Chapter 57: Heart-To-Heart Talks

June 29, 1996, Chicago, Illinois

“Hi!” Karla exclaimed when she walked out of the doors which led from Passport Control and Customs into the arrivals hall of the International Terminal at O’Hare.

“Hi!” I replied. “Karla Timmer, this is my wife, Doctor Kara Adams.”

“The hospital doctor?”

“No,” Kara said with a friendly smile, “the chemistry doctor.”

“Sorry!” Karla replied quietly, turning slightly red.

“It’s OK, Karla,” Kara said gently. “Steve’s situation is more than a little complicated!”

Karla happily surrendered her largest bag to me, and I carried it as the three of us walked out to the car. She was quiet for most of the drive to the house, speaking only when spoken to. I felt she was very nervous, given Kara’s presence, and I realized she was going to be very nervous the entire week.

It struck me that inviting her to visit might not have been the best idea I’d had. But, it didn’t matter because she was here, and that meant I’d need to find a way to deal with the issue. My first thought was having Kara spend some time with her, but I wasn’t sure that was going to help. I decided that the best course of action was probably for me to talk to her privately, something I should have done before she booked her trip.

When we arrived at the house, Kara and I exchanged a look, which she understood, and then I led Karla upstairs to the spare room she’d be using.

“Karla, nobody here is upset with you or thinks you did anything wrong.”

“I just feel strange being in your house with your wife; well, with your wives. And your kids.”

“I think you’ll find that they’re very welcoming. All of them.”

“But you and I...”

“Yes.”

“But they’ll know!”

I couldn’t help but laugh softly, “My wives know we were together in Amsterdam. And they didn’t have an issue with you coming to visit. You saw how Kara greeted you. And she’s offered to show you Chicago and hang out with you while I’m working.”

“And you want to...” she asked, staring down at the floor, blushing slightly.

“If you do, yes. But remember, you never have to do it with anyone. And I promise it’s OK. You could ask Kara, if you wanted to be sure.”

“I’d be too embarrassed to ask! Could you sleep in here? With me?”

“That you WOULD have to ask Kara and Jessica about,” I said. “But I believe they’ll agree, at least for one or two nights. Why don’t you unpack, have a shower, and then come join us? Unless you need a nap?”

“I think I’ll be fine. I slept some on the plane, but a shower would be nice.”

“Just come downstairs when you’re ready. We’ll be in the great room or the sunroom. Dinner will be at 7:00pm so Jessica can join us. She’s working at the hospital.”

“OK.”

We exchanged a brief hug and I went downstairs to find Kara who was in the sunroom with the kids. I took her aside for a moment, earning a glare from Birgit who still hadn’t had her cuddles for the day.

“You’re on thin ice with your eldest daughter,” Kara said with a quiet laugh.

“She can wait two more minutes,” I chuckled.

“Karla seemed VERY nervous.”

“I know. I don’t think she really thought about the situation before she saw you with me at the airport. She’s smart, but she’s not a deep thinker, if that makes sense. She knows a lot about art, and I think I told you she starts on her Master’s degree in September.”

“You did. Do you think she’s going to be OK hanging out with me and Jess?”

“I think so. She’s going to work up her courage to ask you if I can spend the night with her at least one or two nights when she’s here.”

“I’ll get her comfortable; don’t worry about it. I take it she’s joining us for our family dinner tomorrow?”

“That’s the plan. I already made plans with Maria Cristina to have lunch downtown and spend a few hours shopping for clothes for school. I just felt it was better to not create any potential conflicts, if you get my drift.”

“I think that makes sense, as I said when you first raised the issue. You took Friday off, right?”

“Yes. It made sense given that Fourth of July is Thursday and Saturday is going to be super-busy with Samantha’s wedding. Karla’s flight to New York leaves early enough for us to take her to the airport before we head to Chicago Botanic Gardens.”

“She’s going to the museums?”

“Yes. Here, obviously, but in New York at least the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum of Modern Art, the Guggenheim Museum, and Whitney Museum of American Art. One of her friends at the Van Gogh Museum made arrangements for her to meet a female design student from The New School who’ll act as her tour guide. She’ll be in New York until Thursday, then fly back to Amsterdam.”

“What about here? Which museums are you taking her to?”

“On Friday we’ll go to the Art Institute and the Museum of Contemporary Art. Siobhán is going to join us. We’ll actually see her on Monday evening at her studio.”

“Are you skipping karate?”

“Only on Monday. Karla wanted to see the dojo, so she’ll join us on Tuesday evening.”

“Are you spending enough time with her?”

“Yes. She and I talked about it, and she knew my availability. But she had to come either this week, before her thing in New York, or after, and after didn’t work because of our Florida trip.”

“OK. And now, before the daggers do fatal damage, I believe your daughter needs her cuddles!”

I chuckled, “I notice it’s ‘your’ daughter when she’s in a mood, but ‘our’ daughter when she’s not!”

Kara laughed softly, “I believe I’ve heard you say it that way when the boys are acting goofy!”

“Especially to Jen,” I grinned. “The lesbian and her wife deserve every bit of ‘boy’ they have to endure!”

