[[[-IF5-P4.TXT-]]] ---------------- Island Fever 5: Family Written by: JeremyDCP@hotmail.com M/F, F/F and a whole lot more ---------------- Chapter 04: "Decisions" ------------------------------------------- -*- Thursday, March 10, 2016 -*- -*- Sandvika, Norway -*- "Oh, you have no idea just how much I appreciate Jeremy," Pamela said in response to Alison as the two ladies relaxed together in the reception room, located on the ground level of our family's mansion. I was keeping an eye on them - maybe even doing a little eavesdropping - by way of the voyeur room and the surveillance cameras linked to it. The system was not quite as intricate or advanced as the one I had back on the island, but it got the job done regardless. "The day I married Jeremy," Pamela continued telling Alison, "I did not realize just how much my life was about to change. Everything was there for me. Of course I loved Jeremy, of course I was attracted to him. He came from a good background, he was a good man, and he treated me well." Beneath them, Piper (our 15 month old daughter) roared like a ferocious dinosaur as she played with her toys on the floor. "Jeremy also makes really cute kids," Pamela added, smiling. "But the longer I've been married to Jeremy, the more... we have arguments, maybe the more we work harder together, the more I watch him develop as not only a father for Piper, but the other kids in our family too... the deeper I fall in love with him." Inside the voyeur room, I could not help but to smile as Pamela carried on, "I'm proud to be his wife, even if it just one of six, or one of seven after Saturday. I... love Jeremy to pieces." She reached down and caressed Piper's shoulder, laughing, "Look at the cute little girl he helped make! That has to count for something too, right?" Alison nodded her head and smiled leisurely as Pamela continued forth with her narrative. "Again, I'm proud to be his wife. I'm proud to support him. I... I just... have so many feelings and appreciation toward Jeremy. He... of course, you know, my parents taught me to be a nice person." Pamela nearly became emotional as she kept talking, "But Jeremy has truly taught me how... to LOVE someone. Like, just by example. Jeremy is the best example. I really appreciate him, and I love him." "And what about Kristanna?" Alison softly inquired. "I heard that you and Kristanna did not always get along?" Pamela sighed and made a face. "My own stupidity, really. I can be really stubborn at times, and dead-set in my ways. When I first met Jeremy, back in June 2013, I was blown away. No one... ever made me feel the way Jeremy did before. I wanted to drop everything and marry him on the spot, have his babies, grow old with him. Right then and there." "But Jeremy had a friendship with Kristanna which had been going on for four years, and then all of a sudden it turned into a romance... literally overnight. I got really greedy and emotional, and basically told Jeremy that he had to make a choice - either me or Kristanna. Despite the fact, you know, we are on the island - where everyone is basically free to have sex with anyone they want. I want Jeremy for myself, you know, but most nights I am going to bed with Amy since she was my room-mate. More often than not, I fell asleep with Amy's head between my thighs. Doesn't make sense, right? Yet my goal is a one-on-one relationship with Jeremy." Piper again roared and giggled as Pamela mused, "Kristanna and Jeremy kept telling me that it did not have to be that way; no choice had to be made, we could all enter into a group relationship, maybe a group marriage, down the line. Devon was already committed to them. Trish and Amy, then Lindsay... they all followed. But I wanted none of that. I wanted Jeremy all for myself." "And you left for several months," Alison frowned. "I did," Pamela nodded. "Biggest mistake of my life, too. I ultimately forced Jeremy into making a choice... and that choice was Kristanna for him. I was just so mad, so upset. But as I look back on it, why would he choose me over her? I was being a major drama queen and doing nothing but causing trouble. Kristanna and the other girls, they were so happy and loving, they just wanted to live comfortably and in peace. On top of that, he had known Kristanna for four years. Me? Four weeks, if that. Jeremy HAD to choose her. There would have been something wrong, quite honestly, if he didn't choose her over me. But I didn't realize that then." "I missed five whole months of our relationship, this family we have created," Pamela pouted. "I wasn't here when Trish agreed to stay and join the family, followed by Amy. I wasn't here when your sister, Lindsay, decided to join the family. I wasn't here to see the reconciliation that took place between Trish and your sister." Pamela wiped away a sudden influx of tears as she added, "And I wasn't here... to be a part of, to see, Jeremy and Kristanna's wed-wedding. That... is actually my... b-b-biggest regret." Alison patted Pamela's wrist in a sympathetic manner. "Ohhhhh, you poor thing." She tilted her head and looked deep into Pamela's eyes. "When you got a second chance to make things right, you came in with a different mindset." "I originally came back to the island in December 2013," Pamela explained, "and my sole purpose in doing so was so I could be with Jeremy. By that time, he and Kristanna were already married, and he was engaged to Amy. I had no plans of stealing him, because that would never happen anyway. I would have never been successful. But I just... I