playing with all of the wrapping.
For him this year, Seb was most concerned with giving Jeremy and Holly the best Christmas they'd ever had. It wouldn't take a lot he supposed after the lives they'd had. But he wasn't just going to make it an okay Christmas. He wanted to make this a Christmas they would never forget, not just with the gifts they would receive but the feelings of home and family and the memories of happiness that would follow them through the rest of their lives, hopefully banishing the sad memories of the years they had not had much to celebrate about.
He heard running feet coming closer and his face lit up when he saw Kayti. She came running around the corner and stopped short in front of him. Then she let out a loud squeal.
"PAPA!"
He had dropped his luggage when he had come through the door and when Kayti came flying at him, he scooped her up and hugged her tightly against him, kissing her all over her face, making her giggle.
Within seconds, the rest of the older children had come running upon hearing Kayti's announcement that their Papa was home.
"Welcome home Seb." Mary said as she wiped her hands on a towel and leaned over the pile of children to give him a hug.
"Thank you Mary. It is so wonderful to be home."
He set Kayti back on her feet and gave each of the children a hug.
"Where's Lisa?"
"She and Debbie are upstairs giving the girls a bath. Lauren made a mess with her lunch and since she was going to give her a bath, Lisa decided to go ahead and give Jessica her bath too."
He looked up and saw her. Lisa was standing at the railing smiling down at him. She'd been watching him get surrounded by their children as they welcomed him home.
"Hi."
"Hi Baby. I'll be right up as soon as I can move." he grinned at his happy kids.
"Papa, can you come play with us?"
"Sure, I'll play with you Sammy. Just let me go upstairs and say hello to Mommy and your sisters, alright."
"Okay we'll go play and wait for you."
"Okay son."
"I'll carry this big suitcase upstairs for you Papa."
"Thank you Jeremy. Are you sure it isn't too heavy for you?"
"Nope, I can do it." he said as he rolled it along the floor and Seb grinned as with great effort Jeremy pulled it up the stairs after Mary opened the bottom gate for him. Lisa opened the gate at the top of the stairs and helped him with the last few steps and then he rolled it into the master suite.
After he made sure that he had been thoroughly hugged and kissed by all of the children, he took the stairs two at a time as he hurried up to Lisa. He swept her into his arms and kissed her.
"I missed you so much, Ma Cherie. I think it was even more just knowing that when I came home this time we would be celebrating the holidays together for the first time. I've been so excited to get home and begin decorating. I saw that you have a lot of it ready."
"Yes, I knew that you would want to get started on it right away and I missed you too. You don't have to leave again right, not until after the new year?" she asked hopefully.
"Well....I'm sorry sweetheart but we will go the week before Christmas to New York. We'll be appearing on several shows over a couple of days and taping segments that will air over the next week and especially on Christmas Day."
"But you will be home for Christmas?"
"Yes Baby. I will wake up in your arms on Christmas morning."
"Oh that sounds wonderful." she said, her arms still wrapped tightly around him and her lips nuzzling his neck.
"Now, where are my two petites. I heard they were having a bath."
They went into the children's bathroom and Seb laughed when Lauren grinned up at him with her four teeth in the front. She was having a ball sitting in the tub, splashing water everywhere. Debbie was holding Jessica who was all wrapped up in a fluffy towel and waiting to get dressed.
"Hi Debbie, thank you." he said as she passed his daughter to him.
"Welcome home. The children have been so excited for you to get here."
"I couldn't wait. The plane couldn't fly fast enough."
"I'll go down and see if Mary needs any help with starting dinner." Debbie said.
"How are you? You have got to stop growing so fast. Papa missed so much while I was away." he said to Jessica as he sat on a built in bench in the large bathroom. She looked up at him with her big green eyes.
Lisa just stood there running her fingers through his hair and watching him talk to Jessica and Lauren. He truly loved talking to his children.
All of a sudden, Seb sat up rather quickly grimacing and lifting Jessica up in the air. Lisa immediately saw the reason. Jessica wasn't dressed yet and had no diaper on. She had wet through the towel and now not only was she wet but Seb as well.
"Oh Baby, I'm sorry. Let me get Lauren out, we'll rinse Jessica off and get them both dressed." She said trying not to laugh.
"Not funny." he said but couldn't keep the smile from his face. "Just one of the joys of fatherhood."
Contessa Admin
Posts : 5300 Join date : 2008-12-13 Age : 68 Location : Urs Buhler, The man of my dreams!! Humor : I found it and as always the joke is on me!!
Once Seb had gotten a shower and some dry clothes after Jessica's welcome to her Papa, he sat next to Lisa in the bedroom as she finished feeding Jessica.
"I missed this."
"What?"
"Watching you feeding her. I love it." he grinned. "Where is Lauren?" he asked as he looked around the floor in case she was crawling around.
"She's in for her nap. She plays so hard that she falls asleep very quickly lately."
"And what about you, are you getting enough sleep with Jessica waking in the night?"
"She is actually not waking up every night anymore. If I feed her around eleven, sometimes she sleeps through until about six in the morning. But other nights she'll wake up more than once. So I guess it evens out." she said as she burped the baby and settled her at the other breast. "You look tired. Do you want to take a nap?"
"I am tired but I promised Sammy that I would come and play with them."
"I'll tell them that you'll play later after you've had a rest."
"Thank you Baby but I promised. I'll go play for a while and then I'll come up for a rest. I don't want them to think they can't trust what I tell them. I won't always be able to do everything I've said I would but I don't want to break a promise unless it is unavoidable. How is Dad doing?"
"He's getting stronger but he isn't very happy with all of the restricions being put on his diet and activities. He found out at his appointment the other day that he was going to have to retire. At first he refused but, he's coming around. He knows how scared Mom was of losing him, how scared we all were. I think it will just take some getting used to."
"Will they be okay financially with him retiring?"
"Yes, Mom said they will. They've got savings, he'll get his pension and in a couple of years he'll be able to draw his social security checks." It's just that he is having to change his whole life and he will just have to learn to enjoy this new life. Alex and I talked about it. We think that after he gets used to it, he'll be alright. He'll have more time to spend with all of us and we know how much he loves being with the children.
He kissed her and slipped his converse sneakers on his feet and winked at her as he left the room to go join the kids. Lisa leaned back in the chair, enjoying the relaxation while Jessica finished eating. "God I love that man." she thought.
After dinner that evening, a semi rested Seb had gotten excited about starting to put decorations up and he went into the room where Lisa had them all stacked and ready. He'd told Lisa if he put something up and she didn't like it to let him know.
He laid out her snow village on top of the piano he'd covered with a white cloth to keep the surface from being scratched. It also made it look like there was snow on the ground, adding to the holiday feeling. He knew from last year that she loved this snow scene and tucked it away in his mind that maybe he'd look for more pieces for her to add to the village. Maybe eventually they could use one whole room to set up the snow village once she had enough pieces.
Next, he cleared off the vase with the silk roses that was sitting in the foyer and carefully unpacked and arranged the beautiful nativity scene on the table. It would be the first thing people saw as they entered their home throughout the holiday season. He knew that this was special to Lisa as well. This nativity set had belonged to her Aunt Jessie. It was a lovely set. It was obviously old but had been well cared for and preserved in a box with plenty of packaging to keep the pieces from being broken. All the set needed was a stable to complete the traditional scene. Lisa had told him last year that the original stable hadn't fared as well as the other pieces and Auntie had thrown it out years ago.
As he happily finished setting the pieces out, he had a thought. He stepped into the kitchen where Lisa was talking to Mary and he told her that he was going over to speak to Jim for a minute and he'd be right back. He kissed her cheek as he headed for the door in the kitchen that went out onto the side yard. When he returned, Seb had a satisfied grin on his face and Lisa could tell that he was up to something but wouldn't be persuaded to tell her what it was. That reminded her about the music building and the fact that she had been unable to go in there for the last few weeks.
"Seb, when can we see the inside of the music building? Drew said we weren't allowed in until you came back."
"That's right and I'm glad that he kept his word, not that I expected anything else. We'll all go tomorrow. It's almost time for the children to go to bed and if we go over now we'll never get them to sleep and I am quite ready for bed myself." he said with a wink.
Lisa had been to her final post partum check up while he had been away and been given the green light to resume all of her normal activities. Seb could think of one activity in particular that he had been missing over the last couple of months. So as much as he loved all of their children, he was ready for them to start heading to bed so that he and Lisa could do the same, not that they would get a whole lot of sleep tonight.
Lisa giggled and shook her head at him, knowing full well exactly what he had on his mind. So she did get through with the children's bedtime rituals as quickly as possible, anxious herself to join her husband. She had missed him as well and was looking forward to making love to him for the first time since Jessica was born.
Seb did help by reading to Kayti with Lauren sitting on the bed with them while Lisa and the older children read their portion of their current Little House book in Jeremy's room. He got Kayti tucked in and sang to her and as she did most nights, she fell asleep quickly, tired out by her non stop playing during the day.
Lauren was also showing signs of falling asleep so Seb lifted her in his arms and rocked her gently as he hummed quietly close to her ear and in a matter of seconds, she had joined her sister in dream land. He put her into her crib and covered her with the light blanket. Her one piece pajamas kept her quite warm enough most nights including covering her feet.
