Chapter 2: Swedish Friends, Russian Friends, and Ancient History.

July 18, 2002, Östersund, Sweden

🎤 Steve

"Did you enjoy the show last night?" I asked Kara at breakfast.

It was only Kara, Jessica, Suzanne, and me because Ashley was staying at Tina's and would be there until after my wives, Jesse, and I came back from Russia.

"I did!" Kara replied happily. "And I was very happy you were able to go one more time back at the hotel!"

"Encouragement from his three beautiful wives did the trick!" Suzanne exclaimed.

"What's the plan for today?" Jessica asked.

"We'll hang out at Tina's, ride horses, walk in the countryside, and generally chill. Oh, and for anyone who wants to make love in a hayloft, I'd be happy to oblige!"

"Including Tina?" Kara teased.

"No, because Nils would never agree to that and because that's not where Tina and I have been for nearly two decades. Despite the distance, she's my best female friend, bar none."

"Speaking of that," Kara said, "what are you going to do about Bethany?"

"I don't see how the relationship can continue, nor do I see how she can have anything to do with our kids or any of the cousins. She'll poison their minds if we allow that. Things will be bad enough with society in general, and allowing a wolf in sheep's clothing into the flock is a non-starter."

"Don't you think that's a bit harsh?" Jessica asked.

"No," I said firmly.

"What about Nicholas?" Kara asked.

"I won't punish the children for the sins of the mother. Albert and Jane are basically locked in, so nothing Bethany says to Nicholas will really affect Albert, and he'd ignore it, anyway. I'll speak to the parents of the cousins to make sure they understand just how far off the rails Bethany has gone.

"When I speak with Kathy, I'll encourage her to have a conversation with Bethany. Maybe she'll have success, but I won't count on it despite them having been friends since sixth grade. The other thing I'm going to do is order several cases of the current edition of Smart Teens; Smart Choices so the kids or I can hand them out to counter the 'revised' version Bethany is preparing."

"You can't stop it?"

"I'll try to talk to Bethany once more, but I don't think it will have any effect. Tom said the publisher is pushing for the revised version to counter the pushback they've had over the years. You know they get complaints all the time from the Kent van der Meers and Tim Saddlers of the world."

"You should make it your mission to deflower every virgin female in their flocks!" Kara suggested with a smirk.

"Trouble I do not need," I replied. "All it would take is for one girl to claim it wasn't consensual, even if she were over eighteen, and it would all be over. Vickie and Sandy were special circumstances. You know I have to be more careful because the world has changed, and that's why we changed the rules to be firm about the age of consent with very limited, if any, exceptions and approval in advance from the three of you. And parents who won't lose their minds. And even then, fifteen is the minimum, no matter what. And honestly, with few exceptions, girls under eighteen are not going to be interested in me. They'll go to Jesse instead!"

All three of my wives laughed.

"For a kid who does not want to be defined by his dad, he's sure a lot like you!" Suzanne observed.

"That's true, but having similar outlooks doesn't make him my clone, which is what concerned him. He's made his own way, even if some of the results are similar. That said, he, like my other kids, believes in monogamous marriage for life. Heck, Albert and Matthew are already permanent with their girls. And I still say Stephie and Nicholas will get back together once Nicholas turns fifteen or so."

"I spoke to Mom yesterday," Kara responded, "and she said Stephie is in a much better mood and seems happier."

"I think Stephie needed a break from us, not just Nicholas," I said. "Just as Birgit wanted a break from you. The kids need their space, and they're asserting their independence, and we have to encourage that, not fight it. Remember, they get to define the relationship, not us, and if we want a positive relationship with them for the rest of our lives, we can never forget that."

"It's so easy for you to let go," Jessica observed.

"I'm not sure 'easy' is the right word," I countered. "But I learned the dangers of not letting go from my experience growing up. And we've seen how ineffective 'positive control' is with teens, with Vickie, Sandy, and Kara being perfect examples. All three grew up in Evangelical households and chose a very different path despite the best efforts of their fathers."

"Dad was coming around," Kara interjected.

"Yes, but he would never have approved of our trio or quartet."

"I hope Kathy can get Bethany to see things differently," Kara said.

"Me, too."

🎤 Ashley

"How did you meet my dad?" I asked Tina when we were doing dishes after breakfast.

"He never told you the story?"

"No. I think Birgit might know, but I don't."

"It was April 1980, and he came to my school in Alingsås to speak about America and encourage kids to become exchange students. I thought he was totally cool and handsome, and I followed him around like a puppy dog!"

I giggled, "You and every other teenage girl on the planet!"

"I actually wasn't a teenager. I had just turned twelve, and I was sure your dad would think I was too young to be a girlfriend, even though he was only sixteen."

"A girlfriend, as in having sex?"

"Yes."

"I turn eleven next month, and I can't imagine wanting to do that a year from now. Fifteen or sixteen, but not twelve."

"I didn't say it was a good idea!" Tina said with a smile. "But I was careful not to do or say anything that would make your dad uncomfortable. He only visited for a day, and other than introducing myself, I didn't say anything. After he left, I asked the YFU coördinator for his address in Göteborg. I wrote to him and asked if we could be pen pals. He agreed, and over twenty years later, we write to each other about once a month."

