Trixie Belden and all related characters are property of “Random House”. No money is made with this story.

 

Happy Holidays VIII

 

Christmas Eve

 

by Kari

 

 

 

The young man hurried up the stairs and into his apartment. He had been outside already quite too much today.

 

He felt a sharp pain in his chest when he entered the lonely housing. Somehow he managed to fight the feeling back and dedicated himself quickly to the things that were important and imperative now. There was so much what still had to be done. The dishes, the meal, the decoration wasn’t perfect yet, he had to look after the horses again…

 

He got aware of that he hadn’t even slipped off his jacket yet and went back to the corridor. Putting away his jacket, he noticed that his shoes were still on his feet instead of on the floor where they belonged. Regan’s view shifted thoughtfully over the ground. Maybe he could also arrange the shoes properly.

 

He returned to the kitchen and began to wash the dishes. He heaved a troubled sigh when he realized that it was not much work. He was the only one living in the apartment above the Wheeler’s garage and he didn’t cook very often. It barely took him ten minutes to finish.

 

He looked around, and anger knitted his eyebrows. He knew the things he still had to do wouldn’t keep him busy all evening. And though he had been used to lonely Christmas for years now, it still hurt.

 

He thought of Trixie and Honey this day, both giggling and singing Christmas songs all the time. Regan hated this. All the “It’s Christmas, what a happy time!”hurly-burly – as if Christmas was important in any way!

 

Christmas is the time when you realize how lonely you are. Regan closed his eyes, holding tears back that he would never allow himself to cry. He needed no Christmas. He needed nobody around for Christmas. In fact, he could have someone around if he wanted! Mister Wheeler had invited him for Christmas meal, as he had done every year. He wasn’t lonely, he just didn’t want somebody around!

 

But, somehow, inside he knew the truth. Regan took a piece of chocolate, trying to comfort his soul with candies as he couldn’t comfort it what it really needed. He was lonely, and the only reason why he didn’t go over to Mister Wheeler was because he knew he didn’t belong to their family. He had no family.

 

He looked up when he heard turmoil down on the driveway. Taking a look out of the window, he spotted Di how she headed towards her parent’s car, waving back to Honey as she left. He remembered how Di’s eyes had lit up when she had talked to Honey and Trixie this day.

 

“I like Christmas – all people are so happy during this time. They seem to remember that there’s a little star for everyone, that no one is lonely or forgotten. And that this is what life is about – family and friends.”

 

Regan shook his head vehemently, forcing Di’s words to leave his memory. He definitely had been around other people too much today.

 

He spent almost two hours with the decoration and further cleaning. He had turned on the radio at the beginning, but quickly changed his opinion when he noticed that only Christmas songs were played. His duster flew over the closets, wiping away dirt which wasn’t there. He tried hard to keep his thoughts away from Christmas and he was quite successful. Till his gaze fell on the photo.

 

Regan stopped cleaning. His eyes rested on the old picture, a witness of former, happier times that seemed like memories of an earlier life. His father had his hand on his son’s shoulder, and they both grinned proudly into the camera, posing in front of their beautiful Christmas tree. Regan’s heart filled with pain, joy and love. Every year, he and his father had gone to the woods, searching for the very best Christmas tree. They seldomly had chosen the biggest one, but the “Regan-tree” as his father had called it. None of them exactly knew what made a tree to a “Regan-tree”, but they both had always known they had found it when they stood in front of it. They would carry the tree home, singing loudly and cheerfully, and his mother and his sister would decorate the tree in the prettiest way Regan knew. And at Christmas Eve, they all would sit under the tree, his mother reading a Christmas story, his father throwing in silly comments here and there. Regan and his sister had loved these evenings. Their parents had never settled for a story before the reading started, but their father had a talent for funny remarks out of the blue.

 

Regan smiled slightly. His mother had had a hard time trying not to grin at his father’s words and especially his mindless facial expressions. All of them had enjoyed these hours.

 

Regan looked up bitterly, realizing that he hadn’t had a Christmas tree anymore since his parents died. There was just no sense in having one. Why should he solitarily sit in front of a tree, no one else around than his own troubled thoughts?

 

 Christmas is the time when you realize how lonely you are. Regan took a seat on his sofa. Why did he try to betray himself? He was neither happy nor busy, and it hurt awfully to spend the Christmas time all by himself! And one didn’t get used to it, no matter how many years had passed.

 

He rose an eyebrow when a soft ringing was audible. He couldn’t stifle an angry sigh. Whether it was Mister Wheeler or Trixie and Honey, he had told all of them that he didn’t want to come to their Christmas party. Just that he was a lonely orphan didn’t mean that he needed alms!

 

But it wasn’t Trixie or Honey. It wasn’t Mister Wheeler either.

 

“Danny!” Regan froze, bewildered.

 

“Hello, Uncle Bill.” Danny chuckled softly or maybe nervously. “Can I come in for a short moment?”

 

“Sure!” Regan quickly led the boy into his apartment. “Do you want a hot chocolate? Some cookies?” he offered hastily, hurrying to fetch some snacks. Danny shook his head.

 

“No. I left Spartan down there and it’s very cold,” he declared, negating. “I don’t want to stay very long.”

 

“Oh…”

 

“Yeah. I… Uncle Bill, I’m here because… I wanted to wish you a merry Christmas.” Danny lifted his view any shyly smiled at him. Regan’s eyes wettened.

 

“Oh, thanks, Danny,” he replied weakly. He was startled a little bit when he noticed how low his own voice sounded. Daniel gave him a slight hug.

