Hello All! This is a story I wrote back in 2000. It was my first-ever fanfic. As I've read through it, I definitely notice that my writing style has changed quite a bit over the years. I thought I'd go ahead and post it though. This used to be on the old Facts of Life Fanfiction site and had some good reviews over there, so I hope even though it is an oldie, it's still something people can enjoy! It's a Christmas story...so just pretend it's Christmas in July. :)
Beverly Ann Stickle sat alone in the living room. It was quiet, quieter than it had ever been in this house. Her sister, Edna, was upstairs asleep. It seemed that Edna slept a lot lately. She had not been herself since the death of her husband Bruce. It had been almost eight weeks and Edna still refused to talk about it. Bruce had died suddenly of a heart attack. It was unexpected and Edna refused to bounce back from the tragedy.
To make matters worse, it was almost Christmas. Beverly Ann and Edna would be spending their first Christmas alone in years. Edna's children never seemed to write or call and were always too busy to visit. Beverly Ann's son, Andy had chosen to celebrate the holidays in Colorado with his fiancée and her family. At twenty-eight, Andy was the youngest professor on staff at Langley College, and his fiancée, Gina, was a third grade teacher. Beverly Ann knew they deserved a break from Peekskill. She just wished they had not chosen to go away this Christmas. As much as she wanted to be strong for Edna, she knew she needed someone there to help her.
Beverly Ann wished there was something she could do to make the holiday special. Neither she, nor Edna, was getting any younger. Bruce's death had made Beverly Ann think of her own mortality and now she wanted to live every day to the fullest, and she wanted that for her sister also. She knew she had to think of a way to bring the old Edna back, a way to save Edna from her own self-pity. Beverly Ann hated to think of what might happen if she did not succeed.
Edna Garrett Gaines was alone in her bedroom. She had told her sister she was taking a nap, but she could not seem to fall asleep. She felt so alone. Beverly Ann was always there for her, but Edna knew there was no way her sister understand what she was going through. So many important people were gone from Edna's life. She had always felt there would be time to mend broken relationships; time to tell everyone how she felt about them. Now she wasn't so sure. Without even a moment's notice, time could run out.
She thought about her husband Bruce. They had been arguing over some little thing the day he died. Edna never told him she was sorry. Her last words to him had been out of anger. She hoped he knew she loved him. She knew he did, but she still wished things had ended differently. Why was she always so stubborn?
She thought back to Bruce's funeral. It was a brisk afternoon. The sky was gray and sadness hung in the air. Beverly Ann was there of course. Andy and Gina were there too, and a few people Bruce had befriended in the neighborhood, but no one else. Edna's children had called to offer their condolences, but they could not seem to pull themselves away from their busy careers in order to comfort their mother in her time of need. Edna had not expected her sons to come. They had never been close to Bruce, but their absence made the day even harder to bear.
Then Edna began to think about the girls. They had been absent from Bruce's funeral as well. Even though Edna asked her not to, Beverly Ann had called all of the girls to tell them about Bruce's death. Blair, Jo, Natalie, and Tootie had each sent flowers and a card, but they were not at the funeral. Edna knew why. It was because of her. She had ended her relationship with the girls years ago. It was out of love that she had done it, even if they didn't understand that at the time. But now, sitting alone with her grief, she wondered if she had made the right choice. Sitting in the darkness of her bedroom, thinking of the past, Edna began to cry.
Beverly Ann took a tray of her tofu soup up to her sister. Even though Edna had not been eating much lately, her sister still made the effort. She balanced the tray on her knee and knocked on the door. Edna didn't answer, so Beverly Ann gently pushed the door open. She did not want to wake her sister, but planned to leave the tray on her nightstand. When she opened the door, she found Edna crying. It was the first real sign of emotion Beverly Ann had seen her sister express in weeks. She sat and the bed, putting the tray on the nightstand and embraced her sister, holding her as she cried.
Edna told Beverly Ann how much she missed Bruce. She told her that her life felt incomplete. She admitted that she wished things had been different with the girls. If they were still part of her life, she felt things would be easier now. She had always been there for them, but they had been there for her too. It was because of them that she had had the courage to marry Bruce in the first place. It had been so hard for her to leave them and her life in Peekskill, but they told her to go for it, and she did. When she and Bruce moved back to Peekskill, the girls had all moved out, but they helped her get her store up and running again. Beverly Ann had given up on Over Our Heads and the girls had not had time to run it, but they managed to find time to help Edna and Bruce start up business again. It wasn't until tragedy struck all of their lives that the girls turned on each other. Edna could not stand to see them fighting, hurting, and avoiding each other. She would not allow it in her house. It was then that she gave the girls an ultimatum. They had to forgive each other and come into her house together, or none of them would be welcome there again. That had been nine years ago. She had not seen them since.
When Edna finished telling her sister about the pain she was feeling, she had expected to feel better, but she didn't. She still felt so empty and alone. Beverly Ann knew that only one thing could make this Christmas all right for Edna. She had a plan. She just hoped it would work.