Seb was just coming out of the nursery when Lisa came into the bedroom.
"Is everyone ready for bed?"
"Yes, they are all in their beds. They are just waiting for you to come say goodnight."
"Okay, I'll be right back." he said and kissed her cheek before leaving the room.
Lisa hurried into the bathroom trying to get a quick shower in before he returned. She undressed and tied up her hair to keep it dry and stepped under the water when she had the temperature just right. She was just getting a good lather up on her bath sponge when the glass door opened and a naked Seb stepped in behind her.
"That was quick. Are they all settled?"
"Yup and I was hoping that you were ready to turn in too. Then I came in here and saw you in here. I was happy that I had come back in in time to join you."
She turned in his arms and laid her head on his chest as the water from the different shower heads streamed over them both.
"I'm so glad you're home. I've missed you so much, Seb."
"I've missed you and I love you."
He took the sponge from her hand and proceeded to glide it over her skin and his other hand was sliding over her wet body, his eyes never breaking contact with hers. She turned to liquid fire everywhere he touched. She jerked the sponge from him, tossing it onto the bench seat and pushed him back so that he was sitting on it. She kissed him with unhidden passion and let her hands wander over his chest, skimming her nails over his hardening nipples. She continued caressing him and kissing him and he just sat there enjoying every minute of it as she loved him.
They wound up making love right there in the shower and then after a quick washing they ended up in their bed only to begin all over again, this time Seb took the lead and slowed their passion down just enough so they could savor their loving more completely.
*
When Urs had come home, Alex was sitting outside in their yard enjoying the sun while Aaron lay in the play yard with a few of his toys that he was just beginning to take notice of and the puppies were running around and wrestling with each other.
When she saw the taxi pull into the yard, she stood and waited for him to get out of the car, keeping her eyes on the dogs so they wouldn't get run over and then she threw herself at him and was expertly caught in his arms and spun around until she started to get dizzy.
"Put me down you big gorilla, so that I can kiss you properly." she laughed.
"So I'm a gorilla now am I?"
"Oh shut up and kiss me. I've missed you. I'm so glad you are home."
Urs didn't need to be told twice and he dropped his head and captured her lips in a searing kiss.
When they came up for air and Urs looked down at his son, they both saw that Aaron had turned on his side and was watching them as he chewed on a rubber teething ring.
"Hello my little buddy." Urs said lifting him up high in the air and was rewarded with a smile as Urs flew him gently back down, bringing him securely against his chest.
"He likes that. I didn't think babies would like something like that when they were so little." Alex said.
"Little, he isn't so little anymore. I can't believe how much he's grown. What is the doctor saying?"
"The doctor is thrilled with his progress. His weight is coming along nicely and his movement of his legs is very promising, he said. He said that even so, we will begin therapy after the first of the year. They want to keep his muscles as fit as they can. He said they can tighten up or even get too loose if we don't work with him."
"Then we will do everything we need to do to keep him strong."
As Urs finished up his last couple of bites of the apple cobbler that Alex had made for dessert, she went into the study and retrieved the envelope that she had been keeping safe, waiting for his return. This was not something that she wanted to tell him over the phone or in an email. When she sat back down at the table, she slid the envelope over in front of him.
"What's this?"
"Read it.......Wait, before you do, I need you to know how much I love you."
"I know you love me. You're making me nervous."
"Okay, go ahead and read it."
"Can't you just tell me what it says?" he asked while he pulled the sheet of paper out of the envelope.
She didn't answer since he was already beginning to read the information. She didn't say anything. She was waiting for his reaction.
"Alex?"
"Do you know what it is saying?"
Urs looked up at her with tears in his eyes. "I thought we agreed that we didn't need to know?"
"I know Baby but I changed my mind. When Lisa was telling me about Sam sending his medical records in case they needed any information for Sammy later on in his life, it made me think that maybe we should know for sure, you know, for Aaron's sake."
"Okay, but how did you do this without me doing some blood test or something?"
"They said a hair would do just as well as long as I was sure it was yours. So I got some from your hairbrush and then they swabbed Aaron's mouth for his DNA."
Urs still sat there staring at the results on the paper. He'd told Alex and thought he'd convinced himself that the results wouldn't matter but he realized now that they really did. He still believed that no matter what the outcome had been, his love for Aaron could never diminish. But now that he knew the truth, it filled him with unbelievable joy.
Aaron was his biological son. There was no doubt. The paper said that there was a 99.999 percent chance that Aaron Daniel Buhler was the biological son of Urs Toni Buhler.
His mother had repeatedly tried to assure them by telling them how much Aaron favored Urs, looking so much like Urs had when he was a baby, but that little bit of doubt was now gone and they wouldn't have that question hanging between them, waiting to disturb them again at some future date.
"Are you upset that I went ahead and did the paternity test?"
"No I'm not upset with you. I understand why you did it. But please don't keep things from me. You should have told me that you had changed your mind. Even if we don't agree, we should at least be able to discuss things that affect the both of us and our family."
"You're right. I won't do it again. I promise I'll talk to you about everything from now on. How do you feel about that?" she asked, pointing to the document he was still holding.
"Relieved honestly. Not because I would love Aaron any less, but at least now I can rid myself of the fear of Joe coming and disrupting our lives in the future."
"That's how I feel too, but I honestly don't think he would ever appear at our door."
They both stopped talking when they heard sounds coming from the pack and play that Aaron was lying in in the next room.
He was cooing and raising his feet up, working very hard to grab them with his hands. They watched him together, unnoticed from the doorway as he kept trying to bring hands and feet together. Finally, he managed to reach one foot with the tips of his fingers and he held on for several seconds before his toes slipped from his grasp. He went right back to trying to reach them again and succeeded in getting a hold of both feet.
His body rolled from side to side as he had himself nearly rolled into a ball. Eventually he wore himself out with the unacustomed exercise and had to let go of his feet.
Urs reached down and lifted him out.
"Aren't you getting so strong. I am so proud of you, my son."
As he spoke, he looked to Alex with the brightest smile on his face as the reality of those words struck him.
Contessa Admin
Posts : 5300 Join date : 2008-12-13 Age : 68 Location : Urs Buhler, The man of my dreams!! Humor : I found it and as always the joke is on me!!
"Seb we are all cleaned up from breakfast. Can we go over to the music building now?"
"Lisa, you are as bad as the children, waiting for Christmas to get here. Maybe I'll decide to wait for the Grand tour until Christmas." Seb chuckled and then shuffled quickly out of the way as Lisa was coming after him.
Sammy and Holly started giggling as they saw Mommy and Papa playing their try and catch me, game. They got all excited when Mommy got Papa blocked into a corner as they waited to see what would happen next. By then Jeremy, Kayti and Amelia had joined the other children and Mary was watching from the doorway, grinning at their playfullness.
Lisa was tickling a very sensitive spot on his ribs and he was trying to side step her and get himself out of the corner. When that failed, he leaned in, gave her a firm kiss and with a hand on each side of her waist, he lifted her right off of the floor and set her to the side. Then he ran through the foyer and out the front door, ending up right in front of Jim who was in the yard.
"Help, Jim. I'm being attacked." Seb laughed as he and Jim watched Lisa and all of the children running out the door and down the steps.
"I'm not sure I want to get in the middle of that." Jim chuckled. "You've got quite a large gang after you."
"I know. They think I should show them the inside of the music building this morning. What do you think. I was thinking of making them wait till Christmas."
"Well, no wonder you're being attacked. Lisa has wanted to get int here the whole time you were gone. You're on your own, buddy."
"Alright, I guess since I'm out numbered here, we'll go and see it. Jim, why don't you go get your clan and they can join us."
Jim had seen the whole building since he had helped with some of the construction and installation of the inside so he knew that everyone would love it. He was excited for his children to get the opportunity to get whatever musical training they wished to have, just by living here.
Lisa and Seb had gone back inside and gotten the babies and told Mary to come along as well. As soon as Debbie, Jim and the children joined them outside, Seb led the way to his long awaited unveiling of one of his dreams.
Just from the outside, it was nice looking. Every last bit of construction materials had been cleaned up, new sod had been laid and a concrete walkway had been poured that led from behind the main house all the way to the front door of the music building. Then it branched out to lead to each of the side doors, one entering the studio/rehearsal rooms end of the building and the other going straight into the theater end.
Just last week, after the construction vehicles were done trecking through, the last of the landscaping was completed, putting the finishing touches on their property, for the time being at least.
Seb unlocked the door at the studio end of the building, starting his tour on the end that Lisa pretty much knew about. But even Seb was thrilled and very excited to tour through these rooms. Having a studio of his own had been a long time dream. Now he could sit in here and practice or compose as he had time or if he had a new tune in his head to put down before it slipped away, everything he needed was right here.
Everything from all of the technical equipment for the sound and recording had been installed all the way down to the reams of music paper all ready with the lines so that you just had to add your notes as you composed a new piece of music. Next door to the sound booth, on the other side of a large glass window was the recording studio complete with mic stands and head sets and also a dozen bar stools of different heights lined up against the walls.
