*all ages with a caveat (read author's note)

Disclaimer: These characters are property of Western Publishing. This story is not for profit.

By Laurie

Drifting happily in that state of sleep where one is not fully sleep yet not completely awake, Trixie Belden felt something light and slightly scratchy brush over her face. She decided to ignore it, hoping to get in a few more hours of sleep after her late night, but it--whatever "it" was--persisted. Gritting her teeth, she muttered threateningly, "Bobby Belden, if you don’t stop that I’ll..."

"Trixie?" A sleepy voice murmured from the next bed. "What are you talking about?"

Though she was fighting to slip back into deep sleep, the sound of her best friend’s voice made Trixie open her eyes and blink. The lump in the next bed was Honey, and the annoying thing brushing across her face was not the feather Bobby used to wake her up at the crack of dawn on the weekends, but the fronds of a potted fern on the night table next to her bed. The breeze coming in from the open windows caused the longest of its fronds to brush periodically across her face.

"I’m attacked by plants wherever I go. I can’t escape it. Crabapple Farm, Mexico...I can’t escape."

"Trixie, are you all right?" Blinking at the bright sunlight streaming in the open window, Honey regarded her muttering friend with some alarm.

Trixie laughed. "I’m fine," she said, running her hand through her sleep-tousled curls. "For a minute there I just forgot where I was."

"Where she was" was a bedroom in the Pérez’s family home, near Guadalajara. Lupe and Dolores had invited their friends to come and visit the town they had helped so much. Wanting to escape the blizzards and freezing temperatures that were Sleepyside in winter, they had foregone their annual trip to Mead’s Mountain and flown to sunny Mexico. Brian and Jim had been the most eager of the group to go, anxious to see Dolores and Lupe again. Their disappointment at finding out that both girls were engaged had quickly faded when they discovered that the Pérez sisters’ fiancés were studying to be a doctor and a teacher. The four guys got along so well that Brian and Jim were spending the last few days of their stay in Mexico touring schools and clinics. .

As if she were reading Trixie's mind, Honey smiled and said, "It’s too bad Brian and Jim haven’t been with the group the past few days."

Trixie tossed her curls and sniffed. ‘Really? I think it’s been great. There’s no way they would have let us go to that club last night. They’re so..." Words failed her, for a moment, "honorable all over the place."

"I can’t imagine Jim and Brian at a Mexican drag queen club, " Honey agreed, smiling. "Even a..." her lips twitched "a family drag queen club like El Protestante." Both girls laughed, remembering the club their hosts had taken them too last night.

"It sounds like an oxymoron, but it really was good clean fun...for the most part" Trixie laughed. "And aren’t we supposed to be experiencing another culture anyway? There’s no way I ever could have gotten to see a Mexican Cher impersonator at home" She paused. "At least not in Sleepyside."

"My favorite was the one that Eduardo and Carlos got to sing 'New York, New York' to us," Honey grinned.

"Yeah, I’ve never been serenaded by a man who was a better-looking woman than I’ll ever be," Trixie said, knowing what the Honey’s response would be. Wanting to cut off the inevitable, "But Trixie, you’re so much prettier than you think you are" speech that her ever-loyal best friend always gave after a remark like that, Trixie hurriedly went on.

"My favorite was the one who was oh so "friendly" to Mart. Serves him right for gloating so much about his "superior communicative ability." Trixie tried unsuccessfully to contain her giggles, but it wasn’t working.

Honey too was giggling. "What was he trying to say to him?

"I don’t know, but it sure came out wrong--or right, depending on your point of view! He and Dan spent the rest of the night trying to figure out what he said so that neither of them would ever say it again." Trixie’s smile widened. "At least not to a drunk guy dressed in pink spandex. Sometimes life is good."

"Yeah, nothing beats having two adorable guys hanging on our every word," Honey agreed. "If only Brian and Jim had noticed. If only Brian and Jim were the two guys."

Trixie snorted. "They’re too wrapped up in themselves to notice anything," she said emphatically. "Who cares about them anyway?"

"I do," Honey said softly. .

Trixie looked over at her friend, her bravado fading. "I know," she said. "Me too. But I'm mad, too. They didn't have to act so incredibly disappointed that Lupe and Dolores are taken."

