Chapter 90: Home?

“David and Indre’s daughter was born today.” Seb smiled.
“David?” Urs frowned.
Seb pointed at the CD. “David, the American.”
“Right. Sorry.” He shrugged.

“Her name is Maria.” Lorna added.
Urs nodded. “That’s nice.”
He smiled when his mother came in. “Mutti!”
“Hi Urs. Lorna, Seb. Hallo Laura.” She kissed her on the cheek and looked intently at her. “How are you holding up?”
She shrugged. “I’m ok.”

Urs saw that his mother really liked Laura and that they got along really well.
Seb stood up. “We’re going home. I think Laura should get some rest.”
“You’re right.” Greta said. “You look tired.”
“I’m ok, really.” Laura said. “Goodbye Urs.”
He took her hand and gently squeezed it. “Bye Laura. I… “
“It’s ok.” She whispered and turned around. She didn’t want him to see her cry.

After they had left, Greta sat down next to Urs and gave him a photo album. “Your wedding album.” She smiled.
Urs looked into it. “It looks like it was a beautiful wedding.”
Greta nodded. “It sure was.”
“And Laura looks like… a princess.”
“Ja. You two are such a lovely couple.” His mother agreed.
He sighed. “How can I not remember that I’m married to such a beautiful woman? And she’s carrying my child…”
“Don’t force it, Urs. Your memory will come back.” Greta said.
“I hope so, Mutti.” His fingers traced Laura’s face on the picture. “I really hope so.”


The next day, Urs was released from hospital. Seb picked him up and drove him home. Suddenly a motorcycle passed them. Urs closed his eyes and grabbed the dash board.
“Urs?” Seb asked worried.
“A deer… A deer jumped onto the road…” he said. “I couldn’t control the bike…”
Seb looked at him. “You remember?”
“It was a flash back…. I don’t know…” he shrugged.
“Do you know who Simon is?”
“You told me he is our boss.” Urs said.
Seb sighed. “Oui. I thought that… maybe you had your memory back.”

They arrived at the house and Urs got out of the car, looking around. “I live here?”
“Oui. You and Laura.” Seb nodded.
Laura let them in. “Welcome home.”
“Thanks. Although I don’t remember.” Urs said.
“Why don’t you take a look around? It might help.” Laura suggested.
He nodded. “I will. Thanks.”

Urs wandered through the house. It was obvious that he lived there. All his things were there. He saw the pictures of him and Laura, Il Divo, the golden records… But he couldn’t remember a thing.

Urs walked into music room and looked around. He was attracted by a glass cabinet with a violin inside. A Stradivarius.
“It was my father’s.” Laura’s soft voice came from the doorway.
“He was a musician?” Urs asked.
She nodded. “He was a pianist, but he played the violin as well.”

She opened the cabinet and handed him the violin. “Go ahead.”
“Are you sure? I…”
“I would love to hear you play.” She smiled.
“Will you play with me? That one?” he suggested and pointed at one of the books on the piano.
Laura nodded. “I’ll try.”

Urs took a deep breath and placed the violin under his chin. Laura began to play and he joined her.
http://nl.youtube.com/watch?v=LFZg2n1VlkU

The music filled the room and Seb and Lorna appeared in the doorway. They kept silent and watched the couple play.
“My god… They are good.” Lorna whispered.
Seb nodded, holding her close to him.

When the music died, Seb and Lorna applauded. Urs and Laura looked at them and smiled.
“Mon Dieu, Urs… I didn’t know you were that good.” Seb said.
“Merci, Seb. I haven’t played in years though.” He shrugged.
Lorna smiled. “It was amazing. Very impressive. You two should play together more often.”
“Do we ever play together?” Urs asked.
Laura shook her head. “No, not really.”

“Well, diner is almost ready. Maybe you want ot go and freshen up, Urs?” Lorna smiled.
“I put your luggage in your room.” Seb said.
“Oh… Ehm… Maybe… Do we have a spare room?” he bit his lip.
Laura nodded.
“Maybe I should stay there for a while.” Urs said, looking at his feet.
“Seb, can you show him to the room next to yours?” Laura asked, her voice trembling.
He saw she had a hard time fighting back her tears. “Of course.”

When Laura got in the kitchen, she broke down.
“Hun?” Lorna dropped the vegetables she was cutting and hugged her.
“He doesn’t even want to sleep in the same room.” She sobbed.
“Oh Hun…”
“I can’t… How…” she tried to catch her breath.
“Sit down, Hun.” She guided Laura to the living room, but before they got there her legs gave in.
“Laura! Seb! Help me!” Lorna yelled. She gently tried to lay Laura on the floor.

Seb came running in. “What’s wrong?”
“She fainted. Call a doctor, Urs.” Lorna yelled when she saw him standing in the doorway.
“I…” he shrugged.
“Never mind. Bring her upstairs, Seb.”
Seb took Laura in his arms and carried her to her room, while Lorna called the doctor.


The three of them sat in the living room while the doctor was examining Laura. He looked serious when he came down.
“Her blood pressure is too high. She really needs to rest or she’ll go in pre labour. I advised her to stay in bed until the baby is here.”
Lorna nodded. “Ok. We’ll take care of her.”

Urs looked at his hands. “It’s all my fault.”
“You can’t help it.” Seb patted his back.
“How can I not remember the woman I love, Seb? How can I not remember making love to her? How can I not know that we are having a baby soon?” he stood up and ran upstairs.
Lorna and Seb looked at each other.
“I feel so sorry for them.” Lorna said.
“Oui. We have to keep an eye on Laura. We don’t want anything to happen to the baby.” Seb said seriously.
“I’m gonna see how she is.” Lorna walked to the door, but came back and kissed Seb. “I love you, Seb.”
“I love you too, Chérie.”

Chapter 91: It’s a long way…

“Chérie, it's time to go for the scan.” Seb said.
”I can't find my shoes.” Lorna sniffled.
”Honey, why are you crying?” Seb gently asked.
”Because I can't find my shoes! I thought I had, but they were odd and…” Lorna sobbed again.
Seb couldn't help but laugh.

”Oh, that's it… Just laugh at me.”
”Lorna, it's ok. I'm here. You don't have to get upset.” Seb hugged her.
”I just feel like an emotional wreck. Every 5 minutes I keep bursting into tears.”
Seb caressed her back. ”You’re pregnant, ok? You are bound to be hormonal and it's ok. It will all be worth it when the baby is here.”
”I think he likes making his mother as uncomfortable as possible. He has been moving around so much lately.” She sighed.
"Talking of which… I was thinking that maybe we could find out the sex.” Seb said.
”No, I don't want to know.” Lorna shook her head.
”You don't?”
”No, I want it to be a surprise. Don't you?” she asked.
He shrugged. “Well, I thought it might be nice to know.”
”No, Seb. It is what it is and we can't change that, ok? I'm happy either way.” She yelled.

Seb desperately wanted to know but he thought that once they were there she would change her mind.


“Are you going to be ok, while we are gone?” Seb asked.
Laura nodded. “I’m fine. Is Lorna ok? I thought I heard her cry.”
“She’s a bit emotional. Hormones, I guess.“ he shrugged.
“Ja. And taking care of me demands a lot of her. Seb… If you two want to go home…”
He silenced her by taking her hand. “We are not going anywhere. You need us and so does Urs.”
“Thanks, Seb. Well, enjoy it.” she winked.
“I will.” He kissed her on the cheek. “Urs is home if you need him.”
“Thanks.”


After a tearful journey to the doctors, it was finally Lorna's turn to be scanned.
”And how are we?” Doctor Schmidt asked.
”Emotional. I keep crying at the stupidest things.”
”Well, your hormones are going crazy at this stage, Mrs Izambard. But it's nothing to worry about. Let's see how you are doing then, shall we?” The doctor smiled.

Lorna got on the table and Seb held her hand.
”Are you interested in knowing the sex?” The doctor asked.
”No.”
”Yes.”
They replied together and Lorna looked at Seb.

