In her cozy bedroom at Crabapple Farm, Trixie Belden threw herself across her bed and pulled a  pillow over her face.

“What are you doing?” asked Honey Wheeler,  puzzled by her friend’s behavior.

With a muffled voice, Trixie replied, “Oh, Honey, I’ll just die if I don’t come up with the money to go away to college.  I know I’m going to end up stuck here in Sleepyside while you’re out in the real world.”

Holding back a smile, Honey replied, “Uh, Trixie, you do realize that Sleepyside is  part of the real world, right?”

Trixie tossed the pillow aside and sat up.  “You know what I mean, Honey.  If things don’t change, I’m going to end up at the community college and I’ll probably have the same kids in my college classes that were in my kindergarten class. Instead of sharing crayons, we’ll be sharing lecture notes.  Ugh!”

Honey couldn’t contain her giggle.  “At least you won’t have to worry about not knowing anybody.”

Trixie scowled.  “But I want more adventure in college than I had in kindergarten.”

“It’s only December.  I bet something will turn up in the next few months.”

“Hmmm...maybe.”  Trixie jumped up from her bed and began pacing back and forth, stepping around the dirty clothes that dotted the floor.

“Now what are you doing?” asked Honey

“Thinking.”

“Can’t you do that without pacing back and forth.  You’re making me dizzy.”

Trixie shook her head.  “I’m trying to figure out a way to increase my chances of getting some college money.”

“You know, you might get a scholarship” suggested Honey.

“Yeah, like I’ll get up Christmas morning and they’ll be a full scholarship under the tree.” Trixie threw herself back on her bed, squashing the brightly colored sheets of tissue paper that were strewn across it. “I just know I’m going to end up stuck here in Sleepyside while you and Diana go off and have the adventure of a lifetime.”

“Trixie,” scolded Honey, “I don’t think going off to college constitutes an adventure of a lifetime.”

“For me it does.  Imagine, you’ll be able to live away from your parents and do whatever you want, whenever you want.”

“I think I’ll probably be studying a lot.”

“Oh, yeah?  What about when you go out with Brian?  You’ll be able to stay out all night if you want. Or in.” Trixie grinned at her friend.

Honey blushed lightly at the mention of her boyfriend, Trixie’s brother.  “Trixie, it’s not like anything is going to change between me and Brian.  We’ll always be the people we are:  steady, responsible, and respectable.”  Honey shrugged.  “It’s who we are and we’re comfortable with that.” Glancing out the window, she noticed the snowflakes that were drifting lazily through the cold air and smiled, loving the quintessential winter scene that spread out before her. She was glad she and Trixie had decided to spend the morning holed up in Trixie’s room, wrapping Christmas gifts for various family members as well as for the other Bobwhites.  Both girls were seniors at Sleepyside Junior/Senior High and were celebrating the start of the holiday break by spending the day together and getting several Christmas tasks done.

“Let me get this straight,” demanded Trixie, interrupting Honey’s pleasant thoughts. “ You’ll be able to do whatever you want and you’re going to play the ‘responsible’ card?  Gleeps, Honey, you two are going to be an old married couple by the time you’re twenty.”  Trixie collected the rumpled tissue paper and piled it on her desk, along with a box of bows and a roll of tape.  

Honey chose to ignore her friend’s comment and instead neatly stacked the gaily wrapped boxes on the floor.  “I love that we’re going to use the gifts as decorations for the clubhouse, “ she said, hoping to change the conversation.

“Me, too,” agreed Trixie as she gathered her dirty clothes and tossed them toward her closet. “And the best part is after Christmas we don’t have to put away any decorations  because they’ll be going home with their rightful owner.  My kind of clean-up!” Trixie gave a thumbs-up to Honey.

“I thought you’d appreciate that part of it,” chuckled Honey. Sighing, her face suddenly took on a wistful quality.  

“What? Trixie plopped down on the bed next to her friend.

Honey shrugged.  “Nothing.”

“Nothing what?”

“Just nothing.”  Honey fussed with the packages at her feet, appearing to be keenly interested in them.

“Oh, no you don’t, Miss Wheeler.  You’re thinking about something and I want to know what it is.”

“Fine!” Honey exhaled loudly and sat up on the bed, crossing her legs in front of her.  “I just wish Brian and I had some more “alone” time.” Honey made air quotes with her slim fingers.

“Huh?  You two are always together.  Remember when we had movie night at your house during the Thanksgiving break.  You guys were definitely together that night.” Trixie grinned broadly at her friend.

Honey sighed.  “I know.  But I just wish we had more time for just the two of us.  I love all the Bobwhites but it seems everytime I turn around, there are two or three of them with us.  Even when we walk through the preserve, it seems that Dan shows up or…” Honey stopped abruptly.

“Or what?”

“Or you’re with us.” Honey looked at her friend apologetically.

 “Why don’t you just tell us to go home?”

“I could never do that, Trixie.  Gosh, that might hurt your feelings or something and I would hate that.”

Trixie snorted. “‘I’m pretty sure Dan and I would survive.”

Honey shrugged.

Trixie stacked up the gifts she had wrapped that were for her family and placed them in her closet.  Then she grabbed the pile of dirty laundry and strategically arranged it atop the gifts.

“What’d you do that for?” Honey was puzzled by Trixie’s actions.

“Easy,” grinned Trixie.  “I know a brother or two who will want to poke around my room looking for their presents.  But I also know they will never, ever risk looking under a pile of dirty clothes, especially if I put a pair of underpants on the top.”

Honey’s eyes widened, then she burst out laughing.  “Only you, Trixie.”  Her face took on a wistful look.  “It must be so much fun here on Christmas morning with your brothers and parents and all the excitement.”

“Fun?  Are you kidding me?  Let me tell you about Christmas morning at the Beldens.  First, Bobby tears through all his gifts, throwing the paper all over the place.  It always makes me wonder why we even bother to wrap his presents.  Meanwhile, Mart opens his gifts then proceeds to do a brief yet complicated monologue for each one, as if we care.  Brian acts like he’s 45 and above it all.  And me, well, I’m just the perfect kid on Christmas morning.  I’m excited, but I take care of the paper from my gifts and make sure my stuff stays neatly piled in one spot.”

“I don’t believe it,” said Honey firmly.

“What’s not to believe?  Why wouldn’t I be the perfect kid?”

“I mean about Brian. I don’t believe he acts like he’s 45.”  Honey tucked her hair behind her ears.

