The Lernier Family by Russ Nielsen

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The next morning, we docked in San Juan. Rick and I were up early and enjoyed a shower together before packing our stuff and getting ready to leave. Rick and I watched as they maneuvered the ship into its place. We returned to our cabin and grabbed our gear and joined the mass exodus from the ship. Rick managed to flag down a taxi and we were on our way to the airport.

Once we had checked our luggage, Rick and I sat in the waiting area of the gate and chatted about the new friends we’d made on this trip.

“I can’t wait to see our friends, again. Do you think they’ll come visit us in DC?” I asked Rick.

“Yes, I think they will come. We need to get into our new place soon though so we can feel comfortable inviting our friends to visit,” Rick said. He paused for a moment before continuing, “Glenn, I know you won’t rest until we’ve contacted an adoption agency to start the process of adopting a baby,” Rick smiled at me as he squeezed my hand. “I know you all too well, Babe. I think we should try getting a surrogate first. I’d rather have my own kid instead of trying to adopt someone else’s.”

I thought about it for a minute and then asked, “Did you already have someone in mind?”

Rick nodded his head, “I do but I’m not going to say anything to you about who it is until I’ve had a chance to talk to them first. I don’t want to get you all excited about the prospect of having a baby unless there’s a good chance of that happening. I want us to wait for another six months before we start looking for a surrogate, okay?”

“Okay, I’ll agree to wait but you have to promise me that in six months we can start the process,” I said looking into my lover’s eyes trying to impress upon him how much this meant to me.

Rick smiled and replied, “I promise.” He took my hand and raised it to his lips and gave it a gentle kiss. “Please trust me on this one, sweetheart. I know how much this means to you and that you won’t stop worrying about it until we’ve finally adopted a child. Can you trust me that I won’t forget?”

I leaned over and kissed him on the lips, “Yes, I trust you completely because you love me. Just remind me when I start to get hyper about it that I’ve agreed to leave it in your hands, okay?”

Rick laughed, “I will hold you to that one. I ask just one thing though?”

“You have to promise me you won’t get mad when I remind you that you’ve left everything to do with adopting children to me,” Rick said lifting my chin so he could look me in the eyes.

“I promise,” I replied smiling at my lover boy knowing that Rick had my best interests at heart. Rick knows me so well that he has just taken one of my biggest worries from me by making me promise to let him take care of the entire adoption process. “I love you. Thank you for taking such good care of me.”

They called our flight and we began the boarding process. It took us most of the day to make the return trip. It was pretty late when we finally picked up the Land Rover at the Hamilton Int’l Airport. We decided to check into a hotel instead of driving to St. Catharines. I’m glad we did because I was so exhausted from travelling. After brushing our teeth, etc., we went to bed and were soon asleep.

We were up with the sun the next morning. We checked out of the hotel. Rick stopped for a cup of coffee and brought me a cup of hot chocolate with a couple of doughnuts to tide us over until we arrived at Uncle Carl and Aunt Hannah’s house. We pulled into their driveway a while later. We saw Mom and Dad’s car parked there.

We got out and unloaded our gear. As we approached the front door, Mom opened it and she came out to greet us. Mom gave us both a hug and a kiss on the cheek, “I’m glad you boys made it home safely. How was the honeymoon?”

Rick’s broad grin lit up his face as he exclaimed, “It was wonderful!”

“Rick outdid himself this time, Mom. We made lots of fantastic memories, Mom. I loved every minute of our honeymoon,” I said wrapping my arms around Rick’s waist.

“Good. Come inside and tell us all about it,” Mom said. We followed her back inside. We took our stuff down the hall and placed it in our room. When we returned to the kitchen, we found Mom, Dad, Uncle Carl and Aunt Hannah seated around the table.

Aunt Hannah said, “Come in boys and sit down. We want to hear about your trip.”

We spent the next hour telling them about our honeymoon. When we had finished, Rick asked, “Is there something wrong? All of you seem a little sad.”

Mom looked at Dad as if asking his permission to tell us something. I remembered Mom doing the same thing before we left on our honeymoon when they came to see us off.