”I thought I already said that I wanted it to be a surprise.”
”I know but I really want to know.” Seb said.
”Seb, please… After all this discomfort that I am going through, I think it would be nice to have some kind of surprise at the end of it.” she sighed.
”But if we know then we can decide names and things.” He continued.
”Seb, I said no.”
”Well can I find out?” he went on.
”Look… when you are carrying our child and feel as big as a house and keep crying all the time and can't sleep, then yes, you can find out what it is. As you are none of those things, it’s no!” she snapped.
”Fine.” He mumbled.
”Good.”
”So, is that a no then?” the doctor asked, trying not to laugh.
”No, we don't want to know.” Lorna said.


In the mean time, Urs came to check on Laura.
“How are you today?”
“I’m fine.” She nodded.
“I’m sorry.” He said softly, taking her hand. “Maybe I… Maybe I should stay with my parents for a while. I don’t want to cause you stress.”
“If that’s what you want.” She looked at their hands.
“What do you want?” he asked.
“I want my husband back.” She sobbed, not able to hold her tears back any longer.

Urs abruptly stood up. “I’m sorry. I can’t be who you want me to be. I don’t know who you want. I can’t be who I’m not.”
He quickly walked out.
“Urs, please!” she sobbed.
She heard him going down and closing the front door.
“Urs!!!” she yelled, in between sobs. She buried her head in the pillow and cried. And that’s when she felt the pain. It was like she was stabbed in her stomach.
“God!” she gasped, holding her stomach.
The pain subdued, but after a few minutes it came back.

“No, God, no! This can’t be happening.” Laura took her mobile and called Urs, but he didn’t answer.
She tried Seb, but his mobile was turned off as well.
Another cramp hit her and she tried to catch her breath. She tried Urs’ parents, but no one was home.
“Ok… stay calm… I can do this…” Laura called a cab and grabbed her purse. She slowly made her way downstairs and waited outside.

Chapter 92: Feelings

Urs walked through the woods. He felt like crap. He knew that he shouldn’t have run away. But it was so hard. He desperately tried to remember things, but it just wasn’t working.
He thought about Laura. She was such a beautiful woman and he could easily fall in love with her. He could still hear her voice yelling out for him when he left. Urs angrily kicked the snow. “Why? Why now?”

Suddenly he found himself looking down at the lake. He sank down on the small bench and looked at his surroundings. There was something about this place…
He pulled out his MP3 and put it on. The soft tones of classical music filled him. He realised that this wasn’t his. But the music calmed him and he closed his eyes.

Suddenly he sat up and opened it his eyes. He heard “Liebestraum”. That music… There was something familiar about it. He felt it in every part of his body. His heart jumped up and he whispered her name. “Laura…”
“Mein God… Laura!” Urs jumped up. He felt that she needed him and ran back to the house.


A cab dropped Laura off at the hospital. She slowly made her way to the reception.
“Hallo. I’m Laura Bühler. I think I’m in labour. I’m a patient of Doctor Schmidt.” She said.
The nurse smiled at her. “Sit down for a minute. I’ll call him.”

Seb and Lorna sat in front of the doctor’s desk, waiting for him to come back. They didn't say much to each other, though they were happy to know that everything was perfect with the baby and that it was developing nicely.

“I'm sorry about earlier, Lorna. It's just… I thought it would be nice to have everything organised for when she gets here.” Seb said.
“She?”
He grinned. “I have a feeling it's a girl. I know you said it's going to be a boy, but I don't know.”
“Seb, please… We should be grateful that we have a healthy child.” She sighed.
“I know, Chérie.” He gently kissed her forehead. “And I’m really happy.”

The doctor came back in and smiled at the couple. “Well, everything is alright with both mother and child. You can call me any time. And if you are still here when you need your next scan, just give me a call.”
“Thank you, Doctor.” Seb smiled.

The phone rang and Doctor Schmidt answered it. “Hallo? … Ja… What? I’m on my way!” He stood up. “It looks like Laura is in labour.”
“What? It can’t be. It’s too soon!” Lorna said.
“Ja. I think the stress got to her.” The doctor nodded.
“Can I come? I think she needs me.” Lorna asked.
“Of course!”


They went to the reception and Laura sobbed when she saw her friends. “I’m so glad you’re here. I couldn’t reach anyone. I was so scared.”
“You’ll be ok now, Hun.” Lorna said.
“Let’s get you to a room.” The doctor took a wheelchair and helped her in.
“Did you call Urs?” Seb asked.
She nodded. “I can’t reach him.”
“Ok. I’ll keep trying.” Seb ran out.

Seb called Urs, but no answer. He left a message on his voicemail. ”Urs, if you get this message, get to the hospital as soon as possible! Laura is in labour.”
He dialled David’s number and was relieved when he picked up.
“Hi Seb!”
“David! It’s good to hear you. Listen, if Urs calls you, will you tell him Laura is in labour? I can’t reach him.” Seb said.
“She’s in labour? Isn’t that too early?” David asked.
Seb sighed. “Oui. The stress got to her. I’m really worried, David. Can you tell Carlos as well?”
“Of course. Keep us informed! And hang in there!” David said.
“Thanks, mon ami.”
Seb went back in and sank down in one of the chairs in the waiting room.

Chapter 93: The clock is ticking

In the meantime the doctor examined Laura. “Ok, Laura, your baby will be here soon. I think it’s best to give you an epidural.”
“Urs… I want Urs…” she sobbed.
“I know, Hun. Seb is trying to reach him.” Lorna squeezed her hand.
“I need him.”

Lorna looked at the doctor and she saw the worried look on his face. She knew that she had to calm Laura down. “He’ll be here, Hun. You know what? How about we’ll put on the guys’ CD?”
Laura nodded. “Ok.”
“I’ll be right back. I’ll just get it out of the car.” She left the room and the doctor followed her.
“The baby’s heartbeat is dropping. I didn’t want to tell her, cause she would panic even more. We’ll have to monitor it closely, but it’s possible that we’ll have to do a c-section.” The doctor said.
“I’ll go see if my husband could reach Urs.” Lorna said.

Seb jumped up when she came into the waiting room. “How is she?”
“Not so good. The baby’s heartbeat is dropping. Did you manage to reach Urs?” she asked.
“Non. I’ll try again.” He said.
“And bring your Il Divo’s CD’s from the car. That might calm her down.” Lorna said.


“Laura?” Urs came back home and ran to her room. The door was open and the room was empty. “Laura? Laura?!” He checked all the rooms, but he couldn’t find her anywhere.
Suddenly he heard his mobile downstairs. He saw Seb’s name on the display and answered it.
“Seb?”
“Urs, thank God! Come to the hospital. Laura is in labour!” his friend said.
“What? But it’s too soon!”
“I know. Just get here as soon as you can!” Seb said.
“I’m on my way!” When Urs ran out, he saw the nameplate of their house. “Liebestraum…” he whispered. Suddenly it hit him. “Mein Gott…. Laura…. Mein Liebling! Hang in there, I’m coming.”


Lorna held Laura’s hand and spoke softly to her. The guys’ voices filled the room, but she kept asking for Urs.
“Laura, I’m sorry, but we’ll have to do a c-section.” Doctor Schmidt said.
“NO!”
“The baby’s heartbeat is dropping. We have to get him out now!” the doctor insisted.
“Can you stay with me?” she asked Lorna.
“Of course, Hun!”

Urs stormed into the hospital just when they wheeled Laura out of her room. “Laura!”
“Urs! Oh God, Urs!” Tears ran down her face.
“I’m here, Liebling. I’m here!” he took her hand and looked at the doctor. “What’s going on?”
“The baby’s heartbeat is dropping. We need to do a c-section.” He said.
“Oh God… Can I come?” he asked.
The doctor nodded. “Of course.”
Urs looked at Lorna. “Thank you so much for being here!”
“You’re welcome. We’ll be in the waiting room.” She smiled.

They prepared Laura for the operation. Urs sat next to her and held her hand.
“You remember?” she whispered.
“Yes, I do. I heard ‘Liebestraum’ and suddenly everything came back to me.” He said.
“I was so scared. I love you so much, Urs. I…” she gasped.
“Laura?”
“Take care… of him…” she whispered and closed her eyes.

