After putting the children to bed, Patrick joined Shelagh in their bedroom.
He found her sitting in the armchair, breastfeeding little Julie. He got closer, kissed his wife and gently brushed the hair of the baby who, with her eyes closed, was laced to her mother's breast enjoying her meal.
"Patrick…You have that look again," she observed.
"I'm sorry darling, I just can't help it… you're enchanting!" he admitted.
"The kids are asleep?"
"Angela and May are soundly asleep. Teddy was too excited for tomorrow, it's been a struggle...but in the end I got the better of him!"
"What time will you leave tomorrow morning?"
"We take the girls to school and then we go. The big event should be at around 2pm."
"Oh Patrick! Teddy will be thrilled!"
"Yes, I think so. Anyway, we'll be back in time to pick up Angela and May from school, you don't have to worry about anything."
"Thank you! I was thinking of taking the girls out for some shopping later! They are growing visibly... they need new clothes."
"Good…Teddy and I will take care of Julie…" he said, taking the opportunity to pick up the baby.
"We are a great team!" Shelagh remarked, starting to button her gown.
"So true. That's why I really think we deserve some time for the two of us…don't you?" he asked her, in a husky voice.
Shelagh stopped buttoning. She looked at him with her knowing smile and whispered "...if you can get this daughter to sleep as well and also convince her to do it in her crib...maybe..."
Then she rose from the armchair and got close to him, placing her lips on his. Patrick deepened the kiss, taking advantage of that moment.
"Now I'm going to get ready for… the night," smirked Shelagh, hesitating to separate from his perfect lips.
Patrick looked at the little girl and kissed her head, then placed her on his chest.
"Did you hear, my little miss? Please...don't disappoint me tonight…be the perfect daddy's girl as usual!" he begged in a low voice, as if the 9 month-old baby girl could understand those words.
Julie babbled something as an answer, while focusing her big eyes on her father's and pinching his lips with her little chubby hands.
When Shelagh came out of the bathroom, she found Patrick next to the crib looking at the baby.
"Is she sleeping?" she asked him.
"Safe and sound…the magic of the foot-rub keeps working!" he replied satisfied, turning towards her and kissing her hand.
The atmosphere heated up in no-time, a few moments later Shelagh's nightgown was already laying on the floor, next to Patrick's pajama top.
They dived into bed, hands caressing bodies, bodies intertwining, holding hands with passionate kisses that ignited desire.
"Oh Patrick…yes please…" Shelagh moaned, arching under his body.
"Mmmmh…oh God, Shelagh!" he pleaded, kissing the soft spot on her neck.
"I want you inside me. Now…" she ordered firmly.
Just then, they heard Teddy screaming from his room.
"DADDY NOOOOOO!"
They looked into each other's eyes, exasperated by the interruption. Patrick sank his head into the pillow with a sigh of discomfort, Shelagh caressed the back of his neck.
"I'm going to see what happened. I'll be right back, don't move!" he told her, kissing her lips.
"I'll wait for you…" she promised.
Patrick quickly got dressed, covered himself with his robe and ran out to check on Teddy.
He found his son in the hallway crying.
"Teddy! What's wrong?"
He knelt next to him, holding him close while the child dried his tears.
"I dreamed that I woke up and I was looking for you…but I couldn't find you, then mum told me that you had left without me," the child sobbed.
"Son…but we planned this trip just for you. How do you think it is possible that I can leave you at home?"
"Well, you forgot to go pick up our dinner last Friday," the boy reminded him.
"Yes, it's true. But I could never forget about you! Come on, I'll take you back to your bed so we can go back to sleep."
The child followed him silently and went back under the covers. Patrick kissed him and wished him goodnight.
"Now sleep peacefully…a big day awaits us tomorrow!" he told him, trying to speed up the time to come back to Shelagh and continue where they had left off.
"Dad…" Teddy said, grabbing his father's arm.
"Tell me, dear."
Teddy looked him in the eyes and seriously stated, "Dad, I think it would be wise if I came to sleep with you and mummy."
"Would that be…wise?" he repeated, incredulous and amused that his 7-year-old son had chosen that very term.
"Yes. 'Cause you and mum are very tired and maybe you might not hear the alarm clock tomorrow morning," he explained, looking for effective reasons to convince his father.
"Thank you Teddy but don't worry, your sister usually takes good care of that," Patrick said sarcastically, already foreseeing the end of their romantic night.
"Well, anyway, I would feel more comfortable sleeping with you. To be safe, dad... it was a truly scary nightmare!" the child insisted.
Patrick knew it was useless to continue fighting against the Scottish blood that flowed in his son's veins. He was his mother's son.
"Okay...come on, let's go..."
As he walked back through their bedroom, Teddy in his arms, a shiver ran down his spine as he realized that Shelagh's nightgown was on the floor when he left. He breathed a sigh of relief noticing that fortunately there was nothing on the ground now. In fact, Shelagh figured out that Patrick would not be back soon and probably would not return alone, so she dressed herself.
"We have another guest…" he announced, closing the door behind him.
"I'm not surprised…" Shelagh said smiling.
"Here you go, sir, now go down to sleep…it's very late" Patrick ordered.
"I will" Teddy said, satisfied, snuggling next to his mother, who kissed him and held him close.