This time, Dad nodded his head and Mom said, “Boys, Grandma Nielsen passed away the morning you left on your honeymoon. We felt it was important for you to go on your honeymoon so we didn’t tell you.”

I felt like someone had knocked the wind out of me it hit me so hard. The tears started rolling down my cheeks as Rick took my hand to comfort me. I was so choked up I couldn’t speak. Rick said, “Thank you for letting us have a chance to celebrate our marriage before telling us of Grandma’s passing. Glenn, I know your Mom and Dad wanted to tell us but I think they did the right thing by waiting to tell us.”

“I know you’re right, Rick. When is the funeral?” I asked looking at my parents.

Mom said, “We made arrangements to hold the funeral tomorrow since we knew you two would be back from your honeymoon. There will be a small viewing just for the family so we can all say our good-byes an hour before the funeral.”

Dad handed me an envelope and said, “Your Grandma left this letter for you. She wrote it after you two left the reception. She gave it to me to give to you when you returned.”

I know that I’m repeating what I just told you two but I want to write down so you won’t forget how much I love both of you. You made me very happy today. The love you two share is very evident in how you treat each other. I can think of nothing better than to be married to your best friend. Always remember this special day and how you felt about each other.

Thank you for being there for me when I needed you most. Your daily visits buoyed me up and gave me a reason to go on. I know that you did the same for many of my friends. The music lifted our spirits and made the days seem a little less lonely. Our long discussions about life, raising a family, being good spouses, and how to take good care of each other have drawn us closer together. I’ve even enjoyed our talks about general topics like politics and gay rights which have enlivened my mind and kept me thinking that maybe I still can have a positive impact on the lives of my children and grandchildren.

Take good care of Glenn. He loves you more than you know. You are a good man and I’m counting on you to protect Glenn from the ills of the world. He is a gentle soul and needs you so much. Remember, you are much stronger than you think you are. I can think of no one better to be Glenn’s husband. He needs your strength and steadiness.

I know you promised me to always love and cherish your husband. I can’t tell you enough to always remember that Rick may have a rough and tough exterior but he has a very tender heart. Never, ever say anything that will cause injury to Rick. Your words can do more damage than anything physical you could ever do to him. Rick has given his heart completely into your hands. He trusts you and you trust him. Never betray that trust. You have found the perfect man for you. There is nothing more valuable than the pure love that Rick has for you. Nurture it and keep it safe. The best advice I can give you is to lose yourself in trying to make your husband happy and he will do the same for you.

Boys, I am going to ask you to do something for this old lady. Something I should have done many, many years ago. I have always felt a yearning to know more about our family history but I always put off doing anything about it until I had more time. Well, I’ve run out of time and now I’m asking you two to take the time to search out our ancestors. Help the rest of our family to remember what we did for them, where we came from and why we did what we have done. Help keep our memory alive for future generations so that they can learn from our mistakes and celebrate our triumphs.

Your Uncle Carl has my box of important papers. In it you will find birth certificates, marriage certificates and other documents that will help you piece together the events of our lives.

Here is some of the information I can remember that will help you get started:

My parents were Hans Heinrich Zimmerman and Mary Katherine Stewart. My father immigrated to Canada from Switzerland when he was eleven years old. My mother’s family is from Hamilton, Ontario. My father wrote his life history and I believe I still have it stored along with my photos.

Don’t be angry with your parents for not telling you about my passing. I know that tonight was the last time we will be together in this life. It is much more important that you two have a the best start you can to begin your married lives together and I’ve made your parents promise me not to disturb you on your honeymoon and to wait until after you return to give you this letter.

I’ve felt for some time that I needed to stay healthy enough to see you two married. I believe that our long afternoon discussions helped you both become better people and to see each other’s strengths and weaknesses as being opportunities to increase the love you share. Yes, I agree that Reverend Riegger helped you resolve many of your spiritual questions but I know that through our time together we achieved much, much more. I will miss you and I want you to know how much I have grown to love you both over the last few weeks.

