TUESDAY, JUNE 9

After the last show, the crowds around The O2 and hotel were too much and Lars worried that staying in London to sightsee would only draw more attention. Jacob assisted Lars and the hotel's security in getting the boys and their entourage out of the hotel and to the Diaz family compound in Holland Park. It was just what the boys needed. Monday the family visited with Alejandro and stayed around the Holland Park area relaxing and decompressing from the tour. But Tuesday afternoon it was off to Heathrow to fly to their next destinations.

Carol and Matthew were flying home to San Diego while the rest of the gang was flying to Billund to return to the family farm. That's when it all came to a head. Michael's exhaustion from the tour, his preoccupation with the sightseeing, and his excitement of being with his new grandparents kept him in the moment and not thinking too far ahead. Adding that to the underlying turbulent current of emotions from the incident surrounding their "sperm donor" blinded Michael from the inevitable. This created a highly combustible emotional state in our young friend.

When it was time to go their separate ways and say their goodbyes, Michael had a panic attack of sorts. The last time he and Matthew had been separated was when their father split them up and sent Matthew to live in Mossyrock. Michael knew that this wasn't the case, but his body was reliving the trauma of that painful event from their past. His heart raced, his breaths came quick and shallow, he broke out into a sweat, and broke down crying as he held onto Matthew with all his might.

Matthew's heart broke and he considered staying. But as Lars pointed out, unless Matthew was going to go with the Olsens to Norway, he would have to leave Michael at some point. Carol and Matthew stayed long enough for Michael to regain some of his composure then said their goodbyes. Isaac carried Michael to their gate to comfort him while Christian carried Michael's backpack. When they finally got back to the farm, Christian joined Michael on the couch and held him until the younger boy fell asleep.

To keep occupied, Isaac gave Lukas some money to walk into Herning to get some ice cream and to show Scott around a bit. It was only a three-kilometer walk to the convenience store at the bus station. There were better options for ice cream, but when you're on foot, you make do.

"Are you kidding me?" laughed Scott. "I thought we were going to some weird Danish store to get authentic ice cream or something."

Lukas pushed Scott playfully, "Says the person who's scared to try new things."

"I think Michael and Christian would say this is 'just an example of how American consumerism has proliferated around the world' or something like that," joked Simon. The other two laughed harder and drew attention to themselves as they walked through the door of the 7-Eleven.

"I think they're right," said Lukas, leading the others to the freezer section. Lukas and Simon had come here every time they'd visited Herning. "If you'd like, we can walk down the street to the Aldi grocery store."

"Seriously?" asked Scott, thinking they must be pulling his leg. "They have Aldi here?"

"Yep," confirmed Lukas. "There's an Aldi about a mile down that way," he said pointing to the west. "They had an Aldi's here long before they had them in the states. It's actually a German company. If you don't like the ice cream options here, there's a McDonald's a few blocks that way." He finished by pointing to the northeast. "That is an American company."

"There we go," said Scott, satisfied he found something Danish and something he knew he liked. "Häagen-Dazs." He grabbed a pint of Cookies and Cream. Simon and Lukas decided that a pint of ice cream sounded good too. Simon picked up a pint of Rocky Road and Lukas decided upon Carmel Cone.

"Good choice," said Lukas, "but even though the Häagen-Dazs name is Danish, Häagen-Dazs ice cream is American. It's originally from the Bronx."

Scott rolled his eyes and the boys turned to head to the counter to pay and pick up spoons.

Lukas told Scott he would show him some things that were truly Danish. Once they departed the store, they walked around the south side of Herning while enjoying their ice cream. None the less, the experience was eye-opening for Scott. He'd come to Europe with this idea that once you get outside of the big cities, the smaller cities and towns would be devoid of international influence. It was a naïve worldview that was quickly dispelled. When they crossed the street from the 7-Eleven, there was a Chinese restaurant. Around the corner was a sushi restaurant and a bubble tea shop. An Indian restaurant, an Italian restaurant, a western steakhouse, pizza, and another hamburger restaurant a block from McDonald's. Turning another corner, they ran into a Best Western hotel.

"You know," said Scott between bites, "this place isn't really that different from back home."

For the most part, Scott was correct. From a business and industry standpoint, most of the industrialized world has pretty much the same things. He was also correct about the people. People everyone have the same wants and needs, though they may have cultural differences that influence the way they express it or go about getting it. Ultimately, kids are kids no matter where you go. But what can be unique from place to place when you travel is the natural beauty. That is what Lukas and Simon wanted to share with Scott.

"Do you remember where the park is? The one with the old tree?" asked Lukas. Scott laughed thinking that every park has at least one old tree, but Simon knew exactly what Lukas meant. They didn't remember the name of the park, but Isaac and Lore took them to a beautiful park named Sdr. Anlæg (Mr. Plant) because it used to be a tree farm. They loved going to the park when they were younger because of an old tree that was easy for children to climb.

Between the two of them, after some wrong turns and backtracking, Simon and Lukas found their way to the park. The park was beautiful in the evening sunlight. The golden light enriched the colors of the park's flora. This park, this moment, was an unlock to Scott's deeper understanding and insights into the natural world.

At school, they'd studied the different biomes around the world. The desert biome of southern California was very different from the temperate forest biome of northern Europe. But this difference wasn't evident at first. He'd spent his entire life in a desert environment but hadn't really experienced it. Man-made parks, landscaped yards, and other "unnatural" nature spaces masked the true ecosystem.

Seeing the "old tree" in Sdr. Anlæg, he started to discern the differences between the man-made landscaping and natural, native flora. The differences between parkland and the natural area in the Netherlands where they went boating. Herning may have a 7-Eleven and McDonald's. It may have kids that aren't really much different than the kids he goes to school with back in East Harbor. But Denmark, the land, this realm before people made it their own, drastically differed from the land that has drawn millions to move to southern California.

Simon and Lukas scrambled up into the tree just as they did in their elementary school years. It reminded them of past visits to see Lukas' grandparents and their family trips to this park. Scott lost interest in climbing the tree. He was fascinated by how strange it was compared to the trees he saw back home. The trunk was massive, yet it twisted and began sprouting branches just a couple feet from the ground. He couldn't begin to describe the leaves and bark, but it reminded him of something he'd seen in Lord of the Rings or some other fantasy movie.

On the walk home, Simon and Lukas continued to chat while Scott walked behind and looked at the trees and flowers along the road. He studied the varieties and variations taking mental notes of the things he wanted to look up when he had time and his laptop.

"What about you, Scott?" asked Lukas.

"What?" Scott responded. He didn't have any idea what they were talking about. He only heard his name.

"I said I was feeling guilty about going out and having fun while leaving Christian and Michael back at the house."

"Oh."

Simon said, "I think dad wanted us out of the house for a while."

"I'm still worried about Michael," mumbled Lukas. "What's he going to do without us when we leave?"

"I don't know," answered Simon. "Maybe that's what he needs?"

Lukas looked at Simon out of the corner of his eyes. "What do you mean?"

Simon tried to explain what he was thinking. "Maybe he needs a chance to stand on his own two feet. Since almost the day he moved to East Harbor, he's been with us almost 24/7. When he goes with Christian, he'll have Christian who's more of a peer than an older brother. It will be good for him."

Lukas didn't like it when Simon saw things he didn't. Not that he didn't like when Simon displayed such insights, he appreciated that about Simon. It's just when it comes to Michael, for example, Lukas took it as his failure as a big brother, or as a future psychologist.

The house was quiet and most of the lights were out when they arrived. The couch was empty. They figured Michael and Christian must have made their way up to their bedroom. Like moths drawn to a porchlight, the boys migrated to the kitchen when they heard voices and laughter and noticed the light was on. In the kitchen, they found Lars, Zach, Lore, and Isaac having coffee at the table and playing Hjerterfri, meaning Heartless in English and often called Black Lady in England. The game is similar to Hearts.

Lukas put his arm across the back of his dad's chair. "How's Michael?"

Lars slipped his arm around Lukas' waist to give him a hug. "He's fine, Jitterbug. The emotions of the week got to him. Besides, I don't think hearing his father's voice on the phone helped at all."

"Don't call him that," scolded Lukas, referring to Bruce Grant. "You're Michael and Matthew's dad, not that asshole."

Lars opened his mouth to say something, but he realized that Lukas was correct. There was no defending Bruce Grant or the role he should be playing in those boys' lives. "You're right...Did you get a chance to show Scott around a bit?"

"Yeah," said Lukas. "We even found the park with the old tree."

"Well done, little Isaac," said Lukas' farfar. "I'm impressed."

"Why don't you guys join us," suggested Lars. "Here's another deck."

Simon shrugged and Lukas took the cards and the boys sat at the other end of the long kitchen table. Scott ran upstairs to hit the head and when he returned, he had Christian in tow.

"Look who I found," he said. The boys paired off and played games they knew while the adults did their thing. It's funny how sometimes the simplest things can be the catalyst for such wonderful, memorable moments. As the evening wore on, the laughter grew, and the bond between the members of this hodge-podge family strengthened.

"What's going on?" asked Michael walking into the kitchen rubbing his eyes.

"Hey, Cuddlebug," greeted his father, reaching out an arm for his youngest son to approach. Michael went to Lars and rested his head on his father's shoulder and Lars gave his son a loving squeeze.

Lore asked, "How are you feeling, Michael."

"I'm fine," said the boy still waking up. "Sorry I acted so crazy."

Lars put his cards down and brushed Michael's hair from his eyes. "Remember what we talked about earlier?"

"Yes," said Michael, "but it still doesn't make me feel any better about what happened."

"Well, it's in the past," noted Lars. "We can talk about it more when you're ready. Do you want to help me with this game?"

"No, you guys play. I'll see what the guys are playing."

Michael joined the others in fun and laughter, returning to his smiling self, but wiser to his demons still living within.

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SATURDAY, JUNE 20

Phones were confiscated and the boys were only allowed to use them sparingly during the rest of their visit. Christian used his Sprout Social account to schedule out posts so the social media accounts wouldn't go quiet, but he too tried to stay off his phone unless he was recording something to post.

The routine the boys had settled into in Herning was coming to an end. Walks into town, making goofy social media posts, bounding through the fields, splashing at the swimming hole, exercising by running the country roads, and hanging out with Lars and Zach or Isaac and Lore were some of the things they did to occupy their time. They even made a few visits to Bamboo City, an indoor trampoline park in Herning, and the LEGO World Headquarters and LEGOLAND in Billund. It was exactly what Lars wanted for his sons; just boys being boys. It was boys enjoying a carefree summer vacation the way boys did before cellphones and before video games.

Time passed quickly and before they knew it, it was Saturday and time for Lars, Zach, and the gang to return to the States and soon Christian and Michael would head north for the next leg of their adventure.

Lars held Michael as they swayed to and fro in the porch swing, enjoying the gentle breeze of the June morning. "Are you going to be alright when we go back home?"

"Yeah, I'm back on track now," assured Michael using his father's terminology.

It was true though. Since his meltdown, he'd been back to his old self. Lars wasn't surprised that Michael had a bad day. On the contrary, he was surprised it hadn't happened sooner. The doctor and the father in him were both pleased that Michael recovered as quickly as he did. The boy was resilient.

In the past, Michael had been great at beating himself up after feeling like he let someone, including himself, down. This time, if Lars was reading things correctly, Michael seemed to have let this incident roll off his back.

He gave Michael a squeeze and continued to watch the leaves flutter as the air blew through the tree's branches. Lars wasn't concerned about leaving Michael. This vacation, from boarding the plane in San Diego, to this moment on the porch swing, he'd gotten to spend more quality time with Scott and Christian than he would have gotten back home. Scott had been sort of an enigma to Lars. He saw how well he and Michael got along playing soccer in the fall. Scott had always been a close friend to Lukas, but whenever Lars was around, Scott seemed to be quiet and reserved. After Zach came into his life, Scott was around more for dinner and other family things, but the Scott that was around Lars wasn't the Scott he'd gotten to know on this trip. Once he learned about Scott's unease about the economic disparity between the Schultz's and the Meijer's, it all made sense. Lars just wished he'd know that years ago. During this vacation, Scott started to get past his apprehensions and Lars and Carol got to know a more authentic Scott. Now he understood even better why Lukas thought so highly of the younger Schultz boy.

Since Christian, has come into the fold, he spent much more time with the boys than with Lars. On this trip, Lars and Carol both had more time with Christian away from Michael. Since arriving in Europe, Christian had proven to be more mature and of stronger character than Lars thought. That was saying a lot because he held Christian in high esteem before the trip. Lars expected to see Christian get irritated when Michael's attention was drawn elsewhere. And when Michael had his meltdown, he thought he'd see Christian's patience falter. If either did happen, Lars didn't see it. Christian supported Michael and allowed the younger boy to spend time with new family members and follow the unique opportunity the tour offered never once complaining about not getting enough of Michael's time. After the incident at the radio station and during Michael's meltdown, Christian was there for Michael just like every other family member. He stood close by when others comforted Michael and took over his care not leaving Michael's side until after Michael went to bed.

