Adult-FanFiction.org : Celebrity

All of the Above	By : jai Category: Individual Celebrities > Athlete/Sports Misc Views: 3262 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction. I do not know the people written about in this fanfiction. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

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January 7, 2017 Sydney, Australia

They woke up early and after breakfast, set off for their day’s adventure to the Aquarium right at nine. The oldest seven had only agreed to ride in the buggies after intense negotiations and a promise that they could walk around at the Aquarium. Once in the ferry terminal, Pieter and Chloe spilt off to buy tickets as the rest continued down to the wharf to get ready to board.

As usual, the sight of so many children neatly attired in matching red T-shirts riding in six-seater red buggies drew eyes, but aside from the stares, people seemed to respect the children’s presence and didn’t bother them. Ian had already researched taking the buggies on the ferry and had determined that it was safer for the kids to walk or be carried, so they started unloading, making sure the kids knew to stick close.

“Dad! Dad!” Jamey said as he tugged on Michael’s shorts.

“Jamey! Jamey!” Michael replied in the same tone.

“Dad, the lady said people climb the bridge!”

“What lady?”

Jamey turned and pointed at a big plasma TV that was playing Sydney tourism tips. “See? There’s people on the bridge. Can we do that?”

“Hm,” Michael said thoughtfully, “do any of those people look like they’re five?”

Jamey squinted to see better (Michael made a mental note to have the boys’ eyes examined) and shook his head sadly. “No. But Dad, it looks like fun!”

“It does, but I think you have to be older to do it. Ian?”

“Yes, love?” Ian said absently as he tied the laces of Isabeau’s tennis shoes for the third time that morning.

“How old do you have to be to climb the bridge?”

“I don’t know, sixteen I expect. Could be younger. You’re certainly old enough, but I won’t be going with you.”

“There’s the answer, Jamey. I guess you’ll have to wait for a few years.”

Raising the eyebrow at the thought of Jamey climbing the bridge, Ian saw the look of disappointment on his son’s face and tried to think of an alternative. “You know, we could walk across the bridge if you’d like. It’s not the same as climbing, but its fun too.”

Jamey almost danced with happiness, “Really? I’m old enough?”

“Sure you are. We might be able to fit it in this week, depending on our schedule. Grant, hey Grant!”

Grant finished straightening out Callum’s shirt and came over, “What?”

“Want to walk across the bridge tomorrow?”

Grant gave him a suspicious look, “Why?”

“Because Jamey is too young to climb it.”

“Oh. Well I suppose we could. Haven’t walked it in a while.” Grant shrugged. “I wonder if Chloe’s up to climbing it. Pieter’s always wanted to, and she’s old enough.”

“She is?” Gail asked, surprised.

“Yeah, Pieter’s been burning up the web lately and he happened to mention it the other day. Twelve is the cut off.”

“Well, if she’s game, I have no objections.” Ian said, then noticed Koos’ eager look. “Are you interested in climbing with them?”

Koos nodded, “Yes. I’ve never been climbing on a bridge before. If Pieter is brave enough, I should be also.”

Grant grinned and rolled his eyes from behind the younger man, who still had a serious case of hero worship for his accomplished countryman. Grant was careful not to tease Koos or Pieter about it, but it was amusing – at least Koos was finally calling Pieter by his first name instead of “Dr. van den Hoogenband”.

Pieter and Chloe returned with a stack of Sydney transport passes, and they went over to get in line. The older kids loved the big boat, but the younger kids were a little nervous as they got on board and found seats. The boat’s crew was happy to stow the buggies out of the way, and they were soon motoring below the bridge.

Getting off the boat was a little tricky because the kids were impatient, but they waited for most of the other passengers to move out, and they finally made it back to solid ground and into the Aquarium. The huge tanks of fish and interactive displays were interesting enough to catch the children’s attention, although they were quite disappointed that swimming wasn’t allowed. Pieter made a quick stop in the gift shop to buy a few small items for the children, then they were off to lunch.

They walked across the Pyrmont Bridge, almost a bigger hit than the aquarium, and traveled through the Star City Casino to the Garden Buffet. The restaurant was used to large groups, but the staff made quite a fuss over the children. That was a good thing because between the tykes and Michael, the restaurant almost ran out of ‘endless’ prawns. After the usual twenty trips to the bathroom, they were ready to go except that Ian forgot to make his own pit stop.

“Ian, we’ll meet you outside. I don’t trust the kids with that fountain downstairs.” Grant said, leading the group out.

With his business taken care of a few minutes later, Ian headed for the entry only to be stopped by a group of chatting women coming through. He politely stepped aside and was almost out when he heard someone say his name. Turning around, he saw a face he’d hoped he’d never see again.

“Sylvia?”

“Ian! How wonderful to see you! I had no idea you were back in Sydney!” His former girlfriend leaned up to air kiss him, clutching his arm with her perfectly manicured hand.

Ian hid a wince at her speech pattern; he could practically hear the exclamation points, and he was reminded of why he’d broken up with her, well one of the numerous reasons. “It’s good to see you too. How have you been?” Dammit! He shouldn’t have said that.

“Fine! Wonderful, actually! I’ve been working at an investment firm, and it’s so interesting!”

“That sounds great but-“

“So what have you been up to? How’s – uh, Michael?” Sylvia said brightly as her hand tightened.

Well that wasn’t obvious at all, Ian thought. “Michael’s fine. Speaking of-.”

“Oh! How rude I am! Ian, these are my friends-” Ian nodded as she spouted off names but didn’t pay attention. “Girls, obviously you all recognize Ian!”

From the looks the friends were giving him, it was obvious they were aware he and Sylvia had dated, but he was sure they’d gotten the ‘Sylvia version’ and not the actual truth. He discretely tried to tug his arm away. “Nice to meet you all. Sylvia, it’s been lovely to see you again but I really-.”

“Ian, please! It’s been so long and we’re having a long lunch; surely you’ll stay and tell us all about life in Philadelphia and your time at Wharton!”

Right, she knew where he lived and where he went to school but not his husband’s name? Ian could feel his patience running out and that was saying something for a man with ten kids. “Really I’ve-.”

“Pops? Are you coming?”

His daughter suddenly looked like a knight in shining armor as she stood in the doorway. Of course, she’d be in platinum armor because – wait. Let’s not get sidetracked here. “Yes I am. Chloe, this is an old friend of mine, Sylvia Davenport. Sylvia, this is my daughter Chloe.”

“Hi.” Chloe said, politely.

“Oh! You’re the little girl who went to the Olympics! Ian, you must be so proud of her and winning those medals must have been so exciting! Look girls! Isn’t she the most adorable thing? No wonder you adopted her, Ian!”

Ian saw the look on his mature, beautiful daughter’s face and felt a bit sorry for Sylvia. If there was one thing he’d learned from Chloe and her friends, it was to never call a teenager a ‘little girl,’ especially one who, at five nine, was taller than the person using the term.

“Nice to meet you, Mrs. Davenport.”

“Oh, please! Call me Sylvia!”

Ian was suddenly freed as Sylvia reached out to grope Chloe but his daughter, proving once again that she was smarter than he was, nimbly slipped to the side.

Sylvia didn’t seem to be aware of the maneuver as she prattled on in a phony confidential manner. “I’m sure Ian has never mentioned me, but he and I used to be quite close! The times we had together! But that isn’t for little ears! Ian-”

Chloe blinked and looked so innocent that Ian almost bought it. “Oh. Are you the one who barked like a dog during sex or the one who didn’t bathe?”

Sylvia’s face went pale then bright fuchsia as her mouth flapped open. Her friends looked half shocked and half titillated while Chloe stood there as cool as a cucumber and turned to Ian.

