Sunday afternoon was a very warm, beautiful early summer day. The whole family was outside sitting in lawn chairs, just vegging in the shade after a busy week. The babies had just been fed and changed and were comfy in their infant carriers, awake and just taking things in. We had a barbecue planned for the evening meal. The salads were all made and we would be using disposable cutlery. Nobody wanted to be bothered with a big cleanup. The afternoon was ours just to relax and enjoy each other's company.
The kids were off somewhere playing, probably with the horses. Canadiens are a very gentle, people-oriented breed, and ours had taken to the children, especially Jenny. We had absolutely no fear of them being in with the horses, although My Wives, none of whom were familiar with large animals, were nervous of them at first. It didn't take long though, before they were captivated by the beasts themselves, and often if they disappeared, I just had to look in the pasture, where I'd find them brushing the horses, feeding them carrots and generally making a fuss over them. The Percheron filly I'd raised from a foal was such a pet, she thought she was a 'lap horse', and sucked up all the attention she could get!
An unfamiliar car drove up the hill and parked beside the van, out of sight. Carol didn't pay much attention as the car pulled in, thinking it was just another neighbour or old school chum dropping by to see the babies. We heard the car doors slam and two young men came into view around the van. Carol looked up, recognized them, and leapt to her feet screaming. "Robbie! Jamie!"
They grinned sheepishly and spoke together. "Hi, Mom!"
"Holy surprise, Batman! Oh! I'm so glad to see you boys!" She ran to them and tried to throw her arms around both at the same time. They sorted themselves out and Carol managed to hug each of the boys warmly.
Robbie spoke for both. "We're happy to see you too, Mom. We couldn't come East and not visit our favourite step-mom and our new brother and sister!"
Slipping an arm around each of them, she led them over to where the rest of us had remained seated with big grins on our faces. Carol beamed. "Look who's here!" Then she saw our grins and twigged. "You KNEW! You guys knew the boys were coming! Why didn't you tell me?"
Riekie laughed. "We wanted to surprise you — looks like it worked! We only found out ourselves the other day when we called to give them your good news."
Carol giggled. "Well! I am certainly surprised!" She turned to the boys. "So how long are my favourite stepsons going to be around? Surely you can stay for dinner? We're just having barbecue, but we've got lots."
Jamie laughed. "Yeah, we'll stay for dinner. Actually we were kinda hoping you'd be able to put us up for a week..."
Carol looked stricken. "Oh, damn! We don't have anything ready! The spare room's full of junk. Well, I guess we could put you up on the foldout, but I don't think you'd want to sleep on it for a whole week!"
Diane rose from her chair with some difficulty, slipped her arm around Carol and gave her a light kiss. "Don't fret, Baby! It's all looked after. The spare room is ready for them. After all, we did know they were coming, even if we did have somewhat short notice." Diane turned to the boys. "I hope you guys aren't too old to sleep in the same bed?"
Jamie laughed. "Not much different than camping in a small tent, and we do that all the time. We'll be fine."
Robbie and Jamie then got reacquainted with us, collecting warm hugs from all. They were anxious to meet the new twins, and were delighted we'd named them after their parents. Benji and Katelyn appeared to like the boys. When they asked if they could hold the babies, the little ones cuddled right in, as if they belonged. That thieving pair stole another two hearts instantly.
Just as I was about to go looking for them, the kids came running up. The twins, in the lead, recognizing them, ran screaming to the boys, to be scooped into their arms to give and receive sloppy kisses. Rhiannon and Jenny, who had never seen them before, never hesitated, and latched onto the boys' legs, screaming their delight with their sisters. The boys, to their everlasting credit, set the twins down, scooped up the other two, and got wet kisses for their efforts. After they introduced each other, it seemed as if the boys, Rhiannon and Jenny had known each other forever.
When all the squealing, hugging and kissing was over, we found chairs for Robbie and Jamie and started catching up. The kids never left the boys, and I noticed an interesting development. Rhiannon and the twins stayed close to Robbie, taking turns sitting on his lap or just sitting quietly at his feet on the grass, while Jenny climbed on Jamie's lap and stayed there until suppertime. The boys didn't seem to mind all the childish attention, actually appearing to revel in it.
