The Sauna Part 117

I woke the next day to a glorious November morning. The sun came streaming in through the windows and it was unseasonably warm. It would be a perfect day for exploring the wooded hillsides of Zoar, I thought, as I kissed Jon good morning.

“Mhhhmmnnn” he groaned, stretching as he opened his eyes and returned my kiss.

“Morning love” I said as I rubbed the soft fur on his chest.

“I suppose we should get up before the kids wake up, huh?” he observed and I shook my head in agreement.

“I’ll make the coffee” he said, almost to himself, as he pulled on a pair of sweats and a t-shirt.

“It looks like a perfect day” I commented, slipping into my robe, as I peered out the window.

The boys were up shortly after us and found us sitting in the kitchen, sipping our coffee, while Jon glanced through the morning paper. Jakey leaned against Jon and I noticed he seemed to be the one who was least sure of me, clinging a bit to his dad.

“Would you guys like milk or juice?” I inquired, opening the fridge and getting both out.

“What’s for breakfast?” Jesse asked as I poured milk or juice for all three.

“Well, we have a few choices” I announced, glad we had gone grocery shopping during the week and had stocked up on a variety. “I can make bacon and eggs, pancakes or cereal. And we have muffins too.”

“Pancakes” was the unanimous decision, Jon adding his voice to the vote.

“Pancakes it is” I laughed and I began collecting the supplies.

“Go get your sister up” Jon said to Jesse and he obediently headed downstairs to rouse Steph.

“Okay, you’re in charge of the bacon” I said to Jon and he folded up the paper and got up.

“Dad’s gonna cook?” Jake said, his eyes widening in shock.

Just then the cellar door opened as Jesse emerged, Stephanie trailing behind him.

“Wait a minute. Dad’s cooking?” Jesse echoed, having caught the tail end of the conversation.

“Wait till I tell Mom” Stephanie grinned.

“Only the bacon, okay, guys? Geesh, I’m not completely helpless you know” Jon said as he rolled his eyes.

“Can I help?” Steph offered and soon we had an assembly line in the kitchen as I prepared to feed the army.

Steph made the regular pancakes, I made potato pancakes and Jon cooked up a pound of bacon. I smiled to myself though as I saw Stephanie overseeing Jon, telling him when to turn the bacon and when to add more. She served up the pancakes as they were ready and Jesse helped to feed Romeo and I marveled at how smoothly the whole operation seemed to go.

We cleaned up the breakfast dishes and Steph helped load up the dishwasher while Jon got Romeo dressed and ready. Next was the shower schedule and I hoped there would be enough hot water for everyone and I regretted that neither Jon nor I had showered when we first got up as it would have helped. We ended up running out of hot water after the third shower, so Jon and I waited for our turns while the tank heated up again.

Steph took Jake and Romeo downstairs to watch cartoons while Jesse and Jon decided to go for a short walk up the hill in the back yard. I took my shower alone and was drying my hair when they returned. Jesse and I sat in the living room and chatted while Jon got ready and Jesse noticed the paintings Jon had hung on the walls.

“Are you an artist?” he asked me as he stood up to take a closer look.

“Not really. Just some things I did a long time ago” I explained.

“I really like this one especially. Do you still paint?” he continued to ask.

I was beginning to really like Jesse as he seemed to be a rather sensitive child and rather old for his age. He was often the quiet one in the troop, and I noticed a certain reserve in his demeanor as he tended to stand back and observe things more. And he tended to notice everything. But he wasn’t shy, nor was he aloof. He was just rather self-contained compared to the liveliness of the other kids.

“No, I haven’t painted in years. I was never very good and so I lost interest after a while. Your dad found these old things in the garage and insisted on hanging them up” I shared with him.

“You should keep painting. Maybe some day you could teach me” he commented.

“Do you paint too?” I asked, wondering now.

“No, but I like to draw. I never tried painting” he explained as Jon joined us in the living room.

“Jesse is the artist in the family. He does some amazing drawings, dontcha kiddo?” Jon prompted.

“I draw animals and houses mostly, but I never tried doing a landscape” Jesse told me.

“Would you like to take some paper and pencils with us today? Zoar is a really beautiful place. That painting you like is my attempt to capture one of my favorite scenes” I offered.

“Really? Do you have a sketchpad and pencils?” he asked excitedly and his eyes lit up.

“Let me go see what I can find” I said, trying to think where the stuff might be.

