And a new chapter is finished! I'm so happy about that. And Erik is also happy too. He get his first vacation in his life. And no doubt that he will enjoy it. And he won't regret it. So I hope that you all maybe don't regret to read this chapter. I wish you all fun reading.

Greetings Petit Erik

Louise POV

I was sitting in the living room at my laptop and just now looked up where we could go on vacation. Erik was playing with the kids on the floor. When I found something, I grinned broadly.

"Angel? Can you come here for a minute, please?", I asked.

He nodded through his giggles, got up after several attempts, and sat down next to me on the sofa.

"What do you think of this?", I asked him.

"It looks beautiful, dear. I've never been there before. But I'd love to."

"Do you want me to book it? I've already found a place to stay where there would be room for all of us."

My husband beamed and kissed me lightly.

"Book it please, angel. I can't wait."

"All right. Will do."

He smiled brightly, kissed me again, and then rejoined the kids at play. I booked our vacation home and was quite happy. There was a lot of talk about it over dinner. I told my kids where we were going and they were more than excited. They had never been to Austria before and were really looking forward to finally seeing the mountains. As Erik and I lay in bed together, he smiled broadly.

"I'm really looking forward to it, dear. I can't wait."

I grinned and kissed him lightly.

"Angel? What do you want to do about it, anyway?", I asked, touching his disfigured cheek.

He leaned into the touch, closed his eyes, and I saw him thinking. Then his face brightened.

"I have another mask to go with my normal one. One with a normal skin tone. I can wear this one then. It won't be noticeable. But could you possibly take some makeup with you so I can cover the edges a bit?"

"I'd love to, angel. Will do."

He beamed, kissed me again, and we fell asleep together.

A few weeks later, we were at our car early in the morning and Erik was loading the luggage. We had a car with nine seats. Another one was out of the question. When everything was loaded, we all went to the toilet once again, I told the children that we would be driving for a very long time now and that they should tell me when they had to go to the toilet. They promised me to tell in time. I took a little change of clothes with me as a precaution in case of emergency. When everything was ready, we buckled up the kids and got in ourselves. We also fastened our seat belts, Erik set the navigation system and started the engine. He released the handbrake and we drove off. We pulled onto the highway and I reached for Erik's hand. He took mine, squeezed it lightly and smiled. I turned to the kids.

"Are you all right?", I asked.

They nodded and smiled. I looked back over at Erik. It was so strange to see him with his mask and wig on. I hadn't been used to that in a long time. It was so strange to see him with a mask and wig on. I hadn't been used to that for a long time.

"What is it, dear?", he asked me, apparently having noticed that I was looking at him.

"I'm just not used to seeing you like this."

"That handsome?"

I chuckled.

"No. So unnatural."

"Unnatural?"

"Yes. I like you best without the mask and wig. And that's how I love you, too. I mean, I love you either way but the way you are, I know you and I love you."

He grinned and took my hand.

"I know what you're going to say, love. And I'm glad you like me the way I am and no other way," he replied, looking ahead again at the street.

In the back, the children were playing something. I heard them giggling and turned around. Jere disguised his voice and his siblings almost roared with laughter. Erik saw what his son was doing in the rearview mirror, chuckled and shook his head. After a little more than two hours, we stopped at a rest stop, all went to the bathroom and I decided that I would now switch places with Erik. He didn't really want to at first but then gave in. So I drove for some time. Erik looked outside and let the sun shine on his face.

"If you want, you can sit in the back with the children after the next break and take off your mask," I suggested to him.

"But the windows?", he hesitated.

"They're darkened. You can see out but no one can see in. If you want, you're welcome to do it."

He beamed, nodded, and after the next break, he joined the kids in the back. I watched him take off his mask and wig and then hold his now uncovered face up to the sun.

"You're enjoying the sun, aren't you Papa?", asked Jere of his father.

He turned to his son, nodded with a smile, and looked outside again.

