CHASING DREAMS

Chapter 63:

Lisa woke suddenly, thinking that she had heard a noise. Seb was still sleeping soundly beneath her cheek and under her arm that was lying over his stomach. There it was again. Maybe one of the children had woken up or maybe even Marlene.

For just a moment, she looked lovingly at his handsome face and thought about how much she loved him. Then, ever so slowly and quietly, she moved off of Seb, trying not to wake him. She looked at the clock and it said that it was one o’clock in the morning. She put on her robe and opened the bedroom door and went out into the dark hall. The only illumination was a thin swatch of light shining down the hall, coming from the moon, shining into one of the living room windows.

Sammy’s bedroom door was still closed, but she opened it to check on the children. He was right where he should be, all snuggled down and still holding tightly to Bob. She turned towards Kayti’s crib and she was still asleep as well, on her belly as usual with her little bottom poked up in the air and her arms mostly tucked up under her chest. She just had one hand out enough to be able to keep her thumb in her mouth. It always made Lisa smile watching her sleep.

As if Kayti sensed that someone was watching her, she turned her little head so she was facing the other direction and Lisa hurried out of the room, not wishing to wake her up at this time of the night. She would be up for the rest of the night after having several hours “nap” if she was to wake up now.
Lisa closed the bedroom door as quietly as possible, thinking that they needed to put a couple of sprays of WD-40 on the hinges. The squeak wasn’t bad, but in the silence of the house in the middle of the night, it sounded very loud.

She continued down the hall towards Marlene’s room. Her door was closed as well. Lisa wasn’t about to open that door to check. Maybe Marlene had gotten up for a drink or something and was probably back in bed and going back to sleep. That actually sounded good to her, so she went to the kitchen to get a glass of water. She usually put one on the nightstand before bed, but had forgotten when she had gone to bed tonight.

She took a glass from the cabinet and filled it from the dispenser on the front of the fridge. “Mmmm, that’s good. Much better than the warm water that would be on the night stand.” She thought. She took another long sip and then refilled it to take it back to the bedroom with her.

She looked towards the front door and saw that it was standing wide open. “What the..”

She was sure that she remembered Seb locking the door. He always turned out the lights and locked the doors right before they got into bed. She was glad that she had already checked on the children, because she would have panicked thinking that one of them was outside in the dark. Maybe Marlene had opened it and didn’t shut it. Lisa had no idea if people slept with their doors wide open in their homes in France. She didn’t think so, but who knew. She stood looking out into the yard for a few minutes, enjoying the peacefulness that it brought to her when she thought about all of the wonderful things in her life, Seb, the children, all of this wonderful family that had come into her life. Seb’s mother even seemed to like her and that had taken a great weight off of her shoulders. She looked around the yard once more and seeing that all was quiet, she shut and locked the door.

Just after turning the lock on the door and putting on the high chain to keep the children from going outside while the adults were all sleeping, Lisa turned to go back to bed, her glass of water still in her hand. Suddenly, a large arm came around from behind her and heavily covered her mouth, effectively cutting off any attempt at screaming out. She tried to scream but nothing came out. Her glass of water fell to the hard wood floor and the glass shattered and spread across the floor. She struggled to get herself free but whoever had her, had a very tight grip on her.

She was finally able to scream, relieved that now Seb would wake up and come and help her.

Her hair was grabbed painfully and jerked so she was spun around to look at her assailant, causing her to step painfully into the broken glass. She was sure that she had quite a few pieces imbedded in her bare feet now. When her hair and arm were jerked again to force her to turn and look into his face, her terror was compounded a thousand times over when she saw who it was.

“JEREMY, how did you get out of prison? How did you get into my house?”

“Shut up. Not a word. You had your say the other day at the hearing. Now it’s my turn to have mine. You are going to pay dearly for trying to keep me locked up. Although, it didn’t work and my release came through.”

Why wasn’t Seb or even Marlene waking up to come help her? She thought as she frantically looked around for a way out. She struggled against the hold he had around her.

She tried to scream again and he saw it and back handed her face, sending her flying across the room making her fall into the broken glass and slide through it and the water until she came to a stop against the wall.

“Jeremy, please, can’t you just go on with your life now that you are out and leave me alone? I won’t even tell anyone that you were here. Please just go away and leave me and my family alone.”

“Not on your life. You are going to pay for sending me to prison for all of those years.” He said as he walked towards her and she could hear his shoes crunching on the glass as he came towards her. She screamed for Seb again and again, but he wasn’t coming.

He reached down and tore at her robe until it fell off of her in shreds. She tried to get up and run from him but for some reason, she couldn’t get up. It was as if something was holding her down. She was holding the torn shoulder of her nightshirt up against her body and she was having trouble catching her breath as the panic took hold of her.

Jeremy stood over her so that she could see nothing else in the room but his large body looming over her. She tried to slide sideways to get out of his reach and only succeeded in pressing the palm of her hands into the glass and when she sat back up and cried out with the pain, it gave Jeremy the opportunity to grab her again. He grabbed her arm and slid her across the floor away from the worst of the glass and knelt down on the floor. He was holding onto her and she was trying to strike out at him but never could connect with a good blow of her own.

“Please, Please let me go. Seb why don’t you hear me? Please help me. She screamed out to no avail.

The weight on her became almost unbearable and suddenly she began hearing other voices in the room.

“Baby, please wake up. It’s me. It’s Seb, Baby. I’m right here and you’re safe. No one’s going to hurt you.”

He kept saying the words over and over trying to make her hear him. He tried whispering, he tried raising his voice, but she just didn’t seem to be hearing him at all. He was having to hold her down on the bed so she wouldn’t injure herself or him.

His mother knocked on the door and he told her to come in. He quickly explained that Lisa was having one of her terrible nightmares and he couldn’t wake her this time.

“Sing to her, my son. Chanter à elle, mon fils.” She repeated in French.

So he did. He still had to continue to hold her as she struggled against him, her arms and legs flailing about, trying to get free. He sang a lullaby softly as close to her ear as he could without her hitting him in the face.

Lisa began to hear Sebastien singing. Why was he singing and not helping to get Jeremy off of her. Jeremy was trying to tear her nightshirt off but she was putting up a fight and so far he had been unsuccessful.

Sebastien’s singing became louder in her ear. It was as if he was sitting on the floor beside her and Jeremy and he was singing to her. How crazy was that?

Seb continued, alternately singing and trying to speak to her to get her to hear him.

Sammy came into the doorway and saw what was happening and began to cry. He saw that his Papa was holding Mommy down on the bed and she was fighting him off.

“What is wrong Mommy?” Sammy asked, his voice full of fear.

Seb looked to his mother for help and she went and gathered Sammy into her arms and took him out of the room and explained as best she could that his Mommy was having a very bad dream.

Sammy didn’t have to be told what they were. He had had enough of bad monster dreams to know what they were.

Lisa was beginning to lose her fight. She was becoming so exhausted and she was unable to fight back much longer. Jeremy was going to win and what would be left of her when he was finished with her.

“Please don’t hurt Seb or my children. Please leave them alone.” She cried out.

“Sweetheart, I’m fine and the children are fine. No one is going to hurt anyone. Please wake up baby.” She heard Seb crying out to her.

Finally, Lisa’s eyes opened and looked directly into Seb’s tear streaked face and her eyes opened wide when she realized what had happened.

“Oh My God, Seb, did I hurt you?” she cried throwing herself into his arms.

“Non baby, I’m fine. I’m just glad you finally woke up. I’ve never had such a hard time waking you before.” He said as he gathered her limp, sweaty body close to his own.

He was exhausted too. She had put up one heck of a fight.

“It was so real, Seb. He was here in the house.”

“He’s not here baby. I’m here.” He whispered into her ear.

She just leaned against him, still trying to catch her breath but not having the strength to move.

Marlene had calmed Sammy down and left him sitting on the couch so she could check on Lisa.

“Is everything alright now?” she asked.

Without looking up, Seb told her that they would be fine.

“Would it be alright for Sammy to come and see that his Mommy is okay?”

“Oh yes, Maman, please let him come in.” Lisa said as she forced herself to sit up straight.

Marlene led Sammy into the bedroom and he came in hesitantly, looking like he wasn’t sure if he should or not.

“Sammy, come here to Mommy. I’m so sorry I scared you. I had a really bad dream, but I’m okay now. Papa woke me up.” She said and held him to her chest.

“I don’t like bad monster dreams. Was it a big scary monster, Mommy?”

“Yes, baby, a very scary monster, but Papa made him go away….Seb, please help me get Sammy back into bed.”

They both went into Sammy’s room and got him settled back in. Lisa wouldn’t leave him until she knew that he had fallen back to sleep. She didn’t want him laying there awake and worrying about her.

When she was ready to leave Sammy’s room, she needed Seb’s help to stand. Her legs still felt very rubbery. Before they went back to the bedroom, Lisa just had to go to the living room and check the door and she even looked around the floor, almost expecting to see the remains of her robe, the broken glass and the water that she remembered being on the floor.

“What are you looking for, Love.”

“Nothing. We were out here. The door was open and I was looking around and after I had shut the door and locked it, he came up behind me and I dropped a glass of water. The glass broke and I stepped in the broken glass. I could even feel the glass cutting my bare feet and later my hands. I kept calling out for you and wondering why you weren’t coming to help me. Then I heard you singing. It sounded like you were sitting next to us on the floor, just singing to me while he was attacking me. It was insane……. Were you singing?”

“Yes, it was Maman’s idea and it worked, finally.”

“I’m sorry Seb.”

“It’s not your fault, Baby. Let’s go back to bed and try to get some sleep.”

“Alright, I’ll try.” She said, although she couldn’t imagine ever going to sleep again. When they got back into the bedroom Lisa went into the bathroom with a clean nightshirt and took a quick shower without getting too much of her hair wet and put on the clean shirt. Climbing back into the bed, Lisa realized that Seb must have changed the sheets. She had perspired pretty badly. She smiled her thanks to him and let him cuddle her close to him.

“Je’ T’aime, Seb.”

“Je’ T’aime, Rest now Baby, I won’t let him come back.”

Seb kept himself awake as he held her and listened until her breathing finally became even and steady. Gone were the gasps for a breath, that she’d had even after she had woken up. He remembered what Alex had said about the nightmares getting worse and more frequent when she had something big going on in her life. No wonder the dream had been so bad. She was probably on overload. There were so many things going on in her life right now, Sammy coming to live with them and dealing with all of his problems, the wedding and all of the preparations, the accident, and then worst of all right in the middle of all of these occasions was the hearing which had really upset her. He knew she wasn’t telling him everything. Something had happened in that room when Jeremy was there. Him just being there was bad enough, but Seb believed there was more to it. When he was reasonably sure that Lisa was peacefully asleep, he allowed himself to drift off and get some sleep.

On Sunday morning, Seb informed Lisa that Dan and Marie had insisted on them all coming for an early dinner so they could welcome his mother. He told her that if she wasn’t up to it, he’d call Marie and tell her that they couldn’t make it. Lisa told him that she would like to go. It would get her mind off of waiting for the results of the hearing which would come tomorrow or Tuesday.

They spent a quiet, peaceful day around the house and Seb took his mother over to the main house to show her the inside. He explained, in French since it was only the two of them, what each of the rooms were planned to be and about Lisa’s visions of all of the different activities for the children.

Marlene was obviously very impressed with the thoughtfulness that had been put into the planning for the house. These children were going to have a great deal of stimulation in such a wide variety of activities.

Seb excitedly told her about the planned music building. He and the other guys as well as Vicki and Grace had discussed with Lisa, the music options for even the youngest of the children.

Seb had gone online and researched what kind of musical toys were available for preschool aged children and wound up on there for hours looking through pages and pages of sites that advertised musical toys. He was going to show Lisa what he’d found and order them. They didn’t all need to wait for the music building. These toys would be fun for Sammy and Kayti now.


When they went back outside he showed her where the music building was planned to be built and also where that private road was to be cleared between the two properties.

“This is a beautiful place here, Sebastien. I am so happy for you. She is everything you said she was.” She said as she linked her arm through his.

“Didn’t you believe me?” he asked her with a bit of a grin.

“Let’s just say that I was reserving my judgment until I met her myself. Remember that I have met quite a few of your other girlfriends and some of them I didn’t like at all. But I believe that Lisa will make you a lovely wife and those children are wonderful. They sure make you laugh a lot, don’t they?”

“Oh yes, all the time, especially since Sammy has gotten comfortable with me. He and I can get pretty silly. Lisa sits there shaking her head at us, with a smile on her face of course. We are both so pleased that Sammy is happy here with us.

Marlene helped Lisa to get the children ready to go to Dan and Marie’s. Lisa didn’t make them get too dressed up since they would probably play outside in the fenced in yard. When it was time to leave, the children went to the door armed with their usual favorite toy, Sammy with Bob and his tool belt and Kayti with her doll that Seb had sent her for Christmas.

When they pulled into the driveway, Lisa was happy to see Alex’s car there too. They got the children out, who didn’t waste any time running into the house to get their usual hugs and kisses from Grandma and Grandpa and maybe even a cookie or two. They had gotten used to Grandma always having cookies and other treats around over the holidays.

“Grandma, our Grandmere is here with us, too. She’s nice.”

“I’m glad that you like having her visiting, Sammy.” Marie told him.

Seb went through the doorway first with his mother and was introducing her to them and had seemed to have forgotten that she was still outside, Lisa thought. It was taking them a bit long to move inside so she could come in. She wanted to make sure that Kayti wasn’t getting into anything she shouldn’t be.

Chapter 64:

She could hear Mom and Dad loudly welcoming Marlene to the states and then to their house. Finally, they moved further into the house and Lisa was able to make it into the doorway, where she promptly stopped dead in her tracks, when a very loud cheer went up and “SURPRISE” was hollered by the many people in the house as they came out of hiding in the kitchen and dining room.

The house was decorated with wedding shower decorations with a huge banner with “CONGRATULATIONS TO THE HAPPY COUPLE” printed on it. The house was packed to overflowing. Lisa thought cheerfully that if the Fire Marshall’s came and saw how many people were here, they would probably get a fine for overcrowding.

Most of the ladies from the day care were here, including Mary, all of the rest of the Divos and their ladies, Mom and Dad, Jerry Bradford and his wife, Brenda Chandler and her husband, Drew Williams and his wife. Eric and a very pregnant Lainey Samuels were here and she was scheduled for a C-section to deliver their twin girls first thing tomorrow. They were just going to be here for a while then go to the hospital to get checked in. Their son was staying with his grandparents until they got the call that his sisters had entered the world.

Lisa was shocked. She turned to ask Seb if he had known about this but Mom answered before she said a word.

“He had no idea. Only Dad and I and Urs and Alex. We only told the other guys a few days ago. We didn’t want anyone slipping and mentioning anything that might give it away.”

Once they finally got to move past the doorway, Lisa still wanted to check on the kids. She was now worried that Sammy might get overwhelmed by the large crowd of people, some of whom were strangers. She shouldn’t have worried. Lauren, Sammy’s teacher at school had taken charge of the two little ones and had shuttled them back out of the throng of well wishers as Lisa and Seb were coming up the walkway into the house.

When she found them, they were already having a little snack from the table of many different treats and finger foods that were already laid out and Lauren was supervising them.

“Hi Lauren. Thank you for taking care of my munchkins for me.”

“You’re welcome. You and Sebastien go enjoy your time and the rest of us will take turns keeping an eye on them.”

“Thank you.”

Marlene was welcomed by the rest of the Divos who had met her several times over the past few years. Urs introduced her to Alex.

“Is it correct that you are the friend that was with Lisa in Paris?” Marlene asked in heavily accented English.

“Yes, I’m not a shy person and I asked Seb something, though I can’t remember what anymore.” Alex said a bit distractedly as Urs was behind her and kept kissing her neck, and making it really hard to concentrate on what she was saying.

“You asked me where you two could find something fun to do in the evenings.” Seb reminded her with a grin on his face as he saw Urs was purposely trying to distract her.

“Oh yeah. That’s when you told us about your concert.” Alex suddenly remembered and swatted at Urs good-naturedly.

All of the guests were gathered in the living room with the guests of honor seated where everyone could see them. Before any gifts were opened, Dan Huggins stood and addressed everyone.

“Thank you all for coming here to help us let Sebastien and Lisa know how happy we are for them. Yes, this is just a wedding shower, not the wedding or the reception. But, I feel the need to tell you all how I feel about these two people and since most of those who are important to them are here; I figure this is a good time.”

“Most of you know that Lisa is not my daughter by blood, but that means nothing to myself or to my wife Marie. We have known Lisa since she was fifteen years old and have come to love her just as we love Alexandra. We are so proud of what she has accomplished and what she has persevered through, only to become a much stronger woman because of it.”

“Then there is Sebastien. Except for Alex, the rest of us here in Florida have only known Seb for a couple of months and I for one, have gained so much respect for him in this short time. He has shown us in so many ways how much he cares for Lisa and the children. He is taking on a great responsibility by marrying Lisa, taking care of Sammy and Kayti and whatever other children come into their lives, but I believe that this man is going to do a fine job and I don’t mean any of this because he has money. I am saying this because I have seen the heart of this man as he has taken care of my daughter. I’ll quit talking your ear off now and let you all enjoy the party. Again, thank you all for coming.” Dan sat down and his wife handed him a Kleenex so he could wipe his suspiciously wet eyes.

“Thank you Dad.” Lisa said as she came over and hugged him. Seb was right behind her and shook Dan’s hand and then they were waved away in good humor. He was a little bit embarrassed at showing all of that emotion in front of so many strangers.

Mom instructed them to sit and she and Alex orchestrated the passing of the gifts. Marie had asked Mary if she would be in charge of making the list of the gifts and who each one was from.

David and Grace had found a lovely series of paintings and had purchased several. They bought a few for themselves and had them shipped to their apartment in New York with a friend there picking them up and storing them until they came home. For Seb and Lisa, they got a series of three large paintings. Each of the second two paintings continued where the last one left off, so as you looked from one painting to the next, you were looking at a panoramic view of a large but beautiful estate home and the surrounding property, much like their house had once been and would be again. It was springtime with the flowers and trees in full bloom. It had horses and carriages which told you that it was set in a different time period. It was a beautiful landscape with lovely, vibrant colors and both Lisa and Seb loved them.

“I know exactly where to put these. In the large room that used to be a ballroom, there is a very long wall that they would be perfect on.” Lisa said.

“That’s just where I was thinking of when we chose them.” David said smiling and very happy when he could see that his friends were genuinely pleased with the gift.

Lisa had shown Mom the walls where she wanted to hang large 11X14 photos of the children as they were added to the family and Mom found some lovely frames to put them in. They were basically the same only some of them were more feminine and some were better for the boy’s pictures, but they would all blend well together. Mom got a dozen of each so that she could also frame the photos of the whole family together as well. They had no idea yet how many would be boys or girls.

Carlos and Vicki gave them a beautiful set of Waterford China dishes with a daisy pattern. It had place settings for twenty people well as a set of silverware to go with the China. The silver included all of the serving utensils.

“Carlos, Vicki, these are gorgeous. Thank you so much. Do I have to save these for special occasions? If so, I’ll have to make every dinner a special occasion. These are too beautiful to sit in a cabinet for very long.” Lisa said smiling from ear to ear.

Seb opened a box that contained one set of a bath sheet, hand towel and face cloth. There was a note in with them from Urs and Alex, telling Lisa and Seb that as soon as they were able to put things in the main house that they would receive a complete set of fifty of each to spread between the bathrooms, plus a lovely set of new kitchen towels. Then Lisa opened the set of vases that they had found in New York. Lisa was speechless. They were just the type of vases that she would have picked out if she’d been there shopping.

“Thank you, Urs, Alex. These gifts are perfect. It’s like you are all invading my mind and know exactly what I would like. I understand Alex being able to do that. She always has, but the rest of you are doing it too.

One of the newer girls that worked with Lisa had brought a gift that raised eyebrows all over the room and made Lisa blush crimson. She didn’t know Lisa’s history at all and had bought her a very revealing bright red negligee, complete with skimpy panties. It really was pretty, but when it came around to Alex, she quickly covered the box and set it aside with the other gifts. She knew that having it passed around was making Lisa uncomfortable, especially with so many men in attendance.

And on it went until all of the gifts were opened and passed around for everyone to look at. They both thanked everyone for the obvious thought that went into each gift and for coming and helping them to celebrate.

When Urs was able to pull Seb aside, he handed Seb an envelope and told him that he may want to open it in private, so Seb slid the envelope into his coat pocket, to be opened later when he got home, although the curiosity was killing him.

Marlene felt bad that she didn’t have a gift for them at the shower, but Seb and Lisa told her not to worry about it. She had no way of knowing about the shower ahead of time. They were just glad that she was there to share this time with them.

Marie called Lisa and Seb into the dining room to get a plate of food before everyone else came through. Seb was glad to see his mother working right along side Marie in the kitchen and dining room. He had hoped that the two women would get along well.

Over the next hour Seb and Lisa spoke individually to each person that had taken the time to come today. After getting something to eat and when the cake had been cut, the first to leave were the Samuels’. Lisa asked Eric to please call her and let them know when the girls had been born. He promised he would call and started walking a very tired Lainey out to the car. Just as Eric reached for the door handle to their new mini-van, Lainey cried out,

“Oh no.” as she looked down at the puddle of fluid that was gathering on the ground between her legs.

“It’s alright, honey we’re only ten minutes from the hospital. We’ll get there really quickly.

Marie had seen the puddle too and had run into the storage cabinet and gotten a giant trash bag and tore it down the middle so it was one large plastic sheet as she hurried outside with it.

“Here, Eric lay this on your back seat and lay her down. You’re right; it will be quicker for you to drive her than to wait for an ambulance. Lainey, you just stay lying down and whatever you do, DO NOT PUSH.

“Urs will you drive my car and follow Eric? I’ll ride in back with Lainey.” Alex said.

They left with Urs following close behind Eric’s car. Everyone at the party praying that the delivery would go well and that mother and babies would be okay.

The house emptied a bit at a time until it was only Seb, Lisa, Marlene and the kids and Mom and Dad.

“Thank you so much for this. It was a wonderful party.“ Lisa told Mom and Dad.

Dan, and Seb loaded the gifts into the back of the Escalade while the ladies discussed all of the wonderful gifts that had been given. Lisa was looking forward to getting them home so that she could look through everything again. It felt like Christmas had come back around already.

Mom sent them home with a lot of the goodies that were left over and all the way home Sammy kept asking for another cookie. Lisa told him that they could have one more cookie at home before they went to bed. Marlene got the children their final snack while Seb and Lisa unloaded their treasures. Some of it would have to be stored in the storage building after they were finished looking through it. There just wasn’t room for everything in the guest house. The three adults had a great time slowly looking through the gifts again. Lisa picked up the box with the negligee and took it to the bedroom and put it on the shelf in her closet. She turned a lovely shade of pink when Seb caught her eye when she returned to the living room. He had a smile on his face and it only made her blush further.

Later, when Marlene excused herself to get ready for bed, Seb leaned back on the couch, pulling Lisa with him so she could snuggle with him.

“This was a great day. It was so lovely to have so many of the people who mean so much to us there today.” Lisa said.

“Dan and Marie are some very special people. They give their love so freely and get so much pleasure in doing whatever they can for people. It meant a lot to me, what Dan said before the party.” Seb told her.

“Yes, I could tell it did. It did to me too…… I wish Eric would call and tell us something. I think I’ll go call Alex and find out if she and Urs stayed at the hospital with them.”

When Lisa came back into the living room, she found Seb asleep. He had laid down on the couch and must have passed right on out. She left him there and went to boot up her computer. Alex and Urs were just leaving the hospital when Lisa called and Alex told her that everyone was fine.

They had planned a C-Section to deliver Lainey’s babies because one of the girls was in a breach position when she went to her appointment on Friday. By the time they reached the hospital, the first baby was only a couple of minutes away from being delivered. They barely made it up to the women’s floor before she made her grand entrance. But once the first little girl came screaming into the world, they spent just a few minutes and because of the smaller size of twins, they had room to turn the second baby around and were able to deliver her naturally. Nobody was happier than Lainey that she didn’t have to have the surgery to deliver them. It would mean a much quicker recovery time. Alex had taken a bunch of pictures of the new little Samuels girls with her camera phone and was forwarding them to Lisa’s Email.

Lisa let out a little squeal when she saw the tiny babies and then she called Alex and thanked her for sending the pictures so quickly. Alex and Urs had both been in awe as Eric and Lainey let them both hold the girls. She told Lisa that she couldn’t wait to hold their own little bundle.

Seb came up behind Lisa and spoke before he got too close so he wouldn’t startle her.

“What are you looking at?”

“Alex sent the pictures of the new babies. Aren’t they beautiful?” she said leaning away from the screen so that he could see too.

“They’re a little wrinkly, aren’t they?”

“You’d be a little wrinkly too if you were sitting in liquid for nine months. You wait, in just a couple of weeks they will look totally different once they begin filling out a little. You should have heard Alex talking about her and Urs getting to hold them just an hour after they were born. I think it really made it real, that they were going to have their own little one in a few months. Alex was so scared at first, but now she has really embraced the idea that she is going to be a mother and she’s very happy.”

“I can’t wait for you and I to have our own little baby to hold. You know how much I love Sammy and Kayti, but I also long to hold the child that you and I will create together through our love.”

Lisa smiled and her cheeks became a cute shade of pink.

“I would love that Sebastien. I do want to carry your child inside of me someday.” She said not quite meeting his eyes.”

It thrilled him to think that she was thinking of their child just as he was. He hoped it wouldn’t be long before she would get pregnant. But they hadn’t talked about it yet.

“Do you want to wait a long time before we try for a child?” he asked her as he sat on the arm of her chair and ran his fingers through her hair.

“I don’t know. Do you think we should wait?”

“Actually, I hope our child is conceived on our wedding night.”

Lisa’s head snapped up to look at him to see if he was serious. He didn’t seem to be joking.

“Unless you think it is too soon for you.” He added.

She cleared her suddenly parched throat, her nerves tingling at this.

“Um…. Well….. No….. I don’t think it is too soon. We aren’t exactly teenagers. I know that I’m ready to be a mother. I wouldn’t have taken Sammy and Kayti if I wasn’t.”

“Good, then I would rather not use any contraception to prevent pregnancy if that is alright with you.”

“Alright.”

She leaned her head against his side as she looked at the pictures of the tiny girls that were all bundled up and lying in their mother’s arms. She thought about how in just around ten months from now, if she were to get pregnant right away that she could be sitting in the hospital holding a baby that she and Seb would create together. The thought brought up a flood of joy inside of her.

She already knew he was a wonderful father. He was so attentive to the needs of their children. He was also a willing playmate, either sitting on the floor playing with their toys or on Sammy’s bed or outside letting them run until their batteries ran out and they needed a nap.

“Seb?”

“Yes, my love.”

“I hope we do have a baby right away. I can’t wait to be carrying your child inside of me.” She said and snuggled tighter against him.

With the tips of his fingers, he tipped her chin up and leaned down to kiss her, slowly at first and then as they both felt the passion building inside of them, Seb stood without breaking their contact and pulled her up with him and into his arms.

Lisa wound up backed up against the wall and her arms were wrapped tightly around him and reaching up under his shirt because she couldn’t get enough of touching him, but also because when he kissed her like this, her legs turned to jelly and if she let go, she would be in a puddle on the floor. Yes, these moments when she was held so lovingly in Seb’s arms as he kissed her until she was breathless, these were definitely what the ladies on the forum liked to call THUD moments. When she thought of that, a small giggle escaped her and Seb stood up straight looking at her suspiciously.

“And what is so funny?”

They had been in the middle of a very passionate kiss and she was laughing.

“A guy could get a complex you know.”

“I’m sorry, Seb. I just had a thought and I couldn’t help it.” She said looking very apologetic.

“What was it?” she had his curiosity piqued.

“I was just thinking when you kiss me like that, it is definitely what your fans call a THUD moment.”

A very loud joyful laugh bubbled out of Sebastien. He had to cover his mouth and they ran hand in hand into the bedroom like a couple of children that were about to get into trouble.

“I hope I didn’t wake the children or Maman.”

He pulled Lisa to him and asked for a repeat. It was quite a while before either of them was ready to go to sleep. When they did snuggle up and let themselves fall asleep, Lisa slept peacefully and uninterrupted by any dreams.

When she woke in the morning, she got up and went to the kitchen to start the coffee and she felt wonderfully refreshed after the good nights sleep. She thought about how this was her last week as a single woman. With so much going on, the week was bound to fly by, but she would always remember how he constantly showed her how happy he was that she was going to be his wife.

She thought back to last night when they’d run into the bedroom like naughty children and had wound up back in their embrace and by the time Seb had reluctantly put a stop to their loving, Lisa was again ready to tell him that a few days wouldn’t make any difference. She wanted him to love her into completion. She just knew that there was more and she wanted whatever Sebastien had to give her and she wanted to learn to give him what he wanted and needed in return.

Lisa was standing there leaning against the counter with a faraway look in her eyes as Seb joined her. She looked up into his eyes and smiled, a hint of pink touching her cheeks.

“What were you thinking about just now? You looked very far away.”

“No, not very far away.” She said smiling as her eyes fell on their bedroom door and he instantly knew that she’d been thinking about last night and how close they had been to not being able to stop their lovemaking. She looked rested and happy this morning.

“Did you sleep well?”

“I did. I didn’t wake up even once and no dreams either.”

“That’s great, Sweetheart. I’m happy about that. I’ll wake the children and help get them ready.”

This morning was going to be a bit busy. First, Lisa and Seb had their appointment to get their stitches out and a recheck of their injuries and then the appointment with Dr. Talbot.

As Seb got dressed, he also hung up his jacket from yesterday. It had been a bit chilly yesterday, requiring a jacket in the evening, but today it was already warm out. As he went to hang it up, he remembered the envelope that Urs had handed him at the end of the shower. He sat on the bed and opened it, curious as to what it contained.

Inside the envelope was a printout of an email. The heading showed that it came from the offices of Sony/BMG.
************************************************************************
Sebastien,

All of us here at Sony/BMG would like to congratulate you on your impending marriage to Lisa and also for your already growing family.

As a wedding gift, I am personally lending you my private jet directly after the wedding to take you wherever you have decided to take your new bride on your honeymoon. I didn’t think the Siempre jet would be appropriate, as it would only announce to the world where you were and would probably cause fans to interrupt your private time together. Urs has assured me that your children would be well cared for while you two are away. All I will need by that day is a destination so that the pilot can file a flight plan, as you know.

I am sorry that I have not responded to the invitation before now, but consider this my formal acceptance. I will happily be there to witness your marriage.

Tell your bride that I am looking forward to meeting the woman who is taking one of the world’s most eligible bachelors off of the market.

Until then,

Simon

Seb was floored at the generosity of their boss. He had always been friendly with them, so unlike the public’s perception of him. But he was still their boss and this gift meant a lot to him.

He and Lisa had decided to wait on an official honeymoon because of Sammy. But that was when he had first gotten there and was still so skittish with people. He was still wary sometimes around strangers but as long as one of the adults he trusted was close by, he was usually okay.

He tucked the note into his jeans pocket and decided to wait until later to discuss it with Lisa and see if she thought they might be able to get away for a few days.

Marlene went with them and helped entertain the children while Seb and Lisa were in their first appointment.

Lisa’s stitches were removed and after the doctor thoroughly checked her over and asked her how she was feeling, she gave Lisa a clean bill of health. Lisa knew that she was lucky that her injuries from the accident hadn’t been more severe. Seb had been instrumental in that when he held her firmly against the seat for as long as he could. She went out to the waiting room to sit with Marlene and the children while Seb was finishing up with another doctor. When he came out, his stitches were also gone.

“He said that I am mending very well. I told him that I had the best nursing staff in the world taking care of me. He just told me to still be careful lifting anything heavy for a while or I would still feel the bruises on my ribs. All of the soft tissue damage has healed nicely.”

They made their way to their next appointment. This one was with Dr. Talbot and they would be discussing Sammy’s past and how it may affect his future.

Just before they arrived at the office, Lisa’s phone rang. It was Brenda.

“Hi Brenda, What’s up?”

“Hi Lisa, I wanted to let you know about the medical examiner’s report that was released this morning about the baby. As they thought, it was a little girl, approximately three to six months of age. There were no broken bones and no other obvious trauma to the body. They are listing the cause of death as malnourishment. If she was nursing the baby and taking drugs, her milk would have been tainted. In the condition that it seems she was in and by looking at the condition Sammy was in, she may not have been feeding the baby either when she was passed out.”

“So, she starved to death?” Lisa said horrified at the agonizing death the baby must have suffered as her little belly screamed out for nourishment.

“I’m afraid so. Some of these severely addicted to drugs go through days at a time when they are totally unaware of the world around them.”

Lisa had already told Brenda what they wanted to do for the burial and Brenda told Lisa that the body would be released later today. They would contact a funeral home after their appointment here. Lisa was having to get herself under control. The children were in the back seat watching a video right next to her. But Sammy didn’t miss much and she didn’t want to explain to him why she was upset. She looked up and met Seb’s eyes in the rearview mirror. He had just pulled into the parking space and it was a good thing. His eyes were filled with tears as he knew what they were talking about.

When Marlene asked what was wrong, Seb told her that he would explain later. He didn’t want to discuss it in front of the children. He asked his mother to lead the children into the waiting room and he and Lisa would be right in.

After Marlene and the children had gone inside, no words were said. He just pulled her into his arms and held her and they both let their tears fall. When they broke apart, Seb kept his arm around her shoulder as they went into the office.

Chapter 65:

Sammy showed Kayti where the Lego table was and they were already playing when Seb and Lisa came into the office. Lisa signed them in and they waited only a few minutes before a middle aged woman in jeans and a t-shirt came out to greet them. She ushered them back to a large room that was obviously meant to see to the comfort of children. The walls were lined with low shelves that spanned more than half of the room and they were lined with books and toys and the carpet was topped with bean bag chairs and brightly colored throw rugs.

“Miss Janie, I forgoted to take my pitures home that I drawed the other day. I wanted to show Mommy and Papa.”

“I’ve got them Sammy. I’ll show them if you’d like.”

Sammy beamed up at the woman. Both Lisa and Seb were shocked that this was the doctor that Brenda had raved about. Brenda had failed to mention the casual dress of the woman. Lisa had expected the usual white coated physician. The clothing didn’t matter as long as she was good at what she did and Brenda had spoken so well of her after the appointment the other day.

After introducing herself to them all and meeting the rest of Sammy’s family, Janie got Sammy and Kayti settled at another table, laying out crayons and paper and also getting out her box of Goldfish, remembering how much Sammy liked them. Marlene was asked to sit with them while she spoke with Sammy’s parents.

Janie led Lisa and Seb all the way to the other end of the long room and they sat at a table together.

Janie was trying very hard not to show that she was a bundle of nerves right now. She was a very self assured woman and always in control especially in her office, doing the job that she had done and loved for more than two decades. But just now, she had been thrown for a loop as Sebastien Izambard had been standing in the waiting room when she had gone out to greet Sammy’s family.

She was a Diva herself, David’s Diva, to be specific, but seeing Sebastien in the flesh was definitely a thrill. She had to give herself a huge mental shake and get her mind back onto the right track.

This situation with Sammy was very serious and she could not afford to let her infatuation with Il Divo sidetrack her from the important job she needed to do to help him. She had to put out of her mind Sebastien Izambard, the gorgeous French singer and treat him like any other father that had come to her, seeking her help with his child.

As she had gotten the children settled, she had thoughts of what she knew about Sebastien’s personal life, mostly from the two books that had been published. The last one had been very revealing and had made her cry as she had been curled up in her living room reading about his childhood. And here was his mother as well, the very woman that had done and allowed the abuse to happen. She wondered how dealing with Sammy’s severe abuse was affecting Seb. She knew that today was definitely not the day to get into that with Sebastien, with his mother visiting but if she even got a hint that he was prepared to discuss it, she knew that it would only serve to help Sammy if Seb himself was to receive help if he hadn’t already. The book hadn’t mentioned any form of counseling.

“I am so glad that you were both able to make it today. It is very important for Sammy that everyone that is important to the care of him understands what he has been through and what he may or may not go through as he deals with it. There will be warning signs to watch out for, not just in the immediate future but even years from now. There is something that I have to tell you up front….I know who you are Sebastien. I am a huge fan of Il Divo, but I want to assure you that whatever is said in this room stays here. I promise you that. Nothing will ever be leaked to the press or on the forum. I will make sure that if there are any other fans that work here that they will know that their job will be in jeopardy not only here but in any form of the medical profession, if they leak any information. But I will understand it if you feel it necessary to find another therapist for Sammy and your new family.”

“Thank you for your assurance and your word is good enough for me. Brenda Chandler spoke very highly of you and our son needs the best. He is a special little boy and we are determined to give him the best care possible.” Seb said after looking to Lisa for confirmation.

“Alright then, let’s go over my meeting that I had with him the other day. As I told Brenda, I always record my sessions. It helps me later when I go over my notes so I know I haven’t missed anything. Again, I assure you that I will make sure that these tapes don’t fall into the wrong hands Sebastien.”

“Before we do that, there is something we found out this weekend that is not in any of his records. It only came out because of my friend’s pregnancy.” Lisa said and went on to tell her about Sammy’s revelation about the baby dying in his mother’s bed and being buried. She told her about the phone call from Brenda just minutes before.

“Thank you for telling me that. It is so important to have as much information as possible about his history if we are going to help him. So, please when you are at home, if something happens or he says anything that you think I should know about, please write it down and give it to me on your next visit. If it’s serious and you are concerned, don’t hesitate to call and speak to me.”

They spent the next hour going over the visit that she had with Sammy. She did show them the pictures. It made them smile when they saw the ones he had done of all of them and their house.

Again they were amazed at the detail he put into his work. Janie suggested that age appropriate art lessons might be something they should think about for Sammy. He obviously had a talent for it at his young age and enjoyed it when he saw the delight on people’s faces when they looked at his drawings and that would be very important for his self esteem to receive constant praise for his accomplishments.

Next, she pulled out the other pictures and Lisa let out a gasp as she realized the second picture was showing his mother lying on the floor, covered with blood and Sammy and probably Joey standing over her. Janie didn’t like to show them these but they needed to know what Sammy still saw in his head.

She played the tape quietly for them so they could hear what he had said to her. When the tape finished she told them that it was very important that what he watched on television and in any movies he saw, that any violence be kept to a minimum.

“Sammy has already seen so much violence. One problem with children who have seen the kind of violence right in front of them like Sammy has is that they become desensitized to it and it seems like it is normal to them. I greatly encourage you to shield him from any form of violence as much as possible. Too many parents let young children watch whatever happens to be on the television, not realizing the harm they are doing to their children by doing so.

“Well, you don’t have to worry about that with us. I can tell you that Lisa already keeps a close eye on what the children watch. They don’t actually spend too much time in front of the TV anyway. Both Sammy and Kayti are too active to sit in front of it for too long. They’d rather be playing with their toys, especially if they can play outside.”

“I’m glad to hear that.”

They discussed a few more points that Janie wanted to cover and then she wanted to have a short play time with both of the children together so she could see how Sammy interacted with his new sister.

They all sat on the carpet but Lisa, Marlene and Seb sat back a bit further away so they would be more inclined to interact with the doctor. They just sat back and observed her with the children and were impressed with her technique in holding their attention, which was not always an easy task, especially with Kayti.

Over the next thirty minutes, Janie played several short games with the two children. They weren’t just games to waste time. They were games that would allow one or the other of the children to be in control for a short time. It was important to her to see how Sammy would react to the times that Kayti was in control. She needed to see if he became aggressive. She also wanted to see how he acted when he was in control. Did he take completely over and get aggressive in this situation.

Kayti, at almost two wound up being the aggressive one through the whole exercise. But that is normal for her age, She just wanted to do everything right then. Patience was not in her vocabulary yet. Both the times when Sammy was in control and when he wasn’t, he tended to be very passive, almost too much so.

When she was finished with the games, she sent the children back to the table with their Grandmere and joined Seb and Lisa back at the table.

“Again, thank you for taking the time to come here all together today. It was important and I feel like I have a pretty good understanding of where Sammy is emotionally right now, although that can and probably will change either in the next weeks or maybe years from now. Every child deals with the type of situation that Sammy lived in differently but I can see from how he reacts to you all that he is very comfortable with you and I am sure that you are going to make wonderful parents for him.”

“One thing I would like you to watch out for both with Kayti and with other children he interacts with at school is not him becoming aggressive as much as him letting others run over him and take advantage of him. He is a very sensitive child and he may tend to give in when he shouldn’t, to avoid any upset or confrontation. Does that make any sense to you?”

“Oh yes, we have all different types of children at the daycare and we have had to try to help some of them stand up for themselves sometimes. I don’t think we’ll have that problem with Kayti.” Lisa said grinning as she looked over at her daughter.”

“She seems like a pretty strong personality, that isn’t to say that she will be a difficult child, just that she will take control of what she wants whenever possible. What was her mother like?”

“She was a wonderful lady. I didn’t know her much at all before she asked me to take Kayti. From that time, until her passing, we spent a lot of time together. We wanted Kayti to be comfortable so she wouldn’t feel her loss quite so much when it was Anna’s time. She loved her little girl very much. She had already observed Kayti and I together at the daycare and could tell that I already cared for her. That is what helped her make her choice but I can tell you, the day she and I sat in my office and she told me about her cancer and asked me to take Kayti was a very emotional day for me.”

“I’m sure it was. You were already preparing yourself to take children in but when it actually happened, it was a bit of a shock.”

“Yes, it was.”

They wrapped up the session with Janie wishing them well for their wedding, telling them that Brenda had mentioned it the other day, not realizing that Janie was a fan and would know who Sebastien was.
She told them that since they were getting married and were dealing with all of that, that she thought it was okay to put off another appointment until the following month. With a promise from them that they would call with any questions or concerns.

After they had gone, Jessica gave herself a proverbial pat on the back for controlling herself with Sebastien sitting right there and not losing her composure and professionalism. Sometimes it had been difficult, like when they were talking about Kayti’s mother and he could see that Lisa was getting emotional, he automatically put his arm around her to comfort her and kissed her on her temple. He seemed to be every bit the passionate man that everyone thought him to be. He was so attentive to her and was very obviously in love with her and she with him. Janie was happy for him. Thankfully she was able to put her Diva hat away and keep her doctor hat on when it was necessary.

They stopped to get a bite to eat for lunch before Lisa and Kayti would go to the daycare for the rest of the day. They hadn’t all been out to eat together as a family yet. This would be their first time.

Sammy was well behaved in the restaurant. Except for going to McDonald’s with Lisa and Brenda, he’d never been out to eat anywhere and he was just looking around in awe at all of the people sitting at the tables and at the large round trays filled with plates of all kinds of food that were being carried past their table and not stopping until they got to someone else’s table. Lisa saw his confusion and told him that they had put their order in and now they had to wait a few minutes for the chef to cook what they had asked for. There was a basket of soup crackers on the table and she let him and Kayti split a package while they waited for their food to come.

Kayti got a bit antsy and Lisa played with her. She took a pen out of her purse and helped her draw on the paper napkin. Sammy saw Kayti drawing and of course he needed to have a pen to draw with too. Thankfully, Lisa had a second pen in her purse.

When their food came, Sammy’s eyes opened wide when he saw their plates piled high with their orders. You would have thought he was at Disney World when you saw his excitement. Lisa got he and Kayti a chicken fingers basket with fries to share. There was more than enough for both of them.

When they left the restaurant, Sebastien dropped Lisa and the Kayti off at the daycare. He would pick them up when it was time. He and his Mom were going to go do some shopping and he was taking Sammy to get fitted for a tux for the wedding.

Lisa got Kayti settled into her class and then went to her office to check her messages. There were three messages on her desk and two of them were from Jerry Bradford. She rushed out to ask Mary if Jerry had said anything to her about why he was calling. Mary said that he had called twice and said he had been unable to reach her cell phone. When Mary told her that, she realized she had forgotten to turn it back on after their appointments. When she turned it on, there were three missed calls from him.

They were expecting the results of Jeremy’s parole hearing. She was so nervous to hear what he had to say, but she knew she couldn’t avoid it forever so she told Mary she couldn’t be disturbed until further notice and went into her office and shut the door. She sat in her chair and started to dial the phone. wishing Seb was here with her. The phone began to ring and with each ring, her pulse raced faster. When it was answered, the receptionist apologized for keeping her waiting so long and asked who she needed to speak to. Jerry worked in a law firm that had four other lawyers.

“Jerry Bradford, Please. It’s Lisa Daniels.”

“Yes, Miss Daniels, Mr. Bradford has been trying to reach you. Just one moment please.”

As she sat there on hold, she tried to calm herself. Seb had promised to make sure they were safe if Jeremy was getting out. She knew how much he loved her and the children and believed he would do whatever was necessary to ensure their safety.

“Hello, Lisa?”

“Yes, Hi Jerry, you called me? I’m sorry, my cell phone was off while we were at our appointments and I just realized I hadn’t turned it back on.”

Jerry could hear the nervousness in her voice and wasn’t going to keep her waiting any longer. He had the results of the decision from Jeremy’s hearing.

Lisa couldn’t sit still and began pacing the floor. She knew that she would have to deal with whatever the results were and having so much support was a comfort to her, but especially after the nightmare the other night and that clear vision she still remembered from it of Jeremy standing in her house, made her more that a little uneasy.

“Yes, I have the results of the parole hearing. It’s good news, Lisa, very good news. I’ll read you the letter that was faxed to my office earlier. Here goes.”

This is an official notification of the results of the parole request for Jeremy Michael Chambliss.

After hearing from the inmate in question and also from the victim of the terribly violent crimes for which he was convicted, we find that the inmate, Jeremy Michael Chambliss, should not be released early and in fact will complete the entire sentence set forth by the jury.

We find that the sentence was light to begin with and feel it would be a disservice to his victim and to the public in general to allow him access to the public any sooner than is absolutely necessary.

We do not find that the inmate has been rehabilitated fully and have cause to believe that he holds intense hostility for his victim.

This decision is final and no appeal of this decision is possible.

Lisa fell down onto the sofa in her office and sobbed in great relief as she heard the words that Jerry was reading to her. She had a reprieve. She had at least eighteen more months before she had to worry about Jeremy again. She was going to be allowed to begin her life with Sebastien without her fear of Jeremy coming after her hanging over them as they celebrated their marriage and finished getting the group home opened.

“Lisa….Lisa, are you alright?”

“Yes Jerry, I’m fine. That is just such a huge relief to hear that, especially right now. I was so afraid that he had deceived them, but they clearly saw through him, thankfully.” Lisa said, her words filled with so much emotion.

Jerry congratulated her and told her that he would see her on Saturday before he hung up.

Lisa quickly dialed Seb’s cell and when he answered, she had a hard time getting the words out, but she began trying before he had even spoken a word.

“Seb, Seb, they denied his parole! Jeremy isn’t getting out, at least not for another eighteen months.”

“Oh Baby, that is fantastic news. What a relief! I am so happy. We need to celebrate. How about I ask Maman if she would stay with the children and we can go out tonight?”

Lisa was so excited and relived and she automatically told him that she would love to go out.

“Where are you now?” she asked him.

“I am at the funeral home down the street from the house. I am getting the burial set up for the baby. They are going to go pick her up from the morgue and bring her here tonight. I talked to Brenda and she is still trying to find the birth records for the child to find out what her name is. Sammy doesn’t remember her name. I asked him but I didn’t tell him why we wanted to know.”

“Oh…. Alright. If they can’t find out, we’ll give her a name.” Lisa said, her previously jovial mood tempered a bit by the sadness of dealing with the baby’s death.

“Wait until you see Sammy in his tux on Saturday. He is so adorable. I told him that he was going to have a very important job carrying our rings for us and he was so excited.” Seb said with excitement in his voice, changing the subject to a happier topic.

“Oh I can’t wait to see him. Do I have to wait until Saturday?”

“Yes, we won’t pick up the tux until Friday and Urs will take it over to his and Alex’s place, where all of the guys will be getting ready. I thought that if you didn’t mind, I would take Sammy with me there and let him get ready with the rest of the men.”

“Seb, you are his father. You don’t need to ask my permission.”

“I just wanted to be sure that you didn’t have any different plans with him.”

“No, I didn’t and I think he’d love it getting to act like one of the big guys.”

They finalized their dinner plans and then hung up. Lisa ran out to tell Mary the great news and Seb went back to his conversation with the funeral director that had just returned to the room.

“We’re all set, Mr. Izambard. As we discussed, we’ll hold onto baby girl Jenkins for burial until after you return from your honeymoon. If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to call me.”

“Thank you for all of your help. I think my fiancé will be pleased with the arrangements we’ve made for the little girl. I’ll call you later this week once we’ve finalized our honeymoon plans and then I’ll know when we can schedule the burial and hopefully we will be able to find out her name, if not, Lisa would like to give her one.”

“That would be fine. I wish you the best for your wedding and I will speak to you soon.”

Seb went out to the waiting room and saw his mother reading a book to Sammy. She sure had changed a lot since he was a child. He didn’t think he remembered as far back as when he was Sammy’s age but by the time he was around six, the same point of time that his father had left, he remembered how she was and this kind talking, patient woman that was quite taken with his son and daughter, was not the same woman he remembered dealing with him as a child. Maybe she was trying to make up for her shortcomings with him, now that he had children of his own.

When Lisa drove into the driveway, Sammy and Marlene were outside and she was sitting on the edge of the sandbox while Sammy was fully inside of it, right down into the sand and quite happy to be there. Kayti ran as fast as her little legs would carry her to join him just as soon as Lisa had set her feet on the ground.

“Hi Mommy, I went with Papa and gotted me a tux just like the big man’s ones and I’m going to have a very portant job just for me, when you and Papa get married to the wedding. I’m going to carry the rings on a pillow. But it’s a little pillow Grandmere said, not like the big one on my bed.” Sammy finished the flurry of words.

She loved listening to him when he was excited about something. She and Marlene grinned at each other at his wording, “Getting married to the wedding.” Children were so funny with their memory of words sometimes.

Seb had heard the truck pulling in and hurried out to welcome her home. He swept her into his arms and kissed her breathless, tipping her backwards and only stopping the kiss when he heard Sammy giggling at them.

“Hey you watch it or I’ll have to tickle you.” Seb said to Sammy making Sammy giggle and run across the yard just hoping that Seb would chase him. His Papa didn’t disappoint him as he chased Sammy around purposely not catching him for a while and making him think he was getting away. Kayti was jumping up and down and laughing at them. Just as Lisa was about to call out a warning to him to be careful of his ribs, Seb made a sharp turn and reached out and scooped Sammy up into his arms and used his chin to push Sammy’s shirt up a little and then he blew a raspberry on Sammy’s belly making him laugh really hard.

Then Seb immediately regretted forgetting the doctors warning about lifting and he slowly set Sammy down on the ground and went to sit on the steps of the porch.

“Are you alright? I know lifting Sammy hurt you.”

“I’ll be alright but it does still hurt to do that. I just feel so much better in most ways that sometimes I forget and that’s when I find out what still hurts. How long before you’ll be ready to go?”

“If you don’t mind, I’d just like to get a quick shower and make sure the kids eat.”

“I’ve already taken care of fixing dinner for Maman and the kids. All she’ll have to do is put it on the table.”

“Oh okay well, I’ll be ready in thirty minutes then.”

