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If you’re still interested, this is a traditional
standalone story. Vivian mentioned she might like something other than the
usual Christmas story, and since New Year’s Day is very special to me, I
thought it would make a nice holiday setting. That actually worked out for
the best, so it must’ve been fate! December 31, 1999 It was New Year’s Eve
in Sleepyside, and if a person loved a holiday full of food, fun, and
friendship, there was no better place to be. Granted, Crabapple Farm wasn’t nearly
as noisy or as crowded as Times Square; however, the good company made the
occasion just as festive. The little white farmhouse’s walls
were stretched to capacity. This year, there were extra people to help the
Belden clan ring in the New Year right. The Bob-Whites, knowing time for
carefree fun was quickly dwindling, had decided to have a house party. Brian
was in medical school, and Jim had gone on to graduate school. The other five
friends were finishing up college and were spread all over the northeastern
seaboard. Soon enough there wouldn’t be time for such gatherings. School took
up most of their time as it was; it wouldn’t be long until the responsibility
of adulthood consumed all of their time, so for that reason, this holiday was
particularly special to the seven. Not only were the BWGs in attendance,
two-thirds of the Idahoan Belden cousins were there as well. Hallie, a
student at NYU, and Cap, a tour guide at the Full Moon Resort in nearby Big
Indian, had opted to spend the holidays in Sleepyside instead of traveling
home. The young people had everything they
needed to celebrate in style. There wasn’t any need for lamps. Several
candles had been lit, and their glow cast shadows over the walls, and the
white lights on the Christmas tree twinkled merrily. The brilliant flames in
the hearth danced along with the holiday music playing softly on the stereo.
Although the television was muted, it was tuned in to ABC 2000 Today, which was being broadcast instead of the
traditional favorite, Dick Clark’s New
Year’s Rockin’ Eve. Once the crystalline ball started its descent, ABC’s
Jack Ford would report live from Times Square as Dick Clark began the
countdown. Helen had provided an endless supply
of food and carbonated beverages to help keep them awake. Although she and
Peter had retired to their bedrooms long before midnight, the Bob-Whites kept
their vigil in the living room. Diana, eyelids fluttering as she
fought sleep, snuggled closer to Mart. “Is it 2000 yet?” “Not quite,” Jim answered. A drawn out sigh escaped Diana’s
lips, and immediately her breathing became even— a sure sign that she had
fallen asleep. “You can’t go to sleep now, Di!”
Trixie exclaimed. “You’ll miss the ball dropping!” “Forget the ball,” Brian remarked.
“If I were you, I wouldn’t want to miss all the computers exploding because
of Y2K.” “That’s ridiculous,” Dan snorted. “Says the man who piled so many cases
of bottled water into our apartment that you can barely get inside,” Mart
needled. He barely dodged the couch cushion that Dan hurled at him. Honey, so excited that she hadn’t
looked away from the clock the past several minutes, turned her wide-eyed
gaze to her friends. “Brian might be right, you know. The computer gurus at
Daddy’s company have been working on this for months. Just in case.” “Oh, puh-lease!” Trixie sputtered,
with a dismissive wave of her hand. “This is just a bunch of bunk to get
people to buy Spam and beef jerky. Until all the Y2K hoopla, Mart was the
only one buying that crap in bulk.” Mart licked his chops. “Processed meat…Yum!” “You’re being very generous by
calling that stuff ‘meat’, dear cousin,” Hallie interjected. “Do you have any
idea what’s in that junk you eat?” “Sorry, Hal, but I don’t know and
don’t care,” Mart retorted. “Even if this millennium bug does happen, I could
live on Vienna sausage casserole for the next year and be happy as a clam.” Brian shook his head in dismay as he
studied his younger brother with skepticism. “And you have the nerve to call
yourself a Belden.” “Well, apparently Di isn’t too
worried about Y2K.” Jim chuckled as he nodded over at the raven-haired girl,
who was sleeping soundly. “Di!” Trixie squealed. “You can’t go
to sleep now! You’ll miss the dawn of a new era!” “I’m only going to shut my eyes for a
few minutes…” Diana murmured sleepily. Before she could return to a deep
slumber, Mart blew his noisemaker in her ear and caused her to bolt awake. “I’m up, I’m up!” Diana insisted,
pushing the paper horn away from her face. Mart’s grin accentuated the dimples
on either side of his mouth. “You told
me to wake you up if you started falling asleep.” “A kiss from Prince Charming would’ve
been better than reveille, but I guess it got the job done,” Diana giggled. “Huh, if I were you, I would’ve
rammed that stupid blowout down his throat,” Hallie mumbled. “Di needs her
head examined for missing such a prime opportunity.” “No, Di needs her head examined for
dating Mart in the first place,” Dan teased. Trixie bounced in her spot on the
couch beside Jim. “Well, I’m not a bit sleepy. I could stay up for another
two hours.” Brian quirked an eyebrow as he
appraised the stack of empty cans by his sister. “If I had drunk six cans of
strawberry pop, I wouldn’t be sleepy either. I’d be bouncing off the walls
for the next week. With all that sugar, it’s no wonder you’re hyper.” “I’m not hyper because of the pop,”
Trixie argued. “I’m hyper because it’s almost the new millennium! Isn’t it
exciting?” “Very!” Honey enthused.
