A Family Reunion Part I.
Nick would start to write his reply to Fritz in draft on the flight back to New York that night, and finish it at home that night. The next morning he e-mailed the rough letter, now in German, to one of his colleagues, and asked her to check it over for him, explaining what had happened. She asked him to pop down in person to discuss it, and he did so on his coffee break. He had no issue with it, as the coffee down there was better, and as it happened, there was also strudel that morning; it would have been rude to refuse a portion when it was offered.
He handed the original letter over to Helga, who read through it. Then she congratulated him on his reply, as it was perfect, his German written as if he was a native. "You have a mastery of the language which impresses me no end. The fact is, that when we first met, I was pretty certain that your ancestry would be French in the main, but now that I know where the family is, I am more certain that you have a Germanic bloodline. Duval is not an uncommon surname in those parts. As for Baden Baden, it is one of the most beautiful towns in Germany. It is also an UNESCO World Heritage Site, as one of the great spa towns of Europe."
She paused, then said, "I see that he has given you his e-mail address, so I am going to say that you should send your reply electronically. It will have taken a few weeks for his letter to have reached you already, and given what he mentions about your fathers response, a swift reply will give him the lift that he might be in need of after such a long gap in communication." Nick nodded, not wishing to admit that he had failed to notice the e-mail address written near the top of the letter. If he was honest, it would suit him, as even with express airmail, a reply could have taken a week to reach Germany, and the meeting in Geneva was in ten days…
He sent his reply as soon as he got back to his own office, and he decided to attach some photos of himself, Jeff, Wes and Grace as well. As soon as he pressed send, he checked his watch, and realised he was due at a meeting in five minutes, which would occupy him until lunch. It was only after he returned from the canteen that he had an opportunity to check his e-mail inbox, and he was pleased to find a reply from a very happy young German, who explained that he had almost given up on trying to make contact with the American branch of the family by now.
He too had sent photos, and the one that he had sent of himself with Matthias cemented Nick's suspicions that the young man was also in a gay relationship. He sent greetings from his parents as well, who he admitted had been wary of his attempt to bridge the gap of nearly a century, but now that he had been successful, they were so proud of him for doing it and finding family. They were also very pleased to discover what he did for a career, admiring the UN and all of its works; they had also noticed his surname, that his husband was called Jeff, and they had to ask - was he that artist?
Nick laughed at that, recalling all the times that Jeff had thought he would be described as Nick's husband, the one that paints, and how the opposite was now true; he was the artist's lawyer husband. He was about to respond when he decided that he would go and find out if the Geneva meeting was still an in person one, and if it was, would offer his services to attend…
It transpired that the meeting in Geneva was indeed still on, but that the date had changed, and whoever was to attend would need to go for the start of the following week rather than the end. Miss Worthington, Nick's boss, was not in the least pleased about that last minute change, but with Nick now more than happy to volunteer his services, she was a lot less stressed; it had looked for a while that she would have to take on the journey herself. For that reason, she was also more than happy to allow him to join the work trip onto his two week summer vacation allowance.
"Of course, as the meeting is now scheduled for Monday afternoon, with a reception immediately afterwards, it would in theory be only a two day trip, so you would need to return to the office on the Wednesday of the following week to use up the vacation allowance."
"That will not be an issue," said Nick happily. "Wes is due back at school on the Monday of that week in any case, so we would be flying home from Europe on the Sunday at the very latest."
"I must admit that I am intrigued by the whole story that you have told me about your family over there. I would love to know why it is only now, after nearly a century has elapsed since your direct ancestor fled the Nazi regime, that they have decided to seek you out. Was this conversation taking place in the immediate aftermath of the conflict, I would be much more concerned and advise you against travelling. There are numerous tales of the things that happened to people that returned to their homes then, particularly those that went back to areas under Soviet influence, and most of them do not end happily. They wanted what we all would, to be reunited with family, to be back in their homeland, but what awaited them was arrest, interrogation, and often a one way trip to the gulag. The wisest ones, and for all we know, that might include your great-grandfather, did not return, ignoring the Red Cross letters that relatives might have written under duress… A sad chapter indeed in mankind's history."
"And, unfortunately, it is something that still goes on even now in the world's conflict zones. A degree of emotional blackmail, praying on the guilt felt by those that have broken free," said Nick sadly. "I don't suppose that I will be arrested the moment I arrive in Baden Baden, but if I am…"
"We will do our utmost to secure your release," replied Miss Worthington with a smile.