Trixie shrugged.  “If not 45, then definitely 42.  He sits on the couch with Moms and Daddy and watches, with an amused look on his face. He even drinks coffee with them.  Yuk! Then he’ll carefully open each gift like he’s opening a patient to operate.  Sheesh!  So boring!”

Honey looked down and toyed with the laces on her shoes.  “I just can’t see that,” she protested softly.

“Hey,  why don’t you join us?” suggested Trixie, bouncing on the bed excitedly.   “Moms would love to have you here. Heck, everybody would love to have you here.   You can’t even come in the door without Bobby going all gaga over you.  Even Reddy gets excited when you’re here.”

“And I love all the Beldens.”  Honey brushed away the tear that had formed in the corner of one of her hazel eyes. “But I don’t think my parents and Jim would be very happy if I came down here instead of opening gifts with them. Besides, I want to be with my own family.”  She paused.  “Still, I can’t help but think that a Christmas morning with Brian would be so amazing.”

Honey stood and went to Trixie’s desk and began ironing out the tissue paper with her hands.

Trixie sat still for a moment then suddenly grabbed her laptop computer and opened it.  

“What are you doing now?” asked Honey.

“I’m going to research different ways to submit a wish list. Afterall, it is Christmas and there’s all that Christmas magic floating around. We have to find a way to guarantee our Christmas wishes will come true.  Maybe we just haven’t asked in the right way. Let’s see, I want some college money and you want alone time with Brian.  Heck, I might as well go big and ask for you to have a special Christmas celebration with my brother.”

Honey watched as Trixie’s fingers flew across the keyboard then the slight movement of her lips as she scanned what had appeared on the screen. Despite the absurdity of it, Honey found herself hoping that Trixie would indeed find a way to make both their Christmas wishes come true.

“Gleeps!” cried Trixie.  “Most of these won’t work.  We don’t have any wooden shoes to fill with hay or big nativity scenes to place in our living room.  And in one country, letters to Santa are written then thrown into a burning fireplace nine days before Christmas.”  She scowled.  “Christmas is only four days away.  That won’t work for us, at least not this year.”

“Maybe we should focus on getting these gifts to the clubhouse and then coming back here to help your mother with lunch,” suggested Honey quickly, swallowing her disappointment.

“Okay, but we’re not done here.  There’s gotta be something we can do.”

Honey laughed at her friend’s determination.  “Yes, but now it’s time to be responsible and take care of the business in front of us.”

Trixie jumped up and helped Honey pile up the boxes.  They donned their coats and, with  their arms loaded, headed out of Crabapple Farm and to the clubhouse.  When they got there, Honey opened the door and the two went

“Where do you think we should put these?” asked Trixie.  

“Wait here a minute.”  Honey put her load of gifts on the bench under the window, then went behind the partition and rummaged through a box.  “Now, look at this.”  Honey spread a white sheet over the old wooden table that stood in the middle of the room.  On top of that, she placed a piece of red netting that had Christmas motifs appliqued on it.  

“Honey, that tablecloth is beautiful.  Where’d you get it?”

Honey smiled proudly.  “I made it.  And I used the leftover fabric from my various projects so it didn’t cost a thing.”  After smoothing out the netting, Honey artfully piled the presents in the middle of the table.  “There.  What do you think?”

“It’s perfectly perfect, Honey.  I don’t know how you come up with these ideas.”

“We had to be creative this year since the Bobwhites voted to spend their decorating money on supplies for the animal shelter.  Plus, we also wanted to fill several boxes for the food pantry.”  Honey carefully repositioned the pile of gifts until she was satisfied with their placement.

Trixie nodded.  “I think the boys appreciated it too since they’re so busy. Besides, we Beldens spent hours decorating our own tree.  I really didn’t want to turn around and start decorating the clubhouse and a bobwhite tree.”

Trixie and Honey paused a moment and surveyed the scene in front of them.  The packages brought a splash of color to the clubhouse and the netting, with sequins sewn into the various designs, cast sparkles of light around the rustic interior.  Satisfied with their efforts, the two zipped up their coats and prepared to leave.

“Are you sure you don’t want to spend Christmas morning with us? You’d get to see more of Brian.” said Trixie as she waited for Honey to lock the door behind them.

“Oh, Trixie,” laughed Honey.  Linking arms, the two strolled down the frozen, snowy path to Crabapple Farm, their mouths watering at the thought of the homemade soup Moms had made for lunch.

********

The next day, Honey was busy at the Manor House helping her mother complete the preparations for a holiday celebration  the Wheeler’s were hosting for various business associates. Throughout the day, Honey’s phone pinged with continual updates of the happenings at Crabapple Farm.

“I’m helping Moms make the rest of her cookies, but Bobby just dropped a rack of them on the floor and Reddy ate them all.”

“Mart’s doing a crossword puzzle--OUTLOUD”

“I’m going to start the clean up now.  You might not see me for weeks.  Human dishwasher”

Honey laughed as she imagined the hectic scene that she knew was playing out at the house that was nestled in the hollow.  Finally, Trixie texted Honey a message that made Honey stop and reread it several times.

“Brian will definitely get home day after tomorrow.”

Honey frowned.  She usually talked with Brian every day, but the last time they had chatted he said he was going to be really busy and wouldn’t have time to talk.  “Why couldn’t he have sent me a text?” she whispered to herself.   “That wouldn’t have taken a lot of time.” Honey held out her phone and debated sending a quick message to her boyfriend.  But before she could make the decision, her phone pinged.  Assuming it was another update from Trixie, Honey was happy to see it was from Brian.

“Miss you and can’t wait to see you.  I have an amazing surprise for you, really for us.  Talk to you later.”

Honey hugged the phone to her chest, then, after sending a short response,  went into the elegantly decorated living room to see what else she could do to help her mother.

Later that afternoon,  Honey stood with her parents to greet the guests as they entered the Manor House.  Twinkling lights covered all the trees that lined the long driveway.  Candles glowed from each window and a giant spotlight illuminated a large wreath that hung above the front door of the mansion. Extra staff made sure the cars were properly parked and the guests were well taken care of.  Honey listened as her parents chatted with their associates then extended her own holiday greetings.  As the guests settled in and moved about the room, Honey drifted over to the window and looked out, savoring the fairy-tale scene that blanketed the grounds of the large estate.  “I wish Brian was here,” she thought.  “We’d have so much fun trying all the hors d'oeuvres and sneaking kisses behind the Christmas tree.”  She shifted her position so she could see the cozy farmhouse down the hill and the colorful lights that sparkled from its eaves. Leaning forward, Honey searched the clear night sky, looking for the various constellations her boyfriend had pointed out to her over the years.  “Hurry up, Brian,” she wished silently.  “Hurry up and come home for Christmas.”

