Tristan Trilogy- Story 3

CHAPTER 45

Holly wondered what had happened with Kevin and Tristan on the way to the restaurant. They kept exchanging those 'lover's glances' all through dinner, like they were sharing some kind of secret. AJ and Nick were sharing 'looks' with each other, too. Looks of frustration that said 'That picture pissed me off but I can't say anything because I made a big deal about justifying the Rolling Stone shot and now I don't know how to squirm out of this without hurting feelings or looking like an ass or both but I'll be damned if I'm going to hang that thing over my fireplace…'

They weren't bothered by fans or autograph seekers during dinner or even afterwards when they ventured down the cobbled streets to walk off their pasta and do a little window-shopping. The shops had been decorated for Christmas and the temperature had dropped, adding to the seasonal atmosphere.

They soon found themselves in front of a small store that boasted an extensive collection of old vinyl LP's and music collectibles that peaked the interest of Kevin, AJ and Nick and Amanda. Holly and Tristan had started to follow them into the store when Tristan turned and spotted a shop across the street that held a greater fascination - at least to her.

"Why don't I just meet you back here in a few minutes," she said to Kevin. "I want to look in that store across the street."

Kevin followed the tip of her finger to the brightly decorated storefront. The hand painted sign above the door read 'Christmas Year Round' and through the paned glass he could see a myriad of nutcrackers, ornaments, lights and tinsel. Kevin nodded after Holly volunteered to go with her. The shops were almost empty at this time of night on a Wednesday. It would be all right.

Kevin was standing near the front of the record shop when he glanced across the street. He spotted Holly through the store window, leaning over a glass case and examining its contents. He didn't see Tristan.

"I'll be right back.."

Kevin left the record shop and strode across the street to peer into the window. When he finally spotted her, standing beside a decorated Christmas tree, he couldn't move. He could only watch her react to the thousands of decorations that filled the store. He felt like a voyeur and was overcome with a sweet sadness at Tristan's childlike fascination with all of the glitter and sparkle that surrounded her. He watched as she reached out to touch the old-fashioned glass ornaments that dangled from the branches of a huge artificial tree that was the centerpiece of the shop. She had glanced around first, her eyes wide, as if she were afraid she might be scolded for touching the fragile decorations. A small smile formed on her lips as she lovingly and with great care, virtually caressed dozens of the colored baubles, examining them as if they were priceless Faberge eggs. She had retreated to her own little world. Her fingers gently stroked a length of golden garland that peeked out from the green branches and after she was satisfied that she had seen everything the tree had to offer, Kevin watched her rise to her tip toes and reach up towards the golden star that sat atop the fake spruce. She couldn't reach it, of course. The gesture had been reflexive. Tristan glanced around quickly, suddenly embarrassed as she jerked her arm back down to her side.

"She never had a Christmas tree, you know…"

The sound of Amanda's voice startled Kevin and he whirled around to find that she was standing slightly behind him, also watching Tristan through the glass. Her remark had been gentle but laced with emotion and Kevin was surprised to see her blink several times before she sighed and took a drag off her cigarette. It wasn't often that Amanda showed her softer side.

"I didn't know that." Kevin admitted.

"She said something about it on the bus onetime. You remember, the day the guys and girls rode on separate busses to the next venue and you carried Tristan off the bus…"

"I remember…"

Amanda threw her cigarette on the pavement and ground it out under her boot. "I don't think she meant to say anything. Hell, she probably doesn't even remember saying it. We'd all had a bit to drink.."

"Yeah.." Kevin smiled, recalling that day - and the night before - and the night after. "We were watching y'all from our bus."

"It was so odd. I mean, she wasn't sad or anything when she said it. It was just matter of fact-like. She said her father didn't believe in Christmas trees because they were pagan or something… But, I've got to tell you, Kevin, it got to me real bad."

Kevin put his arm around Amanda and hugged her for a moment before they both turned back to watch Tristan in the store.

"Well, I'll tell you one God damned thing, Amanda.." he declared calmly, "…Tris is gonna have herself the mother of all Christmas trees this year…" He squeezed her shoulder and then stepped towards the door of the shop.