“You love it, too!”

“Of course! But as Jennifer said, it’s not really that much different from being my friend in High School! Same little boys. Same silly behavior!”

Kara laughed, “That’s not how I remember you in High School!”

I kissed her then walked over and scooped up my annoyed daughter and went to one of the chaise lounge chairs to cuddle.

“Where’s Karla?” Birgit asked.

“She was unpacking and taking a shower. She’ll be down soon for you to meet her. And remember what we talked about?”

“No teasing about sex!”

“Exactly. Are you ready for the trip to Florida?”

“Yes! I’m happy Aunt Bethany and Aunt Kathy and their families are coming. I wish Tiffany and Rachel could come with us!”

“When you get older you could go to Florida with just your friends, if you wanted to.”

“Tiffany’s mom would never let her go! She’s dumb! She never lets Tiffany do fun stuff. Rachel’s mom is really nice and lets her do stuff.”

Which about summed up what I knew about Julie, Tiffany’s mom, and how I saw Carla handle Rachel. In effect, anything I approved of, Rachel could do. Carla didn’t spend a lot of time around us, but she was cordial and friendly to all of us, and gave Rachel the same freedom Birgit had. Julie, on the other hand, was almost as bad as Carol. And with Francesca and Jesse both ten, Carol was getting more nervous by the day.

“Just remember you need to follow Tiffany’s mom’s rules for her, Pumpkin.”

“I know,” she groused. “Just like Jesse and Francesca. He should pick Amber! Aunt Penny is cool! So is Aunt Kathy!”

“I think so!”

Birgit laughed, “Because they were your girlfriends before you married my moms!”

“Perhaps,” I chuckled.

“How come you picked my moms?” Birgit asked.

“They both picked me!”

“Girls rule!” Birgit declared firmly.

“So it would appear!” I agreed.

I saw Karla come to the door of the sunroom and gently disentangled myself from a daughter who did NOT want to stop cuddling, and got up. I introduced Karla to the kids who were there - Birgit, Ashley, Stephie, and Albert, and let her know Jesse was at hockey practice and that Matthew and Michael were out with Elyse and Eduardo.

“I was going to make some tea,” Kara said. “Karla, why don’t you come with me to the kitchen. I can show you the rest of the house as well.”

They left and despite the look I got from Birgit, I picked up Ashley and held her for a bit.

“How are you, Cinderella?”

“I want to see the castle at Disneyland!”

It was Disney World, but I wasn’t going to argue with her.

“My princess wants to live in a castle?” I asked.

“Yes!”

“Dad?” Albert asked.

“Yes?”

“Can we go on the pirate ride?”

“Absolutely! It’s one of the highlights of the park! I really liked the Haunted Mansion, Country Bear Jamboree, and the Jungle Cruise when I was there twenty-two years ago.”

“So when the dinosaurs were around?” he teased.

“I’m not quite THAT old, you little turkey! On the other hand, your mom is older than I am, so maybe SHE saw dinosaurs! You can ask her!”

Which would lead to Jessica being completely outraged and to me having a nice laugh.

“Dad?” Stephie asked.

“Yes?”

“Can I ride to Florida with Nicholas?”

“I think we can arrange that. Aunt Bethany and Uncle Tom could take you in their van, and Bobby could ride with Aunt Kathy and Uncle Kurt so he could be with Keith.”

“I’m riding with Dad!” Birgit declared.

“No kidding!” Kara said from the door to the sunroom.

She and Karla came in with a pot of tea and poured some for me. Birgit went to get juice boxes for herself and her siblings.

“I’m just glad the Quinns decided on a minivan,” I said. “That way, between the three of us we can handle twelve kids and nine adults!”

“Aunt Jennifer and Aunt Josie aren’t going?” Birgit asked.

“No,” I replied. “They are going to Vermont to see Katy and Amy, and their friends Larry and Drew are meeting them there.”

“I think I’d need a vacation if I was Jesse’s mom,” Kara laughed.

“He is a force to be reckoned with,” I chuckled. “As is our eldest daughter!”

“Yes, but you’re the one who has to deal with her most of the time!”

“True.”

“I’m good!” Birgit protested.

“Yes, you are,” I agreed. “And VERY demanding!”

“If boys just did what I said it wouldn’t be a problem!”

“Isn’t THAT the truth?” Kara laughed.

“Your children are very forward!” Karla said. “They speak like adults!”

“Because we treat them like adults,” I said. “And three of them are missing, as we said before. You’ll see the whole gang at dinner tomorrow night, along with some of our friends.”

We hung out with the kids until it was time to start making dinner, and I asked Karla to join me in the kitchen. Kara and I had agreed with Jessica that Kara would walk alone to pick her up so I could make sure dinner was ready on time.

“I don’t know how to cook very well,” Karla said. “I eat lots of noodles and sandwiches.”

“So pretty much like most college students. I learned to cook when I was much younger, and I really enjoy it. When I was in college, Elyse, who you haven’t met yet, and I shared an apartment not far from here. I did all the cooking and my friends were always happy to join us for meals!”

“What are you making today?”

