*All ages, future
This is the sequel to my Christmas GWP which is the sequel to both "Letting Go" and a story called "College Life" that I hope to finish very soon.
Note: The way the couples are in this story is not necessarily how they’re all going to wind up in the end. And the new character Karry Ann is going to be a part of the universe.
Christmas Break
By: Steph
Trixie Belden, age 18 woke up in her old familiar bedroom on her first full day of Christmas vacation full of energy.
She had come home the night before and now had four weeks home to see her family and friends and celebrate the holidays.
She was also excited because that year the Beldens were having a big family reunion in Sleepyside with her Idaho cousins and Aunt and Uncle and her Uncle Andrew from Iowa.
She thought about her cousin Hallie, with whom she was now very good friends with after growing up with some problems with her but now that they were 17 and 18 they were very close, frequently exchanging letters and emails.
Hallie was considering attending Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois where Trixie was going to school and they were already talking about getting an apartment on campus with Trixie’s current roommate, Barbara Hubbell.
Trixie got up and went into the bathroom and washed her face and brushed her teeth and then hurried downstairs smelling her mother’s famous blueberry pancakes being made.
She walked into the dining room and walked around the table and hugged her parents and then her three brothers. "Good morning!"
Mrs. Belden said, "Good morning, sweetheart. Did you sleep well? Honey and Di have both called already about your lunch get together. Di will be here at 12 to pick you up. Then tonight is the Bob-White reunion at Wimpy's. Have you finished unpacking yet? Maybe we can have an old fashioned mother- daughter talk while you unpack."
"That sounds wonderful and these pancakes, eggs and bacon smell and look great too! I have missed your cooking more than anything else!"
Mart teased, "Even more than a certain redhead? I saw the way you looked at each other last night."
Trixie blushed."We’re just good friends."
Brian said, "I think the lady doth protest too much."
Everyone had seen the way Trixie and Jim had looked at each other the night before. They knew that there always had been a special friendship between the two and the romance that was meant to be would start once they could figure out the right time and place.
Mr. Belden said, "We’ve all been invited to the big ball at the country club as the family of the Bank President. Even your aunt and uncles and cousins are coming! Trixie, I hope that you want to come even though you will have to get a dress."
"The only problem is I don’t have a date! But it does sound fun and I am so proud of you Dad. I even will get a dress."
Brian said, "I think a date can be arranged although it’s not necessary. I think a certain redhead wouldn’t mind being your escort."
Mr. Belden laughed. "You’re right about that. It’s for everyone over 17 so we’re all going except for Bobby. He'll be with the Lynch twins at their big party at the Lynch mansion supervised by their nannies."
Mrs. Belden said, "I even arranged a date for your Uncle Andrew and you’ll never guess in a million years who it’s going to be." She had a Cheshire cat grin on her face.
Trixie asked, "Who?"
Mrs. Belden said, "Marge Trask! She was invited since she helped organize the whole thing and Uncle Andrew has been because he’s a member of the family so I thought it was natural. Since Knut’s fiancée, Gloria is coming with them he’s taking care of. Mart is taking Di and Brian is bringing Honey. Dan and Hallie are going together too. So I guess maybe you and Jim can go."
Brian said, "Don’t worry, Trixie, I have it on good information that Jim is going to ask you."
Trixie said, "It would be fun to go as friends."
They finished eating breakfast while talking about the ball and the other Christmas week plans. Trixie said that she needed to finish her shopping with her money she had earned working part time during college at the Chicago Tribune.
Afterwards Trixie and her mother headed up to her room to unpack and talk.
"Trixie, I think this is going to be a lot of fun, the ball that is. You and Jim belong together and maybe this could be the start."
"I hope so," Trixie replied, "to tell you the truth. We wrote back and forth a lot these last few months but he’s never hinted at anything."