Don’t be sad for me. I’m ready to leave this life for the next and am happy to meet your Grandpa on the other side. Yes, I am sad to leave my family behind but I have family on the other side as well. Love, Grandma”

Rick had put his arm around my shoulders as he read Grandma’s letter with me. I turned my head to see if he was finished reading. I saw that Rick’s eyes were bright with tears. I took his hand in mine. He squeezed my hand. “I’m okay, Glenn. I’m very touched by her letter.” Rick smiled, “I’m glad I got to know her better before she passed.”

Mom said, “Grandma felt as we do that you two are made for each other. While you two were on your honeymoon, we started going through Grandma’s photos to put together a couple of collages showing her life. Your Dad and Uncle Carl wrote a brief biography that Uncle Dave will give at the funeral. We’ve asked Reverend Riegger to officiate at the services. We have several musical numbers included in the program one of which we thought you would want to perform, Glenn.”

I nodded my head in agreement, “Thank you for thinking of me, Mom. Can I play “Amazing Grace” or is that already on the program?”

Dad smiled, “We thought that is what you would want to play for Grandma so we put it the program. Do you want your Mother to accompany you like she used to do when you were in high school?”

I looked across the table at Mom who smiled at me, “Yes. Would you accompany me tomorrow?”

“I’d love to, my dear,” Mom responded. “I have the music memorized as I know you do as well.”

I nodded, “I’ve never forgotten it since you had me perform it at home as part of our family recitals.”

“I’m glad you still remember it. There will be a visitation at the church tonight. There will be many people who will come tonight who won’t be able to attend the funeral tomorrow,” Mom said.

Aunt Hannah said, “The whole family has been here all week. It’s been a good time for all us to get reacquainted with each other and work together to arrange Grandma’s funeral. Your Grandpa Scarborough has been wonderful. He’s taken care of all the accommodations so that everyone has a place to stay.”

“Yes, Grandpa Scarborough has been a great help to our family, Glenn. I’ve had to swallow my pride and acknowledge that he has always had our best interests at heart,” Dad said. He put his arm around my Mom’s shoulders. “I’ve even had to apologize to your Mom for being so stubborn all these years. I just hope she can forgive me for preventing her from enjoying the company of her family so many times when they offered to pay for airline tickets to fly everyone to Atlanta.”

Mom squeezed his hand and said, “I’ve already forgiven you many times over. I’m happy that you finally saw the light. Daddy can be a bit overbearing sometimes but he’s got a heart of gold. Both Glenn and Rick can testify to that fact many times over.”

Rick said, “That’s very true, Dad. Grandpa has been very generous with us and has always encouraged us to be the best we can be.”

“Well, I was young and foolish when I first met your Grandpa. I was very intimidated by him and I overacted to his offers of assistance in refusing any help from him. Your Mother tried to reason with me many times but to no avail. I guess it took my mother passing away to wake me up to the fact that he isn’t my enemy and isn’t trying to take my family from me which is how I viewed him for most of our married lives,” Dad said.

I said, “I know how you felt. Grandpa talked to me about it. Grandma said that Grandpa has mellowed quite a bit over the years as well.”

Mom said, “That’s true, Glenn. Daddy is much more relaxed about many things than he used to be.”

Uncle Carl said, “We’ve sorted through some of Grandma’s papers and left you quite a stack of things that she wanted you to have, Glenn.”

“Yes, she was pretty direct about who was to have what from her box of important papers. I’ve made copies of everything for all of the siblings so you can take the originals as she wished. She wanted you to have the photos she has stored here. I thought you might need some assistance labeling them since you probably don’t know who the people are since many of them have passed on,” Uncle Carl said.

“We’d really appreciate that,” Rick said. “I’m sure I won’t know anyone other than those I’ve met since I met Glenn six years ago.”

“I want to talk to all of the aunts and uncles before everyone returns home so I can write down what they remember of Grandpa and Grandma’s families. I wonder if any of their siblings are still living.” I said.

Aunt Hannah said, “Yes, Uncle Ben lives in Hamilton. She is Grandma’s youngest brother. He will be at the church tonight.”

