I awoke in my lover’s arms, feeling safe and warm.  I lightly ran my hand over his chest, stopping to play with his nipples.  I heard him moan with pleasure, letting me know he was awake.  I lifted my head and captured his lips in a tender kiss.  I pulled back to gaze deeply into his eyes.

“I love waking up in your arms, Babe.”

Rick cupped my cheek with his hand, “I’m so glad I married you.” 

I covered his hand with mine.  “You’re the best thing that has ever happened to me.  You were a great comfort to me last night.  You know, I haven’t been close to Dad for a long time; so, I didn’t’ expect to get all emotional when he passed.  I really fell apart on you.”

Rick said, “That’s why I’m here, Babe.   I’ll always be by your side.”  He paused to rub noses with me.   “Despite your disagreements with your Dad, you still loved him, Glenn.”

His words made sense to me.  I had kept myself busy all day after Mom’s phone call, getting prepared for our drive to St. Catharines.  When we had finally gone to bed, the reality of Dad’s passing hit me, and I had broken down in tears, clinging to my husband for comfort.  Rick held me tight, and waited for the storm to pass.

“I suppose you’re right, Rick.  I’ve resented his attempts to interfere in our marriage, for some time.  He promised he wouldn’t mess with us, then broke his promise,” I said.  “I thought being in a nursing home and unable to speak would’ve mellowed him out a bit; but, he still tried to interfere in our relationship.”

“Yes, he did; but, you took the higher road, Glenn.  You didn’t let your anger toward him spoil his relationship with his grandchildren.  Our children loved him very much, and he doted on them,” Rick said.

“Well, I’m no saint, by any means,” I said.  “However, I remember how I felt growing up.  My Dad wouldn’t let us have anything to do with Mom’s family.  I only got to know them after I left for college.  I didn’t want to repeat that cycle.  I wanted my children to know their grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins.  I want them to have a good sense of family.”

Rick smiled.  “I think we’ve done a good job of creating a strong sense of family for our children.”

I smiled at my husband.  “Yes, we have.  We’ve made it clear we don’t disown someone, just because they won’t do what we want them to do.”

Rick’s expression grew solemn.  “I’m glad you feel that way.  There was a time, not so long ago, I was afraid you would leave me, because I reconciled with my mother.”

I frowned, not sure why Rick chose to bring the subject of his mother into our conversation.  “Rick, you know that wasn’t the issue.  I was upset with you for placing our children in a situation where they could’ve been harmed.  Remember?”

Rick said, “I know; but, it sure felt like you didn’t want me to be reconciled with her.”

I thought for a moment, before responding.  “Well, I admit I felt threatened by her, Rick, because you seemed to put her wants and desires ahead of your relationship with me.”

Rick gazed into my eyes, searching them.  He finally said, “I’m sorry.  I didn’t intend to hurt you.”

“I know you didn’t intentionally set out to make me feel like I wasn’t as important to you as your mother; but, it still hurt when you chose to ignore my wishes,” I said.  I smiled at my husband, taking both of his hands in mine.  “That’s all in the past, and you’ve managed to convince me I’m still number one in your life.”

I leaned over, and kissed him.  He took me in his arms, pulling me closer to him.  “May I demonstrate just how much you mean to me?”

“Certainly,” I said, rubbing noses with him, then kissing him passionately as I straddled him.  I moved back and forth over his rock hard member, clasping it between my cheeks.  He moaned into my mouth.  He wrapped his arms around my waist, and rolled me onto my back.  He lifted my legs over his shoulders, as he pushed into me, making me gasp with pleasure!  My man knows exactly what to do to bring me to new heights of passion!

*** ***

We were enjoying the euphoria produced by fantastic sex, when we heard a knock on our door.  I reached down to pull the sheet up over our naked bodies.  “Come in!” I shouted.

The door opened, and Kyle walked into our room.   As usual, he was dressed only in his boxer shorts.  He padded across the room to sit at the foot of our bed.  He grinned at us.  “I waited until I couldn’t hear you anymore.”

I glanced at my husband, and grinned.  “I believe he’s referring to your snoring.”

Rick laughed.  “Somehow, I don’t think that was it.”

Kyle’s smile broadened, and his deep brown eyes sparkled with merriment.  “You two are always pretty loud when you’re having sex.”

I blushed, but said, “I can’t help it.  Your Dad knows how to make love to me until I lose complete control.”

Kyle rolled his eyes.  “Yes, I know.”

Rick said, “Enough about us, young man.  What’s up?”

Kyle’s expression changed to one of great sadness.  “I miss Grandpa.”

I signaled for him to join us.  He moved from the foot of the bed, and sat next to us.  Rick put his arm around him, and said, “We all miss him.” 

Kyle curled up against his Dad, and put his arms around Rick.  Watching them, reconfirmed to me how fortunate I was to have found such a wonderful husband and father.  Kyle mumbled into Rick’s chest, “I feel like everyone I love is passing away.   My mom and dad were killed in a car accident.  My Grandma died; and, now, Grandpa Nielsen.  I’m afraid I’ll lose you and Daddy, too.”

“We’re not going to die anytime soon, son,” Rick said, smoothing Kyle’s dark brown hair.  “Besides, if something were to happen to your Daddy and I, we’ve already made arrangements for all of you to live with your Uncle Randy and Uncle Shawn.”

Kyle pulled back to look his father in the eyes, and said, “I know we wouldn’t be alone, Dad.  I love Uncle Randy and Uncle Shawn, but they aren’t you and Daddy.”

“Well, we aren’t going anywhere, sweetheart,” I said, leaning over to lightly kiss his cheek.  “We’ll be here for you, no matter what.”

Kyle continued to cling to his Dad for comfort.  He looked over at me, and said, “I want to play a special musical number for Grandpa’s funeral.”

“Okay, we’ll talk to your Grandma, to let her know you want to be part of the program,” I said.  “She has already arranged for your aunts to sing Grandpa’s favorite hymn, ‘In the Garden.’”

Kyle said, “I know.  He asked us to sing it for him many times.  Ashley is writing a poem for him.”

I smiled.  “Yes, she told me last night.”

Kyle released his hold on Rick and sat up.  He had a puzzled look on his face.  “I was wondering where do we go after we die.”

I said, “The twins told me you were talking about that the other day.”

Kyle nodded his head, acknowledging he had been talking to them about the subject.  “I was talking about it, because I want to know if I’m going to see my birth parents again.”

I looked over at Rick.  He said, “I’m not sure where we go after we die, son; but, I believe we go to a place called paradise, to wait until the day of judgment.  I believe we’ll see all of our loved ones there.  I also believe we’ll be together with our families forever.  Most churches teach we are sons and daughters of God, so I have to believe we will return to live with Him after we die.”

Kyle looked over at me, and asked, “Do you believe that, as well, Daddy?”

“I do.  Have you talked to Pastor Wilson?” I asked.

Kyle shook his head.  “No, he always seems too busy to talk to on Sundays.”

“We could arrange for him to visit us, after we return from Canada, to have a discussion about the afterlife,” Rick suggested.

Kyle looked at us, and said, “I’d like that.  I’m very confused about things.  Catharine’s church teaches so many things that are different than those taught by Pastor Wilson.”

There it was!  Catharine was the source of Kyle’s concerns about religion.  I had wondered if she hadn’t tried to convert him to her religion.  I’m so glad they aren’t dating, anymore!  “I didn’t know you had religious discussions with her.”

Kyle blushed, and looked away from us.  “She had the missionaries from her church meet us at her house,” he admitted.  He finally looked back at us.  “I hope you’re not mad at me.”

Rick said, “We’re not upset with you.  However, we are a little disappointed you didn’t talk to us first, before meeting with them.”

