Eva

The next year and a half was a bit of a blur. Starting that Summer, Eva and I took various classes in Educational Administration and she also had to take a couple of education classes, so I had more "free" time than she did. It was a lot of work to cram into that amount of time, but we did it. In between, we found days to drive down to Wayne and meet the staff and spent time with Joe DeMilo, the interim principal, getting an advance idea of how things ran at Wayne Day. We found out the school was even more prestigious than we had been led to believe. The school was right in the heart of the Main Line of Philly, where many of the wealthiest "old money" families lived and was one of three of the most sought after schools for families that didn't send their children to boarding schools. We wished someone would have told us, or maybe we should have looked into it more closely. We were going to be dealing with people who were very used to getting their way. Sometimes we felt like we were getting thrown to the wolves.

Cammy graduated in May and of course the three of us were there to see her graduate with high honors. That night we took her out for the best dinner we could find in the area before she went out to a party with her friends. We went with Connor back to our hotel and the next day we helped her pack up the rest of her things. Cammy was a bit hung over (OK, a LOT hung over) so Eva and I had to do a lot of the work while my sister watched Connor. Then I drove Cammy's car back to Queens with Connor next to me (kids didn't have to ride in the back in 1988) while she rode with Eva. We threw her a graduation party over the weekend and she stayed with us during the summer, relaxing with friends and a couple of guys between getting a start on her law school reading.

At the party, my vivacious sister came up to me while I manned the grill. "Jon, I can't thank you enough. You and Eva made all this possible. I couldn't have done this without you. Mom and Dad are watching from somewhere and they're very proud of you." She leaned up and kissed my cheek.

"It's you they're proud of, kiddo." I still called her that sometimes, affectionately. "Look at all you've accomplished. Ivy League education and about to start one of the finest law schools in the country. My amazing sister."

"Jon, I wouldn't be doing this if it wasn't for you and Eva. If I had had to stay with Dad, my life would have fallen apart. You two gave me stability and a lot of love. The brains are mine. The support I needed was from you. But there's one thing I'm mad at you about."

"Mad at me? What the hell for?"

"I compare every man I meet to you, brother, and almost none of them measure up. I'm not settling for less than someone of your high quality. I'd rather be alone."

That got to me and I choked up a bit, unable to answer her for a minute. Then Connor came over to assist his dad and I found my voice. "Thank you, Cammy. That's so sweet of you to say."

"What did Aunt Cammy say to you, Dad?" Connor asked with curious eyes.

"I told your father that the man I eventually marry would have to be just like him, a great, kind and loving man. No one less will do. You've got the best parents, sweetie."

"I know that already, Aunt Cammy. We got lucky, didn't we?"

"We sure did, honey. We sure did."

"OK" I said, trying to break up my fan club before I cried in front of everyone. "Connor, take that tray of burgers inside for your mom to put on buns. Then come back for the dogs." My happy, brilliant son carried those hamburgers like a platter of precious jewels. "You're crazy, sis, you know?"

"Crazy about my brother and 'sister'. I love you both so much. And don't get me started on Connor. I may kidnap him for a weekend and take him to the Jersey Shore. Just him and me."

"Ha! That will drive off the men. Guys your age don't talk to women with kids."

"I'm not going to meet guys. I just want a weekend with my nephew. Please?"

"I'll talk to Eva, but we both know she'll be fine with it. So we just have to pick a weekend. Connor will love it. The beach and ski ball. Sounds like a lot of fun. And, as much as I adore my son, Eva and I could use a quiet weekend to ourselves."

So three weeks later, Cammy drove down to Sea Bright with Connor and Eva and I had a weekend to relax, we went to an R-rated movie and had a nice dinner in a restaurant Connor hated. And we had great sex. Dirty, lusty, fun sex.

The next year flew by. Eva's parents watched Connor a number of times so we could get caught up on schoolwork. Will got engaged to his girlfriend during Thanksgiving weekend and they set the wedding for April a year and a half away. Connor got big, tall for his age on his seventh birthday. Cammy did great her first year in law school, seven A's and a A- over the year. Of course, she was pissed about the A-.

