Never walk alone- Walk on - 17. Chapter 17

The remainder of the day was spent unpacking and relaxing. Cameron and Elizabeth were keen to go for a swim after lunch, but the howling southeaster made it really unpleasant out, even with the summer sun beating down and unfortunately the pool deck was directly exposed to the ferocity of the wind. Instead, Andrew persuaded them to make use of the jacuzzi on the patio, but keeping the temperature dialed down to keep the water comfortably cool. David and Janice had stayed for lunch, but had left for home just after, making arrangements to go shopping with the Devlin-Majors the next morning. Yvonne had got all the laundry into the washing machine and had hung it up before she left for the day. The wind, coupled with the hot sun would get the laundry dry in no time at all.

The time spent in the jacuzzi had the added benefit of making the children sleepy, and they all went to have a nap leaving their dads time on their own and to discuss their immediate future. They were sitting facing one another in opposite corners on the couch, their legs supported by a conveniently placed ottoman.

"I was thinking that, at least for one of us, it might be advisable to work from home", Ryan said, taking a sip of coffee.

"I agree Ry. Personally, I think we both should. There is absolutely no way I am going to shove Jamie and Fiona into nursery school right away. It wouldn't be fair to them. I would love to keep Cameron and Elizabeth home as well until Jamie and Fiona are settled, but they can't afford to miss any more school. It's gong to cause a bit of up-heaval, but in the long run, I really think it would be better for everyone."
Ryan nodded.

"Wholeheartedly agree my love. It's going to take a bit of time for them to settle. Vonnie will be here and we can ask mom to come over in the mornings to keep them occupied, so that we can get some work done. Maybe we should chat to Elaine and get her input on when would be a suitable time to enrol them with her."

"Hmmm, good thinking. But in the interim, I want to lavish as much attention on them as we can. Without pushing Cam and Elizabeth aside, of course. We may need to have a quiet chat with Cam and Elizabeth".

That chat happened quite quickly, when Cameron and Elizabeth came downstairs a few minutes later and came to cuddle with their dads. Andrew and Ryan sat up straight with the twins between them after Andrew had gotten them something to drink.

"My angels", Andrew said, turning slightly to look at them, "We need to speak to you about Jamie and Fiona".
Cameron look concerned and asked,

"Are they okay daddy?"

"Yes, Cam, they are fine, so you don't have to worry. But Jamie and Fiona are going to need lots of love and care. They've just lost both their mommys, and they are going be feel sad, and alone and scared".
Two little heads nodded.

"So daddy and I want to give them the love and care they need", Ryan added. "But we don't want you and Elizabeth to feel like we don't love you anymore, if we give them more attention. Like, instead of you and Elizabeth cuddling with us like we are now, it might be with Jamie and Fiona. Daddy and I will always love you, even when you are naughty", the twins grinned at one another, "But right now, your little brother and sister need a bit more love. Do you understand what we are saying?"

Two quiet voices echoed, "Yes dad".

"Good, now come give us hugs".
They didn't have to be asked twice and happily hugged their dads.

"Where is Rascal, by the way?", Andrew asked. Cameron shrugged.
"Sleeping on my bed with Jamie", he replied. Andrew had noticed that Rascal had taken to hovering around Jamie and Fiona since they had arrived, almost instinctively knowing that he needed to give them his attention as well.

"Okay, that's good. Now, daddy and I are not going to go to work for a while", Ryan added. "We will work here at home until we feel Jamie and Fiona are more settled. But, you and Elizabeth will have to go back to school on Monday. You've already missed a whole week. And I'm sure Byron is missing you as well. It will only be for a few weeks and then you will be on Easter holidays. And then when you go back after the holidays, if daddy and I think they are ready for it, then Jamie and Fiona will be going to Aunty Elaine like you did and we will go back to the office. But it all depends on how Jamie and Fiona settle".