“I’ll go round up the others while you do that and then we can head out” Jon said as he headed downstairs.

I found an old sketchbook and dug around a bit more, retrieving my artist pencils and rediscovering some of my old drawings that were still in the book, half done. I handed the stuff to Jesse and he looked through the book, nodding his approval.

“You should finish these” he encouraged.

In some ways Jesse was the most unlike his Father, and yet in other ways, he was so clearly Jon’s son. His cooler temperament contrasted sharply with Jon’s magnetic warmth and yet he reminded me of Jon in his persistence about certain things and also in the way that he noticed subtle things about people.

Jon came up the stairs, carrying Romeo, and followed by Steph and Jakey. Steph nudged Jesse, indicating her curiosity over the stuff he was carrying and he showed her the sketchbook

“Trish is an artist too” I heard him tell her and I smiled, glad to have a bond with this sensitive child.

The clock struck ten thirty and we were finally ready and on our way after packing the picnic basket with snacks and juices and a few bottles of water. Jon grabbed a fresh pack of cookies and threw them in as well as I emptied a box of granola bars into the basket just in case. Everyone made a last trip to the bathroom and we locked up the house.

Zoar was crowded for this time of year, but the warmer temperatures today had brought out a number of families and we were in good company. We piled out of the car, everyone carrying something, Jon carrying Romeo when we hit the rockier paths. We came to the spot where Jon and I had made love and we exchanged knowing glances with each other before continuing on. When we came to the overlook, Stephanie caught her breath.

“This is beautiful” she said, standing in awe. “Jess, why don’t you draw this?”

Jesse looked out over the precipice and then walked about, checking different angles. We all stood and looked around us and Jon looked for a spot to lay out the blanket after instructing Steph to hold onto Romeo’s hand. He was a little nervous because of the baby and the dangerous drop off from the cliff, but found a spot a little away from the edge, but still with a good view.

He spread out the blanket in a sunny area and we all sat down and I began to unpack the picnic basket. No one was hungry yet and Jesse wanted to try sketching the view, while Jake tugged at Jon to go for a walk. Stephanie was a little hyper too and once Jon mentioned about the waterfall, the three of them decided to go for a hike. I offered to watch Romeo and Jesse was busy sketching already. The waterfall was quite a distance and they’d be gone until late afternoon, so I stuffed the juice and water and some granola bars into a knapsack and handed it to Jon.

“We’ll be back later. Are you sure you don’t mind waiting here?” Jon asked and I reassured him we’d be fine as he set Romeo in my lap.

The three of them headed off happily and I settled into a comfortable position and pulled out a couple of toys to keep Romeo entertained until it was time for him to take a nap. We sat together peaceably while the baby and I played and Jesse sketched quietly.

“Do you want a piece of paper and some pencils?” Jesse ventured after I had laid Romeo down and he was beginning to fall asleep.

I finally relented, unable to resist the persistence of Jon’s son, and knowing better than to argue with the males in this family. It had been a long time since I’d picked up a pencil to draw, but Jesse’s enthusiasm had sparked my interest again and I accepted the paper and pencil, much to his delight. I used the box of cookies Jon had packed to draw on and soon we were both busy with our own sketches.

The morning passed and the afternoon came as we worked in companionable silence until the baby stirred, waking up from his nap. Jesse took him off a little ways into the woods, away from the view of any passers by so he could go potty and I took the opportunity to stretch out on the blanket. Jesse and Romeo returned and Romeo reached for my sketch as Jesse grabbed it out of his hands before he wrinkled it.

“Wow, that’s good” he observed, looking at it.

I had actually drawn a sketch of Jesse sitting near the edge of the overlook with a pad on his lap, looking out over the edge. It wasn’t really complete, as I had concentrated more on the close up of Jesse, choosing to blur the details in the landscape.

“Can I have this?” he asked.

“Only if I get to see yours” I smiled as he sat down beside me and reached for the book and handed it to me.

“Jesse …” I began and stopped.

He had drawn an amazing sketch and it was obvious he had real talent. The shading and shadows were evident along with the details of the closer objects and the rougher definition of the winding stretch of creek off in the valley. I was really amazed at his talent.

“It’s not quite done” he explained.

“No, you’re right. An artist must always sign their work and Jesse, you really are an artist. May I have this to keep when you’re finished? This is just …” and again I paused, searching for the right words.

“Inspiring” I finished.

“Really? You think it’s that good?” he said, his cheeks glowing with pride.

