The Professor and Sean II
By: Scotty
(Copyright 2006 by the author)
 

The author retains all rights. No reproductions are allowed without the author's consent. Comments are appreciated at...

Chapter 16

(Ryan narrates)

Dad was happy to see us. He asked us about our flight as we were riding to the house. I was surprised that he didn't ask anything about our trip to Vermont, or what we had discovered, or even if the problem had been solved. I sensed that Mom had instructed him that he should talk about anything, but he should not ask about what happened in Vermont. Sean was talkative, especially about the plane and how luxurious it was. He told Dad about the bedroom, the shower, and the food. He praised Kent and Jesse for their concern and help. He asked Dad to tell his friend, the owner of the plane, how helpful the two of them had been.

Dad finally asked who the two other guys were who deplaned with us. I decided I should answer that question. I told him that they were workers at the Inn and had a two-week vacation. They wanted to come to Florida for part of the vacation. Jesse and Kent had learned about this and asked if we objected to giving them a lift to Florida. We told them that it wasn't our plane, and if they wanted to take them as passengers, that was their decision. They are two nice guys and we didn't mind at all, really. I think Dad was a little dismayed that Kent and Jesse would take other passengers on a private plane. I asked him not to say anything to the owner. He said he had no intention of doing that.

When we arrived at the gate to the house, Dad used his remote to open the gate. We drove up to the house where Mom, Rog and Greg were waiting for us. I was pleased and happy seeing them and knowing how concerned they were for Sean. We would have to tell them soon about the Vermont mystery and its solution.

Charles took the luggage to our suite. Mom embraced us warmly, as did Rog and Greg. It was great to be home with those we loved. The chatter was general and they all avoided asking any questions. Mom suggested that we rest for a couple of hours, then she would have food out for us. She would have Charles call us when things were ready. We left for our suite with a sense of well being.

As soon as we were in the carriage house, Sean asked,

"Were you surprised that no one asked anything about Vermont?"

"Not really, Baby. I know Mom, and I'm sure she laid down the law before we got here. She wants us to tell them when we're ready. Sean, I want a long hot shower, then we can go back down to the pool area and tell them everything that happened, that is, if you want to do that."

"Fine with me, Hon. Let's get that shower taken. And listen to me, you dirty old man, no sexual action. Understand?" he said with a laugh.

"Okay, Baby. No sex."

After the long hot shower with some subtle sexual overtones, we dressed in shorts and T's and headed out to the pool. Everyone was there and they were surprised that we returned so quickly. After we got a cold soda, we sat down. We were ready to talk.

Shortly everyone knew what had happened in Vermont. They knew about Sean's sister Estelle, plus the whole story of Sean's parents' love affair. Mom seemed the least surprised about the story. She smiled and seemed sincerely concerned about how Sean had managed to take all this in and remain in control. I told them all that Sean had grown up a great deal. We thanked Dad for all the arrangements he had made at the Inn. Mom got up and came to Sean,

"Son," she said, "it's sad that you didn't know your sister. I wish there were a way to make it less painful for you. But I don't know how to do that."

As he hugged Mom, he said to her, and actually to all of us,

"That whole episode happened before I was born. I would have liked to have had a sister, but that wasn't to be. Estelle represents the strong, young love between my mother and father. I can't change what happened so long ago. With the arrangements I made at the cabin, I am assured that for many years, others will know where my sister is buried."

As Sean finished telling his story, Charles appeared and announced that lunch would be served in the dining room. We all followed him into the dining room where we enjoyed a delicious lunch. When we finished, Sean went into the living room and sat down at the piano. He looked directly at me and smiled and then began to practice his piece for the concert. Somehow he seemed more intense, more assured, too. Rog was smiling broadly which meant that Sean was doing well.

Mom and Dad had retired to library to take care of some business, and Greg had decided to take a nap. Rog, of course, wanted to be with Sean as he worked on the music. As he played, I began to think about what I would like to do in the time we would be in Florida.

There were so many things we could do, but I knew that Sean had never been to Disney or Sea World, or Universal Studios. I also wanted him to enjoy Busch Gardens. Later, perhaps before Rog and Greg returned home, we could visit South Beach. I knew that Mom would want us to enjoy the philharmonic, ballet, or opera at the Kravis Center in West Palm Beach. I knew Sean would enjoy and appreciate that experience. There was a strong probability of seeing a musical. In addition to all this, I had to be sure that there was time for him to practice. It would take some maneuvering, but we could accomplish most of it.

