Here’s another story for my Stardust universe. Teresa wanted more from this uni, so here it is J
A Night Out On the Town
by Chelsea
"Please, Moms, please, can I go?" Eighteen year-old Trixie Belden stood before her mother in the kitchen, waiting for permission to go see a movie at the Cameo with her best friend, Honey Wheeler.
"I don’t know," said Helen Belden reluctantly. "You haven’t been feeling all that good lately."
"I promise, Moms, that if I start feeling the teensiest bit like I’m overdoing it, I’ll come home. I’ve felt really good today except for a backache, and this might be one of the last chances I have at going out and doing something before the babies arrive. Please?" Trixie was 9 months pregnant with triplets, and her due date was a few days away.
"I guess," Mrs. Belden finally consented with a sigh, "but if you feel like you’re outdoing it the least little bit, come home, okay?"
"Oh thank you, Moms!" said Trixie as she went over to hug her mother. "I’ll go call Honey to tell her that I can go. We’re going to the evening matinee."
"Okay," said Mrs. Belden. "What would you like for dinner?" Mrs. Belden had enlisted the help of her children to help her plan dinner. Each family member had a night in which they could pick what was for supper; tonight was Trixie’s night.
"Hmmm, I’m in the mood for BBQ chicken. Do you think we could have that?"
"Sure," said Mrs. Belden easily. "What would you like to have with it?"
"Well, since this Indian summer has been hanging on, let’s go summer with it. Coleslaw, potato salad, and baked beans, please. I’ll be down in a couple of minutes to help."
"No need," said Mrs. Belden, I can cook the meal just fine, and your father and Bobby are going to do the dishes."
Trixie grinned. "I ought to get pregnant more often."
"Don’t you even think it, Trixie," said Mrs. Belden in mock horror, "Your father and brothers would go on strike. Maybe, though, a couple of years down the road, when you’re married and have a house of your own, you could give me a few more grandchildren. That way, you can listen to your husband to complain about doing all the work."
"Nah," said Trixie with a grin. "By then, they’ll have a kitchen that’s run all on push buttons, and he won’t hardly have to do a thing."
Mrs. Belden grinned. She knew that her daughter would most likely change her mind in a few years, even if Trixie didn’t.
"Go call Honey," said Mrs. Belden with smile as she shooed her daughter out of the kitchen, "I’m sure she’s haunting the phone, waiting for you to call her."
Trixie grinned. "No she’s not. She’s coming down the path."
Mrs. Belden looked out the window behind her. "So she is."
The kitchen door opened and a honey-colored head poked in. Honey’s mouth opened up to call ‘yoo-hoo’ but she stopped at the sight of Mrs. Belden and Trixie standing in the kitchen, watching her.
"Hey, Trixie! Can you go?"
"Yep!" said Trixie with a grin. "Do you want to stay for supper? We’re having BBQ chicken."
Honey licked her lips. "Yummy yum yum! Of course I’ll stay! If it’s all right with Mrs. Belden of course."
"Of course it is," said Mrs. Belden with a smile. A wail suddenly interrupted their conversation.
"Laine’s up?" asked Honey with a grin.
"I’d say so," said Trixie with an equally large grin. "Do you want to go get her?"
"Of course," said Honey. "But where’s Cheyenne?" Cheyenne was Trixie’s adopted sister and mother to 8-month-old Laine.
"She’s taking a walk in the preserve," said Mrs. Belden as she started getting the stuff out to make BBQ chicken. "We volunteered to watch her."
Honey started going through the house, to the guest room that had turned into a nursery for Laine and Trixie’s three children that she was expecting. Cheyenne herself slept in the other twin bed in Trixie’s room. Honey returned to the kitchen a few short moments later, bringing a sleepy looking Laine in her arms. She quickly fixed her a snack of juice and cheerios and set her in her high chair. Laine set to snacking happily, gurgling and talking baby talk while Trixie and Honey cooed back to her. Suddenly, Laine quite plainly said ‘mawmaw’.
Mrs. Belden quickly turned from the stove. "What did she say?"
Laine looked toward her grandmother and said again, "Mawmaw", while raising her arms towards Mrs. Belden.
Mrs. Belden stared at her for a minute then picked her up. "Did you hear that? She said mamaw, plain as day!"
Trixie and Honey grinned. As if they were reading each other’s thoughts, they both started picking up on the supper preparations where Mrs. Belden left off. Honey worked on the chicken, while Trixie sat down at the table, her feet propped up on another chair, while she started grating cabbage for coleslaw. Mrs. Belden, seeing that the girls were carrying on fine with supper, picked up Laine and carried her into the living room to play with her, but before she left the room, she gave Trixie a warning not to do anything that required standing up any amount of time.