“Absolutely” I said, astounded at how the talent had manifested itself in Jon’s progeny.

“Here, let me finish it first. And I’ll sign it and you can have it” he said, smiling.

“Drink?” Romeo said, pointing towards the juice bottles and I reached over and opened one and inserted the straw.

Jon and the kids returned about three o’clock and Stephanie told Jesse all about what they’d seen and I listened, enjoying her enthusiasm. Jakey was hungry and so was Jon and he reached for the cookies and tore open the box as I offered an assortment of items to Jake, but he shook his head, preferring to share the cookies with Jon.

“You are a bad influence” I said, pointing at Jon.

“Me?” he asked innocently, his mouth full of cookie.

Steph joined us on the blanket and Jesse came over too. He handed me his picture with a grin and I reached out for it. Jon was watching and leaned over to look past my shoulder and Stephanie got up and came to stand behind us.

“Finished” he said proudly.

“My very first Bongiovi original” I grinned back “Thank you.”

“Wow” Steph breathed and Jon looked at his son.

“Did you do this all by yourself?” he asked him.

“Yeah” Jesse said, still beaming, and it was the most animation I’d seen in his face since I’d met him.

“We’re gonna have to get you some real art lessons” Jon said and we both looked at him with surprise.

“I’ll get better, it’s my first landscape, dad” Jesse said, looking crestfallen when Jon suddenly realized we’d misinterpreted his comment.

“That’s not how I meant it, Jess. I meant that this is really, really good and that you should develop this talent. If you want to, of course” and Jesse’s face brightened.

“Yeah, I’d like that. Hey, look at the one Trish did. She drew me” he said, handing my sketch to Jon.

“Looks like we’ll need two frames” Jon said as he smiled broadly.

“Nope, this one’s mine. Trish said I could have it” he asserted himself.

“Those are both really good pictures” Stephanie said and Jake even agreed.

The kids proceeded to snack and munch a little and Jake and Jesse began to wrestle with each other playfully while Jon stretched out with Romeo sitting on his chest. We stayed for another hour or so until the sun started going down and it began to cool off. It was getting near five now as we packed up and headed home to get cleaned up before going out to dinner.

We changed clothes and Jon suggested we all go to the Hamburg Grille rather than the restaurant in town as the menu offered more things that the kids were likely to enjoy. We piled back in the car and drove to Hamburg. It was Saturday and we had a bit of a wait until a table was ready, so we made ourselves at home at the bar. Jon gave the kids a couple of bucks to get change and they went over to one of the video games to play while we waited. Paul came out from the kitchen for a drink and saw us and waived.

“Are you waiting for a table? Let me see what I can do” he offered and Jon explained there were now six of us as he pointed to the kids.

“Wow, all yours, huh?” he said, a little surprised.

“Yeah, they’re going home tomorrow though, but everyone wanted to come and meet Trish and we went to Zoar for the day” Jon said, making small talk.

“It sure was a beautiful day for it” Paul agreed.

A table was made ready for us shortly and Paul brought over menus and we introduced all the kids. I saw Stephanie blush when Paul said what a beautiful young lady she was and she leaned over and whispered to me after he’d gone.

“He’s cute! How old is he?” she asked, a little taken.

“Too old for you” Jon said a bit abruptly and I gave him a sharp look.

“What is it about that guy that all you women find so appealing?” he asked as Stephanie and I grinned at each other.

“Oh dad, you wouldn’t understand” Stephanie replied, dismissing Jon as just acting like her clueless father and I kept my mouth shut, understanding way too much.

We placed our orders and chatted happily about the day as we waited for our food to arrive. Jon’s cell phone rang and it was Richie, so he had to pass the phone around so all the kids could say Hi. Richie would be back in California on Monday and he wanted Jon and I to come out and visit.

“I’m not sure, bro. Trish has one more week of work and then we’ll have to head back to Jersey and get the cats settled in and then we’re planning a little surprise vacation. Let me get back to you this week and we’ll see what we can work out” he said, hanging up just as the food arrived.

Eating dinner was a bit of a circus with so many of us and Jon and I took turns feeding Romeo. He was a sweet-tempered kid and he babbled happily right along with all the others as we ate our dinner. We introduced the kids to another Buffalo specialty, Beef on Weck, with a not so healthy portion of fries for everybody. I was stuffed, but Paul got to me as usual by tempting me with a new flavor of crème brulee and he promised Stephanie a very special house recipe sundae if she could make room. She nodded readily, her eyes shining at the special attention while Jon scowled and I hid my smile.

