Eva

We’re getting near the end of our saga, people. A big life change takes place in this part of Eva and Jon’s story. There is still some sex in this chapter, but the story itself is much more prominent. It looks like there will be one more chapter after this. The only thing I’ll share is that Eva and Jon continue to be a very loyal and very loving couple, right to the end. And very happy together.

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A few days after New Years (and Cammy’s wedding) was my birthday and I was treated like a King. Well, a minor potentate, without the autocracy. I was a benevolent husband-father. Breakfast in bed, including real bacon instead of turkey bacon! Then my kids gave me tickets to a concert, a Bruce Springsteen show at what’s now called the Wells Fargo Center in South Philly, for all six of us (Cammy and Kyle included) for April. And Rachel gave me a white rose and a wonderful hug and kiss. That might have been the best present I got that morning.

Then we asked the kids to give us a few minutes alone and Eva cuddled up next to me, sharing a strip of my bacon. Then we shared something much better, her delicious kisses. “I’m so glad we’re sharing today, Bear. When I think about what could have been….” A single tear fell down her cheek and I kissed it away.

“I know, Angel. I know. We’re good, though. We’ll have a long time together. But now, more important things. Where’s my present?” I ‘demanded’, a playful smile on my face.

“Take it easy, baby. I have your presents right here.” First, she gave me a card, a kind of x-rated card with a funny double entendre along with a hand made ‘coupon’ for “Five nights of extremely dirty sex with your very willing wife.”

“Oh, I like this one a lot. I’m cashing in the first night tonight.”

“You don’t have to. Tonight is not included in the five nights. Tonight is on the house” she said with a lusty, sexy kiss. I was already eager for her and it was only 11AM. I had a long day of suffering ahead of me, so I thought. Then she told me my other gifts were downstairs, so we got out of bed, leaving the food tray on the mattress for the time being. In the family room, Connor was finishing setting up a treadmill with all the electronic bells and whistles.

I was kind of underwhelmed. “Thanks, Angel, but I don’t understand.”

“It’s simple, Bear. We can’t play tennis together for a few more months. We’re both getting a little soft in the legs and the middle. So this might not be what you had your heart set on. But I want both our hearts to stay strong. This is as much for me as for you. I want us to stay healthy and strong. I’m planning on spending at least another forty years with you. Maybe fifty or more. So we have to get back into shape, Jon. Now, come with me into the library.” She took my hand and led the way down the hall to where we kept all our books and music. On the stand by the window was a brand new digital satellite stereo system and there were new Bose speakers set up in there, in the living room and in the family room, small and almost inconspicuous but with high quality sound. This was more like it.

“Honey, this is awesome! I love this! Remote control and everything! I love you!” I held her in my good arm and kissed her with all my love in front of Rachel and Connor. Connor grinned broadly and Rachel just giggled. I waved them over and we had a nice four way family hug. “And I’m sorry if I was unappreciative about the treadmill. I understand why you bought it and it’s a good idea. I am getting a little flabby in the middle. Thank you, my Angel. You’re the best wife anywhere.”

“You’re very welcome, Honey Bear. You almost hurt my feelings before” Eva said with an exaggerated pout. “I’m just looking out for our health. And I miss playing tennis with you.”

Our kids let go, but we stayed in our hug. I could have held her all day. We kissed a couple of times and sat down with Rachel and Connor and just enjoyed the rest of our morning. We played some music, Rachel accompanying on her guitar (I was worried I might never be able to play again). It was a great morning together, a family day, with just five days before Connor had to report back to Annapolis. After a light lunch, Connor said to his mother “I’m going to take Rachel to the mall and to pick up Dad’s cake. We’ll be gone about two hours.” They exchanged a look and I knew what my wife had in mind, a little time alone with her husband. He turned to Rachel and said “Come on, Squirt. Let’s go to the mall and then we’ll get Dad’s cake.”

I looked at Eva as they got their coats on and she smirked at me. Then, after Rachel gave me a hug and kiss, as she and Connor went out the door, our precocious daughter said to her brother “Connor, are we leaving so Mom and Dad can have sex?” We heard Connor break out in laughter as the door closed, then Eva and I did the same.

“She’s pretty damn sharp” Eva said through her hearty laughter. “But I don’t know if I want her to be THAT sharp!”

“We’re going to have our hands full with her, aren’t we?” Eva held me in her arms and kissed me passionately. “By the way, was she right?”

“Oh, yes. Today and then again tonight. I love that your birthday is during our Winter break every year. We can always enjoy the day, one way or another. But today, I want to enjoy you the Other Way. Now, we have two hours. So just turn on some music, something soft and sexy and I will be right behind you in the library. Go on.” She shooed me into the library and I got a little familiar with the new stereo with the satellite system. I found a channel for some slow jazz and I stoked the fire in the fireplace.

“Knock, knock” Eva said from the doorway, in a soft and sensual voice. I turned around to find her wearing just a black satin nightie, very short, even on her petite body. “I’ve got another birthday present for you.” She slipped next to me, the satin of her lingerie making a slight crinkling sound as she rubbed her body all over mine.

“My god, Devil. You really know how to make an entrance.” We kissed as she gently helped me get out of my shirt. It hurt, any movement of my left shoulder was still painful, but not as bad as it was a few weeks before. When I started physical therapy in a few days that would change, it would hurt like a motherfucker, but I wasn’t going to worry about that right then. I had more important things on my mind. We got my arm back in the sling and then Eva took off my pants and my boxers and she gently grasped my hard cock as if it was injured as well. It was a loving and sensuous touch, skilled and desirous.

“We’re going to enjoy being by the fire, my sexy Bear. I love it when we make love by the fire. Sweet love by the fire.” We giggled at the line from the show South Park, an early episode, a show that appealed to our sometimes warped and subversive senses of humor.

“MMM sweet love by the fire” I whispered into her ear as I kissed her neck and shoulder. “I love that. Just let me get down on the rug.” I had to do it carefully, with one arm, and Eva followed me. We were about five feet from the fire, which was behind tempered glass, and she was on top of me. I could feel her matching panties, smooth and slippery, as she moved her hips forward and backwards, gliding along my cock. “Devil, that feels so damn good” I moaned as I touched her body with my right hand. I moved my hand slowly along her leg, up the back of her thigh to the luscious curve of her ass. She closed her eyes and raised her arms behind her head, looking like a sex goddess.

“So does that, Bear. You’ve always known how to make me feel so good, from our first date.” Eva was getting breathless from the friction of my cock on her panties over her pussy. “That first date I figured I’d kiss you goodnight at most. But early on I wanted to kiss you more and more. Those lovely kisses on the dance floor. And then those passionate kisses in your car. The way you touched me. I was almost tempted to have sex with you that night, but I made myself….oh god, Jon, I’m going to cum!” Her body shook all over as she pushed down hard so her clit was grinding on the head of my cock. I could have cum myself, but I wanted to hold off if I could. She leaned down and kissed me hungrily, a long, loving kiss. I touched her up and down her spine and she shivered as if she was cold.

“Tell me the rest, Angel. What you were feeling that night.”

Eva stood up and pulled her panties down and tossed them on my face, giving me a sensation of satin and a heavy scent of her distinct and lusty odor. I loved it and again had to control myself to keep from cumming. “I made myself wait. I thought if we had sex….if we made love… that night, you’d think I was cheap and never want to see me again. And that would have broken my heart. That’s how much I liked you right away.” She squatted down and held me while her pussy slipped around me like a warm bath. Just wonderful. I cried out from the incredible pleasure I still felt from being connected to my wife of over twenty years. Every time was like the first time.

“Angel, nothing would have stopped me from calling you again. You can’t imagine how hot I was when I got home that night. I had to jerk off. Desperately.”

“Me too” she giggled, revealing something I never knew before. “Your lips on mine, your hands on my ass…..I was so horny I had to cum. Twice.”

“Oh god!” I cried as I squirmed wildly and came with the force of a broken dam. I lasted a shamefully short time but Eva came with me and we held onto each other for dear life. Her lips caressed my cheek and neck and I cupped her ass with my one good hand. I terribly missed holding her with both hands. It would be a few weeks yet. “You’re the best wife, the greatest love I could ever hope to find. I love you so much, Eva. My Angel.”

“My Bear. Not a Grizzly. More like a Teddy Bear. And sometimes my Honey Bear. Some very wonderful times. Happy Birthday, Bear. Tonight we’ll be very naughty together.”

“Goody for us!” I kissed her nose and lips and we laughed as we snuggled there on the rug by the fire. She helped me get to my feet and we went upstairs to get cleaned up and dressed again before our kids got home. We spent the rest of that time watching a movie on the couch with me resting my head in Eva’s lap and she played with the hair on my head, which was thinning every year. About a half hour later, Connor and Rachel came home and our little Angle jumped onto my lap.

“Ouch! You’re getting too big for me!” I teased her as she settled into my arms.

“Never, Daddy! You’ll always be able to hold me.” I hoped so. I would have been very happy if she stayed petite like her mother. I also would be just as happy if she grew to be much taller. I just wanted both our kids to be the best people they could be. It’s all every parent wants.

Eva made dinner for us, a nice rare roast with all the trimmings. She had to cut my meat for me since I still couldn’t use my left hand; that was why we stayed home for dinner. I hated when Eva had to do that for me in public.` The only thing missing was my sister, who was on her honeymoon in Hawaii. She and Kyle did call us from their hotel to wish me a happy birthday, a nice surprise. Then Connor went out to meet with friends while he still had a few days left. Rachel went to bed around 10 and my wife and I were alone for the night.

“Could you give me about twenty minutes, Birthday Bear? I have something I want to wear for you.” She kissed my nose and then my lips. What man can resist that kind of treatment, especially when he’s married to the most arousing woman in the world?

“Of course, Sexy Devil. I’ll watch a little Sports Center and I’ll be up soon. But I’m checking my watch and I’ll be up here in twenty minutes exactly! Not a second later.”

She gave me her brilliant smile, loving and dirty at the same time. “I’ll be ready, I promise. And Jon, don’t turn on the alarm. We don’t want Connor setting it off whenever he comes in.”

“Thanks for reminding me, honey. Go, hurry! My engines are revving.” She scooted up the stairs and I started timing her as soon as our bedroom door closed. I sat impatiently while I watch ESPN and got the days hockey scores, checking my watch every so often. At twenty one minutes (I cut her a little slack) I shut off the TV and made my way upstairs.

I knocked on our door. “Guess who? Are you ready for me?”

“Come on in…Honey Bear!”

I went in our bedroom and I was in for a real surprise. Eva was on her vanity in an old ratty pink terrycloth robe and her hair was up in curlers. She had cold cream all over her face, like some of our mothers used to wear to take off their makeup. Needless to say, I was expecting something else entirely. “Ummm, am I in the right place?” I asked, wondering what the hell was going on.

“Oh my god! Don’t hurt me please!” Eva said with a touch of fear to her voice and a quick wink of her right eye. I got it, the game she was playing. I had to admit, this was a novel idea. “Please??”

“Do what I tell you, lady and no one will get hurt. Just give me what I want.”

“Yes sir. I’ll be very cooperative. Just don’t hurt me.” She stood up and I saw a flash of black nylon on her leg. I couldn’t wait to see the rest.

“Get up, lady. Over to your bed. That’s right, don’t make any noise.” Eva managed to keep a look of fear on her face that also betrayed her excitement. She wasn’t the only one. My dick was tenting my sweatpants in a very obvious way. “Off with the robe now!”

She looked at me with barely a blink and untied that old relic (I wondered where she got it) and let it fall to the floor. Underneath she wore a black corset with garter straps attached to the stockings and her black see through panties. Then she reached for her hair and tugged off the wig she was wearing with the rollers in it and tossed it aside. There was my incredibly sexy Devil. My Naughty Birthday present. “Get that junk off your face, lady! Hurry it up!”

Eva hurried to remove the cold cream and then she looked like the sexiest version of herself. “Now, you promised not to hurt me too much, as long as I cooperate. I think I look cooperative, don’t you?” Eva stretched out on the bed, posing in a very, very alluring manner. Her hair was around her head like a puddle of chestnut colored silk and her arms were also behind her head. Her pearl necklace glowed against the heat of her skin. And that outfit….