Uncle Carl and Dad were thinking. Finally, Dad said, “I think there might be someone on Dad’s side of the family who is still around. I think our great-uncle Erik still lives in Belleview on the family farm. He’s got to be in his 90’s now. Maybe we can take a quick trip around the lake to see him after the funeral is over.”

Uncle Carl agreed, “I’ve not heard that he’s passed on. I’ll call his son, Matthew, to see if we can visit him. Matthew has always been friendly with our side of the family.”

I smiled, “Thanks for helping me find some of our relatives. I’m actually looking forward to meeting them.”

Dad said, “Boy’s we need to get out and exercise. Are you up for a game of racquetball at the gym? Uncle Carl and I will play doubles against you two.”

With that, Rick and I got up from the table and went to our bedroom and changed. It feels good to be getting out of the house. I really need to be doing something so I don’t dwell on Grandma’s passing.

We drove over to the St. Catharines Walker Branch of the YMCA of Niagara where Uncle Carl has a family membership. He reserved the court for 2 hours. We played hard and we beat the old guys several times. They managed to pull out a win at the last minutes because they wore us down! I love racquetball and I love it even more when I’m playing with Rick as my partner on the court! I get a fantastic athlete who can hit every ball as my teammate AND most importantly I get watch his tight bubble butt as he runs around the court!

We played the full two hours. By that time, the older guys were ready to call it quits. Rick and I needed more exercise so we opted to go swimming. Dad and Uncle Carl joined us for a few laps then watched Rick and me as we continued to race each other back and forth across the pool. It felt good to work out my muscles after our all day trip home yesterday and our car trip from Hamilton to St. Catharines this morning. As I said before, the best thing about exercising with Rick is that I get see his hot body. Swimming with Rick is especially erotic for me since it always brings back memories of Rick trying to seduce me when we first met. We wore our Speedo swimsuits which attracted a lot of attention from both sexes!

Uncle Carl laughed, “Don, they’re good looking guys and they aren’t shy about it!”

Dad said, “Too bad we don’t have swimsuits like that. I’d sure enjoy seeing their reaction to a couple of old guys like us wearing something so revealing!”

Rick and I laughed. I said, “Dad, we can go shopping to find you and Uncle Carl a nice looking Speedo. I think you should do it!”

Uncle Carl smiled, “Let’s do it, Don. I think it will be a great thing for our wives to see us in a Speedo!” Uncle Carl paused for a moment and looked over at me, “Glenn, are you shaving off all of your body hair?”

“Yes, Uncle Carl, I like the feel of my skin that way,” I replied grinning at Rick.

“I like Glenn’s skin that way, too. Soft and smooth,” Rick said with a broad grin. “He’s so sexy in his Speedo isn’t he?”

Uncle Carl laughed, “I might consider shaving off my chest hair but I’d never shave my groin. It would make me feel like a little boy, again.”

Dad smiled, “I think you should do it just to see how you like it. Of course, you will need to talk to Hannah first.”

“Do you think Eva will approve of you getting a Speedo and shaving everything off?” Uncle Carl asked.

“I’m pretty sure she’d be okay with it,” Dad said. “Okay, boys, let’s get dressed and go hit the shopping mall! Glenn and Rick you’re not the only guys who can wear a Speedo swimsuit around here!”

We all got out of the pool and headed to the dressing room. It didn’t take us long to dry off and get our street clothes on. Uncle Carl drove us to the local mall and we headed back towards the men’s department. We didn’t find swimwear anywhere in the store. Rick finally stopped one of the store clerks and asked, “Do you know where we could pick up a couple of swimsuits?”

The young lady replied, “Try Dan’s Dive Shop. They might still have some swimsuits left. We cleared out everything a few weeks ago.”

Uncle Carl said, “Dan’s will only have stuff for scuba diving. I don’t think that they will carry the kind of Speedos we’re looking for Don.”

Rick said, “I brought several pair of Speedos as did Glenn. Maybe you guys can try them and see if they fit.”

Uncle Carl laughed, “I doubt that I’ll fill them out the way you do! You’re very well endowed in that department Rick. No wonder Glenn fell in love with you!”