“Pops, we’d better get going; the kids saw the sign for the carousel and they’ve probably talked the other dads into going by now. It was really nice meeting you, Mrs. Davenport.”

“Right. Sylvia, I’m glad I ran into you. Ladies, nice to meet you.”

Ian waited until they going down the stairs before speaking, “Uh. Well. Not that I totally approve of your methodology, I appreciate the rescue. Sylvia was never easy to get rid of.”

“Sorry, I was rude, Papa, but she was weird. She reminded me of that coach from England: ‘You! Must! Swim! Faster!’ Ugh. How could you date someone like that?”

“If it makes you feel any better, it didn’t last long.” Ian said as they found the rest of the family and he stopped next to Michael. “Sorry about that.

“What took so long?” Michael asked as he stood up after tying Garret’s shoe.

“Oh, I ran into an old girlfriend.”

“Ah ha!” Grant exclaimed. “That *was* Sylvia Davenport! I thought I was having a bad dream. How’d you get away?”

“Chloe came to my rescue.” Ian replied, as they started moving.

“So how was dear Sylvia?” Grant asked, tongue firmly in cheek.

“Still! As! Great! As! She! Ever! Was!” Chloe quipped, causing Ian and Grant to laugh. “Seriously Pops, how desperate where you?”

“Hey, I married your father. Don’t I get any points for that?”

“Nah, that doesn’t count since Dad’s the one who pursued you. So what are we doing next?”

“We have a couple of options.” Ian said, pulling out his map and happy to drop the subject. “We can walk down a little way and catch the ferry or stay here and catch the bus for the scenic trip to the Opera House.”

“I vote for the ferry if we’re going to spend a couple of hours at the Gardens.” Grant said. “The quicker we get to a place the kids can run, the better.”

Everyone agreed with that sentiment, and by one thirty, they were back at Circular Quay. Grant checked the bus routes, and they decided to bus over to Mrs. Macquarie’s Point so their explorations would be bringing them back towards the hotel and not further away. They lucked out and managed to get everyone on the same bus, and they made it off just as easily, moving quickly off to the side to regroup.

Michael and Sheila applied sunscreen and bug roll-on all around, Grant and Koos took care of the hat situation, Pieter and Gail did diaper duty (since they were close to a bathroom), Jack and Chloe scouted ahead to the Point while Ian did the lecture for the oldest kids as the youngest were already showing signs of napping.

“Okay kids, we’re going to walk down that path. No running in this area please. There is water here, so please obey the water safety rules. Sheila and Gail are going to be walking in the front. If you go past them, you are back in the buggy – no arguments. Stop when you see Chloe and Mr. Jack. Is everyone ready?”

The dads took their typical place behind the kids, ready to pick up stragglers and keep a general eye on the mayhem.

“Sorry about that, Michael.” Ian said, once they had a chance to talk.

“About what? Running into an old girlfriend?”

“Well, yes, I suppose.”

“Don’t worry about it. Anyone who is bad enough to make Grant drop to the floor in a panic is not someone I’m going to worry about.”

“I was not panicking! I was merely checking the wheels of the buggy in an expeditious fashion.”

“Grant, even I won’t buy that one, and I love you to distraction,” Pieter said, “What was so bad about Sylvia, and how did Chloe rescue you?”

“Sylvia is, uh, rather emphatic in her speech patterns. It doesn’t sound so bad but – Alexander Ian Thorpe-Phelps! I’d better not see you get one inch closer to that! – Well, she talks like that but all the time. Chloe asked if she was the one who barked during sex or the one who didn’t bathe.”

“What? That was really rude!” Michael exclaimed.

“I know, Love, but it was effective, and I’ve already spoken to Chloe about it.”

“I’d hope so. Hey, where she get the barking during sex thing?” Michael asked suspiciously.

“Not from me!” Ian immediately exclaimed.

“Okay, I wasn’t accusing you or anything. It almost sounds like she watched Porky’s, and she’s not really old enough to watch that movie. I’ll have to ask Miles about the movies they showed during camp.”

They finally arrived at the Point to find the older kids on the seat with Sheila and Gail as Jack took a picture. They chivvied the younger ones into posing and took several other shots in various combinations before Marah and Beatrix fell asleep. While he was putting Marah back in the buggy, Ian remembered the surprise he’d brought along from the kids and opened the storage container underneath, rooting around a bit before finding the bag of disposable digital cameras. The kids would have fun taking their own pictures.

“Excuse me, sir.”

Ian stood and discovered an Asian man standing nearby, with what must his wife or girl friend, trying to get his attention.

“Hello.”

“Hello sir. I couldn’t help seeing this fine vehicle you use – can you tell me please, where to find?”

“Actually, these were custom made in the States. I’d be happy to give you the address of the company who made them.”

The man’s face fell slightly, and he turned to translate for his wife. //I’m sorry Yuki, but the gentleman says he had them made.//

Hearing the familiar language, Ian couldn’t help but join the conversation – politely of course. //Excuse me, sir. I speak your language, so would it be easier to converse like this?”//

//Thank you! It is rare to find people who speak Japanese here. My wife runs a childcare facility in Yokohama and was wondering where these wonderful vehicles came from. They were made in the United States?//

//Yes we had these made but the company who produces them makes a model that anyone can purchase. It is different – there are two rows of three instead of three rows of two and the storage compartment is not as big. Would you like the information to contact them?”//

//Yes, please. That would be most kind of you.//

Ian reached back into the storage compartment for his organizer, pad and pen and quickly found the company’s name. //Are you enjoying your visit to Sydney?//

//It’s a very clean city with friendly people. May I introduce myself? I am Kenjiro Aoyama and this is my wife Hisa.//

//I’m very pleased to meet you.// Ian said, shaking both of their hands with a bow. // I am Ian Thorpe, and my husband is – ah. He’s right over there.// Ian said. Switching to English, he waved at his husband. “Michael? Do you have a moment?”

“Sure.” Michael replied, coming over with Declan.

“Michael, this is Mr. and Mrs. Aoyama from Yokohama. Mr. and Mrs. Aoyama, this is my husband, Michael Phelps.”

“Very pleased to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Aoyama.” Michael said with a smile and wave as Declan started whimpering.

“Oh, you are athletes, yes?” Mr. Aoyama asked, recognizing the names. “You swim?”

“We used to.” Ian confirmed then handed over a slip of paper written in Kanji and English. //Here you are. I hope you find it useful, Mr. Aoyama.//

//Thank you so much, Mr. Thorpe. I believe one of your charges wishes to speak to you.//

He nodded behind Ian where Robbie was (miracle of miracle) politely waiting holding Chloe’s hand.

“Papa, can we put our feet in the water over there?” Robbie said, looking over to the point with a wistful look.

Ian shook his head, “No, I’m sorry but it’s too dangerous. You could fall in.”

“But you’d come get me, right?” Robbie asked.

“I would, but since you’re not going to, I won’t have to. Robbie and Chloe, this is Mr. and Mrs. Aoyama from Yokohama, Japan. Mr. and Mrs. Aoyama, this is one of my sons, Robert, and my eldest daughter, Chloe.”

Chloe shook their hands, bowing properly while Robbie smiled and waved, leaning on Ian shyly. “Daddy, is Japan the country we say Koneecheewa in?”

“Yes, young Mr. Thorpe, that is correct. Have you been to Japan?” Mr. Aoyama said, looking very charmed.

“No sir, but Papa and Chloe is going to swim there next summer, and we’ve been watching videos.”

