This is a CWP Christmas story for Zap’s challenge. I hope you enjoy the trip into the future of my “Island Beginnings” universe! The elements are: A cherished quilt (required), a gift, a holiday song, a holiday food, a holiday decoration, a family tradition, an animal, an unexpected guest, and a holiday photograph. It features New Year’s Eve as the holiday requirement (a holiday between November 1 and New Year’s).

Trixie Frayne sat in the window seat of the home she shared with her husband of ten years, Jim Frayne. She pulled her knees up and tucked her favorite quilt up close around her, running her hand across its surface lovingly. She took a sip of the hot cocoa she’d made just moments ago and prepared to enjoy a quiet moment while the house was relatively empty. Baby Matthew was finally sleeping peacefully in his portable crib across the room after a night of fever and coughing. Jim had taken the older two children, nine year old Katie and five year old Paul to visit with their cousins for the afternoon.

Trixie remembered the Christmas that her best friend, Honey had presented her with the quilt. She’d been floored by the love and care that had gone into making such a beautiful gift. Each square represented a person who was so special in Trixie’s life. As she had so many times before, Trixie straightened the quilt and remembered each person who had contributed to make it so special…

“Okay, okay! Calm down everyone! It’s time to open our gifts!” sixteen year old Trixie giggled as she called the bevy of club members to order. It was time for their annual Christmas gift exchange once again. “Come on! Let’s get this party started!”

Dan took his place beside her and grabbed her hand. He leaned over and whispered into her ear, “I hope you know I can’t give you my present here. Much too personal.” He grinned as he brought her hand to his lips, placing a soft kiss on her knuckles.

She smiled back at him and whispered, “As it should be. I can’t give you mine here, either. Too many brothers!”

“Ahem! Do you two mind? I believe that someone called for order?” Brian said, winking at his younger sister.

“Right. Let’s get down to business!” Trixie straightened up and looked at the faces of those she loved the most, all of them watching her. She still wasn’t sure how she felt about Jim, the breakup was still so very fresh in her mind. She knew that he’d always be a special friend, but it still hurt when she thought of the night when they’d broken up for good. Their eyes locked and her heart skipped a beat when he gave her a small, sad smile. She forced herself to look away from him, cleared her throat and said, “Okay, time for the secrets to be revealed. I’ve written our names out and put them in this bowl.” She picked up a cereal bowl from the coffee table and shuffled the names as she talked. “My esteemed co-president will draw a name and that person will give their special gift to his or her recipient. Ready?” She looked around and then stepped over Mart, who was sprawled on the floor, as she held the bowl out for Jim.

Jim reached in and pulled a name from the bowl. “Alright, the first name is…” he said as he slowly opened the paper. Finally, he announced, “Brian!”

Brian smiled and made his way to the Christmas tree. He took his time looking for the gift and finally pulled a large box from the back of the tree. Wordlessly, he walked around, stopping briefly in front of each Bob-White until he came to Diana. “For you, Diana. I sure hope you’ll enjoy it!” He put the box in her lap and returned to his seat beside Jim.

Diana smiled politely and answered, “I’m sure I’ll love it, Brian.” She took her time, trying to keep the paper intact, as much to irritate impatient Trixie and Mart as anything! Finally, she removed the paper and looked at the wooden box on her lap. She flicked the latch with her fingernail and opened it to reveal a new set of pastels. “Oh, Brian! I love it! Thank you so much!” She gave the box to Mart and ran to Brian, giving him a hug and a kiss on the cheek. “I’ve needed some new ones, but I just hadn’t gotten around to replacing my old set yet.”

“You’re very welcome, Di. I know they’ll get lots of good use,” Brian said, obviously pleased that the gift fit her so well.

Trixie presented the bowl to Jim again, and so the game continued until all the names had been pulled, ending with Honey’s name. Honey walked to the tree and picked up the last gift, a very large, very beautifully wrapped gift. When she brought the gift to Trixie, she eyed Dan and smiled as she said, “Okay, bub, you’re going to have to give up your seat for a lady because I need to sit with Trixie while she opens this.”

