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A Gift From Moms
This story was
written with love especially for my Mama Pat. I hope she enjoys it as much as
I enjoy all the special things she makes for me. A word of warning: This
story is entirely self-edited. Not only that, it was written after I had
taken a muscle relaxer and was finished at 2:00 A.M., so please ignore any
wonky typos. J December 24th… “Mr. Frayne, I hope you know that you completely ruined my plans for
Christmas Eve.” Jim took his eyes off the road long
enough to smile over at his new bride. “Oh, really? Had some big plans, did
you?” “As a matter of fact, I did,” Trixie
informed him, feigning indignation. “I still haven’t found a present for
Moms, and the gifts I managed to buy for everyone else haven’t been wrapped.
And that isn’t all. While I was at the mall getting something for Moms, I was
going to buy a fancy-schmancy dress for that
shindig at your parent’s house because I don’t have a thing to wear. And last
but not least, I was supposed to bake some cookies to take to Crabapple Farm
tomorrow.” She paused for a moment and then added, “On second thought, you’ve
just made this the best Christmas ever! I don’t have to do any of that stuff
now! Whooo-hoo!” “Well, I’m glad I could make your
holiday special by whisking you away to Vermont and forcing you to marry me,”
Jim chuckled. Trixie snorted. “Yeah, we should’ve
eloped years ago! Just imagine how
many trips to the mall you could’ve saved me.” “Gee, I think you’re more excited
about missing out on shopping than you are being my wife.” “Aw, that’s not true, and you know
it,” she cooed, reaching over and patting his thigh. “I love being your wife—
especially when it gives me such a good excuse not to shop or bake cookies.
And I’ve gotta say… those fringe benefits I got
last night were mighty swell, too.” Jim waggled his ginger brows at her.
“Hey, don’t forget those benefits you got this morning.” “Yeah, those were pretty sweet,
too,” Trixie agreed, her lips forming the smile of the truly satisfied. “This
marriage thing is a working out nicely so far. Like I said before, we
should’ve done this years ago.” After years of dating, Jim had
proposed to Trixie the previous Valentine’s Day. They had planned to get married
this coming spring. Neither of them had wanted a large wedding, but their
parents had had other plans. While watching
“White Christmas” one evening, Trixie made an off the cuff remark about how
romantic a holiday wedding in a ski lodge would be. The next thing Jim knew,
he was suggesting they drive to Groverville,
Vermont and elope. Never one to balk at the prospect of an adventure, Trixie
immediately accepted. The couple packed their bags, made a few calls, and
then drove five and a half hours to the resort Matthew Wheeler and George
Kimball had invested in several years ago. Pat O’Brien, the
longtime caretaker of Mead’s Mountain Ski Lodge, was a justice of the peace
and had performed many weddings at the resort. Because of his connections, he
was able to pull some strings and got the couple a marriage license that evening.
The next morning, surrounded by the winter wonderland setting of Vermont,
Trixie and Jim were pronounced husband and wife. They had stayed at the lodge
for three days before returning home. Even though they would’ve liked their
honeymoon to have lasted longer, they wanted to be back in Sleepyside by
Christmas Eve. Sensing something was wrong with his
new bride, Jim took Trixie’s hand. “Is everything okay?” “You know me too well.” She sighed
before continuing. “Although I’m ecstatic to be your wife, and although our wedding
was absolutely beautiful, I’m worried what our families will say.” “I wouldn’t worry about that,
Shamus. It’s not like they can ground us or send us to our rooms.” “I know, but…” Trixie twisted a curl
around her index finger as she fumbled for her words. “I hate to make them
upset, especially around the holidays.” “Mother and Dad weren’t upset when I
talked to them on the phone, so there’s no need to worry about them,” Jim
said. “Now, if Honey had eloped, there would be problems, but they’re fine
with what we did.” “Somehow I doubt that my parents
will be ‘fine with it’,” Trixie muttered. “Well, I’m not sure what your mother
will say, but your dad will probably thank me for saving him a few bucks,”
Jim teased. Trixie laughed. She knew Jim was
joking, but there was a lot of truth in what he had said. Madeleine
Wheeler—while having good intentions—had wanted their wedding to be a lavish
affair. She and Matthew had offered to help pay for it, but Peter Belden was
too proud to accept their generosity. He had intended to stick to tradition
and pay for his only daughter’s wedding himself, so he would likely feel a