“Laura? Laura! Doctor, do something!” he jumped up.
“Take him out.” The doctor said to one of the nurses.
“I’m sorry, Herr Bühler, you’ll have to wait outside.” The nurse said.
He shook his head. “No! What’s wrong? I need to be with my wife.”
“Urs, she has an internal bleeding. We have to get the baby out. I promise I’ll do everything to help her.” Doctor Schmidt said.
“Save her. Save my wife.” He whispered.

Chapter 94: Marcus

Urs and Laura stood on a bridge and watched the sun go down.
“Ich liebe dich, Laura.” Urs whispered.
She turned in his arms and kissed him tenderly. “I love you too.”

People passed by, but they didn’t notice them. They were lost in love and had only eyes for each other.

Urs pulled out his camera and took a step back. The sun behind Laura made her look like an angel. Her hair was softly flowing in the wind, a halo of light behind her.

Someone squeezed his shoulder and when he turned around, there was no one there. He looked back at Laura but she was gone.

“Laura!” he screamed and opened his eyes.
For a minute he didn’t know where he was. But then he saw the white room and the doctor. And that’s when he realised he had been dreaming.
“Laura… How is she?” he stood up, his muscles aching from sitting on the plastic chair.

“She is in the intensive care unit. We are monitoring her closely.” Doctor Schmidt said.
“What happened?” Lorna asked.
“The placenta came loose and caused an internal bleeding. We had to get the baby out because he wasn’t getting oxygen anymore and the heartbeat was already dropping.” The doctor explained.
“But are they ok? Laura and the baby?” Urs asked.
Doctor Schmidt smiled. “You have a beautiful son, Urs. We put him in an incubator, because he was born a little early. But he’s in great shape. And Laura will be fine. We are providing her with blood and we’re trying to get her blood pressure down.”
“Can I see her?” Urs asked.
“Of course.”
“Her parents! And mine…” he looked at Seb.
“I’ll call them. Go see your wife.” Seb nodded.


Urs entered the ward and looked at Laura. She lay in bed and looked so pale. A drip with blood was attached to her. The only sound in the room was the beeping of the heart rate machine.

He sat down next to her and took her hand.
“God, Liebling… I’m so sorry about everything. Don’t leave me, please. I need you. Our son needs you.”

After a while he took his mp3 and turned it on. He searched through the songs and found the one he was looking for. The soft music filled the room.
“Our song, Liebling. It made me remember you. And I hope it brings you back to me.” Urs held her hand in his and felt her softly squeezing it.
“Laura?”
She didn’t react, but in his heart he knew she was going to be ok.
“Rest, my love. I’ll be back soon. I’m gonna check on our son for a minute.” He gently kissed her forehead and left her, the music still playing.


Urs walked into the maternity unit. One of the nurses recognised him and led him to his son’s incubator. She carefully handed the little boy to him.
“He’s beautiful.” Urs whispered and stroked his sons’ cheek.
“Do you have a name yet?” the nurse asked.
Urs nodded. “Marcus Toni Bühler.”
He kept looking at the little creature. He looked so much like him. The shape of the eyes and the dark curly hair… But he had Laura’s nose.

“Hallo Marcus. I’m your Papa.”
The boy opened one of his hands and when Urs stroked it, he gribbed his father’s finger.
“You got a strong grip.” He chuckled. “I know your Mama will be very happy to see you. I hope she will wake up soon to see what a beautiful boy you are.”
“Why don’t you sit down, Herr Bühler?” the nurse pointed at a rocking chair.

Urs sat down with his son in his arm and gently rocked the chair. “That’s nice, isn’t it?” He looked at the nurse. “Has he been fed?”
She nodded. “Yes, we fed him a while ago. When your wife wakes up, we’ll bring him upstairs so that she can feed him.”

“Good. You know, your Mama is an amazing woman. She’s a pianist. And she plays in the orchestra from the group I sing in. You have a very musical family, my boy. And you’ll be travelling all over the world. You’ll learn a lot of languages and see some of the most beautiful places in the world.” Urs kept talking to his son.

After a while a nurse approached him. “I think it’s time we put him down for a nap.”
“Of course.” Urs kissed his son’s forehead and handed him over. “Take good care of him.”
“We will, Herr Bühler. Don’t worry.” She smiled.

Urs went back upstairs to see Laura. She was still asleep. He sat down in the chair by the window and closed his eyes.

Chapter 95: Baby love

Laura smiled at the sight of Urs. He was laying on his back in the meadow, while their son sat on his belly and laughed. Marcus tried to catch a butterfly with his small hands and shrieked happily.

Laura looked at the surroundings. The mountaintops stood out against the clear blue sky and the field was full of flowers. She felt the child in her belly kick and gently stroked it. Urs large hand covered hers and he smiled.
“Soon…” he whispered.


Laura opened her eyes and looked around the room. Where was she? She noticed the sleeping Urs in a chair and smiled. Her hand rested on her belly. But suddenly she panicked. The baby! Where was the baby?

When she tried to sit up, the monitor’s alarm went of and Urs jumped out of his chair.
“Laura, Liebling…”
“The baby! Where is my baby?” she tried to get up, but Urs gently pushed her down again.
“He’s fine, Liebling. Stay calm.”

The doctor and two nurses came running in and put the alarm off.
“You have a beautiful son, Laura.” Doctor Schmidt smiled. “He’s doing just fine.” He quickly examined her. “And so are you.”
“What happened?” she asked.
“The placenta came loose and you got an internal bleeding. We did a c-section to save your son. But the both of you are doing just fine. We are giving you some blood and medication to get your blood pressure down. So, try to stay calm.” The doctor squeezed her hand.
“Can I see my son?” Laura asked.
He nodded. “Of course. We’ll bring him up.”

Urs sat down next to her after they had left. “You scared me, Liebling.”
“You remember?” she asked.
He nodded. “Yes, I do. Everything. It was ‘Liebestraum’ that did it. When I heard the song, everything came back to me.”
“Thank God. I was so scared! I thought I lost you.” She whispered.
“I know. And I’m so sorry. It was so frustrating. I couldn’t remember who that beautiful woman was that carried my child.” He tenderly stroked her cheek. “I love you so much, Laura. More then ever.”

A nurse walked in with Marcus. “Here you go. Your son.”
Laura took him in her arms and touched his cheek. “He’s so beautiful.”
“He sure is.” Urs smiled.
“And he looks so much like his father.” She looked at Urs and he tenderly kissed her lips.
“He’s perfect. Just like his mother.”

“Shall we try to feed him?” the nurse asked after a while.
Laura nodded. Urs stood back when Laura fed their son. He looked at her and suddenly felt very hot. He swallowed when he felt a familiar feeling in his body. “I eh…. I’m going to Seb and Lorna to tell them you’re ok.”
Laura nodded. “Sure. Ask them to come by.”
Urs almost ran out of the room and sank down on a chair in the hallway.
“Get a grip, Bühler.” He grumbled and took a few deep breathes.

Lorna and Seb jumped up when he came into the waiting room.
“How is Laura?” Seb asked.
“She’s fine. She’s awake and she’s feeding Marcus right now.” Urs smiled.
“You called your son Marcus?” Lorna asked. “That’s a beautiful name.”
Urs chuckled. “And a beautiful baby, as I say so myself. Anyway… Laura said she wanted to see you, so…”
“Great!” Lorna said enthusiastically. “I can’t wait to see the little Bühler.”

While they walked back to the room, Seb looked at his friend. “Are you ok? You look a bit… flustered.”
Urs blushed even more. “Wait till you see your wife breastfeed your baby. Mein Gott, Seb… It’s such a turn on!” he whispered.
Seb patted his back. “Cold showers, mon ami. Lots of cold showers.”
“For the next 6 weeks.” Urs grumbled.


Laura held her son in her arms when Lorna and Seb came in. They both hugged her.
“Well done, Hun. He is truly beautiful.” Lorna said.
“Thank you so much for being there. I don’t know what I would have done without you two.” She shook her head.
Seb kissed her cheek. “Like I said before… That’s what friends are for.”

