Chapter 16

It was a lovely day in the middle of summer when the alarm on my mobile phone woke me. I lazily stretched my limbs as I yawned. So far, I wasn’t feeling very nervous, despite today being the big day. I was going to marry Ilse. I lay in bed and as I slowly woke up, I thought over the things that had recently happened.

Yesterday, Ilse had banished me from our house, forcing me to sleep in my parents’ house instead. Apparently, it had something to do with bad luck if you saw the bride before you stand at the altar. I wasn’t superstitious, but with five women chasing me out of our house what was I supposed to do. I already had enough trouble dealing with just one, let alone five of them!

It had been a busy day and it was a good thing that I had taken two days off work. Yesterday morning, Ilse had refused to have sex with me and additionally she forbade me to jack off or perform any other kind of action that would relieve my aching balls. She was very adamant that I had to save it all for our wedding night. It was a good thing that she was on the pill these days, because I wasn’t sure if I was ready for another child so soon. Sophie was a lovely baby, but she was also a handful.

In fact, I was considering getting a vasectomy. I thought that three children was a nice number and I’d have to sacrifice my study if we wanted a fourth. Right now, that was the only room that only belonged to me. Now that I shared my bedroom with Ilse, it had received a feminine touch. It felt as if she slowly replaced all the masculinity of my house with more of a family atmosphere. Not that it was a bad thing, but my study was the last domain that remained untouched, and I wasn’t sure if I wanted to see that go.

On the other hand, financially a fourth child wouldn’t be an issue and with Ilse taking care of my needs, I didn’t really need my PC or privacy all that much anymore either. I didn’t have time for playing videogames and watching porn just wasn’t as exciting anymore. Porn was a poor substitute for the kinky adventures and exciting role-plays I had with Ilse. The only times I still watched porn was when I was in bed with Ilse and we wanted inspiration for something new in our sex life.

To explain better how I felt about it, compare porn versus making love, to watching a basketball game on television versus watching it in person. The latter would be far more fun. On top of that, Ilse was hotter than the majority of the actresses in any given porno. I might be biased, but I think I had seen enough naked women in my lifetime, thanks to the Internet, to be a good judge.

I also absolutely adored Sophie. She was such a cute baby. Maybe having a fourth child wouldn’t be such a bad idea after all. Seeing my study go was something I could live with. It’d take some time getting used to, but in the bigger picture, it was a small sacrifice to make. Since we did the baby’s bedroom in neutral colors, Sophie could move into what was now the study, while a new baby could inhabit the baby’s bedroom. As he or she got older, we could remodel the room into something better suited for a toddler, and again later for a child.

Well, time to get out of bed. Ilse would never forgive me if I arrived late for our wedding.

It was strange what family life can do to you. I had to admit that I had really changed compared to a year ago. In fact, if anybody had told me last year that I would have three children and was going to marry today, then I’d have laughed in their face. Me, the eternal bachelor, who hadn’t had a relationship in three years, soon to be married and father of three children. Impossible!

Then again, it seems that if you make the right choices in life many good things can happen.

Other thoughts ran through my mind, as I was taking a shower. As I had promised my grandfather, I visited him two weeks ago, with the draft of my prenuptial agreement. I had written it in such a way that the house and car would always stay mine if we divorced.

We would split the stocks and bank accounts in half, while we’d divide the possessions that we had accumulated during our marriage. We would keep the possessions we had before we married, which would mean that I’d keep the majority of our possessions. To be honest, it really pained my heart even to consider the possibility of a divorce, but I had made a promise to my grandfather on Christmas Eve that I’d be prepared, in case it came up.

When I visited my grandfather, we went into his study, and he looked it over, making approving murmurs when he read my draft.

I was a bit nervous, after all, I wasn’t a lawyer, and he was an expert when it came to these matters.

When he finished reading the draft, he looked up to me and said, “Son, this looks really good. It’s fair to both you and Ilse, as you said it would be. I couldn’t have written it better myself.”

I let out a sigh of relief, his opinion was important to me and I had spent a lot of time thinking it over.

Before I could say anything though, he continued, “However, how do you feel about this prenuptial agreement?”

“Honestly?”

“Yes, honestly.”