Cheyenne came in from her walk a few minutes later. "Hello, Honey," she said with a smile. "Where’s Laine?"
Trixie and Honey grinned at Cheyenne’s question. "She’s in the living room with Moms, she just said ‘mawmaw’."
Cheyenne grinned. "I bet Moms went nuts."
"She was ecstatic," said Honey.
"Well, since my daughter’s in good hands, is there anything I can help you guys do in the kitchen?"
"Sure," said Trixie so quickly that it made everyone laugh. Trixie was not overly fond of cooking, although she never complained when Moms asked her to help.
"I’ve grated cabbage, and carrots for coleslaw, and I’m peeling potatoes to boil for potato salad. Honey’s working on the chicken. Why don’t you make the dressing for the coleslaw, and the sauce for the baked beans? When I get done with the potatoes, I’ll can sort the beans and we’ll practically be done."
The three girls set to work and soon good aromas were filling the house. By the time Mr. Belden came home from work and Bobby came home for the Lynch’s, where he was staying at after school, supper was done. Diana brought Bobby home, so she stayed for supper too. All four girls were skipping a year from school, as they were going to start their freshman year of college a week ago. Trixie was staying home because of her impending due date. Cheyenne was staying home to take care of Laine. Diana and Honey were staying home to help Trixie and Cheyenne.
They all sat down at the table, and Mr. Belden said grace before they all dug in.
"You girls did a good job," said Peter Belden appreciatively.
"Thanks, Dad," said Trixie.
When they got done eating, Mr. Belden and Bobby started clearing the table and Honey, Trixie and Diana went up to their room to get ready to go. They had asked Cheyenne if she wanted to go too, but she declined, declaring that she’d rather spend the evening with Laine.
Twenty minutes later, they were going out the door, amidst worried questions from Mrs. Belden.
"Do you have your cell phone with you, Trixie?" This was about the twentieth question Mrs. Belden had asked.
"Yes," said Trixie with a sigh, "and Honey has her’s, and Diana has her’s."
"Okay," said Mrs. Belden. "I got just one more question though, it’s only 7:30, and the late matinee begins at 9:00."
"We’re going to Wimpy’s for milk shakes before the movie," said Honey patiently.
"Oh, okay, I’ll see you guys in a few hours?"
"Yep, bye, Moms!" and Trixie quickly pushed her two friends out the door.
"She’s been like this every time I’ve tried to go anywhere in the last month," said Trixie with a sigh as she got into the passenger seat of Diana’s SUV.
"She just worries about you," said Honey as she settled in the back.
"I know," said Trixie. "It just gets frustrating sometimes."
They got to town about 10 minutes later, and parked in front of Wimpy’s, a boxcar converted into a diner that was one of the Bob-Whites old haunts.
Once inside, they settled in at the counter, and a few short minutes later, Mike was taking their order.
"A strawberry milkshake," said Diana.
"Vanilla for me," said Honey.
"Hmmm," said Trixie, "I want the spiciest thing that you have, and a large strawberry Fanta."
Diana and Honey both turned to Trixie in amazement.
"I thought that we were getting milkshakes," said Diana, "and didn’t you just eat a huge supper?"
Trixie giggled. "I’m eating for four now, Di," she said.
Honey just rolled her eyes. Mike brought their order over, and Trixie immediately dug into a large burrito with extra hot sauce. Chewing, she sighed ecstatically, and reached for her soda. Mike looked on with amusement.
"She’s eating for four," said Di. Mike just nodded.
Forty-five minutes later, they were out of Wimpy’s, leaving Diana’s car in the parking lot, and walking the short, five-minute walk to the cameo. The walk took slightly longer though, because Trixie was greatly slowed.
When they got to theatre, Diana bought their tickets while Trixie headed straight for the snake counter, getting the largest box of Red Hots she could find and ordering another strawberry Fanta. Honey looked on in disbelief.
They settled down to watch the movie, but Trixie couldn’t stay still.
"What’s wrong," whispered Honey.
"Nothing," said Trixie, "my back’s hurting, but it’s been hurting all day. And my stomach feels funny."
"That’s probably indigestion from all the spicy food you’ve been eating lately," Di said with a grin. "BBQ chicken, burritos, red hots," she ticked them off on her fingers.
Trixie grinned at her. "Probably."
Halfway through the flick though, Trixie couldn’t sit still any longer. She stood up, motioning for Diana and Honey to follow her. They all went to the ladies rest room, where Trixie leaned against the counter, her hands clutched tightly around her abdomen.
"I think I’m in labor," Trixie said, right before another pain over took her. She groaned and bent over double.