“You want to hold him, Lorna?” Laura asked.
“Yes, please!” She carefully took the little boy and held him in her arms. “Hi there.”
Seb smiled at the sight. In a few months she would be holding his child.
“We were wondering if the two of you would be his godparents?” Urs asked.
Lorna looked up. “I would love too.”
“Me too! I’ll teach him some French.” Seb said.
“Don’t turn him into a French playboy.” Urs teased.
“I’m not a playboy.” Seb said, trying to look angry.
“Not anymore.” Urs chuckled. “Lorna turned you into a decent husband.”
“You…” he looked at his friend and they both started laughing. Seb hugged him. “It’s so good to have you back. I missed you, mon ami.”
“It’s great to be back.” Urs looked at Laura. “Are you ok?”
She nodded. “I’m a little tired.”
“We’ll let you rest.” Lorna handed her Marcus. “Enjoy your husband and son. And we’ll come back tomorrow.”
“Thanks, Hun.”

After Lorna and Seb had left, Urs sat down on the bed with his arm around Laura’s shoulder. “Shall I put him in his crib?”
“Can he stay here?” she asked.
Urs nodded. “Yes, the nurse said he’s fine. He’s a healthy little boy.”
“Ok.” She kissed his forehead and handed the boy to his father.
Urs gently lay him in the crib. “Sleep tight, son.”
Laura looked at him. “Why don’t you go home to get some rest yourself?”
“I’m fine, Liebling.”
She smiled. “I know you are worried about us, but we are both fine. Get some rest and come back in the morning.”
He tenderly kissed her. “Ok. I’ll stay till you are asleep and then I’ll go home.”

And so he did. Urs kissed Laura’s forehead when she slept and took one more look at his son. “Don’t give your Mama a hard time. She needs to rest.” He kissed him as well and silently left the room.

Chapter 96: Proud fathers

Hi all!

I am a Daddy! I am so happy to announce you the birth of my beautiful daughter Maria on November 12th. I know that all fathers probably say this, but she’s the most beautiful baby girl I have ever seen. Well, she looks like her mother, so...

And I have the honour to tell you that our Urs became the father of a beautiful son on the 16th. His name is Marcus and according to Urs, he looks just like him. I bet he’s gonna be quite a heartbreaker as well!

Before I go, one last scoop…
Both Carlos and Seb will become fathers next year. The Divo family is getting large.

All the best to all of you, from all of us.
David

Indre looked over his shoulder and smiled at their little girl. “Daddy is such a softy.”
“Oh really?” David turned around and gathered her in his arms. “Can I help it that I think she’s the most beautiful girl on earth? Just like her Mommy.”
Maria stirred in her mothers’ arms and David took her over. “Yes, you are beautiful. And so sweet.”
“And Daddy is gonna spoil you rotten!” Indre chuckled.
“Yeah…Well….” He winked. “I love you Indre. And I can’t wait to make you Mrs Miller.”
“Me neither. Would you mind getting married in Lithunia?” she asked.
David shook his head. “Of course not. We should start arranging everything and set a date. Simon wants to see us next week, so…”
“Yeah... Cyd told me he’s getting grumpy because all of you are becoming fathers and want time off.”
“We can handle him.” He kissed his daughters’ forehead. “And I don’t want to miss my daughter for too long.”


Urs stood in the nursery and looked around. He had to get this ready before Laura and Marcus came home. But there was still so much to do.
“I’m ready.” Someone said behind him.

When he turned around, he laughed. Seb stood there with an apron, a cap on his head and a paintbrush in his hand.
He smiled. “Come on, Urs. Let’s turn this room into something beautiful.”
“You’re the best, Seb. Thank you so much.” He hugged his friend who handed him a paintbrush.
“Lorna went to the city to buy some things, but we can already start painting.”

That afternoon, Lorna was organising books, toys and stuffed animals in the nursery when Seb walked in. He leaned against the door and watched her. She was softly humming and he saw the happiness on her face. Once again it hit him how much he loved her. And soon their happiness would be completed with a baby.
He softly approached her and hugged her. “Je t’aime, Chérie.”
“I love you too, Seb.” Her smiling face made his heart jump up.
“I think it’s time you get some rest.” He scooped her in his arms. “And some cuddling.”
Lorna kissed him tenderly. “That would be very nice.”


Seb, Urs and Lorna turned the nursery into a little paradise. They worked side by side for 2 whole days and when it was finally finished, they looked around, smiling.
“Thanks guys. I couldn’t have done this without you two.” Urs said.
“You’re welcome. I just hope Laura will like it.” Lorna said, arranging a blanket in the crib.
“I’m sure she will.” Urs nodded. “I can’t wait to bring them home tomorrow.”


Carlos and Cyd came back home from her doctor’s visit.
She slowly hobbled to the bedroom and sighed when she sat down. “I can’t believe it. Stay in bed till they are born.”
“It’s for the best, Querida.” Carlos took of her shoes and threw back the covers.
“I know, but… What about Macy?”
“I’m here to take care of her. And I asked Patricia to move in here. She can take care of her and you while I’m away.” He kissed her forehead. “Don’t you worry about a thing.”
“I feel so guilty for letting you do all the work around here. You have your career. And now you have to take care of me and Macy.” Cyd sobbed.
Carlos smiled and hugged her. “That’s what husbands do, Querida. And I love you so much that I don’t mind doing all that. Now, get some rest and you’ll see that everything will work out just fine.”

Carlos stayed with her till she was asleep. He looked at his wife and smiled. He had always dreamt of having a family and now his dream was coming true. He was married to an amazing woman, he had the sweetest daughter and in a few months he would have three more.
“Life is beautiful.” He smiled when he walked out.

Chapter 97: Coming home

Urs proudly opened the front door. “Marcus Bühler is home!”
Seb and Lorna appeared from the living room to greet Laura. “Hi Hun. Welcome home.” Lorna smiled.
“Thanks. It’s great to be back.” She nodded.
“Bonjour, Marcus.” Seb tickled his feet and smiled when the little boy moved in his mothers’ arms. “He already recognises me.”
Laura nodded. “Of course. You are his godfather after all.”
“Let’s take our little fellow to the nursery.” Urs suggested.
Laura looked at him. “We didn’t finish it yet.”
Urs smiled. “Seb, Lorna and I spend some time in there. I hope you’ll like it.”

Laura gasped when he opened the door. The nursery was painted in a light purple colour with little hippo’s and turtles painted on it.
Above the crib hung a mobile with the same animals and a small orange turtle was placed in it.
“I couldn’t resist.” Urs shrugged.
“I can’t believe it.” Tears ran down Laura’s cheeks and Lorna gently took the baby and placed him in the crib.
She hugged Urs and he held her close.
“It’s the least I could do.” He brushed a kiss across her hair.
Laura looked up at him. “I love you so much, Urs.”
“I love you too, Liebling.”
“Thank you, Seb.” Laura hugged him. “Thank you so much. You’re such a good friend.”
“You’re welcome, Chérie.” He smiled.
“And Lorna…” Laura shook her head. “I owe you so much. You have done so much for me. I don’t know how I can ever pay you back.”
Lorna hugged her friend. “Hun, you don’t owe me a thing. We are friends and friends help out each other.”

“Urs, that crib… That isn’t the one we choose in the store.” Laura suddenly said.
He shook his head. “No, Vatti made this one. And he hopes that we will use it lots of time.”
“It’s beautiful! And the blanket… That’s the one I started to knit.” She said.
“That’s where Mutti came in.” Urs kissed her forehead. “You see, Liebling, there is nothing to worry about. In the end everything works out just fine.”
“You have such an amazing family.” She whispered.
“WE have an amazing family, Liebling.” He looked at their son. “Come on, we better let him sleep.”


Two days later, Seb and Lorna returned to Paris. They wanted to organise the nursery a little and start with the Christmas preparations.

While they were on a shopping spree, Seb found the most beautiful pram for a baby girl.
“Look at this.” He smiled.
“It looks a bit feminine.” Lorna said.
He nodded. “It would be perfect for a little girl.”
“And if it’s a boy?” Lorna asked.
“See… This is why we should have found out what it is.” Seb said.
“Seb!” she yelled and started to cry in the middle of the store. Seb knew that he shouldn’t have pushed her. He was only joking and Lorna knew that, but those damn hormones…

“Oh Chérie… I didn’t mean to upset you!” Seb hugged her and they slowly walked out of the store. Seb thought about the other girls and shook his head. None of them had been so emotional. It was like he couldn’t do anything right at the moment.