They crossed the hall to the first rehearsal/classroom. It was equiped with metal folding chairs, music stands and several microphones. But the centerpiece of the room was a beautiful Baby Grand Piano. It was an almost six foot Bosendorfer Baron, brown mahogany in color, that was built in 1901.
Seb pulled out the piano bench, sat down and let his fingers gently skim over the coveted keys. He took a deep breath as he thought of everything he had in his life. Besides all of these material things which he had never been able to imagine being able to afford, he had a family that was to him more precious than all of the material goods in the world. He looked around at each of their faces as he played a beautiful tune.
Lisa watched his face, the pure joy of the moment. Not knowing what he was thinking, she assumed it was all because of this building and what it would mean to him and the rest of their family and friends. He had talked endlessly for months about how much he wanted to give the children every opportunity to experience the wonder and joy of music, how it could soothe the soul and bring so much happiness, especially when it was music of your own creation.
He played for a few minutes more before they moved on to the next room which was much like the one before it only in this room there was a couple of electric pianos, two sets of drums, one a full adult sized set and a smaller, child sized set and a full sized xylophone with legs that adjusted in height. He said he knew that especially for the youngest children who were not yet ready to learn to play the more difficult musical instruments, the xylophone would whet their appetites and create many hours of enjoyment as they tinkled away on the keys.
Lisa found that he was right as there was almost a brawl between the children as they fought to get their turn at the instrument. Lisa and Seb stepped in and made sure each child got their fair turn before Seb said that they had more to see. He promised them they would get plenty of time to play. The xylophone wasn't going anywhere.
The last room didn't have any of the larger instruments but a child sized, 30 key piano complete with a little bench and on shelves were an assortment of other small children's musical toys for the littlest ones to safely play with. Baskets were filled with little egg shaped instruments filled with some sort of beads to shake. There were little tamborines, triangles, sticks to click together and plastic strips with bells attached to them to shake.
The children immediately began pulling things out of the baskets.
Kayti found a small xylophone which she took and sat down with. She had a wide grin as she tapped away at the little metal keys with the attached mallet.
Jeremy found a recorder and blew tentatively through it, so Seb stood behind him and helped him place his fingers and showed him how each time he moved his fingers to cover the different holes, a different note would be played. Seb's chest got full and tight as he saw the happiness on Jeremy's face when he successfully played several long, clear notes in a row. He took the recorder away from his lips long enough to smile and then went back to playing more notes, experimenting by moving his fingers around.
Sammy and Holly each had their hands full with different colored maracas and they looked like they were competing to see who could shake them the loudest.
Even Lauren, who was crawling around the carpeted floor, had gotten ahold of a string of bells and was enjoying alternating between shaking them and tasting them, covering them with plenty of drool.
Amelia kneeled in front of a very small piano that sat on the floor. It was actually intended for a younger child that was not big enough to sit at a larger bench. Seb turned quickly when he heard an actual tune being played. Then she began playing some scales.
"She knows how to play." Seb said in astonishment as he watched her fingers sit in the correct positions.
He coaxed her to come away from the toddler piano and back to the 30 key piano. Each of the first two rooms had book shelves with music books both of complete piano pieces as well as instructional books.
Seb got one of the beginner's instructional books and opened it to a page where it had a selection of scales and set it on the rack on the piano.
Amelia wiggled a bit, looking like she was getting comfortable on the bench seat and then she laid her fingers where they belonged on the keys and with her eyes focused on the book, she began to play the first set of scales flawlessly.
Everyone but Lauren rejoined them to watch Amelia play. She took no notice of her audience as she finished one set of scales and moved right on into the next. She missed a note and looking quite irritated with herself, she began the scale again, this time going all the way through without an error.
Seb hugged her and encouraged her to keep going. Amelia smiled at him and then turned her attention back to playing the scales. Then she reached for the book and turned the pages until she found an actual tune.
When Amelia began to play, Lisa immediately recognised the tune to Mary had a Little Lamb.
While Amelia was still playing, Hannah made her way to stand next to Seb and watch the little girl play happily.
"Seb, do you think that I could learn to play the piano?"
"Of course you can Sweetheart. That is what this building is for. You can learn to play whatever instrument you would like. It will be helpful to you to learn to read music. I'll help get you started and then when I'm away, we will have someone come out to work with all of you."
Blake and Brandon weren't all that interested with the music room at the moment. They just wanted to go out and play but Seb asked them to wait for a couple more minutes. He had one more thing to show everyone.
Lisa couldn't imagine what it could be. The rooms they had already seen had everything they had talked about including in them.
Again, Seb led the way down the hall and opened the double doors to the final room.
Lisa gasped when she saw it. It looked like a theater. Comfortable stadium seating was installed in rows facing a stage area at the front. She'd had no idea that he was including this.
Instead of using the stairs, Seb jumped up onto the stage and went to the right side of a huge black curtain. He pulled a long thick cord that made the curtain open wide revealing a large movie screen that had been hidden behind it.
"Seb, this is amazing. You didn't tell me you were adding this."
"I know. I wanted to surprise all of you. The kids can hold little plays on the stage or show off some of what they have learned with their instruments. We can show movies on the screen and maybe we'll even pleasure you with some of our music from time to time." he said with a smile.
"This is wonderful and a perfect surprise. This whole building will get so much use. It was definitely a good choice to build it."
"I can't believe how well she plays." Seb said referring to Amelia. "She has definitely had some lessons. We need to foster this, especially since it looks like she enjoys it." he said when he had rejoined her on the floor.
"Yes, and wait until Carlos and Vicki find out."
"That's a great idea. I think I'll call them and have them come over and we can surprise them."
After the phone call to Carlos and while they waited for them to arrive, Lisa got a phone call from Brenda who said she needed to speak to them and would it be alright for her to stop by in a few minutes. Lisa told her that of course it was fine and she told Brenda about the discovery of Amelia's ability to play the piano.
When she arrived at the house, Brenda requested to speak to Seb and Lisa alone. They helped Debbie and Mary get the children settled at the table with their lunch and then they went into the office and closed the door.
"Is everything alright, Brenda?" Seb asked her, worried at the serious look on her face.
"Well, it depends. Nothing is terribly wrong. You both just have a big decision to make, that's all. Immigration has found no living relatives of Amelia's and therefore she will be officially put in the system for adoption. Amelia seems to have settled in here well. But I also know that Carlos and Vicki are serious about wanting to adopt her. I have been working on that end of it in the event that she was released for adoption and the signs have actually been very promising on that front if things end up going that way and provided that they haven't changed their minds. If so, are you two prepared to let her go?"
Seb looked at Lisa for a long moment before she nodded and he answered Brenda's question.
"We've spoken about this many times and all along we have been preparing ourselves in case she had to leave us. The thought of her being deported weighed heavily on us. We both love Amelia very much and would love to have her remain here as our daughter. But we are also aware of how much Carlos and Vicki love her and want to make her their daughter. We have decided that if they still want to, and I am sure that they do, then we think that she would be very happy and well cared for with them. It isn't like we won't get to see her."
"You are both in total agreement on this?" Brenda asked, looking at Lisa.
"Yes, if both Amelia and the Marin's agree then we are alright with it. We just wouldn't have been able to let her go somewhere else to be adopted."
"Alright, I'll call Carlos and Vicki and set up a time to speak to them."
"They are actually on their way. They were waiting for Carlito to wake from his nap."
"I guess I'll wait and speak to them when they get here if that is alright with you."
"Sure, that will be fine." Lisa answered.
Lisa helped get the children cleaned up from lunch and the three youngest in for their naps, feeding Jessica before she laid her down. She was just coming downstairs when Carlos and Vicki came into the house.
They had agreed to take Brenda, Carlos and Vicki on a tour of the music building. That would give them their privacy and they would not be interupted while they spoke.
Without the children in attendance, the tour through the rehearsal rooms went quickly but the sound and recording booths were the ones that both Carlos and Vicki were excited about. Both of the Marin's and Seb spent a while playing with the knobs on the sound board and testing the mics in the recording booth, treating Lisa and Brenda to some music
It was only after they had moved into the theater that Brenda brought up the reason for her visit to Carlos and Vicki. She told them what she had already told Lisa and Seb and watched their faces for a reaction.
Seb spoke for both he and Lisa when he told them that if they still wanted to try to adopt Amelia, they were in agreement.
Both Carlos and Vicki were obviously very emotional as they heard the good news. Vicki's lip was quivering as if she was trying to restrain from crying and Carlos had tears in his eyes and a huge smile on his face.
"Are you sure, Lisa?" Vicki asked. "We love Amelia, but we would never want this to come between us.
"No, we have known from the first day that you both wanted to adopt her. We'll still get to see her and love her even when she's with you. Now we just need to pray that the rest of the red tape is handled so that you can take her."
"Brenda, how long do you think it will be before we know anything?" Carlos asked.
Not too long, I hope. The paperwork you have submitted has already been accepted. They have exhausted their search for any relatives in Mexico. We just need final approval for the international adoption."
