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Island Fever 4: Paradise
Written by: JeremyDCP@hotmail.com

M/F, F/F and a whole lot more
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Chapter 12: "Tetrad"
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               -*-  Monday, June 8, 2015  -*-
                 -*-  Sandvika, Norway  -*-


   Our private jetliner departed Jorge Chávez International
Airport in Lima, Peru this past Saturday at 10:13am and
landed for a routine maintenance check nearly some six hours
later in Miami, Florida.  From there we flew to Washington, DC
with another quick lay-over, and then took off across the
mighty Atlantic Ocean to Reykjavík-Keflavík International
Airport in Reykjavik, Iceland.  With the final re-fueling
out of the way, our family was finally able to return home
and arrived safe and sound at Gardermoen Airport in Oslo,
Norway at 1:47pm on Sunday afternoon.
   With 7,100 miles and 17 hours of total airtime under our
belts (keep in mind there was a six hour time difference
between Lima and Oslo), nearly everyone was exhausted once
we returned to the mansion in our hometown of Sandvika.
Kristanna went to visit her parents on the other side of
our huge, sprawling farm in their own private home, but the
rest of us literally had to drag ourselves to bed.
   Kaden and Piper did not have near as good of a trip as
they did last time, unfortunately.  Both became very irritable
and cranky during the flight from Washington, DC to Reykjavik,
and then the negative emotions and feelings carried over until
we reached Oslo.  Once we got into our minivan, however, Kaden
and Piper settled down and eventually drifted off to sleep.
They were still upset, but too tired to act it out.
   I put Kaden down in his crib while Pamela did the same for
Piper.  With both of them still napping, Pamela and I joined
the others in bed.  I must have went out quick, because I do
not remember laying there for long before things went dark.
   I was temporarily roused an hour later, though, as
Kristanna returned home from visiting her parents and climbed
into bed amongst the mishmash of bodies, wanting to cuddle
with me.  A short time later, though, I was out like a light
yet again.  So was everyone else.
   I awoke four hours later to the sound of Kaden crying and
throwing a temper tantrum over the remote baby monitor.  I
turned it off immediately, not wanting him to wake any of the
ladies who all seemed to still be sleeping around me.  When I
went to the baby room to check on him, apparently his screams
had awakened Piper, because she was upset and crying now too.
   It took some doing on my part, but as I tended to both
infants, I was able to get them to eventually simmer and calm
down.  They were fussy and hungry (never a good combination)
and still somewhat frazzled from the long airline trip.
   Piper was better, as I said, but still in somewhat of a
foul mood.  That seemed to fade away completely once Lindsay
showed up and began rocking her in her arms.  Piper became
docile and smiled up at Lindsay (who definitely had the magic
touch with both of the babies) before falling back asleep.
I put a tired and groggy Kaden down in the crib beside Piper.
Lindsay and I stayed there until he too, dozed off.
   I was still worn out and exhausted from the overly long
and grueling series of flights.  When Devon woke up next and
found Lindsay and I together, I decided to order Chinese food
and have it delivered to the mansion.  That way, as each of
the remaining ladies got out of bed, there would be a hot,
delicious meal waiting for them.  Food did me no good on this
particular day, though.  I still felt quite sluggish.
   By midnight, everyone had a full stomach but had since
returned to bed.  We all had plans of sleeping well tonight.