Ian would have liked to continue chatting, since he rarely got a chance to speak Japanese anymore, but the children were getting restless, and a fresh group of tourists were coming into the area. //Mr. and Mrs. Aoyama, it was very nice talking to you, but we must be going.//

//We understand. Thank you again.//

The rest of the adults had already moved the family and buggies onto the path towards the Opera House, so Ian put his things in the bag and swung Robbie up onto his hip, hurrying to catch up. Robbie giggled at the bouncing and clutched at Ian’s shirt.

“Go faster, Pa!”

Ian obliged by speeding up, slightly surprised that Chloe was keeping up and was even giving him a challenging look, the little minx! It wasn’t a far distance but with forty pounds of dead weight, sandals and a bag, he was huffing a little as he ran just past the buggies and started slowing down. Chloe breezed by him and up past the kids, coming to a stop where Koos and Jack were standing.

“Yes! I won!”

Swooping Robbie down, Ian shook his head. “The line was back at the strollers; therefore, I won.”

“Why would it be back there? That’s so unfair! Dad, isn’t that unfair?”

“Hey, don’t get me involved.” Michael declared. “If you’re not smart enough to set the finish line up before you start, you can fight it out with each other.”

&&

January 8, 2017 Sydney, Australia

Ned unlocked one the apartment doors of the building in Rose Bay, their second property of the morning, and led them straight through to the veranda off the back. “This is the selling point of this property.”

Ian stopped at the panoramic view of Sydney’s downtown area, including the Bridge and Opera House. “Wow. This is some view.”

Michael stopped next to him and agreed. “You can literally see for miles. Pretty amazing.”

“I’m impressed.” Pieter added. “All of the apartments are vacant?”

“Yes. That unusual for this area, but the building needed some work before going on the market. They put new bath fittings, carpeting and painted, then increased the price.”

They spent a good twenty minutes exploring all the apartments before heading to the next property, a smaller house on a large lot in Watson’s Bay. Again the views were magnificent, and the small beach was only a hundred yards away, but Michael again balked at the prospect of that much demolition.

They immediately dismissed an apartment block in Bondi; Ian and Grant were opposed to living in party central, so they moved on to the backpacker in Coogee. Although that had possibilities, they were all put off by the filthy conditions and cheap fittings, so Ned led them on to an empty apartment building near Maroubra Junction. It had forty-six one bedroom apartments in four stories with open ‘halls’ overlooking a courtyard. It was off on a side street but only a few kilometers to the beach and relatively close to local shopping and parks with transportation to Sydney nearby.

Ian’s first reaction was that the building was definitely tatty. It had been built in the thirties and not much had been done to it since. The courtyard was overgrown, the windows were a joke, and there were some serious safety issues along with a squatter problem. He half listened as Ned did his spiel, noting that the owner had died intestate, the heirs had spent years arguing over the property and now had no choice on selling – their legal wrangling had almost bankrupted them.

“This is a huge place.” Michael said as they started up the stairs, “Do we really need this much space?”

“The balcony thing is not good.” Pieter commented, looking down into the courtyard with only a shaky metal rail in between him and the ground. “It’s rather dangerous actually.”

Grant, who was not fond of heights, walked close to the wall and didn’t even try to look down as they came to the fourth level. “Especially if there was a pool in the courtyard.”

“Guys, this property does have its drawbacks, but you said you wanted space, and this would definitely give it to you.” Ned said patiently. “This one is all about space and location. You won’t find a bigger property in this kind of area for the price.”

“Fair enough,” Pieter nodded, “But this will need a lot of work, and even with the space, the price is rather breathtaking.”

They entered one of the third floor apartments and took a look around – although with just two rooms plus a dingy bath, there wasn’t all that much too look at.

“Oh, there’s an actual view here. I didn’t realize there was a park so close and on the north side.” Grant said, surprised.

“The view is even better from the roof,” Ned noted, “Ian? You’re awfully quiet. Any interest in the roof?”

Ian nodded, his mind already working on the possibilities, “Yes, let’s see what’s up there.”

The roof was in poor condition, and they couldn’t venture away from the area around the door, but the view was even better, and there were signs that the former occupants had had some kind of roof garden at one point.

Their next stop was another apartment on the second floor, facing east then a first floor on the west side of the building before ending up back on the ground to check the building systems (sadly outdated) and an apartment on the south side, street facing. The laundry room had been trashed at some point by squatters along with a few other apartments, so the building wasn’t really inhabitable at the moment. They spent a few minutes looking around the outside of the building, noting the eight parking spaces and neighboring properties then Ned stepped aside to make a phone call and to give them a chance to talk it over.

“Well?” Grant finally asked as they stood on the sidewalk near the entry.

“I don’t know. It’s so big.” Michael answered. “I know we have kids coming out of our ears, but what would we do with all that space?”

“Have room for the grandchildren to visit.” Pieter answered. “Like it or not, Michael, the children will grow up and hopefully find their own spouses. Even if they each only have a kid or two, that’s eighteen to thirty-two grandchildren plus the spouse. This place will definitely give us room to grow.”

“Huh.” Grant said thoughtfully. “I was all prepared to suggest I’d give up looking in Brisbane for the apartment block in Edgecliff. That’s a large building, but it would just fit now, and there’s no possibility of expansion. We’d really have to increase our budget though. Ian?”

“Hm? What?”

“Your thoughts?” Pieter asked.

Ian did a quick turn and went back to looking at the building. “You’re all going to think I’m crazy, but I like it. It reminds me of New York with the hidden courtyard and the style of the building.”

Michael didn’t look happy but managed to ask, “And what would you do with it?”

“Hang on. Ned? Can we go back in – alone? We won’t do anything stupid.”

“Sure. I didn’t lock the gate yet.”

Once back inside, Ian led them to the middle of the courtyard. “All right, here’s one possible plan. This end on the west, which adjoins the parking lot. We turn the whole wing into garage spaces. On the south and east wings, we put guest suites; four or five depending all opening into this area. Then tear out most of the north wing, creating more of a ‘U’ shape.”

“The whole thing?” Michael asked in shock.

“Almost. We keep the outside wall but install lots of glass – frosted on the ground floor. We run the glass all the way up and over the courtyard; a retractable roof would be best for ventilation, but it might be too expensive. Here in the courtyard, which would now be an atrium, we install a pool. If I read the sales sheet correctly, the long sides of the building are eighty two meters leaving us a nice fifty meter space on the north side - two or three lanes would still leave plenty of room for other activities on the ground floor.”

Pieter looked around and then up, trying to visualize what Ian was talking about. “And what about the rest?”

“The first floor is our sleeping space. Boys on the west or east with the girls on the other side; our rooms in the long south side with small sitting area in between, main stairs leading to it. The second floor becomes our living space – with lounge areas, kitchen, dining and the like. The third has four more suites. Two for Sheila and Gail and two for guests along with another community area with a proper stairs to a roof terrace. The kids could move up into suites as they get older.”

“Why not put the kids on the second floor?” Grant asked.

“We could. Move the main living to the first then, we could be flexible although not to the point of putting any of the children on the ground floor until they’re adults.”

“Interesting. How about putting the main living on the ground floor? I know you’re thinking about the view, but if this becomes an atrium, we could have all the common areas down here including the kitchen and then have a secondary lounge on the fourth floor. I’d rather not haul all the groceries we go through up flights of stairs.” Grant said.

Pieter saw Michael shake his head and leave through the main entrance as Ian and Grant continued talking, so Pieter followed after him, their spouses too busy to notice. He climbed into the van and sat down next to Michael who had his seat reclined.

“Michael, are you all right?”

“Yeah.” Michael answered with his arm over his eyes. “I’m just – it’s too much money for a house. Eight million to buy it and who knows how much to renovate it – all for something we’re only going to use a few months of the year.”

