* UNREQUITTED LOVES * (MIA)

CHAPTER FORTY-NINE….PAPA!!!

Paco and Rianne were waiting at the airport for them, with the Audi, when they returned Monday evening.

Had he been a nail-biter there would only have been stubs left as Paco paced back and forth, worrying, as he had been all week-end, that the brief ‘Honeymoon’ had gone well.

“Liebe calm down…you should be able to tell when you see them how it went…and I have a feeling it went well…your brother has shown how endlessly patient he is and I’ve never seen a couple so much in love…except maybe us.”

He stopped and smiled at her, wrapping her up in his long arms, feeding off her confidence and calm.

“It’s because they waited so long that I really want them to be happy…no more waiting…but you’re likely right…it’s just…”

“There they are!! And look at the smiles….Mein gott, they look like they’re having sex, just with their eyes!”

Sure enough the couple who had just come through the gate was totally absorbed in each other, her arm around his waist, his around her shoulders, smiling at each other with secret, hooded eyes that held fresh memories and promises for the future.

Paco called out to Urs and his brother dragged his eyes away from Mia to search the crowd, flashing one of his huge grins at the younger couple when he spotted them. He said something to Mia and they laughed. She looked up and waved madly as they made their way through the throngs.

Well hugged and kissed, they made their way out to the relative privacy of the Audi and piled in for the trip home, splitting into couples with Paco driving.

“Why didn’t you bring Toni?” Urs asked with more than a touch of disappointment in his voice.

Paco laughed. “I think Mami is having too much fun with him…she flat out refused…she did send a message that you are invited for dinner tomorrow and can pick him up then….and Ciara and Matt took the opportunity to visit friends in Zug…they’ll be back tomorrow too.”

Rianne turned a little in her seat and asked Mia…

“So tell us what you did on your get-a-way.”

Mia’s face flushed bright red as she tried to think of an answer. Urs laughed at her and snuggled her closer, tucking her flaming cheeks against his chest.

“Rianne, we were just married…think about it…I’m sure you’ll come up with something.”

“ALL WEEKEND? OMG what kind of family am I getting into?”

Mia’s head popped up and she stared at the young woman. Rianne waggled her left hand over the back of the seat, a lovely diamond ring, small and elegant on her ring finger.

It was very noisy in the car for the next few Kilometers as the questions flew from back seat to front and congratulations were offered.

Urs was laughing until the tears ran down his cheeks and admitted what he had said to Mia when they first spotted the couple waiting for them… ‘It won’t be long until Paco and Rianne tie the knot too.’

Paco met his brother’s eyes in the mirror and smiled smugly.

“I didn’t see any point in waiting…we love each other, it’s real and forever…why wait? And we want a small, intimate affair too but in the church….maybe around Valentines Day.”

There was a momentary wistful look in Mia’s eyes though she said nothing and it vanished as she smiled with happiness for these dear friends…but Urs saw it and filed it away to talk about later.

**

Paco had a gig that evening so the young couple left soon after depositing the newly-weds at the farm.

They unpacked, started a load of laundry, made coffee and puttered, doing all the mundane things that people tend to when they return from a trip…with a few additions.

“It’s been 6 hours and 13 minutes since your last lesson,” Urs said as he came up behind Mia and kissed her just below the ear.

“But you told me I got a gold star for the last class…doesn’t that mean some time off?”

“Tired of me already?”

His voice rumbled through her head, sending shockwaves along the sensitive nerve endings in her spine and she squirmed a bit closer, wiggling her bottom against his jeans and smiling when she felt him react.

“Not likely…the real thing is even better than the dreams… but don’t you kind of have too many clothes on?”

He smiled, that sexy, eyes half closed look that made her shiver with anticipation and turned her to face him, dipping his head to kiss her waiting mouth.

“I had in mind something that means MY clothes won’t be in the way…at first…I want to watch your eyes…”

He backed her to the table and supported her while he lay her on the polished surface and began to slowly remove her clothes: tee shirt, jeans, moving slowly and interspersing each reveal with hot kisses and tender caresses…by the bra and panties she had gone boneless, lost in the spell he was casting, eager for whatever came next.

And then he took her to Paradise, several times ackshully.

**

They decided to have dinner in front of the fireplace and worked on the preparations together, one of Urs’ tasty soups accompanied by steak sandwiches since Mia claimed to feel ‘A little carnivorous.’

“Tell me about it,” Urs commented with a grin, rubbing his still red ear lobe and the love bite on his shoulder.

“Payback!!” she shot back at him, smiling and lifting her tee shirt to reveal the larger mark on her flat tummy.

They piled everything on the trolley and Mia wheeled it in to transfer it to the coffee table, clicked on the stereo and returned just in time to see Urs swipe his finger through the whipping cream that she had used to top the Pavlovas.

“No, you can’t have dessert first!”

“I’ll share…here…” he leaned over the back of the sofa and held his finger out to her, smiling then groaning when she took it in her mouth and sucked the white fluff off…slowly.

“Lady, you are such a quick study…were you like this in school too?” he asked as he came over the sofa and grabbed her, licking the last few bits of cream off her lips.

“No…all those teachers were boring….Urs, we need to eat…all this exercise and no food is not a good thing….”

“I love you, my own special wife.”

“I know…and I love you too….”

“How about an early night?”

“I could be convinced…”

“Then lets eat so we build some stamina….C’mon before the soup gets cold.”

**

Toni was sitting in his little high chair when they arrived the next day, just finishing his early dinner. One look at his two favorite people coming toward him and the plastic bowl of mushy vegetables went flying as his hands waved and banged on the tray, his mouth spreading in a smile that showed all four of his teeth and an incomprehensible chatter passed his lips…understood only by Urs it seemed, who claimed he was asking where they had been.

“You look happy…so I take it that your little holiday went well?....Urs let me wipe him off…you’ll get squash all over your shirt.”

Mami laughed as Urs picked up the boy and got a sticky kiss and cheek pat with the gooey hands.

“That’s not squash on his hands…Yuck…it smells gross!” he said and held Toni out at arms length while Mami wiped him down.

“Baby cookies…he’s graduated to them.”

Mia rescued Urs, cleaning the mess off his face but laughing so hard at the disgusted look on his face that Toni thought it was a new game and chortled happily.

“Papa!”

“Did you hear that?” “He said Papa!” they chorused together.

Mami smiled and shook her head.

“I’ve tried for days to teach him how to say Mama but that’s what came out…he must have heard Mia saying it so often…of course it will take a while for him to connect the word with the man but it’s a start…soon you won’t be able to shut him up…I remember what it was like when you first started to talk.”

The truth in what she said soon became evident when Urs, working very hard to hold back tears, put Toni in his play area. Oscar, the old dog that had been with the family for years, ambled through the lounge slowly, his arthritic hips, not really fond of fast movements and Toni clapped his hands gleefully and again said ‘Papa’. It was just such a funny moment that they all began to laugh, so he said it again, quite liking this game.

It wasn’t long before Toni snuggled down for a nap, his bear tucked under his little body and Oscar on guard duty just outside the play netting. The adults sat down for a meal at the big kitchen table with Mami telling them of her efforts to start Toni talking and the news that Irma and Friedrich were due for a little surprise…in about 7 months.

“I thought they decided that 3 was enough?”

“They did but these things happen…some times the pills are not enough if the body is very determined. They are happy though…I think they miss having a wee one around now that their family is all in school.”

“We’ve decided to wait a while, maybe until Toni is about 2….then I’m going to convince the little Mother here that about 10 should be enough.” Urs purposely didn’t look at Mia when he added this last bit.

And she took the bait.

“TEN??? I must have been sleeping for that part of the conversation…I don’t remember offering to go through that NINE more times.”

“Two or three at a time then?” he said with a grin, loving the way her eyes sparkled and her cheeks got red when she was wound up.

“Monster!!” she said but her smile showed that she was becoming accustomed to his teasing.

“That’s why you love me,” he said with a grin and quick kiss as he rose to get one more piece of Mami’s Nusseltorte.

**

Urs took Toni up to the nursery to settle him down for the night, the sleepy boy fighting off the call of Morpheus but losing the battle.

The house was quiet, not with an empty, uncomfortable feeling but full of the homey sense of completion, all the inhabitants back where they should be and happy.

Ciara and Matt had arrived just as Urs pulled the Audi up to the back deck, tired and happy from visiting friends, not really eager to do more than welcome them home and seek their beds.

Mia tidied a few items that the cleaners had placed back in slightly different spots, smiling as she looked around their home.

So many memories and in such a short time. The bowl that they had watched being blown on the sideboard gleamed with reflected light from the banked fireplace and she smiled as she stroked her hand lightly over the smooth surface. What a lovely, romantic time that had been… ‘and how could I not have realized that he loved me…no one could have put so much of their heart into the surprises he arranged for my birthday unless they were hopelessly in love….Please Gott, don’t let me ever doubt him again…’

She wandered into the conservatory, sticking her fingers into the soil around the roots of their plants to check for moisture… everything was fine, the wicking that Urs suggested to water the plants when they were away seemed to work well. Even the herbs, which had been transplanted into larger containers, were flourishing, the scent heavenly when she brushed her hand over the leaves…. ‘another wonderful memory…we share so many of the same interests…did you create us for each other, Gott? It seems so…he completes me, as a person, as a woman, even as an artist since he is my muse, my inspiration….so this is what it is to love someone so completely that every waking moment is consumed with thoughts of them…and Urs knows just what I need…he’s so gentle, so loving, yet even then he’s a strong, confident man…my man, my husband…’

She heard him come down the stairs and turned to watch him walking toward her, one of her very favorite views of this unique man. He didn’t walk, so much as prowl, like a big sleek jungle cat, leading with a slight twist of his muscular shoulders, the motion fluid and elegant even in bare feet and jeans as he was now.

“Waiting for someone, Schtute?” {Pretty lady} he asked with that lazy smile and his trademark wink.

“My Swiss Lover…Have you seen him anywhere?”

“I think you wore him out….let’s see…”

He folded her into his arms, against his chest and lowered his mouth to hers, kissing her gently then drawing back with a grin….

“I think I know where he is…just waiting to be awakened….were you checking the plants?”

Mia snuggled against him then turned in his arms resting her back on his broad chest.

“Your watering system works really well…everything is fine…I was just reliving memories…and talking to Gott.”

“Ja…I do that a lot…especially since Friday. Mia would you like to renew our vows in the church? We’ve been so blessed, it seems selfish not to say thanks.”

She tilted her head to look up at him.

“You don’t miss anything do you? Yes, I would like that very much…nothing big and splashy, that just isn’t US….do you really want to?”

“Ja…you make the arrangements this time…and there’s no hurry…before, for the civil ceremony I was afraid to put it off for fear you would change your mind…do you know how you scared me when you stood in front of the fire and said “Urs there’s a problem.” ? I thought I had lost you and I could feel my heart start to break.”

Once more he kissed her tenderly then nestled his face against her neck, murmuring softly.

“This is my favorite spot, right here, where you have a little hollow at the base of your neck….it’s a perfect fit for my lips…and for my teeth to nibble.”

She moaned as the shivers made her tremble, his voice and touch chasing vibrations through her nerve endings. His hands slipped under her tee shirt, seeking satiny flesh, moved on to unbuckle her thin belt, the dome of her jeans and slide the zipper down.

“Urs…not in front of the plants!!”

He laughed and swept her into his arms, taking the stairs two at a time.

Once in the privacy of their suite he allowed her feet to the floor in a slow, intimate slide down his body.

“Now, where were we?”

Ever eager to co-operate, she showed him.

CHAPTER FIFTY…THE LITTLE THINGS

‘Why is it that the same old daily routine seems so much more …interesting, vibrant, intimate…I’m not sure what the word is I’m hunting for but it’s all of the above….It’s an absolute joy to wake every morning in his arms, to feel him breathing next to me, to know that the first thing he will do is smile…and touch me…almost as if he is reassuring himself that we are really together….and that’s another new thing I’ve learned…he’s even more…amorous in the morning….as if it was possible to be MORE….and regardless of what other married women have told me {obviously not married to Urs!!} the romance isn’t over….he’s so cute…all the times when he suddenly appears needing a ‘battery charge’ as he calls it and kissing me until my legs go weak…and then going back to whatever he was working on with that sexy grin…. And the little things …establishing a random pattern of date nights when he treats me like a princess, quietly checking my supplies and getting more from Otto before I run out, sharing a special sunset, bringing a uniquely colored leaf back from the tree line, knowing that I would enjoy seeing it…that last one is right there on the wall, waxed and preserved forever in all it’s beauty…. And the music…it seems to just flow out of his mind and onto the paper now…Mami says it’s because he is so happy…and his music reflects how he feels….this Opera he’s working on is going to be outstanding…I know I’m prejudiced but I really feel it….there, I should probably leave this alone, no more tweaking…I’ll ask Urs what he thinks of this one for the cover…he has such a good eye for what looks right….and it’s an excuse to visit him in the music room…’

Mia smiled as she cleaned her hands and left the studio. Two weeks into this new experience of married bliss and she still hadn’t come off her silver lined cloud…..and didn’t ever want to.

‘I really thought he was going to lose it when Toni finally figured out that ‘Papa’ meant Urs, that it wasn’t just a new game. He was more controlled than me…I’m not ashamed that I cried…they both seemed so happy…..and I think that Urs is secretly working on ‘Mama’ to surprise me…of course I won’t let on that I know and spoil his fun. OH Urs…that’s lovely…I can’t interrupt him right now….I wonder if I can sneak in without him knowing…not likely…he seems to have some kind of kinky radar, always senses my presence….I’ll just listen from here, outside the door….oh I wish I could speak Italian…I’m sure that must be a love song….’

She leaned against the wall and listen raptly as he worked on what seemed to be a finished aria, only stopping once to make a correction then singing the same few bars again with a different cadence, this time right through to the end.

There was silence for a moment and she dared to stick her head in the doorway. He was staring at the entrance, grinning with his dimples deep and eyes crinkled.

“Well what do you think? That was the finale aria, the love song he sings when she admits that she has loved him for years from afar, never hoping that he could care for her too.”

“It was beautiful, Urs…I knew it was a love song, even without understanding the words…but then you don’t need to speak the language to enjoy opera…that’s what’s so amazing about it…just the music tells the story.”

“Did you come for another lesson…on the guitar?”

He grinned at her again knowing very well that she would catch his little play on words…she was catching on to playing the acoustic guitar quite nicely…and what he liked to call her ‘lessons’ of a more amorous nature were coming along too, probably because she enjoyed ‘practicing’ so much.

Mia laughed and shook her head.

“No…I came seeking your opinion…I finished the covers, all except the lettering for those two authors and I thought you could look and tell me what you think.”

He rose and came over to drape his arm around her shoulders and wrinkled his nose.

“You smell of paint…I thought you were going to use the program for them?”

“I did,” she answered as they walked down the hall to the studio door, “but only for the ‘Taming the Tiger’ cover…it’s too much fun doing mural type things with fictional creatures so I did the ‘Pegasus Planet’ cover myself…took longer but I like that sort of thing. If you like them I’ll send them off to have the lettering put on and see what the clients think.”

“You trust me that much?”

“Just like you do with your music….we make an excellent team, Herr Buhler.”

“That we do, Little One.”

He tugged on her curls to tip her head and stole a quick kiss then smiled and let her go first into the studio.

The covers were on the wall and he approached slowly, studying the designs. The Tiger cover had been done with two options, a close up of the eyes and fangs, another of the full head with ears back and the mouth gaping in a ferocious snarl.

“This one I think,” he said indicating the close up. “It’s a nice contrast to the title and would scare the crap out of me if I saw him coming at me…I’d at least read the liner notes just to see what it’s all about.”

“Wonderful…that’s what I thought too when I did the close up.”

He turned to the other cover, the painting she had done and was silent for so long that she began to worry. Finally he turned and held his hand out to her.

“Come here….” He pulled her in front of him and wrapped her up in his arms.

“I don’t want you to send the original to the client….would you consider giving it to me? Mia, it’s beautiful…you given that creature a look that is regal, elegant, ethereal, both happy and sweetly sad…and the background…you can tell it’s another world…I’ve always been fascinated by the concept of winged horses…I even started work on a fantasy opera about Pegasus but never finished it…with this to inspire me I think I could finish it now.”

“Of course you can have it if you really want it…you’re not kidding? Urs I didn’t know you were into fantasy fiction or sci-fi.”

“Are you serious? Think about it for a minute, Liebe…Opera is full of Valkyries and witches and people turning into Swans…well that’s Ballet but how about the toys that come to life and deals made with the devil? And anyway I love this painting…you always seem so surprised when I tell you how talented you are and appreciate your work….you have a rare gift, Little Love, one that leaves me in awe.”

She smiled at him and tilted her head on the side.

“You wouldn’t be just a touch prejudiced, would you?”

“Maybe,” he said teasing her mouth with tiny kisses at the corners. “So can I have the painting?”

She shivered and leaned against him.

“You know I can’t refuse you anything…MMMM…you’ve been eating chocolate…. Urs if we’re going to the resort for Paco’s gig we have to get ready soon…”

“Thank you, Love…and we have lots of time…don’t forget we need to shower…it will be faster if we do it together.”

Mia laughed and let him lead her from the studio.

“A fast shower…that’ll be a first for us.”

**

There was just something about watching the water cascaded down his body that made her own sing. She washed his long back, making him shiver by following the rinse water down his spine with her mouth, cupping his taut bottom with her soapy hands until he turned and leaned to her mouth to tease her lips apart .

“Now look what you’ve done,” he murmured as he nibbled on her lower lip and took her hand to place it on his nest of dark curls.

“Turn around, Baby with your hands on the wall…time for something new…”

“UH, Urs…I know about this…and I don’t think I like it.”

He smiled and kissed her gently.

“Not that…I didn’t mean ‘back door’…trust me Love…”

She bent slightly still a bit apprehensive and sighed when she felt him reaching around to stroke her clit with his thumb, using his free hand to position himself against her vagina and enter smoothly. He leaned against her back, his chest muscles rippling as he found the rhythm, his mouth on her neck, kissing, nibbling, whispering in her ear. His arm snaked around her waist as he whispered, ‘Let me lift you’ and she relaxed her hands, so he could back them up onto the bench at the other end of the shower, still joined and she rode his body while his hands caressed hers, touching her breasts, rubbing against the little nub of her clit, moving to her hips to coax her into a grinding motion that drove them both over the edge to climax.

When they had calmed they washed each other carefully, laughing when he began to swell once more as she washed his manhood, again when she jumped at his tender touch when he soaped her sensitive mound.

“Have you ever….‘back door’ I mean?”

He smiled at her and gave her a quick kiss on the corner of her mouth.

“Yes…it’s different and not always satisfying for the woman unless her partner is very good…but it’s a good way if the woman is on her period and you just can’t wait…or if she’s not very tight…but you are…so tight and wet…I love the way we fit together…and if we keep talking about it we are going to be really late!”

“But Mr. Happy seems to be ready again…”

Urs laughed and pulled back the glass doors of the shower.

“Baby, he’s always ready when I’m around you….C’mon…get dressed.”

She couldn’t resist giving the always ready Mr. Happy a little pat as she scotted past Urs, laughing.

**

They were late. The table that Paco had reserved for them held only one occupant, just Rianne, and the band was on the third track when the tardy couple crept in and mouthed their greetings to Rianne…there was far too much volume of music to be heard, so they just pantomimed their apologies and she laughed, guessing why the time got away from them.

Paco spotted them and grinned, not able to do more in the middle of a track. Urs motioned to Mia, laying the blame for his tardiness on her and Paco had the nerve to laugh, then looked away and continued with the riff he was playing, shaking his head in amusement.

Urs left the ladies and went for drinks, figuring that they would have to wait forever in the crush of people the poor waiters were trying to service.