Rick just laughed and put his arm around me. He leaned over and kissed me on the lips. “You’re so cute when blush, sweetheart. Uncle Carl is only teasing you because he knows it’s true.”

I looked into Rick’s eyes and smiled, “It’s true that you had my full attention the first time I saw you standing there naked in the kitchen doorway on full display; and yes, it’s one of the many benefits of being married to you!”

Dad laughed, “Okay, you two. Let’s get this show on the road. We’re getting enough stares already without you two making out in the men’s department.”

We left the store and drove over to Dan’s just to see if by some odd chance they had the skimpy Speedo swimwear we were trying to find for Dad and Uncle Carl. Uncle Carl knew the owner’s pretty well and spent some time talking to them. Unfortunately, they didn’t have what we were looking to find. We drove back to Guy Road and pulled into Uncle Carl’s driveway.

As we entered the house, Aunt Hannah called out, “Lunch will be ready in 15 minutes so don’t take too long to clean up guys!”

We trooped past the kitchen and back to our bedrooms. Uncle Carl and Dad joined us in our room as we pulled out the variety of Speedo swimsuits we had taken with us on our honeymoon. We spread them out on the bed while they looked them over.

Dad picked up a bright green one, “I’ll try this one.” He peeled off his clothes and pulled on the Speedo. It fit him perfectly! He modeled for us and looked himself over in the dresser mirror. “What do you guys think?”

Uncle Carl said, “You look good in it, little brother. Let’s see how I look in this little red number.” He stripped off his clothes and pulled on the swimsuit and stood next to Dad. “Not bad for a couple of old guys, eh?”

We followed them back to the kitchen where the women were sitting at the table chatting about what still needed to be done for the funeral.

Mom was facing the door. The look on her face as she saw Dad was priceless! I’ve never seen here at a loss for words before now! Aunt Hannah turned to see what had caused Mom’s look of surprise. She saw the two men in their Speedos and let out a loud whistle. “Boy! Oh, boy! Rick and Glenn have sure made some improvements around here! Don’t you agree, Eva?”

Mom only nodded her head. “Well, Mom, what do think?” I asked afraid of what she might say.

Mom found her voice and said, “I think your aunt and I are taking our men on a mini-honeymoon to the beach!”

Aunt Hannah laughed, “Yes, that’s right and it’s going to start right now!” She got up and kissed Uncle Carl. “Rick and Glenn, you can visit us any time. I think you two have had a very healthy effect on our men. I’ve always thought the Nielsen boys were very good looking but seeing you two in those swimsuits really is eye catching!”

Mom laughed, “I agree with Hannah. I think we got the two best looking men out of the whole Nielsen clan! Now, you two need to go get dressed. You can’t sit at the table that way or I won’t be able to keep my hands to myself and I WON’T embarrass myself in front of the kids.”

Dad protested, “They’re not kids, honey, they’re grown men and not only that they were the ones who gave us the swimsuits!”

Mom laughed, “I know that they are responsible adults and that they are properly dressed to eat at the table. Now you two go get dressed and then we’ll talk about planning that little trip to the beach!”

The two men were very pleased with the reception the women had given them. Uncle Carl asked, “So you approve of our choice of swimwear?”

Aunt Hannah got up and wrapped her arms around him, “Do you even have to ask?”

Aunt Hannah pushed him out of the kitchen towards the bedrooms. As she did, I saw her grab one of Uncle Carl’s butt cheeks and give it good squeeze before letting him go. Dad followed Uncle Carl. They soon returned to the kitchen looking quite pleased with themselves.

Dad said, “Thank you boys for sharing. I’m sure those swimsuits will see some use!”

Aunt Hannah said, “Help me put the food on table. We need to hurry because there is still a lot to be done.”

We said grace and soon the plates were bare of their contents. Aunt Hannah soon had us out the door and on our way over to the church. We had changed into our Sunday best and the women had dressed in black for mourning.

Reverend Riegger warmly greeted us and took us into the sanctuary where Grandma’s casket was already stationed in front of the altar. Many of the family were already present in the chapel.