The next morning, the Manor House was a busy place as the cleanup from the previous evening’s party began, with Miss Trask and Celia directing the process.  Honey, eager to meet her friends,  paused at the front door, guilt tugging at her as she zipped up her coat. “Should I stay and help?” she debated with herself.  

“Have a fun time with Trixie and Diana,” called Miss Trask.

Honey turned to her governess.  “Maybe I should stay here.  There’s a lot to do to get this house the way Mother wants it.”

“Nonsense.”  Miss Trask crossed the room and stopped in front of Honey.  “You go on and enjoy your day.  This house will be ready for the family Christmas gathering in no time at all.”

Honey smiled, then turned and quickly went through the big front door.  As she walked down the hill,  she enjoyed the sound of the snow crunching under her boots and the clear blue sky that was dotted with fluffy clouds.   When she got to the Beldens, Honey rapped on the back door. Peeking through the window, she chuckled when she saw Trixie, her blond curls in complete disarray, rapidly approaching.

“Gleeps, Honey.  Is it eleven o’clock already?  Diana will be here any minute.”

Honey stepped into the warm kitchen and saw the stacks of Christmas tins on the counter.  The three girls were going into town to distribute the home baked goodies to the Belden’s family friends. After that, they planned to do some last minute shopping, then treat themselves to lunch at Wimpy’s.  Seeing Diana pull up in the driveway, Trixie called out to her mother,  then she and Honey grabbed the tins and left.  They piled into Diana’s small car where they happily sang Christmas carols all the way down Glen Road toward Sleepyside.

Later that afternoon, Diana, Honey and Trixie entered Wimpy’s Diner. After greeting Mike, the diner’s owner, the three made their way to a booth, laughing and teasing each other as they took off their coats and hung them up. Sliding into their seats, Trixie immediately wiped the steam from the window, allowing them to enjoy the festive scene of the decorated street outside.

“This was so much fun,” said Diana as she ran her fingers through her long, dark hair and straightened the sparkly scarf around her neck.  “We should do it again next year.”

“But you and Honey will be away at college,” protested Trixie.

“And you’ll be with us, silly.  We all need to put a date on our calendars right now to spend an entire day together shopping, eating, and just having fun.  Are you two in?”

“An entire day spent shopping?” squeaked Trixie.

“You’ll live,” giggled Honey.  

Trixie rolled her eyes.  “Fine.  But let’s make sure that we spend more time having fun than shopping.”

“Deal!” said Diana and Honey in unison.

“Trixie” began Honey, but stopped when she saw Trixie, an excited look on her face, pull herself up to look out the window. “What?” she asked, noting her friend’s change in mood.

“Honey, I just saw Brian’s car go by.” Trixie’s eyes were wide.

“You did?”  Honey’s face lit up.  “But he’s not due home until tomorrow afternoon.”

Trixie shrugged.  “Maybe he wanted to surprise us.”  She pulled out her phone and punched in Brian’s number.

“Brian,” she said excitedly.   “I’m at Wimpy’s and I could swear I just saw you drive by. I think you should know,  I'm sitting here with a certain someone who’s really happy you’re home.” Honey blushed as she listened to Trixie’s end of the conversation, wishing she had acted quicker and made the call herself.  

“Are you sure you’re not in town?” Trixie asked, a slight frown forming on her face. “But I know I saw your car.”

Honey leaned forward, straining to hear any snippets of the conversation. Her heart fell in disappointment as she listened to Trixie and realized the car Trixie had seen was not Brian’s

“Okay. Bye.”  Trixie hung up the phone and slid it back into her pocket.  “He says he’s not home, Honey.  But I could swear the car I saw was his.”

“It’s okay, Trixie.”  Honey tried to sound positive.  “He’ll be home tomorrow anyway.  What’s a few more hours?”

Trixie grinned.  “Not as much to me as it is to you.”

“Let’s make sure we have everything finalized for the Bobwhite Christmas party,” suggested Diana, giving Honey a moment to get over her letdown.

Honey, grateful for the subject change, pulled up the list she had on her phone and reviewed it.  But she noticed that Trixie continued to stare out the window, a puzzled look on her face. By the time their food was brought to the table, Trixie had joined her friends in discussing the upcoming party.

 

It was late afternoon when the three girls returned to Crabapple Farm.  After dropping off Honey and Trixie, Diana headed home to her own family activities.Entering the cozy farmhouse, Trixie flung her coat toward the rack by the door then eagerly asked her mother where Brian was.

“Trixie, he doesn’t get home until tomorrow,” said Moms. “You know that. And please hang your coat up correctly.”

“Are you sure?”  

“Trixie,” said Honey, “it wasn’t Brian’s car.  You even talked to him on the phone.  Let’s focus on his homecoming tomorrow.  I was thinking of making his favorite cookies.”

“And what are those?” asked Trixie as she led Honey toward the kitchen table after putting her coat in the proper spot.

“Oatmeal chocolate chip.  Don’t you remember Brian saying that those cookies are the best of both worlds.  The oatmeal part is healthy and the chocolate part is sweet.”

“Leave it to Brian to find a healthy chocolate chip cookie.” Trixie shook her head.

“Honey, would you like to join us for dinner tomorrow night?” asked Moms.  

“I would love to, Mrs. Belden.  Thank you for including me,” answered Honey.

“We consider you part of the family,” smiled Moms.

Honey watched as Trixie grabbed two glasses of milk and the cookie jar.

“I think it’s time for some Christmas cookies,” Trixie announced as she plunked the cookie jar down on the table.

Honey carefully took one of the glasses from Trixie’s hands then reached into the jar and pulled out a white, delicate cookie and took a small bite.  “Yum!  What kind of cookies are these?” she asked.

“They’re meringue puffs.  I think Moms is the only one who can make them.  I remember Aunt Alicia tried one year but they turned out like hockey pucks,” said Trixie.

“These are delicious.”  Honey took a dainty sip of milk.  “I wonder if I would be able to make them?”