As we conversed with these fine young men, I detected they were holding something back. I figured if there was something they wanted to tell us, they'd do it in their own time, but I was curious. I felt strongly that My Wives had detected the slight tension in them as well, so I bearded the lion. "Robbie, Jamie, I get the distinct impression there may be more to your trip than you're telling us. Is there something we should know about?" My Wives all nodded in agreement.
Robbie looked a little embarrassed. "Busted! We do have some news, but we wanted to settle a few details before we told you. We will be away for at least a day, probably Wednesday. The reason — the company I work for has a position for me in Toronto they want me to take — it's a promotion, but I told them I wanted to check it out first. They've been after me about it since last summer — this is my last chance to scope out the job before they give it to someone else. Originally, I wasn't sure of taking the transfer because I had no one here in the East, but that's all changed now with Mom and the rest of you here. You're the only family of note we have now, and I'd like to be closer to you."
I was stunned at Robbie's assertion about us as family. "Robbie, that's wonderful you think of us that way, and we feel the same about you, but what about Jamie, your relatives, and your girlfriend? Your whole life has been in and around Calgary."
Robbie smiled. "We were never that close to our relatives. They're scattered all across Canada. There's even some not far from here. I broke up with my girlfriend right after Dad's funeral. I saw the rude way she treated all of you, especially the twins, showing me a side of her I didn't like one bit. When I confronted her for being so rude, she said she didn't like kids and never wanted any. Well, I want a house full, so for that alone, I knew she wasn't the one for me. When she made some snide remarks about Mom, the other wives, and Karen Michelle, showing total ignorance and disrespect, I lost it completely and showed her the door. So, except for my brother, I don't have any serious connection with the West. As for Jamie, I'll let him speak for himself. Bro?"
Jamie hugged Jenny as she cuddled in his lap. "See this precious mite sitting here? This ... along with the rest of you... this is my family. Robbie told it right when he said we didn't have any close family out West. Hell, about the only time we ever see any of them is at funerals and maybe the occasional wedding, but we're hardly ever invited to those. You remember, Mom. They're friendly enough people, I guess, but we've never really socialized or been part of each other's lives like we are with you people.
"I'm like Robbie on the girlfriend thing, too. I broke up with mine the same time as Robbie, and for exactly the same reasons, except mine went a step farther on why she didn't want children, saying she didn't want to be 'all stretched out by some fat-headed kid'. She thought all pregnant ladies were ugly and made a rude comment about the way Mom looked, who I thought and think is beautiful. I was so mad, I'm afraid I almost slapped her. I called her a few choice names and told her if I never saw her again it would be too soon. I never even said goodbye when I left.
"So I don't have any connection to the West now, either, except for growing up there. My new job starts in August. What I haven't told you is that it's in Toronto. I've known that since I was accepted last year before I graduated. Even Dad didn't know. He just knew I had a job waiting. I didn't say anything because of Dad's health — I didn't want to upset him and Mom more than they already were. Oddly enough, Robbie and I, although working for different companies, might be working in the same building, that is, if he accepts the transfer. I'm coming East regardless — I don't have any choice. I accepted the job a year ago, and it's here. It has a real future I'd be crazy to pass up.
"Wednesday, Robbie's going to check out the work environment at his new job while I look at apartments. We looked at a few yesterday when we said we were sight seeing, and I found one or two of interest, but I have appointments to look at some more on Wednesday. All I know is, when we come back Wednesday night, I'll have a place to live, and we'll know if Robbie's gonna take the transfer and promotion. So there you have it. We're just full of surprises today, aren't we?"
I don't know what amazed me more — the fact that the boys were moving East, or the obvious attachment they had to us as their family. Hell, except for Carol, they hardly knew us, but their affection was obvious, especially the way they interacted with the kids and Carol. When I met them in December, they alternated between calling Carol by her name, and the more affectionate 'Mom'. Today, they never referred to her as anything except 'Mom'. From the way they greeted her today, and the way she greeted them, it was also obvious they adored her as a mother figure, not a big sister.