sense of relief that they had eloped. “Truth be told, Dad will probably
dance a little jig that he doesn’t have to mortgage Crabapple Farm to pay for
the wedding of the century. But Moms…” Trixie released a lengthy sigh. “Moms
might not be so happy. After all, I am
her only daughter.” “How did she act when you stopped by
the Farm to pick up her wedding dress?” “You know, I can’t really say,”
Trixie told him. “At first I thought she was mad, but then it seemed like she
was more shocked than anything. I was going to ask her how she felt, but we
were in a hurry, so I grabbed the dress and made a run for it. I guess we’ll
find out later.” Jim squeezed her hand in an effort
to reassure her. “I’m sure she’ll be fine, Shamus.” “And I still don’t have a Christmas
present for her!” Trixie moaned. “You should’ve picked out something
for her in the lodge’s gift shop.” Trixie smirked over at her new
husband. “I would have, if someone hadn’t kept distracting me in our room.” “But distracting you was so much
fun…” “Yes, it was,” Trixie agreed. “But
something tells me that Moms isn’t going to be happy that I didn’t get her a
gift.” “She’ll understand, sweetheart,” Jim
assured. “Your mother is one of the sweetest, most generous, most thoughtful
people I know.” “That’s even more of a reason to get
her a good Christmas present,” she muttered. “Hey, you can blame me if you want
to,” he offered. “After all, it was my
idea to elope, and I did hold you
hostage in our hotel room until we checked out this morning.” “Oh, yeah, I can just imagine
telling Moms she doesn’t have a gift because I was too busy gettin’ jiggy with my new
husband,” Trixie giggled. “She and Dad would croak.” “Not to mention how your brothers
would react,” Jim added. “Brian would have a coronary, Mart would bust a gut
from laughing so hard, and Bobby… Well, I’m not sure what Bobby would do, but
I’m sure it would be memorable.” “Bobby would probably need a
lobotomy,” she joked. “Regardless of how your family
reacts, I hope it was worth it.” Trixie looked over at her new
husband. She had loved him since he was a boy, and as he had grown into a
man, she found new reasons to love him even more. She didn’t just love Jim
with all her heart; he was her
heart. “It was worth it,” she answered, her
voice husky with emotion. Jim cocked an eyebrow at her. “No
regrets?” “None at all.” With a giggle, she
added, “Weeeeeeeell, except for one thing…” “Uh-oh,” Jim groaned. “I’m probably
going to regret asking this, but what’s that one thing?” “Weeeeeell,”
she drawled, “it’s just that it’s Christmas Eve, and this is going to be our
first holiday as a married couple.” “And?” “And I’m assuming that we’re going
to live in the house you just finished building at Ten Acres.” “And?” “And you don’t have
a Christmas tree,” Trixie concluded. “And?” “And you don’t have
a Christmas tree,” she repeated. Jim shrugged his
shoulders. “I only moved in a few weeks ago, Trixie. You’re lucky I have
furniture. Up until a week ago, I had a mattress on the floor and a few
beanbags here and there. I’m not exactly Martha Stewart.” “I know, but a tree
is my favorite part of Christmas. It’s a symbol of the holiday season.” “So, we’ll get the
biggest tree we can find next year to make up for it,” he promised. “That doesn’t help
us this year.” Trixie’s lower lip pooched in a pout. “That is true,” Jim
admitted. “I’m sorry, sweetheart, but you’ll just have to admire everyone
else’s Christmas tree this year until we can get one of our own.” Trixie tossed her
curls, a sure sign that she was unhappy. “I’m sorry, too, but I don’t like
that suggestion very well. I want a tree this
year.” Jim had figured out
a long time ago that when Trixie was obsessed about something, it was a good
idea to try and get her to obsess over something else. “Hey, I’ve got an
idea. Maybe we can start collecting ornaments the day after Christmas. Wouldn’t
that be fun? They’ll all be on clearance, and the stores always have a ton
left. I’ll bet we could buy enough ornaments to decorate two or three trees.” Trixie’s countenance
brightened slightly. “Hey, I’ve got a better idea! Why don’t we stop at the
mall and pick up some ornaments, some lights, and a star? Then, after we get
home, you can go outside and find us a tree so we can have one this year.” “Gee, Trix, I kinda had something else planned for when we get home…” Trixie rolled her
eyes. “Where’s that Boy Scout I fell in love with? Somebody’s replaced with
him with a sex fiend. One minute you’re giving me fond glances and the next
you’re groping me.” “I didn’t hear you complaining
last night— or this morning either, for that matter,” he retorted, his lips
forming a devilish grin. “You’re so right,
dear. That was fun.” Trixie
snuggled closer to him and batted her eyes in her most flirtatious manner.