Dan considered for a moment, stroking his chin comically while he pretended to think through her request. Finally, he responded, “Since you are our hostess this evening, Miss Wheeler, and since I happen to think you’re a good influence on my lady friend here, I’ll relinquish my seat for you, but only because you’re so darned cute standing there with that big package.” He smiled charmingly and added, “Besides, you and Trix must be rubbing off on me” He winked playfully at her and said, “I think I’ll just die if I don’t get to see what’s in that big package you’ve got there!”

Positions were rearranged and Honey turned to face her best friend on the loveseat. She still held tightly to the gift as she spoke. “Trix, you and I have been through a lot together. We’ve solved mysteries together, laughed together, cried together, dated together and done a lot of growing together. I tried to have this gift ready for you last year, but it just didn’t come together right and I wanted it to be perfect for you.” She bit her lip to try to hold back her emotions and then slid the gift into Trixie’s hands. “Merry Christmas, Trix!”

Unlike Di, Trixie tore into the gift wrap impatiently and tossed the paper aside. She took the lid from the box and pulled the tissue paper cover from her gift. She stopped, hands frozen, as she gazed upon a hand-pieced quilt. The first square her eyes met was blue and had her own signature neatly stitched across the center. She quickly unfolded the quilt and spread it out between herself and Honey. Each square had a different name embroidered across it in the owner’s own hand. She ran her fingers across each name and was completely speechless for a moment.

Recovering her voice, she asked, “How did you get my signature, Honey? I don’t remember signing a piece of cloth for you.”

Honey giggled and said, “That was easy! I just remembered a trick my best friend taught me about forging a signature. I don’t know if you remember it or not, but one night a couple of years ago, you were sleeping over and we were practicing our signatures, you know, in case we ever became rich and famous. I just kept the best one I could find and tucked it away. The rest were easy.”

Trixie leaned forward and hugged Honey tightly. “Thank you so much, Honey,” she whispered. “This is the most perfectly perfect gift I’ve ever received. I’ll cherish it forever.”

Now, fourteen years later, as she sat gazing at the softly falling snow, she re-visited each square. The first square had no name. Instead, there was an outline of the building that would forever mark the beginning for Trixie. The picture was of Ten Acres, as it had looked when two young girls began exploring and found a treasure beyond anything Trixie could have imagined.

The second square contained her mother’s simple signature, “Moms,” as she’d seen it thousands of times over the years on notes and cards. With the signature, there was an appliqued apron and a pie. She’d always imagined it to be one of Moms’s wonderful apple pies and just thinking about it now made her mouth water in anticipation.

The third square was of a little red trailer. Lots of memories were conjured up from that little trailer. Their hunt for Jim, finding the Darnells, being kidnapped along with Mart by Tilney Britton, saving the clubhouse from Tom and Celia by giving the trailer to them as their first home, finding Bobby sleeping soundly inside as all the Bob-Whites frantically searched for him and Brian overhearing the ‘see-crud’ she told to their little brother that night about his infamous jalopy, the vandalism caused by the Midnight Marauder.

The fourth square held her Dad’s signature. She laughed quietly as she saw the pipe that he loved so much embroidered there and she remembered the day he’d given it up because of their concerns for his health. She and her siblings, along with the other BWGs had plotted and planned, campaigning against his smoking, prepared to do battle. Once he’d seen how serious they all were, he put the pipe aside and had never picked it up again.

She giggled as she saw the fifth square. There was a diamond and a strawberry pincushion pictured there. She shuddered as she remembered how terribly wrong that whole adventure could have gone. Thank goodness for Regan and his shotgun, otherwise, Dick the Dip might’ve done away with her then. And she also thanked her lucky stars for Jim’s incredibly hard head! To think how different her life would’ve been without Jim, she didn’t even want to imagine it!

