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Stories posted in this category are works of fiction. Names, places, characters, events, and incidents are created by the authors' imaginations or are used fictitiously. Any resemblances to actual persons (living or dead), organizations, companies, events, or locales are entirely coincidental.
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The Cardmaker and the Caretaker - 11. Chapter 11 Visits and meetings

em>Small pleasant surprises can brighten your day.
This chapter spans Wednesday to Friday and Peter's trip back to Copenhagen.

On Wednesday morning the two men went for a long run in the park. Patrick had managed to have an early morning run on Sunday, before the Danes woke, but he usually ran three or four times a week, and was missing his morning jog. He had to go slower than normal for Peter to keep up, but ended with a faster run on his own, while his boyfriend did push-ups and other exercises on a convenient grass patch.

On the way home Peter asked about local fitness centres. “I usually work out several times a week, since I had equipment at home. But with Moster looking after Michael, I can use a gym. At least until we might have room for a home gym.” Patrick smiled with satisfaction over the implicit acceptance of his plan to buy the house next door. He envisaged the fun they could have deciding how best to utilize the space of the two houses.

Before the cardmaker left for work, Peter helped him create a program on his shop website, where customers could book meetings during specific time periods on weekdays and Saturdays. Patrick also posted the new shorter opening hours and reminded his customers he could be reached via email or cell phone in case of urgent commissions for personal cards or artwork. So far, he hadn’t been overwhelmed by people contacting him on his work phone and email, and even if his shop was doing better than expected, he knew it would always cater to a small exclusive segment rather than larger groups.

He phoned John during his lunch hour and arranged for the two couples to meet at the shop at closing time on Saturday. He’d have the card for Anthony’s mother ready by then. The redhead groaned a bit at the reminder.

“I’m glad we’re going out with you Saturday night. It will keep my mind off the dreaded Sunday lunch. I love Tony, but most members of his family are boring bigots, penny pinching prudes, or agonizing aunts. But since this is my mother-in-law’s birthday, I can’t escape. At least, Tony’s parents are pretty cool.”

Patrick laughed heartily at the alliterative insults which were surely a much repeated complaint. They chatted for a short while longer, and the feeling of a good friendship developing intensified.

---

Returning home made him miss Peter even more. He had left for Copenhagen, and the last text from Heathrow had said, ‘Boarding now. Miss you already. See you on Friday. xxx’

Grethe had taken over the kitchen and he once more encouraged her to rearrange everything to her liking, and buy whichever implements and ingredients she wanted. They went shopping online for a dishwasher and managed to find a place which could deliver and install by Friday.

She’d already made several small improvements in addition to the smell of baking and the sound of happy Danish chatting which greeted him every day. She had wasted no time in establishing a visiting friendship with Mr. Archibald, who was more than pleased to meet for tea once or twice a day. Interestingly, the old man got on well with Michael too, in spite of the language barrier.

Although Patrick knew the man had several grandchildren, he’d never paid much attention to them or their relationship with his neighbour. But apparently Mr. Archibald had a grandson who was a year younger than Michael and had a passion for LEGO. This came out on Wednesday when the cardmaker brought home a rather expensive set which the boy lusted after, according to his great-aunt. The intention was to distract Michael in case he missed his father, who luckily wasn’t there to protest against the extravagance, and the plan worked beautifully.

Especially since Mr. Archibald helped build the complicated Star Wars space ship. He’d line up the parts and assist whenever a bit of extra pressure was needed to fix the building components together. Michael was quite capable of following the instructions, but he enjoyed the attention and admiration of the adults as he slowly assembled the LEGO construction.

The boy didn’t say much, but stayed focused on the task and communicated by pointing and a few easy phrases such as “Press here, please. Where this? Help please.” Patrick was proud of him for remembering the magic word, especially since Peter had told him there was no precise Danish equivalent of ‘please’.