“Ah. You’re worried about the cost? It is much more than we’d thought about spending, but if you tried to buy Ian’s house in Caringbah back, it would cost nearly as much as this place does at it was only two bedrooms. Are you regretting your partnership with us? You and Ian could get a much smaller house if it was just your family.”

Sitting up, Michael shook his head. “No, it’s not that. You’re the brother I never had, and well, Grant’s tolerable,” Michael said with a quick grin. “Plus our kids would miss yours. I can see the logic of getting a place like that building, really I can, but it’s a big leap between ‘we want a vacation place’ to ‘let’s buy an apartment building with forty-six units.”

“If you aren’t sure about it, Michael, I’ll back you up. It is a lot of money, and we must all totally agree on how we’re to spend it. If you are unsure, that will make me unsure enough to veto it.”

“I appreciate that Pieter but come on; did you see Ian’s face? He said it reminded him of New York. How can I say no to that?”

“Really, Michael, this isn’t one of your spoiling things.” Pieter replied, chiding him a little. “You have to live in the place too. Is it just the money or is there some other reason?”

“It’s the money. I just can’t imagine spending that kind of money on a place to live. But what about you? How do you feel about it?”

“I think it’s an intriguing prospect, and it suits our long terms goals. Could I walk in there and live in it as it is? No. The money also concerns me, but after what Ian did to your house and the Inn and the price you got for the Inn when you sold it, I have faith that we would recoup our investment.”

“And that’s part of my problem.” Michael muttered, scrubbing his eyes then looking around quickly to make sure they were still alone. “I’ve been trying to ease Ian into going back to school.”

“Ah. Design school?”

“Yeah. He’s so talented, and he really enjoyed doing both houses, so I thought he’d like to go to design school. I can see what he’d do to this place, and it sounded really cool, but it’s going to be hard dealing with a project of this scale from Philly.”

“So are you worried that Ian will fail because he doesn’t have the education or that he might be spending more time here perhaps without you?”

“Ian never fails, so I suppose it’s the other one. It always sucks when Ian’s gone and not because the kids miss him; I miss him too.”

“Well, then if we have narrowed it down: you’re worried about the money aspect but more worried that this project will mean time apart from Ian. Correct?”

“Yes, Dr. van den Hoogenband.”

“Don’t be smart, I’m only behaving like your older wiser brother. You know that Grant and I are always willing to take the kids. If Ian has to travel here, there’s no reason why you couldn’t come with him. We’d of course ask for a reciprocal time for us to go away. See, that is one worry off your mind. Now, about the money – not that I’m calling you a cheapskate -- but you and Ian are more than comfortable, yes? If Ian came to you and said he wanted to spend say, twelve million on a business venture, and it looked as if the business would make a profit over the years, would you feel as panicked?”

“I guess not. Ian’s so good with investments.”

“Fine, so stop thinking of this as merely a house we will be living in. Is Ian not clever enough to transform this into something that not only we can use, but also, will be usable again as separate apartments and resold at a tidy profit?”

“Oh. Yeah, I guess he is. All right, if I look at it that way, it doesn’t seem like such a big deal.”

“See? And now let’s remember what a fuss you kicked up over how much the house renovation cost.”

“Okay, okay. I get your point already. Ian was right about that, he was right about the Inn, and if he’s already got ideas for this place, he’ll be right again.”

“It must be so difficult living with such perfection.” Pieter said, poking Michael in the ribs. “Of course, there is always a chance the next property is even better, and we would have gone through this for nothing.”

“It wasn’t for nothing, Pieter. I really appreciate it, and thanks.”

“What else are older brothers for? And if you were really appreciative, you might offer to take the girls tonight, so Grant and I might go out.”

“Might go out? That’s interesting wording. And yes, that’s fine.”

“Good, Grant and I are still watching yours on Tuesday, right?”

“Right, I double checked our reservations yesterday.”

“And everyone thinks Ian’s the organized one in your relationship.”

Pieter and Michael turned at the sound of someone knocking on the van window, that someone being Grant who waved at them with a goofy grin. Pieter reached over to the door, and Grant opened it up.

“Well you’re both dressed, so you’re not having sex.”

“Grant! We were only talking. Where’s Ian?”

“Eh, he’s sent me out for the measuring tape to prove his lap pool theory. Michael, did you know your husband carries a measuring tape in his bag?”

“Yeah, it’s actually a good idea when you’re looking at real estate. What did you guys decide about the main living area?” Michael asked as he reached for Ian’s bag.

“We haven’t. Ned’s gone off to bring lunch back.”

“On foot?”

“Yes, he said there’s a great Thai place three blocks over. Hope you’re in the mood for Shrimp Pad Thai, we can eat on the steps inside.”

Michael handed over the tape measure and reached for the camera. “Sounds good. Pieter, want to go back in and keep them out of trouble?”

&&

After an excellent lunch al fresco and many measurements, they drove over to Edgecliff to look at the apartment block they’d seen before their road trip. Grant was right about the building’s charm and period details, but after the building in Maroubra, it seemed very small. Ned’s next stop was in Double Bay – a building similar in style to Maroubra, but with only half size, oddly shaped and equal in price; they decided that living in the ritzier and more expensive suburb wasn’t for them. The final stop was a complete bust – a bed and breakfast with nine guest rooms and a three bedroom owner’s suite in Kings Cross. A nice Victorian but right on a busy street and no room for the kids to play.

Ned dropped them off at the hotel, telling them he’d call them later to check in but without further sales pitches. He’d known Ian since their school days and wasn’t going to be pushy, even for a big sale. The children were happy to see them and refueled enough to ask for a walk up the park under the Harbour Bridge. Not exactly what their fathers wanted to hear, but the kids had been cooped up all day, so they washed up, got organized and were back on the street with their ducklings. As they walked by Pancakes on the Bay, Michael volunteered to go in to see about eating there later and he would catch up with them shortly.

“Hello, welcome to Pancakes on the Bay. How many?”

“Actually, I’d like to make a group booking.”

“All right. How many in your party and what day?”

“Uh, twenty six and in an hour or two in you can manage.”

The server looked at him. “You’re having me on.”

“No.”

“Are you with a tour group?”

“No, it’s a family group. Seventeen children, one teenager and eight adults.”

“How many high chairs?”

“Seven if you have them.”

The woman blinked again. “Seven infants?”

“No seven one year olds. Two two-year olds, three three year olds, four five year olds.”

“Five booster seats?” She asked after some thought.

“That would be great. Can you fit us in? I know it’s Saturday and all.”

“No, it’s still early, so you should squeak in before the dinner crowd. Would four thirty be okay?”

“Awesome. Uh, would it be possible to give you our drink order now? And to take a menu with me, so we can be ready to order?”

“Sure. First, what name for the booking?”

“Thorpe-Phelps, and we’ll need eight milks, six Sprites, two diet colas, four lattes, two beers, two ice coffees and one lemonade. What kinds of juice do you serve?”

“Uh, apple, orange and tomato.”

“Then add four of each. We ran out of juice this morning so someone will drink them. Would you like me to leave a deposit or something?”

“No, Mr. Phelps, that won’t be necessary. I’m sure we can trust you and Mr. Thorpe.” The woman said with an arch look.

“Oh. Busted, huh? I knew I should have used Grant’s name.”

&&

As Michael approached the park, he saw the kids running around in a circle with Ian, Grant and Pieter sitting on the grass nearby.

“Hey, I got two menus, and we’ll probably be stared at, but we have a table at four thirty.”

“Hail the conquering hero.” Grant said sarcastically, taking one of the menus. “Should I have the ribs or the ribs?”

Pieter took the menu from him, “Well if you already know what you want.”

“What are the kids doing, and where did Chloe and the rest go?”

