Belle, Gold, Aggie, and Elsie enjoy Christmas together
Part Three
Belle woke early, warm and happy, in Tristan's arms.
'I think Elsie might have been right about the snow,' he murmured, and kissed her cheek.
Belle smiled. 'A white Christmas: how wonderful!'
'Don't get your hopes up,' he chuckled: 'we'll be lucky if it hasn't turned to brown sludge by the afternoon.'
Belle shrugged. 'Well, if it does, all that matters is that we're together.'
'It's a big deal to you, isn't it: this Christmas?' he asked quietly, seeing in her face just how much it meant to her.
'Yes,' she said simply.
'Were you very lonely, Belle?' he asked, and he was thinking of her bastard ex-husband and getting angry.
'I'm not any more,' she said, smiling.
'Still, I want to punch your ex again.'
She could see that he did, and would probably always want to, and she did love how he stood up for her, but Greg was in the past where he belonged.
'Well, there's no need,' she told him firmly. 'It's over and done with. He's out of our lives and I don't give him even a passing thought any more. You healed the heart he broke, Tristan.' As she spoke, she realised it was true. In the short time they'd been together, the happiness she was experiencing with her wonderful boyfriend had mended her heart.
'Did I, Belle?' he asked tenderly: 'is it really healed?'
She smiled and stroked her hand through his hair. 'You love me so well, how could it not be?' she asked softly.
He smiled and kissed her; then his hand slid between her legs, making her gasp.
'Tristan,' she breathed, wanting to, but not wanting to alarm his mothers with their noisy lovemaking.
'I can be quiet,' he told her.
She giggled. 'No, you can't, and neither can I: we both talk a lot during sex, Tristan.'
'Believe me, I've noticed,' he said, smiling wickedly, 'but I think we can be quiet, this once.'
She was torn for a moment between worrying how thin the walls were and enjoying the sensation of his fingers touching her teasingly, but the desire for more of Tristan won out and she kissed him.
'Quietly, then,' she murmured, shifting a little to welcome him.
He smiled, kissing her and sliding into her at the same time, swallowing her moan in their kiss.
'Quietly,' he teased, and she swatted him as he grinned at her.
The effort not to make noise made their lovemaking extra intense that morning, and Belle was still seeing stars as she held Tristan to her, both of them panting. He'd collapsed on top of her and had his face buried against her neck. She felt him smile.
'You're incredible, babe,' he said, raising up on his elbows to look at her.
She smiled. 'If I am, it's because of you. You make me feel confident, Tristan. All my life, I've wanted someone I could be with like this, who wanted me like this. Ariel said I'd find you, and I did.' She stroked his cheek. 'I love you, so much.'
'I love you too,' he said, smiling, 'and I'm one lucky bastard that you walked into my dressing room that night. I never fell so hard or so fast. You take my breath away every time you walk into a room.'
'You do the same to me,' she said, smiling.
He smiled and kissed her, but she kept it from getting too heated this time.
'I'm helping your mothers with the cooking,' she said, 'so I need to get up.'
He nodded and sighed. 'And I'll be in and out to the shops with lists all day.' He smiled, though, showing he didn't mind. 'Right.' And he got up and headed to the shower.
0
Aggie and Elsie turned and smiled as Tristan and Belle came into the kitchen.
'Happy Christmas Eve,' he called, greeting his mothers and kissing each on the cheek.
'Happy Christmas Eve, dears.'
'Did you sleep well?'
'Like logs,' Gold said, grinning at Belle. And because he was grinning at her, he missed the smiles his mothers sent each other. They were sure they had slept like logs…eventually.
'Good morning, Aggie: good morning, Elsie,' Belle greeted, 'can I help?'
Tristan's mothers were cooking breakfast again.
Elsie smiled at her. 'Such a dear.'
'You could slice the bread, dear,' Aggie suggested.
Belle set to with a smile and then helped dish up the breakfast.
All the while, Gold watched the three of them, smiling at how easily his mothers had accepted Belle.
0
After breakfast, plans for the day's activity of cooking and baking for Christmas were put in place. In the old days, before he left for America, Gold would spend Christmas Eve going around the shops with lists for his mothers, and he happily fell back into the role of messenger boy, even though it was snowing heavily.
'You're a good lad,' Elsie said, when he appeared with his coat and asked where he was to go first.
He was soon furnished with a list for the butcher and went off to get the Christmas turkey and other things his mothers had ordered.
While he was in and out during the morning and afternoon, Belle was happily taking part in the ritual of preparing everything for the Christmas dinner with Aggie and Elsie in their cosy kitchen, smiling and laughing as she listened to Tristan's mothers tell stories about him and their life together.