It's one thing to be a family navigating the day-to-day activities -- school, work, practice, homework. It's another to be a family and rally when there is adversity. It's yet another to be a family during the quiet times; during the downtime when you spend your time with each other. Often these are the hardest times to unite and be as one. The time in Herning after the tour gave the family time to connect with one another more deeply, even if Carol and Matthew couldn't be there.

Shakespeare once wrote, "Parting is such sweet sorrow." It's how Lars felt as he packed his luggage in his father's SUV. The farm was home no matter how long ago he'd moved away for college. He never regretted moving to California for graduate school and staying to establish his practice. But every time he returned to Denmark it tugged a little stronger at his heart strings. Denmark, Europe in general, was just a different lifestyle. And perhaps more than anything, being close to family is what he missed most. He'd spoken again to Lore and Isaac about their thoughts on joining them in California, but he knew better than anyone what it is like to leave home and the extended family. It was asking a lot of his parents.

It didn't make sense to take two vehicles to drive everyone to the airport just to say their goodbyes there. Instead, Isaac would drive those returning to the States to Billund to catch their flight home. Lars, Zach, Simon, Lukas, and Scott said their goodbyes to Lore and the younger boys and climbed in the truck.

Lars hugged Michael and Christian just a little longer to let the boys know he would miss them. He trusted the two boys. They were, after all, going to be freshmen this coming school year. But it didn't mean he wasn't going to worry a little having them halfway around the world. Looking back one last time, he saw Lore standing with the two boys waving until they couldn't see the SUV any longer.

Michael and Christian looked at each other and smiled. They were going to be in Europe for a few days with no parental oversight. Now this really felt like an adventure!

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MONDAY, JUNE 22

Big Isaac, to the fear of the rest of the family, was a prankster at heart. Even the farm hands would be victimized by the farmer's lighthearted tricks. From the old classics like unscrewing the lids on the salt and pepper shakers, to more elaborate surprises like the one he set up for today.

He and Lore were up early even though Isaac was taking the day off and letting his crew take care of the day's work. They quietly made coffee careful not to wake Christian and Michael. Taking a seat on the front porch, they enjoyed each other's quiet company while they listened to the birds waking with sunrise.

An SUV turned up the driveway and the grandparents rose to greet their guests.

"You found us!" greeted Lore softly so her voice wouldn't carry. The window to the boys' room faced the south, but you could hear everything from the open window.

"Ja," answered Anna as she exited the car first. She gave Lore a hug.

Isaac welcomed Kristoffer. "Did you have any trouble finding our home?"

"No," answered Kristoffer shaking Isaac's hand. "Google Maps led us right to your home."

Isaac helped the couple with their luggage and Lore carried a bag of gifts the Olsen's brought with them. "We'll take your things up to your room after the boys are up. I thought we'd surprise them when they come down for breakfast and find you here."

Kristoffer and Anna liked Isaac's idea. They'd told the boys they were delayed on leaving for vacation, so the boys weren't expecting them for a couple more days. The reality, however, was they'd left early and spent several days in Stavanger, Norway with Kristoffer's parents. They flew into Herning the night before to be at the Meijer's farm bright and early this morning.

While planning this surprise, the couples got to know each other and enjoyed each other's company. Afterall, they suspected they would eventually be family.

Lore started breakfast. She knew, as well as the other adults, that the smell of French toast and bacon would have Michael and Christian in the kitchen in no time flat. Anna took over making Michael's favorite breakfast when Lore answered the phone. Some of Michael's cousins were coming in to celebrate his 12th birthday. Michael was told it would be a small celebration with just his boyfriend and grandparents and that was alright with him. They were three of his most favorite people in the world and he wanted to spend as much time with his farfar and farmor as possible before he had to leave.

Over the frying of the bacon and the chatter of Lore with one of her nieces, they soon heard bare feet padding down the wooden staircase as two boys followed their noses to the kitchen. The boys had grown comfortable with farm life. They'd gotten more and more casual around the house, so it wasn't the first time the boys had strolled into the kitchen in only their underwear. After all, most mornings Isaac was already out the door so only Lore was in the kitchen when they arrived. It was a shock to both boys when they realized Lore had company.

Michael was the first to notice. With a loud squeak, he jumped and turned to run for cover. Instead, he ran directly into Christian. Christian stumbled backwards from the impact. He too noticed they had company. Turning to head back to their bedroom, Christian's feet tangled with Michael's and both boys ended up on the living room in a tangled mess.

Over the laughter the boys heard, "Gratulerer med dagen Michael!"

Hearing someone wishing Michael "Happy Birthday" in Norwegian, Christian realized his parents were the visitors. He looked at Michael and announced, "It's mom and dad!" They hadn't gotten to the level of comfort at Christian's house to run around downstairs in only the undies, but today wasn't a day to care about formalities. The boys ran to welcome Anna and Kristoffer to Herning.

Despite all the calls and texts home during the tour, Christian felt like it was the first time he'd spoken to his parents since he left East Harbor. Giving his parents hugs and kisses, Christian rambled on and on about all the things that happened since the last time he saw his parents face to face.

Isaac and Lore watched as the tables turned. Christian was with family again and Michael sat quietly and let his boyfriend have the spotlight. Not that he wasn't engaged. He was attentive and participated in the conversation, but he held back and let Christian shine. The proud grandparents were impressed by the maturity of the young boys, but they suspected Lars and the other adults in their lives had something to do with that too.

Breakfast was lively. Conversation and laughter were only punctuated by the consumption of the available breakfast foods. When breakfast was finished, Anna suggested that the two "smelly boys" should get showered and ready for the day.

"What are we going to do today?" asked Michael.

"We have a birthday to celebrate today!" said Isaac grabbing his youngest grandson and swinging him around. Michael loved the attention. He laughed and gave his grandfather a huge hug.

Lore clapped her hands to motivate the boys. "Now go clean up and no more of that monkey business that created all those funny smells you two are wearing." Both boys blushed fiery red and hurried up the stairs to shower.

After they showered, Anna and Kristoffer took the boys into town. The pretense was to have the boys show Christian's parents around Herning. What they were really doing was getting the boys out of the house so the family could decorate and prepare for Michael's birthday party. They spent a couple hours at Baboon City trampoline park bouncing and flipping around. The boys even managed to get Kristoffer and Anna to join them on the tramps. For lunch, Michael wanted sushi and the Olsens took him to Yutaka, one of the top-rated restaurants in the city. At Isaac's suggestion, after lunch they spent some time at The Heart, Herning's museum of contemporary art. Isaac knew Michael would love the sleek contemporary architecture. They spent as much time inside the museum as they did walking around the outside of the building and viewing the exhibits around the property. Returning home for dinner, they pulled into the circle in front of the house and parked by the porch steps. Michael didn't suspect a thing. Visiting family had parked their cars out of sight next to the barn and were quiet so Michael didn't hear.

Coming into the house, they heard Lore call out, "Com'on everyone dinner's almost ready. We're grilling out back." They joined Lore in the kitchen and she led them out the back of the house. When Michael passed through the back door, everyone screamed, "Tillykke med fødselsdagen!"

Michael smiled and wiped tears from his face. He felt Christian's arms hug him from behind and the blonde whispered, "They all love you, too." Christian released Michael and the boy ran to his family sharing hugs and kisses with all, adults and children alike.

"We have another surprise for you, Michael," said Isaac ushering the boy to a large TV and speaker he'd rented for the occasion. Standing the boy in front of the display, Isaac used the remote to turn on the TV. The TV lit and the video feed filled the screen.

"SURPRISE!" shouted everyone when they saw Michael's recognition. Isaac hired a team to set up his end of a live conference call between the party in Herning and the Majestic Theater. Everyone in East Habor gathered around the front of the stage to send Michael their birthday wishes. Lars, Carol, his brothers, Scott, the rest of the Majestic Enterprises crew, AJ and Alvin, teachers from the Music Academy, Alex, Sam and Gregory, and even Craig and Oliver were there. It looked like there were others, but they were off screen or in the shadows so he couldn't tell who all was there.

Lars spoke up for the crowd that made it to the theater for the 9:00 am celebration. "Happy Birthday, Michael. We wish you were here to spend it with us. We love you and miss you! But have fun on your adventures in Norway. We are so excited you have the opportunity to celebrate with family in Denmark and then visit the Olsens. We'll have a celebration here when you get home."

Simon jumped in to add his two cents. "Yeah, Michael! I'm postponing my birthday celebration until you get back. We're gonna have a huge party and sleepover on the fourth of July to celebrate both our birthdays!"

Lars jokingly put Simon in a headlock and added, "We don't want to keep you on here. Go enjoy the rest of your birthday with the family there and we'll celebrate when you get home. We love you, Michael."

There were shouts from others in the theater wishing him a "Happy Birthday" and "we love you". Michael waved at everyone and told them he loved them too. When the call ended, Isaac led everyone in singing the Danish birthday song.

Michael blew out the candles on his birthday cake before Lore cut and served cake for everyone. She'd made a large Danish layered cake. Between the top two and bottom two layers of vanilla cake was a creamy, vanilla pudding. The middle two layers were sandwiching homemade raspberry preserves. When she handed Michael and Christian their slices of cake, she pointed out, "These are some of the raspberries you two picked for me yesterday. I hope you like the cake."

"Like" would be an understatement. Neither of the boys would have ever chosen a vanilla cake. The preferred chocolate or lemon, or something other than vanilla. But this cake was absolutely delicious, and the flavor of the raspberry preserves seemed to explode in their mouths.

After cake, one of Michael's older cousins retrieved his soccer ball and organized a game of fodbold. Adults and kids alike, marked off goals and sidelines taking up as much of the backyard as possible. In Europe, American soccer earns little respect. Thus, they didn't expect much from their little cousin from California. While Christian was not a soccer player and lived up to the expectations of his Danish friends, Michael surprised them. They respected Michael's competitive nature and ball skills. The game was heated yet full of fun and laughter. The players worked up a sweat and appetite.

Isaac and Lore cooked up a feast. Chicken, sausages, and even hamburgers were options for the hungry crowd. Lore was one of the last to make her plate. Looking around the tables, she didn't see Michael. He typically hung around with the adults during meals but today he was not seated at any of the tables. Then she spotted Michael and Christian hanging with the older male cousins. They found a spot in the grass away from the crowd to eat and do what teen boys do.

After dinner, it was time to open presents. Everyone was careful not to get things that couldn't be easily taken home, or at least shipped. But Lore organized all the families to do one thing in particular. Each family gave him a framed picture from the welcome parties. The photos were of Michael, Matthew and Christian posing with each family. One of his cousins joked, " Det er for at du ikke glemmer os nu, hvor du er berømt!(It's so you don't forget us now that you are famous!)"

Other presents included a hockey jersey of the Herning Blue Fox, the local professional hockey team. He also got home and away FC Midtjylland jerseys. The Wolves' (Ulvene) jerseys confused Michael. The home jerseys were black with red accents. The away jerseys were aqua blue with royal blue accents and a 3D chevron-type pattern. He couldn't figure out how the home and away jersey's made sense, but he loved them both. Isaac noticed Michael's confusion and explained that the team was a merger of two clubs. The home and away jerseys represent one of the historical clubs. Black and red the old Herning club and aqua and blue were the jerseys of the old Ikast FC team.

He also received a t-shirt and a ballcap emblazoned with the Danish flag. A gray cord bracelet with a stainless-steel industrial clasp and LEGO sets were some of the other gifts Michael received.

Everyone helped in the clean-up and the house looked as though nothing had happened before the first car pulled out. The families said their goodbyes leaving Isaac and Lore, Kristoffer and Anna, and Michael and Christian to the quiet of the Danish countryside.

It was the first day after the summer solstice. Being that close to the longest day of the year it appeared to be evening when it was much later than the boys would have guessed. Especially since the sun set so much later in Denmark because it is much farther north. As a matter of fact, this time of the year, the sun set over two hours earlier in East Harbor than in Herning.

By the time the taillights from the last of the family heading home were no longer within sight, the boys were sleepy. They entered the house and ascended the stairs to prepare for bed. Michael came back downstairs one more time to give his grandparents another hug. "Thank you," he said from deep in his heart. "That was the best birthday party ever." It was true. The biggest birthday parties Michael ever had was just him, Matthew, Megan, and Bruce. And on this, his twelfth birthday, he no longer had Megan or Bruce in his life and Matthew had returned to San Diego. But what he had now was a loving family that thought the world of him. It was something he would never take for granted. He gave Anna and Kristoffer equally heart-felt hugs and kisses before joining Christian upstairs for their nightly routine.