The next row had Regan’s hastily scrawled signature coming up first. When she’d first met the handsome redheaded groom, she’d thought he was so much older and wiser than herself. She never imagined what a good friend he’d turn out to be. There was a time when they’d become very close while she was dating his nephew. Thankfully, they’d retained that closeness and he and his family were now regular visitors to her home. Of course, Honey had chosen the perfect image to grace his square when she’d sewn a beautiful horse underneath his name. She had originally used a plushy velvety fabric for the horse but the fuzz had long since been rubbed away by small fingers seeking comfort with what they’d proclaimed as “Mommy’s magical quilt.”

Following Regan’s square was a square with a picture of a grotesque devil mask and a spider; a reminder of the first Halloween party that they’d hosted as a group. Of course, she would always look at the spider in two ways; it was meant to be a reminder of a decoration that had frightened her best friend, set up by Tilney Britton. But, Trixie preferred to think of it as a reminder of the policeman who had ultimately saved herself and her brother, Mart. Even now, she shuddered as she thought of what could have happened to them if the young cop, Spider Webster hadn’t been on duty the night the pair was abducted.

The next square was her youngest brother Bobby’s childish scribble. She giggled at the book cover so carefully stitched and sewn in place on his square. Peter Rabbit had been his all-time favorite book. Though the fascination only lasted for a little more than a year, at the time she was reading the book to him, she felt like it was forever!

The chapters of their lives together were all played out on this wonderful quilt. The pie shaped wedge of land that was Mr. Maypenny’s, a skull signifying the Dia de los Muertos celebration in Arizona, the crazy little acrobat alphabets, a tiny leather jacket.

Her fingers paused on the leather for a moment as she remembered her first meeting with Dan Mangan. He was sullen and angry and he frightened her just a little at first, though she would never have admitted that to anyone! Remembering Dan opened the floodgates of her mind and she briefly visited many of the more pleasurable memories the two of them made together. Her fingers wandered down to Dan’s name, embroidered in chocolate brown and paired with a likeness of an ugly little idol. New York City and the first time he’d saved her life; Jake’s hamburger joint, Blinky, Tony and Big Al. A shiver coursed through her as she realized for the thousandth time just how close to death she’d been then. Jim had walked into the dingy restaurant and she’d looked upon him as her hero, only later to discover that it had been Dan who’d put the pieces of the puzzle together and led the police to find her.

She remembered how much she’d come to depend on Dan later, after Jim had gone away to school. He had become so much more than just a friend to her. He listened to her, he trusted her not only in her detective work, but with his thoughts, emotions and plans. Their physical relationship had gone much further than she’d ever imagined it would, and she often pondered whether she would change anything about their past. She always came up with the same answer, though, and knew for a certainty that she wouldn’t change a second of their time together!

There was a soft rapping at the kitchen door that startled her from a particularly warm memory and she hastily put the blanket aside so she could answer the caller before the knocking woke her sleeping son. She padded quickly and quietly to the door and was surprised to see her brother Brian standing outside. In one hand, he held his trusty doctor’s bag, in the other, a foil-covered dish holding treasures unknown.

“Well, are you just going to stand there wondering about what’s on the plate, or will you invite me in out of the cold and I’ll solve the mystery for you?” he teased.

Trixie blushed and stepped aside, allowing him to enter the warmth of her home. “Sorry, Bri. I’m not myself today. The baby didn’t sleep last night, therefore I didn’t sleep well either. Come on in. So, what brings you here on this snowy New Year’s Eve?”

Brian put his bag and the plate on the counter and allowed Trixie to take his overcoat and hang it on the peg by the door. He quickly removed the foil from the plate to reveal a large slice of apple pie. “Well, it seems we’re making a habit of these New Year’s Eve meetings. I suppose we could consider them traditions now, after ten years of it, huh?"” He smiled and kissed his sister’s forehead. He pulled back and rested his hand on her head, then cheeks. “Trix, how do you feel? I came to check on Matthew, but you feel feverish, too.”

“I’m just tired, Brian. I’m sure I’ll be okay after I get a good night’s sleep. Remember, your hands are cold from being outside just now.” Her eyes strayed to the plate and her mouth watered. “So, who sent the pie?” She was already pulling out two plates and two tall glasses for milk.