“We think they’re pretending to be ships in the harbor, but it’s hard to tell. Gail and Chloe went for a walk down near the water; Jack, Koos and Sheila have gone over to see about taking the Pub Tour Monday night.” Ian answered, taking the other menu. “Have you already chosen what you want?”

“Either the beef ribs or the Picannny Dawn with extra pancakes.”

“We might as well get several orders of pancakes for the table. We can’t go to the pancake place without getting them.” Grant said then suddenly looked up when his parental radar went off. “Lenora, Robbie? Please don’t go any closer to the path.”

“Okay!”

“Yes, Daddy.”

“So what’s on our agenda tomorrow?” Michael asked.

“Pieter, Koos and Chloe are getting up early for the Bridge Climb, but other than that, we haven’t decided. Are we up to taking the kids for the walk across the Bridge?”

“I’d guess we’d better since we promised.” Pieter said over Michael’s and Grant’s groans. “Grant, you can stay back in the hotel if the thought of a little walk on the bridge is too much for you.”

“It is not, and why didn’t you include Michael in that?”

“Because I’m not married to Michael, and aren’t we all glad about that?” Pieter answered, leaning back so a pouting Sabrina could sit in his lap. “What’s the matter, Brina?”

“Tris noee me.”

“Tristan won’t play with you?”

“Pay Arah no me.”

“Aw, he’s playing with Marah but not you? What did you want to play?”

“Puly har.”

“Well, no wonder. You know Tristan doesn’t like to play that. What do you want for dinner?”

“Feggs?” Sabrina said hopefully.

“We can definitely do eggs. Do you want pancakes too? Maybe some bacon?”

“No feggs.”

“Then just eggs it is.”

A minute later, Sabrina went from happily sitting on Daddy’s lap to running over and joining Beatrix and Nick, who had found an interesting rock.

“What’s ‘puly har’?” Ian wondered.

“I honestly have no idea, but if there’s one thing you two have taught me, it’s how to fake it with the children.”

Grant chuckled, “And to never let them smell your fear. There’s nothing like a toddler with the smell of fear in his or her nostrils.”

“Unless it’s a preschooler who senses you’ve just eased into a nice hot bath.” Ian said.

“You take baths? When do you have time to take a bath?”

“Unlike you, Grant, some of us still consider personal hygiene to be important.”

“Oh har har.”

“Actually the most dangerous of the humanus kiddius species the one who knows when the parents are trying to have some uh, private time.”

“You can say ‘sex’ Michael. We’re all grown ups here, and sex is definitely on the agenda for two of us tonight.” Pieter said giving Michael a significant look.

“Oh right. Uh, Ian, I told Pieter that we’d watch the kids tonight.”

Ian looked over with an eyebrow raised. “Really? And what did you get in exchange?”

“They’re watching the kids on Tuesday.”

“Ah. Good job then. So what are you two going to do?”

“Were you not listening? I intend to lock our door for the first time in several weeks, strip the clothing off my husband and engage in our basest desires.”

“I see. Do you intend to take your clothes off too, or is this some sort of freakish Dutch sex rite?”

“Do you really want to bring up freakish behavior, Ian?” Pieter shot back.

&&

January 9, 2017 Sydney, Australia.

Michael crawled out of bed and went into the bathroom as quietly as possible. With seven kids in the next room, he didn’t want to wake any of them up at four forty-five a.m., not when he intended to go back to bed in a few minutes.

Pulling on sweats and a t-shirt, he went back into the bedroom and snagged the keycard off the nightstand on Ian’s side of the bed, while shoving his feet into thongs before going over to his wallet and taking out several hundred dollars.

“Mi? Goin swimun?” Ian mumbled, more asleep than awake.

“Sssh. I’m just going to see if Chloe’s ready. I’ll be back in a minute.”

“K.”

Padding down the hall, he quietly knocked on Chloe’s door.

“Who is it?” Chloe asked through the security latch, being careful to stand back from the gap, so she couldn’t be seen. Michael couldn’t help nodding approvingly at her precautions.

“Dad.”

“Oh. Hang on.”

Chloe opened the door, stepping back to reveal Pieter and Koos already there, eating breakfast. “Morning Dad. You didn’t have to get up to see us off.”

“Well, I wanted to make sure you were up in time. Lenora’s over with Grant?” Michael asked, moving over to the table.

“Yes, how did the girls do last night, and touch the bacon, lose a finger.” Pieter answered with his fork raised, ready to keep Michael away from the food. “If you’re hungry, order your own.”

“No need to get nasty about it.” Michael said, snatching his hand back. “The girls were fine. Went out like lights at seven and only a couple of diaper changes through the night. Do you have enough money, Chloe?”

“We already paid for the climb, Dad.”

“I know but you can’t take a camera up there and you only get one photo. You’ll need to get at least nine extra. One for me and your dad, six for the grandparents and aunts, one for your school report and one for Bob. You shouldn’t have to pay for those out of your own money.”

“You want to send a picture to Coach?”

“Yeah, he wouldn’t let me climb during the Games here, so we definitely have to get one for him.”

“Oh, the heart attack picture. I get it.” Chloe said, accepting the money he was holding out. “Thanks, Dad.”

“You’re welcome. Koos, are you okay on cash? I’m sure your parents and grandfather would like pictures, too.”

“I’m fine. I have actually been saving money on this trip since you will not allow me to pay for meals.” Koos answered. “This is not necessary you know.”

“Yes, it is. You are working for us, and we are responsible for your board no matter where we are.” Pieter said, with a note of finality in his voice.

Chloe wiggled her eyes at Michael; they’d both heard this before. “I’ll call you right after we finish, so you’ll know I made it off safely.”

“Thanks, I’ll make sure to have my cell on. Have a good time, sweetie, and we’ll see you around ten.” Michael gave her a quick hug, nodded to Pieter and Koos before going back to his own room. Luckily, the little ones were still asleep, so he pulled his clothes back off and snuggle back up to Ian.

Ian immediately buried nose into Michael’s collarbone and slid his leg over Michael’s thigh, pressing his erection into Michael’s hip. “I was just thinking.”

“You were? And did you fake being asleep?”

“No, I woke up when I realized you weren’t in bed. Anyway, we’re going to the zoo tomorrow with the grandparents, if they’re up for it. We could walk the bridge in the morning then catch the bus to the zoo, take the ferry back.”

As Ian spoke, he was nuzzling Michael’s neck and finished by nipping at Michael’s ears. It took Michael a moment to process Ian’s words.

“Gah. Okay. So – oh. What are we doing today?”

“Going to Homebush, having a swim and lunch, we should back in plenty of time to –.” Ian gasped when Michael twisted around on the bed and attacked.

&&

“Just awesome!” Chloe said, for the fifth time. “I really wish I had a camera up there.”

“It was really magnificent.” Pieter added, taking another pancake. “I wish I’d done it years ago. Koos, what do you think your parents will say?”

“They will be very surprised.” Koos said with a smile. “My mother does not like heights, so I will have to warn her before she opens the envelope. Thank you, Pieter and Chloe, for taking me.”

“You’re welcome.” Pieter said, “So are we going to take the walk across the bridge once we’re done here?”

Jamey jumped in his seat. “Walking the bridge! We’re walking the bridge?”

“Well, we could, but Michael and I were talking, and we thought that perhaps we’d walk it tomorrow on our way to the Zoo. The grandparents can walk with us or take the train, and we’d ferry back.”

Looking very disappointed, Jamey sat back with a slump. “No walk?”

“What’s your substitute activity?” Michael asked quickly.

“Swimming and a picnic in Homebush.” Ian answered, leaning to the side so one of the waitresses could refill his coffee.

Jamey perked up and the other kids looked more interested in the prospect of swimming than a boring walk.

