Chapter TWENTY-SEVEN and EPILOGUE


It was late morning when the others all arrived back at the house.

Urs and Honey had been up early to feed and dress the boys in the big kitchen, then play with them in the play area Urs had set up near the well shielded fireplace. An old hand at this now, Urs plunked Peter then Luke down in the enclosure, dumped part of the box of toys inside and stood back to watch as they scrambled around on hands and knees, laughing and grabbing their favorites. Any qualms about Urs getting truly involved with his sons fled as Honey watched him enjoying what they were doing.

He took Honey around the waist and set her gently inside the enclosure, kissed her cheek and left them to become acquainted again. Both of the boys looked at this woman who was sitting in their space, staring at her with their father’s eyes. Then Peter laughed and crawled over to her and climbed up her body to pat her face and tug on her hair.

Honey laughed and gently untangled his fingers. “You still like to play with my hair….” She said and put her hands around his sturdy body, lowering her mouth to his belly. “And I still like to tickle you,” she said as she rubbed her face into his tummy and made him squeal with laughter.

Urs watched as both boys explored their mother once more, climbing on her, sharing their toys, after a while cuddling up against her body for their morning nap. It made his heart lurch with happiness to see them together after so much had happened and so much time apart.

The twins were still sleeping when Honey woke and left the enclosure, lifted out by Urs in deference to her feet. She stayed in the circle of his arms for a moment, breathing in the scent of him, holding tight, not able to express in words how much this precious homecoming meant to her.

Only now did she really look around at what he had done to the place in her absence.

“Urs…how wonderful. This is exactly the way I wanted our home to look.”

He laughed. “I know, Liebe. I take instruction very well, don’t you think? Actually Katja gave me your drawings and I just followed what you started. I love it here, Honey. I would be happy to make this our home for the next 50 or 60 years.”

“And then what? You’re going to trade me in on a younger model? Just try it, Herr Buhler.”

“Won’t ever happen, Luv. I have a feeling you will find new and exciting ways to keep the mystery alive.”

He kissed her for a long moment, then sighed and set her on the sofa.

“I need to go out to the shed for more firewood, then we should change the dressings on your shoulder and feet. And it’s Christmas…everyone will be here before too long.”

Honey got to her feet and explored while he was outside. Katja had put up a Christmas Tree in the corner of the sitting area and it was piled high with presents underneath. She nudged a few to peek at the tags, noticed quite a few for the twins of course and a few with Urs scrawl, for Katja and Jason, the Divos, his family and for her. She was making her way back to the sofa when he came in and teased her about peeking at the presents.

“I feel bad, Urs. I didn’t have a chance to get you anything.”

He laughed and came over to snake his cold hands under her jumper and make her gasp with the chill.

“I got my present from you when the boys came home. Nothing could be more precious.”

He took Honey to the kitchen and sat her on the counter, knelt down at her feet to change the bulky dressings, inspected the blisters and raw patches for infection the way the doctor in Ramstien had shown him, put on more salve and re-wrapped her feet in fresh dressings. Next the jumper came off and since she couldn’t wear a bra because of the position of the wound Urs gave her a bath towel to protect her modesty in case their guests arrived. It was a good decision for just as he got the dressing about half removed, everyone arrived.

For a few minutes it was noisy as everyone came in and took off boots and coats, then after one look, Mami shooed everyone out of the kitchen into the Lounge while she took over the doctoring. Urs was reluctant to leave but Mami stared him down and he grinned at Honey and left.

“Now dear child, you must call me Anya. I love you already for making my Urs so happy and for giving us those adorable boys,” she said as she gently took the dressings off of Honey’s shoulder. “Ach, Mein gott…what have they done to you Child? This is from a bullet, Nicht wert?” she clucked over the holes back and front, both healing nicely but still looking raw and red.

Honey didn’t know what to say as Frau Buhler went on talking about family, about Urs as a boy, about how devastated he had been when they didn’t know if she was alive or not. Suddenly the small Swiss woman stopped talking and looked at the overwhelmed young woman.

“I talk too much when I am nervous. And today I am very nervous. I want so much for you to like us, to let us be your new family and I don’t let you say anything.” Anya smiled tentatively at Honey and only now was Honey able to see the family resemblance, the almond shaped hazel eyes, the high cheekbones, the dark, thick hair.

Anya was tiny, perhaps even shorter than Honey, with fine bones and delicate features and possibly the kindest face she had ever seen.

“Anya, I am so happy to be home, to be here with Urs and our sons….and to know that you are just as nervous as I am. Thank you for giving me your son.” She held her arms out to the small Swiss woman and they hugged, both a little teary with the emotions of the moment.

Anya helped Honey back into her jumper then called out for Urs, not at all surprised that he came immediately, she knew he wouldn’t have gone very far away.

“We need to join your guests. Your Schtute needs your strong arms.”

“Thank you, Mami,” he said and kissed his mother on the cheek. “She is a pretty lady, isn’t she? I did not exaggerate.”

Back in the Lounge, Honey found that the twins were awake and being held by Holly and Anna who cooed and tickled them. She met Urs father, Peter, who thanked her for naming one of his new grandsons after him.

Peter was tall, even more than Urs, a big man with a thick head of pure white hair and a smile that reached to your heart. Next to him was a younger version of himself, Urs brother, Henri, a young giant with the famed Buhler eyes and hair, though his was cut very short and more sandy than Urs. The three sisters of the immediate family all lived too far away to visit right now but in the next week should make an appearance, if of course they weren’t giving birth since all of them were expecting any time in the next two months.

For Honey the rest of the day was a blur of faces and talking, of the twins being passed around to all the admiring adults, of Katja and the women creating a massive meal, of gifts being distributed and opened. She was completely over whelmed by it all and was pleasantly surprised when Urs swept her away to the quiet of the nursery when it was time for the twins afternoon nap.

“I told Mami your eyes were glazing over with all the people and the noise, that you needed a nap too.”

Mami and Urs had put the boys down for their nap. Honey and Urs stood beside each small crib and she touched them gently, not wanting to disturb their sleep. Now she noticed a small daybed under the window, something she hadn’t noticed before in her pre-occupation with meeting her sons. Urs lay her on it, covered her with a soft blanket and crouched beside her, stroking his hand gently over her hair and face.

“I know it’s almost too much to take in all at once, but I couldn’t tell them to stay away. They have all been so concerned for you and have helped me keep up my courage while you were missing.”

Honey smiled and lay her hand over his. “I understand Urs. If I seem quiet it’s because for such a long time I had to be so careful not to talk much and give myself away. I just really need some time to adjust but knowing how much everyone cares helps a great deal. All of you make me feel so loved.”

“You are loved, Liebe and not just by me. Now close your eyes and rest a while. I’ll stay until you sleep.”

He sat on the floor, leaning back against the bed with his head just touching Honey’s hip and her hand on his shoulder.

She was soon sleeping peacefully and he stood quietly, turned on the Baby Monitor and left to re-join their guests.

**