Uncle Allen is my Dad’s oldest brother. He answered, “Yes, we’re all here now.”

The viewing and the funeral the next day went very well. Rick did his very best to comfort me and he managed to keep me pretty upbeat most of the time. Every time we met one of the elder family members, Rick would start asking questions about the family. Since we were newlyweds, they readily opened up to us. I took copious notes on a little notepad I’d tucked inside my suit jacket. After the funeral service and the dedication of the grave, most of the family returned to the church where lunch was served. This gave me another opportunity to talk with family members who knew more of our history than us younger ones. I was able to piece together a four generation chart. We were pretty proud of the work we’d done. I wanted to start one for Rick’s side of the family but knew that would upset Rick so I kept quiet about it.

Grandma and Grandpa Scarborough stopped by Uncle Carl’s home to say good-bye as they were heading back to Atlanta. Aunt Hannah said, “Thank you so much Chris for helping us out with the funeral arrangements. We’ll make sure to get you a check to cover what you spent.”

Grandpa looked surprised, “Hannah, you will do no such thing. I did it because I wanted to do it not because I expected to be paid back. I won’t accept anything from the Nielsen clan in payment for the funeral expenses. You need to take care of the outstanding medical expenses and what’s owed at the care center. The services went well and that should be all that needs to be said.”

Dad chimed in, “I agree with Eva. Don’t try arguing with my father-in-law!”

Grandpa grinned, “I’m glad to hear you say that Don. It’s taken me a long time to convince you that it’s okay to let me help you and your family.”

Dad blushed a little and nodded his head. He was just like a little kid who had been chastised by his father. “You’re right, Dad. It has taken me a while to be able to accept your help.”

I had never heard my Dad call Grandpa “Dad” before. It had always been Chris or my father-in-law but never “Dad.” My Mom put her arms around Dad’s waist and gave him a hug. “We’ve come a long ways haven’t we dear?”

Dad replied, “Yes, we have.” He looked over at me and Rick. Rick had his arm around my shoulders and I was snuggled up close to my man. Rick smiled at Dad, “Yes, Dad we’ve come a long ways, too. I finally decided it was time to marry Glenn but you have to admit it didn’t take me as long as it did you to decide to listen to Grandpa.”

Dad nodded his head. Grandpa said, “Rick, you were in a slightly different situation but yes, you did learn early on to listen to me.”

Grandma said, “Dear, we should be driving over to the airport or we’ll miss our flight home.”

We all laughed at Grandpa’s answer. Grandpa grinned, “And I learned early on to listen to your Grandma!”

Grandma laughed, “Yes, I’ve got you well trained dear. Take note Glenn how it’s done. If you have any questions, call me!”

I looked up at Rick and he ruffled my hair. “I’ve already learned to listen to Glenn.”

I grinned and nodded my head, “Yes, Grandma, he’s pretty well trained now, too.”

We said our good-byes to my grandparents. After they left, I looked at Rick, “When are WE going home?”

“How about we leave first thing in the morning? That way we’ll be home in time for dinner,” I said.

We spent the rest of the day getting our things ready for the trip home. Mom and Aunt Hannah had already packed up our wedding gifts so that was done. Rick and I spent the evening writing out thank you notes to all of our guests. It was late when we finished. I was putting the last “thank you” card in its envelope when Mom came into the kitchen.

“Good. I will take them to the post office in the morning. Are you two packed and ready to leave in the morning?” Mom asked.

“Since it’s so late, you should consider delaying your departure an hour or two so you can get a good night’s sleep,” Mom said.

Rick said, “I agree. We’ll leave about 9 AM instead of 7 AM like we’d planned. We have plenty of time to drive home. Glenn wants to stop at a couple of places on the way back so we may end up staying in a hotel somewhere along the way.”

Rick and I tidied up the kitchen so Aunt Hannah wouldn’t yell at us for making a mess. Rick took me by the hand and led me to our bedroom. He closed the door and trapped me against it as he kissed me. “I love you, Glenn,” he whispered in my ear as he nibbled on my earlobe.