I became aware that Rog was now sitting at the piano demonstrating something. Sean was intently watching him and listening carefully. Rog moved away from the piano and Sean sat and played the same passage. Rog was smiling again as Sean sat and played the same passage.. Rog was smiling again as Sean was playing with feeling. Rog was speaking,

"That's it, Sean! That's it!. Terrific!"

Sean played and practiced for another fifteen minutes, and then stopped, stood, and said to me,

"I want to go for a swim. Are you going to join me, Hon?"

"Of course. How about you and Greg?" I asked Rog.

"If I can get him out of bed, we'll join you, but no promises. See you at the pool," he told us as he left to go to his room and try to get Greg to join us at the pool.

We left also, returning to our suite, changing quickly, but not without a slight delay, as I wanted to hold Sean, kiss him, and reassure him of my love. We kept it at that, promising that tonight we would make love.

We arrived at the pool to find Rog and Greg already splashing around. We were soon in the pool as well. Sean was killer handsome in his bright blue Speedo. He wouldn't let me wear my usual bathing suit; he insisted I wear the Speedo, which I did. When Greg whistled at me, I actually blushed, which caused all of them to laugh hysterically. Sean swam over to me and grabbed me around the neck as he wrapped his legs around my waist. He kissed my ear, and whispered to me,

"Don't blush, Hon. You are just so handsome and so sexy. I hope I can leave you alone and not attack you right here."

I laughed and told him,

"You better control yourself because here come Mom and Dad."

"Just you wait until I get you alone," he warned me.

I laughed.

Mom and Dad also joined us in the pool. After a lengthy time, we got out of the pool, and Charles brought us some cold drinks and nibbles for us.

It was most relaxing and pleasant for all of us. Sean was stretched out on a chaise, his body glistening in the sun. All of his toned body called to me, and it took all my control to stay seated with my Mom and Dad, discussing what we might wish to do for dinner.

Mom had a suggestion, which met with my immediate approval. She thought it might be fun for all of us to go to Casa Bertoli, a small, exclusive restaurant in a nearby town, known for its absolutely delicious and authentic Italian cuisine. I had not been there in a long time, but it would be fun to go back and see Mrs. Bertoli and her husband Angelo.

Everyone agreed, well, almost everyone, as Sean had fallen asleep and no one wanted to wake him. They all left to change and rest for a while before dinner. Dad would take care of making the reservations. I stayed at the pool. I moved a chair closer to the chaise where my lover was asleep. I just watched him, thinking about the previous day, and remembering how well he had handled all of it.

For yet another time, I thanked God for sending Sean to me. I knew in the deepest recesses of my soul that I probably didn't deserve him, but I had him now as the center of my life. I loved him so intensely, so thoroughly that I wanted nothing else but happiness for him in his life. I said a silent prayer that God would allow us to adopt the boys because I knew that they would bring a rich happiness into my husband's life.

Sean stirred and turned. Though groggy, he smiled at me."

"Have I been asleep for long?" he asked. I knelt down beside the chaise and bent so that I could kiss him warmly on the lips.

"No, Baby, you just took a much-needed nap. You are so handsome, so sexy. Sean, I love you, Baby. I love you so much."

He pulled me down on top of him and kissed me with wild abandon. I didn't struggle to get away because I didn't care who saw us. How could anyone disapprove of our love for each other? I could feel myself getting erect and I felt his cock rising to the occasion..

"Let's go to our room," I said. He moved away from me and got up from the chaise,. He took my hand and pulled me to my feet, kissing me lightly on the lips, and then said,

"Lead on, Lover, lead on!"

********

(Sean narrates)

When we arrived at the carriage house, we went directly to the bedroom, where we began to kiss and make-out. I had put my head on Ry's chest and was rubbing his firm stomach. He moaned his approval and then fell strangely quiet. I raised my head a little and turned to look in his face. He was asleep. I smiled, kissed his fingers and then gently touched his lips. I felt so comfortable, so happy, so at peace with the world.

I laid my head back on his chest, and without intending, or really wanting to, I fell asleep.

