Chapter 37

I slept a little late on Saturday, not rising until 9 o'clock. I found Mom in the kitchen reading the paper as she enjoyed a cup of tea.

"Good Morning, Mom."

"Morning, honey. How was the party?"

"It was okay. The Beneker house was beautifully decorated, both inside and out. And Jimmy's parents are nice. They really go all out for the team."

"Your boyfriend seems like a nice boy."

"Yes, Brad's a nice guy. I didn't like him at first because I thought that he was a little too pushy, but he grows on you, I guess."

"I made an appointment with Barbara for 10:30 this morning so that she can change your breast forms. The new ones arrived a couple of weeks ago."

"Great. My chest has begun to itch quite a lot lately."

"You'd had better eat something now so that you have time to get ready. Would you like an egg?"

"Yes. And a piece of toast also."

I poured a glass of OJ while Mom cooked my egg. She added a couple of pieces of bacon that she had cooked earlier and brought it to the table with the toast."

"Thanks, Mom."

"You're welcome, dear. I'm going up to take my bath. Don't spend too much time down here."

"Okay."

I ate quickly and went up to bathe and get ready to leave for the theatre. Mom came in when I had finished my bath and helped me to get dressed. I thought that I might get away without the corset today but Mom insisted that I dress 'normally'. Of course, 'normal' for me was a skirt or dress that was so tight that I could barely walk, and shoes with 4-inch heels.

We arrived at the theatre a few minutes before 10: 30. I noticed on the board by the stage entrance that the company would assemble at noon so we would have to hurry to avoid being seen be any early arrivals.

Marge and Barbara were playing cards as usual when we entered the makeup room. We spent several minutes in greeting and Marge poured each of us a cup of tea as Barbara retrieved the things that she would need to work on me. We visited as she worked.

Barbara said, "I saw each of the episodes that you did. They were great, hon."

"I agree," Marge added. "It's a shame that they cancelled the series. The episodes were really starting to get interesting."

Barbara had removed one of the faux breasts and handed it to Marge for cleaning. She immediately began working on the other side. "That Oliver is kind of cute. Did you date?"

"No. While we were there it was all work. Between the work on the series and the homework assignments, I didn't have much time for anything else. Mom and Carol spent most of their time looking at condos, and then furnishing the one that we bought."

Marge stopped what she was doing. "You bought a condo in California?"

Mom nodded. "Yes. It's lovely. We found a great place that's convenient to all of the studios."

"Are you going to move out there permanently? Are you leaving town?"

"No. We just needed a place for when we have to travel out there for Crystal's career. It's so much less expensive than renting hotel rooms, and it's a great investment as well."

Barbara finished removing the other breast and handed it to Marge. "I'm sure that Crystal will get more work out there. Having the condo will make it seem more like home when you are visiting."

"That was part of the reason for our decision."

Barbara began using the cleansing solution on my chest. "Hon, your breasts are really filling out. They appear to be almost a B cup size now. You don't really need these faux breasts now."

"It would look strange if I suddenly shrunk by so much. Let's use the new small size to return me to a 36 C. It will be enough of a relief just returning to where I started. And if I get more work, I don't want the gossip columnists speculating about why I had breast reduction surgery."

"Okay, hon, there, all nice and clean and ready for the new breast forms."

I watched as Barbara removed the new forms from the box. They were as lifelike as the others had been but they were substantially thinner. With my own breasts beneath them to serve as a foundation, they should appear close to the size of the original ones. Twenty minutes later Barbara was done and Marge took over. She used the permanent makeup to blend the color to match my own skin. I asked her to make them just a little darker because my tan was beginning to fade and I intended to visit a tanning salon very soon. When she was done, I looked closely but couldn't see any sign of the edges. I noticed that I had a lot more sensation when I touched them. I didn't know if the skin was just more sensitive because of the cleaning and changing work, or if the thinner form allowed more vibration to get through. Marge and Barbara had both done an excellent job and the breasts looked perfectly natural except for the never changing nipple shape.

I immediately noticed a difference when I got dressed. My blouse was suddenly a much better fit. My breasts didn't have it straining at the seams as they had before. I was much happier with the new fit.