“Yes, lady, you LOOK cooperative. But lets see how you actually behave!” I got out of my pants and polo shirt (she needed to get up to help me due to that damned sling) and when I got my boxer briefs off, my flagpole was standing up in all its glory. I stood next to where she laid on the bed and said “Now let’s see how you cooperate with this!” I grinned at her lewdly and a touch a humor.

Eva smiled her own wicked grin and flipped over on her tummy, lifting her upper body on her elbows. “Must I?”

“Oh, you must.”

“Well, if I must….” She proceeded to engulf my thick, stiff prick, kissing it all over, letting her tongue ‘explore’ me as if she never tasted me before (HA!) and she ended up doing the most wonderfully ‘cooperative’ things to my lower body. She kissed and licked at my thighs, behind my knees, so many places that made my body tingle with pleasure. “Please lay down, sir…oh, the hell with this stupid game!” she said with a loving laugh. “We can have a great dirty time without this silly role play.”

“Hey, Angel, this was your idea.”

“Yeah. Some work, some don’t. I tried. Now I’d like to try something else.” I got in bed with her and got on my back`. Being on either of my sides was a lousy option at the moment. Either I was on my left, which hurt like hell, or I could lie on my right, which meant not being able to touch Eva. And I loved touching her. All over, in every manner, from running my fingertips lightly along her skin or up and down her spine to handling her a little roughly when we were playing in a kinkier way. I loved the ‘feel’ of Eva, and she loved to touch me back.

So I was limited in how I could interact with my wife, like I had been for weeks. Until I regained use of my left arm and shoulder, I had to stick to laying on my back when we had sex. Not as great if you like being the aggressor. But we made do. Eva mounted my face and rubbed her gushing pussy all over me, nose, lips, chin and cheeks, as I used my right hand to touch her everywhere. I pulled the cups of the corset down and teased her thick nipples and she reacted by using my tongue. She rode my mouth and grunted as I tried to fuck her with it, I brought my hand down hard on her ass and she cried out from the loud smack of palm on skin.

“You dirty fucking Bear” she said through grit teeth. “Fuck me with your talented tongue. And keep slapping my ass! Don’t fucking stop!” She was holding onto the headboard for her life as she smothered me between her nylon covered thighs. “Oh my god! Don’t stop!!!” I lapped at her clit as fast as I could and she came, tightening her thighs around my cheeks and rubbing her mound on my nose. Then she turned around with barely a break and she took my cock in her hand. “Now it’s your turn, Birthday Bear.” Her voice was low and lusty. “But not too soon. I’m going to make you a little crazy first.” She flipped her hair back and to her right side, turned so she faced me, and licked under the head of my cock. Slow, very slow, using her desire and innate nastiness to start edging me, all the while looking up at me.

“Damn, Devil Woman! You must be cheating on me because someone taught you how to tease me!”

“You found out! I’ve been taking special fellatio lessons, even doing a couple of blow-bangs.” Oh, she could be so wonderfully playful when in the mood, and Eva was often in the mood. She didn’t suck me into her mouth, didn’t lick or kiss down my shaft or my balls. She kept that incredible teasing pressure right there on my glans, sometimes moving her tongue faster, other times going painfully slow. She’d go fast, making my legs tremble as my breathing got ragged, then, when I was just about to climb over the edge, she slowed down, barely moving her tongue, and the frustration was exquisite. She did that to me four times, over the course of half an hour, until I was practically ready to force myself on her.

“You are wicked, you know that?” Eva nodded her head in agreement, grinning at me like the fiend she was. “Please, no more, honey. I’m going nuts here!”

“Your nuts are mine, and don’t you forget it! And since it is your birthday…” She got onto her knees and climbed on my dick, facing away from me, grabbing my ankles, so I could watch her magnificent ass as her pussy greased my twitching cock. She looked back at me over her shoulder in her best porn star imitation. “Is this what you wanted, my Dirty Bear? Do you want to spank my ass again? I’ve been a very naughty girl” she moaned with closed eyes and clenched teeth.

“I want anything you give me, Devil Woman.” SPANK! Eva moaned louder. “Is this what YOU want? A wicked spanking?” SPANK! Her ass was turning pink but she didn’t miss a stroke on my cock, pumping her hips up and down.

“I love your spankings! You know just how to do it right! Slap my ass again!” SPANK! SPANK! more moans and other sexual sounds as Eva got close to her climax. I was there with her as my body couldn’t stand much more. I grabbed her hips, pulled her down hard, and we both came as I filled her creamy cunt with my own sticky load. I gasped from the release, my cock emptying my balls of every single sperm in storage. My hips moved back and forth as I went limp all over, including my dick.

Eva fell forward onto the bed, also a weakened shell. “Happy Birthday, Bear. The best lover there is. Better than any dream I used to have.” She crawled around to get next to me, so lusciously sexy in her outfit. So amazingly sexy just because of whom she was. “I love you, my darling husband.”

“As much as I love you, beautiful wife?” She nodded her head weakly as we cuddled on the bed, our deep love for each other passing back and forth, soul to soul. “Thank you, Angel. This was a perfect day. Quiet with my family and raunchy with my wife. The greatest love and lover I could ever imagine.” I squeezed her a little tighter, enjoying the warmth of being very close on a very cold night. After a while, we took turns in the bathroom, Eva got out of her getup and put on a nightgown while I got into a pair of pajamas (with a little help from my wife) and we cuddled some more. A little later we heard Connor come in so we knew he was safe and we drifted into peaceful slumber. It was a pretty great birthday.

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A few days later I started physical therapy at home. My insurance didn’t cover that extra cost of having the therapist come to the house, three times a week, but the Trustees agreed to cover the extra cost above my insurance.

The therapist was a nice young woman, Ashley, and if I didn’t know better, I would have thought she worked for Idi Amin. The exercises the first few weeks were absolutely brutal as I had to develop my range of motion again. The muscles were weak and the joints and tendons hadn’t been used in almost three months. Ashley put me through the exercises with this smile that you just wanted to wipe off her face. Eva watched that first day and laughed at me when Ashley left an hour and a half later.

“Just keep telling yourself it’s necessary, Jon. Think of all the fun we’ll make up for when you can use your arm again.” She had her own annoying smile that was pissing me off.

“You’re talking about tennis, right?” I could give as good as I got.

“Keep that up, Bear, and you won’t be getting any Advil from me!” She smiled again as she turned to go in the kitchen to start dinner, and I would have cursed if Rachel wasn’t a few feet away playing her guitar. I just muttered under my breath as I sat heavily on the couch, listening to my daughter play. She played a few soothing songs to me. One of her favorites to play for me specifically was Fool To Cry by the Rolling Stones. It’s a song that is much more mature than Rachel’s almost nine years at the time, except she could be a very mature young woman, especially when it came to music. There was something so…. adult about her. Her heart and soul were way beyond her years, much like Connor had been when he was her age. They took after their parents and their aunt in that way.

I sang with her and Rachel smiled, knowing she got my mind off the pain burning in my shoulder. It set a pattern; Rachel would play something sweet for me when my rehab exercises got to me. Piano or guitar, she always could find something to ease my mind.

Two days later, Connor had to go back to school. He looked so at ease during the break, dressed in his sweats and jeans most days, but that day he was back in his Whites, the required dress code at school, which made him look much older, more serious. It always affected Eva to see him like that, making her feel agitated. She had come to terms with his choice, but she never would like it.

The next day, some great news: I was given permission by my orthopedist to return to work the following week…..IF I kept my rehab appointments with Ashley. It meant I’d have to leave early three days a week, but still, I was thrilled to be going back to work, to be among the students and staff again, and to help Eva, who was fairly overburdened between work and home responsibilities, even with the help we brought in to help keep the house clean. This would take a lot of pressure off her.

Cammy and Kyle came home that Saturday, tanned and glowing from their two week long honeymoon. Eva and I joked around during the week about betting on whether they’d come home with tans or almost as pale as when they left. They came over Sunday and I was glad they found time to get suntans; it would have been a terrible waste of money to stay in the room the whole trip. They could have done that at home.

That Monday morning, Eva helped me get dressed (it was too difficult to get into my suits and ties with one arm), doing my tie with a big smile. “You look so handsome, Bear. And honestly, I’m thankful for your help. We work so well together and your input has been missing. I think the students are going to be thrilled to see you. They kept asking about you every day through the end of the last semester. And those emails!” She was referring to how every day we got a few emails asking when I was coming back. “I think I ‘accidentally’ let it slip that today is the day. The office staff and teachers all know, of course. Now the students know as well.” She kissed me quick on the lips and went to get dressed herself.

“You know they’re going to make a fuss over me, Angel. I don’t want that. I just want to go back to work quietly.”

“Eh, I wouldn’t worry about anyone making a fuss over you. It will probably be no big deal” she said with mischief in her voice and smile. Something was up.

Eva drove the two minutes (it was a fucking cold-ass day) and, after we dropped Rachel off at the grade school, we went to the Upper school to go to work. We walked in with the early birds, students who got there as much as a half hour before classes began to study, work out, etc. Aside from grumpy demeanors you see from kids on their first day back from winter break, the kids were all perfunctory in their greetings to me. “Hey Mr. G, how’s it going, how was your break” etc. things like that. I didn’t want a fuss made but it would have been nice if someone acted like they missed me.

The staff, of course, was much more friendly, everyone asking how I was feeling, shaking my hand and so on. Some people cared at least. I went to my office and got to work, with a whole lot of things to catch up on in my computer files.

About an hour later I was working intently when one of our students, Jan Keifer, who had been in the gym that awful day, knocked on my office door. “Good morning, Jan, what can I help you with?”

“Nothing much, Mr. Grossman. Just this” she said as she left an apple on my desk and left my office. Right behind her was another student, Roy Hoff, and he said hello and left an apple. Roy had also been in the gym that day. And then one after another after another all the students who had been in the gym when I was shot came in and left apples. By the seventh apple, my eyes were all watery. By the eleventh, I couldn’t even say hello to any of the students, I was so full of emotions. They kept coming, a student at a time, leaving apples, a gesture that was meant as a major symbol of respect for a teacher. The fifty students who were in the gym that day all left apples on my overcrowded desk. Then two young men brought in a bunch of boxes and the students kept coming, piling apples in the boxes. Eva came into my office, a huge smile on her lips and tears down her cheeks as she stood beside me. I was a mess as over the next two hours, every student brought an apple. They didn’t say anything; they didn’t have to. It was the most incredible display of admiration and even love I’d ever experienced outside of from my family.

Eva bent so her lips were next to my ear. “And you thought they’d forgotten you, didn’t you. You should know these kids better by now.” I was crying too hard to do more than nod my head in agreement. Even after the kids were done, I couldn’t get any work done the rest of the day. When I left early for my rehab (Eva drove me home quickly) I took a dozen apples at random and brought them home; the rest went to the cafeteria for anyone who wanted one during lunch. I was still so overcome with emotion that Ashley took it easy on me that afternoon—relatively speaking. When Eva and Rachel came home after 4, I sat with them on the couch in the library, playing some music and sitting quietly. Rachel knew what happened and she understood how special it was for her mother and me.

“I’m glad you’re back at work, Daddy. I know the older kids really missed you.” Rachel went to go upstairs to change her clothes but I stopped her for a minute.

“Honey, how do you know what goes on in the high school?”

“Easy, Daddy. Some of my friends have older brothers and sisters there. Besides, my parents are the principals. I hear all sorts of things going on there. Probably more than you do.” She smiled and went on up to her room.

“She never ceases to amaze me” Eva said, shaking her head in wonderment.

“Tell me about it. But I’ll never ask her to tell us anything. It wouldn’t be fair to her to make her an informant.”

“She just surprises me constantly. Our kids.” She kissed me and then we went upstairs while she changed. Too bad Rachel was around; even considering the rehab session, I wanted to play with my wife. It had to wait for that night. It was well worth waiting for.

The next morning I got on the PA during homeroom at 8:15. I thanked everyone for making me feel both missed and wanted, and I told everyone the feeling was mutual. I really did miss our other family, ‘parents’ (staff) and ‘children’ (students). Eva and I had talked during my convalescence about a ‘what if’ we ever were recruited by another school or to teach administrative education at a university for more money. You know, the way many people fantasize about moving on in their careers from time to time. We both agreed almost from the beginning of the conversation that we had no interest in going anywhere else; we loved this school and the people who made it so special. We couldn’t imagine going anywhere else of our own accord.