The track ended just as Urs made it back to the table and Paco waited out the applause then boomed out in his huge stage voice.

“I have some sad news for the ladies in the building…the last time he was here, my brother and former front man for Conspiracy was a free man…no longer!!! He has been well and truly landed, captured, hogtied…in other words married to that luscious little Pixie sitting with my best gal. Could that be why they were late arriving tonight?”

He got the resounding laugh he had aimed for and the applause as the house showed their congratulations to the very happy, though embarrassed couple. Then the laughter continued again for a few seconds as the band did a cover of Billy Idol’s ‘White Wedding’.

Soon the floor was crowded as the patrons got into the beat of the tune and enjoyed the rendition, the noise increased again and conversation was impossible.

Urs kept time with one hand, the other arm draped around Mia’s shoulders, his agile fingers drumming lightly against her arm. The harried waiter made it through to their table eventually with a tray of appetizers that Urs had ordered while at the bar and they enjoyed the music as they nibbled and sipped at the red wine, Urs nodding now and then to acquaintances who waved or came by to shake his hand and kiss Mia on the cheek in congratulations.

Just before the break Paco made an announcement that made Mia’s eyes light up with anticipation and Urs to groan.

“Don’t forget the special event Saturday night…by special request the Schloss has booked a DJ to spin platters from the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s in a Rock and Roll Revival…so dig out those old psychedelic jeans and circle skirts, bring your best girls and guys and show us your moves….can you say Saturday Night Fever? Move over Travolta, the Schloss is going to show you how it’s done!!”

Mia turned to Urs and he grimaced, shaking his head.

“Don’t ask, Baby…you know I can’t deny you anything…please don’t ask!”

She didn’t say anything, just smiled a sweet curving of her luscious mouth and made pleading eyes at him.

He sighed and nodded and she threw herself onto him with a squeal of pleasure.

“I’m not dancing…and I’m going to make you pay for this, you know,” he murmured when she eased the strange-hold she had on his neck and he could breathe again.

She leaned back a bit and kissed him lightly.

“Counting on it…your punishments are so …stimulating.”

Rianne had over heard what was said and burst into laughter.

“Something tells me that you secretly want to be here, Big Brother…and what’s this about not dancing? Paco is an excellent dancer…are you missing that gene?”

Urs laughed and admitted that he liked to dance but only privately…he found it a little too arousing for the public.

“We did a lot of it before Toni was born and during labor…he’s really very good….I used to do it a lot when I was a teen… sometimes I still do when the right track comes on but it’s not the same by yourself. It’s great exercise….which reminds me, we better start hitting the gym again, Urs….we need to get in shape if we’re going skiing this winter.”

He just looked at her with his Swiss Lover smile and she blushed, fully aware that they had experienced quite enough physical activity lately…no gym workouts had been necessary.

Paco wandered in just then from the dressing room where he had changed his oufit and washed up a bit. He carried a long necked bottle of beer and kissed Rianne before chugging half of it, still heated from the strenuous performance on stage.

“So, Little Sister…how long did it take you to talk him into coming on Saturday?”

Urs laughed and grasped Mia’s neck in his long fingers, shaking her gently.

“She’s very good…it only took about 30 seconds…one look and I’m toast. Who is the DJ?”

“Rayme….remember him Mia, from the wedding reception? Nepotism at it’s finest…Management asked me to suggest someone and I figured why not give him the chance… he’s over the moon about the opportunity…I’ve seen the play list he worked out and it’s great, a nice mix…and he has the patter down cold.”

They chatted for a while then settled in to enjoy the second set, this time fortified with American style hamburgers, Urs also getting a fat and juicy wurst in a hard roll and making Rianne laugh when she was appalled at his voracious appetite.

“I need the fuel…it takes a lot of energy to keep up with this woman.”

He smirked happily when Mia blushed.

**

Urs mobile jingled just as he finished brushing his teeth in preparation for bed, stripped down to only his shorts.

He read the caller ID and answered.

“Nate…what’s up?”

Mia was already sitting on the edge of the bed, wearing the short lilac gown…temporarily…and rubbing lotion into her already satiny smooth skin. She looked up with a fleeting tinge of panic in her eyes at the mention of their lawyer’s name.

Urs smiled at her, relieving her apprehension, as he listened to his friend speaking.

“Great…then we’ll expect you and Sig a week from Friday….no you don’t need to bring anything…no, not even a decent wine, you snob…I have a fully stocked wine cellar and you can choose what meets your elite standards…yes, I’m serious…so how did Sig talk you into coming out into ‘the Wilds’? or maybe I don’t want to know………really?... the man is a pervert…I knew there was a good reason to like him.”

He was chuckling when he disconnected and came over to crouch in front of Mia.

“Nate wants to talk to us about the progress on the adoption…no problems he says though Villetti is angry and has sicced his lawyers on us. Nate says they’re corporate and are really out of their depth. And Sig is coming with him…they’ll likely stay the weekend. Baby, we’ve never talked about this…will it bother you to have a gay couple staying over, sleeping together in the blue room? I’ve been friends with Nate for so long it would seem strange to me to see him with a woman….and Sig is a great guy, very into the outdoors, quiet, smart…a perfect compliment to Nate’s boisterous nature.”

She smiled and cupped his cheeks with her sweetly scented hands.

“We don’t pick who we love, Urs. I like Nate and if being gay is the lifestyle he finds fulfills him as a person, then he shouldn’t live any other way. Being gay doesn’t change who he is a person… being gay and living hetero would make him unhappy and that’s no way to live…so no, it won’t bother me…I like to see our friends happy.”

He leaned forward and pressed his mouth to the slowly fading scar on her chest, moving down to the swell of her breasts and nudging the top edge of the lilac gown.

“Why do you have this on?” he asked, looking up with a wicked gleam in his almond shaped eyes.

She shuddered and tugged on the curls on his chest.

“So you have a present to unwrap.”

“MMMM….I love presents,” he answered as he leaned forward and his chest connected with hers, pushing her back on the mattress. “Play time,” he murmured as his mouth lay a trail of heat across her collar bone, beginning the journey that was always new and exciting, always different and full of immense love.

CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE

Mia had a doctor’s appointment during the week to have her cast removed and was warned to be careful for a while…lots of gentle exercise to build up the strength again but absolutely no heavy lifting. Unfortunately for her, Urs over heard the instructions and watched her like a hawk, taking anything that weighed more than a feather and carrying it himself until she had to remind him that she was supposed to be building up the strength, not letting her wrist wither away and become totally useless. Still he watched her, not quite as avidly but seemed to always be one step ahead of her when it came to picking things up.

The high point of the week was the first snowfall one evening and the memories that it brought to the surface again.

Mia was in the studio, working on the copy of the Pegasus art work when Urs came running in, nearly waking Toni in his excitement, their son having fallen asleep in the play area his Papa had made for him in one roomy corner.

“Liebe….oh sorry…I was so excited…look outside…”

She rose and crossed to the large south facing windows, staring out into the evening mist. A few flakes were drifting slowly to the hibernating earth, even as they watched, increasing in both size and quantity.

“It’s almost exactly a year since that night I found you in the garage. Fate was kind to us that day…I hadn’t planned to come home on the Harley…and I remember you saying you almost didn’t turn into the driveway. It makes me shiver to think that we may not have met.”

“We would have, Urs…somehow, sometime we would have…I really believe that we were meant to be together.” She turned to face him, thinking about the night they met and able to recall her desperation now, passively, without any terror or panic.

“My knight on a shiny red Harley…you have changed my life, enriched it, made me a real woman, accepted this boundless love I have for you, taken our son into your heart….my cup runneth over.”

She stood as tall as she could to reach his mouth with a kiss so full of love, pure and tender, that his breath left him, not in lust but with a jumble of emotions…gratitude to the Fates, a promise of never ending love, a burst of joy that promised a future that would be filled with tenderness and fulfillment, a simple joining of mouths that spoke the volumes of commitment that words couldn’t quite express.

“I love you, Mia….you are my soulmate, my friend, my lover, the one perfect woman that I will spend the rest of my life with…and beyond, Gott willing.”

She nestled her cheek against his chest as he rocked their clasped bodies lightly to the music coming from the stereo.

“Sometimes I think about how lucky we are and I get chills…we’re so happy, so content with our lives and what the future can be…it’s almost like we are setting ourselves up for a fall. Then I remember that we have come through so much and our love only got stronger…and we are a formidable team. I can even say Milo’s name now without getting visions of him on that night….that first night in Geneva has chased those memories away…..I hope forever. I love you so much, Urs, my Swiss Lover, my husband, the father of all my children….Urs I don’t want to wait…I want another baby…SOON!!”

He looked down at her with a frown.

“Did you stop taking the pill?”

“No…I wouldn’t do that without discussing it….I just wanted you to know how I feel….but….”

She looked concerned and he waited, knowing she would voice what was bothering her if he gave her a minute to get her thoughts organized.

“Urs, Bryan is so…unbalanced…I’m worried that it could be a genetic thing and I just got lucky….what if it’s a trait that I can pass on to our children?”

“Toni isn’t in the slightest bit strange…he’s such a sweet natured baby, so you don’t likely have to worry…. But I can see that it bothers you…all right, I’ll let you in on a secret…I’ve known for a while that you worried about this and have a small surprise for you…I asked Nate to check into your family tree, discretely, just to set your mind at ease. He should have some news soon, you know, about relatives or any genetic traits that show up in your blood line…I have them too you know…this strawberry mark on my hand…a couple of cousins have one similar too. I didn’t want to say anything before in case you thought I was vetting you.”

“Don’t be silly….I know you wouldn’t….But how can he do that…even I don’t know much about my relatives?”

“Strangely enough the Mormon Church has an amazing library of family histories…they can trace your lineage back for generations…I believe he sent a query to the offices in Salt Lake City. So stop worrying about it…I think you’ll find that it was a question of the nurturing Bryan got or didn’t get from your Dad, not something that he inherited. Okay?”

She looked up at his earnest expression and smiled.

“Okay…I should have known that you would be ahead of me on this too…you take such good care of me, Urs…I have to learn to trust you more.”

“You and Toni are the most important parts of my life….it’s purely a selfish reaction to want to take care of you.”

“Well you go right ahead being ‘selfish’ my Swiss….you make me feel very safe and very loved. Let’s get Toni to bed and go for a walk in this anniversary snow fall…Ciara will listen for him.”

So they carefully transported the sleepy boy up to his crib, changing him into a one piece sleeper, a fresh diaper and putting him down for the night with his mobile on to softly play music as it turned above his head.

Ciara and Matt were watching TV and clicked the monitor on to listen for Toni and waved them off on their walk in the snow, smiling at the look of happiness that emanated from the young couple.

“They’ll make it work,” Matt said and with the mind reading that she had learned over the years of living with the quiet man, Ciara knew he meant their marriage.

“Yes…they’ll never fall into the trap of mindless habit, so they won’t get bored with each other….if only other young couples realized how important it is to keep that spontaneous spark alive.”

The ‘spontaneous’ couple in question walked aimlessly out to the gates and back, holding hands, both remembering that night last year, that first snowfall and coming down the drive, separately, towards a future that they had no inkling would be so filled with a gamut of emotions.

“I remember trudging down here in the dark, knowing that if I stopped to sleep outside I likely would never wake up again. It was such a relief to find the garage…the house looked so forlorn, so empty, not like it does now.”

“And I was so bone tired…the last performance after weeks of hard work, mostly 2 performances a day plus all sorts of technical problems…and then the trip on the Harley…I was near frozen and cursing myself for the sudden whim to ride home instead of coming the next day with the trucks…then when your voice came out of the darkness…I wasn’t sure whether to fight or run.”

They had completed the circle back to the garage and Urs slid the door open so they could enter the dark interior.

He flipped the old blue tarp off the Harley and drew it around her shoulders, wrapping them both in it, brushing the snow out of her hair and snuggling in the corner where she had taken shelter that night.

“Were you scared when I wheeled the bike inside?”

“Terrified…and then you spoke to me and your voice was just a shade angry but for some reason I sensed that you were a kind person. That’s why I followed you to the house…my instincts told me that you weren’t a threat.”

“I liked you right away, you know…especially when you knew that I thought you were a teen and was worried…then you showed me your passport and I thought how spunky you were and I was glad that it was me that found you, not someone who would take advantage of your predicament…I guess I already felt protective of you.”

Mia leaned closer and rested her head against his chest, expecting a kiss on the top of her curly head…and smiling when she got not one but several.

They were quiet for a while, just content to be together until the cold seeped under the tarp and Mia began to shiver.

Urs re-draped the Harley and they hustled back to the house, the snow falling steadily now, big fat flakes that were piling swiftly on the cold ground. One last look out over their land and they went inside, Urs to tell Ciara they were back and Mia up to the nursery to check one last time on Toni. He had kicked his covers off and she re-covered him, watching him sleep for a few minutes then going to their suite and through to the bath to strip, put on her nightie {gift-wrapping Urs had taken to calling it}, washed her face, brushed her teeth and went back to see if he was here yet.

He was crouched in front of the fireplace, coaxing the logs to catch fire…and behind him the Artic sleeping bag had been spread on the thick rug in front of the hearth, this time with pillows from their bed and two steaming mugs of hot chocolate on the side table next to the wing chairs.

He stood when she entered and waited for her to come to him, reaching down for the hot drinks and offering her one.

“What a good idea…you’re always full of surprises,” she said with a grin.

They sat side by side on the Artic bag, sipping their drinks and watching the flames, not needing to talk much, letting the feeling of togetherness flow over them.

When the drinks were finished Urs drew her into his arms, laying her across his lap and held a closed hand over her head.

“I’ve been carrying this for weeks, waiting for the first snowfall…Happy First Meeting Anniversary, Little Love.” He opened his hand and let what was within dangle from his fingers.

Mia gasped as the firelight glinted off of a platinum chain and heart, the pendant studded with small Kelly green emeralds, the outer edge rimmed with diamonds…it was exquisite, throwing shafts of light about the room, delicate and precious to her for the sentiment it evoked as well as the beauty.

Urs fastened it around her neck and was suitably rewarded for his thoughtfulness. When they could pry themselves apart he went to change and Mia slid into the sleeping bag, waiting eagerly for his return.

Unlike that first night a year before, it was nearly 2 hours until, Mia’s lesson in the awesome Tantric pleasure technique well practiced, they fell to sleep in each others arms.

**

Mia knew that Urs had asked the costume department at the Grand to courier him an outfit for their outing to the resort on Saturday but he was very secretive about what it was. So it wasn’t until she had dressed in a circle skirt and many layered crinoline she had cobbled together from second hand store finds and was ready to go, that she saw him coming down the stairs from their suite and was stunned into open mouthed immobility.

He sauntered down the steps, humming ‘Staying Alive’ and keeping time with his body, down one step, two, then back up one, swiveling and dancing his way down to her with a huge grin.

“Breathe, Love…remember to breathe…” he said with a grin and a quick peck on the lips before spinning away in a dance move, the white suit flaring out around him as he still kept in sync with the music his mouth was producing.

Shiny white boots, white suit with such a tight fit across the butt that it could only be made from Lycra, flared legs, the jacket open and belling out as he moved, a satiny black shirt, open at the neck to show off the bling and curly chest hair.

“What do you think? Does this make enough of a statement?”

He assumed the famous Travolta pose and Mia burst into laughter.

“If the Company could only see you now…Urs, you look….like you just stepped off a movie set…for a remake of Saturday Night Fever!!!”

“Good!!” he said and came over to cuddle her still chortling body into his arms.

“This is a one time thing, Little One…a moment of insanity that will NEVER happen again, so treasure it. By the way speaking of movies, you look pretty amazing…”

Indeed she did, wearing a bright green circle skirt, complete with a furry white embossed poodle, a wide black elastic cinch belt around her small waist and a paler green short-sleeved angora sweater tucked into the skirt and outlining her lush figure. All this paired with flat black patent shoes and a narrow black velvet ribbon around her neck made her appear to have stepped from the screen of Grease.

Ciara and Matt made appropriate comments, Matt even breaking his usual reserve and laughing with them. They kissed and cuddled Toni and were off, hiding their costumed glory under their winter coats.

The crowd was enormous but not terribly cramped since the Management had anticipated the response based on other years and opened the folding doors between two rooms to expand the size of the venue.

Rayme had finished setting up and was playing a set of quiet, slow dance tunes as people came in, laughing and keyed up for the evenings entertainment, finding tables and ordering food and drink.

The stage had been transformed into a dais for him, his equipment with the garish blue neon lighting at the center and a mirror ball was hanging over the dance floor, slowly turning and picking up the sparkle of multicolored lighting from some hidden projector… it was like stepping back in time.

They found Paco and Rianne at their usual table and spent some time checking out each others outfits.

Paco had also gone for a Travolta look but this time the character from Grease, tee shirt and leathers, his hair slicked with a vast amount of product to form a ducktail. Rianne wore the pink of the Pink Ladies from the movie…full skirt, saddle shoes {where had she found that treasure!!}, peasant blouse with a dangerously low scooped neckline and a sash tied around her waist under a pink satin bomber jacket. Her long hair was up in a high ponytail that bounced and swung saucily as she spun around to show off her costume.

They settled in and watched the other arrivals, critiquing their attempts at nostalgia, sipping on their drinks and buoyed by the excitement in the room.

“So, Urs…when Rayme spins Stayin’ Alive are you going to favor us with a performance? You certainly look like you could,” Rianne asked with cheeky grin.

He just smiled but Mia began to tell them about him coming down the stairs.

“You should have seen him on the st…” Urs hand came over her mouth and she giggled, leaning away from him and catching his wrist so she could finish telling tales. “on the stairs…he was bopping to the music, humming music from the movie….Urs let me tell them…you looked so…cute…”

“Cute?...I don’t do cute…sexy, smooth, manly, yes, but CUTE? I don’t think so!”

He tried to frown and growl at her but failed miserably since he couldn’t stop laughing as he feebly tried to stop her from speaking.

Rayme turned the volume up and began the real show, opening with a Golden Oldie, ‘Stagger Lee’ by Lloyd Price.

Mia was bopping to the beat when suddenly she realized that Urs had risen and was standing next to her with his hand held out.

“Dance with me?”

She smiled and quickly rose to take his hand, not really expecting much skill. He swung her out onto the floor just as the next track began, ‘Aint got no Home’ by Clarence Frogman Henry.

To her credit she followed his lead adeptly as he twirled her to the music, smiling as he let his body loose in a skillful swivel of hips and the fast foot work necessary for this type of dancing, catching her hands in his as she came back to him, matching their steps, even grasping her waist and throwing her into the air in a spin, catching her as she came back to him again until she dizzily clung to him just as the track ended and another began, this time a slow romantic tune, ‘Twilight Time’ by the Platters.

“Surprised?” he murmured against her head as they danced slowly, snuggled together with his arms around her waist and hers up around his neck.

“You said you couldn’t dance…”

“Ah, nein…I said I don’t like to dance since it’s too sensual a thing to do in public…big difference…but I don’t care who sees us or how arousing holding you in my arms and moving so intimately becomes…I know you’re going home with me so this is just very energetic foreplay….and very pleasant….Did I tell you today?”

“Only half a dozen times…but I never get tired of hearing it.”

She raised her head from his chest and looked up.

“I love you, my own precious wife.”

He dipped his head to kiss her, pulling her even closer, teasing her lips with his tongue before drawing back.

They danced once more, to Fats Domino doing ‘Blueberry Hill’, then went back to the table for a drink, the exercise making them both very thirsty. Paco and Rianne came back soon after, for the same reason.

“Well aren’t you just full of surprises, Big Brother,” Rianne said with a grin. “I thought Paco was the only Buhler man who could dance.”

“Who do you think taught him? After all, I take my Big Brother status very seriously.”

