Chapter 27

The following characters appear in the remaining chapters:

Aengus Patrick O'Connell

Katie's son, auburn hair, gray eyes, a strong Talent even as a child

Sean Michael O'Connell

Margie's son, auburn hair, blue eyes, as strong a Talent as his brother

Frank Donahue

Retired printer, 5'-11" tall, thin, 71 years old, balding with some gray hair, blue eyes

The Stuarts

a. William, 5'-7" tall, 160 pounds, 54 years old, thinning brown hair, gray eyes

b. Myra, 5'-4" tall, 135 pounds, 36C-26-37, 53 years old, dark blond hair starting to go gray, blue eyes

The same weekend in July when I moved the portal to Theresa's house, I brought up to my wives the idea of printing the actual diaries in both Gaelic and English, as well as various other books on Magic. They liked the idea and said that they had some rather old books of Magic in French that they would like to reprint in English and possibly also in French.

The first thing we needed to do for this venture was to set up dedicated computers for the diaries and other books. I already had a dedicated computer for my research and stories. We checked on various systems and ordered two new computers with large amounts of RAM and extra large hard drives. After receiving them, we needed to configure one of their keyboards for typing in Gaelic. That problem was solved with the aid of some downloaded software that we found on the internet.

In the interim, I had been working on the revisions to my first story and soon sent them off to Abbe and the Editor on CDs. We also exchanged phone calls and e-mails over the next several months about various changes to the story and its presentation.

By the time the new computers were set up it was late July and time to begin canning and freezing, as things were now ripening in our garden and the few fields that we had planted this year. Speaking of ripening, my sweet wives had not gotten as large during this pregnancy as the first one, nor gained as much weight. As a result they were able to get around better this time.

An ultrasound scan earlier had confirmed that they were each having only a single baby this time, and both appeared to be having a male child, as they had wanted.

August turned into September as we worked on the preserving and began copying the diaries. Katie usually worked on the Gaelic version, while Margie did the translation into English. The two would often consult with me on the exact English translation of a phrase or sentence. I worked on my second story and spoke with Abbe and / or the Editors about various things on the first book.

By the end of September, it was time to plow the remains of the harvested crops under. My wives had gotten larger and were nearing their delivery time now also.

Thursday, the 6th of October, Katie's water broke, and she went into labor about 5:30 in the morning. Margie and I got her ready to go to the hospital. Then I alerted Emer that we were leaving and would be gone for a while. We got Katie to East Georgia Regional Medical Center. She was taken to delivery while Margie got her admitted. Katie delivered our first son at about 9:30 that morning. Margie and I went to see her shortly after that.

When we arrived at the room, there was a small bundle wrapped in a blue blanket at her breast nursing. All we could really see of him was a mop of auburn hair at the top of the blanket.

"Lord, your son has a real set of lungs," Katie told us. "He is louder then both of my daughters were."

"How are you doing?" I asked, accepting the blame.

"Tired and sore," Katie told us. "And ready to go to sleep as soon as Aengus Patrick O'Connell finishes nursing," she finished having already named the baby. Margie held the baby for a few minutes after he finished nursing and before the nurse came to get him to return him to the nursery.

"I can't wait for my own son to be born," Margie said leaning on me, as we walked out to the vehicle to return to the house.

At home, our daughters wanted to know where we had been, and Tara and Muriel wanted to know where their mother was. Margie patiently explained things to them.

"You now have a little brother, and Mother Katie is in the hospital with him," Margie told them. She then explained to her own daughters that she would be going to the hospital soon to have a little brother for them also.

"Do you have to go, Mommie?" Edana and Gale asked in tears. "We don't want you to leave us."

"Mommie will only be gone a few days, and then you will have a new brother. You can come to see me in the hospital," Margie assured them.

"Can we go to see our Mommie?" Tara and Muriel asked in tears, also.

"Yes, you can go tomorrow. Katie is very sleepy now. It's a lot of work delivering a baby," Margie told the four girls.