Christian was dreaming of the fjords of Norway when among the trees he heard crying. The blue skies turned dark, and the vibrant colors of his dream turned to black and white. He wandered into the woods seeking the source of suffering. When he came around a tree and saw Michael curled up crying, Christian startled awake sitting straight up in bed. The soft crying continued.

"Hey," he said, wrapping himself around Michael. "What's wrong?"

"I miss my mom," he sniffled.

Christian pulled Michael into his body as tightly as he could and cried with the boy he loved.

Minutes passed before Michael spoke again. "I'm...I'm...I'm scared."

"Why?"

"The last time I was this happy was when my mom came back from rehab. Bad things hurt more the happier you are. And every time I get really happy, really bad things happen."

Christian didn't know what to say. "I love you and I'll always be here for you."

"How do you know that? You can't control everything. No one can."

"But I can control me and I'm not going to leave you...ever."

"That's what my mom said. She said we were a team and we had to work together. Then she left me." He turned to face Christian. "Don't you get it? I'm scared something is going to happen to one of us or our families. That there's someone out there that's going to try to hurt us again."

The boys held each other and cried themselves to sleep.

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WEDNESDAY, JUNE 23

The boys were quiet and clingy the next morning. It didn't matter which adult, they just needed to be close and comforted. The adults simply took it as the boys' reactions to the end of their Danish vacation or a hangover from all the sugar and excitement of the birthday party.

Anna and Kristoffer were anxious to get back to Stavanger. After meeting Lore and Isaac, they wished they had more time. But Kristoffer had flown his father's plane and the plane needed to get back home. Kjell, Kristoffer's father, was a retired KLM pilot. After retiring, he started a second career as a flight instructor at Flight Safety International. He and some of his buddies from work went in together to buy a used Embraer Phenom 100, a small, four-seater private jet. Kjell and his buddies share the plane, each a pilot themselves, but they use a jet management company to house and maintain the plane. To defer the cost of such an expensive aircraft, the jet management company charters the plane, so the asset brings in revenue. It's the only way the guys could afford the plane. There was a charter flight this evening and the plane needed to be back in Stavanger to be cleaned and fueled for the later flight. Kristoffer followed his father's love of aviation. Though he went into aerospace engineering, he acquired his pilot's license as a teen. When Kjell bought the Phenom, Kristoffer got certified so he could use the family plane from time to time.

Before they piled into the car to leave for the airport, Isaac made a promise. "Michael," he said, "I'm going to miss you terribly. But don't worry, we're going to come visit soon."

The two hugged long and hard before Isaac placed Michael back on his own two feet. The smile on the boy's face said it all. "Love you, farfar." The boys waved goodbye as Kristoffer steered the car towards the airport.

When Michael's mind turned from his grandparents to the present, he noticed they weren't heading to Billund and the international airport. "Aren't we going in the wrong direction?" he asked.

"Well," explained Kristoffer, "we're not flying commercial."

Christian's ears perked up. "You mean you flew farfar's plane down?" (Yeah, Norwegian and Danish aren't too dissimilar. Grandfather is farfar in both languages and Grandmother is farmor in Danish and morfar in Norwegian.)

"Yes," answered Anna.

"Oh yeah!" cheered Christian. He turned to Michael to explain. "My farfar and his buddies own a private jet. Dad's got his pilot's license and he flew the jet down from Stavanger to pick us up!"

Both boys were giddy with excitement. "Oh! We have to take photos and send them to Alejandro," Michael schemed. "He's not the only one who flies private jets!"

When Kristoffer stopped to fill the tank before returning the rental car, the boys ran into the convenience store to buy snacks and necessary accessories.

Back on the road, the boys were busy in the back of the SUV digging through their clothing bags and changing clothes. Anna noticed the commotion and when she saw Christian's pants come off, she inquired, "What are you doing back there?"

"A quick change," said Christian. He saw his mom looking in the makeup mirror on the back of the sun visor. He covered quickly and whined, "MOM! Stop looking!"

Anna laughed, "Okay...okay..."

The rental company had a small office at Herning Lufthavn (Airport). Kristoffer was able to drive the SUV onto the ramp so they could unload the SUV directly into the plane's cargo hold. When the boys stepped out, they were no longer wearing t-shirts and shorts. They were now dressed in their chinos with button up shirts and jackets.

Once their luggage was stowed and they had carried their backpacks onto the plane, the boys dragged Anna out to take different photos. Everyone was laughing and having a good time as they stood next to the white plane with a charcoal-gray underbelly accented by a gold stripe between the white and gray. The boys reached into their jackets and pulled out their newly acquired sunglasses.

Kristoffer paused his pre-flight checklist to watch. "Oh brother," he groaned as his son tried to act "ultra-cool". The two boys posed in ways that exaggerated things they saw on social media and Anna took pics. The way the boys hammed it up was comical. They'd joked with Alejandro about his access to private jets. These photos were meant to be the ultimate tease about flying private and the people that fly private.

Finally, the boys allowed them to board the plane. Michael and Christian sat across the aisle from each other in the seats facing the cockpit. They were excited about not being on a commercial flight. Anna sat facing Michael so she could see Kristoffer if she turned to look.

After takeoff, it was time for more photos. Christian handed his phone to his mom and Michael pulled out other supplies they picked up on the way to the airport. With a couple plastic fluted cups, they poured ginger ale into the cups to pretend they were drinking champagne in flight. Anna could hardly hold the phone still to take the photos. She laughed so hard at the silliness of the two boys, still wearing their sunglasses, pinkies out, sipping their mock-champagne, and making Kim Kardashian "duck lips" for the camera. It was hilarious and all Anna could tell Kristoffer was he'd have to wait to see the photos.

Christian got on the plane's WiFi and sent selected photos to Alejandro with goofy emojis. Michael was copied in on the thread and the three friends bantered back and forth on their phones. The cabin was filled with giggles and laughter as the small jet cut through the air on its way north.

Anna also pulled her phone out to let the family know they were on their way and to send a message to her own mother, Ingrid. Ingrid Kristiansen was an eccentric woman, to say the least. An artist, Ingrid had always been a free spirit and that's what drew Anna's father to her. Flighty, easily distracted, always pursuing any creative venture that popped in her head, at times Ingrid had been an absent parent. But after Anna left for college, her father passed away leaving Ingrid alone. Without someone keeping her grounded, she'd become even more unpredictable.

Kristoffer and Anna managed to get her mother a financial planner. They hoped to have someone watch over Ingrid's spending, so she didn't burn through the money her husband left her. The financial planner helped to manage the staff that maintained the families' home in Norway while Ingrid fluttered around the world indulging her whims exploring her art.

Anna: Hello mother. How are you?

Ingrid: Hello Anna my dear

Anna: We are planning to come visit you. Are you home?

Ingrid: I will be coming home in a few days dear

Anna: We are planning to come on Monday and stay for the a few days.
Anna: Will that work for you?

Ingrid: Oh yes! Excited to see you

Anna: Me too mother. Love you

Ingrid: Love you too

Anna sighed. She wondered what her mother was up to now. At least she wondered where she was. If she wasn't home, it was a good bet she wasn't even in the country. The two ladies had never been close. As a matter of fact, their relationship was never really a mother and daughter dynamic. None of her family had ever been very close. At least not that she could remember. Other than her mother, the rest of her family lived elsewhere. Ingrid had been an only child while her father's brother was an investment banker and worked for Deutsche Bank in Frankfurt, Germany. He almost never visited except on rare holidays. Her cousins grew up in Germany and since they hardly ever saw each other, she never developed a relationship with them.

Anna considered going to Olso by herself. Ingrid's relationship with Anna always stressed Kristoffer. However, she had promised Christian a trip to the Munch Museum the next time she went to Oslo. Thinking about the promise, she considered how much Michael would enjoy the museum -- from the artwork by Edvard Munch to the eye-catching architecture of the new museum.

"Buckle up," announced Kristoffer over the plane's sound system instead of yelling. "We're going to be landing in a few minutes." Anna and the boys packed away their things and fastened their seatbelts.

Being honest, Michael was disappointed by the approach into the Stavanger Airport. He'd hoped they would fly over the iconic fjords that inspired his heart and imagination. Instead, the approach looped out over the North Sea then came in for a landing from the northwest. The southwest coast of Norway has a rocky, low-lying coastal plain that is a few miles wide separating the inland mountains from the sea. For Michael, it was unimpressively flat. Not only that, it seemed to be mostly exposed rock with only few trees.

He would soon learn that not all fjords are big and deep. He would also learn that Stavanger was at the mouth of exactly what Michael expected to see.

It was a quick 15-minute drive from the airport to Kristoffer's parents' home in downtown Stavanger. As they looped around the north end of the airport, Michael got a glimpse of Hafrsfjorden, one of the small fjords on the Stavanger Peninsula. After a short section of highway lined with sound proofing walls, they passed through the Ã...snuttunnelen, a tunnel under the Ã...sen Batteri, an air defense system set up by the Germans during World War II to protect the airport from British attacks. It is also referred to as Olsvik Batteri having been primarily built by Russian prisoners of war.

They drove past industrial buildings, farmland, and then Sørmarka Park before entering the Stavanger urban area. The city of 130,000 residents, Stavanger is the heart of the third largest metropolitan area in Norway. The Stavanger metro area maintains a lower unemployment rate than the national average or even Europe as a whole, and nearly 25% of its residents are immigrants. Surprisingly, the winters are mild, with daytime temperatures staying above freezing during the winter and summers average it the mid-60s. This weather pattern was beneficial to the petroleum, maritime, and tourism industries.

Entering Stavanger, Michael was charmed by the city's design. Being a hilly area, the Norwegians used their Scandinavian ingenuity to layout the neighborhoods. On the road they traveled, a hill was in the way so the locals dug a tunnel under the houses to leave the neighborhood as undisturbed as possible. Popping out the other side of the tunnel, the road immediately passed over a perpendicular road tunnelling under the road they were traveling. Stavanger was orderly yet eclectic. It had a titillating mix of historic and modern architecture. There were also lots of well-maintained green spaces and colorfully painted buildings. Michael was quickly becoming enamored by the city.

Entering the neighborhood where Christian's farfar and morfar lived, Michael grew even more excited. In the historic downtown area, the streets were narrow, and every storefront was open and bustling. The downtown area sat on the slope of a hill rising from the marina. Østervåg 24, the building Kjell and Hilde purchased as an investment, sat one block from the marina. Being a three-story building, the top floor looked over the smaller buildings giving them a beautiful view of the harbor and its islands. Identifying the opportunity at hand, they eventually converted the top two floors of the downtown building to be their home. The building was painted a golden yellow with white trim and black wrought iron fixtures and railings detailing the corner windows. The Olsens were fortunate enough to have B.Y.E, a women's clothing store occupying the first floor. It was quiet and the store wasn't open late.

By the time Kristoffer pulled into the family's parking spots behind the building, Michael was bouncing in his seat asking Christian a litany of questions. Christian simply smiled. There was no attempt to answer any of Michael's questions. If he'd tried, Michael would have been asking the next questions before Christian could have uttered a single word in response.

Kristoffer and Anna were in the front seats with pleased smiles on their faces. They already knew that inviting Michael instead of Lewis was the right decision. Michael's excitement about exploring and learning about Stavanger made Christian even prouder of his heritage. Lewis would not have sparked the same reaction in their son.

This year had been, in a sense, a renaissance in Christian's life. Lars was always talking about what an incredible son the Olsen's had and how Christian brought the best out in Michael. But Anna and Kristoffer knew it was Michael who had brought the best out in Christian. They attributed much of Christian's rediscovery of his passion for life to Michael's influence, and they were forever grateful.

Though skeptical that their son had found his soulmate in his first crush, the boyfriends were adorable together and Kristoffer and Anna hoped the boys would remain friends if they ever grew apart and decided to date others.

In the meantime, they wanted to boys to enjoy their visit to Stavanger to the fullest. Unlike the boys' venture throughout mainland Europe, in Stavanger, Christian and Michael would be free to explore on their own. Though Norway is as progressive as the rest of Scandinavia when it comes to recognizing the rights of LGBTQIA+ individuals, Anna had heard about reports of radicalized individuals committing hate crimes against such individuals in Oslo. Though they didn't want to tell the boys to be careful and hide their relationship while in public, Anna and Kristoffer feared they might have to say something. While the boys were on tour, Kristoffer and Anna talked at length with friends and family back in Norway. They even called the Stavanger police to see if there was any activity of radicalized groups in Kristoffer's hometown. It seemed by all accounts these attacks were confined to Oslo and the boys would be safe in Stavanger. That knowledge was only mildly reassuring.

