Part Three
"She’s right in here," said Jim as he lead the way into Trixie’s room. Five minutes earlier, the last of the group had arrived in the waiting room and Jim had filled everyone in. Looking into the eyes, of Trixie’s parents, little brother, and slightly older brother Mart, alongside his faithful girlfriend Di Lynch, Jim hadn’t known how to feasibly explain the mix-up of how Trixie now was under the belief that they were promised to each other. He decided that it was best to not even mention it and was living under the hope that Trixie would forget his proclamations in her confusion. "Remember, she’s very confused and doesn’t recall anything, not even her name. The doctor has warned me about not distressing her in any way. We shouldn’t push her to recall who we are, etc.. He said that pushing her to remember could actually inhibit her memory returning."
Jim looked around at all the faces as they solemnly nodded their understanding and quietly filed into the room to look upon Trixie for the first time.
"Oh, my BABY!" Trixie’s mom moaned at the sight of her daughter’s swollen and bruised appearance.
"She’s okay. Remember that, Moms," comforted brother Mart as he gently squeezed his mother’s hand. "All the swelling and bruising will go away and she’ll be our Trixie again." His words were spoken in determined comfort for all of them.
Trixie started to stir in the bed at the sound of their voices. Suddenly, her eyes flew open and she looked around the room frantically. Her face showed concern at the lack of recognition of her surroundings and for the people in her room. It was only when her eyes lit upon Jim that her concern went away and she seemed to calm down.
"Jim?" she asked quietly. Jim quickly moved to her side and took her hand in his.
"It’s okay, Trixie. This is your family and that girl over there is your dear friend, Diana Lynch."
"My…family?" Trixie looked at their faces again curiously and then her chin began to quiver. "This is my family? I don’t remember ANY of you!"
As gentle tears started to form in her eyes and cascade down her cheeks, her father rushed to her side and took her other hand. "Trixie, honey, it’s okay," he rushed to assure her, "we know that you have temporary amnesia. The doctor says that you are going to remember everything soon enough. Don’t be distressed about it! They say that as soon as your body is ready, you’ll remember. Just you rest and get better…and you’ll remember. I promise you, you’ll remember."
Trixie looked wearily sideways at her father and calmed at his words. Wiping the tears from her eyes with the hand that had been in his she said, "Thank you…Daddy?"
"Yes, honey, I’m your father. You’ll remember me soon enough." He bent down cautiously and in an awkward manner at not knowing how she would react to his actions, he kissed her cheek softly, then squeezed her shoulder in further comfort. "This is your mom, and those two guys over there are your older brother, Mart, and your younger brother, Rob." He indicated each person with a nod of his head in their direction.
Trixie eyed them all curiously. "So you’re all my family?" She smiled slightly at them, inside liking the thought of these kind people being related to her.
"Well, we aren’t your whole family, Trixie," spoke her mother as she came to stand beside her bead. "There is one more big brother, Brian. He looks like your dad. And Brian has a fiancee who is your best friend named Honey. They will both be arriving later tonight to see you."
"Oh…that’s nice," murmured Trixie, not really sure on the appropriate response for this situation. "Honey is sure a strange name for a girl, though." She said this thinking out loud, as was her personality.
Jim laughed at that. "My sister would be laughing at you, too, Trixie."
"Your—sister?" Trixie was getting really interested in how everyone seemed to be inter-involved with each other.
"Yeah, well…she’s my adopted sister. I’m the adopted one, though," spoke Jim with humor in his voice. "Her real name is Madeleine. The name never really fit her as she was much more down to earth and sweet than her old-fashioned name implied. So we have always called her Honey for her golden brown eyes and honey colored hair."
"Oh. I guess that makes sense," spoke Trixie. With a heavy sigh she said, "I wish I remembered you guys! Are you related to me somehow, too?" She asked this of Di.
Di laughed at that. "Well, not yet, anyways." Di smiled at Trixie in the shared joke. "Your brother and I have been talking about settling down someday together, but we don’t plan on doing that for a while."
"Oh, OK. How did everyone meet in the first place?"
"Well, that’s a long story, Trix," started brother Mart. "Many years ago, you and Honey found Jim in old-man Frayne’s mansion where he was hiding out from his mean stepfather, Jonesy. Honey’s parents adopted Jim and their family and our family started a semi-secret club called the Bobwhites of Glen. Later, Di joined the club and then Dan joined after that."
"Dan? Who’s Dan?" asked Trixie, her head starting to spin with all the new information.