“Can you believe that it’s only twenty minutes until 2000? I’m so excited
that I can hardly stand it!” “You aren’t the only one
who can hardly stand it,” Jim said wryly. Trixie gave her boyfriend
a sidelong glance. “Well, you don’t sound
very excited.” “I think what Jim is
saying is that you and Honey are excited enough for all of us,” Brian
explained with a wink. “What a bunch of
Scrooges,” Trixie muttered. “Technically, Squaw,
Scrooge hated Christmas, not New Year’s,” Mart pointed out
cheekily. Trixie scowled at her
almost-twin. “You aren’t helping.” “I wasn’t trying to,” he
countered, flashing her a plucky grin. Diana laughed at the
siblings’ exchange. “Have another strawberry pop, Trix,” she suggested.
“There’s a slight possibility that you’re getting grouchy, and perhaps all
that sugar will sweeten you up before midnight.” Muttering something under
her breath about how Mart had the uncanny ability to taint all that was good
and pure in the world, Trixie cracked open another soda and chugged it down. After
she’d emptied the last drop, she half-belched, half-proclaimed, “Happy New
Year!” “Now there’s the Shamus
we all love,” Jim chuckled. “Speak for yourself,”
Brian said with a wince. Hallie yawned and
stretched her long frame. “I’m getting pretty sleepy myself. Maybe I need
some of that soda to wake me up.” “Grab one from the table
over there,” Brian offered. “Moms got them ice-cold ahead of time.” “You can have all the Mountain Dews
you like, but stay away from my strawberry pops,” Trixie ordered. “If this
Y2K thing is real, I might not be able to buy them for a while.” Dan nodded over at
Capelton, who was snoring softly in front of the fireplace. “There’s somebody
who isn’t a bit worried about the impending doom. He’s been sawing logs for
about an hour now.” “Should we wake him up?”
Jim asked. “I can play him a tune on
my noisemaker,” Mart offered with a waggle of his eyebrows. “Do it and die, Martin.”
Although his eyes were still closed, Cap was aware of his cousin’s every
move. “I’m not as nice as Di. If you toot that thing in my ear, I’ll whoop
the snot out of you.” “Just make sure you’re
finished with your smack down by 11:59,” Brian advised. “We don’t want to
miss the countdown.” “Way to stand up for your
kindred,” Mart proclaimed in a wounded tone. “It’s getting really
close now!” Honey shrieked. “Just think! In less than an hour, there could be
mass hysteria! This is so exciting!” Hallie drew down her
eyebrows. “Is it just me, or does anyone else think that Honey’s hoping for
the worst?” Honey looked away from
the clock long enough to blow a raspberry in Hallie’s direction. She quickly
returned her vigil and announced, “Only ten minutes left in 1999!” “Does everyone have on
their hats?” Diana queried. Mart’s lips dipped
downward in a frown. “Yeah, but I’ve only got mine on because you threatened
not to kiss me if I took it off.” “Hey, does that mean Di’s
going to kiss everyone who’s wearing a hat?” Cap asked sleepily. “Cuz I’ve
got mine on, and it is a
tradition…” Noticing Mart’s hackles
rise, Trixie quickly piped, “I’ve got my hat on, too!” Jim looked at her fondly
as he adjusted the sparkly yellow hat on her sandy curls. “And I’ve got mine
on, but it doesn’t look half as cute as Trixie’s.” “The string on my hat
broke,” Honey said. “I need a new one.” Diana tossed her a mint
green one, and Honey put it on. “Now I’m officially ready
for 2000!” she announced with a perky flip of her hands. Brian grimaced as he fiddled with his
own red party hat. “Is it midnight yet? I’m sick of all this hoopla, and I’m
ready for some kissing.” “I don’t kiss grumpy
people, even if the world is coming
to an end,” Honey retorted pertly. “Hey, I’m not grumpy, Honey,” Cap proclaimed
with a suggestive waggle of his eyebrows. “You can kiss me instead of Grouchy
Smurf over there.” “Oh, poor Cap doesn’t
have anyone to kiss,” Di cooed. “I could let Reddy in,”
Brian offered. “He loves giving kisses.” “And not just any kisses. Long, slurpy, wet kisses!”