We were visiting Katie that evening when Margie's water broke and she went into labor. I had to take her to admissions to get signed in and then she was taken off to delivery. Margie delivered our second son, Sean Michael O'Connell just before midnight, so in effect both boys were born on the 6th of October, although Sean made it with only a few minutes to spare.

I was allowed to see Margie and my second son a short time later. Katie was asleep when I arrived, and Margie had a small bundle wrapped in a blue blanket industriously sucking on her breast.

"Katie wasn't kidding," she told me tiredly. "Sean also has a real set of lungs and is very loud when hungry." I stayed until the baby was returned to the nursery, then kissed both wives, and returned home for some sleep.

In the morning, all four daughters were frantic to see their mothers. I got them all in the van and strapped in their child care seats. We headed to the hospital just before 10:30. You wouldn't believe the looks that I got entering the hospital with four little red heads. I had a pair on either side of me. One of each pair was holding my hand and the other one was holding her sister's hand.

I showed them their new baby brothers in their cribs in the nursery by picking up one set of twins at a time and pointing out their brother to them. After that we all went to see their mothers. The girls were very relieved to see that their mothers were all right, and floated up on to the beds to sit with them for a while. They could do that in pairs now. Luckily, no one else was there at the time to see them. I took my daughters home after a short visit, but promised they could come again tomorrow, if they were good. I returned later that afternoon and sat with my wives for a time.

While at home, I had gone through the portal to get my Mom to watch the girls for a while and to cook for them, as I wasn't a great cook. Our daughters remembered their grandmother, or at least her Christmas cookies, and wanted to know if she would make some for them. Emer and Fand were also comfortable with my Mother and liked her cookies, too. When I returned from the hospital that evening, Mom had dinner waiting for me, and then she returned home to check on Dad.

The next day Mom went to the hospital with us to see her new grandsons and to help with our daughters. My wives were surprised to see her, but were proud to show off their sons. My wives and our sons came home on Monday, the 10th. We had two cribs set up in the sitting room for them.

Our daughters were very interested when we brought their two brothers into the house, but as soon as they began crying, the girls all fled. They soon got over their fear of them and would sit and watch as they nursed at their mothers' breasts. Emer and Fand were also very interested in the new arrivals, but seemed somewhat apprehensive.

"They have very strong Talents," Emer told me later that day. "Can you not feel it? It's stronger than your daughters have." I had to admit that I hadn't, but later that day when I got to hold them, I could feel their latent Talent and was sure that it would be as strong as mine was - if not stronger.

Also later that day, my wives assured me that they were finished having children. It was just too much work they told me. Mom returned for at least a part of each day for another week after my wives were home, until they could handle things by themselves.

We received a phone call the following afternoon, Tuesday the 11th, that had quite an effect on my wives. Margie was the one that answered the phone and then turned pale.

"Oh, God," she moaned after a few seconds. "I'm so sorry, Patrick!" she whispered in tears. "We can't come. We just delivered our sons on the 6th, and only got out of the hospital yesterday afternoon."

"What is it? What's wrong?" Katie demanded, seeing and feeling her sister so upset and in tears.

"Aengus... !" Margie started but could say no more, as grief overcame her, and the tears continued to roll down her cheeks. Katie took the phone from her.

"Is this Patrick?" Katie asked. "This is Katie. What's wrong with Aengus!?" She listened on the phone for a short time before tears started sliding down her cheeks also. "No," she moaned in agony, "No, no, no!" Katie shook with grief, as I took the phone from her trembling hand.

"Patrick, this is Mark. What's wrong?" I asked.

"Our Father passed away on Monday, Mark. This is the first chance I've had to call you," Patrick told me. "We were hoping that Margie and Katie would be able to attend the funeral. Father certainly loved them, and I know that they returned it."

"I'm sorry for your loss, Patrick, but Katie and Margie just got out of the hospital. They delivered our sons on the 6th. It just isn't possible for them to travel now," I told him.

"Yes, I can understand that, Mark. I thought they would want to know. Maybe you can come over later," Patrick told me, sadly.

