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Chapter 123
Black Friday
David
It had been a beautiful Thanksgiving. The first one in our new home. The food, the walk in the woods, chocolate fondue while playing, a story from an old storybook. For almost five weeks we had been living here and everyone felt comfortable in this little town.
As expected, my work was no problem at all. My boss had flipped out at first, but finally agreed after I reminded him which of us owned his best drawing card. Next week, however, I would have to show up at the office - for a meeting - in Philadelphia. But that would only take two days.
Daniel was here every weekend and he got along great with Sonya and with his siblings. Now and then there was minor friction - both among the kids and with us - but Sonya took it with dignity. Me with humor. Adolescence was not as easy as we had thought. Since I had seen Daniel - but also Bella's twins - only rarely, they always showed their sweetest side. But the longer Daniel was here, the more he came out of himself. The more this subliminal pubescent monster showed! I somewhat exaggerate! From his room here in the house he was downright enthusiastic. It had no theme, like the rooms of the other three. About that he had been disappointed, but Edward had assured him that it was only because they did not know him yet and so did not know his tastes. He promised the boy that he would make up for it, to give his room a suitable motif.
School had been stressful for Luces and Deacon in the first few weeks, as the curriculum here in Maine was different from that in Pennsylvania. In the meantime, however, the two were getting along and had already made friends. Hardly a day went by that there weren't more than three kids running around here in the house. Deacon, the younger of my sons, and his new friend always reminded me of Jake and Brandon when both of them were that age. Bullies who thought up all sorts of things to annoy Leah. In Deacon's case, Luces was the one who suffered, but he was old enough to stand up to his younger brother.
Emma, on the other hand, was enrolled in kindergarten, which would start for her after Christmas break in the new year. In Philadelphia, we had been on the waiting list and had already thought about whether I should take her to the company daycare. They took really good care of the children there, but just claimed a few rooms in an office building. That was too sterile for us for our little tomboy. Sonya would still be able to take care of Emma herself even though the baby was born, but it was important to us that Emma learned how to interact with other children her age.
With happy thoughts and Sonya in my arms, I quickly fell asleep while I watched the snowflakes dance outside the window on this beautiful Thanksgiving evening.
"David, get up," I heard an equanimous voice sing through my pleasant dream.
If the voice were female, I would certainly be willing to follow the sound. But this?
I turned over, pulled the covers further over me and held on to my dream, which continued undisturbed.
Lucky you.
"David, up," it purred again.
I sighed.
I had dreamed so beautifully. Of Sonya. A lonely mountain hut. A cozy open fire. Children played no role ... God dammmmn ...!
Something hit me and I sat up abruptly with my face contorted in pain and gasping for air.
Right in my crown jewels.
I clenched my eyes and my jaw. I implored in my thoughts all the gods I could think of, including Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, and the Tooth Fairy, that the pain finally subsided. Consequently, it took me a moment to get myself in order.
To my left, Edward squatted and chuckled with amusement to himself.
'Ass!' But he had certainly not kicked me.
So, I looked to the right.
My smooch ball! She pouted in her sleep, pulled courageously on the blanket that I had torn away by sitting up and continued to kick. This time, however, into the void. Maybe we should put the bars on her bed again. Because it was always only me who got kicked when she sneaked into our bed at night. Never Sonya! The women always stuck together too!
"Good morning," Edward had recovered from his mirth.
"Mornin'," I grumbled, briefly checking my manhood for completeness.
I ran through my hair.
That Edward woke me up probably meant that it was six-thirty in the morning. We had agreed that he would wake me up and we would make breakfast together for everyone. In person, not by phone. I didn't want to deprive Sonya of her sleep by ringing. What was I thinking about? Half past six hadn't sounded so early in my considerations. But now it felt quite inhuman.
Reluctantly, I got up and put on a T-shirt. I gave Sonya another one kiss and put Emma in her own bed before standing with Edward in our kitchen.
At least he was nice enough and had already started the coffee machine.
I brought him all kinds of ingredients and actually watched more than did anything myself.
However, I was still not quite sure whether I was really awake. Breakfast was supposed to be relatively early for everyone today. Since we would be getting up around two in the morning the next night to throw the Pulled Pork on the grill, we should go to bed early tonight. In order for this to work and for us not to lie wide awake in our beds, we wanted to get up early today, even though we all had the day off.