That Thursday night was our monthly meeting with the Trustees, our first one since October, which was a few days before the shooting (November had been canceled due to the circumstances and December didn’t have a meeting because of the holiday break). All twelve greeted us warmly, asking how I was feeling, did we need anything at home to help with my recovery etc. We were fine and we told them so. They didn’t offer any sort of bonus, which probably would have felt insulting. I didn’t want anything. I still felt like I failed Corey, but I was doing better. And whatever Eva and I did, we did because it was our responsibility.

At the end of the meeting, Audrey Callum, the current chair of the Trustees, asked us how happy we were at Wayne Upper School. Eva and I looked at each other, wondering where this was going. We had just signed for another ten years so they weren’t letting us go. We thought. Eva said we were very happy and that we looked forward to filling out the full terms of our contracts and beyond, if they wanted us to stay.

Callum sat forward, her arms on the fine polished dark wood table. her hands clasped together. “We can’t imagine this school without both of you. When the board at the time hired you both, they were hoping to get five good years from you both, maybe ten. Well, we’re past the ten now and you’re signed for the next ten. And, if you want, being that you’re so young still, and we’re as thrilled to have you both as you are to be here, we’d like you to know you’re welcome to stay another ten beyond. We could draw up a contract…a very generous contract….that would cover those ten years if you want. Think of it as the ultimate in job security. Your future secured through the rest of your working lives, until you’re both sixty, anyway. If you wanted to stay on beyond, I’m sure it could be discussed with whomever sits as Trustees then. Eva, Jon, we talked about this and we’re unanimous in this. We want you to stay for as long as you want. We feel you’re among the very best principals this school has ever had, and the history is over one hundred and twenty seven years. I don’t think there’s a student or parent who aren’t fans of yours. I know you’re thinking this has to do with the shooting incident. Maybe it does, a little. But only a little. The work you’ve done here to restore the reputation of this school after our embezzlement scandal and Lenny letting things slide when he got sick is remarkable. Everyone will be forever grateful for all you’ve done, not just recently.”

We were choked up, far from the first time with the people from the school. Of course we didn’t commit to anything beyond our contracts, but Eva and I knew where we’d be until we retired, still twenty years or more from then. Why leave your perfect home?

Over the next weeks and months things got back to normal. We caught up on all our paperwork and other work at school. I kept my rehab and doctor appointments and the pain gradually eased off to more of a dull ache. The doctor told me I’d always feel it, especially when the weather turned bad, but it would be tolerable with Advil. The best part was when I was able to love my wife without having to lie on my back all the time. Using my left arm, being able to touch her with both hands…it was a joy for both of us.

A few weeks after that meeting with the Trustees, I finally, four months after the incident, sat down with a reporter from the Philadelphia Inquirer and with another from WPVI, the ABC affiliate in the city and region. Eva sat with me, with Cammy off camera just in case they asked me anything she felt was inappropriate. We needn’t have worried; both interviewers were respectful and asked fairly easy questions of both of us. Finally, we could close the door on that part of our lives. Speaking of closing doors….

That night, after we stayed up late to watch the edit of our interviews on the late news (even Rachel stayed up late to see her tv star parents), Eva and I settled into our bedroom and I kissed her in the crook of her neck as she sat on her vanity. “Mmmm, my Honey Bear. Are you in the mood for a little honey tonight?”

“Almost always. But It’s kind of late. Maybe I need some incentive.”

“Since when? Since when is the promise of sex with me not enough of its own incentive?” She looked hurt, but she also knew this was a game we were playing.

“You’re good, I admit….all right, anyway. Kind of average, actually.” I was grinning at her in her mirror.

“Oh, you bastard!” Eva threw some baby powder on my face and I looked like a clown with thick whiteface makeup. We both started laughing hysterically as she got up and ran and I chased her and tackled her on the bed.

“You’re going to pay for this, lady!” I shook my head back and forth, getting power all over her too, and we kept laughing. Hard. It was the best laugh we shared in some months, certainly since the shooting. Then she ‘struggled’ under me as if she was trying to get away but no chance. I had her and I wanted her. And she wanted me too. “Do we stop to wash this powder off?” I asked.

“Not a chance! You don’t get to make me all hot and bothered and then make me wait. You’re going to fuck me right now!” Eva leaned up to kiss me and we both got a mouthful of baby powder, making us giggle loudly. We struggled to get our underwear off and Eva took my cock in her hand and put the tip at the entrance to her pussy, warm and moist and waiting for me. “Don’t make me wait any longer, Bear. I really want you.” Under the white powder, I could see her need, hot and raging, like mine, just like mine.

In I went, smooth and snug and we felt great, like we had for a long time. We moved together like a well built machine, a machine designed for its own pleasure. It felt great being on top again, my hands planted firmly on the bed on either side of Eva’s head, thrusting into her roughly, a lust driven fuck that we both craved. And in the middle of it, Eva started laughing. Loud.

“What the fuck is so funny?” I asked, though I had a pretty good idea what the answer would be.

“You should see your face, all covered in white powder. I’m getting laid by a clown!” More uncontrollable laughter.

“Yeah? Well, you’re Mrs. Clown! You look pretty silly as well.”

“So fuck me silly, Bear! Don’t let a little laughter get in the way!” I increased my efforts and soon she wasn’t laughing anymore. The looks on her face were unbridled lust and a desperate desire to cum. “Come on, Bear. Harder! Fuck your Dirty Devil woman!”

I grunted and groaned, and my shoulder started to ache. I didn’t care; I was determined to power on and get us both there. “You are a Devil. A kinky, slutty little Devil, all mine. I’m going to make you cum hard!” Every time I slammed my hips to hers, I moved around in a grinding motion, crushing her clit between us. Four or five of those deep thrusts and Eva was cumming, wrapping her right leg around me, holding me tight as she shuddered and groaned through her intense climax. Her pussy was squeezing me, milking me like the udder of a cow, like she knew how to do so expertly well.

“Your turn, my wicked Bear. Shoot for me! Give it all to me now!” I couldn’t hold back; I slammed into her hard four or five more times and each time was accompanied by a hot jet of my own cum, churning inside her, even leaking out each time I pulled back. I kind of collapsed, taking the pressure off my left shoulder. I still wasn’t 100%, it would take some time to get there, but I was a lot better.

We couldn’t even kiss with our faces covered in what was now a pasty powder from the sweat that covered our bodies. We got up and washed up while using the bathroom for other things as well. As soon as we were cleaned up, we made up for lost time, holding each other in the bathroom and kissing deeply. “That’s much better” Eva whispered, nuzzling on my chest and neck. “Come back to bed with me. We can talk a little. We’ll just be a little tired at work tomorrow.”

I let her lead me back to bed where we just snuggled together, warm in each others arms. “I love you, my Angel. Always.”

“I love you too, Bear. And I want to tell you that you came across very well in that interview. Not that I thought they were out to make you look bad. I’m going to tell you something you don’t like hearing from anyone, but you were a real hero that day. Honest to god, Jon. You saved lives. You protected those children. Our other children. I was so angry at you when you went out into the hall and then the gym. Furious even. And then I thought I lost you and I cried to Susan Waltz (a French and Spanish teacher). When Doctor Polanski told me you’d pull through, I cried to Cammy, who was crying pretty hard herself. But I’ll tell you, I was so proud of you. You’ve always been the best man I’ve ever known. The most decent and caring man. You’ve always tried to protect others.” By now Eva was crying on my chest, her tears making little wet spots on my t-shirt. “I know how you feel, that you somehow failed because you didn’t save Corey. But Jon, there were fifty other people in that gym. You took the bullet for every one of them. If he had killed, or even wounded, another child we both would have been devastated. Not to mention the effect if would have had on all the children and their parents. You didn’t fail that day, Jon. Corey was destroyed by that monster of a father. You did all you could to try to save him.” She held me so tight I thought I was going to snap in two.

“Angel, my Angel. The best thing I ever did was sit down in the hall in our high school that day. It’s impossible to know what my life would be like if I hadn’t but I can all but guarantee it wouldn’t have been nearly this wonderful. You always talk about how I was your Knight in Shining Armor. But you never consider it was a two way street. We had recently learned my mother had MS, a wrong diagnosis as it turned out, and my family was just starting to feel better. But inside, I was hurting. I was always closer to Mom than I was to Dad, and any thought that she was sick was so painful.”

Eva looked up at me, her eyes still wet. “Jon, you’ve never mentioned this before.:

“I know. I guess I never thought about it. I ended up in such a better place after we met, I kind of let it all go. I doubt that would have happened without you. And if you hadn’t been with me when we found out about the cancer…I don’t know how I would have been able to help Cammy when my father went to pieces without your love and support. Whatever others think of me is unimportant to me. You’re the one who matters, and you’re my hero, Angel. Every single day of my life.”

We clung close to each other, silently crying, more in love than ever before. That’s how it is with some couples. Love just keeps growing and growing and growing. That’s how it is for Eva and me.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Graduation that June of 2002 was particularly poignant. There was a slight pall that hung over the graduating class that year, with memories of the terror attacks highlighted in the yearbook. Corey wasn’t mentioned at all; Eva helped me to see that while under other circumstances, a memorial page to a lost classmate would be an obvious thing to do, it wasn’t appropriate under the circumstances. I still feel a touch guilty when I think of that poor kid.

Each graduate made sure they shook my hand as well as Tom Sorenson, who returned to work in March. It was a nice, simple touch from a great group of young people who went through a very hard year. Especially for Tom, who was feeling more ambivalent about teaching in our school. But for that day, he felt like he was home.

Let me catch you up on the years as they went by. Sorry, I’ll be going back and forth a little. Harold died in 2004. He had another heart attack and it was devastating for all of us. He always treated me like his son, was there for me when I needed a man’s shoulder to lean on, and it hurt like hell. Of course, it was even worse for Eva and Phyllis as well as Walt and Will, and for our kids. After taking a year to mourn, Phyllis sold her house and moved to a condo in Deerfield Beach, Florida, where some of her friends lived. She was happy there, and lives there still. We see her a couple of times a year when she comes to see her family. We go visit her once in a while as well.

Larry and Patty got divorced. Something just changed for her. It happens sometimes. Larry took it hard at first, and I spent as much time with him as I could. Patty met a new man, Jeff, and they eventually married. I made the best of it for Eva’s sake; Patty was her best friend like Larry was mine. Jeff was a good guy, and he was good to Patty. But getting together with them always seemed to me like I was betraying Larry. I did my best and was always civil to Jeff. But Larry is still my best friend to this day.

Also in 2004, Connor graduated as an Ensign from the US Naval Academy. He graduated fifth in his class and got his choice of assignments, to the Nuclear Power School in South Carolina. We managed to get enough tickets for the three of us, Cammy and Kyle, and Eva’s parents to attend. Another proud moment in our lives, watching Ensign Grossman graduate and throw his cap in the air with the other almost thousand graduates. He’d spend July and half of August with us before moving down to South Carolina for the next year at, as he described it, the “toughest academic school in the entire US Military, the Nuclear Power School in Charleston. Proud didn’t begin to describe how we felt. After that, he went on the the Submarine School in Groton CT. Finally after that, he got a commission as a Second Lieutenant on board a SSN, an attack submarine. the USS Tampa Bay.

He met a young woman, Leigh, while in Groton, not Jewish, but a lovely girl, pretty, smart and she clearly loved our son. They got married in 2007 and a year later in April of 2008 they had a son named Oliver Martin, making Eva and I grandparents! We were at the hospital in New London, CT when he was born, bringing Eva’s mother with us as well as Rachel, who was almost fifteen by then. Cammy and Kyle (and someone else…more on that in a few minutes) drove up also, though separately. She wouldn’t miss the birth of her brother’s child for anything.

We took a few days off from work (and Rachel out from school) for the big event. That night, in our hotel room adjoining Rachel’s, Eva and I shared a bottle of champagne which the hotel gouged us on, and we made love like the horniest 47 year olds imaginable. Afterwards we talked like usual and we cried from happiness but also the realization we were getting older. But we were still having a great life, which was all that mattered.

2005 had been a busy, great year. First in February, besides Eva’s birthday, it was our 25th wedding anniversary. We decided to celebrate by renewing our vows, declaring our love all over again in front of over 100 of our friends and relatives. It was the big wedding we had to forego back when we got married, with a band and a real catered party. It was a blast and we partied late into the night and early morning. We spent the night back at the Wayne Hotel while Rachel stayed with Cammy and Kyle. Eva came to bed in the softest, sexiest little ivory camisole. As we kissed and touched like we were still in our twenties, Eva, all aroused and wet, moaned “That’s it, Bear. We’re now officially together for life. Now you can’t divorce me anymore.”

