Winter Magic Returns

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The House of Four Seasons

By Atonia Walpole

I spent the last day of November alone. Well, that’s not entirely true. I must have drifted off after midnight, in fact I’m sure of it, because Terry checked the clock knowing he was going to get up early. He tucked me up tight against him and he was gone when I woke this morning sometime after seven. He’d been gone for awhile because the bed no longer held his warmth.

I’ve missed him today but I have not walked around in tears because I know the first day of September next he will be here. I also know I am not going to be alone for long because tomorrow is the first day of December and John will arrive. I can hardly wait. It’s been two years since we’ve been together and much has changed.

I am always amazed at this magical house. Yesterday it was decorated for Fall and today things keep popping up like the poinsettia on the round table in the living room and wreath of greenery on the front door. The house scent has also changed. Peppermint comes to mind. My wardrobe, too, has been replaced with warm winter things. I’ll need them; it’s been snowing all day.

Winter Arrives: John Biebe

Deep down in her sleep-fogged mind she heard something and fought her way to consciousness. Toni turned on her back and listened. There it was again, a soft thud. She at first thought it might be the house still puttering about in John’s room but it sounded like it was coming from her room. What in the world…?

A distinct, whispered, “Shit!”

Toni turned on her bedside light. “John!”

“Toni, my fucking zipper is stuck!”

Toni burst out laughing. “John! Oh, my God, you’re early!”

“It’s after midnight, right, so it’s December first…I couldn’t wait any longer.” He was laughing, too, but the stuck zipper was a problem. It was the zipper on his pants.

“I had in mind,” he said, pulling at it again,” to sneak in here and slide in bed with you. A nice surprise, heh?”

“Looks like you might have to sleep in your pants.”

“Damned if that’s so!” He grabbed the fly and ripped it open.

Toni was out of bed, laughing while he fought off his pants. "I’m so glad you’re   here!” Her arms went around his neck.

“God, you feel good!” He ran his hands up and down her back and bottom. A soft slow kiss to get started then he waltzed her to the bed.

Sleep was not the top priority once they got in bed and it was late morning when they started coming alive.

They lay in bed looking at each other and touching, she finger combing his soft silky hair and he tracing her lips with his finger.

“How’ve you been?” he asked.

“Wonderful,” she replied.

“Terry treat you right?”

“He turned out to be more than I expected, John, yes, he did.”

“Good. Maybe things will settle down for you now. No more emotional bullshit all the time.”

“Well, there is still Spring. I haven’t made up my mind about that.”

“That’s a long way off,” he had to kiss those lips.

“I love you. I’ve missed you so much.”

He pulled her to him, “And I love you.” John worried about her the past two years and all she’d been through. It also rested on him that she was here at all. She had given up so much for love.

John tossed his broken jeans in the trash and went to his room, looking for sweats, the uniform of the day. It was still snowing outside when they came down for what was now brunch. Toni usually cooked for John but this morning the house was in charge. There were sausages, pancakes, fruit and poached eggs.

“Wow,” he said picking up a plate and helping himself.

“You won’t go hungry here.”

“So, tell me about moving your stuff in. Max helped?”

“Yes, he did. We went into Boston and loaded my jeep with what I wanted and we waited for the charity van to come and pick up the rest. We had lunch, walked around a bit and came home. He did great.”

John smiled, “Max is good. He’s spent more time with you than I have.”

“Ohh, that’s true. Well, you’ll have to double time it this winter.”

John winked, “I think I can handle that.”

Later in front of the fire, John commented, “It’s good that you can get out now. You’re not stuck here all the time.”

“I know. Terry and I went out several times. Went up to Gloucester once for lobster.”

“Well, maybe we can get out some. I’d like to go to Boston. You can show me the sights.”

“We’ll do that, John. We can go anywhere as long as we’re back within 24 hours.”

“It kind of worries me, though, you leaving the house.”

“It’s not so much me, John. It’s you and Terry and Max. I had to caution Terry about it.”

“It’s you, too, Toni.”

“I know.”