Mart added. “Be nice, or you’ll be
the one who doesn’t get a kiss tonight,” Diana scolded. “So does everyone
have a hat now?” “Everyone except for
Dan,” Hallie contributed. Dan shot his girlfriend a
murderous glare. “I already told you that I wasn’t wearing that dumb-looking
thing. It’ll mess up my hair.” Mart snorted loudly. “Aw,
poor Danny. He’s worried about messing up his pretty hair!” he hooted. “Well, at least I’ve got
hair to mess up,” Dan needled. “Touché,” Mart mumbled,
rubbing his closely-clipped locks. “So he’s not wearing the
hat?” Honey frowned. “C’mon, Dan. Everyone else is doing it.” “What’s that got to do
with anything?” Dan demanded. Jim grinned at Dan. “That
means that if we have to look
stupid, so do you.” “So put this on,” Diana
ordered, holding out a pink party hat with “2000” written on it. “Sorry, but I have a rep
to protect,” Dan protested. “I am not
wearing that Pepto-Bismol-colored hat. It looks stupid.” Brian snickered. “Yet you
didn’t have any problem at all wearing cowboy boots and a leather jacket with
‘Cowhands’ painted on the back in crappy white letters?” “That was different,” Dan insisted. “That jacket commanded fear.
This hat, on the other hand, inspires—” “Nausea?” Mart supplied. “Well, I was going to say
‘ridicule’, but since I do feel sick to my stomach when I look at it, I’m not
going to argue.” Dan looked at Diana beseechingly. “C’mon, Di. Have a heart
and at least give me one that’s a different color.” Unfortunately for Dan,
his pleas fell upon deaf ears. Without an ounce of hesitation, Diana crammed
the pink hat onto his head. “Much better,” she
murmured. When Dan began to reach for the hat to pull it off, she slapped his
hand away. “I’d hate to snap off your fingers, Mangan. Leave the headgear
alone. You’re going to be festive this New Year’s if it kills you.” “But it’s pink,” Dan
grumbled. “I offered you the black
one earlier,” Diana clipped back at him. “You should’ve taken it when you had
the chance. Now you’re stuck with the pink one because that’s all we have
left.” Dan’s lips twisted wryly
into a frown. “This is not the way I envisioned starting the New Year.” “It’s just a fruity hat,
Dan,” Jim said. “It’s not like it’s a pink tutu.” “It’s enough,” Dan
groused. “Well, I think it looks nice, Dan,” Honey
declared loyally. Trixie stifled a giggle
as she admired the new look. “I must say, fuchsia’s your color, Dan. It
brings out the pink in your cheeks.” “Yes, that hat certainly
is…bright,” Jim faltered. “And… sparkly,” Brian
added. “And really, really
pink,” Mart tacked on for good measure. “This is cruel and
unusual punishment.” Dan leaned back in his chair, a scowl planted on his
mouth. Indignation marring his features, he pointed at the television. “You
don’t see Dick Clark wearing a fruity hat, do you?” “Dude, you aren’t nearly
as cool as Dick Clark, so don’t even try to compare yourself to him,” Mart
sniggered. “Besides, that not even
Dick Clark,” Jim remarked. “That’s Peter Jennings. They aren’t going to show
Dick Clark until closer to midnight.” “Yeah, and even though
Peter Jennings is nowhere as cool as Dick Clark, you wouldn’t catch him
wearing that girlie-looking pink hat,” Brian goaded. “Don’t listen to them,
Dan,” Hallie soothed. “That hat’s got moxie, and they’re just jealous that
their plain ol’ hats are boring.” “What’s ‘moxie’?” Di
questioned. “It’s slang for courage
or nerve,” Mart answered. An impish grin on his face, he continued,
“Something that that pink hat does not
possess.” Dan placed a protective
hand over his hat. “I’ll assure you that the moxie possessed by this hat is
second to none.” “So now you’re defending
it?” Brian asked in disbelief. “Once enlightened to the
moxie, I cannot turn back,” Dan asserted. “I must remain forever faithful to
the moxie. I am now proud to wear this pink, moxie-rific hat.” “Oh, brother,” Jim
muttered. Cap snorted. “Way to go,
Hal. You and that party supply company created a moxie monster.” “Only five minutes until
the ball starts dropping!” Honey announced, pointing to the television. “The
crowd’s going crazy!” Mart whistled through his
teeth. “Wow! Look at the wind blowing at Times Square. It’s a good thing we
aren’t there; that breeze might blow away Dan’s moxie, and then what would he
do?” “This hat will prove
impervious to inclement weather,” Dan insisted. “Somebody’s been spending
way too much time with Mart,”
Trixie commented with a roll of her eyes. “Now Dan’s got a vocabulary as big
as his ego.” “You’re just jealous
because my hat has moxie and your boring yellow one doesn’t,” Dan retorted. Trixie snickered. “Yeah,
you keep telling yourself that, Mangan.” “Three minute warning!”