We visited with Marge and Barbara until the cast and crewmembers began to arrive. Then it was like a homecoming as I renewed my friendships with all of my friends. Most of the cast from the last play was working on the new one but not all had parts. I wondered afterwards if anyone noticed that I hugged Debbie longer than the rest. Mr. Tucker came in and gave me a big hug and a kiss on my cheek.

"Crystal, my lovely little flower. You brighten the room like a ray of sunshine. I want to hear all about your adventures in the evil forests of the Hollywood, but first we have work to do." He announced to everyone standing around me, "All cast members on stage, please."

The title of the new play that the Community Theatre would be putting on is 'You Can't Get An Oak Tree From A Pine Cone'. It was another wonderful play by C. Sprite. Rick Verkasky had a decent sized part but he wasn't the lead this time, and both Neil Broderick and Patricia Silbey had minor supporting roles. Several people whom I didn't know came up and introduced themselves. Two said that they had decided to join the company after seeing my performance in the previous play. I experienced a feeling of pride for having been the inspiration for someone else's commitment to the company.

Mom and I sat in the front row of the audience seating as Mr. Tucker conducted a cast meeting on stage. When the meeting was over, Mr. Tucker began to work with the actors who were in the first scene while the others found comfortable places to study their lines until they were needed. Debbie came out to the audience seating and took the chair next to mine. Today was the first time that we had been together in more than two months.

After about an hour, Mom said, "Crystal, I have some shopping to do. Do you want to come with me or stay here?"

"I'd like to stay here. With the TV show running, I probably wouldn't be able to shop in peace anyway. At least here I don't have to worry about being mobbed."

"Okay, Honey. I'll pick you up later."

"You don't have to Mrs. Ramsey," Debbie said. "I'll bring Crystal home."

"Thank you, Debbie. Would you like to have dinner with us?"

"Thank you, Mrs. Ramsey. Yes, I would. I'll tell my parents that I'll be eating at your house."

"Okay, girls. I'll you at dinnertime. Bye."

"Bye, Mom."

"Goodbye Mrs. Ramsey."

Mom went to say goodbye to Marge and Barbara and then left the theatre. Debbie and I sat together holding hands until she was needed onstage. I continued to observe from the audience seating while the cast went through the rest of the play. When they had completed a full run-through, Mr. Tucker came and sat down in the chair next to mine while the cast took a break.

"What do you think?" he asked.

"About what, Mr. Tucker?"

"About the cast, of course."

"Oh… well… I think that you have a bit of work ahead of you with the new cast members. The regulars are doing quite well."

"That's my assessment as well. Would you like a job?"

"Yes… but I don't have time. I've been conscripted to perform in the high school play."

"Oh? What are they doing this year?"

"Irma la Douce."

"Ambitious. What role have you been cast in?"

I scowled and said, "Guess."

Mr. Tucker started laughing. "Irma?"

I nodded.

Mr. Tucker laughed again, "From virgin to bride to prostitute in six months. Quite a progression of roles."

I smiled a little, and then I giggled. "I hadn't thought of it that way. There doesn't seem to be anywhere left to go."

"Au contraire, ma petite. There's a whole world of roles waiting just for you. You haven't even begun to scratch the surface. Variety is good. You don't want to get type cast. If you keep taking a variety of roles, producers and casting people won't be afraid to place you in a part because you have a established image that conflicts with the role."

"Okay, Mr. Tucker. I'm sorry that I can't make a firm commitment but I'll be happy to help out on weekends when I can."

"Wonderful. Do you think that you could work with Regina for a little while this afternoon?"

"Sure, Mr. Tucker."

"Thank you, my dear." Standing up and calling loudly to a group of cast members on the stage he said, "Regina, could you come here a minute please?"

A young girl, with blonde hair, that I had met earlier detached from the group and walked to the stairs on stage right. Regina bore a slight resemblance to me. We would have been almost the same height if we were not wearing shoes.

As she reached us, Mr. Tucker said, "Regina, have you met Crystal Ramsey?"

"Oh yes, Mr. Tucker. I met Miss Ramsey earlier."

"Good. I asked Crystal if she would work with you a little to help you with your delivery. Would that be okay with you?"