"He stops by with Brian on his weekends home and sometimes just holds your picture and looks at it. He definitely wants to be more than friends. We’ll have to go out shopping for your dress for the big ball."
They talked for a long time about everything under the sun, mostly Trixie’s college life. Mrs. Belden was very proud of her daughter and the young woman she had become, very poised and full of self confidence after her first semester of college.
Trixie, in turn, was very proud of her mother who was taking art courses at the local college trying to finish the degree that she had started before marrying her father. With Bobby in fifth grade and very independent and her older children all at school she had found herself with a lot of free time.
After they finished Trixie showered and changed into a nice jeans and blouse outfit and called Bobby into her room.
Bobby was growing like a weed, already 5’7 in fifth grade and 10 years old. Trixie said, "I know Christmas is a week away but I have one present for you." She handed him the box."Right before I came home, I went to a special charity benefit that I worked on for the Walter Payton Foundation and there was a whole bunch of baseball players there and I got your favorite autographs. There is Mark Grace, Kerry Wood, Sammy Sosa and Kevin Tapani there. I know you like the Cubs because of WGN."
Bobby said, "This is great sis! Thanks."
They hugged, and Trixie said, "Maybe next June you and Moms and Dad can come and pick me up at school and before we head home we can go to Wrigley Field. Maybe someday you’ll pitch there yourself!"
Bobby was already a really good pitcher at 10 years old and all northeast in the little league rankings for his age and had been on a traveling team the previous summer.
Bobby sprinted downstairs as Trixie finished doing her hair just in time to hear Di arriving downstairs. She gave her and Mart a few moments and then headed down.
Trixie had a wonderful lunch with Honey and Di, full of talk about college and boys. Honey and Di both told her that dating Mart and Brian was wonderful but they were sure that she didn’t want to hear too many details about her brothers.
Trixie laughed. "As long as you’re all happy, it’s wonderful!"
That evening the Bob-Whites all gathered in the clubhouse for a reunion. Even though everyone had been at the farm the night before they wanted to get together as a group without all the older adults or the younger brothers and sisters around since all the parents as well as Bobby and the Lynch twins had been there the night before.
The party was a lot of fun and at the end, Jim took Trixie aside. "I need a date for the New Year’s Ball. Would you mind being my date?"
Trixie smiled. "I would like nothing better."
Both said that they were only going as friends but the look that passed between them spoke a million words.
Trixie told tales of her life in college far away from everyone. She admitted that she had gotten homesick quite often thinking of everyone still together back home going to the same school but she loved the Chicago area.
Jim said. "I have been applying to graduate schools. University of Chicago has an excellent Masters in Education program. I will need that to open my school."
Trixie was surprised but happy. She thought it would be nice to have Jim in the same town as her the next year. Especially if romantic things started happening with them.
Trixie knew that a big obstacle to their potential romance was that they were so far apart most of the time now geographically but if he was eventually going to come to Chicago to attend school that would eliminate that one obstacle.
Jim knew deep in his heart that one of the appeals of the University of Chicago was its closeness to where Trixie was. He wanted to start things with her but was waiting for the right time.
They both hoped that the ball would be the start of something big.
The talk also turned to the visit of the Belden family and more specifically the planned date between Uncle Andrew and Miss Trask. Everyone thought that they would make a very nice couple. They had met briefly when Uncle Andrew had visited and had hit it off.
Also they talked about Cap’s lack of a date for the New Year’s Ball and the available young women in Sleepyside that they could set him up with.
Dan admitted that he was really looking forward to seeing Hallie.
They had written and emailed a lot and a growing bond was forming between them. They both wished that they lived much closer to each other.
After the party they all headed home saying that they couldn’t wait to spend as much time all together over the next few weeks.
Trixie admitted that she was a little jealous of all the time everyone got to spend together since they were all at the same schools but they all admitted that they didn’t see much of each other since they were all in totally separate programs.