The rest of the evening went by all too fast with both couples missing only the necessary dances to refill their fluid levels and catch their breath, especially after some of the more energetic tunes. Urs refused flatly to be co-erced into a Travolta imitation when that famous Bee Gee track came on, but he wowed Mia with his Twist, Hand Jive, even a credible jive when Rayme slipped in a track that called for it and a smooth, elegant Tango to an old Helmut Lotti track.

They were pleasantly exhausted when the night ended and they bade Paco and Rainne good night, the younger couple staying over since he had a gig the next evening and Management had provided staff quarters for them.

Mia snuggled as close as the seat belt would allow on the way home, tired but happy and fell asleep with her head leaning on his shoulder.

‘I’ll never forget her face when we had the first dance…happy, surprised, eager…how I love to please her!! What delicious torture it was to watch that lush body dancing with joy, to feel her against me….for a while there I thought I might have to take a room for a few hours….Mia, my little Love…you make my life so full, so complete….all I can see in the future is years of joy being with you, good times and bad, we’ll be together….tonight when we get home I’m throwing her birth control pills in the trash….I don’t want to wait either….I want our daughter, if not this time then we’ll just keep trying until we get it right…. Toni needs a little brother or sister to love, just as we love him…..’

Mia stirred in her sleep and he turned his head for a second to press his lips to her brow.

“Rest, Love…I’m here… and we’re almost home,” he said softly and smiled when she settled with a sigh.

His heart lurched with a jolt of love, so powerful that his eyes welled with tears and he had to slow down and blink to stop the tears of joy from falling.

CHAPTER FIFTY-TWO

They spent a quiet week after their ‘Saturday Night Fever’ night out, playing with Toni, introducing him to the fun of sleigh rides, laughing when he tried to eat the falling flakes, working on their projects, one afternoon and early evening of volunteer work at the Red Cross, choir practice for Mia while Urs played darts at the pub…and gradually working their way through the Kama Sutra.

Urs found that Mia was a very attentive student but then he was a very inventive teacher, full of ideas that he had never before had a partner willing to try.

Smiles seemed to be the look of the day as they went about their mundane tasks of laundry, office work, cooking and tidying, watering and feeding plants in the conservatory and taking an inventory of the bottles in the wine cellar to be sure that the appropriate vintages would be available when their oenophile friend came to visit.

Suddenly it was Friday and Ciara and Mia had a flurry of last minute baking to do, hindered {helped, he claimed} by Urs who had appointed himself official taster. Mia finally gave in and sent him off to the music room with a thermos of hot chocolate and a plastic tub of assorted sweets, adding that she would be sure to make a dental appointment for him in the near future…he would in all likelihood need one.

He flashed his perfect, gleaming white teeth at her in a smile, having achieved his goal and took his goodies through to work on his opera, well into the orchestral arrangements now.

Matt wandered in with Toni just as they finished and were cleaning up the little mess, for two so different women they worked well together, both disliking mess and clutter and washing up utensils as they went along. In minutes they were done, the goodies all in containers or covered in the cold room and the kitchen spotless again.

Matt put Toni in his highchair while Mia prepared a snack for him and Ciara made coffee, placing a tray of biscuits on the table for them all to nibble on. Urs must have scented the coffee since he arrived before Mia could go for him, cuddling her for a second then going over to sit next to Toni and help him squish cubes of Jell-o between his pudgy fingers.

“No, my son…you are supposed to put it in your mouth, not smoosh it…but it feels great doesn’t it?” he said, taking one cube and squishing it himself.

“URS!! So that’s where he learned his new trick…behave or I’ll give him a baby cookie…I know how you love what he does with those.”

Urs made a face and dutifully popped a cube of the green gelatin in his son’s mouth, laughing when he saw the surprised look that came over the little face.

“I think tonight we should have dinner in the dining room, just to show Nate that we are more or less civilized even if we do live in ‘the wilds’,” Mia said with a grin and Urs nodded agreement.

‘But after that we treat them as family and eat in the Kitchen. I think you’ll like Sig…he’s very down to earth, very natural, as much the opposite of Nate as can be.”

“He makes Nate happy so I’m already pre-disposed to like him…will you put Toni down for his nap when he finishes? I’d like a shower before they arrive.”

Ciara spoke up.

“I’ll put him down in his crib in our place…I’d like a nap myself.”

So Mia wasn’t surprised when she started to shampoo her hair and a long muscular body pressed against her back, those soft lips trailed kisses up her spine and two long fingered hands pushed hers aside to massage the shampoo onto her scalp.

“You never miss an opportunity, do you?” she murmured, letting the relaxing massage fill her with a peaceful languor.

“You know what they say about cleanliness…lean your head back love, let me rinse you.”

Her eyes were closed and she leaned back, letting him use the hand- held nozzle to rinse her hair, then apply conditioner and find something to do while he waited a few minutes to let it soak in.

Urs pulled the lever to turn on the multiple shower heads and both proved how good they were at multi-taking as they bathed, shampooed and loved, moving under the spray coming from all directions, eyes closed against a soapy invasion, seeing only through the contact of skin against skin, the loss of one of the senses somehow heightening the sensations of the others.

**

Mia watched as Urs shaved, standing naked at the sink and carefully trimming around his long sideburns.

‘I never noticed before how absolutely perfect his body is…those firm sculpted muscles, not too tall or short, everything in perfect proportion…well almost everything…he is rather ‘generous’ in certain areas…but those long, magical fingers and the dark dusting of hair on his arms, almost hiding that vein that runs down from his shoulders…Gott I love to put my mouth against it and feel his blood racing….especially when I know I’m the one that made it so fast…he has just the right amount of body hair and it’s so curly on his chest…it tickles when he holds me against him….and that long tapered back that curves out so nicely into a compact butt….his skin is so smooth…and of course his tireless legs, corded with muscles from all those hours in the gym….he’s perfect…and he’s MINE!!!’

Urs eyes met hers in the mirror and he grinned.

“You’re dripping Liebe…you look like you’re deep in thought…or taking inventory.”

She laughed and went back to drying her body on the thick white towel.

“I was admiring the view…and being possessive….you have an amazing body, my Swiss.”

“Custom made just for you, Little One…you may have noticed how much I like yours too…or do you need a reminder?”

She laughed as he grinned and wiggled his eyebrows at her.

“Like I ever get a chance to forget….Urs, is this just the honeymoon stage for us? ….will we become like other couples, only enjoying each other routinely, maybe once a week on Saturday nights?”

He stopped the smooth sweep of the razor over his face and locked eyes with her in the mirror.

“Is that what you want?”

“NEVER!!! I want to be a randy old lady who loves you one last time just before she croaks.”

“Then I promise to always be there for you…we won’t allow our love to become routine, just out of familiarity or habit… I rather like the idea of being a role model for the elderly…we can write a book on how to be sexy while using a walker….we’ll call it ‘Satisfied Seniors’…or ‘Rapture for the Retired’….or…”

He yelped and laughed with that crinkled eyes smile when she snapped her towel at his exposed bottom.

“Fool!! I was being serious!”

He put his razor down and turned to her with a teasing look about him, but crossed the floor and pulled her against his damp body.

“It’s hard for me to be serious when you look so delicious. You know how much I like to give…and get, surprises…that won’t change, Love…we’ll keep alive the spark that drew us together ….Now, get out of here, Woman, before I have my way with you…again!”
She scurried from the room with a giggle, laughing at the swat he gave her on her bottom and began pulling lingerie from the drawer to dress for their company.

**

In honor of the occasion of having dinner in the dining room, Urs had dressed in tailored black trousers and a crisply pressed, flame red buttoned shirt, his concession to informality, the rolled up sleeves since it looked better than leaving the cuffs undone like he always did { he hated having his wrists constrained with tight cuffs}. Mia had gone with pleated slacks in a fine, lightweight wool and a formfitting white cashmere sweater, the neckline showing just enough cleavage to keep Urs happy and not enough to seem bold.

Ciara had opted to take charge of Toni, dressing him in a new sandy colored corduroy outfit after giving the typically messy child his dinner. She put him in the Lounge play area so he could meet the new arrivals, then would take him through into the expanded suite that she and Matt occupied to give his parents some freedom.

Nate was his usually boisterous self upon arrival, tooting the horn of the rental as he came barreling down the cleared drive and swept to a sliding stop near the back deck.

Both Urs and Mia went out to greet them, laughing as Sig quickly exited the car and joined them, shaking his head and muttering that he was definitely either driving back or walking.

“That is precisely why we don’t have a car…he’s a maniac behind the wheel. And this vision must be Aramia….I’m so pleased to meet you at last.”

He was tall and slender but muscular, his uncapped hair a bright mahogany that was cut quite short, his eyes the deep blue of Irish or Scots ancestors and his smile infectious. He leaned into the double hand clasp and kissed Mia’s cheeks, his light, woodsy aftershave quite pleasant…and she liked him instantly.

Matt appeared, quietly coming to the car and retrieving the luggage, though Urs hadn’t asked him to do so and thanked him, receiving one of the quiet man’s smiles and nods as the luggage was spirited into the house and upstairs.

“I didn’t know you actually had staff,” Nate said as he came up the steps.

“We don’t really…Matt and Ciara are more family, than staff. So how was the drive?”

Nate greeted Mia and followed Urs and Sig into the house with his arm draped over her shoulder.

“I had a great trip…Sig seemed to be nervous for some reason.”

“I wonder why?” Urs said with a laugh. “I remember how you used to tear up the roads when we were younger…some things never change, I guess.”

“This is magnificent!” Nate said as he stepped into the Lounge, looking around at the décor and the comfortable spaciousness. “So where DO you keep the goats?” he said referring to their conversation weeks ago.

“Upstairs…we moved them out of your suite for the weekend,” Urs said, straight-faced and made the lawyer roar with laughter.

Toni heard the new voice and showed off his newest trick, pulling himself up to stand grinning by the netting of his play area, chortling happily and trying to reach out for his father. The result of releasing his grasp on the netting, as expected, was a sudden lowering of his bottom to the floor where he sat with a surprised expression until Urs rescued him.

“Papa!” Toni said with a baby laugh, patting Urs face and giving wet kisses.

“And this is our son,” Urs said proudly, feeling a swell of love as he introduced the boy to his friends.

Nate was suitably impressed but a bit nervous, as a lot of men are around babies…Sig wanted to hold him but was wise to the ways of children and strangers and held back until Toni reached for him.

“He’s very friendly…I think because Urs has such a huge family and someone different is always cuddling him.”

Sig glanced at Nate with a wistful smile and tickled Toni’s tummy.

They settled in the Lounge, indulging in a before dinner glass of red wine, bidding Toni farewell when Ciara came for him and talking idly for a few minutes. Then Nate put his glass on the coffee table and sighed.

“I hate to talk business…it’s so…so homey, comfortable, relaxing here…but I have some news…something that I think will make you very happy, Mia.”

She was sitting on the arm of Urs chair, not settled down in her own since she wanted to check on dinner in a few minutes. Urs took her hand when he saw her tremble and smiled with encouragement.

“Urs asked me some time ago to try to trace your family history and at first the Library in St. Lake couldn’t find the necessary papers…but then they worked on another angle and were successful…Mia, you aren’t a Kramer at all…at least not by blood.
Your mother and father were Piet and Aramia Duffy, Irish nationals, though Piet’s family came from France originally and were named Dufflette back about 4 generations. Aramia’s best friend was your mother and when they were lost at sea in a storm, guardianship of you came to your mother, along with the family money, a considerable amount I’ve learned.

“It was because of that money that David Kramer allowed your mother to adopt you legally…after all he must have thought it was useless for a 6 month old little girl to have that much money when he could use it. He also cut off contact with the few remaining distant relatives of the Duffy’s…we found a cousin in Lille, another in Bruges, Belgium and a very old great uncle and aunt who live in the mountains near Ticino…and of course their families, all very healthy and very normal. So you see, my dear, your fears of genetic traits of instability are unfounded.”

It was a few minutes before Mia could stop crying against Urs shoulder, minutes when he quietly thanked Nate and then the two men excused themselves to ‘go freshen up’ for dinner…enough time for Mia to regain control of her emotions.

When they came back, full of praise for the lovely suite {goatless} that they had for the weekend she had gone to check on dinner and wash her tear-streaked face.

“Lovely suite, Urs…and a magnificent view of the mountains in the distance. Sig was wondering if you would mind if he goes cross country tomorrow….I’ll stay here and maybe get a tour of the house…I’d love to see Mia’s studio.”

“Did you bring your skiis?” Urs asked Sig, clearly enthused about taking his friend out on the property. “I have Paco’s extra pair in the mud room…you two are about the same height and boot size.”

“Yes, I did…I like to get out every chance I get…it will be nice to have some one to go with…Lazy bones here only does winter things that involve hot toddys and gluwine.”

Mia came from the dining room looking back to her usual composure again. She kissed Nate on the cheek and thanked him for finding her real family, apologizing for losing her cool before.

“Did you bring the paperwork with you? I’d like to read it thoroughly soon, now that I’m a little calmer….Urs, dinner is almost ready to begin…would you select the wines and bring them up?”

Urs chuckled and rested his hand on her hair for a moment, letting her lean into his touch with a smile.

“I think we’ll let our learned friend here do the selecting and see how good he really is.”

The two men went off to the Wine cellar, leaving Sig to help Mia bring the dinner to the table.

He followed her into the kitchen, admiring the lay out and admitting that cooking was a hobby of his, something that he enjoyed and wished he had more time for.

“Me too…and Urs loves to eat so we make a good team,” she said with a laugh. She opened the oven in the refurbished stove and took out a large lidless roaster, placing it on the wire rack to settle for a few minutes while she removed the veggies from around the perfectly browned standing rib roast. Carrots, potatoes, turnip and fist sized onions were artfully arranged with the speed of long practice on an oval platter, sprinkled with coarsely chopped thyme, fennel flavored sea salt and parsley and covered with a silver lid to keep the heat in. Fresh biscuits came out of the other oven and went directly into a woven basket with a white linen cloth to keep them warm and she sharpened the carving knife, setting it to one side with the matching meat fork before lifting the roast out onto a
large, lined platter.

“That smells delicious,” Sig remarked as she quickly garnished the platter with sprigs of Tarragon. “What can I do to help?”

“There’s a tray of tall flutes in the frig, left hand side…it’s our salad course…we like to have it the French way, after the main to cleanse the palate but it can go to the table anytime.”

“Ah Lady, you are a treasure…this looks and smells like Ceviche.”

Mia laughed.

“ You know your food…yes it’s Ceviche de Camarones…Urs calls this our International menu…something from Canada, from France and Mexico…and a dessert tray from any country that likes sweets. If you take those in you can place them on the sideboard, near the desserts and Brandy.”

Urs took Nate down the hall, not explaining anything about his newest obsession. He opened the first door, the buffer zone that kept the warmer air from the house from entering the cellar, then when the light above the door changed to green opened the thick door and motioned Nate to enter.

It was the Garden of Eden for an oenophile, a room divided into temperature controlled areas with angled racks of bottles resting, aging to perfection as they waited their turn to be imbibed. A small table in the central space contained openers, corkscrews and sharp knives for the foil, two comfortable chairs and a suspended rack of appropriate goblets. The lighting was subdued, intimate, just right for the appreciation of this drink of the gods.

“I had no idea…OMG…is that…yes, it’s the ’69 Fusee… my friend I’m at a loss for words. Tell me what we need while I come down off my cloud.”

Urs chuckled.

“ Red for the main, something with a strong body that can stand up to hearty flavors, a delicate white, perhaps rose, for the salad and a light, fruity but rich dessert wine….I already have a nice Brandy on the sideboard for after.”

“Anything off limits?”

He smiled. “Only the Fusee…that’s for when Toni’s adoption comes through.”

They went through the airlock doors again with 6 bottles, Nate commenting that it may seem too much but Urs just shrugged and said that Mia would use any leftovers in cooking, not to worry.

Dinner was a riot with the three men regaling their talented chef {Sig refused to call her a COOK} with anecdotes from their travels and Nate and Urs child hood. Urs loaded the dessert tray and wines on the rolling cart and wheeled it into the Lounge where they all sat around finding just enough room for one more tiny tart or a ‘sliver’ of the delicious torte…chocolate of course.

They all declined after dinner coffee in favor of Brandy and wound down a bit with lethargic satiation, watching the flames in the fireplace and listening to the soft music coming from the stereo.

“You both have been very patient, not asking about the adoption or if I had any news. But now I think we need to get it out of the way so it isn’t hanging over what promises to be a lovely weekend. Sig if you don’t mind?”

Sig rose and came to give Mia a hug and kiss her cheek.

“You are a good friend and a superb hostess, Frau Aramia…but I have a book to finish reading and will take my leave until morning.”

Nate was silent for a moment, not really wanting to tell his dear friends anything that may upset them but duty bound to be honest.

Mia left her place in her wing chair and crossed to Urs when he held his hand out to her in invitation, her distress visible to him. He cuddled her onto his lap, in the safety of his strong arms, trying to remain calm for her but with butterflies doing a rapid tango in his stomach.

Nate looked at them, feeling their pain and finally spoke up.

“It looks like Villetti wants a fight.”

CHAPTER FIFTY-THREE

Urs felt a rush of anger shoot through him, narrowing and darkening his eyes with such an intense hatred that he couldn’t remember ever feeling before. Mia stiffened in his arms, not in fear this time but fury, her hands clenched, her lips flattened together as she listened to Nate.

“Mia…my sweet friend…I dislike making you recount what happened but I do need to hear if from your own lips, not second hand. Tell me about the incident, why you were with this man, who was with you, why you ended up going to his room…it will all come out at some point and if I am to be effective counsel for you and Toni I must know what happened.”

“Couldn’t you just ask me questions?” she said with a quiver in her voice and he shook his head.

“What if I don’t ask the right ones?...just take your time and tell me, in your own words…if I get confused I’ll stop you.”

She heard Urs speaking softly to her.

“Just tell Nate what you told me in the gym that day, Love…we have to let him help us. Do it for Toni.”

Hesitantly she began, speaking in a monotone at first, her sentences disconnected, then as the memories became clearer, more painful, her voice rose in pitch, nearly hysterical, unable to hold back the details that she had never before spoken of, not even to Urs.

She was breathless, shaking violently when she came to the part about trying to escape and couldn’t go on, burying her face against Urs neck, not aware that the wet against her brow was the tears that had run down his cheeks.

Nate swirled his brandy in the snifter, mulling over what he had been told, in his usual thorough fashion attacking the problem from all angles and finding any loopholes before he spoke. He sighed and Mia tightened her grip on Urs hand…that was not a good sound.

“I know that was hard for you to re-live…it took courage and I am sorry that I had to put you through it… but I have to be honest…if Villetti has counsel who is at all competent then the first thing they will demand is DNA testing to confirm who the father is…then there may be a problem…if, as you say, he is the father…no, please, Aramia, I’m not doubting you, just pointing out what the court’s reaction will be, …if he is confirmed then it will be a question of proving who is the most capable of giving the child a good life…your adoptive family has a rather tarnished record, my dear, though the Buhler side is totally clean…it will end up being a cat fight….you can claim that Toni is the result of rape, but have no way of corroborating that, except for your brother, who is unlikely to testify for you…. if he can be found. I understand your reluctance to just live quietly and take a chance on Toni’s lineage never coming into question…but it may be the only way to go…if you only had some proof that you were assaulted….”

Urs tightened his arm around Mia’s shoulders…she was shaking uncontrollably and at first when she spoke he wasn’t sure what she had said.

“I have the tape,” she whispered again and Nate nearly shot off his chair.

“What? Where?”

“You never told me ….Mia why didn’t you tell me?”

The color had left her cheeks and when she looked at Urs he could see her eyes were glistening.