"Of course, Mr. Tucker. I'd be honored to have Miss Ramsey help me."

I said, "Call me Crystal."

"Okay, Crystal."

Regina and I went to one of the storage rooms so that we wouldn't disturb the other actors and worked on her delivery. Her actions were a bit wooden and lacking in emotion when we started. As I had her repeat the lines over and over she gradually began to project as if she was 'feeling' the part. I showed her how I would deliver the lines and she was able to mimic my movements and voice inflections pretty well. We worked until Debbie came in to tell us that the company was quitting for the day. It was a few minutes before 5 p.m.

Regina thanked me for the help. I encouraged her to keep working at it, and told her that she was starting to do really well. After saying goodnight to Regina, Debbie and I gathered our things and left the theatre. When we arrived at the house, dinner was almost ready. I helped Carol set the table as Mom put the raviolis into a serving dish and the spaghetti sauce into a gravy boat. I retrieved the grated cheese from the refrigerator and we were ready to eat.

Over dinner Debbie told us about the new play and gave us her evaluation of it. I had sat through the run-through and worked with Regina so I felt that I had a basic understanding of the play, and Mom had listened for an hour. Only Carol felt left out, but she caught on quickly enough as we all talked about it.

After dinner, Debbie and I watched television with Mom, while Carol went to the Mall with Heather and Sheri. They invited Debbie and I to go but it was more out of politeness than anything else because we all knew that I couldn't go into a Mall without being mobbed. We kept up a running critique of all of the shows that we watched, discussing what made them popular or unpopular.

Debbie left for home as the news was coming on at 11 p.m. I wished that we could have gone to Gram's house today but that would have to wait for another time. It was wonderful just to have seen her again.

I did my homework on Sunday morning and then spent the rest of the day studying the 'Irma' script and practicing my movements and facial expressions. By bedtime I felt that I had the lines pretty well down. I might need a prompt now and then, but I was ready for the rehearsals and would not have to read from a script. The play would be put on during the last week of January, just two weeks before the play at the Community Theatre was scheduled to open.

My first rehearsal took place after school on Monday. Mrs. Abbott held a cast meeting and introduced me to everyone. Of course everyone already knew me and I knew most of the others by sight if not personally. Maryann DeAnsini would be my understudy for the role of Irma. Because the part was so big, she would not have any other role in the play except during the crowd scenes, and would not have any other lines to memorize.

Mrs. Abbott had put down masking tape to show where the scenery and props would be and we began rehearsing from the beginning of the play. Most of the others had never acted before, and it seemed like they hadn't even bothered to study the script yet, but three had been in last year's play, and the difference was very obvious. It was going to be a very long seven weeks for Mrs. Abbott.

We worked until 4:30 and didn't even make it past the first scene. Mom had come in after she finished work and sat in the front row. When we broke for the day I grabbed my things and we left for home.

"Well, how did it go?" she asked.

"It's not anything like what I've become used to. Most of the kids have never been in a play before. With the Community Theatre, most of the cast members are veterans and a few new players join as others drop out. But here the situation is reversed. It has to be difficult to create a quality production under these circumstances."

"Perhaps that's why Mrs. Abbott has been so happy to get you for the play. You're going to make her job so much easier."

"Hmmm… I guess."

"That, plus the drawing power of your name. I wouldn't be surprised if this year's play wasn't sold out for all three performances, for the first time ever."

My life settled into a kind of routine over the following couple of weeks. Brad continued to run into me throughout each school day, and called me every night when he could get through. I attended rehearsals after school every day before rushing home to eat, do my homework and talk to Debbie and Brad if time permitted. Brad kept asking me out on weekends but I put him off with excuses about working on the play.

A week before Christmas, Carol and I strung outdoor lights on the house. It was the first time that we had ever done it, but it turned out great and really dressed up the house at night. After we had finished with the outside we put up our tree and decorated it and the inside of the house. I took a chance a couple of times to go Christmas shopping and was relieved to not be recognized. I had borrowed a brunette wig from the Community Theatre and Mom allowed me to wear jeans and flats. It worked so well that I decided to buy a dark wig of my own just so that I could leave the house more often.