Carlos slipped into Spanish as he lifted his wife off of her feet and spun her around in circles, rejoicing that they would soon be parents again, this time to a beautiful little girl.
"I think that you should all sit down together with Amelia and see how she feels about this. I've seen her with you but she has also gotten comfortable at Seb and Lisa's." Brenda suggested.
"Alright, we'll do that right now." Carlos said with definite purpose in his step as they headed back to the house. His hand wrapped around Vicki's and she laughed at his eagerness. He was almost dragging her along with him in his haste to speak to Amelia.
Brenda was invited to remain and sit in on their talk with Amelia. They thought it would be good to have an unbiased and expert eye to keep an eye on Amelia and try to watch for any signs that she was becoming distressed. The child had been through so much upheaval and abandonment and no one wanted her to feel as if Seb and Lisa were two more people throwing her away like some unwanted garbage.
They had all tried to understand the probable desperation her parents had felt, being in a new country with no means of supporting themselves or their child. But none of them could imagine leaving any child alone in the woods to fend for themselves, especially one as young as Amelia, possibly being abducted by unscrupulous people or attacked by any of the wild creatures that called the park their home. Amelia was indeed fortunate that she had been discovered by the kind family that had come upon the crying child before any real harm had been done to her.
Mary and Debbie were asked to keep the other children, including Carlito, occupied while they spoke with Amelia.
Amelia was ushered into the library and they all sat on the sofas. Amelia quickly got a worried look upon her face.
"It's alright, Sweetheart. We just want to talk to you." Lisa tried to assure her.
She continued to look around at the faces of the adults in the room, not looking all that convinced.
"Would you mind if I spoke to her first?" Seb asked Carlos and Vicki.
"Of course not." Vicki answered and Carlos shook his head in agreement.
Seb knelt on the floor in front of Amelia and took her little hands in his.
"Amelia.... we have been so happy to have you here with us. You are a very special little girl and we want you to be happy. We all love you very much."
Amelia surprised him by throwing her arms around his neck and hugging him, causing his eyes to tear up. He held her close for a moment and then he sat back on his heels and kissed her cheek before sliding her back onto the seat. When he sat next to Lisa, she put her arm around his waist and kissed his cheek as Carlos and Vicki took the space on the floor in front of Amelia that Seb had just vacated.
Amelia blinked her big brown eyes as she looked at Carlos and Vicki, still not completely sure that she wasn't in trouble.
As if on cue, Carlos and Vicki each took one of her hands in theirs before Carlos spoke to her, mostly sticking to English for the benefit of the others in the room..He stroked her hair and smiled softly at her, trying to set her at ease.
"Amelia, mi pequena amour, we....Vicki and I.... we would like to ask you......would you like to live with us and be our little girl? We would be your new Mama and Papa and Carlito would be your little brother. What do you think of that?"
"I can live with you until mi Mama and mi Papa come back for me." she said hopefully and smiling, thankful that she seemed not to be in trouble after all.
Vicki looked to Brenda, hoping to get some guidance on how to deal with Amelia's statement.
Brenda thought it best for now to just address Amelia's living situation and let her sessions with the therapist address the issue of her abandonment by her birth parents. She pulled Carlos and Vicki aside, telling them this and also telling them that since Amelia seemed not to be upset by the thought of going with them, that she had gotten clearance for them to have Amelia on overnights several times a week to help her adjust to yet another change in her short life.
They were both thrilled with the prospect of being able to actually begin home visits.
"Amelia, would you like to come and spend the night with us?"
"The little girl's head quickly bobbed up and down. "Si Por Favor. That will be fun. May I help to put Carlito to bed like we help to put Lauren and Jessica to bed?"
"You sure can. I will enjoy having someone to help me." Vicki told her.
Once that was settled, Brenda went on to tell them that when the adoption was finalized, only then would Amelia be able to obtain a passport. Until then, she would not be allowed to leave the country.
Vicki assured them all that whatever it took to make Amelia theirs forever, she would do it, including to keep her career on hold. So until all of the issues surrounding Amelia were finalized, she would stay here and become the mother that Amelia needed.
After Brenda had Carlos and Vicki sign some papers that would give them the ability to have partial custody and visitations with Amelia, Brenda left and Lisa and Vicki went upstairs to pack some of Amelia's clothes for them to keep at the condo. When approval for the adoption was finished, then they would move the rest of her things.
With the excitement of the news Brenda had brought, Seb and Lisa almost forgot to tell Carlos and Vicki about Amelia’s talent with the piano. Seb guided them all into the ballroom and whispered to Amelia. She climbed onto the piano bench and began to play the song that was in the open piano book in front of her.
Both of the Marin’s faces lit up in shock and happiness. This child who was hopefully going to become theirs forever also held musical talent that would become something else to link them together.
*
After one of Dan's many doctor's appointments, he and Marie had gone to Dan's office for the first time since his heart attack. He had gone to pick up the last of his personal belongings from his desk and some certificates and photos that were hanging on the walls.
It was a hard thing for Marie to watch him as he slowly moved around the room. She could see how difficult this was for him. He had worked so hard all of his life and to all of a sudden have to stop like this was a huge adjustment for him.
"Mr. Huggins, Some of your things were boxed up already for your protection. We knew it would be a while before you came in to get them. I have the box out here when you're ready to go."
"Thank you Lea. I appreciate that." he said as he took the last picture frame off of the wall.
As they walked out of the doorway to Dan's office, he turned one last time to look inside and Marie heard the long sigh that escaped him as he turned to go. She held him around his waist, giving him a squeeze and he returned the hug with a half hearted smile.
"We'll be okay Sweetheart." she said to him as she pushed the mail cart that held all of his belongings.
"I know. It is just going to take some getting used to. I can't imagine never going back."
"Just think of all of the time we can spend together now. For a long time we've said that we needed to find more time to do things for ourselves."
"I think you'll be sick of me hanging around before too long."
"That'll never happen. Besides, we have our children and Grandchildren to spend time with as well and now we both have the time for it. Those kids will grow so quickly and then they'll be gone to live their own lives. I, for one, am going to enjoy them while they are young enough to want to spend time with us old folks."
"Who are you calling old, Woman?" he said getting a bit of his smile back that Marie loved so much.
Marie didn't want Dan's trip to the office to be the ending of their day and knew if they went and visited with Alex and Aaron that it would put an entirely different feeling to the evening.
When Mom and Dad pulled in the driveway, Urs was just getting off of the telephone after speaking to Mami. She called or they called her several days a week or they would get on the computer so she could actually see them and especially Aaron. Of course she always said that it looked like he had grown an inch in the last week, which was a bit of an exaggeration, but he was growing nicely.
"Hi kids. Is it alright if we invite ourselves for dinner?"
"Of course it is. I've certainly dropped in on you enough times." Alex told her mother.
After Dan was seated on the sofa, Urs handed Aaron to him. The baby immediately looked up into his Grandpa's eyes. Aaron was very aware of the people in his world now and especially his family, he was showing signs of recognition on his face.
He started gurgling and kicking his feet, which for them was always a happy thing, even if Aaron was actually fussing, because the more Aaron used his legs the stronger they would become and remain as long as he exersized them regularly.
"Hello little man. Grandpa is so happy to see you. Did you have your nap?"
Aaron might not have understood everything Dan was saying to him but he was definitely listening and Dan was rewarded with a huge smile and some more gurgling, as if Aaron was answering him.
"Tell your Grandpa that you did have your nap and then played in the bathtub for quite a while.... He loves it Dad. His arms and legs are already splashing around and he even squealed once when he got really excited. .....Have you talked to Lisa today?" Alex asked them.
"Not today, why? Has something happened?" Mom asked, not sure if she was ready for any other bad news if that was what was going on.
"Brenda came by and it looks like Carlos and Vicki will be adopting Amelia soon. She actually left with them a while ago to spend her first night with them."
"I'm not sure how I feel about that. I know that Carlos and Vicki love her but she already seemed a part of our family." Marie said.
"I know Honey. I feel the same way but we knew from the beginning that she would either be going back to Mexico or adopted by Carlos and Vicki if they could get approved for the international adoption. She'll come for visits."
"I know you're right. How does Lisa feel about it? Is she alright?" Marie asked Alex.
"She knows she'll miss Amelia but as Dad said, we'll get to see her. She did say that unless there is an emergency placement, that she doesn't want to search for any more children for a while. Their family needs time to adjust and become accustomed to their home and each other and some of the children may have trouble with Amelia leaving. They've all been having their sessions with the Psycologist and seem to be doing well according to the doctor."
Talk turned to the new furniture that they had finally gotten for their formal dining room. It was a large French double pedestal table with three removable sections. For now, it had all three sections inserted. Alex liked seeing it all set up but if they should need some extra floor space, they could remove some sections and store them out of the way.
The set also included a sideboard with a lovely mirror and a china cabinet with the top area lighted to show off the most prized pieces of china.
The set originally included four side chairs and two arm chairs but they had added another six side chairs to have an even dozen for entertaining. There was plenty of wall space around the room to set the extra chairs when they were not in use and the table had been shortened.
A primarily light colored Oriental rug placed under the table and off setting the darker finish of the dining set, finished off the room nicely.