Carol was overwhelmed. Tears streaming down her cheeks, she went to each of the boys and hugged them close. "You have no idea how much I love you boys, as if you were my own. It'll be so good to have you close enough for regular visits"
The rest of the boys' visit was almost anticlimactic after that. We had a grand time with them and toured them all around the area, showing off our part of the world. The kids latched onto them and became almost inseparable from them — the three oldest mostly with Robbie, and Jenny with Jamie. They played games, wrestled, and generally had a ball.
When we became a little embarrassed that the kids seemed to be monopolizing them and tried to get them to give the boys some space, the boys came to their defence, claiming they loved the attention. The boys even took over the nightly tuck-in and story reading! Their Mommies and Daddy still had to give them their nightly kiss and hug, but the boys quietly usurped the rest of their bedtime routine.
Having the boys around was a treat. They didn't act or want to be treated as guests, pitching in and helping wherever they could. They learned how to change diapers and shared that daytime burden with the wives. They could often be found with their small child shadows in tow, just looking at the twins as they slept. The kids had them out with the horses, and the whole group could often be seen sitting under a shade tree in the pasture talking quietly.
Tuesday, Canada Day, we all went to a gala fireworks display. We thought the Victoria Day celebration was bright and loud! Wow! This one was spectacular, even for a small town. It was also a poignant day for Carol, Riekie, and I, as exactly twenty years before, I had boarded a bus to Ipperwash amid their tears and protests, marking the beginning of our breakup and long separation. The joyful celebration meant more to us than most except Diane would have realized.
On Wednesday, the boys left very early in the morning to arrive in Toronto with most of the day ahead of them. They returned late after the kids went to bed. Before they'd tell us how their day went, they rushed upstairs to give the girls their goodnight kiss.
Carol couldn't stand the suspense. As soon as the boys came back downstairs, she demanded. "C'mon, guys! How'd you make out today?"
Jamie laughed. "OK, Mom, don't get your girdle in a knot! I found a two bedroom apartment I like not too far from work, and the rent, for Toronto, is reasonable."
Robbie added, "And I'll definitely be taking the transfer. I met several of the people I'll be working with and saw how they work. They made me feel right to home, and I really enjoyed the work atmosphere. Those people have fun when they're at work, and they get a lot done."
Diane asked. "So when does this all take place?"
"Not soon enough for us!" Jamie said. "It cost extra, but I took immediate possession of the apartment today and made arrangements for the cable and telephone. I took Robbie over to show him after he finished at the office. That's why we're so late getting back. He likes it too. We've set it up so we both start our jobs the middle of August. We're gonna drive down so we arrive about a week before we have to start. That'll give us time to get some furniture and set up the apartment. If you're still at the cottage then, and if we have time, we might pop in on you for a night."
Robbie added. "Yeah. We'll fly back home and spend the next month finishing up our business out there. Fortunately, all of Dad's business is wrapped up, so it's just a matter of getting rid of the house, which we think is sold — we had a really solid offer on it just before we left from one of those playboy oil types the architect had in mind when he designed it — such a creature actually exists after all! We'll know as soon as we get back. Then it's just a matter of packing our clothes and heading out. Anything we can't bring ourselves we'll have shipped. Actually, most of our stuff is still packed from when we moved from the apartment back into the house, so we're ahead of the game a bit."
We congratulated the boys on their jobs and their decision to move East. We were all still very moved that they wanted to be closer to us, whom they considered their true family. I always was impressed by these young men and the way Ben, Kate, and for a brief time, Carol, raised them...
The rest of the boys' visit flew by. It was also Carol's second week home from the hospital. The babies settled into more of a routine, with four-hour feedings and sleeping longer at night. I never heard of better-adjusted babies (I'm not in the least bit biased, either, ya know... ). Our sex life during the boys' visit returned to 'normal' — as normal as it could be with two very pregnant wives, and the third under doctors orders to refrain from active sex for another 3 or 4 weeks.
By that second week home, Carol's libido more or less returned to her usual high state, and she wanted some form of gratification. Thus, one night early in the boy's visit, Riekie informed us the prohibition by the doctor was against penetration only and promptly demonstrated just how we could get Carol off, by going down on her. While Riekie teased and tantalized Carol's glorious lips and clit, Diane and I explored and teased her luscious milk-filled breasts. Together, we brought Carol to several very noisy and wet orgasms. Carol's breasts leaked heavily when she was aroused, and we all learned the delight of licking and suckling at her breasts for the sweet taste of her milk. Over the next several nights, we all became very cunning linguists.