"If it's such an elaborate undertaking to prepare this piece of roast pork, why are you doing it?" Edward didn't understand it all.
I just shook my head.
Of course Edward could not understand this.
"Do you know what a famous philosopher said?" I inquired.
"We don't live to eat. We eat to live," Edward teased me. "Socrates," he lectured me before I could ask who had uttered such nonsense.
"Ah ..." I only said. But Mr. Socrates has probably never eaten Pulled Pork.
Invitingly, Edward looked toward me.
"If you have no idea, just shut up!" I now cheerfully recited the quote.
"What philosopher is that supposed to be from?" he mocked me.
"Dieter Nuhr (a German comedian)!" I laughed. "You don't have the faintest idea what this tastes like and what you're missing out on! So hold back with any judgments! ... And don't call it roast pork! That borders on insulting!" I grinned in conclusion.
We continued chatting while I sat on the kitchen counter, meanwhile just pointing where he would find things.
"What's going on with you?" I asked after my head had slowly bathed in enough coffee that it began to work and was able to interpret Edward's facial expression. "You seem kind of glum."
"I won't be there for two days," Edward replied after a moment.
"We've already had that topic!" I reminded him.
Bella and he still looked like they were freshly in love, even after all these weeks. When at the beginning of a new love one never want to miss your partner. I had asked him teasingly whether he would survive this separation. Just as jokingly - but also honestly - he had answered. That it would only be two days. That everyone had his own life to a certain extent and that everyone should continue to live and preserve this, in order not to lose himself. Like Leah and Marcus, who rarely saw each other after school to pursue their own interests and commitments. Like Jake and Becky, who were forbidden to spend the nights together during the week. Like Sonya and I, we didn't hang around together every night either. He even spent some evenings here or with his ice-cold relatives, while Bella met with Zoey or Peter. Or with his siblings or parents. Or she was here. Like any other couple, Bella and Edward did not share their time together continuously, because it was simply part of a relationship to maintain their own friendships as well.
"Yes. I said," was all he replied, but it sounded bitter.
"What has changed?" I inquired.
"I don't know. It feels wrong that I should leave Bella alone."
"Are you thinking about skipping the trip?"
"Yes and no ... Bella was absolutely right about what she said on Sunday. Which is what was going through your mind just now. Which I agree with by reason. Everyone needs time for themselves. Two days are only insignificantly longer than we were otherwise apart. It should not cause us any problems to be without the other this time. In addition, it will confirm to Jake that we can also hold ourselves to the rules we have imposed on him," he explained.
"So you're going to go!" I summarized slightly questioningly.
Edward nodded, but was not happy about his own answer.
His own mind was working against him.
Edward was silent for a while, and I continued sipping my coffee.
I didn't know what to say to lift his spirits. Until I saw something whip in the corner of my eye.
I quickly set my cup aside, jumped off the countertop and dashed after.
"Where are you going this early?" I asked my little daughter in an effortfully stern tone as I caught up with her at the patio door.
I grumbled.
Pajamas, slippers, and teddy. No jacket and no decent shoes with the cold wind out there. Not to mention that she just wanted to run off without checking whether anyone was already awake. So much for everyone always being asleep here and she would be bored!
With big googly eyes she looked up at me.
"I want to go to Eddie's. Help him bake," she murmured, caught.
"And if Edward isn't home?" I inquired.
She giggled sugary sweet, and I forced myself not to smile, which was damn hard for me to do.
In general, it was difficult for me to deal with her as strictly as with the boys. Her googly eyes often made my educational intentions waver.
"He's always there," she said with conviction.
"Not today!" I said seriously.
Her giggles died and she looked heartbreakingly offended.
I lifted her up in my arm.
"Good morning, cherub!" I said softly, turning off my strict educational tone and giving my smooch ball a kiss.
"Good morning, Daddy!" she now replied, smacking me on the cheek and giving me a big hug.
I smiled.
Why did she have to get older? Couldn't she just stay the way she is now? Far away from all worldly problems. Even further away from any boys, whom she would one day turn their heads.
I was already on my way to the kitchen and on my last thought I saw Edward condescendingly raise an eyebrow.
I rolled my eyes.
'Yes. Okay. We'll talk again when Emma has her first boyfriend! If you can set me straight!'
Emma hadn't noticed him yet, because she was playing with her little fingers on my chain.
As always, when she reached it.
Edward whistled a few bars and Emma immediately turned in his direction.