“I’m sorry Urs…I don’t even like to think of it existing…and since I’ve been here, with you and now with Toni, with the family…I’ve been so happy….I really did forget I have it. I had an impulse to take it when I ran away that night in Milan. I knew where Bryan kept it…he liked to take it out and watch when he was drunk, sometimes showed it to his drunken buddies, claimed that his sister was a porn star…it’s wrapped in plastic, in the bottom of my old backpack, the one I had when we met.”

There was silence in the room for a moment, then Nate cleared his throat and softly asked the all important question….

“Aramia…would you…would you let me see it?…that tape may be the answer to a trouble free settlement of custody of Toni… Please…trust me…”

From the safety of Urs arms she nodded and they rose from the sofa, Mia to slowly go up the stairs, suddenly frail and weary, the zest for life she had shown lately gone from her step, Urs following her with his eyes, his heart aching for the pain she was re-living.

“Is there some place private that it can be played?” Nate asked and Urs nodded, still standing and watching the stairs for her return.

“In the den…I can’t watch it with you, Nate…she told me some of what happened and after what we just heard..…I don’t want to see it.”

Five minutes later she returned and wordlessly handed the plastic wrapped package to the lawyer. She had been crying, that much was evident but had washed her face and seemed more in control now, though very pale.

“I’ve been so happy here with the man I love and our son, my new, loving family…I don’t want to bring back the memories that tormented me for so long… they don’t belong in this new life we’ve made…so I can’t watch it with you…I hope you understand.”

Urs put his arm around her shoulders holding her against his side.

“Nate, the den is just down the hall, last door on the left…we’ll be in the kitchen when you’re finished.”

Nate disappeared down the hall and they heard the door to the den shut softly. Urs turned Mia into his arms and stood just holding her close, letting her calm, stroking her hair and softly kissing the top of her head.

“I can’t watch it,” he said against her hair. “I might be tempted to kill the b**tard…and then Toni would only see his Papa on visiting day at the prison.”

She laughed a bit, as he had hoped she would.

“I would bake you a cake with a file in it.”

“And we could hide out in the caves where Getzi and the Resistance hid during the war….Naw…I think it’s just better if we put it behind us and get on with our lives. I could use a coffee… how about you, Liebe?”

“Hot chocolate, I think…but I’ll make you some coffee…Urs….?”

“Ja, Liebe?”

“Stay close…I’m feeling a bit shaky…I need to be able to see you, touch you…”

“I’m here, Love,” he said and crushed her in his arms, burying his face in the curve of her neck…. “even when I’m far away, I’m here, with you always.” He lay his hand on her chest, over her heart and kissed her tenderly, re-affirming his love gently, with butterfly kisses across her lips and cheeks, her eyes…kisses that soothed and thrilled, that told her as words couldn’t, how much he cared.

In the kitchen she put the kettle on to boil while he loaded the portable stereo with a mixture of CD’s and started them softly playing. First up was the compilation he had made for her of Pop tracks and ALW hits, a joke between them that backfired when she was thrilled with it and even encouraged him to do a similar one for commercial release.

“You want cookies or cake with your coffee?” she asked and laughed when he raised an eyebrow at her and pretended to scowl.

“Sorry…how could I be so silly…Ja, Mein Herr…Cookies AND Cake, coming up.”

‘She’s putting on a brave face for my benefit…I wonder how long that tape is? Nate may have to watch it a couple of times and take notes….I couldn’t…I would throw up, I know I would …and then I would go to Milan and beat him to death!’

“Urs…stop thinking about it…please…what happened is past, we can’t let it come between us.”

She had come up to him and stood at his knees, nudged them aside and leaned in to press her body against his.

“Remember the first time I trimmed your beard? I was so nervous about standing between your thighs…and you didn’t make it any easier, tightening them just a bit against my legs.”

He laughed at the memory.

“I remember…your face got all flushed and I thought I had gone too far, teasing like that.”

The kettle was whistling when they came up for air again.

Urs got the cake out of the pantry and loaded several kinds of cookies on a plate to put on the table while Mia made coffee in the French Press and a large jug of Hot Chocolate. She brought everything including a bowl of freshly whipped cream to the table and perched on Urs lap, waiting the 5 minutes for the coffee to steep.

“Is the whole company going to New York or just the principals?”

He smiled, knowing she was just making conversation, that she already knew the answer.

“Just the touring company, which means the principals, understudies and key crew members…we’ll have 3 days of rehearsals to meld the existing company with ours, but it shouldn’t be a problem…we’re all professionals. I can’t wait to show you around New York…it’s one city I do like to spend time in, so vibrant, so much to see and do.”

“Your friends will be in New York at the same time…will we have a chance to see them?”

“We’ll make time…they’ve done so well, I’m happy for them. Sometimes I think I was wrong to have turned down the chance to join Il Divo…what a great adventure…then I look at you and Toni, and the life we have together and I know…I’m right where I was meant to be.”

She giggled against his neck, her breath warm and tickling him.

“When I was a very little girl I was always fascinated by the stories my Mom would read to me…full of princesses trapped in towers or with evil step mothers, rescued by handsome princes on white horses…who would have known that my Prince would rescue me, dressed in black leather and riding a red Harley?”

He moved her back so she lay on his bicep and he could see her eyes, smiling. His face flushed with his Swiss Lover Look that made her heart race and she felt her body responding.

“It took me so long to find you, my Little Princess…I thought I would never know real love…and then all those months of thinking that you could never love me….”

“If you don’t kiss me, right this second, I’m going to scream!”

“Really?” he said and leaned back, grinning.

She opened her mouth wide and did succeed in voicing one tiny squeak, quickly silenced as he devoured her, turning the scream into a moan of desire.

They heard Nate returning down the hall and suddenly the reason for his absence came crashing back into their consciousness. Mia rose from Urs’ lap and busied herself stirring the hot chocolate in the Thermal jug, not wanting to look at the lawyer after what he had just witnessed.

“I’m certain that we can settle this without going into court…I’d like to take the tape with me…it’s quite long and I just skimmed through it…I will need to view it again, make a copy of some significant parts and then put the original safely away, preferably in the vault. Let me set something up, a meeting with Villetti and his counsel…you will have to be there of course…but I will do the talking. Do you agree?”

Urs nodded, his eyes still on Mia as she stood at the kitchen counter, her arms folded across her chest and head lowered.

Nate followed his gaze and sighed, walking across the kitchen and putting his hands on Mia’s shoulders.

“Aramia…it took courage for you to run away and face such tremendous odds to protect your baby…you have nothing to be ashamed of…NOTHING!!...the tape is dated stamped, there’s no way of faking that…I’ve seen what he did and heard what your family did before and after and it made me ill…and angry…don’t lose your courage now!”

She looked up, then met Urs eyes and drew strength from him.

“Whatever it takes, Nate…we’ll do whatever it takes….my very special Prince told me once that together we’re unbeatable…and I believe him.”

Nate moved over to the table and joined Urs, reaching for the jug of coffee, a little distracted until he looked up and saw that Urs was watching him intently.

“You have questions but are hesitant to ask…we need to get this all out in the open, Nate, to get it over with…you can ask us anything.”

Mia had moved back to stand beside Urs and he wrapped his arm around her waist, knowing instinctively that she would be the one the questions were directed at.

He was right.

“Mia…when I was skimming through the tape…I noticed that the camera wasn’t fixed…someone was controlling it…and there was another person besides the camera man…who else was in the room besides you and Villetti?”

She blanched and shook her head but Urs tightened his arm around her waist and pulled her closer to his side, willing her his strength.

“My brother…step brother…Bryan had the video camera and…and his friend Harry helped Milo hold me down…they were laughing…it excited them I think…especially Harry…his hands wandered… when he turned me over or …lifted my legs….he kept …touching me….”

She was visibly shaking, breathing in short, rapid gasps and Urs pulled her onto his lap, tucking her head firmly against his chest, his arms tight around her body as he whispered to her, trying to calm her fears.

“You’re safe, Liebe…they will never touch you again…no one will ever do such vile things to you, NEVER AGAIN!! You must know how much I love you, the beautiful person you are inside…I’ll do everything in my power to make sure nothing like that ever happens to you… and no one will steal our son….Trust me, Love, be strong, for Toni, for yourself, for me…together we can do this…be strong and we’ll end this and get on with our lives.”

**

Nate felt that they had endured enough for one day and shortly after their discussion kissed Mia good night and joined Sig in their guest suite.

When he entered Sig looked up and immediately rose from the sofa where he had been reading, coming to wrap his long arms around his mate’s body, so attuned to his emotions that he knew Nate was suffering.

“Was it really bad?”

“How can one person do that to another? What he did to that poor woman, again and again, while her Brother watched…..the filthy beast should be taken out and dragged behind horses, castrated, hung up to let the birds peck at him….”

He calmed slowly, cuddling against Sig until his breathing returned to normal and he could talk without ranting.

“If for some strange reason we lose this case, I’ll help them disappear with the child…Urs and Mia are good people, not just because they’re our friends but because they have risen above so much and the love they have for that boy fairly shines from them…but I don’t think it will come to that….let me tell you what I learned tonight…”

They talked quietly and the mood improved as Sig too saw the bright glimmer of hope, just as Nate had….something good HAD to come out of such a tragic history.

CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR…THE MORNING AFTER

Urs and Mia sat in his big chair for a few minutes, communing silently, his anger held at bay by his concern for her, the calm that she always felt in his arms slowly relaxing her tense body until she sighed and stirred against his chest.

“Urs?”

“Yes Love?”

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about the tape…I really did forget about it…I think I took it because I couldn’t stand to think of Bryan showing it to his friends. It never occurred to me then that it might become useful.”

“I understand, Little One…you have nothing to apologize for….maybe even then Fate took a hand and nudged you to take it for just this purpose. Mia, look at me, Love.”

She raised her tear streaked face and moaned when she saw that his eyes were blood shot from weeping quietly, his cheeks still wet, just like hers….to see him in so much emotional pain cut through her and made her heart ache.

“I don’t want you to worry about this fight…Nate is very good, especially when his heart is involved…but if something should go wrong and we lose…I will not let that man take our son! We have enough money to live on the rest of our lives, maybe not in so much luxury but together and happy…if the worst happens we will simply go away, you and I and Toni and they will NEVER find us. I promise you, on my honor, he will not take Toni!”

“You didn’t have to say the words…I knew…and I’m not afraid anymore….somehow, telling Nate, handing over the tape…I feel cleansed and with you by my side I know we’re safe. We got Milo out of our bed…we can get him completely out of our lives.”

They snuggled for a few minutes longer then Urs murmured against her head.

“We should clean up from dinner then get Toni and head up to bed….it’s been a long, tiring day.”

The rose together, needing to still feel connected so they held hands and strolled into the dining room…the totally clean dining room, with everything put back in it’s proper place. As one they looked at each, smiled and said: “Ciara and Matt”

Sure enough on a quick trip back to the kitchen, this time when they were not distracted they saw the ‘Finished’ light blinking on the dishwasher that Urs had insisted on buying, the counters were clear and wiped down and the little amount of leftover wine capped and put on the baking shelf.

They went to the adjacent suite, checking for sounds or a light under the door and tapped lightly.

Matt answered and smiled.

“They are both sleeping. Go to bed, you look like H*ll…the little Prince is fine until morning.”

Mia kissed the gruff man on the cheek, amused when he colored slightly but not daring to laugh and offend him. One more ‘thank you’ and ‘Guten nacht’and they did as ordered…went up the staircase to their suite to get ready for bed.

Tonight there was no need for passion to demonstrate their love for each other. Instead they cuddled under the soft duvet with sweet caresses and tender kisses, softly murmured sighs, in a closeness more intimate than making love.

**

By tacit agreement no-one discussed the emotional conversations of the night before, not once while the weekend whizzed by.

Nate was a bit apprehensive about facing Mia in the morning until he came into the kitchen and she greeted him with her normal bubbly spirit and bright smile. Sig gave him an ‘I told you so’ look as he gave Mia a hug and kiss on the cheek, remarking that he had slept soundly, thanks to the clean fresh air from the window he had cracked open and the supremely comfortable bed.

“May I do anything to help with breakfast?” he asked glancing around the kitchen.

“Of course,” she said with a grin. “The first night you are guests so we take care of you… but after that you’re family and you help or watch us eat.”

“Urs not up yet?” Nate asked and she laughed.

“For hours…you should know better…he finished one pot of coffee, had a small breakfast…. and worked out for an hour…he just went up to shower with Toni…I didn’t know that babies liked showers until Urs started taking him in…he’s a real water baby…Urs will probably teach him to swim this coming summer. Speaking of coffee, there’s fresh on the warmer and the mugs are on the table.”

Sig suggested omelettes, his specialty and Mia waved him to the cold room to see what he could find while she placed a loaf of fresh dark bread in foil and tossed it in the warming oven.

“Nate, would you fill that big copper pot with milk and put it on the hob? I want to fill the big thermos with hot chocolate for the guys to take on their run…cross country is cold work.”

“Uh…Mia I don’t cook…Sig does all that…I’m afraid he spoils me dreadfully.”

She looked at him and grinned.

“Well you won’t learn any younger…and I believe he loves you enough to like spoiling you…that won’t change if you warm a pot of milk.”

He laughed and did as she asked, slowly getting into this new activity so that when Sig came back from the cold room Nate was at the counter slicing hard rolls and spreading the inside with Aoli before passing them off to Mia to be filled with assorted thinly sliced meats, greens and cheeses, some from the leftover roast of the night before.

Sig just smiled and went on with constructing breakfast.

The kitchen smelled heavenly when Urs, carrying a damp but sweet smelling baby boy, came in and parked his son in the high chair. The two backpacks were loaded and standing by the door, ready to go and Sig was just plating their omelettes, the fresh, hot bread and everything else they would need on the table where Nate and Mia sat chatting and sipping on juice.

She laughed and moved over to the next chair.

“If you value the cleanliness of your clothes, stay as far away from Urs and Toni as possible…It’s Urs turn to feed him breakfast and he always plays so much that food flies everywhere….some things it’s just too difficult to train BIG boys to do neatly.”

Urs grinned and began spooning mushy cereal into the eager little mouth, doing the aeroplane thing that seemed to be Universal with Papas. In between forks full of his own breakfast he managed to get Toni to the point were there was more playing done than eating and gave him a soft chunk of banana to squish and perhaps eat the residue off his fat little fingers while Papa attacked his own much more delicious meal.

Ciara came soon after to collect Toni for his bottle and nap and the adults sat around chatting about Urs upcoming trip to New York, just before Christmas.

“Do you have family that you spend Christmas with?” Mia asked the two men and regretted her question when she saw them glance at each other and look uncomfortable.

“Our families are not very…appreciative of our lifestyle and would prefer that we didn’t visit as a couple…and we agreed that if we both can’t visit, then neither of us will…we are just as much a couple as you and Urs and even after all this time they still can’t accept our choice of lifestyle,” Nate said, with just a hint of obstinancy making his voice very lawyer-like.

“What a shame…if they only could realize how much they are missing…family is so important…you could always come to us…Urs’ family is so huge and there’s always room for a couple more.”

“Wonderful idea, Love…yes, why don’t you come for Christmas week?…we do all sorts of things that would appall you, Nate…sleigh rides, carolling and massive get togethers with all ages, an enormous meal Christmas Day, Midnight Mass…Mia actually sings in the choir….you could pretend to hate it but secretly have a terrific time…and Sig could go down-hill skiing…Mia is going to start again this year…actually Nate, she could take you on the Bunny Hills.”

Urs’ eyes were sparkling as he teased and his friends agreed to see if Sig’s schedule would allow the time off.

**

The two outdoor enthusiasts got ready to go for a cross country run, dressing warm, checking to make sure at least one of them had a compass and a small emergency kit. Sig forgot his sunglasses and had to run back up to their suite, popping his head into the office where Nate had asked to borrow their computer for a while to check on his business e.mails.

“I put some extra sweets in the front pocket of your pack…. OHHHH!”

Urs had taken the opportunity of being alone for a few minutes and crushed Mia against him, taking her mouth in a blistering kiss that left her weak.

“I started thinking about this morning, waking to feel your hands on me…. How did you know that my ribs were so ticklish? And that thing you did at the pulse point inside my elbow….thinking about it now, makes me shiver….” He was speaking softly against her neck, making her tremble as his hands crept under the back of her shirt, gently massaging the flesh under her smooth skin.
They heard Sig coming back, thumping down the stairs and broke apart, both flushed and breathing rapidly. Urs grinned at Mia and whispered… “to be continued…tonight!!” then shouldered his pack and gave her a very chaste kiss before they left.

Mia watched them for a few minutes through the multi-paned window beside the door. They kicked their boots into the bindings, took up their poles and headed out with Urs in the lead. The day was perfect for an outing, cold, crisp, clear, the air actually shimmering with miniscule frozen vapor, the ground covered with a layer of fresh powder over a solid base. She could see Urs laughing as he called something back to Sig and smiled, content to see him so happy.

They went over a little rise and were lost to view temporarily and she turned away, going up the stairs to the office and tapping on the door before entering.

“Hi, Nate…well they’re off, so we’re on our own. I was just going down to the studio…feel free to join me when you get done or just wander and check out the house…the conservatory is a nice warm place to nap or read if you care to…there’s actually a hammock in there.”

‘And it fits two people quite nicely we found,’ she thought and felt her cheeks color at the memory.

Nate turned and smiled at her, noticing the flush of her cheeks but not commenting…Urs, he could tease but he wasn’t sure just how far he could go with Mia yet.

“Aramia, was that just a spur of the moment invitation for Christmas? You don’t have to include us in your family affairs you know….our lifestyle is offensive to some people and we dislike causing any friction.”

She frowned at him and shook her head.

“Neither Urs nor I often do or say things we don’t mean…you should know Urs well enough to realize that. Your lifestyle, as you call it, is your business…it’s who you are as a person that makes me want you for a friend and I think you’ll find that Mami is the same. She mentioned once that you’ve always been a good friend to Urs and that she liked you…. Isn’t that the most important thing?”

He chuckled and took her hand to kiss the palm.

“I’ve never been so gently chastised before….thank you, my sweet little friend…how do I find this Studio of yours when I’m finished here?”

“Down the hall towards the Wine Cellar steps, right to the end and turn left…it’s the door at the end of the corridor. Coffee or Ovomaltine?”

They parted and Mia went off to finish up one of her current projects.

**

Urs and Sig stopped for a rest nearly at the icicle draped waterfalls, brushing off a log to sit on and digging out the thermos of hot chocolate to share some hot drinks.

“How fortunate you are to have this place to come to,” Sig said as he looked out over the landscape, awed by the pristine beauty. “I try to get Nate interested in the outdoors but he really dislikes anything that requires exertion…sometimes I wonder why he doesn’t blimp up, he’s so lazy.”

“You complement each other, like two halves of a coin. It isn’t always necessary or even good to be in each others pockets all the time. Mia knows that and encourages me to go off with old friends now and then…and I think in a strange way our separations for my work bring us closer together…I know when I’m away it’s always a joy to come home to her. And as for Nate, he’s happy with you…I can see it in his eyes when he looks at you…how long have you two been together now…it must be nearly 10 years?”

“Good guess…ten years this New Years Eve. We had gone to a party held by a mutual friend…it was back when he was still in denial but I knew the first moment I saw him. He was still dating women now and then, for the sake of appearances, remember how he used to do that and it wasn’t until 2 months later that he finally admitted that he was attracted to me…man, he was so scared and wanted to keep things secret, but gradually he came around…now if people shun us because we’re gay he just writes them off as not worth the effort and we get on with our lives….you know, it’s good for him to be around Toni this week-end…we’ve been thinking of adopting now that the rules have embraced the twenty-first century.”

Urs eyes lit up and he grinned at Sig.

“Great news!! There’s nothing like it…I didn’t realize how empty my life was until Mia came into it and then Toni…I love being a father, watching him growing up, playing with him, loving him…he fills my heart in a way I didn’t know I wanted but now couldn’t live without.”