Paul reappeared with desserts for everyone, including Jon, who had the biggest sundae made with fresh ice cream that Paul had made as an experiment. After trying a taste, I almost wished I had ice cream myself instead of my crème brulee. Romeo seemed to enjoy it the most and soon he was a gooey, sticky mess and we all laughed as he babbled happily while he stuck his fingers in the creamy concoction.

We were all stuffed by the time we finished the goodies and Stephanie helped Jon clean up the baby and for a fleeting moment I felt sad thinking how she had felt obliged to assume a maternal role since Jon and Dot’s divorce. She really was a sweet kid and older than her years in many ways and I was glad that we had developed a better relationship once the initial hurt and disappointment had worn off.

Paul returned to see how the home-made ice cream had gone over and everyone shared their appreciation, especially Stephanie, who asked if he would show her how he made it sometime. I lowered my head to hide my smile as Jon leaned over and whispered in my ear.

“Is my twelve year old daughter flirting or am I crazy?” he asked in a hushed voice.

“I’d say she has the family gift for it” I responded teasingly as Jon rolled his eyes and cursed under his breath.

Paul was grinning like a Cheshire cat and offered to show Stephanie the next time she was in town as he winked slyly at Jon. I laughed silently at the subtle competition, but I was proud of Jon as he gestured the acknowledgement of defeat to Paul, but he was grinning too. We packed up the kids and headed for home, stopping at Blockbuster on the way to pick up a movie.

The kids ran in the store and began searching the titles for something they could all agree on and Jon looked at me pointedly and said absolutely no Sam Elliot as he needed time to adjust to his daughter’s emerging adolescence. I smiled and nodded, thinking to myself that this was only just the beginning. Poor Jon, being a father to a teenage girl might just be his biggest challenge yet.

The kids finally settled on a Disney classic they had all seen before, but it was a unanimous favorite and Jon agreed indulgently. I really enjoyed seeing him with his kids as it was another side to his personality that only endeared him to me more. He not only loved them, but he genuinely enjoyed them and it was clear that he would never be a part-time dad with only minimal involvement like so many I’d seen over the years who’s kids I’d treated.

We piled back in the car and reached the house around seven-thirty and decided that Romeo would benefit from a quick bath now rather than later. He and Jon disappeared in the bathroom together and I suggested we should all get in our PJ’s and make it a slumber party. The kids thought it was a grand idea and we all went to get changed while we waited. The popcorn was just finishing as Jon emerged with a freshly scrubbed Romeo and grinned seeing us all in our jammies. Not wanting to be left out, he handed the baby to me and went to change into his robe and sweats as we scooped up the soda pop and snacks and trudged downstairs.

Jon joined us and popped the movie in the DVD player before settling down next on the couch with Steph and Jakey in between us. We exchanged glances over the top of their heads, thinking this would be a bit different than the way we usually snuggled together on the couch. Jesse stretched out on the floor and we settled in to watch the movie.

I wasn’t big on kids’ movies, but The Lion King I’d actually seen before and enjoyed it as much as the kids. I guessed it may have been the hundredth time for Jon as he looked lost in his own thoughts when I glanced in his direction. I stroked Romeo’s hair while he nestled in my lap and he soon fell asleep and Jon smiled at me, pleased to see I’d managed to somehow connect with all the kids. Except Jakey, I thought to myself, who was leaning up against Jon and fighting off sleep.

When the movie was over, Jon scooped Jakey up in his arms and I stood up too, Romeo in tow. Steph began to pick up the bowls and the leftover containers of soda as Jesse assisted in the clean-up operations and we made our way back upstairs. Jon put the sleepy ones to bed while we stacked the dishwasher and Steph asked if she could call her mom to say good-night.

“Of course, sweetheart” I replied and handed her the phone.

She and Jesse chatted a bit with Dot and I overheard Steph whisper something about the really cute guy she met at the restaurant and I pinched Jon when he made a face. After they each said good-night, Jon took the phone and went over the details about tomorrow’s schedule with their mom and I found myself just a little jealous at how well Dot and he managed to get along, knowing the connection they shared was something I would never have.

Steph said goodnight and went down to watch a little TV before turning in and Jesse went with her as he wanted to play with his Gameboy and not wake his brothers. They each gave me a hug and Stephanie kissed Jon goodnight, but Jon just tousled Jesse’s head, respecting his need to not “get all mushy” and stuff. It was still early yet for a Saturday, so Jon poured us each a glass of wine before we made our way to the living room.