“Of course.  They’re really not that hard to make,” answered Moms as she handed the girls some napkins.  “You just have to make sure the egg whites are beaten properly and that the oven door stays closed while they bake.  I’ll tell you a secret, Honey.  I make them late at night so the troops don’t disturb them.

Honey jumped slightly when Trixie’s hand hit the table with a thud.  “Is that when you make them?” Trixie asked, her mouth hanging open. “I always wondered why they seemed to appear out of nowhere.”

Honey grinned at Mrs. Belden, delighting in the bit of subterfuge that had been revealed.  

“And you can forget you ever heard that.”  Moms winked at Honey, then went to tend to the stew she was making.  

“Hey, Moms.  Can Honey come down here for Christmas morning?” asked Trixie suddenly.

Honey’s head snapped up, surprised at her friend’s request.

“She’s always welcome,” responded Moms slowly ,“but I would think her family would rather she spend Christmas morning with them.”

“They would, Mrs. Belden. ” Honey, her eyes narrowed, glared at Trixie.  

“But we will get to see you on Christmas,” continued Moms warmly. “I believe your family is coming down here Christmas afternoon.”

“We are,” assured Honey.  Deciding it was time to go home, Honey carried her glass over to the sink.  After thanking Moms for the delicious snack, she grabbed her coat and slid into it while Trixie reached for her own coat.  

“And where are you going?” asked Moms.

“I’m just going to walk Honey up the hill,” answered Trixie.

“Okay.  But that’s all.  I heard you promise Bobby you’d help him wrap his gifts this afternoon.”

“I know.  I won’t be gone long.  Come on, Honey.”

Honey stepped through the door that Trixie held open and then onto the porch.  As soon as they had cleared the terrace, she turned to her friend.  “What’s the big idea, Trixie?”

“What?” asked Trixie.

“You know what. I can’t believe you asked your mother if I could spend Christmas morning with you guys.”

Trixie shrugged. “I guess I just got carried away with everybody coming home. Plus,  I wanted to make your wish come true.”

“I appreciate the thought but I think Brian and I can handle that in our own way and in our own time.”

“Are you really mad?” asked Trixie quietly, her blue eyes watching Honey’s hazel ones.

“Yes, I am.”

“Really?”

Honey looked at Trixie and a slight smile appeared.  “Well, maybe for the next five minutes.”

“Good.”

“But no more talk of me spending Christmas morning with you guys.  I have my own family”  Honey smacked her palm against her forehead.  “Sometimes I think I know exactly how your mother feels when she’s trying to deal with you Beldens.

“What’s wrong with us Beldens?” asked Trixie, her brow furrowed.

“Nothing.  It’s just you guys always seem to have ideas of your own that you don’t hesitate to put into motion.”

“Since when did that bother you?” Trixie grinned at her friend.

Honey giggled.   “Never.  And I love how it makes life so much more interesting.”

The two girls walked along the path, talking softly as the woods around them took on long shadows from the setting sun.

“Hey, do you hear something?” asked Trixie, stopping abruptly.  “It’s a tapping sound?” Trixie took off her hat and tilted her head slightly.

“Yes, I do” answered Honey.  Slipping her hood back, Honey listened as a rhythmic sound filled the area.

“Let’s go check it out,” suggested Trixie excitedly.

Honey took a few steps toward the lake.

“Where are you going?” asked Trixie.

“To the lake.  You said you wanted to check out that noise.  I think it’s coming from that direction.” Honey pointed toward the dark, frozen water.

“No, it’s coming from the stables,” argued Trixie.

“I can’t really tell where it’s coming from.”  Honey looked around the path, frowning when the tapping sound seemed to be coming from all directions.

“Me neither.  How can we check it out if we can’t find it?”

Honey shook her head.  “I don’t know, Trixie.  It’s hard enough to investigate when we do know where we should be.”

Trixie giggled. “Yeh, that.”

Honey grinned sheepishly.  “You know what I mean. Wait,  I don’t hear the noise anymore, do you?”

Trixie rotated slowly in the snow.  “No.  I don’t.  Maybe we should just walk through the preserve a bit.”

Honey hesitated. “Trixie, I need to get home and your mother’s waiting for you to help Bobby with his wrapping. Besides, it’s starting to get dark and I don’t really want to traipse around the woods without decent light.”

“But it won’t take us very long. Come on.”

Before Honey could make a decision, Trixie’s phone rang.    

“Yes, Moms,” Trixie said after clicking on the call.

Honey watched as Trixie winced and rolled her eyes.  “Okay, I’m on my way.”  Trixie replaced the phone in her pocket.  “Guess we won’t be investigating today.  Moms said Bobby is making a mess because he’s trying to wrap his gifts by himself. Apparently he has Reddy covered with bits of tape.  I have to go home now.”

“It’s just as well, Trixie.  I’m thinking that tapping sound was probably a woodpecker.  And I’m definitely not going through the woods in search of a bird.  See ya later.”

Honey started up the hill toward her own house while Trixie turned to go back home. Hearing the tapping sound again, Honey shivered then hurried the rest of the way.

 

When Honey entered the Manor, she saw lights on in the library and, after hanging up her coat,  headed toward that cozy room.

“Hello, Mother.”  Honey crossed the room and gave her mother, who was seated on the leather couch, a kiss on the cheek.

“Hello, dear.  How was your day?”  Madeline Wheeler took a sip from the glass of chilled white wine she held in her hand.

“It was good.  We distributed Mrs. Belden’s cookies, did a little shopping, then we had a late  lunch at Wimpy’s.  Diana decided we need to do the same thing next year, except make it a day long event for the three of us.”

“That sounds nice.”  Madeline Wheeler smiled at her daughter, then took another sip of her wine.  “Your father and I are going to dine at the Country Club tonight.  We were hoping you’d be able to join us, that is if you don’t have plans with the other Bobwhites.”

“No.  Trixie’s busy with Bobby.  Diana’s decorating their family tree tonight and Mart and Dan are both working.   I think dinner at the Club is a lovely idea, especially with it all decorated. If you give me a few minutes, I’ll run up and change.” Honey stopped at the doorway and turned back.  “And Mother, do you think we could drive through town after dinner and look at all the Christmas lights and decorations?”

“Oh, Honey, that’s a wonderful idea.  Of course we can.”

“Okay, I’ll be right back,” she said, delighted her mother wanted to share in the holiday festivities.

“Don’t hurry.  Your father’s tied up on the phone.  He won’t be ready to go for a while.”