She leaned into him and kissed his cheek and ran up the stairs and into the house to get ready. Seb looked up to find his mother smiling at him and he smiled at her in return. He sat and watched the kids playing for a few minutes and then went inside to finish getting ready to go.

Lisa had been wearing the boot faithfully, as the doctor had asked her to, but for tonight, she was going to wear her shoes. She chose some flats instead of heels so that she wouldn’t stress her ankle out too much.

She wanted to look nice for Sebastien tonight and chose a pretty, white knee length sleeveless dress with dainty red roses on it. It was one that Alex had given her for her birthday several years ago but she hadn’t worn yet. It had quite a low dip in the front, which allowed more cleavage to show than Lisa usually felt comfortable showing. It was a bit warm for panty hose, but Lisa was still self conscious about the way her leg looked since the cast had been removed so she wore a pair tonight. The lotion was helping and she felt confident that her leg would look pretty well back to normal by Saturday.

She applied her light make up, gave her hair, that she had left hanging loose, one last brushing and took a deep breath as she stood and looked in the mirror at the woman staring back at her. She felt pretty. She hadn’t felt this good in so very long. Her heart was racing as she began to get excited about Seb seeing her in this dress.

When she stepped out into the living room holding her clutch purse up under her arm, she looked to Seb to see his reaction.

Seb heard her footsteps coming into the living room and looked up from where he was helping Sammy put one of his puzzles together on the coffee table. He let out a long whistle and walked over to where she was standing.

“Baby, you look absolutely beautiful.”

“I agree. You are very pretty and that dress suits you.” Marlene said to her.

“Thank you. You don’t think it’s too revealing do you?”

“No, but if you do that’s what is important.” Marlene said.

“I don’t know. When Alex gave this to me a couple of years ago, I didn’t think I’d ever wear it, but I feel good in it as long as I don’t look like I’m showing too much off.” She said and looked at Seb to see what he thought.

“I think it looks lovely, Sweetheart. I don’t think it is too revealing. It’s just right.” he said wiggling his eyebrows a bit. “Are you ready?”

“Yes, I just want to give the kids a kiss first.” Lisa said feeling giddy at Seb’s reaction to her.

“Mama pretty.” Kayti said

“Thank you, Baby.”

“See I told you.” Seb said with a grin.

Seb followed behind her and said goodnight to them as well and then gave his mother a hug and thanked her for staying with the children. She hugged him back and told them both to have a great time.

They left in Seb’s BMW with the top down and they were all ready to have a fun evening with no worrying about anything but having a great time. Seb took her to a nice seafood restaurant in Tampa. The atmosphere was not quite as fancy as the restaurant they’d gone to when he had proposed, but it was pleasant and there was a live band playing while they ate and it had a small dance floor. When they were finished eating, Seb took her hand and led her to the floor and held her close while they danced.

“This is so nice, Seb. I’ve had a great time tonight, Thank you.”

“Well, we had to celebrate didn’t we? We have lived on pins and needles for days and now we can forget about Jeremy and enjoy our wedding week and begin the rest of our lives together. This is only the beginning for us, Baby. We have so much ahead of us to look forward to.”

They danced a couple more dances together before Seb paid the check and they went out into the night. Neither of them wanted the lovely evening to end.

“Are you up to a walk on the beach?” Seb asked her.

“I’d love to, but I’m not sure about my ankle in the sand yet.”

Seb reached behind his seat on the floor and produced her boot with a silly grin.

“Well, since you came prepared, I guess we shouldn’t waste the opportunity.” She said and kissed his cheek, then hurried to change one shoe for the ugly boot.

They walked hand in hand at a leisurely pace along the beach and Seb decided that this was a good time to talk about their honeymoon. He told her about the note from Simon.

“So, what do you think? I know we had decided against going away because of Sammy, and at the time I definitely agreed with you, but he has come so far and I believe that he would be alright as long as he is with the people he knows. But, if you aren’t totally comfortable leaving him, we won’t go because you won’t enjoy yourself if you are worried.”

“He has come a long way lately. When he is with us, he is doing great. He has even done well like the other day when he was with Mary while we were away. She said he never got nervous or anything. He knows that she is part of our family and he is comfortable with her. I guess it will depend on whether we can make sure that the children are always with people that Sammy will be totally comfortable staying with. I would love to be able to go away, Seb. It may be a while before we could go away together all alone. These past few months have been such a whirlwind, starting with the night you came back into my life and it would be wonderful for us to be able to get away from everything and just be us for even a few days. We really have had so little time alone together.”

“Alright, I believe that we will be able to get the kids situated, so assuming that we can do that, I am going to take you away from here. Not sure where yet, but anyway, I want to surprise you. So you won’t find out until we are on our way there.”

“That’s not fair.” She said trying to sound like a whining child but smiling and stopping in front of him. “I love you so much Seb. I hope someday I will be able to show you just how much you mean to me.”

She laid her head on his chest and he could feel that she was overcome with emotion. He kissed her hair and ran his fingertips over her bare shoulders and down her arms making her shiver.

“Are you cold?”

“No, not really.” She said tipping her face up for his kiss and he didn’t disappoint her, kissing her until she felt as if the sand was swallowing her, because her legs were losing their ability to hold her up. The kiss only ended when Seb realized that they weren’t alone. Another couple had the same idea.

They began walking again and after they had walked a ways up the beach, Seb suggested they start back towards the car. Tomorrow was another big day for them. Ty and his team would be there bright and early. Most of the playground would be completed tomorrow with it being finished on Wednesday.

They got home and found that the children had eaten and gone to bed just as they should have with no trouble. Marlene had the house cleaned up from their dinner and the toys were all put away.

“Maman thank you so much for allowing us this time tonight. We had a wonderful evening.” Lisa said.

“You both need to make sure to find these times alone together whenever possible. You have to have the time to talk about things without interruption and to just be together. It won’t be easy with the life my son leads, but I know that the two of you will find a way to make it work. I believe that you are the woman that was created for my son.” She hugged Lisa and Seb and bid them good night. They had told her last night about the excitement there would be tomorrow and explained who Ty and Ed were, and about the television show. She wanted to get a good night’s sleep.

“Five more days and six more nights.” They both wound up saying at the same time after they had gotten comfortable in the bed.

Lisa laughed and gave Seb a light squeeze. She was still afraid of hurting his ribs.

“Good night my love.”

“Good night Seb. I love you.” She said as a yawn escaped her.

“I love you too, baby, very much. Sleep well.”

“Mmm Hmm” he barely heard her say as she was already almost asleep.

Chapter 66:

Tuesday morning was just as the weatherman on the news had promised it would be. It was just a bit chilly early in the morning and then warmed to a comfortable temperature during the day. It was just as it would have been if Lisa had ordered it herself. She was wide awake before the sun was up and she was making breakfast for a large group of people.

All of the rest of the Divos and their ladies would be here. Mom would be here with Dad in the morning and then he had to leave right after lunch for a meeting. Lisa counted thirteen people eating breakfast and that was before Ty and his crew got there. She wasn’t sure if they would eat or not so she wanted to be prepared. Shortly after Lisa began getting breakfast, Marlene joined her, all dressed and ready to help. Together they put a hearty breakfast on the table to give fuel to everyone before they began their task of installing the large playground for the children.

Seb wandered out of the bedroom when he began smelling the coffee. Lisa smiled at him. She was amazed at how cute he could look even in his scruffy, messy headed, sleepy look. Lisa handed him a cup of coffee to help him wake up.

“Is there anything I can do to help?”

“Nope just relax. Your Mom and I have everything under control.”

Mom had lent Lisa some warming trays after the shower and with the ones she already had, she was able to keep warm the large pans of scrambled eggs, bacon and sausage and in the oven just keeping warm were some fresh buttermilk biscuits, with toast just a minute away if someone preferred it. The kitchen island was all ready with dishes, silverware and condiments including several different Jams and Marmalades as well as honey for the biscuits. She filled a carafe with the remaining coffee and immediately started another pot.

David, Grace, Carlos and Vicki were the first to arrive, with Alex and Urs not far behind. Mom and Dad pulled in just a few minutes later as well.

Everyone was chipper and looking at this as a fun day ahead. It wasn’t going to be near as tiring a job as the yard clean up was so once the work was done they would just be here hanging out for the rest of the day.

Since Lisa wasn’t sure if Ty and his crew would be eating, she told those that were there to go ahead and eat. This house had very limited space in the living areas so it would be easier to eat in shifts.

Sammy wandered sleepily out of his room looking at all of the people in the house so early in the morning.

“Mommy? Mommy?” he called out.

She heard Sammy and made her way through and picked him up and reminded him about the fun day ahead for them.

“Are you hungry?”

“Yes Mommy, can I eat breakfast now?”

“You sure can. I will fix you a plate. Would you like some milk or would you rather have some juice.”

“Milk please Mommy.”

“Coming right up, Sweetheart.” She answered and kissed him on the tip of his nose before she set him back on the floor.

When Lisa brought his plate over to the table, Sammy was sitting in Auntie Alex’s lap and she was telling him about Ty.

“Now I don’t want you to be afraid of Ty Sweety. He has a loud voice sometimes but that is just because he gets very excited about things and not because he is angry, okay?”

“Okay Auntie Alex.”

“Thank you Auntie Alex. I hadn’t even thought about his loud voice maybe scaring Sammy. But Auntie Alex is right Sammy. Ty is a very nice man and I even bet he likes Bob the builder. You’ll have to ask.

“Mommy can I sit in the chair next to my Amigo Carlos?” he asked pointing to the empty chair next to his new friend.

“You sure can. That’s alright isn’t it Carlos?”

Ohhh yes, Good morning Sammy. Come sit right here and tell me what you’ve been up to.”

Sammy climbed into the chair and told Carlos about his “portant” job he was going to do at the wedding.

“GOOD MORNING EVERYONE!” they heard being yelled from outside, even over all of the noise of the people talking in the house. Several people at once said, “Ty’s here.” Then they all laughed and hurried outside to greet him and his team.

After everyone said hello and introductions were made of the people that hadn’t met. Lisa told the team to come inside and get something to eat and some coffee. Ty had his whole team here, all eleven of them. Several refused breakfast but welcomed a coffee and others smelled the wonderful aromas coming from the kitchen and couldn’t turn down at least a little plate of the delicious food. Ty could eat any time. He was so hyper and active that his metabolism was always in high gear.

The little house was getting a bit full, so those that had already eaten or were just carrying a cup of coffee went outside to look around or sit on the porch and got acquainted. As they were sitting out there, Drew and his crew were just arriving to begin their day. Drew came over to say hello and Seb ushered him into the house to say hi to Lisa and to meet Ty and the others that he hadn’t already met outside. This was quite a thrill for Drew getting to meet Ty and the rest of the cast of the show. His wife would kill him if he came home without Ty and Eduardo’s autographs at least, if not the whole cast. They happily signed a page out of Drew’s note pad that he carried with him. Drew figured that this might earn him some extra loving from his beautiful wife of ten years.

Lisa was just getting Kayti into her chair and she wanted to get out when she saw her Papa, so he hurried over and talked her into staying in her seat and eating so she could go out and play when she was finished.

Ty had been brought up to speed last week about Lisa and Sebastien’s engagement and he had congratulated them.

“Ty, you remember Lisa of course and Kayti, but we also have a new addition since the party. Sammy came just a few days before Christmas. Sammy, can you say hello to Ty?”

“Hello Ty, Do you like Bob the Builder?”

Lisa was very glad that Alex had spoken to Sammy about Ty’s exuberance when he answered in his usual over excited voice.

“Do I like Bob the builder? I LOVE Bob. You like Bob? That’s great buddy.”

“You wanna see my room?”

“Sure! Lead the way.”

That moment was the beginning of a very special friendship that lasted for many years between Sammy and Ty. Ty took a special liking to Sammy and over the years as Sammy grew into a young man and then an adult, he and Ty never lost contact with each other.

When Ty came back to the kitchen with Sammy hot on his heels, Lisa asked him how the Gilmour house was doing and were they finished with it. He pulled his laptop out and showed them the pictures and video of the build and the end result of the beautiful and most importantly very spacious house and told her that the Gilmours and their seven children had moved into their new house just this past weekend.

Breakfast was finished and cleaned up and the truck carrying all of the fencing for the playground pulled into the driveway with another truck right behind it with all of the rest of their tools, the rubber pellets and the heater for heating up the pellets for the flooring.

Ty told Lisa that he was going to have enough concrete left over and did she want them to pour a half basketball court while he was there. The guys all thought that was a great idea, so while some of the guys cleared and prepared an area for the cement; Dad and Seb went to the store to purchase a basketball goal.

The area for the playground had already been marked off and prepared. The first step was to install the black iron fencing around the perimeter and to divide it into three sections. The holes were dug; concrete poured for stability and the fencing was installed.

Lisa kept Kayti close to her but let Sammy stay with the workers with a promise from Ty that if he was in the way, that he would send Sammy back to the house. When there wasn’t anything for Marlene to do, she took Kayti to the front yard and let her ride her bike to keep her occupied.

When Dad and Seb returned from the sports equipment store with the full sized basketball goal, the back of the truck was full of surprises. Seb had gotten Sammy a child sized Little Tykes Basketball goal to practice on. He had also gotten about two dozen balls. He had gotten four basketballs and the others were different sized balls, one for the four square game and even some small enough to fit in Kayti’s little hands. These kept the children entertained for hours. Sammy was having fun shooting the soft mini basketball into the adjustable goal that was set just right for him.

By lunchtime, the fencing was completed and when they were called to eat, everyone was happy for a break. The ladies had been cooking and making everyone hungry as the aromas wafted over to them from the grill. Mom had brought a tossed salad, pasta salad and desserts. Lisa was cooking burgers, sausages and franks on the grill. Drew had set up the plywood tables that they’d used before and his crew still used when they were taking a break.

Lisa and Sammy walked over to the main house and told Drew that if he or any of his guys wanted to eat, she had plenty and for them to come over in about thirty minutes when the first shift finished eating. He took her up on her offer and when they were finished eating, Ty asked for a tour of the main house if it wouldn’t be a problem. So Drew took Ty and the rest of his team on a tour of the house to see what had been renovated and what was still left to be finished.

When everyone got back to work, it was time to begin laying out the sections and begin heating the rubber pellets for the flooring. Since she was done cooking and Mom and Marlene had offered to clean up, Lisa was so excited to be able to watch them putting in the flooring with all of its bright colors.

While Lisa was watching, her cell phone rang.

“Hi Lisa, it’s Laray. What are you up to today? Are you at work?”

“Hi Laray. No, I’m at home. Ty and his team are here and they are starting to build the playground today.”

“That’s right. I’d forgotten about that. Would you mind another guest for the day?”

“You’re in town already?”

“Yes, I thought I’d come and see if I could do anything to help with the wedding and also do some shopping and sunbathing to build my tan up. Winter in Massachusetts isn’t the best place for a tan.”

“No, I suppose not. You are more than welcome to come over. It’s like one huge party over here.”

“Great, I’ll be there soon then.”

When Lisa hung up she realized that they had finished cementing the anchor fittings that would secure the equipment into the ground and then it was time to start pouring the heated rubber pellets in. When the rubber was in, all you would see of the anchors was the actual long bolts poking out of the floor, that would attach to the equipment tomorrow.

The playground in total was three thousand square feet with it being divided into three sections by fencing and a gate between the sections and each section had a gate leading out into the rest of the yard. This would give the young children plenty of running room without worrying about them getting out into the road or the woods and if they fell in here, there would be few skinned knees and elbows.

It was sectioned off with a main color in each of the three sections and then there were the games like hopscotch and four square that were distinguished from the rest of the flooring by different colors. Numbers and letters were also scattered around the whole enclosure.

In the smallest section which was to be mostly for the youngest children, they made a giant smiley face, the eyes and mouth done in black. The yellow of the face was offset by the bright blue of the rest of the section. The A, B, C and 1, 2, 3, were done in orange around the smiley. This section would only have some very short equipment, only a foot or less off of the ground that would be safe for the young children to begin exercising their muscles. Plastic tunnels would be attached right to the ground for them to crawl through. In the corners would be baby swings.

The next section was for the children who had begun walking well and could at least climb short stairs and slide down slides that were only three feet off the ground. It would give them exercise, but keep them from falling from much higher equipment. A short set of swings was also going to be included here. The main color in this section was green with letters and numbers scattered around and the hopscotch game, done in yellow and blue.

The largest of the sections was to be filled with equipment that would even fit and support an adult, a large maze of tunnels and slides with a separate section of swings. The red flooring in this section also had a hopscotch game and the four square game.

Sebastien watched Lisa’s excitement as she watched the pellets being poured and pressed into place. She reminded him of the children. But he knew that this playground was a big part of what she had envisioned for this place. He came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her. She leaned back against him, enjoying the feel of him caressing her arms and face as they continued to watch what was happening in front of them.

When all of the rubber was poured and pressed into place, there was nothing left to do today. The rubber had to set overnight before they could do too much walking on it. So the playground equipment would be delivered this afternoon and they would install it tomorrow.

Laray had arrived a couple of hours ago and all of the girls got into the topic of the wedding. Now that they were done outside, Lisa took her in and showed her hers and Kayti’s dresses. She visited for a while and then left to go do some shopping in town, promising to come back and for Lisa or Marie to call if there was anything she could do to help.

The girls sat down and went over everything with Mom who told Lisa that she had everything under control and she didn’t want her to worry about anything. She just wanted Lisa to enjoy this week. The girls also told Lisa that if Seb wound up taking her on a honeymoon that she shouldn’t worry about the kids. They would make sure that they were well taken care of while she and Seb were gone. Seb’s mom would still be here too and although they weren’t going to leave her stuck with them the whole time, it would be great to have the extra help.

Seb was able to corner Alex alone and away from Lisa for a few minutes and told her about his plan to take her away for their honeymoon. He asked her for suggestions and by the time they finished their chat, Seb knew exactly where he was taking Lisa.

On Wednesday, the morning went much the same as the day before except Alex and Urs insisted on bringing breakfast for everyone so Lisa wouldn’t have to cook for everyone again. They brought bags of bagels, croissants and all sorts of gooey pastries. All Lisa had to do was lay out the jams and marmalades and cream cheese for the bagels and have a continuous supply of coffee available, with juice or milk for the children.

The house filled up for the first hour while everyone chatted and then they all migrated outside to put together the equipment that had been delivered yesterday. They started figuring out which equipment went into which section and once they had all of the pieces sorted into the correct section, they began installing them.

Everyone broke up into groups in the three sections, most going to the large section. It would take the most hands to accomplish the maze of pieces.

Ty and Seb started with the smallest section and were done with it in only about thirty minutes. Along with the play equipment, each section would have at least two bench seats, with the larger sections having more. When they were finished, Ty called Sammy and Kayti in and told them they could play in there until the next section was finished. Then he and Seb started on the middle section.

Kayti immediately wanted to get into the baby swing so Lisa lifted her in and lowered the bar to keep her from falling out. With Kayti in the swing, Lisa could push her and still watch the progress happening.

When Sammy called through the fence that he wanted to come in and help, Seb grinned at Ty and Ty went and let him in. He patiently showed Sammy how to turn the ratchet the right way to tighten the nuts down. When he had them down as tight as he could turn them, Ty took over to tighten them down securely. Sammy helped until the whole section was complete, never tiring of the job or getting upset when Ty took over, being patient until Ty gave him the ratchet back.

Seb met Lisa at the fence that connected the two smallest sections where she was playing with Kayti who was now hiding in the tunnel.

“Hi Baby”

“Hi yourself. You aren’t doing too much are you?” she said while running her fingertips down his face.

“No, that’s why I started on these smaller sections with Ty. I knew I shouldn’t be lifting those bigger pieces.”

He intended to just get a quick kiss and head back to his job, but Lisa didn’t let go of his shirt front and kept their lips locked together. He wasn’t complaining and when he got tired of the fence being in between them, he went through to her side and picked back up where they had left off, quickly heating up their already very warm bodies under the Florida sun. For several moments they forgot that they were standing outside with twenty or so other people in sight, their hands caressing faces and running through each other’s hair and down backs. It was only when Ty had sneakily gone to the other side, enlisting the other’s help that everyone started wolf whistling and hollering to them.

“Hey, you aren’t married yet, watch it.” Ty hollered to them.

Lisa hid her face in Seb’s shirt for a moment then she leaned up for one last searing kiss before he went back to his job, whistling a happy tune.

Sammy tried to whistle and although he couldn’t quite get it yet, it didn’t keep him from trying. When he was finished helping on the middle section, Sammy was told that he could play in there and Kayti could come in too, but he couldn’t help on the last section, because it was too dangerous. They were having to use ladders for parts of this area. He called to Kayti and Lisa brought her through and they were laughing and running together. Kayti’s shorter legs made her have to slow down on the stairs, but Sammy waited for her and let her go down the slide first.

“Mommy, this is funnest, just like on my bed and it gots lots of colors and I found a letter over there.” He said pointing to the letter C.

“It is great isn’t it? We’re going to have so much fun out here.”

Urs and David along with Michael, Eduardo and John from Ty’s team, had gone to put up the basketball goal. The court had been poured yesterday and after sitting to harden for one more day, it would be ready to be played on.

Mom and Marlene came outside carrying a large pitcher of Iced Tea and glasses for everyone just as the pizza delivery guy showed up. Everyone took a quick break and ate before getting back to their jobs.

By mid afternoon, the playground equipment was finished along with all of the benches and the gate was opened for the children to come in. Kayti would only be allowed to play in the largest section if an adult was able to be climbing around on it with her. Her balance wasn’t perfect yet. Today there was plenty of adult supervision. Some of the adults were having fun trying it out too.

“Ty, what are these poles for?” Lisa called up to Ty who was at the head of the pack of people waiting to slide down the long curvy slide again.

There were poles located at various positions around the perimeter of the enclosure that looked like the playground was incomplete.

“We have just one more thing to finish. We are installing an awning over the playground to help keep the sun off of the children. It’ll still get hot out here but the worst of the sun will stay out.”

“Oh Ty, That’s wonderful. That will be fantastic. Thank you.”

Sammy was in heaven. He ran as fast as his legs would carry him and on up the steps, giggling as he flew down the long slide. Kayti tried to keep up with him but her little legs weren’t fast enough and when she fell down, she stopped for a minute like she was expecting something to hurt like it did at school when she fell, but it didn’t, so she hopped back up and kept right on after him. The children were enjoying the many playmates they had today.

After spending a while playing with the children, everyone helped to attach the dark blue, heavy nylon awning to the poles and once it was done, within just a few minutes you could feel the difference once the sun wasn’t beating down on them.

Lisa couldn’t wipe the smile off of her face. It was done. The playground was just as she had always wanted it to be. It was bigger and better actually, than what she had envisioned for her children and they had also done the basketball court. She knew the guys would love to have that around.


She went around and personally thanked each and every person for their help. They all watched or played with the children as they were already thoroughly enjoying their play area.

Ty and his team excused themselves and headed across the yard to speak to Drew. After Drew had shown them around the house yesterday, the Extreme Makeover team had some discussions together about what more they could do here. Even though the playground was such a big deal to Lisa and obviously the children, it had been such a small job compared to what the team was used to doing and they didn’t have anywhere to be for another two weeks yet. Ty didn’t want to step on Drew’s toes or anyone else’s, but they wanted to find out how they could help out with something inside or out of the house over the next few days. Lisa didn’t know it yet, but Sebastien had invited the team to stay on for the wedding if they had the free time.

After talking to Drew and telling him that they didn’t want to take anything over, just for him to put them to work wherever he needed them, Drew gladly accepted their offer of help for the next couple of days.

The house was really coming along well. The addition of the extra crew had already proved to create a surge of completed projects in just a couple of weeks. All of the electrical and plumbing renovations and upgrades were completed which allowed for all of the new lighting fixtures to be installed.

Drew showed Ty and the team where everything was and the boxes were already labeled for where they were to be installed. All of the new bathroom sinks, toilets and tub/shower combinations were arriving late today for installation tomorrow as well as the shower fixtures and two glass walls that Lisa had ordered for the master bathroom. The other two walls were already prepared for the rest of the installation. Outfitting all six bathrooms and helping install all of the lighting fixtures was a big enough job that it would fill their two days that they had left here and allow Drew and his team to focus on other projects in the house.

There was a few hours of daylight left and Ty and his crew decided to start bright and early tomorrow in the house. For the rest of today, they were going to go hit the beach and work on their tans or whatever else they found to do. They stopped at the guest house and said goodbye. Lisa was giving the children a snack and a drink before they would head back outside. She figured that it was going to be hard to keep them inside now.

That evening after all of their guests had gone and they had finally managed to get the children inside, dinner was finished and their exhausted children were in bed for the night, Seb and Lisa were cuddling on the couch together. Marlene had also excused herself claiming to be tired after all of the time out in the sun today.

Lisa held one of Seb’s hands in both of her own and played with his fingers. He was running his fingers through her long hair and caressed her shoulder and down her bare arm. She turned and lifted her face to his wordlessly asking for a kiss. He caressed her face as he gazed into her eyes that mirrored the feelings he was having. As fast as the week seemed to be flying by most of the time, the evening hours seemed to drag by as they both longed for their wedding day and most importantly that night to arrive.
Their kisses became heated and filled with longing as they struggled not to allow themselves to cross any boundaries. Breathlessly, Seb unwound himself from Lisa’s embrace claiming he was thirsty. She followed him into the kitchen and saw him as he had his hands braced against the counter and he seemed to still be trying to get himself under control.

“I’m sorry Seb.”

He spun around and quickly came and drew her into his arms.

“You have nothing to apologize for, baby.”

“Yes, I do. It is my fault that we are waiting and I can see that you are upset.” She backed away from him far enough that she could look into his eyes. “Tell me that it doesn’t make you angry with me that I am making us wait.”

“Angry? Why do you think I’m angry? There is nothing to be angry about. I won’t tell you that it isn’t frustrating, because it is. I want to make love to you, baby. I can’t lie to you, but it isn’t going to kill either of us to wait and when Saturday night finally decides to get here, it will be all that much sweeter when we can be together as we long to be.”

Lisa stared into his eyes to find only the truth in them. The memories of Jeremy’s anger at her all of those months and then the rage at her that final night for making him wait was in such contrast to this gentle, patient man that loved her so much. She knew that she would never doubt his love for her as long as she lived.

Seb got the drink that he’d come to the kitchen for and then they headed to bed and sleep that would make the hours go much quicker.

Chapter 67:

Thursday was a day with no appointments or any obligations and they took advantage of it. Friday would be busy with the final preparations for the wedding and then Saturday of course was the wedding. Seb and Lisa wanted to spend time with the children. After the wedding, they would leave for a week. It would be hard enough to leave the children but as best they could they explained to them that Mommy and Papa were going on a trip and that Sammy and Kayti would be well taken care of while they were gone. The most important part that they wanted to be sure that the children understood was that Mommy and Papa would be back after their holiday.

Of course the children wanted to play outside. Between the new playground, the sandbox and sand pile, and all of their bikes and trucks, the children were kept well entertained and never got bored. Much to Sammy’s delight, Ty even came out to play with him when he was taking a break from inside the house. Lisa had just brought Kayti into the house to try to get her to lay down when her phone rang.

“Hello Lisa, it’s Jerry. Are you busy? I have something to tell you.”

Lisa went to get Kayti to lie down and then she came out to the kitchen.

“What is it Jerry?” Lisa was a bit worried at the somber tone in Jerry’s voice.

“It’s about Jeremy.”

As soon as he said Jeremy, Lisa’s heart started racing. She hadn’t thought that she would have to be even thinking about him for a long time.

“What is it?” she said, her voice trembling.

“He’s dead, Lisa.”

“What?...How?.... When?” her heart felt like it was going to fly right out of her chest.

“He’s dead. It seems that when his lawyer brought him the notification that his parole had been denied, he went crazy on him right there and had to be restrained. His lawyer wound up having to get stitches for several lacerations on his face and head after Jeremy threw a metal chair at him in his rage.”

“When he was released from the restraints back into their general population, he was very combative. The report says that he seemed to be trying to pick a fight with everyone. He wound up hitting one guy too many and the last guy he hit wound up beating Jeremy to death down in their laundry area. He took a blow to the head that caused a hemorrhage in his brain. That’s what killed him. ”

“I hate to tell you this part but I don’t want you to hear it from somewhere else. It may very well wind up on the news. Inside his cell, they found pages of his writings, telling of all of the ways that he was going to make you pay for having him incarcerated and for testifying at the parole hearing last week.”

Lisa sat heavily into the kitchen chair. Never in her life would she have believed herself to be capable of happiness at another person’s death, but the relief that flowed through her was almost a tangible thing. For only a second, she felt a small amount of pity for the man who had terrorized her life for so long. He died a painful death.

“Lisa are you still there? Are you all right?”

“Yes, I’m sorry Jerry. I’m fine. I’m just in shock. It’s over. It’s finally over.”

She couldn’t hold back the tears any longer and they quickly turned to sobs. Marlene came into the house to find Lisa slumped over the table sobbing and she quickly turned to go back out to get Sebastien. She stayed with Sammy and Seb ran as fast as he could. He didn’t know what was wrong but the way his mother had describe Lisa’s condition, he was very frightened. He flew into the house and tried to get her to answer him. Seeing the phone lying on the table and hearing a voice coming through, he picked it up and asked who was there.

Jerry answered him and then he asked of Lisa was alright.

“Jerry, she’s sobbing so hard and I can’t get her to respond to me. What did you say to her?”

“I called to tell her that Jeremy is dead.”

Jerry went on to repeat the information to Seb and then Seb thanked him for calling and letting them know. After hanging up the phone, he kept trying to get Lisa to answer him.

She heard Seb talking to her but she felt like she was outside of her body looking down at the situation and couldn’t respond. She finally made eye contact with him. Five years of fear that had been trapped inside of her, was making its way to the surface.

“Come on Love.”

He scooped her up into his arms and carried her through to their bed and laid her down. Although she hadn’t spoken to him, she knew he was there and when he was going to let go of her, she grasped his hands and held him to her. He climbed over her and laid down beside her, gathering her into his arms and just held her. Finally the tears stopped and she fell asleep cocooned inside his loving embrace.

When Ty came out for a break, Marlene came inside to check on Lisa. The bedroom door was open and she saw that Lisa and Seb were both asleep. Lisa was held firmly in her son’s arms. She reached in and shut the door. Things were quiet for now. She’d find out what happened later. For now, she let them sleep.

Seb woke when he felt Lisa stirring in his arms. He looked down into her eyes to find her smiling up at him.

“Hi” she said and caressed his face. “I’m sorry about earlier. I heard you talking to me but I couldn’t answer you. It was like I was looking at the situation from somewhere else. It really happened didn’t it? He’s really dead?”

“He’s gone Baby. He will never bother us again….. How do you feel? Are you hungry? I know I am.” He said while stroking her face.

“I feel good but yes, I’m hungry too. What time is it?”

Seb looked over her shoulder to the clock on the nightstand.

“It’s almost four o’clock.”

“I’d better get up and start dinner then.”

She got up and after a trip to the bathroom to use the facilities and wash the remains of the tears from her face; they went out to the kitchen and found Maman already fixing dinner. The children were playing in Kayti’s room.

Seb saved Lisa from having to talk about it and he explained to Maman about what had caused Lisa to be so emotional earlier.

“I can’t describe the relief that I feel inside of me.” She told them.

“I can only imagine. Having that much fear inside of you for so long and now you can let it go.” Maman said to her and hugged her.

Kayti came out and saw her Mama and Papa sitting at the table.

“Mama and Papa, all done nap.”

“Yes, Baby, we’re all done with our nap. Were you a good girl for your Grandmere?”

Kayti shook her head yes and looked to her Grandmere for confirmation.

“They were both angels. We only just came inside a short time ago. It was only when they wanted something to drink that I was able to talk them into coming inside.”

“Thank you for taking care of them, Maman.” Seb said.

After dinner Lisa called Mom and told her the news. Marie promptly turned and told Dan. Needless to say they felt much the same as Lisa had, first the shock and then the intense relief that this monster was never going to cause them anymore grief.

When she called Alex, after they got the unpleasant conversation out of the way, Alex told her to be at her apartment early in the morning.

“Seb promised to keep the children and all of us girls are going to go and have a day at the spa. His mother is welcome to come if she wants to. Mom will be there. Stacie will be in town late tonight and will meet us there. Vicki, Grace and Laray are coming as well. Seb and Urs insisted on paying for us all to go and get beautiful for the wedding and don’t worry about breakfast. They will have all kinds of yummy fruits and Danishes as well as coffee and juice for us there.”

Lisa turned to Seb who was smiling at her as he correctly assumed that Alex was telling her about the trip to the spa for all of the ladies. Even while she continued to talk to Alex, she wrapped her arm around Seb and laid her head on his chest.

Lisa knew she probably needed a lot of work to get beautiful and she wanted to be beautiful for Seb. She had shadows under her eyes from lack of sleep over the last couple of weeks. The spa was going to be very welcome outing.

“Thank you Seb.” Lisa said when she had hung up with Alex. “That’ll be a lot of fun with the girls.”

“Urs and I thought it would be.”

“Maman, you will come with us tomorrow, won’t you?”

“If you’re sure that Seb doesn’t need me here, I’d love to go with you.”

“The children and I will be just fine. You girls go and have fun.”

“Mommy, can I go with you?”

“Oh Sweetie, this is just an outing for the ladies. I need you to stay here and help Papa play with Kayti for me, alright.”

“Okay Mommy. I’ll be a big helper then.”

“I know that you will.” She said giving him a giant squeeze.

The next morning Lisa and Maman fixed breakfast for Seb and the children before they were ready to leave.

“Here, take my car today.” He said as he handed her his keys.

Lisa’s eyes opened wide. “Are you sure?”

“Positive. Take it and I want you to have a wonderful day. Relax and enjoy every minute of it.”

She took the keys and hugged him so tightly. “We will. I love you Seb. Just one more day. Tomorrow is our big day. It’s almost here.” She said excitedly.

“I’m counting the minutes.” He whispered into her ear. “Go on, Alex will be pacing, waiting for you to get there.”

“Alright, you three have a good day. We are going to meet her at the spa instead of the apartment.”

Lisa and Maman headed for the front door until Lisa felt two little arms tightly wrapping themselves round her legs.

“I go Mama?” Kayti said looking hopefully up into her mother’s face.

“Not this time Sweetheart. You are going to stay here and play with Papa and Sammy today.”

“I go Mama” she said again as tears were filling her eyes.

“I’m sorry Kayti. This isn’t a place for little girls. Mommy will play with you special later when I get home.” Lisa knelt down and hugged Kayti.

Seb came over to rescue Lisa from Kayti’s tightening arms. He lifted her into his arms and kissed her cheek.

“Ma Petite, Papa needs you today. Please stay here and play with me.” He said dramatically, making his eyes look all sad.

She touched his cheeks with her tiny hands and kissed him then she turned to Lisa.

“I stay Papa, Mama”

“Alright, Mama will see you later Sweetheart. I love you.”

“Love you, Mama”

Lisa breathed a sigh of relief as she and Maman got into Seb’s BMW.

“He is very good with the children, isn’t he? Maman said.

“Oh Maman, He is wonderful with them. That isn’t the first time that he has either kept her from getting too upset or helping to distract her from when she already was upset. And he never gets tired of Sammy’s endless questions. We figure that he didn’t have much attention before and he’s soaking up every bit that he can get now.”

“I’m so very proud of my son. He has done so many wonderful things with his life. Even before Il Divo, he was doing so much with his music, but after he became part of Il Divo, it gave him the opportunity to do so much more. As soon as he told the fans about his desire to assist his favorite charity, they rallied around him and have been so generous, all because they want to please him. His kind heart has given so much to so many people, including forgiveness to me for not being a good mother to him when he was a child.”

Lisa wasn’t sure what to say to her. She couldn’t say, “Oh I’m sure that you were a fine mother,” because she knew that the opposite was true. So she didn’t say anything.

“I’m sure that you know how I and others in my family treated Sebastien when he was a child.”

Lisa still wasn’t sure what to say but she couldn’t deny it so she just shook her head that yes, she knew.

“I want to thank you for welcoming me into your home the way that you have and for trusting me with your children. They are such angels. I have asked Sebastien for forgiveness and he has given it to me without reservation. I know that he still has issues that he deals with and if I could go back and change things I would, but there is nothing I can do now except prove to him and to you that I am not the same woman I was back then.”

Marlene didn’t want to put Lisa on the spot really, but she wanted to clear the air once and for all so that they could move on and she would do her best to prove that she had indeed changed. When Lisa pulled into the parking lot at the spa, Maman laid her hand on Lisa’s arm stopping her from getting out of the car.

“I have seen this week, how very much you love my son. I am so happy that he found you again and that you will be together. He is happier than I have ever seen him. I have something to ask of you.”

“What Maman?” Lisa said with a tear in her eye.

Hearing this woman, who had given her beloved Sebastien life, baring her soul, was very emotional to her. She had been holding hard feelings towards this woman. She had been pleasant to her and they had not had any confrontations but Maman must have picked up at least some of the hostility that she had felt about her treatment of Sebastien as a child.

“When we were at the doctor’s appointment with all of you talking about Sammy’s abuse, I knew when you looked at me there, that you were seeing me hurting Sebastien and it hurt you terribly. I’m sorry Lisa. I really am terribly sorry. I am asking for your forgiveness.” She said and broke into tears.

Lisa laid her hand over Maman’s.

“Maman, I can’t lie to you and say that it isn’t true. I have had bad feelings about all of that. But Seb has told me that the two of you have talked and that he has forgiven you. He does still have issues that he deals with. He had a very hard time dealing with the wounds he saw on Sammy when he first saw them, and Sammy probably won’t be the last child that comes to us from an abusive home. But…..If Seb can forgive you then who am I not to give my forgiveness as well.”

Lisa gave her hand another squeeze.

“Come on, let’s go and get pampered today. It’s going to be so much fun. I need to get beautiful for tomorrow, for Seb.

When they were out of the car, Marlene came around and hugged her new daughter. She knew that if Lisa had been unable to give her forgiveness, that their relationship would never be close. They walked arm in arm into the spa and were immediately swept away by employees taking them to their first stop of the morning, Coffee!

“There she is.” Alex said loudly.

“This is the bride to be?” the spa employee said. “Well, help yourself to some breakfast and then we’ll get your day underway here. If you need anything please let me know. We want you to have the most wonderful experience. When you leave here, we want you to feel like you’ve been treated like royalty.”

When she left, everyone giggled at the thought.

“Are you alright? We were worried that you weren’t going to show up today.” Alex said.

“No, I’m fine. We did have a hard time getting out the door. Kayti wanted to come. Seb had to act all pitiful. It was so funny. He talked her into staying home and playing with him.”

“How does it feel to know that Jeremy is gone forever?” Alex asked her quietly when the other ladies were occupied.

“I can’t describe it, Alex. It’s like……I don’t know…Like, I’ve been given my life back that was stolen from me five years ago.”

“It was on the news this morning. I’m sorry. I wish that my connections had been enough to keep some of the details private, but I couldn’t. They even told about the notes they found in his cell.”

“Listen, He can’t hurt me any more. He’s gone and I’m not going to worry about what anyone else says. You should know as well as anyone that this will be a story for a few days and then they’ll find something else to talk about.”

“You’re right and I don’t think that we should even waste another minute talking about Jeremy. This is supposed to be a fun day and we aren’t going to let him spoil it.”

“I agree. Let’s go get another cup of coffee before they whisk us away to somewhere else.

That was the beginning of a wonderful fun filled day of pampering and rejuvenation.

Chapter 68:

The eight ladies that had come to the spa spent the day rotating through the different areas. Most of them got at least a bit of a trim on their hair. Several of them had some waxing done. Mom told them that there was no way they were doing that to her. She’d stick to the old fashioned way, her trusty tweezers.

They all had facials, manicures and pedicures, but everyone’s favorite part of the day was the wonderful relaxing massage. They were allowed to bring their own music and when Lisa lay on the massage table and heard Sebastien’s Libre CD begin to play, she looked over to Alex who just grinned at her. Lisa was lying on her stomach and as the masseuse began to knead the knots out of her muscles she just laid her head in the headrest and closed her eyes, letting the masseuse’s hands and Sebastien’s voice carry her away. The masseuse paid extra attention to Lisa’s leg that had been in a cast, saying that it would help to increase the blood flow and help the skin to regenerate faster. She was a little embarrassed when sometime later Alex whispered in her ear,

“Wake up sleepy head.”

They all told her not to worry about it. She wasn’t the only one to get so relaxed that she fell asleep.

For lunch they were served a light meal and they just sat around chatting. Lisa and Alex were glad to have some time to catch up with Stacie. They had all gone to High School together. Alex had actually known her since elementary school, with Lisa joining their circle of friends in High School.

Stacie had gone off to college in another state and wound up meeting her husband while they were both in school. As soon as they graduated, they got married and now had two beautiful children. She had pictures to show around. When Stacie was talking about her two boys, Mom had to begin gushing about Sammy and Kayti. Stacie asked for pictures but Lisa hadn’t brought her purse with her. Mom saved the day with her own stash of pictures and gladly passed them around.

“You’ll get to meet them both tonight when you come to the house.” Lisa told her.

“I can’t wait to meet them and to see this house that I’ve been hearing so much about.”

Stacie began asking Lisa and Alex questions about Sebastien and Urs, only knowing that they were singers. Lisa told her on the phone about Il Divo and had told her to check their music out but up till now she hadn’t done it and had no idea what they looked or sounded like. Stacie had been in the same room as Alex and Lisa during the massage and was informed that the first CD had been Sebastien’s solo project.

Vicki pulled Alex aside when everyone else was busy and began asking her questions about how she found out that she was pregnant. Had she felt different? What were the early signs?

“Vicki, do you think that you might be pregnant?”

“I don’t know Alex. I think I might be but, I have thought the same before and made the mistake of telling Carlos of my suspicions. We have both wanted a child so much. It has been difficult with the long separations and when we’ve been together and let our hopes get up that maybe this time we had created a child and then both of us wound up very disappointed. So, I haven’t said anything to him this time. I have a doctor’s appointment as soon as I get home, before I go back to work. So, I guess I’ll find out for sure then.”

All the ladies were going to meet at the house in a couple of hours. The men were all going to meet at the hotel that David and Carlos were staying at for a fun evening. Lisa and Seb had discussed whether Sammy would go with him tonight and if Seb was staying there or coming home tonight. In the end it was decided that Alex was going to spend the night at Lisa’s, Urs and Seb would just stay at the hotel because they would have probably been drinking and Dad would pick up Sammy in the morning to bring him to the hotel where the men would get ready for the wedding, leaving Mom there with the girls to help out there.

They all left the spa agreeing to meet at Lisa’s in a while. Stacie went with Alex to her apartment before heading to Lisa’s. Marlene and Lisa stopped at the store on the way home to get plenty of things to eat for their evening with the girls.

“Are you sure that you don’t want me to get a hotel room for tonight so that you young girls can have your hen party?”

“No Maman, absolutely not. There is no reason for you to do that and Mom is coming too although, I doubt she will stay as late as some of the others.”

They were just going to have finger foods and snacks as well as some wine and champagne, with some soda for Alex and whoever else wanted some. Mom was going to bring the desserts as usual.

“I’ve also invited the girls from work to stop over if they want to. Some of them have already said they would come for a while. Also Paige, Didi, Tanya and Tracy are going to come back for a while after they go and get a shower at their hotel. They, along with the rest of Ty’s crew have spent the day finishing up the installation of all of the bathroom necessities. After they finished all of the sinks, toilets, tubs and showers, they found all of the cabinets and started working on them yesterday and wanted to finish them today. Drew will be happy when he finds out that is done already.

It could get a bit crowded if everyone shows up at once, it will be fun. But, I can’t wait until the house is finished and then there will be plenty of room for entertaining large groups.”

Lisa told Marlene about her plans to begin a tradition of an annual Christmas party to welcome all of their friends and to thank all of the people that had helped the home in one way or another.

They got home and Lisa spent some time with Seb before he was going to leave for the hotel. Marlene stayed with the children and Seb and Lisa went for a walk together.

“I missed you today. As much fun as the spa was, I missed you.”

“I missed you too. I’m regretting telling the guys that I’d stay with them. I can’t imagine sleeping much tonight knowing that you are here in our bed all alone. I love to hold you when we sleep.”

“I’ll miss you too, but it is only one night and then tomorrow we will be back together. You go have fun with the guys. I know they are looking forward to it. You all just be safe tonight and make sure that you are there when it is time for the wedding.” She said with a grin.

“We will. I don’t think we’ll even be leaving the hotel and there is nothing that could keep me from being there tomorrow.”

“Did Sammy’s tux get picked up today?”

“Yes, Urs picked it up for me and will bring it to the hotel tonight along with his clothes for tomorrow.”

“Sammy’s really excited, isn’t he? I guess everything is all set then. I keep feeling like we’re going to have forgotten something but Mom has assured me that everything is all set and to just relax and enjoy it. They have done so much. The wedding seemed to come together so quickly. When we discussed having it so soon, I had hoped we could do it but, didn’t really think it would be possible to put it together that fast.”

“It looks like the weather is even going to cooperate for us too. They say that the rain should hold off until early Sunday morning.” Seb said and stopped where they were and pulled her close to him.

“I hope that you realize how happy you have made me, Lisa. Tomorrow is the beginning of our lives together and I’ve thought how when we look back on our lives that I will see this as the most important day of my entire life.”

They stood locked together in their embrace and Seb kissed her letting all of the love he felt flow through him.

An hour later the girls began showing up, so Seb took Lisa into the bedroom kissing her thoroughly for the last time before they would be man and wife. He looked into her eyes and saw tears.

“Are you alright?”

“Yes, I am just so happy.”

“That I’m leaving?” he said cheekily.

“No silly” she said slapping his arm. “That the next time you kiss me, it will be at our wedding and I will be your wife.”

“Whew, you had me worried there for a second.”

He smiled his devastatingly handsome smile and with one last kiss and stopping on his way through the house to say goodnight to the children, Maman and the other ladies that had already shown up, he left for the hotel. He promised to call later in the evening to say goodnight. Lisa stood looking out the door until his car was no longer in view.

“Twenty four hours from now you will be his wife.” Mom said from behind her.

Lisa turned and hugged her. She was so filled with joy at the thought.

“I never knew I could be so happy, Mom. I feel so free. With Jeremy gone forever, the fears I had are just gone. Even through all of the happiness of the coming wedding, way back in my mind was the realization that he would always be a source of stress and fear for me and it made me so angry that he had so much power over me. But now…… now I never have to worry about him again and it has been so liberating for me. Seb still insists that we will have a state of the art security system installed and has already taken care of that with Drew.”

“It was a very awkward feeling to be happy about another person’s death, but we were..”

While Mom and Lisa had been talking, Alex got Vicki’s attention and directed her into Lisa’s master bathroom and handed her a plain brown paper bag. She told her what to do and then shut the door.

Vicki stood on the other side of the door. She hadn’t thought to get a home pregnancy test. She didn’t know that they would work this soon. Alex assured her that some of them work within less than a week of conception. She did as Alex had instructed and then waited for what seemed an interminable amount of time. She kept looking at her watch and it seemed like the hands were hardly moving.

Lisa poked her head into her bedroom when she saw that Alex was just sitting on her bed doing nothing.

“Hey, what’s up? Are you alright?”

“Yeah, sure, I’m fine. I just thought I’d sit here for a minute.”

“Alex Huggins, you have never been able to keep secrets from me. I know something’s up.”

Lisa and Alex looked up when the bathroom door opened. Vicki just stood there looking at them with tears running down her face. Her mascara was not standing up to the promise of being waterproof as there were rivers of black streaks down her cheeks as the tears flowed.

Lisa rushed over to her.

“Vicki, what’s wrong?”

“Nothing.”

“Nothing? What do you mean nothing? Obviously something is making you cry.”

“Yes.”

“Well, what is it?”

“I’m pregnant. I’m finally pregnant. I can’t believe it. We have tried for so long for a child. I was beginning to think that we would need to adopt a child if we were ever going to become parents.”

Mom and Grace came to the door and saw the scene in front of them and as Lisa had, they both asked Vicki what was wrong.

She told them but then said that this was Lisa’s night and she didn’t want to monopolize it and she also wanted to tell Carlos before anyone else knew. They all promised not to say a word to anyone else. That was for her to tell when she was ready. They all hugged and congratulated her and then she ducked back into the bathroom to wash her face and fix her make-up and then she rejoined the group. Those who were privileged to know the news were smiling during the evening when they would see Vicki with a far away look on her face and knew exactly what she was thinking about. They were all so happy for her and for Carlos.

Sebastien arrived at the hotel to find the party in full swing without him. David had reserved one of the private ballrooms for them and had instructed the staff that this was a private party just in case any fans had seen any of them entering the room.

The four Divos were there. Ty and the other six guys on his crew who were staying in the same hotel, had showered and joined them. Drew had also been invited and was happy to be included, knowing that as really just an employee, Seb was generous in inviting him. But Seb had really enjoyed his talks with Drew and had been glad to have him show up.

Last but not least of the expected guests was Eric Samuels. Seb didn’t really think he would be able show up since Lainey and the twins had only been home for a few days. But they had all done so well, the babies had been able to go home after only three days of observation. Neither of them had had any problems and were thriving so they were home and Lainey’s mother had come to stay for a couple of weeks to help them get adjusted to having two new children in the house. Eric Jr. was mostly thrilled with the new babies but at just two years old, he had to be watched when he was near them. He liked to touch their faces and would come very close to poking their eyes when he was “looking” at them. So Lainey had insisted that Eric go out and have a fun evening with the guys. He didn’t think he should leave her and go have fun while she was home with three children, even if her mother was there, but Lainey just about pushed him out the door, knowing he would enjoy the time out with the guys.

A surprise guest showed up to Seb’s bachelor party late in the evening. Simon had flown in and after a shower and change of clothes, he had come down to the party. Seb hadn’t expected to see him until just before the wedding tomorrow. Seb welcomed him and also thanked him for his generous offer of the plane for their honeymoon. Seb told him quietly where he intended on taking Lisa. Simon left the room just long enough to call the pilot so he could file his flight plan for tomorrow night.

Seb kept his promise and called Lisa late in the evening. She stepped outside onto the porch so she could hear him over all of the noise of the music and talking. Seb did the same leaving the room and going out to the lobby.

Vicki knew that Lisa was talking to Seb and she poked her head out the door and whispered that she could tell Seb the news if she wanted to but for him not to tell anyone else until after tomorrow when she had spoken to Carlos.

“Seb, I have the most wonderful news.”

“What is it, Love?”

“You have to promise not to say anything to anyone else.”

“Okay”

“Vicki, is pregnant. She just found out a couple of hours ago when she took a home pregnancy test.”

“Oh Baby, that is fantastic news. Carlos is going to be over the moon. I know they have been wanting a child for so long now. I promise I won’t say a word to anyone.”

“Their baby will be born right around the same time as Urs and Alex’s baby. That will be great.”

“Maybe we will have one shortly after theirs are both here.”

“I would love that Seb.”

“Okay, I have to try not to think along those lines right now. It is hard enough knowing I won’t be holding you tonight. Are the kids asleep yet?”

“Yes, they stayed up way past their bedtimes and had a great time. They were getting so much attention and plenty to eat, but their batteries finally ran out and Sammy actually asked if he could go to sleep.”