"Yes, we'll try later, Patrick," I told him, and was ready to close the connection when Margie grabbed my hand and the phone.

"I'm soooo sorry, Patrick!" she blubbered in tears before releasing my hand, and I closed the connection, and took both women in my arms to comfort them.

"So many gone!" Katie moaned. "We have seen so many pass away!" My wives cried for several days after that, and were very sad and moody.

It was the middle of November before my wives had any time or desire to do further work on the diaries, and then only for an hour or so a day. Even with Emer and Fand here to help, six children take a lot of care, not to mention the laundry and cleaning, which I could help with, and the cooking, which I didn't.

We went to my Parents house on Tuesday, the 22nd of November, to help with preparations for Thanksgiving. My daughters remembered making Christmas cookies last year and wanted to make some this time also. They had been disappointed that their grandmother hadn't made any at our house in October. My Mother let them help make some on Wednesday.

Dinner on Thursday, the 24th, was very calm, although my siblings were somewhat surprised by our two sons, who were seven weeks old at that point. My daughters had gone around to all of their female cousins to tell them proudly, "We have brothers now, just like you." My wives returned on the 25th to help with cleanup as usual.

My sweet wives had been somewhat more subdued this time after having our sons, and they had only needed sex once a week or so after getting home. By mid-December they were mostly healed up, and had used a spell to ensure that they wouldn't get pregnant again, as they wanted to get back to regular sex with me. You know that I could never turn them down.

In December it was back to my parent's house on the 21st. Christmas was on a Sunday this year and my wives sang in the choir again. It was cookies and pies this time that my daughters wanted to help with and taste. So did the Fairies.

It wasn't until after New Year's 2017 that we got back to serious work on the diaries and my second story. The Editor had informed me that my first book would be released in March. They had sent the cover and rushes for approval early in December. He said that he would send me a case of books before it was released.

I quickly checked on who I wanted to send them to. There are a number of magazines that deal with buckskinning and historic reenacting. I checked on their addresses and composed a letter to go with the copy of the book that I would send each of them to review. I also set aside copies for my relatives and took them to my parents' house in Early March. Additionally I sent a copy to my old History Professor at Georgia Southern. The last few went to the Boston Council.

I received very complimentary reviews from those publications that I sent copies of my book to. Its release was also noticed in some of the regular press that reviews books. The book sold very well when it came out in March. Apparently much better than the publisher had expected, as they had to run a second printing shortly after that and others later. Abbe arranged some interviews for me with various publications in the book related trade. I did the interviews over the phone, as none of them were near Statesboro, Georgia.

All of this happened, of course, during spring planting season, and we were very busy with the garden and a limited amount of planting in the fields. Our daughters were nearly three now, and their Mothers were teaching them how to plant and grow things. Each daughter had a little section in the garden. Their Mothers showed them how to plant the various seeds and plant cuttings in their own part of the garden, and then supervised their daughters while they planted the same thing in theirs. The girls weren't just playing in the dirt anymore, but learning how to grow things. They still managed to get just as dirty. Our sons being only five months old got to sit in the stroller and nap outside. We did plant more in the fields this year than last, as we expected to have more time to do canning and freezing this year.

We still had some final work to be done on the other two houses. There was the replacement of the entire septic system and the landscaping around each house. My wives hired a contractor to dig up and remove the old systems and replace them with new ones. This was NOT something we were interested in watching or being near, but we did check on them after the old systems were removed. The contractor had things finished at both houses in two weeks, and then the landscape people came in. They replaced the existing scraggly lawn with sod and planted new trees, scrubs, and flowers according to the plan my wives had created. By the end of April things were finished.

By the time my sons were six months old in April, my wives had given up any hope of returning to their previous size. After three children each, they were somewhat larger. They had each grown an inch, and were now 5'-3" tall. Their breasts had increased to 36DD, and their waists were now 25 inches instead of 24 inches. Their hips were just about the same, but they now weighed 120 pounds. They weren't fat, but to hear them tell it, they were gross. They had given up trying to fit into their old dresses, and had used the clothing spell on their clothes to make them fit.