Kyle said, “I’m sorry I didn’t talk to you about it.  I didn’t think you would approve.”

“You’re right, Kyle,” I said.  “Her church is very anti-gay.”  I wasn’t happy at all to hear Kyle had deliberately withheld information from us.

“I know,” Kyle said.  “That’s why I didn’t want to talk to you about it.”

Rick, trying to diffuse the situation, asked, “What did they teach you?”

“They said families can be together forever,” Kyle said.

I said, “That’s what we believe.”

“Yes, it is; but, they insisted I had to be baptized into their church, along with all of our family, or we wouldn’t be together,” Kyle said.

“That isn’t surprising.  Most churches insist they are the only ones authorized to represent God.  They always try to convince you to belong to their congregations, stating they are the only ones who can help you enter into the kingdom of God,” I said, still feeling a little miffed that Kyle hadn’t been forthcoming about meeting with missionaries from Catharine’s church.

Kyle said, “Even Pastor Wilson has said that.”

“Yes, he has; but he doesn’t claim to be the sole source of access to God.  He encourages all of us to find God, ourselves,” I replied, starting to warm up.  I despise religion and it’s adherents.  I tolerate attending church with my family, since I made a promise to their grandmother, Mrs. Reed, to make religion a part of their lives. 

I have done my best to encourage them to ask questions and search out the truth, instead of blindly following the dictates of any church.

Rick gave me a pointed look, before looking back at Kyle.  He knows me so well!  He asked, “Have we answered your questions?”

Kyle said, “Yes, you’ve shared what you believe about the afterlife.  I want to believe I’ll see my parents and Grandma again.”

“I believe you will, Kyle,” I said.  “But, as your Dad has said, we can invite Pastor Wilson over to have a discussion with us about the subject.”

Rick said, “We’re also open to inviting other religious people over to talk about their beliefs; however, we won’t be inviting missionaries from Catharine’s church into our home, because of their anti-gay activities.”

Kyle met my eyes, and said, “I’m sorry I didn’t talk to you first, before meeting with those missionaries.”

I leaned over to kiss his cheek.  “It’s okay.  Just remember you don’t have to hide things from us, Kyle.  We love you and we’re always willing to listen.” 

Kyle smiled, “I’m glad you’re my Dads.  You always seem to know the answers to my questions; or, at least, you know where to find answers.”

“Honestly, Kyle, we have some of the same questions you do,” I said.  “I have often asked myself how a loving God could allow us to suffer so much cruelty and evil at the hands of those who profess to be his followers.”

Rick said, “See what you’ve started, Kyle?  We won’t be able to get your Daddy to stop talking about the evils of religion.”

I gave Rick a withering look, before grinning at them.  “Alright, I won’t bash religious zealots until we return from Canada.”

Kyle laughed.  “I don’t think you’ll be able to hold out that long, Daddy!”

Rick said, “I think Kyle’s right.  You won’t be able to resist getting in a jab or two about religious hypocrisy.”

I said, “But, you love me, anyway.”

Rick kissed me, and said, “Yes, I do.”

The door was suddenly pushed open, and two very excited little boys ran into the room.   They jumped onto our bed and crawled in between me and Rick.

JJ said, “It’s time for breakfast, Dad and Daddy.  David made pancakes and Purev cooked eggs and sausages.”

“I helped make the oatmeal,” Josh said.

I looked at Rick and said, “It sounds like we have a big breakfast waiting for us.”

Josh said, “David said we had to wait, until you came downstairs for breakfast.”

“So, we came upstairs to get you, because we’re hungry,” JJ said.

Kyle laughed.  “You two are always hungry!”

“That’s because we’re growing boys.  We want to be big, like you,” JJ said, seriously.

“Okay, boys, off you go, while your Dad and I get showered,” I said.

The twins jumped off the bed and scampered out of the room.  Kyle stood up, and said, “Thank you for listening to me.”

“You’re welcome, son,” Rick said.

Kyle crossed the room to the door, and turned around, grinning at us.  “Don’t spend too much time in the shower, or Daddy will be too sore to walk straight!”

I laughed, and said, “We’ll see about that!”

He closed the door, and Rick got up, pulling me to my feet.  “Let’s get cleaned up.”

A while later, we joined the rest of the family in the kitchen.  The entire family was gathered around the kitchen table.  I said, looking around at our children, “Good morning, everyone!”

They chorused back, “Good morning, Dad and Daddy!”

Rick and I took our seats, and Rick said, “Let us pray.”

We reached out to take the hands of those on either side of us, and Rick began, “Oh Lord, God, we thank you for this food and for those who prepared it.  We thank you for Dad Nielsen and ask you to take him into your arms.  We ask you to give us comfort and watch over us as we journey to St. Catharines today.  Amen.”

We all said, “Amen.”

I said, “Thank you all for cooking breakfast this morning.”

As we ate, Rick asked, “Is everyone ready to go?”

Ashley said, “I’m ready, and I helped the twins pack their things.”

David said, “Purev and I are ready.”

Kyle said, “I’m ready, too.”

Rick said, “Everyone, please bring your gear downstairs and take it out to the minivan.  Kyle, will you pack the van?”

Kyle smiled, and said, “Sure, Dad.”

As the children left the kitchen, our front door opened, and we heard Zach and Todd in the foyer.  Zach shouted out, “We’re here!”

I stepped out into the foyer, and said, “Good.   I’m glad you’re ready to go.”  I walked over to Zach and wrapped my arms around his waist.  I looked up into his eyes, and said, “I wish you could drive up with us.”

Zach kissed me, and said, “I wish I could, too.”

I released him, and turned to Todd.   He took me into his arms and held me tight.  “How are you holding up, Glenn?”

I replied, “I’m okay.  I’ve only had one meltdown, and Rick helped me through it.”

Todd pulled back and looked into my eyes.  “I know you too well, Glenn.  Are you really okay?”

I met his gaze, and said, “I’m okay, really.”

He released me and turned to Zach.  “We’ll have to keep a close eye on this one.”

Zach grinned, and said, “We already do.”

I laughed.  “Yes, both of you already take very good care of me.  I feel like I have three husbands, instead of just one.”

Rick came up behind me, slipping his arms around my waist.  He smiled at Zach and Todd.  “It takes three of us to keep you out of trouble.”

I protested, “I don’t get into trouble!”

Zach shook his head.  “I have to agree with your husband, Glenn.”

I stuck my tongue out at him.  He immediately leaned over and gave me a kiss.

“You shouldn’t stick your tongue out at someone, unless you want to be kissed,” Zach said, grinning.

I retorted, “I know I can always count on you to deliver.”

I heard the children coming back down the stairs.  “I guess we’d better grab our gear.”

Rick released me, and took my hand, leading me upstairs to our room.  We grabbed our stuff and left the room.  Kyle met us in the hallway.  “Dad, I’ve loaded everything, except yours.”

Rick said, “Thank you, son.  I’ll take care of our luggage.”

He followed us downstairs.  Rick went outside to pack our luggage.  Jeff and Cole pulled up with Caroline and Marie.  He rolled down the window, and asked, “Is everyone ready to leave?”

Rick stepped over to Jeff’s SUV.  “I think we’re ready.”

Zach strolled over to join them.  Jeff asked, “Are you guys ready?”

Zach responded, “Yes, we’re ready.  I’m glad you suggested that Todd and the twins ride up with you.  I’ll rent a car at the airport when I fly in for the funeral.”

Jeff said, “It helps us, as well.”  He turned off the engine, and got out of the car, walking around to the back to open the door.  Todd walked over with their luggage, followed by the twins.

Cammy said, “May we ride with Uncle Rick and Uncle Glenn?”

Todd said, “Yes, if the other boys want to switch places with you.”

Skye said, “I’ll ask David and Purev if they’ll switch places with us.”