Kevin opened the shop door slowly, trying not to cause the sleigh bells that announced customers to jungle. The checkout counter was beside the door and was being manned by an elderly gentleman who was occupied with a greyhound racing form.

"Excuse me…" Kevin whispered, drawing the old man's attention. He glanced to the back of the shop. Holly and Tristan were looking at a train display. "That big tree…" Kevin said pointing to the middle of the store, "…the one that the woman over there was looking at…"

The old man looked over towards Holly and Tristan. "Oh yes. The pregnant blond…"

"My wife.." Kevin nodded.

"That tree sure had her spellbound…" the man chuckled.

"That's why I want to buy everything hanging on that tree. I want you to wrap the stuff up, pack it and mail it to me in Kentucky. Here's my card.." Kevin drew an American Express card from his wallet and threw it down on the counter.

The shopkeeper looked at him as if he were crazy. "Mister, those ornaments are individually blown in Germany and Italy! They're not cheap - some of them are thirty and forty dollars apiece!"

"I don't care. Can you do it?"

"Sure. I can do it. You want the star and everything?"

"Everything." Kevin said flatly. "As soon as possible. And this is a surprise, so don't say anything to her…"

Kevin quickly wrote down their Kentucky address as the old man pressed the credit card onto a ticket and handed it back to him.

"I can't give you a receipt until I t..tally this stuff up….," he stammered.

"I'll have to trust you then." Kevin smiled. "Just send me the receipt separately. And remember…" Kevin held his finger up to his lips and the man nodded vigorously.

"Not a word…."

Kevin took a step back to the door and opened it, then closed it forcefully, causing the bells to jingle loudly. Tristan and Holly both turned their heads to the noise and seemed a little surprised to see Kevin standing there.

"You girls finished playing with the train?" he called across the store. "Aren't you a little old for that? Trains are for boys, anyway…" he teased.

"It's a Christmas train!" Tristan yelled back. "Come here and look!"

Kevin watched Tristan watch the red cars circle a display of poinsettias. The coal cars that followed the engine were filled with various kinds of Christmas candy - candy canes in one car, gumdrops in another, hard candy in a third.

"Watch!" Tristan said excitedly as the train rounded the bend and disappeared into one end of a fiberglass tunnel. When the engine chugged out of the opposite end, Tristan actually started laughing, as if she were surprised to see it appear.

"Cool…" he grinned, rolling his eyes at Holly. "You ready to go?"

Kevin went on ahead to the door.

"Wrap that up, too…" he told the man at the counter. "Tracks, tunnel, the works."

AJ and Nick were coming across the street as Holly and Tristan buttoned up their coats before leaving the shop. Each of them were carrying paper bags.

"Looks like those two found something interesting…" Holly laughed. "I'm putting my money on a Journey LP…"

It was then that Tristan noticed that Kevin carried no telltale shopping bag.

"Didn't you buy anything, sweetie?" she asked as Kevin opened the door.

"Nope," he answered, tossing a smirk towards the shopkeeper who returned the signal with a wink. "Not a thing…"

*****

“You know, dear, in my day it wasn’t uncommon for a woman to keep a jar of pickles with her at all times - when she neared her due date, I mean…”

Kevin and Tristan had arrived in Kentucky just a few hours ago. It had just gotten dark and the phone rang almost as soon as they had turned on the lights. Ann had been waiting. She had purchased huge bags of baby things that she wanted to deliver personally and had hardly moved from the back window, watching patiently for signs of life. Kevin was opening the refrigerator door when he overheard his mother’s comments. He and Tristan uttered the obvious question at the same time.

“Why”

“In case her water broke…" Ann groaned as if it were a stupid question.

Kevin looked at Tristan and made a face that advertised his confusion. Tristan didn't understand either. Her brows shot up and she shook her head inconspicuously. Ann sighed at their ignorance and began her explanation.

"Look, you never know when your waters going to break. What if you're out in public somewhere? At a restaurant or shopping? So, you carry a big jar of pickles with you. If your water breaks, you drop the jar. People think that all that mess on the floor is pickle juice - not ….baby juice! Baby juice would get them all upset and would embarrass you, too! Pickle juice is different. It's impersonal and people don't get mad at your clumsiness because you're going to have a baby any minute and they figure you're nervous and preoccupied…."