I finally accepted an invitation from Brad to attend a Christmas party because it was being hosted by Lynn, one of the co-captains of the cheerleading squad, at her folk's home. As a member of the squad I was expected to go anyway. The party was on Thursday, December 23^rd. School closed for Christmas vacation on the 22^nd.

Brad picked me up at 7:30 for the party. Carol was going to the party with Vinnie DeMarco, another of the football players, and he was going to pick her up. She and Adam had had an argument so they were each going to the party with someone else.

Lynn's house was a large colonial with an enormous finished basement. The party was confined to the basement, and to the empty two-car garage, which had a direct stairway to the basement. The food and refreshments were set up on tables in the garage but most of the kids stayed in the basement because the garage was a little drafty and the outside temperature was well below freezing.

Carol and Vinnie arrived about 15 minutes after Brad and I did. The party was in full gear by now, and you could almost see the house shaking from the volume of the music. I got a picture in my mind of Lynn's parents wearing earplugs in some upstairs bedroom, as far from the noise as possible. A few kids were passing pints of wine and whiskey around, but Brad and I declined all offers of holiday 'cheer'.

I was enjoying the party and time passed so quickly that it seemed like we had only been there an hour when Carol came to tell me that it was time to go. She and Vinnie had their coats on already so Brad and I got our coats and we all left. As we drove to the house I noticed that it wasn't even 12:30 yet. Since we didn't have to be in until one, I realized that Carol was allowing for a little 'parking' time. I'm sure that Brad realized it also because when we arrived at the house he turned off the lights, took the car out of gear, set the parking brake, and slid over next to me.

For the next half-hour we played 'the game' in the front seats of the 4x4. As he assaulted my mouth with his tongue, he would try to use his left hand to explore new territories. I had the advantage because I had two hands free where his right arm was being used to hold me against him. I let him feel my breasts a couple of times, but I always pulled his hand away after a couple of seconds so that he didn't begin to think of it as a permanent privilege that had been granted. And a couple of times I had to take his hand off of my leg. The impossibly tight skirt was actually an advantage here because there was no way that he could easily get his hand where he wanted to put it.

While the kissing, and the rest, made my heart beat a little faster, nothing down below stirred. The medication that I was taking was obviously doing its job. I knew that Brad was stirred up though. He was panting, and probably would have been sweating but for the cold temperature. The car's heater was pouring out a small amount of heat, but Brad was the one really warming the car, and the windows were all steamed up.

When I noticed that the dashboard clock indicated that it was a few minutes before one, I started to push Brad away. He slowly got the idea that it was time to stop, and relaxed his attacks. If he had wanted to continue there was no way that I could stop him. His strength was incredible compared to mine.

He moved away from me and I used a tissue to wipe off what little remained of my lipstick. I took a fresh tissue and wiped his face a little also. He always smiled when I did that.

He said, "If you didn't wear that war paint, you wouldn't have to clean it off me."

"A girl can't go out to a party without lipstick on. It would give the other girls too much ammunition, and she would be the center of gossip."

"You'd be beautiful without it."

"Thank you, but I'd look a lot plainer without it. You'll just have to suffer through having me wipe your face off after we kiss."

"I think that I can put up with that. Crystal, you've never been to my house. Would you like to come for Christmas dinner?"

I thought for a few seconds about how to respond. "Christmas is always an important time for families. My family would want me to be with them for Christmas, but thank you for the invitation."

"I understand. Can I stop over to your house after dinner then?"

"Okay. How about four o'clock or so?"

"Great. It's a date."

I heard a car door slam and saw Vinnie hurry around to open Carol's door, so Brad and I got out. I should say that Brad got out and then came around and lifted me out of the car. As usual, he carried me to the front door. If the neighbors didn't know me, some of them might think that I was a paraplegic since Brad always carried me to the door.

We kissed again for a few seconds and then Carol and I went in after saying goodnight to the boys. As we put our coats away and climbed the stairs, I whispered to Carol, "How did it go with Vinnie? Going to see him again?"

"Maybe. He's a nice guy. I'll have to see if Adam apologizes. How did it go with Brad?"