Of course Alex insisted that they had to eat in here for the first night that it was here.
Mom helped her finish fixing dinner while the guys kept Aaron amused. Alex and Marie kept peeking in at them to be sure they had Aaron under control, but it was Aaron that had the guys under control.
He was just beginning to laugh and was quite amused by his Papi and Grandpa's silly faces and the noises they were making.
Marie studied the relaxed but tired face of her husband as she drove them home after dinner. He was tired but she felt like it had been a good decision to go tonight. He seemed, at least on the surface to have gotten past the rough patch he'd had at the office earlier in the day. It would take time to get totally used to being retired. She'd just have to keep both his mind and as much as he was allowed, his body, occupied so that he wouldn't feel as if his life was over.
Over the next several months, they would be celebrating the holidays, so hopefully that would help, at least partially, to fill up the void he was feeling.
Contessa Admin
Posts : 5300 Join date : 2008-12-13 Age : 68 Location : Urs Buhler, The man of my dreams!! Humor : I found it and as always the joke is on me!!
Thanksgiving was now behind them and the official start of the Christmas season had begun. Stores were completely decked out in every manner of Christmas decorations and gifts and most had elaborate displays in prominent places to show off their hottest items, hoping to entice the shoppers passing by.
Lisa was working out a shopping system to allow for each of the children to have a bit of money to buy gifts for the rest of the family. She wanted them to know the joy of giving and to help them learn to think about the recipient of the gift when they were buying something, to think about the person and try to find them something that they would really like. She was also going to use this adventure as a learning experience for the ones that could understand so that they learned the value of a dollar and how to budget their money so that they would have enough to complete all of their shopping without spending all of their money on the first item they bought.
She arranged it so that she would take Jeremy and Sammy out together and Kayti and Holly another day. Kayti probably wasn't going to retain too much of the learning experience this year but Lisa wanted to include her in the giving of gifts. Kayti could be a bit selfish, thinking that everything was hers to use as she wanted and she needed to learn that not everything revolved around her. Holly was the polar opposite, generally giving things to the other children if she even thought that they might want it.
Lisa wanted to make sure that Holly had things that she knew were hers and that while it was very nice to share, it was also okay to have some things that were yours alone. It was very interesting to try to find the middle ground when teaching these principles to all of the children. She wanted her children to be loving and giving people without being taken advantage of by people who would do that.
When it became apparent that the children were all wanting to buy gifts for all of their friends too, Lisa decided that they would buy gifts for the Fletchers as a family instead of all individually but limited Jeremy and Holly to choosing two friends from school to buy a gift for. While they found it difficult, they did eventually decide on two friends and while they were out on their shopping day, they searched for the perfect gifts for their friends.
In the week since Thanksgiving, Jim had helped Seb and Seb had helped Jim and between the two of them, they had gotten both houses fully decorated, inside and out. This year, Santa and his sleigh with the reindeer, sat upon the roof to the main house where it could be seen better. The waving snowman had been joined by several more of different sizes and they were a big hit with all of the children. Kayti wasn't as entranced by them this year now that she realized they were just blown up balloons and not a person waving at her but she still liked them anyway.
Lighted metal form reindeer dotted the front lawn, looking as if they were grazing on the still green Florida grass and red and white candy canes lined the circular driveway in front of the house. All of the front windows and the front door had big, beautiful wreaths hung on them, completing the scene. All that was missing from the traditional Christmas card scene was the snow and that was highly unlikely to appear.
The house was filled with the sounds of happy children who were getting more excited by the day for Christmas morning to arrive. All of the children had sent their letters to Santa, even Jeremy who said he'd sent it so the other children wouldn't get suspicious and ask too many questions. But Lisa suspected that he was still at the age that he didn't want to take any chances, just in case Santa was in fact a real person.
As well as all of the shopping for gifts, the final preparations had been done for their open house that Lisa had been dreaming of since last Christmas when the house was still very much in the middle of construction but even back then she could imagine what it would be like to invite all of their friends and family to join them to celebrate the season with them in their new home.
It was scheduled for the following Saturday and Lisa checked over her lists for the hundredth time, just to be sure that everything was ready. She felt confident that it was and even though they had decided not to hire a caterer, it seemed like it would go perfectly. With it being a drop in affair, it was unlikely that they would get overwhelmed.
Mary, Debbie, Mom and Alex would be there to help in the kitchen. Dan who had been enlisted to just sit in an area where he could help to keep an eye on the children, would be assisited by Hannah and her friends Jenny and Amanda who was coming on Friday after school let out for Christmas break. The girls were thrilled to help, knowing the money they would make helping out at the party would be extra spending money for Christmas gifts they had in mind to buy.
Lisa and Seb would be free to mingle and be able to float around to check on everything as the day went on.
The invitations had stated that the open house would begin at eleven in the morning and end at midnight. This would allow a sufficient window of time for everyone to find a time that would suit their schedules to pop in for as long as they wanted.
The shelves of the large walk in freezer were already lined with containers of more than a dozen different treats that would be constantly available throughout the day. Besides the sweets, they had three of each, hams, turkeys and two enormous prime rib of beef which were to be slowly cooked over the rotisserie on the grill.
They would serve some of the ham and turkey cold and some hot so people could have whatever suited them. It would be set up buffet style and with enough choices so that you could either have just a sandwich or a full out meal, complete with all of the side dishes you could fit on your plate. Cold vegetable and fruit trays with several flavors of dip would be available as well as a variety of hot side dishes. They were doing as much prep work ahead of time to allow for a smooth flow of food throughout the day.
Sebastien cornered Lisa in the kitchen, halting her from leaving by circling her waist with both hands. She was always on the move and he wanted to force her to take at least a short break. He had arranged a night out for the two of them with Mary and Hannah's help.
"Ma Cherie, I want you to go and have a nice soak in the tub and then put on something sexy and come out to dinner with me tonight. It's been a while since we had time alone."
"We can't leave Mary with all the children to feed and put to bed on such short notice."
"It has all been arranged. She will have help. No excuses now. Go do whatever you need to do to get ready. We'll leave at six."
"Even without Jessica?"
"Yes, even wthout Jessica. If you feed her right before we go, she'll only need one feeding while we're gone and there's still the extra milk you stored in the freezer. I'll go right now and take it out to thaw. She will be just fine"
She looked at him and saw that he was serious and she could think of no other arguments of why they couldn't go. He was right. They hadn't taken much time for themselves, except for stolen moments here and there and at night once the children were all asleep. So she kissed him, then swatted his behind as she ran out of the kitchen.
"Hey, watch that. You'll get yourself into trouble doing things like that." he hollered after her and could hear her giggle as she hurried up the stairs.
"Is Mama naughty, Papa?" Kayti asked as she came into the kitchen.
"I sure hope so, Ma Petite. I really hope so."
Kayti gave him a funny look and he immediately realized his mistake. He swung her up into his arms and pushed her shirt up with his nose and blew on her belly making her laugh, hoping to distract her from asking questions he wasn't sure how to answer.
*
"Thank you Seb. I didn't realize how much we needed this." she said as they were seated at their table at the Cafe 333 restaurant located in the Hilton Bayfront Hotel in the waterfront district of downtown St. Petersburg, just a short drive from Clearwater.
"Yeah well I did. You need to stop and have some time to relax and I don't just mean once you've gotten into bed at night. I did have a specific reason for taking you out tonight. You cooked for me on this night last year." he said before taking a sip of his wine and waited while she tried to figure out why he was thinking of this particular night.
"Oh my God. It has been a year, hasn't it?"
"Yes and I thought of asking you to make Aunt Jessie's Lasagna for dinner tonight and then I changed my mind. I wanted to have you all to myself for a while. I've been remembering that day all day today. How I felt when I saw your face up on the screen as I watched your submission for the contest. My heart felt like it skipped several beats in that moment. Then Alex coming in the room and then I knew it was real. I had found you after so many years of just those few memories we shared. When she called you and she put you on speakerphone and I heard your voice for the first time in so many years, I almost spoke to you right then. But Alex wanted to surprise you."
"Well, she did that. When I realized that it was you standing in the doorway and not just my overactive imagination playing tricks on me, I thought my legs were going to give out on me."
"I was nervous too, and not just that night. I got so many mixed signals from you, I couldn't tell for so long how you really felt. I was afraid that too much time and circumstances in life had made it impossible for us to be together."
Lisa reached across the table and laced her fingers with his.
"I'm so sorry Seb. I wanted to let myself love you but at the same time, I had the walls that I had built up around myself that wouldn't let me be happy, not until after that night when I broke my ankle anyway. You didn't leave me. Even with all of the pain and ugliness that had been in my life. You still loved me and I could feel it. It wouldn't let me push you away any longer. I love you Seb. I will love you forever."
"I love you too, Baby."
Their conversation was interupted while they ordered and they didn't go back to that topic of conversation but they both knew that they had come a long way in a year, both individually and as a couple.
They had a magnificent dinner and just when they were finishing their shared dessert, Seb motioned for the check. He saw the flash of disappointment on Lisa's face.
"Are you alright?"
"Yes, the evening just went by so fast. We need to do this more often."