“Never say never. I might find a reason. But I doubt it. I never want to think about it, actually. There is no other woman for me anywhere. I’ve even given up on Michelle Pfeiffer.” We giggled as we kept playing.

“But I’m still holding out for Sly. Such a hunk!” I nibbled on her neck and she laughed out loud before turning her head and kissing me lustily. I slid the camisole down over her right shoulder and kissed and licked my way up her neck as Eva purred her approval. “To hell with Sly. I’ve got all the man I ever will need right here. I love you, Bear. Thank you for the best twenty five years imaginable.”

“The pleasure’s been all mine. Well, some of it has been yours. Like this.” I sucked on her breast, licking around the pink nub as she closed her eyes and shook her head from side to side and scraped her nails through my ever thinning hair. “God, I love you, Angel. And I still get boiling hot for you!”

“So I can tell. You’re really packing some heat tonight” Eva said with a groan of desire. She helped me get the camisole off her as well as the matching panties, then she tugged my briefs down before going down on me like we hadn’t just had a big, fine meal. Her tongue was dancing all over the head of my dick before she started bobbing up and down, slipping the head into her throat every so often. Then it was my turn to moan and twist my head back and forth. I brought her hips around so her pussy was staring me right in the face. I had to be polite and say hello in the way we both loved the most. My tongue probed her in all her favorite ways. I poked where she loved and licked all around, inner and outer lips. Then when she was on the edge, I nibbled at her clit and she pushed back into my face, hard, as she came even harder. If it hadn’t been so late, I would have let myself cum as well, but I wanted something else first and Eva knew it.

She moved around and quick as she could she mounted me, easing down on my throbbing cock like a woman possessed. “Bear, you are the most incredible lover I know.” Her hands were on my chest as she moved up and down and I kissed her hands one at a time.

“Oh? How many lovers do you know exactly?”

“Dozens. Hundreds. And you’re far and away the very best of all.” I held her hips, guiding her to move at the speed I desired before I let her control the pace on her own. When we came, almost together, it was beautiful and explosive. Twenty five years later and we still had our touch.

“I love you, my darling Angel. Despite your many lovers.”

“And I love you, Honey Bear. Thanks for being a good sport about my sense of humor.”

“Always, my love. I know you better than that. I know you better than anyone. I hope.” We laughed and cuddled, deeper in love than our first wedding, content in our lives in every aspect.

The next day, when we got home, Eva, the Devil she was, had a surprise for me. In the driveway was a car. Not just any car. A 1974 Ford Gran Torino just like my old car when we first started going out all those years ago, even the same colors, green and white, and in what looked like cherry condition. I got out of my current car and walked over to it with my jaw on the ground. “What the hell did you do?” I said, incredulous.

“Happy Anniversary, Bear! I guess it looks familiar?” She had this huge smile on her face.

“How….how did you find this? It looks just like my old car!”

“Look closer. Maybe at the VIN number?”

What the hell was she talking about? I got closer to the small metal tag on the dashboard and looked carefully. I didn’t remember the whole number, but I remembered the first five digits. She got THE car! She bought my old car and had it restored. I was blown away.

“Eva, how did you do this? It’s incredible! I’m just blown away!’ I hugged her even tighter than I did in bed the night before. I kissed her like I was erasing her lips. She laughed as she held me in her own snug grasp before asking if I wanted to take her for a ride, waving the keys in my face. “More than almost anything. But I have to get something first.” I dashed into the house for a minute. She wasn’t the only one with an anniversary present.

I handed her a wrapped box, a wide rectangle. She opened it with her hands slightly shaking and gasped when she saw the locket inside, antique gold and engraved in an ornate pattern. Inside were two pictures, on the left the two of us from our wedding, and the other Connor and Rachel when we were in Japan a few years back. “Thank you for marrying me twenty five years ago, Angel. Thank you for our kids. Thank you for everything.”

She was crying as I clasped the chain on the back of her neck, and we kissed and hugged for a few minutes before we hopped into my new, old ride. The engine purred to life with a perfect sound of power and a vibration you just don’t feel from most modern cars. “How did you do this? Really, I’d love to know.”

“I started looking a year ago online, a couple of months after I found your old registration in a box of mementos. It was still in New York, owned by a man who had let it go a bit, but not too bad considering it’s thirty years old. We agreed on a price and when I went to see my mom one weekend, I bought it and arranged to ship it to a restorer in South Philly. It was obscenely expensive, but this is just such a special occasion. I love you, Jon. Every day, all day long.”

Her blue eyes were holding my gaze and I fell a little deeper in love with her. It was such a wonderful gift, something I never would have expected. Nicer than any jewelry, though the way she was looking at her ring, Eva might have disagreed. I got us out on the road and drove a little faster than I should but I had to. I even got pulled over by a local cop but Eva explained the circumstances and, him being a car afficionado, he let me off with a warning and advice on where the police weren’t patrolling that day. My wife. I think I’ll keep her.

Also in 2005 Rachel was Bat Mitzvah and like her brother before her, we threw a big party for her. Two big affairs in one year. It was a good thing we had been doing so well financially over the years. She was turning into a very pretty young woman, looking remarkably like her mother, even inheriting her petite stature. The family, our friends, her friends, all celebrated with us and after the party, Eva and I were kind of wistful as our youngest started her passage into adulthood. There were years ahead of defiance and some bad behavior (Rachel was rebellious for a few years in a way Connor never was), We caught her with cigarettes which turned into a huge fight, and she went boy crazy at 14. That we put our feet down about; she was too young to date. Another huge row.

“I might have to kill her, Jon!” Eva said with frustration that night. “She’s really testing our every nerve lately.”

“And we thought a girl would be easier. I thought Connor was a challenge when he was a teenager, but she’s much worse. We’re going to have to watch her like a couple of hawks. Maybe it’s so much rougher because we were both relatively good kids ourselves. I mean, I fought with my parents but nothing like this.”

“Me either. I expected her to push back on things. It’s normal and healthy for a teen to do so as they start to find their way in life. But she’s too damn smart for cigarettes. No one in the family smokes. Boys I understand to a degree. Having them call her…sure. But she’s too young to date.”

“She would have been if this was thirty years ago, when we were her age. But these kids know so much more than we did, Eva. Which is what worries me. The curiosity factor…god, she’s just too young. Thank god she still loves music. The only problem is we can’t exactly ground her by refusing to pay for her lessons. I don’t want to do that, no matter what.”

“I agree. I couldn’t do that. And it’s our best way to keep close to her.” Eva turned to hug me and be hugged. “I might have to color my hair twice as often if this keeps up” she said wryly.

“Men don’t have to do that. Of course, I have no desire for my hair to make me look like I’m in my sixties either. Which is what’s going to happen.”

Thankfully, after a few tough years, Rachel got past that stage. We let her start seeing a couple of boys about the time Oliver was born and a couple of months later was her Sweet Sixteen. Another great party, smaller than her Bat Mitzvah, but fun. And later that night, she sat with us and told us she wanted to try out for Julliard in New York instead of a traditional college education. It wasn’t exactly a surprise for us, but we had hoped she would want a traditional experience. We told her if she could get in, then we’d pay for it like we would for any school she chose to go to. She just had to apply to a couple of colleges as well in case Julliard didn’t work out. Rachel was so confident, she resisted at first, but our appeal to reason got through to her so she applied to Berklee and Curtis (in Philly) as well as USC. She continued to get her lessons in classical, play rock and jazz on the side, and when the time came, we took her to New York and she aced her audition at Julliard. So that’s where she went, Class of 2014.

Cammy next. She and Kyle had a daughter in August of 2004, a precious girl they named Anna Denise. She looked just like her mother, born with the same black hair and green eyes. They were a one-and-done couple, and while Kyle secretly hoped for a boy, he loved and loves that girl as only a smitten father could. They were a very happy family, with Kyle taking over as full time father while Cammy worked. She made a very nice living, so it made sense for them, and Kyle, unlike a lot of men was not in any way threatened by his wife’s career.

The only ‘bad’ thing as far as we were concerned was when Cammy was made a senior partner in her firm. The problem was they wanted her to run their office in Los Angeles. She and Kyle talked it over for a week and decided they had to take the plunge. The offer was just too good to pass up. So, in June of 2011, they packed up their lovely home (after selling it for a fortune) and moved to the other side of the country. Needless to say, I didn’t take it well. Not at all. My sister had been such a vital part of my life for a long, long time. I was her surrogate father for years. She still looked to me as her father figure. We had been a team for as long as I could remember

They stayed with us for almost two weeks before they moved since their home was sold before they were scheduled to leave. Rachel was living in New York by then, in her second year at Julliard, and Eva and I loved having a child in the house, even if it was just for a short time. Anna was precious, adorable and mischievous. She was a joy to have around, but it was only for a few weeks. We were going to miss them terribly. Our son was out at sea sixty days at a time as much as three times a year, rising through the ranks, our daughter was in New York and spoke to us maybe twice a week, and now my sister and her family were leaving.

The night before they left, a Saturday night, we went out for the best dinner we could think of: Chinese food. Still Cammy’s favorite. We ordered way too much to eat and left stuffed to the gills. At home we sat together, the four adults in particular feeling depressed, until Kyle, Anna and Eva all went upstairs to give Cammy and me a little while alone.

We looked at each other for a few minutes, not saying anything, both of us trying our damnedest not to cry but that wasn’t happening. We ended up hugging tightly for a long while. Finally we let go and I handed my sister some tissues. “Sis, I really never thought this day would come. I always thought we’d live at most a couple of hours apart. I feel like my whole family are wanderers. Thank goodness Eva and I love each other so much and we share interests. I know a few couples that fell apart after everyone leaves home.”

“You are the happiest couple I’ve ever met, Jon. And the best people in the world. It’s almost thirty years since you and Eva became my guardian. I can’t tell you how many times I thanked whatever god or other is out there you two took me in.” She then lowered her voice. “I love you maybe even more than Kyle. And I love him to pieces. No one knows me like you do. You’re the only person I never felt like I had to hide something of myself from. Wow, that’s bad English” she said laughing lightly.

“Cammy, I know you can take care of yourself, and Kyle will look after you and Anna. I also know you’re going to make a lot more money than Eva and I will. But you know you’ll always have a home with us if you need it. You and your family.”

She held my hand and smiled. “You know what I remember? My first roses, before you got married, before mom died. Those white roses. From my brother. No other roses ever smelled quite so nice to me. I love you, Jon. Thank you for everything.”

“You never have to thank me, Cammy. I’ve told you that many times. What we did, we did gladly because we love you too.” We sat talking until almost 2AM and then we had to go to sleep. We were all getting up at 7 and they had to get on the road by 8. They were driving to Chicago to see a friend of Kyle’s for a couple of days, then another couple to California.

I got into bed with Eva, who was tossing and turning. “Bear, what time is it?”

“Almost 2, Angel. Do you mind if we talk for a few minutes?”

“Of course not. Talk to me, sweetheart. Tell me what’s on your mind.”

“You know, I’ve thought about how nice it’s been the last days having Anna running around. Connor has his family and he’ll get transferred somewhere or other some day and we’ll see them even less than now. Rachel…she may travel the world performing. We may see her less than we do Connor. Now Cammy’s going and we’ll see her maybe once a year, maybe twice. I love you honey. I love the life we have, the careers we have, our other family. And I love you more than anything in the world.” Her hands were massaging the back of my neck as I sat on the edge of the bed, facing away from her. “So I was thinking….what would you think about taking in a foster child? Maybe not a baby, but a child of five or eight, who needs a loving home? We’re fifty now and I don’t know if we can adopt. But we could still love another child. We both have a lot of love to give.”

Eva kissed my neck and then my cheek. “My sweet, loving Bear. I love your big heart. I was thinking something similar. Or just tossing it around. I think I’d love to. But we really should talk about this when we’re more awake and ready to face the realities of this. And we have to tell Rachel and Conner if we do. They’re our children and they have a right to have some input in this.” She kissed me again and as I turned out the light, I turned into bed and Eva was waiting for me. We embraced as we shared the most loving kisses and, despite the hour, we made love in a slow and gentle way that always made us incredibly happy. It was beautiful in every way.

