I was sleeping when I felt an arm draping itself over my shoulder. Alarmed, turned around to see myself face to face with Shem. I let out a sound of joy and hugged him tightly. On top of him, I started to kiss him passionately.

"I am ready." I told him and in an instant, I found myself underneath him.

He removed his lips from mine and began to kiss my neck while his hands traveled along my upper body. I moaned as I felt his hands begin to move lower. My hands were still wrapped tightly around his neck and as soon as I felt his hands touch my thighs, I gripped his hair tightly. He smirked and once he removed my night dress, he began to kiss down from my collarbone, in between my breasts, and past my bellybutton. He stopped at my hips and gently kissed the scar I had once been so insecure about myself. Fed up with all of Shem's teasing, I pushed him off of me and began to rip at his clothes.

"No patience I see." He joked, pulling his pants off.

"The children will be up soon Shem and Adah and Naomi will want to see you and I want to see Evi and my sons." I said.

Once his clothes were all gone I pulled his head down and kissed him once more. Shem put his hands on my thighs again and this time he moved them all the way up into my warmth. I stopped kissing him and let out a moan as he moved his fingers in and out.

"Oh Shem." I moaned.

I kissed his ears; his neck and I moved my hands and gripped his manhood. I heard him hiss and stop his hand movements. Before I could protest, he removed my hand and plunged himself into me. I arched my back as he began to thrust in and out of me. My arms went back to their spot around Shem's neck and he let his hands wander. We spent the next few hours in glorious bliss.

After our lovemaking, I went to prepare a meal. Shem and the children had gotten back in the early morning, before the sun had come up, and so I was sure they were hungry. Once I got into the cooking area, I saw Asher. He was sitting in a chair drinking some water.

"He is not feeling well." I heard Shem say from behind me, "I do not know why. We all ate the same fish and drank the same water."

"He has been this way for a few days; I thought the fresh air would have done him well." I told Shem.

I walked over to Asher and felt his forehead. It was a little warm, but nothing to serious. He closed his eyes at the touch of my hand and leaned his head on my stomach. I picked him up and moved to sit in a chair with him on my lap. He laid his head on my chest and as I stroked his hair, he began to nod off.

"I will start cooking." Shem told me.

He kissed Asher's forehead and left. As he left, Evi came in from her room and sat down next to me. Unable to hug her due to Asher in my arms, I leaned over kissed her temple.

"How was it?" I asked her.

"It was wonderful!" She exclaimed, "Did papa tell you that I caught the biggest fish?"

"He has not." I replied.

"I did! It was so large that I shared it with Elijah and Jonas and there was still some leftover." She said enthusiastically.

Evi and I talked more about their trip and within moments all the other children began to trickle in. Adah came in, half carrying half dragging a disgruntled Naomi, and Elijah followed her. He came over and kissed me on the cheek and then sat down next to me.

"Hello mother. How is Asher doing today?" he asked me.

He had grown up so fast and at seven was a very sweet, well-mannered boy, like Shem was when I first joined the family. As Elijah grew older, my features became more prominent; he had my eyes, nose, lips, and hair color, but his personality was completely Shem.

"Not so well." I replied, "Could you run and fetch grandmother after we eat? I want her to check him."

"Of course, can Adah come with me?" Elijah asked starting to eat the eggs Shem had put in all our bowls.

"Go where with you?" Shem asked, sitting down and putting Naomi in his lap.

"Mother asked me to get grandmother to check on Asher." Elijah informed him.

"I would like to go with him papa." Adah said to Shem.

"That is fine." Shem said, "That means Evi, you will have to help look over Naomi. Mother needs to be with Asher and I need to continue building."

"But I want to help you build father." Evi whined.

"Evi we can play cat's cradle!" Naomi exclaimed.

We all finished eating and Elijah soon left with Adah. Once she had finished, Naomi had dragged Evi into her room to play and I took Asher into mine and Shem's room while Shem cleaned up. Asher had woken up and had a little water right before falling back to sleep. I put a blanket over him and went to feel his forehead; it was a lot warmer than before.

"Shem!" I called out and within seconds Shem had run into the room, "Feel his forehead."

"It is very warm." He said, feeling different spots on Asher's face, "I will get some wet cloths."

I put another blanket on top of Asher and he let out a little moan of annoyance from being hot.

"I know darling," I told him, "but you need to break your fever."

Asher continued crying while I lied next to him and kept his forehead cool. It seemed the longer time went, the worse he was getting. After a half an hour of waiting, Elijah and Adah came back with mother. She immediately came over to the bed and began to feel Asher's forehead.

"It keeps getting hotter!" I cried, my hands shaking as I whipped his neck.

"How long has he been like this?" She asked me, mixing some herbs into a glass of water.

"He hasn't been well for eight days, I thought the fresh air would do him well." I replied.

Shem had come back into the room and was sitting with his arms wrapped tightly around me. Mother looked at us, her face grim.

"I don't think he will make it." She said softly, tears falling down her face.

I felt my heart stop and let out an ear-splitting scream. I pulled out of Shem's embrace and lied myself over Asher's tiny body.

"Mother there has to be a way to help him." Shem said.

"I am sorry; there is nothing I can do. His fever is too high and he is too weak." She replied.

The other children had run into the room after hearing my scream. The girls and Elijah stayed by Shem but Naomi came over to me and put her little hand on my shoulder.

"Mama Asher's okay." She told me.

I began to sob harder and mother picked Naomi up and brought the other children out of the room, leaving Shem and I alone. Shem came over on Asher's other side and began stroking his hair. His breathing had begun to slow down and his eyes remained closed. I picked my head off of his belly and pulled him into my lap.

"Mama, papa." He said so low it was barely a whisper.

"Hush little one," Shem said, "we are here."

Then, in a matter of seconds, his breathing stopped.

"No!" I cried, "NO!"

Shem threw his arms around me and pulled me close, Asher still in my arms