Brian smiled and pulled the milk from the refrigerator. “Honey sent it over. She went kind of crazy with the baking and there’s no way we can eat all the pie before we head over to the penthouse this afternoon. She knew it would cheer you up.”

“She knows me well.” Their conversation was interrupted by Matthew’s soft cries from the other room. Trixie bit her lip and looked from the pie to the living room, obviously torn for a moment. She sighed and pushed the plate aside, saying, “Oh, well. It can wait a little while longer. Mommy’s coming, sweetheart!”

Brian stopped her with a small hug and said, “You sit down and eat your pie. I came over to check on Matthew, so I’ll go get him.” He grabbed his bag and disappeared into the other room.

Gratefully, Trixie sank into a chair and picked up a fork full of pie.

Just as she finished her last swallow, Brian walked back in to the kitchen, baby Matt cooing softly in his arms. Matthew’s chubby fingers were wrapped tightly around his Uncle Brian’s stethoscope and he tried to pull it into his mouth. Brian smiled indulgently at his nephew and gently extracted the instrument from his fingers. “I’m afraid it won’t taste very good, buddy. How about if your mommy offers you something better?”

Trixie smiled and took her small son from his uncle’s protective arms. “Mommy’s got just what you need, little guy. Let’s go get comfy.” To Brian, she said, “So how is he, doc?”

“He’s perfect, Trix. Just a little cold mixed in with some nasty old teething. He’ll be fine in a few days. Just make sure you keep him hydrated and warm.” Brian paused to eat a bite of pie, then followed his sister into the living room. “If his nose gets too stuffy, use the saline on him like I showed you last time. I know he hates it, but he’ll get over it quickly enough when he can breathe again.” Brian looked around the room and spied the old quilt in the window seat. He smiled at the memories it invoked and asked, “Taking comfort in the quilt again, I see?”

“Yes. There’s nothing better than snuggling under it and taking a trip down memory lane. It’s still one of the most precious gifts I’ve ever been given. You sure picked a honey when you picked Miss Madeleine for your girl.” She winked and grinned broadly at her brother.

Once again, there was a rapping at the kitchen door.

“Gosh, who in the world could that be? I’m not expecting anyone else today.” Trixie made a move to get up from her place on the sofa to answer the door, causing the baby to fuss as he perceived his snack being taken away.

“Stay put, I’ll get it.” Brian left the room and returned a short time later with Dr. Steven Alexander.

Trixie was surprised to see her friend and doctor and asked, “What are you doing here?”

Steven laughed, shrugged off his jacket and stooped to kiss her cheek before joining her on the sofa. “Gee, it’s nice to see you, too, Trix!”

Trixie had the grace to blush before she explained, “It’s nice to see you, of course, I just wondered why you’re here instead of at home with your lovely wife and beautiful kids today. You know you’re welcome here any time.”

Steven was busy making faces at Matthew and took a break to respond to her. “Well, apparently, you’ve got several people worried and they’ve all insisted that I take some time and come to you since you don’t seem to have the time to come to me.”

Trixie rolled her eyes and said, “You’ve talked to my husband, I presume?”

He smiled and answered, “Among others.”

Trixie shot a look at Brian and he smiled sheepishly at her. He shrugged his shoulders and stood to leave.

“I’ve really got to get back to Honey, Trix. Take care of yourself and don’t hesitate to call me if the baby gets worse, or doesn’t start getting better in a couple of days.” He kissed the top of her head, gave Steven a wave good-bye and walked out through the kitchen.

“Now, Steven, why exactly are you here again?” Trixie asked as she modestly covered herself and brought the baby to her shoulder.

Steven grinned at her and started to answer when Brian walked back into the room.

“Sorry to interrupt, but I got to the car and remembered that I was supposed to bring this in for the kids, Trix. Honey would kill me if I forgot to give it to you.” He gave her the package and was gone again before she even had time to respond.

She set it aside for the moment and looked expectantly at Steven.