“Okay.”

Upstairs in her room, Honey went to her large walk-in closet where she searched for something festive to wear.  After donning a dark green dress, she quickly fixed her makeup and styled her hair. Staring at her image in the mirror, Honey’s mind drifted to thoughts of Brian and excitement at his impending homecoming.   A faint smile appeared on her face as she imagined a Christmas morning with her boyfriend. Sighing, she put down her brush and added a pair of pearl earrings to her ensemble.  As she got up from her dressing table, Honey glanced out her window, then looked a second time, startled by what she saw.  Pressing her nose against the cold glass, she peered through the settling darkness toward the clubhouse that was nestled in the woods beyond the hill.  “Did I just see a light down there?” she asked herself.  Honey continued to study the area but saw nothing else.  She pulled out her phone to call Trixie but changed her mind after deciding she had probably seen a reflection from a car on Glen Road. “If  I call Trixie, she’ll insist that we go investigate and that’s the last thing I want to do tonight.  Yes, I bet I just saw a reflection from the road.” Satisfied with her conclusion,  Honey grabbed her handbag, then left her room, happily anticipating the evening ahead.  

When the family returned home later that night, Mrs. Wheeler and Honey walked together and chatted, their arms wrapped affectionately around each other’s waist.

“Didn’t you think the lights in town were gorgeous?” asked Honey.

“Yes.  But I really liked the church with the candle-lit windows and pine sprigs.  It looked so quaint,” answered Honey’s mother.  “I’m glad you suggested a drive through town.”

After talking a bit more, Honey suddenly yawned broadly.  “I think I’ll go upstairs now,” she said.  “Night, Mother.  Night, Daddy.”  Honey kissed her parents then skipped up the stairs to the privacy of her room. As she closed the door behind her, she heard her phone announce an incoming text.  She smiled dreamily when she read Brian’s name on the phone’s screen and eagerly clicked on the message.

“I can’t wait to see you tomorrow. Can you do me a favor and go to the clubhouse in the morning, around 9?”

Honey quickly typed back, “Why?”

“Honey, don’t you know you’re not supposed to ask questions at this time of year?”

“Should I bring the others?”

“No.”

“Okay.  But what should I do when I get there?”

“It’ll all be clear to you then.  Gotta go. I love you.”

“Love you too, Brian,” Honey typed happily.

After changing her clothes, Honey slid between her luxurious sheets, the smile still on her face as she drifted off to sleep, memories of the perfect evening with her parents and dreams of future holidays with Brian floating through her mind.

 

The next morning, Honey was up early, anxious to get to the clubhouse and find out the meaning of the cryptic message Brian had sent her.  As she was pulling a warm turtleneck over her head, Honey heard her phone ping.  Grabbing it, she was delighted to see the message was from her boyfriend.

“Good morning, beautiful Honey.  Don’t forget to be at the clubhouse at 9.”

After completing her toilette, Honey went downstairs and into the dining room where she greeted her parents then sat down to a delicious breakfast of waffles and sausage.  Too excited to eat, she pushed her food around on her plate while keeping watch on the big clock that hung above the sideboard.

“Honey, do you feel all right?  You don’t seem to be eating much,” noted Mrs. Wheeler.

Honey looked up.  “I guess I’m too excited with everything that’s going on.  I loved our family dinner last night.  Plus, Brian comes home today and then Jim arrives tomorrow. I keep thinking I’m going to wake up and realize this is all just a dream.”

Mrs. Wheeler laughed lightly.  “Well, dear, have no fear.  If this a dream, then we’re both having the same one. What are your plans today?”

“I need to do some things at the clubhouse this morning, then I want to make some cookies for Brian’s homecoming.”

“You know, your father loves your cookies too.”

Honey smiled.  “I’m glad you said that.  I’ll make sure to save some for him.”

“I might even be planning to sneak a few myself.”  

 “I’ll make sure to save some for you too.” 

Deciding it was close enough to nine o’clock to go to the clubhouse, Honey excused herself, then went to the hall and put on her coat.  Peeking through the window, she saw a heavy cloud cover and big, soft snowflakes floating gently through the air.  “Perfectly perfect.” She smiled as she pulled a hat down on her head and stepped out. Humming softly,  she walked through the snow toward the woods.  When the clubhouse came into view, Honey stopped and stared. Whereas the small cottage had been left bare the day before, it was now aglow with candles that burned brightly in the windows and a wreath, adorned with a big, cheery bow, that  hung on the front door.  A small wisp of smoke wafted out of the stovepipe atop the roof.

“What’s going on?” she wondered aloud. “Who did all this decorating?”

Carefully stepping around the tree roots that were buried by the snow, Honey called out while she approached the small structure.

“Trixie.  Trixie, are you in there?”  She tried to open the door, but found it was locked.  “Hey,” yelled Honey.  Not hearing a response, she pounded on the door.  

When the door swung open, Honey was prepared to question her friend about the changes that had appeared at the clubhouse.  Instead, her mouth hung open in surprise when she found herself face to face with a smiling Brian.

“Merry Christmas, Honey,” he said softly.

“Wha...what are you doing here?” stammered Honey.

“Aren’t you glad to see me?” he asked, his eyes twinkling.

“Of course.”

“Is that how you show it?”

Taking the cue, Honey stepped into Brian’s outstretched arms and hugged him.  LIfting her face, her eager lips found Brian’s and the two were lost in each other for several minutes.

“Ahem.”  Brian stepped back and ushered Honey into the clubhouse.  “For you, Honey.”

Honey gasped when she entered the room.  Two days ago, she had spread the netting on the table and piled the presents in the middle,  leaving the rest of the clubhouse undecorated.  Now, not only was the table adorned, but the rest of the room as well.  Strands of lights outlined the windows and two blooming poinsettias were sitting on both sides of the pile of presents.  Small green votive candles dotted the table, creating a cozy and intimate atmosphere.  In the corner stood a small Christmas tree strung with lights, tinsel and ornaments.  Around the base of the tree a small train traveled in circles, its cars piled with small, brightly wrapped gifts. A red buffalo blanket covered the couch that had been pulled near the stove and a crackling fire made the clubhouse warm and snug.

Honey turned to Brian,   “Wh...what’s all this?” she asked, her eyes wide and questioning.

Brian, handsome in a dark green sweater, smiled down at her.  “Do you like it?”

