Happy Holidays VIII
Christmas Story
by CLynn
Trixie rolled over in her childhood bed, giggling as she opened her eyes and saw her husband-to-be half falling off the other twin bed. Her giggling woke him up, and he finished the job of falling off the bed. He looked up at her in surprise and slight annoyance.
“Good morning to you too,” he said.
Trixie couldn’t contain herself; her giggling exploded into a full on laughing fit. Her fiancé rose to answer the knock at the door.
“What’s going on in here?” Honey was standing at the door, a large smile on her face.
“Yeah, what’s going on in here?” Honey’s husband asked from behind her, startling her.
“Mart! You startled me!” Honey playfully slapped his arm.
“Breakfast!” Moms called from the kitchen.
The four of them walked into the kitchen laughing. Moms had prepared a large breakfast of eggs, bacon and pancakes.
“Jack Frost roasting on an open fire, chestnuts nipping at your nose…” Peter entered the kitchen his cheeks rosy from chopping wood.
“Um, Dad, I think you’ve got that song backwards,” smiled Trixie.
“It’s the only way to sing it, pumpkin. So are we ready for our pre-Christmas Christmas?”
“Almost, Dan and Diana will be soon.” Trixie turned to her mother. “Are you sure, Moms, that this is okay with you?”
“Of course it is, Trixie. You and Mike are going to be getting married here in the New Year. I can understand your desire, and his, to spend Christmas itself with his family. Now let’s get into the living room and enjoy that fire your father started.”
“And since I didn’t have to chop the wood, I’ll definitely enjoy it.”
Trixie squealed as she jumped up to hug Dan and Di. “You guys made it! I’m so glad you came!”
Dan snorted. “Like my wife gave me a choice. It has been on the calendar since you told us about it.”
Di playfully slapped Dan. “Ignore him. He’s been looking forward to this all week. Merry Christmas, Trixie.”
“Merry Christmas!” The girls fell into a group hug, the men, deciding such action was unmanly, refrained from the hug, choosing instead to shake hands.
“Should we exchange the gifts now?” Peter inquired.
“Yes!” The girls laughed, huddling together as they moved into the living room. The men, smiling, followed them. The three girls sat on the floor. Mart chose to sit in the chair that Honey was leaning against, Mike sat beside Trixie, and Dan parked himself beside the tree to hand out presents. Just as he was picking up the first present, they heard a car in the driveway.
“Who else are we expecting Moms?” Trixie asked.
Mart and Honey looked at each other; he leaned in and whispered, “Jim’s not coming right?”
Honey shook her head. “He’s doing something at his school. It was hard but I told him that he really wasn’t welcome.” Tears started to well in her eyes.
“It’s not your fault. He caused this with his actions. Eventually it will work itself out. Trixie and I talked about it. She’s almost ready to work it out with him.” He quickly hugged his wife and turned as he heard his sister squeal.
“Brian, you came!” She was hugging her big brother.
“I sure did. It was a bit of work to get the time off at the hospital, but I managed it. I wouldn’t miss ‘Christmas’ at Crabapple Farm for anything.” He shook hands with Mike, kissed his mother, Honey and Di hello and sat down beside Dan. As the gifts were exchanged, small talk and thank yous could be heard, the sounds of any normal gift exchange, until Trixie opened her gift from Honey. “Oh Honey, it is gorgeous!” Trixie tried to wipe the tears from her eyes.
Honey smiled, “I knew that you were still looking for a tiara and veil, and that you weren’t happy with the ones you found in the store. So I made you that one. I made the veil from one of the layers of my veil.”
Mike looked at the length of the veil. “It must have been some veil for one layer to make this.”
Mart laughed, “It was longer than she is tall, all four or five layers. I was surprised she wore it as long as she did.”
Helen looked at her two daughters. “Well, I think it’s time I bring out the hot chocolate and gingerbread reindeer.”
Mart smiled at his mother, “I think that is a stupendous idea!”
“It’s too bad Bobby couldn’t join us,” Honey sighed.
“Yes,” smiled Trixie, “but I understand he has finals still to write.”
They sat around chatting and enjoying Helen’s treats.
“Okay, I’d like to take the family holiday picture now,” Helen announced. Trixie, Mart, Brian and Honey hopped up to pose in front of the tree as Peter went to get the camera.
Helen fussed over her children and looking around, she spotted Mike sitting on a chair in a corner, “Oh no you don’t, you get in there too, mister.”
“But it is a family photograph, and I’m not family.”
“Yet,” added Brian and Mart.
“But close enough,” continued Mart. “Honey’s been in the kids’ picture since she was thirteen. You’re family. Get up here and suffer with us.”
Mike smiled, stood and walked over to Trixie. He kissed her nose, stood behind her and turned to face the camera.
“Say ‘Merry Christmas,’ everyone.”
“Merry Christmas!”
Click.
The End
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Holiday – Christmas in the form of the Belden’s pre-Christmas Christmas
Holiday song – Peter singing (or mis-singing) Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire
Unexpected guest – Brian arriving
Gift – the gift exchange and the tiara and veil that Honey gives Trixie
Holiday food – gingerbread reindeer
Holiday decoration – the Christmas tree
Holiday photograph and tradition– the family photograph
With greatest thanks to Jill for her patience in editing this for me and for her encouragement and want of more. Any errors that made it to publishing are mine and mine alone.