I put my arms around his waist and pulled him closer to me, “I love you more. Take me to bed lover boy!”

We left as planned in the morning making our way down the Queen Elizabeth Way (QEW). We joined the morning rush to get over the bridge into the United States. The streets of Buffalo were crowded and I was glad when we finally reached the freeway and were able to pick up some speed.

Rick drove us east on Interstate 90 towards Rochester. Just past Rochester we got off I-90 and drove a few miles south to Canandaigua Lake.

“I remember Dad taking us on a wine tour around the lake. Mom had to drive since Dad wanted to taste all of the different wines,” I said.

“No, but I thought we could do dinner on the Canandaigua Lady Paddlewheel Boat. They serve a wonderful meal while we tour the lake,” I said.

Rick grinned, “That sound so romantic. It’s too bad I didn’t think of it first!”

“Yes, I love living my happily ever after fairy tale,” I replied. “I’ve been doing that for the six years since we met.”

Rick said, “It’s been a wonderful six years and the next 100 will be even better!”

Rick pulled into the parking area near the dock and turned off the engine. He leaned over and gave a quick kiss before opening his door. We walked along Lakeshore Drive to Steamboat Landing where we purchased our tickets for the evening tour. We decided to walk around a bit and enjoy the crisp autumn air.

We walked back to the City Pier. As we walked along the pier, Rick asked, “Do you want to stay overnight here?”

“I saw a brochure for The Inn on the Lake and I’d like to try it out. Since we’re going to be here a little later than we had planned, I’ll call and see if they a room,” Rick said.

Rick pulled out his cell phone and called the Inn. Rick told them we are newlyweds looking for a romantic place to stay. We were in luck; they not only had a room available but offered us a lake front suite with a Jacuzzi since it was open.

Rick smiled, “I think we can put that Jacuzzi to some good use don’t you?”

I laughed, “Men are all alike. They think of nothing but sex, sex, and more sex!”

“You can’t tell me you weren’t thinking the same thing I was!” Rick exclaimed as grabbed me around the waist and lifted me off the ground. “You’re a bigger horn dog than I am.”

I put my arms around his neck and looked down at him and laughed, “Yes, I have to admit I did have an image in my mind of you all naked waiting for me in the Jacuzzi when you made the reservation. You didn’t ask if they had vanilla scented candles to go with it though!”

Rick put me down and said, “We can stop by the local drug store and pick up a few scented candles to add to the whole experience.”

We walked up S. Main St. and browsed in the shops as we went. I managed to find a few things I liked. We returned to the car and I threw them in the back of the Land Rover. Rick drove us over to the Inn where we checked in. Rick opened the door to our suite and let me inside.

I responded, “You did well, Babe.” I wrapped myself around my man and gave him a tight squeeze.

Rick teased me, “Is that all I get for finding such nice accommodations?”

I laughed, “No, but you’ll have to wait until after dinner to get the rest of your reward!” I gave him a quick kiss. Well it started out as a quick kiss!

I looked at my watch and then touched my lover’s cheek, “Rick, we need to be going or we’ll miss the boat.”

Rick said, “Okay, let’s go.” Rick got up off of the bed and pulled me up to stand in his loving embrace. “I still get to have my reward after dinner. This was just a warm up for later.”

I put my hands on his chest and played with his nipples, “I’m looking forward to it, lover boy.”

We quickly dressed and left for Steamboat Landing. We boarded the paddlewheel boat and were seated at a table next to the window on the lower deck. I loved sitting across from my lover boy as the boat moved down the lake. Dinner was great and the company even better!

We returned to our suite at the Inn following our wonderful evening on the water. As soon as we closed the door, Rick pulled me into his arms and gave me a very passionate kiss. “Glenn, your husband requires your presence in his bed,” Rick said giving me a wicked grin that sent chills up my spine as he stripped off my clothes.

“Why would my husband have need of me tonight, pray tell?” I responded coyly as I slid Rick’s shorts over his hips and let them drop in puddle on the floor. Rick stepped out of them and took me by the hand and led me to our bed.