"You have to get to the hospital," said Diana. Immediately, the two girls started helping her out of the cameo.
"Crap!" said Diana when they reached the sidewalk. My car’s a block down at Wimpy’s.
"Run and get it," said Honey, "I’ll stay with Trixie."
"Hurry," said Trixie with a moan as the next contraction came on.
Diana set off on a run, and returned a scant five minutes later with her car. Honey helped Trixie into the backseat, where she could lay down, and sat down with her.
Diana drove just on the speed limit the whole way to the hospital. On the way, Honey called Mrs. Belden, who promised to be there as soon as possible.
Trixie was immediately admitted and given a room, and Honey and Diana never left her side.
Mrs. Belden arrived a few short minutes later, which seemed like eternity to poor Trixie. Mrs. Belden rushed in the room and to her daughter’s side.
"Oh, Trixie, how are you doing?"
"Oh, Moms! I’m so scared! Don’t leave okay?"
"Don’t worry, honey, I wouldn’t for the world."
Trixie turned to Honey and Diana, "You two won’t leave either, right?"
"Not a chance," said Honey as she and Diana gathered around Trixie’s bed.
Three hours later, Trixie was cursing Paul Westaff.
"I swear if I ever see that man, I’m going to…." She couldn’t finish her threat though, because another contraction took her breath.
"I think that you’re ready to push, Trixie," said Belinda Mertz, Trixie’s obstetrician. "On the count of ten, Trixie."
"One, two, three…." Diana started counting in her calming matter. By the time ten came around, Trixie was ready to give up. She flopped her head back on her pillow sobbing.
"I don’t think I can do that again," she said.
"You have to," said Dr. Mertz matter-of-factly, "Starting now."
"One, two, three…" Diana started again.
"I see a head, Trixie!" called out Dr. Mertz. "Keep pushing."
A minute later, a cry was heard and Dr. Mertz announced, "It’s a girl!" She passed the baby to a nurse who cleaned her and handed her to Honey. Honey held the baby where Trixie could see her.
A small grin broke out on Trixie’s face, right before she had to start pushing again.
"One, two, three…."
Another small cry broke out, and Dr. Mertz announced, "It’s a boy!" She again passed the baby to the nurse who cleaned him up and handed him to Diana.
"One more to go, Trixie!"
"One, two, three…" It took another count of three before the last baby finally made it’s appearance into the world.
"Another girl! Congratulations, Trixie!"
Mrs. Belden leaned down to hug her daughter. "Congratulations," she said softly.
They left Trixie for a minute to get cleaned up and to measure and way the babies.
Diana, Honey, and Mrs. Belden came back into the room twenty minutes later, each bringing a baby. Peter Belden followed around behind them.
"Look at them," said Trixie, as they carefully laid the babies down on the bed with her. "They’re so perfect."
"They are," agreed Honey. "What are their names?" Trixie had kept the babies’ names a carefully guarded secret, telling friends and family that they would find out when the babies were born.
"The oldest girl," said Trixie, using her head to motion to the baby, "Is Caitlin Diana."
Diana grinned.
"This little man," she said, motioning to the boy who was sucking energetically on a bottle, "is Carter William." William was Mr. Belden’s middle name. "I was going to name him Carter Peter, but that didn’t sound right. Though, from the looks of it, I should have named him Carter Martin."
Everyone laughed.
"And my last little girl is Celeste Madeleine."
Honey grinned, tears of joy coursing down her cheeks.
After visiting for a couple of minutes, Mr. Belden left to let Trixie rest. The three girls stayed to help her with the babies.
"What did they weigh in at?" asked Trixie sleepily, "I forgot to ask in all the excitement earlier."
"Caitlin weighed 6lbs., 3oz, and measured in at 23 inches. Celeste weighed 5lb., 14oz., and 21 and a half inches. And Carter, the biggest of the bunch, weighed 6lb., 7 oz. And is 23 and a half inches."
"Definitely a Mart," said Trixie with a grin.
Two minutes later, she was asleep, and the three girls took the babies, and left, letting Trixie rest. She would have quite a job ahead of her.
Caitlin Diana Belden
6 pounds, 3 ounces
23 inches long
Born 12:46 a.m.
September 11, 1996Carter William Belden
6 pounds, 7 ounces
23 ½ inches long
Born 12:48 a.m.
September 11, 1996Celeste Madeleine Belden
5 pounds, 14 ounces
21 ½ inches long
Born 12: 51 a.m.
September 11, 1996The End
Authors notes: I know little about child birth and what they do with the baby after it’s born, except what I see on "A Baby Story" on TLC and what I’ve read in Mum’s pregnancy books, so anything that just doesn’t seem right about this story is entirely my fault J