They turned and ran over to David and Purev.  David saw them coming, and turned to Purev,  “How much do you want to bet they want to ride in the van?”

Purev laughed.  “No bet here.  Ashley, do you want to ride with Uncle Jeff, as well?”

Ashley said, “Sure.  Uncle Todd can ride with Dad and Daddy, since Cammy and Skye will be in the minivan with the twins.”

Cammy stopped in front of the boys, and asked, “Will you guys switch places with us?”

David looked at Purev and winked.  “Sure, and Ashley will switch places with your Dad, so he can ride with you.”

Skye exlaimed, excitedly, “Awesome!” 

The twins ran back to their dad.  “We’re riding with you in Uncle Rick’s van.”

Todd smiled and said, “Okay, climb in the van, and I’ll be right over.”   They ran back to the van, passing the teenagers as they made their way over to Jeff’s vehicle.

Caroline said, “Ashley, sit with us in the back.”

Ashley said, “Okay.”  She joined the girls in the rear seat, leaving Kyle, David, and Purev the middle seats.

Cole looked over his shoulder.  “It’ looks like we have a full load.”

Kyle said, “We sure do.”

David said, as he put on his seat belt, “It’s a good thing I’m so skinny.”

Jeff glanced into his rearview mirror.  “Yes, it is, David.  We can rotate between the vehicles, so you don’t have to spend the entire trip in the center seat.”

David grinned.  “I’m not complaining.  I like being next to Purev.”

Purev smiled, and said, “I’m good, too.”  He leaned over and kissed David on the lips.

Kyle laughed.  “Okay, you guys need to keep it G-rated.  Besides don’t you both have boyfriends?”

Purev said, “Yes, we do; but that doesn’t mean we can’t be good friends.”

David said, “Yeah, like Daddy and Uncle Todd.  They’re good friends and love each other very much.”

Purev said, “We talked to Daddy about it.  He said we needed to set ground rules for our friendship; and to make sure our boyfriends agree with those ground rules, so we won’t have any misunderstandings.”

Cole, who had been listening intently to the boys’ conversation, asked, “So, what is the agreement your Dads have with Uncle Zach and Uncle Todd?”

David looked at Purev, who shook his head.  He said, “Daddy said he didn’t want us to share that information with anyone outside of the family.”

Cole looked over at Jeff, and asked, “Do you know, Jeff?”

Jeff shook his head.  “I’ve never asked.  I figured they would tell me, if I had a need to know.  Zach and Rick have made it pretty clear I’m to protect them and their families from every possible intrusion into their personal affairs.”

Appropriately chastised, Cole said, “I’m sorry, boys.  I shouldn’t have asked you that question.  Thank you, Jeff, for reminding me of my duty to protect their family.”

Kyle said, “I’ll tell you this much, Cole.  Uncle Zach and Uncle Todd are like a second set of parents to us.”

Cole said, “I know.  I’ve seen how the four of them interact with each other, and with each of you.  I’m simply amazed at how much love there is in your family.”

David said, “I’m glad we have four gay Dads to take care of us.”

Purev said, “I like living with them, because they are gay.  My dad still won’t speak to me.”

Cole said, “Yes, you’re fortunate you were able to find a place to go, when your dad kicked you out of his house.   There are many gay teens who aren’t so lucky.”

Purev smiled, “I was lucky Mr. Eccles took me in.  I didn’t know where to turn, but I knew he was gay, so I went to his house and knocked on his door.”

Cole nodded head.  Jeff had related Purev’s story to him, when he was first hired to protect the Lernier and Anderson-Ingram families.  Cole continued to talk to the teens about their lives, listening attentively. 

During a refueling stop, he waited until the teens were out of hearing, before turning to Jeff, and said, “They are the most amazing guys I’ve ever met.  Rick and Glenn are doing a bang up job of raising them.”

Jeff smiled, “Yes, they are; but, you knew that already from working with them.”

Cole said, “Yes, I’ve seen how they interact with their children; but, I’m still amazed at how self confident they are.  They know who they are, and know what they want from life.  Each of them has a strong sense of self worth.”  Seeing Jeff’s frown, he quickly added, “I don’t mean that in a negative way, Jeff.  They aren’t arrogant, or anything like that.  When I was their age, I wish I had been as confident about myself and my place in the world, as they are.”

Jeff said, “They are well on their way to becoming great men.  However, each of them is just as fragile as any teenager.  They have their insecurities and uncertainties; but what sets them apart is their home environment.  Rick and Glenn, along with Zach and Todd, have created a home where their children know they are loved and wanted.  They also have made their home a safe environment for their children to explore who they are, without fear of being judged.  I’ve tried to create the same thing in my home, for my girls.  Remember, we had an extended conversation about it a few days ago.”

Cole nodded his head in understanding.  “I remember.  I’m glad we talked about it.  I want to help you maintain that kind of home for Caroline and Marie.  I’m just afraid I’m not going to measure up as a step-dad.”

Jeff leaned over and kissed his fiance.  “Stop worrying about it, Cole.  You’ll do just fine.” 

*** ***

We arrived without incident in St. Catharines, travelling the 420 miles (676 Km.) in a little over 8 hours.  As we pulled into the driveway of our home on Guy Road, the twins shouted out, “Hurrah!   We’re finally home.”

As soon as Rick turned off the engine, Cammy and Skye opened the door and jumped out.  JJ shouted after them, “Wait for us!”

Cammy turned back and climbed back inside the van.  He reached over to help each of the twins out of their booster seats.  He grinned at them, and said, “Let’s go!”

They bolted from the van like a flock of birds suddenly set free!  Todd laughed.  “You’d think they had been riding in the car for 8 hours, or something.”

I said, “That’s because they have been.”  I climbed out of the van, and walked around to the back to help Rick unload our luggage.  Todd joined us.  We hauled our stuff up the steps to the front door.

Rick said, “Okay, boys, back up a bit so I can unlock the door.”

The two sets of twins jostled each other, as they moved out of the way, allowing him to move forward.  Rick opened the door, and they bolted inside.  We followed them inside.  Rick and I took our gear upstairs. 

Rick said, “Let’s get the rest of the luggage inside, then I want to shower with you.”  He gave me a lecherous grin.   Seeing his look of pure lust, sent a shiver of anticipation running down my spine.  I knew that look well!

I returned his grin, and said, “Let’s hurry, then.”

He took my hand, leading me back downstairs.  Todd met us in the foyer.  He took one look at us, and said, “I’ll watch the children.”

Rick smiled his thanks, “You’re the best, Todd.”

Todd laughed, and said, “No, I’m not; but, I do know the look on your faces and what it means.”

The teenagers passed us on their way inside.  The girls were laughing and teasing the boys.  I looked at Rick, and said, “I’m glad they seem happy.  I was afraid they would be too depressed to enjoy the trip up.”

Rick said, “They’re pretty resilient, so I wouldn’t worry about them.”

We grabbed the remaining luggage, and locked up the van.  Jeff and Cole joined us, as they hauled their own luggage inside.  Noting the tent in Rick’s pants, Jeff said, “I can see you two have plans for the next little while.”

Rick just grinned and nodded his head.  Cole said, “I hope we’re like that when we’ve been together as long as you have.”

I said, “I’m sure you and Jeff will do just fine in that department.” 

Jeff put his arm around Cole’s waist, as they climbed the stairs.  Jeff said, “We’ll see you guys later.”  He led Cole down the hall to their room.  As soon as the door was closed, he pushed Cole up against the door, capturing his lips in a passionate kiss.

Cole’s body responded to his finace’s caresses, making him rock hard.  He whispered, “I hope you don’t intend to stop.”

Jeff pulled back, and said, “Out of your clothes, mister!”

