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Just as the short piece reached its end, Veronica burst into the ballroom, ready to call out Alex's name and hustle him back upstairs, but she noticed that a small audience had assembled. She gasped just loud enough for the four people in the audience to hear and they turned to look at her, revealing their faces. "Oh, shit, shit, shit," Veronica said, a bit louder than intended before regaining some sense of composure. She glanced at the stage where a horrified, petrified Alex stared, unspeaking, and Veronica remembered her training as an operatic actress. She stood straighter, held her arms wide and said, "Mother! Mrs Claremont! Thank goodness you made it! Welcome to 'The Haven.' The policeman turned to look at Veronica, then he glanced at the large portrait of Sophia on the wall and back at the elegant red head in the black dress. He extended his hand and said, "Hello. You must be the new owner. I'm Jim Hammond... Sergeant Hammond. I am going to assume that you are related to Sophia." Veronica smiled and shook his hand. "Her granddaughter, actually. Very nice to meet you. Did you bring my mother all this way?" He laughed, humbly. "Yes, I did. They managed to get a car to get them to Lenox, but the car wouldn't come up here. I was just ending my shift, so I gave them a lift." "Thank you," she smiled, "that was very kind of you." "Not at all," Jim grinned. "I grew up down the hill. My mother and I spent many hours right here in this room listening to Sophia and her guest artists. It was worth the trip just to hear music in this room, again. And that little girl... my God... she's unbelievable! Is she related to Sophia as well?" Veronica laughed, somewhat nervously, but it came across as a friendly conversation, "Oh, no, no. Alex is..." "She's mine," Alex's mother said, a bit harshly. "I am... her... mother." She looked at her son with ire in her eyes. Alex knew that he had a lot of explaining to do. The policeman smiled and shook his head in amazement. "Amazing. Just amazing." He looked at Alex and spoke louder. "Brava, young lady! I have a daughter about your age and I can't even get her to practice! Maybe, if I brought her up here to hear you play, she'd buckle down and start taking it seriously." Alex just smiled and said, "Thank you." The Sergeant turned to Veronica and asked, "Would it be ok if I brought her by at some point?" Veronica tried to think of something to say, but before she could speak, Alex's mother said, "Oh, anytime, Jim, anytime. How about this afternoon? I know that Alex would be thrilled to play for her. Maybe she could even give your daughter some pointers." "Really?" Jim smiled. He looked to Veronica, "That would be ok?" Veronica could think of no reason to not say 'yes,' so she glanced at Alex, who offered no help whatsoever, so she smiled and said, "Yes, of course. That would be lovely. It would be so wonderful to get to know our neighbors." "Yes," Alex's mother said, smiling at her son, "wonderful." "Well," Jim looked at his watch, "how about around one o'clock, then? That way I can take a bit of a nap and get Maddie ready to come over. Is good?" "That's great," Alex's mother said. "And how old is your Maddie?" "Fifteen," Jim smiled. "Oh," Alex's mother gave him a friendly grin, "she's much older that Alex, then." She looked at Veronica and said, "Won't it be nice for little Alex to have an older girl as a friend?" "Yes," Veronica gave a fake, pained smile. "Great!" He smiled. "I should get going. This is wonderful! Maddie actually loves classical music. She'll be thrilled." June, who had been waiting by the door, closed it behind her and walked into the center of the room, "Melissa, dear," she motioned to her niece, "would you please show the officer to the kitchen door. If you'd rather use the main entrance this afternoon, sir, please feel free." Melissa nodded and stood straight, happy to be of service. The policeman shook hands with Veronica and thanked her for her hospitality, then turned to follow the younger woman out the service door, which closed behind them. Alex's mother was about to speak, but June held up her hand, "Allow me to close the doors and give you some privacy," she said, seriously. "I'm sure you have a lot to talk about." "Thank you, June," Veronica said, forcing a smile and trying desperately to look confident as she faced her future mother-in-law, a woman she'd never met before. As confident as Veronica attempted to look, Alex's mother allowed the fake smile she'd maintained for the police office to deteriorate into an angry smirk. As the last door closed, Veronica's mother called to Alex, "Come on down here, dear. Let me see that dress. I haven't seen it in fifty years or more. Come on, now." Reluctantly, Alex stood, red faced and head bowed, and he walked down the stairs to the floor of the room. "Oh, look at that," Veronica's mother smiled. "I remember my mother telling me I had to wear it one night to a dinner at a villa on Lake Cuomo in Italy. I can't remember who's house it was, but I remember not wanting to wear it. When I got to the dinner party, though, everyone told me how beautiful the dress was, so I loved it after that. Oh, look, Lucy, isn't that just a beautiful dress?" "Hmmm," Alex's mother, Lucy, crossed her arms and shook her head. "I'd probably like it better if my son weren't wearing it." She looked at Veronica, a bit disgusted, "Please tell me he's not wearing a petticoat under that." Before Veronica could say anything, her mother said, "Well, he should be." Catching Alex by surprise, she ran her hands from his ribs to his knees, feeling the clothing. "Yes, he is. If I recall correctly, it's built into the little