“What Hobush?” Lenora asked.

“Homebush.” Grant emphasized. “It’s where the Olympics were held almost seventeen years ago – that’s even older than Chloe.”

“Olympics like where Chloe swam?” Harry asked.

“Yes, like that, but this is where all the dads swam. In fact, we will take you right to the big pool, but you might want check out the water slide and the bubble beach too.”

“Water slide!” Liam said thrusting up his fist, looking so much like Ian that Michael had to blink.

“Right. So let’s finish up our brekkie and get back to the hotel for our cozzies, and we’ll bushwalk over to the Park.”

Ian, Grant and both waitresses stopped to stare at Michael.

“What?”

“That was the worst Australian accent I’ve ever heard.” Grant declared with a shudder. “Please never do that again.”

&&

The kids, used to visiting swimming pools, didn’t balk going into the dressing rooms or using the showers; they even did a good job of keeping track of their own thongs and towels. Chloe, eager to swim in a ‘real pool’, had finished first and had already gone out, leaving Grant (because it was his turn) to give the lecture as they gathered off to the side.

“All right scamps, we’re here at the pool, and you know what that means. What’s the first rule of water safety?”

“No running!” The older kids chorused.

“Very good. What’s the second rule?”

“No horseplay!”

“Excellent. Now, here’s a tough one. Who is in charge while we are at the pool?”

“Lifeguard!”

“Impressive, very impressive. What do you do when you hear the whistle?”

“Stop!”

“Correct. Now for a tricky one: if you get lost and you can’t see a Daddy or one of the grownups, what do you do?”

“Lifeguard!”

“Oh, you’re all so smart! Now, who can see a good meeting spot? Mr. Jack has volunteered not to swim, so let’s find him a good place.”

Grant led the line of kids around the whole pool deck, giving them a chance to look around before ending up in the leisure pool area. After a consensus was met, Jack unfolded his camp chair in a spot that was near the toddler pool and in sight of the pool for older kids, right near a big sign.

They piled their belongings around him and Sheila, Pieter, Gail, Koos and Ian took off for the toddler pool with all but older quads who were allowed to use the children’s pool under Michael and Grant’s supervision. Lenora, Callum and Garret were switched over to the children’s pool after a half hour, Koos coming over with them, once Ian and Pieter agreed the three could handle it.

It was a lot of fun for the kids but not much for the grownups, as they were too busy making sure the kids were safe to really enjoy the water. After two hours, all the littles were ready for a break, so they repositioned the group to the spectator stands and broke out snacks and juice.

Chloe was still in the competition pool, motoring through her practice with her usual dedication. The kids had fun finding her amongst all the other swimmers. While the kids rested, their fathers decided to get in a few laps of their own.

The four men had gotten a certain amount of attention during their trip, but it was nothing like what happened after they’d warmed up and approached the competition pool.

“Shelee? Why peebles getting out?” Garret asked.

“The people are getting out to watch the dads.”

“The dads are famous.” Liam announced, although it was clear he really didn’t understand why.

“Yes, your dads are famous. That means that a lot of people know them. Liam, did you know that your papa was the first man to set a world record in this pool?”

“A record? Like Chloe has?

“Yes, Chloe has records, and all your dads had them too. In fact, I think some of those records still haven’t been beaten. Ian, Pieter and Grant also won Olympic medals in this pool.”

“Medals like Chloe’s?”

“Yes, Robbie. They’re like Chloe’s.”

While Sheila was explaining, the men got into the water in the now empty lanes next to Chloe’s and started their swims. Their forms were still good as they’d kept up with their swimming, and for all of them, it was rather odd to be back in this pool together.

After forty five minutes, Ian stopped on one end and looked over to where the children were sitting. Gail gave him the ‘no worries’ wave, meaning he could continue if he wanted, but he’d noticed the pool clearing and decided to stop hogging the water.

Michael came to a halt beside him and took of his goggles to look over at the kids. “What? Should we get out?”

“Everything’s under control, but I’ve had enough I think.”

“Not so fast, Thorpe. You think you’re getting out of this pool without a race?”

“Grant, is this really the time or place?”

“Don’t be a wet blanket. Australia verses the World is always appropriate.”

“Oh no, you don’t.” Pieter said. “We’ll all swim individually because I don’t want to deal with the pouting when Michael and I win – again.”

“You’ve only won twice!” Ian exclaimed.

“Three times but let’s not revisit your ignoble defeat of 2014.”

“I had a cold!”

“You won gold with a collapsed lung,” Michael pointed out as he pulled himself out. “We still aren’t buying the cold excuse, Grant. Okay, one race of 100 meters, any stroke. We’ll get Chloe to officiate.”

“Leave me out of this.” Chloe said, having stopped in her lane. “If you or Pop win, the Uncles will say I’m biased. If one of the uncles wins, Pop will threaten to cut my allowance, and you’ll give me those looks. Why don’t you ask some of the people standing around? I’m sure they’ll be thrilled.”

Chloe flipped over and swam away, once again not waiting for their rebuttal.

“Ian, my friend, your daughter is a smart ass.”

“Thank you, Grant. Fine, we’ll draft some volunteers, but let’s all agree right now that there will be no complaints about cheating, no matter what the results.”

After Pieter and Grant agreed, Michael turned and smiled at the nearest clump of swimmers. “Hi, do you guys have a minute or two? We need some help with a short race.”

As expected, there was a plethora of people willing to lend a hand, and the men mounted the blocks in lanes three through six after a short discussion over who would get which lane. One of their volunteers waved at the lifeguard who obligingly blew his whistle to start. Up in stands, the older kids had rushed down to the rail and started cheering on their dads. It was a close race all the way down to the final wall but Pieter managed to out touch the others and emerged from the pool with a glow of triumph. They graciously signed autographs and posed for pictures, but then the kids wanted a go in the pool, having badgered Koos and Jack into escorting them onto the deck.

“Jamey, I’m sorry, but this is an adult pool.”

“Actually, Ian, I don’t think anyone would mind if you let the kids swim a length.”

Ian turned to see yet another familiar face grinning up at him. “Tracey!”

“Hi! How was your trip down the coast?” She asked as they hugged and kissed.

“It went well. We had-.” Ian stopped to look down at Jamey who was tugging on his trunks. “Jamey, you know better than to interrupt.”

“But Papa, Miss Tracey said wes can swim.” Jamey said plaintively, throwing in some eye begging for good measure.

“Ah, silly of me to make you wait. All right you can swim one length of the pool – not so fast.” Ian said, reaching out and stopping Jamey from jumping right in. “You have to wait us to get in the pool so we can spot you.”

“Wes can swim alone, Papa. Wes big.” Robbie asserted.

“Right. *We can* swim and *we are* big.” Ian corrected, sighing because the boys always seemed to lapse into their ‘group speak’ when excited or upset. To think he’d once wished for them to have a secret language.

“That’s what wes said.” Liam put in, his nose wrinkling.

Ignoring Tracey’s laughter, Ian squatted down so he could look them in the eyes. “I know you’re big boys now, but this isn’t the pool at home. If you want to swim, you have to obey the rules, so we can keep you safe. Do you understand?”

The boys nodded, looking a little more subdued, and Ian gave them each a quick squeeze before standing up. “Tracey, I’ll be back shortly if you’ve time?”

“Sure, go on; I want to see this.”

“Ian, I’ll do the blocks, if you want to take the landing position.”

“Thanks, Grant. Okay, boys, we’re going to use this lane next to Chloe’s. Daddy will be at the end to help you out. Uncle Pieter will be in the middle, and I’ll be on this end.”

While the boys danced, Michael dove in, followed by Pieter and then Ian to take their spots. Jamey, for being the one to ask, got to get on the block first, and Grant stayed right next to him.