Tristan looked at her blankly and then her eyes seemed to clear a bit.

"Oh….," she mumbled. In a weird way, it sort of made some modicum of sense.

"I'll pick you up a jar tomorrow." Ann said casually as she raised her teacup to her lips. "Dill. Dill brine has more of a natural color - lighter that sweet pickle syrup - and thinner… You'll need at least a one-quart jar…"

Kevin's tongue started moving across his teeth as he listened to this conversation. His mouth suddenly tasted…. funny. He knew that he'd have a hard time ever eating another pickle - sweet or sour.

"The babies aren't due for almost six weeks," he cut in. "I think the pickles can wait."

"Oh, so you're 'Dr. Pumpkin' now?" Ann frowned at her son. She disliked her children contradicting her. "Well, for your information Doctor, twins often come early, especially in a case like Tristan's, with her blood pressure and all…."

"WHAT?" Kevin's face underwent a series of fascinating changes in the space of a few seconds - surprise, suspicion, wariness, alarm and fear all showed themselves in quick succession. "Is that true?" he glared at Tristan.

"It happens sometimes…" she answered weakly.

"WHAT?" Kevin was incensed. "That can't be true! Dr. Malone said the middle of January! He said that! I heard him, myself!"

"Doctors can't always predict these things, sweetie.." Tristan tried to remain calm. She could see the vein in Kevin's neck begin to bulge a little. His timetable had been severely threatened. "Don't worry about this, Kevin. The babies will come when they want to."

"But he said the fifteenth! What in the hell are we paying him for?" He began to pace. "Shit!"

Kevin wouldn't be soothed. He didn't like these kinds of potential surprises. He felt as if he had little enough control over this as it was. His schedule had prevented them from taking the Lamaze classes that the doctor had suggested but he had read the books and convinced himself that he knew what to do even if Tristan had been uncooperative during his attempts to practice what he had learned. I should have been more insistent! Now if something happens early, she won't be ready and I'll have to do this all by myself! He shot her a look of annoyance and she frowned back at him. Kevin stopped, pushed his fingers through his hair and stood with his hands on his head for a moment. He seemed to be focusing on the chrome toaster that sat on the counter top beside the microwave. Ann and Tristan stared.

"What's he doing?" Ann whispered to her daughter-in-law.

Tristan shrugged. "I hope he's trying to get a grip…"

Kevin sighed deeply, dropped his hands and took a deep breath - a cleansing breath of sorts.

"Okay… Everything's under control here…" Kevin was talking to himself. "Okay….," he repeated calmly.

Ann and Tristan were still staring, open mouthed, when Kevin gave his head a quick shake and turned to his wife.

"Tristan, I really think it would be better if these babies came when Dr. Malone said they should. I think you should hold off for as long as you can, but if that doesn't happen….,well, I guess I'll just have to let you do whatever it is you have to do…"

Tristan gazed at him for a moment in disbelief as a dozen different retorts to his magnanimous gesture washed over her. Finally, she settled on the easiest one.

"Thank you, Kevin," she said flatly.

CHAPTER 46

The house was ready. The furniture was in place. When Tristan’s surprise arrived from Florida, courtesy of UPS, Kevin hid it in his office. It was ten days before Christmas. Time to get a tree.

“Do you like colored lights or white lights?” Kevin asked as they sat in their new media room waiting for the trailers to end on the tape they had rented. “On a Christmas tree, I mean…”

Tristan smiled at her lap as she contemplated her answer, What a delightful question! The sheet music that rested on her belly suddenly bounced of it’s own accord and Kevin’s forehead furrowed as he watched it, fascinated. It was being shaken by a kick from below. It shifted several more times before Kevin pulled it away. A series of jabs still moved under Tristan’s sweater followed by a small ridge that moved for several inches across the diameter of her stomach.

“Jesus - doesn’t that hurt?” Kevin frowned.

Tristan didn’t seem to hear him. She unconsciously rubbed her abdomen as she considered his original question.

“I really like both..” she admitted, “…but maybe white inside and colored lights outside…”

Kevin nodded as he placed his hand on her stomach. The babies were doing a polka tonight. “Tomorrow we get a tree.” He wouldn’t have taken a million dollars for the look on Tristan’s face.