missed Jeremy SO MUCH those five months I was away. And it hurt." "I basically forced myself to go back to the island when the opportunity was there, even though, before I went, I hated the idea of Jeremy being around all the other women... him focusing on them, flirting with them, loving them... instead of strictly me. But still, I was in love with Jeremy. I never stopped being in love. I NEEDED him in my life. And he was in love with me too, which made everything seem okay. Eventually, I agreed to relocate here to Norway with them, too. And soon I... I actually fell in love with Kristanna." "Your rival from the early summer," Alison mused. "Your adversary, your competition for Jeremy. Lindsay told me that you said some pretty mean things back in the day about Kristanna. Is that true?" "It is," Pamela nodded. "I regret that too. What should have happened, and what I would change if I could go back in time and do it all over again, is that I wouldn't have been so greedy and selfish. I would have accepted their initial offer and became part of the family right away. I... it's my biggest regret. It tears me apart inside that I wasn't there as a bridesmaid when they got married. Kristanna has been... so good to me, and I wasn't there... I wasn't... th-there... for the happiest day... of her life." "What made you fall in love with Kristanna?" Pamela laughed nervously and bounced Piper about on her lap, then hugged the toddler to her. "Kristanna did." "What do you mean?" "Just Kristanna being... herself. She was so open to the idea of bringing me into the family, when not everyone else exactly was. I know Devon had her reservations about it. She thought that I would cause more trouble. But Kristanna... Krissy, she wanted it to work so much. And day in, and day out, Krissy was so nice to me. She was so good to me. She was always smiling, always laughing... I just, I never had been around someone like that before in my life. I had been a stripper for 12 years, and it nearly ruined me. I felt absolutely miserable for those 12 years, not able to trust or confide in anyone. I felt detached... timid, scared, like no one took me seriously." Pamela broke out into a big smile. "But Krissy lured me back in. She taught me how to laugh. She taught me how to kick back, and have fun. She taught me... every day is supposed to be an adventure." "I remember Valentine's Day, 2014," Pamela continued as she allowed Piper to climb out of her lap. "That was when Jeremy married Amy. I still hadn't fully bought into the whole group relationship and marriage thing, but that night... was a turning point for me. Krissy was so happy, so OVERJOYED, for Amy. Kristanna's husband actually married another woman right in front of her, and she was so giddy, she was crying, she was jumping up and down all night long... just full of energy and happiness. Krissy wanted Jeremy and Amy to be together SO MUCH. It... it... blew my mind. It really did. Everyone was so happy. I had never been in an atmosphere like that before. Ever. And the ringleader was Krissy. I realized that night, just with two months of being back with them, my life was so relaxed. I was so at ease. For the first time, maybe ever, I had zero stress. This life... was for me. The ringleader was Krissy. She convinced me of that." Pamela took a deep breath and let out a painful sigh. "And then two weeks later, Krissy is like, four months pregnant with Kaden, and I get a call from Lindsay while at the grocery store. Krissy was admitted to the hospital, and the word MISCARRIAGE was said. There was some sort of abnormality with the chromosomes, and the doctors feared that Kristanna may actually have a miscarriage." "I dropped everything - left my shopping cart full of food right there in the aisle - and went straight to the hospital. I get there, and Kristanna is in bed, wires attached everywhere to her body, looking very weak and fragile. And I... I lost it. I ran over to her bed and dropped down to my knees, I hugged her and I... I started crying like you would not believe. I knew how important it was to her to have a baby, how much she had been looking forward to it. But Kaden was in danger. And I blew up. My whole world just shattered... when I saw her in that bed. I told Krissy that I loved her, I asked if there was anything I could do. I was frantic. I..." Pamela turned her head and looked away, not wanting to complete the sentence. The memory obviously hurt her. To draw strength, she pulled Piper back into her arms for a hug and held on tight. "Kristanna's baby obviously turned out okay." "Yeah," Pamela sniffed. "Kaden is a handful today. But once Krissy was out of the danger zone, I felt as if this massive weight was lifted from my chest. I was SO HAPPY, so incredibly relieved that her pregnancy could go on as normal. And I... I actually realized that day I was in love with her. I already was, but I just didn't know it yet. Not 'til then." "What about the other girls?" Alison asked. "How did your relationships evolve with them?" "Very quickly," Pamela giggled. "Once I realized that I was in love with Kristanna, obviously Jeremy, and I actually had serious thoughts about spending the rest of my life in this family, this sort of environment, everything fell into place quick. It was so easy to open my arms, open my heart, to Trish and Lindsay, Amy, even Devon. All of them were so incredibly nice and supportive, but their number one priority was the family. They were so committed to the family, being there for each other, loving each other. There