"Okay. He invited me to Christmas dinner at his house but I told him that I had to be here for dinner, so he asked if he could over afterwards. I said okay so he'll be over around 4 o'clock."

"Wow, Crys. Sounds like he's really getting serious."

"Just because he wants to come over on Christmas?"

"No, because he invited you to dinner on Christmas. Christmas dinner is usually a family meal. A guy usually only invites someone that he's serious about. Of course everybody already knew that he was stuck on you."

"Brad's nice but I think you're reading too much into it."

"Oh yeah? We'll see."

The next day was Christmas Eve, and it was, as always, the busiest day of the year in our house. We had last minute shopping to do, mostly for groceries, and then we had presents to wrap. After supper we started preparing the foods for our Christmas dinner. We would prepare the stuffing for the turkey so that it could be put into the oven early the next morning. We also made the pumpkin and apple pies that were a part of our traditional meal. Before going to bed, Mom gave Carol and me a bottle of bright red nail polish and asked us to do our nails with it before going to sleep. She said that the red color was 'Christmassy'. After my nails were dry, I went to bed, and I slept very soundly after such a hard day's work.

I woke up refreshed and excited on Christmas morning. When I arrived downstairs I found that Mom was already working on the turkey. Stuffing the bird is a one-person job, so I started making breakfast while she worked. The oven was already on and almost up to temperature. The bacon was out because Mom always laid several strips over the turkey for flavoring and basting as it cooked. I took a pan and cooked up half a dozen pieces. As I drained the fat off and placed the strips on a paper towel to remove the excess, Mom put the bird into the oven and set the timer. Then I made some toast and eggs as she sat down to relax.

Carol came in just as we were starting to eat. "Merry Christmas, Mom. Merry Christmas, Crys."

Mom said, "Merry Christmas, dear."

I said, "Merry Christmas, sis. The pan is still warm and the bacon is cooked."

"Great, I'm famished."

Carol cooked her egg and toast and then joined us at the table. "Did you look outside? We got a little snow during the night. It looks like about two inches."

Mom said, "I didn't notice. A light snowfall always makes it look pretty during the holidays as long as you don't have to drive in it. Speaking of which, your father is coming to dinner today."

Carol and I both stopped eating and looked at her.

"He called a couple of days ago and asked if he could come. He behaved last time so I agreed on the condition that he arrive cold sober. He promised that he would."

Carol said, "Is he coming alone?"

"He didn't ask if he could bring a guest so I would guess that he will be coming alone. I told him that we will be eating around one."

I said, "What time is Aunt Jessica coming?"

"Her usual time, probably around eleven. We should have time to open our presents, bathe, dress and tidy up a little before she gets here. Then we'll work on the rest of the meal. We still have all of the vegetables to prepare."

We went into the living room when we finished eating. Carol and I separated the presents and then sat down to open them. Carol and I mostly received clothes, but Mom had also gotten us some cosmetics and jewelry. I also got a very good quality brown wig. Mom knew how happy I had been since I had borrowed the one from the theatre because I had been able to leave the house more often, and even go to the Mall. None of the clothes that I received had been altered and I was determined to see that they were not cut down to a nineteen-inch waist. My normal twenty-two would be enough.

Carol and I had gotten Mom a couple of nice sweaters, some stockings and some underwear from what we had been able to save from our allowances. We all oohed and ahhed as we opened our presents and thanked the giver. There were a few presents under the tree for Aunt Jess and a large unmarked gift that Mom had put there. She told us that it wasn't for either of us.

By the time that we had finished it was beginning to get a little late so I kissed Mom and Carol for the gifts and hurried upstairs to bathe while they straightened up the living room a little. I started running my bath and poured in the bath crystals and oils that I had come to love so much. As the tub filled I stripped off my nightgown and then settled into the delightfully warm water amid a floating island of bubbles. I allowed myself to soak in the tub for about 10 minutes before getting down to business. After washing I shaved my pits and legs before getting out of the tub. I didn't know if Carol had come upstairs but I knocked on her door anyway as the tub drained and as I dried off, she came into the bathroom and started to run her own bath.