December 23rd
Crabapple Farm was full of people that night as the Beldens had invited all their local friends to welcome Uncle Harold, Aunt Eleanor, Hallie, Cap, Gloria, Knut and Uncle Andrew to town for the 10 days they would be there for a fun visit and family reunion.
Everyone had arrived that afternoon at Westchester County Airport and the Beldens had picked them up and brought them back to the farm for the big party.
Dan and Hallie immediately hooked up together and spent most of the evening just talking to each other in a quiet corner. Harold and Eleanor really approved of him for their only daughter.
Uncle Andrew and Miss Trask both were really enjoying each other’s company and glad that they had decided to go together to the New Year’s Ball. Everyone watched them hoping that these two people in their late 40s might find happiness together.
Eleanor noticed Trixie and Jim and asked Mrs. Belden about it and she said, "Nobody really knows about them. They seem to have deep feelings for each other but neither has said anything yet. Peter and I like Jim a lot and think he and Trixie are perfect together. They are going to the ball together, so we’re all thinking maybe things will start then."
Soon the party broke up and Gloria, Hallie, Honey and Di went up with Trixie to her room where they were going to have a slumber party.
The boys all headed over to Manor House where Jim was hosting them for a fun night of boys stuff as they called it.
Uncle Andrew also left to walk Miss Trask home, with everyone smiling at them as they watched then depart, deep in conversation and couldn’t help but notice that they were holding hands!
They had also invited Mrs. Vanderpoel’s granddaughter, Karry Ann to the party who had unexpectedly arrived to spend Christmas with her grandmother until she returned to college in Vermont and she and Cap would go to the ball together.
Cap had a girlfriend back in Idaho so they were just going as friends. Karry Ann was a little wild and different but they all liked her and she joined the slumber party.
The girls all had a wonderful time at the slumber party, of course staying up all night talking about boys and the ball.
They admittedly found Karry Ann very different from them. She was from Florida and her wild streak showed a bit when she suggested they surprise the boys at Manor House.
The other girls declined because it was freezing cold outside and the house was full of parents!
Everyone quizzed Trixie about Jim, particularly Hallie who couldn’t believe that they still weren’t officially a couple!
Trixie kept insisting that they were just friends but her telltale blush gave her away and made everyone wonder what was really going on inside her head.
Honey said that she was really looking forward to the ballgown shopping trip they had all planned for the 27th in New York where they would go with both Mrs. Beldens, Mrs. Lynch and Mrs. Wheeler. Mrs. Vandepoel had felt too old to go so the others would help Karry Ann pick out her dress.
Trixie admitted that she felt a little apprehensive about wearing a ballgown. She didn’t like wearing dresses very much and a ballgown was a ballgown after all!
Di and Honey both assured her that she would be fine and they would help her if she needed it but she probably wouldn’t.
Meanwhile over at Manor House of course all the young men talked about were sports and a little about the girls.
Knut talked about what it was like to be engaged already even though the wedding was a little over 2 years away.
He admitted that the wedding plans were a little overwhelming but was letting Gloria and her mother handle everything along with his mother. Gloria’s parents were spending Christmas with her sister in England.
The other guys felt a mixture of jealousy and feeling sorry for him, already tied down even though he was only a senior in college.
Jim said that he wanted to marry in his mid 20’s around the same time he got his school started and the other guys said that they felt the same way.
Knut said that once you found the right woman it didn’t really matter how old you were.
Jim said that he thought he had the right woman in mind but they weren’t even dating yet. He said it before he realized what he was saying and everyone knew who he was talking about.
Finally Brian asked, "So when are you going to get things going with my sister? We’ve all been waiting for this for so long."
Jim said, "Maybe things will start on New Year’s Eve. Let’s talk sports, that’s a safer topic. How about them Cowboys!"
Christmas
On Christmas Eve everyone went to Manor House for a dinner party and had a good time before heading over to the community church for Christmas Eve services.