                            * * *

   Considering how she was always chocked full of energy and
possessed an inner drive to be active that was second to none,
it really should not have come as all that much of a surprise
to me that the morning after we returned home from vacation,
Trish was the only one from our little group who wanted to go
out into the world and actually do things.  She was up bright
and early, and insisted that I go with her as well - alone
(just the two of us) - for a romantic, little lunch date,
followed by an afternoon of reacquainting ourselves with the
sights of Norway and its unique culture.
   Although still tired and sore from all those airline miles,
there was no way that I could possibly deny Trish.
   If I turned Trish down today - even if I felt horribly
sick and it was more than justified - but went out with Devon
tomorrow or the next day, what message would that send?  What
would the others think?  Thus, I made it a habit never to turn
any of the ladies away when they wanted to go out someplace
with me, whether it be for an entire day or a five minute
trip to the corner market down the street.  It was just one of
the many, countless, little things that I practiced and
believed in as a way to combat any feelings of jealousy and/or
favoritism.  Our goal as a family, of course, was to squash any
negative emotions before they even had a chance to develop.
   Being the only man amongst seven women in our relationship,
I did my absolute best to make all of them feel as if they
were individually special and unique to me.  After all, that
was the reality - they truly were.  But in order to express
that and get my point across to all seven, it was quite a
daunting task - at some times much more than other times.
There were many instances where I felt as if I was running
behind and doing a terrible job.
   Fortunately, all seven of them seemed to understand and
realize the situation that I was in.  As a result, the group
as a whole tended not to be all that needy or greedy toward
me.  They knew that if I was preoccupied with someone else
on a certain day, their time would eventually come - whether
it be that evening, the next day or perhaps later in the week.
   Also, with a total of eight adults in the relationship (not
to mention two adorable babies), there was always someone for
everyone.  No one was ever forced to be alone.
   Do not get me wrong here.  Despite being tired, I actually
wanted to go and have a nice day out with Trish.  I did not
get to have all that much one-on-one time with her during our
recent vacation on the island.  She had been so disheveled,
feeling down and depressed over the tragic loss of her father,
that I found it difficult to sit down and really connect with
Trish the past few weeks.  When I tried, it seemed as if I
could never get through to her or make any head-way.  By
default, Trish spent most of her vacation time with Lindsay.
That was understandable, I suppose.
   Best of all, Trish seemed to be in really good spirits
not only this morning, but the past couple of days as well.
Trish was energetic and had that special smile upon her face
when she asked me if I wanted to spend this lazy Monday out
alone with her.  Her good mood dated back to Thursday, in
fact.  She was her usual, cheerful self during our beach 
party on Friday.  Trish's father died on May 21 (today was 
June 8).  I was hopeful that Trish had finally turned the 
corner, so to speak, and was getting back to her normal self.
   Before Trish and I left the mansion on this sleepy Monday
morning, however, we were reminded that indeed, our homeland
was vastly different than the island paradise we had just
spent nine glorious days vacationing on.  Instead of lush
beaches and tropical sunshine, Sandvika was dark and gloomy
with the threat of possible storms.  Wind whipped throughout
the farm and made several of the animals quite restless.
That was not going to deter Trish and yours truly in the
slightest from having a good time out and about, though.
   Even bundled in two layers of clothing and a thick, neon
windbreaker, Trish looked vibrant and beautiful as we made
our way downtown.  I allowed Trish to pick where we should
have our lunch, and she chose _Vaertshuset Baerums Verk_.
   Touted as the oldest restaurant in the entire country,
Vaertshuset Baerums Verk seemed like a time capsule in
and of itself.  A small wooden house with old, traditional
furniture, it was a truly sensational restaurant with fine
food and top-notch customer service.  It featured tiny,
little rooms for two if desired for the utmost in dining
privacy.  It had a very authentic 1800's era atmosphere.
   There were so many wonderful selections to choose from on
the menu, but I ultimately decided on _Bacalao_ - a Norwegian
seafood dish consisting of shredded cod mixed with chopped
parsley, diced onions, tomatoes, olives, oregano, garlic
cloves and jalapeno peppers, sauteed with vinegar.  It was
outstanding!  I also opted for sweet and sour red cabbage on
the side, along with _Julekake_(Christmas cake bread).
   Trish was a seafood lover as well, so I was thrown for
somewhat of a loop when she ordered _FårikåL_ from the menu.
A scrumptious casserole, FårikåL (yes, that L at the end is
supposed to be capitalized), was chunky pieces of hearty lamb
cooked with flour, green cabbages and whole black peppers.
She also enjoyed a side of _Lefse_, which was a Norwegian
version of potato bread.
   Even as a light rain began to fall in the middle of our
meal, I noticed that Trish was more lively and spirited today
than normal.  There seemed to be a certain exotic, healthy
glow about her that was much more prevalent than even on her
best days.  I did not bring it up during conversation,
though, not wanting to jinx things!  Had Trish climbed out of
the depths of despair once and for all?  God, I sure hope so.
   Our next stop was _Aker Brygge_ - an area in downtown Oslo