Michael was still on rapid fire with his questions when they exited the car and collected their luggage. The boy didn't stop until Kristoffer rang the doorbell and Michael realized he was getting ready to meet Christian's grandparents. He stopped with the questions and stood expectantly with the rest of the Olsens for someone to answer the door.

Footsteps coming down the stairs were evident before the door swung open. "Onkel Kristoffer! Du er her! (Uncle Kristoffer! You're here!)" exclaimed the little blonde who answered the door before leaping into Kristoffer's arms. "De er her! De er her! (They're here! They're here!)," Milo shouted back up the stairs to everyone else.

Kristoffer hugged his youngest nephew before setting the boy down. Kristoffer and Anna headed upstairs after Anna exchanged a hug with Milo, leaving Milo with the two boys. "Christian!" squealed Milo throwing himself at his favorite cousin.

Christian smiled and hugged Milo. The little blonde was adorable. You couldn't help but be drawn to him. " Hei Milo! Hvordan har du det? (Hello Milo! How are you?)" He gave Milo a tight squeeze.

"Jeg er flink. (I'm fine.)" answered Milo. He released Christian and turned towards Michael. Milo knew exactly who the other boy was and uncharacteristically for Milo, the boy grew shy.

Michael broke the ice. "Hei Milo," he said practicing his language skills, specifically the sentences he had practiced for when he met the Olsens. " Jeg hørte at du er en musiker. (I heard you are a musician.)"

Milo's face lit up like a lightbulb. At the age of eight, Milo was already a theater and music kid. When he learned of At the Majestic from Christian, Milo started following the band. But watching the videos of Michael and the band, and then following them in the news during the tour, Milo's career aspirations switched from musical theater (or movies) to being a rock star. When Michael knew his name, the poor boy almost burst with pride. He gave Michael a hug before grabbing Michael's hand to take him to show the rest of the family, jabbering the entire way. Christian laughed and followed.

" Du vet navnet mitt! Jøss, jeg kan ikke tro det! Jeg vil også være i et band, akkurat som deg. Jeg spiller piano. Dere har sanger med piano i. Men jeg vil lære å spille gitar. Vil du lære meg? Faren min har en gitar, og vi kan ta den med neste gang, og du kan lære meg alle sangene dine, og så kan jeg være med i et band også. Eller jeg kan være i bandet ditt! Og vi kan reise verden rundt og gjøre store konserter... Mamma! Pappa! Michael er her! (You know my name! Gosh, I can't believe it! I want to be in a band too, just like you. I play piano. You guys have songs with piano in them. But I want to learn to play guitar. Will you teach me? My dad has a guitar, and we can bring it next time and you can teach me all your songs and then I can be in a band too. Or I can be in your band! And we can travel the world and do big concerts... Mama! Papa! Michael is here!)"

While Milo dragged Michael up the stairs, Michael looked to Christian for help. He had no idea what Milo was saying. All Christian offered was a cheeky smile and laughter. At the top of the stairs, they entered an open concept living room, dining room and kitchen with a view of the harbor and the shops below along Østervåg. They were greeted by Malcolm, Kristoffer's younger brother and Malcolm's wife Liv, as well as Christian's grandparents Hilde and Kjell.

They greeted both boys warmly with hugs and kisses, but it was clear to Michael how much everyone missed their young relative who lives almost halfway around the world. Michael's mood soared watching Kjell and Hilde dote over Christian. The Olsens were a warm, loving family and Christian soaked up the attention like a sponge. Michael rarely heard Christian speak about missing his relatives in Norway. Maybe because he didn't remember living in Norway, it was normal for him to have his relatives living so far away. But it was clear to Michael, Christian loved them with his whole heart and loved the affection.

Milo was still rambling on about anything and everything. Michael didn't understand a word. He noticed a wall of family pictures and walked over to look. From what Christian had shared, Michael was able put names with most of the faces regardless of Milo's endless narrative.

There were photos of Milo. In addition to family photos, there were photos that Michael took to be his headshots for auditions and a few from his modeling gigs. Filip was Milo's 10-year-old brother. Filip was skilled in martial arts, particularly karate. The pictures of him were of him in his gi holding up the ribbons and metals he won at various tournaments. Then there were photos of a dancer in various costumes. That, Michael recalled, was Milo's oldest brother, 13-year-old Jonas. Michael blushed when he realized he was staring at Jonas' photos, trying to determine if Jonas was wearing a dance belt or if he was au naturel. His entire body flushed with tingling heat when he realized that Christian's gift might just be a family trait. Michael shook his head and continued identifying the members of Christian's family in the photos.

There were photos of two older boys. Michael concluded those were Oskar's two boys. Oskar was Kristoffer's older brother. Oskar's boys were 15-year-old Tobias who was a talented hockey player and 16-year-old Emil. Emil was an avid mountain biker and was studying to be a chef. There was one thing Michael was certain of regarding his Norwegian vacation. He was going to enjoy being around the Olsen boys who all ranged from good looking to hot!

Looking at various photos of Christian on the tennis court and photos of a much younger Christian, Michael was startled back to the present.

"Hi," come a voice over his left shoulder. Michael turned find Jonas and Filip waiting to introduce themselves. Inspecting the photos, Michael hadn't noticed Milo's older brothers coming downstairs to welcome their relatives from America.

Jonas had obviously been working out. Carrying his stretching band, Jonas was wearing a baby blue unitard, the top was a sleeveless tank, and the bottoms were shorts. The skin-tight dancewear left little to the imagination. It showed off Jonas' muscular torso and confirmed the boy took after Christian. Filip had also been working out. He had on the bottom half of his gi allowing Michael to check out his fit, but younger and less muscular body.

He wasn't certain, but Michael got the impression that Jonas was showing off his body. There was something in the way Jonas stood and moved compared to the way Filip presented himself. Jonas was saying something to him, but Michael was distracted. Knowing the pause in conversation was to be filled by him, Michael was relieved when he heard Hilde call everyone to lunch.

Michael found a seat next to Christian. For some reason, he felt, perhaps, intimidated by Filip and Jonas. And now they seemed to be talking about him. Their furtive looks didn't go unnoticed and seemed to precede secretive conversation between the two boys. Despite his work to learn Norwegian, they were speaking too quietly, too quickly, or using vocabulary he didn't understand. On the other hand, the food, and Christian, were a great distraction from his unease.

Hilde and Liv had prepared a variety of delicious Norwegian summer treats. Michael began building his list of favorite Norwegian dishes. First on this list was skagenröra, a creamy shrimp, dill, and mayonnaise salad. It was served on slices of rye bread or, as Michael enjoyed, slices of fresh cucumber. He also really enjoyed their version of potato salad. The warm weather version Liv made used whole fingerling potatoes, sliced radishes, and dill. Michael sampled main dishes and hoped to take the recipes home. One was a pasta dish. Rotini topped with poached prawns served with an herb sauce that reminded Michael of pesto, but not as oily. The other was grilled salmon. Not that it was Earth shattering -- he'd had grilled salmon many times before. But this was the first time he enjoyed a lemon-horseradish cream. It hit all the right notes of citrusy and spicy and played a wonderful melody on his tastebuds.

Throughout the meal, Christian was translating and explaining things to Michael. It wasn't often Michael saw Christian as happy and lively. The joy Christian was feeling was infectious. Soon, Michael was feeling right at home with the Olsens, even if they were mainly speaking a language he didn't understand.

What Michael did understand was when they sang "Hurra for Deg" and brought out a birthday cake for him.

Hilde had baked Michael a bløtkake, a traditional Norwegian cream cake. It was like the Danish cream cake Lore baked for his birthday, but with a couple differences. Where the Danish cake used vanilla pudding, the Norwegian cake mixed canned peaches into the vanilla pudding, so that "cream" layer was fruit flavored instead having vanilla cake with vanilla "cream". The second was the cake icing between the other layer and on top was whipped cream. Michael loved whipped cream, especially with fruit, and this cake was covered with fresh fruit inside and out. Strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries were layered into the cake and made a decorative pattern across the top. The cake tasted heavenly.

When the Olsens addressed Michael, they spoke in English, so he was able to better participate in the conversation after the cake was served. Michael answered questions about the band, the tour, and how he and Christian ended up as a couple. That's when it occurred to Michael. Since the last time Christian had been to Norway, he'd moved to East Harbor, came out, and found a boyfriend. No wonder, Michael reasoned, the cousins were so interested in him.

There were even a few presents for Michael to open. He got some patriotic Norwegian t-shirts and a hoodie as well as a couple PlayStation games. Christian had helped make sure they were things Michael liked, didn't have, or were the right size. What Michael also liked was Anna and Kristoffer treating him just like they treated Christian. They treated Michael like their son instead of a guest. Anna assured him the others would treat him like family as they got to know him.

Michael and Christian helped clean up after the meal, even when Hilde tried to shoo them out of the kitchen. But everyone pitched in back home at the Meijer home and it seemed to the boys it wasn't fair that the three ladies were left to clean up after such a huge meal.

Christian was anxious to show Michael around, but Milo was glued to their sides. The teen asked his Aunt Liv to distract her youngest son so he and Michael could make their getaway. When Milo was called upstairs, the young couple slipped out the door and down the stairs.

Michael was excited to be on his own with Christian. In his mind, it was the adventure of two boys from California wandering around a European city without adult supervision. For Christian, he had Michael on his territory. He was proud of his heritage and was excited to show Michael around. If things went as he often dreamed, this was only the first of many trips to Stavanger the two would make together.

Walking around the building, they stopped at the corner of Østervåg and Steinkargata. "Which way do you want to go?" asked Christian.

Michael took Christian's hand in his and replied, "Which ever you go!"

They exchanged smiles before Christian decided to turn left passing Stavanger Optikk, the optical store across the street next to the Olsen's building. Michael and Christian passed shops of all different types: French beauty products, restaurants, clothing, baked goods, jewlery, and more. Christian noticed each time they crossed an intersection, Michael would look towards the harbor. Christian made certain their walk would take them to the water.

The colorful buildings, plants, and decorations brought the city to life. They checked out the storefronts and watched the locals and tourists on their bicycles or walking throughout the downtown. Exploring Stavanger on their own was exhilarating. They made it to the corner where Østervåg curved to the left turning into Nedre Holmegate. To the right, between Smash Burger and a modern office building, there was a walkway towards the waterfront. Christian guided Michael down the walkway towards Havneringen, the street that separated the city from the harbor. Looking both ways, they scampered across the street.

Facing a modern building with a steel façade, Michael asked, "What's this?"

"It's the Norsk Oljemuseum -- the Norway Oil Museum. We can go when we have more time." Michael nodded at Christian's suggestion. They headed around the building clockwise passing an area were locals docked their sail boats, then along the side of the museum until they reached the point farthest out into the water. From there, they could see everything. Oil tankers, cruise ships, the islands adorning the middle of the harbor, and the bridge spanning the distance between the mainland and the islands.

"Hey, look!" said Christian. Part of the museum was three cylindrical buildings. The one closest to the boys resembled a small oil well. What drew Christian's attention was a staircase that led up to the rig's platform. He grabbed Michael's hand and took off for the stairs. The boys raced up the stairs until they found themselves on a metal grate platform higher than the museum itself. It provided them an unobstructed view of everything. Michael put his arm around Christian's waist and felt Christian's arm around his shoulders.

"I think I understand you better now," said Michael.

Christian looked at Michael quizzically. His gaze was met with Michael's smiling face.

"I mean I know you grew up in California, but through your parents and your family, you have a really strong tie to Norway and Stavanger. And if this is what Norway is all about, then I get it. It's like you. Fun and lively, but not showy and flashy. Understated. Smart and beautiful. Natural. Stunning. Lovely. I just feel like this place suits you." Michael looked back out to the beauty of the seascape before him. "I don't know how to explain it very well."

"I thought you explained it nicely."

The boys stood there watching the birds and the ships move quietly through the water, enjoying the growing bond they shared.

----------------------     

Kristoffer climbed the stairs to the top floor of his parent's building. Since the last time he'd visited, they'd finished the attic as one, large entertainment room featuring a row of dormers with wonderful views of the harbor with storage and a large bathroom on the windowless side of the room. After dinner the boys had retreated upstairs to visit, watch TV, or whatever else they wanted to do so the adults could visit. Kristoffer had offered to get the lads to bed.

Since the boys made their way to the entertainment room, they'd been watching movies and catching up. Milo had attached himself to Michael again and was being a bit of a pest more so to his brothers than Michael. Being that his English skills weren't as advanced as his brothers, he didn't understand much of what they were talking about. He kept interjecting, asking someone to explain and whining when they didn't. Michael would have been the most patient and compassionate of the older boys, but he was the only one who couldn't translate the conversation.