“Just think about how romantic it would be to make love by our very own
Christmas tree.” “Actually, that
sounds kind of creepy to me,” Jim remarked. “Can you imagine how shocked
Santa Claus would be to walk in on us? I’m willing to bet that we wouldn’t
get a single thing in our stockings except for a lump of coal.” Scowling, Trixie
slid over to her side of the vehicle. “Humph! A lump of coal is more than
you’re going to get from me tonight if I don’t get a Christmas tree.” “Surely you’re
joking.” “I’m joking,” she
muttered, inching her way back to the middle of the seat. As much as she
hated to admit it, it wouldn’t take much to make her forget an oath of
abstinence she would make in a moment of anger. “But I still want a Christmas
tree.” “I know you do,
Shamus, and I wish I had time to get you one,” he said, kissing the top of
her head. “However, we’ve got presents to wrap, and unless you intend to wear
your birthday suit to that fancy-schmancy party at Manor
House, we need to find you something to wear. Although I certainly don’t mind
your au naturél look…” With a giggle,
Trixie swatted his arm. “I’m sure you wouldn’t, but I have a feeling that the
rest of the people at the party might disagree.” “Who said anything
about going to the party?” Jim asked, his voice
thick with suggestive overtones. “We’d have a lot more fun at home.” The rest of the ride
back to Sleepyside was filled with laughter and lighthearted banter. They
arrived at the newly reconstructed Ten Acres at a few minutes past six
o’clock. It was already dark there, and since the outdoor lighting hadn’t
been installed yet, it was pitch black outside. Jim drove into the garage and
parked the truck. When Trixie opened the back door of the king cab to
retrieve her suitcase, he stopped her. “Not so fast there,
little missy. This is our house, and you are my bride, and I do believe it’s
tradition for the groom to carry his new wife over the threshold of their
home.” “Fine by me,” Trixie
snickered. “But if you throw your back out, don’t come crying to me.” Jim easily swept
Trixie off her feet and cradled her in his arms. “Are you serious? You can’t
weigh more than one hundred f—” Trixie shot him a
dirty look. “—five pounds,” he
concluded sheepishly. “Give or take a pound or two.” “More like a pound
or twenty, but I like your number better,” she giggled. “You feel light as a
feather to me,” he said, carrying her up the stairs to the back entrance of
their home and through the door. “You’re just really
strong,” she purred. “After all, you are
my dreamy woodsman…” If Trixie wondered
why Jim hadn’t continued with the slightly provocative banter, that answer
became clear shortly. He carried her through the house until they reached the
large family room. There, in front of the large bay window overlooking the woods, was a gaily decorated 9-foot fir tree! And,
standing beside the tree, was the person responsible for decorating it. “Moms!” Trixie
squealed. The minute her feet hit the floor, she raced to her mother’s open
arms. “Welcome home, sweetheart,” Helen
greeted, hugging her daughter tight. “Merry Christmas!” “Oh, Moms, I can’t
believe you did this!” After their hug ended, Trixie backed up so she could
look her mother square in the eye. “Does this mean you aren’t mad at me for
eloping?” “I was mad for about
an hour after you left,” Helen admitted. “But then I realized that the
important thing was that you were happy, and as much as I would’ve loved to
have been at your wedding, your marriage
is what is most important, not some ceremony.” Trixie breathed a
huge sigh of relief. “I’m glad to hear that, Moms. I was really worried about
that.” “Amongst other
things…” Jim mumbled under his breath. Helen’s quizzical
expression caused Trixie to laugh. “What he means is
that, in addition to the eloping thing, I’ve been a little concerned that Jim’s
house wasn’t decorated for the holidays,” Trixie explained. “A little?” Jim
scoffed. Trixie rolled her
eyes. “Okay, so I was really bothered by the fact we were going to be
treeless this year.” Grinning broadly, she pointed to the fir. “That makes
this even better! How did you know how important a tree was to me, Moms?” Helen smirked at
her. “You’ve only been my daughter twenty-three years. Considering that you
started begging us to put up our Christmas tree in mid-November and begged us
to leave it up until February, I had a feeling that this holiday wouldn’t be
right without a tree of your own.” “You were right,”
Trixie whispered, leaning over to kiss her mother’s cheek. Jim cleared his
throat. “Oh, and I had a
little help from Jim,” Helen said with a wink. “He called the Farm from
Vermont and asked if there was any way I could come over and decorate the
house before you came home. I told him that it would be my pleasure, and it
was.” Trixie’s eyes shone as she took in the
twinkling lights and the shining star. “It’s so beautiful, Moms! I love it!