I returned to my bedroom and finished drying my self off as Carol slipped into the tub. When I was dry, I stood in front of the full-length mirror and examined my body. I checked my breasts closely to see if I could spot the seams but Barbara and Marge had done a perfect job, and it was almost impossible to tell where they ended, and where the skin began. My surgical procedure had by now completely healed and I didn't even think about it except when I was naked and saw the smooth area that ran between my legs. The faint blonde hair was beginning to show again now that I didn't shave down there anymore, but it wasn't enough yet to hide the faux outer labia that Dr. Roman had created. Done with my inspection, I pulled on my panties, and put on a bra before sitting down to start working on my face and hair.

Mom came in as I finishing drying my hair. She was carrying a box and a garment hanger, which held something covered in plastic. She set the box on my bed and pulled the plastic off the hanger, uncovering something in bright red. As she held it up I saw that it was a red velvet dress, trimmed in fake white fur. The box contained a pair of boots in a matching red color.

"Mom, where ever did you get that?"

"I borrowed it from the wardrobe at the theatre. Barbara altered it to your dimensions. I have one for Carol also, and one for myself."

I started giggling. "Dad and Aunt Jess will think that they've come to the North Pole by mistake."

Mom helped me to get dressed. The dress was as tight as everything else that Barbara had altered for me and Mom had to go back and tighten the corset again so that she could close the zipper on the dress. I didn't measure it but I think that the waist was smaller than my usual 19 inches. The boots had 4-inch heels and Mom had to put them on me because I couldn't bend to do it myself. There were long zippers that ran along the inside all the way to the top of the boots where they ended at my knee.

Carol came in and starting laughing as soon as she spotted me. I let her laugh herself out and then told her that Mom had an outfit for her too. I sat back down to work on my makeup as Mom went to help Carol get dressed. As I worked I noticed the bright red polish on my nails and realized the reason for Mom's request last night. The color matched the costume perfectly.

When I was done I went into Carol's room. She was all dressed and working on her hair. "Carol, you look wonderful. Just like a Christmas elf."

"I feel a little silly."

"Why? It's just a costume? It's like the Rockettes wear in New York City for their annual Christmas show. Except that they don't wear tight skirts because they have to dance. I can't even raise my leg two inches."

"Me too! I think that Barbara got carried away. She made my dress as tight as yours, except for the waist. And my feet are going to be killing me by the end of the day. I'm not used to wearing 4 inch heels everyday like you are."

As I helped Carol with her hair, Mom came in. She was dressed like us and was carrying several red caps like the one that Santa is always pictured in. They were red velvet, trimmed with more of the fake white fur, and had a large ball of the fur at the pointed end. We used bobby pins to hold them in place.

When we were all ready, we went downstairs. We tidied up the living room quickly. It wasn't bad because we had only cleaned it a couple of days ago. Then we went into the kitchen to work on the vegetables for dinner. I worked on cleaning and slicing the mushrooms as Carol worked on the cauliflower and string beans. Mom put the sweet potatoes in to bake and began work on the white cream sauce for the cauliflower. The front doorbell interrupted our work and all three of us went to answer the door, feeling sure that it was Aunt Jess. It was.

Aunt Jessica stepped in from the bright sunlight and blinked her eyes to get used to the lower light levels. Then she blinked again when she realized what we were wearing. "Oh, my God. You all look like Santa's elves. I didn't know that it was a costume party. I would have dressed also."

We all giggled. Carol was getting into it now too.

Mom said, "It's not a costume party, Jess. I was able to borrow a few costumes from the theatre so I took advantage of the offer. Yours is upstairs in my bedroom."

"What? Really? Come help me dress."

While Mom and Aunt Jess went upstairs, Carol and I returned to the kitchen. It was getting late and we still had some cooking to do. After adding the spices, we put the mushrooms in the oven to cook. The cauliflower and beans were set to boil on two of the top burners as I removed the sweet potatoes from the oven and peeled them carefully, because they were so hot, so that I could mash them for the casserole as Carol finished the white cream sauce. While we waited for the rest of the meal to finish cooking we set the dining room table.

Mom and Aunt Jess came down from the bedroom, giggling like teenagers.

Aunt Jess said, "Crystal, I don't know how you do it."

"Do what, Aunt Jess?"