“Without you, we’re all dead.”

“Believe me, love, I don’t want anything to happen to any of us.”

John let it drop but it did bother him. She could be in an accident, car break down, any number of things could happen.  “Just don’t go off by yourself,” he had to add.

Toni picked up his hand and kissed it. He was so sweet to worry about her.

They were snowbound for two days in the house and that was fine with them. They had a lot of catching up to do. After the third day John was ready to get outside so they bundled up and went for a walk. He wanted to go down to the pond and see if the ice was forming.

“It must have been a warm fall. Probably be a month before it’s stable enough to skate on.”

“It was a warm fall.” Toni smiled, looking down at her feet.

John gave her a side glance and smiled, pulling her to his side. “I’m glad you’re happy, Toni.”

“I am and I'm happiest when I’m with you.” She gave him a cold kiss.

“I’ll bet you say that at least four times a year.”

Toni smiled, “And if I do?”

“It doesn’t bother me. We’re all in this together. It all centers around you. We all love you.”

“You do know, John, that it was you…”

“Hey, don’t remind me. I feel the burden all the time. It’s cut you off from the world, from your life.”

“That was my choice to make and I don’t regret it. I love my life here now, so put that burden down. I remember the time we came here, when we first met we were rolling in the snow.”

“You want to roll in the snow?”

“Um, no, not particularly”

“I can do that, roll you up into a big snowball,” he grinned and Toni didn’t trust him, not at all.

The house settled down. With these two it was an even keel. They loved and laughed and played, there were no emotional outbursts to contend with. The house decorated itself for the holidays to come. There was still the tree but it would leave that to John and Toni. After all, they put up a tree once before and did a good job of it. It looked forward to a peaceful calm and loving season.

Part 2:

It was a week before Christmas and the house smelled delicious, with some new concoction coming from the oven daily. Snow blanketed the countryside and John had his snowmobile out daily, taking Toni all over the property. It was cold but the sky was clear and intensely blue.

They were having breakfast one morning when Toni said, “I was thinking, John, you said you wanted to go to Boston. We could do that today, leave around ten and drive in, maybe find you some clam chowder?”

“Okay, sounds good. That will be fun.”

There was no discussion about who was driving. John took the keys. Driving in this weather was nothing compared to Alaska. They drove down to Boston, found a place to park and got out, walking around. There was a trolley tour and they hopped on board. John was interested in everything. It was his first trip out into the real world. He bought her some chocolates and they found the clam chowder he wanted to try. It had been a good day for both of them. They stayed for dinner and then started home.

The roads were dry when they pulled out of Salem and it was a clear night but there is no accounting for a drunk driver. He swerved over the line and John’s quick maneuver saved their life but the Jeep Cherokee went over an embankment, hit a tree and stopped. John lay over the steering wheel unconscious. Toni was shaken but all right. She was frantic to get John out of the seat belt and find out how badly he was hurt.  The car that had hit them was still up on the road and the driver had called 911. Soon the police were there and an ambulance came to take John to a hospital in Salem. Toni insisted she was fine and would ride with him.  He came to on the way to the emergency room.

“Toni…?”

“I’m okay, John, I’m fine…it’s you.”

He started to sit up and realized he was strapped down. “He may have a concussion and probably needs some stitches over his eye,” the medic told her.

Toni stayed with him through the ordeal, smiling when she was addressed as Mrs. Biebe. She was not smiling when the doctor told her they would like to keep him overnight as a precaution.

“Is it something else you’re not telling me?” she asked.

“Oh, no, but he was knocked unconscious. It’s only a precaution.”

“But we need to get home.”

“First thing in the morning, Mrs. Biebe.” He walked off.

Toni and John locked eyes. “We can’t do this,” he said.

“First thing in the morning…we can still make it, John. We can be home by ten.” She was more worried about him than time at the moment. “I don’t want anything to happen to you, darling.”

“This is not something we can play around with, Toni.”