 

“And… Uncle Bill, I wanted to invite you,” the boy continued. “You can stay with me and Mister Maypenny over the night, if you want.“ He fell silent, waiting for Regan’s reply. Regan hesitated for a moment. His eyes leaned pleasantly on Danny when he answered.

 

“No, thanks, Danny.” He shook his head. “I appreciate it a lot that you want to have me with you for Christmas. But I think I should rather stay here. I have to look for the horses and … so on.” Regan averted his eyes. Even though Regan was part of Danny’s family, he was not part of Mister Maypenny’s family. But it felt so good, oh it felt so good that there was somebody caring about him. Not caring because of compassion as like Mister Wheeler, but caring about him because Regan meant something to him.

 

Regan embraced Daniel, petting they boy’s back gently.

 

“Merry Christmas, Daniel. And… if you have another minute?” he asked, already heading for his bedroom. Danny nodded.

 

“Sure, why…”

 

“Wait a minute, please!” Regan disapperead behind his door, returning only a few seconds later. A small package was on his arm, awkwardly wrapped into gift-wrapping paper. Regan blushed a little bit.

 

“I… wanted to pay a short visit to you and Mister Maypenny tomorrow, but as you’re here anyway…” He held out the present to Danny. The boy stared at it silently for several moments, eventually taking it and smiling at his uncle.

 

“Thank you, Uncle Bill,” he replied lowly. “That’s so kind of you.” His cheeks had reddened and Regan somehow knew that it was not only because of embarrassement but also because of delight. Regan laughed and ruffled Danny’s hair.

 

“Danny, you’re my nephew and I love you. And Christmas is the time when you give those you love a little present,” he remarked, blinking mischieviously.

 

“Is it?” Danny murmured, averting his eyes to hid a secret smile. Finally, he lifted his view again.

 

“Well, I have a present for you, too, Uncle Bill,” he betrayed eventually, chuckling as Regan’s jaw dropped in unbelieving surprise.

 

“Do you?” Regan called out in a tone as if he was doubting Daniel’s words. Danny nodded.

 

“Sure I have. I just…. couldn’t wrap it,” he apologized.

 

“Oh, I don’t mind.” Regan stared at his nephew, his head still refusing to believe the young one. When had Regan gotten his last gift? Some time before his mother died. This was so many years ago… Would he honestly get a present again? A present from someone who loved him?

 

Regan looked up when Daniel suddenly left the apartment. He knitted his eyebrows in confusion and followed Daniel a few steps.

 

“Danny, where…”

 

“Just stay where you are! It’s a little big, but I’ll get along with it,” Danny soothed him, his voice quite cheerful.

 

Regan returned into his apartment, questions running through his head. After one or two minutes, Daniel entered the living room again, carrying a huge green…

 

“Danny! That’s a Christmas tree!” Regan jumped up, releasing Danny from his heavy load. He darted Danny an asking view and the boy blushed, smiling embarrassedly.

 

“Honey told me that you don’t have a Chritsmas tree. So I went into the woods together with Mister Maypenny, and we searched the right tree for you,” he related. “I hope you like this one.”

 

Regan placed the tree on the ground, supporting it with one hand and freeing it from the net around it with the other one.

 

“It’s beautiful, Daniel,” he admired and his words were more than bare kindness. The tree was just gorgeous. Its twigs were dense and dark green, and it spread a pleasant wooden smell in the room. This definitely was a “Regan-tree”.

 

“I’ll better leave now again.” Danny’s voice startled Regan out of his thoughts. Danny grinned. “If I wait much longer, Spartan will be frozen stiffy and won’t be able to move anymore. And I for sure don’t want to miss Mister Maypenny’s Christmas meal.”

 

Regan quickly grabbed the boy’s shoulders before he could leave.

 

“Danny… I… Thank you.” He swallowed with great effort. “For everything. For coming here, for the tree…”

 

Danny smiled gently at him.

 

“The offer’s still there. If you change your opinion, no matter what time, Mister Maypenny and I will always have a warm meal and a cosy bed for you,” he remarked. Regan nodded thankfully.

 

“It’s okay. I’ll stay here.” He pointed at the Christmas tree. “I think I have to do some more decorating, you know.” He feel silent and fixed his eyes on the ground.

 

“But… if you… want to, we…” He looked up, his gaze shy. “…could go for a ride tomorrow together?” He began to gesticulate wildly with his freckled strong hands. “The scenery is quite peaceful and idyllic with all the snow, and…” He chewed his lower lip, not finishing the sentence. Daniel placed a hand on Regan’s shoulder.

 

“That would be great, Uncle Bill.” Honest joy stood in his dark eyes. “I really would like that.”

 

Regan smiled back at him.

 

“So… I’ll be at the cabin at ten o’clock tomorrow?” he suggested. Daniel nodded.

 

“I’ll be there,” he promised. “I’m looking forward tomorrow.”

 

Regan grinned.

 

“Me too.”

 

He hugged his nephew a last time and they said good-bye. After a few steps, Dan turned around again.

 

“Have a happy Christmas, Uncle Bill,” he said meekly.

 

“I will, Danny,” Regan stated. Believe me, Danny, now I will.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Circle Writing Project – Happy Holidays VIII

 

required element: holiday photograph – the photo of Regan and his father in front of the Christmas tree

 

additional elements:

a gift: Regan’s gift for Danny and Danny’s gift for Regan

a holiday song: Honey and Trixie singing Christmas songs

holiday decoration: Regan’s decoration in his apartment

a family tradition: Regan and his father fetching the tree together, Regan’s parents reading a story to their children

an animal: Spartan

an unexpected guest: Danny

 

 

 

 

 

 

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