“That’s good. Well, I guess I’d better let you get back to your guests now.”

“I love you, Seb. I can’t wait for tomorrow to get here. I want to go to sleep so tomorrow will get here quicker.”

“I love you too, Baby. Only one more night.” He said and she could hear the smile in his voice.

They reluctantly hung up and went back to their guests with thoughts of all that tomorrow would bring.

Both parties had been lively, filled with the happiness of those who were surrounded by their family and friends and celebrating the joining of these two special people. Eventually, the guests headed home or to their hotel rooms with calls of “Goodnight” and “See you tomorrow.”

Vicki was so excited to tell Carlos her news. When the taxi’s arrived at the hotel, bringing her and Grace as well as the ladies from Ty’s team back, some of the men were still in the ballroom. Carlos was deep in conversation with Urs and Simon when she stepped up behind him. She grinned at Urs and Simon and put her finger to her lips, silently asking them not to give her presence away. She slowly wrapped her arms around him from behind, making as much contact as possible. She also rubbed her breasts up against his back. Vicki couldn’t see what the two men saw as Carlos’s face lit up into a huge smile as he felt his wife’s body come in contact with his. He winked at them.

“Urs, I told you it wasn’t really a good idea to have any ladies of the night attending the party. My Vicki, she would not like this….. but you know, it does feel really good, these hands and everything else that is touching me.” He said as he ran his hands seductively over hers and along her arms without turning around.

“Carlos Marin, you’d better not be thinking that this is another woman touching you and you are enjoying it.” She said as she slapped at his shoulder and came around to face him.

All three men broke out into laughter along with others in the room that had seen what was happening.

Carlos drew her quickly into his arms, partly to keep from getting hit again. He kissed her thoroughly and told her that he had known it was her from the very first second that her fingers were touching him. She whispered in his ear that she needed to speak with him in private and with one last lingering kiss on his lips she turned and walked out of the room. Carlos wasn’t wasting any time. He called out his goodnights to those who still remained and hurried to join her at the elevator.

He asked, but she wouldn’t tell him what she wanted to talk to him about. When they arrived in their room, she pulled out a little plastic bag that held a stick of some kind. She told him to sit down on the bed. She ran her hand through his hair as she stood in front of him with a silly grin on her face.

“My love, you know how very much we have wanted a child.”

“Yes, very much and for so long now, Querida.” He said as he reached out and encircled her tiny waist with his large hands.

She held out the stick and he just stared at it, not knowing what it was.

“This is a pregnancy test that you can buy in the store. I took the test tonight. It is positive. It says that we are finally going to become parents. See the line?”

Carlos just sat there for several seconds in total shock. Like Vicki, he had almost given up on them becoming parents the natural way. They had been to doctors and had tests. He looked up at the little stick and took it from her and studied it as if he would know what it meant. Then he looked up into her eyes and they both saw that the other had tears running down their faces. He stood and pulled her into his arms and buried his face in her neck as he cried like a baby. She held him and let her own tears fall as the relief and joy flooded over them.

Later, they lay in each other’s arms after she had assured him that he wouldn’t hurt her or the baby by making love, and he had. They were both feeling a contentment and excitement for her to go home and see her doctor for confirmation about the baby and that everything was alright. They fell asleep in each other’s embrace, both dreaming of their child that was going to bring them so much joy.

Chapter 69:

Alex was the first to wake up at the guest house on Saturday morning when her stomach was bothering her. The morning sickness that she’d been experiencing wasn’t too bad and had usually disappeared within a couple of hours of waking up which made her glad that she usually worked the afternoon broadcasts. It gave her stomach time to settle before she even needed to leave for work most days. She had occasional days that the queasy feeling lasted longer or had come and gone all day. She really hoped that today of all days that it would disappear quickly so she could enjoy this most special day.

“Please behave today, Little One. Mommy has a very important job today. Auntie Lisa and Uncle Seb are getting married and I am the Maid of Honor. I need to have all my wits about me so I can make sure everything goes as planned.”

“Who are you talking to Auntie Alex?” Sammy asked. She hadn’t even realized that he had woken up.

“I’m talking to my baby, Sweetie.”

“Where is it?”

“My baby is growing inside of me and when it is big enough to live out here in the world, it will be born and then you will be able it see it. As my baby grows, you will see my belly growing bigger.”

“Is it a girl baby like Kayti or a boy like me?”

“We don’t know yet. When it gets a little bit bigger, the doctors will be able to tell us. Do you know what is special about today?” Alex was trying to change the subject before Sammy decided to ask questions she would have trouble answering, like how did the baby get in there?

“Uh Huh, I get to do my special job. I’m going to carry Mommy and Papa’s rings on a little pillow, when they get married to the wedding.”

“Oh my God. You are so cute Sammy.” Alex was laughing so hard. She picked him up and hugged him. “I love you Sammy. You are so great.”

“I love you too Auntie Alex. Can I have some breakfast now? My belly is hungry.”

“Come on let’s see what we can find for you to eat then. We can’t have that belly being hungry, can we?” she said as she tickled him.

Lisa woke up and as she began to come into a conscious state and was aware of what day it was, a smile spread across her face. She knew that Seb wasn’t there next to her but she let her hand glide across where he would have been laying. She rolled onto her side and gathered his pillow and put it to her face, inhaling the lingering scent that was Seb.

She felt a mixture of wild excitement and sickening nerves warring inside of her as she thought about the next time they would lie together and what would inevitably happen. For the last couple of weeks, those times had arisen that had brought her to the point of wanting Seb to make love to her. She knew he wasn’t going to break his vow that he would wait for their wedding night as she had wished for. Now there would be nothing standing in their way tonight when it came time to consummate their marriage. She wanted so badly not to let the fear take over and she resolved that she wasn’t going to let this spoil her day. She would deal with the intimacy issue when the time came but, up until then she was going to enjoy her day.

She was happy that she was going to be Mrs. Sebastien Izambard. She didn’t have even the smallest doubt about his love for her. How many people could honestly say that the person they were married to truly loved them?

She finally got out of bed, deciding to wait until later to take a shower. She threw on a pair of Capri’s and a top and went to the kitchen for a cup of coffee and found everyone else already up enjoying breakfast together.

“Hi, sleepy head. We thought we’d let you sleep in this morning. It will be a long day.” Alex said.

“Good morning everyone. Thank you for the extra sleep. I needed it. What’s for breakfast?”

“Auntie Alex and Grandmere made us pancakes. They were yummy.”

“That does sound yummy.” Lisa got up and fixed herself a plate and sat with them while she ate.

“How do you feel this morning?” Marlene asked her.

“Happy…nervous….. but mostly just really happy. Have you spoken to Seb yet today?”

“No, I didn’t want to call him and wake him. They were probably up late last night.”

“Yeah, I bet they were. The last time I talked to Urs, those that were still there, were still going strong. Simon had shown up and Ty and the rest of his guys were still there. Dad had already left and Eric Samuels.” Alex told them.

“I bet Eric was glad to be able to get out for a while.” Lisa said.

“Eric told the guys that Lainey had to push him out the door. But Urs said that it seemed to him that Eric enjoyed himself while he was there. “

“I want to call and see what time Dad is going to pick Sammy up.”

“Am I going to go help Papa get ready?” Sammy asked, his smile lighting up his face.

“Yes, and then we will have the wedding and the reception after that. It is a big party to celebrate. After the party, Papa and Mommy will be going on our trip. You and Kayti will have fun with everyone here. Mommy and Papa will call you every day while we are gone.

“I want to go on a trip too.”

“I know Baby. But this is a special trip that people take when they get married.”

“Then I want to get married with you and Papa.”

Lisa looked at Marlene and Alex as she tried to think of a way to explain it to Sammy so he would understand. She believed that it wasn’t that he wanted to go on a trip as much as him not wanting her and Seb to leave him. She got down on the floor in front of his chair and took his hands in hers.

“Sammy, Papa and Mommy love you and Kayti very very much. I promise you that as soon as we are done with our trip, we will be coming right back home to both of you. We could never stay away from you for a long time. You are our special boy.”

“Do I have to go to nuther house?”

“No, Baby. You will stay right here and sleep in your own tree house bed and play with your toys and play outside on our new playground. When Papa and I get home we will play with you out there too.”

Lisa had made it a condition of her agreement to go away, that the children would sleep here in their own beds. She knew that no matter where Kayti went, she would be fine. It was Sammy that she had been concerned about and by the sound of his upset this morning she had been right in doing so. He needed to be able to have his familiar surroundings to feel safe.

“Can you help Grandmere and everyone else to take care of Kayti until Mommy and Papa come home?”

“Yes, Mommy, I’ll be a big helper.”

“That’s my boy. And you know what? You can call me any time you need to talk to Mommy when I’m gone, okay?”

“Okay”

Lisa hoped now he would at least realize that they would be coming back. It would be hard enough for her to leave them, but if Sammy was upset, there would be no way for her to relax and enjoy herself.

After talking to Mom, Lisa decided to let the kids play outside for a while to burn off some energy and then right after lunch they would have a nap. Dad was going to come for Sammy and drop Mom off about one o’clock. Mom said that Dad had already ridden over to Sand Key to check to see that everything was there and set up as requested and it was. Now they just had to try to relax and get ready.

Lisa played outside with the children until Marlene called to her that she had their lunch ready. When they had finished eating, Alex took Kayti to get her down for a nap and Lisa went in with Sammy. She climbed onto his bed with him and laid down next to him and wrapped her arm around him, which he seemed to like. She intended to just stay there until he fell asleep. He snuggled in as close as he could get to her and pulled Bob to his chest. Within just a couple of minutes they had both fallen asleep.

Seb woke up with the realization that today was his wedding day and he was so excited. He looked at the bedside clock to find that he’d slept until almost twelve. When he got himself moving, he called the house to talk to Lisa to find out that she had fallen asleep with Sammy when she went in to put him down for his nap. He figured that was probably good for her. It was going to be a long evening and hopefully a long night.

He knew he would still need to take things slowly and mostly just watch for signs that she was ready to take things further as their first night together moved on. He was aware of the possibility that she might get frightened when it came down to the actual act of them becoming one. He had to prepare himself for that possibility and not make her feel pressured. He knew that she loved him and wanted to be with him. She had frequently become aroused over the last couple of weeks, so he knew there was no problem there. She just needed to get past her fear of pain accompanying their loving. He believed that once she knew that that her fear of intimacy would disappear.

He came out of the bedroom in the suite that he and Urs had rented to find Urs and Pierre sitting on the sofa having a chat. Pierre had a family emergency and hadn’t been able to make it to the bachelor party last night. He had only just arrived a short time ago to take up his duties as best man. Pierre was going to wear one of Seb’s Armani suits. He and Seb were built pretty much the same. He had already worn it one other time for an event so they already knew it fit him.

They ordered some food and most importantly, coffee so they could get themselves woken up and alert, ready to begin the preparations for the evening wedding. Pierre had luckily flown quite a bit and had been able to get a fair amount of sleep during his time in the air.

Alex called Urs and he took a walk so they could have a private conversation. That gave Seb and Pierre time to catch up on things. They had only had a short visit at Christmas. Seb pulled out his laptop and showed Pierre his pictures of Lisa and the children and of the house. Unless Pierre decided to make a trip over there by himself while they were away, he wouldn’t get to see it for himself. Pierre told him that he would probably go over while Urs was there helping Alex and Maman with the children. He was excited to meet the woman and children that Seb had fallen in love with. His friend had always loved children and now he was a Papa of two all of a sudden and seemed to be thrilled with the job.

After their meal, it was getting close to the time to begin getting ready. The three men took turns getting showers. Dan arrived with a very excited Sammy, who was very happy to see his Papa and ready to do his special job. Marie had his little pillow and would help him with it when they all arrived at the beach. She had practiced with him several times, showing him how to walk down the isle slowly, holding the pillow with both hands. She had also tried to practice with Kayti and her basket of rose petals but there was no telling how she would do. They would just hope for the best. She got distracted quite easily.

Lisa had given Sammy a bath with Kayti before Dan had picked him up, so all he would need was to get his tux on when it was time. Seb had ordered a tray of fruits and veggies as well as crackers and cheese for all of the guys to snack on and he made sure that Sammy had a good snack, including one last quick one right before they left for the beach to hold him over until their meal at the reception. There wasn’t as much getting ready that needed to be done by the men so they mostly sat around talking and playing with Sammy.

Seb thought he would go crazy. The time seemed to be passing so slowly all day, even as late as he’d slept, the afternoon dragged on. He had gotten to speak to Lisa after Dan picked Sammy up. She was about to go get her shower and start to get dressed. He couldn’t wait to see her walking down the aisle towards him.

Back at the house, Kayti had been bathed but was in a sundress. She wouldn’t have her flower girl dress on until the last minute and even then they hoped she would stay clean for an hour.

Just after Mom had been dropped off by Dad, there had been a knock on the door. Marlene had gotten Marie’s assistance and had hired two ladies from a local salon to come and assist all of the ladies with their hair and make-up if they wanted it. Lisa was thrilled and she hugged her and thanked her for her wonderful gift. Her hands were shaking so badly and trying to put make-up on or put her hair up would have been a difficult task.

The day that had seemed to pass so slowly now seemed like they were never going to be able to be ready to leave on time. There was a flurry of activity in the little house as showers were taken, dresses put on, hair and make-up done to perfection and in between all of their preparations, everyone was trying to keep the bride from being too nervous with distractions of conversation that had nothing to do with the evening’s events.

Dan had spent a while with the men. He assured Seb that Lisa had looked very happy when he had been there. Seb had the usual groom’s fear of the bride changing her mind. Dan told him that he didn’t believe for a minute that Lisa would ever change her mind about marrying him. He had never seen her so happy.

Before Dan left, David took pictures of Dan Seb and Sammy all dressed up and then Dan took the camera and took photos of all four of the Divos, Pierre and Sammy.

Pierre was thrilled with meeting Sammy, who was a little quiet at first when Seb introduced them until Seb told his son that Pierre had been his friend since he was a boy as small as Sammy. Eventually, Sammy got comfortable with Pierre and they had a wonderful chat. Pierre was amazed at how smart the little boy was.

When Dan got to the house to accompany Lisa, Stacie took several pictures of them together in front of the full length mirror as she straightened her dress and made sure that the tiara that had been clipped into her hair was secure.

Dan hugged her carefully so he wouldn’t mess her up.

“I am so happy for you, Honey. Seb is a good man and I know that he will take excellent care of you and the children. I would have chased him off with a stick if I hadn’t known that for sure. I love you honey.”

“I love you too, Dad. Thank you for being here for me all of this time, you and Mom both.”

“Alright, you two. Quit all of that mushy talk or we’ll all need to redo our make-up.” Alex said as she carefully wiped off some tears.

The last thing they did was get Kayti dressed and her hair done. Kayti and Lisa had had their hair done pretty much the same. Kayti’s plentiful curls had been gathered up on the sides and put into a clip on top of her head, leaving the rest to fall down over her shoulders. Lisa’s hair had been done the same, but she didn’t have as much curl as Kayti. The stylists that had come, had added some curls to Lisa’s hair and had gathered the sides up with just a few tendrils left loose at the temples and then they had fastened the tiara securely, the rest of her long hair was cascading down her bare back and shoulders.

Suddenly, everyone was ready to go at both locations and all of the participants piled into the limos that were waiting to take them to the beach.

The men were the first to arrive and Seb, Sammy and Pierre walked around to check everything out. The first thing they came to were several large screens for the ladies to wait behind until it was time for them to begin coming down the aisle. After passing them, they saw the three large tents with the sides all rolled up and fastened. If it became windy or the rain that had been predicted for late tonight or early tomorrow decided to fall early, the sides could be let down to provide protection from the elements. All three tents had wooden platforms set beneath them to keep the people from having to walk in the sand unless they wanted to step out and do so.

The first tent was set up with rows of white chairs with an aisle splitting the rows in half and an arch at the front that had been decorated with yellow and lavender ribbon and flowers. The chairs that were at the aisle were also decorated from front to back with the same ribbon and flowers. There was a white runner that ran from the entrance to the arch. A large candle holder stood at the front of the tent with two small candles and one large one sitting between them.

The middle tent was set up with tables and chairs and a raised area for the band that had been hired to provide most of the music.

The third tent was already full of the catering company. They were busy setting up their equipment on the tables that had been provided along with the tents. The food would arrive and be set up buffet style just as the wedding was ending and while the pictures were being taken.

The crowd was thinning out in the park. They had had to get special permission to have the wedding in the evening. The park usually closed at sunset. Having it here when most of the people would be leaving also ensured that they would have privacy for the Divos. There might be a few stragglers until the park security ran them all out, but there wouldn’t be a hoard of Divas scrambling for a picture or an autograph during this private time.

So far, the weather seemed to be perfect with only a few passing clouds but for the most part, there were only blue skies as far as the eye could see.

While all of the guys were waiting for the ladies to arrive, David took some shots of some of the birds that were hoping for some food to be thrown their way. David knew better than starting to thrown them anything, once you start they’ll never leave you alone and they’ll tell all their bird friends to come and join them.


Sebastien was pacing, wishing they would hurry up and arrive even though it would still be another half hour before the minister would get here. He just wanted to know that she was here.

“What’s the matter, Papa?”

“Nothing, son. Papa is just excited for Mommy to get here.”

“Yup and then we’re gonna get married.”

“We sure are son.” Seb said and gave Sammy’s shoulder a little squeeze.

The few people that were still in the park watched as the line of three limousines came into the park joining the other two that were already here. There was obviously a VIP event happening but no one had any idea who it was.

The first limo stopped right at the screens so that Lisa, Alex and the rest of the ladies in the wedding party could step right behind them as they got out.

“Where’s Seb? He can’t see me yet. Please make sure he isn’t watching.”

Dan stepped out first and went over to Sebastien and told him that Lisa was worried that he was trying to see her before it was time. Pierre, David and Urs laughed and then ushered him away.

Dan went back and helped Lisa out of the limo and behind the screen. Only then, did she relax. She had to take the other girls’ word that she hadn’t gotten messed up on the ride over. There wasn’t a mirror for her to look in here. The drivers came around and helped the rest of the ladies out of their cars.

Marie came and took Sammy from Seb so that they could go over his duties once more and then he would be ready to get in line. When she brought him behind the screens, all of the ladies squealed and wanted to hug him but restrained themselves. Kayti squealed for an entirely different reason. She hadn’t seen her brother since her Grandpa had taken him for a ride in his truck earlier and she was very happy that he was back with her.

Sammy looked so handsome in his little baby blue tux with the carnation pinned to his lapel just like the other men. One thing that was a bit of a shock was his hair. David had obviously gotten a hold of him with some of his hair products. All the hair on top of his head was spiked up. It looked very cute on him. Lisa had gotten him a haircut a few days ago so it was shorter now than when he’d come to live with them.

Lisa looked at her children and how cute they looked. They were both very excited today. She knew that Sammy understood some of what was happening but, Kayti was just excited at all of the people that had been around to give her extra attention.



Shortly after the ladies had arrived, some beautiful instrumental music began playing and setting the mood. The ladies all did a little tweaking on each others’ hair and make-up while they waited for all of their guests to arrive. Kayti was so busy watching everything that was going on and being interested in all of the ladies in their long dresses that she actually stayed clean and neat and didn’t even try to take her hair bow out for a change.

The minister arrived right on time and went over with Sebastien and the other men in the wedding party what the order of the wedding would be. Then he went to say hello to Lisa and went over the wedding, just as he’d done with Sebastien.

Their guests had steadily been arriving and were shown to their seats. Everyone was talking amongst themselves and were ready to witness this marriage. With only a few minutes left before the ceremony was to begin, a last limo arrived and out stepped Simon, earning him quite a few gasps from people like most of Lisa’s co-workers who weren’t aware that he would be here. Simon stepped over to Seb and shook his hand, wishing him well and told him that everything was set for tonight and then he took his seat after saying hello to Marlene who he’d met on a few occasions.

Mary was standing outside of the tent looking out onto the water at the beautiful view in front of her. The sun was just beginning to make its descent into the horizon. The colors were going to be breathtaking.

“Hello Mary. How are you?” Carlos asked her as he walked up beside her.

“Oh hello, Carlos. I am fine. And how are you?”

“I am feeling very good tonight. You do remember that you promised me at least one dance tonight, don’t you?”

“I would love to dance with you again.” She said with a little color rising in her cheeks.

“I am looking forward to it.” He said leaning forward and kissing her cheek.

When the minister called out to the crowd that the ceremony would begin shortly, everyone who had been milling around either took their seats or if they were in the wedding party, they went to where they had been instructed to stand.

“I’d better get to where I am supposed to be. I will see you later.”

“Alright.” Mary said and after Carlos had walked away, she touched her cheek where he had kissed her.

How did he make her feel like a young girl again just by standing next to her? And Oh Lord, he’d kissed her. It was just on the cheek but it still made her heart skip a beat. She realized that she should hurry and take her seat or she would miss what she had come here for. She took her seat next to Laray Brady. The two had met the weekend that they had done the cleanup at the house. They said hello to each other and spoke of the excitement that had been building all day.

Chapter 70:

Once the men were all in their places, Seb, then Pierre, with Carlos, Urs and David beside them, the Wedding March began and all of the guests turned in their seats to watch the procession of the ladies and Sammy coming down the aisle.

Sebastien felt like he couldn’t breathe. He had waited so long for the day to arrive when he would be married to the woman who had stolen his heart. He had always been a romantic and had known that this day would be overwhelming to him, even when he didn’t know who that woman would be. That day, that moment, was here. In just a matter of minutes, Lisa would make her way down the aisle, giving herself to him for eternity. He stood at the front, next to the minister and watched as first Vicki, then Grace, followed by Stacie slowly made their way down the aisle, turning to the left and lining up opposite the men. They were all beautiful and their faces were glowing with happiness that they were a part of this wonderful day.

The next of the wedding party to come out from behind the screen to make his way down the aisle, was Sammy. He was carrying his little pillow with the wedding bands tied securely to it. Kayti would be carrying her little basket filled with rose petals that she would drop a few at a time if she remembered what she was supposed to do. Sammy looked so proud as he carried his pillow, just as he’d been shown to do. He didn’t run, he walked just as he was supposed to and stopped when he got to the front. He looked up at his Papa, looking for his sign of approval. Seb looked down into his son’s face and smiled at him. Urs reached out and guided Sammy to where he should stand.

Just before sending her out to walk down the aisle, Alex stooped down and reminded Kayti about dropping the petals as she walked and then told her to walk slowly until she got to Sammy. When she came around to where the runner was, she stopped short when she saw all of the people that were sitting there looking at her. She didn’t cry but, she looked like she was frozen in fright.

Marie saw Kayti’s face and realized that Kayti wasn’t going to move without some help. As inconspicuous as possible, she slid down the aisle and took a hold of Kayti’s hand. You could see the relief on the little girl’s face when she saw her Grandma coming for her. Marie showed her to drop some of the petals as they walked and after a few steps, Kayti finally began doing what they had rehearsed at home. When they reached the front, Kayti reached up with her little hand and handed Seb some of the rose petals. He winked at her and brought them to his lips, kissing them before tucking them in his pocket for safe keeping.

Marie led Kayti over to where the bridesmaids were standing and handed Kayti’s off to Grace. Grace smiled down at Kayti and then looked up to see Alex just rounding the corner from behind the screen.

The sight of his beautiful Alex looking the way she did, with her dress fitting her like a glove, took Urs’ breath away. She hadn’t begun to show yet so she still had a trim waist and her long legs brought her to within just a couple of inches of being the same height as he was. He felt like the luckiest man alive to have found her.

When Alex had made it all the way down the aisle and was standing at her assigned spot, the Bridal March began and everyone stood to their feet and turned to face the end of the aisle waiting for the bride to appear.

The photographer that had been hired had been standing out of the way but in a good position to get some great pictures, taking a large amount of shots as the girls and Sammy had made their way down the aisle. His partner, also in a spot out of the way, was controlling the video camera that was recording the whole evening for them to be able to look back on.

Lisa was standing behind the screen, shaking and gave Dan half of a grin when he asked if she was alright.

“I’m fine.” She whispered. “I just hope I don’t trip and fall on my face.”

“You will do fine. You look so beautiful, Lisa.”

“Thank you.”

He could tell that she was still thinking of something else.

“What is on your mind, Sweetheart?”

She let out a big sigh and looked up into his kind eyes.

“I just wish Auntie had lived long enough to see this day.” She didn’t want the tears to fall now and ruin her make-up so she took a deep breath and smiled up at Dan.

“She would have been so unbelievably proud of the lovely woman that you’ve become. She was already very proud of you before. She had told us often enough.”

“She did?”

“Yes”

Auntie wasn’t one to say anything she didn’t mean, so to hear that she’d said that to them and on more than one occasion made her heart swell and she had to fight to keep the tears at bay as she remembered her beloved aunt.

Just then, they heard their cue to make their way out onto the runner. Dan leaned down placing his hand on her face and kissed her on the other cheek.

“Be happy Sweetheart, Always.”

Then he straightened up and had to blink back the tears in his own eyes as he held out his arm for her to take hold of.

Lisa took his offered arm with her own and Dan reached with his other hand and gave Lisa’s hand a squeeze for encouragement and then with a smile at each other, they took the last few steps around the screen that brought them into view of everyone.

There was a collective soft gasp from those witnessing the bride standing before them. Some said that all brides were beautiful, they said it was that their happiness made them have such a glow about them that they fairly shined with it. Lisa definitely fit that description. From her beautiful hair all the way to her feet, she was lovely. Her dress was perfect for her. It slid over her curves, accentuating her trim build. Although, she wasn’t nearly as tall as Alex, she still had her own exquisiteness, especially when she looked like she did this evening.




Sebastien heard the gasp of the others and realized that his own had been mixed with theirs. She was breathtaking. Her dress was amazing of course, but it was her face, the look of unbridled joy on her face, that kept his eyes locked on her. He could feel his heart pounding wildly in his chest as she began taking the steps that would ultimately bring her to his side. It seemed to be taking forever. What had earlier seemed like such a short aisle through the tent now seemed huge to him.

When Dad led her from out behind the screen, her eyes were searching for only one other person and when their eyes met, they never looked anywhere else as she walked down the aisle towards her destiny.

Like the night of the party for the TV station, Lisa was struck by how handsome he looked in his Armani. She thought he was gorgeous all of the time, but when he stood tall in his suit, tie and dress shoes he was amazing. His smile bid her to come to him and although she had been so nervous to walk out into the view of all of those other people, now she saw only him. It was as if they were the only two that were here. Finally they made it to the front of the aisle and Dan smiled at Sebastien as he put Lisa’s hand in Seb’s. Seb tipped his head to Dan in thanks. Dan leaned in and placed a soft kiss on Lisa’s cheek once more and then he took a couple of steps back and over to where his bride stood and she clasped his hand in both of her own as they watched a miracle happen in the form of this wedding that had needed so many little miracles for it to be happening at all.

Sebastien could feel her hand shaking in his and he gave it a tiny squeeze and he winked at her before they turned to face the minister.

The minister welcomed everyone who was here to witness the joining of these two who were giving themselves to each other. Then he turned his attention to the couple in front of him and began the ceremony.

“Dearly beloved, we are gathered together here in the sight of God to join together this man and this woman in holy Matrimony; which is an honorable estate, instituted of God, and into which holy estate these two persons present come now to be joined. Therefore if  any  man can show any just cause, why they may not lawfully be joined together, let him now speak, or else hereafter forever hold his peace.”

And after a brief pause with no one speaking out, he turned to Seb and said,

“Will you have this woman to be your wedded wife, to live together after God's ordinance in the holy estate of Matrimony? Will you love her, comfort her, honor, and keep her, in sickness and in health; for richer or poorer; and forsaking all others, keeping only unto her, so long as you both shall live?”

“I will!” Seb answered emphatically as he turned his head and looked into Lisa’s eyes.

Then the minister turned to Lisa and spoke to her.

“Will you have this man to be thy wedded husband, to live together after God's ordinance in the holy estate of Matrimony? Will you love him, comfort him, honor, and keep him, for richer or poorer; in sickness and in health; and forsaking all others, keeping only unto him, so long as you both shall live?”

“I will!” Lisa answered and smiled up at Seb. “It is really happening.” She thought.

Looking up at those assembled to witness the wedding, he asked,

“Who gives this woman to be married to this man?”

“I do.” Dan stood and answered from where he was sitting with Marie and then he sat back down after a nod from the minister.

Pierre stepped over to Sammy and reached down to loosen the wedding bands from the pillow and then he handed both of the delicate bands to the minister for his blessing.

“The wedding bands are a symbol of their love and fidelity and a sign to all who see them, that the wearer of the ring has pledged themselves to be faithful to another. Lord, bless both the giver and the receiver of these rings. Sebastien, you may place the ring on Lisa’s finger.”

Lisa held out her shaking left hand to Seb and he held her hand steady so he could slide the ring into place. She felt the electricity run through her as he held her hand.

“Lisa, when we met nine years ago, I felt, without words, a connection to you that even through nine years of being physically separated from you, my heart knew that you were the only one that could make me complete. No one else has ever given me such a feeling that they were the other half of me, only you. I also want to thank you for bringing Sammy and Kayti into my life. They bring me such joy and I know that there will be others that we will add to our family and I am so excited to live that life and see what it will bring. Every song I sing for the rest of my life will be for you. I will love you forever. Even when my body leaves this earth, my heart will still belong to you. Lisa, take this ring as a sign of my eternal love.”

He looked into her tear filled eyes and slid the ring the rest of the way onto her finger.

The minister handed her Seb’s band and she reached for his left hand. She looked into his eyes and saw all of the joy he had shining through them. With a voice that shook with all of her emotion she said,

“Sebastien, because of you, I laugh, I smile, and I dare to chase my dreams again. I have a life now that I had given up hope of ever having. I look forward with great joy to spending the rest of my life with you, caring for you and our children, supporting you in whatever you do, being there next to you in all life has for us, and I vow to be true and faithful for as long as we both shall live. Your love has given me wings, and our journey begins today. I will love you into eternity. Sebastien, take this ring as a sign of my eternal love.”

While Seb and Lisa were still holding each other’s hands, the minister said a short prayer of blessing on the couple and their family.

In the silence while they waited for the music, a few sniffles could be heard and anyone who looked around saw many tears flowing and not only the women. Marie had had to give Dan some of her Kleenex that she had brought, knowing that she would need them. She had always cried at weddings, but she knew that at this one she would cry a bucket load of tears.

Urs, Carlos and David stepped back a few steps and waited for the music to begin. When it began, they sang the Lord’s Prayer with Urs singing Seb’s parts. As the three Divos sang, Lisa and Seb stood silently staring into each other’s eyes. When the song was over and the guys had moved back into their positions, Seb and Lisa stepped over to the Unity candle as Grace, and her two band mates who had come at Lisa’s request, stepped to where the Divos had just been and waited for their music to be started.


The two long thin candles on the outside of the holder had been lit earlier, signifying the two separate lives that had come here today. As the song was beautifully sung by the magnificent female singers, Seb and Lisa each lifted one of the lit candles and tipped it towards the middle, together lighting the thicker, round candle that signified the joining of the two lives and becoming one. The last step was to blow out the individual candles so that only the one candle that they’d lit together was burning brightly. They placed the thin candles back in their holders, returned to their spot in front of the minister and waited for the girls to finish their song.

The minister joined their right hands together, keeping hold of them with both of his own and said,

“Those whom God hath joined together let no man put asunder. Forasmuch as Sebastien and Lisa have consented together in holy wedlock, and have witnessed the same before God and this company, and have given and pledged their lives each to the other, and have declared the same by giving and receiving of a ring, and by joining of hands; I pronounce therefore that they be man and wife together, in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.”

With a hand on each of their shoulders, he turned them to face the crowd and said,

“It is my pleasure to introduce to you, Mr. and Mrs. Sebastien Izambard.”

Everyone stood to their feet and the clapping and cheers went up among them.

“Sebastien, you may now kiss your bride.”

Seb placed his hands on her shoulders, turning her to face him. With the back of his knuckles he caressed her beautiful face.

Lisa thought he was never going to kiss her as he looked into her eyes, but finally he lowered his head and she raised her’s to meet him. It was the sweetest kiss when their lips met, long, slow and sensual and Lisa had to grasp his waist for support as her legs were turning to jelly.

As the seconds ticked by, the crowd got louder in their applause and whistles but neither Lisa nor Seb, hardly heard any of it. All they were aware of was the other and they weren’t in any hurry to end the kiss. When Seb finally raised his head, he still held her gaze.

“Hello Mrs. Izambard.” He whispered, smiling down at her.

The smile that covered her face could have illuminated the world.

“Hello Mr. Izambard.”

Seb placed his arm around Lisa’s shoulder and drew her close to his side.

“I don’t know about all of you but, I’m ready to have a party.” Seb called out to the crowd.

“Can we eat now? I’m hungry, Papa.”

“In just a few minutes son.”

“Seb, I’ll take the children over for a snack if you’d like and then bring them back for their pictures. They’ll probably do better standing still for their pictures if they don’t have hungry bellies.”

“Thank you Mary. That would be great.”

After hugging Seb and Lisa she took the children’s hands and led them over to the dining tent to see what she could sneak away with for them. When she asked the caterer she fixed them a small plate to tide them over until everything else was laid out.

Everyone else waited as first the bride and groom, and then the rest of the wedding party made their way out of the tent and then they were swamped with hugs, kisses and hand shakes. Everyone wanted their time with the newly married couple.

While everyone had been greeting them, the screens were moved into position and then the wedding party was called over for the photographs.

Sebastien asked that the photographer take some shots of the beautiful sunset and he gladly obliged.



Once they weren’t needed for pictures, Seb drew Lisa off to the side and away from the crowd.

“You look stunning Ma Cherie. You take my breath away.”

“Vous avez l'air très beau. Je T’aime, Seb. (You look very handsome. I love you, Seb.)”

Seb grinned and pulled her to him for another bone melting kiss as they waited to make their grand entrance.

As most of the wedding party filed into the dining tent, Grace and Alex led the children up to the head table and helped them to get seated. Once everyone else was seated, Seb and Lisa walked in hand in hand and went to their seats at the center of the head table to a thunderous applause.

Music began playing in the third tent while everyone ate. It was close enough that it provided a nice background to the meal without being too loud for conversations to be held amongst the partiers.

Seb stood and the room slowly quieted.

“I just want to thank each and every one of you for being here to witness our wedding and help us celebrate. Eat, drink and be merry. I sincerely hope that you will all enjoy your evening here with us.”

Seb turned to Pierre, who was seated to Seb’s right and introduced his best friend to his new wife.

“Bonjour, Madam. It is a privilege to finally meet you. I have heard about you for nine years and I am happy that you have found happiness with each other at last.”

“Thank you, Pierre. I know that tonight will not be the easiest place to get to know each other, so I look forward to future times when we can get together.”

Quite frequently, during their meal, Seb and Lisa had to stop mid sentence or in the middle of chewing their food for a kiss as someone would clink their fork on their glass. When Kayti and Sammy realized what people were doing, they got in on it and began hitting the glasses just to see Mommy and Papa have to kiss.  Eventually their glasses were slid out of reach by Auntie Alex or Grace when they weren’t looking, for fear of them being broken by the overzealous children.

The meal was fantastic, it tasted wonderful, what she ate of it but, she had had so many butterflies swirling around inside of her that she didn’t feel able to eat very much, so she just nibbled here and there over the course of the evening. She sat back and watched as Seb was talking to Pierre on the other side of him. Seb was her husband. It was so thrilling to think of that word. He was hers for now and always. Even as he was talking to Pierre, he felt her gaze upon him and he turned and grasped her hand bringing it to his lips for a kiss and then he kept a hold of her hand, dropping their clasped hands to his thigh under the table. As he finished listening to what Pierre was saying, Seb was lightly caressing her fingers and the back of her hand creating little bursts of tingling sensations all over her body.

Little by little the crowd moved over to the tent where the band was set up and beginning to play. Seb and Lisa finally were able to make their way over there through the well wishers.

Simon stepped up to the couple to meet Seb’s bride for the first time.

“Lisa, I would like you to meet Simon Cowell. He is our boss, but also our friend and I am very happy that he could make it today.”

Lisa was really nervous meeting him. She had seen him on television countless times and although she didn’t think that in his private life, that he would be as disagreeable as he seemed, she was still apprehensive about the introduction.

“Hello, Mr. Cowell. It is a pleasure to meet you and I am also happy that you were able to make it. I also want to thank you for everything that you have done for my group home. The support that you and Il Divo have pledged I believe is going to help change many lives. Oh and thank you also for the use of the plane. You wouldn’t happen to know where my husband is taking me off to, would you?”

He took her hand in his as he chuckled. Then he leaned in to place a kiss on her cheek.

“Lisa, I am happy to meet you. Do you have any idea what you have done taking this former bachelor off of the market? You are very welcome for everything. I am looking forward to seeing this home that you are creating. As for where he is taking you, I know but have been sworn to secrecy, I’m sorry.” He said with a wink to Seb.

They made their way over to where Alex and Grace were keeping the kids occupied. Simon, these are our children. Kayti will be two in a few weeks, and Sammy, he will be four years old…. Baby, do we know when Sammy’s birthday is?”

“You know, I don’t think we do. I’ll have to ask Brenda to look in her records.”

“Alright. Well, anyway, this is my son Sammy.”

Kayti was happy that her parents were close by and lifted her arms for Seb to pick her up. Simon was amazed at the ease with which Sebastien seemed to be taking to being a father. He watched as Seb kissed and tickled the child and made her giggle. Kayti looked at the smiling man that was talking to Mommy and Papa. As she sometimes did, she threw herself towards him and into his arms. Seb had felt her heading in that direction and still had a firm hold on her and looked to Simon to see if he seemed to mind that Kayti wanted him to hold her.

Simon took hold of Kayti and said hello to her and was rewarded with a hug and a big wet kiss.

“She is lovely. I think you had better make a secure room in that house of yours to lock her in when the boys start buzzing around.” Simon said laughing.

“Oh, don’t you worry. They will have to get past me first.” Seb said only half joking.

Seb looked down and only then did he realize that Sammy looked afraid. He was hiding behind Seb’s leg and holding on to his Papa’s pants leg. Not even Kayti’s ease with the unfamiliar man was calming his fear. Seb kneeled down so he could look Sammy in the eye and quietly spoke to him.

“Are you alright, son?”

“That’s a mean man. I seen him before on the TV. My first real Mommy had him on the TV.”

“Sammy, Simon is my friend. He wouldn’t ever hurt you. Why don’t you shake his hand and say hello and you will see.”

Sammy shook his head no and moved back to hide behind Lisa. This was the first time that Sammy had refused Seb anything. He wasn’t sure how to handle it but, Sammy was obviously afraid and he didn’t want to traumatize him. He needed to help him settle or Lisa would get worried about leaving him. He stood and with an apologetic smile to Simon, he lifted Sammy into his arms and carried him away from the situation for now.

“Mr. Cowell, I’m really sorry about that.” Lisa said as she retrieved her daughter from his arms. “Sammy has been severely abused and it takes him quite a bit of time to warm up to strangers unlike this little girl here.”

“Lisa, please call me Simon… and as for Sammy, Sebastien has told me all about him and I guess I can’t blame him for the way he feels about me. Hopefully in time we will become friends when he gets to know me better. For tonight, I will keep my distance from him so he won’t stay upset and put a damper on your night.”

“I’m sure he will be alright with you in time. I just won’t be letting him watch any American Idol this season.” Lisa said with a grin, trying to lighten up the mood.

“Yes, that may be a good idea.” he said chuckling and Lisa was glad that he seemed to have a sense of humor about it.

Chapter 71:

The band was calling for the new Mr. and Mrs. to come together on the dance floor for their first dance as man and wife. Marie took Sammy from Seb. He had explained to her quietly what had happened. Alex came and took Kayti from Lisa and she and Seb met in the middle of the dance floor.

He pulled her into his arms and kissed her as the music began.

“Is Sammy alright?”

“He’s fine now. Marie has him.”

“Good.” She said as she laid her head on his shoulder.

They danced together alone on the floor as their friends and family watched and when that song was over, the DJ called for the father of the bride to come and dance with his daughter and the mother of the groom to dance with her son.

Dan met Lisa in the center of the floor and Seb walked over and took his mother’s hand and led her to join them.

“How do you feel?” Dan asked Lisa as they danced together.

“I feel…..amazing, wonderful, and happier than I’ve ever been. Why do people sometimes say that they are tied down when they decide to get married? Because, I feel freer than I have ever felt. My dreams are all coming true, Dad.”

“You look very happy. Just remember that marriage is a give and take. Compromise as much as possible and unless it is something that goes against your basic principles, sometimes it won’t hurt to just give in and let the other have things as they wish them to be. And don’t worry, I gave the same speech to Seb.” He finished with a grin.

Sebastien was dancing with his mother for the first time ever. At first, they were both feeling a little awkward but by the middle of the dance, they had settled in and gotten more comfortable.

“I am so happy for you, my son. I know I haven’t always shown it, but I love you very much and I am very grateful that you have welcomed me into your life again and are sharing this wonderfully special time with me. You didn’t have to and I know that, so it means so much that you did. You have chosen well. She loves you and will make you a good wife.”

Seb pulled her closer and whispered, “Je T’aime, Maman.” with tears in his eyes.

Before going back to dancing with Lisa, Seb gestured to Lisa that he was going to ask someone else to dance first. She nodded and smiled when she saw him heading for Mom.

“May I have this dance, Mom?”

“You definitely can.”

She handed Sammy over to Dan and gave her husband a wink over Seb’s shoulder as she danced with him. Dan just smiled and shook his head at her. What was it about these Divos? It was as if they put all of the women under a spell or something.

“Mom thank you so much for making this happen so quickly and so perfectly. It has been wonderful.”

“You are very welcome. You just take good care of her and those children and I won’t have to come after you with my rolling pin.”

“You will never have to worry about that. I love her so much and I will take care of all of them.”

As the dance ended, Marie leaned up and kissed and hugged Sebastien tightly.

While Seb had been dancing with Marie, Simon had asked Lisa if she would dance with him.

“Lisa, I am so pleased that Sebastien has found such a wonderful woman. For as long as I’ve known him, he has always worn his heart on his sleeve and I can see how much he adores you.”

“I love him too. He has already changed my life, just by loving me.”

“Could I have this dance?”

Mary had been standing watching the dancers on the floor and turned as she heard his sexy voice.

“I would like that very much, Carlos.”

He held out his hand and she placed her hand in his as they made their way to the dance floor. Carlos could tell that Mary was still a bit nervous around him. As they danced he talked to her about her plans to move into the main house when it was finished and what she would be doing there and as they talked, he could feel her relaxing. By the time the dance ended, he had her laughing easily at one of his corny jokes.

He led her off of the floor and directly over to where Victoria was standing.

“Vicki, I would like to introduce you to my friend, Mary Bennett. She is the lady that I told you about that works with Lisa at the daycare and will be moving into the house when it is done. Mary, this is my beautiful wife, Vicki.”

“Hello, Mary. It is wonderful to meet you. Carlos has spoken of you several times.”

“It is a pleasure to meet you as well. You are a lucky woman.” Mary said blushing a bit.

If Mary had been a couple of decades younger, Vicki might have been a bit jealous. She could see how enamored Mary was with Carlos.

Grace and her friends got up on the staging and sang two more songs before they would turn the stage over to Il Divo.

When Il Divo took the stage, they sang The Man You Love, ETILAY, and then La Vida Sin Amour to get people dancing again.

There wound up being multiple dance partner changes over the next hour. Some of the women that were there, had their dreams come true.

Some heard Il Divo live for the first time tonight, like Brenda who had missed out on going to the party in December. Now she not only heard them live but had gotten to dance with each of the Divo’s when they were done singing. Laray had heard them sing live for the first time in December, but with the limited dance time at that party, she had only danced with Tom that night. But tonight, she happily danced with all four Divo’s. Sebastien danced with Jerry Bradford’s wife, Emma. Jerry wondered how he would ever top that. He thought his wife was going to hyperventilate when he’d told her a couple of weeks ago that they had been invited to a wedding and not just any wedding, but the marriage of Lisa Daniels and Sebastien Izambard. Then she also got to dance with the other Divos through the course of the evening.

Lisa danced with Drew Williams and his wife was getting the thrill of her life dancing with Ty and Ed.

Marie came over when Lisa and Seb had finally gotten to dance with each other again. She tapped Seb on the shoulder.

“I’m sorry to bother you two but we’ve had the limo drivers keeping an eye on the weather and we think that we should probably cut the cake now before the wind picks up and it starts raining. It looks like the storm is just over an hour off shore.”

The DJ called out that it was time to cut the cake and everyone gathered around.

Sebastien had just a thought of making a mess as he fed Lisa her cake but changed his mind as he looked down at her lovely dress and didn’t want to mess it up by getting chocolate on it. So he gently held the piece of cake to her lips as she took first one bite and then the second which finished the piece.

He didn’t remove his fingers from in front of her lips. There was still white icing on the two fingers and his thumb. After looking at the gleam in his eye and the grin that was spreading over his face, Lisa reached up to hold his hand as she placed his thumb in her mouth to remove the icing and then followed with the other two fingers until all of the icing was gone. Her eyes had never left his throughout and she saw his eyes darken as her mouth closed around each digit. By the third finger she had slowed down considerably and she could see the hitch in his breathing. She figured that two could play that game and as she picked up the piece of cake to feed him, she made sure that there was plenty of icing on her fingers that he would need to remove for her.

As with several other moments since the wedding began, Seb and Lisa were totally oblivious to the others that were witnessing this exchange between the two of them. Alex was secretly rejoicing inside at Lisa’s playfulness with Seb. She could see that her friend had come such a long way lately in conquering her fears.

Lisa held the piece of cake to Seb’s lips with a grin that told him that she was about to turn the tables on him. But he realized that what she didn’t know was how much that little scene had just cost him. She was making him crazy tonight. Well, he’d just see if he could make her at least a bit uncomfortable.

He opened his mouth in anticipation of the first bite. Then he took a bite and took his time with it. Then he finished off the other bite, leaving only the icing still clinging to her fingers. This is where he was going to see how badly she wanted him. He reached for her hand and closed his lips around her thumb, letting his tongue glide over her flesh, and tasting the sweetness of the icing. He slowly drew his lips along her thumb until it was out of his mouth.

Their eyes had only broken contact as Lisa had cut the piece of cake that she would feed to Sebastien. Now they were locked together again and as he had cleaned off her thumb he could see her eyes widen and that she was fidgeting a bit as if she were getting uncomfortable. “Payback” he thought and grinned making her eyes widen again. He lifted her hand back to his lips and closed his mouth around first one and then the other finger, making sure to take his time as his tongue ran along the sensitive skin on the sides of her fingers, drawing them slowly out of his mouth.

Then with one last kiss to her hand he pulled her to him and lowered his head for a kiss that tasted of the sweetness of the icing and as he drew her close to him and the intensity of the kiss grew he could feel her trembling in his arms. He raised his head just enough to look into her eyes and saw her desire.

He decided that they had entertained the crowd long enough and after making sure that her feet were firmly on the ground and she wasn’t going to fall over, he let go and as he looked up the crowd went wild with whistles and calling for an encore. This was one time that he was going to have to refuse that call; otherwise they would be seeing what he was already feeling in the tightness of his trousers.

When the excitement had died down, he asked Alex what was left that they needed to do before he could whisk Lisa away from here and she told him that all that was left was for her to throw her bouquet. Everything else would be handled by the rest of them once he and Lisa had left. They would make sure that the cards and gifts that had been left on the table were safely returned to the house and most importantly, the children would be well looked after. From the looks of them, the children were more than ready to get home to bed. It had been a long exciting day for everyone, but especially the children who had been on display almost as much as Seb and Lisa were.

“We need to have a few minutes alone with the children before we go. I am just still concerned that Sammy will be afraid that we aren’t coming back. I don’t want to be off having a good time and have him here upset all week.”

“You’re right, Baby. Let’s go spend some time with them.”

Seb and Lisa gathered the children together and took them out of the crowd to have some private time. Mom, Dad and Alex steered people away from them if it looked like anyone was going to intrude on their family time.

“Did you have fun at the wedding and the party Sammy?” Seb asked his son.

“Yup, I did. I got to eat some chockalit cake.”

“I know you did. It was good wasn’t it?”

“Yup. Papa, are you and Mommy gonna go on the trip now?

“Yes, we are Buddy. Are you going to be alright while we are gone?”

When Sammy didn’t answer right away, Lisa pulled him into her lap and hugged him close to her.

“Sammy, you know that we love you, don’t you? We love you and Kayti so much and we are having so much fun being your Mommy and Papa.”

“You are? Like when I have fun on my new playground at our house?”

“Yes, just like that. We are going to do some fun things with you and Kayti when we come home next week.”

“You will?” he said sounding skeptical.

“I have a great idea.” Seb said.

“What.” Lisa said.

“Sammy, I have an important job for you to do while we are gone.”

“I like portant jobs. I did my portant job at the wedding.”

“Yes you did and you did a wonderful job.” Lisa told him making him smile.

“I want you to tell Auntie Alex, Grandmere or Grandma if you think of some fun things that we can do together when Mommy and I get home and then they will write it down and then we will have a list of fun things to do. Do you think you can do that?”

“Uh Huh, I can tell them that I want Mommy and Papa to play outside with me and my sister.”

“That’s perfect. When you think of more fun things you tell them to write them down and them Mommy and I will read it when we get home, alright?”

“Okay.” Sammy said sounding excited.

“And you are going to help take care of Kayti for us aren’t you? Make sure she doesn’t get into trouble.”

“Yup or she will have to go to the time out chair but not me cuz I will be good.”

“I love you Sammy. Can you give me a giant hug? I am really going to miss your hugs while I’m gone.”

“I love you too Mommy.” Sammy said as he threw his arms around her neck.

“You will have to save all your hugs up and give them all to me when we come home.”

“Okay.”

Seb and Lisa came back over to the tent and she nodded at Alex that she could get on with what they were doing. Alex called out that Lisa was about to throw her bouquet. It was actually a second bouquet because Lisa had told Alex that she wanted to keep hers and press the flowers.

All of the ladies that wanted to try to catch the bouquet stood behind Lisa and she knew the general area that Alex was standing so she tried to throw it in that direction. After she’d tossed it, she turned and sure enough Alex was holding the bouquet with a huge smile on her face as she looked at Urs. Lisa watched happily as Urs made his way over to her and pulled her into his arms and kissed her breathless.

Seb and Lisa made their way around together, saying goodbye and thanking everyone who had come. There were a lot of people that they probably wouldn’t see for a long time as they were going home before Seb and Lisa returned from their honeymoon, like Ty and his team, Stacie, and Pierre. Laray had promised to be down again soon, if not in the next couple of months, then definitely by the opening of the group home.

People like Mary and Brenda and some of the others at the day care who would be around; promised to be available to help with the children while they were gone. The children were going to be kept to their normal routines as much as possible. They would go to the day care during the week as usual.

When they had said goodbye to everyone with a special thanks to Mom, Dad and Alex for making this day happen so quickly and flawlessly, Seb and Lisa cuddled Sammy and Kayti one last time.

“Mommy and Papa are going to miss you very much while we are gone but we will be home next week.” Seb told the children.

Kayti had no concept of what they were really saying but Sammy knew they were leaving now and the tears began. He clung tightly to Lisa’s neck until she loosened his grip just a little so she could breathe. She looked over his head at Seb who was hugging Kayti.