After Cammy and Kyle and Anna left the next morning (lots and lots of tears all around), Eva and I sat down with our coffee and we had a long talk. The first thing was to make sure that fostering a child was something we wanted to do. It was even possible that it could lead to adoption. We could also be matched with a minority child. That we didn’t care about at all; we liked and loved all people and children. But others could object, though no one in our immediate circle. If they were bigoted in any way, they wouldn’t have been our friends. But some of the people at the school could be stuffy, shall we say. I’m being kind. We decided we’d worry about that if the time came. So a couple of hours later we decided to do it, to offer ourselves to be foster parents to the Delaware County social services system.

Monday Eva called from her office and made an appointment for a week from then for an initial interview at the county office in Media. In the meantime we told Rachel and Connor, who was on his home rotation, his “Gold” crew on shore leave while the other “Blue” crew was out to sea. They both approved, after a little concern for what would be best for us. We expected to have a pretty easy time of being approved, considering our background and our jobs, but the man who interviewed us was tough. I guess they all were, they had to be in order to protect the children in the system from predatory types. These kids were already victimized by their parents or others and needed to be protected. So after a lot of tough questions, Charles Reed asked us “Mr. and Mrs. Grossman, why do you want to do this at your age? Most people who do this are younger, they’re looking for some extra money for themselves, some are good people looking to help. Why you? Why now?”

Eva spoke for us. “We find ourselves suffering a little empty nest syndrome. Our kids are grown, our daughter Rachel is in school and our son Connor is in the Navy with his own family. My sister in law, Jon’s sister, has moved to California. We love our jobs and we have a good, comfortable life. We love children, Mr. Reed. We don’t need the check. We want to help a child who needs a home and loving people in his or her life. They could even go to our school, so we can provide a good education. And we can provide love.”

“Well, looking at your financial statement, you don’t need the money, but you’d get monthly checks anyway. It’s the law. OK, I’m going to send you home with a ton of paperwork to fill out. I’m sure you’re both used to that as school principals. And there will be a surprise visit to your home. It will have to be late in the day or evening. On the surface here, I have to say you’d be ideal candidates. But I’m not promising anything. We also will do an investigation into both your backgrounds. Shouldn’t be a problem. I see you adopted your sister when she was fifteen?” I proceeded to give him the background there, bringing up some painful and wonderful memories. “And you were investigated by your employer, then a few years ago before your son got his clearances for his posting in the Navy. I’m not used to dealing with people whose backgrounds have already been so thoroughly looked into. But you’re not there yet. Fill out the papers and send them back and then be prepared for a visit.”

We left with a sheaf of papers which we started filling out that night. For some reason they still weren’t online with their questionnaires. We finished a couple of days later and sent them in and waited.

That weekend, Abi and Dora came for dinner. While Eva and Dora were chatting in the family room, Abi and I sat in the library with a couple of drinks and I told him what Eva and I were planning to do. He sipped his gin and tonic as he stared out the window at the dead leaves covering the fields between our home and the school buildings. “Jon, are you and Eva certain you know what you’re getting into? Have you looked into this carefully?”

“We did a lot of research, Abi. We also studied about child psychology back in college. Eva has her Master’s degree in child psych and I’m a double Master’s in History and childhood education. We raised our children and have dealt with thousands of children over the last twenty years.”

“Jon, I love you and I love Eva. You’re great people. I’ll always love you for helping to get my grandchildren into your school and on scholarship. We never could have paid tuition here. Kim and Kamal are in good colleges and they’re both going to be special people in the world. That’s a debt I can never repay.”

“Nonsense, Abi. There’s no debt. We helped them get into school here, but they did the work like every other student. They deserve everything they have because they earned it.”

“Jon, I’m telling you this as your friend. Be 100% certain before you take in a child from social services. Some of these kids…..they are deeply damaged. They’ve already lived lives and seen things that you and I can’t even imagine. Some have been so severely abused that they’ll never get over it. Where I live, we see a lot of those kids. They weren’t created with love and they’ve never been loved. Even the foster parents who take them in….most are just interested in getting the check from the city. They show those children no love. The children don’t understand love. They don’t trust. Maybe you’ll get lucky, a child whose parents died and has no family to take them in. But chances are you’re going to have a lot of heartache.”

It was sobering to hear Abi’s view of these children. Eva and I believed no child was irredeemable. But to be honest, we’d been involved mostly with children who had every advantage in life. There were exceptions. Some drugs, including a couple of dealers who had to be expelled. Corey Romano of course. But they were far and away exceptions to the rule. Maybe we were biting off more than we could chew.

That night in bed, Eva and I talked about whether we were up to the potential challenges we might be facing. She and Dora had a similar conversation, and Eva was also more nervous about whether we were doing the right thing, especially at our age. We were fit, we used the treadmill (a newer one than the one bought ten years before), we played tennis, though I would always have trouble with my backhand because of my shoulder. We still enjoyed vacations and time at our beach house, we still loved our jobs and planned for another ten years. We had a great life that could all be upset by bringing in a troubled child. We decided we wanted to take that chance. Abi, when I met him in the hospital, told me that children were a gift from god. I still didn’t believe in god, but I believed children were a gift. Eva believed the same thing.

A few days later, a woman knocked on our door in the evening and toured the house, finding nothing amiss, of course. Then two weeks later, Charles Reed called us and asked us if we were willing to take two children, a brother and sister, 7 and 5 respectively. Their parents had died in a car accident and they had no family able or willing to take them in. We were all in.

Two days later, we took off work on a Thursday and we met Vincent and Maria Andretta, our ‘late in life’ children.

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We were nervous bordering on terrified as we waited in a children’s playroom in the social services building. We sat on these ridiculously low chairs, holding hands, both of us dressed in our best suits. We were going over the Vincent and Maria’s files. Their parents, Michael and Linda, had been killed three months before when a truck driver fell asleep at the wheel on the Pennsylvania Turnpike and drove them off the road. They were driving home from a family wedding but the children weren’t invited, thank goodness as things turned out. Michael and Linda were both teachers and only children with no relatives able to care for the children long term. The children, especially Vincent, were traumatized, of course. But they needed people to love them.

Mr. Reed brought them into the room and we stood up on shaking knees. We gave them our biggest smiles and introduced ourselves, Jon and Eva. Reed left us alone then to try to form a connection. We talked a while, Vincent very quiet but Maria attached herself to Eva almost immediately, hugging her like she would never let go. It broke both our hearts to see how starved this little girl was for affection. So she and Eva started talking right away but Vincent just wanted to play with the toys in the room. I wanted to find something he would talk about. So I asked about school and sports, movies and books. I got a lot of one word answers. It was terribly frustrating, especially because we wanted to try to give these children a home.

Then I noticed a guitar in the corner of the room. I got up and brought it over, tuned it as best I could on the old strings, and I started playing some soft and sweet music, children’s songs which Maria liked, but not Vincent. Then I played a Bruce Springsteen song, Tougher Than the Rest, and Vincent looked up at me for the first time. He wandered over and sat watching as I went through the various chord changes, humming along to a song he obviously had heard. He touched the body of the guitar, feeling the sound vibrate from inside and he actually smiled. Eva touched her hand to her face as tears flowed down her cheeks. When I was done with the song, I asked what kind of music he liked and he told me he liked The Boss, Bon Jovi, Neil Young and others. Clearly music had been a part of their lives with their parents. We had a way in.

After an hour, Mr. Reed came back to find us all getting along as I kept playing songs. Maria enjoyed music as well, but not like Vincent. I asked him if he would like to take guitar lessons and he nodded enthusiastically. We told them we worked at a school and they’d be welcome to go to school there. Eva and I worried that it might be a sore point for them, their parents having been teachers, but they both said yes.

Maria then said “Eva, can I have lessons too?”

“Of course, sweetheart. What would you like to do?”

“I want to be a ballerina!”

“Then we’ll sign you up for lessons after school as well. We have a nice studio in the town where we live. It would be our pleasure.” Maria gave a huge smile that just melted our hearts.

Mr. Reed asked the children if they were willing to go home with us (after discreetly making sure we were willing to take them into our home) and they talked between themselves, brother and sister, reminding me of myself and Cammy. They decided they wanted to give us a chance.

An assistant helped the kids get their things together while Mr. Reed went over some last things with us. He also let us know a lawyer had been engaged by the county to represent the children’s interests as well as to sue the trucking company the driver worked for (he barely got a scratch). We agreed to make appointments to meet the lawyer, as well as weekly appointments with a psychologist for the children. Vincent and Maria were brought in again and, with more than a few butterflies in our stomachs, we took them home.

On the ride home, both of them in car seats, we talked a little about Connor and Rachel so they both knew we had children of our own and we loved kids. We told them Rachel was going to be a professional musician and Connor was in the Navy and that they couldn’t wait to meet them. Thanksgiving was coming in another two weeks and the whole family was coming to us, including Eva’s mom and her brothers and their families. Even Cammy, Kyle and Anna were coming back for the weekend. We’d be a very crowded table.

That night, after we got them fed, we got them changed for bed before sitting and talking together for a while. We encouraged them to tell us a few things about their parents. Vincent ran upstairs and Eva and I were worried we upset him but he came down a few seconds later with a book of photos. The two of them sat between us and showed us pictures of their parents and of the four of them as a family. They looked like a very happy family, friendly and warm smiles, and in a few minutes both children were crying. Eva and I held then close, feeling pretty awful ourselves. We let them cry themselves out and I then sang to them, something soft, then a lullaby. Maria fell asleep there so I carried her up to the guest room, where we put both children to bed. New furniture for children would be delivered the next day and Vincent would end up in Connor’s old room while Maria would be in the former guest room, since Rachel still needed her room when she came to visit. We put them in bed together with a monitor and Eva told Vincent if either of them needed anything at all, they could call for us with the monitor and we’d be there in seconds. She then kissed them both on the forehead before we left the room, leaving the door ajar.

We went to our own room feeling exhausted and more than a little sad. “Bear, I didn’t know this could be so hard emotionally. Even with all our years of experience. Those poor children. My heart hurts for them.”

“I know, Angel. So does mine. They’re just going to need all the love we can give them. And then some more on top. Whatever we can give them.”

Eva sighed as she leaned on my chest. “Tomorrow we’ll take them to the grade school and show them around. I want them to start Monday if possible. We have to go back to work anyways.”

We slept lightly that night and sure enough, around 2AM we heard crying over the monitor. Maria was scared when she woke up in the unfamiliar bed and we hurried in as fast as we could to comfort her and check on Vincent. She settled down about twenty minutes later and we got through the rest of the night.

The next day we discussed school with them and told them we were going to show them what we hoped would be their new school. Then we talked about the things they liked to eat so we could all go food shopping together afterwards. So we took them to the school and they were kind of surprised by the small class sizes as well as the uniforms. They had gone to their local public school so this was a kind of culture shock, something they had been experiencing for months. They agreed to give it a try and we met with the principal, Joanne Devers, and their teachers. We bought their uniforms, five each to start. Then we went shopping, getting things that were their favorites even if they weren’t our favorites. We’d all learn to adjust to each other.

Over the weekend we took them ice skating and Maria picked it up quickly, showing some decent balance, while Eva and Vincent kept falling on their asses (I learned years ago when Connor learned so he could play hockey). The fact that Eva kept falling with him kept Vincent from feeling too self conscious and after a few times they laughed together. We took them for pizza and hot chocolate for dinner and some more of the walls started to crumble a little.

After a few nights of relative peace, the night before their first day of school, Vincent woke up in the middle of the night screaming. He had a nightmare about his parents and I tried to settle him down. “I want my Daddy!” the poor boy kept crying and his crying upset his sister and we had two hysterical children on our hands. And we had to wake up at six to start getting ready for work. This was going to be harder than we expected. And it was like that their first weeks with us. They were slow to adjust to the somewhat tougher scholastic environment of a private school, not that they weren’t bright children. Maria fit in with the girls in her class but Vincent had a harder time. We talked with Mrs. Devers and their school psychologist as well as the psychologist they were seeing outside. We developed some strategies to help them catch up, including extra time with them at night on schoolwork. But the biggest help came over Thanksgiving.