“Yes. I love it. It’s so perfectly perfect.  But...but...?”

“I thought you and I deserved a little time for ourselves.  So,” Brian waved his arm through the air,” I created our own Christmas cottage, complete with our own Christmas morning.”

“You did?” she whispered.  “Did Trixie talk to you or something?”

Brian looked confused.  “Trixie? No.”

“Then how did…?”

Brian put his index finger across Honey’s lips and kissed her.  He helped Honey out of her coat  then led her to the couch.  “Sit down, Honey.”

Honey sank down, her eyes drinking in the sight of Brian.  Her mind whirled as she tried to grasp what was going on. She waited until Brian settled before asking, “What is this?”

Brian cleared his throat.  “Why don’t we talk about that later.  Right now I want to start our celebration with a kiss.”  Brian took Honey in his arms and kissed her softly at first, then more passionately, leaving the two of them breathless.  

“Wow, Brian,” whispered Honey, “that was some Christmas kiss.”

Brian smiled and placed his forehead against Honey’s.  “It is a great way…”  Brian stopped and looked at Honey in surprise when he heard her stomach growling.  “Did you take time for breakfast?”

Honey smiled sheepishly.  “I was so excited I couldn’t eat.”

“Well then, Dr. Belden has just what you need.  I’ll be right back.”  Brian stood up and went behind the room’s partition.

Honey could hear the clattering of dishes and the scraping of cookware.  In a minute, Brian reappeared with two loaded plates.

“Let the festivities begin. We’ll started with our Christmas morning breakfast,” he announced.

Honey’s eyes widened in delight when she smelled the aromas that were emanating from the plates.  “Yum.” She eagerly took the one Brian held out to her.

Brian stepped away and returned with two big glasses of orange juice and two red linen napkins that contained their silverware.  He carefully lowered himself onto the couch next to Honey.

Honey looked at the scrambled eggs, sausage links, cinnamon rolls and strawberries. “Brian, this looks fantastic.  “Where did you get all this food?”

“I made it.”

“You did?”

Brian nodded toward the storage area.  “I brought the hotplate from my dorm room and made the rolls in my toaster oven.   If you look back there, you’ll see all sorts of dirty dishes.” He winked, “We’ll let Trixie take care of those.”

Honey laughed then took a bite of food.  “Delicious, Mr. Belden.”

“Ooh, wait a minute.”  Brian set his plate down and went over to the bench and fiddled with his phone that was plugged into a small set of speakers.  “Voila!” Soft Christmas music filled the clubhouse.

He returned to the couch and the two dug into their breakfast, catching up with each other’s lives and delighting in the fact that they were together.

Chewing her food, Honey studied the small Christmas tree in the corner.  “Brian! The ornaments!   Where did you get them?”  Honey’s face lit up in delight when she realized  the ornaments contained pictures of her and Brian.

“I made them.”

“You did? When? How?”  Honey stared at Brian in amazement.

“Last time I was home, I gathered up all the pictures I could find and took them back to school with me. Then, when I had  free time, I worked on making them into ornaments.”

Setting her plate down, Honey looked around the familiar room.  “How long have you been planning this, Brian?”

“Hmm...since I left for school in the fall.”  

“Really?”  Honey’s face beamed in delight.  “And look at that little train.  I love it.”

“I saw a tree set up like that in a display and decided to add it to my plan.”  

The two watched as the train chugged steadily around the base of the small fir tree.

“Whew!” Honey laughed lightly.  “If I watch that too long, I’ll get dizzy.”

After they’d eaten everything, Brian took the plates and put them behind the partition. Sighing happily, Honey settled back on the couch, savoring the intimate celebration.  Suddenly, she sat up.  “Brian,” she called out.

“What?” Brian reappeared, wiping his hands on a Christmas towel.

“Do I smell cloves and oranges?”

Brian smiled and pointed to the back of two chairs where pomander balls made out of oranges studded with cloves were wrapped in red netting and tied with red, satin ribbon.

“Did you make those too?” she asked.

Brian nodded.  “First time I got to use surgical gear in my room.” Seeing Honey’s puzzled look, he hurried to explain, “My fingers got sore pushing the cloves in so I used a needle holder to make the holes in the orange first.”

Honey grinned.  “And you couldn’t use an awl like the rest of us do?”

“I’m going to be a doctor, Honey.  Not a carpenter.”

“However you made them, I love them.  In fact, I think I’ll make some for Mother when I get back to the Manor.  She absolutely goes nuts over potpourri.”

Settling back against the warm blanket, Honey assessed the changes in the room while Brian finished cleaning up behind the room’s partition.  Her eyes followed the netting on the table to the candles and wreaths and finally to the windows,  where little tacks held the multi-colored lights in place.

“It was you we heard!” Excitedly, Honey sat up and pointed her finger toward Brian.

“Excuse me?” Brian returned to the main room and sat down.

“When Trixie and I were walking up the hill yesterday, we heard a strange tapping sound.  I thought it might have been a woodpecker but I bet it was you hanging the lights.” Honey’s eyes glowed with excitement.

Brian high-fived Honey.  “And another mystery solved by the Sleepyside Sleuths! I can’t believe   you two didn’t want to come investigate.”

“Are you kidding?  Of course we did. But before Trixie could get all wound up, your mother made her come home.  Apparently, Bobby had tried to wrap his gifts by himself and made a huge mess, including putting pieces of tape all over Reddy.”

Brian scrubbed his face with his hands.  “I guess I owe Bobby a big ‘thank you.’ If Trixie had even the slightest inkling that something was afoot in the clubhouse…”

Honey giggled.  “Yep, you’d be another solved mystery in her book. I can just hear her gloating about how she found you out.” She paused.  “As much as I love her, I’m really glad she didn’t ruin this.”

“Me too.  I wouldn’t have missed the look on your face for anything.” Brian hugged Honey tightly, then suddenly released her and went over to the small table that held the tree.  “And now...the presents.”

“Presents?”

Reaching behind, Brian turned off the train and unloaded the small gifts from the railcars then joined Honey on the couch.

“But, Brian,I don’t have your present with me.”

“Honey, celebrating with you is all I could ever want.  Besides, these are just a few things I picked out for you when I was wandering through a farmer’s market several weeks ago.  Clearly, you were on my mind.”

Honey eyed the small pile, then, at Brian’s encouraging nod,  picked up a small, square package and carefully unwrapped it.