itself - that was a popular location for shopping, dining and
all sorts of entertainment.  It was widely viewed as Norway's
biggest attraction and tourist destination spot.
   Once a booming shipyard dating back to the 19th century,
Aker Brygge underwent a massive reconstruction beginning in
1982 and finally concluding in 1998.  Today it is a vibrant
waterfront market with several shopping areas and businesses,
a cinema, high-priced apartments and a small ferry harbor.
It is also home to fantastic art and architecture surrounding
the naked eye in the central part of Oslo.
   Walking around Aker Brygge with Trish was really enjoyable
for me.  The rain had let up and the sun was actually trying to
peek through the clouds.  Trish and I held hands, and she
munched on cotton candy as we made our way amongst the masses
of people.  At one point we sat down on a park bench and
simply watched the sailboats gliding through the Norwegian Sea.
Trish propped her head upon my shoulder and we must have shared
dozens of gentle, light kisses, oblivious to the passersby.
   There were several statues and different types of art all
throughout Aker Brygge.  One was of a man walking on stilts in
the ocean itself.  There was another statue of a polar bear in
one section of the pier, while down the way there were many
other statues of nude ladies in various different poses.
   Several men kept getting their photograph taken by these
specific statues, which was interesting.  But what amused me
was the places where they chose to position their hands.
Feeling quite playful, Trish joined in - she had me snap a
photograph of her next to a statue wearing a red hat, with
her arm coiled around its side and a hand on its breast.  
She received her fair share of looks for it, too!
   I asked Trish where she wanted to go next for our day of
fun, and her immediate response was _Akershus Festning_
(which translates to _Akershus Fortress_ in English).
   A medieval castle that was built to protect Oslo in the
year 1299, Akershus Festning survived several assaults and
sieges throughout earlier centuries and today serves as a
military area and a place for official events and dinners for
dignitaries and foreign heads of state.  Still, it was open
to the public on a near daily basis.  Imposing, enormous and
looking over Oslo Fjord, Akershus Festning was a masterpiece
which offered a history lesson and an example of what humans
were capable of doing with hard work and dedication.
   Many of the buildings on the grounds dated back some 600
or more years and had not been altered or reconstructed from
their original form.  The castle itself was stunning and the
views over the adjacent harbor were breathtaking.  There was
a definite sense of history as one walked around the old,
thick stonewalls, the inner courtyards and the watch towers.
   Perhaps the only somber moment of our sightseeing tour
throughout the wondrous castle was a section of it known as
_Slaveriet_ (The Slavery), which housed various prisoners
and war criminals dating back to the late 18th century.  The
jail also served as a Nazi stronghold during World War II.
   Because of the prison and its gruesome history, Akershus
Festning actually ranks as one of the most haunted places
in all the world.  Several ghost sightings have been reported
throughout the years.  But perhaps the most popular tale is
that of the demon dog named Malcanisen.  Legend has it that
he guards the gates to the castle.  Anyone who is approached
by the canine spectral spirit is doomed to a horrible death
sometime in the following three months.  I am happy to report
that neither Trish nor myself saw Malcanisen on this day...
   The sun was actually out and beaming brightly once Trish
and I went to _Slottet_ (the Royal Palace) and took a stroll
through the beautiful park that surrounded on it on all
sides.  It featured grassy areas and flowerbeds as well as
old, majestic trees, and was quite a popular place to relax.
I found great joy out of watching Trish sniff the flowers, an
uplifting and delightful expression coming to her face after
almost every single one.
   By the time it was 4:30pm, I suggested to Trish that she
and I return home so we could have dinner with the other
ladies at our standard hour of 7:00pm.  Trish agreed, but
claimed that there was one more place that she wanted to
visit before we retired to the mansion for the evening.
   That would be _Sandvika Storsenter_, a super, regional
shopping center that was home to 195 individual stores and
boutiques.  It was no more than ten minutes from our estate.
Trish reminded me (as if I did not know already) that Amy's
birthday was a little more than two weeks away; she would be
33.  Although Trish already had a lot of gifts for Amy hid
away back home, she insisted on purchasing her some more.
Thus, Trish explained, there was a list of stores here at
the mall that she wanted to hit up and visit.  She promised
me that we would be home in plenty of time for dinner.
   Shortly after stepping foot into Sandvika Storsenter,
though, Trish spotted one of those picture booths for two
that had a drawstring curtain and would snap a series of
photographs in exchange for a nominal fee.  With an elegant,
cover-girl face complimented by rounded cheek bones and a
friendly, charming smile, Trish was quite the photogenic
sort.  She insisted that I step into the little booth with
her and sit down, then pose for a series of photographs that
we would later take home on long strips and share with the
rest of our family.  We could make funny faces and be goofy,
she said, or just act natural and have fun with it.
   "Put your arm around me," Trish instructed me with a happy,
joyous tint in her voice, as we sat in the booth and faced the
camera lens.  Our windbreaker jackets on the floor beside us,
we had privacy in the booth with its curtain closed, but there
was noise and chatter from passerby shoppers all around us.