On Thursday afternoon the neighbour’s daughter Sheila arrived with not quite seven-year-old Ian, who clutched a bag with his two favourite Star Wars LEGO contraptions. The boys were equally shy but managed to spend half an hour finishing Michael’s toy, assisted by Ian’s granddad.

Afterwards they lined up the figures and space ships on the large kitchen table, while the adults talked and ate delicious home-made Danish biscuits. Grethe helped the boys communicate now and then, but Michael was well versed in all the Star Wars terms in English and the sounds of star ships fighting seemed to transcend the language barrier.

Patrick was relieved by Sheila ignoring the matter of Michael’s dad being in a relationship with him, but of course the absence of Peter helped. Whether her reaction would be curiosity or censure, he felt ready for neither. He was even more relieved she only mentioned the loss of his parents briefly, and didn’t dwell on it other than the quiet observation “Dad got quite lonely after your parents died; they were a great comfort after he lost Mum. He thought they were very special, you know.”

Their visitors left around six, and he stood on the door step watching Ian skip next door with his granddad carrying the bag of Lego. Sheila lingered enough to say: “Thank you for the generous offer on my dad’s house.” When he tried to protest the price hadn’t even been set yet, she shook her head.

“I’m not talking about the money, but about giving him time to get used to the idea and sort out his life.” She gave him an arch look. “And we might even get out of moving those damn rose bushes, since I’ve the feeling Dad will be visiting his old house regularly in the future.”

She left with a parting chuckle and he went back in, smiling at how she’d picked up on her dad’s growing fondness for tea with Danish biscuits and a chat with Grethe. Peter’s aunt was already getting ready to make supper, and she gently chased him off.

“I’ve settled Michael for a quick nap in my room. You go and do whatever you need, and supper will be ready at seven thirty.” He knew better than to object and in fact did have various small work-related tasks to do.

Just as he was finishing up on his laptop, Grethe came out of her bed room carrying a still sleepy Michael. “Supper’s ready. Vågn op, min skat, der er mad.”[1] Before she got any further, the doorbell rang.

Patrick stood up in surprise, wondering who it could be. As he walked to the door, he got a fleeting glimpse of Grethe and Michael looking at him with equally mischievous and pleased grins. Next thing he knew, two familiar figures popped into his mind wearing identical expressions of secretive glee. What on earth…

But he got no further in his thought, because he opened the door to find a large blond Viking with tired but happy blue eyes grinning at him. “Hi honey, I’m b…” This was as far as the Dane got, before he suddenly had an excited Brit wrapped around him and kissing him right there on the door step.

Afterwards, he wasn’t quite sure how he’d ended up with his arms clutching Peter’s neck, tongue kissing outside the front door. His lover certainly liked the enthusiastic welcome and held him close with one hand fondling his butt and the other wrapped in his hair. The light from the hall illuminated them and in spite of the chilly night, Patrick felt as if steam was coming off their joint bodies.

The angel voice in his head was cooing: ‘oooh, he’s home early, show him how happy you are to see him’ while the little imp was chortling ‘fuck yeah, go for it boy, let’s give the whole neighbourhood a live show right here in your front garden.’

In the silence of their low-traffic road, the shocked gasp from next door was painfully audible. Once again the two different viewpoints in his brain managed to coincide. ‘Uh oh, shit’s about to hit the fan!’

Both men turned their heads to the side and met the outraged glare of the woman, who’d just come out of the neighbouring house. The vague disapproval which Patrick had felt from her at previous encounters was now a torrent of indignant disgust and fury. Before they could react, she’d turned around and gone back inside, slamming the door behind her.

“Oops, we’d better get inside before she reports us for indecent exposure,” Peter chuckled.

Patrick was embarrassed at the incident, but also genuinely shaken by the malice he’d felt. Profoundly grateful for Peter’s attempt to joke he dragged him over the threshold and went back to get his bag and two suitcases. His partner had caught Michael up in a hug, kissing the boy’s cheek as he clearly bragged about something.

“Vi holdt det hemlig, far, lissom du sa’. Papa vidste ikke noget.”[2] Patrick felt Grethe’s hand on his shoulder and almost knew what she was going to explain.