Again, two little heads nodded in understanding. They cuddled a bit longer until a bark from upstairs had the twins taking off up the stairs like scalded cats. They reappeared a few minutes later with Jamie, Fiona and Rascal in tow. Both the children had been crying, so their dads picked them up, put them on their laps and held them. Cameron and Elizabeth stood next to them with concern on their faces, but eventually clambered up onto the couch to sit on either side of their dads. Rascal lay on the floor at their feet, his head on his paws, his dark eyes watching carefully.

As the sun dipped towards the horizon, the wind began to abate quite quickly, and by 6pm was little more than a breeze, and an idyllic late summers evening.

"How about we take a drive down to the beach and go for a walk?, Andrew suggested. "And then we can stop at the steakhouse for dinner. Or would prefer to go to The Cameron for the buffet?"
Elizabeth got very excited and hoped off the couch to stand in front of Jamie and Fiona.

"Yeah, let's go to The Cameron. The food is awesome! And everyone is so nice!"

"Do you remember The Cameron?", Ryan asked Jamie and Fiona. They both shook their heads shyly.

"Okay, so we'll have go to The Cameron then. Let us all get some shoes on, then we can drive down to the beach for a walk, then go to The Cameron".

Once again, there was a mad rush upstairs accompanied by excited barking from Rascal. Andrew and Ryan followed more sedately both grinning at the antics of their family.

Ten minutes later the rush happened in reverse as the excited youngsters and one yapping dog ran down the stairs to the front door. Ryan had already pulled his SUV out of the garage and was waiting on the driveway with the motor running. Rascal was almost beside himself, yapping excitedly and whimpering when he couldn't jump high enough to get into the car. Jamie took pity on the puppy and picked him up onto the seat. He promptly jumped across the gap onto the console between the front seats and sat down. Andrew made sure the children were all belted in, seated himself and they were off.

The beachfront was quite busy, many other families having also come down to enjoy the stunning evening after a very windy day. Ryan found a parking spot almost opposite The Cameron, everyone kicked off their shoes, Rascal was put on his leash, Andrew grabbed the towels he had brought along, and the family walked down over the dunes onto the beach. Ryan didn't see any other dogs in the immediate vicinity, so he let Rascal run, making him the happiest puppy in the world. He just loved the beach. He took off after the children when they ran down to the waters edge, his long ears flying behind him, short legs pumping like mad. The children were all squealing and laughing as the cold water washed over their feet, and their dads grinned at one another. It felt so good to see their family happy, especially for Jamie and Fiona to be children again and, just for a while, forget their sadness.
Andrew and Ryan just sat on the warm sand and watched their children, Rascal included, enjoy themselves. As the sun dipped onto the horizon and twilight settled over the beach, the children came to sit with their dads. Rascal collapsed onto a towel with exhaustion. They all huddled together to watch the sunset and when it was almost dark, they gathered up their towels and walked back to the car. A convenient freshwater shower provided a means of washing the sand off their feet and a few minutes later they were pulling into Ryan's parking bay at The Cameron.

When they emerged from the turret staircase into the lobby, Abel, their Head Porter, did a double take.

"Mr Andrew, Mr Ryan, you're back. Welcome home!"

"Hello Abel", Ryan greeted him. "Thank you. How are things here?"

"Everything is going well, Mr Ryan. But we all missed you and Mr Andrew. It's not the same when you are not here. It's like something is missing. And we were so sorry to hear about Ms Beth and Ms Nicky".

"Thank you Abel", Andrew added."Can I introduce you to Jamie and Fiona.", he said, drawing them in front of him. "Like Cameron and Elizabeth, they are also our children, but they've been in Scotland with their mothers. But now they are here with us".

Abel bent down to look into their faces, and solemnly shook their hands.

"Hello there, little ones. Like your big brother and sister, I can see who your dads are. Welcome to The Cameron". They just clung to Andrew's legs shyly.

"Is Mr Richard still here Abel", Ryan enquired of their General Manager.

"He's just left Mr Ryan. He was the early shift Duty Manager today. Ms Angela worked a function last night that finished early this morning. Ms Angela is the MOD this evening again".

"Okay, no problem. We just wanted to say hello if he was still around. We are going to have dinner in the
restaurant. Will you excuse us?"

"Enjoy your dinner, all of you".

