Trip Home Day 3 & Day 4 -- Homecoming
On the road from Thunder Bay at about five forty-five, we headed toward Nipigon. After the intense emotions of the previous two days, a little playing tourist was in order, but we had to choose our route at Nipigon. If we took the scenic route along the north-shore of Superior, our destination today was Sudbury or close to it. If we went the other way we would aim for North Bay or close to it. Either way, it would be an extra long day, weather permitting, but would put us home in decent time tomorrow. The early forecast Riekie and I got from the weather channel was excellent, But we'd check it again at Nipigon before deciding.
We hit the Pass Lake truck stop well before daylight at about six thirty, perfect timing for bladders stretched by our morning coffees. The food at PassLake is excellent, the service better. I've stopped there many times, but the main pleasure is the staff — they not only offer excellent service, they're fun people to be around. The twins were a hit with the staff, and we were all made to feel like family. Despite it being an extra long day, we took a leisurely breakfast so it would be daylight when we went through Nipigon, the southern end of the 'Palisades'. The Palisades of the NipigonRiverCanyon are a must-see — the sheer granite walls and bluffs are stunningly beautiful. It is simply spectacular scenery, and almost worth the drive to see all by themselves. Their full majesty is only visible along the Highway 11 route, but the southern end of these awesome granite cliffs and the steep walls of the NipigonRiverCanyon is still highly visible as you approach and cross the river.
We left PassLake at about seven fifteen, daylight glimmering in the east. The clear, cloudless sky promised another good travel day. It was still bitterly cold, but the heaters in the van kept us snug as bugs in a rug, even with a window cracked to allow fresh air inside just in case Riekie was producing those pheromones.
We arrived in Nipigon just before eight. I had told the family about the Palisades, but they thought I was exaggerating. When they did loom up ahead of us, the whole family gasped and agreed my description didn't do the sight justice, reaffirming my status as expert tour guide. We made a brief pit stop so the family could take a good look around and give me a chance to check the weather. The forecast was still good, so we decided to head down the scenic route toward The Soo. Unfortunately, going this way bypassed most of the Palisades, but at least the family got a hint of them.
Our next rest stop was near Marathon where we fueled the van. The scenery along the north shore of Lake Superior is breath taking, and the family was suitably impressed. Carol took over driving for her shift with Diane riding shotgun for her. We stopped in White River to play tourist at the sign indicating it's the coldest place in Canada, do the bladder thing and to let the kids play outside. After White River we motored on to Wawa for lunch and refueling.
Every where we stopped, the kids charmed the service staff and my gorgeous wives drew appreciate glances from the men. I even saw some women eyeing them a little salaciously. The open warmth and joy we felt with ourselves was noticeable, and people just going about their everyday jobs as pump jockeys or waitresses seemed to respond in kind. I've heard it said happiness is like jam — you can't spread it without getting a little on yourself. In our case, we spread it among ourselves and some overflowed onto those we came into contact with. The day before had been emotionally draining and at the same time uplifting. We felt a new confidence in our love for each other and definite renewal. We had experienced a true catharsis, and wherever we were, we were wrapped in this amazing warm and fuzzy feeling of love. I'm sure we had an aura of love and happiness that the people we came in contact with responded to.
Our third day on the road was enjoyable if long and tiring. We felt our bonds as a family unit strengthening, and wished the other two kids were with us to share in it. Given Rhiannon's and even Jenny's strong connection to the twins, I thought maybe they in some way were with us through them, as they had been at Ben's passing. On this trip, those two little cuddle bums got more loving and attention then they ever dreamed of. I just hoped we weren't spoiling them, and that they were using their unseen connection with Rhiannon and Jenny to pass it along.
We had always tended to be a little touchy-feely among ourselves, but now we were very public and open with our demonstrativeness. The affectionate touching and hugging among the adults was constant. It was nothing for one of us just to squeeze someone's shoulder or give them a quiet peck on the cheek out of the blue. Whenever we were out of the van, we engaged in very public displays of affection, and always referred to each of the wives as Mrs. Lloyd
While we traveled and did our sightseeing, we did discuss some things we'd like to do with our future. Nothing was pressing. With what Carol and Riekie had saved over the years and the windfall from Ben, our financial future at least was secure. How best to utilize those assets was another thing. One thing we did decide was to set up individual trust funds for each child's education. The older children would get a larger seed amount so they would have approximately the same amount upon graduation from high school as the younger ones at current rates of return.