Seb began to get worried that she might not be able to leave him. He did understand, but he hoped that somehow they would be able to get him settled so they could go. Kayti was getting very sleepy and as Lisa was talking softly to Sammy, Kayti fell asleep in Seb’s arms. He cradled her close to his chest for a few moments until he was sure that she was totally asleep and then his mother took her from him. Once she was safely transferred into her Grandmere’s arms, Seb leaned and kissed her once more.

Then he went to join Lisa and Sammy. He wasn’t crying at the moment and Lisa was still cuddling him close to her and moving in a rocking motion. Seb reached over and stroked Sammy’s head.

“Will you come sit with Papa for a minute, son?”

Sammy allowed Seb to lift him into his lap. Lisa walked over and kissed Kayti who was cuddled in Marlene’s arms. She was totally relaxed in her sleep. Lisa reached up and gently removed Kayti’s hair bow and thought that it was a miracle that Kayti had left it in for so long as she tossed it into Kayti’s bag.

“Maman, would you let Sammy sleep with you if he is afraid?”

“Of course, please try not to worry about the children. I am sure that after you are gone, we will be able to distract them and keep them from being upset.”

“I’m not worried about Kayti as much as Sammy. He doesn’t understand that we are coming home.”

“But you see, this will be good for him. You will go away and then you will come home and he will see that you have come home just as you said you would.” Maman wisely told her.

“You’re right. I think we will just need to leave. He isn’t going to get happy about us leaving.”

Lisa went back over to where Seb was sitting with Sammy.

“Mommy, Papa gived me this paper with numbers on it. He said that I can call on the telephone lots and say hi to you and Papa.” Sammy said with a smile but tears were still evident on his little cheeks.

“That’s a great idea. Whenever you need to, you can call us.”

Grandma and Grandpa came over to them followed by Alex and Urs.

“Hey Sammy, I had a terrific idea. When I come over tomorrow, you and I can go on another walk in the woods like we did last week.”

“Can we, for really? Can I go for a walk with Onkle Urs, Papa” he said excitedly.

“You sure can and take lots of pictures so that I can see what you’ve found.”

Seb had bought a cheap digital camera for Sammy to use.

Everyone gathered around Seb and Lisa near the limo that would take them to the airport. Alex had filled little mesh bags with bird seed to throw at the couple as they were leaving. She gave a bag to Sammy and showed him what to do. Everyone called out their goodbyes as they threw the bird seed at them.

They leaned in once more to kiss Kayti’s head and kissed and hugged Sammy with a promise that he could call them before he went to bed. Lisa turned just before getting into the limo and blew Sammy another kiss.

“Mommy loves you baby.” Lisa said and then she quickly got in before Sammy could see her tears.

Everyone waved goodbye until the limo was around the corner and out of sight. Urs lifted Sammy and talked to him and distracting him from the fact that his security had just left.

“Are you alright, Baby?” Seb asked as he pulled her close to him. “We don’t have to go anywhere if you really don’t want to.”

“But I do want to Seb. It’s just that I’m worried about him. It so soon for him to have to think that we won’t come back. But your Mom had a good point. She said that this would be good for us to go and then come home as we promised we would and she’s right. I’ll be alright. I do want us to have some time for us for a while. I know that the children will be well cared for.”

Lisa laid her head on his shoulder. After giving her a few minutes to compose herself, Seb leaned down and kissed her, slowly at first and then letting the passion go that he had kept locked up for so long, he kissed her with a fervor that told her how much he wanted her. He was rewarded as she returned the kiss with as much passion as he had given. They hardly noticed the passing of the time as the driver took them to the airport.

Simon had told Seb that the plane would be ready to leave within minutes of their arrival. He’d called the pilot just as they were leaving the park, to alert him that they were on their way.

Just as they were pulling right up to the plane, Lisa’s cell phone rang. She saw that it was Mom’s number.

“Hello, Mommy?”

It was Sammy and Lisa was trying to gauge his mood. Thankfully he didn’t sound like he was crying.

“Hello my love. What are you doing?”

“Grandpa teld me that cuz I’m getting sleepy now in the car that I should call you or I’ll be too asleep to talk to you nuther time.”

“That was very smart of your Grandpa. Are you going home now?”

“Yup, I’m gonna go to sleep in my bed. Kayti is sleeping too.”

“That’s good. She was very tired. I love you Baby. You have a good sleep and Mommy and Papa will talk to you on the phone tomorrow when you are awake, probably after you go to school.”

“Okay Mommy.”

Lisa handed the phone to Seb so that he could say goodnight to Sammy as she began to help to take their suitcases to the plane.

“Thank you Ma’am, but I’ve got this. I wouldn’t want you to mess up your dress.” The co-pilot told her.

“Oh alright, Thank you.

“Here’s your phone Baby.”

“He didn’t sound too bad did he?” Lisa said.

“I thought he sounded pretty good considering how he was acting earlier about us leaving. He should be okay. He has a lot of people who love him and are going to give him plenty of attention this week.”

Lisa nodded and decided that now that they had left, she couldn’t dwell on whether Sammy would be worried all week. This was her special time with Seb. He was right. Sammy would be well looked after with a lot of love. Sure, he would miss them but, when they returned home, it would be good for Sammy to know that they would always come home to him.

Chapter 72:

She reached out and took Seb’s hand in both of hers and smiled at him, batting her eyelashes playfully.

“Do I get to find out where we are going yet?”

“Nope, not yet.” Seb said with a wink. “Let me help you up the steps without tripping on your dress.”

He held her arm as they approached the stairs that lower down from the side of the plane in the door assembly. When they reached the steps, he told her to go up first and then he lifted the skirting of the dress high enough that she wouldn’t trip as she stepped up. He released the dress when she reached the top and took a step into the interior of the plane.

He stood behind her with his hands on her shoulders as she took in her surroundings.

“This is huge in here and everything looks so……expensive.”

“This is Simon’s personal plane. He likes to be comfortable when he is traveling around the world.

The plane had several large tan leather recliners with the required airline seat belts and a tray table that was attached to the side of the chair in case the passengers were required to stay in their seats in the event of heavy turbulence. It also had a small kitchen table and chairs and a tan leather sofa, all secured to the floor. There was a galley style kitchen that was fully stocked, including the full sized refrigerator. Seb told Simon what food and drinks they would like and he saw to it that everything Seb had requested was there. There was plenty of storage that locked down for take off and landing the plane. The bathroom had the usual lavatory, but also had a good sized shower too.

Lisa had been amazed at everything she’d seen so far but, nothing prepared her for the
opulence of the furnishings in the large bedroom. From the king sized bed to the full sized dresser and a walk in closet, as well as the private lavatory, it didn’t take a far stretch of the imagination to forget that you were on an airplane and instead it felt like you were standing in a five star hotel suite.

Lisa turned around to find Seb smiling behind her.

“It’s something isn’t it? We all had the same reaction as you the first time he flew us all somewhere. Of course he and Trina used the bedroom. We all had to get comfortable in the recliners and the sofa and as nice as they look, they aren’t great to sleep in for a twelve hour flight. We took turns using the sofa. But this time, we get the bed.”

He saw the color rise in Lisa’s cheeks as she looked back at the bed and he reached his hand to cup her chin in the palm of his hand.

“Please don’t spend one minute worrying about tonight. There is no rush.”

After Seb turned to make sure that the pilot was otherwise occupied, he looked back into Lisa’s eyes and continued.

“As much as I want to make love to you right this second, I have been patient this long and I am not going to rush you, Baby. I want you to want me as much as I want you. So don’t worry about anything, alright.”

Lisa nodded and then she walked into his arms. He wrapped them around her and held her tightly for a few moments.

The pilot approached them and they stepped apart just a bit but Seb still kept his arm around her.

“I’m sorry to disturb you but, the storm is almost here and if we want to take off before it gets here and get above the storm clouds, we have to take off within the next five minutes. Otherwise, we’ll need to wait until it passes and that could be another two hours.”

“Then let’s go. We’re ready.” Seb said excitedly.

Seb helped Lisa get buckled into her seat securely before he took his own seat right next to her.

“We’ll be able to move around the plane as soon as he tells us that we are at cruising altitude.” He informed her.

“Do you think you’ll get your pilot’s license back again?”

“I’d love to, as soon as I have enough time to log in the flight hours required.”

The pilot’s voice came over the intercom announcing that they were going to begin taxiing to the runway and Lisa felt a surge of excitement. Seb was holding her hand and felt her hand shaking a bit.

“Sweetheart, I never asked you. Are you afraid of flying, I feel your hand shaking.”

“Oh no, I just got really excited that we’re really going. I’m looking forward to this trip so much.”

Seb kissed her hand that he was holding and they both looked out the windows as they felt the plane rapidly picking up the speed it needed to lift off the ground. He watched her face grow into a huge smile as they rose up into the air.

“I love you Mrs. Izambard.” He said making her giggle.

“I love hearing that name. I am going to do my best to make you the best wife I can be. I’m so happy Seb. Thank you for loving me.”

Seb was wishing he could pull her into his lap but they still had a few more minutes before that was possible. He really did want to head straight into the bedroom and lock the door and make love to her right away but he knew she was still a little nervous so he needed to take his time. He knew that with time, she would be ready.

Finally, the pilot called out that they were above the storm and at cruising altitude and were free to move around the plane. They released their seat belts and stood. Lisa went over to the window to look down on the clouds. You could see over a ways where the storm was. She saw the lightening flashes and it looked incredible from up above them. She took her camera from her small case and took some video of it to show Sammy and Kayti.

He watched the excitement on her face as she was filming the storm clouds. Such simple things made her happy. She didn’t need things, especially a lot of expensive things. She had very simple needs but he wanted to give her the world and because she wasn’t one of the women who demanded expensive baubles and lifestyles, it would be all that much sweeter to give them to her.

After she put her camera away, Seb pulled her into his arms and kissed her.

“I don’t think I told you how amazing you look in this dress. It is beautiful. Are you comfortable in it, or would you like to get changed?”

While she had been filming, he had removed his coat and tie and unbuttoned the first couple of buttons on his shirt as well as the cuffs of his sleeves

“It has actually been very comfortable. Some of the dresses that I tried on felt very scratchy and I think I would have been going mad by now in some of them. The only thing that is a little difficult with it is the length, so I guess I should change so I can stop worrying about tripping in it.”

During the wedding all of Lisa’s cases had been transferred into the limo that Sebastien had arrived in. Mom had sent the box for her wedding dress and they would have it cleaned and stored when they returned home.

When she went into the bedroom, she pulled out a comfortable outfit and kicked off her shoes. She reached back as she was about to remove her dress and realized that she couldn’t undo the zipper by herself.

Seb was pouring them both a drink after Lisa had gone into the bedroom to change. Just a minute later, the door opened and she called to him.

“Yes, Baby?”

“I….Ummm.. I need some help with my zipper. I can’t reach it.”

“Oh alright.”

He moved into the room and shut the door. As he moved around behind her he kept direct contact between his hands and the bare skin on her shoulders, making her shiver at his touch.

“You are so beautiful, Baby.” He said as he lowered his head to her shoulder, lightly kissing her bare skin in several places.

She felt the shiver go through her whole body at his touch and when he kissed her shoulder, her body instinctively moved backwards to get closer to him. He ran his hands from her shoulders and down her arms, all the way down over her fingers, keeping as much skin to skin contact as possible. He moved a hand over her hair from near the clasp that was holding the sides of her hair up and moved down until he reached the bottom of her hair, just below, he found the top of the zipper. With one hand on her shoulder and the other on the zipper, he slowly lowered it until it reached the bottom. He straightened up and with both hands he flattened them on the exposed skin of her back, feeling her softness. Again, he kissed her shoulder and moved up to the side of her neck. He moved her hair out of the way and paid attention to the back of her neck that had been covered, placing tiny kisses all over and then to just below her ear. All the while his fingers were skimming all over her back that was bare except for the back strap of the bra she was wearing. He could feel her pressing herself closer to the front of him as he kissed her.

Lisa’s heart was racing so fast. She was nervous but she was also getting very aroused too. The amazing feelings that she had as he was kissing her and touching her were wonderful. When she was just about to turn into his arms and give herself to him, he stood up straight again, leaned around her and softly kissed her cheek.

“I have a drink poured for us out there when you are finished changing.” And with that he turned and left the bedroom, closing the door behind him.

For several moments, Lisa stood where he’d left her. She was confused. She thought he was about to take her to the bed and make love to her and then he’d just left. Had she done something wrong? Had she turned him off somehow? Well, there was only one way to find out, so she quickly stepped out of her dress and laid it carefully into the box. She dressed and then stepped out of the bedroom. She found him with his back to her and she watched him as he was looking out of the window.

Mom, Dad, and Alex & Urs rode to the house in the limo with Marlene and the children. The ladies had left some of their things there while getting ready for the wedding and they were also going to help to get the children settled. Alex and Mom’s cars were still there, so the limo would drop them off and the driver would be able to call it a night.

It had been decided that Marlene would be alright with the children alone overnight. For the most part, her English had been sufficient to communicate effectively to get her point across with only a few instances of someone not being able to understand what she was trying to say. She was told that if she needed any help day or night to call.

They didn’t expect any problems with Kayti, but Sammy was an entirely different matter. No one had any idea how he would take this separation from Seb and Lisa, especially Lisa. They had gotten so close since he’d been there. Lisa spent as much time as possible just sitting and talking with him, teaching him his letters and beginning to show him how to write, starting with his name. He was so proud of himself and would show anyone around, his accomplishment.

So far he had been alright, especially since he had already gotten to call her on the phone. It showed him that he was still connected to her.

When they arrived at the guest house, Dan and Urs carried the children into the house and Mom and Marlene had rushed in and turned down the covers on their beds. Alex and Mom carefully slipped Kayti’s dress off. Lisa had taken her bow out and Mom had slipped her shoes off and dropped them in Kayti’s bag. It was plenty warm enough in the house so they just let her sleep in her slip rather than take a chance on waking her.

Marlene was slipping Sammy’s shoes and socks off. His jacket had been removed in the limo. After getting Kayti settled, Mom came over and helped Marlene finish getting Sammy undressed and into his underwear he slept in and his pajamas.

Just when they had finished and were about to leave the room, thinking that they had succeeded in getting out without waking the children, Sammy woke up a bit.

“Mommy?”

“Shhhh, go to sleep now Sammy. Everything is alright. Grandmere is right here. Je T’aime.” She whispered to him as she stroked his hair and down his back.

“I need Bob, Grandmere.”

“Of course, Sweetheart, how did we forget Bob?”

Alex who had been standing in the doorway, found Bob on the floor and brought him over and tucked him into Sammy’s arms. He immediately drew Bob to his chest and smiled in his sleep.

When they had succeeded in getting out of the room without the children completely waking up, Dan and Urs were just coming in from moving the car seats from the limo into the Escalade. Urs and Alex would come back in the morning.

After making sure that everything seemed to be settled, Mom and Dad went home and Alex and Urs headed back to the apartment.

“What a great day it was.” Alex said as they were getting out of the elevator in the apartment.

“It sure was. They looked incredibly happy, didn’t they?”

“Mmm hmm,” Alex said already trying to snuggle close to Urs as he was unlocking the apartment door.

“Tired?” he said as the door opened and then he wrapped his arms around her once they were inside.

“Yes, it was fun but it was a long day. ” Being pregnant was making Alex become tired much quicker than usual, although it had been a busy day.

“Come on, I’ll run you a bath. Go get undressed and meet me in the bathroom.” Urs told her as he steered her in the right direction.

When he had the water run and had thrown some soothing bath salts in, he came out to find out where Alex was. She was just sitting on the side of the bed rubbing her still flat abdomen.

“You alright?”

“Yes, it’s just that doing things with the children makes me think of doing all of those kinds of things with our baby, you know getting them to bed and all. I can’t wait for him or her to get here.”

“I’ve thought of the same thing when I’ve been with the children. It is unbelievable to me that in just over half a year, I will be a father. It is a bit scary.”

“You will be a wonderful father, Urs. You are fantastic with Sammy and Kayti. Sammy is really excited to go for that walk tomorrow.”

“I know. It will be fun. He is like a sponge, just soaking everything up when you explain things to him. I really enjoy spending time with him. Come on, let’s go take a bath and get to bed.” He said and kissed her gently.

They spent a while in the tub, until it turned cold and then Urs assisted her in getting out and helped her to get dry. He could tell that she was fading fast. Once they were dried off and he had even turned on her hair dryer to dry some of the hair that had fallen into the water, so she wouldn’t be cold. He helped her into their bed and covered her up, kissing her, first on her forehead and then on her cheeks, and finally on her lips. She wrapped her arms around his neck.

“Come to bed and hold me….. I love you Urs.”

“I love you, too sweetheart.”

With one more kiss, he stood and turned all of the lights off and climbed into the bed beside her and drew her into his arms.

Chapter 73:

“Seb?”

He turned and stepped over to her.

“Yes, my love.”

“Is everything alright? I mean… in there before…I thought…I thought we were going to make love, but then you left. Did I do something wrong?”

He cupped her face in his hands and kissed her cheeks and her hair as he drew her into a hug.

“NO, of course you didn’t. I told you we aren’t in a hurry. We have the rest of our lives to love each other.“ And as he drew back from her so he could see her face, he asked,

“Tell me how you felt in there when you thought we were about to make love.”

Lisa lowered her eyes and colored at the memory of how her body reacted to his touch.

“I felt…good…really good. I didn’t want you to stop touching me…..I not going to lie to you. I am still a little afraid of when….”

“You are afraid it will hurt when we become one?”

Lisa nodded, still not meeting his eyes.

He cupped her chin in his hand and raised her face up to look at him.

“I know that no matter how much I say that I would never hurt you, that the memory of that night is still there and only when we finally do make love and you find out for sure that there will be no pain… only then will you be able to fully let go of your fear.”

Lisa threw herself against his chest and clung to him.

“I’m sorry, Seb. I don’t want him intruding on this very special time. I wish I could totally erase him from my memories forever.” She said into his shoulder as he held her.

“I want you to stop worrying about that. I have known that this would be happening. There was no way around it. We just need to go through it and then hopefully he will be banished from our lives forever.”

He felt her nod her head against him.

“Come, sit with me. We’ll have a drink and relax for a while.”

He had placed the drinks on the table in front of the oversized sofa and when he sat, he pulled her down so that she was sitting on his lap. She leaned back into his chest and got comfortable.

“Did you have enough to eat? I noticed that you weren’t eating very much at the reception.” He asked.

“I’m alright. I may want a snack later but, for now I’m fine…. Do you realize that after all of this time when the minutes seemed to drag until we would finally be married, that now we’ve already been married for almost three hours?”

Seb chuckled at her observance. “We have, haven’t we?” He said as he leaned further back into the softness of the comfortable sofa, taking her with him.

She turned a bit and put her arm around behind his neck and threaded her fingers through his thick hair. He had let it grow out a little bit over the last several weeks. She was glad. She liked to run her fingers through it like this. She dropped her lips to kiss his neck and the little bit of exposed skin where his shirt was open. She heard and felt his low moan as she pressed a kiss to his throat, as her fingers were stroking the other side of his face.

He tightened his hold on her as she was kissing him. He began stroking up and down her back and her arms. As she stretched her body to lean in to kiss his throat and her bottom moved against him, he felt himself beginning to get very aroused and couldn’t hold back the moan that escaped him.

She realized that this spot on his throat was very sensitive to him and she moved back there again and again as she was kissing him. She let her hand drop to his chest and felt the top of his shirt where he had stopped unbuttoning it. Even though she was shaking and very nervous, it didn’t stop her from unbuttoning as many buttons as she could reach. Then she flattened her hand against his chest and moved her fingers over it, her fingernails skimming over the sensitive flesh.

He had been sitting there with his head leaning back on the sofa, just letting her take the lead and seeing what she was comfortable with. He had only been stroking her back and arms while she had been driving him wild with her attention to him. When she began to touch his now bare chest and her fingernails skimmed over his hardened nipples, he couldn’t stay still any longer. He gently but purposefully grasped her face in his hands and captured her lips with his own. He was trying to stay in control and tried to keep his kisses gentle. It wasn’t easy with the way she was making him feel. Her hand was inside of his shirt and moving over to his side, not tickling him but feeling her hands touching him, he was fast losing control.

She opened her lips to him to allow him entrance and he didn’t disappoint her as his tongue explored the warmth it had found. Their tongues were dancing together, tasting each other. When he knew he couldn’t take any more, Seb held her to him and stood, carrying her into the bedroom.

He set her back against the pillows on the king sized bed. She wasn’t sure what to do now. He had left her there to go lock the door and when he turned around, he pulled his shirt the rest of the way out of his trousers and let it slide off of his shoulders and onto the floor. She could feel her breathing becoming ragged. She couldn’t tell you if it was from being nervous or if it was because the sight of his bare chest always made her heart race, or maybe a mixture of the two.

As he took another step towards the bed, he began unbuckling his belt. He pulled it out of the loops of the trousers and tossed it on the chair next to the bed and then he sat on the bed facing her. He stroked her cheek and her hair. He could see the nerves that she was feeling. Her eyes were darting around as if she was unsure of what to do.

“Relax Baby. No hurry, remember?”

She nodded and tried to do as he asked and relax. She reached out and touched his handsome face. She still had trouble believing sometimes that he loved her when he could have had just about any woman in the world. But he did love her. She had not an ounce of doubt about that and she knew that he wanted to make love to her and show her that she had nothing to fear.

Most of the time lately, she had been able to convince herself that she indeed had nothing to fear. But, every once in a while those terrible visions would pop into her head, reminding her of the terror that she had lived through that horrible night and she would feel her blood pressure rise.

He wasn’t pressuring her or rushing anything. He was just trying to let things run their course. He could feel her conflict. She did want him. Her body was crying out for something, although he knew that she didn’t know what that was. But, he knew she was still afraid. He also knew that she didn’t want to be afraid, so that was a good sign. Her boldness in touching him tonight was showing him that she wanted him too.

She ran her hand down his chest and watched as his face changed when she touched him. His eyes darkened and if she touched the veins in his neck, she could easily feel how fast his heart began to beat whenever she touched him. She smiled as she skimmed her fingertips over him.

“What are you smiling at?”

“When I touch you… I can see how your body reacts to it. My body feels very strange right now. In the weeks since you’ve been with me, I feel sensitive in places that I have never known existed.”

“Just wait until we’ve made love. What you feel now is nothing compared to that. I can’t wait to explore every beautiful inch of your body. I want to memorize every bit of you.”

He reached out with just one finger and ran it down her face and then kept going down her throat and came to the top of her chest but didn’t stop there. Still with just the one finger, he ran it down the side of her breast, never taking his eyes off of hers. He saw her breathing hitch and he was about to remove his finger but she grasped his hand and shook her head.

“Please Seb, don’t stop.”

“Are you sure?”

She nodded her head.

He reached his whole hand this time and cupped her through her top and stroked her with his thumb and felt her body reacting to his touch. He watched her eyes open wide as he rubbed his thumb over her hardening nipple. Her head fell back onto the pillow as he awakened new feelings inside of her.

That night on the plane, thousands of feet in the air, with all of the control he possessed, Seb began to slowly show her how much he loved her.

When Lisa woke up she was totally unclothed and wrapped around Seb who was also naked. An arm and a leg were both thrown over him. She felt the color rising in her cheeks as she thought about what had happened between them earlier.

Seb had begun touching her through her clothes. She could tell that he was taking things slowly to give her time to adjust to the new feelings and sensations that he was creating inside of her.

He kept caressing her through her top for a time and then he had slid his hand down to the bottom of her shirt. His hand slipped up under the loose fitting top and encountered bare skin. He had kept his eyes locked on hers, watching for any signs of fear. She made sure that he knew that she was alright. As his fingers caressed the skin on her abdomen and then slid up to her bra, she had gotten bold and reached down to grasp the hem of her shirt and slowly lifted it up over her head. From then on, little by little, all of the barriers between them were removed. Every time a piece of clothing had been removed from her, Seb had taken his time slowly caressing and loving every inch as it had been exposed.

She remembered that she had felt like she was floating as he loved her. Her whole body had been tingling, feeling like there were little electrical surges all over her. She tried to participate and was caressing and kissing him as well, but some of the time she was still in such a state of shock with the newness of the sensations he was creating.

He had taken time to kiss and massage almost her whole body, leaving her in such a conflict of feelings. The massage was relaxing her muscles but at the same time he was arousing her making every nerve ending in her body come alive. She had kept pushing out of her mind the thoughts of how it would feel when they became one. She didn’t want to spoil the delicious things he was doing to her now. Eventually, the time had come and with just a bit more attention that he’d paid to kissing her lips, he began preparing her for what was next. She smiled up at him encouraging him to continue.

She frowned now against his chest as she remembered the blinding fear that had come over her when he had raised himself over her at that last moment before they would consummate their marriage.

He had taken so much time to prepare her body for him and she did want him, she knew she did.

After a deep breath to try to chase away the intense fear, she had touched his face and spoken to him for the first time in several minutes.

“I’ll be alright Seb. It’s ok.”

He had stared into her eyes like he was trying to figure out if it was okay for him to move those last few inches. She had nodded to him and moved in such a way as to let him know it was alright.

Thinking back now to how she had felt and seeing the smile that had come over Seb’s face when her face had lit up after a few moments of realization that there was no pain. In fact there was only intense wonderful feeling as they were one. She was free! She knew now, hours later, that she was finally free of the terrible fear that had stolen so much joy from her. Now she was free to love and be loved by this wonderful man who had given himself to her and had taken her into his heart.

After the first time, they had laid together for a while just basking in the joy they both felt at such a victory. No words were spoken. They weren’t necessary, only the caresses and kisses that inevitably led to a repeat. Only this time she had been much more willing and able to participate and had not felt one instant of fear. He had gotten scared that she was upset when he had felt her tears falling on his chest, until she had told him that they were definitely happy tears and she proved it to him.

Seb had been taking note of the particular things that had driven her wild and used them to take her to unbelievable heights many times through the night. She had tried to figure out on her own what to do to do the same for him but she had also asked him to show her, and he did.

Now lying here in his arms, still feeling the afterglow of their loving, she knew that she was changed forever and even with what Jeremy had done, in her heart she had saved herself for this time with her husband and like she had always dreamed, it meant so much to her now.

Seb began to stir beneath her. She snuggled even closer to him, if that was possible and she began caressing him and within seconds she knew that he would be taking her to heaven again.

A while later they had gotten out of the bed only out of necessity to use the restroom and had also decided to get something to eat so they could replenish their energy.

Seb had stepped into the cockpit to speak to the pilots and found that they were only a few minutes from their first stop for fuel. He had wanted to keep their destinations a surprise for as long as possible but decided that this would be a good time to let her know what his plans were.

Lisa was looking through the cupboards to see what she could fix for them to eat when Seb came back into the lounge area.

“Don’t worry about fixing anything. We’ll get something to eat inside of the airport. We will be stopping in a few minutes.”

Just then the pilot announced that they should get buckled into their seats for landing. Lisa was used to the pilot telling the passengers where they were and their final destinations. She still had no idea where they were landing now or if this was even their final destination.

She looked out of the window next to her seat to see if anything looked familiar. It was dark here and she didn’t even know what time zone she was in now. She looked at her watch and discovered that surprisingly it had been just over five hours that they had been in the air. They had taken off at eleven at night and it was now four in the morning according to her watch. She’d had no idea that it had been that long. “I guess the saying is true. Time flies when you’re having fun.” She thought and smiled as her eyes scanned the surrounding terrain.

When the plane had come to a complete stop, the pilot and copilot stepped out of the cockpit to stretch their legs. They would be taking turns leaving the plane to walk off some of the stiffness and get something to eat. In the meantime the other would be seeing that the plane was refueled and the usual checks performed before they would take off again.

As soon as the stairs were lowered Seb assisted Lisa in descending the steep staircase. When she stepped out into the air she got a bit of a chill. It wasn’t really very cold, just cool and the air was filled with the dampness that came in the overnight hours.

“Are you cold? I can go back into the plane for a jacket if you need it.”

As Lisa looked at her surroundings, she saw the big sign on the main airport building that read LAX.

“Los Angeles…Is this where we are spending our honeymoon? I’ve never been here before. It should be fun.”

“No Baby, this isn’t where we are stopping. We are just here to refuel and then we’ll be on our way again. But, if you’d like, I’ll bring you here again someday and we can explore it together. I’ve done a little bit when we’ve been here but it will be much more fun with you.”

“Oh okay. If we are just going into the terminal, I guess I won’t need my jacket then.” She said and they made their way inside.

“How long will we be here?”

“The pilot said to be back to the plane in an hour. That will give us time to get something to eat and maybe some shopping in the terminal shops.”

Up until last night Lisa had been increasingly enjoying touching Sebastien, sometimes just a quick kiss or grazing of hands as they would pass each other in the house. But, now, she couldn’t keep her hands off of him. She felt a need for her body to be in contact with his in some way at all times, whether it was holding his hand or having their arms around each other. It looked to her like he felt the same, because if they were separated for more than a couple of minutes, he would come back to her and pull her close or grasp her hand tightly in his. This feeling of belonging was almost overwhelming to her and several times, she had to fight back tears of joy.

She had taken a deep breath and when he turned and looked into her eyes to find them shining with unshed tears he got a concerned look on his face. After guiding her out of the flow of people moving to wherever they were going, he took her face into his hands.

“What’s wrong, Love.”

“Not one thing Sebastien. I am just so happy that I almost can’t contain it all and I am afraid I am feeling quite emotional right now.” She said and then some of the tears that she had been valiantly trying to squelch came falling down her cheeks.

He pulled her to him and held her tightly.

“I know what you mean, Baby. I feel the same. The happiness inside is just screaming to get out. I want to shout to the whole world that you are finally mine and you know what? I think I’ll do just that.”

He took her hand and asked at an information booth where he could find an internet café close by. He was directed where to go and he paid for some time and sat in a chair in front of a computer. Suddenly, he stopped.

“Is it alright for me to post it on the forum about our marriage? If you’d rather wait, that will be alright.”

“No, that’s fine. Go ahead.”

Even if she really hadn’t wanted him to do it, there was no way she could deny him anything when he looked at her like he did. But, she didn’t mind. She knew how important his fans were to him and also understood his excitement. She had no one else to tell though. Everyone important to her had been right there to witness the wedding. She sat in a seat next to him while he worked out what he wanted to say. When he finished typing, he stopped and turned the screen so she could see it better.

“How does this sound.”

She read the words he had typed and told him it looked fine. He hit the button to submit it and then they headed off hand in hand to find something to eat.

Sebastien kept a close eye on the time and when they finished eating, they still had about twenty minutes before they had to head back outside, so they went exploring in the shops.

When they were strapped into their seats as they took off on the second part of the flight Lisa took his hand and smiled sweetly at him.

“Are you still not going to tell me where we are going?” she looked like she was pouting; only there was still a hint of a smile.

“Hmmm, I’ve been trying to decide when to tell you.” He said grinning.

“Please…Please tell me Seb. The suspense is killing me.”

“Well, I wouldn’t want that now, would I? Not when you are finally my wife. Alright, I know this might sound like a lot and nothing is set so we can change plans at any time. Someone told me that you have always wanted to go to Australia. I know that you love koalas. Maybe we will see some.”

Just then the pilot told them they could release their seat belts and Lisa threw herself onto his lap and kissed him breathless.

“OH Seb. Thank you. Yes, that has been a great wish of mine. I wonder who that someone was, like Alex, maybe.”

“Yes, it was Alex and she was so excited and I’m glad she was able to keep it a secret from you.”

“Well, that may have been different if I had known that she had any idea.”

“That isn’t all of it. I want to take you back to Paris, to our home there. Like I said, that can change if we find we don’t want to leave Australia or if it seems like too much at once. We can decide that later.”

“Back to Paris..That will be wonderful to go back to where we met. Is that little café still there?”

“Yes I have been there many times since then.”

He was happy that she was so pleased about the plans he had made. He really hadn’t cared where they went as long as they had some time alone. But now that he saw her excitement, he knew they would have a wonderful time that they could look back on over the years.

Carlos and Vicki were up and about much earlier than Carlos usually would have liked on a day when he was on holiday but, today was the last full day that Vicki would be with him before heading back to Spain and back to work. So they had decided to go out and do some more shopping around in the touristy areas and maybe go to the beach once more.

They had had more time together since Vicki had gotten here than they had had in a very long time. It had been really good for both of them but, it also made it doubly hard to think of parting again, especially not knowing how long it would be before they could find time in both of their busy schedules to meet somewhere. Carlos couldn’t remember the last time they had both been at their home in Spain, at the same time. He had stopped in a few months ago for a couple of days but, at the same time she had been off on some concert dates.

They were not going to discuss her leaving tomorrow. It would come soon enough. Today, they were just going to enjoy their time together, basking in the knowledge that they finally had a child on the way and pretend tomorrow would never come.

Grace was still sleeping and David was sitting in the chair in his hotel room scouring the internet and he went to check out the forum and see if he found anything interesting. He immediately saw the sticky with a message from Seb to the fans. He looked at the time it had been sent and figured out that it had only been a few minutes ago.

No one but Simon knew where they were going. He wouldn’t tell anyone. As much as they all liked to joke around, David couldn’t imagine any of them intruding on Seb and Lisa’s wedding night, especially knowing what they knew. But as he sat there reading the message, it sounded like Seb was happy, so hopefully everything was going well with them.

Hello to everyone on this beautiful day. I wanted to pass on the news about the happiest day of my life. As I had told everyone in my last message, Lisa had agreed to become my wife.

Well, SHE DID! Tonight, or I guess I should say last night, with so much help from our friends and loved ones, Lisa became my wife. I can’t even begin to tell you all how happy I am right now. I wanted to shout it out to the whole world and I figured that this was the best place to start.

You are all very important to me and I wanted you all to share in my joy.

We are headed for our honeymoon and NO I am not going to tell anyone where that is. LOL!

Take Care and I hope that you are all as happy as I am wherever you are in the world.

BISOUS,
SEB
XXX

David sat back and smiled. It sure sounded like things were going well. His smile widened as he felt Grace’s arms sliding around his neck from behind and she leaned on his shoulders, kissing his neck.

“What are you doing up so early?”

“Couldn’t sleep. So I came online and look what I found.”

He pointed to Seb’s message and she sighed after she finished reading it.

“I am so happy for them. They really do make such a lovely couple.”

She began kissing him again all over his neck and made him forget what they were talking about.

“Come back to bed with me for a while.” She asked him moving around and pulling him up.

He happily did as she asked and they enjoyed a late morning in bed before they went out to enjoy the Florida sun.

When Sammy woke up in the morning, he went into the bathroom and then out to the kitchen. He heard the sound of the TV on and went to say good morning to Grandmere.

“Bonjour Grandmere.”

“Bonjour Sammy. Did you sleep well?”

“Yes, I didn’t have a bad monster dream.”

“Well, that is very good news.”

“Can I call my Mommy on the phone today?”

“Yes you can, but let’s wait for a while. I think they would probably still be asleep right now, okay?”

“Okay, I’m hungry Grandmere. Can I have some breakfast now?”

“Sure, let’s see if Kayti is awake.”

And so their day began. Sammy seemed to be doing alright. It definitely helped that he had been able to stay in his normal surroundings. Marlene knew that it would help Lisa to relax and enjoy their trip when she knew that he was doing fine.

Chapter 74 :

Urs woke before Alex and he laid there watching her sleep. He gently stroked her hair away from her face and ran his fingertips lightly down her cheek. Several minutes later, she turned to her side and reached for him. She wasn’t all the way awake yet but she knew where he should be, even in her sleep.
He slid over so she could wrap her arm around him and he reciprocated by pulling her close to him and dropped soft kisses onto her bare shoulder. She moaned and snuggled as close as possible to him and he could tell that she was becoming more alert as he slid his fingers over her naked body. Letting his fingers trace a line all the way from her shoulder and as far down her leg as he could reach, he felt her squirming and her hand came up to touch his cheek.

She began kissing his chest and grazed his back with her fingertips and letting them slide down over his backside and immediately felt his arousal.

“Love me, Urs.” She murmured into his chest and he did.

It was another couple of hours before their showers were taken and breakfast eaten. But eventually they did get ready to go. They knew that Sammy would probably be driving Marlene crazy asking when Auntie Alex and Onkle Urs would be there.

When they arrived, they were glad to see that everything was going well. As they thought, Sammy was very excited and ready to go for their walk. He already had the camera that Seb had bought him in his hands, along with his tool belt and hat that he was wearing.

Alex remembered Lisa sending the guys off with a snack, so she did the same and also gave Urs a bottle of water for them to take. He slipped it into the backpack he’d brought with him.

They waited for Kayti to be occupied in her room before they slipped out. Maybe next year she could go with them, but for now she was too little and walking on the uneven ground would make her fall too much. Alex and Marlene waved to them as they headed for the woods. Urs had told her that he was going to walk the same route that he and Seb had taken and then they would explore the property around the house that he and Alex were buying.

Things were moving more quickly than he had thought they could. There was even talk that they may be able to close on the house by the end of the week. It helped to have a little extra money to throw around. People were so ready to assist you if you could pay up front and especially if you threw in a bonus for faster service. He didn’t mind that as long as all of the bases were covered and no corners were cut. He didn’t want anything to come back to bite them in the butt as David would say. He would feel so much better knowing that Alex was all moved in before he left again. He knew that if he left before she moved, that there was no way he would be able to keep her from doing more than she should. He knew she probably could physically do more than he really wanted her to, but he couldn’t help worrying. He had known several women, friends and family members, who had had miscarriages and he had seen their devastation.

He knew that Alex took very good care of herself. He had even gotten her interested in doing some very light exercising with him. He made sure that she wasn’t straining anything. He didn’t even want her to make her muscles sore. She was just doing some short repetitions with very light weights and some riding on the stationary bike at the gym. The employee that had assisted them was told of Alex’s condition and he showed her some of the safe exercises she could do. They also swam laps together in the pool, which is always good exercise.

Marlene was already getting the ingredients together to make some cookies while the boys were gone. Alex offered to help, but Marlene knew that Kayti wanted to get outside to play, so she told her to go with Kayti for now and she’d call her if she needed help. Lisa had showed her where the metric conversions for measurements were in the cookbook if she needed them.

Alex helped Kayti put her shoes on and then they went out to play. The children hardly ever got tired of playing outside. They had so much to do. They could switch from the playground to the sand box and then ride their bikes. Sometimes they had to come in before they were ready, like Kayti when it was time for lunch. She cried and refused to eat at first. Alex took a lesson from the way Lisa would have handled Kayti’s refusal.

“Kayti, if you want to be able to go back outside, you need to eat your yummy lunch that Grandmere made for you.”

Alex could see that Kayti was tired and needed a nap so she only pushed her to eat part of the meal and then after washing her up, she lifted Kayti into her crib and told her that she could go back outside after she had a little sleep. It only took a couple of minutes before Kayti’s heavy eyelids couldn’t open anymore and she slept soundly for a couple of hours.

This gave Alex time to help Marlene finish up the cookies and clean up, only to start putting dinner together. They knew that Urs and Sammy would be hungry when they came back.

Urs kept a close eye on Sammy as they walked the trail. Sammy had remembered to keep making sure that he could see Urs, but Urs wasn’t taking any chances of losing the boy in the dense wooded area. Sammy took so many pictures. He was interested in everything he saw.

On one hand Urs thought he would love a pretty little girl with blonde hair just like her Mami, but he could also see himself with a little boy with curly hair, much like him. He could show him so many things and have fun adventures like this one he was having with Sammy.

“Onkle Urs, is that your new house?”

“Yes Sammy it is.”

Urs had been so lost in his thoughts about the baby that they had gotten there before he realized it. He already felt like it was theirs. He and Alex had met with the couple several times last week. It was a bit irregular, but the older couple wanted to meet the couple that were buying their precious house that they had spent most of their married life in, raising their family.

They seemed pleased that it was a couple and were doubly excited when they were told that there would be a baby to start filling the rooms soon. Urs and Alex were told that whatever they could do to help the sale to move quicker, they would do it. Urs had mentioned having to go away for work and he wanted to have Alex settled before he left.

He and Sammy explored the large old shed that still had some old wood working tools hung on the walls and sitting on the wooden tables that looked handmade with care. The shed had obviously been used frequently when the man was younger. When they had talked, the older man told Urs that whatever he found in the house or shed that hadn’t already been removed, that he was welcome to it.

Urs picked up several tools. They were much like some of the ones that some of his older family members had used when they showed Urs how to use them as a young boy. Some of them needed a good sharpening but otherwise, these old tools were sometimes better than any newfangled tools that were made nowadays. The quality that they were made with couldn’t be compared with today’s mass manufactured tools.

Sometimes he laughed at Alex’s excitement about moving in here. She was just so bubbly most of the time and full of energy. But standing here now and imagining himself living here with her and their children, he could feel that same excitement inside of himself.

“Onkle Urs, can I ride on this?”

Urs went to see what Sammy had found. It was a very old rocking horse, suspended on springs and hung on a frame. The horse had handles where the ears were. This was a very old toy and may have belonged to the old man himself when he was a child. He looked it over and found that the springs weren’t in very good shape and therefore he didn’t feel safe letting Sammy ride on it.

“I’m sorry, buddy. I need to do some work on it to fix it up before it will be safe for anyone to ride on.”

Sammy was disappointed but wasn’t one to start crying over something like that so he moved on, exploring the shed. Urs had told him not to touch anything without asking him first. There was no telling what dangerous things could be in such an old shed.

Urs lifted the toy up onto the table and inspected it more closely and found that with just a bit of fixing up, this could look almost new when he finished with it and it would be fun to work on it. He wrote down what pieces would need to be replaced and left the horse on the table for when he could come back and work on it. He thought it would be nice to put the horse in the nursery when they had the nursery finished.

It excited Urs to be able to do something so personal to contribute to the baby’s room and hoped to be able to finish the horse before he left.

This house was decades newer than Lisa and Seb’s place. It had a lot of glass in it. There were a lot of windows and there was a room that looked like a later addition that was mostly large glass windows that could be opened to let the fresh air in without letting all of the insects in too. Some of the screens needed replacing before the windows could be left open without the bugs gaining entrance.

After seeing all of the woodworking tools in the shed, Urs imagined that the old man had done all of the beautiful wood work inside the house that he and Alex had admired when they first looked at the house.

The house was spacious and had the required rooms that they had wanted, but for Urs especially, the detailed wood work had been what had sold him on the house. There was intricately detailed built in shelving in the den, living room, a room that he considered to make a good office and all of the bedrooms. Each shelf was different in its detailing, making each room individual from the others.

The kitchen had beautiful detail on the cabinets. They were obviously old, but still in good shape. If they could refinish them, then they wouldn’t have to replace them. Urs hoped that would be the case. They added so much to the charm of the house.

He and Sammy finished looking around and decided he’d better get them heading back. Sammy would begin to get tired soon and hungry too although they had shared the snack that Alex had sent for them.

Part of the way back to the house, Urs noticed that Sammy had slowed down considerably.

“You okay, Sammy?”

“Yup.” He said but Urs could hear in his voice that he had run out of steam.

“Come here buddy. I’ll give you a ride.”

Urs hoisted Sammy up over his head and set him on his shoulders and showed Sammy where to hold on. He loved sitting up there. His sleepiness was momentarily forgotten as he had a new vantage point to look at things from up there. Urs couldn’t help but laugh when Sammy started giggling.

“What is so funny?”

“It is very jiggly up here. It’s very fun and I am high up in the sky now.”

Urs gave him a few exaggerated bounces, making him giggle even more.

Eventually the newness of the fun ride was overtaken by the sleepiness of the rider. Urs could feel him slumping lower and pulled him down into his arms, holding him so that Sammy could lay his head on his shoulder. Sammy’s physical condition had greatly improved in the five weeks he’d been here but he still had a ways to go to get to where he should be.

When he arrived back at the house, he carried Sammy directly into his room and laid him on his bed. He removed his shoes, hat and tool belt and drew the blanket over him. When he turned around, Alex was watching him with a smile on her beautiful face.

“Did you two have a good time?” she asked after he had come out and shut the door.

“We had a great time. His enthusiasm is very contagious. We went to the house and looked around again. We found some treasures in the old shed. There are some great old woodworking tools in there.”

Urs didn’t mention the rocking horse. He wanted to surprise her with it when he had finished restoring it.

They stayed through dinner and Alex helped Marlene to clean up while Urs played with the children outside in the yard. Alex stood at the door watching him chase them around. They got such a kick out of running and trying to see if they could outrun the adults. Of course they couldn’t but they usually let the children believe that they were for a while before they eventually caught them.

She marveled at how good he looked even running around with kids. He had his hair tied back and she thought he looked so sexy. Their eyes met as he caught her watching him and she was rewarded with a Blinky wink and she blew him a kiss in return. She was beginning to feel very domestic, something that she had definitely never considered herself to be. Her comfort zone had always been at her job, but that was making a drastic shift lately. Helping to care for Lisa’s children was helping her to gain confidence that she could be a good mother to her child.

Mom would be coming to pick the children up for school in the morning. When it was time for the children to go inside and get ready for bed, Urs and Alex left for home.

While Marlene was getting the children dressed in their pajamas after their bath, the phone rang.

“Hello.”

“Bonjour Maman!”

“Ahhh Sebastien, my son.. How are you? Has your flight gone well?

“Yes, Maman. It is going very well. Have we missed speaking to the children. Are they asleep yet?”

“Non, They were just getting ready to go though.”

“Oh Good.”

Marlene gave the phone to Sammy. He spoke to both Seb and Lisa and also helped Kayti hold the phone up to her ear the right way after she held it upside down at first. Both of the children looked very happy to be talking to their parents. Sammy told Seb all about his walk with Onkle Urs.

Marlene spoke to Seb once more before hanging up. She assured them that the children were doing very well and that they should just enjoy their trip and not worry about them too much. She knew it was inevitable that they would worry a little though.

Seb sounded very happy. She was so glad that he had found true love with Lisa. Marlene believed that they would be happy forever.

On the way home, Urs reached over and placed his hand flat on her belly and kept it there until it was time to get out of the car. She loved how attentive he was to her. And he also showed her that he was excited about the baby which felt good considering how nervous she had been to tell him about it in the first place.

It was still early and they spent a quiet evening enjoying each other and discussing what changes they would be making in and around the house once they had moved in.

Chapter 75:

After leaving Los Angeles, except for a couple more stops for fuel, the travelers were in the air on their way to Perth. Seb and Lisa spent their time either eating, sleeping, or most importantly, they took this precious time to get to know each other better. Not only did they make love, but they spent hours lying in each other’s arms talking about anything and everything, just finding out more little pieces of information about each other and their lives before they met in Paris and in the nine years since.

Occasionally, they would get out of bed and go out to the little galley kitchen to fix something to eat. Finally, on one of his trips to the cockpit to ask if they wanted something to eat, Seb was told that they would be in Perth in less than an hour. He hurried back out to tell Lisa.

When he came out of the cockpit, he stopped and watched her as she stood at the counter preparing their meal. She was softly humming some tune that he couldn’t make out. But, it was the expression on her face that had him mesmerized. Almost every minute since their wedding, Lisa had had a smile plastered on her face. There was no way that he could doubt that she was happy. He crossed the floor and came up behind her, wrapping his arms around her, kissing her neck and as always, she stopped humming.

“Someday, I hope that you will be comfortable enough with me and you won’t stop humming or singing when I come into the room. I love to hear it. You have a lovely voice.”

Lisa turned in his arms and looked into his eyes. She only saw the truth there.

“It’s just that you are a professional singer. I am nowhere near the singer you are. I feel self conscious singing around you.”

“Baby, I am going to tell you something that David said to me several years ago. I felt like I didn’t belong singing with the three of them. They are all professionally trained. I am a self taught singer and didn’t think that I had a good enough voice to sing with them. I had a really hard time for a while just opening up and singing from my heart because of my fear. But, David told me that I had a gift just like them. He said it didn’t matter that I hadn’t gone to school for training. You may not be a professional singer, but if that is what you had wanted to do with your life instead of caring for children then, I am sure that you would have done very well for yourself.”

Lisa was stunned at this.

“Are you just saying that because you love me?”

“Yes, I am saying it because I love you, but, no not just because I love you. I have heard you singing when you didn’t think I heard you, like when you are singing with or to the children and you have a very pretty tone to your voice and I love to hear it. So, please don’t hide it away from me.”

Lisa laid her head against his chest and held him close to her. She loved to sing and did so frequently but to have Seb tell her he loved to hear it made her heart sing.

“Alright Seb, I’ll try not to be nervous singing around you but, it may take a while.”

She felt him chuckle against her.

“Okay. Oh, I was coming out here to tell you that we will be in Perth in less than an hour.”

“Really, that’s wonderful. I can’t wait. What time is it here?”

“It’s nighttime, around ten right now I think.”

“Oh okay, so we’ll have to wait til morning to really do anything.”

“We’ll go get checked into our hotel and get some rest and then in the morning we’ll get right out and explore.”

When the pilot announced that they were landing in five minutes, Seb and Lisa put everything in its secure place and got buckled in for landing. They were talking and Seb was telling her about the hotel they’d be staying at and some of the sights they could go see in the next couple of days. All of a sudden the plane made a very sharp right turn and seemed to be descending rapidly.

“Seb!” Lisa cried out.

She reached out for him and he grasped her hand in his.

“Relax Baby, just do as I do okay. We’ll be alright.”

They looked around and out the windows just in time to see the wing of a large airliner moving away from them as their pilot swooped away from the huge plane.

Just as they were in the position that Seb had showed her for emergency landings, the plane began ascending again, but a little slower than the descent had been.

“Seb, what’s happening?” Lisa was terrified

“I don’t know Baby. I’m sure they’ll tell us as soon as they can.” Seb said trying to remain calm, as he’d instructed her to do.

The plane leveled off and the pilot soon came out of the cockpit to check on his passengers.

“Are you two alright?”

“Yes, I think we are okay. Just a bit shook up. What happened? Baby, are you all right?”

Lisa now had her head pressed against the back of the seat and her eyes were closed. Seb released his buckle and crouched in front of her.

“We’re alright now honey.” He said unbuckling her and pulling her into his arms where she clung to him.

“I am so sorry about that. Another plane came into our airspace for some reason. We saw it just in time to avoid a collision. They will be holding the pilots for an investigation. We’ll be circling and getting back in line for our turn to land. You’ll need to get buckled back into your seats now.” He said as he headed back to land the plane.

Lisa was still clinging to him.

“Baby, I need to get back in my seat now. We’ll be on the ground in just a few minutes.”

He lifted her chin so she was looking at him and then he kissed her.

“I’m alright now, go get in your seat.” She said, her voice still shaking a little and she re buckled her seat belt.

He kissed her forehead as he stood and went to his seat and within just a few more minutes they were on the ground. Lisa didn’t release the death grip that she had on the arms of the seat until the plane had come to a complete stop.

When they were both standing, Seb pulled her into his arms and held her for a few minutes. He could feel her trembling.

“I was so scared.” She said into his shoulder

“I know sweetheart. So was I.”

“Can we get off the plane now, Seb?”

“Sure, let’s go.” He answered and with one last squeeze, he led her down the steps.

A cart was waiting at the bottom of the stairs for them and their luggage. All four of them were taken into the terminal where an airport official was waiting to speak to them.