I pulled Rick’s shirt over his head causing his thick light-brown hair to stand up straight as he dropped his jockey shorts to the floor exposing me to the glorious sight of my husband’s perfectly formed body. I still can’t believe that this Adonis standing before is my husband. Rick watched me with a broad grin on his face as I did my visual inspection. He always enjoys posing for me! I started with his beautiful face with his very expressive grey eyes that reflected his need for me. Next, I looked at his lips as he ran his tongue over his teeth very seductively.

Rick new the effect he was having on me by licking his lips as I got hard down below. I moved on to the curve of his neck that I love to kiss and occasionally mark with my teeth, then on to his very broad shoulders and strong arms that hold me tight every night. I savored the look of the sculpted outlines of the muscles of his chest and abs and his very sensitive nipples. Next my gaze moved to his manhood which was already at full mast. My eyes devoured the sight of it in all its majesty before moving on to his strong legs and his perfectly shaped feet and toes. The visual stimulation of seeing my husband naked before me had me so amped up I could hardly contain the excitement and anticipation I felt. My desire for him went into overdrive.

I started to bounce on the balls of my feet I was getting so excited at the sight of my man. Rick smiled broadly showing his perfectly white teeth and asked seductively, “Did I pass your inspection, my love?”

“Yes. Now, I need you to make yours tonight, my husband,” I replied pulling him close to me and lifting my lips to meet his.

“Your wish is my command,” Rick said huskily as he gently kissed me and then pressed me down onto the bed and proceeded to do as I requested.

Later as we basked in the afterglow of our lovemaking, I looked into Rick’s eyes and said, “I love you, Mr. Lernier. Our wedding and honeymoon were the most memorable things that have ever happened to me. I will never forget how wonderful it is to be with you. Thank you for making it so special, sweetheart.”

Rick smiled and whispered in my ear, “You’re very welcome.” He continued to nibble on my ear before he captured my lips and gently kissed me again.

I laid my head on Rick’s chest and Rick put his arms around me. It wasn’t long before Rick’s breathing slowed and I could tell he was asleep.

Listening to the regular beat of Rick’s heart, I reflected on the events of the last few weeks: Rick’s marriage proposal, our move to Washington, DC, our marriage classes with Reverend Riegger, our time spent with Grandma Nielsen, our wedding, our reception and finally our honeymoon. Everything had fallen into place for us. Life is so wonderful! I want to start a family as soon as possible and I think Rick feels the same way. I know that having a family will change our relationship but I think it will only strengthen it and make it even more dynamic and wonderful! I think that twin boys would be great!

The only thing that brought me a little sadness was Grandma Nielsen’s passing but she had told us not to mourn her loss but to celebrate her life by remembering her and the things she had taught us during those last three weeks of her life. I feel deeply grateful that Rick and I had the opportunity to spend time with her. Grandma was right about Rick – he is the perfect man for me!

Author’s Note: Below is the Four Generation Table Glenn and Rick put together after talking to other family members:

1st Generation	2nd Generation	3rd Generation	4th Generation
			Peter Johannes Nielsen b. Belleview, Ontario Canada Married Anne Marie Olsen b. Morcult, Vejle, Denmark
		Johannes David Nielsen B. Belleview, Ontario, Canada Married Ivy Dawn Zimmerman B. Toronto, Ontario, Canada
	Donald Glenn Nielsen B. St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada		Hans Heinrich Zimmerman B. Langau, Bern, Switzerland Married Mary Katherine Stewart B. Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Russell Glenn Nielsen B. Swift Current, Saskatchewan, Canada Md. Richard James Lernier B. San Diego, California, USA
	Eva Lynn Scarborough B. Savannah, Georgia, USA		Andrew Mark Scarborough B. Danielsville, Georgia, USA Married Lula Belle Christian B. Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
		Christian Dwight Scarborough B. Macon, Georgia, USA Married Era Lena Bragg B. Savannah, Georgia, USA
			Thomas Samuel Bragg B. Savannah, Georgia Married Lucy Ann Smith B. Raleigh, North Carolina