“He’s very proud he managed to keep the secret of his dad coming home tonight instead of tomorrow. Peter wanted to surprise you.”

“He certainly did. And ehm, I guess we gave the woman next door a shock too. I’m not sure she approves.” He tried to quell the feeling of inadequacy and shame, knowing it was due to the fact his neighbour’s reaction reminded him of how most of his parents’ adult relatives had regarded him, although for completely different reasons.

Both figures shook their heads at him and left with a joint admonishment, though worded differently. ‘Fuck what those idiots think. It’s your life, so go get laid.’ And ‘Forget the bigots and focus on the man you love and your future family.’ On the rare occasions those two annoying voices in his head agreed, he knew the advice was sound.

After a nice dinner, they relaxed in the living room. Patrick was content to let Michael have his dad’s full attention, since the young boy would soon go to bed. He had the feeling Moster Grethe might retire early too, which would leave them with time to talk and make decisions. When Michael began to nod sleepily on his lap, the blond man rose and tried to carry him to the guest room. This caused a minor crisis and Patrick quickly intervened.

“Peter, take him upstairs to his own room, and tell him papa will be along soon. I can see you’re exhausted, so you go to bed too.”

The Dane had revealed how he’d spent most of the night packing up his place, only sleeping a few hours. He’d done the paper work, met with various people and finished the packing during the day, in order to return home as fast as possible. It made Patrick’s heart beat harder to hear his lover use the word home for their house without even thinking about it.

He chatted a bit with Grethe about the plans for Friday and the weekend. She assured him she’d do her best to persuade Michael to stay with her the next nights. He tried not to blush and she pretended not to notice.

Fortunately, the boy had decided he wanted a new bed, once he’d seen the possibilities online and realized a smaller sleeping place would free up space for a desk with a gaming computer and more toys. Patrick had been relieved, because thinking it over, he had concluded having sex in a bed which subsequently would belong to their son, might feel weird for both of them.

He said goodnight to Grethe, went upstairs and got ready for bed, including a quick shower to take off the edge. He imagined Peter’s hands sliding over his body, distributing soap over his intimate parts and whispering naughty things in his ear. A minute of determined stroking of his erect manhood and a soapy finger sliding into his ass was all it took to have him spurting and moaning his lover’s name. Was it natural to be so sensitive and turned on by the man he loved? To be brought to the edge just from imagining intimacy?

He’d indulged in many erotic fantasies for the past fifteen years, but nothing made him cum the way Peter’s smell or touch or voice did. Or the thought of doing sexy stuff and having his way with that delicious body, and they hadn’t even gotten to the point of actual sex!

‘I wonder what making love will do to me?’ He quickly dismissed the thought, to avoid having to deal with another unruly hard-on. But he couldn’t help a quick prayer to his patron saint as he slid under the duvet next to his two Danish bed fellows, both fast asleep.

‘Please let me experience the love of my Valentine soon, before I go mad with longing. Thank you.’

---

The next day Patrick was busy at the shop and had to stay until 8 pm. Peter came by at lunch time with a sandwich, which helped with the ache of missing his partner. Well, maybe the hugs and kisses were the most important details of the visit. The Dane had several errands to deal with and only stayed for half an hour, but the cardmaker made sure to convey his gratitude for the brief encounter.

“Please drop by any time you want, my love. I wish I could do the same, when you go back to work.”

He closed his shop for a couple of hours in the afternoon and went to the meeting he’d scheduled with his parents’ solicitor. He’d been quite surprised the day before when he called to book an appointment, to be immediately transferred to Mr. Wickham himself and assured of being welcome any time on Friday.

The old lawyer actually came out of his office to greet him, before taking him back inside for their talk. He seemed pleased to hear the good news and not the least bit upset when Patrick used the word partner in relation to the new love in his life.