"Dan claims they just did that because they are jealous about Eduardo and Carlos," Honey smiled at that .

"Yeah, well they should be jealous," Trixie replied.

The two girls grinned at each other, then sank into a silence. Two minutes stretched into five.

"Honey, what's wrong with us? I mean, we have two great guys hanging on our every word and we spend all of our time mooning over two guys who don't seem to care less."

"We're morons," Honey agreed.

"Idiots," Trixie countered.

"Brain dead."

"Certifiably loony."

Another silence ensued.

"Doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy attention when we actually get it," Honey said finally.

"As a wise person once said, ' if you can’t be with the one you love, honey, love the one you’re with' " Trixie agreed. Laughing at Honey’s expression, she added, "You know what I meant."

*     *     *

Heading down for breakfast, the two friends discovered the rest of the household up and waiting for them at the table. Sunshine poured in the open window and glinted off the many framed photographs of the Pérez family. Lupe and Dolores, ever the vigilant hostesses, hurried to get Trixie and Honey plates and silverware. Di and Dan smiled and made room for the two latecomers at the table. Mart didn't look up from his pan tostado.

"It’s about time, muchachas," Mart muttered. "Planning to sleep the day away?"

Studiously ignoring him, Trixie bent to give Lupe’s dog Sombrita a dog biscuit. The Pérez house was full of animals; Lupe had been an animal lover all her life, and was studying to be a veterinarian at the local university. Her menagerie included three cats, two dogs, a bird, and a hamster, all of whom she had rescued throughout the years. Watching Trixie stroke her dog’s velvety ears, Lupe smiled.

"What are your plans for today?" she asked the group. "You have only a few more days in Mexico. What do you most what to see?"

Trixie couldn’t resist. "I bet Mart has plans to meet that Barbra Streisand impersonator for a romantic lunch."

Mart reddened. "If I were you, dear Beatrix, I would hold my tongue. Older brothers have a lot more authority over their sisters here than we do at home, alas."

Dolores smiled at Trixie’s disbelief. "It’s true, Trixie. It’s a custom here, although some people no longer practice it, to have one’s older brothers act as chaperones on dates." She laughed at Trixie’s look of horror.

"You mean Carlos and Eduardo went on your dates with you?" she finally managed to squeak out

Lupe laughed. "They were supposed to. Actually, they would go with us until we were out of my parents’ sight, then we would arrange a meeting place later. My parents never knew. Dolores and I have very sweet older brothers. But then, you and Honey know that already, don’t you Trixie?’

"Yeah," Mart pretended to growl. "Don’t think I haven’t noticed that. So watch your step, Trix, or I’ll exercise my brotherly authority over your love life--or lack thereof."

Trixie glared at him. "We’re Dutch, not Mexican."

"When in Rome..." Mart shot back.

"Enough, you two," Dan finally broke in. "We need to figure out what we are doing today."

Trixie sank back in her chair, still horrified by the vision of Mart Belden tagging along on her dates.

"I, for one, vote for a day trip to Tequila," the subject of her current nightmare said.

"The town, or the drink?" Dan grinned.

"Both. I hear that the factory there gives out free samples."

Trixie vigorously shook her head.. "No way. Didn’t you get enough of tequila after smelling the fumes from 'Barbra’s' breath last night? I want to see the mummies."

Di looked alarmed. "The what?"

Lupe smiled at Di’s face. "In Guanajuato, there is a museum devoted to the mummies found in the town's cemetery some years back. It’s a very interesting museum, although," Lupe paused, and looked thoughtfully at Di, "not for the faint of heart."

"I vote for Tequila," Di said promptly. She smiled at Mart.

"That’s a shocker," Trixie murmured to herself. She turned to her partner in crime, who refused to meet her eyes. "Et tu, Honey? You can’t tell me you’d rather tour a tequila factory than see honest-to-goodness mummies?"

"Actually, Trix..." Honey’s voice trailed off.

"There’s no problem," Dolores soft voice broke in. "Carlos can take the boys, Honey and Di to Tequila, and Eduardo, I’m sure, would be happy to accompany Trixie to Guanajuato."

Mart and Dan eyed each other, then Trixie. Mart then shrugged his shoulders. "I guess I play the good older brother—this time," he said pointedly.