Wednesday night we met all our family except my aunt and uncle, who couldn’t make it, at one of Larry’s restaurants, the Italian place. Rachel wasn’t coming home until the morning due to a private concerto she was taking part in. Everyone made a big deal over Maria and Vincent, treating them like they had been family forever. It was hard for both of them, meeting all those new people. Phyllis tried to make them feel like she was their grandma, but they were slow to warm to everyone. It was hard for them.

I made a big deal over introducing them to Anna and Oliver, who were 7 and 3, respectively. It was like cousins meeting for the first time. Ollie in particular stuck to Vincent all night and actually cried when Connor and Leigh took him to the hotel for the evening. Connor made a connection with both of them, like a would be older brother. Vincent felt comfortable with him. It was a nice dinner.

The next day, Thanksgiving, I went with Vincent to pick up Rachel from the train station at 11. Maria stayed behind to ‘help’ Eva and Cammy start cooking everything but the two turkeys, which were already in the oven. Thank goodness for the double oven we invested in, even though we didn’t own the house.

My daughter got off the train, looking so different than when we saw her last in September. More confident, a different hair style, short and wavy. Baggy jeans and boots with a small ring in her nose. Not my preference, but I did like it for some reason. I doubted Eva would.

“Hey Dad!” she called as she ran to meet me with a huge hug.

“Hi Little Angel. Oh you are so different! You look so self assured! I think living in New York is doing you good.”

“Thanks. I love it there. And I love school. It’s amazing. I’ll tell you later.” She turned to Vincent and squatted a little to his height. “And you’re Vincent, right? I’m Rachel and it’s a pleasure to meet you.” She shook his hand and he smiled warmly, maybe the best smile he gave anyone since we took him home.

“Is that your guitar?” he asked, pointing to the one slung on Rachel’s back.

“Yes it is. And you know the piano in the library? I play that too. If you want I can give you a few lessons over the weekend.”

“You would?” he asked like he wasn’t sure if he believed her.”

“It would be my pleasure, Vincent.”

“Call me Vince, please. Everybody does.” She looked up at me and I stared down in surprise. I hadn’t heard him say that to anyone since we met him. He might not have told anyone at the temporary foster home he stayed with before Eva and me. Rachel got through to him in a big way, through music. He took her hand as we walked to the car.

“Vince it is, then. Can my parents call you Vince too?”

“Sure. I don’t mind. I like living with them.” In two minutes she was getting more out of him than Eva, me or the psychologists did in weeks and months. Rachel, my shining star. “They’ve been nice to me and my sister.”

“Yeah, I think they’re nice too. Usually.” She smiled at me and Vince too his cue from her and smiled too. While I drove home, Rachel talked to Vince mostly about music and explained to him what she was doing at school without talking down to him. Over that entire four day weekend, she was a miracle worker, especially with Vince, while Anna and Maria hit it off. Vince and Anna seemed happier than at any time since we brought them into our home.

Dinner was crowded, loud, a mess and it was a great day in every way. Even though Phyllis was the eldest in our family, Eva and I were unofficially the matriarch and patriarch of the brood. And we were just 50….well, almost 51. In the middle of dinner, the adults all at a series of tables making a longer one, and the kids all right next to it at their own, Eva and I looked at each other from the opposite ends and just smiled. Warm, loving, full of adoration smiles. Even through some terribly frightening times, we managed to have a great life together. It wouldn’t have been possible with anyone else, not like this. We were one of those very lucky couples that actually married our soulmates.

The next day we had everyone over for a more casual leftovers dinner and, while we were hanging out watching college football and kids were running around (I actually love that sound), I found time to take Cammy aside. There was something I had to talk to her about. Maybe a couple of somethings.

We put on our coats and sat out back, overlooking the yellowed grass and bare trees. “So, Jon, it looks like you’re doing all right with Vincent and Maria. They seem to be adjusting.”

“We’re getting there. Rachel was a huge help yesterday. She got through to him in a matter of minutes; he just took to her when he saw her guitar and found out about the piano. She’s giving him a few lessons today and tomorrow. If he likes it, we’ll get him lessons. Maria wants to be a ballerina.”

“Yeah, we all do when we’re five. Until we find out we’re not all that graceful.” Cammy smiled at her own memories of that age.

“How’s California? Really. I know what you say when we talk on the phone. But are you and Kyle happy there?”

“It’s a huge change. You should see the house we bought. HUGE! I know you’ve seen pictures, but you have to come visit. Hey, why not over Christmas and Chanukah? I have two weeks off, the last week of December and the first week of January. We could make a huge party of it. The two holidays- you are doing Christmas for Vincent and Maria, aren’t you?”

“Of course. We respect the religion they were born into. We’ve even talked to a priest and our Rabbi about how to do things. We have more to discuss. But next weekend we’re going to go shopping for Christmas decorations and a tree. It will feel a little odd for us, but they grew up with Christmas. I couldn’t take it away from them. Though I think it’s going to be kind of hard for them without their parents.”

“I still can’t believe you and Eva did this. But I’m not really surprised. My favorite people in the world, aside from my husband and daughter.” We held hands for a moment. I missed her being nearby.

“Cammy, I need a little advice. We met Monday with the lawyer who was assigned to be their Law Guardian. In addition to making sure Eva and I are doing our job, he’s going to sue the trucking company whose driver killed their parents. I got to tell you, we were not impressed. He’s in his 50s and he’s working in this storefront office as a one man show. Piles of files everywhere. I doubt he has more than a few hours to spend on this each week.”

“What’s his name?”

“Don Carroll. His office is in Media.”

“Never heard of him. That doesn’t mean anything, of course. I can have someone from my office here get me some information. But going to a judge to get him removed…..it won’t be easy. We’d have to show cause. And he’ll fight to keep the case. He’s going to be thinking he can settle out of court for an easy payday, maybe more than he’d make all year long when he gets his thirty percent. The judge would approve any fee he collects, but thirty is pretty typical.”

“Cammy, I want those kids to get every cent they are entitled to. I don’t want a lawyer who’ll just phone it in. Their lives have been almost destroyed and when they are old enough, I want them to have enough money to start life well. I don’t know if this is a long term situation, with Eva and I. Right now, we’re getting very attached to those sweet children. We want them provided for under any circumstances.”

She squeezed my fingers and smiled at me. “Let me do my thing. If he’s a hack, or worse, a shyster, I’ll find out, quick. One of the advantages of being a senior, named partner is those who aren’t tend to jump for those who are.” She gave a small laugh. “I’ll know by the end of next week what we’re dealing with. Anything else?”

“Yeah one thing. I need a lawyer to set up two trusts, like I still have for Rachel. Eva and I want to put the monthly stipend the Commonwealth sends us for their care into a trust for each of them. We can take care of anything they need. We feel silly taking the money from Pennsylvania, but evidently it’s the law.”

“That’s because it’s not your money, Jon. It’s supposed to be spent on the care and welfare of the children, so you don’t have the right to decline. But you can set up those trusts. As long as you’re taking good care of Vincent and Maria. I can get someone to do that for you. Won’t even cost you a dime.”

“Cammy, I’m hardly worried about that. Make sure I get sent the bill. I don’t need pro bono legal work.”

“Shut up, brother. No one will be working for you pro bono. Let me take care of it. Now can we go back inside. I’m freezing my tits off out here!” We both cracked up; since she became an adult, my sister’s language could be rather blunt. We went back inside and enjoyed the rest of the holiday weekend with our still expanding family.

Cammy called me Thursday and evidently, our suspicions were correct: Don Carroll had a reputation for hanging around the courthouse trying to pick up cases he could dispose of quick without going to court. No other lawyer feared dealing with him and as a result, he usually settled his cases for a lot less than a better lawyer could have obtained. He had a long list of complaints filed by former clients and he was disbarred twenty two years before, before he was able to get it reversed on appeal. Cammy offered to get a lawyer from her firm to handle the case and to offer Carroll a settlement to step aside. So I went to his office and I asked him what he felt was a fair payout for his time to date. He actually asked for fifty thousand dollars, a ridiculous amount considering he’d done almost nothing so far. I offered him twenty and we settled on twenty five. He wasn’t happy; he looked at it like he lost the other twenty five instead of making twenty five for doing almost nothing. I wrote him a check on the spot and that was that. Cammy got a top litigator, Ben Walsh, to take the case. It would take years possibly, but I felt secure that when it was settled, those children would be well provided for.

Eva and I discussed it, and, after checking with Mr. Reed, we decided to take Cammy up on her offer and bring Rachel, Vince and Maria to Los Angeles for two weeks over the holidays. We’d be there for the tail end of Chanukah and we’d celebrate Christmas again. When we told Maria and Vince we were going to visit Cammy, Kyle and Anna, they got excited. When we told them that we’d be doing a second Christmas and Chanukah, they got REALLY excited. It meant Eva and I had to do a LOT of shopping. We shipped the gifts to California for round two and we made plans to go up to Connecticut to spend actual Christmas up at Connor and Leigh’s. A lot of schlepping but we hoped it would be a fun time that made things a little easier for Vince and Maria.

They enjoyed their first Chanukah, especially after Rachel came home the second night, the 21st. They really were taken with her and she loved playing the older sister for the first time in her life. We explained the holiday to them in as much detail as we could and they enjoyed getting little gifts every night as well as a big gift at the end. For Vince that was a new bicycle in cherry red and for Maria, we got her a small bracelet in 10 carat gold.

We went up there on the 23rd. Rachel stayed with her brother in their guest room in their neat, three bedroom house, while the rest of us stayed in a local hotel a few minutes away. Vince kind of knew by then there was no Santa Claus, but Maria fretted that he wouldn’t find them…especially after they moved after their parents died. Both children were crying softly that night before Christmas Eve. Their grief wasn’t as crushing as it had been when we met them but they still were in a lot of pain. We held them for a long time and Eva promised Maria that Santa knew where every child lived or stayed, every Christmas. She was satisfied with that, but then the real issue came out. We were prepared for it.

Vince turned and cried harder, then Maria joined him. Rachel helped up try to soothe them, but it was hard. “I miss Mommy and Daddy!” Maria kept saying and Vince just wouldn’t say anything, even crying when Rachel played some soft music. The longer it went on, the more distraught they were. It was their first Christmas without their parents and it was hitting them hard. I hugged Maria while Rachel and Eva held Vince. We let them cry themselves out, telling them their parents would always be with them, always looking out for them. And they’d always have us to be their new family if they wanted. We’d never leave them. After just a few short weeks, we loved those children like our own.

While Eva tucked them in, I took a few minutes to sit with Rachel, who was also upset from seeing the two youngsters so distressed. I hugged her and kissed her head like I always had when when she was upset. Through her tears, she said “I know, objectively, what a nightmare those sweet kids have been through. But I can’t even begin to imagine what they’re feeling every day. It hurts to think about it. It hurts a lot, and that’s got to be a fraction of what they feel.” She sobbed softly and I kept holding her. My Little Angel had all the empathy that her parents had. I was proud of her for that, but at the moment it was causing her pain, like it was causing Vince and Maria pain. Three of my children were suffering and that is close to unbearable for any parent. Which meant I felt like a parent to Maria and Vince, and I knew Eva felt the same way.

“They are in pain, sweetheart, and they’re always going to feel it to some degree. But over time it will become tolerable and they’ll find they can remember their parents in the best ways, the good times. So we want to reinforce that for them. Rachel, I want to ask you something. Something important. How would you feel if one day your mother and I adopted them? You understand what that means, right?”

Rachel sniffled her tears back as she took a couple of tissues from the nightstand. “You wouldn’t love me and Connor any less, right? Your ability to love is pretty much limitless?” She had a hint of a smile.

“Of course. It would never diminish how we feel about you and your brother, not to mention Ollie and Anna and everyone else.”

“Well, I think it’s probably a long way from there so far, but if you get there and if they want it, I think I’d love to have a little brother and sister. But seriously, Dad…be careful. I know you’re both very healthy, but you and Mom aren’t in your 30s. I want you both around for a long time to come. So keep playing tennis and skating and whatever you and Mom do to stay healthy.” She gave me a knowing look that made me blush deeply.

“Rachel Hannah! I am NOT going there with you! Ever!” She laughed and we both felt better, embarrassment and all. I tried to give her a disapproving look, but that was useless. Instead we kissed cheeks and said our goodnights before I returned to my room.

Rachel had her own room, but we kept Maria and Vince in our room in the other bed. When they finally fell asleep, Eva and I had our own crying period. “Bear, I love those children so much. I want to take care of them for as long as we can. All the rest of our lives.”