“My dear boy, it’s a relief to see you looking happy for the first time in years. Of course I’ll help with the acquisition of your neighbour’s house, or at least with the transfer of funds. For the value assessment and the paperwork I’d like to refer you to a colleague with experience on estate business. Do you have any idea about the amount needed?”

The next business matter concerned the paperwork to be done in the event of marriage, a possibility which had the solicitor visibly taken aback for a moment.

“Oh, I hadn’t thought about this, but you’re quite right to bring it up, even if it’s a future option. There are several aspects you’ll have to consider.”

Patrick decided not to tell the solicitor how eager they both were to tie the knot.

“Will you get married here or in Denmark? I shall have someone look into the paperwork needed. Do you want pre-nuptial agreements in case of divorce? Although, some of your funds already have clauses on them, to keep them separate. Are you going to formally adopt his son? It would make some things easier and complicate others.”

The list of subjects up for discussion was long, and the solicitor made clear to him how decisions on most of them ought to involve Peter. He seemed almost relieved when Patrick mentioned talking to some else who might know about the intricacies of same-sex marriage and adoption.

After they’d concluded this, he brought up the matter of getting in touch with his cousin. Mr Wickham nodded and went to his filing cabinet.

“Ms Fiona is actually my client as well, and she asks how you’re doing every time she’s here. Since you were adamant about not having anything to do with your relatives, I simply tell her you’re OK, but not interested in any contact. Otherwise, I’m sure she would have come by the shop or sent you an email. So, I won’t be breaking any client confidentiality by giving you her contact details.”

He wrote them down and handed Patrick the piece of paper.

“Uhmm, do you know if Fiona is married and has any children?”

“No, as far as I know she’s single.”

He didn’t want to ask about the possible child from her teen pregnancy, since it might have been kept a secret within the family. But there could be no harm in enquiring about his cousin’s job.

“What does she do? I can vaguely recall my dad talking about Fiona wanting to be a teacher.”

He was surprised to see the old lawyer beaming with satisfaction. “Ms Fiona has recently become deputy headmistress at a prep school in Kent. She has done very well in pursuing a career in education.”

Considering his cousin had attained this exalted position at such a young age, perhaps he shouldn’t be surprised at the pride evident in Mr. Wickham’s voice. The cardmaker vaguely recalled his father mentioning the man had gone to Cambridge with Patrick’s grandfather, but it was the first time he’d considered him as a possible family friend, or at least someone with ties and knowledge about his relatives beyond lawyer/client matters – and apparently an almost grandfatherly interest in the success of his deceased friend’s descendants.

They exchanged a few more pleasantries and Mr Wickham wished him luck. “Please get in touch when you need assistance on your financial matters, I’m always ready to be of service.” He was too old-fashioned and formal to do more than shake Patrick’s hand warmly, but it was clear the old lawyer genuinely cared about him. Perhaps he should meet him for lunch some time and try to learn more about his father’s side of the family?

---

When he came home at eight-thirty, Grethe had a meal waiting for him. At her request he’d phoned shortly before leaving the shop and she heated up the delicious lasagne she’d served Peter and Michael earlier on. The boy was ready for bed and greeted him with a hug and cries of ‘Papa.’

He insisted on sitting next to him while he ate, and telling about his day with Peter translating patiently. Apparently, most of it had been taken up with planning his future room, unpacking the additional boxes from Denmark, and with the arrival of the dishwasher. Michael was annoyed at being banned from the kitchen and the fascinating sight of two guys installing it.

When he was done eating, the boy clearly expected to be picked up and carried into the living room. He settled on his Papa’s lap with Richard Scarry’s Min første ordbog[3] containing Danish and English words next to the illustrations. They spent twenty minutes saying and repeating the terms of various household objects in both languages, and Patrick had the feeling this would be an established evening ritual for the foreseeable future. Not that he minded in the least. The tender smiles and proud looks from Peter were just additional bonuses. Having a family was a dream come true.



[1] Wake up, my darling, there is food (dinner).

[2] We kept it secret, daddy, just like you said. Papa never knew.