really was no animosity, no jealousy. The ringleader, again, was Kristanna. She made everything go. All of our happiness, our foundation as a family... it starts with Kristanna. She is incredible." Pamela shrugged her shoulders. "I just don't know what day was happier to me. Was it the day I married Jeremy? Or was it the day I married Kristanna? Really, I have no idea. I love them both so much. I would do anything, give anything, for them. I would die for them if need be. And I love the others, too. Devon, Trish, Lindsay, Amy... Scarlett too. I have always loved Jeremy, you know. It took some time, but I learned to love Kristanna too. Just as much as I do him. I... I cannot imagine my life now without both of them in it." "Kristanna and Jeremy are your favorites?" "By far and away, yes," Pamela answered. "I'm not afraid to admit that. It's okay, though. We are a family - all of us - and we love and support one another to all ends. But everyone has their favorite or, in my case, two favorites." Alison laughed and crinkled her nose. "Who do you think is the favorite for my sister? It's hard telling." "Lindsay?" Pamela countered. "You'd have to ask her. It is either Jeremy or Trish. Maybe both?" Piper climbed down from her mother's lap and began playing with her toys again. "I... I honestly don't know." Alison sat back in her chair and grinned leisurely. "Being so many thousands of miles away the last couple of years, and watching the marriage grow and develop into what it is today from such a great distance... it always intrigued me. I wake up one day, and it hit me - my sister is married. Not once, not twice, not three times... but six times. Lindsay marries Trish. She marries Jeremy, Kristanna. Soon, my very own sister has five wives and one husband. Then, I hear there is another on the way - Scarlett. She is going to marry Scarlett this summer. Lindsay and I, you know, we come from this very religious family. Dad was a minister before he died. We are all still very involved in the church and what it offers and teaches. I certainly did not understand the relationship, or its dynamic at first." Alison giggled and added, "I didn't even know that Lindsay was attracted to other girls. Things may have been different when we were growing up if I knew that." Pamela seemed curious. "Oh? How so?" "I've been attracted to other girls for as long as I can remember," Alison admitted. "And first and foremost on that list, the one I'm attracted to the most, is Lindsay. It has always been that way for me." Pamela's eyes went wide upon hearing those telling words, but she chose, rightfully so, not to verbally respond. The one person Alison was attracted to most was her very own sister? "And you know, over time, I guess I become a little envious of her," Alison mused. "Lindsay talked to me all of the time, telling me of her fairy tale life. Oh Ali, guess what Jeremy did for me today? You'll never believe what Trish said to me last night. Oh, you should have seen Amy and her baby earlier. They looked so cute together. Trish came home earlier and surprised me with a dozen roses. We are going on vacation for two weeks to the Bahamas. To Canada. Three weeks in Hawaii." Alison shook her head and forced a smile. "Yeah... envious. I wanted to have Lindsay's life. She is in this big, beautiful group relationship with seven other people who love and care for her, people who would do anything for her." "And me?" Alison seemed hurt; she frowned and shook her head. "While Lindsay is living this fairy tale life, I had a serious boyfriend of my own for the past three years. He was like my first love, my first serious relationship, and I found out that he cheated on me this past Christmas break with who was my best friend at the time. It was the most devastating thing I had ever gone through. The worst part is, when I confronted them about it, they looked me in the eyes and denied it. They said nothing was going on, they would never do that to me, how could I even think they would do something like that... only to a few days later on have my boyfriend, or ex-boyfriend, confess that it did happen, it was going on." "And then I confronted my best friend, Kate, and she... was not very kind about it. She had no empathy whatsoever for me. She basically said, look, a lot of guys come onto me Alison, and this time, I just didn't stop it. It's not my fault that guys approach me, try to push forward and get with me. The whole experience just ruined my Christmas, yet all I hear from Lindsay, all the time, is how incredibly happy she is, how everyone in this family loves and takes care of her. It was at that point I asked her about maybe becoming a part of it." "We are a lot older and much more mature, level-headed, than the type of guys you have probably dated," Pamela advised her. "Most of us, anyway. You're 19. I'm 33, Jeremy is 41. All of us, in fact, are 30 or over - except Krissy and Lindsay. We all love each other; treat everyone with respect and dignity. Things may or may not ultimately work out for you here, Alison, but I tend to agree with Trish and Lindsay when I say that no one in our family would ever intentionally hurt or deceive you." "Oh, I'm sure of that," Alison deadpanned. "I have been here for several weeks now, and everything Lindsay told me about what goes on here - the way you treat each other - is true. When we came here for a visit, just before Kaylee was born, I told my mom and other two sisters that there was a good chance that I wouldn't be going back home with them. We all came