Much to the delight of the subject of her attention, Carol polished her skills as a fellatrix in the wee small hours after the babies' late feeding. Carol became insatiable for the taste of Precious Stuff, and whenever she could, anytime of the day, she practiced her art on him. During this period she revealed a new skill — that of inserting a finger in my anus and stimulating my prostate — producing even more memorable ejaculations. Several times she blew her Prince in the kitchen while the other two worked around us and kept an eye out for kids or grandparents wandering in. Rascal Sweet Prince hadn't had it so good in some time, and his proud owner wore a happy grin most of the time.
Riekie at six months, and Diane at six and a half, found our favourite position uncomfortable with their swollen tummies. We became quite proficient at doggie style and the spoon position, with them announcing their joy to the world with loud screams and howls as usual. Every morning at breakfast, the girls blushed brightly at the boys' knowing grins.
Yes, that week was a lot of fun, as we discovered new ways and rediscovered old ways to express our love.
All too soon the following Saturday arrived, with Robbie and Jamie driving back to Pearson for their flight west. The kids were devastated when they left, clinging to them and not wanting to let them go. They only released their death grip on the boys when promised they'd see them soon and they'd phone as soon as they got home and as often after that as possible. The girls knew that Robbie and Jamie were moving East, and they'd see them more often than ever, but they still didn't want them to leave now. As the girls clung to them, the boys had tears in their eyes, too, and insisted they'd be back soon enough. I couldn't believe the bond between our daughters and those young men.
As we watched the boys drive away, the three oldest, through their tears, wailed in their now familiar three-speak, "We're so afraid they're not coming back to us and we'll never see them again."
"Why would you be afraid they won't be back? They're moving close by next month."
That's when they dropped a 50 megaton nuclear bombshell on their unsuspecting parents. "They have to come back! We're going to marry Robbie. We Love him. He is the One." The surround-sound of their young voices amplified the shockwaves from the explosion beyond imagining.
You could just hear the capitalization of 'Love' and 'One' in the way they made that earth-shaking declaration. A chill went down my spine and my vision blurred. My wives gasped and paled. I felt three sets of arms reach out and grab me for support. The four of us staggered as the shockwave from their bomb radiated outward, searing our brains. If we hadn't been clutching each other, I'm sure we'd have fallen to the ground.
Irrationally, maybe, the thought occurred to me, 'Well, that at least partly explains the strong bond I noted, eh? Now what the Hell do we do?'
The kids spoke with such finality and conviction we were very aware this was something they knew, not just thought they felt. I felt an affirmative stirring from the Power. Almost idly, I wondered if the boys were aware of how our little cherubs felt, but instantly realized it was probably mutual.
As the shock of their pronouncement (as opposed to announcement, the tone being so final) reverberated through my befuddled brain, my first serious question to myself was, 'How could six and seven year-olds know that what they felt was True Love?' The whole situation was so mind-boggling and surreal I thought maybe I was in an episode of 'Twilight Zone' or 'The Outer Limits'.
Visibly reeling and trying to maintain a grip on her wits, Riekie squeezed my arm almost painfully and directed a question at K.P. and D.J. "W-why R-robbie? W-what about Jamie?"
The twins never got a chance to answer her as little Jenny piped up. At two and a half now, she had become amazingly articulate for her age. In the past few months, she had grown in language skills at a phenomenal rate, such that she was almost on a par with her three older siblings — no mean feat, because they spoke beyond their years, too, and we had the notes from their teachers to prove it. We always assumed it was because we talked to them constantly in 'real' language, but their training with Mom added even more. Being empathically connected to the other three probably helped the language portion of Jenny's brain develop early and quickly as well. The three oldest weren't quite prodigies as such, but Jenny was borderline, at least in language skills.
The 50 megaton device the older kids dropped paled beside Jenny's 100 megaton bomb as it landed in our midst, knocking us all into next week. The shockwave and aftershocks reverberated through our already overloaded brains. "Robbie is for them! Jamie is MINE! He said so! He Loves me and I Love him!"
Really! Mr. Serling, even you couldn't conceive of this plot! Maybe Heinlien — nah — not even him...