“Cajun blackened chicken, broccoli, and Cajun rice. We’ll also make a salad, and we have ice cream for dessert.”

“You can’t eat rice, though, can you?”

“A small portion. The problem in Amsterdam was eating too many «frieten»! Though I do have to say, on the rare occasions I have French fries, I like to drown them in mayonnaise sauce!”

“How can I help?”

“Can you safely use a knife without cutting off your fingers?” I asked with a grin.

“Yes, of course!”

“Then you can start on the salad while I prepare the chicken and the rice. Once you make the salad, you can cut up the broccoli so we can steam it.”

Karla did a good job and only needed a bit of guidance, mostly around how I wanted the various ingredients sliced or chopped, and by the time Jessica arrived home, everything was close to being ready. I introduced Karla and Jessica, and then Jessica went upstairs to shower and change. Fifteen minutes later, everyone was at the table.

“This is very good!” Karla declared when she’d sampled everything. “And very spicy!”

“I’m glad you like it,” I replied.

When we finished dessert, everyone pitched in, and then we spent the evening playing games with the kids. After we put them all to bed, Kara suggested a sauna. It took a little coaxing from both Kara and Jessica, but Karla agreed and ten minutes later, the four of us were sitting naked in the sauna.

“You do this all the time?” Karla asked.

“Very often, yes,” Jessica replied. “Though tomorrow night when the whole family is here, the kids wear bathing suits and the adults wrap themselves in towels. Steve’s sister and her husband are here, along with some friends who are uncomfortable about kids being naked with adults.”

“I can see how being naked with your sister or brother would be very weird,” Karla said.

Stephanie and I were at a point where we could easily have done it without any issues, but neither Jessica nor Ed were comfortable with the idea, for very good reasons, so we didn’t. It kept the peace, and it wasn’t really a sacrifice, especially given how Brian, Bo, and Gina felt about kids being naked with the adults.

That said, Bo and Gina were only joining us about every third week for dinner, and once they married, the same would probably be true for Samantha and Brian. I wasn’t happy with either of those developments, but they really weren’t surprising. Bo and Gina had their child, and another on the way, and wanted to start their own family traditions. Samantha and Brian had friends outside our circle, and though Samantha and I would always be close, they, too, would start their own family in the not too distant future.

“Not everyone is comfortable with how free we are,” Kara said. “How is it in the Netherlands?”

“In the big cities, it’s probably not too different from how you are, though Dutch people are a bit more reserved. In the countryside, it’s very, very conservative. Most people judge by Amsterdam, and that’s not how it is most places in the Netherlands.”

“It would be like judging the US by San Francisco or New York City,” I said. “Or assuming people in rural areas think the same way people in urban areas do. Like the Netherlands, our areas outside the largest cities tend to be conservative. Our biggest conflicts in the future are likely to come from people in large cities passing laws to regulate things people in the rural areas have done forever, which the city folk simply don’t understand.”

“I hear New York is fun,” Karla said. “But I also heard it’s dangerous.”

“It’s much better than it used to be,” I said. “They’ve really cleaned up the city and it shows. Your friend will know which areas to avoid, but pretty much anywhere in Manhattan is safe.”

“You’ve been to New York?”

“Yes, to see friends who live there. It’s been a few years, but we had no trouble at all anywhere in Midtown or Downtown, which is where everything you’re going to be seeing is, I believe.”

“I think so, yes. The girl I’m meeting, Eleanor, will meet me at the airport. I’m staying with her in her dorm room. Her roommate is away for the Summer, studying in Paris.”

“I had a friend who studied at Juilliard. She’s playing for the New York Symphony now. Her husband works on Wall Street. Actually, you talked to her father from Amsterdam - Doctor Barton. You’ll get a chance to meet him this week. He’s Jessica’s mentor and her boss.”

“He seemed like a good doctor and he seemed like he cared a lot for you.”

“He does,” I said. “I married his star pupil!”

“Karla,” Kara said, “Jessica and I are going to go out. Stay with Steve, and keep him all night if you want.”

“But... !”

“It’s OK,” Jessica said with a smile.

Kara and Jessica both kissed me, then left the sauna. I turned on the tap for the tub and when it was full, adjusted the sauna controls and invited Karla into the tub with me. Once she was sitting between my legs, I turned on the water jets, then put my arms around her.

“This is nice,” she sighed.

“Just relax,” I soothed. “They really meant what they said.”

“It’s very strange.”

“I know. But I was married to them when we were together in Amsterdam.”

“And we can do all the same things?”

“Yes.”

“Wonderful,” she sighed, snuggling back.

June 30, 1996, Chicago, Illinois

“I have a date with my daughter,” I said to Karla early on Sunday morning.

“You warned me!” she said with a contented sigh.

“We can shower first,” I said. “In fact, we probably should.”

“Because you have me all over your face?” she asked with a soft laugh.

“Yes. And probably me, too, because you don’t swallow before you kiss me!”

“That’s what I did the first time. You didn’t correct me, so I thought that was the right way to do it!”

I chuckled, “You might surprise another guy who way. And he might be really upset.”

“Why?”