“Whenever you’re ready, Jamey.”

Jamey took a deep breath, leaned over and wiped his nose before making a pretty good dive into the water. Ian was far enough back to give him room, and once he was sure Jamey was moving well, he turned back to watch Robbie.

Robbie didn’t hesitate either, going off the block in fine form and swimming quickly by his father. Liam was a little slower, pausing to watch Chloe touch the wall next to him, before gathering his nerve and going in. It wasn’t a clean dive but also not a belly flop, and he zipped by Ian without pausing.

Harry was a different story all together. He was a bit scared of diving from the block’s height, and after a discussion with Grant, decided to go from the side. It was a big step for the little boy since he hadn’t picked up diving like his brothers had.

After some twitching and a little encouragement from Grant, Harry took the plunge then immediately flipped over to backstroke – something Ian wasn’t even aware Harry knew how to do and he was doing a pretty good job too. As he watched Harry go by, Ian turned to swim over to the wall when Grant waved at him, Lenora standing next to him.

“Ian, Lenora wants a go. Catch her and send her back, will you?”

“Sure.” Ian said, moving several feet closer.

Grant took both of Lenora’s hands and lowered her into the water, letting her go gently once she was tummy-deep. Lenora’s little arms and legs whirled as she performed her odd frog-like stroke. It wasn’t pretty, but it kept her head out of the water, and she moved fast. Ian gently guided her around in a circle to send her back to the wall where Grant was sitting to catch her.

“Daddy, I swam in the big pool!” Lenora said her little face aglow.

“You did great!” Grant said, lifting her out easily for a hug and then setting her down. “Now, go over to Koos.”

“Okay!”

Grant made sure Koos had her within reach before standing up. “Thanks Ian. That was probably the best part of the whole trip for her.”

“No problem. I think we’re done with swimming today.”

“I agree. I’ll get the kids started towards the dressing room.”

Ian got out, grabbed his towel and made sure Pieter and Michael had the boys in hand before turning to Tracey. “How long do you have?”

“An hour or so actually. Are you leaving?”

“Just the pool. We were going to picnic near one of the playgrounds; would you like to join us?”

“Of course I would. I wanted to talk to you and Michael about Chloe anyway.”

Aware that people were listening in, Ian nodded and told her they’d meet her outside the front entry. He stopped at Chloe’s lane, and after getting her attention, told her she had twenty swim minutes and that they’d be congregating out front.

Changing the kids from swim togs to regular clothes was never fun, especially with youngest five boys. One them would always wait until the swim diaper was off and before the regular diaper was on to let loose something unpleasant. Today, it was Declan’s turn and Grant’s misfortune, but another thing they’d all learned is to not change into their own street clothes until after the boys were dressed.

Finally, everyone was showered and changed, and they met up with Sheila and Gail who had already loaded the girls into the buggies that Jack had unloaded from their bus and brought over.

“What took you so long?” Gail asked with a grin. “I thought you guys were super efficient.”

“Ha. We had eleven boys, you had six girls. Do the math.” Michael grumbled.

“There were five of you and two of us. Do that math.” Gail retorted as the rest of the adults laughed.

Michael grinned as Callum tugged on his shorts, “Well I guess I should have known better than to even try taking you on, Gail. Yes, Callum?”

“Da, I helps you with maths. Sheelee say I good.”

“Well, that’s very generous of you, Callum. Are you getting hungry for lunch?”

“Food!”

“That’s what I thought. Ian, where are we picnicking?”

“There’s a playground over in Bicentennial Park, so let’s go there. We’re still missing Chloe and Tracey.”

“Okay. So who is riding, and who is walking?”

While Tristan, Nick and Xander were getting strapped in, Chloe and Tracey came out of the Aquatic Centre talking earnestly with each other coming to a stop near Pieter.

“All right. Let’s get moving. Koos, Jack, do you want to take the point?”

“Got it.”

“Sure Ian.”

As the group moved out in the usual formation, Tracey fell in with the dads after giving their red buggies an amused look.

“You know, those are quite bizarre contraptions.”

“Don’t start on the buggies, Tracey, or you’ll hurt Ian’s feelings. He designed them you know.” Grant said, shooting a smirk at Ian.

“Really Ian?”

“Yes, but they’re actually based on an existing product. I just fiddled with the design so they’d work for us.”

“I guess I just have a hard time believing all these tykes belong to you. Well, the four of you. It’s mind boggling.”

“Ha, you should try it from our end.” Pieter said. “Especially on those mornings when no one wants to do anything the least bit cooperative.”

“No thanks. I have enough trouble getting Sophie and Oliver ready for the day.”

**
After a big lunch, the younger children settled on the blankets for naps that they didn’t want but needed, while Koos, Sheila, Gail and Jack took the oldest seven back over to the slides and swings.

“So you wanted to talk about Chloe?” Ian asked.

“Yes. Well, she had a great training camp. I was really pleased to have her there.”

“Oh, well that’s great. Chloe said she had a good time.” Michael said.

Tracey took a deep breath and let it go. “All right, I might as well just come out with it.” Ian and Michael looked alarmed, but Tracey shook her head. “It’s nothing bad. I’ve heard that a pool is being built at Chloe’s school, they’ll be starting a swim team next fall, and the school is going to hire a swim coach. I’m going to be applying for the position, and I’d like to ask each of you to give me a recommendation.”

Ian sat back and exhaled. “Oh.”

Michael had a similar reaction, and Chloe looked disgusted. “Gee, Dads – way to have faith in me.”

“It wasn’t a lack of faith, Chloe.” Ian exclaimed, “It’s a Dad thing. Tracey, why?”

“Because you have a very talented daughter with a big future in front of her and four more years in Philadelphia. Your oldest boys will just be ready to get serious about swimming about that time and thirteen more children after that. I know I’m not the only coach who has thought about what kind of team could be at the school in five to ten years.”

Pieter, Grant, Ian and Michael all shared a look of surprise. Chloe’s talent was obvious, and the older quads looked good in the water for their age, but they hadn’t seriously thought that far into the future except to joke about it.

“Tracey, you would actually give up your job and life here to move to Philadelphia on the chance that some of our kids will be that talented? What about your swimmers here?” Grant asked.

“I would move for this kind of opportunity, and I’m going to be losing three of my swimmers in a few months anyway. Two are going to university, and the other is moving to Perth with her parents. The other three will be able to find other coaches if I give them enough warning. They’re good kids but not to Chloe’s level, and that’s part of my decision.”

“You want to coach Chloe.”

“Right, and if Chloe was Australian, I’d never get a chance to get near her. Unfortunately, I’m still one of the few female coaches here, and not to beat a dead horse, I’m usually not the first coach a swimmer chooses.”

“Ah.” Ian said then sprang up. “Tracey, let’s take a walk.”

Tracey got up a little anxiously and joined Ian on the sidewalk. “Ian, I’ll understand if you think I’m not good enough-.”

Ian reached over and linked his arm through hers. “Hush. It’s not that at all. I think Chloe and the rest of the kids, provided they want to swim, would be incredibly lucky to have you, but what’s really going on?”

Sighing, Tracey patted Ian’s arm with her free hand. “All right, I’ve been increasingly frustrated with my position here. I’ve been with Aquadot for a long time, and there have been ups and downs but I feel like I have no future here.”

“What about Jason and the kids?”

“Jason isn’t totally thrilled about moving but he wants me to be happy. He has a few feelers out for a job, but we’ve got a fair bit of money put aside from his grandparents. The coaching job comes with free tuition at the schools so I know the kids’ education won’t suffer. I think they’ll both adjust, and you certainly don’t have a problem raising your children in Philadelphia.”