Right before they left for the church, Jim was helping Trixie on with her coat when he said, "Trixie, look up at the doorframe."
Trixie looked up and saw a sprig of mistletoe and she blushed.
Jim took opportunity to lift her face and kiss her gently on the cheek and they both blushed and then the moment was broken and he helped her on with the rest of her coat and they joined the others on their way to the service.
They all thought the church was beautifully decorated. It was a non denominational Christian church and served the citizens of Sleepyside very well.
The pastor, Mark Baker was well liked and everyone in town respected him.
Afterwards everyone went home to sleep and await Christmas morning.
On Christmas morning at Crabapple Farm the farm was a bustle of activity of opening presents, delicious smelling food and happiness all around.
At Manor House it was a bit more subdued but better than it was when Honey was a young child and her parents hadn’t seemed very interested in Christmas.
At the Lynch mansion with 2 sets of young twins, 10 and 8 there was a lot of laughter and fun.
After lunch the Bob-Whites and the Belden cousins all gathered at the clubhouse to exchange presents among themselves.
They had a lot of fun with the presents, teasing and enjoying each other’s selections. Trixie had bought everyone a little Chicago souvenir that they all loved.
Trixie admitted that she was interested in training in Chicago post college if offered the chance for a couple of years before settling down with the agency in Sleepyside with Honey.
She and Honey had decided about a year earlier that they would open their agency a couple of years after college, giving them both a chance for further training.
They also were thinking of asking Hallie to be a part of their agency since she was very interested in detective work.
Christmas Day night was spent with the individual families together at their homes having a wonderful time eating and celebrating.
December 27th
New York Shopping TripExcitedly talking all at once the girls and their mothers piled into the Wheeler limousine for the trip to New York City.
The mothers had their dresses all picked out and made for them and now it was time to get the girls all dressed up.
The ball was a very important event and they wanted to make a good impression and definitely a grand entrance.
Mrs. Belden said she was relieved that it hadn’t taken too much persuading to get Trixie to go and wear a ballgown.
Trixie said it sounded like a lot of fun and the ball was very important to her parents so she didn’t mind at all.
Finally they arrived in the city and were caught in a winter wonderland as they went shopping from store to store to find the perfect dress.
Everyone else was taken care of pretty quickly except for Trixie as she searched high and low for the perfect dress.
She definitely was intent on bowling Jim over if she could and his impression was what counted to her more than anything.
Everyone knew that but didn’t want to tease her too much.
Finally in the 11th store they went to they found the perfect dress.
When they saw it everyone knew it was perfect for Trixie and when she tried it on, she felt transformed into something out of a fairy tale.
As she twirled a bit in front of the mirror, Trixie felt completely different, like she had been magically transformed into someone else, someone very beautiful and ready to be swept off her feet by her handsome prince.
The dress was of the softest material and floor length and ice blue. The skirt was slightly full and the bodice was intertwined with silver and gold colored strands in a pattern of hearts and flowers. It was strapless and the top had an overruffle with a bow at the center. It was absolutely beautiful and absolutely romantic.
To go with it she selected a white lace shawl, ice blue pumps, white tinted stockings and gold clips for her hair. She wouldn’t wear a lot of makeup because she was a natural beauty and the blue in the dress brought out the blue in her eyes.
Mrs. Belden had tears in her eyes as she said, "When Jim sees you walking down the stairs on New Year’s Eve he might faint dead on the floor. You look fantastic in that dress, Trixie."
Mrs. Wheeler said, "I don’t think that you two will be just friends when he sees you in that dress and we all couldn’t be happier."
After buying a few more things the women all went to the Wheeler apartment where a catered lunch was waiting for them.
The conversation was lively and fun as they talked about the plans for the ball. The mothers all talked about their dresses and how much they had searched for them high and low.
The last few days before the ball seemed to fly by but for both Trixie and Jim their stomachs were full of butterflies. Neither knew exactly what would happen or for that matter what they wanted to happen the night of the ball.