The blur on my vision darkened, my mind almost shut down from the EMP of her device. Fortunately (?) the presence of the Power strengthened and seemed to lend me some fortitude to withstand this second onslaught on my consciousness, while at the same time confirming what I had just heard. My wives gasped again and clung tighter. I thought Diane might faint, but she held her feet, rocking back into me. This was her baby still!
The three oldest, firing a second salvo that turned our world even more upside down, backed Jenny up. Rhiannon spoke for them, but it was clear all four had the same thought. She intoned as she does when revealing a Sight. "We have Seen this. On our birthday, when K.P. and D.J. turn sixteen, Robbie will marry us. On her birthday, when Jenny turns sixteen, Jamie will marry her. The Goddess has shown us this."
Any other parents might have tried to dissuade their youngsters and try to convince them what they felt was more akin to hero worship than love. Or ... and more likely, other parents wouldn't take it seriously, maybe even making light of it and joking about such a comment, laughing it off as childish dreams.
However, in this case these Precious Ones had the gift of Sight, magnified at least four-fold, probably even exponentially, by their empathy. When they said they Saw it, this was no laughing matter — it was serious as a heart attack. We knew they weren't jerking us around when they said they had Seen this in their future.
Surprised (Stunned? Shocked? Words pale.) as we were at the revelation of the three oldest, Jenny's pronouncement was the coup-de-gràce to our already reeling minds. How a toddler, regardless of her advanced language skills, could even begin to understand the concept of what she was talking about confounded us. And yet ... here she was, speaking matter-of-factly, and declaring her love of a man some seventeen years her senior while she was still in training pants! Then again, with language comes understanding of abstract concepts — maybe she understood better than we could imagine. If she did, then the word 'precocious' comes to mind, but doesn't quite cover it, and I don't think 'prodigy' was ever intended to cover this particular concept. 'Phenom', maybe? Surreal? Mind-boggling? Not even close!
Close to mental shut-down, I asked, rather inanely — I mean, just what do you say? "D-do Robbie and Jamie know this?" I already knew from what Jenny said when she delivered her WMD, but needed to hear it from all of them.
K.P. answered for the kids. "Yes, Daddy, they know. They have some Sight, and they Saw it too."
Diane, barely able to speak, stammered. "W-when d-did y-y-you See it? A-and w-when d-did th-they?" I mean, how often does one hear from the mouth of their toddler and seven year-old this type of news, knowing in one's heart of hearts that it's TRUE when your mind recoils at the thought? I think you'd stammer too. Under the circumstances Diane did well to be able to even formulate a coherent phrase, let alone such relevant questions, as the natural tendency toward disbelief warred with certain knowledge.
D.J., as matter-of-factly as her sisters, answered for the kids. They didn't seem to be aware of the shock, even devastation they had just wrought upon us. "The time of the big fireworks when Roy and Patty were here, there was one big white one, and we Saw it then. We talked to them on the phone about it the next time they called. They said they Saw it too."
Victoria Day! I remembered one truly awesome skyrocket as part of the finale, and I remembered seeing the four children looking up lost as if in a trance even after the huge starburst faded away. I had thought they were overwhelmed by the spectacle, but now realized I'd witnessed them Seeing.
As with Bob and Karen, we had kept in weekly contact with the boys, although after brief visits with the adults, those calls had always been mainly between them and the kids as Robbie and Jamie faithfully remembered their promise to K.P. and D.J. just before we left Calgary. Lately, I had noticed that the kids' portion of the conversations had been longer and quieter. Now I understood — they had been discussing serious matters, such as (hopefully) when to tell us, their parents.
With the revelation that the boys had Seen the same thing, any hope it was a mistake vanished out the window, and the events of the past week came into clearer focus, taking on new significance. It was now quite evident the boys' visit had not been so much to see the rest of us, but was specifically to see the kids themselves. The boys weren't just moving East to be close to the family and taking up better jobs, they were moving to be close to their fiancées (What else would you call them after this?).