We also discussed what to do about housing. In the past we always thought the farm house was a big house, but with only three bedrooms after the modifications Diane and I had made, it wouldn't be enough for the size and gender mix of the family we envisioned. Even if we had no more children after the three on the way, it would be tight quarters. But Riekie would have at least one more, and Carol said she wanted more. Diane wasn't sure with three now, but she kept her options open, especially being the youngest.
The mortgage would be up for renewal soon. We decided rather than renew it, we would pay it off. I mentioned that I had some ideas for housing that would require us to build, rather than add on to the existing house. Some of Ben's money could be used for that. I told them to think about what each of them wanted in a house, as long as we had a master bathroom similar to what Carol had in the Bragg Creek house. I still loved that huge shower, and told them the one at home was big until I saw that one. The other thing I wanted was a huge kitchen, not quite a fully industrial one, but pretty close. We still wanted it to be a fun place like our kitchen always was. The girls laughed, and said they wanted the best equipment we could afford, and the hominess was a simple matter of design, decoration and our presence.
What all to incorporate into a new house became the topic of the day almost, and occasioned lots of laughing and fun as different suggestions were put forward. Some were outrageous just for the pure fun of being able to consider them. We wanted a big family house, not a mansion.
Other discussions and topics we considered revolved around assets, especially as the daylight waned and we moved away from the scenic wonders of Lake Superior and the North Channel of Georgian Bay on Lake Huron. How best to ensure equal ownership where there was only one legal wife. Diane even offered to divorce me and then change her name the way Carol and Riekie did so that all three had equal status. That was a non-starter with the other two wives.
We decided to seek legal counsel on this one, only agreeing that everything we owned was community property, whether real estate or funds in the bank. Our lives would be a jumble of legalese for the next several months as we sorted it out. The exceptions to the joint community property were the wives' jewelry, my guns and items specifically gifted to individuals.
The issue of what children were whose also came up. As I was the father of all, I was responsible for all. Again we decided to seek legal advice and maybe do a little research on other known multiple marriages. That probably meant checking out the folks in Salt Lake City and maybe contacting Beth for the names of some of the people in her book. It would probably only become an issue if one of the mothers passed away, or if I did (Perish the thought, but a possibility.) while we still had minor children. Divorce was not a possibility we would even consider after what we had been through already. We also thought we should look into all of us being assigned legal guardianship to all of our children so any one of us could deal with emergencies when a legal parent was unavailable.
The issues of assets, children, and trust funds were so important we decided to keep some minutes of our discussion on these topics that we would all sign as a document to present to the lawyer when we saw him. Carol, with her experience as a legal secretary was immensely helpful, and got the job of keeping the minutes. She had everything down almost verbatim in a very legible and attractive hand. We all teased Riekie about a doctor's hand writing, but anything my blonde bombshell ever wrote out for me, like the diaries she kept of the twins, was always in neat, legible script. She teased right back, saying she never took the special course in illegible handwriting for physicians.
A last item from yesterday's intensely emotional trip down nostalgia lane was raised. How do we prevent ourselves from falling into the trap of losing the friendship perspective? Rather than commit to paper, we repeated and augmented our matrimonial vows when all four of us swore before the others and the Goddess that we would be friends before anything else and would always discuss any issue, large or small. If somebody had a beef, they were to come out with it. We were no longer so naïve as to not realize that we wouldn't have disagreements, regardless of how much we loved and liked each other. Face it, four people living in close contact will get on each other's nerves from time to time. It happens even in the best of monogamous marriages.
These were things we had never seriously considered as teens, but now we needed to. Of course, when we were teens, we didn't really need to because the situations hadn't arisen yet except in some nebulous form that said we would have to deal with them someday. The issue of children's parentage, housing, and ownership of assets were prime examples of the future looking after itself as a situation arose. With our total reconciliation, those situations were upon us now and needed to be dealt with and soon. We had no illusions or delusions regarding these issues.