“Is everyone alright?”

“Yes, everyone is fine, sir, just a little shaken up.” the pilot answered.

Seb and Lisa weren’t required to hang around for the discussion about what had happened so Seb told them that he was taking his wife to their hotel. The pilot gave him his number and told him to call twenty four hours before they were ready to leave Perth. Lisa was more than happy to get out of the airport. She didn’t want to have to see a plane again for a while.

Thankfully, everything was in order for their check-in at the hotel. Sebastien had booked them the Presidential Suite at the Sheraton Hotel, Perth. Lisa was impressed from the moment they stepped out of the limo. Beginning with the entrance of the hotel, the place was gorgeous.

Their body clocks were really messed up. They had just slept when they felt like sleeping and ate when they felt like eating and did whatever else they felt like doing in between while they had been in the air. Now it was almost midnight local time and they weren’t really sleepy. They were also still both feeling the effects of the adrenaline running through them after the scare they’d had.

Seb ordered them a light snack from room service. It hadn’t been all that long since they’d eaten but he had no idea how long before they would be ready for sleep. After he hung up with room service, Seb walked over to Lisa who was admiring the view from the windows. He wrapped his arms around her and began placing the lightest of kisses on her neck, ears and cheeks. She leaned back into him, pulling his arms tighter around her.

“Would you fancy a soak in the hot tub?” he whispered into her ear.

“MMMM that sounds heavenly.”

She was already turning to jelly as his hands had begun their travels over her body. She turned in his arms and pulled his head down so she could taste his lips. She couldn’t get enough.

Seb could tell that Lisa was already very aroused but, he was taking his sweet time with her. He loved to watch as her eyes glazed over as the level of their passion grew. He kissed her once more before he stepped away and went to retrieve the robe that was hanging in the bathroom. He handed it to her and went back into the bathroom and shut the door.

Lisa stood there with a grin for a few seconds then hurriedly began undressing. Seb was up to something and she was impatient to find out what it was.

When Seb went into the bathroom, he was pleased to find everything was there just as he had requested. He went about turning on the jets of the hot tub and checked the temperature to make sure it wasn’t too hot, or too cold. Then he disrobed and put on the matching robe to the one he’d passed to Lisa. When he was finished getting ready, he stood back and checked once more to make sure that he hadn’t missed anything.

Lisa had begun pacing as she waited for Seb to come out. She spun around as she heard the door open. He came out and winked at her and went into the fridge and she saw him smile as he obviously expected to find whatever it was he was looking for and he also wheeled the covered trolley in that had been delivered a few moments ago. He gathered a few items and then turned to smile at her again.

“Give me just another moment Love, and it’ll be ready.” then he disappeared back into the bathroom and shut the door again. A couple of minutes later, he finally opened the double doors and told her that she could join him now.

As she stepped into the doorway, she found that he’d turned off all of the lights. The only illumination was coming from the many little tea light candles that had been set around strategically to give off light but also create a lovely atmosphere. The candles were giving off a pleasant aroma.

“What is that fragrance?”

“Gardenias, I believe it said.”

“Seb, this is lovely.” She looked around at all of the candles flickering, bathing the room in a warm glow. Then she saw the tray of fruit that was sitting on a bed of ice, little slices of pineapple, large strawberries, purple grapes, and several types of melons, kiwi, and papaya. Beside the tray was what looked like a fondue pot, and beside it was a bowl that was generously filled with fresh whipped cream. There was also a bottle of champagne on ice and two tall glasses.

“Come, join me.” He said as he dropped his robe to fall in a puddle at his feet. She did get a bit shy now and then but that was to be expected, especially for a virgin bride. He actually loved it when her cheeks would color occasionally as they loved each other. But she was a willing partner and seemed to enjoy as they explored each other and the many ways they could give each other immense pleasure.

After he stepped into the hot tub, he reached for the sash on her robe, loosened it, and then slowly pushed it back off of her shoulders, watching as her body was revealed to him when the robe slid to the floor to join his own. He ran the tips of his fingers down her bare skin beginning at her cheek and going all of the way down over her breast, making sure to let his fingertip skim over her nipple, watching it react to his touch, and then continued down her belly. Then he reached for her hand to assist her getting into the tub with him.

He sat and then he pulled her down so she was sitting right next to him. She was already feeling very aroused. She was finding that now all Seb had to do was look at her or she would have a thought about their lovemaking and her body would react, letting her know that she needed him. She reached her arm around his neck and leaned in to kiss him, letting her hands begin an exploration of their own as Seb was already doing the same to her. It wasn’t long before they were loving each other right there as Seb held her to him.

Once their breathing was beginning to return to normal, Seb reached back, picking up a piece of the juicy fruit and slowly put it in his mouth savoring the flavor. Then he picked up another piece and dipped it into the bowl of cream, making sure it was mostly covered with it. He reached out with his other hand and stroked her face as she sat on his lap facing him, her legs straddling him. He placed the fruit to her lips and ran the cream over them. She opened her mouth and took a bite and at the same time licked her lips to remove the cream he had rubbed there. He had to lean in and help her. He stuck out his tongue and ran it slowly across first the top and then her bottom lip.

Not only was there whipped cream but, in the pot that was plugged in, was a smooth semi sweet chocolate that was being kept liquid and warm. They both enjoyed dipping the different fruits into either the chocolate or the cream or even sometimes both of them.

Even though they’d just made love, Lisa could already feel the evidence of Seb’s arousal as they played this game he’d created. She was fast becoming aware of the little things that she could do to heighten Seb’s arousal or to take him to the point that he had to finish what they had begun. She was also learning what made her own body respond to him as he loved her so exquisitely.

After a time in the tub, Seb stood and carefully stepped out of the tub, reaching for the large, soft bath sheet and after wiping his face and giving his hair a couple of rubs, he wrapped it around his waist and then reached for the other towel. He stretched out his hand to help her out of the tub and then he lovingly dabbed at the droplets of water that were on her face and then continued to dry her off, taking his time and letting the towel create its own sensations on her body.

She couldn’t take anymore. He was driving her wild with just the simple act of drying her. As he was kneeling before her, finishing his task, she reached down and took hold of his hand and pulled him up and wrapped herself around him.

“Make love to me Seb….Now…..Please Seb.” She begged him.

He dropped the towel he was using to dry her with and scooped her up and carried her through to the giant bed. After depositing her there, he discarded his own towel and climbed onto the bed beside her and began to ease the ache that he knew she felt. He knew because he was feeling the same.

When they were both satisfied and lying in each others arms, they both fell into a contented and peaceful sleep.

Seb woke with a start and then quickly checked to make sure that he hadn’t woken Lisa up. He had been having a nightmare about the planes colliding. He saw most of it as it had actually happened, only this time, the pilot couldn’t turn in time and the wing of the other plane sliced through the body of their plane sending them plummeting to the earth.

He knew even after they’d arrived at the hotel, Lisa had occasional thoughts about the frightening few minutes they’d had, but she hadn’t said any more about it. He could see it in her eyes though. He hoped they could both forget about it now and enjoy their honeymoon.

If last night was any indication, it was only going to keep getting better and better as Lisa opened herself up to him and they were able to share every part of themselves with each other with no reservations. She was already letting him know what gave her pleasure and eager to find out the same about him.

He leaned over her and lightly traced her lips with his finger. He would never tire of looking at her. It brought him so much joy to know that she was his forever. He had never felt such a sense of belonging as when he was with her. Spreading his palm over her flat belly, he hoped that they had created a child in their loving. He couldn’t wait to see her belly growing larger as she carried his child.

She began stirring and smiled when she opened her eyes and found Seb watching her.

“Good Morning Ma Cherie. Did you sleep well?”

“Yes, I did. How about you?”

Seb didn’t want to lie to her but, he also didn’t want to mar their wonderful time they should be having. He had waited just a second too long to answer.

“I slept alright.” He said, trying not to sound like anything was wrong.

“But?”

“But I had a nightmare just a bit ago, about the plane.”

Lisa quickly brought herself back into his arms and held him. She knew how unsettling nightmares could be and how they disturbed an otherwise peaceful night’s sleep.

“I’m sorry. You should have woken me.”

“I’m alright. Don’t worry about it.” He began kissing her, hoping that his attentions would help to change the subject and found it worked very quickly.

She tightened her hold of him as he caused such delicious sensations everywhere he kissed and touched her. She gave him back the same loving attention and they spent the next couple of hours giving and receiving pleasure until their stomachs began complaining loudly. They decided to get up, shower and begin their day seeing the sights in Perth.

Lisa was still having to wear the boot for her ankle and use the crutches or a wheelchair if there was a lot of walking. She wished she could have been out of it completely by now but there was nothing to be done about it so she was just going to have to ignore it. Seb said they would take a cab most places and if there was much other walking required, they would hire a wheelchair for the day. As much as she hated that idea because she would much rather be walking by his side, she didn’t want to wind up back in a cast again.

As they were heading out of the room, Seb stopped and asked her if she had her camera with her. Last night, he had given her a new digital camera with video capability and a 4 GB memory card. Checking her bag to make sure she had put it in there after charging it last night, Lisa found it and assured him she was ready to go.

They stopped in the hotel restaurant for some breakfast before heading out for the day. The food was terrific and plentiful and they both had their coffee and some juice. As they ate and talked people in the room could see how in love the couple was. His constant loving attention to her and the way their hands were never apart for too long as well as the way they looked at each other even when the other wasn’t aware was like a neon sign.

Seb had made prior arrangements that whenever he or Lisa spent any money in the hotel, all they had to do was sign the bill and be on their way. The entire bill would be settled upon checking out so they didn’t have to spend the time waiting to pay each time they ate or shopped in the hotel.

When they exited the hotel, the car that Seb had hired for today was waiting right out front for them. Lisa looked over at him as he took possession of the car keys from the hotel employee. He had obviously spent a great deal of time making all of these specific arrangements, like last night with their little picnic in the hot tub. Each detail had been prearranged and was perfect.

She had no idea what he had planned for today but whatever they did, she would love it just because she was with him. They could have stayed right in their hotel room and Lisa would have been very happy. Lisa enjoyed the scenery as they made their way through the semi crowded streets. Their hotel was set overlooking the Swan River.




He seemed to be going somewhere in particular and not just out sightseeing. He turned at the entrance of the Caversham Wildlife Park. Lisa smiled at him. Of all of the things they could be doing, he knew she loved going to zoos. She wasn’t thrilled, but Seb convinced her to use a wheelchair in the zoo and once they were inside and had hired the chair, Seb opened the zoo map that they had been given.

He was bypassing a lot of the animals, saying they would come back around later. Again, she felt like he was up to something and Lisa knew that she would just have to sit back and wait for him to reveal whatever it was. Mostly, everything was going by in a blur as Seb moved purposefully towards his destination. She was trying to get a glimpse of any signs of koalas in the zoo.

Seb looked at the map once more, making sure he had come the right way and when he saw that he was almost there, he folded the map, sliding it back in his back pocket of his jeans. He made one last turn, coming to the building he’d been looking for.

“What’s in here?” she asked turning and looking up at him from where she was sitting in the chair.

“Just one more minute and you’ll see, My Love.” He said with a wink.

Chapter 76

A man was exiting the building as Seb was pushing the chair towards the door and the man nicely held the door so that the couple could enter. Lisa hopped up out of the chair as soon as he’d stopped. They were in a koala exhibit. All over the walls were plaques and pictures telling all about koalas. Seb leaned in and told her he would be right back and after pushing the chair out of the way, then he went out another door across from the one they’d entered. She made her way around the room, reading each of the plaques.

Of course, since she’d loved koalas most of her life and had read so much information about them over the years, most of the information wasn’t new to her but, some of it was local koala information and she enjoyed reading the new facts. She took her camera out and took some shots of some of the plaques with the new information on them. She was so wrapped up in what she was reading that she didn’t hear Seb come up behind her. He slid his hands onto her waist and kissed her cheek.

“Come with me.” He said taking hold of her hand.

Lisa squeezed his hand in excitement just at being here. He led her through another door that was being held open. She had seen before that it had had a sign that said “Employees Only”. She looked up at him questioningly but he wasn’t telling her anything, only leading her down a short hall and around a corner into what looked like a hospital room.

There was all kinds of equipment to take care of the animals. There were enclosures with eucalyptus trees and in several of them, there were koalas curled up in their usual sleeping positions in the intersection of tree branches. It was almost impossible to see where their heads were when they were balled up so tight.

Lisa would have squealed when one of them stretched and moved around a bit to get more comfortable if she hadn’t instinctively known that it wouldn’t be a good idea to do that in here. She made her way around the room and looked at each of them. She had been to zoos that housed koalas before, but had never been so close to them. You could smell the strong odor coming off of them that some people said made them smell like a cough drop, because of the Eucalyptus they ate.

Seb slid his hand into hers. “Come this way, Baby.” He said softly into her ear. He could see that she was about bursting with excitement in being in here and couldn’t wait to let her in on the next part of the surprise. They followed the employee through another door, into another room much like the other, only smaller and held two eucalyptus trees. She looked into the first tree and didn’t see anything but, when she got to the second one, she saw a mother koala and not just one joey, but two riding on her back.



Lisa knew that koala twins were rare.

“Are they natural twins or is the mom being a surrogate for one of them?”

The employee, who introduced himself as Mark, smiled. Mr. Izambard had told him that his wife knew a lot about the animal.

“As I am sure you know, koala twins are pretty rare, but these are in fact twins. We are keeping them quarantined away from the others to make sure they have a healthy start until we are sure they are strong enough to move out into the other enclosures. We have two large koala enclosures out in the back of the building, which I will show you when we are done in here.”

“Do you know whether they are male or female yet?”

“Yes, just the other day we sexed them and found them to be fraternal twins. There is one male and one female. They are almost eight months old and have just begun exploring outside of Matilda’s pouch for the last few weeks.”

“They have an adopt an animal program here and I thought it would be fun for us to adopt Matilda and her two babies. It would be a learning experience for the children. I know you’ll love educating them about the koalas. They’ll send us frequent information about them and we’ll help to support them for their care and their breeding program.” Seb told her.

Lisa threw her arms around him. “I Love You, Seb. This is wonderful.”

“Would you like to hold the babies?” Mark asked her, knowing it was a silly question when he asked.

Seb turned to get the camera off of the table next to Lisa’s purse and began taking video of Lisa’s encounter with the koala babies.

Tears sprang to Lisa’s eyes. “Really, I can hold them? Won’t Matilda mind?”

“She is very watchful but she has been very accommodating as long as we stay where she can see them.” He said as he lifted first one joey and checked to see which one he had.

“This is the male.” Then he set the joey so it could grasp a hold of the thick vest he had given Lisa to place over her shirt. Then he slowly lifted the female off of Matilda’s shoulder and placed the female on the other side of Lisa’s chest.

Lisa was so emotional at having another of her dreams come true. She knew that Seb had gone to a lot of trouble to make this happen. Not everyone was allowed to come in here and see these babies never mind getting to hold them too. She just looked up at him, smiling through her tears that were making it hard for her to even see the babies.

Seb leaned over with a Kleenex and wiped her tears.

“Thank you, Thank you so much. This is amazing.”

She was holding onto them to make sure they wouldn’t fall even though she knew it was unlikely. She could feel how securely they were holding on through the vest. But she was also enjoying feeling their soft fuzzy fur. She looked into the female’s eyes and it was studying her as well.



“They still haven’t been given names. Would you like to name them?” Mark asked her.

Lisa’s head popped up in astonishment. Could this day get any better?

“Wow, Umm… Let me think…Lillie, her name should be Lillie and the little boy…..…Paris, yes, that’s it. You are Paris” she said kissing the top of the little male koala’s head.

Mark wrote the names down and taped the cards to the front of the enclosure. “We’ll make them some permanent plaques with their names.”

Matilda began to get a bit restless so Lisa reluctantly gave the babies up after giving them another kiss on their heads. She watched them as Matilda checked each of her babies over, making sure they had come to no harm while they were away from her and when she appeared to be satisfied that they were alright, she curled back up into a ball and went back to sleep. They stood for a few minutes, observing the babies getting comfortable now that they were reattached to their mom. She took a couple of pictures and then with one last look back Lisa followed Seb and Mark out of the room.

Mark led them outside and around to where the large koala enclosures were. There were so many koalas that Lisa couldn’t even begin to count. Mark said goodbye and said he hoped that this was everything she’d dreamed it would be.

“This was even better and I’ll look forward to hearing about their progress as they grow. Thank you so much for allowing us to do this.”

“It was my pleasure. We love it when the public takes special interest in our animals, especially when they want to stay involved beyond the actual visit to the zoo. We are in the process of building a temporary enclosure for the three of them once they don’t have to be back in the total quarantine. We are going to set up a web camera and we’ll send you the link so you can see them whenever you want to and you will be able to show your children.”

“That will be wonderful to be able to keep seeing them. I’ll look forward to getting that link.”

He said goodbye and shook their hands and then left to go about his other duties.

Lisa put her arm around Seb’s waist and laid her head on his chest. “I Love You, Seb.”

“I Love you too. I am so glad that I was able to arrange this. It was worth it to see the look on your face.” He said and leaned down to kiss her.

They spent a while watching the koalas. Most of them were asleep, but a few were climbing around and looking for the perfect leaf to eat. Once they were all pretty much asleep, Lisa dragged herself away and they went to retrieve the wheelchair and they spent the next few hours exploring the rest of the zoo.

After the lovely day at the Wildlife Park, Seb and Lisa had gone back to the hotel and had a quiet dinner that had been delivered to their room.

“What do you have planned for tomorrow?” Lisa asked him as they relaxed together in the hot tub.

“Actually, I don’t have anything specific planned for the rest of the trip. From here on out, we will take things as they go and decide what we want to do. I just had to plan a specific time for the zoo so someone would be available to help us.”

“Well, you were wonderful arranging that for me. It was very special and it means a lot that you went through so much to do that. I’ll remember today for as long as I live. You put so much into making today unforgettable for me. But this is your honeymoon too. What would you like to do tomorrow?”

“Well, if you wouldn’t mind, I would like to go tomorrow or the next day and see some of the wine country and maybe look for some special wines to add to my collection to mark this special week.”

“That would be fine. Either day would be good. After today, you can take me anywhere you want to go.” She said snuggling against him.

Her hands began to wander under the water and before long, Seb decided he’d had enough of the hot tub. He stood and once he was out, he held out a towel to Lisa and wrapped one around himself. It didn’t stay on long, just long enough to make it out to the bedroom before Lisa pulled it off of him and let it drop to the floor. She had dried the worst of the water off of herself so they wouldn’t soak the bed.

He was enjoying how uninhibited Lisa was becoming in showing him that she wanted him. She had no reservations about touching him anymore and seemed to be enjoying their lovemaking as much as he was. She was beginning to initiate their intimacy more and more. He gently pushed her back onto the bed and began to love her. Her hands were moving over him and pulling him close to her as he hovered over her, dropping feather light kisses over every inch of her.

She pushed him back so that she was the one leaning over him and took her time learning every inch of him. She wanted to memorize every part of him for those long weeks and months when they were apart. She tried not to think of those times but the thought wouldn’t stay away. How would she survive without him now that she craved this closeness with him? It felt like a drug to her that she was fast becoming addicted to.

They were in no hurry and had nothing to get up early for, so they stayed awake for as long as they could making love to each other, until finally sleep claimed them.

On Tuesday afternoon, David, Grace and Carlos had all said their goodbyes. Carlos went home to visit his family. His Mom was complaining that she never saw him and he knew that she was right, so he figured that this would be a good time, with Vicki busy and he still had almost a month off before they would go back and do the final touches on the new CD. David and Grace headed to Colorado to visit the Millers.

That left Urs here with Alex helping with the children and also doing whatever they could do to speed up the purchase of the house and hopefully get moved in before he had to leave.

On Wednesday, Urs and Alex got the call they’d been waiting for. Everything had gone as hoped with the sale of the house and they were able to get an appointment with the attorney for the closing on Friday morning. After Urs finished talking to the realtor who had called with the good news, Urs began calling around to find a mover that would be available on short notice to get Alex moved.

He found her in the kitchen preparing them some lunch.

“Hey Baby. I have some great news. The closing is set for Friday morning and I’ve found a mover that can get everything moved on Friday afternoon. We can either pack things ourselves or they will come and do the packing, however you want to do this.”

“Wow that is great, especially since I am off all weekend. I think I’d prefer to pack myself if you don’t mind. I don’t have all that much. I do have some things of mine that Mom stored in the attic at home to bring to the house, but there’s no hurry for all of that.”

“Well, after lunch we can go out and get some boxes to get started packing what won’t be needed between now and Saturday.”

Alex called Mom and told her the good news. When she was finished speaking to Alex, Marie asked to speak to Urs.

“Urs, I know my daughter. Please don’t let her over do it with all of this packing. There is no hurry. The apartment is still hers for the next five weeks.”

“Don’t worry. This is why I wanted to have the closing before I left. She can do all of the directing and I will do the lifting.” He said with a smile and giving Alex a Blinky wink to try to diffuse the irritation he saw forming on her face at being talked about like she was a child that needed looking out for. When she turned around and began walking away, he thought she might really be angry until she turned around and stuck her tongue out at him and then left the room.

She was secretly glad that Urs was going to be here. This pregnancy was making her really tired. She had an appointment with the doctor tomorrow morning. She hoped that this uncharacteristic fatigue was normal. But she also hoped it wouldn’t last the whole pregnancy either. She was used to having more energy than just about anyone she knew.

On Thursday morning, Urs went with Alex to her appointment. For the first part they were doing the usual tests and the doctor did a quick internal check. Then the nurse called Urs in and the doctor sat with them and asked if they had any questions.

“How long before we can tell the sex of the baby?” Alex asked.

“I’d say it will be another eight to twelve weeks, since we aren’t sure yet of the dates. But I would like to narrow that down by scheduling you for a sonogram very soon.”

“Okay.”

“Do you have any questions?” The doctor asked, looking at Urs.

“No not really as long as I know that Alex and the baby are healthy. I will be away for a lot of her pregnancy so I just want to know that everything is going as it should.”

“Everything looks fine. Alex mentioned feeling very tired and that is normal as her body is adjusting to all of the changes it is going through. Now if it continues, we will keep an eye out for low iron. I have given her a list of foods she can make sure to eat for extra iron, to help to keep that from being a problem. But usually by the second trimester, mothers report feeling even better than when they aren’t pregnant, that is until they get into around the middle of the third trimester and they report getting tired again and that is from the increased weight and sometimes trouble sleeping because they have a hard time getting comfortable. Please feel free to speak to me about any concerns, no matter how small they may seem.”

They left the doctors both relieved and excited. They had been given some informational brochures to help them understand the changes that Alex would be going through. Alex had asked that if possible, she would like to try to have the sonogram in the next few weeks so Urs could be there too.

While Alex had been getting herself together, Urs had gone out and asked the doctor if their intimate relations could harm Alex or their child. He was very relieved to hear that normal relations should not harm either of them.

Yesterday they had gone and picked up some boxes and Alex had started sorting through her things. She remembered Lisa talking about all of the sorting of both hers and Auntie things when she was moving. Now she understood. You really did wind up gathering a lot of junk over the years. She took this opportunity to bag up clothes she no longer wore as well as some other belongings and on the way home from the doctor’s they stopped and dropped the bags off at the donation box.

They were discussing what to do for dinner. Urs told her if she was tired, he could just take her out to dinner or they could pick something up on the way home.

Alex’s phone rang and when she answered it, she heard a distressed Marlene as well as the children crying in the background. When their attempts at communicating over the crying failed, Alex just told her they were on their way and as soon as Urs heard her say that, he headed for Lisa and Seb’s house.
Alex was panicking that something might be seriously wrong. It was too hard to hear what Marlene was trying to say.

When they got there, Urs directed Alex to go and try to calm the children and try to ask Sammy what was wrong. They were both still crying and Marlene looked really frazzled. Urs motioned for Marlene to follow him outside onto the front porch so they could talk and he spoke to her in French to try to understand why the children were so upset.

“Que s'est-il passé? Maman”

“Kayti a commencé à pleurer. Elle voulait que son père et sa mère. Sammy essayé de l'aider. Kayti n'arrêterait pas. Sammy a ensuite commencé à pleurer aussi.”

Urs told her to sit down out on the porch and he went inside to see if Alex had had any luck in talking to Sammy.

“Hi Buddy.” He said as he sat next to Sammy on his bed. Alex was sitting next to him and holding Kayti on her lap.

Urs reached down and lifted Sammy onto his lap and began a rocking motion that just seemed to come natural to him as he held the boy.

Kayti was still sniffling but had already calmed down considerably since they’d gotten there. Sammy’s crying wasn’t loud but just looking at his face you could tell that he was very upset.

“Tell Onkle Urs what’s wrong.”

When Sammy didn’t answer, Urs told Alex that Marlene said that Kayti had started crying for her Mom and Dad and Sammy tried to help Marlene with her, but after a while of Kayti crying, Sammy had begun crying himself.

“Why are you sad Sammy?”

“I want Mommy and Papa. They won’t never come back no more.”

“Oh Baby, of course they are coming back. They miss you just as much as you miss them. And I bet they are going to bring you and Kayti some special surprises home when they come.” Alex told him.

“Are you sure they are gonna come back cuz I didn’t see them for lots of days.”

“I am very sure, Sweetheart.”

After a while of Urs and Alex talking calmly to the children, Urs took them outside to play while Alex and Marlene finished fixing dinner. Marlene was even less used to dealing with young children than Alex was so she was mighty glad for the assistance in calming them. Marlene asked them to join her and the children for dinner. Alex suspected that she was still afraid of a relapse from the little ones so she told her that they would stay until the children were asleep for the night.

Waiting until after dinner to try to call, Alex dialed Lisa’s cell number. When Lisa answered Alex assured her that there was no emergency. The children just needed to hear their voices. Alex wasn’t sure if talking to Seb and Lisa would help or make things worse, but she believed that it would definitely help for Sammy to get some reassurance from his parents that everything was alright and that they would indeed be home so Alex put him on the phone.

“Sammy? Hi Baby. Mommy misses you very much.” Lisa was trying to keep the tears that were falling down her face from coming through the phone. She didn’t want Sammy to realize that she was crying.

“Are you and Papa gonna come home some more?”

“Of course we are, Sweetheart. I know it seems like a long time but Papa and I are just going to be away for a while and then we will come home, just like we promised. I have some very special things to show you when we get home. Papa got us a special gift and I can’t wait to show you.”

Seb knew she was having a hard time hearing Sammy upset. He just stood behind her and held her against him. When she was done talking to him, she handed the phone to Seb.

“Hi Sammy, How is my big boy?....I miss you too, son. I will bring your Mommy home in just a few more days, I promise. I love you, son. Give Kayti a kiss for me okay?”

Kayti had babbled at them and said a few words they could understand, like school, side, (which Lisa knew was meant to be “outside”). Kayti loved to go to school and play with all of the children and do all of the activities the teachers had planned.

Lisa got back on with Alex who told her that Kayti was alright now. Ever since Urs had taken her out to play she had been fine. But Sammy had been brooding so Alex felt like he needed to talk to them.

“I’m sorry to have bothered you two.”

“Alex, you did not bother us. I want you to call me if they are upset, especially Sammy because I can talk to him and it usually helps.”

“Well, it does seem to have helped. He doesn’t look so upset now. He is telling Marlene what you said about a surprise.”

“Okay, but please don’t hesitate to call at any time.”

They spoke for a few more minutes. Lisa had to tell Alex about the trip to the Wildlife Park, but of course Alex already knew. She is the one who told Seb about her wish to be able to hold a koala one day. Alex was so happy that he had done that for her friend. Alex could also hear that Lisa was just very happy in general. She wanted to ask her all kinds of questions, but knew that now wasn’t the time or the place for such an intimate conversation. They would have plenty of time after Lisa got home, especially once the guys had left.

“Are you alright?” Seb asked after she had hung up.

“I’m alright” she said turning into his arms. “I know he’ll be fine once we‘re home. It’s just so hard knowing that he can’t trust when I tell him that we’ll be back. I don’t like him having to be so afraid.”

“It already sounded like he felt better before we got off the phone. It was probably because he didn’t hear from us yesterday. We’ll make sure to call everyday, even if it is in the middle of our night.”

Seb and Lisa headed down for breakfast and then off to the North a bit to explore some of Western Australia’s wine country for the day.

When Alex returned to check on the children after hanging up with Lisa, she found Sammy giving Kayti a kiss and a hug and telling her that Mommy and Papa loved her and missed her. Kayti threw her little arms around her brother and hugged him back so hard that they fell over and started giggling. All three adults looked at each other relieved that, at least for now, the crisis had been averted and the children seemed to be fine.

Alex and Urs helped with bath time and their bedtime rituals of reading their books and only once they were sure that the children were sound asleep did they say goodnight Marlene and head home.

Chapter 77:

Seb and Lisa drove through the countryside just seeing the sights and taking lots of pictures. They did go to some of the wineries where Seb chose some wines to have shipped home. They returned back at the hotel in time for a romantic 3 hour night cruise of the beautiful Swan River that included a buffet diner as well as entertainment and a little dancing.



Seb had been recognized just a couple of times while they were out and they had dealt with it. Lisa knew that if she was going to be married to Seb that these times were bound to happen and could happen anywhere in the world now that Il Divo was so widely known and becoming more so every day.
So when his fans approached him, she smiled and waited while he signed the autographs and had pictures taken with the fans. She even took some of the pictures for them with their cameras. Some of the fans asked for pictures of the two of them together and she and Seb obliged, but Seb did ask them to wait until the following week to post them so they wouldn’t be mobbed. They were on their honeymoon after all.

At the end of their third full day in Australia after just driving and going nowhere in particular but seeing the beautiful country, they were having dinner at Miss Maud’s Swedish Smörgåsbord restaurant, located inside Miss Maud’s Swedish Hotel.



Seb asked Lisa whether she would like to still go to Paris or stay here, or even if she wanted to go home. He told her that whatever she wanted was fine with him.

“I would love to go back to Paris. When will we leave?”

The whole time they had been eating and talking, Lisa had been running her nylon clad foot up Seb’s leg, leaving her shoe on the floor and tracing lines all over his hands and fingers with her fingers and it was driving him to distraction.

“I’ll call the pilot and tell him that we are ready to go as soon as he has the plane ready, that is if you are sure. It will be approximately twenty two hours flight time to get there.” He said trying to concentrate on what they were talking about.

“If it isn’t too much trouble, I do want to go to Paris, Seb. I want to go to where we met. I want to see your house there.”

“Our house.” He said pointedly, looking into her eyes which brightened as she smiled at his comment.

“Okay, I want to see our house in Paris.”

Seb made the call and when he hung up; he told her that they could leave by noon tomorrow and while he had been on the phone, she had let her hand drop to his thigh under the table and had been stroking it. Seb finally had to grasp her hand in his to make her stop or he wouldn’t be able to stand up.

While he was waiting to get his body under control, Seb made a couple of calls to have the house in Paris opened up and stocked with food in preparation of their arrival. They quickly finished their dinner and Seb went to get the car to drive them back to the hotel.

Once they had climbed into the car, Lisa had begun touching him again and he didn’t really want to make her stop, but if she didn’t, he was going to have to find somewhere to make love to her before he could walk back into the hotel. His trousers had become quite uncomfortable by now. She was fast becoming very good at making him wild with his need for her without even touching him intimately.

“Seb, are you alright? You look upset.” She said as she watched how his brows were furrowed and he was concentrating extra hard on the road.

“Oh no, baby. I’m not upset. I…. it’s just that I am getting a bit uncomfortable here.” He said with a quick nod in the direction of the problem.

“Oh Baby, I’m sorry. I just can’t keep from touching you. I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable.”

Seb quickly pulled the car over to the side of the road and grasped both of her hands in his.

“Lisa, don’t you ever apologize for loving me or for wanting me. I mean it.” He said stroking her face.

He pulled her to him and kissed her, showing her just how much he wanted her. This car was definitely not one for allowing any kind of intimacy so Seb took a deep breath and restarted the car and drove them back to their hotel.

It seemed a long ride up in the elevator to their floor for the lovers. He held her close to him, covering the obvious state of his arousal when some other hotel guests entered the elevator at various floors. It was with great relief that they reached their floor and Seb kept Lisa walking closely in front of him until the elevator doors had closed.

Once they were in the hall heading to their room and no one else was in sight, Seb leaned in and placed a deliberately passionate kiss to her lips and then giggled as he hurried away from her to their door to get it unlocked. Lisa hurried after him, laughing and totally at ease with their playfulness. It felt wonderful to be so comfortable showing Seb how much she loved him as well as how much she enjoyed the attentions he showed her in their loving.

The door to their room had barely closed before the clothes that they were wearing began coming off. At first they were trying to help each other in their haste, but it was only proving to be more difficult as they hurried. Finally, they switched to just removing their own clothes and much later they would find them in a deliberate line from the door all the way to the bed much like the breadcrumbs that were thrown to the ground by Hansel and Gretel in the children’s story.

Later, Seb hovered over her and pushed her disheveled hair from her face and dropped feather light kisses to her face.

“Do you have any idea how much I love you Mrs. Izambard?”

As always, the sound of her new name brought a quick smile to her face. She loved so much to hear it.

“I think I do, Mr. Izambard” she said as her hands that were pressed flat on his bare back continued to glide over him, only now both of their bodies were completely covered with a sheen of perspiration from their exertion.

“I hope you never have one second of doubt about it. I want to spend the rest of my life showing you how much you mean to me. I know that the separations will be very hard for both of us. I want to find a way for you and the children to be able to travel with us from time to time, especially before they reach school age.”

“I’m looking forward to hearing a whole concert. I enjoyed the mini concert the night of the party but there was also so much else going on then too. I saw how the fans that were there reacted. I want to see how whole stadiums of them are when you sing.”

Seb smiled and inwardly hoped that she could always feel this confident in his love and never be concerned about the fans. Some of the women he’d dated just didn’t ever trust him and created some very awkward times between them because of their jealousy and in some cases that had been the reason for the end of those relationships. It didn’t bother him now because all of those relationships meant nothing to him anymore. He knew he was where he belonged, where his heart belonged from the minute he had met her.

His heart leapt with joy at the loss of her inhibitions with him as they loved each other. It only proved to heighten his own feelings for her. She lifted her head to join their lips again. They remained in their room, only calling for room service to eat and showering and dressing just in time to leave to go to the airport the following day.

The unfortunate event on the plane the other day didn’t bother Lisa until they were getting buckled into their seats. She had a feeling of fear as she looked out of the window that she pushed away. That was a freak happening that their pilot had just told them was caused by a mechanical failure on the other plane. She had always loved flying and was determined not to let what happened the other day change that, especially since she was married to Seb, she would most likely be flying frequently.

“Hey, are you okay?” Seb asked her when he saw her deep in thought and knew what she was probably thinking about.

“I am just fine.” She said confidently and smiling at him. I can’t wait to get to Paris. On one hand it seems like forever and on the other it seems like no time at all since that day at the café when we met.”

“I love the scrapbook you made of the trip.”

Lisa gave him a funny look. “When did you see it? I hadn’t even thought to show it to you.”

“Oh I was bored when you were at work and I was recovering from the accident and I am sorry to say that I got nosey and was snooping around.”

“I have nothing to hide Seb, so you can snoop all you want.” She said smiling back at him.

Before they knew it the pilot was telling them they could unbuckle and move about as they wished.

Friday morning came for Alex and Urs and they had a nine o’clock appointment at the attorney for the closing of the house. They had spent the last couple of days getting everything packed for the movers who would be coming just after lunch. Since they had all of the kitchen packed up, they went out early to get some breakfast.

When they reached the attorney’s office, Mr. and Mrs. Newsome were already there. They explained that they were very early risers and had already been out doing errands this morning.

“We are so excited to be moving in today. I’m glad we were able to do this while Urs was here.” Alex said, hardly able to sit still while they waited to be called into the inner office area and complete the closing.

It wasn’t more than a few minutes and the secretary announced that they should follow her and she lead them back to an office with a large wooden table that already had large packets of papers laid out at two of the places. The secretary showed each couple where they were to sit in front of the correct stack of papers. She left the room after asking each of them if they would like a cup of coffee or a bottle of water. She returned with the requested drinks and only a moment later, the attorney entered and wished them all a good morning. Proceedings like this were always a happy affair for the couple purchasing a piece of property and in this case the couple selling, seemed to be just as excited.

Later, when they all exited the office, Urs and Mr. Newsome shook hands and while Alex was preoccupied and talking to Mrs. Newsome, he spoke privately to Mr. Newsome and asked him about the rocking horse.

“Oh, that old thing. My parents gave that to my first child a very long time ago. Is it even any good? I never took the time to fix what was wrong with it.”

“It needs some work, that’s for sure but, I thought I’d give it a go and try to restore it for the nursery but I wanted to make sure it wasn’t something you had missed when you moved.”

“You restore it for your baby, if it is possible and I would like to see it when you finish it.”

“That would be great. I’m hoping to finish it before I leave if I can.”

“Does Alex have a good family to care for her while you are away?”

“Oh, Yes a wonderful family. Her parents live just a few miles away and her best friend that is more like her sister actually bought the property right behind ours last year. We are going to put a private road between the properties to connect them so they won’t have to go all the way around to visit.”

“She bought that huge old estate? What on earth would she do with it? It has been empty for as long as I can remember.”

“Yes, it will be a group home for orphaned children when it is finished being renovated. She has been living in the guest house. She already has two wonderful little ones there, a boy and a girl. She is on her honeymoon presently. She married one of my band mates last Saturday.”

“Well, I am glad that that old place will be used for such a wonderful purpose. We’ll have to come out once you and your lady have finished renovating and have gotten settled and see both places.”

Alex came over and reminded Urs that the movers would be there before long. They said goodbye to the Newsome’s and headed for the apartment. They weren’t going to have to do anything themselves since they had hired the movers. The just needed to be there to unlock the door. Of course Urs couldn’t keep himself from helping the movers to get things into and down the elevator and loaded into the moving truck and by the middle of the afternoon, they were unloading everything at the new house. Mom and Dad met them there to help with the unpacking and while Urs and Dad were helping and directing the movers where to put everything, Mom and Alex were wiping the cabinets out. They weren’t very dirty but it was just something they wanted to do before unpacking her things.

The kitchen in the apartment had been much smaller and when her kitchen items were unpacked she still had a lot of empty cabinets. She had also let her grocery supply dwindle down so they wouldn’t have much of it to move. This was a good thing because they would be having someone coming in and refinishing the cabinets so there wouldn’t be much to move around as they worked.

When they were finished unpacking the kitchen, she and Mom went to find out how much had been unloaded from the truck. It was almost finished and the movers were helping to put into place a large entertainment center.

Things had moved along so quickly with the purchase of the house, that although she and Urs had discussed buying new furniture for the house, they just hadn’t had time yet. So Urs told her not to worry about rushing it. They could always take their time looking for the right pieces for their home instead of hurrying and just buying the first things they saw.

At least now Alex was moved and he could help her to unpack and he wouldn’t have to worry about her hurting herself. He stood and looked around and smiled as he felt a wave of utter happiness wash over him at beginning to create a home for himself and Alex and the first of their children of which he hoped there would be several. He stood there imagining their little ones running around under foot.

“What are you thinking about? Dan asked him.

“Us…Alex and I with our children growing up in this wonderful house.

Dan squeezed Urs’ shoulder. “You’re a good man, Urs. I didn’t think Alex would ever settle down and I didn’t think she would ever meet a man that I would be content giving her to but, I can honestly say that I am happy for both of you.”

Urs looked up in surprise with uncharacteristic tears in his eyes at the heartfelt statement made by his future Father in Law.

“Dan, you have no idea how much it means to me that you feel that way.”

“Call me Dad, Alright?”

“Alright…. Dad” Urs said beaming.

“Is everything alright in here?” Mom said.

“Just a bit of man to man talk, woman.” He said to his wife, trying to sound gruff, but with a grin.

“Dad, you were being nice weren’t you?” Alex asked her father.

“Of course I was.” He said with a wink at Urs and went on his way to see what progress the movers were making.

Marie followed him out of the room and Alex came up and wrapped her arms around Urs, snuggling up against him.

“What did my Dad say to you?”

“He told me to call him Dad. He said he was happy that you and I were together. That means a lot to me, Alex…you know… to have his approval.”

“I could tell he liked you right from the beginning. He wouldn’t be here helping us if he didn’t approve. As much as he loves me, I know he wouldn’t help me do something he disagreed with.”

They shared their first kiss as owners of their first home together and it felt so right to both of them.

“Sometimes I think I should be afraid that things have happened so quickly between us but, I’m not, Urs. Everything feels like it is falling into its rightful place in my life.”

Dan came down the stairs and told Alex that they had gotten the bed set up and Mom had already found sheets and made the bed, so if Alex felt the need for a rest, she could go up to the bedroom and take a nap. Of course, even as tired as she was, she could not be persuaded to go up. She was too excited about getting the house unpacked. Once the truck had been unloaded and the movers were gone, they finally stopped for a break to eat some dinner. Mom had brought a casserole and a salad and of course some treats for dessert. When they were finished eating, Urs told them all that they were finished unpacking for today. He could see how tired Alex was and she wouldn’t stop unless she was forced to.

“We have all day tomorrow to unpack. We’ve gotten so much done already. I don’t want you to overdo it. Let’s just relax and enjoy our first night here together.”

Alex reluctantly agreed and Mom told them that she would be back tomorrow morning and she and Alex would measure the windows and then go shopping for some curtains for the bare windows.

Mom and Dad said goodnight with many thanks from Urs and Alex for all of their help today and after they were gone, Urs swept Alex up into his arms and carried her up the stairs to their new, much larger bedroom. He deposited her on the bed and climbed in to join her.

“We’re home, Baby.” Urs said, his voice sounding quite choked with the emotion he was feeling.

Alex reached up and ran her hand down his precious face.

“I am so happy Urs. I never even knew that I wanted these things, a home, children, You.
Now I feel so full, so complete. I can’t wait for him or her to be here with us over there in their own nursery. Can’t you feel it already how wonderful it will be?”

“Yes, I can.” He said as he began caressing her.

That night they made love for the first time of many in their new home. After Alex was asleep, Urs went downstairs to lock the doors and shut off the rest of the lights before going back up to join her in getting some rest before they would get back to the unpacking tomorrow.

Chapter 78:

The next morning when Urs began waking up, he didn’t feel Alex lying next to him. He rolled over and slid his open hand along the cold sheet where she should be laying all snug and warm next to him. He struggled to get his eyes open and when he did, he scanned the room for signs of her and didn’t find any. A few seconds went by as he stretched his long naked body and climbed out of bed to go in search of her, thinking that she was probably hard at unpacking again even before breakfast. He slipped on his jeans that were on the floor next to the bed.

He didn’t hear any noise and their master bathroom door was open so he almost didn’t look in there.

“Alex?” he called out as he poked his head into the dark bathroom, not expecting to see what he found.

“Alex, Baby? Are you alright?”

He knelt on the floor next to her and ran his hand along her brow. She was sitting with her legs outstretched as she leaned back against the tub.

“I don’t feel well. I keep getting sick but, there hasn’t been anything left for a while and it hurts so much when it keeps trying to come up.”

She sounded so weak and she was making him nervous. She had suffered a bit of morning sickness but nothing this severe as far as he knew.

“Can you stand, Baby”

“I’ll try, but I am afraid to leave the bathroom.”

“Don’t you worry about that. I’ll get you a bucket or something. I don’t want you sitting on the cold floor like that.” Once she was in a semi standing position, he gently lifted her and held her to his chest as he carried her back to their bed.

“It actually felt kind of good on the cold.” She told him as he set her on the bed and covered her legs with the sheet and blanket.

“I’ll get you a cool cloth then. You get comfortable and I’ll be right back.”

“Urs?.....I’m sorry.” She said sounding like she was about to start crying.

He came back to the bed and sat next to her. “Baby, there isn’t anything to be sorry about. You can’t help how you’re feeling. I’ll be right back. Don’t try to get out of bed.”

“Alright.” She said as she leaned back on the soft pillow and closed her eyes, hoping it would help the world to stop spinning.

Urs came back as quickly as possible, bringing gifts of a cool cloth to put on her forehead, which she did, as well as a small trash can, just in case.

“Are you feeling any better yet? He asked after they had sat together for awhile and both hoping her stomach would settle soon.

“Yes, a bit better thanks to you.”

“Can I get you anything, anything at all?”

“Maybe I could try to get one of those crackers down that I’ve been eating in the mornings. It does seem to help some if I can get one to stay in my stomach.”

Later, after Alex had been able to eat a couple of crackers, she fell asleep, much to Urs’ relief. He knew this was a normal occurrence for some pregnant women, but he hated seeing her feeling so bad and especially since he felt like he had caused it. He really hoped that it wouldn’t last much longer and then she could enjoy the rest of her pregnancy. He really didn’t like the thought of her winding up as sick as she was this morning when she would be here all alone, once he’d left. Knowing that Lisa would only be as far away as crossing the property between the two homes, gave him a bit of comfort and also gave him the added motivation to call the people that were supposed to be clearing the land so they could get the pavers in to make the road.

They had had to wait until the closing on the house became final. Now that it had they could get right on it and by the time He and Seb had to leave town, the girls would have their connecting road completed. He made the call and gave the man an added incentive to come and get the job done as soon as he could fit it into his schedule. With close to a mile between the houses, there would be quite a few trees coming down. Being Florida, there wasn’t too much need for fireplaces. So Urs found someone willing to drive a large truck down and turn the trees into firewood and take it a ways up north and the firewood would be donated to someone who would benefit from it. He knew there were plenty of people who couldn’t afford to keep their families sufficiently warm in the winters.

He fixed himself a bite to eat. He would have cooked a whole breakfast for both of them but, wasn’t sure if Alex would feel up to eating very much after they way her stomach had acted earlier. He’d just get her whatever she was up to eating when she woke up. He was glad that she was resting so well. She had really done a lot yesterday. Even though it wasn’t anything physically taxing, she had been on her feet and moving all day. He was finishing his second cup of coffee when he heard a car in the driveway. He looked out and saw Marie’s car. He knew they were coming, but hadn’t expected them this early. Not only did Marie and Dan get out of the car, but so did Marlene and the children.

He opened the door and stepped out on the porch. As soon as Sammy saw Urs, he came running up the steps and jumped up into his arms.

“Hi Buddy. How are you? I didn’t know you were coming to visit today.”

“Marlene has been stuck at the house most of the week so I thought maybe she’d like to go shopping with me and Alex. Is she up yet?”

“Well, she was earlier, but she had a terrible time with her morning sickness and she finally fell back to sleep a while ago.”

“There’s no hurry. We’ll help around here and Marlene and I can get the windows measured and let Alex rest.”

They hadn’t been there long when Alex came walking slowly down the stairs looking very pale. Urs hurried over to her and put his arm around her and guided her to the kitchen table.

“How are you feeling?”

“Better, I guess. I don’t feel sick anymore, just really weak. Hi everyone. This is a nice surprise.” She said as she noticed Marlene and the children. “Welcome to our new home.”

“This is a lovely place, Alex.” Marlene said.

“Thank you, Marlene. I’m glad you came over today and I hope that you are going to go shopping with Mom and me later.”

“Let’s see if we can’t get some food into you first. The curtains can wait if you don’t feel up to shopping today.”

“Mom, even if we don’t get the curtains, I need to go to the grocery store. We haven’t got much in the house to eat.”

“What can I get you, Baby?”

“I think I’ll just start with some toast and jam, please.”

For the next half hour they talked about what they wanted to accomplish today. Priority was to get groceries. Everything else they got done was a bonus. Of course Alex just wanted to do as much as possible including the curtains and finish unpacking. After yesterday, all of the furniture was in place, at least for now, and all of the kitchen and bathroom and most of the bedroom boxes had been emptied. There wasn’t all that much left to unpack. There was so much room here that she hadn’t had at the apartment. She was going to have fun filling it up. By the time she went up and had a shower, got dressed and let the toast settle, Alex felt almost as good as new. She still felt a bit hungry but wasn’t sure about filling up yet. So she just had a glass of V-8 juice and cut up an apple to slowly snack on.

Dan offered to keep the children with him and Urs, but Alex compromised by saying they would take Kayti with them and Sammy could hang out with the boys.

“Are you sure you feel up to going out?” Urs asked her when they were up in their bedroom alone.

“I’m alright. I’ll take it easy today. I promise. Mom wouldn’t let me over do it anyway. If I start feeling bad, I’ll come home.”

Urs kissed her long and slow and she melted into his arms and had a brief thought about staying right here where she was but, they had a houseful of people so what she had in mind wasn’t possible anyway. So, she got her purse and with one last kiss that let him know what to expect later, she headed downstairs to gather the other girls to go shopping.

As soon as the car pulled out of the driveway with the girls going shopping, Urs and Dan got to work finishing the unpacking. Urs was determined to get it done so Alex wouldn’t need to do it. He knew that she would probably change the location of a lot of what he’d put away but, she could put things wherever she wanted to. He didn’t care how she arranged it. She was just in a hurry to get rid of the boxes.

As Urs emptied the large boxes, Dan took them and connected them, opening both ends and lying them along the hallway and showed Sammy his tunnel. That kept Sammy busy the whole time. He took the blocks that Alex had kept at the apartment into his tunnel and was happily building with them. He only came out long enough to eat when Urs told him lunch was ready, and then he went right back in. Who ever said that children needed expensive toys?

Several hours later, when the girls came back from their excursion, Alex found Sammy sound asleep inside the tunnel with a blanket thrown over him from the waist down.

“He fell asleep in there and I was afraid I would wake him if I tried to get him out, so I just left him there.” Dan told her.

Alex coaxed Kayti into the kitchen and told her she could play with Sammy when he woke up. Kayti had taken her own nap as they rode in the car. Marie had pulled the car right up to the door leading into the kitchen so the groceries could be carried right in. With all of the hands helping, everyone else unloaded while Alex put everything away where she wanted it.

By the end of the day, the new curtains were hung with the guys help. Alex was stunned that Urs and Dad had finished all of the unpacking. Except for the boxes that the children were playing with, there wasn’t a box in sight. He told her to feel free to move anything she wanted to, once she figured out where she wanted everything.

“Except for the beginning, this has been a wonderful day. Thank you everyone for helping us to finish so quickly.” Alex said.

Dan and Marie left to take Marlene and the children home so they could get to bed.

“Now, about that kiss this morning before you left. I got the feeling that you had something in mind.” He said pulling her into his arms and pressing her firmly against his broad chest.

“Hmm me? Well, I might have been thinking about something but, I can’t for the life of me remember what it would have been.” She said tapping her finger to the side of her head and she walked away from him pretending to have no idea what he was referring to.”

He reached around her from behind and pulled her back to him with a firm grip and began kissing her neck in a way that he knew would tickle her.

“Stop Urs, I can’t breathe.” She said after a minute of laughing so hard that she couldn’t catch her breath.

He turned her in his arms and kissed her. He started with light, gentle kisses that escalated into the kind that left no doubt where they were headed. They didn’t make it up to their bedroom until much later as they christened their living room as they made love on the plush carpet.

*

Seb woke Lisa with several kisses to her neck and cheek and told her that they had just under an hour to shower and dress before they would be landing in Paris. They had thankfully had an uneventful flight and that made Lisa very happy. She didn’t ever want to wind up afraid of flying. By the time they actually got out of the bed, they had to hurry to get showered and dressed and got buckled into their seats in the nick of time, just as the pilot lowered the landing gear in preparation of landing. Lisa was still giggling, from their antics and almost getting into trouble with the pilot because of their tardiness.