"Okay, boys," announced Kristoffer, "time for bed."

There was grumbling, but they had prearranged who was sleeping where so there wasn't much of a reason to make a fuss. Jonas claimed one of the couches and Filip the other, adjacent to the first. Milo tried to engage Kristoffer in his argument that there was enough room for him to share with Filip, but his brother didn't want company. Kristoffer didn't bite and that left Milo to the sleeping bag on the floor next to Filip and Christian and Michael snagged the queen-sized air mattress at the far end of the room.

Frustrated by the evening and his brother's refusal to share, Milo moved his sleeping bag next to the couch where Jonas was going to sleep. Christian and Michael moved the mattress up against the wall under the windows. They also hoped it would provide them a bit of privacy since the mattress couldn't been seen by the other boys when Christian's cousins were lying down.

At Kristoffer's prompting, the boys went about their nighttime routine using the new bathroom. Kristoffer used that as an opportunity to visit with the boys while making sure they got to bed. Milo was first and fell to sleep before the others were finished preparing to sleep. Kristoffer collected hugs from the other four boys and seeing them to bed, turned off the lights and headed back downstairs.

When the lights went out, Christian and Michael slipped under the blankets and got comfortable. T-shirts and shorts came off and were tossed aside. They made one concession to their normal sleeping arrangements; they kept their underpants on. A quick kiss and a snuggle, the two boys were ready to for sleep.

No one has ever mistaken a vinyl air mattress as being the quietest way to sleep. The commotion under the blankets alerted everyone in the entertainment room that something was going on across the room. There was another shuffling of blankets and the unmistakable sound of people moving on a vinyl air mattress that caused Jonas to pop his head over the back of the couch to see what the boyfriends were doing. Filip saw his brother sit up and sat up himself wondering what was going on. In the ambient city light flooding the room from streetlamps below, the brothers could see Michael and Christian snuggled together.

All of the activity woke Milo. "Hva skjer? (What's going on?)" he asked.

Jonas scolded in a whisper, "Ingenting! GÃ¥ tilbake til sengs. (Nothing! Go back to sleep.)" There was a shuffling in the sleeping bag then Milo crawled up on the couch beside Jonas and joined his brothers peering at the boys on the air mattress. "De koser. (They're cuddling.)" stated Milo as a matter of fact as if his brothers hadn't figured that out yet.

Being close to the window, the shadow of the windowsill hid Michael and Christian's faces. The boys on the sofas couldn't see that Michael and Christian had their eyes open and were watching. Their bodies shook as they giggled at Milo's discovery. The boyfriends played like they were asleep and waited for the other boys to lie back down and wander off to dreamland.

As Jonas, Filip, and Milo each lost interest in what the boyfriends were doing in the dark, each boy's head returned to his pillow and he drifted off to sleep. Michael and Christian, resigned to the fact that anything they might do would wake the others, followed them into peaceful sleep.

In his sleep, Michael suddenly sensed a presence and startled, Michael startling awake, in turn, aroused Christian. It took a moment or two for Michael's eyes to focus and remember where he was and who he was with. "Jonas?" Michael whispered. "What time is it?" Christian rose to his elbow looking over Michael's shoulder.

Jonas just put a finger to his lips and motioned for the boys to follow. Michael and Christian carefully crawled off the air mattress making as little noise as possible and padded lightly towards the light coming from under the bathroom door.

The bright lights of the bathroom were piercing causing Michael and Christian to block their eyes until they adjusted. Jonas sat on the toilet leaving the edge of the bathtub for the other two.

Jonas started to say something then got up and turned on the exhaust fan to cover the sound of their voices. "I can't believe you guys are really gay," he said.

Slipping his glasses on, Christian blinked until he could keep his eyes open. "How could you not believe it?" Christian asked incredulously. "We came out as a couple online. You've seen videos of us kissing. Even the video from the tour of us kissing on stage. What more do you need?"

"I know, but..." started Jonas. He wasn't sure he had the words to express what he was thinking. "It's just, you don't act gay."

Michael started to laugh out loud before covering his mouth in order to not to wake anyone. He asked, "You mean kissing another boy isn't acting gay enough?"

Jonas gave a grunt in frustration. "I mean all the guys I know that are gay act really girly."

"Who do you know that's gay?" asked Christian.

Jonas lowered his head and mumbled, "Other gays at my dance studio."

There was a pause in the conversation. The boys didn't know where to take the conversation until Christian thought he understood what his cousin was asking. "Jonas, why is this important to you?"

The 13-year-old opened his mouth to answer, but nothing came out. He turned his head to hide his face and closed his eyes trying to find his voice. Michael and Christian were patient. They gave Jonas the space he needed to say what was in his heart. The dancer finally turned back to his cousin and his cousin's boyfriend and asked, "How did you know? How did you know for sure?"

"Well," began Christian, "I was dating a girl, my friend Emily, but all I could really think about was this hunky guy right here." He poked Michael in the side with his elbow. "Eventually I just figured out that I wasn't really into Emily or other girls as more than friends. My heart was Michael's."

"Wait. Wait. Wait," smiled Michael. "If you're gonna tell the story, you gotta tell all the story." He giggled and filled Jonas in on the rest of the story. "You see. He gets me up in my bedroom and we're playing music. One of my favorite songs comes on and I'm dancing to the song when Christian loses control and just grabs me and kisses me! Can you believe that? The nerve to just grab another boy and kiss him! And then, he ran away!"

"Oh, don't act like you were offended," Christian wagged his finger at Michael. Then he turned to Jonas to clarify the story. "First, Michael was out and dating other boys before I even moved to East Harbor so it's not like I just grabbed some random boy and kissed him. I knew Michael was gay. And second, I ran away because I was confused. I had a girlfriend that I was taking to a school dance that weekend, but I really wanted to be going with Michael. I didn't know what to do."

"What he ended up doing," added Michael with a conniving grin, "was going to the dance with Emily and leaving with me." Jonas laughed for the first time since the conversation started.

"Yeah. Yeah. Yeah," joked Christian. "Laugh all you want." They did. "But seriously Jonas, figuring out how you identify can be really confusing. Some guys figure it out young and others don't figure it out until college, or even later."

Michael stopped laughing long enough to add, "And why label yourself. For others, labels are like writing something with a Sharpie. They want it to be exact and permanent. But for us, it can be more of a 'right now' or 'I think'. Hell, we have a friend that identifies as straight but when he spends the night at my house, you would swear otherwise. Right Christian?" He gave Christian a playful shove as he yanked his boyfriend's chain. Christian blushed and grinned remembering his time with Scott on the tour bus. "Just take your time and you'll figure it out."

Jonas asked Michael, "When did you figure it out?"

Michael thought for a moment then shared, "I think I figured out I was different when I was seven or eight. Then I started getting online and looking up stuff to understand what gay meant and stuff like that." He giggled before adding, "You can learn a lot from the Internet."

Jonas agreed. "Yeah. Milo's discovered that too." He blushed. Jonas didn't mean to reveal his little brother's secret. So far, Milo had only revealed his orientation to his brothers.

That tidbit of information was the puzzle piece that made sense of all Michael knew about Milo. The boy wasn't so much interested in being in a band, the little Olsen cousin had a crush on him. Then he turned his attention back to the issue at hand. "Do you really question if you are gay, or are you trying to figure out where you fit in since you don't feel like you fit in with the only gay guys you know?"

"That makes more sense, I think," Jonas answered. "I was wondering if I was really gay if I couldn't find gay guys like me."

"Poor you," said Christian. "All the girls probably think you're the one of the few straight male dancers and throw themselves at you."

That got a smile out of Jonas. "You wouldn't believe it. I'm so sick of it!" Christian and Michael laughed along with Jonas who was opening up and feeling more comfortable talking about being gay.

The boys talked for a while longer before Christian suggested they get to bed. Standing and stretching, Jonas and Christian shared a hug. "I'm happy for you Jonas."

When Christian broke his hug, Michael stepped up to give Jonas a hug. Michael gave Christian a devious grin alerting Christian that something was up. Christian shook his head "no", but his grin told Michael "yes". The older boy was hugging an attractive, nearly naked boy that wasn't a relative for the first time. The twelve-year-old felt the flush of Jonas' body. To Michael, it was a clear sign of Jonas' attraction to him. With that confirmed, Michael thought it was his duty as a responsible member of the tween LGBTQA+ community to help a fellow member along his journey of self-discovery. Turning his head, he found the lips of a curious Jonas. Despite the attempts of the girls at his studio, this was the dancer's first kiss. Clumsy at first, Jonas picked up the skill quickly just as he did new dance steps.

Jonas groaned when Michael broke the kiss, not because the kiss ended, but because Michael clutched the man-sized appendage poking him in the stomach through Jonas' sleeping shorts. Stepping back, Michael wagged it at Christian. "I guess it runs in the family. We may have to teach him how to play safely with a weapon this size." With one last firm squeeze, Michael let go and followed Christian back to the air mattress to get some sleep. Jonas watched the two boys as they slipped into the shadows then shut the bathroom door to take care of some urgent business.

----------------------     

THURSDAT, JUNE 24

The next day, Christian sought out his parents before Michael woke. When he made his way back upstairs to where the boys slept, he found his boyfriend in the bathroom washing the sleep from his face. Michael didn't open his eyes until he dried his face. A look into the mirror revealed Christian's smiling reflection.

"What's got you so excited this morning?" asked Michael.

"A surprise for you."

"Just for me?"

Christian put his arms around Michael from behind. "Well, no, but I finally get to take you to my favorite place in the world and you are gonna get to see what a fjord is all about."

"YES!" He turned and gave Christian a peck on the lips.

"Pack your backpack for an overnight and be prepared to do A LOT of hiking today," warned Christian. "Mom's taking us to buy hiking boots on the way. We're leaving right after breakfast." Michael hustled out of the bathroom and prepared for his day. He found Christian's backpack stuffed full of what he planned to take. Michael hurriedly packed and was ready to head down to breakfast with Christian when the blonde stepped out of the bathroom.

Everyone heard the boys racing down the steps to breakfast. "Don't run!" scolded Kjell.

The boys called out, "Beklager det farfar! (Sorry about that grandpa!)" before they completed their descent to the second floor living quarters.

Hilde set out bread, brown cheese (brunost), and porridge and Christian's cousins were at the table with all the adults gobbling down their breakfast. When Michael and Christian entered, Hilde said, "It sounds like you two are going to need something a bit more hardy for your day. I could make some scrambled eggs and smoked salmon for you."

Christian was quick to answer. "No thank you morfar. But could you make matpakke for lunch?"

Hilde was happy to be of use making matpakke for the boys' hike. She went about grabbing tubes of different spreads and cheese and bread and, of course, wax paper.

The boys were finishing preparing and Anna headed down the stairs to wait in the car.

"Here are your lunches," said Hilde handing the waxpaper wrapped matpakke. They put the meals into their backpacks.

"We'll see you later at the cabin," said Jonas. "Don't get lost or fall into the fjord." Jonas and Milo laughed.

Christian asked, "Is Filip coming too?"

"No," said Milo. "He said only us g..." Jonas' hand muffled the rest of Milo's comment. It didn't need to be said in front of their grandmother.

"He's got karate," Jonas filled in. "And he wants to be here when Tobias and Emil arrive tomorrow. That way we won't need to be in a hurry to get back."

"Cool," replied Christian. "See you this evening!" He grabbed Michael's hand and the two raced down the stairs and out to join Anna.

"About time you two made it," kidded Anna. They headed over to Chillout Travel and Outdoors to do some quick shopping.

"Do we really need hiking boots?" asked Michael. "I've always been fine in my tennies."

"Well, these trails are rocky, so we need something with a more stable sole," explained Christian. "Plus, round trip, this hike is a bit over eight miles."

"Eight miles?" asked Michael for clarification. Christian just nodded.

They didn't want to spend too much time shopping, but they were careful with which footwear they purchased. Anna reminded them to get good, thick wool socks that met her approval to go with the shoes. She also had them pick up jackets that were breathable and warm. "Boys," she said as they got into the car, "I'm trusting you to be safe. This isn't some leisurely hike. It's long. It's strenuous. And there isn't an easy way to come get you if you get hurt or don't want to hike all the way back to the pickup point. Christian, you've hiked this a number of times, so you'll need to make sure Michael is okay. And this is the first time you're doing this by yourself. Are your phones charged?" The boys checked and showed Anna their batteries were full. She smiled through her look of concern. "You're growing up so fast." She hugged both boys before getting in the car to make the 45-minute drive.