The phone ringing awakened me. Ry stirred, too. He reached for the phone on the bedside table and answered it,

"Yes, this is Ry."

"Ry, this is Dad, We want to leave in about forty-five minutes to drive up to the restaurant. Meet us in front of the main house."

"No problem, Dad, we'll be there. Bye."

I was lying on my stomach, my head propped on elbows with my head supported in my hands.. I was watching Ry closely, enjoying looking at him. I was smiling.

"What was that all about," I asked.

Ry rolled nearer to me and began to rub my butt cheeks. I relaxed my lower body so that I could get more pressure from his hand. I was beginning to get an erection. I really did get an erection when his hand went down between my legs and he began handling my balls. Then he ran his fingers up my ass crack, really turning me on.

"That was Dad. He wants us up at the house in forty-five minutes to leave for dinner," he told me as he pushed his middle finger into my tight, itching hole. I was moaning loudly and told him,

"If you continue that, we won't get to dinner tonight." He rolled on top of me, his hard cock, pulsing in my ass crevice.

That emboldened me and I ordered him,

"Fuck me! Fuck me, now!."

Ry lifted my ass and put a pillow under my lower body. He reached for the KY and had my hole ready in moments. Then with a firmness and certainty, he pushed his great cock deep into me, and began immediately to fuck me. I was in heaven.

He spoke to me about how great my ass was; how he loved me. I urged him on telling him to go deeper, to bang my ass harder, to fill me with his hot seed. Before I realized it, we were both cumming; Ry filling my insides with his cum, my cum spilling onto the pillow. I was spent but very happy. Ry moved off of me, turned me onto my back, and fell, kissing me passionately.

"Sean, baby, I love you so much. I want to just stay here with you, hold you, make love to you," he said in a soft enticing voice.

I laughed. "No way am I going to stand up Dad and Mom, and Rog and Greg. Come on. You can make love to me all night tonight. By the way, I want my turn, too.

Laughing, we went into the bathroom, took a quick shower, shaved, and then dressed in some comfortable informal attire. He kissed me again just before we left the suite. We walked hand-in-hand up to the main house, meeting Rog and Greg on the way. The car was waiting for us, but Mom and Dad had not yet come down the front steps.

"Did you two have a good nap? Ry and I did."

"Yup, yup, yup, that we did. Now I'm hungry as a bear," a smiling Greg told us.

Ry was now laughing and he walked closer to Rog and said,

"You must have given him quite a workout."

Rog just gave him a long, disgusted look, saying,

"Look, Ryan, we aren't like you two. You could make love twenty-four hours a day; we are a little more controlled."

Greg interrupted with a laugh. "In our case, we make love, come hell or high water, at least once every twenty-four days." All of us were laughing loudly as Mom and Dad came to the car.

"What's so funny?" asked Mom.

"Oh, it was just Greg, telling an off-color joke," Rog said.

Dad cleared his throat, looked questionably at Ry, and told us all,

"I hope you don't do this too often when Sean is around. He is just a young man, Ry."

I spoke up to save my lover further embarrassment,

"It'd okay, Dad, it was a story I had already heard at school. Young, college guys often tell off-color stories. The secret is to enjoy them and forget them. That's what I do. Ry has never told me an off-colored story. You know him, Dad, he's such a good boy." Now I was laughing, as was everyone else.

"Enough of this silliness," added Mom. "Let's get going. I'm getting hungry."

We got into the car and headed toward Casa Bertoli.

********

(Ryan narrates)

The ride was pleasant, and Dad enjoyed driving us to the restaurant. It had been a number of years since I had been there. I remembered Mrs. Bertoli, Rosa she insisted, as a friendly woman who was the hostess and who reigned supreme in the dining room. Her husband, Angelo, was the master of the kitchen. Together they had worked hard and earned their restaurant the reputation that it now enjoyed. I was always amused that a fine restaurant could be housed in such an everyday building. In fact, if you were not aware of its location, you might never enjoy the excellent food.

We arrived about ten minutes before our reservations, so we had time to walk a little, giving our legs a chance to relax after the drive and before sitting for a long dinner. Our conversation, both on our drive up and as we walked around, was mostly about what we would be doing during the remainder of our vacation. It was a unanimous decision that we should first head for Orlando and Disney, Sea World, and Universal Studios. Additionally there were other things to see, excellent restaurants to experience, and five-star hotels, one of which Dad would contact for reservations.