slip, right?" Alex glanced at his mother, wishing he could just die at that moment and muttered, "Yes, it is." "Oh," Veronica's mother smiled, "little girl's dresses... I miss being able to dress Veronica up and taking her out to lunch in the city." Then to Alex, she said, "Oh, honey, you look just precious in that." "Yes, Eva," Lucy shook her head, "he looks precious, but the problem is that the little girl in the sailor dress is, in fact, my twenty two year old son, who, if I understand things correctly, is planning on marrying your daughter. So, whether he looks precious or not is not really the issue, and, frankly, it's not just the dress that has me wound up, right now. It's the dress and the hair and the eyebrows and the pink lipstick... it's the whole package. When I walked into this room to see the piano player, I expected to find my son... my adult son. Not... a little girl. So, before I have a brain hemorrhage, somebody please explain to me what the Hell is going on!" Veronica realized that she needed to get a handle on all of this. "Alright, I understand that you're surprised and you may be a little upset..." "Just a little." Lucy said, sardonically. "... but I promise, this was just a little... fooling around. It's not a lifestyle or anything and it wasn't even Alex's idea. I found my mother's old clothes in a steamer trunk and I knew that they'd fit Alex, so I just thought it would be... fun. I mean, I was dressing up in Sophia's amazing clothes and Alex didn't have any clothes because of the storm holding up what he'd shipped from Hong King... and, honestly, we thought we'd be alone through the holiday. We'd heard that the roads were all closed and we assumed that you guys wouldn't be able to make it. We were just having some innocent fun." Veronica's mother, Eva, let out a loud, attention getting guffaw. "Ha! Innocent. I'm sorry, Ronnie, but if I had a pretty little boy like this to play with, innocent would not be the kind of fun that I'd be having with him." "Oh, my God," Lucy shook her head. "Alexander, come here. Let me look at you." "Yes, ma'm," he said, crossing to her, on the verge of tears. Lucy looked him up and down, her lips pursed. "You know, when Alexander was growing up, I often thought that his life would have been easier if he'd been born a girl." Even though she was looking at Alex, Lucy was speaking to everyone else but him. "He was always such a tiny, petite little thing..." she sighed, in what Alex perceived as disgust. "He had to be privately tutored, you know? I mean, can you imagine sending a three foot tall thirteen year old boy into a public high school? He would have been eaten alive in that environment. Maybe I should have just put him in dresses back then and saved myself a ton of money." "Mom, please..." Alex squirmed in her gaze. "Don't 'mom, please' me," Lucy said, dismissively. "My God, I remember when you went to that ridiculous college and came home with your hair all grown out, I told you that no one would ever take you seriously as a man with long hair. Now, look at you! Pretty little curled bangs and a cute little flip." She shook her head in disappointment, a look with which Alex was very familiar. Besides the fact that Lucy was one of the only people in the world who referred to one of the most prestigious music schools on the planet as 'that ridiculous college,' his mother had always viewed his lack of height as a personal failure on his part. A failure that he had done intentionally just to embarrass her. Every purchase of clothing, every purchase of shoes, every family gathering, every every-anything resulted in disappointed sighs and head shakes. Over the last year, or so, though, with the success that Alex had enjoyed both as a solo artist, limited as that was, and the success he'd had as Veronica's accompanist, his mother seemed to have taken some of the pressure off of her disgust at his stature. Now, given the opportunity to go on the attack, again, his mother had not hesitated to attack with vigor. "Wait a minute," Veronica suddenly had a thought. "How is it that you two know each other? I mean, to the best of my knowledge, you have never met before." "We ended up on the same flight," Eva said, brightly. "I flew from Miami to Atlanta. Then my connecting flight was cancelled due to the weather up here. I was having breakfast at a coffee shop in the airport this morning when I ran into Lucy who was sitting at the next table. She was trying to get in touch with her son, but he wasn't answering his cell phone. I'd tried to leave a message for you and had the same problem, but I heard on the news that a lot of this area had no cell service. Anyway, we got talking and realized that we were headed to the same place. Tada! Instant besties." Lucy rolled her eyes at the frivolous way of expressing herself that Eva had exhibited throughout the day. The woman was obviously a privileged air-head who'd never had to work a day in her life, but... if Lucy was being honest... she probably could not have gotten to The Haven without Eva's help. She seemed to have a way of just making demands on people and they just seemed to do her bidding. Case in point, she walked into a police station and got a policeman to drive them all the way to The Haven. Alex suddenly felt Eva running her hands along the little bid style cape on his back. "Oh, I do so love this dress." Lucy's patience with this situation had reached its end. "May I PLEASE speak to my... son... privately?" "Umm..." Veronica balked at that. "If you don't mind, I'd kind of like to stay. All of this was, after all, my idea..." "Thank you," Lucy snapped, "but I would like to speak to him in private, please." "But..." Veronica was about to