Eva and I finished the courses we needed that May as well. We were certified for our new jobs and we decided to take a family vacation before we started to pack up the house, which had been on the market since March. We'd had a few nibbles but no serious offers. If we didn't sell by when we had to move in mid-August, Eva's parents would help with the sale.

The day after Connor finished school, June 23, the three of us flew to San Francisco for a few days, then we drove down the Pacific Coast Highway, stopping at various sites like Carmel, Monterrey, Big Sur and San Luis Obispo overnight on our way to LA. It was a great time, also spending time in Malibu and Santa Barbara, then five days in Los Angeles. Of course we had to take Connor to Disneyland. We saw a few old friends from college in LA. And while we were gone, an acceptable offer came for the house. We took it and the new owners were going to move in on October 1, six weeks after we moved.

The six weeks from when we returned to when we moved were hard. Packing memories was tough enough. Finding time to say goodbye to so many important people in our lives was even harder. We had friends from college, friends from work, even some friends from high school. Then there were relatives. You'd think we were moving to China the way people were acting. But honestly, most of them we never would see again. That's how life goes. People move on.

We weren't taking much in the way of furniture; the home on the grounds came furnished so we were only taking personal things, like artwork and other touches that made a house our home, and the things for Connor's bedroom and a family room. Every other room was furnished in a style that blended with the style of the house. It was a good-bad situation. The house was expensively decorated, but it wasn't our own taste. And that would always be a reminder that we were, in effect, mere tenants and not owners. Not that we could have afforded such a house.

From August 1st to moving day we tried to spend as much time as possible seeing the people important to us. Our closest friends from school, Karen and Mike. A few people Eva worked with. And most of all her family and my Aunt and Uncle, Annette and Phil. Since we weren't taking a lot of furniture with us, packing didn't take as much of our time as it would have under typical circumstances. What did take a lot of time was the melancholy we experienced as we packed our most personal things. Pictures and photo albums, works of art we'd bought and inherited over the years, gifty things like crystal and colored glass, which we loved. They all reminded us of specific people and events in our lives and there was a natural sadness that came with packing those things to move. What we weren't taking, most of our furniture and small appliances Phyllis and Harold were going to try to sell.

August 13 we went out with a large group of friends, who refused to let us contribute to the huge dinner and liquor bill since we were the guests of honor. It was a boozy night, though Eva and I kept from drinking too much since we had things to do the next day. But that didn't stop us from being very playful when we got home. Connors room was thankfully far enough away from ours and he didn't hear a sound of his father attacking his giggling mother.

The 14th, our last full day in Queens, we stopped at some favorite places: our favorite bagel store; our favorite pizza (Amore of course) and for dinner, fourteen of us met for dinner at, drumroll please...Marco's. Eva, Connor and I, Phyllis and Harold, Will and his fiance and Walt and his girlfriend, and Aunt Annette and Uncle Phil and Nick and my cousins Nick and Jerrold. And Cammy of course, who was living with us during the Summer. Ten people all to say goodbye to Eva, Connor and I. The three of us were crying but there were calls for me to make a speech.

"I don't know what we're going to do without all of you nearby. You're all the very best family anyone could ask for in their lives. When things were at their darkest, when my mom got sick and my dad had his troubles, you were all there for me and Cammy, and for Eva, who was the anchor in my life. My love," I said, turning to Eva for a minute, "you saved me and you saved my sister. We couldn't have gotten through that time without you." Then I turned back to everyone else. "And we couldn't have made it though without all of you good people. You're all amazing in your own way. And you're all invited to visit us whenever you want...within reason." That got a few laughs. "Seriously, you're the best family there is and you're all special to us. We love you and we're going to miss you. So don't be strangers, because it will probably be December before we can get back to New York to see you."

There were a lot of tears around the table. Eva got up and kissed me, a very passionate kiss in front of our loved ones. Then I got Connor up and we both kissed his cheeks. He didn't mind at all; he was a sweet, loving kid and still is to this day, though he's hardly a kid anymore.