Mom had taken Sean under her wing after we arrived, talking to him constantly. It seemed that he only had time to shake his head to indicate yes or no. "Poor guy,' I thought, 'will he ever escape her clutches?' I realized that she just loved him so much that she couldn't help herself. Finally, just before we went into the restaurant, Sean looked at me, smiled, said something to Mom and walked over to me.

"What did you say to her to get away from her? I asked him.

"I told her I needed to ask you something about the boys so that I could tell her more about them. I know it was sort of a lie, but I just needed to escape for a minute. And additionally, I wanted to be near you, Hon. I always feel more comfortable when you are near me. So what will I tell her if she asks what I found out?" he questioned.

"Let's see. I know; tell her that Dan and Craig are supposed to contact us about the boys and that you wanted to know when they had promised to do that. Think that will work? Actually, Sean, there's some truth to that. Tell her that they had intended to contact us sometime in the next week or so."

Sean grabbed my hand and held it tightly in his, he smiled at me, and then said quietly,

"That will be fine, and it will be new information for her. I want to kiss you right this minute, you sexy guy. But I can't because we're being called to join everyone."

We had just entered the restaurant, when a short, rotund, smiling lady glided across the floor of the restaurant and enveloped Mom in her ample arms. I smiled knowing immediately it was the same Rosa I remembered from a few years ago. Dad got the big hug next, and finally Rosa spied me. and I soon was wrapped in her arms and pulled tightly against her ample bosom. She hugged the others, too, but she paid special attention to Sean. He reveled in her warm greeting.

"So," she said, "you are the one who has captured Ryan's heart. I can understand why, you cutie. What's your name, honey?"

"I'm Sean."

"Well, Sean, welcomed to Casa Bertoli. Rosa will make sure that you get a fine dinner. Come, all of you, I have your table ready."

I smiled as I saw her take Sean's hand in hers and lead him to our table. Mom and Dad were also smiling as Rog and Greg laughed softly. We had a large round table, near the window which looked out over the Inter-coastal Waterway. It was lovely and I knew immediately our Mom had something to do with this.

"Now, my friends, you will have our best waiter tonight. Vinnie is our nephew. He attends college locally and he waits tables for us almost every night. He will take very good care of you. Angelo knows you are here tonight and he will be out later to chat with you. Now, do you want to order, or would you prefer to have Angelo surprise you with his personal favorites?" Rosa said.

"Let's have Angelo do his magic for us. Is that okay with all of you?" asked Dad.

Everyone agreed, and Rosa glided away, stopping to tell a young dark-haired and very handsome young man something. It became obvious that he was Vinnie as he was immediately at our table to inquire about drinks.

Dad had been examining the wine list, and he ordered two bottles of their best Chianti. Sean and I ordered soda to the amusement of Vinnie, but he smiled warmly at Sean, and in my jealous eyes, he seemed to be examining Sean with great care. I told myself that I had to get used to that, as Sean was a beauty. Anyone who likes men will certainly take notice of him.

While we waited for our drinks, the conversation turned to Orlando and when we would be leaving. We decided that tomorrow would be fine, especially if Dad was able to get the reservations he wanted. I knew he would be able to pull that off. Rog and Greg wondered how many days we planned to spend there, and it was unanimous that we would stay as long as we enjoyed ourselves, but in plenty of time to get to Busch Gardens, and Mom insisted that we attend Puccini's "Turandot" at the Kravis Center. Everyone seemed happy with that.

Vinnie arrived with the drinks, and from that moment on, he brought us a five-course meal. Everything was wonderful and had obviously been prepared just for the six of us. Angelo showed up at the table to speak with us; actually, he wanted to speak with Dad and Mom. He stayed only a moment or two and then hurried back to the kitchen. We had all been somewhat quiet during dinner, speaking mostly about the food, and occasionally about Vermont and Orlando.