"Wear outfits like this ever day."

"Ohhh. Well... I guess that you get used to it a little."

"I would hope so. I haven't worn a skirt this tight in twenty years."

"You still have a great figure Aunt Jess. You should show it off a little more."

"I'll leave the showing off to you girls. And I don't exactly wear sack dresses. I mostly wear tailored business suits. Besides, I'm too old to be this uncomfortable all the time."

We all giggled, and then turned our attention back to the dinner. At 12:30 we took the turkey out of the oven to cool. The little pop-up thermometer indicated that the turkey had reached the proper interior temperature. Mom ladled the juice out of the pan and we made the gravy. We were almost ready to sit down when the doorbell rang again.

Carol and I went to the door, figuring that it was Dad. When we opened the door Santa Claus greeted us. Or, at least someone in a Santa Claus suit.

"Ho, ho, ho. Merry Christmas."

It appeared to be Dad so we stood back to admit him. He came out of the bright sunlight squinting like Aunt Jess had done. The bright sunlight reflecting off of the new snow was hard on the eyes.

Once inside he squinted a couple of times and laughed. "Confounded reindeer. They brought me back to the North Pole."

Carol and I giggled politely and then Carol opened up a couple of newspapers for him to put his wet boots on.

Mom came out of the kitchen and walked up to dad. She sniffed his breath before saying, "Just in time. We're all ready to sit down to dinner."

"The roads were a little worse than I expected. I had planned on being here around noon. You're looking well, Susan. I like the costumes. I thought that I would be the only one dressed like this. Girls, how are you? You look great. Are you all in a show or something?"

I said, "No, Daddy. Just getting in the festive spirit. Mom got the costumes for us to wear."

"They look great." Breathing deeply he added, "And something smells great, too."

Mom said, "Come on in and sit down. It's time to eat."

Dad dropped his Santa sack down by the tree and walked into the dining room. Aunt Jess was just placing the turkey platter on the table. Almost everything else had already been brought out.

Dad said, "Hi Jessica, you look great also. Love the costume."

"Hi Bill, I like yours also. Your pillow's slipping."

Dad reached inside his coat and pulled out a large pillow and set it on the floor next to his chair before sitting down. He removed his hat and fake beard also, laying them on the pillow. Carol and I joined Mom in the kitchen to see if there was anything left to do. As she opened a can of cranberry sauce, I carried a pitcher of steaming, spicy apple cider to the table and Carol brought in the turkey gravy. After we had sat down and Mom had joined us we took a few seconds to say grace before digging in.

Everything was delicious and Dad didn't stop raving as he tried each new thing. I guess that it had been a long time between home cooked Christmas dinners for him. At least like the ones that we always had. My only wish was that I wasn't wearing the corset so I could enjoy more of each item. I could only pick at the vast array of delicious foods. I saved a little space for desert because I loved pumpkin pie the way that Mom made it. The pie that they sold in stores couldn't hold a candle to Mom's.

When everyone had eaten their fill, we cleared the food off of the table and carried it into the kitchen so that it could be stored in the refrigerator. When the table was completely cleared, we brought out the pies and toppings. We had brewed both coffee and tea while we were eating and they were ready now. Mom and Aunt Jessica had put all of the food away, so we were all able to sit down at the same time. As we enjoyed the deserts Mom, Carol, and I told Dad and Aunt Jess about our trip to California.

Dad said, "So the job in California is over? No more episodes?"

"Yeah, the series flopped. It's been replaced."

"I wondered why it wasn't on last week. And I was surprised that you weren't on it during the previous two shows."

"They reworked some of the earlier footage to finish out the season. I guess that they didn't want to spend any more money on a cancelled show."

"So what now?"

"For now I'm just working on getting through high school."

"No acting plans?"

"Well… I am going to be in the school play next month. We've been rehearsing for a few weeks."

"What's the play?"

"Irma la Douce. I play Irma."

"Great. I love that story. I've seen the movie a couple of times."

"Well… the play is going to be a little different that the movie, but the underlying story is the same."

"How's the scholarship fund progressing? The 4 episodes in California must have added a good chunk. Are you ready to retire from show biz and concentrate on school?"