“I feel horrible. I don’t even want to think of this possibility. I love Ilse with all my heart and I’d rather die than live without her.”

He nodded slowly and replied, “That’s what I thought.”

Right in front of my eyes, he tore the draft apart and threw it in the fireplace. He poured a bit of lighter fluid on the paper and set it on fire.

He looked me in the eyes, and said, “Son, this goes against all my principles as a lawyer, but sometimes you have to follow your heart and do what feels right. I’ve seen how you and Ilse interact. I’ll admit that I had my concerns on Christmas Eve, because everything seemed to be going very fast, but your relationship with her is a special one, one that I rarely saw in my lifetime.

“I no longer have any concerns about you two. I know in my heart that you two will be fine. With your cousin, it was clear as daylight that things would end wrong, but not with you. You amaze me, Tom, you really do. I can see that you’ve done things I’ve never seen any of my other grandchildren do and you’ve made the right decisions at the right times. You make me proud, son, very proud.”

My grandfather’s voice actually cracked when he spoke those last words. I had felt so rotten for even going to him with this prenuptial agreement. Seeing him burn the damn thing lifted a heavy burden from my shoulders. When I married, everything I owned would also belong to Ilse. There would be no imbalance between us. We would be equals in every way.

“Thank you, grandpa,” I said with a soft voice, getting emotional myself.

We didn’t need any other words; we understood each other perfectly fine.

Switching topics, my grandfather said, “Tom, where were you planning to go on your honeymoon?”

“Well, the wedding is very expensive and since the weather is pretty good in the Netherlands this time of the year, I booked a hotel on Texel for two weeks,” I replied.

Texel is the biggest island north of my country. It’s a popular place for tourists, mostly Germans and fellow Dutchmen.

My grandpa slowly shook his head, letting me know that wasn’t going to happen, and said, “I figured as much. I cannot express how honored I am that you and Ilse named your daughter after my sister. That gesture really means a lot to me. It would be my pleasure to give you a little something back in return. It’s the least I can do.”

He handed me a thick envelope. I wasn’t sure if I was supposed to open it right then and I gave him a confused look.

“Go on, open it,” he urged me.

I did and I was awestruck when I saw what he had in store for us. Inside the envelop were first class plane tickets to Curacao, the biggest island of the Netherlands Antilles and reservations for the best hotel on the island. We’d still be able to speak Dutch there, while being on a tropical island at the same time. Speaking English wasn’t a big problem for me, but Ilse was struggling with her English and our children only understood Dutch.

Instead of a honeymoon in a mediocre two-star hotel, we’d be spending two weeks in an all-inclusive five star hotel on the top floor, in the honeymoon suite. We also had the suite right next to it for Bram and Naomi.

Upon our arrival at the airport in Curacao, we’d travel to and from the hotel in a limousine. In addition, there were arrangements to go scuba diving, not to mention, a tour guide that would show us around the island. Best of all, grandpa had arranged for a day that included swimming with dolphins for an hour. Ilse was going to love this!

Grandpa had even thought of hiring nannies to take care of our children when we wanted a moment for ourselves and needed somebody to keep them occupied.

I did the only thing I could do. I gave my grandfather a bear hug that put Teddy’s hugs to shame!

“Thank you, grandpa. Thank you so much. This will really mean the world to Ilse and our kids,” I said, trying my best not to sniff.

“See son, that’s what I like about you. Your first thought is with your family, not with yourself. It’s something all my other grandchildren still have to learn. Sure, they’re all successful financially and socially, but I dare say that you outshine them all when it comes to emotional success. Real happiness isn’t something you can get through financial success or how many friends you have. Real happiness is what you get by spending time with your family and by being happy with what you have.

“I’m old and gray now. I’m successful both financially and socially, but if it weren’t for your grandmother, I would be one miserable bastard. Your grandmother has always been the real reason for my happiness. I recognize something from myself in the relationship that you have with Ilse. It’s something that I’ve found missing with all my other children and grandchildren. Your love is a special kind of chemistry that will allow you to do anything you set your mind to.

“Don’t ever forget that. Always put Ilse and your children first and you’ll succeed in whatever else you’ll undertake,” my grandfather finished, sharing his wisdom with me and teaching me several important lessons in life.