“Yum, honeysuckle scented soap.”  She inhaled deeply, savoring the sweet fragrance. “I love it.”  She set it aside then opened another gift.

“Beeswax candlesticks, in a perfect shade of green.  Maybe we should light them now.”

Brian reached for the candlesticks.  “I was hoping we could use these at our next romantic dinner.”

Honey smiled shyly as Brian carefully rewrapped the candlesticks.  Inside the third package was a container of honeycomb.  

“Mmmm...Do you know how good this is when you spread on hot muffins for breakfast,” she exclaimed happily.

“Add a cup of cocoa and you have a feast fit for a king,” agreed Brian.

The next package contained a small jar of honey hand cream.  

“I remember you saying how your hands get chapped in the winter after being outside with the horses,” said Brian.  

Honey unscrewed the lid and sniffed the cream.  “It smells so good.  I’m afraid I might want to eat it.”

Brian laughed and handed her the last package, which Honey carefully unwrapped.  When she lifted the lid off a small box, she gasped.  “Oh, Brian, it’s so adorable.” Honey held up a hand-carved, wooden ornament of two bees clasped together.  She knew when she hung it on the tree, it would look like the bees were flitting from branch to branch.

“So,” asked Brian quietly, “can you tell who’s on my mind?”

Honey replaced the ornament in the box then moved it to one side.  Throwing her arms around Brian, she exclaimed,  “I love everything about today. It’s so amazing.”

Brian held Honey close.  Wrapped in his arms, Honey thought she would burst from happiness.  

“So does that mean you like my surprise?” whispered Brian.

“I don’t even think I can describe how I feel right now.  When I got up this morning, I had no idea what to expect, but it certainly wasn’t this.”

After Brian restarted the train, the two settled back on the couch and watched it travel on its unending journey around the little tree. Brian gently played with Honey’s hair while she stroked his thigh.

“So, are you going to tell me how you managed to pull all this together?” Honey asked softly.

Brian shrugged.  “It really wasn’t that hard.  Not when the goal is to make you happy.”

Honey snuggled deeper into Brian’s arms.

“I started planning this before Thanksgiving,” he explained.  “I made sure when I went back to school that I had gathered the necessary supplies.  Then, I  got the lights, the train and the rest of the stuff, loaded up my car with everything, including a sleeping bag, and came home a day early.  I purposely told Moms I would be home later today so we could have this private time together.”

“Wait!”  Honey sat up.  “ Did Trixie see you yesterday?”

Nodding, Brian groaned softly.

“And you must have lied to her, right? Responsible and respectable Brian actually lied to his little sister!” She giggled in delight.

“Yes,” Brian answered sheepishly.  “I couldn’t believe she called me before I had even gotten through town.  Of all the bad luck! You three were sitting in Wimpy’s at the exact same time I was  driving by.  I was afraid Trixie would take it upon herself to prove that she did indeed see my car.”

Honey settled back in Brian’s arms. “She was so sure she was right.  She even asked your mother where you were.”

Brian reached out and added a small log to the stove, then sat back.   “I spent the night here last night so I would have plenty of time to get everything ready.”

“I saw lights down here last night but convinced myself  they were merely lights reflecting from cars on Glen Road. Another mystery solved!” announced Honey triumphantly.

“Good thing you didn’t tell my sister and then come down here to check it out.”

Honey shook her head. “Actually, I had plans with my parents and I didn’t want anything to interfere with them so I didn’t even talk to her.”  

“Good girl.”  Brian snuggled Honey closer.  “Anyway, I got here yesterday afternoon and got to work.  I strung up all the little lights and set up the tree then got up this morning and made all the food.”

Honey sighed happily.  “You’re definitely the best Belden, Brian.”

“You think?”  Brian winked at Honey.   The two sat contentedly watching the train until Brian pulled back and looked at Honey.   “Wait a minute, Honey.  Earlier you asked if Trixie had anything to do with this?  Why?”

Honey lowered her gaze, then looked up directly into Brian’s dark eyes.  “Because I told Trixie what I really wanted was to spend more time with you and even experience a Christmas morning with you.  When I first saw all this, I thought maybe she had told you that.”

Brian shook his head.  “No.”  A grin spread across his face.  “So, you wanted to spend Christmas morning with me, huh?”

Honey laughed.  “Yes.  I cannot tell a lie.  But Trixie thought I wanted to spend it with your entire family, which would be very nice too.  She told me how Mart and Bobby are and how you act like you’re 45, those are her words, not mine, and how she is the perfect child on Christmas morning.”

Brian laughed loudly.  “She’s the perfect one?  And you believed her?”

“Who said I believed her?  Never in a million years could I picture Trixie calmly unwrapping her gifts, then placing them in a neat pile.”

“Is that what she said?”  Brian laughed harder.  “ Actually, there’s a toss-up among the younger Beldens as to who’s the most obnoxious.”

“Well, then,” said Honey, firmly settling herself against Brian, “having our own time makes it even more perfect.  Oh, Brian, this is so...so…”  Honey’s eyes filled with tears.

Holding Honey’s delicate face in his strong hands, Brian wiped away the tears with his thumb.  “And it’s the same for me too,” he whispered.

A few hours later, Honey and Brian reluctantly looked at each other, realizing their special interlude was over.  

“I really want to help you clean up,” offered Honey.  “It’s the least I can do for making this day so wonderful.”

“No, I want you to remember this the way it is right now.  That’s part of the magic of the morning.”

“Are you sure?”

Brian nodded.  He helped Honey up from the couch then gathered up her gifts while Honey slowly put on her coat.  

“I don’t want to leave,”  Honey whispered as she folded herself into Brian’s embrace.

“I don’t want you to go either.”    

“Hey,” Brian pulled back and looked at Honey.  “I still have my homecoming this afternoon to look forward to.  Do you think you can hang on till that happens?”

Honey giggled.  “I’ll give it my best shot.  I’m going to have to practice my acting skills the rest of the day so I look really surprised when you come to the farm.”

“Make it an award winning performance,” ordered Brian.  

“I certainly will.”  

Brian took Honey’s hand and intertwined their fingers.  “Thank you for responding to my text,” he whispered.

“Thank you for sending it.”  

The two stayed that way for several minutes until a honking car on Glen Road broke the spell  they had wrapped themselves in.

“So, I guess I’ll see you later.” Honey opened the door and with another sigh of hesitation, she  stepped through it and into the crisp snowy air.  Walking along the path that led to the Manor House, she replayed the morning in her mind.  When she entered her home, she went straight to her room, a dreamy smile still on her face.