Andrew glanced around as they turned to walk to the restaurant and took note of the staff members that were observing from various points. It never ceased to amaze Andrew how fast news travelled through the lodge. There was a flurry of activity as they approached the restaurant, one waiter was repositioning two tables in the event that Douglas, the Maitre'd decided to seat them in his station. Another was quickly relaying a larger table for the same reason. For them it was an honour and a pleasure to be able to host the bosses in their stations.

Douglas met them at the door with a smile.

"Mr Andrew, Mr Ryan, welcome. Will you be having dinner?"

"Good evening, Douglas. Yes, we're here for dinner", Ryan replied. "Don't worry about menus, we'll have the buffet tonight".

"In that case, this way please", Douglas said, smiling and showing them to the table was being relaid when they arrived. The waiter beamed as he helped the children get seated. Once they were all comfortable, he took a drinks order, soft drinks for the children and Amstel lager for their dads. The childrens eyes were drawn to the buffet and they were all itching to go over to see what was on offer. They waited only until their soft drinks were served to have a sip each, before Cameron slid off his chair to lead them, veryimportantly, to the buffet. Ryan and Andrew followed, Ryan smiling and just shaking his head at his sons antics.

Of course the first stop had to be the dessert buffet which Jamie and Fiona examined with great interest. Jamie glanced at Andrew and came to him.

"Daddy, is that Cranachan in the glass bowl", he enquired softly, the word Cranachan emphasising his Scottish accent. Andrew glanced up at the buffet and nodded when he spotted the bowl.

"Yes son, that is Cranachan"

"Can I have some", Jamie asked timidly.

"Yes, of course you can. But only after you've had some proper food", his daddy replied.

Jamie nodded, stared longingly at the bowl for a few seconds and moved on to the 'proper' food. James, their Executive Chef had, as usual, put on a wide selection of items. Andrew and Ryan had to pick them up so that they could see what was on offer, and as each one got their plate of food, their waiter was on hand to carry the plate to the table.
Ryan nudged Andrew and said with a smile,

"Babe, you do remember that the Cranachan has got a good slosh of whisky in it?" Andrew grinned and nodded.

"I hadn't forgotten. Keep an eye on our offspring while I pop into the kitchen to chat with our chef", he said and slipped away through the swing doors. James hurried across the kitchen as soon as he spotted Andrew come through the doors.

"Evening boss. Good to have you back. Please accept my condolences", he said.

"Thank you James. It's good to be back. Now we've just got to get back to normal".

"Yeah, I an only imagine how difficult it's been. What can I do for you", the chef enquired.

"We have a little boy who was looking at your bowl of Cranachan with very big eyes. Would it be possible to put together a small bowl without the whisky or maybe just a few drops". James laughed

"Yes, of course. No problem at all"

"Thank you. I'm not sure how many of the children will have Cranachan, but a small bowl for four small tummies should be enough".

"I'll get the pastry chef onto it immediately"

Andrew stopped at the buffet for a plate of food and rejoined the table. The children were all munching a way at the food on their plates and chattering amongst themselves.

"I've arranged a small bowl of whisky light Cranachan with James, in case they all decide to have it", Andrew advised Ryan, who grinned at him.

The dinner was delicious as usual, but the highlight came when James himself arrived at the table with the Cranachan. He had gone one better and had arranged individual portions of the desert for the children. Four pairs of eyes were wide with wonder as long stemmed glasses were ceremoniously placed in front of them, accom-panied my softly spoken thank you's". Ryan walked to the buffet and served up some of the 'adult' Cranachan for Andrew, while he had a large slice of Strawberry Cheesecake. Dinner was rounded off with coffee and hot choc-olate, they said their goodbyes to the staff and then headed for home, with Jamie and Fiona chattering non stop about the lovely dinner.

Their dads got them into their pyjamas, watched as they all brushed their teeth and then tucked them into bed. They each got a cuddle and a goodnight kiss and it was not long at all before they were all sleeping peacefully. Andrew and Ryan quietly left the rooms, and being quiet weary themselves after the overnight flight, locked up the house for the night and retired to the master bedroom. For the first time since they had moved into the house, the door to the master bedroom remained open in the event that Jamie or Fiona woke up during the night.