"Mom," asked Christian, "can we stop at the store to pick up some food to take with us."

Anna smiled. She was waiting for that request. They stopped at the Extra grocery store in Hillevåg. As they were getting out of the car, Christian said, "Give me your matpakke." Michael opened his backpack and handed his lunch to Christian. Before the three entered the store, Christian dropped both matpakke in the trash.

"Why did you do that?" asked Michael. "Your grandmother made those for us."

"I know," said Christian. "I asked her to because I knew how happy she would be that she packed us lunch. But trust me, you'd thank me."

As the boys grabbed trail mix and sports drinks to go with their water, Christian explained. "Matpakke is just a slice of bread with something on it. A piece of cheese or a spread of some sort. They put a piece of wax paper between each piece and then wrap the whole thing up in wax paper. The bread and brown cheese isn't too bad, but grandma likes to use this liver spread that squeezes out of a tube. After it's all been wrapped together, everything ends up smelling like the liver spread and it's gross." Michael scrunched his nose and nodded in agreement.

Stocked up and checked out, they unloaded the things they didn't need for the hike and packed their backpacks with the supplies they wanted for their hike. They also stowed their shoes and socks under the front seat and laced up their new hiking boots and put on their new footwear to prepare for the hike.

Anna stopped at the Giljastølen hotel parking lot across from the local campground and got out to see the boys off. "When you get back to the Steinknuten hiking area, text me and I'll be here to pick you up. Until then, I'm going to go rent our cabin and enjoy sitting out by the water."

Christian smiled, "Love you, mom." He gave her a big hug. She knew he was more than capable of leading this hike. She also knew how special this was for Christian to take Michael out to Ramnstokunuten. For some reason, this particular step, letting her son have this journey on his own, felt like a big step in his independence. Anna was feeling the loss of her son. Since moving to East Harbor, he seemed to have grown up so much.

Anna felt Christian break the hug and immediately found herself in another embrace. Michael gave her a big hug and said, "Love you too."

She kissed the top of Michael's head and asked them one last time to check to make sure they were ready. The boys put their backpacks on over their new jackets and tried out their new shoes and socks. Taking a moment to tighten their shoes. "And your phones?" They took turns checking the other's backpack and both phones were securely in place.

They waved as they headed into a wooded area at the trailhead. She watched until she couldn't see them any longer then stood there watching the trailhead in case they turned back. She eventually decided to head on down to Frafjord to get their cabin for the night. While she was there, she thought, spending some time at the spa would be nice.

The wooded area was narrow and in no time the boys emerged from the other side. That's when Michael got his first good look at the initial climb they needed to make.

"We're going to go up there?" asked Michael.

"No," assured Christian. "The other side is too steep. There's a path over here that leads around between these hills."

Michael was relieved to see a much easier path than what he first thought they were going take. The path led them between the different hills and lakes, gently descending into a valley between the high, rocky ridges. The boys walked silently, watching carefully each step. Nothing was level on the landscape they traversed. Michael wondered if his neck would be the first thing to get tired as he tried to look where he stepped and check out the beauty surrounding him.

The path led them to a gravel road. The road serviced several homes spread out through the valley then extended to the end of a long, finger lake at the lowest point. They followed the road to its end at the tip of the lake.

"Look," said Christian pointing to the left. There was an opening between two hills giving the boys a view into a deep valley on their left. "The hills we're on were once between two fjords. When the water level went down, the bottom was exposed and the town of Dirdal formed down there. When we go camping, our cabin will be right where the land ends and the water in the fjord begins."

They rounded the tip of the lake they crossed over a small ridge and down to another lake. They stayed to the left of the lake where the ground was more even than the rocky slope of the far shore. Rounding the far end of the lake, there was a small "v" cut into the ridge of the other side of the valley leading up to their destination.

They were two and a half hours into the hike when Christian pointed to the highest peak in Ramnstokunuten. "That's where we're going. We're going to head around that way and come up the left side, so it isn't so steep." He didn't add that coming up the side away from the water made the reveal more dramatic.

Michael was grateful for the easier climb. He was in shape, but the hike on an uneven, hard, rocky surface. That wasn't something his body was used to. He and Christian had already polished off a couple bottles of water and they were ready for a break and lunch. Christian, however, pressed on promising they would spend time at the peak to eat and enjoy the view.

When they reached the last turn to reach their destination, Michael could see down the fjord to the east. The beauty inspired him to rush up the final climb to reach the top. Side-by-side, Christian and Michael walked to the edge, scanning the waterway far below.

"It's incredible," said Michael. No photo Michael had ever seen of the Norwegian fjords was as stunning as what he was looking at in this moment.

"Down around the bend down that way you can see the mouth of the fjord. Stavanger is a little over two miles to the left down there. And that way," he said turning and pointing towards the opposite end of the fjord, "is where we're going to be camping tonight. See those buildings to the left? Those are the cabins. That's where mom is right now."

Michael leaned his body into Christian's while the two watched little white triangles sailing up and down the fjord and the wake of the motorboats as they buzzed around below. "This is so beautiful. I never dreamed of seeing the fjords from above. I think this is my favorite place in the whole world too. Thank you for bringing me here."

Christian wrapped both arms around Michael. "It's even more special being here together."

As if on cue, both boys' stomachs growled. "Time for lunch," added Michael.

They found a relatively flat area close enough to the edge, but not so close they would fall in. They unpacked their backpacks of what was left of their supplies. Checking out the spread before them, they decided to finish off their sports drinks, munch on some tropical fruit trail mix, and eat their salted caramel protein bars.

"I'm definitely feeling the hike out here," said Christian between bites of his protein bar. Checking the time on his phone, he added, "Wow, we really made good time. No wonder I'm feeling it. How are you doing?"

"My ankles are kind of sore," answered Michael flexing and twisting his feet. "But getting these hiking boots was a choice idea. I don't think I could make it back without them."

"Let's take a selfie and send it to mom and dad!" suggested Christian.

The two scooted close together and mugged for the camera on Christian's phone. They took lots of pics with different backgrounds, goofy faces, different kissing pics, and anything else they could come up with. Christian sent the photos to his parents with a message about their safe arrival to Ramnstokunuten, to the family and friends back in East Harbor about their hiking trip and the view, and then posted some to the band's social media accounts. "Wow! The number of followers on the band's sites has skyrocketed again. We're over 500,000!"

"Cool," said Michael acknowledging Christian's comment. The band, the press coverage, the tour, and everything that goes with that stuff were the farthest things from Michael's mind. He only wanted to think about Christian, family, and being in Norway. It's all that mattered to him in this moment. To be honest, Michael thought the attention to the band and their music was cool, but Michael really didn't care about it one way or the other. He only really cared what their fans thought because he knew how important music was to him and he felt honored when his music could impact someone else's life. Now, sitting at the top of Ramnstokunuten overlooking Høgsfjorden with the boy he loved with all his being, Michael was living his best life. Love and joy filled his heart. "I can't believe how beautiful it is," repeating the sentiment he'd mentioned several times before.

"I like this place because it is so remote and not very touristy. But around the corner there looking towards the mouth of the fjord, is the mouth of Lysefjord. It flows into Høgsfjorden about halfway between the bend and the mouth." Pointing back towards Frafjord and the campgrounds, he explained, "Most fjords are fed by a river that runs through the lowlands. Frafjord has rivers that drain into the fjord as waterfalls and the sides of the fjord are more like cliffs than slopes. That's what makes it really famous and there're lots of tourists everywhere. Maybe we can see it while we're here if you'd like."

"Yeah, I think I'd really like that."

After a long lunch break, Christian suggested they head back. "I'm going to set a slower pace, so we don't push it and get too sore. I just wanted you to know it's going to take longer to get back."

They adjusted their backpacks putting water and the last of their trail mix in easy to reach locations and stowed away their trash. Before heading back down the trail to the hotel parking lot, the boys shared a long, passionate kiss to commemorate the trip.

"We'll have to come back here every time we visit," suggested Michael.

"Even in the winter?" asked Christian.

"Oh...uh...I guess we can't then, could we?"

"Oh yes. They lead trips out here all winter," answered Christian.

"Really?"

"Yep," stated Christian, "you'll just have to practice hiking in snowshoes."

At first Michael thought Christian was joking, but quickly understood that he was completely serious. Afterall, it is Norway and snowshoes and skiing had been a way of life for centuries.

Stepping down from the peak and following the winding trail back down to the valley and lakes, Michael felt a loss leaving "their place". Then he remembered about camping at the bottom of the fjord and getting to see it from that perspective. His spirits lifted and his steps grew lighter. They stopped a few times to enjoy the views of the rocky slopes reflecting off the placid waters of the lakes. It gave them a reprieve from their hike and a moment to drink and snack before continuing. Reaching Tjørndalsvatnet, the last large lake on their trip back, Christian texted Anna to let her know to come pick them up. Crossing over the ridge to the downslope back to the hotel, Michael's legs began to feel the stress from the rugged terrain. He figured he'd covered this distance many times between walking around East Harbor and their lacrosse practices. But the steep climbs and the uneven surfaces added a whole other complexity to this exercise.

Michael caught up to Christian and took his hand so they could walk together. "Are you getting tired too?" asked Michael. "Or is it just me?"

"It's not just you," confessed a weary Christian. "I don't think even the fittest hikers come back from there and feel like it was a warmup. I think you either make it back exhausted and defeated by the hike, or you come back exhausted and exhilarated by the hike. Which are you?"

"Tired and excited because this was one of the best things I've ever done in my life."

The boys were waiting for Anna when she arrived. They ran to the car and hopped in the back, talking a mile a minute about their adventure. She happily listened all the way back to the cabin.

----------------------     

The evening was filled with American fare (hamburgers and hot dogs per Jonas and Milo's request) and frequent pauses to interpret for Milo at his constant insistence. Eventually, Anna and Kristoffer suggested they put out the campfire and tuck into their cabin for the night.

Michael and Christian couldn't have agreed more. The evening was beautiful, and they loved every minute of sitting by the campfire, but the hike had caught up to them and a bed sounded fantastic.

The campground had ten cabins lining the shore. Each cabin was a natural brown wood with a brown shingled roof. However, each cabin's fascia and window and door trim were painted a bright color distinct from the other cabins. Other than the trim color, the only real difference between the cabins from the outside was some had two windows facing the water and others only had one. That indicated which were two- and three-bedroom cabins. The Olsens' cabin had dark green trim and two windows facing down the fjord. Each of the two windows provided views of the fjord for the two small bedrooms. Each bedroom had two narrow, camp beds. The opposite end of the upstairs had a larger bedroom for Anna and Kristoffer, complete with a queen-sized bed.

Sunset wouldn't be until nearly 11:00 pm making it feel odd for the Americans. It was still so light out, yet it was so late in the evening. The boys were hanging out in Michael and Christian's room when Anna and Kristoffer wished the boys a good night and headed off to bed. Michael and Christian patiently waited for Jonas to get the hint that he wasn't going to be invited to play. The way Milo seemed to have ants in his pants, they wondered if Milo was hoping for something to happen too. 'Had Jonas said something about the night before to Milo?' considered Christian.

Once the brothers wandered off to their bedroom, Christian shut the door and with Michael's assistance moved one of the mattresses to the bed by the window. Unzipping one sleeping bag on top of the bed, they used the other and their pillows to prop themselves up to relax and gaze out the window.

The sun had dropped below the rocky walls of the fjord, but the changing colors of the setting sun painted the sky. Michael wasn't sure if he could imagine anything better than to be pressed against Christian's equally naked body while watching the changing colors of the sky reflecting off the mirror-like surface of Frafjorden. Christian held Michael from behind, absentmindedly playing with Michael's hair.

Michael twisted in Christian's arms to face his boyfriend. "I love you," he told Christian.

Cradling Michael's head in his hand, he caressed the younger boy's back with his other hand. "I love you, too. I can't believe you are here with me."

Michael raised up and placed a tender kiss on Christian's lips. "By far, this has been the best day since we came to Europe."

"Really?" asked Christian. "Ever better than meeting your family, seeing all the cool things in all the cities we went to, all of the concerts, and even meeting the queen?" Michael just nodded as Christian offered other experiences. "Why?"

Michael weaseled his arms around Christian and pulled him tightly, so their bodies pressed together. "Because it was just us in the most beautiful place on Earth. We've hardly had time to be together, just the two of us. I mean, we almost never really get to be alone together except at night. But today we've spent almost the entire day together. Just the two of us except when your mom was driving us around. And the bonus is, I don't know that I've ever seen you happier than since we've been in Norway."

It was Christian's turn to initiate a loving kiss. "I don't know that I'm happier, but I guess it is the excitement of having you here with me. Since meeting you, I kinda feel like I've always been on your turf. Here, I get to be the one who is showing you around."