play the 'this is my house' card, but Alex stopped her. "It's ok. If you could excuse us, I guess we need to talk." He sulked. Veronica was not happy about leaving Alex alone with a woman who seemed angrier than the situation warranted, but when she looked at him, he nodded sadly and said, "I'll let you know when we're done." Veronica shook her head in frustration. "Come on, mom. Let's go." As Veronica and Eva headed for the door, Veronica stopped for a moment and turned to look at Lucy once more. "Before anyone says anything that can't be taken back, I'd just like to remind everyone that this is Christmas Eve and we are probably going to be stuck in this house together for a few more days, anyway." "Thank you," Lucy said, the smirk still on her face, without turning to acknowledge Veronica, "I will keep that in mind." Once the door was closed behind Veronica and Eva, Lucy shook her head and walked in a slow circle around her son. "Well, you certainly are a sight, aren't you? Do you have any idea how foolish you look? You look like a goddamned child, Alexander. A little girl. And the hair and the eyebrows. How on earth do you plan on presenting yourself as man ever again with your pretty little eyebrows and bangs?" Alex tried to explain the bizarre linguistic problems that had led to his current state, but she wouldn't hear any of it. "Just stop, Alexander, just stop. You expect me to believe that there is a legitimate reason for you looking like this, but the truth is there isn't, is there? You just want to be treated like a little girl, don't you?" "Oh, for crying out loud," Alex shook his head and plopped himself down in one of the few chairs that were scattered around the edges of the vast room bent his elbows to rest on his knees and buried his head in his hands, frustrated beyond all belief. "I can't believe we're having this conversation." "Sit up straight!" Lucy nearly yelled. "What?" Alex looked up, confused. "Sit up straight! And cross your legs at the knee for crying out loud! You look like a sack potatoes in a pretty dress. Have some decency, for heaven's sake. SIT UP STRAIGHT!" Shocked, Alex adjusted himself, sitting up straight and crossing his legs at his knees. Lucy shook her head. "So... what now? Is this a full time thing?" "No, mom," Alex sighed. "It was just a little... never mind. I'll ask June if the clothes from my carry on are dry, yet. I'll get changed and we can forget about all this, ok?" "Oh, wouldn't that be nice," Lucy folded her arms, "but I'm afraid I will never forget about this little event. Besides, you can't get changed, now. You have a sweet, little play date with the neighbor girl, remember." "That's not my fault," Alex insisted. "You set that up, not me. When they come, just tell them I left or that I'm sick or something." Lucy snickered. "Not on your life, young lady. You are going to meet with that girl and you are going to be the perfect little Princess the whole time that she's here, do you understand me?" "Why?" Alex asked. "I don't know, Alexander, perhaps if you are sufficiently embarrassed by your own foolishness you may learn your lesson - AND - perhaps if that perverted girlfriend of yours sees you behaving like the little girl that you look like, she may come to her senses." "That's enough," Alex stood and looked up into his mother's face. Even though she'd given birth to him, Lucy was moderately tall for a woman at five foot eight. "Look, mother, if you want to insult and degrade me, fine. I'm used to it. It hurts, but I'm used to it. But if you have anything critical, anything snide, anything vicious to say about Ronnie, then you can just keep that to yourself." "Oh, how cute," Lucy teased, "the little girl is having a temper tantrum." "I'm serious, mother," he said, he's eyes red rimmed with the stress of holding back frustrated tears, "I know that in our family everyone shows their affection for one and other by using as much venom and derision as possible, but that is not the way the rest of the world behaves, and it's not how I want Veronica treated. Whenever you speak to or about Veronica, you will do so with respect. Do you understand me?" Lucy smirked. "You're wearing a petticoat." Alex blinked at the sudden change of direction in the conversation. "What?" "You," Lucy bent a bit to look him in the eye, "are wearing a petticoat. A little girl's petticoat. A little girl's petticoat that your precious Veronica dressed you in before doing your hair, putting lipstick on you and dressing you in an adorable, little girl's sailor dress." "So?" Alex could not see the point. "So..." Lucy smirked, "do you think that she's treating you with respect?" Alex took a deep breath and got control over his emotions. "I'm going to go have my breakfast." As he stormed towards the service entrance, Lucy called after him, "Don't forget your play date with your little friend at one o'clock." Alex turned and stared at his mother. "I won't forget. In fact, I'm looking forward to it. I hope that I can inspire that girl to become a better piano player. Maybe that will make all of this worthwhile." Lucy shook her head. "Or maybe she will bring you some dollies to play with. Wouldn't that be nice?" "Argh!" Alex stomped a foot in frustration, probably not the most masculine thing to do, and shook his head. "You are impossible, mother, and I'm not just talking about today and this dress! You are always like this! Do you have any feelings for me at all? Have you ever really loved me?" "I'm like this BECAUSE I love you, Alexander." "No, mother," he shook his head. "This... all of this... the insults, the derision... all of THIS... THIS is not love. When Sergeant Hammond returns, perhaps you could ask him to give you