“We’ll be fine.” She took his hand, feeling drained. The sight of him unconscious over the steering wheel had almost been more than she could bear. All the time she had been at the house she hadn’t had so much as a bruise. She and her season were protected there. Outside of the gates they were at the mercy of real life. She squeezed his hand, hoping to transfer some magic to him. He had to be all right.

Toni spent the night lying beside him in the narrow bed, neither of them sleeping. They held each other all night, bringing smiles to the nurses who came and went.

The next morning John was up and dressed, ready to go by daylight. Toni checked and rechecked with the nurses at the desk. She was assured the doctor would be by soon.

John paced, his frustration bringing on a headache. “Let’s just go, Toni! All he’s going to do is dismiss me. We can’t wait!” He looked up at the clock on the wall. “We can’t”

Toni stood up. “John, I don’t have a car. How are we going to get home?”

“Oh, fuck! I wasn’t thinking. A taxi, can we get a taxi?”

“I doubt it, not around here to go that far.” Toni ran her hand through her hair. A nurse came in to check his vitals again and said something about his blood pressure going up.

“It’s probably because he wants to leave and we have a problem. My vehicle was wrecked last night. It’s at least thirty miles to home.”

“Which way do you live?” she asked.

Toni told her.

“There’s an orderly who lives off that road somewhere. Let me check and see what time he gets off.”

“Thank you.” Toni looked up at the clock.

“It will be a miracle if we make it. I think we’re in trouble.”

“Don’t say that, John. We’ll make it. We have to.”

They were in the back seat of the orderly’s car. Thankfully the nurse had caught him heading for the elevators. John and Toni simply walked out of the hospital; they couldn't wait for the doctor to make his rounds.

“What time is it now?” John asked.

Toni looked over the front seat at the clock. "9:45, we should make it by ten. It’s not much farther up the road. See, there’s the turn off.

“Oh, you looking for the time?" The orderly interjected. "That clock doesn’t work. It’s five to ten.”

Toni met John’s eyes and took his hand. ”Whatever happens, I’m with you.”

“It doesn’t work that way, Toni. I’ll be back in Mystery and I won’t know you.”

Toni began concentrating on the house. Surely a few minutes wouldn’t make a difference; surely it would be all right.

The house knew something was wrong when they didn’t come home the night before. Toni’s thoughts from the hospital room had reached the house and it was very upset. Something like this had never happened before. What was to be done? Hours, minutes passed…they must be in trouble. That could be the explanation, something happened out of their control. But magic was magic and there were rules that had to be followed. Some things could not be changed even for Toni. However, there might be a way….

Toni and John thanked the driver and gave him a little gas money. They were outside the gates to the house and as hard as Toni concentrated they would not open.

“Maybe we can climb them or climb a tree and jump over? Toni, we have to try something! Come on, let’s see what’s back here behind the tree line.”

“How long do we have, John?” Toni’s eyes were filling.

“I don’t know…I’m not going to stand around here and wait for it without trying.” John moved off behind the trees, following the high fence that surrounded the property.

He felt desperate as he ran his hand along the fence looking for anything, an overhanging tree limb, anything that would get her over the fence.

Toni followed him as closely as she could, her thoughts becoming a chant in her head, John is my winter, John is my winter.

John stopped. “Listen! Shhh!”

“What is it, what is that?”

“It’s my snowmobile…I think…HEY, WE’RE HERE…HEY!”

The motor cut off and soon two men emerged from the thickly set trees on the other side of the fence.

“Max…and Terry! Oh, my God!” Toni ran to the fence.

“I’m not pleased about this,” Max said. “It’s bloody cold.”

“All right, have you got a plan?” John asked. Minutes were ticking by.

Terry’s hand closed over Toni’s as she held on to the iron fence rails.“Are you okay?”

“So far, Terry, yes.” The chant was still in her head.

“Biebe, are there any downed trees or limbs on your side?” Terry asked.

“Ah, yeah, a few. It’ll take a while to drag them up here.”

Terry looked up, testing the fence, and began to climb it, wrapping his legs around the rails and pulling up with his hands.

“Terry, you can’t come over!” Toni cried.