The next few days would therefore turn out to be hectic ones in the West Village. In some respects, Nick had the easiest task, as he had to be at work every day. He used the travel department of the UN to book the necessary flight to Geneva and back from London, and the trains that would transport them from Geneva to Baden Baden, and from there on to Paris and London. They also sorted out their accommodations; two nights in a hotel in Geneva at the expense of the UN, then five in Baden Baden, three in Paris and four in London at his own expense. As the UN was booking all of them, they were able to get the best rates for the finest of hotels in the places that they would visit, but not necessarily the grandest…
In Paris, Nick had asked for a hotel near the Gare de L'Est, the station at which they would arrive from Baden Baden, a trip that would involve several changes, and would be the most tiring with his family in tow. In London, he requested the White House, the hotel in which they had stayed on their first, pre-wedding trip to Europe over a decade ago. He did allow the UN to choose the hotel in Baden Baden, and thus Nick found they had been booked into the Brenners Park Hotel, the most grand and luxurious of hotels in the town, quiet simply because they offered the best deal. The fact that it had extensive leisure facilities would help to keep Wes amused, and let Jeff relax as well…
As the one at home, Jeff was the one that faced daily stress in preparing for the short notice trip, but he was excited too. His first thought had been to ask Mike to take care of Caleb for him, and the dancer was only too happy to oblige, but on the proviso that the cat remained in his own home this time. "Tina worries about Harry all the time," he explained. "He is at that stage when he is touching everything that he can reach all of the time. I recall when Wes was that age, and how Caleb used to run and hide from him and his hands all the time…"
Jeff nodded, and replied, "Of course, that is very true. Maybe it would be better if I asked someone else to take care of him."
"No, there is no need for that. The fact is that Caleb knows and trusts me, although maybe some of the others could pop in during the day while I'm at work; that way, Caleb will not feel neglected or lonely. Leave that task to me…" True to his word, Mike arranged that Dante, Lawrence, Dex and even Adam would all pop in over the next fortnight to attend to the owner of the house that Niff lived in…
Jeff also had the packing to organise, whilst looking after an excited little boy. Wes had only ever been to London for any length of time, and certainly had no experience of staying in grand hotels. To help cope with his son's excitement, Jeff had searched for and found an illustrated guide to Baden Baden, and from what he could see, the town was extremely attractive…
Finally, Jeff was also trying his best to learn some basic phrases in German from an online audio teaching service. He did so with earphones inserted as he did other tasks, and that was how Wes had walked in, and proceeded to watch in mild amusement as his papa had spouted strange sounding words at random. It was only when he chuckled out loud at one instance that Jeff had even been aware of his presence, and he had blushed as he realised how he must have looked. He persevered though, and by the time that Sunday came, he had learned enough to have been able to instruct his son how to say Hello, Thank You and Goodbye in reasonable German…
The flight to Geneva was uneventful, one that Nick was by now fairly familiar with, although for Jeff it would only be the second time that he had visited the city itself. It would be the first trip that Wes would be able to enjoy fully, as on that first occasion he had been much younger. Wes would sleep on the overnight flight with the same ease that his biological father did; Jeff was not so blessed, but he took advantage of the situation to draw both his husband and their son as they slept. He ended up nodding off himself as he completed his drawing of Nick, a passing steward picking up his pad of paper and his pencil from the floor, and stowing them safely in his open satchel.
As they emerged from the airport in Geneva, the little family headed off in different directions. Nick had to make his way directly to the UN Buildings, as he had to meet a few of his closer contacts there before the meeting itself later. His husband and son headed off to their hotel, where their room would already be prepared, and then they would take a stroll down to the shores of Lake Geneva, to admire the views and take in the clean air. Jeff could only smile as he watched Wes look in awe at the tramcars in the city streets, and then at the lake itself, surrounded by high mountains that seemed to hem in the city.