By the time we arrived at the day's destination, we were thoroughly exhausted. It was a very long day with lots of exciting scenery, hard driving and our rather productive planning for the future. There was still a lot to be done, but we had laid the ground work. We were all rather pleased with ourselves by the end of the day.
Our third and final overnight stop was SudburyOntario.
At Sudbury, we grabbed the first motel we came to. It was getting a little later than we liked to be out, so we didn't waste any time looking for anything better. Like our first night in Brandon, we got what they euphemistically call a 'double room' with two double beds and no cot for the twins. The motel didn't look like much, but it was clean and the beds were firm. Exhausted from the extra long day on the road, we didn't care if we were a little crowded.
We bathed the kids and put them to bed straightaway. They had managed to stay awake for almost the entire trip, but were a little cranky by the time we arrived. They were out before they touched the pillow.
We called Bob and Karen and let them know we had arrived safely in Sudbury. Tomorrow we would be home, and would call to let them know when we got there. Next, we called home, told them where we were, and what time to expect us tomorrow. It would be a much shorter day. If we got away by seven, we'd be home by early afternoon unless we ran into heavy snow squalls in the snow belt along Hwy 69 off Georgian Bay, always a possibility, especially at this time of winter before the bay freezes over. Our conversations were relatively brief. We just wanted to get our heads down. The motel didn't offer a wake up service, but there was an electric alarm radio, so we set it for six.
After riding in the van all day, we were all feeling a little cramped and grungy. The small bathroom was barely big enough for two, but we managed, showering in pairs -- Diane and I, then Carol and Riekie. The shower refreshed us and took away some of the stiffness from sitting in the van. As usual, I was the last leaving the bathroom. With us showering, and bathing the kids tonight, unless we got into some heavy sex again, we wouldn't need a shower in the morning, getting us off to an early start.
Carol was in one bed with the twins, while Diane (in the 'cuddle' spot) and Riekie were sharing the other with me. It was a snug fit, but as neither Diane nor Riekie is all that big, we were quite comfy, especially me, snuggly ensconced between two warm female bodies. <Grin> I kissed all my lovelies good night, and settled down with Diane snuggly nestled into my right side, Riekie curled into my left. We were all soon sound asleep.
Somewhere in the middle of the night, I awoke to heat and wetness at my groin. I half expected to see Riekie riding me. Instead, in the dim light coming from outside, I made out two forms under the covers, and both Riekie and Diane were missing from my arms. The two shapes were busily sucking, stroking, and licking me to full erection. When I reached down and touched their heads, they threw back the covers, looked at me and grinned happily. Then the two of them went back to their business of pleasuring me.
They sucked and licked and kissed, alternating between them which had my shaft in her mouth and which was playing with my balls, making a game of it. I lay back and simply enjoyed the extreme pleasure of having two horny females giving me an incredible blow job. Riekie had always, from her very first time, given expert head, taking to it like a duck to water. Diane had only started recently, but was a quick study. Now I had the two of them working my member expertly. I noticed as they sucked and licked on me, they each had a hand busy in their hot little snatches.
I wasn't long reaching my climax. As their lips, tongues and hands teased and stimulated my throbbing joint, the sensations grew more intense, and my hips started pumping. My balls lifted and tightened to the base of my cock as I felt that familiar bittersweet pain of release building in my temples. They sensed the approaching explosion, backed off, delaying it, then took me even higher. They repeated this a number of times, taking me almost to release, then easing off until I was almost screaming for relief. Together they jacked and stroked the shaft while the two of them licked and sucked on the knob. In the end, having two tongues flicking around and in the slit was too much tactile sensation, producing the inevitable flooding result. As my own orgasm approached, the jerking of their hips from their own hands became more frantic.
Suddenly my balls heaved and spewed. My cock swelled and hardened even more in their hot grasp as it erupted, squirting gob after gob of thick, creamy white semen into their eager mouths. Because neither could form a tight seal, much plastered their faces. As I spewed out my wet load, their own orgasms exploded on them, but they never missed a beat, moaning their pleasure as I shot into their mouths. My hips slowed and the squirting dwindled to just an ooze from the tip. Like kittens lapping cream, they licked the pearly drops of spilled semen from each other's faces completely clean. They exchanged a hot kiss, and I saw them pass my seed between them.