To their delight, the children all slept through until 6.30am when four tornadoes and one mini whirlwind blew into the master bedroom and any thought of having a Sunday morning lie-in flew out the window.
While the five smallest members of the family made themselves comfortable under the covers, Andrew slid out of bed and went to make hot chocolate for the children, and tea and coffee for him and Ryan, whohad pulled back the drapes on the windows to reveal what was promising to be a stunning, late January day.
They all cuddled in the big bed for a while, including Rascal who lay stretched out between Cameron and Elizabeth's legs, until Jamie shyly asked Andrew,

"Daddy, are we going to buy our new beds today?" Andrew grinned down at his little boy.

"Oh yes, most definitely. I think we must all get out of bed, have a shower and get dressed and then we can go shopping. We can have breakfast at the mall. How does that sound?"
Four small heads bobbed up and down in agreement, their faces wreathed in big smiles.

"And while we are out, we can get some meat and throw it onto the fire for lunch. Jamie and Fiona can have their first braai with us all", he added, getting four more nods of approval.

Andrew ran a bath for Elizabeth and Fiona, then got them dressed while Ryan showered with the boys, and while he got Cameron and Jamie dressed, Andrew jumped into the shower. Ryan fed Rascal and by 9am they were in Ryan's SUV heading to the mall for breakfast. Then they strolled over to the bed store and an hour later walked out having purchased new beds for the four children, with delivery to take place on Monday morning.

Then it was off to Linen for Africa to select new bed linen. That turned out to be a bit of a nightmare when all four children wanted four different sets of bedding and it took some very skillful negotiations from their dads, and a promise that when they moved into their own bedrooms they would each get their own linen, to eventually get them to agree on the same set for each bedroom.

The final stop was the supermarket for meat and salad ingredients for the BBQ, and dessert of course, and a general shop for basic essentials that Andrew had noticed was needed.
They were welcomed back to the house by a very happy Rascal who raced upstairs with the children. Jamie and Fiona, however, were back minutes latter, very tearful. Andrew knelt in front of them and took them into his arms.

"Hey, what's the matter, my babies? Why are you so upset?", he enquired.

"Daddy, Cam and Elizabeth want to swim and we want to as well. But we don't have bathing suits, and we don't know how to swim either", Jamie told him tearfully.

"Alright, there's no need to get upset. Come with me", he replied, taking their hands. He took then upstairs into what had been the twins nursery and had been repurposed as a small study. Ryan had used the room while he had been studying. Opening the built-in cupboard that took up one wall, Andrew pulled out a suitcase, carried it to a small couch and opened it. Inside it was clothing that Cam and Elizabeth had used when they were the same age as Jamie and Fiona, and that Andrew had not had the heart to give away.

"Okay, this isn't new, but it's perfectly usable. In here somewhere are bathing suits that Cam and Elizabeth once wore, but are now too small for them. You can use them today, and tomorrow I will take to to get any clothes you need. How does that sound?"
Two little heads nodded enthusiastically, both faces now smiling happily.

"Alright daddy. Thank you daddy", Fiona said softly.

With a bit of rooting around, Andrew found a couple of pairs of bathing suits from which they each chose a pair and he helped them to wear them. Returning to the cupboard he pulled out two Bentley belts and a foot pump that he used to inflate them. He sat on the bed and looked at them seriously, holding the flotation devices as the splash of the twins jumping into the pool was heard.

"I need you to listen to me very carefully. Tomorrow I will also arrange for you both to begin swimming lessons. Cam and Elizabeth have both had lessons and know how to swim. But until you know how to swim, whenever you want to go into the pool, you need to wear these. They will help you to float. You are not to get into the pool without them. Do you understand me?"
Once again, two heads nodded.

"Yes daddy", they both replied.
He helped them to slip into the Bentley belts, then took them back downstairs and out to the pool. Ryan was on the patio, tending the fire for the BBQ and keeping an eye on the twins too. He grinned as Andrew came out of the house with the younger children, after slathering sunscreen on the exposed parts of their pale skin.