“If we find a child to adopt, I’m going to take an early retirement, maybe work part time so one of us can be home most of the time…and we’ll get a nanny or a couple, sort of like you and Mia have…”

“For us it’s important to have some one we can trust who is always available…you know, because both of us have businesses and when I travel again with the Company Mia and Toni can go with me sometimes, with Ciara along to help out…and so we have some time to enjoy each other. At least that’s the plan until we have more children, then we’ll have to see what happens.”

They finished their drinks and were about to continue skiing when Urs moved his hand to restrain Sig.

“Look out over that copse of trees…there’s an eagle floating on the thermals.”

They watched for several minutes, sharing the wonder of Nature, then, when the lazy circles got wider and the raptor was obscured by the trees, went on with their run.

**

Nate was suitably impressed with the studio and Mia’s work when he visited later in the morning. He wandered about while she cleaned up from the acrylics she had been using, pausing often and even going back to one of the landscapes she had done at the request of one of Urs’ onkles.

He laughed self-consciously when she saw him looking at it again.

“I don’t like to go out in the woods much but I do like to look at it…this one is beautiful, Mia…and familiar…is it something from around here?”

“Not real close…it’s a view we saw when we went camping, near the Engladine Valley….Onkle Tobias lived there for a time and wanted something to remind him of his youth.”

“You have a good eye…did you ever think of an exhibition of your work?”

She shook her head.

“Thank you but No…One of us in the spotlight is quite enough…I paint and draw because I love it…I think if I started having shows it might change how I feel about what I do, you know, take some of the joy out of it…having just the illustration business and being free to pick and choose my projects gives me the freedom I need to continue to enjoy it…and if we get very lucky we may have another baby in the coming year so I’ll be busy anyway…I enjoy being a wife and mother more than anything else.”

“And my friend obviously enjoys being a husband and father… I’ve never seen Urs so happy, so content with his life….he’s the same strong man, just more….complete, somehow.”

Mia beamed at him.

“You can’t know how happy I am to hear you say that, Nate. I don’t want what we have to change him, just to complement the man he already is…now let’s go get Toni before we get maudlin and start weeping all over each other. On the nice days like this I usually take him in the sled out to the mailbox with me…dress warm and come too…the walk would be good for you.”

“Uhhhh…,” he began but she fixed him with a grin and stare and he gave in.

CHAPTER FIFTY-FIVE

They were in the Lounge with Toni happily playing in his netted area when Urs and Sig got back mid afternoon, Il Divo playing in the background while the two adults intensely studied a chess board to plan their next moves.

The skiers shed their out-door clothing and racked their skis in the built in cupboard then came in to torment the players with cold hands and frosty cheeks that of course they had to share with their partners.

Urs sat on the arm of Mia’s chair, frowning when he saw immediately that Nate would have her King in two moves unless she had something miraculous up her sleeve. She must have seen it too since she reached out and tipped her King over, smiling at Nate.

“You got me again…I’m going to have to study up before we play again…you’re good.”

“It was all that nasty clean air when we went to the mailbox …totally de-fuzzed my brain.”

“You went for a WALK?” Sig said, pretending to be about to pass out.

Nate squeezed his knee and glowered.

“I can you know…I just don’t like to…but it was fun with Mia and Toni…I pulled the sled and rode down that little hill with him…my, that boy laughs a lot…what a happy child. I even helped give him his lunch…I think he likes me.”

“Of course he does…he probably thinks you’re a big animated Teddy Bear.”

Nate and Sig ambled upstairs, talking about their outdoor adventures, Sig off for a shower to warm up, just as Urs was planning in a few moments. He sat with Mia for a bit longer, idly playing with her hair, telling her where they went, about the waterfall dripping with icicles and the eagle they had seen, the deer tracks and the Ibix in the distance on a ridge. As soon as their friends were gone he leaned down and rubbed his cold lips over her face, zeroing in on her mouth for a mind numbing kiss. Toni chose that moment to look over and spotted his Papa, pulled himself up on the netting and began laughing and urging ‘Papa’ to come for him.

“I think you’re being paged,” Mia said, settling back into the chair with a smile.

“Let’s see if he likes cold kisses too,” Urs said and went over to pick up his son, pushed up the little shirt and blew raspberries against the round stomach. Toni giggled with pleasure and squirmed, happy but finding the cold lips a bit too tickly.

“Oops…he suddenly feels squishy…I think cold tummy kisses made him leak,” Urs said with a laugh. “Has he had his nap? I could take him up, change him and put him down if you like?”

Mia rose and came over to hug her two men.

“Take him up and I’ll do the rest while you have your shower. Ciara and Matt are away with friends until late this evening… remember Roger and Elle?…their daughter is getting married and they’re having an engagement party, so we’re on our own. Poor Matt…he looked so uncomfortable in a suit.”

Urs laughed as they went up the stairs, carrying Toni who was already beginning to fade.

“Work clothes are more his style…he’s always happiest when he has a tool of some kind in his hands.”

“Much like someone else I know….a sander, lug wrench, garden hoe, drill, guitar, clarinet…all just different kinds of tools,” Mia said with a laugh as she took Toni and went on into the nursery.

Toni was almost asleep by the time she had changed him, given him a cuddle and put him down with a kiss on his curly head. She glanced at her watch and chuckled…lots of time…and was unbuttoning her shirt as she headed for their suite and through to the shower.

She slid the door open, leaving her clothes on the vanity with his and laughed when he grinned at her, not in the least surprised.

“What took you so long?” he said as he reached behind her to slide the glass door closed. It was impossible to answer since her mouth was sublimely occupied with his.

**

In the blue suite, Nate snuggled against his partner, both on one of the thick towels they had spread over the duvet to keep it dry.

“You’ll have to go skiing more often if this is the result…what do you bet that our friends are occupied just like us?”

Sig smiled and brushed the damp hair from his face, rolling to his stomach and letting his heart rate ease.

“I told Urs about us maybe adopting…he was really pleased for us…I just hope we can be the same kind of parents, loving, gentle, intelligent…he says he’s a better man now that he’s a father…they make a cute couple, don’t you think?”

“Don’t let him hear you call him cute…some guy did that once when we were in a bar in Geneva and I thought Urs was going to explode… fortunately he has a very long fuse.”

They were quiet for a moment then Nate asked about the invitation.

“So what do you think about coming here for Christmas…if you have the holidays off?”

“I’d like to…I feel comfortable here, there’s no judging, no tip toeing around…if the rest of the family is like this, then I really would like to.”

“Me too…Tante Anya has always known that I was gay and encouraged me to just be myself, long before I ever came out. You’ll like her…she’s much like Mia, warm and friendly but no nonsense, very up front…and can she cook…parties at Mami’s are legendary. And I haven’t been to Midnight Mass for years…it’s about time I went and said thanks for bringing me you.”

Sig raised himself up on his elbows and smiled.

“You pretend to be so tough and stern but really you’re just an old softy…I saw that right from the start and thought it was such a lovely, human trait. Now if I could just get you on skis, you’d be perfect.”

He laughed and rolled away from the swat that was aimed at his taut butt, grabbing his clean clothes and quickly pulling them on.

“C’mon…I want to go play in the Kitchen…lets go see if the lovebirds are down there yet.”

**

Everyone helped with dinner, even Nate who was given the ‘job’ of amusing Toni when he rose from his nap. He climbed right into the play area and sat cross legged, much like Urs often did, playing with the toys and letting Toni climb on him, looking up and smiling happily when Sig popped out of the kitchen to watch with misty eyes.

“Watch this…he can almost catch the ball…”

It was quite a stretch of the imagination to see the ‘almost’ when he tossed the soft Nerf ball to Toni and the little hands flailed, not quite getting the concept yet….but both the tiny boy and the very large man were happy and that was of most importance.

Dinner was Raclette with fat wurst on the side and generous helpings of the Christmas slaw that Mia now had the recipe for. Nate was not to be denied the privilege of helping Toni cope with his dinner, so in between the tiny amount that Toni’s newly developed pincer skills with his fingers had, he spooned applesauce and squash alternately into the rosebud mouth, doing a much neater job than Urs did since he didn’t have the playing part down pat yet.

They gave the baby some freedom after dinner on the thick rug in front of the hearth until he began to clutch at Mia’s legs and make his bedtime faces.

Urs took him around the room for hugs and kisses and then off up the stairs, coming back half an hour later alone to find that it had been decided that they would play a board game and he had been voted to pick which one.

He chose Rummoli, just as Mia knew he would, since it was his latest craze and they placed the baby monitor on the counter, spreading the plasticized sheet out on the table and explaining the game to their guests.

Between the fumbling, cheating and counting out of poker chips {stealing any that weren’t guarded zealously} the kitchen was vibrating with laughter when Matt and Ciara arrived home after their party.

**

Nate and Sig left just after a late brunch on Sunday, first accompanying the entire family to church so that Mia could sing with the choir. Both men were amazed at how good Toni was. Urs was surprised at their reaction, but pleased, attributing his good behaviour to the fact that there were so many new things to see and listen to and the fact that he had been going with them each time it was possible since he was only a couple of weeks old.

“At first he would fuss a bit, but he seems to like the singing and watching his Mama…when he fussed at first, one of us would take him out but now he makes it right through, falls asleep if they don’t sing enough.”

It wasn’t until Sig and Mia had their heads together in the Kitchen, making sure he had copies of some of her recipes that Nate had the opportunity to slip a jewel case and DVD to Urs.

“Put this in your pocket so Mia doesn’t see it. While I was in the office I made a copy of the tape…I’m worried that somehow something will happen to the original, the one I gave you, so I made a copy…I noticed that you have a small safe in the Security Room…put it away for now and after this is settled you can vent your anger by destroying it and I’ll lock the copy in my own safe, just for a while…so long as he thinks we have it, things should be fine.”

Urs just nodded and put it up high on the top shelf of the coat closet, someplace that Mia couldn’t reach without standing on a ladder.

Later, when Mia had gone to get Toni from his nap he retrieved the tape and went through to key in the code on the Security room, opened the safe and put it in the back, under some bearer bonds. Mia never had a reason to come in here, mostly because she could never remember the combination so he always had to fetch her jewelry.…it would not be found.

He went into the kitchen, hit with a sudden urge to scrub his hands and thought about the weekend, the trip to New York, their plans for Christmas, anything to get his mind off of what was on the tape.

He was calmly sitting with his feet up on another chair, drinking coffee when she returned with a smiling, freshly dressed boy who immediately began his sing song ‘PapaPapa!’ and little hands that reached out for a cuddle.

**

He was standing by the crib, watching Toni sleeping when she found him, not anywhere to be found when she came out of the bath after getting ready for bed…at first she put lotion on her dry skin, winter was always so hard on skin…but then when he still wasn’t back she poked her head out into the hall and noticed that the nursery door was ajar.

She came up beside him and he sensed her presence, turning his head to look at her and trying to smile.

Mia put her arms around his body, under his and pressed close to his chest, whispering softly.

“What is it, my Swiss? What troubles you?”

He sighed and crushed her against him till she could scarcely breathe.

“I have such a feeling of…of something terrible about to happen…like watching a train wreck and being powerless to help…like once I saw a car leaving the road and about to hit a man and I yelled but it was too late and he was hit…ended up in traction for 6 months. It’s not about the court thing…that just makes me angry…this is…doom!!...and I don’t like the feeling of helplessness that it fills me with.”

“Are you worried that one of us is going to get sick?…or worse? …it won’t happen, Liebe…we’re both very healthy….but I’m a firm believer in gut instincts so for the next few days we’ll be extra careful…Now come to bed and I’ll see if I can’t find some way to take your mind off it.”

He was still tense when they reached their suite and when they came together it was with an explosive passion, not the gentle, tender loving that usually seemed never ending…this was pure lust and desire, raw emotion, bruising, fast and furious….she met him, touch for touch, responding with a wantonness that he hadn’t seen in her before, actually drawing blood when she bit him, both reaching heights that was like a little death.

He picked her up when he had control of his limbs again and lay beside her on their bed, stroking her sweaty face and trying to breathe normally. She raised a limp arm and with one finger drew a mark in the air.

“What?” was all he could manage.

“A first…for us….how do you feel?”

“Like I died…and came back… a puppet with the pieces re-arranged.”

Mia started to laugh at the mental image and rolled over to snuggle against his damp chest.

“My puppet….I guess we know now…you don’t have to always be so gentle with me….”

“Woman, let me die in peace…” he mumbled and she giggled against his chest.

“Ja, mein…how do you say Master in German?”

He laughed.

“Beherrschenn….you are a cheeky woman!!”

“But you love me anyway…”

“Nein…I love you because you make me laugh…and sweat….you BIT me!”

“Sorry…it was an impulse….in case you’re interested, you do taste good…like chocolate and salt.”

“Chocolate…where did you hide the rest of that jar?”

Suddenly energized, she leapt from the bed and he chased her, both reaching for the jar hidden at the back of her lingerie drawer….like all loving couples should, they shared…and then, showered off the residue.

CHAPTER FIFTY-SIX…SAR

It seemed like they had only been asleep for minutes but it was in fact nearly full dawn when Urs mobile began ringing on his bed stand.

Instantly his feeling of foreboding was back in full force as he fumbled for the flashing little instrument and slid the face plate up to activate the connection.

Even as he listened to the caller he was throwing the covers back and sitting on the edge of the bed, reaching with his free hand to click on the light and watching as Mia reacted to his distress by moving just as fast to exit the bed and reach for her pile of clothes…they had both been too distracted the night before to pile them neatly or use the laundry hamper as was routine.

“We shouldn’t be more than 25 minutes,” he said and slid the mobile closed.

“That was Base…there’s been an avalanche …everyone is needed….Dress warm, Baby.”

She nodded and raced to the closet to grab their pre-packed Emergency duffle, tossing out the clothing they kept separate at the end of the racks and donning her fleece vest as she ran from the room.

“I’ll get Ciara and Matt up,” she called back, heading for the stairs.

Within six minutes they were heading for the Audi that Matt had gone out to bring to the back deck, dressed only in his pajamas under his thick winter coat, his boots flapping, not done up.

False dawn was still visible over the rolling hills and nearby mountains, the glow turning the snow lightly pinkish, the unseasonal warmth, likely the cause of the slide, creating a mist that made haloes around the trees.

Mia poured them each a metal mug of the hot chocolate that Ciara had come flying out of the house with just as they were about to leave, holding his until he made the turn onto the road into town.

“Danke, Liebe.” He said with a grim smile as he drove a bit faster than usual, his eyes fixed on the road.

“Did Base say where it was?”

Urs lips pursed as he prepared to answer, aware that she knew enough about the area now to understand.

“Above Brecht…we’ll learn more when we get to Base.”

Mia sat back quietly, sipping at her warming drink, not eager to bother him with trivia or panic when he was trying to keep it together.

‘It must have been the milder weather that made him so on edge last night…living here so long he must have sensed that the snow would let go once it had warmed a bit….Brecht…it’s very small…and it’s where Onkle Tobias and Tante Keeshia live…’

The parking area was nearly full when they reached the building that housed both the area Red Cross Base and Mountain Search and Rescue. Urs parked a little further out, on a side street and flipped the visor with the ‘Red Cross vounteer’ emblem down so it could be seen, picked up their supplies and they headed across the parking lot to the building at a jog.

He noticed many of the vehicles of friends…and Paco’s red truck…a number of trucks with snowmobiles on trailers, the delivery van from the supermarket with a volunteer hastily slapping a large red cross decal on the side while others loaded equipment in the back doors…even as they approached the building a large carrier with a bull dozer on the trailer pulled out of the lot, heading east.

Inside, the scene was of controlled chaos as people queued to get assignments, the neon colored jackets of workers were donned over thermals, volunteers manned the communications modules and called out incoming news and other studied maps of the affected area.

“Urs, Mia…good to see you…Mia would you go with the communications team…Gerd is co-ordinator…the tall man with the bushy silver hair…and Urs…SAR needs every strong man they can find…go through into the office and they’ll partner you with someone.”

Urs pulled Mia to one side and cupped her cheek with his hand.

“You alright with this? We might not see each other for hours.”

“I’m fine…be careful…stay safe.”

He leaned down to kiss her very briefly.

“I love you.”

“I love you too…and I want you back in one piece.”

He grinned and left and Mia went to ask Gerd what she could do.

**

The site of the avalanche was heart rending. They arrived in convoy, haste the operative word since any that had survived the deadly slam of snow and debris into their homes would have a limited time span in which to be found and survive.

Many other volunteer teams from closer villages had already arrived and were on the face of the piled snow, listening, checking the demolished buildings on the edges for victims or survivors, a line of SAR workers using probes to pierce the thicker pack, dogs with their little vests and handlers quartering the area.

Mia was put to work immediately in a hastily erected shelter that would be used for communications, computer routed through wireless connections and a technical van to satellite. She was given a station at one of the modules: computer, fax machine, printer and set to work coordinating the information that came in, printing some for the Disaster coordinators, passing urgent messages off to a cadre of young volunteers who were being used as runners.

Urs had gotten lucky and was teamed with Paco, both sent on his snowmobile to search for survivors on the far edge of the slide and pulling the sled behind the machine. They paused for only a moment when a shout went up…someone had been found…ALIVE!! They saw the medical team rushing to offer aid and grimly went on their way.

The village had been small, only a dozen of the quaint typical cottages perched on the rocky ground, a tiny old church, small store with limited provisions and the usual outbuildings of country life. Some of the chicken had survived, miraculously it seemed for their little huts were gone completely and the scene took on a macabre feel when they noticed a cow, quietly standing near one of the few still standing trees, bleeding from a slash across her side but contentedly sleeping where she stood.

Paco unloaded the probes from the sled and they started at the outside edge, joining the line of people already working, probing the snow, digging furiously when they felt anything, listening for sounds of cries for assistance. It was tedious work and nerve wracking since they couldn’t afford to hurry though they knew the statistics…anyone completely buried in the open had maybe half an hour to survive…in a building it might be longer, depending on their preparedness and knowledge of what to do.

There is a certain amount of air between the crystals of snow, enough to sustain life giving oxygen, but expelling your breath in the cold meant that gradually ice would form and you would end up breathing in your own discarded carbon dioxide….hypothermia was the other major killer, that and panic which could easily bring on heart seizures. Since this particular avalanche happened in the wee hours of the morning most of the victims would have been unprepared, in bed, wearing only thin night clothes….chances of finding many alive were slim.

The sun was fully up now, bathing the chaos below with a surreal light, warm, bright, glinting off the piles of snow and the workers in their neon vests. Except for donning sunglasses against the glare, no one noticed…one of the probers in the line had heard something…they all froze in place until he beckoned, hearing the faint cry again. Shovels were pulled from the slings on their backs and they began digging, going deeper and deeper, pulling branches and pieces of the housing out of the way…part of a kitchen chair, the shreds of a duvet, a china mug that wasn’t even cracked…then a hand that feebly moved when the rescuer touched it…The woman was nearly blue with cold as they gently uncovered her, one arm obviously broken that she had used foresight and curled in front of her face to create an air-pocket, her body bent over, protecting a blanket wrapped bundle held against her chest.

It took a while to dig her out completely and Paco, who was nearest pried the wrapped child out of her arms before they had finished, a job made difficult since her breathing had formed a coating of ice that glued the blanket to her bare skin. He passed the infant to Urs and continued trying to free the mother and Urs rushed to the waiting medics.

The child was gone, the wee body lifeless and blue, after only a few months of life, extinguished without any warning. It was difficult for the workers to continue, but necessary and Urs wiped his eyes as he went back, no one asking about the baby when they saw his grim face…they had seen it before…and likely would again before this day was over.

The mother was removed from her icy prison and transported, suffering from broken bones, hypothermia and grief…the workers stayed looking for the rest of her family, her husband and 2 other children, dreading what they would find but going on.