Cole complied, stripping out of his clothes in seconds, tossing them aside as Jeff guided him to their bed.  Jeff lost his clothes, and quickly joined his lover.

*** ***

We emerged from our shower, having sated our desire for each other.  We helped each other get dressed, before we joined the rest of our family downstairs.  We entered the kitchen to find Todd had things well in hand.

He smiled at us, and asked, “Are you ready to eat?”

Rick said, “I’m ravenous!”

“You’re always hungry after we have sex,” I said, punching him playfully in the shoulder.

Rick responded, laughing, “That’s true.”

Todd said, “I’m amazed at you two.  You act like sex-crazed teenagers.”

Kyle walked up behind us, putting his arm around each of us.  He said, “I think they are worse than teenagers, because I don’t go around having sex every chance I get.”

Rick said, “That’s good, because you’re not married yet.”

Kyle smiled up at his father.  “I’m saving myself for my wedding day.”

Rick said, “I’m happy to hear you’re not fooling around with anyone.”

Kyle said, “But after I’m married, I’m sure I’ll enjoy having sex as much as you and Daddy do.”

Rick ruffled his hair.  “I’m sure you will.  I don’t know of any guy who doesn’t love having sex as often as he can get it.”

Kyle released us, and turned to Todd.  “Uncle Todd, do you and Uncle Zach like having sex as much as my Dads?”

Todd grinned, and said, “Yes, if not more.”

Before Kyle could ask another question, the timer on the oven went off.  Todd turned to turn it off.  “Dinner is ready.  Please call the rest of the children to the dinner table.”

Kyle turned and shouted down the hallway, “Dinnertime!”

Within seconds, we heard both sets of twins racing each other down the hallway.  Todd saw them, and said, “Slow down, boys!”

Cameron, Skye, JJ and Joshua stopped in their tracks, then slowly made their way to their seats at the table.

Todd placed a platter of baked chicken on the table, along with baked potatoes and a green salad.   The teenagers joined us, as did Jeff and Cole.  I glanced over at Jeff and Cole.  They had that glow that comes from enjoying great sex with someone you love!  Cole caught my eye, and grinned.  I winked at him, because I’m sure Rick and I had that same glow!

As soon as we were all seated at the table, Rick said, “Let’s say grace.  Kyle, please do us the honors.”

After Kyle said grace, we dug into the home cooked meal.  “Remind me to thank Aunt Hannah for stocking the fridge,” I said.

Todd said, “She is wonderful to us.”

Kyle said, “I love Aunt Hannah’s pecan pie.”

Todd stood up and walked over to the counter, lifting the cover off of a pie plate.  He turned around, showing us a mouth-watering pecan pie.  “She must have been thinking of you, Kyle.”

“And me,” Rick said, grinning.  “Remind me to give her an extra hug for leaving us a pie.”

Todd asked, “Who wants pie?”

There was an immediate chorus of, “I do!” from all of us.  Todd counted us and said, “Well, I think I can cut the pie into small enough slices.”

Kyle, peering behind Todd, said, “Isn’t that a second pie, behind you on the counter.”

Todd laughed.  “I had hoped to save that one for later.”

Kyle looked over at his father, and said, “Dad, are you going to let Uncle Todd get away with that?”

Rick grinned, and said, “Certainly, because he and I are going to split it between us, after you’re in bed.”

Kyle protested, “No fair!”

Todd placed the first pie on the table, and turned to retrieve the second one.  “Okay, we’ll share both pies.”  He met Kyle’s gaze, and smiled.  “You’re so easy to tease, Kyle.”

Kyle shook his head.  “I’m not as easy as you think.”

Todd’s smile grew broader.  “Well, we’ll see.”

As Kyle started to protest, I cut him off.  “Kyle, don’t challenge you’re uncle.  You won’t win, I promise.”

Ashley said, “Listen to Daddy, Kyle.  He knows.”

Kyle looked at his sister, then at me.  He sat back on his chair and folded his arms across his chest.  He said, sulkily, “Okay.”

Ashley smiled at her brother.  “Now, don’t pout.”

Caroline said, “Doesn’t he look so cute!”

Marie said, “Yes, Kyle is good looking.”

I watched Kyle’s expression change from reluctant acceptance that his sister was right, to one of pride and slight embarrassment, as he listened to the girls’ comments.

Marie looked across the table at him, and said, “I think you’re the best, Kyle.”

He smiled at her, and said, “Thank you, Marie.  I think you’re pretty cool, youself.”

Her sister said, “Marie, don’t encourage him.  He’s already got a big ego.”

Kyle grinned, and said, “Yes, I do, and I’m proud of it.  Just admit it, Caroline.  I’m the best looking guy you know.”

Caroline said, “Yes, you’re good looking, but your Dads are better looking.”

Kyle looked at her in horror.  “These two old men can’t be better looking than me!”  He looked over at us, grinning as he said, “I guess they’re okay for old men.”

Rick reached over and ruffled Kyle’s hair.  Kyle moved away from his Dad.  “Dad, hands off the hair!”

Rick laughed, and said, “I know where you sleep, so I suggest you be kind to your old man, unless you want to wake up bald in the morning.”

Kyle grinned broadly.  “I know where you sleep, too, Dad.”

“Yeah, but there are two of us, and there’s only one of you,” Rick responded.

I said, “I think we should take a picture of Kyle when he’s asleep, and send it out to all of his friends.  I think one with his mouth open, snoring away would be perfect.”

Kyle protested, “I don’t snore.”

David said, “You do, too.  I’ve heard you.”

Kyle shook his head, vehemently.  “I don’t snore.  I think you’ve mistaken me for our Dads.”

Purev said, “I’ve heard you snoring, like this.”  He made snorting noises, sounding like a pig eating at a trough of slop.

Kyle turned beet red, and said, “I do not sound like that!”

We all broke out laughing.  Rick slapped Kyle on the back.  “Come on, Kyle.  We’re just joking with you.”

Kyle looked somewhat mollified, but still insisted, “I know I don’t snore.”

David said, “Most of the time you don’t; but, I’ve heard you snore when you’ve had a bad cold.”

“Well, that’s different.  I wasn’t feeling well,” Kyle said, defensively.

Todd said, “You just proved my point.  You’re fun to tease.”

Kyle looked at Todd, and admitted, “You’re right, I don’t always catch on to the fact you’re teasing me.”

Todd said, “I would never allow myself, or anyone, to tease you to the point of being mean; but, we do like to have fun at your expense from time to time.”

Kyle smiled, and said, “I know you love me, Uncle Todd.”

Todd said, “Yes, I do, and so does the rest of our family.”

We finished our pie, and helped Todd with the clean up.  The twins grabbed David and Purev by the hand, pulling them toward the family room.  JJ said, “Please help us build a train.”

David said, “Okay, we’ll help you build a train track.  Purev?”

Purev said, “Let’s go.”

As they left the kitchen, Kyle asked the girls, “Do you want to watch a movie?”

Caroline answered, “Yes, but we get to choose the movie.”

Kyle smiled, and said, “Okay.”

The three girls left the kitchen with Kyle.  I stood up and walked over to Todd.  I put my arms around his waist, pulling him to me.  I said, “Thank you for the wonderful meal.”  I kissed him, and held him tight.  He wrapped his arms around me, and I buried my face in his chest.  His quiet strength comforting me.

“You’re welcome,” he said, resting his chin on my head.  Todd looked across the room at Rick.

Rick met his gaze and gave him a warm smile.  “Thank you, Todd.  We love you.”

Todd heard the sincerity in Rick’s voice, and it reaffirmed the love he had for these two men, knowing they loved him in return.

I pulled back and looked into Todd’s face.  “I love you, Todd.”

Todd lowered his head to kiss me.  “I love you, too, Glenn.”  He released me and sat down at the table.  I sat down next to Rick.