"Why not use email?" I asked.

"Because there's something special about writing a letter, putting it in an envelope, affixing postage, and sending it across the sea!"

"Weird!" I said. "Just text or email!"

Tina laughed, "Totally not the same!"

"Did you see him again before he came home?"

"No. We wrote, and then in June 1982, he came to Sweden on a vacation and visited. I was fourteen, then."

I giggled, "I know what that means!"

"Your dad does have a reputation in that regard."

"Well," I smirked, "he seems to make the girls very happy, and they tell their friends..."

"It doesn't bother you?"

"Why should it? It bugs Stephie, but not Birgit, and the boys simply do not care and do not pay attention."

"But you do?"

I giggled, "Yes, but not as much as Birgit. I think she has a list!"

"That does sound like your sister!"

"So what happened?" I asked. "I mean, besides the obvious!"

"We talked about a future together, but it really wasn't practical. Your dad was nineteen and in college, and I wasn't even in «gymnasiet». Moving to the US wasn't really something I wanted to do, and had your dad moved here then, I think he'd have been with Karin. I love your dad more than anyone in the world except Nils and Anna, but the situation made it such that we'd be best friends, not a couple."

"Did you plan for it to happen?"

"Yes, but your dad had no clue because I had been very careful in my letters not to let on what I wanted. I surprised him, and it turned out to be a beautiful experience that I will always treasure. We saw each other again in 1984 when he was in Sweden again, but after that, even though I hoped there would be a way, there wasn't, so I started dating. Eventually, I married Nils, and we had Anna."

"Would you have been OK with Dad having more than one wife?"

"NO!" Tina declared emphatically. "And neither would Karin, Katt, nor Pia. We Swedish girls are open-minded, but not that open-minded!"

"Ashley?" Anna said, coming into the kitchen. "I finished my chores. Do you want to ride horses?"

"Yes! We're almost done!"

[Stockholm, Sweden]
🎤 Birgit

"Did you defeat Loki?" Jesse asked me with a sly grin when we had a moment alone together.

"Finally!" I exclaimed. "How was Anna?"

"No details, Sis."

I rolled my eyes, "If I could listen to Rachel tell me about being with Dad, what's the big deal?"

"Anna's privacy! And the same is true for Kjell."

He had a point because I had asked Kjell to keep what we'd done private.

"Sorry," I said. "You're right."

"You're OK, though?"

"Are you kidding?! I've been ready for months! And we figured it out!"

Jesse laughed, "It's pretty simple, and even little kids have an idea of how it works!"

"I think you know what I meant! We were both virgins! You had a teacher!"

"No comment," Jesse replied.

"I thought we agreed we'd talk about anything," I protested.

"But we still have to respect everyone's privacy. I mean, sure, you can figure out who Dad has been with, but does he discuss them with you?"

"Well, no," I admitted.

"Exactly," Jesse said. "I only asked you to make sure you were OK."

"I appreciate it."

"You know I'm here for you," Jesse said. "And if anyone treats you badly, they'll have to deal with me!"

I laughed, "I can take care of myself!"

"I'm sure you can, brown belt and all, but if anyone even thinks about hurting you, I'll end their existence. Period."

"Thanks, Jesse. I've never said this before, and I may never say it again, but I love you, Brother."

"And I love you, too, Sis. Let's NEVER speak of this again!"

"Agreed!"

July 20, 2002, Stockholm, Sweden

🎤 Jesse

"How was your sailing and camping trip?" Dad asked when he and his wives arrived back in Stockholm on Saturday.

"A lot of fun! We swam, played football, grilled, listened to music, and hung out."

"Remember we have to leave for Arlanda tomorrow at 8:00am," Dad said.

"Kjell's party ends at midnight, so it won't be a problem," I replied. "By ending then, everyone can get home on the «Tunnelbana» or a bus. They're all going to hang out tomorrow, too."

"I heard from Vanya; your dinner at the Officer's Mess is set for Monday night."

"I wish my uniform still fit!" I grinned. "General Jesse!"

"I think you might find them less receptive to that being cute now than when you were a little kid. Did you speak to Eugen?"

"I called yesterday when we came back from the island. I'm staying with him on Tuesday night. We'll hang out with his friends all day both days, including going out to dinner on Tuesday night."

"OK. That won't affect the hotel because we have a suite with two bedrooms. I switched that once your sisters decided they weren't going to Russia."

"What are you doing Wednesday?"

"Probably walking around the city, doing some sightseeing, and spending time with my wives."

"No girls for you in Russia?" I asked with a smirk. "Eugen's mom is married, and so is Lucy Alexa! And she's pregnant!"

"Saint Petersburg is part of the extended honeymoon with my wives. Other than our dinner with Vanya, Anna, Yuri, and Lyusya, we don't have any specific plans. As I said, we'll do some sightseeing, but otherwise, we'll just relax."

"Cool. I need to go meet the gang at the park for the start of the party."

"Have fun!" Dad said.

I left the hotel and headed for Nicholas' apartment so we could go to the park together.