**********

A few hours later, Honey stamped the snow off her boots and knocked on the back door of Crabapple Farm.  In her hand was a plate of warm oatmeal cookies she had just finished baking.

“Honey!” Trixie flung open the door and stepped back, letting Honey into the warm, cozy  kitchen.  “I thought you’d be here earlier.  What have you been doing all day?”

Honey busied herself taking off her coat.  “Christmas is a time of surprises and that’s all I’m going to say,” she said, refusing to make eye contact with her friend.

“Oh, really?  I bet I can get it out of you.  Come on, let’s go upstairs.  I’ve got something to show you.”

The two girls ran up the stairs to Trixie’s room where they both flopped on the bed.

“Look what came in the mail today?” Trixie held out an envelope with a return address of Sleepyside High School.

“What is it?” asked Honey.

Trixie took out an official looking letter and handed it to Honey who read through it.  “Trixie, this is great news.  I told you something would happen.”

“Yes, I couldn’t believe it when this letter showed up today telling me that the principal was going to submit my name to the Rotary Club for a college scholarship due to my ‘community activism’.”  Trixie made air quotes, then giggled.  “I think I sound like Mart when I say that.”

“See. You’ll have your college money in no time at all.”

“It’s just a submission, Honey.  And it’s not a lot of money, but every little bit helps.”  Trixie chewed her lower lip.  “I’m not sure how to make your wish come true.”

Honey  turned away from her friend as a secret smile played across her face.    

“Oh, Honey, can you believe it?  By this time tomorrow, all the Bobwhites will be home again and then our fun will really begin.” Trixie bounced excitedly on her bed.

Honey sighed.  “It’ll be so perfectly perfect.  I couldn’t ask for anything better.”

“I hope the guys like what we did with the clubhouse,” said Trixie.

At the mention of the clubhouse, Honey gave a start.  How would it look the next time they were all there?  For the millionth time that day, she couldn’t help but replay the morning’s events in her mind.

“Honey!  Honey!”  Trixie waved her hands across her friend’s face.  “Are you in there?”

Roused from her pleasant thoughts, Honey nodded her head.  “Oh, yes.”

“What were you thinking about?”

Honey sighed.  “Just how nice it will be when we’re all together again.”

“Yes, but you had that dreamy look you get when you’re thinking about my brother.”

“Maybe I was.  It’ll be good to have him back too.”

Honey watched as an animated Trixie attempted to straighten her room as a way to pass the time, allowing Honey the opportunity to lapse back to the memories created that morning.   They both ran to the window when they heard a car horn honking in the driveway.  

“It’s him,” exclaimed Trixie.

“Yes, it’s him.” Honey’s face glowed as she smiled in anticipation.

“What are we waiting for?” Trixie opened the door and pounded down the stairs while Honey followed in a more sedate fashion. They ran to the kitchen and watched as Brian entered and wrapped his mother in a big hug.  He stumbled a bit when Bobby jumped on him, then also gave Trixie a hug.  His eyes lingered on Honey for a second, before opening his arms to her.  Forgetting the eyes that were watching, Honey stepped into Brian’s welcoming embrace for the second time that day, and savored the moment.  When she pulled back, Reddy rushed at Brian and the room became loud with excited voices.  

“I’m so glad you’re home, Brian,” said Moms.

“Hey, Brian, do you know how to get tape off Reddy?” Bobby shouted.

“I thought I saw you yesterday.  Your car must have a twin that lives in Sleepyside.” Trixie tried to talk over her little brother.

Honey watched the commotion, tears in her eyes for the neighbors that treated her like family, her best friend, and especially for Brian.  

When Mr. Belden and Mart came home later, the whole family celebrated with Mrs. Belden’s delicious fried chicken, mashed potatoes and homemade green tomato chutney. Dessert was a delicious apple pie and Honey’s scrumptious cookies.   Laughter filled the house as they all tried to catch up with Brian at the same time.  

“Hey, Honey,” yelled Bobby.  “Your cookies are the best.”

“Thank you, Bobby.”  Honey smiled, pleased with the compliment.

“He’s right, dear,” said Mrs.Belden.  “What’s your secret to making them so moist?”

Honey looked at Brian before answering.  “I just added some honey to the batter.  For some reason, that was on my mind today.”

Brian caught Honey’s gaze and winked.

“Honey or nectar or syrup, these cookies should be renamed  ‘oatmeal ambrosia delights’,” said Mart, his mouth full.  

“You can call them whatever you’d like,” said Honey, enjoying Mart’s exaggerated descriptives while Trixie rolled her eyes.

The plate of cookies was passed around the table again while the conversation continued, the excitement of the evening keeping everyone’s spirits high.

After dinner, Trixie jumped up and began clearing the table.  Honey and Brian pushed their chairs back and started to help but Trixie interrupted them and directed them toward the family room.

“Brian,” she said.  “Why don’t you and Honey go sit on the porch swing for a while.”

“Are you crazy, Trixie?” demanded Brian.  “It’s freezing out there.”

“So take a blanket.” Trixie grabbed a Christmas quilt from the couch and tossed it to her brother.  “I’m going to go finish the dishes so the two of you can have some alone time.”  On her way back to the kitchen, Trixie paused long enough to whisper in Honey’s ear.  “I’m trying to make your wish come true. At least it’s a start.”  Trixie disappeared into the kitchen, the clattering of dishes and good natured arguing drifting through the doorway.

Brian and Honey looked at each other, goofy smiles on their faces.

“I know better than to argue with her.  You?” asked Brian.

Honey giggled.  “Yep.  Let’s go!”

The two bundled up and went out and settled themselves on the swing, tucking the blanket around them.  Brian pulled Honey close and she slid her hand into his.  In the peaceful silence of the front porch, Honey, her heart full of happiness, rested her head on Brian’s shoulder and watched  the scene inside the family farmhouse:  the colored lights twinkling on the tree in the family room,  the corner hutch in the dining room that was filled with several different nutcrackers that were nestled among pine greens and small white lights, and the dancing shadows from the kitchen as Trixie and her brothers worked together on the dishes.    “It doesn’t get any better than this ,” she mused. Looking up, Honey caught Brian’s eyes and smiled, knowing in her heart she and Brian would share many more magical Christmases, a time when all their wishes would all come true.