They bent to my sated penis and sucked and licked anything they could from my wilting member then kissed each other passionately one more time and crawled up beside me, bringing the covers back with them and snuggled in tight on either side. I kissed each of them sweetly, tasting myself on their lips. They cooed quietly then both fell fast asleep, each with an arm draped cross my chest. Except for their moans as they came and their soft coo as they snuggled up, not a sound had been made. What an incredible experience!
I looked over to the other bed, and saw Carol watching us intently, one hand busy between her legs, the other mauling her breasts. As I watched, her hips thrust forward and her body shook and convulsed in a self-induced orgasm. When her breathing slowed, she smiled sweetly at me and whispered, "I love you." I returned the silent gesture with my own huge smile. Then she rolled over to cuddle the twins and soon I heard the soft sound of her breathing as she slept.
If it wasn't for the pleasant after glow of a massive orgasm, I thought I might have been dreaming, I drifted back to sleep, two lovely little cum kittens curled snugly into me. I swore I could hear them purring contentedly.
I awoke to the annoyingly raucous sound of the alarm. I heard Carol curse the electronic racket as she slapped the button to shut it off. To my right, I gazed into a pair of beautiful brown eyes brimming with love. I kissed her sweetly and tasted some of last night's adventure still on her lips, then turned and kissed Riekie, tasting the same on her lips as I gazed into those wonderful blue eyes so full of intelligence and love.
"Good morning sweethearts." I pulled them both tight, my morning woody tenting the bed cloths. "Mmmm! You two feel so warm and cuddly, I'm not sure if I ever want to get up."
The stereo effect of these two never ceased to amaze me. "Good morning, David."
I felt the bed sag to one side a little as extra weight was added, then Carol was laying across the three of us collecting her good morning kiss as well. "Hiya, Sweet thing!"
"Hiya, yerself, Husband! Don't you guys be cuddling all morning. Rise and shine family. We're almost home, let's get a hustle on. Jeez! We're so close now, I'm like a child waiting for Santa Claus."
Two more, smaller, shapes bounded onto the bed to collect their morning hugs and kisses. Between Carol's wakeup call, the rambunctious youngsters, and a raging piss hard-on, there wouldn't be any long cuddles this morning. Carol, already out of bed, shooed the kids into the bathroom to pee and brush their teeth. As soon as the twins were finished, I made a bee line for the toilet. K.P. and D.J. were now used to our morning routine and dressed themselves while their mommies helped Daddy send another morning erection chasing the urine down the drain. Diane and Riekie opted for a quick shower while Carol and I used the sinks to do our morning cleanup.
While Riekie and Diane had their shower and the rest of their morning cleanup, Carol and I dressed and checked that the kids had dressed properly as well. It wasn't as cold as it had been and the day was forecast to be clear. I went out to start the van and checked the sky. It was still dark, but the winter stars sparkled and danced in a cloudless sky. The motel office was open and I settled the bill while I was out. Returning to the room, I collected the family, we loaded the van, and we were on the road before seven. We were anxious to complete the final leg of our trip home.
We took Hwy 69 south and stopped at the first decent looking truck stop we saw to fuel the van and have breakfast. There would only be two shifts for this leg, and Riekie took the first one. I'd finish. The drive down Hwy 69 is a scenic trip, too, but not as spectacular as north of Superior and Huron. The weather held for us with no big squalls coming off Georgian Bay. We stopped at small gas stations for rest breaks and to let the kids play. We turned east off 69 at the exit for Gravenhurst where we made our last fuel stop and had lunch. It was only a little over two hours from Gravenhurst to home. I took over from there then crossed over to Washago.
We didn't discuss much of any seriousness during that last leg of the trip home. We'd covered almost all the ground we needed to already. Now, we were eager with anticipation. Our excitement wouldn't let us get involved in dramatic conversation. Oh, we talked a little more about what we wanted in our new house. Somebody mentioned closet and other storage space, and that was assigned a high priority.