I had nodded in agreement with him. I made a promise that I wouldn’t forget his words. When my children were old enough to understand their true meaning, I’d also teach them this valuable lesson.

I had decided to keep the honeymoon a surprise from Ilse. She had put me in charge of the honeymoon, while she took care of our wedding. I canceled the hotel bookings I had made for Texel and I put the money back in our savings account. We could probably use the money for something else that came up as life was expensive enough as it was.

With my concerns for the honeymoon taken care of, I had an easy time until yesterday, until, as I said before, I was shooed out of our house and forced to live with my parents again. At least I had my cat to keep me company. She would stay with my parents for the next two weeks, while we were enjoying our honeymoon.

While my thoughts continued to run through my mind, I dried myself after I finished the shower.

It might have been just a single evening, but I already missed Ilse and our children. Every night before going to bed I would tell them a bedtime story, while the kids sat on either Bram’s or Naomi’s bed. Ilse would sit in my lap and was usually breastfeeding Sophie, who we were also making a part of our family ritual. She was an attentive listener while she suckled on her mother’s teat. I would tell our children an exciting adventure and then tuck them in, wishing them a good night.

Last night I didn’t get to do so and guess what. I missed that even more than the passionate bedtime adventures I shared with Ilse. It appears that I’m really growing into a big softie, but hell, my family means everything to me. I’d do anything to make them happy and keep them safe, no matter what the cost. No matter what, I wouldn’t make compromises and I would only settle for the best for them. I was starting to understand how it felt to be a shark and how family life motivated my grandfather to achieve greatness in his profession. It made me wonder if I shouldn’t consider a career switch.

I really liked telling my children bedtime stories and the next adventure was even better than the previous one. Maybe I should consider becoming an author instead of an accountant. It was something I’d think about while I was on my honeymoon.

Currently, however, I had other concerns. To name one, how in the hell do you tie a tie? After I dried myself, I got dressed. This all went fine until I got to the tie. A double Windsor knot wasn’t exactly my specialty and I fooled around with the damn thing while trying to make it work. I was looking lost.

Once I got in my suit, a barber would put the final touches to my hair and shave off my morning stubble. Ilse had really thought of everything. As she had already said, all I needed to do was to make sure that I showed up and paid the bills.

The wedding she had with her ex years ago, had been a small event and not exactly the grand day she had wanted. Her parents couldn’t afford to spend a lot of money on her wedding and her in-laws were cheap bastards. She wasn’t passing up on this second chance to turn it into the grand spectacle she had always dreamed it would be. The bills that came in had begun to worry me, but luckily, we had a tradition in the Netherlands that would likely take care of this problem for me.

In the Netherlands, it’s a custom that the wedding guests give the couple money and especially in my part of the country people were generous with the amount they gave. The people in the east tended to be more generous than those in the west were. Additionally, with my mother’s side of the family doing well financially, I wasn’t too concerned. In fact, I had a feeling we might even come out ahead. Then there was also the scheming that my parents, grandparents, and in-laws did. They all adored Ilse and they knew how important this day was to her. I had a feeling that no matter what happened; they wouldn’t let her down and would make sure that she’d get the day she had always envisioned.

Meanwhile, I was still struggling with that damn tie. Luckily, my mother entered the room at that moment to tell me that the barber was here. I don’t know how she did it, but in mere seconds, she fixed the tie where I had been trying to tie it for the past ten minutes. Oh well, that was what mothers were for I guess.

The barber didn’t take very long to finish. By Ilse’s orders, I had already visited him yesterday, and he had already done most of the preparations. I wasn’t even in charge of my own haircut anymore. Instead, he had cut it into a style that Ilse had requested. I guess I was just lucky that I wasn’t the one who had to look at it. Then again, although it was something completely different from my usual style, Ilse did have a good taste. After the good man finished, he showed me my image in a mirror. It turned out that I looked more handsome than I could ever remember.

I wondered where the rings were. Ilse and I had gone to the jeweler and selected a pair a month before Ilse gave birth to Sophie. The jeweler had made our matching rings from a combination of gold and matte gold, interwoven in an intricate pattern that looked simply beautiful. Our choice of pattern would symbolize the union between Ilse and me. The only downside to the rings was their price, because they weren’t exactly inexpensive.