“Okay, I’m here because Dan said you looked really tired and run down yesterday. Jim said he was worried about you when I saw him this afternoon, and Brian called me while he was checking on the baby and said he thought you had a fever and your sparkle was missing. I’m just getting all the men in your life off my case, really. So, how do you feel?” Steven leaned over to feel her forehead and cheeks, then leaned back into the sofa, relaxed but alert to his patient.

Trixie sighed and said, “I’m glad they all love me enough to be concerned, but really, I’m just tired. With Matthew having this cold, I’ve not slept well. Christmas was a mad house over here. I was supposed to be hosting the New Year’s Eve party here tonight, but had to cancel at the last minute. Jim’s expanding the school, as you well know, and I’ve been trying to work with him whenever I get a chance. Really, Steven, I think if I could be alone and not worry about my kids, I’d sleep for a week.” She looked into his big brown eyes and repeated herself. “I’m so tired.”

While it’s true that Steven was her doctor, he had been her friend first and foremost for the past sixteen years. He wrapped his arms around her and the baby and pulled them both up close to him. He kissed her forehead, then urged her to rest her head on his broad shoulder. “Aw, sweetie, I know you’re tired. You’ve had a lot on your plate lately. I’m sure you didn’t mean to do it, but you know you even forgot to keep your appointment with me last week? Was there a reason you were scheduled to see me? It’s not time for your regular exam yet. Talk to me. Tell me what’s going on with you.”

Her eyes closed, baby dozing on her shoulder, Trixie allowed herself to relax into her friend’s arms. “Remember when we used to stay up until all hours, chatting in Chaos, Stevie? Then, in college, we’d stay up all night long, studying and playing games and ordering pizza at three in the morning? That was so much fun.”

“Mm hmm. Those were the days!”

“There were times when you and your sweetie were so wrapped up in each other that once you finally did make it to the all-nighters, you’d soon disappear together. But, my point is, I just can’t do that any more. I’m exhausted just from getting up and changing Matthew’s diaper in the middle of the night. I know I’m no spring chicken, but gosh! This is ridiculous!”

“How long has the tiredness been going on? I mean, beyond the normal tiredness. You’ve got two other kids. You remember how it felt getting up in the middle of the night with them. How is this different?” Steven was wearing his doctor face now.

“I don’t know. I guess it’s been going on for about a month now. I know it was after Thanksgiving and before Christmas. It’s just an overwhelming tired.” She yawned broadly and then sighed contentedly, snuggled up against her friend.

“Trix? Sweetie, don’t go to sleep just yet.” He said, jostling her just a bit to keep her alert. “I think the fever is the same thing Matthew’s got. Just a mild cold. You don’t have enough fever to even be worried about. But the tiredness concerns me. I can’t do an exam here, but I want you to come in first thing tomorrow morning. I want to do some blood work, run some cultures and make sure you’re okay. It could be as simple as making you send the kids to your Moms for a day or two to allow you to catch up on some sleep, or we may need to beef up your vitamin intake for a while.”

“Okay, Stevie. I’ll be there. But isn’t your nurse off tomorrow? It is New Year’s Day, you know.” Trixie reminded him.

He smiled and said, “You really are out of it, aren’t you? The nurse for the school lives on campus. She’s always there. Besides, I’ve got a couple of girls I need to check tomorrow anyway. They’re due any day now and with them being so young, I really want to keep a close eye on them. You won’t be ruining anyone’s day by coming in, too.” Steven shifted his weight and moved Trixie off him to a reclining position on the sofa. He stood up, retrieved a pillow for her head and the quilt from the window seat and then covered her with it. He admired the stitching once again, as he always did whenever he was lucky enough to see the quilt, and then took the baby from her arms. Matthew fussed only a little, then went back to sleep when Steven placed him in his crib and covered him with his soft fleece blanket.

Not wanting to leave her, he found a photo album and sat down in an armchair nearby with it. He flipped through a few pages and enjoyed watching Katie’s Christmases, from before her very first, when she was still just a tiny protruding bump on Trixie’s belly and under Jim’s hand, to the most recent Christmas, just a week before. As each child was added, the joy on their parents’ faces was multiplied.