here to witness Kaylee's birth, but I was going to stay here, I told them, and hopefully join the family." "What did your mother think?" Alison forced yet another smile. "Shocked. Confused. It took about two years for Mom to fully accept and embrace the life that Lindsay had gotten herself into. And then, boom... I tell Mom I want what Lindsay has. I want to be a part of her family, fall in love with all of you, be accepted into it. Mom did not know what to think, what to say. But I told her that this is what I wanted, and that it would make me happy. And I told her nothing was going to change my mind." "Have you talked to your family since they left Norway?" Pamela asked, reaching down and caressing Piper's neck. "I talk to Mom every day," Alison answered. "And every day, I tell her this is what I want. Slowly but surely, I think it is working here. There is Lindsay for me; she is obviously first and foremost. I am also really getting along with Trish and think that our relationship, hers and mine, is headed in the right direction. I have been very attracted to Trish since I first learned that she and Lindsay were an item. In recent times, I would connect with Trish and Lindsay over video chat when we played _Grand Theft Auto_. And when I originally told Lindsay that I wanted to move here and maybe join the family, Trish was right there beside her. She was very candid, nice and approachable, agreeable to everything." "Krissy is so incredibly nice and gracious too," Alison observed. "She really is the governing influence of the family - the ringleader, I think you called her. Krissy has done everything in her power to make me feel welcome here - a part of things - not an outsider, or someone who does not belong. Devon is a total sweetheart. I can tell that Amy really, truly loves Jeremy, and is devoted to him. But Amy is also devoted to the rest of you, and she is an awesome mother to Dani Grace. I think Scarlett is funny. Scarlett wants to be on cloud nine because of the wedding in two days, but her body is reacting so awkwardly and violently to being pregnant that her emotions are all out of whack." Pamela smiled at her. "Did you... have you ever actually been with another girl? Sexually speaking?" "No, I haven't." After a long stretch of silence between them, Alison finally added, "It just amazes me - this house, what goes on here, how all of you treat each other. I guess it goes back to what you were saying earlier, Pamela, when you spoke about falling in love with Kristanna and the reasons why. I am going through the same process now. Not just with Kristanna, but everybody. Especially Trish, I admit. I love this house... I love this family. I want to be a part of it. My sister being in this family, maybe the idea is strange or weird to some that I want in too, but I do. I really do." "We have some friends who kind of have a situation like that," Pamela told her. "You remember the private jet that Jeremy sent to Ohio, to pick you and your mom, your sisters up, to fly you here before Kaylee was born? Well, that was a private flight crew as well - Jeremy's personal crew. They have turned out to be really good friends of ours. You remember Mike, the captain and pilot? His wife, Carolyn, is one of the stewardesses and her sister, Barbara, is the other. Mike and Carolyn are both 46; been married for 27 years. Yet even longer than that, Barbara - Carolyn's sister - has been a part of their relationship too. An equal part. It is basically a three-way marriage." "Oh yeah?" Alison seemed mighty intrigued now. "The three of them have lived together for all these many years, and they share one another equally," Pamela explained. "They don't go around telling everyone that Carolyn and Barbara are actually sisters. They don't even tell others that they are in a three-way relationship. They just... keep to themselves. But I think it is really nice, it is unique. The three of them are so very much in love. Carolyn even told me on the flight home yesterday, she has been with Mike since they were teen-agers, yet she loves him now more than EVER before. Carolyn said that she falls deeper and deeper in love with Mike every single day, and there is nothing in the world she would not do for him. I thought that was really sweet of her to say." "How did you find out about their relationship if they try to keep it a secret from everyone?" "Kristanna kind of figured it out right away after Jeremy hired them," Pamela responded. "She told us for weeks that the three of them had a thing going. You have to understand about Krissy, honey - she picks up on EVERYTHING. She can read people and their true intentions, what they are perhaps hiding, better than anyone I've ever known. It was like Krissy saw them together once, and she knew right away." "When did you actually find out from them?" "Well, when we would go on flights, Mike and Carolyn, and Barbara, they obviously saw that we were all a family. A loving family. Jeremy has six wives. All of us are married to each other, too. Jeremy has a fiancee. We are ALL engaged to Scarlett now. And one day, sure enough, Carolyn confided the details of their relationship to me and Kristanna. She could relate to us and our situation, and it was good." "So Carolyn and Barbara have sex with each other too, in addition to Mike?" Alison clarified. "Yes," Pamela nodded. "Knowing them like I do, it made me more open to the idea of you coming here, Alison, and maybe joining our family. Is it right, two sisters, even moral? No, it's not. But if it makes you