Laura was feeding Marcus when Urs walked in. He froze on the spot and swallowed.
“I eh… I’m gonna make a quick phone call to David. I’ll be right back.” He almost ran out of the room and Laura frowned.
Every time she fed Marcus, Urs ran out. It was like he didn’t care. Like he didn’t want to see it. Was he ashamed? Or didn’t he find her attractive anymore?

The next day she went for her check up.
“You’re in great shape again, Laura. And so is Marcus.” Doctor Schmidt smiled. “Is there anything you have problems with or want to ask?”
“Well…” she bit her lip. “It’s a bit… personal.”
“Laura, I’m a doctor. I hear lots of things here.” he smiled.
She sighed. “It’s Urs. Every time I’m breastfeeding Marcus, he walks out. It’s like he’s ashamed or… I don’t know.”

He nodded. “I see. It’s nothing to worry about. Some men are more susceptible to visual images then others. But you can still be intimate with him besides the most common way. Maybe you should try to talk to him about it. You have a very loving husband, Laura. That’s something I don’t always see. Don’t worry… Everything will turn out just fine.”


That evening the same scenario happened. Laura was feeding Marcus and Urs ran out again. She finished up and put their son down to sleep. “Be a good boy. I’m gonna make your Daddy feel good again.”

She walked downstairs and found him on the terrace, looking at the mountains. The cold December wind made her shiver. “Come back in, Urs. It’s freezing!”
“Ja. In a minute.” He nodded, avoiding to look at her.
“Please. I need to talk to you.” She touched his arm.
When he looked at her, he saw the love in her eyes.
“Ok.” He nodded and followed her to the living room.

Laura sat down on the couch. “What’s going on? Why do you always run out when I’m feeding Marcus?”
“I’m not. It’s nothing… I…” he stammered.
She shook her head. “Urs, please. We have always been honest to each other. Tell me the truth. Don’t you find me attractive anymore?”
“Liebling.” Urs sank down on his knees and crouched in front of her. “It’s just that I find you way to attractive. Every time I see you feeding him, I get so turned on and…“ He looked at his hands.
Laura took his hands. “I’m glad. And it’s not because we can’t actually sleep together that we can’t do anything.”
He looked up and kissed her tenderly. “Do you know how much I love you?”
“I love you too. And I will prove you just how much.” She stood up and hand in hand they walked to their bedroom.

Chapter 98: The big boss

A few days later, the men reunited at the Sony offices. Urs and Seb found it difficult to leave their wives behind, but luckily it was just for one day.
“Urs, mi amigo, congratulations!” Carlos hugged him brotherly. “How is the little boy? And Laura?”
“They are both fine, thanks. It’s so hard to leave them behind. He was still asleep when I left this morning and he looked so adorable.” Urs smiled.
“It’s great to be a daddy.” David nodded. “Congrats, buddy.”
“You too. How are your girls?” Urs asked.
“Great! Maria is so sweet. And you should see Steph! She always there to help Indre. Quite a change!” David said.
Seb and Carlos looked at each other. “In a few months we’ll be talking like that as well.” Seb chuckled.
“Si. And I will have three to brag about!” Carlos proudly nodded.

15 minutes later, they sat in front of Simon. He looked serious at the four guys, and they realised that he wasn’t very happy.
“Right, gentlemen… Il Divo… Does that ring a bell?” he asked.
“Of course.” Carlos nodded.
“You wouldn’t say. Look guys… I completely understand that you want to be with your wives, but you have a job to do as well.” Simon said.

Urs nodded. “We know that, Simon. It’s just that… Being on the road is so tiring and lonely. And we are all grown ups and we’re not getting any younger. If we want a family, it’s now that we have to do it.”
“I know and I’m gonna sound like the bad guy, but you guys knew what you got into when you signed the contract. I can’t keep giving you time off. The fans are asking for concerts. They are the ones that make you successful. You owe them.” Simon said seriously.

It was silent for a while. The guys just starred at each other, no one really knowing what to see.
Simon sighed. “Carlos, when is Cyd giving birth?”
“Well, she’s having triplets, so it’s hard too say. He doctor said they are will be premature and he thinks they will be here in February.” He shrugged. “But it could be earlier. Or later.”
“And Lorna is due in April?” Simon asked.
“Oui.” Seb nodded.
“Ok, I’ll organise a tour in March then. Let’s tour Europe. And starting in May, Australia and Asia.” Simon said. “And in the mean time, there will be TV appearances. I’m sorry guys, but the holiday is over.”

“I want my children to come with us.” Carlos stated.
The three others nodded.
“I guess I should hire another nanny then. Urs, should I replace Laura or will she still come along as our pianist?” Simon asked.
Urs smiled. “I think she will stay our pianist. If the nanny can look after Marcus at night, of course.”
Simon nodded. “Sure.”

They spend the rest of the day in Simon’s office. Plans were made and dates were set. It was late afternoon when they finally got out.
“Are you guys sure you don’t want to stay the night?” David asked.
Urs shook his head. “It’s really kind, David, but I want to go home. My wife and son are waiting for me.”
“And I need to get back to Lorna. She’s so emotional lately.” Seb shook his head.
“Hormones.” Carlos nodded.
“I know.”
The guys said goodbye and Urs and Seb took a cab to the airport.

“It’s hard sometimes.” Seb said after a while. “She is so emotional and starts crying for nothing.”
Urs looked at him. “It’s nothing to worry about, Seb. It’s normal.”
“I know, but… I don’t remember Indre or Laura being like that.” He sighed.
“Every woman is different. You can only support her, be there for her. And believe me, Seb, it will all be worth it.” Urs patted his back.
“I know.” He looked at his friend. “Thanks, mon ami.”
“You’re welcome.”


Urs silently sneaked into the nursery. Marcus was fast asleep, his little arms stretched out beside his head. He gave him a kiss on the forehead and tucked in the blanket around him. “Gute Nacht, mein Sohn.”

Laura had left the light on his nightstand on. He quietly undressed and got under the covers.
“Hi…” she whispered and nuzzled close to him.
“Hallo, Liebling.” He tenderly kissed her and held her close.
“Did you check on Marcus?”
“Yes, I did. He’s fast asleep.” Urs caressed her hair. “I missed you.”
She smiled. “It was so strange not having you around. And it was just one day.”
“I know. But soon we’ll be touring all together. With the kids.”
“Great.” She murmured, half asleep.
“Sweet dreams, Liebling.”


Seb quietly made his way to the bedroom. He saw that Lorna was already asleep and he smiled. He lay down beside her and put his arms around her, one hand resting on her belly. He could feel their child move. With a smile on his lips, Seb fell asleep.

Chapter 99: Christmas’ presents

“David, stop eating that sandwich with meat and take Maria!” Indre shouted.
“Just because Lithuanians don’t eat meat on Christmas Eve doesn’t mean that I can’t eat it as well. Where’s Maria?” David answered still chewing his sandwich.
“I’ve changed my mind. Take those bags that are in the kitchen. I will take Maria.” Indre sighed.
“I look like a camel.” David mumbled. “Why do I have to carry those heavy bags?”
“Honey, your daddy loves to complain about everything.” Indre kissed Maria’s forehead. “Steph, Dylan, are you ready?” David yelled.

When the large family finally got in David’s car, they drove to Carlos and Cyd. Indre would be preparing Christmas Eve’s diner there, using Lithuanian traditions. There would be 12 different meals with no meat or dairy products, but lots of fish, fruits and vegetables.
Of course, David was complaining when he heard that there wouldn’t be meat, but he knew that he’ll have to try all 12 meals and that was making him feel better. After all he loved food and big guys need to eat a lot…

When they all came to the Marins’, Cyd and Carlos were getting ready to go to the doctor. Before they left, Cyd showed Indre where she could find everything. David and Dylan were in charge of looking after Maria, while Macy, Steph, Patricia and Indre were preparing the meals.