Just as he closed the cover to the photo album, the sound of children’s voices happily singing a mangled version of The Twelve Days of Christmas, mingling with a superior adult female voice and two adult male voices reached his ears. He recognized the voices of the children to be of the eleven-year-old twins, Rissa and Lancer, five-year-old Timothy and four-year-old Coreena, sixteen-year-old Franco, six-year-old Jillian, along with Trixie and Jim’s children, Katie and Paul. The adults, of course, were Jim, Julie and Dan. As they stepped into the house, their chorus of “Jingle Bells” broke into a chorus of giggles and laughter as they all removed coats, scarves, gloves and boots, trying desperately to find places for such a heap of outerwear.

Jim walked into the living room first, seeking out his wife and finding her sleeping peacefully on the sofa. He ran his hand over her curls lovingly and then looked to Steven. “Is she okay?” he asked, worry evident in his face.

“I think she’s just overly tired and needs to rest a bit, but I’m having her come in for some blood work in the morning. I’ll stay and get the labs done myself, so I should know something by noon. Have you talked to Brian?” Steven asked.

“No, I haven’t. He and Honey were off to the city to the penthouse for the next few days. Is Matthew okay?” He turned his attention to his tiny son in the crib just behind the sofa.

“Yes, he’s fine. Just a cold and some teething going on. Same old routine… saline for the stuffiness and Ora-jel for the gums.”

Dan walked in next, trailed by his shadow, Coreena. “Hi, Steven.” He greeted his almost brother before turning to Jim. “Hey, we’re going to head on over to Crabapple Farm to let the kids sing to Grandmoms and Granddad. If you’ll allow Riss to pack a few things for the kids, we’ll take them with us and have a sleepover for all of them at the cabin tonight. With all the families crashing there at the moment, we’ve got a pack of kids anyway, two more won’t matter.” He smiled happily and then scooped his daughter into his arms. “Besides, Steven’s already volunteered to stay up with them all night.”

“Ha! You’re a funny guy, Dan, old boy! If I recall correctly, it was your son who volunteered to keep them all in line tonight. I’m just sorry that Mart and Di’s kids are missing out on the fun, but I suppose they’re having their own kind of fun in Arizona this year. I’ll be spending the night, but I think I’ll stay in the guestroom. I’ll be able to keep an ear on the royal rumpus, I just won’t be in the thick of it.” Steven put aside the photo album and gathered up his bag, preparing to depart. He reached out to shake Jim’s hand and said, “Just let her rest tonight. Don’t let her stay up to watch the ball drop. Have her in the school office at eight o’clock.”

“Thanks for checking on her, Steven. And Dan, if Katie and Paul want to spend the night, that’s fine with us. Just make sure Rissa packs Paul’s things. If Paul packs, all he’ll have is ten pairs of new Spiderman underwear to sleep in!”

It didn’t take long for the “royal rumpus” to make its exit, with promises from Jim that he’d be calling to tell his children goodnight, of course. The house was quiet once more and Jim slipped a casserole into the oven that Julie had brought for their dinner. While it baked, Jim sat on the sofa, placing Trixie’s small feet into his lap and spreading the quilt over both of them.

Trixie awoke with a start and it took a few moments for her to realize where she was. When she looked toward her feet, she smiled to see Jim watching her.

“Hi handsome. Did you have a good day with the kids?” she asked in a half-awake voice.

“I had a great day with the kids! Did you have a good nap?”

“Mm hmm. It was heavenly.” She suddenly remembered the package that Brian had brought in and sat up, saying, “Jim, there’s a package beside you. Could you hand it over to me? Brian said that Honey wanted the kids to have it and I forgot to look inside to see what it is.”

Jim gave her the package and together, they pulled out the gifts. Honey had outdone herself! There were three red jackets, child and baby sized, all with the same carefully cross stitched letters on the backs as their parents had worn on their jackets so many years before. The only difference was the small Roman numeral II that had been added beside the “G”.