"Are you better now?" Patrick asked him.
Teddy nodded, took a deep breath and fell asleep peacefully, nestling between the two of them.
Patrick and Shelagh looked at each other, with the silent promise to catch up as soon as possible and wished goodnight with a kiss.
Like every morning, the day began well before the sound of the alarm clock, a useless item now in the Turner house, when little Julie did not hesitate to make her voice heard by the whole neighborhood to announce she was starving.
The organization was a fundamental ally for Patrick and Shelagh, who were now perfectly coordinated in carrying out the tasks necessary to ensure that their children were dressed and ready to leave for school in good time.
After dropping May and Angela off at school, Patrick and Teddy began their adventure.
That day, the first Boeing-747 was scheduled to land at Heathrow and Teddy had begged his father to take him to witness the event. After following the events of Apollo 11 on TV, he had become a true aviation enthusiast. Patrick and Shelagh had discussed it together and in the end they had decided to please him.
During the journey Teddy explained to his father all the details that made the Boeing-747 so extraordinary. Patrick was fascinated and impressed by the amount of knowledge that his boy knew and complimented him.
As they got closer to the airport, they began to see planes landing or taking off. Teddy was amazed and ecstatic, it was the first time he had seen them so close.
"Woah dad! Look at that, it just pulled out the landing gear!" he exclaimed, pointing his finger at a plane approaching a runway.
When they were near the airport, Patrick took a detour and took the road that ran along the bottom of the runway.
Too busy looking at the sky, Teddy hadn't realized where they were.
"Why are we stopping here dad?" he asked, confused.
"Come, get out of the car…now you'll see!"
Teddy looked around and saw an approaching plane heading right in their direction.
"Dad..!?...Dad!?...Look!" he said in disbelief with his mouth open.
Moments later, a plane passed low, roaring overhead and then landing on the runway.
"Smashing dad! It was a Bac 1-11!"
"Really? How did you know? They seem all the same to me..."
"''Cause it has a low wing and the two engines are mounted on its tail. Also it has a pointy bow," Teddy explained.
"Oh… and where did you learn these things?"
"I read the book Santa brought me!"
In the following hours, Patrick discovered the existence of Vickers, Douglas DC-8s, De Havilland Tridents and Boeing 707s and learned how to tell them apart.
Father and son stood there having fun together, looking up while planes kept landing. Both leaned against the car, with their hands in their pockets. Teddy, while resembling Shelagh, seemed every day more like Patrick's perfect miniature. As he grew up he was taking on his posture, his facial expressions, his look, his attitude.
"Dad…?"
"Yes, son"
"I'd really love to get on a plane. Have you ever flown?"
"Yes, I did."
"And when?"
"Last time was 8 years ago, when mum and I went to South Africa."
"Lucky you!"
"Well…I'll tell you a secret: on the return flight you were also on board, even if we didn't know yet."
"What? How?...oooh!" he exclaimed. "I was in mummy's belly?"
"Yes! Our little stealthy passenger…" Patrick smiled.
"Well…but that doesn't count as my first flight."
Another plane roared over their heads.
"Dad?"
"Yes, Teddy"
"I've to tell you something."
"What is it?"
"I want to be a pilot!". Teddy expressed that wish with such intensity that Patrick was almost moved.
"It's a good thing!" he told him.
"You and mum don't mind if I don't want to be a doctor like you and Timothy?" he asked his father, looking him straight in his eyes.
"Why should we? Timothy chose to study medicine not to make me happy, but because it's been his passion since he was a little older than you. Teddy, your mother and I want each one of you to find your way and be happy doing whatever will make you feel fulfilled. So if you want to become a pilot when you get older... we will be at your side and we will support you every step of the way."
Teddy hugged him. "I love you, dad."
At that moment a plane much larger than those that had passed over their heads so far, made its four engines roar overhead.
Teddy looked up and realized in an instant that it was indeed the Jumbo Jet.
"Here it is, dad! And it's huge!"
They saw it land a few hundred meters ahead.
"Oh man!…we missed the approach phase. I am sorry…"
They looked at each other. They had waited for hours for that and at the best moment they got distracted, almost missing it.
"Don't worry dad…it was worth it anyhow. And then…remember that one day, I'll be the pilot" he stated, his little finger pointing at his father.
That night, after Teddy told them all about their adventure, all three children fell asleep on the couch. Patrick took them one at a time and carried them upstairs to their beds, while Shelagh tucked them in.
"Luckily there are only three, my back is starting to ache!" Patrick said, placing a hand on his lower back.
Shelagh laughed "I'm pretty sure we have five of them…"
Patrick laughed with her too.
"The first one has already had his time… the last one is still "achievable"." he answered, closing the girls' door behind him.
"It's a shame your back hurts…" Shelagh insinuated with a hoarse voice, rubbing his back.
Patrick looked into her eyes, took her hand and pulled her towards him. Both were already breathing short and their pupils dilated with excitement.
They kissed softly, deeply, slowly.
Patrick's large hands caressed Shelagh's back, squeezing her passionately. Shelagh's hands had come up from Patrick's chest and then buried her fingers in his hair.
Before completely losing control, Patrick pulled away from her and, still holding her hand, guided her towards the bedroom and closed the door behind them.
This time, there were no interruptions.