What they both knew was that it might be an important night for them.
During the days leading up to the ball when they had spent time with the other young couple they always wound up paired up since the others were and occasionally he would grab her hand and of course he would look at her fondly.
Everyone noticed them and wondered when the heck they would just get it over with and officially declare themselves a couple!
December 31st
When Trixie woke up the morning of New Year’s Eve day, she woke up Hallie next to her and said, "Happy day of the ball, cousin! Are you ready to go?"
Hallie laughed and said, "Definitely ready for the fun but I do think we really need to get changed. I don’t think these pajamas are right for the ball."
They both laughed and jumped out of bed and hurried down to the kitchen which was already full of their excited family talking about the ball.
Bobby said, "I wish I could go to the ball too but I heard it was going to be on TV as part of the New Year’s Celebration and me and the Lynch twins can watch it together with the babysitters."
Mrs. Belden said, "It will be on the cable channel tonight since people who can’t be there always want to see what’s going on in town at the ball or they have always requested it. Also I’m sure the young couple who are crowned King and Queen of the New Year will want to have that on videotape."
Trixie asked "What is that?"
Mrs. Belden said, "Every year at the ball a young couple where both the young man and woman are between 18 and 21 are crowned King and Queen of the ball. Every young couple is eligible. Maybe you and Jim will win, or Brian and Honey, or Dan and Hallie or any of you all. That would be a lot of fun."
Trixie said, "It does sounds like fun and I remember now the couple elected spend most of the summer doing things in town and appearances and stuff but there isn’t much to do until then since most of the time the couple is in college."
Mr. Belden said, "And you and Jim are very well known in town. They crown the King and Queen at midnight."
Of course Trixie said that they were just going as friends.
As always the others all thought to themselves "The lady doth protest too much."
Trixie thought that winning the crown would mean a lot to her parents, especially her mother but thought it was a big fuss over not much of anything but the activities over the summer did sound like a lot of fun and there was scholarship money involved.
The rest of the morning was spent in excited preparations and finally it was time to dress.
Hallie and Trixie headed up to Trixie’s room where they helped each other get dressed, adjusting and making sure everything looked perfect.
Hallie had done some modeling back in Idaho and helped Trixie apply her makeup with an expert touch so when she was finished she looked absolutely glamorous and absolutely beautiful, like she had just stepped out of a fairy tale.
Finally they were finished and their mothers walked in, both looking beautiful themselves in their ballgowns.
Mrs. Belden had tears in her eyes as she hugged her daughter and said, "Trixie, every mother dreams of seeing her girl in a dress like this on a night like this."
Aunt Eleanor said the same thing about Honey in her black silk and taffeta dress and then Trixie said, "Jim and Dan will be here any minute to pick us up. I like the way we worked out who would go with who and everything."
Of course the girls thought their mothers looked beautiful and told them so.
They all agreed that it would be a special night for everyone.
Jim, Trixie, Dan and Hallie would all go in one limousine with Mart, Di, Brian and Honey in another one. The parents would all go over separately.
Their mothers headed downstairs and then the doorbell rang, and Trixie said, "That must be them. I’ve known Jim for 5 and a half years and suddenly I feel like I’m going on a blind date. Are you as nervous as I am?"
Hallie said, "I am! But I think this night is going to be perfect."
They heard the door open downstairs and recognized Jim’s deep voice as he said, "Hi, Mrs. Belden. We’re here to pick up Trixie and Hallie. I think we have dates with them tonight or do I have the right night? You look beautiful, as young as Trixie tonight."
Mrs. Belden thanked him and called "Trixie and Hallie, Jim and Dan are here."
Mr. Belden had the videotape ready and both sets of parents stood by the side of the stairs as first Hallie came down to where Dan was waiting for her and he took her hand and kissed her and presented her with a white rose corsage.