No wonder those young men were so protective of these children, never seeming to get too much of their cuddling! And ... it explained why they had rushed to kiss the kids goodnight when they got back Wednesday night! Difficult as it was to imagine, let alone accept at this time, they were head over heels in Love! I'd often wondered if Ben and his family didn't have Old Blood. Ben's ready acceptance of the Old Ways and his deathbed story of sensing a Power similar to mine all his life, were strong indicators. The boys had never said anything about their Sight, but maybe they were just coming into it. It took falling in love with Carol that glorious summer of 1965 to trigger it in me and make me aware of the Power.
Carol, as shaken as the rest of us, asked. "A-and just when had you figured on telling us? I don't think you planned on doing it this way. I would have thought you'd want Robbie and Jamie with you."
The kids all hung their heads a bit and started to cry. Rhiannon spoke for them. "We weren't supposed to tell until we were twelve, but it hurt so much to see them leave, it just sorta rushed out. Please don't be mad at us for keeping secrets. The Boys (capitalized!) thought telling you now would upset you too much. They thought it would be bad enough then."
Despite our shock, our hearts went out to them, and understood how they blurted out their secret they had intended to keep for four or five more years. (I wondered if the Goddess hadn't nudged them a bit, too... ) Who but us, especially Carol and I, understood better the pain of watching your Love fly off into the sunset, not sure if or when you'd ever see them again? Who but us, Carol, Riekie, me, and to a lesser extent, Diane, knew better the pain of enforced separation?
With the realization of the pain they felt at seeing their men drive away, we became mobilized and swept the children into our arms to comfort them. Riekie, holding K.P in a warm mother's embrace reassured them. "We're not angry with you, Sweethearts. We're extremely surprised and you're so young, we don't know what to do or say. We can't fight the Power any more than you can. Daddy once said he wasn't sure if the Power was guiding us to do great things or possibly our children. Looks like it might be our children."
It's not easy talking to your children about their marriage plans at the best of times (Best of times meaning your eighteen-to-twenty-something progeny comes home with a ring or an announcement. Even then, it's hard for a parent to let go.), but we had here a seven-and-a-half-year old, two six-and-a-half-year olds and a two-and-a-half-year old toddler telling us they not only knew who their future permanent mates were, but had set their wedding dates. How do you even begin to approach that subject? Well, looking on the bright side, we at least had ten years to plan the weddings...
Jenny hadn't even started school yet! None of them had seriously even begun to consider such things as college or careers! Their future should be a blank page full of hopes, dreams and promise, and yet here they knew who and when they would marry, a major portion of their future already laid out for them. If ever there was a time to consider their Sight a curse instead of a gift, this was it. With the innocence of children, they simply accepted it. But what of the parents? Shock, bewilderment and dismay doesn't even come close to describing what Carol, Riekie, Diane and I felt at that moment.
I tried a different tack and pulled them all to me. "Sweethearts, we're not angry with you, we're just very, very surprised! It's not every day a Mommy or Daddy hears his young children announce their wedding plans, like who and when. You all know that what you See, is only what might be, if everything goes just so, don't you?"
Four-way surround sound. "Yes, Daddy, we know. Nanny keeps teaching us that." My wives do it, the kids have it down pat and can carry on a conversation in this fashion, but I still get a chill, and doubt if I'll ever truly get used to it. I was glad to hear Mom was indeed teaching them the importance of their Sight as being a harbinger of what might be as opposed to carved-in-stone-will-be.
I continued. "Good. I'm glad Nanny is making you understand. Ten years is a long time, especially to ones as young as yourselves — it's longer than you've been alive. A lot can happen over that time. Robbie and Jamie could meet someone else and fall in love. When you get old enough to start noticing boys, that could happen to you, too."
Rhiannon almost visibly shook as she broke from their mind meld to express her independent thought. "Daddy! You and Mommy Carol and Mommy Riekie stayed in love for over twenty years, even when you thought there was no hope of you ever being together. We're looking at ten years, half of that, and we know we're going to be together. We have the Sight to guide us if we start making mistakes that will change what we've Seen so far. We Love Robbie, and have since Christmas."
I sensed that even though they weren't physically present, Rhiannon and Jenny had been more constantly and deeply emotionally linked to their twin siblings than any of them ever let on for quite some time, and had experienced their Christmas meeting with the boys as if they were there.