“I’m with you, Angel. It would kill me to have to give them to someone else to raise. It’s kind of soon yet. especially for them emotionally, but maybe by next Christmas we could get the process going for adopting them.”

“Bear, what are we doing? We should be looking forward to enjoying our lives.”

“We will be, Eva. We’ll be doing what we love best of all….taking care of children. It’s what we were born to do.” Eva hugged me tight and we kissed a bunch of times, but that’s as far as that could go. We weren’t alone in the room. And aside from our desire for each other, we were thrilled to have new young children in our lives. Grandchildren, a niece, our grown children, and now new young ones. Not to mention the thousands of students who passed through our lives over the years. We kept surrounding ourselves with children to care about and to love.

We had a nice holiday with Connor, who was going to return to sea duty January 8. Leigh was the daughter of a Navy man, so she grew up knowing what to expect. She was a tough girl and she knew she could call on us if she needed anything at all while Connor was away. She also had close friends among the other wives of the boats crew that all looked out for each other. She and Ollie were in good shape. And they were welcome to come visit any time they wanted. We didn’t see them enough.

Christmas/Chanukah II in California was great. She and Kyle had this incredible house in Beverly Hills, 6 bedrooms and 6 and two half baths. And a huge pool in the backyard. Rachel, Maria and Vince all had a great time the entire time we were there. And it wasn’t so bad for Eva and I either. We even made love more frequently than we had been doing recently. We treated everyone to two days at Disneyland and Kyle and Cammy took us to Universal Studios. Everyone had a fine time.

The night of my birthday, January 4, we spent the day at the pool and then we had a small celebration at a trendy LA restaurant. We had pretentious food served by a waiter who was doubtlessly waiting to be ‘discovered’ and we even saw a couple of celebrities. We even had a delicious chocolate cake. It was a lot of fun, with the only downside being no Connor and his family. He was back across the country getting prepared to deploy with his boat.

Back at the house, I got a few presents, mostly joke-like gifts, things you’d give an old man, like a walker from Kyle and Cammy and a ‘gopher’, a grabber like tool for people who can’t bend to pick things up from Rachel. Eva gave me a ridiculous oversized pair of glasses with huge, thick lenses. Then Vince and Maria gave me a gift together, a handmade card with a flower picked from Cammy’s garden (with her permission). The card said “Happy Birthday Jon! Thank you and we love you! Maria and Vincent!” I was all choked up, unable to say anything as my eyes got wet. Mine weren’t the only ones as Cammy, Kyle, Anna, Rachel and Eva also were also deeply touched. “I think this is the best gift I’ve gotten in years, guys. I love you too.” They hugged me, one in each arm, and I held them for a long moment. Their parents must have been great people.

In bed that night, Eva gave me her ‘real’ gift. She was on top of me, using her still strong muscles to squeeze my cock delightfully. She kept leaning down to kiss me as we made love, using our hands to touch in very sensuous and erotic ways. Her body had a little sag now, as did mine, but we were still in very good shape and excellent health. After enough time to build up our passion and our climax, we got there, Eva a little before me, and I flooded her with my warm cum, mixing it with her frothy moisture. We still loved making love together, even if some of our dirtier exploits had tapered off. We had no complaints.

Afterwards, we laid in bed, lightly coated with a sheen of perspiration as we caught our breath. “You’re still the best piece of ass I know, Angel” I told her, both of us chuckling at our old shared joke.

“I’ve got oodles of experience, Bear. I’m even thinking of finding a street corner here for the last few days. I might make enough to pay for this trip.”

I rolled to her and we kissed playfully and giggling. We did our best talking in bed, but we also still had a lot of fun there. After we played a little we settled back and held hands in the middle. “This was a great birthday, Eva. I love you so much, my darling. My Angel, always…”

“…and forever” Eva finished. “I’m glad you enjoyed it, Jon. And how about Vince and Maria? They didn’t say a word to me or Rachel. They just asked Cammy if they could pick a flower from the garden. I really think we made a difference in their lives, Bear. I know I love them just about as much as our own.”

“They sure took me by surprise. I wish we had met Linda and Michael. They must have been great parents.” We paused for a few seconds. “There’s something I think we should do for them, honey. I think we should start taking them to the cemetery to visit their parents, maybe once a month. I want to adopt them if we can some day. But I wouldn’t want them to forget who their parents were.”

Eva rolled towards me and planted a big kiss right over my heart. “There is no one like you in the world, Jon. You keep making me fall in love with you all over again, every day. It’s a great idea. And we’ll keep encouraging them to tell us memories they have so they don’t forget. Maybe we can record them so when they’re older, they’ll always remember those things. I want them to remember. As much as possible.”

I kissed her forehead. “You’re one of a kind too. We’ll talk to them when we get home. It will be hard at first. We’ll help them, though. However we can, we’ll help them.”

Eva cozied up to me as she yawned deeply. “My darling Bear.”

“My amazing Angel.” We kissed and turned to sleep. All in all, it was a great birthday.

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When we got home, Rachel had to go back to school, which saddened Vince and Maria. They really were attached to her and she enjoyed it. She taught Vince some basics of playing guitar, which I continued with him over time. I also taught him to skate while Eva took Maria to dance classes. And we also found time to take them to the local Catholic church to meet with the priest, Father George Dieter. So that started Sunday school for both kids. Between lessons, school and friends they made, we were all very busy people. It was exhausting for Eva and I, but there was something fulfilling about it as well.

We also started taking them to the cemetery, once a month at first, which, over time tapered off to a couple of times a year. At first, it was tough on them, which made it tough on us. But they ‘introduced’ us the second time we went and that somehow helped make things a little better, like we were all a family. By April, when Mr. Reed came for a visit to see how everyone was getting along, Eva and I were talking seriously about adoption. He wasn’t surprised; he’d seen over the monthly visits how well things were going. He said we could apply for permanent custody but we should all sit with the kids and talk before we mentioned adoption. So the following month, that’s what we did, all five of us, to see how Vince and Maria felt about it. It was complicated; they still missed their parents, but they had become very close with us and our family. So we started the process for permanent custody but held off on adoption.

Early June was Maria’s sixth birthday and we threw her a big party with all the frills. She loved being the ‘little princess’, the center of attention, and she had a blast. August was Vince’s birthday, his eighth, and another big party. He was by nature a little more shy but still, he enjoyed it immensely. They both loved going to the beach house with us on weekends and we sent them to day camp during the summer. Vince learned to skate well enough to start hockey that Fall.

With all that was going on, we needed some household help, so we hired a woman named Rosa to come in during the week, keep things clean and do some cooking. She was about our age and she was great with the children.

Rachel came home a few weekends; we went to visit her and saw some of her recitals. Connor and his family came down when he had shore leave and we went to visit when we could, the four of us. We were a real family. We felt like one, anyway. And then, just as we were talking openly with the kids about adopting them, life threw a curveball that almost ruined everything.

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In September of 2012, ten months after we brought Vince and Maria into our home, Eva and I, along with Mr. Reed, sat down with them and brought up the subject of adoption. They understood the concept, basically, and we went into more detail and explained that Eva and I wouldn’t be their guardians, but their parents. It was a year and a half since their parents died and there were still raw feelings. We told them Michael and Linda would always be their parents, but now they would have another set of parents who would love them as much as we loved Connor and Rachel. It wasn’t easy, and no decisions were made that day. They were sad for a few days after as were we, so we let it go for a few weeks. And in that span, something happened that almost undid everything: a cousin of the children’s father came along to apply for guardianship as a close relative. Why this ‘close relative’ didn’t help out at the time was easily explained: he and his wife were really in no condition to be guardians to anyone’s children.

Marty and Cassie Andretta were both ne’er do well types. They lived in a bad part of the city, he had numerous run-ins with the law, though never convicted, and only sporadically worked. How they found out about Eva and I was simple: our old ‘friend’ Don Carroll actually got off his ass and did a little research and found them. I guess he wasn’t happy that I gave him only 25 grand when he wanted 50. So this was his revenge. He found Marty and Cassie and worked out a scheme to challenge us for custody. They didn’t want those kids; they hadn’t seen them since Maria was an infant. When we were served with papers- at work for goodness sake!- Eva nearly fell to pieces and I wasn’t that much better. Before we even left school that day we called Ben Walsh, the lawyer for their interests.

After he filled us in as to what he knew about the cousins, Ben spoke to us honestly. “I knew about those two lowlifes” he told us over the speaker phone in Eva’s office. “They told Charles Reed they wanted nothing to do with children when he contacted them. They were the only even somewhat close relations. And they’re unfit parents. If Reed had investigated them, he almost certainly wouldn’t have approved them for custody. But I have to tell you, Jon, Eva, you never can say for certain what a judge in Family Court will do. I’d say it’s 95% in your favor. But that 5% is enough to concern me. If Marty had one of those arrests turn into a conviction, you’d be golden. But the charges were dropped each time. As far as the court is concerned, the arrests never happened. If he holds onto a full time job while this goes through the system, keeps his nose clean…..I can’t promise a judge won’t laugh them out of court.”

“Ben, what do we do? We can’t turn them over to those…creatures” I said with contempt. “We just can’t. We were getting ready to ask you to draw up a petition for adoption.”

“Well, first I’m going to send you to a family law specialist. I don’t do that and I don’t have the background. We don’t even have anyone in our practice who does. But I know a few excellent lawyers who can help with everything. Certainly a hell of a lot better than Don Carroll. And I’m going to tell you informally, this feels like they’re looking to extort you into offering money for them to go away. I can’t advise you to do that, especially if they ask you for a bribe. Carroll will make sure that doesn’t happen; even a bush league lawyer knows better than that. But they may hint around it. If so…just make sure you get them to relinquish their claims to custody in writing. I can help with that. And I can make it ironclad. As long as the document doesn’t mention money paid and you don’t tell me about it. I don’t want to know if you do.”

I could read between the lines and so could Eva. He couldn’t recommend paying them off, but he was saying it was the best way out. I was sure Carroll, when he approached the Andretta’s he told them Eva and I were rich. We were, I can’t say otherwise. We were worth over seven million dollars by then. But paying those two even a dime, not to mention that shyster Carroll….”

Ben gave us the names of two family lawyers he knew, we got off the phone and Eva and I tried to go back to work. We had a lot of talking to do before we responded to the summons in five weeks. Needless to say, we didn’t get much done the rest of the day.

We picked up Vince and Maria at 4 like always from the after school program, and they could tell we were both upset. Vince asked what was wrong and Eva told them nothing, that it was nothing they did or had nothing to do with them. It was a half a lie, but it was nothing that was their fault. They were going to be victimized if we didn’t find a way to stop this.

We put on a brave face when we walked in the door, where Rosa had a snack for them of milk with a few cookies. Eva asked Rosa not to make dinner and I asked them if they wanted to go out for really good burgers for dinner at the town diner.

Both said yes enthusiastically. They also knew this was unusual; we rarely went out for dinner during the week. Eva took Maria for her dance lesson at 5 and we agreed to meet at the restaurant at 7. We hugged extra tight in the foyer before the kids saw us, then I gave Vince a guitar lesson while Maria went dancing.

When we met for dinner, we ordered three cheeseburger plates (I don’t like cheese on my burger) and four unsweetened Ice Teas and we had an atypical quiet dinner. Eva and I were watching the kids almost non-stop and they knew something was up. But since they knew we weren’t telling them, Vince changed the subject. “Jon, Eva, could you tell me how you met? I’d like to know.”

“Me too” Maria chimed in enthusiastically. “Please tell us?”

Eva started the story, talking between bites of her cheeseburger deluxe and fries (they had delicious fries), of the day she was feeling sad at school and the nicest, most wonderful man sat next to her to let her talk to someone. (Her words, not mine. Promise) How we started dating and how dating turned to love and love to marriage. We skipped over the part about my mother and then what happened to my father. I hoped to hold those stories off until they were much older, and hoped they’d be a part of our lives still.

“And now, forty two years later, Jon and I are still together. We’ve been happy almost every day, with a few bad times, like every family goes through. We have a wonderful family and now we have two new members of that family. Two beautiful children who we love like we love Rachel and Connor. And Ollie and your Aunt Cammy. And her family, and my mother and my brothers and their families. We’ve been very lucky, Vince, Maria. We’ve always been surrounded by the most loving people, and that includes you. When we applied to take in a child, we were thinking one child. When Mr. Reed asked us about taking a brother and sister who needed help, we didn’t even have to think about it. We said yes right away. And when we saw you both we just knew we wanted to take care of you. We wanted to make sure you didn’t get split up. You deserve to grow up as brother and sister.”