[3] My first dictionary

Patrick and Peter have known each other for a week at this point. It’s time for the next step, right?
Copyright © 2018 Timothy M.; All Rights Reserved.
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Stories posted in this category are works of fiction. Names, places, characters, events, and incidents are created by the authors' imaginations or are used fictitiously. Any resemblances to actual persons (living or dead), organizations, companies, events, or locales are entirely coincidental.
Note: While authors are asked to place warnings on their stories for some moderated content, everyone has different thresholds, and it is your responsibility as a reader to avoid stories or stop reading if something bothers you. 
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Nice chapter and yes you're right, a week is enough! Nice of Peter to come back early and a pox on the disapproving women!

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Richard Scarry is a wonderful author to use to learn a new language! Of course, it helps that Michael has so many people around him who speak English too. I never had any of his books when I was growing up, but we sold lots of them when I worked in a bookstore. (It was one of the evil Super-sized stores that started the decline of independent bookstores that Amazon accelerated. Inept software upgrading killed the chain I had worked for, long after I had moved on to a local Apple-authorized Macintosh computer retail chain that subsequently closed because its owner wanted to invest more money into a sister company on the East Coast. In fact only one of the companies I ever worked for over more than 30 years still exists: Target!)

 

I used to love giving my youngest cousin, and later, my nieces and nephews Lego! My 11-years younger cousin was practice for my being an uncle. I used to keep a bunch of Duplo and Lego at my parents' house for my nieces and nephews to play with.

 

I still have a large collection of Lego that I bought for myself! I even have the Lego (in a separate box) that my younger brother and I used to play with back in the '60s! It's amazing how much more complex and interesting they've made it. It's surprising how small the box is considering we had to share all the pieces and yet we still built an amazing assortment of things. Kids used to have to really use their imagination. Kids these days have it all spelled out for them. ("Get off my lawn! I'm keeping your ball!! Young whippersnappers!")

 

Now you're making me want to dig out my Lego, Timothy! I need to adopt a niece or nephew so I can justify buying more toys!

 

Nieces and nephews are better than having your own kids. You get to send them home when you're tired of them. You can't do that if you're the parent!

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Seriously cool, another chapter just before I was off to bed. Needless to say, I read it right away, now I'm sad because I'll have to wait again for a new one. :)
The evil woman next door, will hopefully decide to move out of such close quarters to heathens...:)
Amazingly warm fuzzy feelings here, min ven!

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This chapter made my heart happy. My son had several Richard Scary books and on most Sunday afternoons he and I spent hours playing Lego together.

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Neighbor lady will be a problem. People like that are never happy running only their own lives (though for most of them, you could probably just end that sentence after "happy").

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Ah. the pleasure of Legos; it was my son's favorite toy. I loved how busy they kept him until he spilled them or I stepped on them!

 

So much has been going on, it doesn't seem like it's been just a week. These two men have such a connection, however, that I think they are ready for the next step.

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That was a really nice surprise from Peter and an even better welcome home from Patrick.
I'm glad that Fiona never lost interest in getting to know Patrick. I hope him reaching out to her is a very good thing for both of them.
And there's always that one irritating neighbor, just waiting to cause problems.. Ugh!

 

Star Wars Lego.. That's some good fun right there. My nephews won't let me near theirs because I sort of don't play well with others when it comes to Lego. :/ I never outgrew my love for them.
Richard Scarry was another staple growing up. I remember them so very well. It's nice to have these memories connect to the story.

 

Great chapter Tim... I look forward to the next.

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This was a sweet chapter. It shows how far Patrick has come from the lonely man still mourning the loss of the only family he knew and loved. It was sweet how Michael was able to keep the secret from Patrick, although I think the language difference probably helped him from spilling the beans :lol:
I'm not sure Mr. Archibald is going to want to leave any time soon... not with the good company he's been getting lately ;) It is wonderful that Patrick is able to give him time to get used to the idea of moving though. It can be tough when someone has lived in a home for so long to let it go.