"Then I think we need to get out of East Harbor more oft..." Before Michael finished articulating the last word of his sentence, his lips met Christian's. The passion of the kiss intensified, and the boys began to grind their bodies together. Christian started to roll Michael onto his back and realized immediately the mattress wasn't as big as they were used to. Michael caught himself before he slid off the bed. Not wasting a second, he shimmied his body to the middle of the bed and under Christian so they could resume making out.

After several minutes of tonsil hockey, Christian lifted his head to catch his breath. Gently he wiped the tears from Michael's face. He no longer asked why Michael sometimes cried when they made love. He always got the same answer. Michael shed tears because he was overcome by the love and joy he felt when he was with Christian. Sometimes it was just too much; the tears the overflow. Before engaging the boy beneath him in another kiss, Christian told Michael, "I love you so much."

Forgotten was the picture-perfect world outside the cabin's window. Forgotten was the fact they were in Europe and all the excitement and adventures they'd had. Forgotten were the Olsen cousins on the other side of the thin wall between the cabin's bedrooms. Forgotten was the world outside of the sleeping bag that formed the love nest the two boys shared. The boys had learned how to communicate without words during their lovemaking. Tonight, their bodies were engaged in a lively conversation.

Michael rubbed the sole of his feet over the back of Christian's thighs. In response to Michael's request, Christian rose enough to drool into the palm of his right hand then reach between their bodies. Gone were the days when Michael needed to help Christian find his way. The blonde was now a pro at pleasuring his lover's body. Penetration caused Michael's knees to pull back farther and his toes to curl in exquisite pleasure. Christian sank to full depth in one slow, single motion. He threw is head back and groaned, "Oh fuck, you feel so fucking good."

If anyone heard their lovemaking, it wasn't because of the bed. The cabin's beds were as solid as they came and remained silent in keeping the boys' activities to themselves. The four-inch foam mats used as mattresses lacked squeaky springs to broadcast the boys' movements as they rutted. The boys, on the other hand, weren't as considerate. Each thrust elicited grunts and moans from both boys. For those still awake in the cabin, it would be obvious what the two were up to.

The speed and power of Christian's thrusts steadily increased. It felt like ages since the two had the opportunity for truly uninhibited sex. The intensity of this night's passion wasn't going to give Christian much of a choice about when he would climax. Nor would Christian fight it. Knowing he would be good for two loads, he selfishly worked himself up to an explosive first orgasm. Michael enjoyed it when Christian lost himself in the pleasure of fucking. He tweaked his top's nipples, nibbled on his ear, licked Christian's neck, and drove his tongue deep into his lover's mouth -- all things that inflamed Christian's libido.

Christian saw stars when he growled and grunted as he fired several thick jets of boy seed into Michael's bowels. Dropping to his elbows resting on either side of Michael's body, Christian's chest heaved as he sucked in air to replenish the oxygen, he spent fighting for his first orgasm of the evening. Michael rested his heels on Christian's butt and gently kissed Christian's face waiting for the blonde to recover.

The next round would be all about Michael's pleasure. Rising to his knees, Christian gave Michael the space to reposition himself on his knees, resting his elbows on the rolled up sleeping back under the window. Christian caressed Michael's back as his stiff cock bounced atop the younger boy's muscular glutes. Running his hands under Michael's torso, he touched every square inch of flesh from his neck to his sprinkling of pubic hairs then returned his hands to Michael's back. This treatment always heated Michael up. Soon Michael was swaying to and fro on his knees sliding Christian's erection through his needy crack.

Leaning back, Christian took aim and shoved forward as Michael swayed back. "Ohhhhhh..." moaned Michael in pleasure. Christian grabbed his hips and set the pace. Michael rotated between having his head resting on his arms with his eyes closed, his head thrown back in pleasure, and looking out the window at the stars as they popped into view as night fell. The sound of Christian's thighs slapping against Michael's bottom set the beat to the melodic oohs and ahs the boys sang.

Recognizing the signs of Michael's approaching orgasm, Christian worked to match Michael's level of excitement. Faster and harder went Christian, changing the lyrics to grunts and groans. He caught up to Michael and moved to take this round to its conclusion. He reached under and grabbed Michael's fat, rigid prick. His hand wetted with Michael's precum, Christian slipped Michael's pole through his fist to the same rhythm he pounded Michael's hole. The pressure on the outside of Christian's thighs tightened as Michael's knees tried to close and his ass tightened around Christian's cock. The pitch of Michael's whining climbed as his body sought the trigger to launch his orgasm.

Christian fought to hold off his pending climax wanting Michael to cum first. He didn't have to wait long. Michael rose to his toes and his ass contracted around Christian's rod launching both boys' into orgasmic bliss. Michael's body shook and shuddered through the most intense orgasm he'd ever experienced. Christian instinctively thrust with each shot firing his cum as deeply as possible.

Their bodies collapsed onto the pillows and sleeping bag, the mess and clean up ignored. With only the strength to profess their love for each other one last time and a gentle kiss, the lovers dropped off to sleep.

Jonas pulled his ear away from the wall and dropped to his back on his bed. While listening to his cousin fucking Michael, he'd pulled his six-inch cock out over the top of his briefs and held it. He figured he'd take care of his business once the other boys were finished and he was certain Milo was asleep.

When he opened his eyes to check to see if Milo was sleeping, he was startled to find Milo standing beside his bed. He felt Milo tug at his wrist and pull Jonas' fist from his cock. Jonas wasn't sure what Milo had in mind until the eight-year-old took the man-sized dick into his small hand. "Milo!" whispered Jonas. "Nei!"

Milo waited a second. He heard what Jonas said, but he realized his big brother didn't make a move to stop him. Considering that tacit approval, Milo climbed up on the mattress next to Jonas' hip revealing that he'd left his Sponge Bob boxers puddled on the floor. He began to explore his brother's equipment with his hands since it was getting too dark to see. Milo nodded towards the wall lamp. "Slå på lyset," he asked. Jonas reached over and pulled the chain to turn on the light.

The light allowed Milo to see his brothers thick, pale cock with the tip of its hot pink glans sticking through its foreskin. With both hands, Milo gently peeled back the foreskin revealing the entire head of Jonas' thirteen-year-old cock, wet with precum. Jonas watched Milo with interest. He was shocked when Milo lowered his head and took the older boy's cock into his mouth. "Mmmmm..." moaned Milo. Shivers emanating from Jonas' cock thoughout the rest of his body.

No longer caring, Jonas interrupted Milo long enough to slip off his briefs. Then he lifted Milo positioning the boy's knees on either side of his head. Milo went back to sucking on Jonas' cock as Jonas got his first real-life closeup of a cock and balls. After a few tentative licks of the dangling balls and stiff three-and-a-quarter inches of boyhood, Jonas took it into his mouth and experienced his first attempt at fellatio.

While the older brother was tentative and unsure, Milo took to sex like a fish to water. Soon, he clutched Jonas' head between his thighs and fucked his older brother's mouth while he worked to get more and more of the tasty clear liquid Jonas was excreting. Milo's cock clicked and twitched in Jonas' mouth as the young boy rode out the first orgasm of his life. Not allowing Jonas' head free, the older boy could only tap Milo's shoulder or try to pry the boy's sucking mouth off his cock in attempts to warn Milo of the impending load. Milo had heard enough from playground conversations and porn he'd seen to know white stuff would shoot out of Jonas' cock; he just didn't know the telltale signs to watch for as a warning.

All Jonas could do was to wrap his arms around Milo's body, enjoy his youngest brother's boyhood, and hope Milo didn't drown. Milo's pelvis muffled Jonas' groaning as the teen fired away. The first spray shocked Milo when it hit the roof of his mouth. He barely opened his mouth to release Jonas' cock when the second jet painted his tongue. With his mouth open, he lifted his head off the shooting cock letting cum dribble out of his mouth. The third and fourth shots caught Milo in the face while the remaining shots dribbled into the teen's pubs.

Jonas remained in place, breathing heavily at the intensity of his first orgasm induced by someone other than himself. Milo licked his lips and swallowed the viscous fluid. Finding the taste to be pleasant, Milo began lapping up the rest of his brother's cum.

----------------------     

The next morning the boys were awaken by voices downstairs. Christian and Michael were groggy. The voices only registered as background noise as they changed positions then cuddled back up for more sleep.

Then they were startled when Milo shouted in recognition. " Det er Emil og Tobias! (It's Emil and Tobias!)" Luckily, Milo followed Jonas' directions to put his boxers back on when he returned to his bed the night before. When Milo realized who was downstairs, he hopped out of bed and ran downstairs to greet his big cousins. Entering the kitchen, he found his brother Filip had come as well.

"Milo," called out Anna as Milo gave big hugs to Emil and Tobias. "Milo, honey, go wash your face. You've got drool all around your mouth."

Milo blushed and hurried to the bathroom. Without the stool he kept under the sink at home, he couldn't see himself in the mirror, but he had a pretty good idea what was really on his face. He touched around his mouth and felt something crusty. He turned on the water and didn't wait for it to warm up before splashing water on his face then scrubbing it with a towel. He figured he'd done a good job and returned to the kitchen.

"Milo," asked Anna, "would you go get the other boy's up?"

Milo rolled his eyes and turned to head back upstairs. The plans for the day were about to change, but for the better.

Emil, Tobias, and their parents had driven down from Lillehammer to Oslo the night before to catch an early morning flight to Stavanger to surprise Kristoffer and Anna. The surprise was on them when they learned the visiting Olsens were in Frafjord. Emil and Tobias had been trying to talk their father into going to MÃ¥nafossen while in Stavanger and this seemed to be the best opportunity for them to see the spectacular waterfall. That's how Emil managed to get the fob to his grandparent's Audi e-tron to drive out to visit their cousins.

Not knowing which cabin was theirs, they stopped at the campground office. When the manager hesitated to disclose who was renting each cabin, Emil pulled out his driver's license and claimed that Kristoffer and Anna were their parents. Since the names matched, the camp manager had no reason to question the claim and directed the boys to the correct cabin.

They finished telling Anna and Kristoffer this story when Jonas, Christian, and Michael finally made their appearances. All three were groggy from getting to sleep so late. Unable to wake up and tap into the seemly unending teen energy, Christian unceremoniously introduced Michael and the cousins all greeted each other.

Emil finally got around to announcing their intent for the visit. " Vi kom ned fordi vi tenkte det ville være gøy å gå opp til Månafossen. (We came down because we thought it would be fun to hike up to Månafossen.)"

Michael didn't know what Emil said, but the other boys seemed excited so he figured it couldn't be that bad. The boys were sent to pack up and get ready for the day. First, they'd hike up to MÃ¥nafossen. After the hike Emil would head back to Stavanger. He was planning to show off the culinary skills he was learning at school and needed to do some shopping and prep work for tonight's dinner. Anyone who didn't want to go on the boat trip up Lysefjord and back could ride with Emil. The others would head back to Stavanger after the boat trip.

Michael and Christian started putting the bedroom back the way they found it when Michael asked, "So, what's everyone so excited about?"

"Before the boat trip, we're going to hike up to MÃ¥nafossen -- the MÃ¥na waterfall," explained Christian. He pulled out his phone and showed Michael a map. "You know the river that runs through Frafjord here, well MÃ¥nafossen is up here where the river comes out of the hills."

Looking at the Map, Michael realized that would be all uphill from the campsite to the waterfall. Looking at the scale, it appeared that the hike would be about eight kilometers to the trail leading to the waterfalls.

"Don't worry," added Christian before Michael could voice the concern his legs were screaming, "we'll drive to the trailhead and hike up to the waterfall from there."

"Good. I'm not sure my legs can handle a long hike today," admitted Michael.

"Me neither," agreed Christian. "But the hike from the trailhead isn't going to be easy."

He wasn't lying. Pulling into the parking lot, Michael would have sworn the hill was vertical. When they reached the trailhead, they found a steep set of stone stairs winding their way up the stony cliff. Trees shaded their ascent and often blocked their view of the river below. The 20-minute hike was strenuous, but even little Milo was toughing it out. In the end, it was worth it. The falls were absolutely spectacular. The river dropped through a series of smaller falls and rapids before one final small waterfall where the stream cut a narrow path through the rocks leading to the 300-foot drop to the rocks below. Even from across the wide ravine, the roar of the water required everyone to raise their voices to be heard.

The family took photos before Michael and Christian decided to record a video for social media. Tobias offered to hold the camera so both boys could be in the video with the waterfall. Michael and Christian greeted everyone then took turns introducing MÃ¥nafossen and giving a few facts about the falls and its location. Michael went first and Christian followed with the same info, but in Norwegian.