Lupe clapped her hands. "Wonderful! Then everything is settled. I will inform the boys."

Trixie sat back in her chair. Wow. At the very least this should make for an interesting "What I did over Christmas vacation" essay. And at the most...

*     *     *

The trip to Guanajuato would take most of the morning, Lupe informed Trixie, even, she added chuckling, the way Eduardo drove. After the arrangements had finally been made, it was mid-morning before the two were ready to begin the long drive. Lugging the picnic basket to the car, Trixie saw Mart pull Eduardo aside and talk to him for several minutes. She didn’t want to know what he was saying.

Conversation during the trip consisted mostly of Eduardo’s favorite topic—the cases Trixie and Honey had solved during their short but impressive career.

"I remember reading about the capture of those South American gun smugglers some time ago, but I never would have thought...Amazing." Eduardo looked at Trixie. "You and Honey...you two are very talented. And very brave."

"Some people say I’m foolish and I take too many risks," Trixie replied. "They think I should be more cautious."

Eduardo shrugged. "We have a saying here: 'Vivir con miedo es medio vivir' ." he paused, then translated for Trixie. "Living in fear is only half-living." He paused, then looked right into her eyes. "I don't think you do anything by halves."

Trixie turned red. "No...I guess I don't," she said weakly.

"You live life, Trixie. You don't let fear stop you from doing things to help others, doing things that you know are the right things to know. That's a great quality."

Trixie managed, "To some people."

"Brothers." Eduardo shrugged. "We worry about our little sisters."

"Not just brothers," Trixie muttered.

"We worry about all those we love," Eduardo said. Trixie's face, having already proceeded through pink, rosy, red, scarlet, and maroon, turned an interesting shade of vermilion. He grinned.

Just as things were getting interesting, they arrived at the museum, just in time to watch it close for the siesta hour--or hours, as it usually turned out to be.

"It should reopen about 3:30," Eduardo told her. "Should we eat lunch?"

Trixie nodded, helping him to unpack the car. Lupe had even remembered to include a piece of carpet for them to sit on. The bright orange shag was like a neon sign on the wilting yellowish grass. Eduardo grinned.

"Not very conspicuous, is it?"

"Spies could spot us from a mile away," Trixie agreed. "But I'm on vacation. No spies here."

They unpacked the basket. Eduardo pulled out several cans of soda.

"I am sorry, Lupe tried to find that strawberry soda that Honey said you liked so much, but we just don't have it here in Mexico."

Trixie sighed, pretending disappointment. "Coke, Pepsi, every other kind of pop under the sun, but no strawberry pop. That's okay; I smuggled a few bottles into Mexico in my carry-on, so I'm not going through withdrawal yet." She smiled. "That's why I could never live here permanently. You lack some of the finer things in life."

"Never?" Eduardo asked her suddenly. The intensity of his eyes upon her made the seeming made the simple question take on deeper layers of meaning. Neither of them said anything for a few minutes. Then Eduardo spoke.

"I think it's time for a Spanish lesson," he said. "Let's start with 'Trixie, you are beautiful.' "

Trixie could feel the blush spreading over her face. "First of all, that's not true. And secondly, I already know how to say that. I'm better in Spanish than that. "Estás bonita."

"Ah, the oh-so-clever detective doesn't know everything," Eduardo smiled at her. "If you say to someone, estás bonita, you're saying that they look beautiful today. Especially beautiful, like you have on a new dress, or just got your hair done, and you look particularly wonderful. Which, you do look wonderful today. But to you, I would say, "Eres bonita."

"How is that different?"

"'Eres bonita' means that no matter what you're wearing, no matter how you look, you are beautiful, just because it is a quality that belongs to you; it is a part of you forever. To me, Trixie Belden, eres bonita." Seeing her shake her head, he said, "Even if you don't believe it."

Trixie stared at her hands, not knowing how to reply. Having Eduardo tell her she was beautiful was very different from hearing Honey say it.

Eduardo lifted her chin so that she was looking straight into his eyes. "A riddle for you, Ms. Detective."

Trixie managed to say, "What?"

"What is a Mexican man's favorite word?"

"I don't know. What?"

"Azul."

" ‘Blue.’ What's so special about it?"