“Into the stratosphere, luv,” he said, continuing up the fence.

“Good thing you hooked up with a  K&R season,” Max commented.

Terry finally got to the top and stared down the other side of the double railed fence.

“So what are you gonna do?” John asked.

“I’m going to get her over the top and drop her. Max will catch her.”

“Shit!” John exclaimed.

“Don’t worry, John. I wouldn’t drop her if I didn’t think Max could handle it.”

“Trust your brother,” Max said, smiling through the fence.

Terry dropped down beside Toni. “Remember the pool? Hold on from the other side. I want you on my back, holding tight.”

John helped her get situated on Terry’s back and watched as Terry climbed the fence. There was no way he could have done it, he told himself, but he thought he might be able to climb it by himself and so he began taking a cue from Terry.

“Toss her down!” Max called out  to Terry when he had reached the top of the fence. Terry was pulling her around him and caught her eye for a brief moment, smiling to himself.

“You be careful there,” she said, pointing to the sharp spikes he was straddling.

Terry let go of her and held his breath until she was safely in Max’s arms. The impact sent Max to his butt in the snow but he held on to her.

Terry then turned, watching John’s slow progress up the fence. “You’re doing good, mate, almost there!” He gave him a hand at the top. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, better down there.” John looked down from the top of the twenty-foot fence.

“Just take it slow. Hey, Skinner! Catch John!” Terry called out, grinning.

“What?” He can bloody well fly down!” Max had Toni in his arms.

“You could help him,” she suggested.

“I am. I’m keeping you warm and dry for him.”

“Max…”

“Right!” He shifted her off his lap and stood up, walking over to the fence.

John stopped about half way down. He was dizzy and shook his head.

“You all right, mate?” Terry had been watching him. “Hold on!”

Terry reached the fence beside John. “What happened?”

“Car wreck, feel a little dizzy.”

“Let go.”

“No, I can’t.”

“I’ve got you. Max is beneath you. Let go.” Terry had one arm around him. “He’s coming down, Max!”

John slid, fell the rest of the way down, but Max caught him.

Toni ran over to John and knelt down. “We need to get him back to the house quick! He has a concussion from the wreck.”

John was not happy about being put on the snowmobile with Max and leaving Toni behind to walk with Terry. He was feeling a little helpless and guilty for the whole situation.

“Tell me about the wreck,” Terry said, taking her hand and guiding her through the trees.

Toni explained. “My vehicle has been towed to a repair shop,” she finished up.

“You shouldn’t have stayed at the hospital, Toni. Don’t you know this place will heal him quicker than anything they could do there?”

“I didn’t think, Terry. I was so upset. John and I were actually talking about the dangers of leaving this place not long ago. I don’t think we’ll be leaving again.”

“Well, that would put a constraint on you. I hate to think of you staying in this fortress without being able to leave, Toni. It’s not a normal way to live.”

“What is normal, Terry? I’m happy here, very happy...and how did you and Max get here?”

“Ah, the house sent out an SOS to us. We arrived not knowing anything except that there was a problem. We couldn’t find you and Max checked the garage and found it empty, so we were going to take the snowmobile and go over the property to try and find a way out.”

“You were going to leave the property? Don’t ever do that, Terry! We talked about that.”

Terry put his arm around her, hugging her. “Yes, we did.”

Max met them at the front door. “I put him on the sofa. Best let the house do its work.”

“Thanks, Max.” Toni ran over to the sofa where John lay propped up on pillows. “How do you feel?”

“About worthless. I’m sorry, Toni, for getting us into this mess.”

“We’re fine now, darling. You rest and heal. I’m going to make some coffee.” Toni kissed him softly and got up, heading for the kitchen where Max and Terry already had the coffee going.

Max walked over to her and kissed her. "We’re leaving now. He’ll be fine, Toni, and please take care of yourself.”

“I will. Thanks for everything.”

Max left the kitchen to say goodbye to John.

“Terry..." She looked up, meeting his eyes.

“You don’t have to say a thing.” He took her in his arms, kissed her and left the kitchen.