When we left there were a lot of kisses from everyone and it took a while for us to get to our car. Eva was crying heavy tears; she was leaving her parents and brothers behind and it was hitting her hard. Leave it to Connor to get his mother's mind off her sorrow. "Mom, Dad, could you tell me what my other grandparents were like? I'd really like to know." It was something we'd talked about before, but he knew this would help his mother, even if he heard everything for a second or third time over. Eva dried her eyes with a tissue and we both told him what wonderful people they were. We left out certain facts about the last years of his grandfathers' life; maybe when he was an adult it would be time to talk about that. Not at seven years of age. I told a few stories from my childhood, funny stories, like how my mother loved to sing even though she couldn't carry a tune. How when I was young, until I was ten, my dad smoked these godawful smelling cigars, How they loved to take me and my sister to the Bronx Zoo every year, like Eva and I did with our son the last three years. All nice memories that made me long for my parents.

When we got home, Cammy was there already, She helped us with a few last minute things while Connor got ready for bed, then we all got ready to go to our respective bedrooms. Cammy looked around and said "This was a great home, guys. Not a fancy or luxurious home. Not huge. But from day one it was always filled with loving people. You both made this house a home the minute you moved in. I love you all more than I can say." Then she disappeared into her room before Eva or I could respond. Connor kissed us like he did each night and he went to his room.

Eva and I looked around, our last night in our first owned home together. "Your sister is a piece of work, Jon. She knew just the right thing to say." She gathered closer to me and said "I'm really going to miss this house. I think we were happy every day we were here."

"I think you're right, Angel. We did all right, didn't we?"

"Yes we did, Bear. My gentle Bear. Would you make love with me one more time in this house?" Her eyes pleaded with me, unnecessarily. I silently took her hand and we closed the door quietly when we entered our room.

We kissed, sharing love and tenderness, warmth and desire. Eva's t-shirt fell to the floor as did mine, then my shorts and briefs were off a split second before her panties joined the pile. Then I scooped her up in my arms before gently placing her on our bed. "You're so sweet, Bear. I can't imagine any man who could be a better lover than you are. And I know there isn't any man out there who could love me more than you. It's not even close."

"That's because such a man doesn't exist. I love you more than anyone could, Angel. I think I have from our first date. Maybe the second. Definitely the third."

She smiled a warm and teasing smile. "It took you until our third date? I knew by our second."

"It might have been our second for me. But I was certain by the third. And the first time we made love was heaven on earth." We kissed tenderly with enough heat for us both to be very aroused.

I pulled her on top of me and Eva held my cock as she eased herself down. A deeply loving smile shone on her beautiful face, her blue eyes glowed with love as we stayed like that. Eva just rocked forward and back as I made myself twitch inside her very warm, inviting sex. She held my hands in hers as she kept moving and I moved my hips slightly in unison with her. Eva bit her lower lip as a gentle climax rocked her soul, then she leaned over and kissed my lips, my neck, and my chest including my nipples.

"You're making me shiver all over, Angel. Wonderfully." I let go of her hands and caressed her ass and thighs, then her hips and breasts, lightly teasing her hard nipples in a way that made her gasp each time. We kissed hard and she came again, a much more powerful orgasm as my prick throbbed over and over as my own orgasm approached. Eva could sense it and started moving faster. And then faster still.

"Cum for me, my sweet Bear. Fill me with your love." She squeezed me with her incredible pressure and I came inside her, spreading my seed throughout her pussy into her cervix. Then she fell on top of me and we kissed over and over, mostly short, sweet kisses with a few bigger ones.

After a while I turned us both on our sides, facing each other. I touched her cheek and kissed her nose. She smiled back at me. "Our last love in this house, Bear. And it was as great as any of the thousands of times before. Eight years here. We created Connor here. There are so many great memories here." She started crying and I held her, but honestly, I was crying too. It was hard to leave our first home, not counting the apartment.

"Angel, we'll create new memories in our new home. I know we feel like we bit off more than we can chew. But when have we ever had a challenge we couldn't meet? We're going to be successful there and live there a long time." I was actually as scared as Eva was, but I felt it was my job to instill confidence in both our hearts. "It's going to be a huge challenge but we're up to it, honey. We can do anything together."