Why, it’s so pretty that it could be a picture in a catalogue. And the
ornaments…” Helen studied her
daughter carefully. “Do you like them, dear?” “Oh, Moms…” Trixie
had to blink back tears. “They’re…they’re…they’re perfectly perfect.” Trixie walked over
to the tree so she could study the ornaments. She took the time to admire
each one, not only appreciating their beauty but also the time and care that
went into creating each one. “Oh! Here’s one of
Honey, and here’s another of Brian. And look! Here’s one of Mart hamming it
up while we were cleaning up the kitchen!” she gushed. “Oh, wow!” Jim
exclaimed. “This picture was taken at one of the dinners at the Manor House!
And here’s one of the Thanksgiving Day open house at Crabapple Farm.” Trixie hooted with
laughter. “I love this one of Diana pushing Mart into the lake! Now that’s a
classic shot!” “And how did you get
this picture of Dan on his first day of school?” Jim asked. “I have my ways,”
Helen answered with a wink. “Here’s one of you
and Dad,” Trixie murmured, admiring the intricate design of the ornament. “Why,
you even have one of Regan! And here’s Miss Trask!” Jim chuckled. “And
if I’m not mistaken, there are several of Bobby.
What an imp! And I love how you made his ‘labender’.” “Look, Jim!” Trixie
pointed to an ornament near the top. “Here’s a picture of us before the Valentine’s
Day party at Di’s! Ack! Do you remember those green
shoes I wore?” “I sure do,” Jim
replied with a grin. “And here’s a picture of you and Honey when you were
visiting Chicago with all of your Lucy friends! How on earth did you get that
picture, Helen?” Helen’s smile was
secretive. “Like I said, I have my ways.” Trixie bounced up
and down in excitement. “Gleeps! I think there are
pictures here of almost everyone in Sleepyside!” “I think you’re
right, Trix.” Jim shook his head in amazement. He turned to Helen and asked,
“How long did it take you to make all these?” “A while,” Helen
admitted. “Which one is your favorite, dear?” Trixie didn’t answer
for several seconds. When she finally spoke, her eyes were misted over with
tears. “This one,” she said, pointing to an ornament right in the middle. It
was a picture of her and Helen, their arms wrapped around each other and
their foreheads touching. The smiles on their faces made it obvious that they
loved one another deeply and that they shared a bond reserved solely for
mothers and daughters. Helen’s eyes filled
with tears as she nodded. “Yes, I do believe that’s my favorite, too.” Trixie threw her
arms around her mother, clinging to her as if her very life depended on it.