**

“Mia, we need to have a refrigerated truck sent to use as a temporary morgue…would you try these numbers and see who can help out?”

Gerd passed her a list and she shuddered but started with the first business, trying not to think about what Urs and the others were finding.

An ambulance, with siren stilled but lights flashing sped off to the nearest clinic and she took refuge in the hope that more would survive…some already had…that was the second time she had seen an ambulance go off in a hurry.

The landline was answered by a sleepy voice and she delivered her request.

“Herr Schaefer, this is Mia Buhler with the Red Cross…at the Brecht avalanche site…we have need of a refrigerated truck as a temporary morgue…would you be able to help us?”

The attitude on the other end of the line changed immediately and minutes later when she replaced the mobile, she was able to send a runner to tell Gerd that a truck was on the way.

Pia came up behind her and gave her a nudge…

“You’ve been working hours without a break…go get a warm drink and come back…I’ll watch your post for 5 minutes.”

She went to the mess tent that had been set up and asked for a hot chocolate, looking around at the tired workers that quietly got warm and talked in subdued voices. A glance at her watch told her that it was shortly after noon and still a great deal of work to be done with the rescuing. Her heart sank as she realized that now it was a search for bodies… it was unlikely that anyone had survived this long.

With a sigh she took her drink and went back to work.

**

Miraculously a few more survivors were found, mostly those on the near edge of the slide and in the tall stone houses that had felt the effects of slides before and resisted the force that crumbled the newer, wood homes. And among them, cold and hungry, were Tobias and Keeshia Schechter, the old man full of praise for the Rescue dog that had scented them and was the first live face to be seen when an air hole was dug. The windows in their home had shattered, some of the rooms filled with snow but they had managed, sleeping in a windowless room, after the shock of the snow and debris pounding on their home, cuddling under every blanket they could find in the dark and waiting patiently to be rescued. They, along with the other survivors, where taken to clinics and then collected by family to be treasured and kept warm until the tragedy was over.

Still the workers continued, the registry of people living in the village still with a few missing names. Long after dark, with lights set up and powered by generators on the trucks they toiled until near midnight, the last body was found and the operation was shut down.

It wasn’t until they had finished packing up that Urs and Mia found each other again. He held her quietly, both too tired and grieving too deeply for words.

He was haggard, his face wind and sunburned, eyes blood shot from the glare of the snow and sun, his beard shaggy and unkempt after not shaving since the morning before…and Mia was not much better. They headed for the transport to take them back to town, literally bumping into Paco and Rianne…none of them had known that she had worked in the medical tent all day.

It was nearly 2 in the morning when they staggered up the steps onto the deck and entered the house. Ciara had heard them come up the drive and met them at the door, helping Mia to rid herself of the jacket and vest she had worn all day.

“Come in the Kitchen…I have a nice hot soup and then off you go to bed…we’ll talk tomorrow…Toni of course was an angel and Matt will play with him in the morning while you rest.”

They ate part of the excellent soup, not really tasting it but hungry and then went upstairs, helping each other to undress, they fell into bed and were instantly asleep.

CHAPTER FIFTY-SEVEN…FAMILY IN ACTION

Urs body clock woke him at dawn as always but this time he relieved his bladder and stumbled back to his nice warm spot against Mia and went immediately back to sleep, not rising again until nearly noon.

She was more or less awake when he opened his eyes and snuggled against him for a few minutes before groaning and rolling away to find her way into the bathroom. When he heard the shower beginning he joined her, not for the romp they so often indulged in in the morning, but in hopes that the warm spray and washing off a days accumulated sweat and dirt from the avalanche site would help him to feel more or less normal.

By the end of the shower he felt like he could probably shave without cutting his throat and proceeded to do so while Mia slathered lotion on her cold-dried skin and smiled at him, the first real smile of the day.

“I think we’ll likely be needed for the relocation efforts today…breakfast and a visit with Toni first, Okay?”

“Absolutely…and I think you’re right…Tobias and Keeshia went with their eldest I believe but they have 4 little ones and a very small house…what do you think of offering them that cottage where Ciara and Matt stayed for a while before coming here full time? We own it now, it’s partly furnished and there are pens out back for animals…fixing up their old place will be a long process if it ever gets done…I have a feeling that the village will never be replaced…too many memories and with the snow pack it won’t be until at least April before the villagers can see the extent of the damage.”

“Great idea, Love…trust you to think of it…I’ll let Mami know and I’m sure she can convince them.”

They went down for breakfast/lunch and were disappointed to find that Toni had already eaten and gone down for his nap.

Ciara produced a sumptuous lunch for them and parked with Matt at the table, sipping on coffee while the hungry couple told them what they could about the day before.

While they were just finishing Urs mobile rang…it was Base asking if they could come in for even a few hours, there was just so much clean up work to be done.

Of course they agreed and headed out shortly after, this time not in the dreadful rush of the night before.

Urs took Mia’s hand as they sped along the road into town, at the speed limit, more or less, today another mild one but the sense of foreboding that had plagued him before gone now.

“If you have another sense of impending doom, let me know…this one was right on…”

He smiled and raised her hand to his lips to kiss her fingers.

“Nein, not a twinge…I think growing up in the mountains has made me sensitive to the changing conditions…I didn’t know what was going to happen, just that something was wrong and trouble was coming. It’s probably the same reason that Tobias moved their bed into the window-less room and all the other survivors felt something too…even that poor baby that didn’t make it…it’s probably why he was fussing but his Mama was a lowlander and didn’t realize the danger.”

“How terrible for her…to try to save her child and lose it that way…and the other children and her husband?”

Urs shook his head, not eager to talk about it, the pain was still too fresh.

They spent most of the day unloading trucks, fielding calls from people willing to help and sending messages to distant relatives about the survivors. Support was incredible, offers of financial aid, clothing, housing, even farm animals to replace those lost, kept the phone lines busy but it still wasn’t until dinner time that everyone had been taken care of, at least temporarily. The dead were another matter and handled by a special team from Luzern.

**

Once more they were hungry and exhausted when they finally arrived home just after 1800H.

Toni was in his play area, all ready for bed but kept up by Ciara who knew that nothing would cheer them up like hugs from their son. Urs went immediately to him and scooped him into his arms, burying his face against the little body and breathing in the clean fresh scent of him while Toni tugged at his hair and kicked his little feet in delight. Just the sight of them made Mia’s eyes well with happy tears.

A moment later she got her turn to cuddle, both of them actually, since Toni was in her arms and Urs had his long arm curled around her shoulders. He leaned in to kiss her on the tasty ear, taking advantage of her being busy with Toni to have a wee nibble on her lobe.

She laughed and looked up at him.

“Well, you seem to have recovered…early night?”

“We have an excellent excuse,” he murmured with a chuckle.

They tried keeping Toni up a while longer but he began to fade and Urs took him up to bed after another cuddle with his Mama, coming back to join her at the table and wolf down huge amounts of food.

“Slow down!!” Ciara teased as she heaped his plate with Alpermagrone and veal cutlets for the second time, nudging the bowl of salad closer to his hand as a hint.

“I’m just a growing boy…and I’ll workout later,” he teased right back, not explaining what kind of workout he was planning but grinning when Mia blushed.

By 19:30 they had said ‘Guten Nacht’ and climbed the stairs, looking in on Toni once more and moving on to their suite.

This time the shower took a long, long time and it was two very happy, damp people who finally made it to the bed. Urs rubbed lotion into Mia’s skin, not missing anything from her painted toenails to the tip of her pert nose, on the journey massaging her tired muscles until she felt loose and pliant…then she returned the favor with a massage of herbal oils over his long body, taking her time over the ropey muscles of his back and arms, almost as if it was new territory. Without discussion they sat on the bed, facing each other, Mia sitting on his thighs and leaning against his chest until he raised his knees for her to rest against. She slowed her breathing to match his and they lay hands on each others shoulders, eyes locked, beginning to explore gently, savoring the emotion that practicing this Tantric exercise evoked, letting the feelings gently expand and envelope them in a private world of sensation that slowly lead them ever onward to the ultimate, mind-numbing conclusion.

They lay together, spooned, able to talk now about the experience of the past days, using this time of sharing as a catharsis to relieve the grief and sadness that they felt.

“When I held that little body in my hands all I could think about was Toni…I remember so clearly what it felt like to hold him when he was that small, but this baby was different…weightless and heavy at the same time and stiff with cold, his tiny body frozen…I think I stopped breathing when they managed to pull the frozen blanket away enough to see his face…it was blue and icy with crystals….I have never, EVER felt so powerless.”

Mia clutched at his hands, her tears falling onto his arm, his running into her hair as they shared their pain.

“When news of that discovery trickled in to the tent I felt such sorrow, and then I learned that it was your team that uncovered her and you took the baby to the medics…I knew how your heart would be aching…and I felt such an urge to go to you and try to ease your pain…but of course it was impossible. I think we need to concentrate on the fact that we were there to help with the living and treat the dead with dignity…there was little else that we could do for so many. And today made me feel a little less helpless…we actually accomplished some good today, Love.”

She could feel his face moving as he smiled.

“Onkle Tobias is being just as intractable as I expected…he’s insisting on paying rent on the house or he won’t move in…so we’ll collect it for a while and bank it, then give it to him for a birthday present…he can’t refuse a present…it would be too rude, even for him.”

“It’s still going to be a major job moving them in…we have to go back out to the ruins and salvage what we can, clear the snow away…especially from the pens, lay in supplies…”

“It will get done, you’ll see…wait until you see the Family in action…you’ll see, Love.”

He nestled his body closer, nibbling on her neck and enjoying the wiggle when she realized that he was very ready for more.

“Want to play Slave and Master, Wench? The silk cords are under my pillow.”

She tilted her face up to him and he groaned when he saw the raw desire in her eyes.

“How about Slave and MISTRESS?”

He didn’t even pretend to object, just submitted with a glint of anticipation in his hooded eyes.

**

It was Mia’s first experience of the family banding together in one common purpose…in this instance getting the house and grounds ready for Tobias and Keeshia.

The phone started early in the morning, just as they were finishing breakfast and never let up until nearly noon. Long before people finished checking as to what was needed, the first vehicles arrived with men of all ages, geared up to shovel snow or transport goods that had been offered. A few of the women volunteered to go to the house and air it out, then clean and light the fires to warm it, others, of advanced age, tended to children who were left at the farm while their parents worked, most contributing hand made blankets or clothing that they knew would fit the elder couple….and all brought food.

Matt and one of the teen boys set up trestle tables in the dining room, Ciara filled the large urn with coffee, another with hot chocolate and Mia put on one of her long aprons to begin baking.

At lunch time Mia took the Audi to the little house, loaded down with thermoses and bundles of sandwiches in thermal packets. She was amazed at how much had been done.

The drive had been cleared, including a circular area beside the house and pathways made to the now cleared and banked out- buildings. A thin stream of smoke rose straight up in the crisp air and when she stepped inside the building it was toasty warm, the floors had been scrubbed, all the furnishing gleamed with wood polish, the table even sported a lacy cloth that had been embroidered by one of the cousins. She could see into the cold room where one of the cousins, Bekka, she thought, was unpacking a stack of boxes, mostly farm produce that had been put down in sealers and sent to this much loved Onkle and Tante…jams, relishes, pickles, fruit preserved in syrup, even a couple of wheels of cheese and a smoked ham that hung from a hook in the rafters.

Urs and Rayme were struggling with a mattress in the doorway of the small bedroom, not that it was heavy but both were laughing so hard they had lost their strength.

“And then he asked me why the group was called Iron Maiden when they didn’t have one woman singing with them…I mean how do you explain that one and keep the language clean?...”

The got the bed together and Urs flipped himself onto it, spread eagled and still laughing. It was a perfect target and Mia took advantage, making shhhing motions to Rayme before launching herself to land atop her husband.

“OOOOOMPH!!!” the breath was expelled from his chest and he opened his eyes, realized who it was and rolled them over so he lay on top, trying to get his breath back.

“It’s that cheeky woman again…one of these days, Woman…!!”

“It’s nice to hear you laughing,” she said, brushing her hand over his face and smiling.

“It’s a relief to have something to laugh about…seeing everyone pitch in like this always does my heart good. UH, Mia….?”

“Yes, I did,” she said knowing that he was about to ask if she brought food.

Tante Josefina chose that moment to enter the room with her arms loaded with sheets and duvets.

“Gott en Himmel…can you not wait until later, Little Bear? Your young wife is lovely but you should show some restraint!!”

She frowned at him and shooed them from the room when he meekly apologized and took Mia’s hand to drag her after him… Rayme had seen her coming and was long gone. At the doorway Urs stopped and looked back at the smiling Tante, gave her a blinky wink that made her laugh and they went in search of food.

**

Late that night it was all completed….very little of use had been found in the old house except in the room where Tobias and Keeshia had sheltered but there really wasn’t much that they lacked in their new residence…the pantry was full, the hen house sheltered an assortment of guaranteed good layers, a gentle milk cow stood in the small barn that had been stocked with sweet smelling straw and hay, a small truck that had seen years of use but was still serviceable resided in the lean-to garage and the elderly loved ones had been left rocking gently in weathered, comfortable chairs on either side of the crackling fireplace, the inserts on either side filled from the 3 cord of split wood that had miraculously appeared. Matt had taken on the responsibility of checking on them daily for the first while…no one had asked him to…it wasn’t necessary.

The farm house was quiet again, all the relatives gone after cleaning up from the days activities and the hearty meals. Urs and Mia were cuddled into his chair, trying to get up the energy to climb the stairs…and his mobile vibrated it’s way across the little end table.

It was Nate, full of good news, interspersing that with questions about the slide and what state the village was in now.

“Of course the media says that the village is gone, permanently but then they do tend to sensationalize things.”

Urs patiently told him what had happened, what had been done and that in his opinion the village would never be re-built…then, his patience at an end he asked about the adoption and Villetti.

“Next Tuesday…he’s coming with his lawyers, to my office and we’ll confront him…You and Mia need to be here, but you also need to let me do the talking…no losing your temper!!! And no weeping…Mia has to appear distraught but calm, if you know what I mean…and demure…I would like you in your Armani, looking prosperous but not flashy or filthy rich, just good people, concerned about the boy. The most difficult part for you will be when I play a few portions of the tape to let Villetti and his lawyers know for sure we have proof…I’ll try to seat you so you can’t see the screen….there’s nothing I can do about the sound track. Do you think you can handle it?”

Urs nodded even though Nate couldn’t see him.

“Ja…we’ll do whatever is necessary…we’ll come to Geneva on Sunday afternoon so if you need to brief us further on Sunday night or Monday we’ll be available. Thanks for all your help Nate.”

They chatted a few minutes longer and then disconnected.

Urs dreaded telling Mia but she had heard his side of the conversation and need to be filled in.

She was strangely calm about it, and he was surprised until she kissed him gently and smiled.

“You won’t let anything happen…I know this…why should I worry? But if the screen isn’t turned away enough, promise me to close your eyes…I couldn’t bear you to see that tape.”

“I promise, Liebe….The images we have created are a much better memory…I don’t want to see it.”

They soon wandered up to check on Toni, standing watching him sleep for a few minutes, then going on to their own suite to work tirelessly on creating a baby brother or sister for him.

CHAPTER FIFTY-EIGHT…INTERLUDE

When Matt came back from visiting the little house the next morning, he and Urs dragged the tubs of Christmas lights out of the storage room and began decorating the lane, gate and trees in the front of the house, a bit early to be sure but with the trip to Geneva and because of the following one to New York with the Company he felt it was justified…and he was eager to brighten the mood created by both the interview with Villetti and the natural disaster of the avalanche.

Mia went in to town to do some computer clean-up work for the Red Cross and when she got back, just at dusk, the glow of fairy lights greeted her, twice as many as the previous year, she was sure.

Urs was in the kitchen, patiently showing Toni how to use his sippy glass, into which he had poured a portion of his own hot chocolate, cooled down of course with the addition of some extra milk.

“He really likes this, almost as if he’d been drinking it all along…You sure one side wasn’t chocolate?” he teased with a nod at her chest.

“He just takes after his Papa…is there any left? It’s turned cold again…just walking in from the garage I got chilled.”

She traded places with him while he made another jug, laughing as Toni attempted to drink out of the sippy glass, cheering when he got it right and making him laugh too.

“The lights look wonderful, Urs, especially the way they outline a tree on the gates…and the trees along the lane….I love this time of year.”

He came back with her drink and sat on a backwards chair to watch her with Toni.

“I think we should have a second tree this year…the big one in front of the French doors like last year but another in the den…and maybe one outside on the deck.”

“And I’d like to see something on the railing and banister going upstairs…maybe garland and nice big bows…what do you think?” she asked, quite ready to enter into the mood.

“And maybe a small tree in Nate and Sig’s room…definitely decorations on the mantle. It’s about time they had a real Christmas again.”

Mia smiled at his enthusiasm.

“This will be Toni’s first Christmas…let’s try not to over-whelm him with stuff…I know, I know…you want to get him everything but let’s keep it to things that he will actually use or play with…he’s going to grow and change so much over the next year…and you can get more toys to play with…I mean for HIM to play with for his birthday in March.”

He grinned and called her a cheeky woman and she knew that she might as well save her breath…he would do what he would do and there was no changing his mind.

“I thought we could take a tree over to Tobias and Keeshia in a couple of weeks…and share some of Tante Sophia’s decorations with them…since they lost all of theirs it might be nice to have some old fashioned ones that have been in the family for a long time.”

“Do you have any idea how proud I am of you, Urs Toni Buhler? You’re so thoughtful and caring…and considerate…you could have thrown money at them to get them relocated but instead you worked alongside everyone else to settle them in…and you understand the pride Tobias has, that he doesn’t want a hand out…and now this, knowing that old family decorations will have more meaning for them than buying them new things….you really are a very special man.”

“Not always…but I’m so in love with you and so happy that I just can’t keep it all inside…I need to share some of what we have and make others happy too. It’s as simple as that…I love you, Aramia Buhler and I’m a better man because you love me too.”

He stood and leaned over the chair back to kiss her lightly then tried to lighten the mood when he saw her eyes glistening.

“Not in front of Toni, Love…if you cry he’ll think I’ve been mean to you.”

She laughed as he caught the first tears to fall with his index finger…Toni saw what his Papa had done and reached out wanting to pat Mama’s face too.

“He’s becoming such a little mimic…”

“Mama…Mama…Mama!!” Toni chortled happily as he patted his mother’s face and gave her a big, wet, chocolaty kiss.

Now the tears started in earnest amid the laughter as they hugged the wee boy and each other.

**

They heard the plow in the morning before it could be seen and both hustled to load Toni into his snow suit, themselves in warm clothing and rushed outside for his current favorite thing …watching Horst on the big red and yellow machine plowing the drive and parking area. They weren’t necessary in the private driveway but Horst turned on the flashing lights, knowing from previous trips how the little boy would clap his wee hands and laugh when he saw them…just like his own son who was a month older.

When the drive was done and Horst had parked his plow to go in the refurbished cabin for a quick coffee before heading out again, Urs let Toni down onto his boots and, holding both hands let him try walking along the path to the garage. It was not a big success but fun, ending with both Papa and Toni upended in a soft snowbank and Mia sitting nearby in another laughing at the picture they made, both with snow on their faces and Toni trying to eat his way clear. Rosy cheeked, they went back inside to warm up before lunch.

“He won’t be long before he can do it…in the house at least…I’ve watched him in his play area, the way he kind of pulls himself along then sits so he can crab-walk to whatever he wants…do all babies do that? I expected him to crawl on his knees for a lot longer.”

Urs chuckled.

“I think he’s just impatient to get on with being upright like we are. Baby, I was wondering…have you come to a decision about trying to contact your real family, what there is of it? We’ve been so busy I didn’t want to ask until you kind of got used to the idea.”

She smiled and plopped herself on his lap.