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A lovely chapter, Tim.

 

The uninhibited kiss and the snooty neighbor was really well described. Maybe she'll go back under her rock.

 

Pieces all seem to be coming together and Patrick is beginning to ask a few probing questions about his kin.
I think the connection with Fiona will be most rewarding for him and can't wait to read about it!

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Aww!!! :D That was so sweet of them to surprise Patrick! Peter coming home early was such a delight, and he did get rewarded with a passionate kiss from his boyfriend :lol:
Of course, there was that neighbor...Hmph, that bigot can just piss off! :thumbdown: I wish she and all the other bigots can realize that love is beautiful, in all its forms. :heart:

 

Tim, I really love how you incorporated Star Wars into this chapter, especially as a way for Michael to transcend the language barrier when playing with Ian. :)
Speaking of Lego... If I had to visit Denmark for one thing, it'd be Legoland :thumbup:

 

This was another great chapter Tim! :hug:

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On 04/17/2016 03:54 PM, Mikiesboy said:

Nice chapter and yes you're right, a week is enough! Nice of Peter to come back early and a pox on the disapproving women!

I'm glad you think they don't need to wait any longer. Sunday will hopefully be hot.

lol I agree - a pox on disapproving women - but at least Patrick has one nice neighbor. You can't win them all.

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On 04/17/2016 05:48 PM, droughtquake said:

Richard Scarry is a wonderful author to use to learn a new language! Of course, it helps that Michael has so many people around him who speak English too. I never had any of his books when I was growing up, but we sold lots f them when I worked in a bookstore. (It was one of the evil Super-sized stores that started the decline of independent bookstores that Amazon accelerated. Inept software upgrading killed the chain I had worked for, long after I had moved on to a local Apple-authorized Macintosh computer retail chain that subsequently closed because its owner wanted to invest more money into a sister company on the East Coast. In fact only one of the companies I ever worked in more than 30 years for still exists: Target!)

 

I used to love giving my youngest cousin, and later, my nieces and nephews Lego! My 11-years younger cousin was practice for my being an uncle. I used to keep a bunch of Duplo and Lego at my parents' house for my nieces and nephews to play with.

 

I still have a large collection of Lego that I bought for myself! I even have the Lego (in a separate box) that my younger brother and I used to play with back in the '60s! It's amazing how much more complex and interesting they've made it. It's surprising how small the box is considering we had to share all the pieces and yet we still built an amazing assortment of things. Kids used to have to really use their imagination. Kids these days have it all spelled out for them. ("Get off my lawn! I'm keeping your ball!! Young whippersnappers!")

 

Now you're making me want to dig out my Lego, Timothy! I need to adopt a niece or nephew so I can justify buying more toys!

 

Nieces and nephews are better than having your own kids. You get to send them home when you're tired of them. You can't do that if you're the parent!

I love that both the book and the Lego evoked so many memories and even the urge to go out and buy some Lego. Yeah, nephews and nieces or in my case younger cousins are great excuses for buying Lego and playing with racing cars and stuff like that.

I hope you also enjoyed the rest of the chapter. :huh:

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On 04/17/2016 07:43 PM, ColumbusGuy said:

Seriously cool, another chapter just before I was off to bed. Needless to say, I read it right away, now I'm sad because I'll have to wait again for a new one. :)

The evil woman next door, will hopefully decide to move out of such close quarters to heathens...:)

Amazingly warm fuzzy feelings here, min ven!

Tak, min ven, I'm glad you're caught up even if you now have to wait with the rest of us. Pleased to hear this created warm fuzzy feelings.

Yeah, let's hope the stupid people next door take a hike. Perhaps we can get John and Anthony to buy their house. :lol:

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On 04/18/2016 12:07 AM, dughlas said:

This chapter made my heart happy. My son had several Richard Scary books and on most Sunday afternoons he and I spent hours playing Lego together.

It's so cool how my readers (of a certain age) have this instant connection with Richard Scarry and Lego. :D I'm delighted the chapter made your heart happy.