Rhiannon's words hit me right between the eyes, leaving me without argument. She was absolutely right! How could we ask them to not wait for their intendeds when we waited twenty years? Granted, there was the small detail of their tender ages, especially Jenny, but somehow I just knew things would work out for these youngsters far better than they ever did for us. They were being raised in a family that recognized, venerated, and taught them their Old Blood and Old Ways heritage. They wouldn't be groping around in the dark the way we did, picking up clues and half-truths along the way. They had parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles and family friends — a community — to form a solid support group for them, something we never had.
Yes, the more I thought about it, the more I realized that these little ones, if they and the boys could survive the long wait to fully express their love, would do just that. Even more, I thought ruefully, would we, the parents, survive? The girls' education had just become more complex, and the questions they would be asking from now on would tax our brains and parenting skills to the limit.
Carol raised another issue, and uncharacteristically for her, seemed a little embarrassed to speak. "Munchkins, there ... there's something else ... you should ... should think about. Boys ... ah ... men ... Robbie and Jamie's age have ... have, uh, needs ... that ... that ... you're too young to ... uh ... satisfy."
Four youngsters tittered. Rhiannon, still acting as spokesman giggled. "You mean sex, don't you, Mommy Carol?"
Carol blushed — a very pretty sight on her, I might add — and stammered. "Y-yes, Dear. H-how do you expect to be able to handle these ... uh ... sexual needs that the boys are going to have. It ... it's only natural for them."
Rhiannon became very serious, as if she was the parent teaching the child. "Robbie and Jamie already thought of that, but so did we. We know what you and our other Mommies and Daddy do at night or whenever you think no one is looking. We hear you (Who wouldn't? We've always been VERY loud. <Grin>). We call it 'happy tickle noises' because we like it when we hear you, but we know what is happening. We know what you did when you made those noises and made babies in all of you and Oma Jo.
"Nanny and Mommy Riekie have taught us about boys and girls and how babies are made. We know none of us is old enough yet to do those things. We don't want to, either. We decided the boys can date girls their own age, and they said if they ever needed to do that, they'd be careful, whatever that means. But they said they would try not to do it. They said if we were saving ourselves for them, then they should do the same for us, but it might be hard for them sometimes."
K.P. tittered. "We know how babies are made, but we still think it's gross to think some boy would want to stick his penis inside us. Eeeew! Hugging and cuddling are fine, but we don't like kissing boys either. That's gross!"
We all grinned at Rhiannon's unintentional pun, and K.P.'s little-girl revulsion at the mechanics of sex. We were also a little relieved that they still retained most of their little-girl innocence.
Riekie, who had been listening, astounded, at what these kids really did know, added to their knowledge. "Well, you're very young yet, and what you feel now is normal for your age, but when you get older and your bodies change, so will what you think of doing 'it'. What Robbie and Jamie meant when they said they'd be careful, Dears, is that if they ever had sexual relations with other girls, they would make sure the girl didn't get pregnant or give them a disease. We've talked about some of those diseases already. The best way is for them to wait for you, but it will be har ... uh ... tough for them."
Just then, the babies loudly announced their discomfort and hunger, breaking the tension of the moment. Carol and Diane hurried off to attend to them. If this conversation was to be continued, we wanted everyone present for it, so I said. "OK, Sweethearts, we'll finish this another time. After all, if you're willing to wait ten years for your dream men, then we don't have to do this all right now. Your mothers will be busy the rest of the afternoon with the babies and getting supper ready. Why don't you go give the horses their grain and fill up their water?"
The kids, relieved that we didn't have a parent tantrum and start shouting at them, ran off happily to do their chores, leaving behind some still stunned and very thoughtful parents.
Riekie, the only wife with me at the moment, steered me toward the other two in the living room. As we approached them, Carol feeding a babe at each breast, they spoke to me in their own three-speak, uttering those words every man dreads to hear — "David, we have to talk" — accompanied by three grim female faces.
Every male who has ever been in any kind of relationship with the distaff half of the species dreads those words. It's almost a Pavlovian response — we hear the words and instantly go into fight-or-flight mode. Our mouths go dry, our skin gets clammy, and there's this sudden feeling of impending doom. Regardless of the fact I knew why 'we had to talk', I still felt that ingrained sense of foreboding.
Still in surround sound. "Why didn't we (Meaning, why didn't YOU?) see this coming? The signs were all there."