"He’s another member of our crew. He’s one of New York’s finest now and he couldn’t come to see you as he is on duty currently. He said he will come to see you tomorrow, though," informed Brian.
"Wow, what an awesome story," spoke Trixie in a tired voice, "but what a strange group name!"
Jim laughed. "Yeah, I guess it is…but it makes sense when you know the story to why we called it that." He looked upon Trixie’s now drooping eyes. "That story can wait to be told later. You look like you need more rest now."
Trixie smiled warmly up at Jim for his care of her. "I am really tired. Thank you. You seem to be the best fiancee a girl could have, Jim," she murmured and fell immediately asleep.
"Fiancee?!" Mart sputtered as the rest of the group looked around to the other in astonishment and curiosity. Jim avoided meeting their eyes.
* * * * * *
The day passed slowly. Trixie would awaken for short periods of time and then succumb to the much needed rest that her body required. Throughout the day, Trixie’s family showed her different photo albums and Mart shared some of Trixie’s favorite music, all trying to trigger memories. Trixie would always listen intently but never showed any recognition in the things that were presented to her.
Late that night, the doors to her room opened and in walked Jim, followed by both Brian and Honey. They wore happy but concerned faces.
"Hi, Honey! Hi, Brian!" called out Trixie from where she sat up in her bed, her eyes sharp and focused.
"She remembers you from the pictures," said Jim quietly to Brian and Honey.
"No, Jim," stated Trixie, "I remember them!"
"WHAT?!" exclaimed Jim, rushing to her bedside with excitement, but concern also that she really DID remember everything. "You remember, Trixie? Everything?"
"Yes, Jim," she looked at him with eyes twinkling with merriment and laughter, "I remember…everything."
"Oh, well that’s great!" Jim’s voice belayed his concern at her remembering…everything.
"That’s wonderful, Trixie!" exclaimed Honey as she hugged her best friend and soon to be sister-in-law for the first time in a year.
"Absolutely wonderful, sis!" joined Brian, taking his turn in hugging his little sister. "When did you start to remember?"
"Oh, about an hour ago," Trixie hedged a guess. "Everyone left me to sleep and go get something to eat for dinner in the cafeteria. I couldn’t sleep, though, and was just lying here for the longest time, trying to remember anything! Suddenly, I realized that I was rubbing my bracelet. I looked at it…and remembered! Then, slowly, everything started to come back."
"It was the bracelet that brought you back to me again, Trixie?" Jim spoke slowly with awe in his voice. "I mean, brought you back to US?"
Trixie gave him a dazzling smile and spoke softly, "Yes, Jim, it was the bracelet that brought me back to YOU."
Brian and Honey looked at each other with quiet understanding and agreement. The room was full of promise and unspoken thoughts.
Honey spoke first. "We should go tell everyone that you have your memory back, Trixie. They will all want to know right away, I’m sure."
"Yeah, Trix," said Brian, "we’ll leave you and Jim alone here and go fill everyone in on your progress."
Trixie was looking intently into Jim’s eyes and didn’t bother to look at them. "Ok. Thanks, guys."
"Yeah…thanks, guys," spoke Jim distractedly, gazing with fear and hope down into Trixie’s eyes.
With that, Brian and Honey left the room and left the two alone in the pristine hospital room. At the sound of the door clicking shut, Jim seemed to come out of his trance and visibly shook his head to clear his thoughts. He looked nervously at Trixie and took a step further away from her.
"So, you remember everything, huh?" His voice was flat in the question.
"Yes, Jim, I do. But for the life of me…I can’t recall when we became engaged…or even started dating for that fact!" Trixie teased lightly.
"Jeez, Trixie, I’m sorry!" Jim rushed to her side, taking her hand again and grasping it almost desperately. He looked at her beseechingly. "Please forgive me! You started to put things together on your own and I didn’t know how to tell you any differently. I didn’t want to distress you in any way."
"I understand, Jim," she spoke quietly, but with some fear of her own, " but you said things to me that you didn’t HAVE to say under the circumstances."
"I know, Trix." He looked away from her.
"Thing is, Jim," she started haltingly, "you seemed to mean what you said….did you? Did you mean what you said?"
"God, yes, Trixie!" He said the words before he could stop himself. "You have always been my girl, you know that!"
"Yes…I do. But, this wasn’t talk about some adolescent crush, Jim." Her voice spoke of many unanswered questions.
"Trixie," Jim wasn’t sure what to say, but decided that it was finally time to speak the truth, "it’s not about some adolescent crush. I have been in love with you for a long time!"
"Really, Jim?" her voice was filled with wonder. "I’ve loved you for what seems a lifetime."