“I’ve read what Nate left me maybe a dozen times…I think the best way would be to contact the cousins…he left me both their e.mail addresses and phone numbers…and test the waters so to speak. Then perhaps we can arrange to meet…I looked it up on the map and none of the places he mentioned are very far…would you go with me?”

“Absolutely…after this thing in New York I’m all yours until the recording session in February…well I’m all yours until the end of time actually but that’s another thing entirely.”

Mia snuggled against him and kissed his neck, making him shiver with the ticklish sensation.

“Urs, will it always be like this for us? I mean we won’t get into a rut and take each other for granted like I hear some people talk about…will we?”

“Not a chance…we both like surprises too much…and I’m having so much fun being with you, loving you, raising Toni…I won’t ever let this honeymoon stage end…our whole life will be one long honeymoon…we have such a great adventure ahead of us Liebeling and all we have to do is reach out and embrace it. I’ve waited all my life for you….nothing is going to spoil that, not ever.”

“Promise?”

“Promised and sealed with a kiss,” he said and proceeded to make her toes curl.

**

Ciara shooed them out of the house on Saturday rather than Sunday, saying she wanted time alone with Toni before he grew up and was off to school. She grumbled that they were slow in producing another tiny baby for her to cuddle and Urs assured her that they were working on it, this time with Mia not blushing …much.

The trip to Geneva was leisurely since they had gone early and they stopped often to enjoy the sights, deciding to stay over in a quaint inn rather than push right on through.

It was small and cozy, very old, a waystation, the proprietor said, back in the 1700’s and derelict for many years until his grand-father bought it and painstakingly refurbished it in the early1900’s, buying antique furnishings as his budget allowed until it now was a show piece of what waystations in the 1700’s had been…but with modern electricity and indoor plumbing.

They found it romantic: the big old bed with lace bedding and bed skirts, the fluffy eider duvets and pillows, a large fireplace with a hearth and a table and 2 chairs in the center of the room where they were quietly served a sumptuous meal.

The music from the pub downstairs wafted up to them as they made love in front of the fire on a furry carpet so thick that Urs hands disappeared in the nap when he took his weight on them and leaned down to caress Mia’s lips with his own.

“You look incredible by firelight, Little One…I want to stay here forever, watching the flames flicker in your eyes….and the contrast is amazing…so warm and soft on the side near the fire, cool and silky over here ….I feel like I should be turning you to get both sides done the same.”

She laughed and tugged on his curly chest hair.

“I’m not sure that’s the most romantic thing you’ve ever said to me…but it is funny…. I get a mental image of being turned on a spit…this was a wonderful idea, Urs…I love this place…can we make it another one of OUR places?”

“Another one?”

“Like the falls on the farm and Getzi and Sophia’s cave…can we go back there this summer?”

“Ja, Liebe….maybe for a week this time…there’s something in the cave I want to show you….Nein, don’t ask…it’s a surprise.”

It was early so they dressed again and went down to the pub to join the other travelers, singing along with the guitar, fiddle and accordion that was providing accompaniment to the traditional drinking songs and the evening sped past, full of companionship and laughter until they wandered back up to their private little nest.

**

Geneva was coated in ice when they arrived, all except the streets which somehow had been kept clear. They took their luggage into the condo, checking with security first to find that there had been no queries about them…all except for the nosey reporter from the entertainment segment of the local Television station, a woman that the guard recognized. His description matched Claudia to a tee even though he was very discrete, not mentioning that in real life and without her stage makeup she looked a bit shop worn.

Mia teased him going up in the lift.

“So Herr Buhler, how many of your former bed-mates am I going to have to fend off? I mean I can understand why they feel that something is missing in their bland lives but I did warn you how I feel about sharing.”

He grinned at her and swept her into a tight hug, murmuring against her neck.

“You know how it is…once they’ve been with me…no one else who comes along is good enough…”

“That sounds dangerously close to bragging, my Swiss Lover…but I do sympathize with them…Urs…Urs!!!...be serious for a moment…is this going to be a problem?”

He sighed.

“Not for long…as soon as we get this problem with Villetti solved we’ll announce our marriage and I’ll make sure everyone knows how happy I am with the love of my life. And don’t worry about Claudia…even on a bad day I’m sure you can take her.”

He scooted out of the lift before she could retaliate, grinning back over his shoulder as she laughed and followed him to their door.

As always the housekeeper, who Mia had never once seen, had provided them with a clean, well stocked, home away from home, the plants watered, fireplace ready for the match, even the French Press ready to have water added to the special grounds Urs preferred. He took their luggage through to the Master suite and came back to find Mia sifting through the basket of mail that had come in their absence.

“There’s one from your friend, David…I wonder why he didn’t just e.mail you?”

Urs ripped the envelope open and yelped.

“It’s tickets…he’s doing a special show on Broadway and sent us tickets…what perfect timing…we’ll be there…I already sent tickets to him for all four guys and their ladies for the Company’s performance. You’ll like David, Love…he’s really tall and funny, a real prankster but in spite of it a very reliable, good friend…and Sarah, his girlfriend, is such a nice woman…they’ve been together forever…it always amazes me how well they cope with being separated for so much of the year.”

“It was very kind of him to offer his retreat after the problem with Bryan…I’ll be glad to meet him and thank him for that.”

Urs poured boiling water from the kettle into the French Press and turned to her to snuggle while he waited the needed time for the coffee to steep.

“That’s the kind of guy he is…I called him and just said we needed to disappear for a couple of weeks, no other explanations…neither of us had time for details since with the time difference he was still sleeping when his mobile rang and …well I was a bit pre-occupied. He just said ‘whatever you need, Buddy, for as long as you need’, gave me the maintenance crew’s mobile number and that was it. Of course I sort of explained later but I still owe him, Big Time!!”

They had their coffee and opted to go for a walk…it was nice and clear out now, bitterly cold for a change, but then Geneva was a law unto itself when it came to weather, yo-yoing up and down from one day to the next.

Mia took her camera, determined to at last take some photos of the ice benches and the frozen yachts in the marina. By tacit agreement they avoided the topic of the meeting with Villetti, just enjoyed being together in this winter wonderland…time enough later to think about the ogre in the fairytale.

CHAPTER FIFTY-NINE…THE MEETING

Breakfast had been a solemn affair with both of them trying hard to keep the mood light and hopeful…and failing. They spent an inordinate amount of time watching the clock as it seemed to take forever to move from one minute to the next, getting nearer to the time they should leave for Nate’s office.

Mia snapped at Urs, for some silly thing, then apologized and cried, asking for his forgiveness for being in such a rotten mood. He was just quiet, holding his emotions in check but venting in small ways…frustration over the crossword in the daily paper that ended up in shreds, the pen flung into the Lounge to vanish, only found weeks later in the stack of firewood…his coffee was too hot, too cold, too strong, not strong enough.

They stood in the Kitchen Urs glaring at her, Mia with her cheeks awash with tears and suddenly he began to laugh.

“Aren’t we a fine couple? We’re angry and scared and taking it out on each other…Come here, Love…let’s start our day over.”

She went to his open arms and cuddled, calming with the kisses that he rained on her curly hair, the gentle stroke of his hands over her back, the massage of the tense muscles in her shoulders.

“I guess we aren’t exactly the picture of a united front at the moment are we? I am sorry, Urs…I should know better…none of this is your fault…or even mine, except for being too darned naïve. So, yes, let’s start over…Good morning, my adorable, understanding husband.”

She raised her face to him and he kissed her tenderly.

“Good morning, Beautiful Wife…what a lovely day it is to put that nasty man in his place. He doesn’t stand a hope in H*** of winning…we hold all the cards….I can’t wait to see how his lawyers back track when they learn the facts.”

“Did I hear you talking to Steve while I was making the coffee?”

“Ja…he talked to Nate and offered to be present with another officer, just to let Villetti know that we could, if you wanted, press charges. A little intimidation can’t hurt.”

She snuggled just a bit closer, wrapping her arms around him as if he was about to try to escape.

“I’ll be so relieved when this day is over…my stomach feels like I swallowed a whole hive of bees and they’re all angry.”

“Mine too…but we won’t let it show…at least I won’t…I’ll be too busy trying to control my temper when really all I want is 5 minutes alone with him. And you can do this Little One…I won’t leave you alone, not even for a second…if you feel shaky just think about Toni, about how he knows it’s you when he says Mama…remember when he used to call the dog ‘Papa’…at least he got Mama right the first time out.”

They took their time getting ready for the meeting at 1300H, showering, shaving, painting nails {colorless polish}, throwing up {twice for Mia} while Urs tenderly wiped her brow and held her hair back, choosing what to wear, changing their minds several times and suddenly it was nearly time to leave.

Urs helped her into her long black coat, tucking the scarf around her neck and handing her a pair of suede gloves when she had done up the fastenings. She had chosen a soft dove grey suit, the skirt and jacket of kid, formfitting and unadorned with anything except Tante Sophia’s pearls that she had worn for luck, the sheen a perfect understated foil against the pale grey silk tailored shirt.

Urs had gone for an elegant, power dressing look, a dark grey pin- striped Armani custom made suit that fit him like a second skin paired with a deep mauve raw silk shirt and matching tie, his hair swept back and only mildly curly at the ends. His dark grey shark boots completed his outfit….elegant, sophisticated, confident.

He shrugged into his coat and they went down in the lift to the waiting limo, not trusting themselves to drive, not today.

Villetti and 2 other men whose demeanor fairly screamed ‘LAWYER’ were waiting impatiently in the reception area when they arrived though they were 5 minutes before the assigned time.

Urs felt Mia stiffen under the arm he had placed around her waist and stepped forward just enough to block her having to look at the Italian.

“Herr und Frau Buhler…” Stasi the receptionist greeted them with respect, rising from her console and taking their coats. As if she had been watching for them, the secretary, Greta came out of the next room and ushered them into Nate’s office, asking if they would like coffee or a beverage, then leaving when she was assured that nothing other than the water on the small table would be required.

Nate came around his desk and hugged Mia, shook Urs’ hand and smiled as he motioned to the two men already seated in the room, a little to one side.

“Steve and Officer Herzig will be observing the proceedings, may step in if it becomes necessary…I will introduce them initially so the lawyers know that we are operating fully legally. Now I would like you both to sit here, no the other way around, with Urs nearer to Villetti…I want to make this as painless as possible for you, my dear Aramia.”

“You know that they’re waiting in reception I suppose?” Urs asked as he handed Mia into the chair and sat next to her, their chairs touching so he had no difficulty reaching out and taking her cold hand.

“Ja…let them wait…I want them to wait just long enough to become angry…angry men make mistakes based on emotion, not fact.”
They chatted for a few minutes, about Christmas, about the lovely weekend that Nate and Sig had enjoyed, about the fact that Nate was willing to try skiing if Mia was, then Nate grinned as a discrete green light flickered 3 times on his inter office phone.

“Stasi is such a treasure…she can gauge almost to the second when a person has reached the boiling point. Now don’t forget, only answer any question which I ask you or if I give you permission…and no display of emotion, especially anger.”

He keyed on his intercom and asked Stasi to show the three men in.

Urs squeezed Mia’s hand and their eyes met, full of fear, determination, and most of all, love.

Villetti came in ranting.

“You Swiss…always talking about being on time and you keep me waiting…I’m a very important man…I have no time to sit doing nothing.”

Nate didn’t rise from behind his desk, nor did he offer his hand. He merely gestured to the unoccupied chairs and asked them to please be seated.

The lawyers introduced themselves as Villetti slumped in his chair, as the last time Urs had seen him, dressed with little finesse, his portly body in an expensive but ill thought out suit, his dyed comb-over so full of product that it glistened in the lighting in the office.

Magio, the younger of the two lawyers though in his early 50’s thought about offering his hand to Nate, hesitated then sat down. Constatin, the elder, somewhere in his early 60’s frowned, his thick dark brows contrasting with his shock of pure white hair, a look of Greek ancestry about his heavy set features.

“I’ve asked you here today to try to come to an amicable resolution to the problem you appear to have over custody of the minor child, Antonio Getzi Buhler. But first let me introduce the others in the room….these two officers are from the Geneva Politzei and have a vested interest in the outcome of this case, Detective Superintendant Stefan Warkel and Officer Piers Herzig…and of course Frau and Herr Urs Buhler.”

“Frau…she’s no one’s wife…she’s his lying little w**re!!” Villetti shrieked and was quickly subdued by his lawyer.

Nate ignored him, not daring at the moment to look at Urs or Mia, hoping that they could keep cool.

Urs had tensed, nearly crushing Mia’s hand but stared at the painting behind Nate’s desk, his eyes dangerously narrowed. He felt her indrawn breath and the tremble that started in her hand and released it, reaching across with his other hand to grasp her fingers while his now free arm went around her shoulders to clasp her firmly.

“I had anticipated this reaction and have here a copy of the marriage certificate,” Nate said passing the copy over to the younger lawyer. “Also here is the birth certificate of said minor child, a copy of course, duly notarized and stamped.”

Nate sat back in his chair while the documents were scanned by both lawyers, Villetti refusing to even acknowledge their existence.

“Perhaps you could enlighten me as to why your client feels that he is entitled to custody of said minor child…I don’t understand what this is based upon.”

Magio started to explain but again Villetti erupted in anger.

“She seduced me in her home country and then when the child was conceived, tried to get money out of me…I offered to pay her expenses and told her I would accept the responsibility of the child…I have a paper she signed to prove it…and then she ran away with this…this singer and shacked up with him…I don’t want my son raised by a W**re and a musician…I am wealthy…my son is entitled to my name.”

Mia looked confused but said nothing.

Nate smiled, not a happy sign since the pleasure was that of a cat toying with a mouse.

“Ah yes, the paper where she says that she relinquishes all rights to her son to you, Milo Mario Adolphus Villetti…unfortunately it is a forgery…I gave it to the politzei to be analysed against Frau Buhler’s signature and it is a very poor forgery…totally worthless. I assume that it was given to you by her step brother, Bryan Kramer?”

“Her step brother?”

“Yes…it appears that the former Miss Kramer was adopted as an infant by the Kramer family…now as for your repeated allegations of the moral fibre of the lady, I must ask that you desist. She has been screened by the Geneva Politzei and found to have no blemishes on her record…she is considered in her locale to be a fine woman who sings in the church choir, volunteers with the Red Cross, has her own income from a thriving business and is even legally in Switzerland, first with a work permit, then as a permanent resident when the marriage took place. As for Herr Buhler…I’m sure you are aware that he is not just a singer…he is the lead Heldentenor of the Geneva Opera, has performed in partnership with the great Placido Domingo, Kiri teKanewa, Jose Carreras and others, is well thought of in his field and quite wealthy in his own right…and of course he comes from a very large, very old Suisse family that has distinguished itself over the years in many areas.”

He fixed Villetti with a stern gaze that made the man involuntarily shiver.

“You on the other hand, Senore Villetti have a rather checkered past…your business dealings have been investigated several times, I believe once with a fine levied, and once where you actually were incarcerated for a short time, your numerous liaisons are legendary, your current mistress has a number of regular clients who visit her residence at 14 Candessa in Milan when you travel…and sometimes when you are present. And the child in question was the result of rape, a child that you offered the step brother $250,000.00 American for…”

“I gave the little snake an advance, $50,000.00 up front, that’s what he asked for…and now he wants more…” Villetti had jumped to his feet to scream at Nate, turned his reddened face to glare at Mia and took a step towards her. “You little B**ch!! You sit there so prim and proper…tell them you like it rough…ask the singer, he knows…tell them how she likes to be hit…”

Urs surged to his feet, fists clenched, eager to kill the Italian but Mia pulled frantically at his arm and Nate glared at him. He slowly sat back again, shaking with suppressed anger. Steve and the Officer had risen as well and Steve lay his hand on Urs shoulder, squeezing hard, urging him to get in control.

“I didn’t want to resort to this, gentlemen and Villetti …but it seems I must…Aramia, I’m sorry…I have in my possession a video tape of which I had a copy made…perhaps the circumstances of the conception of the child in question can be put to rest by watching at least a portion of it.”

Officer Herzig rose to stand behind Villetti as Nate clicked on a desk top remote that silently made a hidden panel slide up into the wall, revealing a flat screen television. He said nothing further, just clicked on another key which started an obviously home made video, with sound and date stamp, the camera shaking slightly but the picture clear and voices easily heard.

The first scene was of Villetti walking down the hall, staggering slightly and helped by Mia who looked distressed by determined.

“Key…Open it for me, that’s a good girl…” he said, slurring his words.

“UH…Signore Villetti…I think you can manage from here…I really must be going…”

“See two of everything…just open the door, girl, then you can go…”

Urs hadn’t looked at the screen, didn’t think he could. He was watching Mia, noticed her skin paling, her breathing becoming rapid, felt her hands begin to go even colder and clammy and he tightened his grip on her shoulder, leaning closer to whisper near her ear…. ‘Easy Love…we can get through this…’

They averted their eyes but there was no escaping the sounds in the rapidly diminishing size of the room. Everyone heard her sigh and heard the beep as the key card engaged, heard the shove and gasp as her body was pushed and fell into the room…there was no need to see the breath driven from her body as the much larger man fell on her, ripping her clothing, panting like an animal or to see his twisted features as he grunted and tore at her, ignoring her pleas to stop, laughing when she screamed in shock and pain.

“He promised you would put up a good fight!! Look what Milo has for you, little girl…” and that hateful cackle again.

Hands appeared from off camera, catching her flailing arms, grasping them firmly over her head.

“BRYAN…HARRY!!! HELP ME!! STOP HIM!!” and then the sharp piercing scream, quickly silenced as her air was cut off by fingers crushing her throat.

It seemed like hours that the tape played, long enough that not one set of eyes in the room was watching the screen any longer, but after just over 10 minutes of the sounds assaulting the senses, Nate decided that the shock value had been achieved.

The silence in the room was palpable as Nate paused the scene, freezing it at one particularly disgusting point and glaring at Villetti.

The Italian had gone pale as a ghost, his mouth open and gaping like a fish, unable to get words out, his lawyers beside him looking anywhere but at their client or the screen. Mia had turned in her seat and sought refuge in Urs arms, her face hidden against his chest, both hands over her ears trying to shut out the sounds coming from the speakers and whispering ‘Turn it off!...Please make him turn it off!’ between gasps for breath.

“Is it really necessary to continue viewing this degradation? The tape is nearly 6 hours long and only gets worse. It was filmed by Bryan Kramer and his best friend, both of whom assisted you, Signore, in the assault on this blameless woman.”

“He said he had it locked up somewhere safe…” Villetti said in not much more than a whisper. “What do you want?”

“Only what is fair and just, to protect the minor child…we will discuss this in a moment.” He clicked the remote again and the Television went dark, the wall closed over the screen once more and he came around the desk to crouch in front of Mia.

“Aramia, I am so sorry to make you relive that terrible time again but you understand how necessary it was to protect Toni…would you like to leave while we discuss the legal matters?”

She straightened in her chair and, still holding firmly to Urs hand shook her head.

“If you are discussing our son, we need to be here. Let’s just get this over with and all get on with our lives.”

“Good girl,” he said and kissed her on the brow.

“Now gentlemen perhaps we can come to an agreement,” he said to the lawyers who had inched their chairs away from Villetti and looked ashen as they nodded to Nate.

For nearly an hour they hammered out the details, counsel for Villetti agreeing to the terms as Nate set them out, all the bases covered, every loophole thought out and dealt with.

True to his character to the end, Villetti railed at Urs only once, wisely intimidated by the fury and hatred he could see just barely contained in the younger man’s body.

“So how much? How much money do I have to pay you to raise the boy? And what about the money I already paid Kramer?”

