Although Christian and Ana had wonderful memories and times in the Red Room, as the kids got older would they still be able to keep it a secret? And what would the kids think?
Ana heads downstairs to their bedroom to shower after a wonderful afternoon. Who knew turning 40 would be so much fun. She turns on the shower and leans into the warm relaxing water. Christian comes in a few minutes later to join her and starts washing her back. "You are so good at this, do I need to go upstairs and clean up?" "I have put everything away for next time, old woman. All we might need is to get the sheets off but we can ask Ms. Davis to clean up the room if you want." Ever since we let Mr and Mrs Taylor retire to one of our properties we have adjusted to new staff for both of us. Of course Taylor chose each replacement but we needed to let them have some enjoyment in life and not worry about us anymore. Even Sawyer was promoted to a desk level job so he did not have to chase me all day. Well, the apartment looks clean enough but Teddy wants to have a party with some of his friends this weekend so we have agreed to let him have the party here. That way security can be in place and if Christian wants to watch on remotes then he can keep an eye on his son. I thought it was kind of sweet that he invited Phoebe and her friends to come as well. Robbie is too young to come to a party even tho he is a teenager now so he can have some of his friends over to the house for a sleepover. Christian is worried about them breaking into the wine cabinet but I assured him that they will be supervised more or less. After all, Teddy is a senior now and will be in college next year. It is time for him to have a little freedom.
We head down the elevator to the lobby where we meetup with Freddy, the doorman. Christian gives him a heads up for the party and how many are expected. Most will arrive by e-remote cars so parking will not be any issue. Just to be safe my dear cautious husband is having additional staff outside for the paparazzi that will probably follow. Christian presses a button on his lapel to alert the driver that we are ready to leave. We ride home snuggling and I wonder what other presents my husband will have for me.
"I don't know if I like that boy that Phoebe is seeing. He looks at her a little too much like I use to look at you when I was younger." "You mean you don't look at me that way anymore? Have I gotten old and wrinkled for you?" I tease. "You know you will always look like you did that first time in my arms, that first time in my bed, that first time we danced and the first time you were really my wife." Such a romantic, my husband. We are having dinner tonight with Kate and Elliot. Christian wanted a bigger celebration for my milestone but I don't know how I feel yet about hitting forty. I don't feel forty but then I do have a personal trainer and a lifestyle that keeps me active.
As we approach our house I see that my children have been decorating in spite of my objections. Balloons decorate the driveway and a huge banner hangs over the garage telling the world how old I am now. Christian smiles at me, sneaky bastard was in on this I am sure. My children greet me in the foyer when we enter. How tall my boys are getting, and they are just as handsome as their father. Phoebe is a beautiful girl and I think Christian is tempted to chain her to the house to keep her home.
"Mom, we waited for you and dad to get home before we took off to get supplies together for our party tomorrow. Phoebe and I will stay at Escala decorating tonight and getting the party trays ready." "I thought Ms Davis got all those trays ready for you already? You shouldn't have a lot to do." "Mom, we want to give you and dad some space and sis and I can spend some time planning our music playlist for tomorrow. I promise that I will not make Phoebe play the piano, especially after you just tuned it from the last time!" Oh, don't remind me of that. Teddy thought he was being funny putting stuffed toys under the strings to deaden them. Christian almost killed him when he opened the lid and saw that one of the toys had busted open and stuffing had flown all over the strings and into the housing. We had to have it restrung and tuned as well as cleaned. Boys! He thought Phoebe would think that she had broken the piano with her playing. I was hiding my smile at them the entire time. "Ok, your rooms are always ready there, just know that your father and I have locked away all the wine and liquor so you can't get into that. Now, go have a good time together and be safe."
I watch my two oldest go out the door and into Teddy's Mercedes. Shortly after, Elliot and Kate pull up and we start catching up on all the week's events. Kate is going to the Vatican next week to interview the Pope and keeps trying to get me to go with her. We are well into our decadent dessert when Christian gets a call. The look he gives me is concerning and he gets up and heads to the security wing. I am wondering what this is all about but I try not to worry. Eventually Kate realizes that something must be up as Christian doesn't return and suggests to Elliot that they head home. I tell her that we will catch up tomorrow, unless I get too old and grey. Once they leave I head to the security wing to find out what is happening and I see Christian sitting in front of the monitor board with his head in his hands. I walk over quietly to look at what he is watching and I see our home at Escala and the upstairs landing on the screen. To my horror I see the red room door is open and the light seeping into the hallway. "We locked the door, didn't we?"
Oh shit! We have no visual surveillance in the red room for all the right reasons but now I wish we did. I look at Christian and smirk, "well I think we have some explaining to do to our children". Christian looks up at me with horror on his face and I brush my hand on his cheek to try and assure him that it will be fine but as I think those thoughts I wonder what we will say. Which of our children are in there, just one or both? What are they thinking? How will we explain this? We haven't really changed much in the room over the years but we have added some items and costumes for scenes. "I think we need to drive over and talk with them." I stand behind him and hug him gently, "come on, let's get over there. You can talk with Teddy and I can talk with Phoebe if you like, or we can talk to the both of them together." I have no idea what I should tell my daughter right now but I can imagine what is running thru her mind, probably what was going thru mine the first time I saw the red room. I don't want her or Teddy thinking that their parents are mental deviates.