"It is so beautiful, papa," was all Wes could say, and Jeff had to concur. They sat by the lake for a while, before heading to find a café where they would eat a light lunch. Wes was content with the same dish as his father, a croque monsieur, which tasted so much better here than it ever did at home. After that, they strolled back to the hotel through the streets of the old town. Wes was more awake now, and had now began to ask the kind of questions that all parents expected. First off, he wanted to know why the majority of the people were talking in French when they were in Switzerland. Jeff tried his best to explain why, and why there was no such language as Swiss, but then made the fatal mistake of saying that German was the main language elsewhere in the country, and so was Italian, and that made the situation worse…
He was glad to have Nick back the next day, although they had a late start, as he had not joined them at the hotel until a few minutes before midnight. He had stayed back after the dinner and reception to talk to someone that he needed to, as that way he could avoid having to pop into the UN offices that day to do so instead. With Nick free, they could make the short trip out of the city to a nearby mountain railway as a family. It was in the city of Montreux, and was a cog railway, and proved to be an experience that Wes found a little scary but fascinating at the same time.
At the terminus, they all enjoyed the view over Lake Geneva and the Alps, and whilst Jeff sketched, Nick managed to find a member of railway staff, who spoke perfect English, who was able to explain how the cog railways worked to his son, although Nick listened just as intently. As a result, the journey downhill was less concerning to the boy than it might otherwise have been; he now understood that no matter how steep the slope they were heading down, there was no way that the train could run away, as it was held tightly onto the tracks.
Back in Geneva that night, with Wes fast asleep, the book about railways that his fathers had bought him stowed safely in his case already, Jeff turned to his husband, and asked, "How are you feeling about tomorrow?"
Nick sighed, and replied, "Honestly? I am a little nervous about it, because although Fritz seems to be nice, we have no idea what his extended family is like. A lot of people in the part of Germany that we will be visiting are a little old-fashioned, and adhere to strict values. Whereas they might all be tolerant enough to Fritz being gay, we are a different situation altogether. We aren't just gay, we are married and raising a son. I don't want our arrival to bring strife to Fritz, nor do I want Wes to overhear nasty comments…"
"I know it is no comfort, but only you would be able to understand such comments Nicky, as they would probably be made in German," answered Jeff. "I want you to promise me that if anyone does say anything, you will tell me and not keep it to yourself."
"Oh, if anything like that starts you will know, because we will leave immediately," said Nick. "Thankfully, we don't need to deal with that tomorrow…"
The next day saw the little family heading to the railway station, boarding the first of two trains that would convey them to Baden Baden. The Swiss railway was as efficient as ever, the train leaving the station bang on time, arriving on time at the place they needed to change, and their connection, made very easily, also left on schedule. In no time they were in Germany, and alighting from the train at the station for their destination. The station was some small distance from the historic town itself, the short branch railway that had run directly there closed many years before, and the former station in the centre of town now acted as an entrance to the opera house.
For simplicity, they took a taxi from the station to their hotel, much easier with luggage and dropping them right at the front door. As they arrived, Jeff and Wes both stared at the place in awe, and even though he had seen pictures, Nick was still left a little shocked. It seemed so much grander, and he was worried that they might not be welcome in such a place. That was dispelled at once by the doorman, and by the time they had settled into the small suite that they had been provided with, it felt like home. There was a small bedroom off the main bedroom which was perfect for Wes, who loved having his own space. They had time to explore the hotel and have a stroll through the extensive grounds before it was time to get reading for their evening meal, an event which would be the first time that they met Fritz…
They had arranged to meet him in the garden restaurant in the hotel itself; it had seemed the most sensible thing to do when they were only arriving in town a few hours beforehand, and would not have had the opportunity to get their bearings and find any other venue as easily. They were at the restaurant a good ten minutes before the appointed time, and when Nick explained that they were meeting someone for a family reunion, they were instantly offered a table in a quiet corner for extra privacy. It was ideal, as it would also be away from the hubbub of other diners, and allow them all to talk without distraction. Having said that, it was by a window that looked out onto the landscaped grounds. Nick settled his husband and son at the table, then poured himself a glass of water from a pitcher that had already been placed on the table. He drank a little, then checking his watch, headed for the entrance again.
He looked back at the table as he walked, getting a thumbs up from Jeff, which made him smile, and noting that Wes was already looking out of the window, something having caught his eye. Now, as he waited to meet the young man that had brought them all to this part of Germany, Nick felt his palms were sweaty, and his nerves were on end, which was most unusual for him. He had met world leaders, royalty, and celebrities without feeling this way, but he guessed that was different. This time he was meeting family. He arrived at the door and looked out into the lobby beyond, and at once noticed the man he was waiting for. He was standing there, checking the time on his watch, just as he had been intending to do. The little similarities to himself that Nick had noted as he studied the photos that Fritz had sent of himself were amplified and more apparent in person. Then the young man looked up, and saw that Nick was watching him; there was a second of hesitation, then he began to walk deliberately and with purpose towards the restaurant door….