Cole looked at us, and asked, “I’ve never seen two couples as close as you guys are to Zach and Todd.  How do you manage it?”

I looked over at Todd, and said, “There is a mutual love and respect between the four of us.”

Todd said, “We’ve established clear lines of communication between us.”

Rick said, “It also helps that we’ve slept with them many times.  They’re both really HOT!”  He gave Todd an appreciative look.

Todd smiled, and said, “Rick and Glenn are just as good looking.  They have included us in their relationship, and we’ve opened ours to them.  Of course, we have set certain limits to help each couple maintain their cohesion as a unit.”

I said, “What he means is we only allow our husbands to fuck us, but everything else is okay.”

Cole said, “That is totally awesome!”

Jeff looked at his fiance.  “Don’t even think about it, Cole.  I have no intentions of sharing you with anyone.”

Cole leaned over to kiss him.  “I’m aware of that; but, I was just curious to know how their relationship with each other worked.”

“Well, now you know,” Rick said.  “That doesn’t mean it’s been easy.  We’ve had our rough patches.”

Todd said, with feeling, “That is an understatement.”

I said, “But things are good now.”

Todd said, “Yes, they are.”

Cole said, “We know.  We were around when things weren’t going to well.”

Jeff said, “Cole…”

Cole cut him off, “I know I shouldn’t bring it up.”

Jeff said, “It’s really none of our business what you guys do.”

Rick said, “That’s true, but I don’t mind answering Cole’s questions.”  He looked at Todd, then at me.  “Are you okay discussing what happened?”

Todd said, “I would rather not.”

Rick looked over at Cole, and said, “I’m sorry we can’t satisfy your curiosity, unless all of us agree.  I won’t violate the trust Todd has placed in me.”

Todd said, “It was a painful time for us.  We’re still recovering from what happened.”

I reached across the table, taking his hand in mine.  “We love you, Todd.”

He smiled at me, and gave my hand a gentle squeeze.  I released his hand, and said, “I need to call Aunt Hannah to let her know we’ve made it home.”  I pulled out my phone and called her.  “Hello,” I said.

Aunt Hannah said, “Hello, Glenn.”

“We’re home, and I wanted to thank you for stocking our fridge with food, and particularly for the pecan pies.”

“You’re welcome, Glenn.  I’m glad you’re home,” Aunt Hannah said.  “Your mother is here with us.  She wants to speak to you.”  She handed the phone to my mother.

“Glenn, I’m so happy you made it safely home,” she said.

“We’re happy to be back,” I said.

“Your brothers and sister will arrive tomorrow.  The viewing will be tomorrow night at the church,” she said.

“I thought you had decided you wanted a visitation, instead.  I thought you didn’t want to see Dad’s body laid out for burial” I said.

“Your brothers wanted a viewing, so all of Dads friends and extended family could say their ‘good byes’ to him.  Seeing him in the casket will be difiicult for me, but as long as I have my family around me, I’ll be okay,” she said.  There was a catch in her voice.   She stopped speaking, overcome by her emotions.

I asked, “Do you want us to come over?”

She said, “Yes.”

“We’ll be there shortly,” I said.

I ended the call and turned to Rick, “Mom wants to see us.”

Rick said, “I gathered that from your conversation with her.”

Jeff said, “We’ll stay here, unless you want one of us to come with you.”

I shook my head.  “We’ll be alright.  It’s only a few houses down from here.   We’ll call if we need anything.” 

We stood up, and Rick said, “I’ll go and get Kyle and Ashley, while you get the boys.”

“Okay,” I replied, turning toward the family room.  I entered the family room to see it had become a major construction zone!  Every square inch of the floor was covered by wooden train tracks, and each boy, including the teenagers, had their own wooden train, pushing it along the track.   I quickly pulled my cell from my pocket and took a photo.  I stood and observed them playing together.

As I watched them, I remembered my Dad taking us to my great-grandpa’s house in Belleview, Ontario.  Grandpa Peter collected all kinds of model trains.  My brothers and I loved spending time with Grandpa Peter in his workshop.  It was full of model trains laid out on tables holding miniature landscapes, with bridges and tunnels between the different tables.   We spent hours in the workshop, helping Grandpa Peter put the trains together and working on new tables with mountains, lakes and miniature cities.  Grandpa Peter’s brother, Erik, often joined us in the workshop.  Uncle Erik loved trains as much, or more than, Grandpa Peter.  Uncle Erik spent hours painting and building the landscapes.  He would use photographs of the places he was modeling to get all of the details just right.  Both men were like big kids playing with their trains! 

As much as I loved Grandpa Peter’s workshop, my favorite minature trains was the one outside.  It was big enough for us to ride on.  The track ran the perimeter of the large farm.  It had a real locomotive that Grandpa Peter drove, while we rode in the different train cars behind him.  He loved blowing its whistle.  He called it the Nielsen Railway.  I was so excited the day Grandpa Peter let me ride on the train engine with him.  Being the youngest great grandson, had its advantages!  My older brothers were green with envy, because he never let them ride on the engine.  Grandpa Peter knew exactly how to make me feel special.  I remembered my Dad congratulating me for being such a good train engine driver.  He hugged me and told me he loved me.  The memory of my Dad’s arms around me brought tears to my eyes.

I was brought back to the present when I heard footsteps on the stairs, and turned to see Rick walking toward me.   I brushed the tears from my eyes, and smiled at my wonderful husband.  I put my finger to my lips, and waved him over to join me.  He slipped his arms around my waist, nuzzling my hair.  I leaned back into him, enjoying the warmth of his body against mine.

He whispered in my ear, “I love you, Babe.”

I pointed to the children, and whispered, “See how well they play together?”

Rick looked at the children and smiled.  He whispered in my ear, “They inherited their interest in trains from your family.  I remember Uncle Erik showing us the model trains he built with your great-grandpa.”

I nodded my head.  “He even took us on a ride around the farm in Grandpa Peter’s miniature train.  I wonder if Dad’s cousin, Carl, has kept the trains, since he inherited the family farm from Uncle Erik.”

“Didn’t they divide the farm?” Rick asked.

I nodded my head.  “Yes, after Grandpa Peter died, they divided the farm between Uncle Erik’s family and ours; but, Uncle Erik paid our family for the other half in order to keep the farm together.  He didn’t want part of it sold off, since no one from our family wanted to farm the land.”

Rick said, “I remember that, now.  I had forgotten we received a check for our part of the money Uncle Erik paid the family for our part of the farm.”

Our whispered conversation was interrupted when JJ looked up and saw us.  He ran over to us, taking us each by the hand.  “Come see our trains.”  He pulled us into the room.  He pointed to his train, and said, “This is Percy.”  Pointing to the other boys, he said, “Josh has Thomas, David has James, and Purev has Gordon.”

Josh said, “We’re helping Thomas build more train tracks.  He wants to go everywhere in the house.”

David said, “We don’t have enough train tracks to go everywhere in the house.  We’ve already run out of tracks, Josh.”

JJ looked up at us, and asked, “May we buy more tracks?”

I smiled at our son, and said, “We’ll see, JJ.  Right now, it’s time for us to go see Grandma.”

Josh asked, “May we leave the trains out?”

Rick said, “Okay, but you have to put them away before you go to bed tonight.”

Josh walked over to Rick, and put his arms up.  Rick bent down to pick him up.  Josh wrapped his arms around Rick’s neck, and said, “Thank you, Dad.”

“You’re welcome, son,” Rick said.

Josh kissed his Dad on the cheek, and gave him hug.  “I love you, Dad.”

“I love you, too.  It’s time for us to go see Grandma,” Rick said. 

Skye looked over at us, and asked, “Are we going, too.”