Toni leaned on the kitchen island for a moment, gathering herself, then took two cups down from the cupboard.

She sat on the side of the sofa with John while they finished their coffee. “We should just go upstairs and go to bed. You need to rest.”

“I was thinking the same thing. Let’s go.”

They went to John’s room, getting in his bed. Toni watched him until he went to sleep and then she drifted off with him. The house went to work on John, healing his head while he slept. Had she been awake, Toni would have felt the warm protective glow around the bed. That had been a close one but she had chosen her seasons well and they came through for her. The magic of Toni’s love for John kept him from disappearing outside the gates. It was strong and when she woke it would be stronger still. The house made sure of that.

Toni woke and turned to John. He had rolled over on his back, his lips slightly parted. She wanted to kiss him but carefully moved from the bed. His stitches were gone and not even a scar remained. She hugged herself and sat down in one of the recliners next to the blazing fireplace. It was dawning on her just what she came so close to losing that morning, not only John but everything, everyone.  She had noticed how tenderly Max and Terry had treated John. They knew what he was to her. She smiled, thinking of what John had said to her one time. She’d asked why they picked on Max because Terry had, too, and John told her it was because he could take it.  She had almost lost it all.

“What are you doing sitting over there by yourself?” John was awake and had been for a moment.

“Realizing what I almost lost this morning.”

“Come back to bed. You haven’t lost anything.

“I know…I just needed a moment.”

“I know what you need,” he said as she slipped into the bed beside him.

She did need it and so did he.

They were down in the kitchen later, and Toni remarked, ”We’ve slept the whole day away, John. I’m not sure what kind of food to eat. Is it breakfast or dinner?”

“We missed them all. When was the last time we ate…crabs?”

“Yes, dinner last night. So much has happened since then it seems like a long time ago.”

“Yeah, it does. I still don’t regret going to Boston. We had a good day, Toni, until the wreck.”

“It was fun but then everything with you is an adventure. How about scrambled eggs and toast?”

“Sounds good for starters.” John was digging in the cookie jar.

“How’s your headache?”

“What headache? It feels better than it did before I bashed it in.”

“Oh, John…”

“What, sweetheart?” he asked, munching.

“I forgot my chocolates. I never even got to eat one.”

John smiled, “Maybe Santa will remember?”

Part 3:

The next morning when they came downstairs the living room was piled with tree ornaments.

“A subtle hint,” John grinned.

Toni laughed, “It’s only a few days away. Today we’ll go find a tree.”

Bundled and armed with a hatchet, they set off for the stand of Christmas trees. They came to the empty place where he’d chopped  down their tree two years ago.

“I missed you so much last Christmas,” Toni said, taking his hand.

“Why didn’t you come?”

“I don’t know now. I thought I wanted to go home and sort myself out. I wasn’t sure about this place and at that time if I’d called you, it wouldn’t have been the same. You wouldn’t have known me.”

“I would still have loved you.”

“It wouldn’t have been the same. I was in love with you and if you looked at me and didn’t know that…”

“I would have known. Do you think I can look at you and not know what you’re feeling?”

“But it would have seemed strange to you. You may not have felt the same for me.”

“We’ll never know because you didn’t ask for me.”

“Have I hurt you, John?” She knew right then that she had. “I didn’t know the magic was going to change. I couldn’t go through that again.”

“Let’s find a tree.” He turned and walked away.

“John…John!” She ran after him and caught his arm. “John, please…”

“I am who I am, Toni. I don’t change. This year, next year, I’ll be the same, only I’ll love you more.” He pulled her to him, “Don’t ever forget that.” He blinked his wet eyes and kissed her.

Toni sniffed and looked up. “We can’t be standing out here in a Christmas tree patch crying, John.”

“You’re right. Let’s find a damn tree and go home and cry.” He started to giggle and it was infectious.

John chose the tree and when they got it back to the house it wouldn’t fit, so he had to take it back outside and trim the bottom off twice before it would go in the tree stand under the beamed ceiling. While he was wrestling with the tree, Toni went into the kitchen and made them hot cider with a good shot of whiskey for extra warmth.