Then he was there, and there was an awkward moment when neither of them spoke, before Nick stretched out his hand to be shaken instinctively, and Fritz grasped it and did just that. "Welcome to Baden Baden… I am so pleased to meet you, but must admit, I am a little shocked at how quickly you came! When your father returned my letter unopened, I will admit that I was disheartened and feared the worst; that my American relatives had totally disassociated themselves with their European roots. Then, when your response took so long to arrive…"
"I am afraid that is because the family left the address that you had for me nearly two decades ago, and was it not for the fact that the same people that moved in after we left were still there, and still retained my mother's contact details, then your missive might never have made it into my hands."
"I am so glad that it did, as my family had begun to urge me to give up my dream, and in honesty, my hopes were starting to fade. Now, my faith in the power of the connection of family has been restored, and my entire family is as excited to meet you as I have been."
Nick smiled, then said, "I am a little nervous about that, if I am being entirely honest with you. I am aware that people in this region tend to have a conservative attitude to life, so my lifestyle might be a shock to their system…"
Fritz shook his head, and laughed. "Well, it would be to my great-aunt Gerda, but we no longer speak to her. The outspoken comments that she made about me last year lead to my parents informing her that she was no longer welcome in our home, and the rest of the family has, by and large, taken my side in all of this. The fact that you are married to another man and have a son is also not an issue, although my grandmother is likely to ask exactly how he came to be…"
Nick nodded, then realised that they had been talking for a while, and they should head in. As they entered, he saw that Jeff was looking anxiously in their direction, no doubt wondering what had been taking him so long. Then he saw a smile appear on his face as he saw them together and smiling, the blond no doubt appreciative of the smart and dapper appearance of his husband's relative. Jeff rose to his feet as they got closer, ready to greet the young man whose letter had brought them here…
Fortunately, it transpired that Fritz spoke excellent English, with just a hint of his German accent in his pronunciation of certain words and phrases. He had not been asked to speak in English, but he had realised that a young American boy, raised by his fathers in New York, would be most unlikely to speak German, even if one of those fathers was fluent. That he did so was almost a disappointment to Jeff though, who had been looking forward to trying out his new language skills on a native speaker in a conversation longer than those he had had with the hotel staff. However, there was also a certain relief in the fact that he wasn't having to try and understand too. The menu was brought to the table, and Fritz recommended that they try the Wiener Schnitzel as their main course.
"The restaurant here has an excellent reputation, and their schnitzel is regarded as one of the best in the country. It is also a dish that the less adventurous of palettes can enjoy…" Fritz stopped, blushing, then stuttered, "Not that I am suggesting…"
"It is okay," said Nick, smiling. "We take no offence. It is sometimes best to chose the safest of options when out for a meal, and to be honest, I don't think that Wes would appreciate the jugged saddle of roe deer for a start…" The sudden look on the boy in question's face, attracted to the conversation by his father's use of his name, showed that Nick's assumption was the right one; they had only seen Bambi on television a few weeks before after all…
With the food ordered, they conversed about their lives, the most simple way of getting to know each other. Fritz listened as Nick and Jeff told him the story of their relationship, from meeting at Dalton to their marriage, and about their respective careers, but omitted the worst moments, as there was no need for him to know about the torture that Hunter had subjected them to. Fritz in turn told them his story, a shorter one given his age, and how he was ultimately destined to join the family business. That brought up Nick's baking abilities, with Jeff waxing lyrical about the delights that his husband had produced. Little Wes was as eager to confirm all that his papa said, and to admit that he liked to bake as well…
They continued to chat happily as they ate their meal, which ended with a rich chocolate cake for Jeff and Wes, and a fruit pie for Nick and Fritz; the latter made the comment that he saw enough cake at home that he enjoyed the opportunity to eat a healthier dessert for a change. The pie filling was much less sweet than those that Nick was used to back home, and he enjoyed the tart flavours immensely, but knew that neither his husband or his son would appreciate it.