happy, or others happy, who am I to judge? Being a part of this family taught me that. We have many detractors, faced a lot of criticism from friends and family alike over the years, because of the life we lead. Is our life technically RIGHT? Is it moral? But... it makes us happy. Being together makes us happy, and we aren't hurting anyone, or trying to force our beliefs and ideals onto others. We are happy and keep to ourselves. That's all that really, truly matters. Mike, Carolyn and Barbara are happy, and so am I for them. And if you..." Pamela paused, but then went on, "Let me ask you something, Alison. Do you want to have sex with your sister once her body is healed up?" "I do," Alison admitted, which caused me to gulp my throat as I eavesdropped on the discussion from the voyeur room. "It is something I have wanted and fantasized about for a long time. I want to be right in the middle of Lindsay and Trish, then I want Jeremy to suddenly appear and join us." As Pamela chuckled lightly in response, I stood up - rather violently - from the control panel in the voyeur room and nearly knocked my glass of fruit punch over. I was _not_ prepared for Alison to say something so brazen about not only me, but her sister as well. Good God, I was going to burst! How much longer could I keep my distance from this girl? "What do you think of Jeremy?" Pamela inquired. "Jeremy has always been... this larger than life figure to me," Alison began. "Sounds stupid, I know, but it's true. Lindsay goes away for a six week vacation back in 2013, right out of high school, and at the end of it she tells us - me, my mom and our two sisters - she is getting married. Lindsay did not tell us about Trish at the time, or the other girls, but she told us about Jeremy. She was going to marry Jeremy." "And Jeremy has all this money, and suddenly he is paying our family's debts. I never even met the guy, or spoke to him, and neither did Mom... but he pays off the mortgage on our family home. He buys everyone in our family a brand new car. He put college tuition aside for me, for my niece. He wants to send us on a trip anywhere in the world we want to go. None of us knew what to think! Why is this man who none of us have never even met being so nice to us? But over and over, Lindsay kept telling us... it's how Jeremy is, he wants to help because we're her family, don't think too much of it. It's reasons like this, Lindsay says, why I love him so much." "Then, I actually get to meet Jeremy, and WHOA... what a grade-A hunk of man he was." Ummmmm... "Jeremy was like a knight in shining armor to me. He basically saved my family, brought it out of financial ruin because we were in such bad shape after Dad died. He paid off our house, I had a new car because of him. He was so nice, so friendly... very courteous and respectful, and he... he was so fucking HOT. Still is!" Pamela giggled. "I know exactly what you mean." (?????) "I was SO jealous of Lindsay, even though I was still dating my boyfriend at the time," Alison mewed. "I actually thought to myself, how come she gets to have a man like that, but not me? The fact that Jeremy was twice our age - old enough to be our father - that made him even hotter to me." "So I have this deep-rooted attraction for Jeremy from the very start," Alison continued. "Then, more starts to come out, the truth. Lindsay has a woman in her life too - Trish. My sister actually likes girls? So do I. Six months later, Lindsay finally comes clean and admits to us that there are five more women in her life too - you all. So in addition to this incredible man, Jeremy, and this wonderfully sweet and beautiful girl, Trish, Lindsay actually has other women in her life too? Do they resemble Trish at all? Are they anything like her? Oh yes, they are. Lindsay is leading a fairy tale life, and I'm jealous. I hear that someone new - Scarlett - gets added to the family. Another girl. I was like, seriously angry for a week. Why wasn't that someone me?" "Well, you are here now," Pamela mused. "And you have an opportunity, I suppose, to make your dreams come true." "Does Jeremy even like me?" "Huh?" "Does Jeremy like me?" Alison repeated. "Ever since I came here, he's tried to avoid me at all costs. One of the reasons I felt so comfortable, so confident about coming here, besides my own sister being here, was that I had heard from her and Trish that Jeremy had a secret attraction for me, too. They said he was crazy about me." "Oh honey, trust me, Jeremy is very attracted to you. He has been for a long time. Right now, though, I think Jeremy is a little scared - a little timid. He is unsure about the whole you and Lindsay being sisters thing. But trust me, he is attracted to you. Just give him time." "You would think that some guy who, after Saturday, will have seven wives and babies with nearly all of them would not have any reservations about hooking up with one of their sisters," Alison commented. "But I guess Jeremy is different." "I would have been totally against the idea three years ago," Pamela advised her. "Two sisters in a relationship together? But now? Now, not so much. I'm more open to the idea because of what this family has taught me. Whether I agree or not, I don't pass judgment on anyone anymore. When I first heard about Mike and Carolyn, and their relationship with Barbara, my first thought wasn't... ewwwww, those two are sisters. How can they do that? My first thought was, are they happy? Does that lifestyle make them happy?" "What about you, Pam?" Alison countered. "What do