Honey yelled. As per their prearranged
plan, the girls scurried around handing out champagne glasses and filling
them with sparkling grape juice. Once everyone was ready for the toast,
Honey, Diana, and Hallie rushed over to stand beside their respective
boyfriend. Trixie hit the mute button to restore the sound to the television,
and then scurried to Jim’s side to await to dawn of the new millennium. “Where’s Dick Clark?” Di
questioned. “They haven’t shown him
yet,” Cap answered. Hallie nodded. “I don’t
think they’ll show him until the countdown.” “I don’t like this new format,”
Trixie grumbled. “Why’d they change everything?” Jim placed a comforting
arm around his girlfriend’s shoulders. “It’s just something special for the
new millennium, Shamus,” he explained. “Things will go back to normal next
year.” “Yeah, Dick Clark will be
hosting New Year’s Rockin’ Eve forever,”
Dan said. “He’s a legend.” “Oh, look!” Diana
squealed, pointing to the television. “There he is!” “The ball’s starting to
drop!” Honey clapped her hands as she hopped up and down. “They’ll start
counting down any second! 2000 is almost here!” “Ten, nine, eight,
seven…” the Bob-Whites chanted. “Six, five, four, three, two, one! Happy New
Year!” The living room was
filled with a mixture of noises. Most of the boys were cheering, except for
Mart, who was blowing his noisemaker; the girls were singing Auld Lang Syne. According to
tradition, the young people exchanged kisses, some pecks on the cheeks,
others more passionate. Once the excitement had died down, they lifted their
glasses to toast the New Year, something they had been doing the past several
years. “Whose turn is it?”
Trixie whispered. “Jim did it last year,”
Honey told her. “That means Mart’s up.” Ignoring a few
apprehensive groans, Mart cleared his throat as he lifted his glass.
“Friends, we are privileged to witness the dawn of a new millennium. As we
bid a fond adieu to 1999 and anxiously look ahead to 2000, let us never take
for granted the things we hold dear in this life. I, for one, hold the people
in this house the dearest of all. As the great Anglo-American poet, W.H.
Auden once said, ‘The only way to spend New Year's Eve is either quietly with
friends or in a brothel.’ Since
prostitution is illegal, I guess we’re stuck with each other. Happy New
Year!” Although his speech had
been met with a less than enthusiastic response, his audience was pleasantly
surprised that the toast hadn’t lasted for twenty minutes. They heartily
chuckled at Mart’s irreverent humor as they lifted their glasses in
exultation. “Happy New Year!” they
repeated. After the last of his
sparkling grape juice was drained, Cap made an announcement of his own.
“Well, now that we can all rest assured that 2000 has come without disaster,
I’m going to hit the hay. I’m pooped.” Everyone said goodnight
to Cap, but nobody was ready to follow him upstairs to go to bed. Now that
the clock had struck midnight, their enthusiasm had been renewed, and
everyone else appeared ready to chat a while longer. “This has been the best
New Year that I’ve ever had,” Hallie murmured happily. “And it’s all because of
the moxie,” Dan said. Honey giggled. “Are you
still wearing that hat, Dan?” “I’m seriously
considering never taking it off,” he replied. “You’re so silly,” Hallie
laughed, resting her head on her boyfriend’s shoulder. “You’re hat is
fabulous, but that’s not what made this New Year so special.” “Entering a new
millennium was exciting,” Diana
commented. “Thankfully, it wasn’t as
nearly exciting as some of the so-called experts predicted,” Brian observed. “Yeah, Y2K was kinda
exciting, but that’s still not what I’m talking about,” Hallie corrected. “Then what are you referring to?” Mart prodded. “Just being here has made
this New Year’s so great,” Hallie drawled. She blushed slightly. “I know that
probably sounds silly, but I’ve really enjoyed spending the holidays in
Sleepyside with y’all. I’ve never been to anything like this back home.” “But Hallie, you have
tons of friends in Idaho,” Trixie argued. Hallie’s lips stretched
in a broad grin. “True, but they aren’t like you guys. What the Bob-Whites
have is special, and you should never take each other for granted.” Smiling knowingly, Trixie
clasped her cousin’s hand. “Hal, I think I finally get what you’re saying. We
truly are blessed more than we even realize.” Hallie’s slight pressure
on Trixie’s hand spoke the words she couldn’t express aloud. “I definitely know what
you’re saying, Hal,” Dan remarked. “Before the BWGs took me in, I never had
fun like this.” Diana winked at him. “And
you also never would’ve been caught dead wearing a pink party hat.” “You’ve got that right,”
Dan snorted. “I knew lots of girls at
boarding school,” Honey began, her eyes misty, “but I never had any friends
like I have now. I don’t know what I’d do without you guys.” “And we don’t know what