The rest of the talk centred on what we thought might happen when we first arrived, and how much Carol and Riekie were looking forward to seeing all the family again. That reminded me, even though I thought Mom had been talking to her, I suggested to Carol that at her first opportunity she should call Joanne to let her know we'd arrived safely and invite her for New Year's Eve. She said she was way ahead of me, and planned to do just that.
Monday, Dec. 30, 1985, we arrived home. As we rolled to a stop in the yard, it felt so good to see the outdoor Yule log blazing away and the house all decorated for the Festive Season with the lights on even in mid-day. Rhiannon and Jenny must have been watching for us with their coats on. The van hadn't stopped moving in the yard before a seven year old and her two year old sister came rocketing out of the door. The rest of the family wasn't far behind, including Clyde the pup. Such a homecoming there never was!
The twins were actually the first out of the van, and almost didn't make it because Rhiannon rather than being ecstatic over the return of Mommy and Daddy had eyes only for the twins, and they seemed to have eyes only for her and her sister. These kids had never met, and yet they hugged and kissed each other like they'd known each other all their lives. So strong was their psychic bond, Rhiannon even knew which was which. Jenny was hot on her heels, hollering, "Sisters! Sisters!" The four of them became a tangled mass of little girl as they hugged and kissed. Even Jenny, at her tender age, knew instinctively which of the twins was which.
Clyde the pup wagged his tail so furiously, his whole body got moving. He was around and through everyone's legs seeking attention, which he got. He stayed closest to the kids, though, and when they got into that laughing, giggling squealing tangle, Clyde was in the thick of it. He got so much petting and ear scratching, I wondered his ears weren't sore afterward.
Diane and I began to wonder if we'd been replaced when Carol and Riekie stepped out. Mom and Dad were all over them like a bad smell. Both Mom and Dad were crying! As they swept Carol and Riekie into their arms in a group hug and smothered them with kisses, I heard them both saying over and over to the girls, "Welcome home, Princesses, Welcome home!" I knew, and always had, that my folks loved those girls, but this outpouring of love still staggered me. Dad just beamed!
Paul and the aunts held back a bit, but the aunts were the first ones to actually greet Diane and me with warm hugs and kisses. Paul was next and Diane threw herself at him squealing "Daddy!"
Diane's squeal of "Daddy!" woke everyone else out of their trances. Rhiannon and Jenny were so wrapped up in their sisters they forgot anyone else was alive, I think. Rhiannon and Jenny then realized Mommy and Daddy were there and ran squealing to us, the twins right behind them.
Mom and Dad finally released My Girls and came to us for hugs and kisses (Yeah! I kissed my dad. Got a problem with that?). At that point Rhiannon and Jenny both ran to Carol and Riekie with hugs and kisses, calling each correctly by name with the 'Mommy' prefix. They both had to listen to Carol's tummy.
After listening carefully to Carol's tummy, Rhiannon looked at her very seriously and said, "Our new brother and sister are happy to be home, Mommy Carol."
Carol never doubted Rhiannon in the slightest. With a tear in her eye she said softly, "I know, Munchkin, I know. So am I. It's so-o-o goo-ood to be home. I've been away far too long."
Introductions were made. Carol and Riekie had never met Paul, although they'd spoken to him on the phone. The aunts held back a bit. Carol and Riekie hardly recognized them.
Carol's comment, somewhat tongue-in-cheek, directly to them was, "No! You're not Pie and Jo? Who are you ladies? What have you done with my aunts? You ladies are far too young to be my aunts."
Pie answered with a laugh, "Yes, Carol Anne, it is we." (School teachers, remember?)
Riekie, in a state of shock at the transformation in her beloved aunts spoke up, "You can't be. Shit, you don't even sound like them."
Pie put on her schoolmarm voice, "Hendrieka Maria Lloyd! It is I, and I will thank you not to talk like a sailor!"
Riekie grinned and threw out her arms, "Tante Pie! Tante Jo! It is you!"
Jo laughed. "Damn straight! That's what love and a good night in the sack does for a person!"