It was midday in Paris, so Lisa would be able to see where they were going and the sights along the way. While they were waiting in customs, Seb saw Lisa’s far away look.

“What’s on your mind, Baby? You look so serious.”

Lisa quickly snapped out of her thoughts. “I was thinking about the last time I was standing right here. I was miserable. I was trying not to cry again. At that moment in time, I didn’t think I would ever see you again and that broke my heart.” She said with a tear threatening in the corner of her eye.

Seb pulled her close for a hug. “You cried, about me?” He felt her nod against his chest. “I was miserable too, Baby. But we’re here together, Maintenant et pour toujours.. Now and forever.”

They were next in line and the man behind them pointed out that they were being called to come up to the desk. “Merci” Seb thanked him and then ushered Lisa up to the customs agent. As he produced their passports, sliding them across the desk towards the female customs agent, he proudly explained in French, that he was home after an extended absence and had with him his new wife of not even a week.

The agent smiled at the couple and finally looked up from whatever had had her attention and she couldn’t stop the gasp that escaped her. “Sebastien Izambard, Mon Dieu Je viens d'acheter Libre, . ”. She tried very hard to gain control of herself and be professional.

“Merci, Madamoiselle.”

She processed them and congratulated them on their marriage and while he was waiting for her to finish the necessary paperwork, he signed a brochure that was sitting on the desk and slid it over to her. She thanked him and told him that they were free to go. Seb thanked her once more and winked as he slid their passports into his carry on bag.

“I’m guessing she was a fan? I understood that she said something about Libre.” Lisa said grinning at him.

“Yes, she said that she had just bought it.” I am really glad that I was able to re release it. So many of the Il Divo fans have been asking for it to be released again and I was happy to be able to give it to them.”

“Hmmm yes, especially your Siren’s Huh?” She said cheekily, not moving quite quick enough before he lightly swatted her on her behind.

Lisa assumed that they would take a cab to the house and was pleasantly surprised when she saw Pierre standing beside a black Mercedes right outside of the terminal. He smiled when he saw the couple and came forward to shake Seb’s hand and hug Lisa and kissed both of her cheeks.

“It’s good to see you. I am so glad that Seb was able to bring you home for a visit.” And turning to Seb he said, “I am sorry. I know that you wanted your visit to be kept a secret if possible but, I was overheard on the phone with you and the word that you were coming home spread like wildfire through the family. They are expecting to throw you that reception while you are here.”

“We can’t do that without Maman, Pierre. I wouldn’t feel right. She is in our home, taking care of the children and we would be here having a party without her.”

“I spoke to her, Seb. She told me to have you call her, which she knew that you would be calling to speak to them anyway, but she wants you to go ahead with it since there is no way to know when you would be able to come back together in the near future.”

Seb took a deep breath. He would have to speak to Maman and make sure she wouldn’t have any hard feelings about them doing this without her. They had had their problems but were working them out and she had been wonderful with the children and from all reports from Mom, Dad and Alex, she was doing a fine job of taking care of them. He didn’t want to create another disagreement between them.

Pierre handed Seb the keys and said goodbye and that he would see them later and find out the details of the party. He knew Seb’s family would not be talked out of having it while they were here.

“Doesn’t he need a ride home?”

“Non, his brother drove up here too so Pierre could bring my car for me.” He answered as he waved to the two men as they pulled out of the parking lot.

“Oh, nice car.”

“I’m glad you like it. I don’t get to drive it much but I like to have it available when I am home.”

Seb took his time driving as he pointed out certain places along the way. Lisa remembered some of the places from before, mostly through all of the pictures she had taken when she and Alex had first arrived. As they came around a corner, Lisa began to see the Eiffel Tower and a huge smile came over her face. Seb looked across at her and smiled.

“I am so glad that you are here with me. I hope that you come to love my country even half as much as I do.”

“Thank you for bringing me back here. I already do love it here, if for no other reason than this is where I met you and it will always have a special place in my heart.” She said as she took a hold of his hand.

“SEB, there it is! That’s it, isn’t it? Le Bastille, the café… the one where we met?”



“Yes, my love, it is. You have a good memory.”

“How could I ever forget? I even remember where I was sitting, where you were sitting when Alex went over to speak to you, and where you sat at our table when you joined us.”

“I remember too. We’ll come back tomorrow for lunch, alright?” he said giving her hand a squeeze.

“Okay.” She said excitedly. “I can’t wait to tell Alex that I already saw it.”

Seb chuckled at her enthusiasm.

“How much further to your……I mean our house?” She grinned and amended her statement when he began to give her a look.

“It’s just another few minutes.”

His phone rang and when he looked at the screen to see who was calling, he shook his head. “And so it begins.”

Seb’s extended family always seemed to get wind of when he was home and would barely let him get off of the plane before they were calling to find out when they could see him. This time however, their urgency was tenfold since they knew that he wasn’t coming alone. He was bringing his new wife with him and they were more than just a bit curious to meet her and make sure that she was worthy of their Sebastien and not some woman eager to get into the limelight or his bank account.

Marlene had called home since she had been in the U.S. and told her sister all about Lisa and the children and that she was very pleased with his choice for a wife. She had said that Lisa was nothing like some of the other girls he had dated and brought home for inspection. She told her that the children were wonderful and already called her Grandmere.”

“Bonjour, Aunt Cecilia. Oui, Lisa est ici avec moi. Oui, Je te donnerai un coup de fil au matin. Je T’aime. Au revoir”

After hanging up, he explained that it had been his mother’s sister, his Aunt Cecilia and she was already trying to tie them down for the party.

“Maybe I’ll call her back after we’ve had a chance to unload the car and settle in for a few minutes. I guess we really do need to know when they are going to do this so we can make the rest of our plans. I am going to call Maman first though and make sure it is really okay with her.”

They had left the heart of the city behind and Seb had driven for a bit longer before reaching up on the visor and pushing a button. Lisa saw that ahead of them a gate began to open, much like the one leading into their driveway in Florida.



The landscaping was beautiful. Lisa tried to take everything in and finally decided that she would have to come out and take a leisurely walk and explore the grounds to get the full picture of it.

They came around the curve in the drive and into view came the house and Lisa gasped at the sight of it.

Chapter 79:



“Seb, it’s lovely.”

“Do you really think so? I like it. I bought it with the intention of having a family one day. In the meantime, it was great for me and the guys to have somewhere besides a hotel to stay at when we were in town. Urs also has a house in France but it is a ways from here.”

“I can’t wait to see the inside of it.” She said as he pulled to a stop in front of the house.

“He chuckled, “I’ll have the door open in just a minute. Wait for me though. There is something I need to do before you go inside.”

“Alright.” Lisa waited as patiently as possible. She figured that Seb had to turn off an alarm or something.

He brought some of the bags to the doorstep and unlocked the door. Reaching inside, he did shut an alarm off but still had the doorway blocked so that she couldn’t come inside yet. When she was about to burst from her excitement, Seb turned around and with no words, he scooped her up causing her to squeal from the shock of his quick movements.

“Bienvenue à la maison, Welcome home, Ma Cherie. Je Taime.” Seb said before kissing her and holding her close against him.

As he turned to get them through the doorway, Lisa just looked around as Seb continued to hold her and turned slightly so she could see all around the entryway.




“Seb, this is beautiful. Look at the iron work of the staircase. It’s fantastic. You can put me down if I’m getting too heavy, you know.”

“You aren’t too heavy and I like holding you.”

“I like it too, as long as you aren’t hurting yourself. I’m still concerned about your ribs. I’ve seen you wince a few times this week, you know, even though you’ve tried to hide it.”

“I promise, if something hurts, I won’t do it, alright?” he said and placed a kiss on the tip of her nose.

“Okay.” She said looking at him suspiciously as if she didn’t quite believe him. But in a few seconds he did lower her feet to the floor but kept a hold of her hand.

They walked through so she could see the rest of the downstairs. Lisa loved it. It was so light and airy inside and plenty of room.




They went through the French doors leading out onto the back patio, wandering around the outside of the house for a bit and then Seb went to retrieve the rest of the luggage from the car and took it upstairs, leaving Lisa to acquaint herself with their Paris home.

When Seb had left to finish bringing in the luggage, Lisa quickly dialed the phone, impatiently waiting for the extra time an international call takes to connect.

“Alex? Hi, how is everything? ….You did?...All moved in? Wow, that’s great. I am so happy for you. I know what it feels like to own your own place. I already saw the café where we met Seb.……I’m so excited to be here again…. I will take loads of pictures. How are my babies doing? …..Oh, that’s good. I’m sure she appreciated getting out of the house for a while with you and Mom. I’m going to call them in a few minutes before they go to bed…. I’m sorry that I’m not there to help you getting moved in like you helped me.”

Laughter could be heard on both ends of the line.

“You’re right, I’m not sorry. I am here with Seb, exactly where I belong. Yes, we are having such a wonderful time. I’ll tell you everything when we get home…I’ve been keeping a journal just like on our Paris trip nine years ago….Yes, a complete journal, why? No, you can’t read THOSE parts, well maybe, we’ll see….. How are you feeling lately? I know that you seemed tired at the reception……. That must have been awful feeling so sick. Get some extra rest tonight and take care of yourself…. Tell Urs hello from us… I love you too, Alex. See you soon.

She had wandered back outside while she was talking to Alex and that is where Seb found her when he went looking for her. She hung up and was looking at the flower beds that were rather bare.

“Is everything alright at home?”

“Yes, just fine. Alex and Urs got all moved into their house yesterday.”

“Hey that’s great. I know you’ll be happy having her right behind our house.”

“I will. She said Urs is already scheduling the men to come out and clear the land for the new road.”

“Good…It needs some flowers out here, but I haven’t been here very much since I bought it, just a few days here and there.”

“When did you buy it?”

“Just over a year ago, once I realized that I really could afford it. The four of us spent even the first couple of years not quite believing that the success we were having was something that would last for an extended time but, with each passing year we are finding out how many people are enjoying our music, even with all of the negative reports about the type of music we sing and being a “manufactured boy band.” “I’ve still tried to invest wisely and be careful with most of my spending so I won’t wind up with no money if Il Divo should end all of a sudden.”

“Oh, I can’t even imagine that, Seb.”

“Well, I can’t either most of the time, but you never know, so I like to be prepared. I never want to have to go back to living the way I lived growing up, especially now that I have you and the children to take care of.”

“You do realize that I am not without money either, don’t you? I’m sure that I don’t have near what you have, since I’ve spent what I have on renovating the house, but like you, I’ve tried to be wise with my spending. I not only had my inheritance from Auntie but, my parents both left me money. Auntie never touched it. I only used a portion of it to go to college.”

“Well, I’ll never touch your money. It is my responsibility to take care of you and the children now. That is for you to spend however you see fit for you or the children. The group home is being taken care of now so I want you to save the rest of your money for whatever you want to do with it.”

Lisa could see where an argument could be started and she quickly changed the subject. She could have told him that it was their money, not just hers and that is the way she truly felt, but she could see that Seb was very adamant about his responsibility to her and the children and knew his father had walked out on him and his mother, forgetting his responsibilities. So she wasn’t going to push the issue with him. There was no need. She would find ways to make theirs lives better with the money that had been left to her. One thing she wanted to do was start a college fund for each child beginning with Sammy and Kayti and as each child joined their family whether it was through the group home or one that was born to them, a college fund would be started for them. Education was very important to her and every child needed to have the opportunity, if they desired to go to school beyond the required twelve years.

Seb took her inside and up the stairs to show her the rest of the house. It had four bedrooms and three bathrooms upstairs including the master suite, complete with what was probably a nursery. Downstairs had been another bedroom and one and a half bathrooms. The whole of the upstairs had access to the balcony that went almost all the way around the house, excluding the very middle of the front. In the back of the house, the balcony created a very nice overhang for the patio, giving shade and protection from the elements if you cared to sit outside at the wrought iron tables enjoying the fresh air. They stepped out through the French doors in their master bedroom out onto the balcony and the view took Lisa’s breath away.

“As much as I love the rest of the house, this view is what sold me on the house. Wait until you see it in the springtime. When everything is blooming it is amazing here. See over there? That is an offshoot of the Seine running through our property.”

“Wow Seb, this whole place is just amazing. I love it.”

“I hoped that you would, Baby.”

He stood behind her with his arms around her and she leaned back against him as they looked out over the property together just listening to the sounds of the birds chirping, singing their songs to each other and insects that were buzzing around the yard and along the edge of the stream, as well as the small fish that jumped to try to catch those insects that dared to fly low enough to be caught for their dinner.

Hating to break the spell that it felt like they were under, Seb suggested that they make their phone call to Maman and the children before it got any later and the children would be in bed.

Lisa agreed and they sat at one of the little tables on the balcony and Seb held her hand and called, speaking to his mother in French to make sure he and his mother had a clear understanding. He let her know that he was putting the phone on speaker so he and Lisa were both listening even though Lisa couldn’t understand everything. He told her that he knew about the party the family wanted to throw for them and he asked her how she felt about them going ahead with it while she wasn’t there to participate. She promised him that as much as she would like to be there, she knew it could be months before Seb would have the time to bring Lisa back so they could have the reception for them with their family in France. In the end, Seb agreed to let them go ahead with it and told his mother that he would call Aunt Cecilia and let her know. He also told her that he would miss her which made her cry.

Changing the subject and switching to English, he asked her how the children were and not knowing that Lisa had spoken to Alex, she told him about their day shopping and spending time at Urs and Alex’s new home and how pleased she was that Marie thought to include her today. Marlene put each of the children on and watched as Sammy first coaxed Kayti on what to say to Mommy and Papa on the phone, telling them in Kayti speak about her day shopping. The only word that Lisa really understood in all of her babble was “purse”. Maman told them that Kayti had gotten a new purse for herself at the store and hadn’t put it down since Alex bought it for her, carrying it in the crook of her arm just like a little lady. She told them that Alex had had to lift Kayti up to the sales clerk so she could scan the price tag because Kayti didn’t want to let the purse go long enough for them to pay for it. Sammy of course was able to communicate much better and told them about the box tunnel that Grandpa had made him to play in and he even took his nap in there too.

“I miss you Mommy and Papa. Will you come home very soon yet?”

“We miss you too baby. We will be home in a few more days. I can’t wait to show you all of the pictures we have taken on our trip. We have seen so many wonderful things. Papa has brought me to our house in France, the country where he grew up and where Grandmere still lives.”

“But Grandmere lives with us now too.”

“Yes, sometimes she will stay with us when she comes to visit, but her home is here in France. Someday maybe Papa will bring us all here again together.”

“Okay Mommy”

Lisa couldn’t tell if Sammy was upset or just tired. She whispered to Seb for him to ask his Mom in French if Sammy was alright. As soon as Seb asked her, Sammy jumped in and answered.

“I’m not going to cry Mommy. I’m trying to be a big boy.”

Lisa and Seb looked at each other in shock. Sammy had been learning some words in French and with Marlene there, he had been getting French lessons from her as well and even from Urs from time to time. He was obviously picking it up faster than any of them had realized.

“Sammy, I am so proud of you. You are a very smart boy.” Seb told him.

“I can write my whole name now.”

You can? I can’t wait to see it when we get home. Are you helping Grandmere with Kayti?” Lisa said.

“Yes, and she is doing a yawn so she is tired. I think I’m tired too but I have to help Grandmere read Goodnight Moon to Kayti before we go to bed.”

“We will let you go do that then and we will call you again tomorrow, alright son?”

“Alright Papa.”

“We love you both. Sammy can you give Kayti a big kiss and a hug for us? I sure miss my kisses and hugs from both of you.”

They could hear Kayti giggling as Sammy kissed and hugged her.

“Goodnight my loves. You be good for Grandmere.”

“Goodnight Mommy and Papa.”

“Night night Mama Papa.” Kayti added.

They spoke to Maman for another minute and she told them that the children were doing fine and Marie would be picking them up for school in the morning. Seb heard the sigh that escaped from Lisa after they hung up.

“I miss them too.” He said and leaned over to wrap her in a hug.

“How did they dig their way into our hearts in so short a time? Sometimes I can’t even imagine what my life was like before I had them with me. How empty my life must have been without them and especially without you.” She said as she rested her cheek on his shoulder.”

“It’s only going to get better from here, My Love. Let’s go see what we have for food to make some dinner. I’m going to head down to the wine cellar and pick out something really special once we decide what we’ll fix.”

Sebastien called his Aunt while they were rummaging through the cabinets and fridge to see what they wanted for dinner. By the time he hung up, his aunt had explained that she had put everyone on standby, including the place they would go for the party, just in case they didn’t make it to Paris after all. But since they were here, the party would be held the day after tomorrow and he knew whatever other plans most of his extended family had, they would be there to celebrate his marriage.

After eating dinner and cleaning up, they just relaxed and enjoyed being together. Seb felt wonderful being in his own house and not just a hotel and hoped that in time, Lisa would feel comfortable here like it was her home too, even though their main home would be in Florida.

Seb’s phone rang several times while they were trying to talk. It was his relatives trying to speak to him to get information about the wedding and Lisa and after the fourth call, Seb turned his phone off, making sure that Lisa’s was on in case of an emergency at home. They would all meet her at the party and find out for themselves what she was like. Didn’t they realize that he was on his honeymoon?

They made it an early night and after locking up and shutting off all the lights to make sure people got the message that they were either in bed or not home if by chance some of them decided to drop by, Seb led Lisa up the beautiful staircase to their bedroom. As soon as he shut the door, he turned to her and saw one of her shy smiles that she still got once in a while. He thought it was cute. But it never took her long to lose her shyness and their passion would ignite. Sometimes it was like a slow burn building up gradually until it was strong, and other times it was like an unstoppable force right from the beginning that neither of them could control and would not be stopped until both of them were completely satiated and exhausted.

Tonight they took a leisurely bath together, Seb sitting behind her in the large tub as he held her and they caressed each other and talked and kissed until the water had turned cold, then he helped her out and they dried each other off taking advantage of every opportunity to touch each other and it wasn’t long before the need to be connected was overwhelming to them both. He led her to their bed and turned down the sheets waiting for her to slide into them and then joining her, he leaned over her and began laying a trail of hot kisses everywhere he could touch. It never ceased to amaze her how he could make her feel like she was physically melting away and at the same time she felt an unbelievable need to love him in return.

Eventually they were both spent and slept peacefully until morning, when the sounds of the birds singing and the rays of the sun shining in the windows where they had neglected to draw the blinds the night before woke them treating them to the realization that it was yet another day of bliss for them. Neither had ever been as happy as they were at this point in their lives.

Urs came around the corner of the house looking for Alex. She had gone out to take inventory of what they had for plants that were still in good shape, look at areas that might need a little sprucing up with some new flowers or maybe even a small tree or bush. He heard her before he saw her. The sound of someone retching always made his stomach do some turning of its own. He took a deep breath and continued on to find her and make sure she was alright.

“Alex… Baby.. are you alright?”

She held up one finger, wordlessly asking for a minute as she tried to catch her breath and make sure that her stomach was finished turning upside down on her. At least she had been outside. It came on so suddenly and violently that she had had no time move, never mind make it to the bathroom. So she had fertilized the bushes.

Urs grabbed one of the lawn chairs and helped her to sit down.

“Can I get you anything, a cold cloth, some water?”

“Maybe some water so I can rinse my mouth out. Thank you.”

Urs sat next to her after he brought the glass of water and the cloth to wipe her face. She had said it made her feel better last time to have the coolness on her face.

“Better?”

She nodded, still not trusting to speak or she might look like Linda Blair in the Exorcist again.

A few minutes later, she began to feel much better and moved to go back to what she was doing before she got sick.

“Hey, this can wait, you know, if you need to go lie down and rest for a while.”

“Urs, I’m not spending seven more months just lying around. There is so much to do around here. I need to get it done when I am not at work and before I get so big that it is hard to move around. I’ll stop when I absolutely have to but I’m much better now. When my stomach has had a little more time to settle, I’ll go get something to eat.”

Only the phone ringing stopped Urs from saying something that probably would have gotten him into trouble. While they had been unpacking when the girls had gone shopping, Dan had given Urs some pointers on dealing with Alex and just as important, how to deal with a pregnant woman. He had double the trouble with a pregnant Alex. He was going to have to try to carefully pick his battles with her. He really didn’t want to argue with her at all. He supposed if she really didn’t feel well, she would go lie down on her own so it was a good thing he hadn’t had time to continue the conversation.

When he answered the phone, he only heard a flurry of French, which thankfully he understood or it could have been much longer before he knew what Marlene was so upset about.

“Marlene…. Maman..Please slow down. Are you sitting down?.. Well, do it. Sit down, take a deep breath and tell me what is going on.”

“Sammy… I can’t find Sammy anywhere.”

Urs’s first instinct was to panic just as Marlene was doing. Then he remembered the day he went missing and was hiding right in his bedroom closet because he was afraid of Carlos’ voice.

“Calm down. We’ll find him. Did you ask Kayti where he is? She might know where he is hiding. He’s done this before when he was afraid. Yes, that’s right… Go check all the closets and make sure to look really good. If he’s afraid, he’s very good at making himself invisible.”

Urs tried to remain calm while Marlene did as he asked her and looked extra good in the closets and the laundry room.

Alex was in the reclining lounge chair leaned all the way back and relaxing while Urs was gone and hoping that her sickness was over for the day. Her eyes were closed as she tried to think about good things to calm her stomach down faster.

“Hi Auntie Alex. I came to visit, so I can play in my big box tunnel.”

Alex’s eyes popped open and she looked into the face of Sammy. He was dirty but looking very happy.

“Hi Sammy, Where are Grandmere and Kayti?” she asked expecting them to come walking around the corner, maybe even with her mom who would have picked them up.

It was a long walk but, if Marlene had put Kayti in the stroller, she might have walked around to the house by the road, but she wouldn’t have been able to push the stroller through the woods between the properties.

“Grandmere was washing the dishes from after we ate our breakfast and Kayti was playing blocks.”

“Wait a minute, Sammy. Are you telling me that you walked through the woods all alone?”

“I know the way. Papa and Onkle Urs broughted me here two times already. I watched the sticks that Onkle Urs and Papa sticked into the ground.”

“I know, Baby but Grandmere is probably worried about you if she can’t find you. Come on.” She took his hand and was heading for the house to call Marlene. Her nausea was threatening to return for an entirely different reason.

“I brought a snack and juice box in case I gotted hungry or thirsty.” Sammy continued to show how proud he was that he had come all alone.

Alex was trying really hard not to have an outburst of frustration at him. He had no idea that what he had done was wrong and she had to handle this delicately. At least he hadn’t tried to bring Kayti along.

Just as she was heading in the door with Sammy in tow, Urs had his arm outstretched to open the door to come out and tell her that they needed to go to look for Sammy. He looked down at the little boy, who was still smiling.

“Sammy, how did you get here?”

“I telled Auntie Alex. I came to play with my box tunnel. I looked for the sticks that have the red on them, that you and Papa sticked in the ground.” Urs took a deep breath and then put the phone back up to his ear.

“Marlene? Yes, he’s here. He walked through the woods. No, He’s fine. We’ll bring him home. Sit down and take a break. I know that you were afraid.”

When Urs hung up the phone, he sat heavily into the kitchen chair. Sammy had climbed into the kitchen chair next to him and was taking his snack and juice box out. The realization that Sammy could have gotten lost or hurt or snatched by someone was hanging in the air between them.

“Sammy, look at me, son.” He said and slid Sammy’s snack away from him so that he would have the boy’s undivided attention.

He took a deep breath. This parenting stuff was hard. How firm should he be without scaring the boy? But shouldn’t he scare him so he would be afraid to go by himself again? He just wasn’t sure.

“Sammy, Grandmere just called me. She was very upset. She was crying because she was afraid when she couldn’t find you.”

Urs knew that he had Sammy’s attention when his face became serious.

“I don’t want Grandmere to cry.”

“Well…. Sammy… you have to ask an adult when you want to go somewhere and they will tell you if it is alright or not. Do you understand? You could have gotten hurt or lost and we wouldn’t have been able to find you because we didn’t know that you went into the woods.”

Sammy’s happy face was now anything but happy.

“Are Mommy and Papa going to be angry at me?”

“I think they will be scared at first when we tell them. But you are going to tell them that you will never go anywhere without asking an adult ever again, right?”

He nodded his head.

“Sammy? I need you to promise Onkle Urs, a very serious promise that you won’t.”

“I Promise, Onkle Urs. I won’t never again.”

“Good. Now that that is settled. Here’s your snack. Eat up and then we will take you back to your Grandmere. I think that she will need a very big hug and for you to tell her that you are sorry for making her scared.”

“Okay” he said, his voice sounding choked up and a tear falling onto his cracker.

“Sammy, you don’t need to cry. As long as you understand what Onkle Urs told you, alright?” Alex said, pulling him over onto her lap and hugging him.

She slid his snack over in front of her and let him eat it while she held him. She was still more than a bit afraid herself when the thought of all the things that could have happened raced through her mind.

Urs stood and kissed the top of her head, deftly reading the signs of her fear and then he went to get his keys and wallet so they could take Sammy home.

When they got to the house, Sammy ran to Marlene and hugged her legs.

“I’m sorry Grandmere. I won’t go nowhere all by myself never again unless I ask a dult. I promise.”

The three “dults” as Sammy had called them, sat down together and discussed if Sammy should have some sort of punishment for what he’d done. When they were done, they had decided that they felt that Sammy understood now that he couldn’t do that again. It wasn’t as if he had done something that he knew was wrong. They all just breathed a sigh of relief that it had had a happy ending.

Chapter 80:

When Seb and Lisa got themselves out of the house and began driving through Paris, they spent the day leisurely strolling through markets and shops. He wanted her to have a new dress for the party. She told him that she would wear something she’d brought. But he was keeping his eye out for the perfect dress.
She had looked fabulous in the dress that Alex had given her and once she had it on, she seemed to like it. He just had to give her a little nudge in that direction. Not that she dressed like a prude or anything but the type of dress she had worn that night was not one she would have chosen for herself.

He saw it. He just had to get her in the shop to try it on. He steered her around some other shoppers and into the dress shop.

“Seb, what are you doing?”

“Would you do something for me?”

“You know that I would do anything for you.”

“Please, try this dress on.” He said excitedly and his eyes pleading.

She looked at him for a long moment, thinking that they had already discussed the dress for the party. She had just told him that she would do anything for him and all he’d asked was for her to try it on. So she looked on the rack, found the correct size and looked for the changing room.

“Come show me when you have it on.” He said smiling at his success in even getting her to try it on.

She slipped on the red dress. It was a halter style dress that scooped down to the wide sash at the waist and it had a flower pin that sat at the bottom of where the bodice came back together. She ran her hands down the soft material and looked in the full length mirror at her reflection. Like the dress she wore the night Seb proposed, this dress showed a bit more cleavage than she would usually show. But, the dress was comfortable and covered enough so that she didn’t feel like a hussy. She stepped out of the changing room.

“Seb, what do you think?” She said as he had his back to her.



He spun around and when he saw her, he whistled loud enough that the other patrons in the store all turned to look at what was going on. The clerk came over and started speaking in rapid French.

“Votre femme est très belle dans cette robe”

All Lisa could do was stand there and wait for her to finish and ask Seb for a translation.

“She said that you look very beautiful in that dress, and I agree. Please let me get it for you.”

She looked down at the dress and then she went and wrapped her arms around him and kissed him slowly on the lips.

“Alright, thank you, Seb.”

Lisa changed and they waited for the happy clerk to box the dress up. This sale was going to give her a very nice bonus in her pay.

Then Seb took Lisa for her much anticipated lunch at Le Bastille, the café where they’d met.

Seb enjoyed it just because of the happiness he saw on her face to be there. It told him again, how much their meeting had meant to her. He sat back and watched as her eyes fixed on the seat he had been sitting in when Alex had approached him. Of course they were now sitting at the table that she and Alex were sitting at and she was in her original seat. He was not however, now he was sitting right next to her and holding her hand in his as he watched her journey of memories as she looked around.

They discussed their plans for the next couple of days. “I would really like to take you out of Paris. I know that you never left the city last time.”

“No, there was so much to see right here.”

“I’d like to take a ride down to Burgundy if you could stand to be away from home for an extra day. I thought we could leave after the party and take the high speed train to Dijon and see some of the country. It’s been a while since I’ve had the chance to go in that direction.”

“I don’t mind as long as everything is okay at home and your mother doesn’t mind.”

“Great, I’ll speak to Maman and then arrange the trip.”

They spent a couple of hours walking and riding around Paris. Lisa was enjoying seeing the city through Seb’s eyes. They walked through the area where he grew up and the streets he had run around in as a boy and she saw the actual house they had lived in when his father was still with them. He even showed her the train station that he and his cousin had sung in, trying to make a little money from the travelers entering and exiting the trains.

Occasionally, she would see a sad or painful look as he dredged up old memories, but then he would push them into the far reaches of his mind and she would see his happiness return. She had thought of telling him they could leave the area but then she thought, this is his life, his home. If he didn’t want to come here, he wouldn’t have. She just took a hold of his hand, reminding him that she was right there beside him to help shoulder the bad as well as the good things in his life.

That evening he took her to the musical comedy “Le Roi Soleil” that was nearing the end of its wildly successful run in Paris. It was loosely based on the life of King Louis XIV. Of course being in French she understood little of the actual plot but she was totally entranced by the music, the beautiful costumes and the all around atmosphere of the performance.

Seb was thoroughly enjoying the evening, remembering his own days in La Troupe. He’d told Lisa before about those days and about Le Petite Prince and had promised to show it to her one day. During the intermission he told her that he knew some of the performers including Cathialine Andria who had played The Rose in Le Petite Prince. She was playing Francoise d’ Aubigne’ in Le Roi Soleil.

He took her backstage after the performance and introducd her to some of them. When he introduced her to Cathialine, Lisa thought the looks the beautiful woman gave Sebastien meant that either they had been lovers or the woman had wanted to be. She never did ask Seb. She felt like if there was anything he wanted her to know he would tell her in his own time.

They had a late dinner at a restaurant overlooking the Seine and then he took her to a vantage point where they could see the beauty of the city in all its glory when the lights were on in the tower and other sights in the city. It really was a different place at night and filled them with excitement.





Knowing that tomorrow would be busy getting ready for the party and then going to Burgundy, they headed home and relaxed in the tub, soaking away the soreness from all of their walking before they fell into bed.

“Are you very tired, Baby?”

“Yup, pretty tired. But, it was a wonderful day.” She said as she snuggled under the covers.

Suddenly, she got the idea of what he was really wanting to know and she rolled over close to him and ran her fingers over his chest.

“But, I am never too tired for you, my love.”

Lisa woke before Seb and carefully climbed out of bed so that he could sleep for a while longer. It was still early and they were going to have a late night tonight. They would be attending the party with his family and then when they could slip away, they would head for the train station and take the high speed train to Dijon. That was a two hour ride and they would probably be able to get some rest.

She headed down to the kitchen and started the coffee and breakfast. When she had done all she could until Seb woke up, she just wandered around the house getting a feel for the place. They had been busy or sleeping since they’d arrived and she really hadn’t taken the time to look at everything properly. She looked into the cabinets and the drawers, just seeing what kind of things Seb would have. She opened a drawer in the sitting room and found a pile of loose pictures. She had always loved looking at pictures and her curiosity won over when she was trying to decide if she should be looking through them without asking Seb first. She pulled out all of the pictures and put them on the dining room table, went and poured a cup of coffee and came and sat down at the table and began to look through the pile of photographs.

A great deal of them were of the band, but not on stage. These were candid shots that looked like they must have been on vacation or out sightseeing in some of the cities they were performing in. She laughed out loud as she saw the antics of these supposedly grown men, who looked more like a bunch of little boys in some of them. Seb and David were obviously fond of making funny faces when someone was trying to take a shot.

She saw pictures of just the guys and pictures of David and Grace, as well as Carlos and Vicki together looking like they were having a great time. As she went through the pile, she saw Urs with another woman in quite a few of the photos. Was this Lara? Alex had told her about Lara after Urs had told her about his last relationship and how it had ended badly just a few months before he’d met Alex.

Lifting yet another photo of all of the guys together, this one showed them on a yacht, and underneath that photo was a photo of Seb with a woman, a very beautiful woman, who seemed to have eyes only for Seb. She couldn’t have stood any closer to Seb without being intimate with him. Had they been? Probably. Seb had told her that he had had relationships that were very intimate and that in the case of one woman, they had come very close to getting married. She wondered if this was that woman. He had never actually proposed. It had been talked about like they were discussing a trip to the market for groceries, he’d told her. Finally, he had been shown her true colors when she had gotten caught, when he came home a few days early to surprise her and he had been the one to get surprised. He found her in their bed with another man who looked truly shocked to find out that this woman was already in a serious relationship and in fact lived with Seb who was just out of town for his job. The man had quickly dressed and told Rachele to never call him or contact him in any way again. He was not the kind of man to encroach on another man’s turf.

Seb told her to pack her things and be gone in an hour. She had cried, begged and pleaded for forgiveness, telling him that it was just a moment of weakness because she had been missing him so much. He had asked her how she would have felt if he accepted the advances of some of the fans that were always throwing themselves at him. It would be so easy to take them to his hotel room or go to theirs and no one would know. But he hadn’t strayed, not even once. He had been deeply hurt that their relationship meant so little to her. He didn’t believe for a second that this had been a one time event. The man was way too familiar with her and with their home as he moved about gathering his belongings. So she had reluctantly left but told him that if he changed his mind and decided to forgive her, that she would welcome him back. He’d told her not to hold her breath waiting for that to happen.

Lisa was still looking at the picture when she felt more than heard his presence in the room with her. He was just standing in the doorway watching her. She had an overwhelming sense of guilt wash over her at being caught going through his personal things without asking. She looked up at him and at the same time, she dropped the photo onto the stack of pictures that she’d already looked at. Then she stood up and moved away from the table.

“I’m sorry, Seb. I should have asked before I went through your things.” She said and he thought she was going to cry.

He stepped towards her and she backed up an almost imperceptible step as he closed the distance between them. When he saw her flinch and move that little backwards movement, he stopped short.

“Lisa? It’s alright. I’m not upset. I was just startled for a second that you were looking at that picture. I don’t care what you go through in the house or in any of my things. Like you said after I told you about finding your scrapbook of your trip, I have nothing to hide from you. I told you, I haven’t been here much and definitely not since you and I have been together or I would have removed all of those.”

Again, he stepped towards her and placed his hands on her arms and moved them up and down her bare skin in a calming motion.

“What I am very….very upset about right now is the way you stepped back from me just now, like you were afraid of me, of what I might do. Do you think for one minute that I would ever hurt you, that I could ever lay a hand on you in anything but love and gentleness?

Lisa could see the hurt in Seb’s eyes as he spoke to her. She felt terrible but the reaction had come from deep inside of her and wasn’t something that she’d thought about.

She moved into the circle of his arms and laid her head on his chest. She could feel how fast his heart was beating. It had really upset him.

“I’m so sorry Seb. No, I don’t think that you would ever hurt me. Please forgive me.”

“I just need to know that you won’t ever have any fear of me, not ever. I don’t just mean about things you might do, but also if you ever need to talk me about anything that you think might upset me. We are married and should share everything together, the good and the bad.” He stroked her back and her hair and felt her relaxing in his embrace.

“Je Taime, Mon Coeur.”

“Je Taime” she replied back and leaned up and kissed him the softest, most gentle kiss. “Let me go fix us some breakfast.”

“Baby? Please feel free to explore the rest of the house. It is, after all, your home now too, just as much yours as the Florida house. I will try to get things like that removed.” He said holding onto her hand as she had begun moving away from him.

“Seb don’t worry about it. I just saw how happy you looked and it threw me for a minute, but then I realized that I shouldn’t, no couldn’t feel jealous of her because I am the one that you love and married last week, not her.” She said with a smile and left to go finish preparing their morning meal.

All the same, Seb quickly went through the stack of photos and pulled any that included Rachele. He had plenty of pictures. He didn’t need these hanging around and making either of them uncomfortable. He vowed to make sure that he scoured the rest of the house and get rid of anything else that was evidence of another woman being with him. He only needed one woman, the woman that was humming happily as she placed his plate of breakfast in front of him and graced him with her beautiful smile that was always so full of her love for him.

As they enjoyed their meal, they discussed what time they would need to be ready to leave for the party and decided to pack everything and have it in the car and go straight to the train from the party.

“Won’t they be offended if we leave before the party is fully over?”

“I don’t feel that this should be any different than most receptions after a wedding. I believe the reception after our wedding would have carried on much longer after we left if the weather hadn’t turned bad. I believe that will be the case here. They will continue to celebrate for hours after we’ve gone.”

“Yes, it makes sense when you put it like that.”

“I’m glad you think so.” He said with a wink.

They had a several hours to relax before they had to leave. The party was beginning in the early evening. Seb took the opportunity to take Lisa around the house and asked her if she wanted to buy any new furniture for the house, if she thought it was too masculine for a married couple.

“I love the furniture you have here. There is no sense in wasting money on changing anything. It is lovely as it is. We’ll have plenty of opportunity to have fun shopping for furniture once the renovations are finished in the main house….. I am so glad that you brought me here, Seb. I truly love it here, not just in Paris, but here in this house. I hope that we can come here again and bring the children. I can see them running through the house and in the garden.”

He stood behind her and wrapped her in a hug as they looked out over the property together. “I can see them too. We’ll need to watch them every minute with the river so close by. Have you given any thought to teaching them to swim?”

“Anna had already been taking Kayti to swimming lessons before she got sick and still took her until she was too sick to drive anymore. Hopefully, she hasn’t forgotten everything she’d already learned. And yes, I want to get them both into lessons soon, before we get the pool redone. I think I’ll go ahead and call Maman before we get busy getting ready.”

Lisa dialed the number and as she was waiting for it to be answered, she was giggling and having trouble standing still. Seb was still behind her and was kissing her all over her neck and nipping at spots that were very ticklish.

“Hello Maman” she said still laughing.

“Bonjour, it sounds as though you are having a good time.”

“We are having a wonderful time Maman. It’s just that your son isn’t behaving himself right now.”

“Who me? I always behave” he said indignantly, feigning being very hurt by the statement. His hand was placed over his heart as if he’d been deeply wounded. But the smile on his face, and the twinkle in his beautiful green eyes told of his remembrances of his own transgressions.

Both of the women laughed as they both had their own thoughts of Seb not behaving. Marlene having thoughts of Seb as a boy and getting into mischief, and Lisa for entirely different reasons.

“How are the children doing, Maman?” Lisa asked her.

“Oh, they are fine.”

Marlene wrestled with whether to tell them about Sammy’s adventure now or wait until they were home. She decided that as much as she didn’t want them worried while they were away, she’d better tell them now. They might not appreciate being kept in the dark about something so serious. So she told Lisa what happened.

“What? Oh My God! He could have gotten hurt or worse.” Lisa said feeling more than a bit of panic even though she knew that he was home safe now.

“What happened? Seb said hearing her and reading the total panic in her wide eyes.

Lisa told him what his mother was saying and he immediately understood her fear because he had the same stabbing pain in his chest at the thought of anything happening to their son.

They spoke to the children and both Seb and Lisa spoke to Sammy about his disappearance.

“I’m sorry Mommy. I won’t do it again never no more. I told Grandmere that I was sorry that I made her cry cuz she was scared.” Sammy told her sounding very sorry.

“Alright, Sammy I hope that you won’t do that again.”

“I promise Mommy. I really, really promise.”

When they’d hung up Seb noticed that Lisa was still looking concerned.

“Baby, are you alright? I know it was scary hearing that.”

“He’s so little. If he had gotten lost or hurt, we may never have found him.”

Seb pulled her close to him and they both clung to each other.

“He’s alright, Ma Cherie.” He said soothingly. “From what Maman said, he had actually been quite proud of himself that he’d gotten there.

Seb had spoken to his mother after she had sent the children into the other room. She was really trying to allay their fears and let them know that he was more alright about it than all of the adults put together.

After they began to calm down a bit, and thought about it they realized that this was actually a big step for Sammy. He had felt so comfortable in his surroundings and with those people who care for him, that he had no worries about leaving the safety of his home and heading off to visit his Auntie Alex and Onkle Urs. They would just have to watch out that he didn’t get too overconfident.

They began to get ready for the party. After they’d showered and as they were getting dressed, Seb watched her as she put on the dress he’d bought her yesterday. He knew now as he looked at her, that he’d made the right choice. She looked very elegant and sexy at the same time. She turned and asked him to zip her up and also to help her with her Ruby necklace. She had also put on the earrings and bracelet and they went perfectly with this dress.

“You look amazing, Love.” He said sounding a bit breathless. “We’d better get going or I am going to take you right back out of that dress.” He said after kissing her so that she was just as breathless.

He turned and took their suitcases down to the car as she stood looking in the mirror. She had already met his mother, so why was she so nervous, she asked herself and then answered in the next breath. There will be a whole lot more people to make a good impression on here. If they didn’t like her, it would make things very awkward for Sebastien. His family hadn’t even been given time to hear that he was seeing someone seriously and then they were married. That fact alone could make some of them have a less than charitable view of her. What if some of them thought the same as some of the fans, that she had only married him for his money? By the time Seb came back upstairs to find out what was keeping her, she had worked herself into quite a state.

“They aren’t going to like me Seb. They are going to think we got married for some other reason, like that I rushed you into it or I am after your money, just like some of the fans.”

He placed his hands firmly on her upper arms and gave her the tiniest shake, just getting her attention as she voiced her fears.

“Stop! You have nothing to prove to anyone. I already know that you love me and that is all that matters. I don’t care what anyone else thinks. But, I know that once they have met you and get to know you, they will see how much you love me. Don’t you realize that it is shining right here in your eyes every time you look at me.”

What could she say to that? Not a thing. So she hugged him and he kissed her carefully, making sure not to mess her up except that she had to touch up her lipstick. She turned and got her purse and they headed out to the car, Seb making sure that everything was locked up securely, since they wouldn’t be returning tonight.

Chapter 81:

Seb knew exactly where the hall was where his family was holding their wedding celebration and within about twenty minutes they were pulling into the parking lot. Seb looked over and noticed that Lisa’s hands were fidgeting again.

“Baby, please don’t worry. They are going to love you. Just be yourself.” He said squeezing both of her hands in one of his.”

She nodded and waited as he came around to open her door and before he had even helped her out of the car, there was a girl running across from the building like she had been watching out for them to arrive and as soon as he had gotten Lisa to her feet, the girl launched herself into Seb’s arms and he readily accepted her, kissing her cheeks and hugging her tightly, lifting her right off of the ground.

The girl seemed to be in her late teens or early twenties and very pretty, with a ready smile that looked like it was a common occurrence on her delicate face.

“Bonjour Sebastien, Je vous avez rate” she said with her arms still around his neck.

“I’ve missed you as well. Please speak English, if you don’t mind. Lisa doesn’t know much French yet.”

“Oh yes, of course.” She said easily switching languages. “You look very dashing in your suit Seb.”

“Thank you.”

“Hello Lisa. Welcome, it is very nice to meet you. My Aunt Marlene told me how lovely you were and she was right.” The girl said excitedly, reminding Lisa of Alex with her excitable nature, and clasping both of Lisa’s hands in her own and kissing both of her cheeks.

“Forgive my manners, Lisa, this is Adrienne, one of my youngest, but also one of my favorite cousins. She thinks I’m wonderful.”

“Well, she and I already have something in common then.” Lisa said smiling back at the girl. Lisa liked her already.

With one member of his family welcoming her so readily, it helped a great deal towards relaxing her so that she could enjoy the party. She had also been worried that no one spoke English, but she soon found out that most of the family spoke at least a bit of English in varying degrees and understood more.

The next thirty minutes was filled with Seb whisking her around the room and introducing her to everyone, starting with the most important one.

“Aunt Cecilia, I would like to present my wife Lisa to you.” Seb said formally.

Lisa quickly realized that his Aunt Cecilia was the Matriarch of the family and she felt that if she could pass with this woman then maybe the rest would be willing to accept her as well.

“Bonjour, Hello Lisa. It is very nice to meet you. I have spoken at length with my sister and she tells me that you are indeed worthy of our Sebastien’s devotion.” She said as she air kissed Lisa’s cheeks.

“She is more than worthy Aunt Cecilia. It is I who should be found worthy of her.” He said looking intently at his aunt, leaving her and anyone else within hearing distance; no doubt that he would heartily defend any harsh or hurtful comments.

Cecilia stepped forward and kissed her nephew. “I can see that you love each other and I am very happy for you, that you have finally found a woman who loves you as much as you love her and will stand beside you as you live the crazy life you lead.

Slowly, the tension that had been building in the room at the exchange, dissipated and the mood turned back to a joyful celebration of their wedding.

Once all of the introductions had been made, everyone sat down and were served a five course meal. The wine and champagne were flowing and as the hours moved on, the noise level increased as the number of bottles dwindled.

Cecilia, with her big voice, quieted the crowd and began speaking.

“Sebastien and Lisa, we are so pleased that you chose to come home as part of your honeymoon trip. Lisa, it is lovely to be able to get to know you and it is always wonderful when we get to see Sebastien when he has the time to come home for a visit. We are also looking forward to meeting the children I’ve heard so much about.”

Cecilia went on to tell the family about how Seb and Lisa had first met years ago when Lisa came to Paris on holiday. Then she told them what she knew about the group home and the children already part of their family for those who hadn’t yet heard the whole story.

“Now, with the help of your friends in America, we, who were unfortunately unable to make the trip to the wedding, will get to see it now.”

Later, Lisa and Seb would find out that as soon as Alex had heard about the party that was being thrown for them, she’d gotten the pictures and video that had been taken. She went to the TV station and enlisted one of the editing guys to help her make a beautiful PowerPoint presentation that incorporated both the video of the wedding and reception as well as still shots that were taken, beginning at the house while the ladies were getting ready. Seb and Lisa were both stunned. The presentation was fantastic. It was being projected from a laptop onto a large screen at the front of the room. Of course neither of them had seen any of this either. They had lived it, but of course when it is your own wedding, you kind of run on auto pilot throughout the whole thing and usually don’t know everything that happened until you can watch it back on video or look at photographs. So many little details that had gone unnoticed by them when they were there, were shown now.

Seb enjoyed getting to see Lisa as she finished the final touches of getting dressed and he noticed the tear in the corner of her eye as they showed the photos of Dan kissing her before they left for the wedding. He remembered that she had looked amazing. She had taken his breath away and it was wonderful to see her in her dress again. The video of the actual wedding began and Seb took her hand in his and kissed her cheek as they sat back and together they watched as they were becoming man and wife in front of their friends and family. Every now and then a sniffle would be heard as some of the women cried as they watched the video.

When it came to the point where Seb was told he could kiss his bride, one of the male relatives hollered out,

“Kiss her Sebastien, show us how it’s done.”

Lisa turned several shades of red, but didn’t hesitate when Seb smiled and leaned over and taking her face in his hands, he began a slow, sensuous kiss that left Lisa having to hang onto him to keep from falling out of her chair.

Seb winked at her and then sat up straight in his chair. “And that, gentlemen, is how it is done.” He said standing and taking a bow.

The room erupted in laughter and clapping before calming down to enjoy the rest of the presentation. At the end of the video portion, there were quite a few photos and Cecilia asked Seb to stand and tell the family who they were looking at. Of course there were many oooohs and awwws when pictures were shown of Sammy and Kayti all dressed up.

Looking at the pictures of the children made Lisa feel how much she was missing them. Seb saw the longing in her eyes and decided that he would take her home just as soon as they returned from Dijon.

When the presentation was over, the photo portion was left on to shuffle and remained up on the screen throughout the rest of the evening. A band appeared all of a sudden on the small stage and they began playing and invited everyone to get up and dance. Lisa could see that there weren’t many shy people here. They quickly got up on the dance floor and for the next hour, they rotated dance partners. Several of the male family members came up, asking for a dance. Seb told her to go have fun and he also danced with his aunts and cousins and the few friends that were there.

The newlyweds danced several dances together and it was quite evident to the onlookers that Seb had indeed found his soulmate and they were glad for him.

Pierre was there with his girlfriend Claire. He had introduced them earlier and the two women spoke for a bit throughout the evening, finding they had much to talk about since their men were best friends. Lisa knew that if she could ever get to know Claire, they would become friends and she would also be able to find out about Seb in his younger years since Pierre and Seb had been friends since they were children and Claire had been in the picture almost as long.

Lisa also took the time to get to know Adrienne. She seemed like a very outgoing girl and reminded Lisa so much of Alex. Before the evening was over, Lisa told Adrienne that she would love to have her come to the States for a visit when she could.

A large cake was rolled out into the middle of the floor. Seb and Lisa were summoned to come and cut it. Seb grinned at Lisa, reminding her of the show they’d put on at the wedding. It had also been shown on the video and quite a few people began chuckling, thinking they might see a repeat of it. But Seb behaved and they just cut the cake and were just about to begin serving it to everyone when Pierre and Claire came and took over for them.

Seb slipped away to speak privately to his Aunt. He told her of their plans for the rest of the night and that they would be leaving in a few minutes when he was sure that it wouldn’t be considered rude, but thanking her for putting this lovely party together on such short notice. She hugged him tightly and whispered in his ear, “She’s wonderful Sebastien. Treat her well.”

“I will Aunt Cecilia, I promise I will.”

Within thirty minutes, Lisa and Seb had made the rounds, saying goodbye to everyone. They were only given cards per Seb’s request, with the exception of one gift. Aunt Cecilia approached Lisa as they were just about to leave.

“This is for you, Lisa. I put it together this week so that you could see what Sebastien looked like as a child.”

Lisa reverently took the heavy scrapbook and set it on the closest table and began looking at it. Her face showed the emotion that she was feeling at receiving such a gift. It was lovely. It had dozens of photos beginning with pictures taken of Marlene and Seb on the day of his birth. The photos were lovingly trimmed and had borders and captions written in English, telling her when and where the picture was taken if Cecilia knew the information. As she flipped through the pages, she saw Seb grow from an infant, then a toddler and on into the gorgeous man that was standing next to her now.

Seb had hugged his Aunt as Lisa looked through the book.

“That was very nice of you to do that, Merci.”

Lisa looked up at Cecilia with her eyes shining.

“This is one of the most precious gifts I have ever received. Thank you so much.”

Cecilia kissed Lisa’s cheeks and told them to go and enjoy the rest of their honeymoon.

They stood at the door of the hall, calling out their goodbyes and thanking everyone for coming and celebrating with them. Then Seb took her hand and they headed for the car and the last stop on their honeymoon trip.

As he drove towards the train station, Seb kept sneaking a peak at Lisa. She was totally entranced, looking through the album and running her hand over the photographs as if she was memorizing them with her fingers. She took her time looking at each one, asking him about some of them.

“This was such a lovely gift, Seb. It means so much that she made this for me.”

“I could tell.” He said running the back of his hand down her cheek as he kept his eyes on the road. Then he let his hand rest at the back of her head and softly massaged her neck while he drove.

“MMM, if you keep that up, I’ll be asleep before we get on the train. It feels so good. But I wouldn’t mind it if you continued it later.” She said, leaning her head back onto his hand and smiling sweetly.