you think of me? Honestly? Do you want me here?" My precious wife was chuckling yet again. "First off, honey, my name is Pamela. Not Pam. No one is allowed to call me anything other than Pamela except for Kristanna." She laughed gently once more. "Secondly, what do I think of you? Do I want you here, maybe in our relationship?" Pamela slowly reached out and brought Alison's fingers into her hands. For a moment, Alison simply stared at Pamela's long, supple fingers intertwined with hers. She seemed transfixed by Pamela's warmth, her gaze, and there was a definite air of chemistry swirling amongst them. Pamela then smiled and brought Alison's fingers against her face. Alison closed her eyes and sighed momentarily, obviously enjoying the tenderness of their exchange. Soon, Pamela took Alison's hands and kissed each palm, holding them to her lips. "I think you are a very attractive young lady," Pamela murmured against those hands, even pressing her lips to a single fingertip and kissing it. Alison was clearly distracted, caught off-guard, by the sight and feel of Pamela's lush lips. "You are smart, caring, considerate; a great person to talk to, to be around." Pamela's eyes twinkled as she ended with a whisper, "I would love the opportunity to get to know you on a deeper level." Alison swallowed hard. She was speechless; totally unable to respond. Obviously, no one had ever spoken to her before - and in that specific manner and tone - than Pamela just did. Pamela gently retracted from Alison and stood up from the table, then pulled Piper into her arms. "If you will excuse me, I'm going to put sweet P here down for her afternoon nap." Pamela then focused on Piper, giving her a little hitch in her arms. "C'mon, sweetheart. Mommy talked with Auntie Alison so long, and now it's past your nap-time." As Pamela turned and exited the reception room with our daughter in tow, she had a bright, vivacious smile, well aware that she had left Alison weak-kneed and utterly defenseless. Pamela, in fact, seemed proud and impressed with herself. It was as if Pamela had just given herself a resounding stamp of self-validation that, at age 33, she still _had it_. My wife could still sweet-talk and charm her way around and through a gorgeous, enticing teen-ager such as Alison. Of course, I doubt anyone would even argue that Pamela _lost it_ to begin with. Meanwhile, Alison held still and simply stared at Pamela as she made her way out of the room. In fact, Alison continued to stare, toward the doorway, even after Pamela was gone. Her blue eyes were glazed over, full of yearning, and the warm, unmistakable glow rippling all around her was off the charts... * * * As I sat on the porch steps just outside the mansion on this Thursday evening, evidence of dusk began to take shape around me. The sun descended toward the horizon. The sky went orange and pink. The air crisped and the temperature dropped steadily. The outline of the moon loomed faintly overhead as I exhaled sharply, feeling an ever-increasing weight and pressure upon my shoulders. I had been sitting on these steps for the better part of the past two hours, watching Shredder, the family dog, try to mingle and make friends with the herd of farm goats in the distance. Squirrels were chasing each other. Birds were chirping. All the while, I battled within my own mind, debating back and forth between logic and risk. I certainly could not deny that the attraction I felt for Alison was immense; it was, quite frankly, out of this world. Alison had a cute, lovable persona that was both very likable and sincere. She also had a wide-eyed innocence along with the small-breasted, tight-bodied look of a girl fresh out of high school. Her hair was platinum-blonde and it tumbled over her shoulders and down her back, and she exuded a unique, fresh-faced appeal and wholesome, natural sexiness. I had been deeply attracted to Alison since I first met her nearly three years ago. She looked almost identical to Lindsay, for Christ's sake! How could I deny the attraction? Likewise, how much longer could I keep Alison at bay? The only thing holding me back from being with her? The simple fact that Alison was my wife's sister. While the idea was certainly a good and interesting fantasy for me dating back to 2013, I had serious reservations now that it was a true, vivid possibility. Did I really want to go down this route, even though all of the other ladies in my life seemed to want me to? What ramifications would there be if Lindsay and Alison actually wound up having sex together? What about their mother back in Ohio? Would Leslie hate me, maybe even despise me, for allowing Alison into our little circle? I had always tried to use logic and common sense, and make the wisest and safest decisions whenever possible. But for whatever reason, in a move vastly atypical of me, I had this ever-growing urge to go with my gut feeling for once. And that gut feeling was something crazy, and very reckless. As a result, the gnawing in my stomach did not seem to be going anywhere, nor could I shake off the recently formed idea that played constantly in the back of my head. Without giving it any more thought, for fear I may lose my sanity, I flipped open my cell phone and dialed Kristanna's number. "Jeremy?" Kristanna said upon answering. "Hang on a sec. Just need to... get this for Kaden... so he will stop crying. There you go, Kaden. Who is that? Is that Buzz? Your favorite toy, Buzz Lightyear?" Kristanna's voice picked up in volume as she then mused, "He's good now. So