She shared her own stories too, about her attraction to him and their friendship, and then the fear she'd felt when they'd kissed the first time. Aggie and Elsie were nothing but sympathetic as she talked about it, and when she berated herself for her fear and for hurting him, they told her not to be so hard on herself, that Tristan had understood her fear, and they were happy together now, weren't they?
'Oh, yes,' Belle said, and Aggie and Elsie smiled at the light in her eyes and her happy smile.
'Then that's all that matters, lovey,' Elsie said.
'And it's obvious how happy you make him,' Aggie added.
'He makes me very happy too,' Belle said.
Gold walked in then, on another meaningful moment between Belle and his mothers. He didn't ask if everything was alright this time, he simply smiled and presented the results of what he hoped was his final shopping expedition for the day.
'Is the snow bad, lad?' Elsie asked.
'Pelting down now,' he said, 'so is this it, or is there anything you've forgotten?'
'I think that's it,' Elsie said.
'Eggs!' Aggie cried, almost at the same time.
'I thought you put them on the list, Aggie.'
'I forgot,' his other mother said, looking at him.
'There's always something,' he said, smiling. 'Don't worry, I'll get them. A dozen?'
'Please, lad.'
'You're a dear,' Elsie added.
He kissed Belle and went to brave the snow again.
0
The preparations went smoothly and Gold was glad not to have to go out again for another forgotten item, especially now that the snow was pelting down. As the afternoon moved into evening, his mothers and Belle were still working away in the kitchen. He'd offered to help, but had been summarily dismissed, so he had busied himself with making the rest of the house look presentable, in case anyone should happen to call.
Once the three of them were finished getting everything ready, and the pie they'd made for dinner was eaten, he shooed them out of the kitchen and cleaned up after them, while the three of them sat on the couch with tea and biscuits, and some Christmas film on the television.
He smiled when he came in from the kitchen and saw his mothers nodding off. Belle smiled at him as he sat in the armchair and came to him when he patted his lap.
'Alright?' he asked softly, as she settled in his lap.
'Happy,' she said simply, kissing his cheek.
'Me too,' he said.
0
Christmas morning was cold and bright. It had stopped snowing, but a lovely blanket of white covered the rooftops and the street below. Gold, Belle, and his mothers had had an early night after all the busyness the day before, so they all woke refreshed and happy, aware that today wasn't like other days.
'Happy Christmas, Belle,' Gold whispered, kissing her temple.
'Happy Christmas, Tristan,' she returned, stroking his cheek.
Aggie and Elsie were already up, and there were warm exchanges of Christmas greetings, hugs, and kisses, and then Gold insisted on cooking breakfast for his three favourite women.
After breakfast, the four adjourned to the living room for the exchange of presents. They had all promised not to do anything too extravagant, but everyone had a few gifts to give and receive.
'May I go first?' Belle asked. The others agreed and she took their gifts from under the tree.
'Aggie, Elsie: these are for you,' she said, handing them each a large box, elegantly wrapped. 'They're the same thing, but a little bit different: I hope you like them.'
'Och, lassie.'
'You shouldn't have.'
Belle smiled at Tristan as his mothers were so in tune that they finished each other's sentences.
Belle had given them each a handmade shawl, made of silk and soft wool. They'd been hand dyed and hand painted, Aggie's in pinks and reds and purples, and Elsie's in blues and greens and yellows.
'Lassie!'
'What beautiful gifts!'
'Thank you, dear.'
'You're welcome,' Belle returned, seeing their genuine delight and pleasure. 'These are yours, Tristan,' she said, handing him the suit bag he'd carried home for her the other day and a smaller, wrapped present.
Gold smiled and opened the suit bag first. 'Babe, this is great,' he said, admiring the coat she'd bought him.
'You like it?' she asked.
'I love it,' he said, and kissed her: 'thank you.' He stood up and tried it on. 'Perfect fit.' He leaned down to kiss her again and then sat beside her to open his second present.
This was a framed picture of them holding each other and smiling into the camera. Jefferson had taken it about a month ago, and Belle had liked it and asked for a copy.
'You can take it with you when you go on tour,' she told him, 'so I'll be with you, even when I'm not.'
He smiled and kissed her again. 'Best present ever,' he told her, meaning it.
'Us next,' Aggie said.
'Tristan, this'll go with your new coat,' Elsie said.
He opened the package she gave him and found a soft, wool scarf, in a dark blue. And in another box, which Aggie handed to him, were about ten vinyl records, all carefully chosen and sourced for his eclectic taste.