Stopping for a red light, Seb leaned over and pulled her closer to him and gave her a slow but passionate kiss that told her of the promise of what would come later. Only the beeping of a horn behind them alerted Seb that the light had turned green and they were holding up traffic behind them, all one car of it. They both giggled a bit as he stepped on the gas and pulled through the intersection.

They arrived at the train station that was not very busy since the main rush of traffic was over about an hour ago. As he pulled the suitcases out of the trunk, Lisa told him that she thought it would be safer to leave the scrapbook in the trunk instead of on the seat. The sun wouldn’t be good for it. She handed it to him and he carefully laid it flat in the floor of the trunk and shut the lid.

Seb had already gotten them tickets and they were just waiting for their train to arrive. They only had about thirty minutes to wait and when they boarded the train, Seb handed the ticket to the employee who showed them to their room. Lisa was surprised, although after thinking about it she knew she shouldn’t have been. Seb had gotten them a private sleeper car, even though their trip was only about two hours long.

“I knew we’d be tired after the party. I figured that we could take a nap if we wanted to.”

They got settled and it was about fifteen minutes before the train left the station. Lisa had been on subways and some other regular trains, but this high speed train was a whole different experience. At first there seemed to be no difference as she watched out the window. The train picked up speed gradually. But all of a sudden she realized that she couldn’t focus on the scenery they were passing. They were moving too fast. She was surprised though that it was moving so gently as it sped along the tracks. She moved back from the window and Seb took her hand and led her to the bed that he’d turned down while she was watching their departure. No words were spoken. They just disrobed and after Seb made sure that the door was locked, he climbed into the bed beside her and gathered her into his arms.

“Oh this feels good. I didn’t actually realize that I was so tired. But I could do with a short nap.” He said as a yawn escaped him.

Lisa snuggled against him. She didn’t really feel sleepy. She was still pretty keyed up after the party and meeting so many people, but before long she followed him into dreamland. They slept soundly for about an hour. Seb woke first and climbed over her to make a restroom trip and then he took a snack out of the complimentary basket that had been included in the stateroom.

“Seb?” she said as she couldn’t see him in the darkened room.

“I’m right here, Ma Cherie. I’m just having a snack. Would you like something?”

“Yes!”

“Alright, what would you like?” he started listing what was in the basket.

“No, none of that. I just want you.” She said as she stretched her naked body under the covers.

He didn’t need to be asked twice. After popping the last bite of the snack cake into his mouth, he climbed into the bed. Lisa had moved into the inner part of the bed and held her arm out to him. He was still trying to chew and swallow the last of what was in his mouth as she pressed her lips to his. He leaned back just long enough to swallow and then he let her taste the sweetness that remained in his mouth from what he had been eating.

The second hour of their travels sped by as they loved each other, and then took a quick shower before dressing. By the time the train began its decrease in speed, Lisa was back at the window watching, just as she’d done earlier. She couldn’t see much since it was so dark here. The other station had been lit much more, and further from the station than it was here. Just before they came to a complete stop, Seb pulled her down onto his lap for a final searing kiss before they moved to gather their things and disembark from the train. When they had been at the other station, while he picked up their tickets, Seb had a request put in for a cab to be waiting for them when their train arrived in Dijon. He was happy that it was there as requested. It was pretty late and getting a cab this late, away from the city could sometimes be difficult.

Instead of a hotel, Seb had found a Bed and Breakfast called the Chambres à Dijon and booked a room for them. It advertised a swimming pool, although at this time of year it was closed, an enclosed garden and only a fifteen minute walk to the Dijon historical center. He had told the hostess, that they would not be there until late in the evening and she’d told him that it would not be a problem. When they arrived, the hostess, a woman who looked to be in her mid sixties, introduced herself as Monique and welcomed them and took them through the house on a quick tour and then up to their room as it was quite late. Monique spoke a bit of English but frequently slipped into French which she was more comfortable with. Seb apologized for the late hour and told her that they had left Paris as soon as it was proper from their party. They were on their honeymoon and had made a visit to his family there. After telling them what time breakfast would be served, she bid them Bonn Nuit and headed to bed, telling him as she walked away they should feel free to let her know if they required anything at all.

The next morning, they hurried down to breakfast and were welcomed by Monique and a hearty breakfast. She asked what their plans were for they day as they filled their plates. Seb told her that he wanted to show Lisa the wine country as well as picking out some wines to add to his supply both here at his house in Paris as well as their home in the U.S. He told her that this was to be the last stop on their honeymoon before they would head home to Florida and their two children. As soon as Monique heard about the children, she asked for pictures which Lisa happily showed her. Monique had never married nor had she had any children of her own. She was happy that way, but always enjoyed hearing about and seeing other people’s children.

Monique ran her Bed and Breakfast and painted to support herself. She sold her paintings from her home, online and also on consignment in several of the town’s shops and restaurants. Although she wasn’t rich by any means, she lived quite comfortably. Most of her paintings were from what she could see right outside her door. The scenery was breathtaking, even now in the winter. In the spring and summer when the flowers and trees were blooming, the colors were fabulous and her paintings showed them all vibrantly. She always wound up with some beautiful paintings which tourists loved to take home to remind them of their visit.

After thanking Monique for the terrific breakfast, Seb told her not to plan on them being back before late in the evening, so she didn’t need to cook any more meals for them today. They left to walk the short distance to the rental car office in downtown Dijon.


Once they’d gotten the rental car, they spent a while seeing the beautiful area that Monique had spent her life in. The day was bright and sunny with just a bit of a bite to the air when the wind blew, but otherwise it wasn’t too bad out. Seb promised to bring her back to the area sometime during spring or summer months when he could show her the full effects of its beauty. Of course being in Dijon, which is famous for its mustards, Lisa wanted to stop in a shop and they wound up purchasing some different mustards to take home. They had many varieties and interesting bottles.



They saw the Palais des Ducs de Bourgogne which was the throne of the Dukes of Burgundy beginning around 1365. They briefly contemplated whether to walk the stairs in the tower of Phillipe le Bon which he told her gave you a fantastic view of the city, but with so much ground to cover today, they decided to save that for another trip.



Lisa had already taken so many photos that she filled a disc with her pictures from Australia and the ones that she had taken already in France. She would wind up taking that many more as they traveled from Dijon to Beaune and southward. She was in awe of the scenery that they passed and had Seb stop occasionally so she could take a clear shot of something that had caught her eye.



She began with the typical scene of the half timbered houses from medieval times that had cafes and shops at the bottom and living spaces at the top.

When they left Dijon, they headed for Beaune and the first wine tasting and shopping trip.

Driving from Dijon to Beaune.


Looking down at Beaulme la roche Village


As they came into Beaune, Seb told her that Beaune was famous for producing original tiles.

This also included Le Hospices de Beaune that was built in 1443. It was an amazing building that had once been a hospital but now was a prestigious wine cellar and producer.

Seb told her that the best way to go about buying wine was to drive down South going from one village to the next and stopping at wine producing estates. Ask for a "dégustation": the producer would be happy to oblige and tell you all about his wine. Then, if you like it, buy a few bottles or a case at an unbeatable price considering the quality.

Chapter 82:

They drove past miles and miles of vineyards before they finally stopped.




Beaune was to be their first stop of the day as far as the wine was concerned. Lisa drank wine but definitely didn’t consider herself an expert on it. So she just enjoyed watching Seb converse with the owners of the wineries they stopped at. She took the offered wines and tasted them but left the purchasing decisions to her husband. Although, at one tasting, Lisa did comment to Seb that she particularly liked the flavor of the Chateauneuf du Pape. She would later find out that Seb ordered a case for both homes for her.

When she asked him about the cost for the wines, he told her that it varied a great deal, beginning at 5 euros per bottle and on up into thousands of euros per bottle depending on the quality of the wine and the most expensive being rare or exceptional bottles.

When they left Beaune to head south, again Lisa found many sites to photograph beginning with a hilltop view outside of Beaune.






By the time they reached Chalonnaise, they were both famished and stopped at the first café they saw for a bite to eat before tasting any more wines. Seb also stepped into a shop and came out with a bag of chocolate truffles for them to share.

“Thank you Seb. I’ve been kind of craving some chocolate and these are wonderful. You might just have to go back and get your own bag of these.” She said teasing him, but since she seemed to like them so much, he did go back and buy more for them to have on the way home.

“I’m glad we stopped here. Not only is the scenery breathtaking but the air is warmer here than it was in Dijon. It is really turning out to be such a lovely day.”

“I’m glad you are enjoying yourself. I was worried that you might be bored with all of the wine tasting parts.”

“Oh no, I am having a wonderful time and I don’t care what we are doing. I am just happy to be with you.”

She slid closer to him on the bench that they’d stopped to sit on and laid her head on his shoulder. He pulled her against him and kissed her temple. She raised her face up to meet his and they shared a kiss. Passersby smiled as they saw the couple lost in their embrace, totally unaware of anyone else.

When they finally decided they had better get going, they walked back to the car to head to their next tasting. Lisa was glad that they had gotten something substantial to eat before they drank any more wine. She was beginning to feel a bit light headed at their last stop. She felt much better now and was just as eager as Seb was to continue on.

Their next stop and what would be their last of the day was Le Chateau de Rully in Chalonnaise. As before, Lisa took photographs on their way in and different views on their way out.


Seb claimed the day to be a huge success as far as his wine purchasing had gone. He had ordered wine not only for their homes, but also sent wine to his mother’s house and to his aunt as well as Simon and the rest of his band mates.

They had decided that to try to go to their intended last stop in Maconnaise would mean that they would be driving back to Dijon very late and they both decided that they had had enough and were just as happy to head back to Dijon and find a place for dinner. They had told Monique not to cook for them, and as it was a bit late when they arrived back in Dijon they went to the Gallery 412 restaurant in the Holiday Inn. They talked about their day and what they had most liked about where they’d been and Seb promised to bring her back when they could spend more time exploring.

“What time is our train back to Paris tomorrow?” Lisa asked him as they were finishing dessert.

“Our train leaves at 10 O’clock. So we’ll need to be up and ready to go in time to return the rental car before we go to the station.”

That morning at breakfast, Monique had offered to drive them from the rental car office to the train station when they left. They finished and headed back to the Bed and Breakfast to get some sleep. It didn’t take long for either of them to fall asleep after the long day they’d had.

Seb and Lisa woke up a bit later than they’d planned. So they were in a bit of a rush as they showered and packed for the return trip to Paris. As soon as they had checked their room to make sure that they hadn’t left anything behind, they took their suitcases downstairs and set them by the door and went to the dining room and sat down for their breakfast that Monique had waiting for them. When Monique went to the kitchen for another glass of juice, Seb leaned over and whispered to Lisa.

“I was thinking of buying some of her paintings, have you seen any that you particularly would like for either of our houses?”

“Wow, she has so many lovely ones. It’s hard to choose. Let me think on it for a few minutes.”

When she had finished eating, Lisa wandered through the house looking at all of her paintings that were hanging on the wall. When she came back to the dining room, she nodded to Seb that she’d chosen what she would like.

“Monique, we have chosen some paintings that we would like to purchase, just add the cost to the bill. If you still don’t mind driving us to the train station after we return the rental car, we would appreciate it very much. I also think that I’ll stop and have the paintings put in the post to be sent home if we can get them packaged properly.”

“I have the packaging that you will need. Just show me which paintings and we will get them wrapped up and ready to mail. I have never had a problem when I’ve sent any paintings this way. I will also take them to the post office and mail them after I’ve seen you two off, so you can be on your way.”

Before long, the trio was ready to go. Monique would follow them to the rental car office and then drive them to the train. They made it to the station in plenty of time to make their scheduled departure.

“Thank you for allowing us the use of your home. It was beautiful here and I for one would love to return some day.”

“I hope that you will Mrs. Izambard and please bring the children. If you come in the summer there is so much for them to do here. Thank you also for purchasing so many paintings. I do well enough most years but this one has been a bit slow so your purchases really helped.”

Seb thanked her for her hospitality and they went inside the station.

Monique left thinking, “What a sweet couple they are.” And she also thought of how nice Mr. Izambard had been to leave such a generous tip on top of what he’d paid for their stay and the paintings. Then she went home to get the paintings and took them to the post office to get them sent off.

When she was standing at the counter and handed the clerk the large packages, Camille, the clerk, commented that it looked like Monique had done well with her sales of her paintings. Camille just had to know everyone’s business, at least what she could find out. When Camille began to look at the address that the paintings were to be sent to and saw the name on the packages her eyes flew open wide and she squealed making Monique jump.

“What’s wrong Camille? Are you ill?”

“This says that you are sending these to Sebastien Izambard.”

“Yes, so?”

“Did he purchase the paintings online?

No why? Do you know him?”

“If he didn’t buy them online, how did he buy them? Camille asked, not even for a second thinking that the question was none of her business.

“If you must know, Mr. Izambard and his new wife stayed at my place for the last two nights and purchased the paintings before they left this morning.”

Camille looked totally deflated when she found out that she’d missed them. Monique was used to Camille being a busybody and into everyone’s business but this was going further than even Camille usually went.

“Camille, what is wrong with you?”

“Don’t you know who he is?”

“No, should I?” Monique answered while at the same time trying hard to think of who he might be and if she should have known.

Camille let out a huge exasperated sigh.

“Sebastien Izambard is one quarter of one of the most famous singing quartets. Haven’t you ever heard of Il Divo? And he was here, with Lisa.” She said looking disgusted.

“How do you know her name?”

“It’s been all over the forum for the last couple of months that he was getting married and then just over a week ago he posted that he had indeed married her. Did she look pregnant?”

Monique thought that this was getting weirder by the minute. She didn’t think that Mrs. Izambard looked pregnant and she also didn’t really think it was Camille’s business if she was. But since she didn’t appear to have been, she didn’t see any harm in telling her that no, Mrs. Izambard didn’t seem to be pregnant.

“I can’t believe that he was here in town for two days and I missed him.” She said crestfallen at missing her favorite singer of all time. She had even followed Sebastien’s career when he was singing solo, before Il Divo.

“You know Monique, you really need to get at least one of their CD’s and listen to them. They are amazing.”

“Maybe I will.”

As they were finishing the transaction, Monique watched as Camille set the packages in the bin to go out to the truck that was just about to leave with the rest of the outgoing mail. Monique finished paying for all of them and just as she was heading out the door, she heard Camille cursing.

“What’s wrong now Camille?” she said pausing half way out the door.

“I should have written down the address they were getting mailed to.” She lamented as they watched the truck pull out of the drive and onto the main road.

Monique was inwardly glad that Camille hadn’t thought to write the address down. The Izambards didn’t need anyone in their private business, especially if he was a celebrity as Camille seemed to think he was. She decided to go to the music store and see if she could find the CD’s that Camille had told her about.

Thirty minutes later, Monique was standing in front of the racks of CD’s looking at the cover of a CD that indeed had the picture of Mr. Izambard on it along with three other nice looking men. Camille said they were amazing so she figured with the nice sum of money she’d made this week, she could afford to buy the CD’s to hear what they sounded like.

She slipped the CD entitled Il Divo into her car’s CD player and listened to the wonderful sound. When she got home and had only had time to hear two songs and part of one other, she removed the CD from the player and brought it into the house and immediately put it in the player in her parlor. She reclined in her chair and closed her eyes as she let the lovely sounds wash over her.

Usually such an active person, if anyone had seen her just lounging around at this time of day they would have inquired after her health. Monique was not one to be idle for very long. If there wasn’t anything to be done inside of the house, she was either working in her garden or had her easel set up inside or outside and working on a new picture. After a while, she did gather her painting supplies and set her CD player outside and she painted long into the afternoon to the inspiring sounds of Il Divo. She’d have to remember to thank Camille for informing her of their existence, even if Camille had been being nosey when she did it.

Seb and Lisa arrived back at their home in Paris in the early afternoon. They didn’t bother to unpack anything. They had only come here to make sure that the house was closed up properly before they headed to the airport. Seb told her that they didn’t need to worry about the shipment of wine that would be delivered here. Pierre was going to handle putting it away in the wine cellar for them.

Within an hour, they left their Paris home behind and Lisa asked Seb if they could please try to come here again as soon as it was possible. She turned in her seat as he pulled away from the house. Lisa loved that house already and felt a loss at leaving it behind. There was no telling how long before Seb would be able to bring her back here with his busy schedule.

“Urs?... Urs can you hear me?” Alex called down to him.

“I’ll be right up, Sweetheart.”

Alex had gone upstairs a while ago claiming to be tired. She was going to take a nap. Urs had been outside in the shed working on the rocking horse. He’d gone yesterday and gotten all of the supplies he thought he would need to repair and restore it. He was getting excited about finishing it now. In the beginning he wasn’t sure if he would be able to repair the damage left from years of use and also years of being tossed aside in the old shed.

He finished drying his hands and took the steps two at a time.

“Hey Baby, what’s up?” he asked as he entered the room only to stop short when he saw how pale she looked.

“I’ve been up here getting sick again and it doesn’t seem to want to stop.” She said and tears of frustration began to fall.

This was an Alex that Urs wasn’t used to seeing. He wasn’t sure what to do.

“Do you need see a doctor today? The doctor told you to be careful about getting dehydrated.”

“I guess I should. I just don’t even have the strength to get out to the car right now.”

“Don’t you even worry about that. I’ll get you there. You just lie back and relax as much as possible and I’ll be right back.”

Urs cleared off the back seat of the car so Alex could lie down while he drove her to the hospital then he came back upstairs and gathered her into his arms and carefully carried her down and helped her to lie down on the back seat.

He drove carefully but still pushed the speed limit as much as he dared. He wanted to get her there and make someone tell him why she was so violently ill. He knew women got ill sometimes when they were pregnant but this was getting scary. Was there something seriously wrong with her or their baby?

When they arrived, Urs ran and got a wheelchair to set Alex in and then he pushed her up to the check in counter.

“Please, can you help me? My fiancé is pregnant and keeps getting violently ill. I’m very worried. She has gotten very weak today.”

The triage nurse took Alex’s information and then took her temperature and blood pressure.

“Has your blood pressure been running high and have you ever had problems with it before you were pregnant?”

“No, I’ve never had any trouble with it. Why, what’s wrong?” Alex asked getting concerned when she saw the look of concern on the nurse’s face.

“It’s just a little high. Please don’t worry. We’ll take good care of you.”

The nurse pushed Alex back into the emergency area and helped her to get into a gown and into bed.

“A doctor will be with you shortly.” She told her after propping her legs up and telling her to lie on her left side.

“Urs, I’m scared.”

“I know Baby. Me too.”

They began hearing Alex’s cell phone ringing inside of her purse. Urs took out the phone and told her that it was her mother. Alex took the phone and answered it. When Alex explained to her, what exactly was happening, Marie told her that she would be there in a few minutes. Even after Alex told her that it wasn’t necessary to come here, Marie just shushed her.

After only a short wait, the doctor came in and spoke to her, verifying the information that the nurse had written down on the new chart.

“Miss. Huggins, I am very concerned at the rise in your blood pressure. It is not good for either you or your baby and considering that you have been so ill lately, I would like to admit you and begin some medication to help with the nausea and to try to lower your pressure as quickly and safely as possible.”

“Am I going to lose my baby?”

“Miss Huggins, I’m not going to lie to you. With your pressure up as high as it is, I am very concerned for both of you if we don’t get this under control. So, I want you to be absolutely still. No getting out of bed for any reason. They will get you admitted and up to your room where I will check on you shortly and see if your pressure has dropped.”

Urs had been worried before, but now with the doctor saying he was concerned not just for the baby but for Alex too, he was frantic. But, he couldn’t let Alex know how upset he was. It would only make her more distraught. So he called on his training he’d had when he had acted in the stage productions and held his fear in check, for now at least.

When Marie got there, she spoke with the doctor and he told her the same things he’d told Alex and Urs. They would just have to wait and see if her pressure went down. That was their biggest concern. The medication they’d given her for nausea seemed to be working which at least was allowing Alex to rest without getting sick. The doctor asked Marie what type of activities Alex had been doing on a day to day basis. Marie told him about the wedding, the move into the new house, plus working her hours at the TV station. But she assured him that Alex hadn’t been allowed to do anything strenuous since they’d known about the baby.

He told her that just having so many big events to deal with at once and still keeping up with her job could be causing her body to complain. He was hopeful that if they could lower her pressure to a safe level, and decrease her activities, that everything would be alright. But everything hinged on getting her blood pressure down and keeping it there.

Dan showed up after work and was filled in on the latest. Her pressure had dropped some but not enough to please the doctor any. While Alex was sleeping, the other three went to the cafeteria and got some dinner. Urs hadn’t wanted to leave her but they’d insisted that he needed to eat to keep his own strength up. Urs just picked at his food and wasn’t saying much. They knew he was worried and it only made them love him more when they could see how much he really loved their daughter.

“She’s a very strong girl, Urs. She’ll be fine.” Marie told him.

“I want her to quit working.” He finally said looking up at them and seeing their look of surprise. “I know that she won’t really like it but for her health and for the baby, I think she needs to stay home and rest….. Don’t you?” he asked them.

Marie cleared her throat and was trying to think of a way to be clear to Urs without hurting his feelings.

“Urs, it isn’t that I don’t agree with you on this, because actually I do. If you can afford to support her if she isn’t working, then yes, I think she should take a leave of absence. In most cases, I think a woman can work throughout her pregnancy, but seeing how Alex is already having trouble, she should take it easy for her and for the baby’s sake. I just think that you need to come up with a way to talk her into it without it sounding like an order like it just did a few minutes ago. Do you understand what I am saying?”

“Yes, and I guess I did come off like I was going to order her to quit. I already know enough about Alex to know that would be a mistake.” He said with a little bit of a smile as they rose to go back up.

Chapter 83:

Alex was still asleep when they entered the room and after sitting with her for about an hour, Dan suggested that he and Marie go home and get some sleep and then they could come back and let Urs go home for some sleep if they weren’t ready to release her by the morning. Marie wasn’t thrilled about leaving, but agreed to go. She made Urs promise to call them, no matter what the time, with any changes, good or bad. He promised to call and they left.

He tried to get comfortable in the chair when what he really wanted to do was climb into the bed with Alex and hold her in his arms. He didn’t want to take the chance of waking her when she needed the rest, so reluctantly he stayed where he was. A while later he woke when she called out to him. He went and sat on the edge of her bed and gently brushed her hair back.

“Hey, how are you feeling?”

“I’m not sick to my stomach now, but I still feel very weak.”

“Well, you’ve had nothing to eat since breakfast and you lost all of that. Maybe they would let you try to eat something. Would you like to try?”

She nodded and then said, “Urs, did the doctor say anything else while I was sleeping?”

“No, Baby. The machine has been taking your blood pressure every fifteen minutes and recording it, the nurse said. The doctor will be back in the morning, if there are no other problems.”

Urs went out to the nurse’s station to ask about Alex getting something to eat. They said if she felt up to eating something, she could try some crackers and juice to start with. The nurse took Urs to the little kitchenette and showed him where he could come and help himself whenever he wanted something.

“It will be good if she can get something to stay down. If she can keep the crackers down, we’ll order her a breakfast in the morning.”

“Alright, thank you.”

“I really want to turn over. I am tired of lying in this one spot.” Alex said when he came back.

“The doctor was very specific that you stay like that at least for the night, until your pressure comes down and stays that way for a while.”

Alex nibbled on the crackers, still afraid that her stomach might reject the solid food. Once she had successfully eaten a couple of them with no nausea, she had a couple more and some juice.

She began to get sleepy again and handed Urs the cup to set on the little rolling tray table sitting over her bed.

“Do you feel alright after eating those?”

“Mmmm Hmmm” she mumbled in reply as she was already falling back to sleep.

Urs leaned down and kissed her forehead and then walked around to the other side of the bed. He kicked his boots off and pushed them under the bed so no one would trip on them and then he lay down next to Alex and stretched his arm over her waist and held her hand in his. He felt her give his hand a little squeeze and he was glad that she knew that he was there. Just a couple of minutes later, he fell asleep beside her.

They both woke when the doctor entered the room doing his rounds. Urs stretched and stood up and retrieved his boots as the doctor was reviewing Alex’s chart and the blood pressure readings.

“The nurse told me that you were able to eat some crackers in the night. Were you able to keep them down?”

“Yes, I feel much better this morning.” She said in the midst of a yawn. “May I sit up yet?”

The doctor was still looking at the readings and after a few seconds, he told her that it would be alright to sit up.

“But I still don’t want you up yet. Stay in the bed. It hasn’t been all that long since your pressure was as low as I would like it to be. If you get moving around, it may shoot back up again. I’ll check on you again this afternoon and we’ll see how it’s been during the day. If you are up to eating, I’d like you to try to have some breakfast with no salt.”

“I will. I’m actually pretty hungry now.”

“Alright then, just rest today and eat and I’ll be back later then.” He said with his head still down as he made notations in her chart.

“You should call your parents and tell them that you are better this morning. They were pretty worried. Your mom really didn’t want to leave you last night.”

The nurse came in and took her breakfast order and just as she left Alex’s head snapped up.

“Urs, we are supposed to go to the airport to pick Lisa and Seb up this afternoon!”

They’d both forgotten in all of the urgency of last night.

Marlene was feeding breakfast to the children. Marie would be here soon to collect them and take them to school. She was having trouble keeping Sammy in his seat and eating this morning. He was just way too excited about his Mommy and Papa returning today. They had called before the children went to bed last night and told them that they would see them this afternoon. Marlene hadn’t had any trouble getting Kayti to sleep. She was still so young and the concept of time didn’t mean much to her. She had been told the whole time they were gone that they would be coming home soon. So when she heard that it would be tomorrow, it really didn’t mean much to her yet.

Sammy was a different matter. Getting him to sleep had been a struggle because of his excitement. She had finally let him fall asleep next to her on the couch and then she carried him to bed. This morning, he’d been up before either her or Kayti. She found him standing at the window, looking outside. She told him that Mommy and Papa wouldn’t be home until it was almost dinner time. It deflated him for a short time but she told him that he would have fun at school and that would make the time pass quickly.

Just as she was cleaning up the table from breakfast, the phone rang. Marie was calling to say that the children wouldn’t go to school today after all. She filled Marlene in on Alex’s condition. She had just spoken to her and she seemed much better this morning but she hadn’t been released. Plans were still up in the air about who would pick Lisa and Seb up at the airport. It would either be Urs or Dan. They would decide later when they saw how Alex was doing. If Alex was alright, Marie would stay with her and Urs would go to the airport so Dan wouldn’t have to leave work. She told Marlene that whoever it wound up being, would pick up the Escalade so they would have plenty of room for the luggage on the way home. By the time that afternoon came and they had to make a decision who would be driving, Alex was still feeling better. The doctor hadn’t been back yet but Alex told Urs to go ahead and go to the airport. If he decided to release her, Mom would be there and could drive her home.

Urs arrived to pick up the Escalade and had to laugh when he saw how excited Sammy was.

“Are you going to get Mommy and Papa, Onkle Urs?”

“Yes, I am.”

Urs had a thought and pulled Marlene aside to ask her what she thought. When she agreed, he knelt in front of Sammy.

“How would you like to come with me to the airport?”

“Oh can I, Please Onkle Urs?”

“Go get your shoes on while I get the keys and then we’ll go.”

Sammy ran into his room and back out to get help tying his shoes. They decided that Kayti would wait here with Grandmere. Marlene took her out to the playground to distract her while they left.

Sammy talked Urs’ ear off most of the way to the airport. Urs just smiled and answered whenever Sammy asked a question. Finally it got quiet and Urs looked in the rearview mirror and saw that Sammy had fallen asleep. He didn’t wake Sammy up until he got the call from Seb that they had landed and they would meet him out front.

Seb and Lisa both thanked the pilots for helping to make their honeymoon even more special and stress free knowing that the plane was ready for them when they had needed it. Seb had sent a thank you note to Simon to accompany the case of wine he’d purchased for him.

They made their way through the airport and towards the front door. When they stepped outside, they immediately saw the Escalade parked there. Lisa was looking for Alex. She was so excited to tell her of their trip. She was kind of disappointed when she only saw Urs. The disappointment lasted only until she saw the little boy running to her with his arms open wide.

“Mommy!” he yelled.

Lisa dropped her carry on bag and let go of the handle of her suitcase that she had been pulling and scooped Sammy up into her arms and immediately the tears started flowing.

“Hi Sammy. Mommy missed you so much.” She said as she was just about squeezing the stuffing out of him and kissing him all over his face.

Urs and Seb said hello and smiled at the sight of Lisa and Sammy being reunited. Seb knew that as much fun as she’d had on their trip, she had missed the children very much and was glad to be heading home to them.

Lisa finally made it over to Urs with Sammy still clinging to her.

“Hi Urs. It’s good to see you. Where’s Alex?

Urs told her about Alex being in the hospital and that he’d just received a call that Marie was bringing her home in an hour. Lisa’s first instinct was to rush to her friend’s side, but she had Sammy here and she was still anxious to get home to Kayti. Besides, Alex would be home soon. She would go over to see her later after she gotten home and settled.

Once the luggage was loaded, Seb took Sammy to get some of the love he was handing out.

“We missed you Buddy.”

“I missed you Papa. I’m happy now cuz you came back.”

“We are very happy to be back home with you. Is Kayti at home with Grandmere?”

“Yup, but she was crying cuz she wanted to come with me.”

“Well, we are going home right now to see her too.”

“I’m sorry I didn’t bring Kayti. I just wasn’t sure if I was going to have to come into the terminal and I don’t think I’m ready to handle two of them together yet, when I’m on my own.” Urs told them.

“It’s alright Urs, I understand.” Lisa told him.

Seb took over the driving and Urs sat up in the passenger’s seat with Lisa in the back with Sammy. He hadn’t let go of her hand since he’d gotten buckled in.

“I didn’t go for no more walks by myself, Mommy.”

“I am very happy to hear that. That scared Mommy when I heard that you had done that.”

“I’m sorry Mommy.”

“It’s alright, Baby as long as you never do that again.” She said and gave his little hand a squeeze.

Lisa told him that she had presents for him and Kayti and lots and lots of pictures to show him of all of the wonderful places they had been to and before they knew it they were pulling into the driveway.

Lisa asked Seb to unbuckle Sammy and she ran up the steps and into the house.

“Where’s my Kaytibug?” she called out as soon as she opened the door.

“Mama, Mama, Mama.” Kayti kept saying as she ran to Lisa.

Like she had with Sammy, Lisa lifted her into her arms and hugged the breath out of her and kissed her face all over.

Marlene smiled and went to hold the door open for the guys as they brought the luggage in. Seb dropped what he had in his hands and wrapped his arms around his mother.

“Thank you so much Maman, for taking care of our children for us. I missed you.” He said kissing her cheeks.

“I missed you too. I’m sure that you had a wonderful time.”

“Oh we did, Maman. We really did.”

“Papa” Kayti called out when she saw him.

“Come see me, Ma Petite. How is my little girl? I missed you, sweetheart.” He said as they shared hugs and kisses.

“Mama, Papa went Bye Bye.”

“Yes, we did. But we are home now, Baby.” He said as he sat on the couch with her snuggled in his lap.

Sammy had taken Lisa’s hand and pulled her into his bedroom to show her that he had helped Grandmere clean up his room this morning. When they came back out, Urs was saying goodbye and telling them that he wanted to get back to the house and see if Alex was home yet. Lisa told him to tell Alex to call her and she would come over later. They watched him get into Alex’s car and saw that he was more worried than he was letting on. Lisa just wanted to see Alex for herself. Then she would know how she really was.

Alex called Lisa about an hour later, welcoming her home and telling her that she was feeling much better than she had yesterday. She told Lisa that she couldn’t wait to see her, but if she was tired from the flight home, not to worry about coming tonight.

“I’ll see how late it is when we get the children settled. I wouldn’t leave until they are sleeping. I’ll let you know if I am coming.”

When she hung up, Lisa told Seb and Marlene that Alex sounded weak and she was more worried than she was letting on.

Marlene had fixed an easy dinner so they could eat whenever they were ready to. They ate and got cleaned up and spent a while playing with the children outside until dark and then bathed them and got them ready for bed.

Seb and Lisa were snuggled on their bed with Sammy and Kayti between them and a few short books to read. As she stood in the doorway and looked at her son and his new family, Marlene felt a wave of joy come over her that he was settled and happy and had a wonderful life ahead of him since he and Lisa were together. She left them alone for this family time and went to her room to do a little reading.

When both of the children had fallen asleep, Seb carried Sammy and Lisa carried Kayti to their beds. They met back out in the hallway after tucking the children in.

“Are you going to go see Alex?”

“I don’t know. I’d like to but, I don’t want to leave you on our first night home.” She said as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

“I will be right here when you get back. I know that you are worried about her. I’ll have a chat with Maman while you’re gone and I’ll be looking forward to you coming home to me after your visit.” He said kissing her nose and then her cheeks and made his way to just below her ear before coming to rest on her lips.

“If you’re sure that you don’t mind, I would like to go see her.”

“Go on and enjoy your visit.”

She called Alex to let her know that she was going to come over for a bit if she was up to company.

“You are not company and I can’t wait to see you. Come on over.”

“Alright, I’ll see you soon then.”

“I guess I’m going then.” She said to Seb and Marlene.

He gave her the keys to the Beemer and she kissed him before she left.

“I love you Seb.” She called to him as she was getting in the car.

“I love you too, Baby. Drive safely.”

Lisa drove down the street, took the left and after another two miles she took another left, drove two more miles and then she turned into the driveway at Urs and Alex’s new house. This was going to be great having Alex so close by and even better once the private road was completed.

Urs had seen her pull into the drive and was at the door to meet her.

“Hi Lisa, come on in. I’m glad you were able to come over. Alex is really excited to see you after your trip. She was upset that she couldn’t come to the airport to meet you today.”

“We got the kids to sleep and Seb told me to come over. I wasn’t sure if I should. I won’t stay too long. I know she needs to rest.”

“She has to stay in bed for a few days to make sure her pressure stays down. I have to help her check it several times a day. They sent her home with a portable machine. She has to keep all the readings written down to show the doctor when she goes back to see him in a few days. If it goes higher than a certain point and stays that way for over fifteen minutes, I have to get her back to the hospital.”

“Wow, it sounds scary, Urs.”

“It has been. I just hope that once she gets feeling better, she will still take it easy. I was worried not only about the baby, but her as well.”

“Well, I’ll help wherever I can.”

“I know you will.” He said and kissed her cheek as he led her up the stairs.

“You have a visitor, my love.”

“Lisa, I am so glad you didn’t wait to come over. I want to hear everything. You look fantastic.” Alex said sounding like her usual exuberant self, but still looking a bit pale. She held her arms out for Lisa to come and give her a hug.

“I’ll leave you two lovely ladies to your girl talk. I’ll be in the shed if you need me.”

“I always need you.” Alex said with a cheeky grin and batted her eyelashes.

Normally, that kind of banter would make Lisa very uncomfortable, but she didn’t feel that way at all. She and Seb played like that all the time now and she knew how much Alex and Urs loved each other.

“So, you’ve banished him to the shed already, Huh? I love your new home by the way.”

“No. He is doing some top secret project out there. He says he can’t tell me. It’s a surprise. It is driving me crazy wondering what he’s up to. I’d like to sneak up on him and see what he’s doing but I guess I really don’t want to spoil his surprise. I love it here too. It’s great to have so much more space. So tell me everything. Did you have a good trip?”

“First tell me how you are doing. What did the doctor tell you? Urs told me you have to keep checking your blood pressure.”

“Well, I’m on bed rest for a few days and then I’ll go back to see him. I’ve heard of women having to stay on bed rest for their whole pregnancy. I’ll go nuts, Lisa. I can’t stay in this bed for almost seven more months.”

“You will if you have to. You have to do whatever the doctor tells you to to keep not only the baby safe but you as well. Pre-eclampsia is nothing to mess around with.”

“I know but I really hope it doesn’t come to that.”

“Me too. But if it does, we’ll deal with it.” Lisa told her taking Alex’s hand in hers.

“Enough of all that. I’m dying to hear about your trip. First, how are you and Seb doing?”

Lisa knew exactly what Alex was asking about.

“Well…We’re doing ok.” Lisa said with a bit of a blush creeping up her cheeks.

“Just okay? We’re you alright the first night? I was worried about you.”

“The first night, I was so nervous…scared actually. As much as I had been feeling like I wanted more with Seb those last couple of weeks, when the evening came, I was just plain scared stiff…. I didn’t need to be though…..Seb…he was just so gentle and patient with me. He even told me we could still wait if I wasn’t ready. But I was ready though. I was just so sure I would feel pain again and when…… you know… the first time….and it didn’t hurt and I finally felt totally free from Jeremy and what he did.” Lisa told her with every bit of emotion plainly written on her face.

“And now, more than a week later, how do you feel?”

Lisa’s face lit up and Alex knew even before Lisa spoke that things were just fine.

“I feel wonderful. That part of our life is amazing. I was afraid that I might wind up just going through the motions with him to satisfy his needs, but it is nothing like that at all. I love him so much Alex. He is everything I could ever want or need. The best part is that I know that he loves me too. We had so much fun the rest of our time together too.” Lisa said smiling.

“So I guess that means Seb is all healed up now?” Alex said grinning.

“Pretty much. He still has a couple of sore spots if they’re pressed on hard enough.”

‘I guess you just need to be careful then Huh?” Lisa could tell that Alex was just trying to embarrass her now so she changed the subject.

“We went so many places. Wait until I show you all of the pictures. I got to hold two baby koalas and I named them. Oh and the house in Paris, I can’t wait for you to see it too. It is so beautiful. I took some video but I’m not sure I did it justice. I almost forgot. Thank you so much for the wedding video. It was fantastic. Everyone loved getting to see the video and the pictures, especially me and Seb. I met a lot of his family. I think they liked me. Wait until you see the photo album his aunt made for me. It is all of Seb and his family, starting when he was born. It is a precious gift and I’ll treasure it forever.”

Lisa was as excited to tell Alex everything as Alex was to hear it but Alex began fading and as soon as Lisa noticed, she stopped talking a mile a minute.

“Alex, you need to rest. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

“I’m alright.” She said at the same time she began yawning and chuckled. “I guess I could go to sleep.

Lisa hugged her and told her to call any time if she needed anything or just needed to talk. Alex had been there for her in so many stressful situations. Now it was her turn to be the strength in this relationship.

“Goodnight Alex, Love Ya.” She called as she headed out the bedroom door and down the stairs.

Urs was just coming in the house and turned to walk her to her car.

“How did she seem to you?” Urs asked her.

“Tired and weak, but she’s still got spunk. If the doctor tells her to stay on bed rest, it will not be a fun time.”

“I want her to quit working and take care of herself and the baby. What do you think the chances are of me getting her to do that?”

“Wow, well….I’m not sure Urs. Let’s see what the doctor says first. He might tell her to take a leave of absence. That would take care of that and you wouldn’t have to say anything about it. I’m not sure how she would feel about it but, taking time off of work and spending time relaxing won’t be near as bad as bed rest.”

“You’re right. Well, we’ll see you later. Take care and be careful on the way home.”

“Yes, it is such a long drive to get home.” Lisa said acting all dramatic, making them both laugh. “Hey is your top secret project a secret from everyone or just Alex?”

“Did she send you out here to find out what it was?”

“No, she said she doesn’t want to spoil your surprise and if you want to keep it to yourself, I don’t mind.”

“You won’t tell her?”

“My lips are sealed!”

“Come here. I actually would love to show you. It is just about finished. I want to know if you think she’ll like it.”

They walked over to the large workbench and sitting on top was the rocking horse.

“Oh Urs, It is beautiful. She’ll love it. I love it. Where did you get it? It looks like an antique.”

“I think it is. Actually, it was Sammy that saw it first when he and I walked over here the day after your wedding. He wanted to ride on it but, it was very unsafe at the time. I’ve replaced all of the hardware and refinished it and put several coats of polyurethane on it. I’m quite proud of it if I do say so myself. I was just hoping to get it usable again.”

“It really is lovely Urs. When are you going to show it to her?”

“Thank you. I’ll bring it in in a couple of days. I want the finish to completely dry and let the odor die down a bit before I bring it into the house. A lot of smells are really bothering her right now.”

“Urs, please don’t hesitate to call if either of you need anything. Is Mom helping with meals?”

“Yes. She said that she would get with me tomorrow to see which days I’d like her to bring a meal.”

“Well, I’ll get with Mom too and help out.”

“I appreciate it, Lisa. I know just having you home will make her feel better.”

“I’d better get going. Thanks for showing me the rocking horse. She’ll love it.”

Chapter 84:

The house looked quiet and dark except for the porch light when Lisa got home. She got out of the car and jumped just about out of her skin when Seb said “Hi”

“I’m sorry, Love. I didn’t mean to frighten you.”

“It’s alright. I just didn’t see you out here.”

Seb had been standing at the porch railing watching for her. Maman had gone to bed and Seb had come out for some fresh air. He met her at the bottom of the steps and pulled her into his arms.

“I missed you.”

“I was only gone an hour.”

“I don’t care. I still missed you.” He said and started kissing her neck.

“Mmmmm I missed you too.” She said as she was getting lost in the feelings he was stirring in her.

“There was something that I didn’t get to do today when we got home. We were so excited about seeing the children and being home.” He said as he took her hand and led her up the stairs.

“What was that?”

“This!” he said at the same time he scooped her up into his arms and she let out a small scream and quickly covered her mouth, afraid of waking the children or Maman.

“You carried me over the threshold at home in Paris.”

“Yes, and here and when the main house is finished, I will carry you over that one. It is in there that we will raise our family.” He said nodding towards the main house. “Baby, could you open the door. I need to set you down now.”

Lisa opened the door with her foot and when he set her down, he looked like he was breathing heavily. Seb saw her worried look and told her he was fine.

“I can carry you but holding you up for a long time is still hurting a bit.” He said as they headed for the bedroom.

On the bed was everything unpacked and waiting to be put away. Seb had already done his things and he and Maman had thrown the dirty clothes in the washer. They were now drying and would be put away tomorrow.

“Wow thanks for getting all of this done. I know we’ll be glad in the morning that it’s finished.” She said as she put the last of her clothes away.

As she was getting ready for bed, she had a thought. Before they were married, Maman knew that they were sleeping together but were not intimate. Now she would know what they were doing in here. She knew it was natural but it still made her feel a bit of embarrassment. Oh well, there was no way to get around it. She wasn’t going to not make love to her husband because his mother was in the house. She watched Seb as he came out of the bathroom in just his boxers. He caught her looking and smiled.

“Like what you see?” he said striking a pose.

“Oh yes, very much.” She said without any hesitation and went into his arms and very quickly found herself being loved by him as they shared their first night as man and wife in their home.

With just over three weeks before the guys had to meet back up for promotional dates and some meetings about the concert they were doing in May with Celine Dion, they had to plan carefully how to fit all of the important things in that needed to be done while Seb was still here.

The first thing that needed to be done was to bury Sammy’s baby sister. It was a rather depressing thing to have to do when they were still on such a high from their wedding and honeymoon. But, they had taken responsibility and weren’t going to be more people letting her down. At the very least, she deserved a proper burial and a place where her only known living relative, Sammy, could come and visit her if he chose to when he got older. Lisa called Brenda the day after they returned home to tell her what they had planned if it was still alright for them to take possession of the baby’s remains. Brenda told her it was and that they had found records of a baby girl being born to Sammy’s mother, but no record of the child ever being named. Lisa remembered to ask Brenda about Sammy’s birth date. Brenda pulled his file and found the date.

“Lisa, it says here that Sammy’s birthday is July 9th of 2004.”

“Okay thanks, we’ll have to throw him a great party.”

They changed the topic of conversation to a happier one as they began discussing Lisa’s honeymoon.

Two days later, a small gathering took their places at the gravesite for the burial. Lisa had only told Sammy that his baby sister was going to be buried here now instead of by the tree. He had asked if she was still going to have her teddy bear to sleep with and Lisa assured him that she did. When he knew that, he didn’t seem to be bothered by the rest. Lisa was in conflict over the way she felt about Sammy’s reaction. She was relieved that he wasn’t hysterically upset over it, but at the same time, she was concerned over his nonchalance over it. He had become so used to events that no three year old should even have to know about. She would have to talk to Dr. Talbot when they took Sammy for his appointment at the end of the week. Should she be concerned about this? Maybe that was normal processing for a three year old in this situation, but she wasn’t sure.

The minister read a few passages from the bible and spoke about the baby being held safely in the arms of God. The little white casket was covered with a large spray of Lilies that Seb had ordered after Lisa had decided on her name. They had also ordered a lovely headstone with a little cherub on it. When it arrived, the inscription would read,

Isabella Grace Jenkins
Beloved Sister
September 16, 2006 – March 2007
A tiny flower that never got to show her beauty to the world.
Sleep in Peace Little One.

They didn’t know her exact date of death but, the medical examiner had estimated that Isabella had been anywhere from three to six months old.

Seb held Lisa close to him. Neither could hold back the tears as the tiny casket was lowered into the ground. Seb took Sammy’s hand and gave him a flower to throw in on top of the casket after he had thrown his own in and then they moved back next to Lisa and Kayti. Lisa moved forward and threw hers in and Kayti held up her hand waiting for a flower like Sammy had. Lisa turned and took one from a spray of carnations and gave it to her. She tried to look down in the hole after she’d thrown the carnation in but Lisa gave her hand a little tug and shook her head at her.

Besides Seb and Lisa and the children, Mom and Dad had come as well as Urs, Alex and Brenda and standing back a ways were the three police officers who had been given the unenviable job of digging the baby up last month. Thankfully, they had been successful in keeping the story out of the news.

As they left the grave site, Lisa moved back to speak to Alex. She and Urs had come here directly from her first doctor’s appointment since being released from the hospital.

“What did the doctor say?”

As soon as she asked the question, she could see that whatever it was, Alex wasn’t very happy about it.

“We’ve had to keep track of all of the readings since I left the hospital and the doctor isn’t happy about the little spikes in my blood pressure. He wants me to take a leave of absence from work.”

“Is he putting you on bed rest?”

“No, not yet. But he said if the spikes don’t lessen in frequency or if it gets any higher, that would be the next step.”

“Well, we’ll just have to make sure that doesn’t happen.” Lisa told her.

“There is nothing that absolutely needs to be done, so all you need to do is lounge around and enjoy the rest of your pregnancy. You will just have to let the rest of us do everything else… and before you say it, I know you don’t like that situation, but I am not taking any chances on losing my only child or my first grandchild.” Mom said then looked over quickly realizing that she might have hurt Lisa’s feelings by what she’d said. Lisa saw the look and knew what Mom was thinking. She reached over and squeezed Mom’s hand and smiled, letting her know that she understood.

Dan left to go back to work and Mom rode back to Urs and Alex’s house. She had done some shopping yesterday and was going to make several meals at once and put them in their freezer so all they would need was to be heated up.

Brenda said thank you to Lisa and Sebastien and then said goodbye to the children.

“Oh, I almost forgot to tell you. I got the paperwork back and the court date has been set for the adoptions.”

“Is it before Seb leaves?”

“I think so. It is February nineteenth. He’ll still be here then won’t he?”

“Yes, He isn’t leaving until the week after that.”

“Good, well if I don’t see you before then, I will see you that day.” She said hugging Lisa and waving to the rest.

Lisa hurried over to where Seb was waiting with the children.

“The adoption is in less than two weeks.” She said excitedly.

“My doption?” Sammy asked

“Yes baby yours and Kayti’s adoption. They will be at he same time.” Lisa told him. “That means that you and Kayti will be mine and Papa’s always and forever.”

“That makes me be happy. Kayti, are you happy cuz we will be dopted?” he leaned over to ask his sister after they were both buckled into their seats.

Seb and Lisa smiled when they saw Kayti smile and nod her head at her brother, but they doubted that she knew what he was talking about. She was just agreeing with whatever he said to her.

The next few days were spent enjoying being together with no appointments and then on the following Monday, Lisa had to go back to work. They had kept the children home from school for those first days after their return so they could spend as much time with Seb as possible while he was home.

Seb was going to take his mom out for the day so Lisa took the children to school with her. Mary and the rest of the girls were so happy to have her back and hear all about her trip.

Also on this first day back, there was a new employee starting. She was the woman who would be training to take over for Lisa when she left for good. In the meantime, she would just shadow Lisa and learn all the aspects of the job Lisa did. As the owner had increased the amount of daycares she owned, Lisa had taken over more and more of the responsibilities at this one. They hoped that this new employee would be able to handle everything by herself by the time Lisa was ready to leave.

Before the new lady was scheduled to arrive, Lisa had time to talk to Mary.

“Mary, I can’t wait for you to come over and see the progress on the house. With so much going on starting at the first of the year and the accident and then the wedding, I hardly had time to go over there. Drew took me through the other day and it is actually looking like the bedrooms will be completed in the next couple of weeks. Then we can start decorating them and preparing them to be moved into. June seemed so far away and now it is only four months from now. I am getting so excited. The guest house has been nice but it is a bit crowded. I’m looking forward to being able to spread out and start setting up the activity rooms for the children. Will you be ready to move in June?”

“Oh yes, I am all ready. I won’t put the house on the market though until we are actually moving in though, just in case something happens to slow it down any.”

“I understand that. I’m looking forward to you being able to move in with us.”

Just then there was a knock on Lisa’s office door. When she answered it, Lauren was standing there with another lady.

“Lisa this is Kelly. She says she is supposed to be starting to work today.”

“Yes, hello Kelly, come on in.” Lisa said, shaking her hand.

Mary went back to the front desk and Lisa took Kelly on a complete tour of the facility.

During lunch, Lisa introduced Kelly to her two children. Both Sammy and Kayti seemed to be happy to be back to school after being out for almost a week.

By the end of her first day, Kelly had been shown what most of her duties would be as the manager of the facility in the absence of the owner. Over the next weeks, Lisa would train her extensively on the managerial duties that would be her responsibilities and as Lisa felt Kelly was ready, the duties would gradually be turned over to her in anticipation of Lisa’s departure.

This gradual transition would also allow Lisa the time to research the foster care system and see if she could find any children that would be appropriate for their home. That in itself would be her biggest challenge but was also exciting to think about increasing their numbers. Brenda was also keeping her eyes and ears open for suitable children.

Lisa called Alex and asked her if they could bring dinner over for them tonight and Alex told her she could under the condition that they all come over and eat with them. She was going stir crazy already. She knew it was mostly because she knew that she was forbidden to go to work. Her boss had understood and told her to do what she needed to keep herself and her baby healthy and promised that her job was not in jeopardy. She knew that if it was just a case of her being on vacation for a few weeks, she would love being off of work. She just didn’t like being told that she couldn’t go.

She was trying to look on the bright side of being home so much. Urs would be leaving soon and she was taking advantage of every minute that she had with him. He had finally shown her what his surprise was. He had brought her into the nursery and made her close her eyes as he opened the door. When she opened her eyes and scanned the room for what it could be, her eyes came to rest on the most beautiful rocking horse she’d ever seen. The shine coming off of it was amazing.

“Where did you get that? It is beautiful. Did you make it?”

“Well, no I didn’t make it. I just restored it. It was in the shed. It was in pretty rough shape so I replaced all the hardware and sanded it all down and refinished it and polyurethaned it. Do you like it?” He asked hopefully.

“Like it? Baby, I love it. It is so beautiful and the baby will love it too.” She said wrapping her arms around him.