"Say it and you'll see," Eduardo's eyes seemed to be gleaming.

Trixie shaped her lips to pronounce it: "Ah—sool."

Before she had a chance to speak, Eduardo said softly, "It's our favorite because when a girl says it, her lips are in the perfect position for a kiss. See?"

And with that, he proved his point.

Surprise and pleasure mixed in Trixie's brain. The man knew how to kiss. I don't know if I would have wanted him to be my first kiss, but I'm glad he made it on the list.

After a moment, Eduardo moved back. Trixie stared at him, momentarily speechless. He seemed to read the expression on her face. .

"Should I not have done that?"

"No!!!! I mean, it's okay, I'm not mad, not at all. It's just that..."

"It's that pelirrojo (redhead), isn't it? Jim?"

"Kind of. I mean...it's not like he pays any attention to me, it's just that..."

Eduardo nodded, understanding. "He is your media naranja."

"My what? Isn't a naranja what I ate for breakfast this morning?"

"Actually, yes. But it's an expression, you know? Like your expression "My better half." He took an orange from the picnic basket and neatly sliced it in half. "You see? Two halves of the same whole. " He fit the orange back together. "People are like that too. My parents are, anyway."

"Mine too," Trixie replied. Silent for a few moments, she continued. "Do you think...I mean, do you really believe there is only one person for everyone? That we are all just halves of a whole, waiting for our other half to show up?"

"I'm not sure," he replied. "For some people, it does seem that way. They are so happy with each other that it does seem like at last they've found their ' whole.' "

In a quiet voice, Trixie asked, "What if...what if you think you've found your half and he...doesn't seem to feel the same way? Can that person really be you other half, or am you just wrong?"

Eduardo glanced at her. "You think your redhead doesn't feel the same way you do?"

"I don't know," Trixie confessed. "At one time, I thought maybe he did. It's just that lately...I don't know. He went off to college, and we just don't have the same closeness as before. And he was always so vague, too. Calling me his special girl, smiling at me...but he never said anything. Not specifically"

Eduardo looked over at her. "You never said anything either?"

The dreaded blush spread over her face. "Well...I mean... I just though he would..."

Eduardo chuckled. "And here I thought American women were more aggressive than that. More like Amanda..."

Trixie looked puzzled. "Amanda who?"

He grinned. "You know, from that Melrose Place show."

"Heather Locklear? You think that all American women are like that?" Trixie laughed. "Well, that may be the only time I'll ever be compared to her. You should know better than that."

He smiled at her, and she realized he was teasing her. "I should, shouldn't I? Especially when I am always complaining that Americans get all their ideas about Mexicans from I Love Lucy."

"But Desi Arnaz was Cuban!"

"Exactly my point."

They sat in silence for a moment.

"Not that I really want to do him any favors, " Eduardo finally said. "But don't you think you should talk to him? At least then you would know for sure."

"But what if it's not the answer I want? What if I wind up looking like an idiot?"

"Well," he paused, "Some things are worth the risk. Didn't one of your singers once sing, 'I don't care what consequence it brings, I have been a fool for lesser things?' "

She smiled at him. "Billy Joel. And we have the same taste in music too. I am so sorry..."

"No apologies please. Just," he hesitated, then smiled. "If by some chance he turns out not to be your media naranja, keep me in mind."

"It's a deal," Trixie laughed. They solemnly shook hands on the deal..

"There is one bright spot to this anyway," Eduardo finally said.

"What would that be?"

"At least now I won't have to fight a duel with your brother."

"What??!!"

"He told me before we left today that if I did anything to hurt you, it would mean broadswords at dawn."

Half-touched, half-annoyed, Trixie grabbed his hand. "Let's go check out the mummies."

*     *     *

The museum was every bit as gruesome as Lupe had promised--or warned. Eduardo and Trixie snuck up behind an English-speaking tour group and listened to the speaker give the history of the museum.

"Between 1896 and 1958, the town of Guanajuato had a law which stated that the families of those buried in the town cemetery had a to pay a tax on the plots. If the fee went unpaid, the caretakers dug up the bodies." The speaker paused and waited for the groans and "eeewwws" to die down, then continued. "When the bodies were dug up the caretakers were astonished to find that they had been naturally mummified. The earth of the Guanajuato cemetery had naturally-occurring chemicals in the soil which mummified the bodies, much in the same way that ancient Egyptians mummified their dead. If the families still didn’t pay the tax, even after their relatives were exhumed, the town claimed the mummies and decided that this unusual occurrence should be preserved in a museum. The results you see before you. There are currently 108 of them on display."