"Your face doesn't hurt, though, does it Papa?", asked Josy worriedly, looking at her papa's right cheek.

She was always the one who was especially concerned about his face. Certainly, we all were, but with her it was special. She had a bond with her dad that nothing could break.

"No, angel. It doesn't hurt me. Still, it's nice to be able to take the mask off. That's why I'm overly glad I don't need it at home with my wonderful family," he said, pulling Phia into his arms, who sat next to him.

She hummed and snuggled up to him.

"We still have about one hundred kilometers to go. Does anyone need to go to the bathroom again?", I called from the front.

My two youngest children raised their arms.

"Shall I drive again then, angel?", Erik asked me.

"If you want to, and you've replenished enough sunshine?"

"I have."

"Okay. Then you're welcome to drive again."

At the next rest stop we got out and while Erik ate something with the two big ones, I went to the bathroom with the little ones. When we came back, we ate something, too. Then we buckled the kids back into their seats and got back in the front.

"Okay. You said you can get the badge you need here, right?", Erik asked me.

"Right. So we have to go there first and then drive a little bit more."

"All right, angel," he replied, released the handbrake, put the car in the right gear, and we drove out of the parking lot.

After about an hour, we had reached the gas station that sold the stickers. Erik went in quickly, came back after a short time and stuck them on the windshield. After that we entered into the navi our final destination and then drove on. Soon we arrived. It looked beautiful. There were flower boxes on the balconies and you could see the mountains.

"Oh, it's beautiful here," Erik enthused.

"It really is. Let's get the kids and the luggage out and then we can go."

While I unbuckled the kids and got them out of the car, Erik got the luggage out of the trunk. He gave the kids their backpacks and I took one suitcase while he took the other. Then he locked the car and we went to pick up our keys.

Erik POV

It was so beautiful here! I loved it already. The sun was shining and our cottage looked wonderful. We went to the neighbor's house, got the key from the neighbor, who kindly handed it to us and unlocked the door. Our eyes widened. It was beautiful. It was very much made of wood and gave all the rooms a wonderful, homey feel. We put the suitcases in the bedroom and looked for the room for the kids. Their room was really beautiful. From their window, you had a direct view of the mountains, just like from our bedroom window. I was glad the cottage was a bit secluded. I took off my mask and wig, opened the window and held my face to the sun. It was a wonderful feeling.

"Us too, Daddy!", my children called out, and I turned to face them.

I smiled at them, stepped aside and my children stood by the window, closed their eyes and enjoyed the light of the sun as well. The little ones stood in front, then the big ones and I had put a hand on each of Josy and Jere's shoulders. They looked at me and smiled. I grinned and hugged them to me.

"Do you know how glad I am to have you and that you accept me as I am?"

"Of course we accept you as you are, Daddy," they said, "we do love you."

I knelt down to them and hugged them to me.

"I love you guys too. There's one moment that made me realize you're not afraid of me."

"What moment, Papa?", asked Jere curiously.

"When you were in our arms when you were babies. You were in Mama's arms and Josy was in mine. Your sister and you looked at me without fear. And to try something, I put my hand on my right cheek. And I saw how you immediately wanted to start crying. When I uncovered it again, you smiled. That was one of the most beautiful moments in my life."

My children smiled, kissed me on the cheeks and together we looked out the window again. Shortly after, I felt two arms close around my waist. A kiss was pressed to my cheek and my wonderful wife laid her head on my shoulder as I put my arm around her waist.

"Do you like it, Erik?", she asked me.

"Oh, yes. It's beautiful here. Thank you for driving us here."

She smiled at me and kissed me gently. After we had soaked up enough sun, we started unpacking our suitcases. We stowed the kids' clothes in the closet with us. We went shopping after that so we had something for tonight and for breakfast.