You may want to skip some parts of the next chapter, if you know what I mean. ;):*)

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On 04/18/2016 01:55 AM, Fae Briona said:

Neighbor lady will be a problem. People like that are never happy running only their own lives (though for most of them, you could probably just end that sentence after "happy").

:rofl: so true. this comment made my day, I laughed so hard. I may have to let someone say this about her in the story. :D Thank you for reading and reviewing.

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On 04/18/2016 02:02 AM, avidreadr said:

Ah. the pleasure of Legos; it was my son's favorite toy. I loved how busy they kept him until he spilled them or I stepped on them!

 

So much has been going on, it doesn't seem like it's been just a week. These two men have such a connection, however, that I think they are ready for the next step.

Ouch yeah, stepping on Lego with bare feet is a bad idea. :pinch: But it's cool you're fond of them oherwise. It's the one great Danish toy invention we're all proud off. I couldn't not have Lego in this story.

I had to make a chart to keep track of the days, I had a hard time believing only a week had passed. But yeah, they are more than ready for the next step.

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On 04/18/2016 11:57 AM, Defiance19 said:

That was a really nice surprise from Peter and an even better welcome home from Patrick.

I'm glad that Fiona never lost interest in getting to know Patrick. I hope him reaching out to her is a very good thing for both of them.

And there's always that one irritating neighbor, just waiting to cause problems.. Ugh!

 

Star Wars Lego.. That's some good fun right there. My nephews won't let me near theirs because I sort of don't play well with others when it comes to Lego. :/ I never outgrew my love for them.

Richard Scarry was another staple growing up. I remember them so very well. It's nice to have these memories connect to the story.

 

Great chapter Tim... I look forward to the next.

Yay :D another Lego and Richard Scarry fan. They were only details to bring some real stuff into the story, so I'm pleased and touched they evoke these happy memories. I have friends (grown men) who have bought Star Wars Lego for themselves :yes:

Glad you noticed Fiona wanting to know about Patrick, I have hopes for them connecting.

Yep, the fly in the ointment, somehow there's always one. :( But Peter didn't let it spoil his surprise.

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On 04/18/2016 10:31 PM, LitLover said:

This was a sweet chapter. It shows how far Patrick has come from the lonely man still mourning the loss of the only family he knew and loved. It was sweet how Michael was able to keep the secret from Patrick, although I think the language difference probably helped him from spilling the beans :lol:

I'm not sure Mr. Archibald is going to want to leave any time soon... not with the good company he's been getting lately ;) It is wonderful that Patrick is able to give him time to get used to the idea of moving though. It can be tough when someone has lived in a home for so long to let it go.

I'm pleased you noticed how Patrick keeps moving forward. He would never had thought of inviting Mr. Archibald and his daughter and grandson before. lol, you may well be right about Arthur not wanting to move at all. But luckily he won't be far away.

Yes, Michael's lack of English words may have helped keep Peter's surprise a secret. Did you guess what would happen when the door bell rang?

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On 04/19/2016 12:09 AM, skinnydragon said:

A lovely chapter, Tim.

 

The uninhibited kiss and the snooty neighbor was really well described. Maybe she'll go back under her rock.

 

Pieces all seem to be coming together and Patrick is beginning to ask a few probing questions about his kin.

I think the connection with Fiona will be most rewarding for him and can't wait to read about it!

Thank you my dear dragon. You know all about difficult family members and nasty women, who should never be allowed to crawl out from under their rocks. I won't be able to compete with your creations although Fiona's mother may be close. :angry:

Patrick asking questions about himself and what he recall of his relatives are indeed a good idea. I hope I can live up to yur expectations. :unsure:

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On 04/19/2016 01:24 AM, Drew Espinosa said:

Aww!!! :D That was so sweet of them to surprise Patrick! Peter coming home early was such a delight, and he did get rewarded with a passionate kiss from his boyfriend :lol:

Of course, there was that neighbor...Hmph, that bigot can just piss off! :thumbdown: I wish she and all the other bigots can realize that love is beautiful, in all its forms. :heart:

 

Tim, I really love how you incorporated Star Wars into this chapter, especially as a way for Michael to transcend the language barrier when playing with Ian. :)

Speaking of Lego... If I had to visit Denmark for one thing, it'd be Legoland :thumbup:

 

This was another great chapter Tim! :hug:

I'm glad you liked the surprise, did you guess it when the door bell rang? Of course Peter was surprised in turn with the warm welcome, and then not so nicely by the stupid neighbor. :no: Although he probably doesn't understand or care about her disapproval.

Lego does indeed trandscend all language barriers. When Michael's English improves and his health too, I think Ian may become a great playmate. Mr Archibald will probably be glad to take him over for a visit, tea and Danish cookies. ;)

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Ah, the strength that love is giving Patrick. Everything they do props up their self esteems and confidence. Peter coming home early is that kind of gesture. It was sweet and romantic, but it also shows Patrick how incredibly important he is to his Viking. The indignant bigot of a neighbor is a fact of life. She's blind and stupid if she doesn't see the beautiful family being created next door. Patrick's interest in a family member illustrates how he is emerging from the bubble he'd put himself in. It would be nice if he could have a relationship with her. Great chapter, Tim... and yeah, it's time... cheers... Gary....

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On 04/21/2016 04:43 AM, Headstall said:

Ah, the strength that love is giving Patrick. Everything they do props up their self esteems and confidence. Peter coming home early is that kind of gesture. It was sweet and romantic, but it also shows Patrick how incredibly important he is to his Viking. The indignant bigot of a neighbor is a fact of life. She's blind and stupid if she doesn't see the beautiful family being created next door. Patrick's interest in a family member illustrates how he is emerging from the bubble he'd put himself in. It would be nice if he could have a relationship with her. Great chapter, Tim... and yeah, it's time... cheers... Gary....

Yes! You get it perfectly, love is making Patrick consider and do things he would never have thought of before, and the support goes both ways of corse. I'm glad you thought Peter hurrying home romantic (now I cannot wait to see what you say of ch. 12). All Vikings yearn to return home. ;)

Yep, the neighbor should be shunned and ignored for sheer stupidity. But maybe she'll keep her views to herself. :unsure:

I'm glad everyone is supportive of Patrick getting in touch with Fiona. I promise I'll get there eventually.

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If I'd seen that neighbor I would have really given her something to frown about :P Who isn't happy to see their love back early when they've missed them?
Another great chapter and looking forward to the next
PS: Yes it has been long enough ;)

 

:hug:

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On 04/24/2016 07:56 AM, Caz Pedroso said:

If I'd seen that neighbor I would have really given her something to frown about :P Who isn't happy to see their love back early when they've missed them?

Another great chapter and looking forward to the next

PS: Yes it has been long enough ;)

 

:hug:

I know, right? Of course Patrick should be able to welcome his man home with a kiss on the door step. Surprise is OK, but condemnation certainly isn't.

Next chapter coming up - you've waited long enough. :lol:

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There was, of course, lots of wonderful things going on in this chapter. Well, not the nasty neighbour lady, but I'm hoping she makes herself scarce - you know, to avoid seeing what she does not approve of.
The lovely old gent from next door just might be visiting his old neighbourhood quite a bit after he moves. His friendship with Grethe seems to be blossoming - and not necessarily in a romantic way - and I'd bet he has visitation rights to his roses. :lol:
Loved the scene where Patrick came home, not only to a houseful of family, but to a hot Neal as well. says a lot about what he had been missing in his life.
Lastly, I enjoyed the reference to the Richard Scarry book. I had one as a child - and I think my parents still have it at their home - It was an oversized book which has me wondering if all his books were like that. It certainly is a great tool for Michael to learn English words.
I would usually say at this point something like, I wish it was Sunday already so I can read the next chapter, but today I don't have to because Yay! It is Sunday!!

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