'Where on earth did you find these?' he wondered, knowing some of them were rare.
'Never you mind, lad.'
'We have our ways.'
'Do you like them?'
'They're great,' he said sincerely: 'thank you, and thank you for the scarf, it's perfect.' And he hugged his mothers tight and kissed them both on the cheek.
'Belle, dear, this is for you.'
'I hope it fits,' Elsie said.
Charmed, Belle opened the box Aggie handed her and found a beautiful cream coloured cardigan, hand knitted in soft wool.
'It's beautiful!' she cried, holding it up.
'I'm glad you like it, dear,' Elsie said quietly, smiling.
'You made it?' Belle asked her. Elsie nodded.
'Elsie's the knitter in the family,' Gold said, smiling.
Belle stood and tried on her gift over her dress, which was also cream.
'It fits perfectly, and it's lovely: thank you.' And she leaned down and kissed Elsie.
'This is for you too, lassie,' Elsie said, handing her a smaller package.
Belle opened it and found that it was a book of Scottish poetry. She smiled.
'They're all in Scots, lass, so Tristan can tell you how they're meant to be read,' Aggie said.
'Thank you, I love it.' And Belle kissed and hugged both of Tristan's mothers.
'My turn,' Gold said, and pulled a few packages from underneath the tree.
'For you two,' he said, handing Aggie and Elsie an envelope, 'to say thank you for everything.'
'Now, lad,' Aggie began, having a premonition of what the envelope contained, but Elsie's gasp as she saw the cheque cut her off.
'Tristan!' Elsie cried.
Aggie's eyes widened as she looked at the cheque. 'We can't take that, Tristan,' she protested.
'I want you to have it,' he said. 'Blow it all on a holiday,' he said, though he was mostly joking.
'That's far too much for a holiday,' Aggie said.
'Five holidays, then,' he said. 'You two gave me a home and your love when I had nothing and no one: I owe you so much more than is in that cheque, but that's a start. I'm doing alright now and I want to look after you, like you looked after me. Use it for a holiday or put it away for a rainy day: either way, it'll make me happy to know that it's there for you and that I'm able to do this for you now.'
'You were always such a sweet boy,' Elsie said, tearing up.
'Couldn't ask for a better child,' Aggie added.
Gold smiled and hugged them. 'And I couldn't ask for better mums.'
After a moment, he sat beside Belle again and handed her a square box. 'Happy Christmas, babe.'
She smiled and opened it, gasping at what she found. 'Tristan…' She lifted the necklace out of the box. It was a gold chain with a sapphire pendant. 'It's far too much,' she protested.
'Nonsense,' he said, taking it from her and coaxing her to turn so he could put it on for her. She did as she was bid and lifted her hair out of the way. He placed it around her neck and she turned to face him again.
'It's very beautiful,' she said, touching the pendant and smiling at him. 'Thank you.' She kissed him softly.
'You're welcome,' he said, 'and this is for you too.'
She smiled at the larger, heavier present, and opened it quickly.
It was a book of Scottish fairy tales.
'Oh, it's lovely,' she enthused, smiling at him.
'I asked Aggie to find a good one,' he said. 'You could read some to the kids for story time if you like,' he said.
'That's a wonderful idea: thank you, Tristan.' And she kissed him again.
Presents given and received, the four of them spent a quiet day together. The vegetables and trimmings for Christmas dinner had been prepared the day before, so everything just had too be cooked. Aggie and Elsie mostly took care of that, while Gold and Belle gave whatever assistance was needed.
The four of them enjoyed a delicious dinner and they sat at the table long after they were done eating, just chatting and enjoying each other's company.
Belle didn't think she'd ever been so happy. She had a family again after so long.
'Oh, lovey, what is it?' Elsie asked, obviously seeing the emotion on her face.
'Oh, no, I'm happy,' Belle said, smiling as Elsie took her hand. 'I'm just very happy,' she said, and laughed a little at herself.
Gold smiled at her. He knew what she was thinking of because he'd felt it himself when he first came here: a sense of belonging.
'You two have a way of making someone feel at home,' he said to his mothers, 'especially when you haven't had an easy time.' And he took Belle's hand gently, smiling at her and then his mothers.
'Yes,' Belle agreed: that was it exactly.
Aggie and Elsie smiled.
'Well, dears, you'll always have a home with us.'
'Both of you.'
And the four of them sat, talking and laughing together in the warm, cosy kitchen, and it was the best Christmas they'd had in years.
Next time: New Year's celebrations. Aiming to have this posted tomorrow. Happy new year everyone!