"As often as we can. We need time together to regroup and to be able to have an uninterupted conversation with no children crying or fighting or needing something, not that I mind it most of the time. But we do need to be sure that we don't get lost in the shuffle of the day to day routines."
Lisa nodded in agreement and stood after the waiter had returned Seb's credit card, not noticing the extra card that he gave to Seb. He took her arm and as they left the restaurant and Lisa was turning to head through the lobby to the exit, Seb gently pulled her towards the elevators.
"Seb, what are you doing?"
"You'll see." he said looking quite smug.
He led her into the elevator and they got off on the 12th floor. He looked at the key card he had just pulled from his pocket and checked the number before turning in the right direction.
He unlocked the door and turned on a light before closing the door. They both stood looking out the large windows at the fabulous view of the bay.
"Tonight I would like for you to shut everything but you and I out of that beautiful head of yours and just enjoy this time we have together. The children will be fine. Hannah is spending the night to help. All too soon, the tour will start and I will be missing you like crazy. Love me tonight, Ma Cherie and let me love you."
Lisa had no words, so she just nodded and stood there while he stepped behind her and unzipped her dress and pushed it off of her shoulders to fall in a pool at her feet. He helped her step out of it and picked it up and laid it neatly over the chair, mindful that she would need to put it back on in the morning.
He released the clip that had held the sides of her hair up on the back of her head and let her hair fall. He ran his fingers through it and spread it out over her shoulders, loving the silky feel of it and the fragrance of the strawberry shampoo she'd used this afternoon.
He began dropping feather light kisses over her face and shoulders, coming back to find and tease her lips, not staying there long enough for Lisa's liking when he trailed kisses across her cheeks and just beneath her earlobe.
She reached out and began to loosen his tie and then once it was out of the way, she made short work of the buttons on his shirt. Her fingers were already shaking in anticipation and finally she asked him to help her as she was trying to remove his shirt.
It didn't take them much longer before they had rid themselves of the barriers to being able to touch one another's bare skin.
Seb pulled back the duvet and the sheet and helped her into the bed and joined her, stretching himself out along side of her, his body touching hers along its length.
Lisa ran her fingers through his thick hair and pulled his head down to her so she could kiss him.
Seb took her lips in a hard kiss, passionate and filled with all of the need he felt and as she could feel him asking for more from her, she gave herself freely to him as they showed each other their love long into the night.
In the morning after Lisa called Mary to be sure that everything was alright and that Jessica had enough milk to last her a while longer she stepped into the shower while Seb had left the room, saying he would be right back. When he returned he had a small overnight bag with her makeup and their toothbrushes. It also had her breast pump in it. He was glad that Mary had reminded him to take it. Lisa was already having pain because she had not fed the baby or pumped in more than twelve hours. He set it up for her and she was quite relieved to see it when she came out of the bathroom. Mary had even included the little vials to store the milk in for later use.
Seb ordered room service and asked for a late check out and they ate breakfast and lounged around in the bed making love again before they finally decided they should be heading back home.
"That was a wonderful surprise Seb. Thank you."
"It was a terrific night and morning he added with a chuckle, getting a poke in the ribs."
They arrived home after lunch time to a bunch of eager children, wanting to know where they had gone and why they didn't sleep at home. Lisa told them that Mama and Papa went on a date, that this is what Mama's and Papa's do sometimes. She told them that she was glad that they had all behaved and let them all head back out to the playground.
Once they were alone, Lisa told him that she would be looking forward to more dates like that and as often as possible.
The day before the open house, the last of the cleaning and the advanced food preparation was getting done but their biggest project of the day was going to be decorating the sixteen foot Christmas tree that had already been set up and secured to the walls the day before to prevent it from falling over, perhaps injuring one of the children. All of the decorations for it were in the ballroom, ready to be put on the tree. Seb and Jim were doing the lights and then later they would gather everyone in the ballroom to finish the decorating.
Lisa and Mary saw to it that the youngest children had a nap so they would not get cranky. This tree would take some time to finish. It was more than double the size of the tree she'd had last year in the guest house.
"Mama can we decorate the tree now?" Sammy came into her bedroom a while later and asked her.
Lisa looked up from where she was putting a dry outfit on Jessica since she had leaked through the one she had on before her nap. She didn't answer him right off because she was just taking in the fact that he had called her Mama and not Mommy like he always had.
"Yes, Sammy as soon as I finish dressing the baby we'll go down and decorate the tree....So, you like to call me Mama now?" she asked, grinning down at him.
"Yup cuz Jeremy said Mommy sounds like baby talk. I'm not a baby." he said standing very rigid with his arms crossed as if to make his point.
"No you are definitely not a baby but you can call me Mommy or Mama. It doesn't make any difference. Would you go around and make sure that all of the children and Mary are in the Ballroom now. Then we'll be ready."
"Ok Mama. I'll hurry cuz I like to put the decorations on the tree." he said as he ran down the hall checking the bedrooms for any of his siblings.
What a difference from last year when we decorated the tree. Sammy wasn't even here yet and Kayti was still such a baby. Now she is talking in sentences. What will next year be like when we decorate the tree? Lauren will be running around and even Jessica should be just starting to walk steadily. Will we have any more children? That doesn't matter so much either way, but I just hope that we are as happy as we are now, Lisa thought to herself.
She had just come down the stairs when Jim came in the front door carrying a large plastic trash bag.
"Hi Jim. What have you got there?"
"Umm, do you know where Seb is." he asked without answering her question. She saw how he was avoiding eye contact and his lip was twitching
"He should be in the ballroom. We're just about to decorate the tree. Would you like me to get him for you?"
"Yes, Please."
Before walking away, she gave him another look as he stood there holding the bag. She was very curious about what could be in the bag but as she had been telling all of the children, Christmas time sometimes holds secrets and it was okay to have those kind of secrets from one another. But she wished she didn't have to stick to it herself.
When Seb heard that Jim was back, he hurried out to the foyer with a huge grin on his face.
Jim wordlessly handed him the bag so Lisa figured that Seb knew exactly what it was.
"Sweetheart, would you excuse Jim and I for a minute, Please?"
She gave them a long look and then she retreated to the ballroom to join the waiting children. She looked at the tree which had many strings of lights wound around it, followed by gold garland. It was ready and waiting for them to put the ornaments on it.
While they were waiting for Seb, she opened a bag that she had laid on a chair. Across the top of the chair she laid out the brand new Christmas stockings that she had purchased last week for all of the new members of the family that had not been here last year. Then she skimmed through a box of last years Christmas decorations and found hers, Sammy's and Kayti's and added them to the pile. Seb was going to hang the stockings from the large mantle over the fireplace in the living room.
"Baby, come here please." Seb called to her.
As she got closer, Lisa heard the two men whispering to each other like two conspirators.
"Okay stop there and close your eyes." he instructed her just before she entered the foyer near the front door.
Then she felt his hand in hers and he guided her the rest of the way in. With his hands laying lightly on her shoulders, he turned her about a quarter of a turn to her left and then told her that she could open her eyes. She blinked a couple of times to get her eyes in focus and then she stood as still as a rock as she looked upon her gift. Again, she looked back and forth between the two men. She knew that Jim had made this creation as much as she knew the gift was from Seb.
She stepped forward and gently touched the hand carved wood of the new stable that was large enough to fit Auntie's porcelain nativity set, and this was no small set either.
The detail that Jim had put into it was so beautiful. It wasn't only the three walls and a roof. He had made segregated stalls for the different animal pieces and it even had real straw spread over the floor and he had bound small bundles of the hay with twine to match the scale of the set and they were stacked in the corners as if they were waiting for it to be feeding time for the animals.
He had carved out of one solid piece of wood, a new manger for the baby Jesus to lie in. A thick layer of straw had been placed underneath the porcelain baby.
The roof had some of their abundant Spanish moss glued to it to add color and a realistic look. And somewhere inside the ceiling it was wired with electricity so that when it was plugged in an unseen light shown down on the Holy Family.
Lisa was beginning to have a hard time seeing it as her eyes filled with tears.
"This is so beautiful. Jim, you have such a gift. Auntie would have loved this. It is just perfect. Every detail is just as I would have imaginied it to be." She knew that she was babbling but she was overcome with emotion.
She hugged Jim and thanked him and then she wrapped her arms around Seb and melted into his arms, letting him hold her while she got herself under control.
"Don't tell Debbie, But I am making her one as well and buying her a nice set for Christmas."
"She will love it Jim. This is such a beautifully personal gift when you have put so much of yourself into it. This must have taken you so many hours." She said as she went back to studying the detail in the carvings.
Jim said goodnight with a last thank you from both Lisa and Seb. He said he needed to get back to the boys. Hannah and Debbie were driving back from Kissimmee after picking Amanda up. Then Lisa rewarded Seb with a kiss that told him how much she loved the thoughtful gift. They finally both dragged themselves away and back into the ballroom to begin the tree.
Amelia was with them tonight and Lisa watched as she was chatting away with Holly. Then her eyes fell on a tree decoration that had a piece of holly on top of it.
"Oh My God." she said.
"What Baby?"