we’d do without you,” Trixie said, her own eyes filling with tears. Brian must’ve been
thinking the same thing. Clasping Honey’s slender hand in his own, he drew
them both up to his lips and placed a tender kiss on the back of her hand. “Without the Bob-Whites,
I wouldn’t have a home here in Sleepyside,” Jim remarked thoughtfully. “I
might still be with Jonesy, and—” “Oh, I can’t even bear to
think about that!” Honey cried, clinging to her adopted brother’s arm. Jim ruffled her
honey-colored hair affectionately. “Sis, I’m afraid you’re stuck with me.” “I don’t know why
everyone’s getting so weepy,” Hallie chuckled. “Y’all are acting like
somebody died.” “As Hal Borland once
said—” Mart began before being interrupted by Diana. “So help me, if this is
another quote about hookers, you’re a dead man,” she threatened. Mart grinned, and then
resumed speaking. “Year's end is neither an end nor a beginning but a going
on, with all the wisdom that experience can instill in us.” “And what does that have
to do with anything?” Dan snickered. “My point was that no
matter what year it is, our friendship is only beginning,” Mart told them.
“The Bob-Whites will go on and on forever.” “If only we could,”
Trixie murmured sadly. “Why so ominous, Trix?”
Brian questioned. Trixie shrugged. “Well,
we’re not always going to be able to have these holiday house parties. Before
you know it, we’ll all have jobs and families and could be living far away.” “Then let’s make a pact
that we always spend New Year’s together,” Honey suggested. “As great as that would
be, it might not be realistic,” Jim said hesitantly. “Yeah, I’m planning to do
some medical mission work overseas in the next year or two,” Brian announced. “And eventually I’ll have
to go back to Idaho to help with the family business,” Hallie added. “We might not be able to
meet every year, but maybe we can
do it once in a while,” Honey proposed. “I have the perfect New
Year’s resolution for us!” Trixie exclaimed. Mart grinned. “You know
what they say about resolutions. They go in one year and out the other,” he quipped. “Mart, I’m trying to be
serious,” Trixie huffed. “We need to resolve that, ten years from now, we’ll
meet in Times Square and ring in 2010!” “That’s a great idea, Trixie,
but how are we supposed to find each other in that huge crowd?” Dan asked. Trixie twisted a curl
around her index finger as she thought. Suddenly, her eyes lit up with an
idea. “We’ll meet outside the Paramount Theatre! And we’ll all wear our red Bob-White
jackets so we stand out in the crowd! Remember, Honey made Hallie one a few
years ago, so all of us have one.” “Well, that might work,”
Dan admitted. “Of course it will work!”
Trixie gushed. “If we can’t find somebody in the crowd, we could reach them
by cell phone.” “That’s a wonderful idea,
Trixie!” Honey enthused. “Let’s do it!” “Okay, then, we’ll put it
to a vote,” Jim said. “All in favor of meeting outside of the Paramount
Theatre in Times Square ten years from now, say aye.” Eight ayes chorused. “Any opposed?” Silence. Jim grinned over at
Trixie. “It looks like you’ve got your resolution.” “Then it’s all set,”
Trixie said happily. “Nobody forget.” Brian chuckled. “I’m sure
we can count on you for a few reminders. You never forget anything.” A frown marred Mart’s
brow as he studied the snickerdoodle that he had just selected from the tray
on the coffee table. “I’m more worried that my BWG jacket won’t fit after ten
more Christmases,” he muttered. December 29, 2009 Trixie sighed heavily as
she packed away the four stockings that had been hung over the Frayne
fireplace. It had been a wonderful holiday, but as always it seemed to fly by
much too quickly. The presents were unwrapped, needles were falling off of
the Christmas tree, and the snowmen she loved to collect seemed a little out
of place. Trixie was left with an overwhelming sense of sadness that it was
over. She heard the front door
open and then quickly close. A few minutes later, Jim’s head popped through
the doorway opening up to the living room. “Hey you,” he greeted huskily. “Hey.” Trixie cupped her
ear and listened hard. “Hmm. I don’t hear any fussing, so I assume the kids
didn’t follow you inside.” “Your dad took them
sleigh riding,” Jim answered. “Afterwards they’re going back to the Farm for
hot cocoa and cookies.” “Bless Moms’ and Dad’s
hearts,” Trixie murmured appreciatively. She loved her children dearly, but
in the past five years, she had learned that silence was not only golden, it
was also rapidly becoming extinct. Five-year-old J.R., a duplicate of his
father, liked to talk as much as his Uncle Mart, and three-year-old Katrina
wasn’t much quieter. In fact, when Trina was quiet, it tended to make her
family nervous, since she had Bobby’s propensity for finding trouble. “Are all the ornaments off the tree?”