With her honey pie grin, where the cute dimples were so obvious.
I lowered her down and she ran right into his arms. And also gave him a peck on the cheek.
I had to admit, I was already a little jealous. Emma has always been very generous when it comes to giving others a kiss. But no one had ever been allowed to kiss Emma at any time, except me. Not even Sonya . But with Edward, she didn't mind at all.
Emma accused me of setting her up.
It was hard to convince her otherwise and I could only appease her in the end with a mug of cocoa.
Soon everything was ready for breakfast and Edward went back over to wake up his brood while I went with Emma to get our family out of bed.
The boys quickly woke up and immediately romped through the halls with Emma.
I knelt in front of the bed and kissed my wife across her face. One hand carefully slid under the covers onto her abdomen.
To our baby! Every now and then I felt it. Maybe I was just imagining it. But it was still nice.
Punctually at eight we all stood showered and/or dressed in the kitchen and waited for the others who just rang the bell.
Luces ran to the door, and I heard the twins with Marcus and Becky.
I always loved Jake and Leah, but Sonya and I also really liked their respective 'appendages'.
All my children rushed to the front door to greet the young people.
So, we still had a little moment for us, and I kissed my wife devotedly.
Only rarely did we have the opportunity to do so without one of our rascals making an inappropriate ...
"Iiiiiiii ...!" immediately complained Deacon, as if on cue.
It was clear. "Just wait until you have a girlfriend someday. Then you won't say 'Iiiiii ...' anymore!", I turned to him.
He grimaced in disgust and swore by his most sacred toy - a toy flipper - that he would never do anything like kissing. That was disgusting!
Well, he's seven. Luces with his nine years was not any better to speak on such topics. In contrast, Daniel was different. He had at least already noticed what the opposite gender had for physical advantages. Emma, on the other hand, was convinced she would someday marry me. Or possibly Edward. Or - if it absolutely had to be, then maybe Jake, too. End of negotiations!
"Where did you leave your parents?" asked Sonya, addressing the teens, but they were just coming through the door.
We sat down and cheerfully enjoyed the extensive breakfast, to which I really had not contributed much. Except that I had kept the baker company.
Bella suggested we have the barbecue at her place tomorrow, which we then unanimously agreed to.
We couldn't be sure that my kids would last the long period of time from tonight until tomorrow night and wouldn't lay down to sleep at some point. Due to her pregnancy, Sonya also could not rule out the possibility of wanting to take a rest in between. She had been prone to extended afternoon naps for several days. Since her morning sickness was over.
I smiled, pulled her onto my lap and stroked over our baby.
In a few weeks, the urge to clean and tidy would come, because she felt guilty about her actually unusual hours of rest. Then the sweets craving phase, which lasted for a very long time. After that, she would want to do all kinds of sports, since she would have to work off the sweets again. If that was also over, it would be funny when she then bumped into everywhere with her belly and only complained about the uncomfortable girth. In any case, neither Sonya nor our kids would be disturbed by the barbecue-event if we barbecued at Bella's.
We set the schedule.
Sonya, Emma, and Bella were about to go shopping.
Apart from the ingredients for tomorrow's feast, both our households were running low on food and beverages. Not to mention what we had planned for general occupation tomorrow.
"And sweets!" stated Emma.
Very important!
Meanwhile, the teenagers wanted to bring over my big grill.
Because of the move, it was just partially disassembled and since I had not used it for an unusually long time, it also needed to be cleaned. By the way, my grilling season went from January 1 to December 31.
"You're cleaning voluntarily?" inquired Edward, distraught, checking the twins' temperature.
I would leave right away with my boys to pick up Daniel. I would also have to pick up the pre-ordered meat at the butcher shop. The barbecue meat was my job, not Sonya's. On the Internet I had also located a store in Wells, which had coal in stock at this time of year. So, I would have to drive by there as well.
Plans were made when Jazz and Em turned up on the doorstep to pick up Edward. They sat down with us for a moment.
Luces had really taken a fancy to Jasper, who never got tired of dealing with the short one.
We quickly cleared the table together and then retired to our patio so that Bella and Edward could say goodbye to each other undisturbed.
Emma took the opportunity to pull Emmett onto the climbing frame.
Emmett read aloud each single security notice for Edward.
Whenever Edward could hear him.
Emma always giggled sugary sweet while doing so.
I fetched my grill from the garden shed. Gently, almost lovingly, I pulled the protective cover off the device.