a ride back into town. Maybe you could find a bed and breakfast that has a vacancy so you could spend Christmas by yourself. That way you'll be spending the holiday with the only person you truly love." He turned, the skirt of his dress flaring and falling, as he stormed out the door and slammed it behind him. Lucy took a deep breath and looked at the closed door, wondering if she should follow after Alexander to continue the argument, but instead, she took a series of deep, steadying breaths. Despite her unwillingness to admit it to anyone, especially herself, Alexander's last attack had really hit home and it really, really hurt. Alex found Veronica in their little kitchenette area, pouring some cereal into a bowl. "Hey," he said to her. "Oh, babe," Veronica put down her bowl and pulled Alex into a hug, "I am so sorry. I had no idea that they were here. I never meant to embarrass you. You know that, right?" Alex concentrated on the feel of Veronica's hug. The feeling of the silk of her dress on his cheek. The feeling of her firm, but pliable breast beneath that silk and the horrible events of the last half hour faded away. "I know," he said, quietly. "Do you hate me?" She asked, pulling him even tighter onto her grasp. "Of course not." He looked up at the woman he adored and formed his lips into a kiss to invite Ronnie to bend her neck to kiss him. She did. "I guess she was pretty upset by the dress, huh?" Alex nestled back into her breasts. "She's always upset about something. I should have warned you, I guess. If I had been wearing an Armani suit and my hair had been cut like George Clooney, I still wouldn't... measure up, if you catch my drift." "I'm sure that's not true, babe," Veronica kissed the top of his head. "She's your mom. I'm sure she loves you." "I'm sure she thinks she does," Alex sighed. "I just don't think she knows what love is." "Maybe we can show her," Veronica laid her cheek on his head. "You and me, baby. We'll teach her how to love." He sighed again, "As much as I want to just stay here an be hugged, I'd really like some toast and tea." Veronica smiled, "I'll have Melissa make you some." "After that," Alex gave her one last snuggle before breaking off the hug, "can I ask a favor?" "Anything," she said, honestly. "After breakfast, will you sing with me? I really need that, right now." Veronica ran her finger along his soft cheek. "My God, I love you so fucking much." It was nearly eleven before they made it back to the ballroom. "What are we singing this morning?" Veronica asked. He pulled the piano bench close and said, "Let's start with something in German, then something Italian, then something in English." Veronica laughed. "Well, ok, then. It has to be in that order?" She looked at her little lover with the bow in his quaffed hair and the pretty little dress and was very happy to sing whatever he wanted her to sing. He nodded and looked a little sad. "I need to hear you sing in German. Italian is beautiful, but German is so much richer." He didn't wait for a response, he just started playing Franz Schubert's 'Lied der Mignon.' Once again, the room filled with the perfect mix of the emotionally restrained piano, followed by the luscious richness of Veronica's quiet, but beckoning voice. Alex closed his eyes and bathed in the sound, feeling their love for each other as it flowed through the room. When they reached the frenetic middle section, he followed her lead and took the same liberties with the meter that Veronica did and then, when it became quiet, again, he set the tempo once more and gave her a solid scaffold of sound to support her amazing voice. When he opened his eyes at the end of the piece, Veronica was just opening her's too. They didn't speak, though, he just began to play the short introduction he'd created for Veronica's recital performances of Puccini's 'Un Bel Di Vedremo' from Madama Butterfly. This time her voice was full and dramatic and easily captured every swoop and leap and acrobatic display as the perfectly crafted aria wound its way through the heart wrenching melody and left those who heard it emotionally drained. Through it all, Alex just let his fingers do what they already knew how to do and he felt the warmth of Veronica's voice surrounding him and passing through him like a warm wave of love and devotion. When that song ended, though, he never opened his eyes. He just began to play the simple, iconic melodic statement followed by the repeating quarter note chords that were the introduction to Gilbert and Sullivan's beautiful aria from 'The Mikado,' 'The Sun Whose Rays Are All A Blaze." The simple, pure melody was a problem for many sopranos who looked for clues to their performance in the text, but Veronica knew enough to just find the beauty of the song in its simplicity and, once again, she overwhelmed Alex with her subtle power that was rooted in the way that her voice was directly connected to her heart. Alex was nearly breathless when he played the last chord. He opened his eyes and looked across the piano to where Veronica gazed back at him. Both felt the connection, the love that had just flowed between them and both knew that they wanted to touch each other, to hold each other and to continue to be one with each other, but their concentration was broken by a spattering of applause echoing through the big room. They both looked towards the main door to see Sergeant Hammond in his civilian attire, with a young woman to his left and June to his right. Both Alex and Veronica shook themselves back to earth as they smiled at the people on the ballroom floor level. June stepped forward with a big smile on her face. "That was lovely, Miss. Thank you. I hope you don't mind that