🎤 Steve

"What time will the kids be here?" I asked Karin when we arrived at the apartment.

"After they have dinner at the new pizza restaurant, so around 7:00pm. Kristian and I will be gone by then because we're meeting my parents, you, and your wives for dinner. I figured we'd go give them space, which is why I arranged dinner for tonight. Kristian and I plan to arrive back at the apartment around midnight when the party ends. Birgit and Jesse are going back to the hotel, right?"

"That's what they said. We leave for Arlanda at 8:00am, so if he ends up staying here, he'll need to be up early; I doubt he'll do that. Birgit will take the «Tunnelbana» here. Thanks for taking her in while we're gone."

Karin smiled, "Of course! She'll be in the guest bedroom."

"None of my business," I replied.

"I think they're still trying to figure things out," Karin said. "Being fourteen, it's still a bit young."

"Says the young woman who wanted me at thirteen!"

"I didn't say it was wrong," Karin replied. "Just that things aren't so clear at that age. And Kjell only turned fourteen four days ago! Birgit, on the other hand, is fourteen going on thirty-four!"

"As adult as she usually is, she's still occasionally a kid," I replied. "But she's learning and maturing."

"Far faster than you did," Karin said lightly.

"That's a fairly low bar," I replied. "You were crucial in helping me grow up."

"That did seem to be my role in your life, as opposed to the one I wanted when I was a teenager. But I'm happy and happy that we remained friends through it all."

"It was touch and go at times," I replied. "Mostly my fault."

"We were kids, Steve. I don't blame you for anything, nor do I regret anything. You shouldn't either."

"Except for how I treated you," I replied.

"Forgiven long ago. If I don't blame you, you shouldn't blame yourself. I know you don't buy into that crap that your Catholic mom does! That whole guilt trip thing is a surefire way to mess yourself up, which I think you know."

"I do," I replied. "This isn't guilt, but I do sometimes wonder what would have happened had I not rejected you when you first wanted to sleep with me."

"You weren't ready," Karin replied. "I don't think it would have changed anything between us except it would have been a conscious act on your part."

"Which might have made all the difference in the world," I replied. "But that's water under the bridge."

"It is. And given other things that happened, probably for the best."

"I'm not sure about that," I replied. "I think it would have completely altered the trajectory of my life. That said, you know I won't trade my current situation for a 'What if?' scenario, and I can't imagine a world without my kids."

"It's one of those points in our life where a decision completely altered the future, and there is no going back, not that either of us wants to."

"True. Did Birgit speak to you about hosting her in two years?"

"Yes. We're happy to do it, of course. Her Swedish is very good, though I find it amusing she speaks «Göteborgska»!"

"Not just «Göteborgska», but «Göteborgska» with twenty-year-old slang, inflection, and vocabulary! I've actually heard a change in her accent since we've been here."

"I assume you'll teach Ashley, given she wants to do the same?"

"Yes, though she's thinking of staying with Katt and Kristina."

"She's at Tina's now, right?"

"Yes. She'll take the train here on the 27th."

"She said she'd call me with the details. What time do you get in from Göteborg?"

"Mid-afternoon. We're taking the earliest train."

"Shall we join the others before they get the wrong idea?"

I laughed, "My wives always have the wrong idea, but Kristian knows better!"

"He does!"

🎤 Birgit

"You put your things in the guest room?" Kjell said in Swedish as we headed for the park to join his friends. "Are you sleeping in there tonight?"

"No way!" I declared. "I'm sleeping in your bed! But that's between you and me and nobody else."

"My parents?"

"Well, OK, but they won't say anything, will they?"

"I don't think so, but Mom and your dad are really close."

"That's one way to put it," I giggled.

"That was a long time ago, before either of us were born," Kjell said. "Dad had girlfriends before Mom."

"Sorry, I didn't mean to imply they were doing anything now, just that they had."

Kjell shrugged, "So? I mean, am I the only person you'll ever have sex with?"

The answer was obviously 'no' because I'd definitely had sex with Lilibeth.

"No."

"And if we stay friends, and people know we were together, does it matter? I mean, in the sense that because we did it, we'll always do it?"

"Sorry," I said again.

"Birgit, you want to keep our situation private, right? So why are you talking about what other people do? Why do you even care?"

He was right, of course, and he was saying the same thing other people had said to me, and maybe it was just that I was so fixated on Dad that I couldn't help myself. I still wanted him, but I also knew it wasn't going to happen because I'd been too obvious about it.

"You're right, of course," I agreed. "Is there anything special you want to do tonight to celebrate your birthday?"

"You mean you and me? Or everyone?"

"Us!"

"I like what we've done together, and I'm happy with anything you want to do."

"We need to take a shower together in the morning!"

Kjell laughed, "Our showers here are very short because we don't want to use too much hot water."

"Bummer!"

"Before I forget, Mom signed up for the laundry for tomorrow, so you can wash clothes."

"That is so weird," I replied. "But Dad told me about it. Do people really start feuds over washing clothes?"

"Absolutely. If you try to use the laundry room when it's not your time, it's a serious violation of the rules, and people get very upset."

"I like living in a house where I can just do laundry whenever I want."