“Oh, Jim! These are precious!” Trixie declared as she held up each jacket in turn, from the largest to the smallest. “It just breaks my heart that they’re having so much trouble having children of their own.”

“I know what you mean. Honey was talking about it to Mother last week and said that even if she never has a child of her own, just knowing she can love and spoil all of our children helps her to cope with it on a day to day basis.”

“Well, it still makes me sad. My constant prayer lately is that a child will be sent their way soon. Both Honey and Brian would make excellent parents. They’re both so patient and kind, especially with children.” Trixie folded the small jackets carefully and placed them back in the gift bag so that Katie and Paul could discover them for themselves later. Suddenly, her eyebrows knitted in a frown and she asked, “Where are the kids? It’s awfully quiet.”

Jim smiled, leaned over and kissed his wife thoroughly and then answered, “They’re probably raiding the cookie jar at Crabapple Farm right now, but Riss wanted them to stay the night, so all the cousins are having a sleepover. Steven and Dan have promised to make sure everyone makes it through the night. We can walk over tomorrow afternoon sometime to pick them up. You know they never want to leave once they get to the cabin.”

Trixie grinned and said, “So, we’ve got the night to ourselves?”

“It certainly looks promising, doesn’t it?” Jim replied. Again, he leaned in closer to Trixie, anticipating a long overdue make-out session with his wife.

Baby Matthew chose that moment to let out a howl that reminded both of his parents that they had other obligations for the evening.

Trixie and Jim exchanged heavy sighs and resigned themselves to a more mundane, parental-type evening. Instead of a passionate kiss, their foreheads came together for a moment, then Jim took her small face into his hands, kissed her curls softly and whispered, “Later, I promise.” He pulled away from her and said, “You stay there. I’ll bring Matthew to you and then I’ll check on dinner. We can eat in here tonight and then make an early night of it so you can get some rest.”

“Thanks, Jim. I love you, you know.”

“I love you, too, Trix. I know I don’t tell you nearly often enough, but you mean the world to me.” Jim flashed her a smile as he lay Matthew gently into her arms. As she snuggled their baby, he straightened the quilt across her and ran his fingers lightly across her name at the center.

In an instant, he was taken back to the Christmas party so many years before when his sister had given the quilt to Trixie.

Jim winced inwardly as he walked into the cozy library where the rest of the Bob-Whites had gathered for their annual Christmas party. He longed to go back in time and undo his breakup with Trixie so he could be the one sitting beside her, holding her hand, sharing secrets and lovers’ laughs. He felt sick to his stomach as he watched Dan, his best friend, whispering something to Trixie that made her blush.

“Jim, come on in. We’re waiting for you!” Mart called from his place on the floor, sprawled out comfortably with Diana.

Jim pasted a smile on his face, though it didn’t reach his eyes, and took his place on the large sofa beside Brian. “You okay, man?” Brian asked, concern for his friend in his voice.

“I think so, or I hope to be someday,” Jim said, tearing his eyes away from Trixie, only to focus on his own hands. “Is it always going to be this hard? You and my sister make it look so easy, this broken up thing. But I’m telling you, it’s about to kill me.”

Brian nodded sympathetically and said, “No, it’s not easy at all. The whole thing is screwy, if you ask me. I’m not with Honey, but I want to be, my sister is not with you, but she should be. You’re miserable and, to be honest, you probably should be. You gave her to him on a silver platter.”

Jim put his head in his hands and moaned, “I know and I kick myself daily for that. Some days, I kick myself twice.”

Their misery was interrupted by Trixie’s announcement that it was time to start the festivities. Jim only half listened as Trixie explained the rules of the game, he was intoxicated by her nearness, her energy, and her beauty.

The rest of the game was a blur as he spent his time secretly (he hoped) observing Trixie. He faked his way through receiving his gift from Diana, and giving his gift to Brian and finally snapped to attention when Honey sat down facing Trixie, the large box between them. He knew what was in the gift. Honey had spent countless hours for the past year working hard on it, getting the stitches just right. He knew that it would be the perfect gift for Trixie.