Eva kissed me and then we turned on our backs and held hands in the dark room. Our last night in our bedroom, in our home. We fell asleep like that, holding hands. It comforted both of us.

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We got up early, 7AM, so we had time to take showers, eat something and get the last minute things together, like stripping the beds, emptying out the refrigerator, packing the things in the bathrooms. The movers showed up promptly at 9 and started putting Connors bedroom into the van, then the family room, then the dozens of boxes. It really wasn't a lot; more was getting left behind than was coming with us. Within two hours, everything we were taking was packed in the van.

The four of us stood outside the house, not one of us dry eyed. We looked at our small, loving home for as long as we could before we finally had to say goodbye. It was even harder than we expected it to be.

We had hired a couple of students from Queens college with clean driving records to drive Eva's and Cammy's cars down to our new house for a few hundred each, plus we paid for their return trip on Amtrak. It wasn't a hard drive, only 2 1/2 hours down, easy money for them. That way Cammy could ride with us in my car, now a '88 Jeep Cherokee. I'd gotten rid of my beloved Ford six years before, sadly. But I'd come to like my Jeep with a four wheel drive.

The beginning of the drive was very quiet, each of us lost in our own thoughts. Once we put on some music and we all sang along, our mood lightened. The drive went quickly.

We pulled up in front of the house, as I've said, a beautiful old Colonial, red brick and white columns in front with a semi circular driveway and a garage around the side. I had the keys (they had been shipped to us) and I let us in so we could explore while we waited for our cars and the furniture van. While it wasn't what Eva and I would have chosen, we admitted to ourselves it was a beautiful house. Lot's of mahogany along the walls and the bedroom furniture, including a four poster bed in the master bedroom. There were three large fireplaces, one in the master bedroom, one in the family room and one in the library. Large windows let a lot of natural light in and most of the furniture in the sitting areas was rich leather and again, dark woods, We could be comfortable there. The house would grow on us.

Then the movers came, right before the cars arrived. I paid the students and Cammy drove them to the local train station, only five minutes away, which took them into Philly to the Amtrak station. She was back in less than 15 minutes.

Cammy came back inside and she was impressed. "I can't believe this house comes with your job! It's amazing! I may stay here full time!" she joked. It was much more convenient for her to live in the Penn Law housing, just a block from her classes and so she could meet with her study groups. But she was welcome anytime, particularly on weekends and holidays.

Cammy helped Connor set up his room, posters of his favorite baseball and football players plus a few music posters. Eva and I had looked ahead and saw the Grateful Dead was coming to play at the Spectrum in November and we had tickets to take him to his first concert.

A couple of hours later, we were all starving so we stopped for a while and I went with Connor to get some sandwiches. We were on our way back when I asked him "So, what do you think of the new house?"

"I kind of like the old house better." He was honest.

"Me too. But its a beautiful house. I think it will grow on us. We just have to give it time. We have four weeks before school begins on the 10th. We'll find some time to do some exploring around here and see what fun things there are to do. We'll make this home soon enough, Connor."

"Dad, I know. I miss my friends already. Grandma and Grandpa too. It's hard." He looked up at me, his sandy hair all ruffled.

"Tell you what. Tomorrow, we'll go buy a grill for the backyard. Just you and me. Then we'll get some chicken and some burgers to cook on it, some corn. Even some asparagus." I smiled at him while he made a face. He hated asparagus. Not that he ever really tried it.

We got back, washed up and ate at a table in the backyard, covered by an umbrella. It was a big yard, about a quarter acre, with a pretty tree line at the back. While we were eating, the doorbell rang. We weren't expecting anyone, but people from the school knew we were moving in that day.

I went to get the door and Joe DeMilo was there as well as a couple of people from the administrative office and a couple of teachers as well as some of their spouses. They had a few bottles of wine and a case of beer along with some homemade food. It was a nice start to our tenure at Wayne Day and it made us all feel very welcome.