Cyd lay on the table and looked at the screen.
“Everything seems to be ok.” The doctor said, moving the probe over Cyd’s belly. But then he frowned. ”Wait a minute.”
“What? What’s wrong?” Carlos starred at the screen and squeezed Cyd’s hand.
“Mr and Mrs Marin, it seems you’re not having triplets. You’re having quads.” The doctor smiled.
Carlos looked confused. “Quads? That’s…”
“Four? I’m having four babies?!” Cyd looked shocked.
“Yes.” The doctor nodded. “One of them was hiding behind the other one.”
“F-f-four…?” Carlos paled.
Cyd heard a hard thud and when she looked at him, he lay on the ground. “Carlos!”

When Carlos came back to his senses, he was very ashamed.
“I’m sorry, Querida, I…” he bit his lip.
“It’s ok.” She whispered. “Don’t worry about it.”

The doctor looked serious at them. “Mrs Marin, your blood results came back and it looks like you are having gestational diabetes.”
Cyd gasped. “No… Please, no.”
“What’s that?” Carlos asked confused.
“It means that your wife isn’t producing enough insulin to keep the sugar level down. It may cause health problems to the babies. Not necessarily, but it is possible. So I suggest that we bump up the date of birth. You’ll have to deliver them at 30 weeks.” Doctor Morris said.
“30 weeks?” Cyd looked shocked. “But they will be so premature then!”
He nodded. “Yes, they will. But we’ll have a whole team of doctors to look after them. It won’t be a problem.”

The doctor talked to them for a long time. He gave Cyd some more instructions and put her on a diet. It took her all her strength not to start crying.
“Mrs Marin, try not to worry. Your babies are gonna be just fine.” The doctor once again tried to reassure her. “And you have a loving husband who supports you.”
Carlos nodded. “Of course I do!”


David came to pick them up. He couldn’t stop laughing when he heard Carlos fainted.
“Stop it, Miller!” he grumbled.
“If you fainted now, what are you gonna to do when she’s actually giving birth?” he laughed.
“Oh that’s funny! How do you think you would have reacted when you would find out Indre was having four?” he snapped.

“I can’t believe it.” Cyd shook her head. “I’m already big as a house. And the nursery… We have to get one more in there. And how am I supposed to take care of four? And what if they aren’t healthy?”
Carlos took her hand. “We’ll manage, Querida. Do not worry about a thing.”
“Four babies…” She sighed.


When David came home with Cyd and Carlos, all 12 meals were prepared.
“Let’s see what your mummy is doing.” David came to Indre with Maria in his arms.
“Hey, honey.” Indre kissed Maria’s cheek. “Shouldn’t you be sleeping now?”
“I’ve tried everything, but she still didn’t fall asleep.” David noticed a sad look in Indre’s eyes. “What’s wrong, sweetheart? You look sad.”
“Well… I’m a bit sad, because it’s the second year that I’m spending Christmas without my parents and grandparents, so… It’s a bit hard for me.” She tried to smile.
David leaned in and kissed her tenderly. “Next year we will go to Lithuania and spend Christmas there. I promise.”

When Cyd and Carlos had freshened up, they sat down at the table to start diner. According to Lithuanian traditions the eldest man had to say a prayer before diner and give Christmas pikelet around the table that all could snap a peace of.
Carlos smiled. “Well, it’s a bit strange for me to say a prayer, but… I would like to thank God for bringing so much joy in our lives this year. I mean, our ladies got pregnant, Indre already gave birth to Maria and my Cyd will be giving birth to our quads soon. Everything is just perfect. And I hope that this will last forever. Amen.”
“Amen.” All repeated in unison and started diner.

When they finished eating, David sank down in the sofa. “I am full. My belly needs a massage.” He said stroking his bulging belly.
“David, you still haven’t tried all meals.” Cyd said. “I can say that I’ve tried them all. Well, I ate little portions, but the babies and I liked it.”
“I liked it too.” Carlos smiled. “It was delicious, Indre.”
“Yes, it was.” Steph nodded.
“Thank you, guys. I’m glad that you liked it.” She smiled.
“My fiancée is the best cook in the world.” David kissed Indre’s cheek.
“She sure is.” Cyd smiled and yawned. “I’m sorry, I am a bit tired.”
“That’s ok. You need to rest.” Indre said. “We are going home as well. Maria isn’t sleeping well, so I think she needs her own crib.”
“And David needs a massage…” David grinned.

Indre tidied the dining-room a bit and then they all went home. David wished Steph and Dylan goodnight, while Indre took care of Maria. The baby fell asleep as soon as she felt the soft covers of her crib.

Indre went to their bedroom where David was already lying in bed.
“So… Will I get a massage or…?” he winked.
“Well, maybe…” She rolled her eyes. “It will be the first time we are making love after Maria’s birth…”
“If you feel that you are not ready, we can wait a bit longer.” he tenderly stroked her cheek.
“No… I want this…” Indre nuzzled closer to David. “Just be gentle…”
“I will…” David turned her on her back, gently kissing her and caressing her body.

Chapter 100: Mothers

Seb and Lorna were at his mother’s house to celebrate Christmas Eve. Denise had made diner and it was fantastic. Mother and son both made sure Lorna had everything she needed and that she didn’t get too tired.

After diner, Seb handed her a present. “For my beautiful wife.
“Thanks, Seb”. She kissed his cheek. She opened it and gasped. “Seb! It’s beautiful!”



“It’s an eternity ring.” He put it on her finger. “To prove you that my love will never die. I love you, Chérie. Forever. And I will try to make you and our children happy.”
Lorna hugged him tight while her tears fell. “Oh Seb. I love you so much!”

Lorna dried her tears and handed Seb an envelop. “I asked the doctor to write down the baby’s sex. I don’t want to know, Seb, but you can. But please don’t tell me. And if you decide to buy things for him or her, hide them for me.”
He kissed her tenderly. “Thank you, Chérie. It means a lot. I’ll open it later. When I’m alone. Or tomorrow or… we’ll see.”

Seb and Denise cleaned up. When he returned to the living room, Lorna was fast asleep.
“I better take her home.” He whispered. He kissed his mother goodbye and went to the car to heat it up. Seb quickly ran back to the house, scooped Lorna in his arms and carried her outside.
She stirred in his arms and mumbled his name.
“It’s ok, Chérie. I’m here.” He carefully put her in the car and drove home.

When they finally got there, he carried her inside, undressed her and tucked her in bed. She hardly moved, but when he kissed her belly he was awarded with a little kick. “Goodnight to you too.”



Urs and Laura were celebrating at his parents. His sisters and brother with their families were there as well. The kids were unwrapping their gifts and he heard her and Janice laugh when one of the boys took place in a box and pretended it was a train.

Urs sneaked up to her and handed her a small velvet box. “From Marcus.”
She looked surprised. “Urs…”
“Open it, Liebling.” He smiled.
She gasped when she saw the golden heart pendant. “Oh my god… It’s beautiful!"



“The top one is your birthstone and the other one is Marcus’. And there is place for the others as well.” He winked and attached the chain. "And have you seen the inscription? 'Only one set of footprints is when I carried you'."
Laura hugged him with tears in her eyes. “Thank you so much.”
“You’re welcome, Liebling.”
“I have something for you too. When we get home.” She winked.
“Oh? Can you at least give me a hint?”
“6 weeks are over.” She whispered.
Urs looked at her and swallowed hard. “And you tell me this now? Just before diner? You little tease! You’ll pay for that.”
“Oh, I hope so.” She giggled.

Diner was hell for Urs. He couldn’t keep his eyes from Laura and shifted uncomfortable on his chair.
“Urs? Urs?!” his brother tried to get his attention.
“Huh? What?” startled he looked up.
“What’s the matter with you?” Christian laughed.
“Nothing, nothing.” He mumbled.

Greta looked at her son and Laura and smiled. “You want me to keep Marcus for the night?” she whispered to her daughter in law.
Laura blushed. “No, it’s ok. He needs to be fed during the night, so…”
Greta nodded. “Ok. But you can disappear after diner. Don’t worry about cleaning up or anything. And I’ll find an excuse. After everything that happened, you two need some time alone.”
“Thanks Mutti.” Laura kissed her cheek.

And so they did. After diner they sneaked out and drove home. Laura put Marcus in his crib after feeding him and she and Urs quietly left the room. He closed their bedroom door and looked at her. “You know, Liebling… I love you more and more every day. I don’t know what I would do without you.”
“I love you too, Urs.” She kissed him tenderly and he wrapped his arms around her.

