Sapphira Legacy - 06 - Life goes on

When Sapphira noticed that Riva had disappeared, she rushed out of the house, and chased after her.

"Come back Riva - we owe you so much! Please! We are forever in your debt."

Riva didn't turn around, and there were tears in her voice.

"You don't owe me anything Sappir. I have owed you more than I can say. I'm glad that I have had the chance to repay my debt to you and your family."

"I don't understand, but please know that you are always welcome in my home."

"It was your mother that got me out before I was captured and sent to a camp. It your father that gave me money and found a place for me to live in Summerland while I waited to get approval to emigrate. I was there for a few years."

"I didn't know." Sapph thought for a moment. "You know they are dead." Sapph thought about all the people who had gone through their home, and the last time she saw her mother. The thoughts brought her pain, so she brushed them from her mind.

"Yes. I heard. It was a sad day when that happened."

Riva hugged Sapph tightly. "Know that I will always be here for you." Sapph hugged her back.

Sapph didn't expect to see Riva again. She didn't - there were times when good times could hurt too, and Sapph understood that Riva had to find her own happiness.

Surprisingly though, something had settled within Sapph, and she began to eat normally. More than that, she put on weight - so much so that she became plump and both she and Ben went on an exercise program, until they returned to a more healthy shape. Quietly - Ben liked it when Sapph had more fat on her. He appreciated the womanly curves. But he knew that she wouldn't hear him when he said it, so he supported her in getting healthy.

Milan was a gorgeous baby, and grew up looking like his father. Sapph started hankering for a daughter, and although she and Ben made time for each other, another baby didn't seem to want to be conceived.

Ben spent a lot of time with his new boy, and spent most of his free time with him, while Sapph re-acquainted herself with the twins.

The twins had been affected by the time away, and were very close to each other. Both of them went looking for their mum as soon as they came home. Boz ran out to greet his father every day.

Sapph still went to bed early since her health continued to be fragile, and it was not unusual for Ben to find one or other of the boys in their bed with her, after having a nightmare. Ben would carry them up to their own bed, and they would wake and cry.

"Daddy - you're not going to let them take us away again?"

"No my boy. You'll never have to leave home again, if you don't want to."

"Are you sure? I don't want you to go. Can you stay with me forever?"

"I'll stay with you until you sleep. Then I'll go to my bed. It's ok. Sleep my darling child."

There came a time when Sapph realised that they weren't socialising outside their family. Socialising wasn't her forte either - but she knew they needed to have friends - esp. Boz. Jan was more outgoing, but Boz wouldn't talk to anyone but his family.

Sapph was still on maternity leave, so she encouraged the boys to bring friends home. A plate of biscuits, and glasses of milk were put out, and they bought an electric car for the boys to play with.

Jan enjoyed having his friends over - but Boz continued to cling to his mother, and would rather play their piano than talk to people. 

Saturday mornings was time with each other and daddy, while Sapph and Milan had their sleep-in and some quality cuddle time.

Saturday morning cartoons, followed by raucous playing, while Ben caught up on some recreational reading. Then the 3 of them would go out to have some manly time together.

All the boys followed the Llama football team.

But surprisingly, the other thing they discovered was that their dad had been a good dancer in his youth - and they loved dancing together.

Boz, especially loved to dance to heavy metal. He had a real head-banger vibe going. 

 Sapph and Ben didn't have as much time with the twins as children. They lost so much time when they had been taken, that it seemed like it was only a few days before it was time for them both to transition to their teen years.

Sapph offered for them to have a party - but neither of the boys were interested in having friends over for it.

"It's ok Mum - we just want family around. We can have a cake just for us."

Both boys grew up well, and were cheered on by both parents and Milan. Milan loved following Jan around. And Jan was quite happy to play with his baby brother.

"Coolness Mum! Can we ditch the bunk bed? We're grown up now!"

Sapph felt a twinge as she watched. "Of course Boz, Jan" - and we can go down to the mall and get some new clothes for you too.

While these times were quiet and time of enjoyment for the whole family, it was not without incident.

While Boz idolised his father, and did everything his father did, it wasn't long before he followed his mother into her energiser addiction. He didn't have a bad trip - so he couldn't understand why his father was so angry with him when Ben caught him at it. Ben would have grounded him, but knew that it was no punishment.

Then there was the day that the repairman turned out to be incompetent, and connected up the snafu-circuit to the live wire instead of the earth. Fortunately, the fire service was on the ball, and turned up before any serious damage was done. The family was still not very rich - most of their available funds had been spent on legal fees.

The street got very busy that day - the car pool, the repair truck, the fireman, the ambulance to take the repairman away, the cleaner turned up in the middle of it and so did the postal service. And finally the nanny turned up to baby-sit Milan while Sapph was at work. Sapph wasn't sure about leaving him, but they needed the income.

B.H.I.S decided that Boz was definitely drool worthy - and continued with her fetish of watching them as they slept.

Boz' devotion to his dad continued - and he grew his hair, and attempted to grow a beard: just like his dad's. He followed his dad around - studying hard, dancing and staring at the stars with him.

Sapph was worried though - she could see so much of herself in Boz, and understood the troubles he would have.

Ben and Sapph discussed him at length, trying to work out how to pull him out of his shell, and help him to develop his own identity. Both of them worried what would happen once he got to Uni.

"They'll eat him alive Sapph." Ben snuggled with Sapph on the couch, as they talked about their boys.

"I know Ben. And I think that Jan will be too pre-occupied to make sure he's ok."

"It's not his job to do that Sapph - Jan has to find his own way too."

"Ben I can't bear the idea of them being away from us. What about a degree by correspondence?"

"My dear-ling - you have to let go of them too, you know. They need to find their own way in the world."

"I don't want them to feel abandoned Ben - I know how that feels, and I don't ever want them to feel that way. Not again. They still haven't gotten completely over when they were taken away."

"I know. But them choosing to go away and have a life is not being abandoned my love. And you still have Milan at home. They're not going to abandon you either."

Sapph kissed Ben slowly, "I'm sorry. I'm being selfish. I will let them go when the time comes. But I will carry them in my heart always."

"That's as it should be. We love our children, and they are a part of us. But we do need to work out something that will strengthen our boys."