Leaving the tour, Trixie and Eduardo wandered around the museum, staring at the many mummies and reading about them on the plaques fixed below each display. Reading about each person's life made them seem more human, which intensified the creepiness of the experience. Trixie shivered. It's a good thing Di didn't come along for this one.

"Look here, Trixie," Eduardo whispered loudly from across the room. He was standing in front of the mummy of a young girl. Gesturing to the plaque, he said, "Listen to this." Translating the words, he read,"This mummy, of an adolescent female, is unusual in that it was discovered that her heart had completely vanished. Scientists claim it simply deteriorated much more quickly than normal, possibly because of some innate defect, but local legend has it that the young girl is without a heart for having 'lost it' to a young man who, unaware of her love, married another."

"You're making that up!"

"Perhaps, perhaps not. I still think you ought to talk to him."

"How very non-don-juan of you, helping out a rival," Trixie grinned at him.

They finished the rest of the tour quickly, and left the museum. Outside, vendors were selling T-shirts and keychains of the mummies. Trixie quickly looked over those items, then bought a small wooden carving of the very mummy Eduardo had pointed out to her. The carving was so carefully done that the mummy, despite its gruesomeness, was beautiful.

Trixie glanced up at Eduardo. "I'm going to act it to my collection."

"Of mummies?"

"No, of...unusual things I come across on vacations. I have a wooden Inca statue from that case in New York I told you about. And I used to have a Chinese dragon box from another case. And..." Trixie hesitated, "Maybe it will remind me of some important things I figured out on this trip." She smiled at him. "Muchas gracias."

"Any time."

*     *     *

The three girls sat cross-legged on the floor of Trixie and Honey's room. As they listened to Trixie's recap of her day in Guanajuato, Honey was carefully pasting mementos into her scrapbook and labeling them with colorful markers. Di was playing with a voodoo doll she had bought in a spiritual shop in Tequila that day.

"Sounds like you had quite a day," Honey smiled. "If only Jim knew how true to him you are. A gorgeous guy showers you with compliments and then kisses you and you turn him down."

"Let's not talk about that," Trixie groaned. "I feel terrible about Eduardo. I mean, I really like him as a friend, and I wasn't trying to use him to make Jim jealous. Not that it would have worked, mind you. What a terrible idea."

"I don't know about that, " Di replied. Idly braiding some of her long dark hair, she continued. "You and Honey are in the same boat. I mean, Jim met you, Trixie, and Brian met Honey when you both were thirteen. You've been friends ever since. He knows you haven't liked anyone but him in your entire life."

"So?"

"So, " Di replied patiently. "He thinks he knows everything about you. He feels completely confident about you. Now...well, you've added in a little mystery. Believe me, it hasn't escaped Jim and Brian they way Eduardo and Carlos have been hanging all over you two. I think now there's a little uncertainty there. Which is not always such a bad thing, in small doses."

"Oh yeah, Dear Abby?" Trixie arched an eyebrow at her grinning friend. Di jokingly stabbed a pin into the stomach of the voodoo doll and Trixie pretended to slump over in pain. All three girls burst into laughter.

"Sure. How do you think I hang on to Mart?" Di finally said, carefully wiping her eyes so as not to smudge her makeup. Mocking herself, she batted her eyes, and squealed, "Ooooo, isn’t Eric the ski instructor simply gorgeous?" Grinning, she added in her normal voice, "Keeps him on his toes."

Both Honey and Trixie were silent then, thoughtful.

"Maybe. But I'm not big on games, you know? I want him to be sure of me, and I want to be sure of him." Trixie nodded her head firmly as she spoke.

"Then take Eduardo's advice. Talk to Jim, Trixie. And Honey, say something to Brian It's about time."

Trixie sighed. Time was growing short. Jim and Brian would be back tomorrow afternoon. That evening there was to be a farewell dance, and then they would return home. Jim would go back to college, and who knew what would happen then? It would have to be soon.