“Should I start a fire, babe?” he asked as I curled up on the couch.

“No, just come over here and cuddle with me” I replied invitingly as I patted the cushion.

Jon sat down and stretched out his arms, folding me into the familiar embrace I was craving and I pulled up the blankets to keep off the chill. I leaned back against him as he spread his legs to accommodate me and he bent down to kiss the top of my head. I sighed as he stroked my hair, much the way I had done earlier with Romeo.

“I’m glad today went so well. I hadn’t realized how anxious I was for the kids to get to know you until tonight when we all watched the movie together” Jon confessed.

“I’m glad it went well too, but I’m worried about Jakey. I just don’t know how to connect with him and he barely even looks at me” I said, voicing my concern.

“Give it time, darlin’, he’ll come around. He’s always been closest to me of all the kids and even Dot felt left out for a time. I think he just needs some time alone with you without me right there” he observed.

“Do you really think that’s all it is? He is so attached to you, I can’t imagine an opportunity to be alone with him as he never lets you out of his sight” I pointed out.

“It’s just a phase, doll. He’ll grow out of it and see me as an annoying father soon enough” he said in a teasing tone.

“Was it like this with Jesse too?” I wondered.

“No, not really. But Stephanie went through a phase where I could no wrong too-God, I miss those days-but as you can see she grew out of it” he laughed ruefully.

I chuckled at that myself. Maybe he was right. After all, they were his kids and he knew them far better then I did. But Jon could be rather blind sometimes when he didn’t want to acknowledge certain things and I’d seen this especially with the kids. I saw no reason to argue at this point and I hoped he was right.

“Steph certainly is becoming a teen, though, isn’t she?” I giggled, thinking about Jon’s discomfiture when she attempted to flirt a little with Paul at the restaurant.

“Hell, yeah. I remember a time when daddy was the only man she cared about, or even liked for that matter! Now it seems like I can’t do anything right and I’m about as un-cool as anyone could be” he lamented.

“All of us girls go through that phase, love, but we do grow out of it. But I think you’re very cool myself” I teased.

I looked up then at Jon as he made duck lips at me and we both laughed. He squeezed my shoulders and gave me a hug as he leaned down and whispered in my ear.

“I hope you won’t grow out of that too” he said thickly.

“Fat chance” I reassured him as I sat up and wrapped my arms about his neck. “Let’s go to bed.”

We ambled into the bedroom where Zeke was already waiting for us. We undressed and got into bed and Zeke wasted no time burrowing in under the covers between us. You could tell the cold weather was here.

“What’s this?” Jon asked quizzically, lifting the covers to peer in at Zeke who was walking in a circle, trying to position himself before he curled up.

“Did I forget to mention that they like to sleep under the covers when it’s cold?” I answered apologetically.

“They?” Jon repeated, still hoping he had misunderstood me, but doubting that he had.

“Uhm, just Eddie and Zeke. Sometimes they squabble over who gets to stay here for the night, but usually they manage to get along and curl up peacefully under here together” I explained, taking their routine for granted.

“Do they need to sleep between us? How will we …?” Jon said in disbelief.

“I hadn’t actually thought that far ahead to tell you the truth. I’m just so used to it when the weather gets cold. It’s always been their bed too …” I said as I realized how ridiculous the situation was.

I looked under the covers at Zeke who had settled down now and was purring contentedly and before I could speak Eddie had joined us and was now making his way under the covers. Jon was looking at me expectantly as he raised his eyebrows.

“Would you mind terribly if we let them stay tonight? It’s been a hard weekend with all the kids and they’ve had so little attention or time with me. Jon, I don’t have the heart to kick them out” I pleaded.

“Okay, you win. But only tonight because we’ve all had a long day” he began indulgently. “But tomorrow, it’s my turn” he finished.

“Absolutely, fair is fair” I grinned as I leaned over the furry, purring bodies to kiss Jon goodnight.

“You really do love me, don’t you?” I asked, still smiling.

“Yeah, baby, I do. But they’re lucky I’m tired too” he laughed as he kissed me back and we both settled down for the night.

“Goodnight Dad, ’night Trish” Jesse called as he passed by our door on the way to his room.

“’Night, kiddo” Jon called and I echoed him as the house became quiet and we all adjusted to a new routine.