At one point, Dad asked about the adoption. Sean, who hadn't said too much, began talking, and he spoke about the boys as if they were already ours. It frightened me a little because I knew that we might not be able to get the boys. I wondered how Sean would handle that disappointment. He didn't deserve any more unhappiness. But my study of literature and experiences from my own life had taught me that happiness and unhappiness occurred without apparent cause, almost as if some force, not always a benevolent one, just haphazardly doles them out. Sean's voice brought me back to the present. I listened as he said,

"Of course, anything could happen before we get the boys. And I suppose something might occur that would prevent us from adopting them. I hope not, but if it should, we'll have to go on from there."

Mom reached across the space between Sean and her, and taking his hand firmly in hers, she told everyone,

"If prayer helps, then you could surely get the boys as I have been praying about it since I first learned about your intentions. Sean, good things do happen. You met and fell in love with Ryan and he loves you deeply. That was good. You are friends with Rog and Greg and that is good. Remember all the wonderful folks who helped when you were hurt, Sean. That was good. All those things are important and good. Let's just wait and see, my dear."

"You left out one of the most important good things that happened to me, Mom. I got to have you two as my Mom and Dad, something I hadn't known for a long time."

"Amen!" I added.

Vinnie brought the check and there was a minor skirmish between all the men at the table as to who would pay. Dad made it very clear and very early that we were his guests and he would be paying for things. He didn't want anymore discussion about it. Mom seconded his comment. We left Casa Bertoli having enjoyed some wonderful food, some good conversation and a final hug for each of us from the smiling, happy Rosa.

********

(Ryan continues)

Early the next morning I was awakened by the ringing of the phone. ringing. Sean moved closer to me and wrapped his legs around me as best he could as I reached for the phone. It was Mom telling us to get going. Breakfast would be in twenty minutes. And almost as an afterthought, she told me we should pack our clothes for Orlando, as the limo would pick us up in two hours. Before I could say anything, Mom, without ceremony, hung up. I started laughing and Sean turned over and looked at me.

"What's so funny?" he asked.

"Nothing much, just that Mom told us to get our asses in gear. Well, she didn't say it just like that, but that is surely what she meant. Come on, Baby, let's get going," I said.

"No, not until you kiss me," he told me.

I pulled him to me and kissed him without restraint. He returned my kisses and we were soon both erect. I grabbed his hard cock in my hand and began to stroke it.

"I want you in me, Sean. Make love to me, please," I begged.

Quickly he rolled me onto my back, and within a short time he was fully in me, fucking me as I wanted. We were soon near climax, and with a flurry of quick, deep jabs with his cock in my ass, we both shot our cum, he deep into me, and mine all over our chests. Satisfied, we showered, dressed, packed our luggage, and headed to the dining room for breakfast.

The room was filled with an air of palpable excitement. It seemed that everyone was talking at the same time. The days in Orlando promised to be fun-filled. Charles had retrieved our luggage and had it all at the foot of the steps to the house, waiting there for the limo. I was a little surprised about the limo, but I knew Mom and Dad had decided that we should all go in comfort, so the limo. If this was a precursor of things to come, we should have a ball in Orlando.

********

(Dad narrates)

Without going into details, it is easy to say that we all enjoyed our week in Orlando and Tampa. Watching the four guys on rides was almost like watching young kids enjoying their first time at Disney World, Sea World and Universal Studios. Especially enjoyable was watching Sean enjoying himself and to see him happy and full of joy again. There was no doubt in my mind that Ryan was aware of the change in Sean. Ellen certainly was, and she was happy about it.

"Gerry, have you noticed how happy the two of them are? It's like it was at the wedding. It makes me feel so good to see them like this. It doesn't matter where we are or what we are doing, our sons are happy. I pray to God that there are no serious problems with the adoption. They deserve to share their love with those boys. Look at them," she added as they slid down the water slide making a huge splash and filling the afternoon air was happy shouting and unabashed laughter.

I was laughing, too, joining in the fun. I hugged Ellen to me and told her,

"This has been such a happy time. I think we all deserved it. I also noticed how much closer Rog and Greg seem, too. I wish they could be this happy forever. Ellen, you must not get your hopes too high about the adoption. I am trying to remain calm and hopeful about it, but I won't let myself think too much about how wonderful it would be to be a grandpa. It would make our life complete, wouldn't it?"