we listened?" "Not at all," Veronica smiled as she stepped down the stairs and walked towards the guests. "I'm sorry, Sergeant. I had no idea that it was so late." "Well, actually," the policeman smiled a guilty smile, "we are quite early. I was called into work again and only have a few hours and I really wanted Maddie to hear the young lady play. I'm sorry, but I couldn't call because the cell towers are all down. So, we showed up on the off chance that we may be able to hear her - and now we've done that, so perhaps we should get going and let you have the afternoon to yourself." "Oh, no, no," Veronica insisted. "What time is it, now?" June checked her watch, "Nearly noon, Miss." "And what time do you need to leave for work, Sergeant?" "Well, not until two, Miss Harrington, but... we don't want to impose any more than we already have." "Don't be silly," Veronica laughed. "We have nothing on our agendas here. Alex! Alex, come here and meet this young lady." As Alex walked, a bit nervously across the large ballroom, Veronica looked at the tall young woman. She was quite attractive. A bit athletic looking, nearly as tall as Veronica, with reddish-brown hair that didn't quite reach her shoulders, wearing black rubber stable boots, tight fitting jeans and a loose, grey sweater that hung nicely from her strong shoulders and modest breasts. "You must be Maddie," Veronica smiled at her. "Yes," the girl smiled back. "You sing so beautifully, Miss," she said politely. "Please, call me Ronnie," Veronica said, then she put her arm out to wrap it around Alex as he approached. "And this is my... friend... Alex. I believe that you have something in common." Alex and Maddie said hi to each other, then Maddie looked at Veronica. "Do we?" Ronnie smiled. "Yes. You both play piano, right?" Maddie laughed. "Oh, I don't play like she does. I'm... ok, for my age, but that's all." 'Ok for her age.' Alex almost mentioned that when he was her age, he was already making a name for himself as a soloist and auditioning for some of the most prestigious colleges in the world, but he held his tongue and smiled. Veronica laughed warmly at Maddie's admission. "Well, Alex plays 'ok for her age,' too. Why don't the two of you play some piano, together, and I'll just have a quick word with the cook to have her make something for lunch," she looked at the policeman, "so that you can have something to eat before you go back to work." "Oh..." Jim held up a hand, "That's not really..." "Don't be silly," Ronnie waved him off. "June, let's go talk to the cook. Alex, you and Maddie can work either in here on you can use the Chickering in the rehearsal room. Sergeant, why don't you relax and listen to the girls play piano?" Alex looked at the girl, who seemed nearly as uncomfortable as he did. "Hi. I'm Alex." The girl nodded. "Maddie." "Umm," he looked around the ballroom. "Would you rather play piano in here, or in a smaller room?" She looked around. "Smaller, I guess." "Ok," he smiled. "This way." "So..." Maddie looked around as she and Alex walked side by side with her father following, "do you live here? In this... huge... place?" Alex smiled. "I just moved in yesterday. You're right, it is big, though. I don't know how Veronica is planning on using all of these rooms, but she inherited it, so... she'll figure it out." As they turned into the rehearsal room, Maddie asked, "Hey... can I ask you a question?" "Sure," he said as he grabbed a chair and put it by the piano bench. "What's with the goody-two-shoes, little girl look?" "Hey, hey," her father groaned. "That's not very friendly." "No," Alex said, "that's ok." He told her about the trunks and how he and Veronica were just having fun with the clothes. He didn't mention that he was actually Ronnie's fianc?. "Oh, good," Maddie laughed. "I was a little worried. Don't get me wrong, though, that dress would be awesome for cosplay. It has a cool anime feel to it." Alex looked down at himself and laughed. "Yeah. I does, doesn't it?" He offered the piano stool to Maddie. "What?" She looked confused. "You want me to play? I came to hear you." "I'll play for you, but you go first," he smiled as he tucked his dress beneath him and sat. Then, as an afterthought, he crossed his legs as his mother had told him. Maddie raised her eyebrows and shook her head. "Alright, but you have to promise not to laugh." "I promise," Alex smiled. The girl sat and just stared at the keys, obviously nervous and uncomfortable, feeling like she'd been put on the spot. "Don't worry, Maddie," her father offered, helpfully. "Play anything." She forced a grin, but went back to nervously looking at the keyboard. Looking to de-stress the situation, Alex asked, "Is Maddie short for Madelyn?" The girl laughed. "I wish! It's short for Matilda, which I hate - thanks for that, by the way, dad." Jim just laughed. "I like that name," Alex said. "It's kind of relaxed. My name is so formal." "Alexandra?" Maddie asked. "Yeah, but it goes with this house and this look that your cultivating." That made Alex laugh. Finally relaxed, Maddie said. "Ok. This is kind of embarrassing, considering what I heard you play, but... here goes." She took a deep breath and started playing one note, D above middle C. She played it gently and played it again, in a steady four beat pattern, until she played a quiet B minor chord beneath it and some structure began to appear. Then she started singing - she was quiet and nervous, but her pitch was good, and like her playing, it was emotional and interesting. "Say something, I'm giving up on you..." she crooned. "I'll be the one if you want me to..." When she was done, she smiled at Alex and shrugged. "That's it." "Wow!" Alex said, impressed that