"Wow, don't you two look cute in your bathing suits", he commented getting happy smiles from them. They both let go of Andrew's hands and he watched as they waddled to the edge of the pool, wistfully observing their older siblings cavorting in the water, before gingerly sitting on the edge and paddling their legs in the water.

"Can you keep an eye out for them, my love?", Andrew asked Ryan. "I need to finish the salads for lunch. I told Jamie and Fiona that I will arrange swimming lessons for them tomorrow. With you and I planning to be working from home, it might be a good idea for one of us to take them before lunch while Cam and Elizabeth are at school. I'll see if they can fit them in".

"Yeah, good idea. We need them all comfortable in the water. Just to be safe. And also for when we take them out on the yacht".

"True! Okay,you got the kids. I'm off to the kitchen", and said, moving through into the house.
He was back less than thirty minutes later, with a bowl of potato salad and a green salad which he placed on the patio table. He quickly set out the cutlery, crockery and all the condiments and shortly after Ryan announced that the meat was ready. The children all chattered away during lunch and their dads were quite happy just to comment here and there, but mostly just sat back and happily watched their children bonding with one another. Rascal sat under Ryans chair and nudged his leg for titbits when he felt they weren't being offered quickly enough.

The children all wanted to return to the pool after lunch, but then disappeared into the playroom when Andrew told them that they would have to wait for a while. He and Ryan quickly cleared the table and tidied up, changed into swim shorts themselves, and then spent an hour playing with the children in the pool, not wanting Jamie and Fiona to be out in the fierce sun too long with their skin not being used to it. As it was they did get a bit too much sun and their was some tears from both of them at bath time. Andrew soothed the sting with some after-sun lotion and they, thankfully, had a restful night.

Monday morning brought the usual hubbub of getting Cameron and Elizabeth back to school. Yvonne arrived at 7am and had breakfast ready for them when they came down, as well as their lunch boxes and fruit juice flasks. Jamie and Fiona wanted to see what the 'big school' looked like, so they went along as well, which gave Andrew and Ryan the opportunity to stop at nursery school that the twins had attended to have a chat with Elaine about Jamie and Fiona, and to introduce the children to her. Elaine was told of the events in Scotland, which saddened her, and she was only too happy to accept Jamie and Fiona for the new shool term commencing after the Easter break.
Next stop was The Cameron. Ryan was going into the office for the morning to sort a few things out and gather together anything they might need while working from home, while Andrew was going to take Jamie and Fiona on their clothing shopping trip. They had breakfast in the restaurant at the lodge, had short meetings with Helen, their P.A. and Richard to advise them that they would both be working from home until they felt Jamie and Fiona were settled and to assure them that they were a phone call and five minutes away should it be necessary.

The shopping trip was a huge success. Not only from a shopping point of view, but it was also a great time for Andrew to strengthen his bond with Jamie and Fiona. They skipped along beside him quite happily, their excite-ment at the shops was very infectious and Andrew resolved to make sure Ryan also had some solo 'me time' with them. There was however one moment, when they were sitting in a restaurant having milkshakes, that he saw both of them gazing wistfully at two young children being hugged by their mother, the sadness and longing evident in their expressions. They were sitting on either side of him and he put his arms around them to pull them closer to him, giving them a hug as well and kissing the tops of their heads. His heart was very full when he got two smiles in return.

They collected Ryan from The Cameron just after 1pm and drove to the school to pick up Cameron and
Elizabeth. Marge was day off after working over the weekend, so she fetched Byron, and Andrew saw her driving away just as he pulled into the kerb near the school gate. The two little ones couldn't wait to tell their bigger brother and sister all about their morning. Fortunately, Andrew had bought a few things for Cameron and Elizabeth as well, although the majority of the purchases had been for Jamie and Fiona.

The last three weeks before the Easter school holidays was a time when the extended Devlin-Major family found their feet and settled down after the huge upheaval in their lives.

Andrew and Ryan were back in the swing of things, albeit working from home and the new arrangements seemed to be working well. Ryan had met again with the Southern Marine guys to discuss the changes they wanted to make to the new yacht, while Andrew was puting some work into the interior decor.