The next day, after much searching, Kevin and Tristan selected a twelve-foot Noble fir. The green needles were so rich in color that they almost looked blue and after much fussing and cursing, Kevin finally got the tree up and in place. It was fortunate that the living area was so large and uncluttered - the fir was huge. He covered the tree in white lights but forbid Tristan to turn them on until after dark so she could get the full effect of his handiwork. When nightfall arrived, she stood back as Kevin flipped the magic switch. He was grinning his ass off, waiting to see enjoy her excitement. Instead of laughter and animation, however, what he got was a visibly upset mother-to-be who stared at the tree for several seconds, inhaled deeply and then quickly covered her eyes with her hands.

Kevin’s grin disappeared as he ran over beside her to check the tree from her angle. I must have screwed something up… The tree looked fine. In fact, it looked great. He couldn’t see any problem. Must be those hormones flarin’ up or somethin’…

“Tris, darlin’…What’s wrong? Don’t you like the tree?” Kevin was rubbing her shoulders as he tried to discover the source of her misery. “Do you want to change the lights?”

Much to his dismay, his question prompted Tristan to erupt into a flood of tears and she began to bawl.

“It’s… it’s…it’s the most … the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen…” she sobbed into his shoulder.

Kevin exhaled in relief and started to chuckle. “Damn, you had me worried there…" He lifted the hem of his shirt and started to wipe her face, wondering if he should wait for the second part of his surprise. He gave her a few minutes to recoup and then disappeared, returning with their jackets. “Let’s go outside for a minute.”

“It’s cold…”

“Come on!” Kevin demanded, tugging at her arm. “Quit bein’ such a wuss…”

Tristan followed reluctantly, keeping her eyes on the Christmas tree. “What?” she asked crossly as she stood near the porch steps.

Kevin turned her so that she was facing the lake, ordered her to wait and stepped across the wooden planks to an outdoor electrical switch.

“Ready?”

He didn’t wait for a response. In one brilliant moment, their property was transformed into a fairyland. Tristan was transfixed. White lights lined the front porch and covered the landscaping near the house but the trees and bushes that bordered the lawn that led down to the lake were covered in lights as well. These lights twinkled in an assortment of colors. The dogwoods were covered in red lights, the two Japanese maples had golden lights hanging from their branches and the other assorted trees and bushes were glowing brightly with other colors - blue, green, white and even purple. In addition, several trees that edged the lake around the edges of the shore had been lighted, providing unexpected bursts of color that were reflected in the surface of the water. Tristan took several steps backwards, overcome by the splendor that Kevin had created.

“When did you do all of this?” she whispered, clutching at his hand.

“I worked on it when you were at Mom’s or away someplace. Do you like it? Maybe it’s too much…”

“NO!…No… It’s beautiful.. Absolutely perfect…”

She stood for several minutes taking in the sparkling little world that Kevin had made, unable and unwilling to move from her spot. As she gazed out into the night, Kevin gazed at her, relishing one of those rare moments simple and pure happiness. The accolades, applause and awards would never be able to give him a moment quite like this. They stood quietly until he saw her shiver and then he insisted they go back inside.

“I’ll start a fire…”

Tristan nodded reluctantly as she let Kevin guide her back to the door. He had one more surprise for her, but Tristan was getting tired. The package would wait for a day or two.

*****

Tristan was feeling confined, like she couldn’t get out of her own way. She also missed her friends, both personal and professional. Kevin always made it a point to include her in his activities, but usually she declined. This was decompression time for him and he needed to go out and see old friends and spend some time with his family alone. This time of year made her feel a little more isolated that usual and she supposed it was a seasonal thing. She would be all right after New Years but for now, she felt a little odd, like she was standing outside of the circle once again.

There were always new stories, fresh tales of Kevin’s childhood and his family’s adventures. It never failed to surprise her when someone told a story and Kevin or another member of his family would shake their head and say they had ‘forgotten about that’. How could that be? Tristan supposed that since she had little to remember that she didn’t understand. People tried to include her in these conversations and draw her out but she couldn’t really participate by sharing so she asked a lot of questions and laughed. Most of the time people never realized that she hadn’t really said anything or contributed a story of her own. For all intents and purposes, this would be her first real Christmas. In a couple of years, she would have her own stories but until then, Tristan felt herself withdraw. It was almost as if she had been born a full-grown woman.