You could have bought Riekie for a nickel at that point. To hear Jo utter even a little crudity was beyond her ken. Carol had talked to them on the phone so she recognized the new timbre to their voices, and was just having a little fun. Riekie, on the other hand, wasn't too sure her aunts hadn't been replaced by pod people, I think... Diane and I had tried to prepare our wives for the transformation in their aunts, but they still weren't ready for it when they met them in the flesh. Even Carol, who had last seen them in September and talked to them on the phone was taken aback, especially at their appearance. Both looked so much younger, happier, and carefree than when either girl had last seen them
The happiest surprise for Mom and Dad was the twins. After they broke from their sisters, they ran over to them squealing, "Nanny! Poppy!" Just before they got to them with their sloppy kid kisses and hugs, K.P. and D.J. stopped, curtsied to Mom, and in their patented stereo way said sweetly. "How do you do, High Priestess?" Before Mom could get off her usual gruff reply to being greeted formally, the twins resumed the munchkin attack they had originally launched and swamped Mom and Dad both with their greeting. Again, for people they'd never met, the kids acted as if they'd known their grandparents all their lives.
The twins were a little more reserved when they were introduced to Paul and the aunts. Soon, though, when they saw Rhiannon and Jenny falling all over Grampa and the Oma's they were in the thick of it. The kids soon bored of all the adults, though, and gravitated back to themselves. It was so darling to see them cuddling each other. At first it looked like they paired up, but they wordlessly switched regularly. It was an amazing display, especially when you consider Jenny was only two, but she acted so mature when she was with her three sisters.
It wasn't as cold here as it was most of the trip, but still cold enough, and with all the snow, my feet got cold. I finally roared so everyone could hear me and loudly suggested some people didn't have coats on, and we should move this party indoors. Mom and the aunts herded the women and children into the house, even treating Diane like a guest in her own house, while Dad, Paul and I unloaded all our bags and brought them in.
Paul commented as we were getting the stuff out of the van and trailer. "Good Lord, David! They look just like their prom pictures! They've hardly changed a bit. Such beauties! No wonder you waited so long and worked so hard to get them back! When I was separated from Piete and Joanna they were still young girls, and I came back to mature women, but you seem to have found your girls almost the way you left them."
Dad, still overwhelmed at having 'His Girls' finally home wiped a tear from his eye, "David, I never gave up hope, but I was beginning to despair of the day I'd ever see those two again. And those twins! What little sweethearts. Goddess, man! I always thought it with Rhiannon and Jen, but with these two, you prove it — you and your wives make wonderful kids!"
Overwhelmed myself, I just said 'Thank you' to both of them. I had expected a tumultuous welcome, but not quite the emotional display I'd seen. The reaction of the kids to each other was unnerving, but at the same time hugely gratifying. I asked Dad if we could store Carol's things in his garage and basement until we found room for it at our house. We probably wouldn't be unpacking and sorting it until after the New Year when things settled down a bit. He said that would be fine.
We took everything upstairs except the three big cases and some boxes Riekie had packed the Christmas loot in. We took them into the living room to unpack and add to the Christmas booty already there. The tree, again loaded with gifts, looked like it was still the day before Christmas. Many were for the twins, but there were several for all the other family members too.
The women folk descended on the kitchen, and from the happy squeals and giggles emanating from that quarter, there was a lot of catching up and joy. Soon Diane had Carol and Riekie in tow, showing them the changes we'd made to the house. I cornered Carol for a minute and asked her if there was anything she desperately needed out of the boxes in the trailer. If she didn't I would store them temporarily in Dad's's garage and basement until we got time to unpack everything and find a place for it. Her bedroom set would definitely have to be stored over there. Our basement, being part of an old farm house, was too damp. Carol said nothing was urgent, but to keep her art supplies where we could get at them easily.
Diane finished up her quick tour showing the girls their new home and the arrangements we'd made for the kids. As they came thumping down stairs I heard them commenting on the en suite bath, and that they now understood where I was coming from. Just as they returned to the kitchen, a knock came to the door. I opened it and admitted an attractive young woman in her mid twenties. She held a finger to her lips to silence my greeting.
When she entered the kitchen, Carol and Riekie waited to be introduced, then with a squeal, grasped who it was. They hadn't seen Heather since she was about Rhiannon's age. Tears streaming down their faces, the three of them rushed into an embrace. Heather couldn't believe they looked so young. They couldn't believe the little girl they once knew had grown into this lovely young woman. Heather couldn't stay long, having left the boys in Doug's care, but just had to meet 'her sisters' as soon as we got home. She promised she'd be back after supper and bring her boys to meet everyone.