After the meal, Wes was eager to head out into the gardens, and Jeff was happy to watch him head off with Nick, taking the chance to follow on behind them with Fritz at his side, as it gave him a chance to speak to the young man alone. Before he got an opportunity to speak though, Fritz did. "If you are worried that I am going to hurt him, or that my motive in contacting him was financial, then you need not worry. It is okay that you would have that concern; if the situation was reversed, I would feel the same way, whether the stranger entered my life, or that of Matthias."
"I don't really feel like that," replied Jeff. "It is just that we have been through a lot of heartaches over the years, and I want to protect Nicky from any more, and I would do so with my life if I had to. There are a lot of things that you haven't been told, all of the bad stuff…"
"We all have sadness and pain in our existence, I think. My family have accepted me without question, but Matthias was not as fortunate. His mother disowned him and threw him out of the home; he lives with my family now. His father is supportive, but in that couple, it is the wife that is the dominant personality."
Jeff nodded, and responded, "My story is the opposite. My father was the one that chose to disown me when he realised I was gay, and he decided to do that when I was six years old. My mother was in hospital at the time, thanks to him, and well, he left me at an orphanage. By the time that my mother recovered and was able to look for me, I had been adopted, and she decided it was to everyone's benefit that she walked away, although it broke her heart. I love the couple that adopted me, and they are my parents, although my mother is now back in my life. How that all came about is a long story for another time…"
Fritz nodded, then said, "There is sadness in Nick's family too I think. He mentioned that he did not speak to his father in his e-mail to me; he reacted in the same way as Matthias' mother?"
"He did, and that is why Wes will only ever have one grandfather, but three grandmothers…" Jeff said no more on the subject, as the story in question was not strictly his to tell; how much Nick wanted to reveal to his German family was up to him. He continued, "The fact is that as long as we have each other, then Nick and I will be happy. We are meant to be together, soul mates. I fell for him the moment that he first entered my life; he took longer to realise that we were meant to be more than friends, but he was worth the wait. Everything that is good is worth waiting for…"
Fritz smiled, and said, "You certainly look happy, and your son is a credit to the pair of you. You need not worry about meeting the family; the welcome will be warm…"
The young German would head for home that evening with a broad smile, and Nick had one too. The worry he had had over meeting Fritz had gone now, and he felt a lot less fearful about the family dinner that the three of them would be attending the following evening. A taxi was already on order, and it would convey them to the smaller settlement where the family home was located, set in the hills above the town. That left them the bulk of the following day to explore at leisure, and Fritz had, with the knowledge that Jeff was an artist from Nick, left them an annotated map of Baden Baden, marking on where the most historic buildings were, and what he felt was the most picturesque neighbourhoods.
Nick had studied the map, and there were several that were within an easy walk of the hotel, and they had made tentative plans to head to a few of them after breakfast the next day. The weather turned out to be perfect, with not a cloud in the sky. They headed down to breakfast, which was the usual continental mix of breads, rolls and cold meats; there were also cereals, eggs and a selection of cake that had Nick shaking his head just a little. He had immediately fixed a stare on his husband and son, to show them that he was not going to let them breakfast on cake and pastries. Having eaten, they headed out to stroll down through the historic town, to discover exactly why it had been granted UNESCO status…
Jeff was soon asking Nick to stop so that he could start to sketch, and they paused on a bench in a square. As Nick took a photograph or five of the view for Jeff to refer to later, Jeff started to draw. The photos taken, Nick and Wes left Jeff to it, heading off to look at the various shops that filled the square. As they did so, he almost failed to notice the significance of what they were passing, only stopping when his son asked what konditor meant, before he added, "It's okay daddy, I think that I can guess now."
Nick chuckled, then joined his son at the large plate glass window, which was filled to bursting with lavish gateaux and tarts, glazed pastries and bun filled with fresh cream. All of it looked exquisite. The fruit tarts had a jewel like finish which shone in the daylight, and there were decorations of spun sugar over so much as well. "A konditor is a baker that specialises in cakes. Here in Germany, you have to undertake special training to be granted the title of Konditor Meister, and by the look of the cakes in this window, those that run this bakery have all of the necessary certificates. Now, we need to walk on; if your papa joins us and sees this window, we will be standing here all day long…"
That made Wes chuckle, and the fact that he then muttered, "Cookie! Cookie!" under his breath made Nick laugh too.
Then, as they headed away, Wes looked up, and gasped. "Daddy, look! They have the same name as us!" Nick looked back, and sure enough, the name Duval was written above the window of the shop in shining gold letters. It was obvious now that the shop in question was part of his German family's business…