“You pitiful little man! I don’t need your money to raise our son…loving a child isn’t about money…it’s about being there for him, teaching him how to walk and talk, holding him when his gums hurt as he’s teething, being there to assist in his birth and cradle him against my chest when he’s only been in this world for a few seconds…it’s not about HAVING, it’s about BEING and loving…why am I wasting my breath…sign the da**ed papers and get out of our lives!”

Both the lawyers snarled at him in Italian and even Mia, who spoke not a word, understood that Milo had been told to shut up!!

His legal team glared at the Italian when he bridled at signing an affidavit admitting the rape and battering…he signed when Steve reminded him that Mia was within her rights to lay charges against him and that Interpol was very interested to follow up on the attempt to purchase the child through Kramer, as well as being the instigator of the assault on Mia in Geneva. For the rest of the time in the office the Italian was silent.

At last it was done, everything signed and as he was leaving the office, Villetti glanced at Mia and mumbled ‘I’m sorry…’ the lawyers grabbed their coats and took the lift down to the main floor, not waiting for their client who vainly tried to catch up. Their cab was leaving for the airport when he reached the sidewalk and he stood for a few minutes, defeated and abandoned, then hailed a cab and was, finally, out of their lives for good.

CHAPTER SIXTY…

It was over but somehow it didn’t seem real to them as quiet descended in the office and Nate stood, going to Mia and pulling her up to her feet for a hug.

“I’m sorry about the signature…I wanted your honest reaction and I think I know you well enough now to know that you don’t fake what you feel, not easily anyway. Urs, my friend, take your wife and go home, let the fact that we won sink in. You both did an amazing thing today, a true testament to how much you love that adorable child…I’ll call you tomorrow about going to family court and arranging the adoption…it’s a mere formality now…go home!!”

Mia was still shaking when they shook hands with the two police officers and Nate and went out to reception to have Stasi bring them their outdoor garments, walking quietly like two victims of an accident, in shock. Urs had to pry his fingers off of Mia’s hand in order to get his coat on and found her grasping it in a deathlike grip as soon as it appeared out of his sleeve. It wasn’t until they neared the lobby of the building that she finally spoke.

“Can we walk?...Please, Urs, can we walk for a while…I feel like I can’t breathe unless I’m outside.”

He nodded and wrapped his arm around her waist, holding her close to his side. The driver opened the door for them but Urs quietly shook his head and asked him to just follow.

‘I want to find him and beat him senseless…but I can’t, Mia needs me…I should have done it in the office…will she think me a coward that I didn’t defend her?...of course not, Fool!!...one thing Mia is not is petty…she knows why it was important to keep my hands off of him…but I’ve never felt such rage before, such hate…now I know what it means when a person sees ‘red’…when I nearly lost it, all I could see was him in front of me, dripping with blood…Mein Gott, I need to hit something, to smash and break and pound until my knuckles bleed…. But Toni is worth it…he’s ours now, mine and Mia’s and nothing can ever change that…Danke, Jesuiten!!....’

Mia pulled back on his hand, stopping walking and looking up at him.

“Urs…are we anywhere near the Cathderal?”

“Not far, Love….this way.” Once again her thinking was in sync with his.

He freed his hand from hers and held her around the shoulders, smiling when she reached up to slip her fingers under his as they turned left and headed towards the Romanesque/Gothic Cathedral St. Pierre.

Again they didn’t talk, their closeness enough for now and soon they could see the Neoclassical façade of the Cathedral just up the street, the odd pale green spire between the two disparate facades somehow appropriate to this building, set on the site that had held a religious building since the 4th century.

It was quiet inside and austere in a way since during the Reformation spurred by the preaching of John Calvin, all the ornamentation, statues, furnishings and frescoes had been destroyed by supporters…the only remnants of the former glory were a few stained glass windows and wheel candelabras high above the marble floor. Urs led her through an arched doorway into his favorite part of the complex, into the Chapel of the Maccabees, a smaller hall, refurbished in the mid 1700’s to reflect the older style.

As they entered, the sun shown through the reds and blues of the stained glass, sending prisms of multicolored light across the few pews and the highly polished floor, blending with the glow of the candelight from above to create halo effects and Mia gasped in delight at the effect.

“I think the angels are happy for us,” she whispered to Urs as they sat in one of the pews, holding hands and let the peace of the place wash over them.

Slowly they relaxed, the tension of the past hours leaving their tense bodies, their minds filling with the knowledge that at last there were no barriers to the happiness as a family that they craved. Each in their own way they communed with the Divine presence that it seemed had come to rejoice in their victory over evil, over the private, personal demons that they had suffered and, at last, they let their hearts fill with peace and love.

There was no anxiety left when they exited later, just as the sun began to streak the waters of the calm, icy lake and lights flickered on in sequence throughout the city spread around them. Just at the bottom of the steps Urs grasped Mia around the waist and whirled her around, too happy to be calm and collected any longer, his anger and hatred no match for the peace he had found in the Chapel.

“We’re legally a family now… we need to celebrate…NO!! We need to call home and tell everyone…they’ll be so worried…and we can tell Toni!!”

“Urs he’s only 9 months old!!”

“But a very advanced 9 months, just like his Papa…okay, like his Mama…at least we can tell Ciara and Matt…I need to tell SOMEONE!!!”

She laughed with him, clutching at his shoulders as he spun around again, making her dizzy. He let her feet down to the ground and moved his hands to cup her cheeks.

“Do you know how much joy you have brought into my life? And how much I love you?”

“Yes…you never go a day without telling me or showing me…and I love you just the same…let’s go home and call our son.”

Arm in arm they walked back to the condo, completely forgetting about the limo which followed discretely, the driver grinning very unprofessionally when he saw the happiness that seemed to radiate from them.

**

Ciara cried and so it was Matt that held Toni up to the phone {which he tried to eat} and they talked to him, telling him all sorts of things that he didn’t understand {in spite of Urs conviction that he was very advanced}…he seemed to enjoy hearing their voices though, Matt reported and when they disconnected minutes later they were both grinning. They phoned Anya, then Paco, and by the time they got to Pol and Magda the news had spread, the Buhler clan grapevine working very efficiently.

“We should get fancied up and go out for dinner, maybe even dancing.”

“Or we could stay in and raid the kitchen for something tasty,” she responded with a grin as he brushed her hair back off her brow and followed his fingers with kisses.

“If we stay in we won’t get to eat until much, much later…I’ll have my way with you in about 3 minutes,” he said doing his best imitation of a lascivious leer.

“And would that be a bad thing?”

He laughed and made a trail back to her mouth.

“Don’t say I didn’t warn you, Schtute….I can’t seem to get enough of you….”

She couldn’t answer except to moan softly and cling to him as he explored, nibbling on her lips, bending his knees to pull her tight against him and work his way down her neck and across her collar bone. She arched her back, losing her fingers in his hair and finally found her voice.

“I want more than 3 minutes…a lot more…”

“Hoped you would….” he said with a grin that made his dimples appear. One quick scoop and she was in his arms as he took long strides down the hall to their suite…and the journey to Paradise began again.

**

Much later Mia lay on her side watching him sleep, enthralled with this gorgeous man who had given himself so unrestrainedly to her.

‘He’s such a miracle…he loves me…I know this as surely as I know there is a God in Heaven…he shows me in so many ways, tells me without reservation…it shows in the way he treats me, the way he makes love…and I can’t do anything but respond…I never knew that love like this existed…or that a man could be so beautiful…’

Her eyes traveled over his messed curls, the dark glow of them such a contrast against the stark white of the pillow cover…his lashes under those thick brows lay against his cheeks, dark and long, tilted up at the ends, in an arched sweep that matched the curve of his eyes…and his mouth…ah that mouth that gave her so much pleasure, the lower lip full and plump, just perfect for nibbling, the upper bowed and the pair seeming always ready to smile. She watched the pulse beating just under the skin of his long throat, wanting to reach out and touch the little dip below his Adams Apple or the other ones at the base of his neck, just above the sharply defined collarbone…and then of course there was the swell of his chest, toned and firm, studded with flat male nipples that engorged when she touched them so often with her tongue.

He twitched in his sleep, throwing one muscled arm above his head to reveal the thatch of hair in his armpit, one of his terribly ticklish spots and she smiled as she thought about how he had moaned and shivered earlier when she gently trailed her cool finger tips across it then down the dark hair on his long arms.

Her visual journey took her to his flat stomach, the vee of chest hair thinning before inverting and widening as it traveled further down…with determination she skipped her inventory to his feet, the long narrow feet with Morton’s toes…the same as she had {the second toe just a little longer than the big toe}, his high instep and the strong ankles from miles of running on the treadmills or out of doors. His calves were hairy, like his arms, not grossly so but dark with the downy fuzz that tickled when their legs were entwined….and then of course those thickly roped, muscular thighs that never seemed to tire.

She couldn’t resist any longer and reached out to touch him, smiling when his body reacted…even in his sleep he was ready for her to love.

“What a wonderful way to wake up….no, Liebe, don’t stop…I was dreaming about your little hands…so cool and soft yet so strong….”

“I didn’t mean to wake you…”

“Come here, Love,” he said and raised his arms to beckon her against his chest.

“Are you disappointed in me? I wanted so bad to hit him, to defend you, but I couldn’t…and I was worried you would think me a coward, that I had let your down.”

“Urs Buhler!!! As if I would ever think that of you…only a man with little control would resort to violence…I’m so proud of the way you handled yourself, the way you showed him that YOU are the better man…anyone can use their fists…you are man enough to know that you don’t have to beat on someone to prove that you are male…and I love you all that much more for resisting what must have been a terrible urge…I just wish that neither of us had to listen to the audio of that tape…promise me you won’t let it change our lives or how you feel about me…”

He kissed her gently and tightened his arms around her torso.

“I can’t promise to forget what I heard…it was too painful and I knew how it must be hurting you to listen…but it has nothing to do with the love I have for you…we won’t entirely forget but in time it will fade to something similar to a very graphic movie or an unpleasant television program…but it is the past, Liebe and nothing can change that…we just won’t let it have any importance in our lives now…I love you, I will always love you, more and more each day that we are together.”

They nestled together, sampling the sweet taste of each other until Urs stomach complained and Mia leaned away from him, laughing.

“Sounds like someone is getting impatient for some food. C’mon you Sexy Beast…let’s see if there’s anything good in the pantry.”

She rolled away, though he tried to catch her, and grabbed his discarded shirt to pull over her head, scooting barefoot out of the room with a teasing laugh as his feet got tangled in the pushed down duvet and he struggled to get up. By the time he was free and had pulled on his tight Calvins she was in the kitchen, leaning on the frig door and assessing the contents of the shelves.

**

It was as they were dropping off to sleep later that night that she knew they would be able to cope with the memories of the meeting with Villetti.

Urs had pulled her against his chest, her head cradled on his shoulder and one small hand on the muscles of his torso.

“Sophia would have been so proud of you today, Love,” he said sleepily.

“And you too, my Swiss,” she replied with sincerity, slipping into sweet dreams with a smile.

**

Plans have a habit of changing and so it was that instead of meeting Nate at the office as they had decided, they joined him for lunch at a small but elegant café with a very elite clientele. He was beaming when they approached the table, smiling, the relief plain in his eyes.

“Danke Jesuiten…you two look much more relaxed than when you left the office yesterday. Finally hit you that we won, did it?”

Urs laughed as he pushed Mia’s chair in and sat beside her.

“It took a while but yes…now we just have to get the court thing out of the way.”

“Will we have to go today, Nate?”

“Ja, Mia, but it’s only a formality, just to start the petition and hand in the copies of the papers…they should expedite it quickly, likely within a couple of months since we already have the politzei report on both of you and sworn affidavits from both Villetti and his lawyers. There’s not a thing to worry about now…”

“Urs Buhler…I haven’t seen you for ages…the Director mentioned that you are taking a few months off since they needed a baritone for the current production. Are you vacationing or doing something else that I can write about?”

The middle aged, well dressed man who had stopped at their table smiled pleasantly at Nate and Mia as he shook hands with Urs who had risen to his feet.

“Danier Riberia…so you ARE still doing that entertainment column…I meant to call you…with an exclusive…do you know my lawyer and old school friend…”

“Of course…Nate and I belong to the same bridge club…how are you?”

They shook hands and Urs rested his hand on Mia shoulder waiting for them to finish their exchange of pleasantries.

“And this is my wife, Aramia.”

The columnist looked stunned then beamed a huge smile at Mia as he reached out to take her hand in both of his.

“Your wife!!! You lucky devil…my dear how did you manage to snare this perennial bachelor? Though I must confess that your beauty alone would do it for most men.”

Mia blushed but laughed and smiled sweetly.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you Herr Riberia…but I must confess that you sound more Irish than Swiss with your gift for flattery.”

“What a treasure this woman is Urs…she even blushes so prettily…may I announce your marriage in my column?”

“And you might like to add that we have an adorable son…you see I’m no longer quite as stingy with details of my private life…in fact I’m so happy with my little family that I need to share the news.”

Someone called to Riberia from an adjacent table and he smiled as he left them, leaning down to kiss Mia on the cheeks in the European fashion, murmuring ‘Helga…she’s such a bore…I’m so happy for you and pleased that you allowed me the exclusive…Danke.”

Urs grinned at Mia as he sat back down.

“He’ll make a whole column out of the 2 minute interview…what we were wearing, what we ate, how happy we looked, how much we had to drink…but he’s fair and well respected…what a lucky co-incidence to see him here.”

Nate smiled.

“And where else would he be at 1245H on a weekday except at his reserved table in the gossip hot-spot of Geneva?”

Mia burst into laughter.

“You sly dog…you knew he would be here…Nate you’re as devious as…as Urs when he tries to hide something from me.”

“Danke…I’ll take that as a compliment. Now shall we have champagne to celebrate?”

CHAPTER SIXTY-ONE

They decided to walk off their substantial lunch …it wasn’t far to the Family court offices and their appointment was an hour away still. Nate of course thought they were insane when there were perfectly good taxis to be had with just a wave of the hand but they convinced him and he quickly got in the mood to window shop and chat as they ambled along the cleared sidewalks.

Mia was pensive at first until Urs asked if she felt alright and she laughed nervously.

“Well, I’m a bit concerned…was it wise to announce to the world about our marriage?...Steve still doesn’t know where Bryan is and it’s hard to say what his reaction will be.”

Urs smiled and pulled her just a bit tighter to his side.

“I thought about that, Love…but it’s my opinion that Villetti is fully aware of where Bryan is and will tell him anyway….he will likely try to get his money back out of Bryan and, who knows, maybe in the argument Villetti will take Bryan out of the picture …he definitely will tell him that their deal is off. We’ll just have to be extra careful for a while.”

“And we won’t even be in Switzerland for a week…all of us are going to New York next Friday…I hope you’re right…maybe being so openly married and in the public eye will be for the best…our faces will be recognizable…even Bryan wouldn’t dare do anything.”

Nate pointed out some lovely crystal in one of the shop windows and they all thought only good thoughts as they admired it then went on to the court offices.

Perhaps because of Urs’ celebrity they were ushered through reception and into a private chamber with comfortable leather chairs and a large oak desk, the walls lined with bookcases right to the ceiling with a rolling ladder for access to the top tomes.

“We’ve drawn Magistrate Chevre, like the cheese, but not nearly so soft. He’s a crusty old timer, completely no nonsense but very fair and totally with the interest of the child at heart. Be honest, factual and respectful and we’ll get this done,” Nate said softly just before the door opened and a tall slender man with a thick shock of steel gray hair and a glowering look about him strode almost angrily into the office, not looking at them, just sitting heavily behind the desk and rifling through the papers that the secretary had placed in a folder on the green blotter.

After a few minutes of intense study of what ever the papers were he closed the folder and looked up, staring first at Mia, then Urs and settling on Nate.

“Councillor,” he said by way of greeting. “As I understand it the natural father has waived his rights to the child, one Antonio Getzi Buhler, DOB March 7, 2008. this is a formal petition for adoption by one Urs Toni Buhler…all of the paperwork seems to be in order…politzei reports, financials, health records, marriage certificate…there will of course have to be a home visit by one of our Social workers but I think everything else is contained here. Anything else?”

Urs cleared his throat and interrupted, making Nate pale at the unprecedented move, perhaps not a good idea with this rigid, austere justice.

“Sir…I mean no disrespect but feel that there is something that must be said,” he said with his voice firm and confident. “Toni IS my son in all the ways that are important…I cared for him and Aramia during those months when we waited for him to be strong enough to enter the world, months when I grew to love him and his Mother. I was in awe when she allowed me to feel him moving inside her body, when she gave me the privilege of being her birthing coach and over-joyed when I held him only seconds after his birth and felt his tiny heart beating….the first voice he heard when he entered this world was mine….. I’ve been blessed to be able to help him when he was teething, teach him how to stand and speak his first words…to do everything that a father would do…the only thing I have missed out on in his life was conception but that holds no importance in the love I have for him and his mother, my wife. He knows I am his Papa and that he is a precious gift…he will always be my first born son, whether you make it legal or not!”

Magistrate Chevre glared at Urs for a moment and Urs met the steely eyes without flinching. Slowly a smile crept across the glowering face, transforming it, making Mia think that this was the real man, the one that his wife and family saw when he returned home at night.

“Eloquently put, young Buhler…I have over the past few years enjoyed many of your performances on stage, always with the feeling that you became the personae, the role you were singing so splendidly…but this was more, this honest, heartfelt defense of the relationship you have with the child in question….yes, I avoided calling him your son, regardless of what you have vowed…and what I personally feel….I am bound by law to adhere to the rules of this court and will do so. Let me just say that I will sincerely enjoy finalizing these proceedings and meeting this beloved child….shall we say in February? Arrange a convenient time with my secretary.”

He gathered the papers in one hand and was gone out the side door before anything further could be said, still smiling as he nodded to Mia and gave her a very unprofessional, encouraging wink.

**

They were both slightly giddy on the drive home to the farm, rehashing the events of the past days, laughing about the reaction of the Magistrate to Urs little unrehearsed speech.

“It was just so…so impersonal and I couldn’t keep my mouth shut…I mean this was probably one of the most personal, meaningful moments in my life, ranking right up there with the moment when you admitted you loved me and Toni’s birth and he was treating it so coldly…I wanted him to see us as real people who love one another…”

“I really think he puts on this professional detachment as a means to protect himself…it must be very difficult, making decisions like Solomon, decisions that will have an effect on how people manage their lives. It’s an awesome responsibility.”

“And he winked at you? That’s a good sign isn’t it?”

Mia laughed.

“I would say so…he doesn’t seem like a lecherous old man, just one who has trained himself over the years to seldom show emotion.”

**

This time, they drove straight through, eager to get home to tell everyone the news and to see the ‘minor child’ who had been the focus of so much over their time away.

Ciara was part way down the lane with Toni in the sled, going for the mail and the newspaper. Mia hopped out of the Audi and walked with them, playing snowball fight with Toni with ping- pong ball sized round missiles that he laughed at and tried to eat when his mittened hands captured one.

Urs parked the Audi and jogged back to them, earning himself a standard sized snowball in the chest as he neared…of course that was a challenge which he won, upending Mia into the plowed ridge of snow at the side of the drive while Toni cheered for both of them and Ciara warily kept out of reach.

Back at the house, once they were all in dry clothing they congregated in the Kitchen with hot drinks {warm and weak for Toni, in his sippy cup} and all the details of the two meetings were related to both Matt and Ciara. Then Matt told them how Tobias and Keeshia were settling in, loving their new home and the fact that there was no danger of a slide in this non mountainous area. Toni got tired of all the talk, talk, talk and so Mia took him in to the Lounge, climbing in the play area with him and sitting cross legged while he brought her toys to play with.

Matt eventually went back to the workshop to finish a project, having talked more in the past half hour than he usually did in a month, Ciara went off to check on the housekeeping service who were working upstairs and Urs poured himself a refill and headed for the Lounge. He stood in the doorway, leaning against the jamb, watching Mia and Toni playing.