While Lou stayed there with the little ones, I went off with the big ones. They both bounced on my hands and giggled loudly. I grinned and they beamed at me. Soon we arrived at the store. We bought everything we needed, including coffee. And whoever thought I'd gotten away from it by now was all wrong. As if I would ever get away from it. And with the wonderful coffee Lou makes for me all the time, it's no wonder I'm addicted to it, right? When we were done, we walked back to our lodging. The little ones had been eagerly awaiting our arrival. As soon as I stepped through the door, they clung to my leg. I giggled, stroking their cheeks, and when they let go of me, I went into the kitchen to put away the groceries.

"Coffee. Of course," Lou grinned and I giggled.

"Of course. Look, dear," I said, pulling a bottle of red wine out of the bag.

"What do you say tonight, after the kids are in bed, we sit outside on the balcony, watch the sunset and the mountains, and have a little glass of wine?"

"Oh, angel. That's a wonderful idea. That's sooo romantic," she purred, leaning against my shoulder.

I caressed her cheek and kissed the top of her head. Shortly after, the kids came jumping into the kitchen, giggling loudly. Basti raised his arms to me and I lifted him up. He snuggled up to me and I stroked his soft hair. Phia sat on my wife's hip and played with her hair.

"Do you want to take a picture together outside on the balcony?", she asked.

"Yes!", the kids exclaimed.

We giggled, Lou grabbed her phone, and we headed out onto the balcony. Lou pointed the camera at us with the mountains in the background and we all started smiling broadly. And if some people think now that I never used to take pictures, that's true. But my wonderful family showed me that I don't have to be ashamed of my face and I accepted myself as I am. Thus, I looked into the camera smiling broadly and Lou took a photo of all of us. She then posted this in the family group, which included her parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousin. So we were a relatively large group.

"Can you please send it to me, angel?", I asked her.

"Gladly", she replied and a short time later I heard a soft pling from my cell phone.

We were out for some more time and the kids really liked it.

When it was around 6 pm, we started to prepare dinner. Soon we started and when we cleared the table again, we put the children to bed. Of course, I still had to tell them a story. That was almost my job. As their eyes fell closed, I smiled, tucked them in, kissed each of them goodnight, and then went to Louise. I looked for her and found her in the bathroom, wrapped in a towel. She was grinning at me.

"Do you want to come?"

I nodded quickly, ran into the bedroom, took off my clothes, laid them on a chair where hers already was, and ran back to her. Together we went into the shower and let the water trickle on us. It felt wonderful. It reminded me of when I had spent the first night with her. And that night was also the night our first twins were conceived. And the morning after, we showered together for the first time. It was so beautiful how she tenderly washed my hair. I will never forget that feeling.

Especially because she was doing it again right now. I purred loudly as she massaged the shampoo into my sparse strands of hair while also massaging my scalp. She was careful not to hurt my exposed section of bone. I was so grateful for her tenderness. I trusted her from the beginning. She never wanted to hurt me. Unlike the others. Most of them had always let me suffer rather than care for me. She was the first to look at me without fear, to call me her friend. And this friendship soon turned into love. I had never thought at that time that anyone would ever love me, if only because of my looks. But she did, and for that I was grateful beyond measure. I stood in the shower and washed the soap out of my hair and off my body.

When we were done, we got out of the shower. We wrapped ourselves in the bath towels, grabbed the wine and went out onto the balcony. We sat down in the chairs, I opened the bottle, poured some in each of our glasses, and we toasted each other. Together we watched the sunset. I noticed Lou take my hand in hers. I caressed her soft skin with my thumb. She smiled at me and I kissed her hand.

"It's beautiful here, dear. I'm so glad we're here," I said to her.

She smiled brightly.

"I'm glad too, angel. It's so beautiful here with you and our children. I'm so happy to have you in my life."

I sniffled and kissed her hand.

"I'm happy to have you and the kids, too."

She smiled at me, took her glass as I took mine, we toasted once more and enjoyed our togetherness in the brilliant sunset and shining mountains.