Jim inquired. “No, but it won’t take me long to
take them off. Why?” “I thought I’d go ahead and take it down.” Trixie’s face twisted into an
expression of consternation. “I thought you told Trina you’d leave it up
until Valentine’s Day.” “No,” he corrected, “I told her I’d consider leaving the tree up until
Valentine’s Day, and after much consideration, I’ve decided it was too much
of a fire hazard.” “Uh-oh. Daddy’s going to be in the doghouse.
I told you we should’ve bought an artificial tree.” Jim studied her face carefully. “Do
you want to leave it up a bit longer?” “No, you might as well take it down,”
Trixie muttered. “Christmas is officially over anyway. Bah-humbug.” Knowing Trixie better
than he knew himself, Jim sensed immediately that something was wrong. “Is
everything okay, hon?” “Yeah, I’m fine.” A smile edged his lips as
Jim sat down beside his wife. “Is someone getting hit with the
end-of-the-Christmas blues?” “How could you tell?”
Trixie asked, returning his smile. “Oh, a few things gave it
away,” Jim answered. “One, your curls aren’t bouncing, and that’s never a
good sign. Two, you’ve spent the morning putting away decorations, and that
means cleaning and organizing, which have never been two of your favorite
activities. Nuff said there.” “You know me so well, Mr.
Frayne,” she chuckled. “Indeed I do, Mrs.
Frayne.” Jim leaned down to kiss the top of her head. “And last of all, not
everybody was able to make it home for Christmas, and I know how much you
miss them.” Trixie nodded her head
slowly. “It just wasn’t the same with all those empty chairs at the Farm.” “I know Mother and Dad
had hoped that Honey and Brian could’ve flown in from California,” Jim
remarked. “And without Mart and Di, there was a ton of leftover food.” Trixie swallowed back the
lump that had risen in her throat. “I’m glad all the Lynches were able to
visit Larry and his family in Virginia, but I sure did miss my almost-twin.” “And Dan and Hallie
haven’t visited for a couple of years.” “If you’re trying to help
me feel better, you’re doing a miserable job of it,” Trixie said with a
smirk. “I’m sorry, Shamus.” Jim
gave her a warm hug. “At least you’ve still got me and the kids.” “Still not helping.” The smile playing at her lips belied her
words. “And our parents are
still close,” Jim added. He flashed her a lopsided grin. “Sometimes too close.” Trixie snorted. “You can
say that again. Sometimes it becomes crystal clear why Honey volunteered to
move to California to oversee the West Coast branch of Wheeler
International.” “Yeah, and Mart and Di
must enjoy the peace and quiet they get at that bed and breakfast they own in
Maine.” “Peace and quiet,” Trixie
echoed. “What’s that?” Long ago, Trixie and Jim
were forced to give up their respective dreams of running a detective agency
and opening a school. Instead, Trixie was a stay-at-home mother to their two
rambunctious children, while Jim taught physical education at the new
Sleepyside High School. They had also started an afterschool program called
The Bevy where the neighborhood children could gather. The Fraynes offered a
variety of activities to keep the kids busy, including woodworking, crafts,
games, and tutoring. “Well, at least your brothers
promised to visit in the spring,” Jim reminded her. “And maybe we could
convince Dan and Hallie to fly in from Idaho…” “Everyone was supposed to
meet on New Year’s Eve in Times Square.” Trixie’s heart-shaped mouth jutted
out in a pout. “We made that promise a long time ago, but nobody but us is
willing to keep it.” “Trix, they had important
stuff—” “What’s more important
than your friends and family?” Trixie huffed. “They could’ve rearranged their
schedules. It’s not like this was a spur-of-the-moment gathering. We’ve been
planning it for almost ten years.” “I know, but—” “But Brian had to speak
at some important medical conference,” she finished for him. “He could get some
valuable funding for his cancer research,” Jim pointed out gently. “You know
how important his work is.” “I know, I know,” Trixie muttered.