“The tree is up, kinda straight, and I’m not touching it again,” John declared, removing his hat and coat and tossing them on a kitchen chair.

“I could have told you it was too tall, but I didn’t, and you were so good to make it fit. I'm so sorry for all your trouble.” She kissed him and handed him a cup of cider, smiling broadly.

That night they decorated the tree then cleared the living room of ornament boxes and sat by the fire. Millie the cat closely examined the tree before hopping up on the sofa with John and Toni. The house sighed at the cozy scene and went about preparing a warm, scented bath to entice them up the stairs and into the bed.

Christmas came and went. John got a computerized hockey game and Toni got her box of chocolates and four nice picture albums in seasonal colors. She looked at the bright green one for spring and frowned. She still had no idea what to do. John told her not to worry over it. He would help her when the time came to worry.

New Year's Eve found them back in Toni’s bedroom on the sofa, watching the ball drop.

“Dick Clark never ages, does he?” Toni said.

“He probably looks his age off TV.”

“You won’t age either, John. What’s going to happen to me?”

“You’re not aging. You haven’t changed since I met you.”

“I hadn’t really thought about that but you’re right. I haven’t had a haircut since I came here. It stays the same. And something else, too…I haven’t had a period. Does that mean I can’t get pregnant? I’ve never used any kind of birth control.”

“Do you want to get pregnant?”

Toni didn’t answer immediately. Did she? “I don’t know, John. I think I would have to talk to all seasons, you know, because if I had your baby it would be in summer or fall. You wouldn’t be here for the birth.”

“True, and Terry would be delivering him. I’d have to think about that. It’s up to you. I think if you wanted to get pregnant the magic would allow that. It would change your life here. We would have a magical child, you know.”

Toni nestled in against him. “It’s something to think about for next year…a magical child.”

John wasn’t sure it was a good idea, a child with four fathers. How could that be explained? He would miss much of its growing up. And then, what if another season wanted a child, what if they all did? Toni would be pregnant for four years. He tightened his arms around her and kissed the top of her head. He was amazed sometimes at her capacity for love.

By mid-January the pond was frozen solid and John was skating again. Toni would go down and watch him but declined to get back on skates herself. She would bring him a thermos of hot soup and chocolate.  He practiced his hockey shots and would join her on the bench for hot drinks.

February came too soon and John asked her if she’d decided on spring. They were in her bedroom on the sofa.

“No, I haven’t, John. I guess I don’t want to think about it.”

“Well, you better start thinking about it or you’re going to be alone here for three months.”

Toni looked at him, knowing he was right. She never wanted to think about the winter season being over.

He tossed a DVD in her lap. “Look at this one. I’m serious. You need a strong guy to keep you in line.” Smiling, he mussed her hair.

Toni eyed the DVD. “You’re sure about this?”

“Sweetheart, I’m not sure about anything. It’s just a suggestion. He would be good to you. I know that.”

Toni put it aside to look at later. She couldn’t be thinking about spring, Winter was here and he was coming on strong today. “What’s up with you today?” she asked.

“Um,” he laughed, “you want me to answer that?”

“John Biebe, you are insatiable. What’s brought this on today?”

“Oh, probably just thinking about Valentine’s day…you know…cupids and stuff.”

“Got an arrow in your pants, have you?” she laughed.

“Damn right!”

Toni took him to the bed and took care of that arrow.

“John, you have no idea…”

“Yes, I do…”

“Love you…”

“Love you, too.”

He left on February 28, right after the breakfast Toni cooked for him. He got on his snowmobile and rode away up the road past the stables. He stopped once, looking back, but the house was a blur through his wet eyes.

ON TO SPRING CAME A CALLING

BACK TO FALL OF MY HEART, PART 1

BACK TO A SECOND SPRING, PART 1

BACK TO FALL, PART 1

BACK TO SUMMER, PART 1

BACK TO SPRING, PART 1

BACK TO WINTER

BACK TO BEGINNINGS

BACK TO LIBRISCROWE