As Heather left, Carol picked up the phone. Soon she was chatting gaily with Joanne. When I looked at her inquiringly, she gave me a thumbs-up, indicating Joanne would be over for New Year's Eve. One of the reasons I wanted Joanne to come to our party was to see if she and Riekie could settle their twenty year-old differences. I thought it might be easier in the more relaxed setting of a party. Carol and Joanne had partly reconciled many years ago, and it was complete when she made up with me in September. I hoped Riekie would be as forgiving. Joanne had become a true friend, and was now studying the Old Ways under Mom.
I rounded up Paul and Dad and we took the van and trailer over to his place to finish unloading. Tomorrow we'd return them to the depot, which was in the same city where Paul had his home. Paul volunteered to drive the back up vehicle to bring me back, as he should check his mail and the house. We decided to leave early in the morning so we'd be back in lots of time. The usual party was planned for New Year's Eve and we had to be back to help get ready for it.
By the time we finished unloading Carol's things at Dad's, it was getting late in the afternoon. When we walked in the house, the aromas coming from the kitchen were mouth watering. The aunts had decided to make one of their special meals as part of out welcome home. My wives were nowhere to be seen. When I asked, Mom said they were unpacking. I checked the living room. The kids were playing quietly. The twins had the album out showing it to Rhiannon. Riekie had unpacked all their Christmas toys for them and put out the gifts we brought back for the family. I heard squeals and giggles coming from upstairs. Whatever they were doing it sounded like My Girls were having fun.
Dad, Paul and I grabbed coffees and headed for the shop. I wanted to run some ideas past them for some house plans. The girls had come up with some suggestions to go along with what I wanted. There was a consensus that we should have a fireplace, not for the heat so much as the ambiance. All three of them said we needed one if for no other reason than the Yule log fire. We spent an hour or so puttering around and kicking around some ideas then went back up when Pie hollered down that supper was ready. As we came up from the shop, we heard the clatter of three sets of feet coming down the stairs overhead.
Our first supper home was a memorable one. Everyone was there — Mom, Dad, Paul, Pie, Jo, the four kids, My Wives and me. The aunts had gone all out for their meal, with all of my and the girls' favourite Dutch cuisine. At first it seemed odd that our first meal home was the same as the last one before Diane and I left on our odyssey, but also fitting. The aunts and Mom acted as hostesses, serving the meal and making us feel like honoured guests. When the girls offered to help, they were told this was a Special Day, and for just one day to allow themselves to be pampered.
The little ones were served at a smaller table set up in the TV room so there would be room at the table for all the adults. My wives all sat down one side of the table from my right at the head. I'd wanted Dad to take that place, but was vetoed. Dad sat at the other end, Mom to his right, while Paul and his ladies occupied seating next to her. Mom said a very eloquent prayer to the Goddess thanking Her for the food we ate, and a special thanks for bringing her daughters home. I asked for a moment of silence so that we could all express silently our own thanks. I had so much to be thankful for, I didn't think I could enumerate it all in the short time, so I just said a quiet 'Thank you Lady for everything'. I'm sure She understood.
Paul and Dad couldn't keep their eyes off the girls; Paul especially had eyes for Diane. Paul's pride in her was palpable, and from the glances he stole at Carol and Riekie, it was obvious he was very impressed with her choice in wives <Grin>. Dad's joy at having all of 'His Girls' home was obvious and humbling. He had a tear in his eye almost the whole time we ate. He was just brimming with happiness. I noticed Mom's eyes were a little moist, and I must admit, that since I stepped out of the van, I'd forced back the lump in my throat all afternoon — a lump caused by joy. I noticed that my wives' eyes looked a little misty too. The happiness around the supper table that night was a living, breathing presence.
Our arrival home was one of the most moving experiences in my life. After almost twenty years of separation, pain, and anguish Carol, Riekie and I were reunited and joined with our 'new' wife Diane in the only true home the four of us -- at one time or another -- had ever known. The emotional welcome we received would warm the cockles of the hardest heart.