“You are right about that, but
everybody else’s excuse was lame.” A smile wiggled mischievously at the
corners of Jim’s mouth. “Sweetheart, it isn’t Dan and Hallie’s fault that
they got a huge ice storm followed by a blizzard. They’ll be snowed in for
days.” “It’s Hallie’s fault for dragging Dan
up there away from us,” Trixie fumed. “I mean, what do you expect when you
live so close to Sun Valley? Besides, New York needs social workers just as
much as they do in Idaho.” “Well, I guess that’s one way to look
at it. And Mart and Di—” “Don’t even try to make an excuse for them,”
Trixie interjected. “They could’ve driven home if they wanted to.” “The holidays are the busiest time of
the year for Mart and Di,” Jim soothed. “The inn is just starting to turn a
profit, and they couldn’t take off again so soon after Christmas.” “Mart’s probably just eating all
their profits,” Trixie grumbled. Jim laced his fingers through hers.
“At least we’ll be able to make it, so the Bob-Whites will still be
represented.” “I guess so.” “You guess so?” Jim repeated. “I can
cancel the sitter if you don’t want to go—” Trixie’s elbow found his stomach with
a swift jab. “You’d better stop right there, mister. I made a New Year’s
resolution in 2000, and I’m going to keep it, and so are you.” “Yes, ma’am,” Jim murmured, trailing
kisses along the nape of her neck. “Uh, Jim, what about the tree?” “What tree?” December 31, 2009 It was a beautiful night
in New York City. Just enough snow was falling to be pretty rather than a
nuisance. The city streets were lit up brightly, and pedestrians were joyful
and considerate for a change, rather than grumpy and impatient. It was an exciting
place to be. Bundled up against the
cold, Trixie and Jim walked hand-in-hand towards Paramount Theatre. The
streets were so crowded that it was difficult to navigate. Patiently, they
weaved their way through men, women, and children until they reached their
destination. “We’re here,” Trixie said
flatly. “You don’t have to sound
so excited about it,” Jim teased. Trixie snaked her arms
around his neck. “I am excited,
sweetheart. Truly I am.” “But…” he prompted. “But I do wish the rest of
the Bob-Whites were here, too,” she finished with a grin. “However, I’m not
going to let spoil our fun tonight. I’ve always wanted to come to Times
Square and ring in the New Year.” “I’m glad we could make
it happen this year.” “Me too,” Trixie said. “Happy
New Year, Jim.” “Happy New Year, Shamus,”
he returned, leaning down to kiss her softly on the lips. Shivering from the wind, Trixie
inched closer to her husband. “I’m beginning to think that wearing our BWG
jackets wasn’t the greatest idea.” “Yeah, whose crummy idea
was that, anyway?” Her pink mouth pursed in
a scowl. “You weren’t supposed to remember that.” “Oh, but I remember
everything,” Jim murmured as he wrapped his arms around her in an attempt to
warm them both. “Hey, what was that!” Like
a flash of lightning, Trixie whirled away and looked to her left. She stood
on her tiptoes and craned her neck all around. A few minutes later her
excitement had melted into bitter disappointment. “What did you see?” “Nothing,” she answered
sadly. “I saw a flash of red in the crowd and thought it was a Bob-White.
Unfortunately, it was just some guy in a red parka.” “Maybe it was Santa,” Jim
teased. Trixie chuckled. “No, he
wasn’t nearly jolly enough to be Santa.” “Not even Santa can be
jolly all the time.” “I love this Jennifer
Lopez song,” Trixie commented, nodding toward the actress/singer who was
performing. “Eh, I enjoyed Daughtry a
lot more, but I have to admit that J-Lo’s mighty easy on the eyes.” Mischief danced in
Trixie’s china blue eyes. “Yeah, and Ryan Seacrest ain’t so bad either.”
Another flash of red out of the corner of her eye caused her gaze to shift
from the host to the crowd. She sighed when she saw that the person wearing
the coat was Oriental. “Definitely not one of the Bob-Whites,”
she muttered. “What was that?” “Nothing.” Jim leveled his eyes at her and
assumed the stern look he used on unruly students. “You weren’t looking for
the rest of the gang, were you?” “Of course not,” she fibbed. “It’s
just that—” Before she could offer further
defense, the sound of a very familiar whistle rose above the noise of the
performers and the crowd. Brows wrinkled with confusion, Trixie listened
carefully to see if she could hear it again. Bob, bob-white! Bob,
bob-white! “It can’t be…” she murmured. Just as the ball began its descent,
six people, all clad in identical red jackets, appeared out of nowhere and
began walking towards Jim and Trixie. “It is!” she squealed. “It really
is!” “Happy New Year, Shamus,” Jim
whispered in her ear. “The rest of the gang and I might have fibbed a little
about their New Year’s plans…” Brian and Honey reached them first.