“Fair enough. Have you thought about the visa situation?”

“Yes, and Bob’s already volunteered to help me.”

“Bob? Bob Bowman?”

“Yes. See, I’m giving you full disclosure here. Bob’s the one who told me about Chloe’s pool and suggested I think about taking the job.”

“Ah-ha! So this is a Bob scheme!”

“As your daughter says, ‘well, duh’. Bob’s concerned about Chloe’s coaching situation. Her current club is good, but let’s face it; she’s basically being coached by you cohorts with input from Bob.”

“Hey, we’re not cohorts; we’re parenting partners.”

“Tell that to someone who doesn’t know Grant. And you are concerned about Chloe’s swim career, too, or you wouldn’t be having that pool built at her school.”

“We are not building that pool.”

“Then why is it going to be named after Leoma Davisson? Or is that just a coincidence?” Tracey asked archly.

“Oh fine. Yes, we’ve all had thoughts about Chloe’s training at Hatsboro and the other children’s future swim clubs, so we arranged to have the money available for the Aquatic Complex.”

“And it only took six commercials for the Asian market.”

Ian stopped and looked down at her. “Either my daughter is a blabber mouth, or Bob’s a gossip.”

“A little of both, but I knew about the commercials last year, so it was really a matter of deduction. I think it’s a really great thing that you’d all do that for your kids.” Tracey said as they both turned back to return to the picnic area.

“Well, it wasn’t just for Chloe. There are quite a few kids at both schools who would benefit from having a swim program, not to mention the water safety classes, the water polo and the diving team.”

“You don’t have to convince me. Have you and Michael gotten flack over the donation?”

“There have been some grumbles and gripes, but for the most part, the community has been very supportive. Chloe’s got quite a fan base at home – Grant said that half the neighborhood came over to watch her swim in Bangkok – so we can handle the criticism that we’re taking over the pool. We’re going to get it anyway, having eighteen children enrolled at once.”

Tracey did a quick calculation. “Oh true. I guess the youngest will be just starting as Chloe graduates. Ouch! That’s a lot of school fees.”

“We know; that’s why I did the sixth commercial. The money from that was put into a trust for the children’s schooling.”

“At least, you don’t have to save for Chloe’s university fees.”

“Yes, we do. Chloe might have her heart set on Michigan, and Bob will probably arrange for a scholarship, but a lot can happen in four years, and we’d prefer to pay her way. That way, someone who really needs the funding can attend school, too.”

“She mentioned that there’s been some pressure regarding sponsorship.”

“Yes, and she really wants to maintain her eligibility, so we try very hard to protect her from the sharks.”

“Will you do the same for the other children?”

“It would depend on the child. Chloe’s dreamed of swimming officially for Bob since she knew what swimming was. The other children might not be so inclined, and there’s nothing inherently wrong with having a sponsor. I’d be pretty hypocritical if I thought there.”

“That’s sensible. And here’s another thing for you to chew on - if Chloe continues on pace under my coaching and makes the team for Cape Town, Bob indicated I’d get a place on the US Coaching staff.”

For the second time, Ian came to a full stop and looked down at his friend and former coach. “You’d really be thumbing your nose at the Men’s Club with that.”

Tracey grinned wickedly, “Oh I know, but as I haven’t been on the Australian team since you retired, it’s not like they’ve been missing me.”

“Has it been really bad since I left?” Ian asked after a few moments.

“The problem wasn’t that you left. It was that I wasn’t willing to play the Ian-bashing game that was going on, and I said a few things that didn’t endear me with the higher ups. That wasn’t your fault, and God knows you were happier with Michael, so it went the way it went. I don’t think I’d be any better off if you’d stayed, since I’m not going to be changing my gender anytime soon.”

“Hence the job in Chestnut Hill. Tracey, if you’re really sure this is what you want to do, then I’ll be happy to write a letter, send a telegram or do a strip tease in Dr. Quincy’s office. That last bit probably won’t get you the job since Tom Quincy is straight, but I’ll give it shot for you.”

Tracey shook her head, chuckling. “Ah, I’ve missed you, you know.”

“I’ve missed you, too. Do you and the family want to come for a visit to take a look around before you make a commitment? We’ve plenty of room to put you up.”

“You have plenty of room with ten children, a nanny and your parents in the house? Did you buy a mansion?”

“No, but we’ve ended up with one, I suppose, after the renovation. You haven’t been to Philadelphia, have you?”

“No, Jason and I flew into New York for your wedding.”

“Well, I think you’ll like Chestnut Hill. It’s small neighborhood, tight knit in some ways, but most folks are friendly. There are some great stores, the train to downtown is nearby, and unless we have something heavy to tote or the weather’s bad, we usually walk. Comparatively, the real estate pricing is better than Sydney, although you’ll take a hit on the exchange rate.”

“Jason invested his inheritance for Euros ten years ago.”

“Ah, then he’s already had a nice return. So how long have you been thinking about this?”

“Since Bob mentioned the pool last year. Have they broken ground yet?”

Ian and Tracey continued chatting about the pool, Chestnut Hill and the two schools, as they made their way back to the playground where they found most of the children now napping and Michael and Grant amusing themselves with a Frisbee as the rest of the adults relaxed in the shade.

Tracey said goodbye to everyone, telling Ian that she’d contact him later. Ian jumped in on the Frisbee game for a while, and then they packed up the kids and their gear to return to the hotel for the grandparent’s return.

&&

“So are we writing letters or what? You and Tracey were gone for quite a while.” Grant asked from their huddle in the row of the bus.

“Hang on – Chloe? Can you come back here?”

Chloe scampered down the aisle and quickly took a seat, turning around so she could see them. “What’s up, Pop?”

“How do you feel about Tracey as a coach? Don’t say what you think we want you to say – tell us what you really think.”

“I like Tracey. She’s really encouraging but not all rah-rah cheerleadery. She’s not really strict, but she does expect people to get into the pool and work, and you want to work because she’s not all scary about it.”

“Who was scary with you?” Michael asked.

“Huh? Oh, Coach Joyce is cool, Daddy. It’s some of those other coaches at meets – they’re so hardcore. The Pirates coach is always yelling at people, and he’s so weird! He told Julie she had to start losing weight, or she’d be back on the B team.”

“Well, some coaches think that weight is a big factor in how well you swim, but Tracey’s not like that.”

“Oh I know. Tracey and I had this big talk about how girls have to have a period and that throwing up food is a bad thing. Hey, don’t look at me like that. Some of the older girls at school do it, but it’s really gross. I mean, why eat at all if you’re going to do that? I like food too much to waste it.”

“Well, uh, I’m glad you feel that way,” Michael said awkwardly.

“It’s a very sensible attitude, Chloe. Bulimia is a serious disease, and it is very difficult to recover from.” Pieter said, giving her a pat. “And if you would like to talk about it, I will be happy to answer questions. So you would you like Tracey to be your coach?”

“Yeah, and don’t take this the wrong way, but you guys sort of suck as coaches.” She saw their reactions and hurried on. “I mean you’re all really concerned about my feelings and if you’re pushing me too much and not putting pressure on me. It’s cool because I know you love me and all that but really, how am I supposed to get better if you can’t push me?”

Ian was the first to recover. “Well, I’m not sure how to respond to that. Uh, I’m sorry?”

“It’s okay, Papa. I know you were trying your best, and I did learn lots of things from all of you so we’re good. Can I go back to my seat, I left my MP3 player out, and I don’t want Robbie getting at it.”

Michael nodded weakly, and she bounced up and returned to the front of the bus. “We sort of suck?”

“I guess we should be happy that she recognized that we suck out of love and not because we lack skills.” Ian said faintly.
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