“I love you, Moms. Thank you so, so much for doing this for us.” “You’re welcome, my
darling girl,” Helen murmured. “It was a joy.” “It must’ve taken
you forever!” Trixie cried. “I’ve been working
on this for a long time,” Helen explained. “I knew someday you and Jim would
get married and would have a Christmas tree of your own. I had hoped that
these ornaments would remind you of all the happy times you’ve had.” “Moms, they’re the
most wonderful ornaments in the world,” Trixie gushed. “I couldn’t ever thank
you enough.” Helen chuckled. “And
I don’t know if you noticed or not, but if you look under the tree, you’ll
see all of the gifts you had in your apartment. A little bird called me from
Vermont and told me that you hadn’t wrapped any of them yet. Honey knew where
your hiding spot was, and I asked her to find them for me. I know you so well
that it was easy to figure out who the recipient for each present was. A
little paper and ribbons and voila! You’re officially ready for Christmas.” Trixie’s joy
immediately turned into sorrow. “I don’t deserve a mother like you.” “Oh, pshaw,” Helen
said, waving off Trixie’s protests. “By the way, that party at the Wheelers’
is tonight. I hope you don’t mind, but I ironed your black skirt and red
blouse so you’ll have something to wear.” “Oh, Moms.” Trixie hung her head
guiltily. “You’re making it even worse.” “What do you mean?” Helen prompted. Huge teardrops trickled down Trixie’s
cheeks and plopped onto her mother’s shoulder. “I didn’t get anything for you
for Christmas. I was going to do that this weekend, but I kind of…well…I kind
of got distracted.” Helen brushed back a curl from
Trixie’s forehead. “That’s understandable, sweetheart. You just got married.” “But I feel
horrible, Moms,” Trixie insisted. “I’d wanted to get you something really
special, and I even had it all picked out, but when Jim asked me to elope…Well,
I kind of forgot about everything else.” “It’s all right—” “No, it isn’t,” Trixie interrupted. “After
all the trouble you went to…You decorated a tree for us, you wrapped my
gifts, and you laid out some clothes for me…Well, I just feel awful. I’m a
horrible daughter, and I don’t deserve a mother like you. I’m so sorry for
not getting you something, Moms.” Helen kissed the top of Trixie’s
curly head. “But you did get me
something, sweetheart. Something that I always wanted and that nobody else
could get for me.” “What’s that?” Trixie queried. “A son-in-law,” Helen chuckled. “And
a fine one, at that.” In spite of the guilt she felt,
Trixie had to laugh. “Oh, Moms. Stop being silly.” “Why, Beatrix Belden,” Helen
scolded. “I’m not being silly. You’re my daughter, and I want the very best
for you. That’s worth far more to me than a sweater or a bottle of perfume. Ever
since you were born, I’ve dreamed of the day when you would fall in love, get
married, and have a family of your own. I’m ready for some grandchildren!” Trixie blushed. “I don’t mind giving
you a son-in-law, but you’ll have to wait a while for those grandkids. Jim
and I aren’t quite ready for that.” “Well, when you are ready, I’ll be happy to make more ornaments with their
picture in them,” Helen promised. “I’d love that,” Trixie said, laying
her head on her mother’s shoulder. “Speaking of pictures…” Jim had
somehow located a camera and was aiming it at the two women. “How about we
get a picture of the two most beautiful blondes I know? This is the perfect
shot.” Trixie and Helen shifted so that
they were facing the camera. Their arms wrapped around one another, they
smiled as Jim took the picture. “I’ve got dibs on that one for next
year, Helen,” Jim told her. Helen smiled at her new son. “Anything
for you, dear.” She turned her attention to Trixie. “And if you’ll give me a
picture from your wedding, I’ll make an extra special ornament for you.” “I’d like that.” Trixie leaned over
and kissed Helen’s cheek. “Thank you again, Moms, for making this the very
best Christmas ever. I love you.” “I love you, too, darling.” Resting her head on her mother’s
shoulder, Trixie sighed happily as she gazed at the beautiful Christmas tree.
She still couldn’t believe that Moms had made all of the ornaments on it.
This tree was one of the most thoughtful gifts she had ever received, and it
had truly filled her heart with joy. However, as special as these ornaments
would always be to her, they couldn’t compare to the priceless gift in her
arms. Nothing in this world would ever be as precious as the gift of a mother’s
unconditional love, and that was the greatest gift of all. The End
First of all, to my
Mama Pat, I can’t even begin to thank you for all the things you do to make
me feel loved. I ♥ you! The ski lodge where
Trixie and Jim were married was the lodge from Mead’s Mountain, which
just happens to be one of my favorite books. Pat O’Brien was mentioned
specifically as the caretaker, although he wasn’t a justice of the peace in
the book. The ornaments on
Trixie’s tree were based on the ornaments that my Mama Pat has sent to me.
They’re just as wonderful as I’ve described, and I get a warm fuzzy feeling every
time I see them.
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