"But, that was when you were a young lady, Trixie…I couldn’t take advantage of those feelings. Lord knows how much I wanted to!"
"The first thing you need to learn, Jim, is that you can’t tell a woman what is in her heart…and whether or not those feelings are true, or mature!" Trixie’s spoke with some of her regular fire. "I have loved you with the same mature love since I was fifteen-years-old. That love has only grown with the years, but it hasn’t changed."
"You’re serious, Trixie? You really DO love me?" Jim’s heart pounded with all the joy and wonder that was racing through his body.
"With all that I am, Jim!" She smiled grandly at him. The smile caused much pain in her swollen face and she grimaced harshly at the pain.
"What is it, Trixie?!" His green eyes filled with immediate concern for his love’s care.
"It’s my face…it hurts when I smile."
"Oh, I can go get the doctor for you. He can give you some more pain medication," Jim rushed to care for her and started to move away from her.
Trixie stopped him with words and by keeping a firm grip of his hand. "No, Jim. I don’t want any more medication." She looked up at him flirtatiously, "Kiss it and make it better?"
This brought Jim up short and he looked at her first with shock, then with glee. "It would be my pleasure," he whispered and started to move his head down to hers. "Does it hurt here? Or here? How about here?" Each question was followed by a soft, loving kiss on her bruised cheek.
Finally, Jim pulled back his head slightly and looked Trixie in the eye. She slightly moved her head in agreement and he moved in for her lips. Then they were sharing their first real mature kiss. Their lips moved together softly, with increased passion. Shortly, Trixie murmured a little in pain at her partly swollen lip. Jim gave her one more soft kiss directly on the center of her lips and moved back from her.
"Thank you, Trixie." He spoke this with gratitude and love.
"Thank you, Jim. I’ve been waiting forever for that kiss!"
Jim smiled greatly at this. "Does this mean that you truly are my girl now, Trixie?"
"Well, kind of, Jim."
"Kind of?!" This wasn’t the response he was expecting. "What do you mean, ‘kind of’?"
"Well, I most certainly am yours, Jim, as I always have been," she spoke this softly but with quiet determination in her voice, "but I’m NOT your girl, I’m your WOMAN."
Jim laughed quietly at that. "Ah…I get what you mean, Trixie. You most certainly are a woman now. And I’m very glad you’re mine."
"I’ve grown up, Jim…"
"Believe me, I know that, Trixie. I know that you can take care of yourself, but everyone needs someone to care for them, to love them. I will be that person for you as long as you want me…and I hope you’ll always want me."
Trixie squeezed his hand in hers again. "I know I will, Jim."
Jim got a teasing glint in his eyes. "And might I say, I very much appreciate your womanly attributes!"
"Oh, Jim!" Trixie swatted at him, laughing at his comment, but appreciating his mature view of her.
They were both laughing lightly together when a knock sounded on the door.
"Come in!" they called out together.
Brian poked his head around the door to check things out before entering the room, followed by the whole crowd. "Everything OK in here?" he looked back and forth between Trixie and Jim, trying to hazard what happened while they were absent.
"Yes, Brian, everything is perfectly perfect!" Trixie spoke joyously.
"Has your fiancee been treating you OK, Trixie?" Mart asked jokingly.
Trixie looked right at him, "He’s not my fiancee, Mart, you know that!"
"That’s right, Mart, we’re not engaged," stated Jim.
"But we ARE together!" said Trixie, raising their joined hands in victory of their finally coming together.
"You ARE, Trixie?! " exclaimed Honey. The rest of the group shared equal exclamations of shock and joy.
"Yep, we are," she spoke proudly, "Finally."
"We’ll work on that fiancee thing, though…don’t you all worry about that," assured Jim.
"Really, Jim?" Trixie was surprised but happy at this newest development.
"Yes, Trixie…with all my heart."
The room was silent for a second as everyone watched the two new lovebirds look so fondly at one another. Suddenly, Mart realized something and started to laugh to himself.
"What are you laughing about, Mart?" asked Brian.
Mart wiped a hand across his mouth in his mirth. "I just realized that we might have a fight to the marriage line amongst us all."
The group laughed when they realized that what he said was true.
"No matter what happens, you all take your own time in deciding when you are ready to take that big step in your lives," Mr. Belden advised.
"Yes," agreed Moms, "but whenever it happens we will be glad to welcome you all into the family. It will be as it was always meant to be."
"One big family," said Honey with awe. And everyone agreed with her and began to fantasize of what the future would bring.
The End