We head over to Escala and let Ms Davis know that we have stepped out for a couple of hours or so and asked her and security to keep an eye on Robbie and his friends till we get back. I have no idea where to start but I try and assure Christian that all will be fine. We enter the foyer with a lot of anxiety but we don't see our children in the main room. I listen but I don't hear any noise. We walk toward the kitchen and still no sign of them. Maybe they are in their bedrooms. I walk down the hallway toward our bedroom and look to see if there is any sign that our children are in their rooms. Christian runs up the staircase to see if anyone is in the playroom. I can see light under the door of Phobe's room and I knock. "Teddy, you need to stay out right now". "Well it isn't Teddy knocking on your door" and the door flies open. I see the look on her face and I know that she has more questions than answers. "Can we talk? I don't think your father is ready for the conversation right now but we need to talk." "Mom, I don't know what to say right now...or ask." I smile as a memory comes to me, "I can remember having the same thoughts as you one time. But I want you to understand that it is not whatever you may be thinking. So can we talk?"
"Mom, we always wondered why that room was locked but we thought it was some kind of photos or paintings or a room for the security to store things but I don't think we ever thought...". You know, I guess I always knew I would have this talk with my daughter someday but I always visioned her to be older, at least mid-twenties. Not at sixteen. Barely sixteen. What did I know at that age? Not as much as they do now I guess. "Does grandma and grandpa know about this? Aunt Kate?"
"Your grandparents do not know about any of this and I would appreciate that you don't bring it up to them ever. Your Aunt Kate is aware of this." A vision of Grace hearing that Elena's influence over Christian has touched her grandchildren comes to mind. With that thought in my mind I look at my daughter and decide that she is old enough to find out some things about her parents and the love we have for each other. I have no idea what Christian is telling Teddy. Maybe it is easier to tell boys. I must be flame red because my face is very warm right now. "I need to tell you a story about your daddy before he and I met" and I give her a kind of "PG" rated version of Christian's exotic girl friends. I kind of leave out some details like the caning and her father's voracious appetite for sex back in those days. Was mine any better once I experienced it?
"So dad would have someone every weekend to...umm...".
"Your father back then didn't know what he was looking for."
"But that room? What is that all about? Why do you guys still have it? A museum to his past? It smells so clean and exotic, not like it has been closed up for years."
"Sweetie, your father and I...uh...'play' in that room. This is kind of difficult to explain. Your father loves the scents and thoughts of that room. It was his safe place when he was younger. You may have noticed how your daddy likes to be in control of everything. When your daddy and I first met he thought he wanted me just for weekends but your daddy and I had a different journey than all the others. He stopped being scared and he allowed me into his world as an equal, not a"...I started to say submissive but I caught myself..."temporary". "Even tho I didn't need the safety that the room gave your daddy, he did. And I wanted your daddy to be happy and relax and enjoy our times together, no matter where or when. That room is what your daddy told me was his 'playroom' where he can pretend to be whatever he wants and feels. Now, I know that you don't want to think of your daddy like you do other boys but your daddy and I love each other very much and mommy and daddy show each other how much they love each other sometimes in that room." I don't want to get into details about items there, I don't know how curious she and her brother were while they were there. "Let's go find your father and brother".
Christian and Teddy are actually standing in the Red Room when we find them. Phoebe is about the shade of the walls and looking at Teddy I start feeling my cheeks redden. Christian comes over and grabs my chin planting a swift kiss on my lips, "I wondered how long it would be before someone found this. I was hoping it would be after we died!"
"Christian, we need to be honest with our children now. Kids, your father and I use this room as a getaway from the world and the pressures of life. Kind of like when you were little and wanted to play pirates. But this is a room for mommy and daddy, not you kids. One day when you are a lot older we may explain things more to you but right now I would rather not go into any details with either of you." I glance at Christian and I see he and Teddy passing a smirk between them. What has he told Teddy about the playroom?
"Now let's get back downstairs and we will lock this room so your friends can't get in here. Your father and I are going back home unless you have any questions to ask." Phoebe looks at Teddy and actually winks at him! Are my children farther along the sexual curve than I was at that age? I would rather have crawled in a hole than think of my mother having sex with any of her husbands, even Ray. Well, I am not going to worry about my children nor their sexual status right now. This really is making my fortieth birthday quite an event to remember. Christian pulls Teddy aside and whispers something in his ear that makes him smile, what are my men up to? I am going to have quite the conversation with my husband tonight.
"What are you telling our son about? Or do I want to know?"
"Our son is not a little boy anymore. I just wanted to emphasize to him that it is the man's job as much as the woman's for contraception prevention and he should always be prepared, unless he wants to become a father sooner than later."
"We have never been shy about our feelings for each other around our children. I want them to always know that we love each other and that they are loved and wanted."
"I told Teddy that if he behaved himself that I might let him use the red room someday, but only with the right person."
"Christian! Maybe I should tell Phoebe that she might be able to use it someday as well!"
"Over my dead body!"
"Let's go home, I think I have had enough for one evening."
"Too much for your last present of the day?"
I lean over and nibble his ear, placing my hand on his thigh. "I always want your presents husband, now put the car on auto drive and let me give you something for all the trouble this evening."
And as the car drives itself on the path home I let my love know how much he means to me and how entertaining the next forty years might be.