Todd had come up behind us, and answered his son, “No, Grandpa and Grandma Anderson are going to be here in about 30 minutes to take us to their house.  Uncle Robbie and Uncle Adam will be there, as well.”  He turned to Rick and me.  “We’ll be back tomorrow evening for the viewing.”

I gave Todd a hug and a kiss.  Skye and Cameron approached me, and Cameron asked, “Uncle Glenn, will you leave the trains out, until we get back tomorrow?”

I looked at Rick, who smiled and nodded his head.  I said, “Sure, we’ll leave the trains out for you.”

The twins both gave me a hug, and returned to playing with their trains.  I looked over at David and Purev.  “Grandma is over at Aunt Hannah’s house, so we’re walking over.  You’ll need your coats, since it’s still pretty cold here.”

The teenagers passed us, and walked down the hallway to the foyer to get their coats.  We followed them with our twins.  David helped JJ on with his coat, while Purev helped Josh.  As we finished, Kyle and Ashley joined us, putting on their coats.  Seeing that everyone was ready, I walked back to the kitchen to let Jeff and Cole know we were leaving.

“We’ll see you guys in a few hours,” I said.

Jeff said, “Call, if you’re going to be much later than 10 PM.”

I grinned at him, and said, “Yes, mother.”

Jeff said, “You’ll think, ‘yes, mother,’ when I’m through with you, if you don’t call.”

I laughed, and said, “Alright, we’ll call.”

I turned, and caught up to Rick as they walked out of the door.  There was a carpet of fresh snow on the driveway and the sidewalks, from the spring snowstorm that had passed over the area after we arrived.  It wasn’t deep, but it made everything look so beautiful.  We walked down the street to Aunt Hannah’s, and knocked on the door.

She opened the door and invited us inside.  “Come in out of the cold.”

Each of the children hugged her, as they went inside.  Rick and I stepped inside, and closed the door.  We shed our coats, hanging them up in the closet.  We removed our snow covered shoes, adding them to the pile of shoes already behind the door, and turned to give her a hug.

Rick said, “Thank you so much for the pie.”

Aunt Hannah looked up at Rick and smiled.  “You’re most welcome, Rick.”

Rick released her, and I hugged her, kissing her cheek.  “Thank you for taking such good care of us.”

Aunt Hannah said, “It’s so easy to please you.”

Rick laughed.  “There is no better way to win your way into my heart than baking me one of your wonderful pecan pies.  You’re our favorite aunt.”

Aunt Hannah said, “You two have always been two of my favorite nephews.”

I grinned at her.  “You say that to all of your nephews.”

She nodded her head.  “That’s true, all of my nieces and nephews are my favorites.  Come into the kitchen boys.”

We followed her into the kitchen, finding Mom surrounded by her grandchildren.  She looked up at us, and smiled.  “Thank you for bringing the children.  They always lift my spirits with their happy little voices.”

At that moment, JJ, who was sitting on her lap, put his hand up to her chin to get her attention, and said, “Grandma, we built a huge train track at our house.”

Josh, standing next to her, said, “Yes, Grandma.   You have to come see it.  It’s covers the entire family room.”

She asked, “Did you build it all by yourselves?”

JJ shook his head.  “No, David and Purev helped us.”

“And Cammy and Skye,” Josh added.

“No wonder it’s so big,” Mom said.  “I promise I’ll come see it.”

The teens were helping themselves to the chocolate chip cookies Aunt Hannah had placed in the middle of the table.  She passed out glasses of cold milk to go with them.

Mom put JJ on the chair on one side and helped Josh sit on the other side of her.  She served them cookies and milk, then looked over at Rick and I as we took our seats across from her.

“I called Renata to let her know of Don’s death,” she said.  Seeing my look of surprise, she added, “I felt she had a right to know.  Besides, Don is the father of her child.”

“Are they coming down for the funeral?” I asked.

“Yes, they’ll be here tomorrow for the viewing,” she said.

“Won’t that be a little awkward?” Rick asked.

“Not if the rest of the family doesn’t make it that way.  I forgave Renata a long time ago, and Johnny is such a dear child,” she said.  She went silent for a few minutes, before she continued.  “I have a favor to ask of you two.  Please don’t answer right away, because I want you to think about it before you answer me.  I want Johnny to stay with you next summer, instead of staying here with me.  He spent every summer with us since he turned two; but, now that Don is gone, I’m not sure I’m up to entertaining the young man.”

Rick took my hand in his, and said, “The answer is yes.  We’ll be glad to have him stay with us for the summer.  Glenn and I have already talked about inviting him to our home; but, we weren’t sure Renata would consent to send him to the United States.”

Mom frowned.  “I don’t intend to send him out of the country.  I thought you could spend your summer here, in St. Catharines.  Aren’t you coming home for the summer?”

I looked at Rick, wondering what he was going to say.  We had argued about moving home for the summer.  I wanted to come home immediately after school let out for the summer; but, it looked like Rick was going to have a new job with Garth’s new company, and he didn’t want to move so far away from Virginia.  In fact, Garth had already put in a bid on a contract with the Marine Corps, and had listed Rick as one of the skilled employees working on the contract.

Rick looked at me, and I shrugged my shoulders, leaving it up to him to speak for us.  “I don’t know, Mom.  It looks like I’ll have a new job by summer, and I won’t be as free to travel, as I am right now.”

She said, “I understand.  Maybe, we can talk to Renata about sending Johnny to the States for a visit.”

JJ said, “We want Johnny to stay with us.”

Josh said, “We like Johnny.”

Ashley said, “Johnny really likes hanging out with Cammy and Skye.”

Kyle said, “Well, they’re the same age as Johnny.”

David said, “Johnny is really cool.  I like practicing my French with him.”

Ashley said, “Johnny helped me with my French last summer.”

I laughed, and said, “I wondered why your French suddenly improved.  Now, it makes sense.”

Kyle made a face, and said, “I’m doing really well in Spanish, but my French is still terrible.   Johnny tried to help me, but I just can’t make the right sounds come out of my mouth.”

Ashley grimaced, and said, “We know!”

Kyle gave his sister a withering look.  “Not everyone is as talented with languages as you are.”

Ashley only grinned, patting his arm.  “Don’t worry, Kyle, your French will improve with practice.”

“But, I don’t know anyone who speaks French,” Kyle protested.  “All of my friends speak Spanish.”

“You could speak French with us,” Ashley chided him.  “All of us speak French, even our baby brothers speak French.”

Kyle shook his head.  “Why am I the only one in the family that can’t speak French?  Even Purev can speak French, and he hasn’t been taught French by his parents like our Dads have taught us.”

I said, “Kyle, you do speak French.  It’s just you haven’t mastered the accent.  You know the words and the grammar; but, you need to listen carefully to how the words are pronounced, so you can improve your accent.”

Mom said, “Kyle, if it’s any comfort to you, I never learned to speak French.  Your Grandpa insisted I take classes, so I could understand our neighbors, but I never really mastered the language.”

Kyle smiled at his grandmother.  “At least, I’m in good company.”

She said, “Yes, you are.”   She looked him over, and said, “Kyle, I believe you have become even more handsome than you were a few months ago.  I bet the girls are fighting over you.”

Kyle blushed, but before he could respond.  Purev said, “And the guys.”  He grinned across the table at him.  Kyle blushed even more.  When he didn’t speak.  Purev continued, “Two of my gay friends at school want me to set them up on a date with Kyle.  I told them Kyle was straight; but, I would ask him, anyway.”

Kyle, still blushing, said, “Thomas and Alain aren’t exactly shy about it.  They approached me during lunch last Friday.”

Purev laughed.  “You should have seen Kyle.  They sat on either side of him and flirted with him.  It was so obvious what they were doing, even Robert commented on it.”

Kyle said, “You don’t have to remind me.”