*     *     *

Jim and Brian arrived back from their tour of the clinic and school early the next afternoon. Full of enthusiasm over what they had seen, they only remembered to ask what the left-behind BWGs had done after Trixie and Honey had left to get ready for the farewell dance. Therefore, Trixie missed the look on Jim's face when Lupe (innocently?) informed him of Trixie's trip.

*     *     *

The farewell dance turned out to be a belated "Thank you" celebration thrown by Lupe and Dolores’ old school. The Bob-Whites were passed from student to student and teacher to teacher, blushing furiously as each person told them what their donation had meant to them. They were given a grand tour of the newly rebuilt library, full of the books the club had collected during their Ice Carnival. On the wall hung a plaque which commemorated the Bob-Whites' good deed.

After the tour, the dance began. First there was a presentation of traditional dances of the region, performed by students. Amazed at their skill and grace, Trixie thought to herself wryly, And I could barely do a simple square dance without tripping over Jim's feet. She sighed, then lost herself in the music. Finally, the students clamored for some "real music" and a mixture of popular American and Mexican songs were played. Though several of the female students began to teach the BWGs salsa steps, they never quite caught on and declared themselves content to watch others.

As the evening went on, the salsa numbers were interspersed with slower numbers, and the Americans felt confident enough to get out on the floor. Trixie was pleased and a little surprised that she got as many requests to dance as Honey and Di did. Still, none were from Jim. In fact, he had been just as pleasant and friendly as he always was to her--but no more. At least, so she thought. She missed his glance at her when she was dancing with Eduardo.

What to do? Trixie's mind raced as she was expertly twirled around the floor by Eduardo. No fear of tripping over her feet here; Eduardo didn't make her nervous enough anymore. Only one guy did that. She wanted to know--and yet was afraid to. Afraid to look like a fool, afraid of polite rejection...afraid of losing the dream that had begun the day she saw hum through the broken grimy window of Ten Acres. Life had gotten so much more complicated --and interesting--since that day. Just then she was abruptly snapped out of her reverie by the sound of Eduardo softly singing the end of the song they were dancing to.

Suddenly in my life
There's something that's got me mystified
And I cannot fight it but I can try
To keep the wonder of it alive.

I hate those ironic songs! But still, that was what she wanted--to keep this feeling, despite its uncertainty and potential for pain, alive. It was too good to lose. And no way was she going to lose it out of fear. Juts then she caught sight of Honey and Brian, her honey-colored hair close to his dark hair, talking softly and earnestly. The sight of this brought a smile to her face, and strengthened her resolve. If Honey can do it....

As the song ended, she smiled at Eduardo and slipped away from him. Taking a deep breath, she headed straight for Jim.

Okay Belden. Just don't trip, okay? We don't want a rerun of Tom and Celia's reception, no matter how nice he was about it. At least I’m not wearing that awful orange dress. Be cool. Breathe. Try to look like you,re not going to throw up. Oh yeah, and don't throw up.

She reached Jim just as another song was beginning. She hesitated for a moment. Then out of the corner of her eye she caught sight of a beautiful student heading for Jim. It's now or never Belden. Just do it!

Looking Jim straight in the eye, she blurted out in a strong, steady voice that belied the roller coaster in her stomach, "Wanna dance?" Not your most eloquent moment, Belden, but it'll do--I hope.

Jim looked at her, and this time she was there to see the look on his face. "The belle of the ball sparing one of her dances for me?" he grinned. "It would be an honor."

And with that her nerves were gone. She wasn't with the wealthy college man, the guy all the college women were after, she was with the boy from Ten Acres once more. She slipped into his arms and they stood there together, swaying gently to the music.

*     *     *

"Awww, how romantic," Di sighed as Trixie gave them a recap of the dance That first dance was followed by another, and another. In fact, the two hadn't really left each other's arms for the rest of the evening..

"Yes, it's terrific that everything is great between you," Honey added. smiling warmly at her best friend. The only thing that made Honey happier than her own moment with Brian that evening was discovering that her friend had also taken the bull by the horn--so to speak--and straightened out her mess too.

"Oh, no it's not," Trixie said. Both girls searched her face for signs she was kidding, but found none.

"What are you talking about, Trix? You just told us about the really romantic dance and it sounded like such a special moment."

