Germanic

Lydia laughed at him and supplied "Baroness Lydia Von Horn at your service" she too had watched American TV. The 'at your service' was stereotypically American.

Loara held out her hand and Lydia shook it, a fine custom that had taken hold in Europe as well. American's didn't stand on ceremony and for that she was grateful.

Alex directed the driver to his uncle's house and it caused a stir as the car drove up the driveway and along the side of the house to the garage in back. The yard was large so the garage was about 200' away from the house with the large back yard between it. Everyone watched as the limo came to a halt and the driver popped out to let his passengers out.

"Who do we know that would arrive by limo?" Seth asked everyone at large.

Everyone was watching as first Loara and then Alex got out of the limo. I muttered "what in the world?" as I saw my son and his girlfriend. Standing up I shook my head at them and laughed. The laugh though was cut off abruptly as I saw who got out of the limo next. Lydia! Oh my god, she was here! I froze where I was. I didn't realize everyone had heard my gasp aloud though.

"Hey Mom, look who we found?" Alex was charming, but at that moment I wasn't amused.

"Where is your car?" I asked trying to ignore the woman following the couple walking across the backyard towards the group gathered on the patio.

"I got a flat and triple A was taking too long so Baroness Von ..." his voice trailed off "gave us a ride" he finished lamely.

I started to walk towards Lydia before she could get to the group, intending to head her off. I walked into an ambush. She took me into her arms and gave me a big kiss. It lasted long enough that there could be no doubt in anyone's mind what we had meant to each other. Despite my trying to end it and pull away she wouldn't let me.

"Bist du verrucht?" I asked incredulous! Are you crazy? "Was machts du hier?" What are you doing here?

"Nein, Ich bin glucklich! Ich vermisse dich!" I'm happy, I missed you.

"Du kuss mir, mit meine familie hier?" You kissed me in front of my family? My arm took in the gaping people all frozen in time. I started to look at the individuals, their expressions and realized how humiliated, how embarrassed I felt. I spun away from Lydia and walked determinedly away from her and the crowd. Walking across the large backyard I stopped at the woods and stared out into it thinking. There was no way I could fake this, there was no way they couldn't realize. I was outed and in a BIG way. In front of my brothers, in front of my kids, in front of my nieces and nephews, my sister's in law as well as their various friends. I wanted to shrivel up and die. I wanted to pray that I would wake up from this nightmare. It's different if I had chosen to reveal it. To have it thrust upon me in this way blew my mind. I kept repeating to myself "that didn't just happen, that didn't just happen" hoping that by repeating it enough it would just go away.

Write me about Chapter 2....

~The End~ K'Anne ;-P