And so, before we knew it, all of us were headed back to our home. It would be only a few more days before Rog and Greg would return home. Ellen had been busy and was able to get us tickets to a performance of Puccini's "Turandot" at the Kravis Center in West Palm Beach. She was a member of the Board of the Opera Company, and with a little twisting of arms, was able to acquire us excellent seats. It would be a surprise she would announce at dinner tonight. The performance was for the next evening at eight. It would provide us an opportunity to dress up a little.

We had only been home briefly when we decided to take a swim. Seeing our two bronzed sons playing in the pool, brought back memories of watching Ryan many years before enjoying the water. Charles brought us cold drinks and some nibbles. That worked like a magnet drawing the four guys out of the water to enjoy some food and drink.

We were all seated around the pool, Ryan and Sean sitting together on a chaise, hugging each other and occasionally kissing each other gently. It was not a problem since we all recognized how much love there was there. At some point, Ellen could no longer keep the opera a secret until dinner. She rose from her chair, and after getting our attention, she spoke,

"Thanks for letting us enjoy all the fun this last week. It has been a happy, joyful time. I have an announcement to make. Actually I was supposed to make it tonight at dinner, but I couldn't wait any longer. I wanted to get this accomplished before Rog and Greg had to leave. Well, I was able to get us excellent seats for a performance of "Turandot" at the Kravis Center tomorrow night."

"Wow!" said Rog as he stood up applauding. "That is magnificent. Thanks, Mrs. Taylor, thanks so much."

Sean had sprung from his place next to Ryan and was now hugging Ellen tightly. He spoke with excitement and happiness in his voice,

"Did you know, Mom, that I have never seen an opera. I am so excited. And I love the tenor aria, "Nessum Dorma". I will pick Ryan and Rog's brains for details of the plot and stuff. Thanks, Mom and Dad, thanks from the bottom of my heart."

Ryan followed close behind, hugging Ellen, and thanking her for thinking of them. Greg, smiling broadly, approached my wife, his usually strong voice was now edged with emotion,

"That's the opera Rog and I saw on our first real date. It will mean a great deal to both of us. Thanks, Mrs. Taylor." and he bent down and kissed Ellen on the cheek. There was a glistening in his eyes, and it didn't take a Sherlock to understand how much this would mean to that couple. No wonder Rog had such a exuberant reaction.

I ventured a comment,

"Well, that's settled. And guys, you have to dress up a little. If you don't have the clothes you want, let me know as soon as possible and in the morning we can take care of it."

********

The Opera

(Sean narrates)

We ended up all wearing tuxedos to the opera. That's what Mom wanted and so we were all willingly obliging her. No doubt we were a stunning group, Mom, in an absolutely gorgeous gown of a lovely shade of blue, accompanied by five men in tuxes. Ry was so handsome and sexy that I wondered if I would be able to sit through the opera without attacking him. He so reminded me of the wedding and how he looked then. I had laughed back at the house when he had hugged me, with my back to him, and whispered in my ear,

"Baby, you are so handsome and sexy that I want to ravage you right this minute. Don't take this the wrong way, Sean, but you are beautiful, and I love every inch of you."

I laughed then and asked him which inches of me he loved most. Without moving, he lowered his arms until his hands were resting on my crotch. He rubbed against me and almost immediately I was hard.

"Those, Baby, are my favorite inches. I like them anyway I can get them. But time doesn't allow for that now. We'll make up for it later tonight."

My reverie was broken when I heard Dad say,

"We're here."

The chauffeur was quickly out of the limo and opened the door and was assisting Mom in getting out of the vehicle after Dad had scrambled out first. Dad now took Mom by the arm and waited for the four of us to follow them into the hall

The hall was beautiful. I had never been in such a magnificent place. The stage curtains looked like miles of velvet with rich gold trim. We were quickly ushered to our seats; they were excellent ones in third row center. I read the program carefully, trying as best I could to put together all that Ry and Rog had told me about the opera. Ry had told me that translating the opera was difficult because it is so heavily poetic. Rog added that it wasn't just the lyrics but the entire plot. I understood who Turandot was and how she had lured lovesick young men to her. If they answered her three riddles, they would marry her. If they failed, they would lose their heads.

In the first act Calaf, the unknown prince, rings the gong indicating that he is a suitor. In Act II, he answers the three riddles making it possible for him to marry Turandot. But he doesn't; offering yet another riddle. His riddle is obviously poetic as he essentially tells her, ' Tell me my name before morning and at dawn I will die.' But 'die' doesn't mean to die; it means to love. I began to understand what Ry and Rog meant by mythopoetic.