I had to admit, the grill was my personal testosterone. What other men tried to express through cars, motorcycles, or much too young women, their masculinity - ! - it was the grill with me.
"What's that then?" asked Marcus amazed.
"That, my boy, is a grill!" I stated.
"A Kalamazoo?"
"A Kalamazoo!" I affirmed in awe.
He related that his brother-in-law Ethan had a regular Weber, but was saving up for a Napoleon.
"Good choice," I agreed. "To begin with," I still chuckled, though. I was dreaming of an outdoor kitchen. With a large grill area, separate smoker, refrigerator, open fireplace, sideboard, sink, maybe a small pizza oven. And all built in natural stone.
I explained to the teenagers what they had to pay attention to when cleaning and how and where the enclosed individual parts belonged.
Then I whistled my kids together again. For them it was too cold outside without jackets in the long run.
Bella and Edward were still standing there, as if they would prefer to stay here. Together. But Edward had to go!
There was a reason I suggested this elaborate barbecue event of all things.
While skateboarding last Sunday, when Emmett and Jasper proposed the outing, I had seen something in a fleeting moment.
Hidden from Edward's eyes, Bella had clenched one hand into a fist. She only did that when she forced herself to be internally calm. So, I came up with this idea of Pulled Pork to keep Bella busy. And I could tell by the look on his face that the idea of not being here for two days didn't appeal to him either.
Still engrossed in his embrace with Bella, he lifted his gaze slightly to me.
'You forbade Jake and Becky from spending too much time and especially every night together so that Becky would not develop a psychological addiction after the rape. But both of you do not heed that advice yourselves and are already taking away each other's independence. You, too, must learn again to be able to live without the other. Don't give yourselves up for the other!' I reminded Edward of what we had already discussed a few days ago.
In the process, we had come to the same opinion without really having discussed. And again this morning.
He nodded, barely noticeable, and mournful detached himself from Bella.
"I'll take care of Bella all right!" I promised, adding in my mind that I wouldn't give her a chance to miss him sorely.
He also said goodbye to everyone else and then the vampires were on their way.
Our plans made during breakfast were now put into action and so a good three hours later I was sitting in the car with three kids, a huge bag full of meat, and several bags of charcoal, driving up Bella's driveway.
The ladies were apparently not yet back from shopping.
It was predictable. Today - on Black Friday - all hell broke loose in the stores, but the teenagers came out and emptied the trunk.
The meat I took myself.
Three magnificent pieces of 5.5 pounds each. The wolves would probably treat themselves to one alone.
I then drove the empty car to us as Bella, Sonya and Emma were already coming towards me.
Again, the young people made themselves useful.
So slowly I understood why Edward doubted the health condition of the teenagers.
Then I was already standing in Bella's kitchen with the meat and had my hallowed spice box with me.
Everyone was watching very closely what I was doing with the raw meat and crowded around me.
With the help of my box, I mixed together my own blend of spices, painstakingly crafted over years of experience, gently rubbed the meat with a bit of oil, and then sensitively massaged in the dry marinade.
"Do you treat Sonya with the same affection?" asked Jake after some time.
"Not on your life!" complained Sonya before I could answer.
With my hands smeared with spices and oil, I chased after her for this bottomless lie!
No one wanted to spend today quietly when we wanted to go to bed early.
The young people had a date with their friends, but promised to be home in good time.
With the four kids, we drove to Portland to watch the parade and then halfway to Saco to an indoor play park.
Ball's paradise, climbing walls, slides, mazes, and so on. And everything was laid out and developed in such a way that parents could join in. Even Daniel, who was actually too old for normal playgrounds, had fun there.
In Sonya's Sharan we all had enough space.
During a little time-out, I looked at our group with amusement.
We sat at a table, and I drank a coffee.
All the others just tried unsuccessfully to glue as little as possible through the respective cotton candy, while they chattered without end. The emphasis here is on ALL the others! Emma, I think, was sticky everywhere and babbling about a slide she really wanted to go on. The three boys decided to go straight to the big trampolines while they tried each other's cotton candy. Sonya really wanted to go on a bouncy castle and just caught a hanging little cloud with her mouth. Bella even had cotton candy in her hair, while she announced that she wanted to accompany everyone. Preferably at the same time.
I shook my head and took a picture of the whole group with my cell phone.