she's done so well. "That was great. Did you write that?" "Did I...?" Maddie was surprised. "No. You've never heard that song before? How is that possible? Everyone I know knows that song. It's kind of old, actually." Alex shrugged. "I don't really listen to much popular music." "Well, I'm glad someone finally played some normal music in this mausoleum," Veronica's mother, Eva, said loudly as she entered the room, clapping. "That was refreshing, dear. Thank you. You must be Jim's daughter. I am the mother of the great Veronica Harrington." She took a little bow. Alex could see that his sixty-something-mother-in-law-to-be was a bit tipsy. "Oh," Maddy smiled. "Nice to meet you." She looked from Eva to Alex and back again. "So, are you Alex's mother, too?" "No, no," Alex said. "I'm just Veronica's... accompanist." He smiled, more nervous than he should be. "Umm, could you teach me that song?" "Seriously?" Maddie blinked. "You want ME to teach YOU a song? That's nuts!" Alex smiled. "Yeah, seriously. I want to learn it. If you teach me that, I'll teach you Chopin's 'Funeral March.'" The girl blinked at him. "I teach you this simple pop song and you'll teach me some Chopin? I can't play Chopin." "Why not?" Alex shrugged. "It's easy." Maddie looked at her father. "Did you hear her? She wants to teach me an EASY Chopin piece." Jim held his hands wide. "She knows her business, honey." Forty five minutes later, Veronica, Eva, Lucy, Jim and June were all seated in the rehearsal room as Maddie performed the simple Chopin piece. When she was done, all assembled stood and applauded. A standing ovation may have been a bit much, but she'd learned the piece and played it well. "Stand and take a bow," Alex whispered. "Ok," Maddie giggled and took a few bows. When Alex stood, not to bow, but just because it seemed like they were done for now, but Maddie threw her arms around him and hugged him. "Thank you, so much! I want to learn so much more!" Alex smiled. He'd never done that with someone before. He'd like to continue teaching her pieces, but this was going to be a complicated thing to do, under the circumstances. "That was wonderful, Maddie," Veronica gushed. Jim offered some very loud whistles of appreciation as he continued to applaud. When, at last, the people assembled stopped clapping, Veronica said, "I believe that lunch is ready, if everyone is hungry." "Yes," June confirmed, "we've set up a casual buffet in the dinning room. If you'd like to follow me, I'll show you the way." "I am famished," Maddie joked as her father threw an arm around her shoulder. "I am so proud of you, honey," he smiled as he kissed her cheek with a big smack of a kiss. Alex was watching this exchange, thinking how nice it would be if, just once, his mother had said something like that to him, but before he could wallow in self pity, Eva stepped beside Maddie and said, "Don't let them drag you completely into their hoity-toity, classical music world, dear. Playing music for a bunch of tight-assed rich people is no way to spend your life." Alex stopped walking and watched as Eva, Maddie and Jim turned out the door, into the hallway, followed by Lucy. Veronica, who had been walking behind him, put her hand on his shoulder. "Hey. You ok?" Alex turned and put his arms around Veronica and hugged her tightly. "Ronnie, I'm sorry." Surprised, she asked, "Sorry about what?" He shrugged. "I guess I was kind of over focused on how unfeeling my own mother was, but now I realize your mother is just as bad. I'm sorry I didn't see that." She hugged him back and chuckled. "I know, babe. She's pretty self involved, isn't she? Imagine... my mother... a woman who never worked a day in her life... who has lived off of the generosity of her mother and the alimony from three ex-husbands... talking about 'hoity-toity, tight assed rich people.' All I can do is shake my head." As they headed towards the dinning room, Alex asked, "Did your mother have anything to say about me being in a dress?" "Not really," Veronica shook her head. "She was kind of caught up in the fact that the dress was 'hers.' Almost as if she could wear it herself if she wanted to. Besides, she's a lot kinkier than I am. Believe me, whatever we may be doing is tame compared to what my mother has gotten up to through the years." As they entered the dining room, June stepped over to them and said, quietly, "Your box from Hong Kong has arrived. I put it in your room, sir." Alex nodded and smiled. "Thank you, June." As June stepped away, Veronica whispered to Alex, "I guess your torment is nearly over." Alex nodded. Lunch discussion was upbeat and focused mostly on Maddie's achievement. Several mentions were made by the mothers indicating that it would be nice if Maddie could come back to learn more from Alex and spend more time introducing 'her' to more popular music so she wasn't such a 'music snob.'" "So, Jim," Eva asked, in a voice that was entirely too flirty for a woman in her mid sixties talking to a man in his mid forties, "how long will you be working, tonight?" The Sergeant looked up from his salad and said, "Three to eleven." "Oh," Eva looked at Maddie, "so it'll just be you and your mom on Christmas Eve?" Jim cleared his throat, "Umm, no... Maddie's mom passed away quite a while ago. Usually, on Christmas Eve, we'd be hosting my sister-in-law and her family, but under the circumstances, we really can't do that this year. Hopefully, tomorrow we can make it to my parents' house to have dinner, but we will have to see if that's possible after the sun comes up. With most of the town in the dark and a lot of trees down and blocking the roads... we'll see." "Wait a minute," Veronica said, "are you saying that Maddie is going