Then it was Trixie’s turn and she seemed to float down the stairs and Jim had to grab the wall because he almost fainted when he saw how beautiful she looked.
When she reached the bottom of the stairs, Jim took her hand in his and kissed it and presented her with a wrist corsage of white and yellow roses.
He finally found his voice. "You look beautiful. I am the luckiest man in Sleepyside to be escorting the most beautiful woman to the ball."
"You look mighty handsome yourself." She added, "And so do you, Dan."
Jim and Dan looked very handsome in their black tuxedos with coattails.
They bid the parents goodbye and headed out to the waiting limousine and they were off to the country club.
The parents headed out and followed in their own limousines.
When they pulled up the ball was in full swing and first Hallie and Dan walked in and then Trixie turned to Jim. "It’s time to make our grand entrance. But first let’s let my parents and my aunt and uncle go in. I think Moms wants to see us make an entrance."
They nervously watched her parents and aunt and uncle walk in and be introduced and then they had butterflies in their stomachs as it was their turn.
The eyes of everyone in the ballroom seemed to be on them as they walked into the ballroom together, seemingly walking on air and they received a nice round of applause.
They headed over to where the rest of the Bob-Whites were waiting and Honey and Di exchanged oohs and aahs over each other’s dresses with Trixie and Hallie and they all admired the handsome young men in their black tuxedos.
Honey was in gold taffeta and of course Di was in lavender silk.
Everyone noticed Miss Trask and Uncle Andrew chatting happily sitting in a corner.
Honey said, "I can’t believe it never hit me before but they make such a nice couple."
Everyone agreed with her that they seemed very happy together.
The evening went along wonderfully with the food delicious, the music wonderful and seemingly of every possible genre and the company fun. All the Bob-Whites stuck together for the most part having a great time.
Trixie even had a chance to dance with her Uncle Andrew and noticed he didn’t take his eyes off Miss Trask the whole time who was dancing with Jim and not taking her eyes off Uncle Andrew the whole time. It was obviously a very nice match.
Finally it was almost midnight and time to crown the King and Queen of the ball.
Everyone wasn’t very surprised when the announcer took the microphone and announced "The King and Queen of the New Year are Jim Frayne and Trixie Belden."
Jim took Trixie’s hand and led her to the center of the ballroom where she was crowned with a beautiful gold and diamond crown and he was given a cape to wear over his tuxedo and a nice King’s Crown of velvet and gold.
Trixie noticed that her mother had tears of joy in her eyes and knew whatever happened during their reign, it was all worth it to make her mother so happy.
The lights were turned down and they were invited to lead the next dance and they glided across the floor as the band played and sang "The Way You Look Tonight"
At the end of the dance everyone clapped and the balloons were released as everyone joined in the final countdown to the new year.
Trixie and Jim were lost in each other’s eyes as they stood there on the middle of the dance floor holding each other close.
After they both yelled "Happy New Year!" Jim gently lifted Trixie’s face to his and they shared their first real kiss.
The fireworks they heard a moment later were not only Sleepyside’s annual display but the ones they both felt inside after the kiss.
After they enjoyed the fireworks ceremony, Jim took Trixie’s hand and said, "Trixie, why don’t we go somewhere where we can talk about what just happened?"
Trixie said, "I like that idea and agree that we have to talk."
They walked into a little side room and sat down on the couch there.
Jim took Trixie’s hand in his. "Trixie, ever since you walked into my uncle’s mansion I knew that there was something special between us but the time never seemed right until now. Although we will be apart a lot of the time, I think it’s time we started dating. I mean real dates not just with the other Bob-Whites but with each other."
Trixie smiled. "I would like that very much. I feel the same way."
They put their arms around each other and kissed again before heading out to the rest of the ball.
The rest of the ball was a lot of fun and they also spent every possible minute before they returned to school together promising each other that they were counting the days until spring vacation.
The End (Until the Next part)