My first impulse was to send it to Edward. But I let it be. It was hard for him to leave, so I didn't want to stir up his longings. But I took many more pictures that I would then show Edward on Sunday. For example, Sonya and Bella on the trampoline.
Of course, Sonya didn't really jump, not even on the bouncy castle, but she let herself take a little bit of the vibrations.
On the way home we went to a cozy bistro for dinner.
We had achieved what we wanted. The kids were almost too tired to eat, even though it was just 8:00 p.m.
Bella took Emma and I Deacon. They had both already fallen asleep in the car. And Luces was about to. He staggered on Sonya's hand to the door. Only Daniel held on a little longer, but it must have been exhausting to stay awake and demonstrate to us that he was no longer a child.
As soon as the children were distributed on the beds, Sonya retreated also into the bedroom.
"Do you mind if I stay with Bella a little longer?" I inquired.
She smiled.
"Of course not ... Bella is playing the strong one, huh?"
"I'm not sure yet. It's the first time Edward's been away. The first night she's spending without him. I think she's afraid to go back into the house alone and find it empty. The kids are certainly still on their way," I explained. Even though Bella had talked Edward into this trip, I was sure she was afraid of these two nights. But she would be too proud to show it and would not admit it to anyone.
"Stay with her. Tomorrow night, too. I can imagine how she feels. Like I did when you used to come here to work and I was all alone in the apartment," she began to undress, and I took her clothes from her.
However, I stopped short.
She had never said how much it had disturbed or possibly burdened her. She didn't know it any differently from me. Even when we got to know each other, I had traveled here every three months.
However, before I could ask why she never told me, she was already talking blithely.
"In the past, at least. But with the children it became easier, even if by then the apartment had become a much bigger house. I no longer felt lonely or suspected ghosts behind any strange noises at night ... Loneliness is a very nasty feeling and makes you see things that are actually not there. So protect Bella from this feeling and show her that she will never be alone. Even if Edward isn't around for a while. I have our children who will never let me forget that!"
She looked at me lovingly, gently stroked my cheek with one hand and placed the other on her abdomen.
I kissed her soulfully.
First her lips, then her belly.
I chuckled a little.
The bulge moved further and further away from being called 'cute', but degenerated into a real belly. Sonya was never more beautiful than now.
I went back downstairs.
I dimmed the light a bit and sat down on the couch with Bella. She huddled comfortably in the corner with a pillow in her arms and a blanket over her legs, and I lay stretched out over one side of the couch.
I played with the ring on one of her hands.
The hand with the ring of Edward's mother. A really pretty piece. The many diamonds glittered slightly in the semi-darkness.
We talked about unimportant things. Funny memories, speculations about our children, Christmas. We had frolicked a lot with the kids this afternoon, insofar the low light made sure that we fell asleep as planned.
And at two o'clock sharp in the morning I fell off the sofa in shock.
My cell phone rang mercilessly.
I was so startled that I grabbed myself onto something and pulled it along. Before I understood what exactly was lying on top of me, I reached my phone.
"Hello?" I asked confusedly stunned. Who was calling in the middle of the night, please!?
"Top of the morning to you!" fiddled Emmett through the line.
By now I had understood what was lying on top of me. What there climbed from me and pressed a knee and an elbow into my ribs.
"Ahhh ...! ... Damn it!" I cried out involuntarily.
"Bella's not answering her cell phone!", I immediately heard Edward's voice through the phone.
He sounded worried. Shouldn't one be more worried about me right now?
Bella flinched in fright from my outcry, slipped away with the heel of her hand, and again an elbow landed on my chest.
"Bella!" I squeaked.
She bit on her lower lip and now carefully leaned away from me, her hands placed over her mouth.
Now if Bella really tried to hide a gleeful laugh, she might be in for something!
"David?"
Edward's voice pitch had changed. He sounded somehow helpless. No time to think about it, I was still busy with my inner spareribs.
"Of course not!" I fulminated. "She's trying to kill me right now, while her cell phone is probably in her purse!" I grumbled and passed my phone.
"Hello?" murmured Bella.
"Can't I even wake up one morning without a female doing violence to me!" I was still cursing as I got up from the floor and checked the number of my ribs.
"Edward!" Bella immediately breathed delightedly, and her face no longer showed a single hint of the suppressed fear from last evening.
But also no pity for me at all!
I went to wake up my family.
More gently than I was awakened! Much gentler!
Thank you for reading!