what's up, Jeremy?" I called Kristanna because she was the most trusted rock that I had in my life. She was my foundation. I was at the point where I needed to talk to Kristanna, to get her viewpoint, because she always seemed to make things right. "Jeremy? Hey, you still there?" I gulped in a breath. "I'm here. Where are you?" A pause. "I'm in the sun room with Kaden and Dani Grace. Is everything okay? Are you still outside? You're going to catch a nasty cold if you stay out there too much longer!" "I need to talk to you. Prefer to do it alone. Can you get one of the others to watch Kaden and Dani Grace? I don't want them to pick up on something they shouldn't." "No worries," Kristanna said. "I'll get Devvy or Scarlett to watch these two." Another pause. "You sure you're okay?" I took a very long, deep breath. "I need your advice, Krissy. I'm going crazy here. Meet me in the conservatory?" "Okay." And now, Kristanna was full of concern. Offering a 180-degree, bird's eye view of the family farm, the fabulous conservatory was perhaps the most unique room in the entire mansion. Tucked away in one corner of the estate, this roof-top refuge was filled with light in the daytime and offered breathtaking, tree-lined views with its glass ceiling and walls. Trickling water fountains, a super-sized bed and jacuzzi, and lush green plants added to the room's appeal. The conservatory was one of my favorite rooms in the mansion. I made my way in from the cold and waited up there for a good five minutes before I whipped out my cell phone and was about to call Kristanna again, curious to her whereabouts. Our estate was so large and sprawling, I simply could not step outside the door and call out her name. Oftentimes, our way of finding each other in the mansion was by telephone. Just as I was about to dial her up, however, a lovely vision of wavy blonde hair burst into the conservatory and skidded to a stop in plaid pajama pants, a blue cami, and a hoodie. "I'm sorry it took so long, Jeremy. Kaden was being fussy." Kristanna was clearly out of breath. "What are you doing, Krissy?" I asked as she ducked under my outstretched arm and nestled into a cozy spot on the bed. "My God, you're eight months pregnant. Did you run here?" "I didn't run. I cantered." I raised an eyebrow at her. "You cantered?" Wasn't that another word for jog? Kristanna was a handful, that was for sure, but it was a major part of her charm. "Cantered..." "You got me worried the way you were talking," Kristanna offered, taking deep, even breaths. "So... what's this all about?" She settled her elbows on her knees and her chin in her hands. "Okay, Jeremy. Time to dish." Kristanna's blue eyes were on me and I knew that this was an important moment in my life. I could feel it. I opened my mouth to speak, but the words I had planned on were not quite there yet. My heart began thumping in my chest and the voice of reason tried to, well, reason with me yet again. Was I about to make a mistake? Had I lost my sense, my level head? Did I have sort of self-entitlement? I already had it all, yet I was going for more. I swallowed hard; Kristanna easily caught onto the distress signals. And, she knew. "This is about Alison. Isn't it?" "Yes." Kristanna simply sighed at me and looked skyward, all pristine and gorgeous. Genetics had been good to her. With those looks and her undeniable charm, Kristanna could have the entire world in the palm of her hand if she so desired. "You've been really struggling with this ever since it was decided that Alison was going to stay in Norway with us and try to build a life here," Kristanna said, placing a hand upon my kneecap and rubbing it. "What is it, Jeremy? What do YOU want? I know you are attracted to Alison." "It just seems that every single one of you girls wants Alison to stay and be accepted here." Kristanna shook her head at me and her voice went shrill. "I'm not asking what the other girls want. I am asking what YOU want, Jeremy. Because right now, that's all that matters." "When Pamela was added over two years ago to the family, Krissy, it seemed the six of us were unstoppable." "We were," Kristanna echoed, smiling at the memory. "Like it was ordained or something." I nodded. "Life was so good. I had everything I had ever dreamed of. All I ever wanted was to get married and start a family. Well, you were my wife then, and pregnant with Kaden. But I also had five other women waiting in the wings to be my wife too. It was what we all wanted, a fairy tale life. I had more than any one man could ever possibly deserve." "No," Kristanna disagreed. "You DID deserve it." She kissed my cheek. "And you STILL deserve it." "Then when Kaden was born, we met Scarlett, and ultimately brought her into the mix as well," I mused. "I love Scarlett; she is an awesome girl and we are getting married in two days. She is carrying my son. But..." "What's wrong, Jeremy?" "Scarlett being added was fine and I am happy she is with us," I breathed. "But Alison, too? There was five of us at the beginning, Krissy - me, you, Devon, Trish and Lindsay. We add Pamela, which I obviously wanted. Then Scarlett. Everyone adores Scarlett; Scarlett was never exposed to the island and the atmosphere we had there, it was good to have someone with an outside perspective, I guess. Plus, I fell in love with her. But... Alison too? Now we want to bring Alison into the family? Where do we draw the line?" Kristanna inclined her head to the side. "Are you saying that our family is too big?" "Our family is fine the way it is!" I sat