Of course Alex brought Seb, Lisa and Marlene up to see Urs’ handiwork as soon as they arrived for dinner.

“Are you going into another line of work, Urs?” Seb asked him. “That looks fantastic.”

“Thank you. I just thought it would be nice to do something personal in the nursery.”

They went down and had dinner and Lisa told them all about Kelly and that she thought their first day went well which took them one step closer to officially opening the group home.

Seb and Urs turned on the TV, trying to find something to watch while the girls were talking about decorating the nursery here and all of the children’s rooms in the group home.

Urs stopped flipping the channels when he heard the newsman speaking about an abandoned baby found in downtown Tampa. He was standing outside of a local hospital reporting on the incident. He said that an early morning jogger had found the baby when she stopped to take a drink of her water and heard the baby’s cries. At first she had thought it to be the mewing of a little kitten but when she opened the lid of the cardboard box, she was stunned to find a newborn, just hours old at the most, with part of the umbilical cord still attached and tied off with a dirty shoelace.

The newsman continued on to report that the baby had been rushed to St. Josephs Women’s Center’s NICU and had been thoroughly examined and found to be a healthy little girl, weighing in at just over six pounds. It was weak from crying and had settled down after some attention and a bottle of formula. He asked that anyone with any information about the parentage of the newborn be directed to the number shown on the screen.

When the cameras focused back on the two newscasters in the studio, they spoke about the fact that with the safe haven laws, that there was no reason for a child to be left to die like that. A child could be left at any hospital, police or fire station without any fear of prosecution for abandonment or child neglect. But it was still happening all over the country. Almost monthly you would hear about a child being found that had been left somewhere that they might not ever be found except by divine intervention such as this morning. They went on to urge any expectant parents to think about leaving their child in a safe place instead of somewhere where they might never be found in time to save them. Most often, babies were found too late to help them.

When Urs finally turned the channel, he and Seb just looked at each other, shaking their heads.

“I hope Alex doesn’t see that report.” He whispered to Seb. “I’m trying to keep her from stressful situations as much as possible. That was terrible to hear about someone doing that.”

They decided that that news wasn’t something they wanted to share with any of the women.

The following morning, Lisa and Seb discussed the strategy for today.

Sammy had a doctor’s appointment with the pediatrician this morning and Lisa had promised him that she would take him next time. Brenda had taken him last time and while Lisa didn’t think Sammy was as worried about having to leave them as he was then, she had promised him and there was no good reason for her to break that promise. Seb told her that he and Maman would drop Kayti off at school. It would give him a chance for a chat with Mary. So they went their separate ways after breakfast.

Lisa and Sammy met with the doctor who gave Sammy the same thorough examination that he had the two previous visits.

“This is my Mommy.” Sammy told the doctor.

“Yes, I know. I remember you telling me all about her the last time you came. Do you still like living at your new home?”

“Yes, it is my happy house. My nuther house was my sad house and I am going to be dopted next week.”

Lisa looked up quickly at Sammy and then at the doctor at Sammy’s revelation. She had to swallow the big lump in her throat.

“Mrs. Izambard, I would like to commend you on your care of Sammy. I sincerely felt conflicted about not admitting him to the hospital the day I met him but, Ms. Chandler assured me that he would be very well cared for in your home and I see she was right. I have seen abused and malnourished children in my time and Sammy was one of the worst. The transformation in him in less than two months is astounding. While I am no Psychologist, Sammy looks not only physically much healthier but emotionally as well. I still want you to keep him on the same diet you’ve had him on, including the Pediasure to maintain his weight gain. He still has a way to go there but he looks wonderful. We’ll do the blood draw once more to make sure everything looks alright but if there aren’t any problems this time, I won’t do that again for a while. Please don’t hesitate to call me with any concerns or questions.”

“I was wondering if it would be alright if I brought my daughter Kayti to see you as well. I would like for Sammy to continue seeing you and I see no reason to have two different pediatricians.”

“That would be just fine, Mrs. Izambard. How old is she?”

“Kayti is gonna have a birfday in five more days.” Sammy said holding up his open hand.

Lisa smiled and answered, “She will be two. There is one thing I should tell you before you decide to take on my children. I am building a group home and will have somewhere around twelve children in residence when we are full.”

“I was aware of that. Ms. Chandler told me about it the last time she was here. From the looks of Sammy, any child will be lucky to find themselves in your home.”

“Thank you doctor, I appreciate you saying that. It is not only me, but my husband as well and our extended family and friends. They have all embraced these children as much as I have. A year ago, I imagined being pretty much on my own in this, but now it is a whole different scenario.”

When they finished at the doctor’s they headed for school to finish out the rest of the day.

On one hand, Lisa was excited about the time passing quickly, because that meant the completion of the house and the time to move into it was getting ever closer and her excitement over that was building. But on a more immediate note, she wanted it to slow down because it meant that Seb would be leaving soon. It was now just under two weeks until he and Urs had to meet back up with David and Carlos for a couple of weeks.

While Sammy and Lisa had gone to the doctor, Seb, Marlene and Kayti headed for the daycare. Mary jumped up and said hello to Marlene and hugged Seb.

“It’s so good to see you. Lisa told me what a wonderful time you had on your trip.”

“Yes we did.” He said and returned her hug and added a kiss on the cheek for good measure.

Mary called Kayti’s teacher to come for her. When it was time for her to go, she wouldn’t let go of Seb.

“I stay with Papa.”

“You need to go to school, ma petite. Papa will see you this afternoon. Mama and Sammy will be here with you soon.” He said kissing her cheek.

“I stay with Papa.” She said again.

“Here, let me try.” Mary said lifting Kayti out of Seb’s arms. Kayti wasn’t happy but she let go of the death grip she had on his arm. “Come here sweetie. Come see Mary.”

Mary carried her out of the area so she couldn’t see Seb anymore and then handed her off to her teacher. When she came back, Mary told him that Kayti was just fine.

“I hate to make her go if she wants to stay with me.”

“Seb, this is a normal occurrence with children. Most of the children here go through the same thing every day but as soon as Mom and Dad have left, they are usually fine. We do have some that cry for a little while but Kayti is not one of them. She is very well adjusted.”

“Alright. I’ll take your word for it. This Papa stuff is all very new to me.”

“I know but you are doing a wonderful job already. Those children love you so much. Look at how far Sammy has come with you.”

Seb smiled at her and just then the front door opened and a tall blonde woman walked in the door.

“Sorry I’m late Mary. Is Lisa here yet?”

“No, Sammy had a doctor’s appointment. She’ll be here later.” Mary told her.

“Seb, this is Kelly. She just started yesterday.”

“Yes, Lisa told me about you. She said your first day went very well. I know that is a relief for her to have someone coming in that she can train well and then be ready to leave when it is time.”

“Thank you for saying that. Well, I’d better head to the back and see what I can do to help until Lisa arrives. It was nice to meet you.”

“And you as well.” Seb said.

Kelly headed to Lisa’s office that they were sharing, to put away her things and then went out to the playground where most of the children were during their morning play until everyone got there.

“Who was that gorgeous hunk of man that was out front talking to Mary? He looks like a movie star. He had an older woman with him. Mary said his name was Seb, I think.”

The women out there with her began laughing.

“That would be Lisa’s new husband, Sebastien. He must have just brought Kayti to school.” Lauren said.

“He is gorgeous. She sure is lucky. I heard him telling Mary that he would be heading back out of town. Is he some kind of salesman?”

The laughter began again as did the education of Kelly into the world of Il Divo.

That evening when Lisa came home from work with both of the children in tow, she was very tired. The day had seemed to drag from the time she got to work until she walked into the house, shortly before dinner. She had stayed to show Kelly how to close the daycare on the evenings that it was her turn to stay late.

“I think I’ll go lie down for a bit if you don’t mind and then I’ll get dinner on the table.”

“Don’t you worry about dinner. Maman and I have it almost ready to go on the table. You lie down and rest and then we’ll eat.” Seb said and kissed her forehead. “You don’t feel warm or anything, but you do look a bit pale. Are you alright?”

“Oh yes, it was just a long day and I am really tired. It must still be some jet lag from all of the traveling.” She said before going into the bedroom.

Marlene saw how her son’s brows were furrowed in worry as he walked back into the kitchen. She had her own suspicions but wasn’t sure whether to ask him or not. Seb had told her that they were not intimate before they were married; so if Lisa was pregnant, it wasn’t more than two and a half weeks. Maybe Lisa was right and she was still just feeling the effects of the jetlag. She really hadn’t rested much. She was always busy with something, even when she wasn’t at work. Marlene waited until both of the children were in Kayti’s room playing and then she stopped him in the kitchen.

"Est-elle enceinte" (Is she pregnant?)

Seb’s head popped up at his mother’s question.

“Est-il possible?” (Is it possible?)

A smile crept up Seb’s face and he looked at his mother.

“Oui, il est possible Maman.” (Yes, It is possible, Maman)

Seb let Lisa rest for a while and then woke her for dinner. He didn’t voice the hope that was taking hold in his heart. He had a plan but it would have to wait.

Chapter 85:

The day before Valentines Day, Seb asked his mother if she would mind keeping the children for them in the evening so that he could take Lisa out for a combination Valentines/Birthday dinner. The following night, on Lisa’s actual birthday, they would all be meeting at Marie’s for a family dinner. She told him that of course she would keep the children.

On Valentines Day morning, Seb woke and helped Lisa get her and the kids ready to leave for work.

“You’ll be able to leave work early today right?”

“Yes, I’ve already made sure that some of the others would be able to stay late.”

“Great, then as soon as you can get home and ready, we’ll go out.”

Seb wished Lisa could quit the daycare and stay home with him and the children but, he understood that she needed to train the new girl before she left. He hoped that Kelly was a quick learner.

About an hour after Lisa got to work two dozen long stemmed red roses were delivered to her. All of the women were talking about how lucky Lisa was, and about how romantic Seb was. The girls that had made it to the wedding told Kelly all about how beautiful it had been.

That afternoon, Seb made sure that he was ready before Lisa got home so that he could help his mother with the children while Lisa got ready to go. Again she looked and sounded really fatigued. She rarely seemed that way when she got home. She loved what she did and it wasn’t terribly taxing physically, especially lately since she was just training Kelly on a lot of the computer programs and reports that she would need to know how to complete.

He walked into the bedroom and kissed her cheek as she was brushing her hair. “Are you sure you’re up to going out tonight? We don’t have to, you know.”

“No, I want to, really. We won’t have many more opportunities before you leave.”

“Alright, but there is something I would like for you to do before we go out tonight.”

“What’s that?”

“Here” he said as he handed her a small plastic bag from the drug store.

“What is….” She said and stopped as soon as she saw what was in the bag.

She looked up at him. “What’s this for?”

He raised his eyebrows as if to ask, ”Do I really need to tell you?”

“Okay, I know what it is for, but why did you get one? And did you actually walk into the drug store and buy this?” she said grinning.

“No actually Maman bought a few of them.” This time it was Lisa’s eyebrows that shot up.

“Go try it, Please, for me.”

“Seb, I really think you’ll be disappointed. Don’t you think I would feel something if I was? It’s only been three weeks.”

“Maman and I both think that you might be. Maybe we are wrong but please just find out and put me out of my misery.” He said grinning at her.

As she moved towards the bathroom she asked him, “What makes you think I might be pregnant?”

“You have been extremely tired, much more than usual and I am not sure that it could still be jetlag. It’s been over a week since we’ve been home. If you aren’t pregnant, I would like for you to go see a doctor and make sure that you aren’t getting sick.”

Lisa could see by the look on his face that there was no use in arguing about it. He was worried about her and she knew she should feel grateful that she had a husband that cared so much for her well being. So she shut the bathroom door and proceeded to do the test.

She followed the instructions and then sat there to wait the allotted time. It seemed much longer than it actually was. She sat there swinging her foot back and forth and tapping her manicured nails on the sink top, noticing that she needed to get them redone soon if she wanted to keep them this way.

Seb sat on the edge of their bed with his legs crossed and wiggling his foot. His elbow was on his knee and his chin in his hand. His fingers were tapping out a rhythm on his cheek as he too waited. He was waiting for her to come out and tell him that she was indeed carrying his child. She was right though. If she came out and said that she wasn’t pregnant, he would be very disappointed, but he would also begin to get worried too. If she wasn’t pregnant, something else was going on with her. When Seb didn’t think he could stand the wait any more, He stood up to go knock on the door. He was going to ask her if she was alright and just at the same time, she opened the bathroom door. He couldn’t read her face, to know what the results were.

“Lisa, are you alright? What did it say?”

She stood there holding out the little wand to show him. But he had no idea what he was looking at. Did it mean she was or that she wasn’t pregnant?

“Baby, I’m sorry, but you’re going to have to help me here. What does it mean?”

A smile finally lit up her face and she met his eyes.

“We’re going to have a baby. I’m pregnant already. Like I said it is no more than three weeks though.”

He immediately wrapped his arms around her and lifted her off of the floor and spun them around in a circle and let out a holler.

Out in the other room, Marlene knew that Seb must have given Lisa the tests that they bought and she must be pregnant by the sound of him. She could tell for the past couple of days that he had already had his hopes up that she was pregnant.

Seb let her feet get steady on the floor. The doctor had let her stop wearing the boot; he didn’t want to be responsible for her ankle getting re injured.

“You, Ma Cherie, have made me the happiest man on the planet.”

“Hmm I wonder what Urs would say to that?” she joked with him.

“He can have his own planet to be happy on.” Seb came back with his own humor making her laugh.

“Are we still going out?” Lisa asked him.

“Absolutely, we have to celebrate, that is unless you don’t want to go out.”

“I do want to. Let’s go.” She said giving his hand a tug, then she stopped, “Can we keep this between us for a while?”

“Sure, if that’s what you want, Baby. But, I think Maman will have guessed already.”

“That’s alright. We’ll just tell her then.”

They both saw Marlene standing there grinning at them when they came out of the room.

“I guess you heard him.” Lisa said to her.

Marlene came over and kissed both of Lisa’s cheeks and hugged her son.

“Congratulations, I am very happy for you both.”

It was just beginning to sink in that she was pregnant and her eyes filled with tears.

“I’m really going to have a baby.” She said looking rather far away as she briefly imagined holding their newborn in her arms.

“You go to the doctor soon to make sure that the test is correct and to find out that everything is okay.” Maman told her.

“I will call first thing tomorrow. Wow, what a great Valentines and Birthday present this is.”

As Seb was helping her into the car, he stopped her, placing his hand on her arm and asked, “You are happy that it’s happened so soon aren’t you?”

“I told you a couple of weeks ago that I couldn’t wait to be carrying your child. I meant it, Seb. I was a bit afraid that I might have trouble getting pregnant because of the damage done inside of me. My doctor had to do a lot of repair work back then. When I asked her last month if everything looked okay, she said it did but, you could never tell for sure just by looking.”

They had a wonderfully romantic dinner and talked, mostly about their schedules for the next couple of months.

“I want you to take it easy as much as possible. It scares me now after seeing what Alex is going through.”

“I’m sure I will be fine. I just feel tired. I haven’t even felt sick at all.”

“All the same, please let your new employee pick up more of the duties as soon as possible. I don’t want to sound like I’m overbearing or anything and I don’t want to make you upset talking to you like this. I know Urs was nervous when he was going to ask Alex to quit working. It is just hard for me knowing that I won’t be here for weeks at a time, to help you with the children and everything else that is going on.”

“I promise, I’ll be careful Seb.” She placed her hand on top of his, I really will. Mary is ready to help however she’s needed. If we decide that we need her before the house is ready, I am sure that she would be willing to help. We would just need to hire a replacement for her sooner at the daycare.”

“Why don’t you speak to her right away then? I would feel better knowing that you have extra help. There is so much beginning to happen with getting the house decorated and furnished and ready for the grand opening. I also know that you will be wanting to help Alex as well. I have considered asking Maman to stay longer but, as much as she has loved being here with us and helping with the children, I know that she misses her life in Paris. I am sure that she will come to visit often but I doubt she would be happy here permanently so I don’t want to put her on the spot by asking; although if she ever asked us if we wanted her to move here, I would want her to come. How about you? Have you and Maman become close? You seem more at ease than when she first came.”

“I think we’ve gotten fairly close. I have seen how much she loves you and is trying to make things right with you and you have seen her with the children. She loves them so much and has been wonderful with them. They love their Grandmere too. So yes, if she ever wanted to move here and make a new life with us, I would welcome her.”

Knowing that things were at last settled between he and his mother and in turn Lisa and Maman, Seb felt a peace in his life that he had never thought would come about. He’d spent his entire adult life up to this point, imagining a lifelong emotional distance with the woman who gave him life. He was glad that that chapter was at an end. He had visions of this new and exciting chapter of his life to be the best yet.

The following morning Lisa woke to find four pairs of eyes watching her as she tried to chase away the fogginess of sleep. She smiled at them and fell back onto the pillows and pulled the covers up over her head and giggled.

“Happy Birthday, Baby.” Seb said as he set a tray down on the nightstand.

“Happy Birfday, Mommy.” Sammy said bouncing up and down as he kneeled on the bed.

“Happy birfday, Mama.” Kayti mimicked, bouncing beside her brother.

“We made you breakfast in bed. The children even helped.” Seb told her.

“Ah huh. I really did Mommy. I helped Papa and Grandmere squish the oranges into the bowl and we made orange juice from it. It is really yummy. Want some?”

Lisa threw back the covers and her face was lit up with an unmistakeable joy.

“This is the best birthday I have ever had.”

“It hasn’t even started yet, baby.”

“I don’t care what else happens today. Just having all of you here with me makes it the best day ever. I love you all so much.” She said fighting back the lump in her throat and the mist in her eyes.

Seb watched as the memory of the discovery that they had made yesterday made its way into her consciousness. He watched as her hands slid down to her belly that would not show signs of the life growing inside of it for several months yet. She raised her head and met his eyes. She smiled at him, her eyes dancing with the excitement of the knowledge of their child, that even though it would still be nine months before they would be able to see it or hold it, it was already a joyful presence in their lives.

“Yes Sammy I would love some of the orange juice and thank you for helping to make breakfast for me. This is very special.” She said as Seb placed the tray over her legs. “Have you all already eaten?”

“Yup Grandmere already gived us our breakfast when you was still asleep.” Sammy informed her.

“Let’s let Mommy eat her breakfast and we’ll go get you two dressed for school.” Grandmere told the children. “ Joyeux Anniversaire” Maman said to Lisa as she ushered the children out of the room.

“Thank You Maman.”

Lisa leaned back into the pillows and began to eat the wonderful breakfast they had lovingly prepared for her.

“Mmm this is wonderful. I’m actually pretty hungry this morning.”

As she was eating, Seb went into one of his dresser drawers and pulled out a small box that was all wrapped in a gold paper with a ribbon holding it closed. He placed it on her tray so she could open it.

She looked up at him questioningly. “You didn’t need to buy me anything, Seb. You bought me all of the beautiful roses yesterday and you already gave me the best present of all.” She said as one hand rubbed in circles on her belly.

“The roses were for Valentine’s Day, and this..” he said as he carefully laid down beside her so he wouldn’t tip the tray, and lying his hand on top of hers on her belly. “This is just because I love you, and that is for your birthday.” He said indicating the box.

“I love you, Seb.”

“I love you too, baby, Always and forever.”

Lisa picked up the little box and told him how pretty the wrapping was. She hated to mess it up. He showed her to just remove the ribbon and the rest of the wrapping would remain in place. She pulled the top of the box off and looked inside.

“Oh Seb. It is really beautiful.” She said looking at the locket.



“Open it up.”

She popped the locket open with her fingernail and found the laser drawings of Seb on one side of the locket and both of the children together on the other side.

“Turn it over.” He told her.

On the back it had an inscription that read, “Je Taime Always and Forever, Seb.”

“Thank you, This is perfect. Now I can have you all close to my heart whenever I wear it.”

“I’m glad you like it, Baby. Marie helped me find a picture of the children from the wedding. We needed one where their heads were close together.”

“It’s just lovely. It is amazing what they can do. It looks like a real picture.”

She laid the locket back in the box and finished eating. She had to shower, dress and be out the door for work in just about thirty minutes. She was glad to see that the children were ready. Maman was just fighting the daily battle of getting Kayti’s hair brushed before she tried to run off.

Lisa and the children got to the daycare and found that it was all ready for a party. There was a sign at the front door wishing her a Happy Birthday and inside, balloons and streamers were hung all over. At lunch time a large cake was brought out and the children and staff sang Happy Birthday to her.

“Thank you everyone. This is turning out to be a very special day.”

Mary spoke to her wishing her a Happy Birthday and told her that they had wanted to do this for her, especially knowing it would be her last one celebrated here at the daycare. Without telling her about the baby yet, Lisa told her about the conversation that she and Seb had last night and that if she didn’t mind, they would begin to immediately search for a replacement for her here and she would be put on their payroll right away. Then she would be available for whatever was needed. Mary was thrilled that things were moving along so quickly.

Lisa decided to wait until she had seen her doctor before she and Seb told anyone else about the pregnancy. There was enough going on with Alex’s high risk pregnancy. Except for being extra tired, she felt fine and wanted to keep the focus on taking care of Alex.

That evening, Lisa, Seb, Maman and the kids met Urs and Alex at Mom and Dad’s for dinner. Mom had made Lisa’s favorite dishes and for dessert, she had made a Turtle Cake that she knew Lisa loved.
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Turtle-Cake-II/Detail.aspx

When Lisa and Alex sat down and talked, Alex told her how good it was just to be out of the house for awhile. Lisa promised to be over to keep her company as much as possible so she wouldn’t go too stir crazy. She enlisted Alex’s help in researching furniture that might look good in the main house when they were ready to begin ordering it in a couple of months.

Alex was excited to have something constructive to do that wouldn’t bring Urs running to do it for her. She loved him to pieces but he was driving her batty, not letting her lift a finger to do anything. She knew he was afraid for both her and the baby’s health so she tried not to complain about it….too much.

When they got home, Lisa and Seb went outside on the porch to sit on the swing and watch the stars. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky and the stars shone like millions of sparkling diamonds against a black velvet curtain. Seb took her hand and intertwined their fingers, laying their hands on top of his leg. He pushed the swing gently and Lisa laid her head on his shoulder, just relaxing in the coolness of the late evening. Once spring arrived in a couple of months, even the late evenings would have very few comfortable temperatures.

“This was a wonderful day.” Lisa said, sounding a little sleepy. The rocking motion of the swing and snuggling up next to Seb was easing her into a very relaxed state.

“It was.” Seb answered, kissing the top of her head.

Seb unlocked their fingers and put his arm around her, drawing her against his side and he began humming a tune. Lisa just leaned into him enjoying the mixture of the sounds of the night, the trees rustling in the slight breeze, the different insects that were flitting around them, combined with Seb’s soft voice humming against her head, creating its own symphony. After a while though, she knew that if she didn’t get up and get inside, she would be falling asleep right where she was sitting.

“Seb, we’d better head inside. I’m getting very drowsy and as much as I loved you carrying me over the threshold, you shouldn’t do that very often, especially not before you are fully healed.”

With the tip of his finger, he tipped her head up so he could see her face.

“Just one more minute.” He said drowning in her eyes.

He lowered his lips the short distance and claimed hers in a soft exploration, gently nipping at her lips, one at a time and then both of them together. He tasted them with his tongue and wordlessly asked for permission to enter. She opened to him and that one more minute turned into quite a few more as they became lost in each other. Lisa’s arms had come up around his neck, their lips in constant contact with the other, whether it was their lips on lips or necks or earlobes. Hands were making their own exploration. Lisa unbuttoned all of the buttons on Seb’s shirt and she had begun kissing his chest and just when he would have lifted her top over her head, she stood and took his hand leading him into the house and their bedroom, quietly closing the door to the rest of the world.

Chapter 86:

Sammy came into their bedroom just as it was getting light outside.

“Mommy, wake up. Today is Kayti’s Birfday. We have to get up now and sing happy birfday to her just like we sang for you at Grandma and Grandpa’s.”

“That’s right Sammy. Just give me a few minutes and I will be right out. Please try not to wake anyone else yet. Why don’t you go put on your clothes that we laid out last night?”

“Okay Mommy.” Sammy said as he hurried to do as she asked.

Today was Kayti’s second birthday and Seb had asked Lisa to allow him to plan it and he told her that he would take care of everything. He had asked her if they could have her party at the daycare so all the children could have fun.

So, the week before, she had sent a note home with the children announcing the party and telling the parents that there was no need for anyone to bring their own lunches that day. The note also told them that no gifts were necessary from the daycare children. They just wanted to give all of the children a fun day.

When she and the children arrived, the streamers and balloons from her birthday were still up, so they just added a few more and some other decorations throughout the building. All of the children were kept inside while the outside was being prepared for the party. Lunch and the cake would be done indoors, but everything else was outside in the parking lot.

Seb had rented several of the large inflatable toys that the children take their shoes off and climb inside of it and jump around inside. One would be for the youngest children who were not running around yet. The adults would sit in it with them and let them bounce around. Another one was for the older children to jump in until they got tired, dizzy or sick. The last one was an inflatable that you added water to and the children could slip and slide around in it.





He’d also rented ponies that were harnessed to a carousel that turned in a circle while the children rode on them. The ponies were all decked out for the party, which was in the Princess theme. Their manes were dyed different colors with matching glitter on their hoofs and sprinkled on their manes and tails.




When Seb arrived with his Mother, everything was set up and ready to go. They had ordered pizza and there were other snacks as well. Any of the parents who could come were invited to join their children for the afternoon.

Mom and Dad as well as Urs and Alex arrived to celebrate Kayti’s birthday. Alex was instructed to sit and not worry about helping with the party. Kayti and Sammy were so excited to see the rest of their family coming to their school. Kayti climbed up and sat in Alex’s lap and sucked her thumb as she watched everything that was going on. She really had no idea that this whole party was for her.

They began by serving lunch to the children. Lisa had dressed Kayti in a special party dress and Seb had bought a cute tiara that had a number two on it. She was also wearing the gift that Lisa had insisted that she open this morning before she and the children left. She had bought Kayti a necklace to wear today.





The tables were set up with everything they’d need to eat, plus a party hat for each child and a small bag of goodies to take home. After they ate, they decided to let the children play for a while before having the cake. They didn’t want any of the children getting too full and then jumping and making themselves get sick.

Brenda arrived just as the children began to play outside.

“I’m sorry I’m late. I am involved in that case of the newborn that was found abandoned the other day and I had to go check on her.”

Urs and Seb looked at each other, clearly remembering the piece they had seen on the news about the baby girl that had been left on the side of the road in a cardboard box like a piece of garbage.

“I hadn’t heard about that. Where was it found?” Lisa asked her, clearly disturbed by the information.

Brenda explained and told them all that they were doing an exhaustive search for either of the parents of the little girl, but had had no luck. The press had put out several messages for anyone who knew about the baby to call, but so far no one had.

Seb and Lisa stood together watching the children having so much fun, especially Sammy and Kayti.

“How can anyone ever want to hurt these children or give them away like they don’t matter, Seb?”

Seb could hear the pain in her words and pulled her into his arms.

“I don’t understand it either Baby. All we can do is try to help as many of them as we can.”

He began having a thought and decided to talk to her about it later when they were home and had some privacy. They went back to watching the children playing for a while.

He walked over and picked Kayti up and carried her over to the ponies.

“Which pony do you want to ride on, ma petite?”

“Pink, Papa. Pink horsy.”

“The pink one, it is.”

“Pretty Horsy” Kayti said lightly touching the pony’s mane.

He set her on top of the pony with its mane and tail dyed pink. Urs had followed and had brought Sammy and let him pick his pony, with four other children being placed on a pony by a teacher or their parents. Once everyone was seated and had an adult walking beside them to make sure they wouldn’t fall off, the man got the ponies moving in a circle very slowly and then when he was sure that none of the children were afraid, he picked up the speed just a little.

Kayti squealed in her excitement. Lisa was standing off to the side and took pictures and some video of them. Seb smiled over at her and they both looked at their daughter who was so happy. When the ride was over Kayti didn’t want to get off. Dan and Marie came over and took Seb and Urs’ place walking beside the children for another ride.

“One thing’s for sure, we won’t have any trouble getting anyone to sleep tonight. Thank you, Seb. This is a wonderful party. The kids are having so much fun.” Lisa told him later.

“I think all of the adults are too.” He said.

The children looked like they were winding down. They had worn themselves out playing so hard. So they corralled them inside and changed the children who had played on the wet slide and then got everyone back to the tables for a drink and the cake.



The whole group sang Happy Birthday. Kayti was even trying to sing it. Lisa took several pictures of Kayti sitting in front of her cake before they cut it and then gave her the first piece with a scoop of ice cream on the side. She dug in and ate it and by the time she had finished, she had quite a mess on her face and her dress. Lisa just sighed and was thankful for all of the pictures she had gotten before Kayti had gotten all messy. When she had wiped her off the best she could, they let her open all of her presents from her family and others like Brenda and Mary who had each snuck one in.

While everyone was finishing up their cake and ice cream, Seb made his way over to Brenda.

“Hi Seb, you sure know how to throw a terrific birthday party. This is every little girl’s dream.”

“Thanks, it was fun to do it…. Listen, I wanted to ask you some questions about the baby.”

“Sure Seb. I’ll tell you what I can.”

“Where is she now?”

“They are keeping her in the hospital for a couple more days.”

“How long will you keep looking for her family before she is released for adoption?”

“Oh Seb, it will be at least six months, maybe a year before she could be adopted. Are you thinking about trying to get her?”

“I haven’t even said anything to Lisa yet but, I was thinking about it.”

“You know about Lisa’s criteria for taking children, don’t you? She wants them to have no one that could lay claim to them before she takes them. I understand why she is doing this that way. It would break her heart to have a child in her home and then lose it because a family member shows up, claiming the child.”

“I know” Seb said hanging his head and kicking an invisible spot on the floor with the tip of his shoe.

“Seb, what if we find out who the family is and a grandparent or aunt or someone decides they want her? Could you handle that after you have held her and fallen in love with her?”

“No….. No, I don’t think I could. I understand why Lisa has done this the way she has. It’s just that I heard about her the other day. Urs and I both did and I’ve been thinking about what will happen to her.”

“She will be placed in a foster home until we either find a family member or the allotted time has passed and then she will be placed up for adoption.”

“Will she remain in the same foster home during that time?”

“That is what we will try for but, there are no guarantees, Seb.”

He let out a long sigh and Brenda could see that he was struggling with what he would like to do and the reality of the pain that would be sure to come if they took the baby and then someone came forward to claim her.

“Well, thanks for talking with me about it, Brenda.”

“Sure Seb. Don’t worry. We’ll take good care of her. I promise you that.”

Seb knew that if Brenda was her case worker that the baby would be well looked after, but the whole situation continued to eat at him.

“Horsy, Papa. Ride horsy again.” Kayti said as she stood in front of him with a big smile on her face.

“Oh Baby, I think the horsy went home to bed. Let’s go look.”

Seb lifted Kayti up and carried her outside and when they looked where the ponies and their trailer had been there was just a big empty parking lot. Even the inflatables were gone already.

“I’m sorry Sweetheart. Papa will take you to ride some more ponies one day but, the ponies had to go eat their dinner and go to bed. They were very tired after playing with you and your friends.”

Kayti looked upset but didn’t cry. She just stuck her thumb in her mouth and laid her head on Seb’s shoulder and by the time he had walked back inside, she was fast asleep. He laid her into one of the cribs, carefully removing her tiara, and went to help with the clean up. The parents who had come to the party took their children home early so there was a smaller afternoon group and once most of it was cleaned up, Lisa and Seb took the children home.

Later that evening when they were getting ready for bed, Lisa was trying to figure out why Seb had been rather quiet this evening. He had been fine with her and the children and Maman, but she could tell that something was bothering him.

She stopped him by placing her hand on his arm as he was heading into the bathroom.

“Is something bothering you, Seb? You seem quiet tonight.”

“I’m alright, Baby.” He said kissing her cheek.

“Are you sure? You can talk to me about anything, you know.”

“I know that Baby. I’ve just been thinking about something that just isn’t possible and it is rather frustrating.” He said sighing and turning to head into the bathroom.

It bothered Lisa that he wasn’t sharing this with her. Whatever was bothering him, she wanted him to share it with her. Even if nothing could be done about it, there was always the saying that “A problem shared is a problem halved” and she wanted to take any burden that Seb had weighing on him and at least help him shoulder some of it.

She decided not to let the matter drop. If they were going to have a strong marriage, they needed to be able to discuss their fears and concerns with each other and not just all of the good things that were bound to come their way, and she wanted their marriage to be strong enough to withstand whatever storms that life had to throw at them. She waited until they were all snuggled down under the covers together and then she leaned up on her elbow and looked down into his face. She stroked his cheek that had a bit of stubble growing since he hadn’t shaved since early this morning.

“Seb?”

“Hmmm Yes Baby?” he said as he drew lazy circles on her back with the tips of his fingers.

“Please talk to me and tell me what is on your mind.”

She could tell that he wasn’t too thrilled that she was bringing it back up. He even looked like he was trying to think of a way to avoid the subject.

“Please Seb. I don’t want you to ever shut me out when you have something bothering you.”

“Oh Baby, I don’t mean to be shutting you out. I just didn’t want to upset you but here I’ve done it anyway.”

“Just talk to me, Seb. Even if nothing can change by you telling me, I want to know that you trust me enough to tell me anything.”

“Of course I trust you….. Okay I’ll tell you.”

He went on to tell her about he and Urs seeing the news the other night and how it had bothered him since then about the baby going into a foster home when she needed to go to a permanent home and be loved by a family. He told her all that Brenda had said to him.

“I’ve been thinking about her too, Seb, ever since I heard about her this afternoon.”

“I know it is not possible for us to take her, Baby. So don’t worry about it. Even if they found out tomorrow that she didn’t have any family, you are pregnant and I wouldn’t want you to have too much on you before the main house is done and you could hire some help with the children and the housekeeping. You already have so much going on and I won’t be here all of the time to help you.”

She immediately saw his dilemma and he was right. It seemed like an impossible situation.

Time was running out before the guys would be heading back out for a couple of weeks. Urs knew that Alex was going to have plenty of people looking out for her while he was away. Mom and Dad had even promised him that if it seemed like she wasn’t feeling well or her blood pressure began acting up again, they would have her come and stay at home with them.

He spent what time he had left, helping her with a lot of the little tasks she wanted to get done. They spent hours outside together. Alex helped with some of the planting of the flowers as long as she could sit and do it without any heavy exertion. He was proud of her. He could tell how hard this was for her to be told she can’t do something. Alex was a very active person and to be limited as she was, it was extremely difficult for her. But, she was determined to do what she needed to do to protect their child.

She had one more regular doctor’s appointment before he had to go. This time they were going to do a sonogram. He didn’t know if they would be able to see anything at this early stage of her pregnancy, but he was excited to go and find out. As they readied themselves to go, they kept smiling at each other, both of them anticipating the possibility of getting the first look at their baby.

When they arrived, and after a short wait, they were ushered back into a room where the lights were turned down low. Alex was instructed to lie down and pull her shirt up and the waistband of her pants down. The technician was fiddling with the controls on the machine and then she squeezed a generous amount of a gel substance onto Alex’s abdomen, making her jump a little from the coldness of it. The technician moved a wand over her abdomen, spreading the gel around as she looked closely at the screen. She didn’t say much as she studied the images and pressed buttons on the display.

While they watched and waited, Urs reached for Alex’s hand and caressed her hand and fingers, as much for his own comfort as hers. He needed to be connected to her right now. He needed to feel connected to the baby. He had told Alex that he would love and raise this baby no matter whose baby it was. Even if it was Joe’s, he would not treat this child any different. It deserved to have two loving parents that would make it feel safe and secure in their love. He would not deny this child that necessity. He had seen a prime example of a child that had lived without love and even more important now that Sammy had the love of so many people, how he had flourished into a thriving child, so full of happiness and life. But, even though he never discussed this with Alex, he held a really strong hope that they would find out somehow that this child was indeed his. They had decided they would not do a paternity test just to find out who the father was. If they found out another way, that would be different.

“There, do you see that?” she asked Urs and Alex.

She indicated a large dark area with a smaller object that was near the bottom and off to one side.

“Yes” Alex said.

“That is your baby.”

At only two to three months, to the untrained eye it didn’t look like a baby. It just looked like a light spot against the darker one.

“Okay” Urs said not really seeing it either.

“Your baby is about the size of a kidney bean right now.” She said indicating with her fingers, just how big that was.

“Look right here, can you see the little branch right here?”

When she moved the wand and zoomed in on what she was pointing at, they could see it better.

“That is one of the baby’s arms and the fingers are just beginning to grow out as well although we can’t see that yet.”

Both Urs and Alex were amazed at being able to see that little vee where the arm was branching out from the rest of the body. He gave her hand a squeeze letting her know that he was as excited as she was feeling.

The technician made a few more rounds with the wand and pressed a few more buttons and then gave Alex a towel to wipe herself off with.

“The doctor will be with you in a few moments.” She told them as she left them in another examination room.

When she came in, the doctor greeted them with a smile and seemed very pleasant, Urs thought.

“Good morning. I have just looked at the scan and so far everything seems to be going as it should be. How are you feeling Alex? Your blood pressure is good today.”

“I feel pretty good. I actually haven’t gotten sick for a few days either, which I think has helped a lot. When I was getting sick, it was very severe.”

“I know and hopefully you are past that part now. You may still find that certain things will upset your stomach and when you find them, just stay away from them until you deliver the baby.”

“Do you think that she will have any more trouble with her blood pressure if she stays out of work and only does light housework? You see I am leaving in a few days for a couple of weeks. She has plenty of help with the heavier things.”

“Most of the time that does the trick, but occasionally, some women just don’t tolerate pregnancy well and their pressure wants to shoot up at the slightest exertion. So we will keep monitoring it very closely and if we find that it is spiking again, we may have to go to complete or partial bed rest. But I won’t do that unless it is necessary. I know that makes for a difficult situation. But our main concern is that the mother and baby stay healthy and safe.”

“I have been reading, and I read that the blood pressure problems can be caused by developmental problems in the baby.”

“Yes, that is true as well. We will of course keep a close eye on the baby’s development through ultrasound and later if we feel it is necessary, we will discuss whether or not an amniocentesis is warranted. But for now everything looks just fine. I just want you to concentrate on relaxation and taking extra good care of yourself. That in turn will provide extra care for the baby. Just make sure to stop on your way out and give a blood sample for me today.”

Urs felt much better when they left, that Alex had a good doctor that was going to be looking out for her properly.

“Let me take you to lunch.” He said to her on the way home.

“That sounds good. We’re hungry.” She said rubbing her belly.

Chapter 87:

That same day, the Izambards were at the airport saying goodbye to Maman. She told them that she had enjoyed her stay and would be back before long. She said that she would definitely be back when it was time for her grandchild to be born. Kisses and hugs were given all around.

“Are you going to come to our house again Grandmere?”

“Of course I will Sammy. Grandmere loves you both very much and I will miss you. Papa said that you could write me letters and we can also talk on the computer as well.”

“Okay” he said still sounding a little sad.

“Thank you Maman for all of your help while you have been here. I really appreciated it. I am so glad that you came to the wedding and were able to stay so long.” Lisa told her.

“You are perfect for my son. It makes my heart glad to see how much you love him. Take care of yourself and the baby.”

“I will Maman.” Lisa said hugging her and wiping the tears away from her eyes.

Seb walked his mother over to the gate.

“Je Taime Maman. I too am so glad that you came to share this special time with me.”

“Take care of them all, my son. You have a special gift that has been given to you. It is precious and not to be taken lightly.”

“I know Maman. I will take good care of them. I promise.”

Seb saw the tears in her eyes as she turned and made her way through the last security check point. Just before she would be out of their sight, she turned and waved, blowing them one last kiss before she turned and was swept up into the rest of the crowd of travelers.

“Are you alright?” Lisa asked Seb as they were driving home. The children were in the back seat of the truck watching a movie.

“Yes, I am fine Love. This has been a turning point for me and Maman. Every other time we’ve parted I have had a bad feeling because there was so much of the past standing between us to have a truly good relationship but now it was different. I know that she felt it too. You had a big part of helping us to move on from the past, Baby. Your acceptance of her helped her relax and it allowed us to truly enjoy each other for the first time in many years.”

“I am really glad she came. I had so many preconceived ideas in my head after you told me about your past. I am just glad that I didn’t meet that woman. This woman was a different person, I think.”

“That is how I felt too.” He said smiling at her and then quickly returning his eyes to the road.

They stopped and got themselves some lunch before returning home. Lisa had left Kelly to do what needed to be done, with instructions to call if she had any questions. Lisa had told her that until Seb left in a few days, that she would be staying home with him and the children so they could spend time together and she would come in when it was necessary to help her do the reports for the first time.

They spent the afternoon putting Kayti’s room back together, arranging it so the daybed could be left in there and then just playing outside with the children for a while before it was time for dinner.

When Seb woke up the next morning, he found Lisa just laying there beside him, propped up on her elbow and watching him sleep.

“Was that entertaining, watching me while I am sleeping?

“Yes, very. You are so cute and I love watching your eyes when you are obviously dreaming. Am I in any of those dreams?”

“Absolutely.” He said drawing her down to him for a kiss.

“You do know what today is, don’t you?”

He thought for only a second before he remembered.

“What time is it? We don’t want to be late.” He said smiling at the thought that today, both of the children would legally be theirs forever.

“It’s early. We have plenty of time yet.” She said and he noticed that she was definitely not in a hurry to get out of bed. She was caressing him over his chest and sliding her hand down from his shoulder and down the length of his chest and continued down his bare leg, making his body come to life and letting her know that he was also not ready to leave the comfort of their bed. She leaned down and placed tiny kissed all over his face and down to his neck and shoulders. She heard the sharp intake of his breath and she smiled as she gently captured the hardened nub on his chest between her teeth.

Seb brought them around so that he was now the one leaning over her and he made her pay for torturing him so deliciously. And they played together until they heard the sounds of children awake in the other rooms.

“Is Brenda meeting us there?” Seb asked as he helped her clean up the kitchen after breakfast.

“Yes, she said she would be there as long as she didn’t have any emergencies come up with another case.

Lisa went to get the children dressed while Seb was calling his mother to check and make sure that she had arrived home safely. She had been disappointed that her departure was only going to be one day before the adoptions but after they discussed it, she reluctantly decided that she wouldn’t change her ticket. Seb promised to send her a copy of the video they would be making of the proceedings.

Lisa had bought Sammy a new suit for this special occasion and Kayti wore one of her new dresses that she had gotten for Christmas but hadn’t had the opportunity to wear yet. She and Seb were dressed rather formally as well. He wore one of his Armani suits and she wore a dress that was modest but complemented her figure nicely, Seb thought.

They arrived at the court house in plenty of time. Seb saw that Lisa was fidgeting as they sat waiting for their names to be called and he smiled at her. He knew how excited she was that they had been able to finalize the adoptions so quickly.

Brenda showed up shortly after they had gotten seated and then Mom, Dad, Urs and Alex arrived as well, looking every bit as excited as Seb and Lisa were.

When their name was called, they filed into the courtroom and it felt large when there was only the few of them for this proceeding and not a courtroom of people sitting through a trial of some sort.

Lisa had a momentary uncomfortable feeling as she entered. She pushed it away quickly but not before Alex saw it. She knew that Lisa was remembering Jeremy’s trial. Alex caught her eye and moved over to give her a hug.

“I won’t let memories of that mess up this wonderful day, Alex. Now I will have something fantastic to put in place of that when I think of entering a court room,” Lisa said as she saw Alex’s questioning gaze.

They only had a couple of moments before the judge entered and Seb and Lisa showed the children that they needed to stand up when he entered the room. They were told to be seated and he looked over the paperwork in front of him. Lisa was nervous wondering if he would find some reason that he wouldn’t sign the papers that would make Kayti and Sammy legally their children. Seb took her hand in his, lending her his strength.

“Well, I must say that of all of the reasons I have to sit behind this bench, these cases make everything else worth it. Sebastien and Lisa Izambard please come and stand before me.”

They stood, Seb still keeping a hold of her hand as they stepped up in front of the judge together.

“I have read all of the documents pertaining to this case. Mrs. Izambard, I see that you have had legal custody of the minor child, Kayti Davenport for over six months, since the passing of her birth mother.”

“Yes, Your Honor.”

And you have had the minor child, Samuel Jenkins…..since just before Christmas?” he said checking the papers to make sure he was correct on the dates.

“Yes, Sir. He came to me two days before Christmas.”

“Quite a Christmas gift, I’d say.” He said to Lisa and smiled, helping to release some of her nerves.

“Yes, your honor, a very precious gift.”

“Sebastien Izambard?”

“Yes, Your Honor?”

“Normally I would highly question the validity of your claims that you want to be a parent to these children when you have been in their lives for just a couple of months. I have the reports of Lisa’s ongoing plans for her group home, as well as her history in the child care profession and therefore was inclined to believe her capable of taking on the parenting of these children after such a short time. You can thank Brenda Chandler for her extensive report in helping me to see what a positive influence you have been in the lives of these children. I do know who you are, Sir. My wife is a fan.” He said leaned towards Seb and grinning, making Seb smile and giving him his own relief of the nerves.

“I would like to speak to the children if I may.”

Brenda led Sammy and Kayti up to where Seb and Lisa were standing. The judge realized that with the children being so small, he would be better off coming out from behind the bench and down to where they were.

“Hello children, my name is Judge Crandall. How are you?”

The children were a bit overwhelmed at this man towering over them.

“Samuel, can you tell me who these two people are?” he said indicating Seb and Lisa.

When Sammy wouldn’t answer him, Brenda helped them out.

“Your honor, he only answers to Sammy.”

“Oh alright. Sammy, can you tell me?”

Sammy nodded his head and said, ”Yes, that is my Mommy and my Papa.”

“And you want them to be your Mommy and your Papa forever?”

“Yup.” Sammy answered not knowing to answer the judge formally. The judge smiled at him and stooped down lower to Kayti.

“Hello there, pretty lady. Will you talk to me?”

“She doesn’t say too much yet.” Lisa told him.

“Yes, I have a granddaughter about her age.”

“I see that you have just had a birthday. Did you have a birthday party?”

“Horseys” Kayti said. “Pretty horseys.”

“She got to ride on some ponies and that is all she has talked about since then.” Lisa said.

“It sounds like you had fun.”

“We had a lots of fun at Kayti’s Birfday and we had cake and ice cream and she was a Princess.” Sammy informed him.

“That sounds wonderful Sammy. Well, I guess there is only one thing left for us to do.” He said as he made his way over to one of the tables nearby with the papers in his hand.

“Sebastien, you will sign right here and Lisa you will sign right here.”

Once they had both signed the correct lines, he told them that if the children were old enough they sometimes signed their own names as well but since the children were so young, he would fill their names in.

“I can write my name. Mommy showed me how and I can write all of my letters and numbers too.”

“My, you sure are a smart boy. Would you like to write your name here then?”

Sammy nodded and the judge handed him the pen.

Sammy was concentrating very hard on the letters. His little tongue was poking out as he wrote each letter.

“Mommy, do I make the Jenkins letters or the Izambard letters?

“For this paper, you will write the Jenkins letters Sammy.” The judge answered him. “But after today, you will always use the Izambard letters.”

They waited for Sammy to finish and when he looked up, he was so proud of himself.

“That is very good Sammy. You are going to be a very good student.”

“I write too.” Kayti said as the judge was already filling in her name.

Brenda kept Kayti from getting upset by handing her a piece of paper and a pen that she had in her purse and let her scribble for a few seconds.

“Here go.” She said beaming up at the judge as she handed him the paper.

“Thank you Kayti. That is perfect.” He told her.

He signed the places that needed his signature and then straightened up, looking around at the little crowd. By now the others had joined the rest of them at the front of the room as the papers had been signed.

“That is it then. From this day forward, the minor child, Samuel Jenkins will hereafter be known as Samuel… Sammy Izambard and the minor child, Kayti Davenport will hereafter be known as Kayti Izambard.” He said in his official voice.

Marie couldn’t contain her excitement and let out a small shout of joy and began clapping and the others joined in, including the judge.

“Go on now and stay happy and healthy.”

“Am I dopted now?” Sammy asked excitedly.

The judge stooped down to Sammy’s level and said, “Yes, you are now adopted. Does that make you happy?”

“Uh Huh. Cuz Mommy said when I was dopted, I wouldn’t never have to go to nuther house no more and I don’t want to go to nuther house.

The judge was overwhelmed by the sincerity in the boy’s words. He couldn’t believe the way this boy spoke at his young age.

“Sammy, you are now adopted and you won’t have to go to another house. This is your Mom and Dad forever.”

Sammy further shocked the man when Sammy threw his arms around his neck and hugged him.

“Thank you mister judge.”

There was a mixture of laughter and tears at the sight of Sammy hugging the judge. Then of course Kayti had to copy Sammy and hug him too. Once he’d gotten over the shock of it, the judge seemed to welcome the embraces by the children.

He shook Seb and Lisa’s hands as they prepared to leave the court room.

Now that the official proceedings were over, Judge Crandall quietly asked Seb if he would mind signing something for his wife and daughters. “It would make their day.” He told Seb.

“Urs is here as well.” Seb told him.

The judge really hadn’t paid too much attention to the others in the room as he had been focused on the family in front of him.

“Oh I know his name as well. My wife and three daughters fight over which of you is the best looking or the best singer. I’ve just learned to stay out of it.” He said chuckling.

Sebastien laughed with him and he called Urs over and told him. Urs and Seb both signed several times so there wouldn’t be any fighting over who got the paper.

As the group stepped out of the courthouse into the sunshine, Marie informed them, that she had a special lunch prepared for them all. Seb told her that He and Lisa and the children would be there within the hour. He had something he wanted to do first.

Once they were in the car, Lisa asked him where they were going.

“I’ve booked us a time at the portrait studio to get a family portrait made.”

When they got there the photographer was all ready for them. Lisa just spent a couple of minutes fixing her hair after they had been out in the wind. Then she ran her brush quickly through Sammy’s and then straightened Kayti’s hair bow. Finally, they were all ready and within thirty minutes they were finished.

A few had been made with Seb and Lisa alone as well as Seb with the children, the children alone and then Lisa with the children. But, Lisa’s favorite would always be the one of the four of them all together, her family. She also knew that she would always remember that even though their baby wasn’t where you could see him or her, they knew that it was there with them anyway.

“They’re here.” Alex called out to everyone from her chair by the window, where she had been watching for them to arrive.

Dan opened the door and welcomed them in. Seb told them where they had gone and everyone was excited to see the portraits when they were ready. Brenda stayed for a short time and then had to get back to work. She had some late afternoon appointments to attend to.

Lisa walked her out to her car.

“Thank you Brenda, for helping to make today possible. All the way from when we were first discussing whether I would take Kayti after Anna’s death and you helped me so much through all of that and then bringing Sammy to us. I will never be able to thank you enough.”

“You don’t have to thank me. I have gotten so much pleasure from the relationship that we have built together. I should thank you for being the mother you are to these children that needed you so much.”

They gave each other a hug and then Brenda left. Seb stepped out onto the porch as Lisa walked back up the steps.

“Well, Mrs. Izambard, we are officially a family.”

Lisa stepped into his open arms and he just held her there where they both felt their best. When Lisa was in his arms like this, Seb knew that nothing in his life could be wrong.