It had been almost a year since Trixie had seen them, and her eyes misted
over with joy as they exchanged hugs. “Happy New Year, Trixie!” they
chorused. Before she could respond, Mart and
Diana had pushed their way through the crowd and were throwing their arms
around her. Diana, seven-months pregnant, had managed to squeeze into her old
BWG jacket, but her adorable belly protruded out and prevented her from
buttoning it. Against all odds, Mart’s jacket fit his trim body just as good
as it had when he was a teenager. “Happy New Year, Trixie!” the couple
cried. Much to her surprise, a strong set of
arms grabbed her from behind and whirled her around. Trixie shrieked as she
came face to face with the last set of red-jacketed companions. Dan, as big a
joker as ever, was wearing the same pink party hat that Diana had forced him
to wear ten years earlier. He’d taped a number one over the second zero,
changing the “2000” to “2010.” “Happy New Year, Trixie!” Dan and
Hallie chimed. Eyes glistening with unshed tears,
Trixie looked from one smiling face to another. The years had changed them
all, but the unbreakable bond of friendship remained stronger than ever.
Surrounded by her closest friends in the world, 2010 had started off better
than she ever could’ve dreamed. “Happy New Year!” Trixie finally
returned. And this time she meant it.
First of all, thank you
so much to Vivian, who was forced to wait so long for her story. I’m so
sorry, my friend. I wanted to make up for it by writing the most awesome
story in the world, but unfortunately it didn’t happen. This story was
written with love, and I hope you like it. Happy Holidays, my lovely friend!
I love you! The Full Moon Resort in
Big Indian is a real place, and it looks like an awesome place to visit. The title came from the
show “Dick Clark’s Rockin’ New Year’s Eve”. During my research I was
surprised to learn that in 1999, “ABC 2000 Today” was shown instead. I’d
completely forgotten about that. I actually had a lot of
fun writing about Y2K. Don’t you all remember how much fun the impending
chaos was? Spam, beef jerky, and
Vienna sausages were the most disgusting processed meats I could think of,
although I must admit that I love beef jerky. My Papaw was particularly fond
of Vienna (or as he pronounced it, Vi-ainnie) sausages and I threw them in
there for him. I have no idea if you can put them in a casserole, nor do I
care to know. For the record, Dan’s
pink party hat was oozing with moxie. Dick Clark is a legend
both on TV and radio. He’s hosted “American Bandstand”, many versions of the
Pyramid game show, as well as “Dick Clark’s Rockin’ New Year’s Eve.” He
recently turned 80, so it’s a fitting year to honor him in a story. Peter Jennings was a
famous news anchor who passed away in 2005. Although he was a n amazing
journalist, he truly wasn’t as cool as Dick Clark, but then again, who is? Whenever I looked for a
quote involving “New Year” and “friends”, I always found the one by W.H.
Auden. It cracked me up, and I couldn’t resist using it. The Paramount Theatre
is a real place that is supposed to be in very close proximity to where the
ball drops. However, since I’ve never been there, I can’t say for sure. I’ve
been in NYC, but only in JFK Airport, so if what I have written isn’t
accurate, just pretend it is for the sake of fanfic. J I actually had a friend
who convinced her mother to leave up their Christmas tree until Easter. The
poor evergreen didn’t make it past St. Patrick’s Day. By then, it didn’t have
a single needled left, and they took it down. Jim and Trixie’s afterschool
program, The Bevy, was a tip of the hat to the site Vivian set up to house
fanfic for newbie writers. Isn’t that marvelous of Viv? Sun Valley is a very
famous ski resort in Idaho. I saw an old movie set there once, and I’ve loved
it ever since. And yes, I had Mart and
Di move to Maine because I want to move to Maine. Unfortunately, there’s this
little thing called “the will of God”. Besides, I couldn’t watch much WVU
football and basketball in Maine… Jennifer Lopez and
Daughtry are actually performing at Times Square on New Year’s Eve 2009. I
don’t know when, and since this story was written before production, I had to
use my artistic license. And Ryan Seacrest is hosting, along with video
appearances of the great Dick Clark. However, just so you know, I really do
not find Ryan Seacrest attractive. I might be in the minority, but hey, you
can have him, ladies.
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