Urs undressed her slowly. “You are even more beautiful now then before you gave birth to our son.”
Laura blushed. “Thanks.”
Within minutes they found themselves in heaven. And it was like Marcus sensed his parents needed some time alone, because he didn’t even wake up before morning.

Chapter 101: Trying out

On 2nd January, Cyd was admitted to hospital. She was having contractions and the doctor didn’t want to take any risks. They monitored her and the babies closely, to make sure nothing would go wrong.

The next day, Doctor Morris came to talk to her. “Mrs Marin, we are going to do a mock drill this afternoon. The four teams of doctors and nurses will be there. We don’t want anyone to panic on the big day and we want to make sure they all know who’s in charge of which baby.”
Cyd nodded. “Ok. It’s going fast all of a sudden.”
“Yes, it is. But don’t worry. I have full confidence in all of them.”
“How many people will be there?” Carlos asked.
“Well, each baby will have his own paediatrician and two nurses, a paediatric cardiologist, a paediatric neurologist and a pulmunoligist. And I will be there with two other nurses to take care of your wife.” The doctor smiled.
Carlos quickly counted on his fingers. “That means…. 27 people?”
“That’s right.”
“I can be there, right?” he asked.
“Of course, Mr Marin. Your wife will need you.” Doctor Morris smiled.

That afternoon, Cyd was brought to the operating room. Carlos sat by her side and nervously squeezed her hand.
Cyd smiled. “It’s just an exercise, Carlos. Nothing to worry about yet.”
He kissed her forehead. “I know, but… It’s exciting.”

“Ok… We are going to label the babies first.” Doctor Morris put the sonogram on the light box and the paediatricians gathered around. “Baby A, Baby B, Baby C and Baby D.” He assigned a team to each baby and the drill started.
“Baby C is on top and will be delivered first.” Doctor Morris stated. Team C gathered around and he handed them a baby doll. The team started working on it, while the doctor ‘delivered’ another baby. “Baby A is next.” Team A jumped in and did their job.
“Baby D.” Team D came in and took the doll.
“And finally… Baby B.”

Carlos and Cyd were amazed about the skills of the teams.
“It looks like they know what they are doing, Querida.” Carlos smiled at her.
She nodded. “I’m scared though. What if anything goes wrong? And with my diabetes…”
“It’s important that you try to stay calm at all times.” Doctor Morris said. “The babies won’t cry when they are delivered, so please don’t panic. It’s not the first time we do this. We’ll get you through this.”
Carlos nodded. “And I will be right here.”


When Cyd was back in her room that night, she caressed her belly. She felt the babies move and smiled at Carlos. “Well, the house will be filled up nicely. Just like you wanted.”
“It’s amazing. I’m so grateful for this beautiful gift.” He nodded.

Just then David, Indre and Macy came to visit her.
“Mummy!” Macy jumped on the bed and hugged her.
“Hi Honey! How are you?”
“Good! I went to the park with uncle David and Steph and Dylan and we feed the ducks.” She smiled widely.
“Really? That’s nice.” Cyd stroked her hair.
“Yes. And one of the goose chased uncle David. He was making noises and I think the goose didn’t like it. You should have seen him run!” Macy giggled.

Indre looked at her husband. “You didn’t tell me that.”
“Yeah well.” David blushed.
Carlos chuckled. “That would make a nice headline ‘Goose chases David Miller from Il Divo for autograph’.”
Cyd and Indre laughed out loud while David mumbled something.

“So Cyd… How are you?” Indre asked.
“Good. We did a mock drill this afternoon. It’s unbelievable how many people will be there.” She shook her head.
“Are you ok with it?”
“Of course I am. Although it freaks me out. I’m so scared that they won’t be healthy or…” Cyd swallowed.
Carlos gently touched her arm. “They will be fine, Querida.”

“Daddy?” Macy climbed on Carlos’ lap.
“Yes, Honey?”
“Can I still call you Daddy when the babies are here?” she bit her lip.
“Of course you can! I will always be your Daddy and you will always be my little princess.“ He kissed her forehead and she put her little arms around his neck.
“I love you, Daddy.”
“I love you too, Honey.”

Chapter 102: Baby boom

The morning of 6th January, Cyd’s contractions got worse. Doctor Morris did another ultrasound and nodded. “I think it’s time.”
Cyd took a deep breath. “Can you call my husband, please?”
“Of course. We won’t start without him.” The doctor smiled.

When Carlos arrived, they brought Cyd to the operation room.
“This is it, Querida. Our babies will be here soon.” He smiled.
“I know. I love you Carlos.” She squeezed his hand.
“I love you too.” He kissed her tenderly and looked at the doctor. “We are ready.”

The 4 teams took their places and Doctor Morris made the incision. The first baby came out and he smiled at Carlos. “It’s a son.”
Carlos gasped. “Querida, we have a boy.”
The baby was immediately brought away, while the doctor took out the second one. “Baby A is a girl.”
Cyd squeezed Carlos’ hand.
Within minutes the two other babies, both girls, were delivered as well.

Each baby was measured and weighted, and oxygen was given to them. Their eyes were taped, a heart monitor was attached to them and they got a drip in their nose to be fed.
They had to go through a lot of test to check if everything was ok with them.

Carlos proudly announced the names to one of the nurses. “The boy is Carlos Antonio, the first girl is Melissa Anne, the second one is Marissa Emily and the last one is Alexa Leila.”
Cyd was exhausted afterwards. She couldn’t hold back her tears when Carlos hugged her. “Three girls and a boy…”
“It’s wonderful, Querida. A Carlos junior... You have made me so happy.” He whispered.

A few hours later, the doctor came to see them.
“Mr and Mrs Marin, I’m afraid 2 of the babies are having problems. All of them have under developed longs, but that is normal. We are giving them oxygen until they can breath on their own. How ever, we are monitoring them closely for the next 48 hours. Marissa has a reflux problem. We have intubated her to feed her directly into the stomach.”
“Oh God…” Cyd gasped.
“You said two of them are having problems?” Carlos asked.
The doctor nodded. “Yes, I’m afraid Alexa has a heart problem. We’ll see how it develops, but it’s possible she needs an operation. She has a murmur in her heart. That’s a small hole.”
Cyd shook her head. “No… Such a small baby…”
“Will she be ok?” Carlos asked.
“Pray, Mr Marin.”
“Can we see them?” Cyd asked.
“Yes, but just for a minute. They are really tiny. Carlos weighs just over a kilogram, Melissa 950 grams, Marissa about 850, but Alexa weighs only 770 grams. Their eyes are taped and a lot of tubes are attached to them. Their bodies are covered with hair. That’s normal. It’s to protect them from the amniotic fluid.” The doctor explained.

They put Cyd in a wheelchair and Carlos wheeled her out to see the babies. They were lead to the neonatal ICU where the four little Marins were.
“They are so tiny.” Cyd whispered.
The nurse nodded. “Yes, but they will grow. Don’t worry.”
“Can we… hold them?” Carlos asked.
“No, I’m sorry. But you can put your hand in the incubator to touch them.”
Carlos gently touched his son’s hand. “Dios… My hand is even bigger then him.”

Cyd nodded, not able to speak. She just sat there, looking at her babies, overwhelmed by joy and concern.
When Carlos hugged her she realised she was crying. “It’s alright, Querida. They will live. We will pray for them. And so will our friends.”
“What if they don’t make it?” she whispered.
“They will. They are fighters, like their father.” His voice was trembling slightly.
Cyd looked at him and saw the unshed tears in his eyes. “You’re right. We have to be positive.”


A nurse brought Cyd back to her ward, while Carlos went outside to call David.
“I’m Daddy, David.” He said silently.
“Congrats, buddy! How are they? And Cyd?”
“Cyd is ok. Tired and very emotional. But the babies… They are so tiny. And two of them are having problems. It’s possible that they have to operate the smallest.” He said.
“I’m on my way. You don’t have to go through his on your own.” David said.
“Thanks, amigo. Can you tell Macy she has a brother and 3 sisters?”
David smiled. “Of course! She’ll be thrilled! And I’ll call the others as well.”