" It was. See, I figured out that that's the problem with me and Jim." Seeing their puzzled faces , Trixie elaborated. "Jim and I will have these moments, and they are wonderful, but then we never follow up on them.. We never talk about it. He gives me the bracelet on the plane home from Iowa, tells me I’m his 'special girl,' and then what? We just sat there."

Di wrinkled her nose. "There's a problem with that?"

"Not with that specifically, but with the pattern. I get upset because Jim isn't behaving the way I want him to. I don't tell him, so he has no idea I'm mad. Therefore, I get madder, because he isn't reading my mind. Finally, to make things better he does something special, and I melt, and we just sit there and don't talk about what got things messed up to begin with, and then the pattern starts over again. We've been going in circles instead of moving ahead, which is what I, and I hope he, want. So one dance does not make everything perfectly perfect." She ended this speech with a firm nod. Then she grinned.

"But it's a start, anyway."

*     *     *

On the plane, Trixie leaned back in her seat, squirming to try to find a comfortable position. At least she wasn't as tall as the boys, who would have it even worse. She glanced over at Jim, dozing restlessly in the seat next to her. The first couple of hours on the plane they had had a discussion that had gone deeper than any they had had before. Her cheeks hurt from blushing so much, but she had forced her way through the shyness she always felt around him and felt good about the result. A new beginning for the new millennium.

Twisting around in the seat, she felt something drop to the floor. Leaning over, she grabbed the box. It was the gift Eduardo had slipped into her hand as he and the Pérez's were saying good-bye.

"Open it when you're alone," he had whispered in her ear. In the rush to get to the plan she had forgotten all about it, but now her curiosity was running at full speed. Trying not to wake Jim, she carefully untangled herself from the seat and headed for the airport bathroom.

Unwrapping the package in the even more cramped space, Trixie discovered a beautiful silver necklace. Hanging from the delicate chain was an ankh. Opening the card that accompanied the gift, Trixie read,

Dear Trixie,

The ankh is the ancient Egyptian symbol for life. When I was looking for a farewell gift for you, this necklace seemed like you. Remember, I told you that to me, you live life like no one else I know. I hope that you will wear it   every once in a while, and remember to live your life the way you want to.

There is another gift for you inside the box. Whenever you are feeling down, read the note underneath the necklace. I hope it will always remind you of something you learned on this trip.

Eduardo

P.S Remember, if you ever discover that the pelirrojo isn't your media naranja, you promised to consider my application next.

She fastened the necklace around her neck, and then reached for the note that had been tucked underneath the jewelry. She unwrapped the paper. Inside there were only two sentences.

Eres bonita, Trixie Belden, ahora y siempre (now and forever)

Never forget it. Eduardo.

Trixie slowly folded the note, placed it in the box. You know, Belden, for someone who's not supposed to be pretty, you have a habit of receiving jewelry from cute guys. Then she tucked the box into her jacket pocket, and walked, head high, back to her seat.

The End

Author’s Note, Part 2: There really is a "Mummy museum" in Guanajuato; for those with strong stomachs and morbid curiosity (like me), you can see them at http://www.sirius.com/~dbh/mummies/   . I don’t think it’s possible to make it a day trip from Guadalajara, but don’t tell Trixie that J . The story about the one mummy is ficticious, and I have no idea if there really is information posted about each mummy at the museum.. "El Protestante" the family-friendly drag queen club, allegedly exists as well; a taxi driver told me about it, and my host family said they had been there, but I didn’t go see it. I regret it now. Carpe diem. J "Ankh" necklaces were all over Mexico when I was there in 1996; I bought several. You can see a picture of one at http://208.147.112.216/~mhjolley/ankh_ss.htm. I learned the "Azul" riddle when I was there too, although unfortunately not the same way Trixie did. J "Suddenly" lyrics are by Soraya, off her album En esta noche. I also want to note that I in no way want to add to the many stereotypes floating around out there about Mexicans and machismo (regarding the older brothers as chaperones discussion), but in the family I stayed with this did happen. In others it did not; it just depends on the family these days. I loved Mexico, and just wanted to show Trixie enjoying it too, but I could just imagine her reaction to the chaperone business.

Trixie Belden Homepage