Caroline said, “Why don’t you go out with Thomas?  He’s a really nice guy.”

Marie said, “And good looking, too.  I wish he would ask me out.”

Purev said, “There you go, Kyle.  You can double date with Marie.  You can go out with Alain, and she can go out with Thomas.”

Kyle said, “But, I not interested in guys.”

Purev said, “But, you can still go out on date with a guy.  It’s not like you’re taking him home to bed with you.  You’re just going out to have fun.”

Kyle shook his head.  “I don’t think Thomas would go with Marie.”

“Oh, I think he would,” Purev said.  “He’s dated girls before.”

JJ, bored with the conversation, asked, “May we play video games?”

I looked at Aunt Hannah.  “Sure, JJ.  You know where they are.”

JJ said, “Thank you, Aunt Hannah.  Come on, Josh.”

The boys scampered out of the room.  Mom said, “They are always so full of energy.”

Rick said, “Yes, they are.”

We heard the front door open, and Uncle Carl appeared in the kitchen doorway.  He said, “Hello, everyone.  I’m glad you made it safe and sound.”

I stood up and walked to him, giving him a hug.  “I’m glad to see you, Uncle Carl.”

He held me tight for a moment, before releasing me.  “I’m sorry for your loss, Glenn.  I miss your father.  We have always been close, and I miss my best friend.”  There were tears in his eyes.  He blinked rapidly, trying to control his emotions.  “I can’t believe he’s gone.  You know he is only a year older than I.”

I said, “I know.”

Aunt Hannah waved him over to sit next to her.  “But, you’re in great health, dear, and I’m sure you’ll live for many years to come.”

He patted her arm, and said, “I’m not going anywhere without you, so when it’s time for us to go, we’ll go together.”

She leaned over and kissed him.  “I love you.”

We could tell they loved each other very deeply, as we watched them interact with each other.

We chatted and caught up with each other’s lives, until the twins came into the kitchen, complaining about their hunger. 

Rick stood up and said, “We had better take them home, and get them ready for bed.”

JJ begged, “May we have more cookies and milk, before we go home?”

Rick laughed, “You’ll have to ask Aunt Hannah.”

Both twins turned to Aunt Hannah, but before they could say anything, she said, “Yes, my dears, you may have some cookies and milk.”

She stood up from the table, and retrieved the milk from the fridge.  She brought it to the table, with some glasses.  She turned around to grab the cookie jar, and placed it on the table, next to the milk.  “Okay, help yourselves.”

I reached over, and poured milk for them, while they reached into the cookie jar.  I looked around the table, and asked, “Is anyone else hungry?”

The teens nodded their heads, so I poured milk for them, as well.   After everyone finished their snack, I said, “Okay, let’s go, guys.”

We gave Uncle Carl, Aunt Hannah, and Mom hugs and kisses, before we pulled on our coats and headed out the door.

Rick and I had closed the door behind us, when we were pelted by snowballs.  I looked around, and saw Kyle making more snowballs.  Rick grinned, and said, “Alright, Kyle, this means war.”

We quickly dashed down the front steps, and onto the grass, where we grabbed as much snow as we could.   JJ and Josh managed to nail us with their snowballs.   I threw mine at JJ, just missing him.   He laughed, and said, “Missed me, Daddy!”

Meanwhile, Rick was doing his best to return fire, while the three older boys ganged up on him.   Ashley joined the twins, laughing with them as all three of them scored. 

I shouted, “Hey, no fair!  Three on one isn’t right!”

Josh said, “But, you’re bigger than we are.”  He lobbed his snowball at me, barely missing me.

“You’ve got to improve your aim, Josh,” I said, grinning.

Rick scored a hit against Kyle.   He turned to give me a high five.  I looked over his shoulder, seeing the three boys taking aim.  “Duck!”

We both hit the ground, allowing the ice missiles to fly over us.  David said, “You aren’t supposed to fall on the ground.”

We stood up, each with a snowball in each hand.   We launched them in unison, scoring hits against all three of the teens.  Meanwhile, Ashley and the twins took advantage of our lack of attention to them.   Ashley ran over and stuffed a snowball down the back of my shirt.

She laughed, “Got you, Daddy!”

The twins attacked their father, trying to put snowballs down his pants.  Rick swung around, catching them up in his arms.  That was his downfall, since the twins still held snowballs in their hands.  They managed to put a snowball down the front of his shirt.

Rick laughed, and said, “You’ll both pay for that!”

He set them on their feet, pulling the snowball out from under his shirt.  He chased them down the sidewalk toward our house, letting them stay ahead of him.  He caught them at our front door, and scooped them into his arms and carried them inside the house.

I pulled the snowball out of from under my shirt, and grinned at Ashley.   She saw my look, and said, “Oh, no you don’t.” 

She took off at a dead run toward our house.  I turned to the boys, and said, “Let’s go home, boys.”

Purev walked over to me, and put his arm around my shoulders.  “Thanks for being such a good sport.  I had a great time.  I wish my birth parents were as cool as you and Dad are.”

I put my arm around his waist, pulling him close.  “Purev, I wish things could be different; however, if your dad hadn’t been so homophobic, we never would’ve met you.”

Purev smiled, and said, “And, I wouldn’t have such a great boyfriend.”

He dropped his arm from my shoulders, and I released him.  I was surprised, when he grabbed my hand in his, walking with me toward the house.  I marveled at how childlike he was.  Kyle walked up to me, taking my other hand.

I looked at Kyle, and he grinned at me.  “You’re the best, Daddy.”

“Thank you, Kyle.  You guys aren’t so bad, yourselves,” I responded, squeezing their hands.

Kyle looked at Purev, and asked, “Do you think he finally figured out we’re the coolest teenagers he’s ever known?”

Purev shook his head.  “No, I think Daddy doesn’t have a clue.”

I said, “Now, wait a minute!”

Kyle said, “We’re just teasing, Daddy.”

They each kissed me on the cheek, and hugged me.  “We love, Daddy.”

They pulled away from me, and raced each other toward the house.   Kyle won, of course!

David joined me, and we walked the rest of the short distance to the house.  David shook his head, and said, “My brother is so crazy, sometimes.”

I nodded my head.  “You’re right about that; but, we love him, anyway.”

David said, “That’s what I like about our family, Daddy.  We can just be ourselves, without fear of being judged.”

“I’m glad we’ve achieved our goal to provide a safe environment for our children,” I said.

David said, “You’ve done that.”  He paused, before continuing, “Daddy, I’m missing Grandpa.”

I took him into my arms, and held him tight.  “I miss him, too.”

We stood there for a few moments, before David pulled back from me, and wiped the tears from his eyes.  I asked, “Are you okay?”

David nodded his head, and we climbed the steps to the front door.  I reached down and grabbed a handful of snow and joined the rest of the family in the foyer.  I put my fingers to my lips, warning David not to give me away.  As the children put away their coats and arranged their shoes in a row behind the door, I came up behind Ashley, slipping the snow down the back of her shirt.

I said, “Gotcha!” 

Kyle laughed, and said, “Daddy, you’d better run, or Ashley will get you back, again.”

I took off down the hallway, as she whirled around, and shouted, “Daddy!”  She shook the ice out of her shirt.  She caught it, and turned to chase after me.  She corned me in the family room.

I said, “You started it, Ashley.”

Ashley laughed, and said, “I did, and I intend to finish it.”

She advanced on me, and I slipped around her, evading her outstretched hand.  I headed for the door, only to find my way barred by Rick.  He caught me in his arms, grinning broadly.

“You’re supposed to be on my side,” I said, struggling to get free.

“I am,” Rick said.  “That’s why I’m holding onto you.”

Ashley slipped the ice down my shirt, laughing and giggling.  She high fived Rick, and said, “Thanks, Dad.  I always knew you had my back.”

