"Basil, are you really that worried?" Zipporah sighs as I scrutinize her choice list and the roll of candidates for our security detail. She only selected two, where I have four, and that does not make me very comfortable. I know she's still adjusting to this high profile life but it's critical to have a detail of at least four security personnel. 

"Yes. You need to have at least four people, Zipporah. Two bodyguards will only do so much good. Four means mobility and ease." 

"I honestly cannot see myself with a detail of four." 

"My parents and Kunibert have a detail of ten each. My other siblings have details of eight apiece, and those are only the permanent personnel. Zipporah, at least four." 

"I don't know..." 

"How about this, Zipporah, we both decide on ten personnel. Then we can circulate, each of us having five." I suggest, navigating as well as possible to avoid pricking a nerve. She's not had any morning sickness since we found out two weeks ago, but there have been two occasions where her hormones flared up. Both times she had a fit of uncontrollable sobbing. 

"Alright, deal." She agrees after contemplating. I grab both of our lists and the roster, setting them on the coffee table. Zipporah slides up next to me and I peck her nose and cheeks. After debating, we agree on ten- five men and five women- to make up our security detail. Many I've met and or worked with before. Three of them are currently my bodyguards; Fabian, Markus and Alois. 

"Was that so bad, Edelweiss?" 

"No, but it still feels weird." I set down the pen and pick her up, pulling her into my lap and leaning back so she's resting on her back on top of me. I wrap my arms around her torso to where I can rest my hands over her stomach. Zipporah melts into me but reaches up to stroke my cheek. 

"What?" 

"You've been doing this frequently, Basil. You're such a cuddle-bug." She chuckles sweetly. 

"Is that a bad thing?" 

"No, far from it! I love how affectionate you are," She places her hands over mine, curling up a bit more, "It makes me wonder if our child will be that way. Then we'll have to worry."

"And why is that?" I murmur as I burrow into her hair and neck. 

"Dating years. Isaac is my family's snuggle-bug and loves physical affection, so we had to be very careful when he started to like girls or vice versa. The right touch and he's putty." 

"You hold that magic over me too." 

"Hmm?" I chuckle, "Ohh!" She giggles in quick recognition. At this I grin. 

"But I'm also fatally vulnerable to other trademarks, namely your giggling." To affirm this I peck tiny but bold kisses from her ears down. The giggling begins. 

"Then you're a goner if our kids have either quality, Basil!" She teases. 

"And you won't, Edelweiss?" 

"Mmm..." She twists around and arrests my lips with hers. Thus ending discussion there as I cave. 

Buzz... Buzz... 

We separate after four more vibrations from her phone. She puffs and answers, "Hallo?.. Ja, ja, you'll have the names shortly... I'll email them..." 

Concluding she's speaking with one of her mentors, I simply snake my arms around her hips to wait the conversation out. Then my phone vibrates. I fish my phone out of my pocket and look at the ID. It's Gernot reminding me that he's bringing Odilie and their daughter Ilona over for dinner tonight. I sigh and text a quick affirmative response, "Danke, Maria, danke... Alright, goodbye." Zipporah hangs up and then snaps a picture of the final lists, sending them to her mentors no doubt. 

"Gernot is coming with his family for dinner..." I slip in. She pinches the bridge of her nose and inhales. 

"We'd better get started then." 

In no time dinner is ready or soon to be finished, and Gernot arrives. I usher them in. Odilie is very polite, but far from aloof. Her blonde hair is impossibly perfect in a tight french bun. It's obvious that she is soon to deliver their next daughter. I smile at the thought of Zipporah not too far into the future. She's already got the radiance and glow about her. Ilona, like her father, has fine caramel colored hair but her mother's blue eyes. She's two and one half years old, and shies away from me at first. 

Zipporah appears and quickly befriends the child, however, as well as Odilie. The two quickly begin to chat and move into the kitchen. Gernot and I stand awkwardly for a minute or so than sit down in the living room. Gernot holds Ilona on his lap as we start up our own conversation. 

"Zipporah doesn't usually start chatting so quickly." I remark. 

"Odilie is skilled in that art. She's great at networking and making friends. She knows all of the details to conversation." 

"Zipporah does too, but she's more aloof to strangers. When I first met her she was very shy and couldn't decide what to make of me when I continued to pursue her." 

"Odilie was the opposite. I've never had to question her character. Everything is on the surface. Do or have you had issues with Zipporah?" 

"Never negatively. I just had to peel off her defensive shell, layer by layer. She has the same character either way, it's definitive of her." A minute passes where Gernot has to shift Ilona around. I watch them interact with great interest. 

"Basil." 

"Yes?" Gernot smiles knowingly. 

"You're expecting a little Kaiser aren't you." 

"How did you figure that out!?" 

"One, Zipporah displays that maternal light quite clearly. No mistaking it. Two, both of you have been very observant in watching Ilona with a glazed look." 

"You always were the keen one," I compliment as we both share a good laugh, "Yes, Zipporah is expecting. We'd been hoping to keep it for a little while longer, so you have to keep it secret for now." 

"Secret's are safe with me, Basil," He smacks my shoulder playfully, "Congratulations!" 

"Hey, not so hard!" I protest, "Danke, Gernot." He smirks. 

"Bitte." 

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~Uilosris