Once the quilt was in her lap, he watched her face for any indication of her feelings for him. Her face flushed when her fingers ran across Dan’s name and Jim tried not to think about the reason. She smiled as she looked at all the pictures, from his uncle’s old mansion to a sailboat to the embroidered picture of a horseshoe and a saddle pin. Her face lit up happily when she noticed that Honey had managed to include Julie and Steven on the quilt. He couldn’t tell whether it was all in his imagination or if she really had lingered a bit longer over his name, embroidered in an emerald green and paired with a beautiful picture of his Springer Spaniel, Patch.

Jim’s attention was drawn back to the oven and his stomach growled appreciatively when the aroma of the homemade noodles, chicken and creamy sauce filled his nostrils. The casserole, teamed with some leftover crusty french bread and some fruit salad left in the refrigerator would make a perfect dinner for two tonight. He quickly made up two plates, set them on a tray and started toward the living room.

He caught his breath once more, as he almost always did when he saw his wife with one of their children. When they were younger, he never would have dreamed she would be such a wonderful mother. But here she was, the picture of motherhood, nursing their youngest child, singing softly to him and stroking his baby hair tenderly. He paused for a moment to take in the scene before continuing on his path to her.

Without looking up and without changing the soft sing-song quality of her voice, Trixie asked, “What was that look about? Did you see enough?” She grinned cheekily as she moved Matthew to her other breast to finish his dinner.

“In all of my life, I will never tire of watching you, Trix. I could put you under a microscope and study you from sun-up to sun-down and never see enough of you,” Jim answered. He placed their food on the coffee table and sat down beside her, sharing the quilt and pulling her and their son closer to him. “I’ll never get enough of you,” he said softly as he kissed first his son’s soft head and then Trixie’s waiting lips.

After all three had feasted, they snuggled comfortably under the ‘magical quilt’ and spent the evening quietly talking, whispering sweet nothings to each other, mesmerized by the soft lights of the Christmas tree that still stood in the center of the large picture window. It was a deliciously simple and perfectly wonderful way to welcome in the New Year together.

Epilogue

Trixie bundled up and walked the short distance to the clinic at the school. Just as he had promised, Steven’s exam was quick but thorough. As he drew blood for the lab work he needed to perform, he explained, “Usually, one of the nurses would handle drawing blood, but I like to do it occasionally to keep in practice. Let me know if I hurt you.” But his touch was so gentle with the needle that she hardly knew he’d drawn blood until he was finished.

“I’ll call you as soon as I have the lab results. Now, go home and get some more rest. Take full advantage of the fact that two of your kids are being loved and cared for by friends today,” Steven said as he wrapped her scarf around her neck.

“Doctors orders?”

“Absolutely!” He hugged her tightly and sent her on her way, waiting for his next patient, fourteen-year-old Sarah Jane, one of the students at the school.

Later, just as Jim was placing a bowl of hot soup in front of Trixie, the phone rang. He answered before the second ring and just as quickly, he gave the phone to his wife. He watched as she exchanged pleasantries with Steven; then as the conversation turned more serious, he began to worry. When the color began to drain out of his beloved wife’s face, he felt like his world was spinning out of control.

Finally, she ended the call with a quiet ‘thank you’ and ‘I’ll see you soon’. Jim waited as patiently as he possibly could and when he could stand it no longer, he asked, “Well? Is everything okay? What’s wrong?”

Trixie slowly turned her head toward him and looked him in the eyes. Her blue eyes looked dazed and she answered, “Well, I know why I’m so tired lately.” She paused, finding it very difficult to form the next set of words but knowing that she had to say it. Clearing her throat nervously, she said, “Um, Jim? I’m pregnant.”

Thanks to Diane and MaryF for a really quick edit on this one! And thank-you, Zap for putting the challenge out for us!

I hope I didn’t give away too many spoilers in this story, but just enough to make you want to read the stories coming up!

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