"No… not yet. We still have a long way to go. Taxes, agent's fees and expenses take a major bite out of the money I'm paid. Before I retire I want to make sure that we have all of the money that we'll need to complete our educations."

"How much do you get paid now for doing an episode on television?"

"I received fifty thousand per week for the four weeks."

Dad, who was in the middle of swallowing a drink of coffee starting coughing. He grabbed a napkin to keep from spraying everyone at the table. He managed to gasp out, "Did you say fifty thousand a week?"

"Yes. That's what they paid me as a co-star. I only got fifteen thousand for the first episode that I was in."

"My God, I don't make fifty thousand in a year."

Mom said, "You have to remember what Crystal said a few minutes ago about taxes, agent's fees, and expenses. Of the fifty thousand, she only winds up with about 15 thousand net."

"Still… fifteen thousand. You know, you're gonna need a good tax lawyer. I know a guy who specializes in that stuff."

"Already taken care of" Mom said. "We hired an accounting firm while we were in California. They'll see that Crystal gets every deduction that she's is legally entitled to."

"Oh… great. Looks like you have matters well in hand... Susan, your pumpkin pie is as delicious as ever. I haven't had as good a piece of pie since we separated."

"Thank you, Bill. Grandmother's recipe has always been a favorite of mine also."

"If everyone is through eating I have a couple of things for the girls. Let me get my sack."

Dad retrieved his 'Santa' sack from near the Christmas tree and came back to the table. Reaching in he began extracting wrapped gifts and passing them out, all the time saying, "Ho, ho, ho." Carol and I got two presents, Mom got one, and he even had one for Aunt Jess. We opened the gifts as Dad beamed. Carol got a pair of leather slacks and a pullover sweater. Mom got a jacket and matching skirt set. Aunt Jess found several beautiful scarves and a pair of leather gloves. I had held back fearing what I would see when I opened it up. What if it was a boy's suit jacket or something like that?

I slowly pulled the tape off without ripping the paper and slid the box out. Everyone watched as I opened the box. I pulled back the tissue paper and found a beautiful, white leather skirt. I was speechless and I felt my eyes becoming moist. This was a real indication that Dad had accepted my current identity. I jumped up and rushed over to Dad and gave him a big kiss on his check.

He hugged me back and said, "Like it, honey?"

"It's wonderful, Daddy. Thank you."

"You didn't open the other one."

I went back to my seat and opened the other gift. It turned out to be a beautiful peignoir. I jumped up again and ran over to Dad and jumped into his lap and kissed him again. He hugged me and I would swear that he seemed about to cry also.

Mom said, "We have something for you also, Bill."

That seemed to sober the mood a little. Mom went and retrieved the large package that we had seen under the tree earlier. I got off Dad's lap when she came back so that he could work on the package. I'm sure that he wasn't expecting anything.

He didn't save the paper as the rest of us had done; he just ripped everything off and opened up the box. Pushing back the tissue paper, he pulled out a long bathrobe. It was heavy and very soft. A pair of slippers fell to the floor as the bathrobe opened.

"Well Susan, you still know what I like. It's terrific, and I see that you remember what kind of slippers I like also. Thank you."

"You're welcome, Bill. We're glad that you like it. And thank YOU for the wonderful presents."

Carol, Aunt Jess, and I all echoed the sentiment.

"You're all most welcome. I know that this doesn't make up for the years of absence but I had to start somewhere. Thanks for letting me come today and to be part of a family again, if only for a day. I've spent too many Christmas days sitting alone in my apartment. You don't know what it meant to me when you said that I could come today."

Mom said, "We're glad that you were able join us this year. Why don't you go relax in the living room while we clean up."

As Dad went into the living room we cleared the table off and cleaned up the kitchen. When everything was cleaned and put away, we joined him. Dad wanted to know more about the television series and then we talked about the upcoming school play.

 

(Continued in Chapter 38)

 

 

 

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© 1999 by Crystal Sprite. All Rights Reserved. These documents (including, without limitation, all articles, text, images, logos, compilation design) may printed for personal use only. No portion of these documents may be stored electronically, distributed electronically, or otherwise made available without express written consent of the copyright holder.
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