back and let those words resonate with her a bit. "Explain." "Why would we add Alison?" Kristanna did not hesitate. "Because Alison is Lindsay's sister and Lindsay - your wife and mine - badly wants her to be a part of the relationship. This is not a spur of the moment thing, Jeremy. This has been brewing for months. Maybe even years. It's not a flight of fancy for Lindsay, or her sister. This is something they both seriously want." "Trish stands behind Lindsay 100 percent," Kristanna went on. "If Lindsay wants something, Trish wants it too. Devvy and Amy would definitely love to have Alison as a part of our lives. Pamela and Scarlett are open to the idea." "I know Pamela is open to the idea," I said, recalling the discussion that she had with Alison earlier. "Very open..." Kristanna's eyes narrowed. "What's that supposed to mean?" She shook her head theatrically. "You're worried about Lindsay and Alison being sisters? It's not right, or moral?" "Exactly." "Neither is a man having seven wives, which is what you will have in 48 hours," Kristanna shot back. "Neither is a woman, like me, having one husband, five wives and a fiancee. It is not right by society's standards, but it is what makes us happy. It makes US happy. We are good people, Jeremy. We are trying to raise our children in a very happy and safe environment. Very few people know the extent of our marriage, our relationship, its... sordid details. We very much keep to ourselves. I do not get involved in other people's business, nor should they get involved in mine." "I do not care that society would look down on you, Jeremy, for having seven wives. I do not care that people may think it is wrong, immoral, whatever. To me, our life is FINE, and there is NOTHING WRONG with ANYTHING we do. Everything we do... it makes US happy. All I care about is US." "Lindsay is our wife, Jeremy, and we love her," Kristanna continued. "She is not the typical 21-year-old whose needs and wants change on a daily basis. I had a good, long talk with her about Alison before Kaylee was born, and Lindsay convinced me. I do not care that she and Alison are sisters. Again, that goes back to the whole what makes us happy thing. We do not need to tell ANYONE that they are sisters. Just the same with Mike, Carolyn and Barbara, right? Very few people know that they have a three-way marriage. Even fewer know that Carolyn and Barbara are actually sisters. They have been married for 27 years and counting." "But I'll tell you what, Jeremy. While Lindsay is my wife and I value her opinion, what she wants, and everyone else seems to be in agreement about this whole situation, my number one priority in life is and always will be YOU. Ultimately, to me, YOU are the one in charge of the family. YOU are the leader. I do not want you to feel one bit uncomfortable about anything, Jeremy. Our whole life and group marriage is based on that rule. If there are any cracks in the foundation, everything could come tumbling down all around us at once. That is how fragile a group marriage like the one we have is. Everything we do, EVERYONE needs to be in total agreement." "What are you saying?" I asked her. "If you do not want Alison here, Jeremy, neither do I." I sighed at her. "That's not true." "Oh yes it is," Kristanna assured me, clearly upset that I doubted her sincerity. "You are what is most important to me, Jeremy. I love Lindsay. I love Pamela, Devvy, all of the others. But everything begins with you, and circles back to you in the end. Your feelings, your upkeep... more important to me than anyone else's. I'm not going to try and talk you into allowing Alison into our lives if you do not want her here. That decision is to be made by you, and only you. Nor do I care the reason; whether you think our family is too big or if those two being sisters freaks you out a bit. But whatever your decision, just like Trish does for Lindsay, I will stand behind you 100 percent." I stifled a laugh. Indeed, Kristanna was my rock. What would I possibly do without her in my life? "That's just it, Krissy, and the reason why I wanted to talk to you," I managed to get out, my body now trembling. "My mind was already made up even before we started talking. I cannot believe I am saying this... but let's give Alison a go for six months. See where we're at then." "Yeah?" Kristanna asked, the excitement clearly visible upon her face. And building rapidly. "Maybe _I_ just needed YOUR approval, Krissy," I told her, and then we were hugging before I knew what had hit me. Relief. Like the weight of the world had been lifted from my shoulders. That was the feeling that rushed all over me in powerful waves as I hugged and clutched Kristanna. The decision was made; it was final, and out in the open. The prospect of Alison weaving her way into our lives, finding a niche here, was both daunting and thrilling. Yet there was no reason for me to feel scared or apprehensive. As I settled back on the mattress and found a comfortable position, suddenly feeling relaxed and at ease, I took in the face of the most treasured person on the entire planet to me. Kristanna, like usual, was smiling, because this was a major moment for us. Then I thought of Lindsay, as well as Pamela, Devon, Trish, Amy and Scarlett, and I knew there was no better group for me to take such a massive leap of faith with. <<<- End of Chapter 04 ->>> ==---- -- -- -- - --- -- -- - - --- -- -- --- - -- - - - - --- -- ----== "Island Fever 5: Family" (c) 2016 JeremyDCP - JeremyDCP@hotmail.com Feedback is always appreciated!