   "Can I?" I teased Trish, slipping an arm around her.
   "Will you?"
   "Squeeze together," I offered and we huddled close, as I
inserted 25 Norwegian Krone (a little more than $3 in USD)
into the machine, starting it up.  Trish placed the side of
her face upon mine and smiled sweetly as the timer in front
of us began to count down.
   "What are we doing?"
   "I don't know," she said.  "Just smile at first, wing it."
   Offering my best _happy face_, the first photograph in what
would be a series of them occurred.  After that initial flash,
Trish promptly reached into her handbag and pulled out what
appeared to be a tiny beanie hat, its color white, and held it
up in front of her with both hands.  I tried to pay the hat no
attention, focusing on the camera and smiling brightly for
the second shot.  After it, I noticed Trish's brown eyes drift
downward toward the hat and she let out a foolish giggle.
   When Trish pulled away from me, I instinctively held out
both arms in an attempt to bring her in closer for the next
photograph.  "Squeeze together," I insisted.  But Trish was
now facing me and holding the little beanie hat just inches
from my gaze.  In bold, cursive letters, there was a single
word etched out across the front of the hat - _Baby_.
   Confused for a brief moment, I stared at the word, but
quickly got the idea.  When I made eye contact with Trish,
she giggled merrily once again and tilted her happy, glowing
face to the side, staring right back at me with an expression 
so full and vibrant, it reminded me of our wedding day.
   "What?" I choked at her.  Unable to control her giggling,
Trish vigorously nodded her head at me and nearly began to
cry.  "For real?" I asked, overcome with emotion myself.
   "YES!" Trish sobbed, still giggling and nodding her head.
   My spine tingling with raw, positive vibrations at the 
realization that I was going to be a father for the fourth
time, I bumped noses and foreheads with Trish, and the two
of us held that same position for quite some time as we
laughed and smiled together in mutual, utter delight.
   Although Lindsay had clearly been my focal point of late
in terms of attempting our next pregnancy, Trish had been an
equal priority of mine up until the day her father died.  She
had not been in many sexual moods since that horrific day,
obviously, but I must have did the deed, so to speak, before 
it.  Wait a minute, was this true?  Really?  After five months 
of trying, Trish was finally pregnant!
   I kissed her on the forehead, then she brought a hand to
my face and rubbed it.  "For real?"
   "For real!" Trish exclaimed in response, kissing me
tenderly.  She coiled her arms around my neck and shoulders,
squeezing tightly.  I brought a hand to both of my very own
eyes and dabbed them, trying to hide the tears.  First Kaden,
then Piper.  Dani Grace was on the way.  And now... THIS!
   "Oh, I'm so happy!" I told Trish, now hugging her myself.
"How long have you known?"
   "Thursday!" she snickered.
   "Are you serious?"  Today was Monday.
   "Yeah!" she beamed.  "I took a couple of tests back on the
island and they came up positive, but I wanted to be sure and
wait a few days.  I took another test this morning, then I
wanted to come here and do THIS!"  She pointed all around the
cramped photo booth, then motioned toward her cell phone on
the ledge in front of us.  Its video lens was pointed right
at us as well.  Apparently, it had recorded everything.
"Everything we did today, Jeremy, was with the aim of getting
you in this little photo booth and breaking the news to you!"
   "NO WONDER you have been in such a better mood lately!"
   "Yeah!" she exclaimed in response, joyous.  "I promised my
dad before he died that I would deliver a little grandson or
granddaughter for him.  I'm not going back on my promise!  Oh,
I know Dad is so happy and proud of me in Heaven now!"
   "Have you told anyone else yet?"
   "I didn't want to, but I felt compelled to tell Lindsay on
the flight back home from the island," Trish admitted.  "I 
know that you deserved to find out first, Jeremy, but I could 
not resist telling Lindsay.  Plus, I wanted to be certain 
before I told you - so more tests.  But she is ecstatic!  Oh 
my God, Lindsay was jumping and squealing on the plane.  She
is so incredibly happy for us!"  
   And no doubt, there would now be even more of a sense of
urgency for me to impregnate Lindsay.  She and Trish had
openly talked (i.e. fantasized) about being pregnant at the 
same time, and maybe even giving birth to their respective
child on the very same day - in the same hospital room!  Oh
man, I needed to get Lindsay pregnant.  And fast.
   Trish kissed me yet again, adding, "Thank you, Jeremy.  
Thank you so much!  I love you!  I love you, love you, love
you!  You and I are gonna be a Mommy and Daddy together!"
She began openly sobbing and concluded, "I've wanted to be
a mother my entire life..."
   "Oh, I love you too, sweetheart..."
   Full of happiness, I reached down with my right hand and
placed it upon Trish's toned, flat abdomen.  A little life
was growing somewhere inside of there, and the love that
Trish and I shared together helped create it!  At the same
time, she held up the white beanie hat with the word _Baby_
stenciled out across its front and giggled yet again.
   With only one photograph left in the session - the booth
had been getting random shots of us as well these past few
minutes - Trish held one end of the hat with her left hand
just below our chins, and I held the opposite with my right,
and the two of us smiled for the automated camera.  It was
the perfect closing shot for our little photo opportunity...


               <<<- End of Chapter 12 ->>>



==---- -- -- -- - --- -- --  -  - --- -- -- --- - -- - - - - --- -- ----==
"Island Fever 4: Paradise"

(c) 2015  JeremyDCP

- JeremyDCP@hotmail.com

Feedback is always appreciated!