She decided that she would call Mason. Her history sort of began with music and Mason had been there almost from the beginning, as had Holly. When no one answered, she decided to give Holly a call. For some reason, she was feeling a real need to reaffirm herself in some way - to hang on to a little piece of Tristan Mallory. Although it was irrational, her identity crisis actually began at Thanksgiving when Kevin made such a fuss of the monogram on the sterling. The flatware was at the jewelers now and was being enhanced with another letter - an ‘R’ would be added along side of and intertwining the ‘M’. She had become more popularly known by the public as a ‘Backstreet Wife’. Professionals that she dealt with referred to her as Mrs. Richardson. Soon she would add ‘Mom’ to her list of labels. Not that any of these things were bad. In fact, they were wonderful and her concerns made her feel ashamed. She just couldn’t figure out what had happened to Tristan Mallory. She wanted to retain a little piece of her because, good or bad, it was all she had to offer.

She rubbed her stomach thoughtfully. These children will have two parents and will reflect each of their pasts. It may have been foolish pride, but it was important to Tristan that they know, one day, that her life didn’t begin in a Stockholm studio. Kevin would be hurt if he knew what she was thinking. This was something that she would keep to herself. Tristan began to feel better as soon as she heard the phone begin to ring in her ear.

“Hello?”

“Hi, Nick! You and Holly all ready for Christmas?”

Nick turned down the volume on the television. He really didn’t mind the interruption. He preferred professional football to the college game, anyway.

“Is it possible to ever be ready?” he joked. “Naw, I really guess we are. How are you doing, Mom?” he laughed “Have you had to sedate Kevin yet?”

Tristan returned his laughter and the conversation continued on a light and happy note for several minutes. Tristan told Nick about the tree and the lights Kevin had strung and he grinned at the excitement in her voice. He had heard enough about Tristan’s childhood Christmas’ from Holly and was glad that Kevin was making it so special for her.

“Where is Holly?” Tristan asked. “Is she around there somewhere?”

Nick leaned back on the sofa and propped his feet up on the coffee table.

“Naw. She and Mason are hooked at the hip these days. They’re off shopping for stage clothes. Holly has three more performances before Christmas, but at least they’re sorta close by. They should both be back here anytime, though. Mason said he was going to cook for us tonight - heaven help us!”

Tristan grew quiet. She was happy for Holly - she really was - and she’d never find anyone to help her who was better than Mason, but an unfamiliar feeling had crept over her and Tristan found herself feeling a little envious of Holly’s blossoming career and jealous over her new closeness to Mason.

“Tris? You still there?” Nick was peering into the mouthpiece of the phone as if she might appear.

“Ye..yes, I’m here…” she stuttered. “just lost in thought for a moment, I guess. Uh… Mason’s a great cook, Nick. You’ll have a wonderful dinner and I’m really glad to hear that he and Holy are hitting it off so well.”

Nick detected a strange timber in Tristan’s voice - a sudden coolness - and he wondered if he had said something wrong. He continued on, trying to be upbeat and complimentary.

“Yeah, that Mason is a piece of work! I don’t think Holly could make it without him, sometimes - and he tells people about you all the time!”

“Does he?” Tristan brightened.

“Hell, yes!” Nick laughed, encouraged by her interest. “He's always telling everybody how he worked for Tristan Mallory, who used to be a great classical pianist….” Nick’s smile dissipated as he was, once again, met with silence. “Tris? Is there something wrong with your phone? Can you hear me?”

“I hear you…” she answered dryly. “Tell Holly Merry Christmas, okay? We’ll see you on the 27th…”

Click.

*****

Kevin didn't know what had happened to push Tristan into this mood and chalked it up to some type of pre-delivery hormone surge. She seemed to swing from sadness to impatience in a matter of minutes but, overall, she was quiet and withdrawn. His attempts to seek out a cause for this were futile as most of his questions and comments were met with silence. Kevin might have ignored Tristan's temperamental behavior had it not been for the fact that he had caught her - several times that day - sitting at the baby grand and examining the keys as if they were foreign to her. She never struck a note. She would just sit and then stand up abruptly and leave the room.