"I just thought of something. I'll be right back. Let the kids start putting things on the tree." she said as she hurried from the room.
She rushed into the office and rifled through the file cabinet until she found the papers that they had received when they had taken custody of Holly and Jeremy. She pulled them out and sat in the chair and read through them looking for what she wanted to find out.
"Yup, there it is and we almost missed it."
She went back and pulled Seb aside.
"What is it? Is something wrong?"
"No not now but there would have been. Monday is Holly's birthday. When I first spoke to her, she told me that her birthday was near Christmas and I remember thinking that it made sense with her name and all. She couldn't remember the date and I forgot to look."
"Well, you remembered now and we haven't missed it so we will have to do something fun for her. School is out for Christmas break too, so we will have all day. Let's finish the tree and then we'll put our heads together and think of how to celebrate.
The decorations were added to the tree by the children with help on the higher branches. Lisa helped Kayti with the three ornaments that Anna had given her and then each of the children had new ornaments with their first name and the year engraved on them. Each one was a different design to compliment the personality of its owner.
Lisa presented Mary with her own new ornament to celebrate her first Christmas with them and she almost cried.
Lastly, she handed Seb an ornament with his name and the year engraved on it and they went to the tree and put their ornaments on the tree together finishing the last of the ornaments.
They stood back and looked at the tree, both going back a couple of time to spread out bunches of ornaments where the children had put too many right together, but they didn't make a big deal out of it, just spread them out and then told everyone what a fantastic job they had all done.
Mary slipped away to put the finishing touches on their dinner and Seb and Lisa sat on a chair with her sitting in his lap as they watched their children stare in wonder at the beautiful tree, probably imagining what might be found underneath it on Christmas morning.
"I know they are excited about giving and getting gifts, but I think they are also enjoying all of the fun things we have included around the season." Lisa said as she laid her head on his shoulder.
*
Seb came into the bedroom after saying goodnight to the children. He took the brush from Lisa's hand and continued to brush her hair for her, letting his free hand slide down her hair after the brush.
"I had an idea but if you think it will be too much after the party on Saturday, just tell me." Seb said.
"Okay, what is it?"
"I know it hasn't been all that long since we went to Busch Gardens but I know it will probably be decorated for Christmas and Jeremy and Holly have never been there. I heard Blake and Brandon telling Jeremy about our trip there and he sounded very excited about it."
"That sounds like a terrific idea we can make Holly the princess of the day. If we can get out on Sunday and do some birthday shopping for her, we could let her open her gifts before we go on Monday morning."
"The only thing I can't figure out how to do is her birthday cake." he said.
"Well, let's sleep on it. We still have a couple of days to work that out."
She got comfortable in the chair and he handed Jessica to her to have her last meal before they would hopefully sleep for the night. She had been doing pretty good sleeping through and if there was one night that they would like to have a full night's sleep , it was tonight. Tomorrow would be a long day.
Seb sat in the chair beside them as he did as often as he could to watch his daughter get her nourishment from his wife's body. It still amazed him that Lisa's body held everything Jessica needed to survive for several months before she would need additional food.
He had tasted the milk and while it wasn't something he would like to drink a glass of, it wasn't an unpleasant flavor either.
While Lisa went to speak to Mary about their probable plans for Monday, Seb did diaper and pajama duty then snuggled Jessica against his chest, not willing to lay her down until Lisa came back.
"As I suspected, Mary will stay here on Monday. But I told her we were taking all of the children with us. She has packing to do anyway. Do you think that Jim and Debbie will want to go again? This time they could really have fun without the tension they felt the last time."
"There's no harm in asking. I'll speak to Jim tomorrow."
Mary would be leaving on the weekend to go spend Christmas with her daughter and her family. Debbie would step in and do some of the cooking and Hannah and Amanda were going to earn some spending money helping out as well, keeping the children occupied during the day.
Jessica was finished with her dinner and was all tucked in to her cradle. She wasn't quite asleep but was warm and dry and had a full belly, so it wouldn't be long before sleep would claim her.
As they snuggled together in bed, they talked for a while about the party tomorrow and their plans for Holly's birthday and then when Seb had heard Lisa yawn for the third time, he pulled her closer and told her they could talk about the rest tomorrow and that they should go to sleep. He pressed soft kisses to the side of her face and leaned over to claim her lips in a kiss before he wraped his arm around her and held her head against his chest, where he loved for her to sleep.
"Goodnight Ma Cherie."
"Bonn Nuit, Mon Couer" she answered sleepily, earning herself another squeeze before they went to sleep.
Contessa Admin
Posts : 5300 Join date : 2008-12-13 Age : 68 Location : Urs Buhler, The man of my dreams!! Humor : I found it and as always the joke is on me!!
In the morning, breakfast and cleaning up after was done as speedily as possible so they could begin to get things ready for their guests. They had had quite a few affirmative RSVP's to the invitation and several who said they were hoping to make it but weren't sure yet at the time they returned the card.
Hannah, Amanda and Jenny were on hand already, keeping an eye on the older children out on the playground. This was freeing the adults up to care for the babies and finish the preparations for their guests to arrive beginning in just a couple of hours.
Debbie and Mary were organizing the trays and discussing how they would rotate the food out to the ballroom where the buffet tables were set up already while Seb and Lisa did one last walk through to make sure the house was in order and the decorations were all where they should be, Kayti especially had been caught on more than one occasion playing with them.
Lisa noticed that Debbie had rushed away to the restroom several times this morning already and when Debbie came back out this time Lisa cornered her and asked if she was feeling alright.
Debbie's eyes filled with tears.
"I'm sorry Lisa. You need me here in top form today. It's usually gone by now." Debbie began.
"Oh Debbie. Are you pregnant?" Lisa asked her quietly, not wanting to announce news to the whole house that Debbie might want to be kept private.
"Yes, and I know this wasn't part of the plan when you hired me. I'll do my best to keep this from affecting my job."
"Debbie don't worry about that. We'll manange around it. The question is are you happy about having another child and have you told Jim.?"
"Yes, Jim knows. He's so happy, I'm surprised that he hasn't announced it to the whole world already. As far as me, I wasn't intending to have another child now with my other three half grown but, I can't be upset about any child coming into the world. I guess we were meant to have another one. I go to the doctor for a sonogram next week. I really am hoping though that this is just one baby and not twins again."
"As long as you and the baby are alright, things will work out. Is this supposed to be kept a secret?"
"Not really but we haven't told the children yet and I would like to be able to tell them before they figure it out or hear it somewhere. We'll tell them tomorrow."
"Mum's the word then. They won't hear it from me. But things seem to be well under control here. Why don't you go home for a while and rest until the nausea passes and then come back."
"Are you sure? I do think if I could lie down for a while, I would be more help this afternoon."
"We'll be fine here. Mom and Alex are on their way over. So we will have plenty of hands to help. There really isn't anything left to do except to bring food out when someone arrives and keep an eye on the children and the three girls seem to be doing a fine job with the older kids. I'm getting ready to feed Jessica and put her in for a nap."
"Okay, I'll be back in a while then. Thank you Lisa."
Lisa knew that Debbie wasn't feeling well but as she watched Debbie walk away, she was under the impression that Debbie was still worried about her job with the unexpected pregnancy. She would just have to find a way to reassure Debbie that her job was secure. As far as Lisa was concerned, there could never be too many babies around.
Lisa smiled as she watched Jim meet Debbie as she crossed the yard. Debbie spoke to him and was obviously telling him that she's told her about the baby. Jim turned and looked right where Lisa was standing and smiled at her. Lisa smiled back and waved. Then Jim put his arm around Debbie's waist and guided her into the house, shutting the door behind them.
Mom and Alex arrived a few minutes later like a couple of Seargants in the Army, ready to fall into line wherever they were needed, only to have the wind let out of their sails when they were told that everything was under control and nothing needed to be done until the guests began to arrive.
Alex told them that Urs and Dad would be along in a while. Urs was showing Dad some of the wood working projects that he had been doing.
Carlos and Vicki also arrived early, planning to visit for a while and then Amelia would be going back to the condo with them for the rest of the weekend. Lisa could see how the transition was already being made. Amelia responded well to Carlos and Vicki and loved the attention they lavished on her. She was so proud to be Carlito's big sister and loved to show him off to the other children, telling them of every new thing he did.
Aaron was also doing new things. He was currently fascinated with his feet and was working hard to get them to his mouth. He had a foot in each hand at first but when he couldn't work both feet to his mouth, he let go and decided to use both hands on one foot until he was successful. Then he spent a while exploring his toes with his mouth, gumming them and creating a drooly mess that ran down his leg.
"Were having a pool installed right after the New Year. We're going to enclose and heat it so we can use it year round. His doctor said that water therapy will be a big help for him and they are already seeing some signs of tightness in his calves so we want to be on top of getting his therapy going soon. He's going to start regular physical therapy next week. But with him doing things like that with his legs, it is very encouraging." Alex told Lisa as they watched the baby entertaining himself.
"I'm glad they're not waiting to start his therapy. It's important to stay ahead of whatever his muscles decide to do."