There were bars in the lobby where we could have champagne. Ryan and I decided that at such a wonderful place we would indulge. Everyone in our party did the same. We discussed other details of the opera during intermission.

Greg thought Calaf's new riddle seemed to be a dumb move. Ry added that like everything else in this opera nothing makes sense if it is taken literally. The prince's riddle is poetic and he wants to lose the game. He wants Turandot to marry him, but not reluctantly. Rog continued that Calaf wants to defeat Turandot's coldness and wants her to marry him for love. Ry went on to tell us that luckily as the opera ends, Calaf rips the "cold" veil from the face of Turnadot. Calaf wants Turandot to give him the name "Amor"; he wants her to love him. At the end of Act II, thinking that if she can answer his riddle, then she can have his head cut off, Turandot decrees that no one will sleep until his name is revealed.

Rog spoke of the music at the beginning of Act III as gloomy because of the way Puccini had written it. After Turandot's decree is announced, 'Tonight no one in Peking sleeps,' the chorus repeats the words, "No one sleeps" ("nessun dorma"). Rog added that the opening chord of the prince's aria is the first optimistic chord we've heard since intermission. The prince begins the famous aria by repeating what the chorus has sung, "No one sleeps, no one sleeps (nessun dorma, nessun dorma)". The magnificent aria ends triumphantly as the Prince sings, "Vanish, O Night!/Set, stars!/At daybreak, I shall conquer!" It is the ending of the aria, where the music reaches a crescendo of lyric and melody that captures the emotion of operagoers and music lovers. All this I tried to remember as we watched the opera. Ry and Rog had been good teachers.

When the tenor reached the ending of the aria "Nessun Dorma", I had goose bumps. Ry grabbed my hand and held it tightly in his. I knew from what they had told me that it meant "I shall conquer", but there was something about the music that seemed to say more, leading the listener to that final line, "I shall conquer." Calaf had won his love match, but there was something more to the aria, something that touched your soul and spirit. It carried you to a place where you could imagine an experience akin to winning or conquering. I prayed that would be when I was able to hug Jacob, Ethan and Zachary in a loving welcome to our home.

Finally, shortly after the beginning of Act III, the tenor broke into the famous aria "Nessum Dorma". I had Goosebumps, and Ry and grabbed my hand and held it tightly in his. I knew from what they told me that it meant "no one will sleep," but there was something about the music that seemed to say more, leading the listener to the final line, "I will conquer." Cabal had won his love match, but there was something more to that aria, something that lifted your soul, your spirit and carried you to a place where you too would experience that winning feeling. I prayed it would be like that when I was able to hug Jacob, Ethan and Zachary in a loving welcome to our home.

I looked at the others in our party, and, they, like me, either had tears running down their faces or had flistening eyes. I wondered what each of them was thinking, but I was especially interested in what Ryan thought that had moved him so intensely.

Later that night , as we made love, I would discover what it was. He had thought of the boys, too, and the notion of our success in getting the boys and of starting a family. After making love, we lay there in each other's arms, not speaking, but truly feeling a deep emotion, a sense of togetherness and love that permeated our being, touching our souls, making us truly one.

God had really blessed us! I prayed silently that He would let us have the boys. I told Him that we would love them and we would raise them to honor Him and to be caring and loving of the less fortunate in our world.

"Have you said your prayers?" asked Ry.

"I just finished them, Hon."

"I prayed that we would be able to get the boys," he whispered to me.

My words caught in my throat, emotion flowing over me. I kept it together and finally said,

"I asked for the same thing, Hon. Do you think He heard us and will help us?"

"I have no doubt," said Ry. "He has already helped us in the past and in so many ways."

"He has been a part of our lives for a long time. We have had some moments when we doubted, but we came back from that with a more intense faith, a deeper love of God," I said as I gently kissed his lips.

He turned then, and after returning my kiss, his eyes gleaming and tear-filled, he exclaimed,

"God is good! He will not fail us!"

To be continued...

A special 'thank you' goes to my editor and proof reader, Wayne. His contribution is significant and greatly appreciated.

As Sean would say, "He's "Awesome!"

Feedback always welcome:     

 

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