"What did you do today, Tris?" Kevin was looking over tour rehearsal notes as they sat at the kitchen table picking over the remains of a simple supper.

"Nothing…" Tristan picked up the plates and took them to the sink.

"Nothing? Nothing at all?" he prodded, looking up. "Didn't you see anybody or talk to anyone today?"

Her back was to him as she scraped their plates. She didn't respond at first and then she shook her head.

"I thought you were going to call Holly…"

"Wasn't home. Went shopping with Mason….."

Kevin was trying to be understanding. He really was but his own patience was wearing a little thin. He was going crazy trying to take care of tour details 'long distance' and was feeling a certain amount of guilt over the fact that he'd be leaving Tristan and his new babies a week after their birth, if they were born on time. His feelings were confusing and mixed. He liked the rush of touring but he craved the peace of home, too. As he sighed in frustration, his eyes fell upon the cardboard box that sat on the kitchen island. It was full of mail - mostly Christmas cards and catalogs. Maybe this would provide a diversion for both of them.

"Why don't we go through this mail?" he suggested. She shrugged, uninterested and Kevin began to get pissed. "Maybe it would help get you out of this mood you seem to be wallowing in…"

Tristan whirled around, her eyes flashing. "Fine!" she shouted. "I'll help you open your fan mail!"

"These are for both of us!"

"Well, let's see…" Tristan answered sarcastically as she began pulling envelopes from the box and sorting them. "Kevin, Kevin, Kevin…Oh, here's a Mr. and Mrs…. I'll take that one!" She grabbed another handful. "Phone bill. I'll take that one, too. Kevin, Kevin, Train, Kevin, Mr. and Mrs. - oh, another one for me!" she said dramatically and held the envelope against her heart. "Funny - there don' seem to be any that are addressed to 'Tristan' or even 'Kevin and Tristan'…"

"Just put the box on the table, Tris, and we'll each open whatever we grab, okay?"

"Fine!"

They each angrily grabbed a handful of envelopes, glared at one another and began ripping into the colorful paper. Each card was read and then put into a pile with a grunt or sigh.

"Here's a sweet one.." Tristan muttered. "'Dear Kevin, I hope you have a Merry Christmas despite the fact that you're stuck with that blond bimbo. At least the tour will begin soon and you'll be able to get a life again. Hope to see you in Chicago! P.S. I know you must be getting tired of looking at her fat ass, so here's a picture of me taken on a cruise last summer. Like my thong? It's all here, whenever you want it Kevvy…'" Tristan scooted the photograph across the table. "You might want to keep this, Kevin. There's a phone number on the back…"

"Thanks, honey…" Kevin scowled and dropped the picture onto his pile of cards. "It's wonderful for you to be so open-minded!" He spat as they each ripped into another envelope. "Too bad I'm not…

Kevin was staring at the open card in his hands, unaware that Tristan had also selected a card that she seemed to find quite riveting.

"Now see, Tris? Here's a card that was addressed to you alone.." Kevin said caustically as he reread the envelope. "Tristan Mallory - it says.." He held the envelope up for her to see. "And guess who it's from?" Kevin began to read the short message. " Darling Tristan, I've been thinking about you and hope you're doing well. You seem to have disappeared for the past few months. Are you all right?…." Kevin read the line with a particularly strong fervor. "…. It just doesn't seem right for you to be away from the stage, especially this time of year. I can't hear 'Messiah' without picturing you conducting the chorus…" Kevin closed the card and looked into Tristan's face. "All my love, Asa…'"

Kevin threw the card across the table where it slid off the edge and landed on the floor. Tristan bent down slowly to retrieve it and then opened the card and reread the message. She placed Asa's card on her pile and held up the card that she had been reading when Kevin began to vocalize Asa's words.

"Tell you what, Kevin…" Tristan began to rise from her seat. "I'll see your Asa and raise you one Lily…" The gold and white card became airborne as it left Tristan's fingers and banged against Kevin's chest.

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