Urs and Dad arrived a short time later, adding a couple more watchful eyes as the older children were in and out of the house and the babies mostly just needed a cuddle and a change now and then. The Mom's all were still handling the feeding duties for the three infants.
* Not long after the appointed start time for the open house, the first guests arrived, shocking Lisa. An invitation had gone to her but Lisa never expected Mrs. Collins, Brenda's supervisor to actually show up. Lisa had to push the case of nerves away that threatened to appear. She told herself that the house was meticulously clean and the children were all well and happy and there was not one thing that Mrs. Collins could find fault with.
Lisa found Seb and had him come to the foyer with her. They wanted to try and welcome as many of their guests at the door as they could manage.
Mrs. Collins, along with her husband were welcomed in and were given a quick tour of the ground floor, showing them where the food was and told them to help themselves to whatever they wanted.
"Your home is decorated beautifully for the holidays. Is it hard to keep everything out of the little ones hands?" she asked and for once, Lisa didn't feel like it was an accusation or reprisal but instead a genuine inquiry."
"Thank you. The only one we have to really keep after is Kayti. She's our all around trouble maker. If there is trouble to be found, we can count on her to find it. The others are old enough to follow instructions better and the other two aren't mobile enough or in Lauren's case, she isn't allowed access to the ballroom where most of the things she could reach are at when she is crawling around."
Just then, Debbie came into the room carrying Jessica who had just woken from her nap. Lisa took her and turned her so that the Collin's could see her.
"And this here is our newest addition, Jessica Marie. She is going to be three months on Tuesday.
"She's beautiful. Congratulations. Are the children all adjusting well?"
"I think they are. All of them except for Lauren are seeing Dr. Talbot. Jeremy and Holly go twice a month which is down from once a week and Sammy goes once a month. She sees Kayti too but only once every couple of months right now."
"I've heard she's very good."
"She is and she's wonderful with each of the children. They all have different personalities and needs and she responds well to each of them."
The Collin's didn't stay long after they had something to eat and had a peek at all of the children and on their way out, Lisa handed Mrs.Collins a gift bag.
Mrs. Collins looked surprised, not expecting any type of gift. She pulled the crystal plate out of the box and read the inscription.
We want to express our thanks to everyone who had a part in the opening of our home. Because of the help of so many people, our children are now in a safe and happy home. Thank you for whatever role you played in achieving this goal. MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR THE JESSIE DANIELS HOME FOR CHILDREN 2008
Underneath the inscription there was a child's handprint engraved right in the center of the plate. Lisa had used Lauren's hand for the template that was sent to the company who had inscribed the plates for her. Then around the rim of the plate, the names of each of the children was inscribed from oldest to youngest.
"Thank you, Lisa. This is so lovely. I am glad that things went well for you getting started and I know that you will continue to be successful here."
After they'd gone, Seb pulled Lisa into his arms. He could see the relief on her face at the newfound respect she'd felt from Mrs. Collins.
"Feel better?" he whispered into her ear.
"Much!" she answered as she snuggled against his chest for just a moment.
Almost as soon as the Collin's had gone, Tom and Laray arrived in a very nice looking sports car with the top down. To Lisa the weather felt a bit chilly. But she knew that to someone coming from Massachusetts it would feel quite warm, especially since they had been dealing with snow off and on for almost two months already. They were welcomed in with hugs and handshakes, definitely moving in the last year to all being friends now instead of just aquaintances. Laray was itching to get her hands on the babies. She had only seen pictures of Jessica so far.
When more guests arrived, Laray had Jessica and told Lisa to go ahead and she'd take care of the baby for a while. She sat there looking into the little face. Laray had her own baby coming although she was the only one who knew this right now. She had a special gift for Tom to open Christmas morning that would announce the arrival of their first child.
*
The afternoon seemed to speed by with guests coming fairly close together for a while including the large Gilmour family followed shortly after by Eric and Lainey Samuels with their three children. Eric Jr. ran off right away to play on the playround with all of the other children and Lisa showed Lainey where the now eleven month old twins, Amy and Alyssa could get down and play where they wouldn't get stepped on.
Lauren looked up at the newcomers, the first children her age. She looked at the two girls who were identical right down to their red Christmas dresses. At first Amy and Alyssa paid no attention to Lauren as they explored the new room. But eventually they sat next to each other and stared at her. Hannah who was the current keeper in the infant room, tried to get the three girls playing together but at this age they usually are only interested what they want to do. The twins, although playing separately, kept an eye on each other, making sure that their other half didn't disappear in this strange house.
As the families with children left, Lisa gave each child a bag of Christmas goodies that the children had helped to make over the last few days. They had made small edible Christmas wreaths molded out of marshmallow and corn flakes tinted green with food coloring and cinnamon candies for the holly berries. They also had made gingerbread men and wrapped them individually in plastic wrap and tied the top with ribbon and had hung some of them on their Christmas tree, that is until they realized their mistake at putting them so low when Jasmine and Maya had an afternoon snack yesterday almost knocking the tree over in their attempts at pulling the cookies off of the branches.
When Carlos and Vicki were ready to leave, Amelia made sure to get her bag of goodies. She had helped make them and Lisa told her that she had a special bag of goodies made up for her to take home.
"I can share with Mama and Papa but Carlito can't have any cookies yet. He hasn't got any teeth like I do." She informed everyone.
Lisa and Seb watched the happy girl get lifted into her car seat by Carlos and saw her giggle as he tickled her while he buckled her in.
'She's going to be very happy. I just hope she can adjust to the realization that her birth parents won't be coming back for her." Lisa thought out loud.
"She'll be fine. She will adjust over time and eventually they will only be a dim memory for her since she is so young now." Seb said holding her around the waist from behind.
Jerry Bradford and his wife, Drew and his family and Dr. Talbot came almost all at the same time, staying for varied amounts of time.
Brenda came as soon as she was done working. Usually she was off on the weekends except for when it was her weekend for emergency calls and this was her weekend. She had had to remove three children from a home where the parents were in a normal arguement that had escalated into a physical battle. Neighbors had called the police and in turn the police had called Social Services when both of the parents seemed unreasonable and unable to care for the children properly. Brenda was hoping this was only a temporary situation, especially so close to Christmas. The children had been totally devastated to be removed from their home.
She hadn't planned to stay very long but when Lisa told her that Debbie wasn't feeling well she said she'd stay and help get the children their dinner and to bed so Debbie could go home. It would help to take her mind off the events of earlier in the day.
Debbie thanked her and gathered her two boys and headed home around four o'clock, allowing her to get some rest. The three girls remained to help until the children were settled for the night, playing with the older children in the game room once they had promised they had eaten enough for dinner. It had been hard for Lisa to tell since food had been available all day but besides breakfast, she couldn't tell you how much any of the older children had eaten today.
"Oh well, they would say if they were hungry, especially Sammy so I guess they'll be fine." Lisa told Mary who was just doing a check on the buffet tables.
It had gone off well so far, the guests coming spread out enough to have a good visit with everyone and to keep the food stocked and fresh as well as giving Lisa time to take care of Jessica's needs without missing too much.
Most of Lisa and Mary's ex coworkers came at some time during the day including Kelly who had taken over Lisa's position. She told Lisa that things were going well as far as she could see. Lisa already knew that it was since she talked to her old boss now and then.
Seb was talking to Donovan Michaels, who had come with Jeff Sanborn when Lisa took the phone that Mary was handing her. It was Ty and he was calling to say hello and give their regrets that they couldn't be there for the open house. They had all gone to do a last minute house this week for a family that was about to be homeless and right before Christmas.
Lisa told him that she definitely understood but they would all be missed. She told him that Sammy especially would miss seeing him so Ty asked her to put Sammy on the phone and Ty explained the best he could to a four year old, why he couldn't make it and promised that he would come visit another time as soon as he could.
Sammy was obviously disappointed but Urs, who had overheard the conversation, stepped in after Sammy got off of the phone and he scooped Sammy up to take him out to ride on his train out back. That always made Sammy happy and didn't fail them this time either. Lisa thanked him when he came back in minus Sammy who had gone back to playing on the lighted playground for a few more minutes before they would have to come in for the night..
The children were brought in washed up and put to bed with a minimum of trouble since they were all tired, all except for Jeremy who asked if he could stay up for a while promising he wasn't that tired. Seb said he could stay up an extra hour since they had been so good today. Jeremy was always so proud when anyone praised him, but especially Papa.
The last guests arrived just before eight o'clock. David and Grace came in the door followed by Pierre and Claire.
"Look who we found coming out of customs when we got here." David told them.
Lisa immediately saw the rings on Claire's finger.
"Did you two go off and get married without telling us?"
Pierre looked sheepishly at Seb and admittted that yes they had gotten married and that they had done it on the spur of the moment and he hoped that his friend wouldn't be too upset with him that they had not been invited.
"As long as the two of you are happy, that is all that matters. We can spend the evening celebrating." Seb said and hugged his friend and then his new bride.
They did indeed celebrate for the rest of the night. Seb pulled out his best wine and they toasted the new couple and also the approaching New Year.
"May it be as wonderful as this last year has been." Seb said.
They touched glasses all around and drank in agreement.