The boat ride was just as incredible as well. Emil returned to Stavanger with Filip and Milo. The younger boys lived up in Bergen and they often visit Sognefjord, the longest fjord in Norway, so the boat ride wouldn't be a thrill. They wanted to get back to their grandparents to play video games. That left Jonas and Tobias to join Christian and Michael on the boat trip. The four boys in the boat were close in age. Tobias 15, Christian 14, and Jonas 13, were all born in a 15-month period, and Michael was now 12 and a peer school-wise. The three cousins had always been close. The Olsen adults were pleased that as the boys grew, their interests diverged yet their familial bond never wavered. Between all the fantastic views and dramatic waterfalls, the boys brought Michael into their close-knit gang. The four boys became as tight as thieves. Dinner that evening was just as impressive. Michael and Christian thought it tasted as good as any of the fine dining they ate while on tour.

Friday and Saturday nights, Emil took one sofa and Filip the other. Milo wanted to hang out with his older cousins but ended up falling asleep early. That left Tobias, Jonas, Christian, and Michael to stay up and chat and goof off. Tobias talked about his girlfriend and hockey. Jonas came out to Tobias who congratulated him. Michael and Christian answered lots of questions about the band, the tour, and their relationship. Michael felt Christian was as close to Jonas and Tobias as he was to Lukas and Simon. It saddened him that they had to live so far apart.

Sunday, Emil and Tobias headed back to Lillehammer with their parents. Emil had culinary school and Monday was the start of another hockey development camp for Tobias. When Michael expressed his disappointment, Tobias said he'd prefer to take the week off and stay with his cousins, but Christian's uncle Oskar, who helps coach Norway's national hockey team, was also one of the coaches at this camp.

Monday was a travel day for Uncle Malcolm and his brood. Malcolm was one of the lead researchers at the Institute of Marine Research in Bergen. He had a research mission to prepare for and couldn't take more time off. They left for their nearly five-hour drive home leaving the family visiting from the US the last remaining. They ate lunch in Stavanger and Michael and Christian spent more time with Kjell and Hilde before getting a ride to the airport for their jaunt over to Olso to visit Anna's mother.

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TUESDAY, JUNE 30

The phone's ringtone sang again. This time it was Lukas'. Simon had silenced his phone the first few times and felt around for Lukas' phone to silence it too.

"Just answer it!" Movement on the mattress caused Simon's hand to bounce, missing the annoying, ringing phone. His hand came down on Scott's as the phone was swiped from the nightstand. Scott swiped to answer the phone and the phone asked for the passcode since the face recognition failed. With a few taps, Scott accepted the Facetime call.

"Hi...Scott?" asked Michael, surprised to see his friend instead of his brother.

"Hi..." said Scott, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. "What time is it?"

Christian was peeking over Michael's shoulder. With a cheeky smile, he answered, "It's about 5:15. We're waiting for my parents to meet us for dinner."

Michael was the only one that laughed at the joke. Simon and Lukas were listening to the conversation and found the joke lacking humor as much as Scott had. "It's 8:15 your time. We thought you'd be up by now, but it looks like you guys were up late last night celebrating Simon's birthday."

"Happy Birthday Simon!" wished Christian, knowing the birthday boy only wished to go back to sleep.

Scott thrust the phone in Simon's face. "I gotta pee." Simon took the phone allowing Scott to make a scramble to the bathroom.

Michael and Christian were looking at Simon's shoulder and the ceiling. "Happy Birthday Big Bro!" shouted Michael.

The phone started to move, and the boys watched the camera flash around the room before turning to Simon and his face. "Thanks, Little Bro. You too, Christian." Simon looked closely at the screen. The building behind the boys looked like it was tilted. He'd seen enough photos of Stavanger to know it didn't have any buildings this tall. He sat up and rubbed his eyes. "Where are you?"

"We're standing on a bridge next to the Munch Museum." Michael switched cameras and showed Simon the surrounding landscape. Modern condos, a new office building, construction sites, a cruise ship, water, then the intriguing architecture of the building Simon had seen earlier, this time the large white capital letters spelling "Munch" were clearly visible. Checking the screen again, he now saw Lukas peering over Simon's shoulder then Scott joined his brothers on screen.

"What's munch?" asked Simon, pronouncing it like he was snacking on something.

Michael laughed and Christian corrected him with a more native pronunciation of the Norwegian national icon's name. "You know," said Christian, "the painting called 'The Scream'?"

"Oh yeah," said Simon, "I knew that." Lukas and Scott nodded in agreement.

"Yeah," said Michael, "we spent the day there."

"Mom and dad are coming to get us for dinner," Christian added.

"Well, I'm ready for breakfast," stated Scott. He ran his fingers though his hair trying to make it look halfway presentable and showing off the thin strip of hair starting to form under his arm.

"So are the plans made for our birthday party this weekend?" asked Michael. He was obviously excited to see all his friends. Being a holiday weekend, not only was everyone available to come, but all those invited to spend the night had received permission.

"I think half of East Harbor is going to be at our house Saturday night," joked Lukas.

"What else have you guys been doing?" asked Michael. They'd texted and had some brief chats, but with the time differences and everyone's busy schedules, they hadn't had much time to talk.

"Asa and Keith asked us to help with another project," announced Lukas. "They had an idea for another music video, and they want to release it the night the movie premieres at OutFest. The video features Matthew and we're recording all the music in the studio."

"Speaking of Matthew," added Scott excitedly, "his teammates signed him up to try out for The Voice! He has to drive up to LA in a couple weeks to see if he gets on the show for a blind audition."

"REALLY!" squealed Michael. Christian just cheered. "That's so awesome! When is his tryout?"

"I don't remember." Scott asked Simon and Lukas, "Do you guys?"

They shook their heads "no". Simon offered, "In the middle of July I think."

"Why are you guys in Oslo?" asked Lukas.

"My mom's mom lives here," explained Christian. "But she forgot we were coming so we have the place to ourselves waiting for her to come home. She can be kind of batty sometimes."

"Where is she?" asked Scott.

"Stockholm," answered Christian.

"Like, Stockholm, Sweden?" asked Simon.

"Well, yeah, but not exactly," Christian said. "From what mom said, grandma went to Stockholm to visit a friend. Instead of coming home for our visit, she ended up at Björkö Konstnod, an arts center in Björkö. When mom called last week to remind her of our visit, she wrapped up in Björkö and ended up driving up to Carl Larsson-gården, a museum and art center in Sundborn. She left today and should be home tonight or in the morning if she doesn't drive through."

"You should do that more often," stated Scott.

That puzzled Christian. "What?" he asked.

"Well, since you've been back in Norway, you've been pronouncing things like Europeans and saying things in Norwegian. It sounds cool," explained Scott.

"I agree," added Lukas. "Not that it makes you sound smart or anything, but it does." Lukas laughed at his own joke. "But really, it's you. It's cool that you are close to your European family, and you're bilingual. I don't think anyone knew that until we went to Europe. But it fits you. It's the real you."

Christian blushed. It wasn't that he intentionally hid his language skills, but when he was younger, he was careful to say things the way his friends and teachers said them, not the way his parents did. In a way, he realized, he'd built a wall between his American and Norwegian selves. Maybe it was time for that wall to come down.

The conversation triggered something in Michael's head. "OMG! We've got to take a foreign language in high school to graduate."

"Not all of us," said Lukas.

"What do you mean?" asked Christian.

Lukas explained, "If you are 'proficient' in a 'Language Other Than English', you fulfill the language requirement without taking any classes. I plan on using Danish and Christian, you should use Norwegian as your foreign language."

"Oh." Michael had hoped they'd study a language together.

"Well, I've got to pick a language," grumped Scott. He wasn't particularly looking forward to it.

"I do too," added Simon. "I was waiting for you guys to take the class with me."

Michael pointed out, "If we take French, we could always get help from Matthew and April. They've finished their second year already."

"There's dad," said Christian pointing towards the rental idling at the far end of the bridge. The boys walked towards the minivan, ending the Facetime call with more birthday wishes to Simon.

The boys climbed in the side door and buckled themselves in as the door shut. "We're starving. Where are we going to eat?"

The surprise was a trip to a new downtown restaurant called Bosso Social. At $75 US dollars per person, Bosso Social served a 13-course meal family style. That meant the Danish dishes with a Nordic twist were served in a single dish and the patrons served themselves. With a local, farm-to-table approach, the Bosso Social's menu was creative and incredibly delicious. Real flower blossoms were used to decorate and flavor dishes. Caviar, used sparingly, added salt to an appetizer. Few dishes were recognizable, but all were beautiful; their flavor profiles didn't miss a step dancing across your tongue.

More important to Michael were the people with whom he shared this experience. It was the first time during their vacation the four of them, Anna, Kristoffer, Christian, and Michael, really had the opportunity to be alone and enjoy each other's company. Dinner was a culinary adventure for everyone. Tasting dishes they didn't recognize, listening to each other's opinions of each dish, and sharing what's been going on in their lives made it an evening they would remember the rest of their lives. The best part, however, was each of them rediscovered how deeply they loved each other, including the newest member of their family.

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FRIDAY, JULY 3

Michael used his foot to slide his backpack under the seat in front of him before fastening his seatbelt. The Icelandair flight was set to depart at 12:35 and Michael and Christian were ready to get home. Michael pulled a small bag from the pocket of his hoodie and slipped it into the seat-back pocket. He'd picked up some snacks for the two of them. The family had decided to wait until their two-hour layover in Reykjavik, Iceland to have lunch. The boys held hands during takeoff and relaxed until the signal that it was okay to pull out their iPads and phones.

"I don't think I've ever met anyone like your grandmother," remarked Michael breaking the silence.

Christian laughed. "Yeah. Mom says she's a 'unique bird'."

That cracked Michael up. "I think I heard someone say that in a movie or something. I think she's what they call 'a free spirit.' But I really like her. I love all your family and your cousins are really cool."

"Thanks," said Christian with a huge smile. "I think in a lot of ways, the Olsens in Norway and the Meijers in Denmark are a lot alike. The big difference is only my family are big city folk and the Meijers country folk."

"Either way, this was the best trip EVER!" Michael added a squeeze of Christian's hand.

"All of my family loves you, you know?"

Michael looked at Christian with a puzzled look. "How? Why? We hardly spent much time with them. It seemed like we hung out with your cousins the whole time."

"The reason, sweetness, is it had been a long time since they'd seen me happy."

"Well," Michael added, "I liked going to Norway because I haven't seen you that happy. Except in some of your pictures on your grandparents' wall."

"Which ones?"

"The ones of you holding up your tennis trophies and medals after you won a tournament. Why did you stop playing tennis?"

"My tennis coach back in Lemoore retired. To continue, my mom would drive to the Fresno area. It was almost two hours of driving, and my mom didn't have anything to do there but watch me practice. I felt guilty about taking up so much of her time and the coach was an asshole, so I quit a couple months before we moved."

"Where are all your trophies and ribbons and pictures and stuff?" asked Michael.

"It kinda hurt to look at those things now that I'm not playing anymore. When we moved, I packed it all away, so I didn't have to see any of it."

The boys messed around on their devices before Michael shoved his screen in front of Christian. "Look! The High Performance Junior Academy is held at The Club at La Costa in Carlsbad. It's only 25 minutes from our house and it's held Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday from four to six pm. And if there is a tennis pro in our area, there're some really nice courts at the high school and you could take lessons there."

Christian didn't want to get his hopes up, but Michael's excitement was infectious, and the logistics couldn't be better. Returning to his phone, he dug into researching a return to the sport he loved.

After landing at Keflavik International Airport in Iceland, they were starving. Not far from their gate was Hjá Höllu (At Halla's), a wood-oven pizza restaurant. It was perfect for eating and killing some time waiting for their flight from Reykjavik to Seattle and then Seattle to San Diego. Michael found it hard to wrap his head around leaving Oslo at 12:35 pm and arriving in San Diego at 9:05 pm the same day, but they would have traveled for over 17 hours. It's no wonder they were exhausted when they pulled into the driveway of the yellow house at 697 Maple Street.

Michael and Christian left their luggage in the car. Donning their backpacks and making sure they had their important electronics, charging cables, and ear buds, Christian announced, "We're gonna spend the night at Michael's. Love you!" The boys did take enough time to give Kristoffer and Anna hugs and kisses before sprinting down the street to 739 Maple Street.

Bursting through the front door, Michael spied Lars rinsing out his coffee mug in the kitchen. Dumping his backpack onto the floor, he ran to his father and leapt into his arms. Holding his dad tightly, he said, "Thank you for the best summer EVER!"

Lars' heart swelled with Michael's welcome. He wrapped Michael in his loving arms and said, "Michael, your summer's only just begun."