Chapter 103: Guilt

David and Indre were at the hospital in no time.
“You want to see them?” Carlos asked. “But you have to stay behind the glass.”
“I would love to.” David nodded.
“You guys go. I’ll stay with Cyd for a while.” Indre smiled.

When they had left, Indre looked at her. “How are you feeling?”
Cyd sighed. “Tired, happy, sad, scared as hell… You should see them, Indre. They are so tiny. I feel so guilty for letting them go through this. I mean… Yes, I wanted children. But they shouldn’t suffer because of that.” Hot tears streamed down her cheeks.
Indre sat down on the bed and hugged her friend. “Hun… They will be fine. Multiples are always much smaller then a normal baby.”
“I know. But two of them are not healthy. They have to make it. They have to!”
“They will, Hun. You have the best doctors here. And they will try everything to help them.” Indre said.

“That’s my son.” Carlos proudly pointed at one of the incubators.
“So small.” David whispered.
Carlos nodded. “I know. They have to stay here for at least 6 weeks. And in 3 weeks we are supposed to leave on tour.”
“Carlos…”
“I know it’s my job. But I need to be here, David. And if that means leaving Il Divo…” he shrugged.
“Have you told Cyd?” David asked.
“No. Not yet.”
“You know that she won’t agree.” David stated.
“Yes, I know. But she needs me. They need me.” Carlos nodded.
David patted his back. “I’m sure we can work something out.”


The next day, 2 couples and a baby made their way over to Cyd’s room.
When the door opened, Carlos looked up. “Dios! Seb, Urs!” He hugged his two friends before kissing the ladies. “And that must be Marcus.” He kneeled down next to the carry cot. “He looks just like his father.”
Laura smiled. “He sure does. How are you Cyd?”
“I’m ok.” She nodded. “Can I hold him for a minute?”
“Of course.” Urs proudly took his son and handed him to Cyd.
“He’s beautiful.” She whispered.
“How are the babies?” Lorna asked.
“They are ok. But so tiny. My hand is larger then they are.” Carlos smiled.
“Marissa and Alexa are having some problems.” Cyd handed Marcus to Carlos. “I hope they make it.”
“I’m sure they will.” Urs squeezed her hand.
“And the hardest thing is that we can’t hold them.” She smiled sadly.
“I heard them cry this morning.” Carlos said. “They sounded like little baby birds.”
“Can we see them?” Seb asked.
“Sure!” Carlos nodded. “You want to come, Querida?”
Cyd nodded. “Yes, please.”

The friends made their way over to the unit and looked through the window.
“Mein Gott, they are small!” Urs said.
While they stood there, they saw some commotion inside. Two nurses gathered around Alexa’s incubator and a doctor came running in.
“Carlos! What’s going on?” Cyd asked worriedly.
“I don’t know.” He ran to the door, but was stopped by a nurse.
“Go back up. The doctor will come and see you soon.” She said.
“What’s going on? What’s wrong with my daughter?” He tried to force his way in.
“Please, Mr Marin. Let us do our job.” The nurse looked at Seb and Urs, begging them with her eyes.
“Come on, Carlos.” Urs said and led him away, while Seb wheeled Cyd out.

They waited in Cyd’s room. Carlos was nervously pacing around, Cyd was biting her nails and the others looked at each other.
When Marcus started to cry, Laura looked at Urs. “I have to feed him.”
“We’ll ask one of the nurses to go somewhere quiet.” Lorna suggested and took the diaper bag.

When the doctor came in, Carlos almost jumped him. “What’s going on with our daughter?”
He looked at Seb and Urs. “Mr and Mrs Marin, maybe we should discuss this in private.”
“No. I have no secrets for them.” Carlos said firmly. “Just tell us what is going on.”
The doctor took a deep breath. “Alexa’s heart is failing. We have to operate her as soon as possible.”

Chapter 104: Waiting

On their way back to the room, Laura and Lorna ran into David and Indre. It was a happy reunion and they admired little Marcus.
“He will be a nice playmate for Maria.” David winked.
“Are you coming on tour with us, Indre?” Laura asked.
She shook her head. “No, I don’t think so. I got my job and I think Cyd will need me the first few months.”
“If Il Divo goes on…” David whispered.
Lorna frowned. “What do you mean?”
“Carlos won’t go on tour because of the babies. He doesn’t want to leave Cyd on her own.” David shrugged.
“Oh my… I bet Cyd isn’t gonna like that!” Laura said.
“No. But David went through that phase as well. I’m sure Carlos will change his mind.” Indre smiled.

When they came in Cyd’s room, they immediately saw something was wrong. Seb and Urs looked dead serious and Cyd was sobbing in Carlos’ arms.
“They need to operate Alexa.” Urs explained.
“Oh God.” Indre sat down next to Cyd. “Hun, I’m sure she’ll be fine. They need to do it to save her.”
“I know, but… She’s so tiny. So weak… What if she doesn’t make it?” she sobbed.
“She will, Querida.” Carlos held her close. “We’ll pray for her.”

“When are they going to do it?” David asked.
“Right now. They just gave permission.” Seb said softly. “It will be hours before there is any news.”
Urs saw Laura looking at Marcus and knew what she was thinking. “I’m taking Laura to the hotel. I’ll be back later.” He said.
Carlos nodded. “Thanks for coming.”
“Maybe we should go as well. You look tired, Chérie.” Seb said, looking at Lorna.
“Yes, I am. Don’t give up, Cyd. You have an amazing team of doctors that are taking care of your daughter. She’ll make it.” Lorna hugged her.
“Thanks.” Cyd whispered.


The two couples drove back to the hotel in silence. Marcus slept in his cot and Laura absentmindedly stroked his little hand.
Urs helped her out of the car and held her hand while they walked to their room.
“Are you going back later?” Seb asked.
Urs nodded. “Ja. I think so.”
“Let me know. I’ll go with you then.” He said.

Urs watched Laura putting Marcus to bed. He walked up to her and softly put his arms around her waist. “Are you ok, Liebling?”
“Can you imagine him going through an operation like Alexa?” she said softly.
Urs turned her around in his arms. “She’s gonna be fine. We need to have faith.”
“I know. But they are so small.” She shook her head. “It must be hard on Carlos and Cyd.”
“That’s why we are here.” He kissed her forehead. “Why don’t we get some rest as well?”

Lorna sank down on the bed and kicked of her shoes. She gently rubbed her feet.
“Let me do that.” Seb smiled and sat down next to her. He put her feet in his lap and massaged them softly.
“I hope this one isn’t premature. Poor babies.” She rubbed her belly.
“Oui. But they knew they were going to be small.” Seb said.
Lorna nodded. “I know, but you don’t really think about it until they actually get there.”
“I know.” Seb pulled her close. “Get some rest, Chérie.”


While Indre and David stayed with Cyd, Carlos made his way over to the hospital’s chapel. He sank down on a bench in front of the statue of Maria. “Madre, give me the strength to support my wife. And let my little girl survive.”
He stayed there for a while and prayed, not noticing anything around him. He didn’t even notice Seb and Urs, sitting down next to him. When he finally looked up, Urs handed him a handkerchief. He smiled at his friends. “Thanks, both of you.”
“You’re welcome.” Seb patted his back.
“Come. Let’s go and see Cyd.” Urs said softly.

It was late when the doctor came to see Cyd and Carlos. “The operation went very well.” He smiled. “We had to be very careful, but your daughter will be just fine. We need to monitor her closely for the next few days, but the most dangerous phase has past.”
“Thank God!” Carlos said. “Can we see her?”
“Of course. We gave her morphine, so she won’t move or anything.”

Cyd and Carlos were brought to the Intensive Care unit. Alexa’s tiny, little body had multiple I.V.s, chest tubes, heart monitor lines, arterial monitoring lines, a foley catheter and a ventilator.
Cyd gasped and squeezed Carlos’ hand. “Oh Carlos…”
“She’s fine now, Querida.” He said softly.
“I know it’s scary to see her like this, but it’s necessary.” The doctor said. “She will grow up to be a strong young lady. We’ll keep an eye on her the first year and she’ll need to come in for regular check ups.”
“Of course.” Carlos nodded. “Thank you, Doctor. I…”
“It’s ok, Mr Marin. I only did my job.” He smiled and left them with their little girl.