to be all alone in a dark, cold house on Christmas Eve?" "Well," Jim chuckled, "we have a big fireplace in our den, so she'll be sleeping in there, on the couch." The mothers let out expressions of shock as Veronica squeezed Alex's hand to let him know that she had no choice but to say what she was about to say. "Look, Maddie, we have plenty of room and food here. Wouldn't you rather stay here until your dad gets home? Or all night, if you'd prefer. Jim, you could come back after your shift and not have to deal with the fireplace and all." "Oh..." Maddie looked at her father hopefully. Veronica continued, "Later, we're going to decorate the tree and then have a nice dinner with just us and the staff. We could even find something in the trunks for you to wear if you'd like to have some fun. What do you say?" Alex knew that this was the right thing to do, but he wished that it wasn't necessary. How could he possibly tell a fifteen year old child to go stay, all by herself, to a house with no heat or electricity? Maddie looked at her father. "Would that be ok, Daddy?" Jim looked at everyone assembled. "Well... we don't want to be any bother, but... that would certainly make me feel better if she were here, where it's safe snd warm." "No bother at all," Veronica squeezed Alex's hand once again. He knew it was an apology and he understood, entirely. "Maddie, you are always welcome here and we hope you will enjoy tonight's activities." Veronica turned to her head of household. "June, can you arrange for rooms for both of our new guests?" "Yes, of course, Miss," June smiled. "Oh..." Jim sputtered, "that's very kind of you, but I will not impose for myself. Just for Maddie." Veronica laughed. "Sergeant, we have more bedrooms at The Haven than the entire town of Lenox. Honestly, it isn't an imposition. Hopefully, by morning, the power will be restored and you can go home after a nice breakfast. How does that sound?" "Very hospitable of you," Jim smiled. "Thank you." Just as Jim left to go to work, Rebecca appeared to announce that the tree was set up and the decorations were all waiting in the sitting room. So, they all filed into the sitting room and began decorating the tree. The twelve foot tall fir tree was set up in the corner of the beautiful room. Typically, people would expect for a room with a Christmas tree standing in it, to also have other decorations scattered about, but the nineteenth century d?cor of the room already had such a feeling of a Christmas movie that only the tree was needed. There were two step ladders nearby the tree. It turned out that Maddie was very comfortable going up and down ladders due to working in her aunt's barn, so she was responsible for a lot of the high decorating. Rebecca came in after washing up and she was working from the other ladder. When they were almost done, Rebecca pulled out the star that belonged on top of the tree. She looked at Alex and smiled. "As the youngest, putting the star on top of the tree is your honor." She held out the star for him to take. Alex really didn't want to do it, though. He was wearing a very wide skirt and little heels, so he tried to beg off. "That's ok. You can do it." Rebecca chuckled. "No, no. I'm one of the oldest here. This is your job." All of a sudden, Maddie was standing next to Alex. She took the star from Rebecca and then took his hand. "Come on. I'll help you. I won't let you fall." Alex began to climb the ladder with Maddie climbing right behind him. Her arms holding the ladder rails high around Alex to ensure his safety. He felt even more childish than he had before, being protected by a fifteen year old girl. When he reached the top of the tree, Maddie said in a voice that she obviously reserved for the children she babysat, "Ok. Relax. Lean back on me if you need to. Just reach out and place the star on the tree. That's it. Almost there. That's it. Now, push it down hard. Good work! You did it!" The rest of the room applauded. Alex hoped that it was applause for Maddie's encouragement, and not a condescending acknowledgement of his lack of height. It was after four thirty by the time the tree was fully lit and decorated. June assured Veronica that she did not need to pick up the mess left behind by the decorating process. "Well, then," Veronica said to Maddie, "would you like to take a look at some gowns you could wear for our formal dinner? I think that we should be able to find something beautiful and fun to wear." The girl lit up brighter than the Christmas tree. "Sure! That would be great!" Veronica stood and invited Maddie to follow her, then looked at Alex. "Would you like to come, too, Alex?" Alex shook his head. "No, thank you. I need to change." Once Veronica and Maddie had left, Alex looked to his mother and asked, "Mom, could you give me a hand getting changed?" Lucy looked at her son, blankly. "Help you change? You're a grown man, Alexander." "Mom," Alex stood, "I need your help and we need to talk." Lucy looked at Eva and shook her head. "Of all the foolishness I have ever heard..." "Mom!" Alex said, more forcefully. "Please. I need to talk to you." Lucy shook her head as she stood. "Alright, alright. I'll help you. It seems foolish to me, but... if that's what you want..." They climbed the stairs in silence. When they started down the corridor, Lucy said, "I don't know why the two of you would even consider living in this barn of a house. It's far too big for just two people." Alex didn't rise to her bait and just led her into his room. As June had promised, his box from Hong Kong was sitting by the foot of his bed. He opened it and dumped all of his male clothing onto the bed. "Could you help me take off this dress, please?" He asked