They stopped eating and they looked at each other. Then Vince said “Mr. Reed told us he didn’t know if we would be able to stay together. Before we met you. He said it was hard to find a place for us both together.” They both started crying a little as Vince kept talking, as always in the role of the protective big brother. I could relate to that easily. “We told him we would rather stay in the group house they had us in, and that was a bad place. But then he found you and you took us. We were scared and sometimes we still are. But we like living with you. We love you and Rachel and Connor. We REALLY love Rachel. All your family.”

Eva took his hand and I held Maria’s. Then she said “Do you remember meeting a cousin of your fathers’, Marty, and his wife Cassie?” Both children shook their heads no, which was what we expected. “We got a letter today and they want to have you live with them. Now they are actually related to you. But Jon and I want you to stay with us. We love you both, very, very much.” We were all crying there in the restaurant, making fools of ourselves and not giving a damn who saw us, including a few of our students and their parents. “Vincent, Maria, what if we wanted you both to be a permanent part of our family? You’d be as much our children as Rachel and Connor are, you’d be our family and we’d be yours.”

Maria, wiping her face, said “Would we be your step-children?”

I answered quickly. “No, sweetheart. You’d be our children. No ‘steps’. We’d treat you the same as we treat Connor and Rachel, with the same responsibilities and affection. We’d be your parents. You could call us mom and dad if you want to. Your other parents would always be a part of your hearts and we’ll do everything we can to keep their memories alive. But we’ll love you like we are the people who gave birth to you. Like we do now.”

“You don’t have to decide right now, sweethearts” Eva added. Take your time, you can talk to Mr. Reed or anyone you want. But if you want this, for us to be your parents from now on, we’ll do everything we can to fight for you. If you want to meet your cousins first before you decide who you want to live with, then we’ll arrange for that to happen. Jon and I want you to be happy and loved. That’s the most important thing.”

We said our piece and we were prepared for this to take a while. We expected them to want to meet their cousins. Legally, they probably were going to have to anyway unless they withdrew their petition. What we weren’t prepared for was what happened when we got home. The two of them went to Maria’s room and they talked alone. Eva and I sat in the family room, not getting any work done, not doing anything, we didn’t even play any music. We just cuddled on the couch feeling both frightened and hopeful. An hour or so later, just before their bedtimes, They came downstairs in their pajamas and sat between us. Vince, as usual as the elder sibling, spoke for both.

“We decided we want to stay with you….Mom and Dad. If you want us.” Our hearts sang out and we cuddled them in our arms, Vince in mine and Maria in Eva’s, then we switched.

“You can think about it some more, if you want” I offered again. “And we told you, if you want to meet your cousins, that’s fine. You may have to anyways. But if this is really what you want, then we’ll be so happy to make it happen.”

“We’re happy here with you, Daddy, you and Mommy. We love you and we know you love us.” Maria cried into my chest as Eva cuddled Vince and we looked at each other and we knew we’d do everything we possibly could to make this happen. Thankfully it was a Friday night, because no one was really in the mood to go to sleep then. We all just cried together, for a long while, then I picked up the guitar and Eva and I taught them the song Our House by Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young and we sang it a few times over, saccharine sweet but completely appropriate.

After a while they got tired and we carried them to bed. First I sang to Maria, You Are the Sunshine of My Life, slower than usual, making it more of a lullaby. As soon as she was sound asleep, I went into Vince’s room and was about to sing to him when he asked me “You don’t mind if we call you Mom and Dad, do you?”

“Not at all, Champ (what I had started to call him a few months before). We’re thrilled to be your Mom and Dad, but you’ll always remember your other Mom and Dad. We’re thrilled to be able to be your parents. We love you, Vince. You’re our son and daughter.” I kissed his head before I sang Beautiful Boy, like I used to sing to Connor twenty five years before. Vince liked it and was soon asleep soundly.

In our bedroom, Eva was crying again. There were a lot of tears of late. I sat next to her as she turned her head to me, laying on her tummy. I stroked my hand down her back, through her hair, and I said “We’re not going to let those parasites take those children, Angel. If we have to pay them off, we will. I don’t care. I want to keep them as safe as Rachel and Connor.”

“I know, Bear. But I’m scared. I haven’t felt this scared since you were shot.”

I curled next to her and spooned my wife as she kept crying. But I was scared too. You never know what a judge in family court could do. We had to meet with the cousins, and that bastard Don Carroll, too. He still wanted his payday.

A few weeks later, Ben Walsh arranged a sit down at his offices in one of the conference rooms with Marty and Cassie Andretta, along with Carroll as well as the family law expert we hired, Lorraine Waller. We all signed the forms Walsh’s firm required to enter the offices. and we sat on opposite sides of the table.

Marty and Cassie were distinctly unimpressive. I didn’t expect them to be dressed in high end clothing; we knew they had little money. But he was in a truckers hat with a baseball jersey and wrinkled jeans while Cassie was in a too tight top and snug pants. Think Peggy Bundy without the looks and class. The thought of them even meeting those kids made my skin crawl. Eva felt it as well, though she was better at hiding her contempt.

Things were tense from the start and Don Carroll was smirking as he looked at me, thinking he was going to have his revenge for me ‘shortchanging’ him. Eva looked uncomfortable while I scowled. I couldn’t believe that Michael and Linda, who must have been fine people to raise such good kids could be related to these two.

Carroll spoke first. “So, here we are. My clients are interested in seeing their little cousins and petitioning for temporary custody. I’m ready to file papers with Family Court challenging your adoption petition, Mr. and Mrs. Grossman. Now, maybe you’ll beat us, but maybe you won’t. Judges try to keep children with blood relatives when they can.”

Lorraine Waller spoke up, since this was her area of expertise. “True enough, Mr. Carroll. When the family members are deemed fit custodians. Looking at your clients, and at their backgrounds and credit reports, employment history, they hardly seem like they’re suitable to be given even visitation. But we agree, you never know exactly what a judge can do. But I have to wonder why you’re clients are so eager for custody now, when they said they weren’t interested in helping over a year ago when their parents died. The children are settled and happy, doing well in school and in their social lives. They love the Grossmans and they don’t even know your clients. They haven’t even seen the children in five years.”

The meeting got hot and angry right away. Marty and Cassie were rude and crude, as the saying goes. And honestly, I let my temper flare as well. After an hour and a half, we all decided to take a half hour break and consult separately.

“I can’t take this, Jon” Eva said with anguish in her voice. “Can’t we just pay them to go away?”

Lorraine spoke to us. “It’s not that simple, Mrs. Grossman. You can’t just bribe them. We have to show they aren’t fit to have custody or that they really have no interest in raising the children. I still think they have a slim chance, but you just never know.” She looked at her watch. “Let’s go back inside. Maybe they’ll show their cards. I know they don’t want to raise Vince and Maria. It’s just a question of how good or bad a lawyer Don Carroll really is.”

We went back in and sat back down. A half hour later, after more shouting and ugly words, I got fed up. “What is it you two really want? I know you couldn’t care less about what’s best for Vince and Maria. You haven’t even used their names once during this meeting. So what is it?” I was careful not to offer money.

Marty sneered at me. “You think you’re so high and mighty. Rich people raising my cousins kids. You think you’re better than us because you got money. You and your little kewpie doll wife there, Miss High Tits.” I wanted to leap across the table and tear his fucking heart out, but Ben held out his arm, keeping me in my seat. “Well, there’s more than one way to get money in this world, and you are gonna pay us, big shot. You’re going to pay plenty if you want us to go away. I was thinking about two hundred and fifty thousand dollars. PLUS Mr. Carroll’s fee.” He looked very pleased with himself.

But my lawyers were even more pleased. Ben spoke then. “That’s an interesting proposal, Mr. Andretta. Very interesting. But I had a different number in mind. Zero. Nothing. Not a cent.” I didn’t understand what was going on, but I didn’t want this to get even worse. Eva looked even more upset. But our lawyers kept smiling.

“Ben,” I whispered as low as I could, “what are you doing?”

Carroll looked uncomfortable, like he suspected a problem but he didn’t know what it was. Walsh closed the trap. “Don’t worry, Jon. This meeting just ended. See, Mr. Andretta, you just were recorded soliciting a bribe and demonstrating being not only uninterested in actually taking custody of the children, but also being unfit.”

Carroll was furious. “You recorded this meeting? Pennsylvania is a two party consent state! Both sides have to consent to having a conversation recorded!”

“Very true, Mr. Carroll. Too bad you’re not a better lawyer. When you and your clients signed the forms to enter my offices, you consented to being recorded in any and all manner of conversation.” He handed out copies of the forms, all with their signatures. “You consented, all three of you. Ms. Waller can easily demonstrate to a judge that you were just here to shake our clients down. You have no interest in the children. And now the court will know about it as well. If you pursue this matter. I doubt that you will. And I’m sure Mr. Carroll won’t want to waste any more time on this matter, will you?”

Don Carroll just fumed as he sat there. Cassie spoke for the first time. “You idiot! You fucked us out of all that money! Fucking moron I married!” Marty looked like he wanted to belt her, but at least he had enough sense to constrain himself.

“Fucking shit!” he muttered. “This ain’t legal, is it?” He was pleading with his lawyer.

“I’m afraid it is. We signed the forms. It’s legal.”

“Fucking dumbass of a lawyer I got! Promised us a big payday!”

I decided to end things. “You want money, Marty? I’ll get you money. Twenty five thousand. I’ll get you a cashiers check by the end of the week. Two conditions. You both sign away any and all possible interest in custody of Maria and Vincent. Forever. You leave us alone, you don’t even get a minute of a visit. And two: You don’t pay a cent to your shyster of a lawyer. Keep it all. Carroll, I’ll pay you five grand. That’s it. I’m done with you. The three of you can take it or leave it.”

Walsh and Waller both tried to plead with me, saying this wasn’t necessary, I didn’t have to pay any of them anything. Eva nodded her head, agreeing with me. We wanted this over and done. The three of them talked angrily for a minute before agreeing to my terms. I was certainly more generous than either Ben or Lorraine wanted me to be. I figured thirty grand was a small price to pay to get them out of our lives and, more importantly, out of Vince and Maria’s lives. It also removed the only real obstacle to me and Eva’s adopting them. We could now move forward.

When we got home, Eva and I picked up the kids from school and we told them in a few months we’d all be a real family, as soon as Lorraine Waller could get the appointments with Family Court. We called Rachel, who said she was coming home for the weekend to celebrate with us, then we called Leigh and we flew her and Ollie down also for the weekend. Connor was on sea duty and we couldn’t even give him the good news for five weeks yet. Then I called Cammy at her office and thanked her with all my heart. Her help and her recommendation of Ben Walsh really made the difference.

“Jon, as you always tell me, you never have to thank me for anything. It was my pleasure to help you and help those sweet children. You and Eva are still the best people I’ve ever known. And when you go to court to finalize the adoption, make sure you let us know in advance. Kyle, Anna and I would love to be there.”

She couldn’t come for Thanksgiving that year, but Eva and I again went to California for Christmas with Rachel and Vince and Maria, and that time we were joined by Phyllis, Connor and his family and even Aunt Annette and Uncle Phil and their kids. Kyle and Cammy squeezed us all in somehow and it was an amazing Chanukah/Christmas/New Years. And the best was yet to come.

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Monday, March 4th, 2013. It was like that July day 26 years earlier. Except instead of Cammy, we had Vincent and Maria getting all dressed up as did Eva and I, in our best suits. Rachel was there as well, after getting permission from Julliard to miss a few days for a good purpose. We met in the hallway upstairs. Maria was in a pretty white with pink trim dress, and Vince in a dark suit, white shirt and a bow tie. We gave them the once over and they looked perfect to meet the judge. Eva, with a huge smile on her face said “Who’s excited today? Raise your hand!” All five of us raised our hands high in the air and we hugged warmly. “Come on, gang. Let’s become a family!” We hurried downstairs and, while we ate a very light breakfast (we were all too nervous for anything more) the bell rang and I answered it. It was Cammy, Kyle and Anna, who had come in Friday night for a long weekend; they had to return the next morning so Anna, smart as she was, didn’t miss too much time at school.