I looked up into Rick’s smiling eyes, and said, “You are so going to get it.”

He said, “I’m looking forward to it.”  He leaned forward to kiss me.  He lifted my shirt and retrieved the ice, handing it back to Ashley.  “Throw that in the sink.”

Ashley stood on tiptoe, and gave me a peck on the cheek.  “Thanks, Daddy, for being such a good sport.”

Rick moved us out of the doorway, letting her pass.  He said, “Let’s get everyone settled for the night.”

Todd came down the stairs, followed by Cammy and Skye.  The twins were already in their pajamas.  JJ and Josh rushed over to them.  JJ said,”We had an awesome snowball fight.”

Cammy looked accusingly at his father.  “We missed out on a snowball fight.”

Todd said, “That’s okay, Cammy.  The snow will still be there tomorrow.”

Skye said, “You have to promise you’ll help us build a snow fort.”

Todd said, “I promise.  Does anyone want hot chocolate?”

The twins chorused, “I do.”

I said, “Give them only half a cup, since they just had cookies and milk.”

Josh said, “I can drink a whole cup.”

“I’m sure you can, but you don’t need all that sugar just before bedtime,” I said.

Todd said, “You need to listen to your Daddy, sweetheart.”

Josh frowned, but didn’t argue.  He followed his brother into the kitchen.

Kyle said, “Uncle Todd, we don’t want hot chocolate.”  He turned to us, and said, “We’re going to play video games.”

Rick said, “Okay.”  He turned to Todd, and asked, “I thought you were going to your in-laws’ house tonight?”

Todd said, “We were; but, Dad called to say they were planning to stay down here, instead of driving back and forth.  He doesn’t like driving in bad weather, and it’s supposed to snow some more tomorrow.  So, they are staying at a hotel, here in town.  They stopped to visit for a while, before going on to the hotel.  My parents will be here in the morning.  They are taking the train down, and Zach’s parents will pick them up from the train station.  Zach’s flight gets in around noon, so he’ll be here about the same time as my parents.”

The teens passed us, on their way to the family room.  We entered the kitchen, where we found the younger set already sitting at the table with Jeff and Cole.

I met Jeff’s gaze, and asked, “Where are the girls?”

“They went up to their room,” Jeff answered.

Rick sat down, while I helped Todd with the the hot chocolate.  When everyone was served, we joined them at the table.

Todd asked, “Have you guys decided where you’re going on your honeymoon?”

Jeff said, “We don’t know yet.  We’ll probably wait until the summer.”

Rick asked, “If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go?”

Cole thought for a moment, then responded, “I would love to take a Carribean cruise.”

I nodded my head, and said, “That’s what we did for our honeymoon.”

Rick said, “I highly recommend it.”

Jeff said, “We’ll talk about it.”

Todd said, “If you’re worried about missing work, I’m sure we can work things out with the rest of the security team to cover for you, if you want to take off directly from here.”

Jeff said, “Thanks, Todd; but, we’re a little cash strapped at the moment.  I think we’ll just have to wait until the summer.”

I glanced over at Rick, and noticed the thoughtful expression in his eyes.  Before, I could ask him what he was thinking, he said, “Boys, finish off your hot chocolate.  It’s time for bed.”

JJ gulped down the last bit of his, while his twin pushed his cup toward me.  “I’m full, Daddy.”

I put my hand on Josh’s forehead, just to make sure he wasn’t running a temperature.  He looked up at me, and said, “I’m fine, Daddy.”

I smiled, and said, “Just checking.”

We stood up, and helped to clear the table.  The twins ran out of the kitchen, and we heard them racing each other up the steps.  I took Rick’s hand and we followed them.

*** ***

Later, after everyone had gone to bed, I lay in Rick’s arms, thinking over the events of the day, when my thoughts were brought back to my husband, as he marked my neck with gentle little bites, causing thrills of pleasure to run directly down to my groin.   He moved his mouth to my nipples, sucking on them, while stroking my cock.  I bucked my hips, thrusting against his hand.  He captured my lips, pushing his tongue deep into my mouth.  He stopped stroking me, and straddled me, taking me inside him with one swift stroke.   I gasped with pleasure. 

He stared into my eyes, grinned, and asked, “Do I have your attention now?”

Instead of responding, I ran my hands over his abs and up his chest to his nipples, tweaking them, thrusting up to meet him as he rode my cock.  Our passion for each other was driving all coherent thought out of my head!  It wasn’t long before we both came, and Rick collapsed on top of me, pinning me to the bed.  I wrapped my arms around him, kissing him.

“Thank you,” I whispered in his ear.  I nibbled on his earlobe, then pressed my mouth to the base of his neck, licking the sweat from his skin.  I love the taste of my guy!  His scent filled my nostrils, sending a thrill down my spine. 

Feeling my cock begin to harden, Rick pushed himself up on his elbows, to look me in the eye.  “Are you ready for a second round?”

“Yes, but I want you to fuck me, this time,” I replied.

He grinned and said, “Your wish is my command.”

He lifted himself off of me, lifting my legs over his shoulders to allow him access to my backdoor.  He pushed his enormous male member into me, causing me to shudder with pleasure as he hit my cherry. 

Rick said, “Do you want it wild and rough?”

I nodded my head.  “I want you to fuck me hard.”

He leaned forward to kiss me, driving his cock even deeper.  He pulled back, and looked into my eyes.  “I will make it the most memorable fuck you’ve ever had.”

“Promise?” I asked, teasing him.

His eyes glowed with lust, and he growled, “You had better hold on.”

*** ***

Later, we lay exhausted, with our limbs intertwined.  We were in that state of euphoria that comes after great sex with the one you love!

I was dozing off, when Rick said, “Let’s get showered.”

He stood up, and turned to help me up.  As we entered the shower, Rick asked, “Have you thought about what we should give Jeff and Cole for their wedding?”

I leaned against Rick’s chest, as he washed my body.  I said, “I was thinking we should pay for their honeymoon.”

Rick nuzzled my neck, before turning me around to face him.  “I think that’s a great idea.”

I raised my lips to his, and placed my arms around his neck.  When we came up for air, Rick said, “If you keep that up, you’ll be very sore tomorrow.”

I grinned at him, and ground my groin against his, our cocks pressed together.  I released him, and fell to my knees to worship his magnificent tool!  He moaned, as I employed every tactic I knew of, to increase his pleasure.  He put his hands on my shoulders to keep from falling, as wave upon wave of ecstasy rolled through his body.  I stood up, capturing his lips to share his load with him.

Rick held me close, and said, “I’m so glad you love having sex often.”

I looked into this eyes.  “I believe I like having sex at least as much as you do, if not more.”

He brought his hand to my cheek, caressing my chin with his thumb.  “I have to admit the sex is out of this world.”

“As it should be,” I said.

We finished our shower, and we dried each other off.  We changed the sheets, and climbed into bed.  Rick pulled me to him, and I put my head on his chest, listening to the beat of his heart.  His arms held me tight, as I drifted off, dreaming of my Prince Charming!

*** ***

To be continued... 

Author’s Note:

The Canadian Railway Museum - http://www.exporail.org/en/welcome-to-exporail/

Thomas and Friends - http://www.thomasandfriends.com/en-us/index.html

Music for this chapter:

Colbie Caillat:  Try - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXoZLPSw8U8

Axel:  Tu Amor Por Siempre -  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMtBOR_U-pI

Nico Vega: I Believe (Get Over Yourself) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=399zTE6FwtY

Lindsey Stirling – Beyond the Veil - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ASGmADPzXuY

Sam Smith:  Stay With Me – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pB-5XG-DbAA

Luis Fonsi – Somos Uno - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ibrg3cxx5II

Christina Perri – Be My Forever - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=awMQlSqI564