They had Skyped with Michael and the crew on MY Amira, Michael having filled his crew in on the plans for 'Amira' and about the new boat, and everybody was on board with the idea. 'Amira' would finish up the last island charter before sailing for Durban, also on charter with a full compliment of guests. There was a tentative charter for the voyage from Durban to Cape Town which Andrew was awaiting confirmation of. She would arrive in Cape Town at the end of April, and Ryan had secured a position for her on a yacht transporter which would convey her to Genoa, Italy, for the Mediterranean summer season, where reservations were already looking promising. The crew would sail with her on board the yacht transport er to give her interior a thorough clean.

On arrival in Genoa, she would be put into dry dock for her hull and superstructure to be cleaned and repainted, while the crew all took a vacation. After a month in dry dock she would sail to her new base just six kilometres from the centre of Athens at the Flisvos Marina, one of the most chic marinas in the Mediterranean and her cruising schedule would encompass the Greek Islands and Croatia. MY Amira had been listed with a prominent yacht broker who were already making discreet enquiries into potential buyers, although an advertising campaign would commence the day she arrived in Genoa.

Jamie and Fiona were generally back to their normal selves although their dads would notice them staring into the distance every now and then with sad expressions on their little faces. A week before the schools closed, Andrew received a call on his mobile while Ryan was out with Jamie and Fiona after dropping the twins at school.

"Good morning to you Andrew", he heard after answering, recognising Jamie Snr's rich Scottish brogue.
"How are ye, laddie?"

"Jamie! We're all well. So good to hear from you. How is everyone in Scotland?", Andrew enquired.

"Aye, we all be well, Andrew. How are our wee bairns?"

"They are very well, Jamie. They seem to have settled down. Still get a faraway look in their eyes every now and then, but that's to be expected. But they are generally two happy children. It's a pity they are out right now or you could have spoken with them".

"That is good to hear. We miss them terribly. Which is actually why I called you. Iona and I would like to fly out next week. If we are not mistaken, the schools will be closed, so we can see Cameron and Elizabeth as well. Would that be possible?"

"Oh yes, of course Jamie. No problem at all. I'm sure they would love to see you and Iona. The schools close next Friday. When do you want to be here?, Andrew enquired.

"Well, we were wanting to fly out on Thursday night, arriving in Cape Town on Friday morning and staying for ten days".

"That will be no problem at all. Do you want to stay here at the house or can I arrange accommodation for you at The Cameron? And please, don't worry about cost. We will cover the whole trip, including your airfares".

"Thank you, Andrew, Bless you. We have heard so much about The Cameron from Donald, so it would be nice to have a few nights there. But we were really hoping to stay with you if it would not to too much trouble", Jamie told him.

"Okay, no problem at all. Leave it all with me and I will get onto it immediately. I'll advise you of the details either this evening or tomorrow morning. I'll arrange flights from Inverness if that suits you"

"That would be wonderful, laddie. Thank you. Give our love to the bairns and tell them we cannot wait to see them"

"I will, Jamie. You'll be hearing from me soon. Regards to Iona and to Donald as well".

"Thank you Andrew. For everything".

Andrew got things arranged that same day, reserving two business class flights from Inverness to Cape Town on British Airways, with a connection at London Heathrow. He also arranged accommodation for them in a suite at The Cameron for the last three nights of the trip. They would stay with them at the house for the first week which would include a weekend on 'Belle Catherine' for a cruise up the East Coast, weather permitting.
As it was Jamie and Iona's first trip to Cape Town, he also made reservations for the cable car to the top of Table Mountain, and made arrangements for them to have a picnic lunch at the Zevenwacht Wine Estate on first Sunday of the trip, again weather permitting.

When Ryan returned with Jamie and Fiona, Andrew told them their grandparents were coming to visit and what they were going to do while they were in the country, their excitement was infectious and they could barely contain themselves until Cameron and Elizabeth came home from school to tell them as well.
As a result, that week before the grandpatrentals arrived was filled with anticipation.