his mother. "There's a question a mother never wants to hear from her son," Lucy muttered as she helped to pull the dress free of Alex's torso and arms, revealing, as she should have expected, a lace covered slip with a moderate petticoat on it. She let out a sound of disgust as she looked him over. "That is ridiculous." Alex just nodded and said, "Would you take a seat, mom? I'd like to talk." There were a couple of nice wing-backed chairs to the side of the room, so Lucy took a seat. When Alex took a seat as well, without changing, Lucy was surprised. He sat with his back straight and his legs crossed at the knee, just as she'd demanded earlier. Lucy looked impatient. "Aren't you going to put on some men's clothing before we have this discussion?" Alex shook his head. "No, mom. I will not be putting on men's clothing tonight." Lucy shook her head in frustration, "Oh, this is ridiculous. Parading around like a little girl..." Alex interrupted. "Where did I go to college, mom?" "What?" She was caught off guard. "Where did I go to college?" "Well, that's a foolish question. You went to that ridiculous school in New York City." "What's the name of the school, mom?" Alex remained calm. "Why are we having this conversation, Alexander?" "Because I am tired of the answer you just gave me. I want to start over with you, mom and I don't want to end every conversation I have with you feeling guilty and ashamed of myself." Lucy stopped and looked at her son more closely. "I make you feel guilt and ashamed?" Alex nodded. "You mean..." Lucy thought for a moment... "you mean I made you feel ashamed about wearing a dress?" Alex shook his head. "No. You make me feel ashamed to be alive, mom. Your disappointment in me comes through in every sentence you speak and every look you give me." "Alexander..." she was genuinely confused. "I have always supported you, you know that." "I don't know that, mom. In fact, I'd like to hear some of the ways you feel that you have supported me throughout my life." Alex remained cool and maintained his posture in the chair. "Well, I..." she sputtered. "I... I raised you. I put food on the table every night, clothed you, kept you healthy." Alex nodded. "And how many times did you complain that I wasn't eating enough because I was too small? How many times did you complain that we had to buy my clothes in the boys' department or have them tailored? How many times did we leave the doctor's office with you angry that I was too small?" Lucy blinked at him. "Well... it was difficult for me, Alexander, to have a boy who was so... small." "Was it?" Alex nodded. "Was it difficult for you to have a small boy who graduated from high school two and a half years ahead of schedule? A small boy who won National piano competitions at eleven and twelve years old? How about having a small boy who went to Julliard when he was fifteen and graduated with a Masters in Performance at twenty? Was all of that difficult, too?" Lucy didn't say anything. "Because, let me tell you, mom, it was difficult to be that 'little boy' who was killing himself to achieve and never once having his mother show him a bit of support. To win a competition and have his mother complain that the seats were too hard. To get accepted with a full scholarship to the most important music college in the country and have his mother say, 'they'll eat a little thing like you alive there.' To call his mother to tell her that he's in love with a wonderful woman and have his mother replay, 'What does she see in a little thing like you?' It wasn't easy, mom, and you seemed to thrive on making it all worse at every opportunity." Lucy took a deep, irritated breath. "And do you think you made it any easier, Alexander? Huh? Staying in your room playing that piano twenty four hours a day, driving me up the walls with scales and arpeggios and the same pieces being played over and over and over?" Alex looked at her and cocked his head to the side a bit. "So... was it my height or my achievements that annoyed you the most?" "That's not fair, Alexander," his mother leaned a bit forward in her seat. "Yes, I admit it, I may have been a little less than sympathetic about your height issues, but goddamnit... look at you! You're twenty two and you're the size of a child! You're wearing clothing that your future mother-in-law wore when she was ten or eleven or twelve years old! How could I not be embarrassed by that!" "By the dress or the height?" Alex persisted. "By all of it, Alexander! By all of it! God almighty, my sisters' children are all normal! Why the hell did you end up being so goddamned little!?" There it was. She'd said it. And the moment she said it, she wished she hadn't. "Alexander..." she stared at him, not knowing what to say. "...I didn't... I didn't mean that. Honestly." Alex got out of his chair and knelt next to his mother's chair, taking her hand in his. "Mom, I know you didn't mean to SAY IT, but that's not really the issue. The issue is that you have felt that way my whole life and... to be honest... that's not love. That's bitterness and that's not what I want between us. I want us to love each other. To be nice to each other. To not judge each other. Is that possible?" Lucy sniffled a bit. This was touching more emotions than she was comfortable touching. "Alexander... you know that I never REALLY resented the fact that you're small. I mean..." "Mom," Alex took her other hand in his, "you did, but we need to move past that. What I am proposing is that we start fresh and new, right now, today. No more judgements. No more snipes. Let's just pretend that this is all brand new ? that I'm your child and you're my mother ? that we love each other and we are capable of expressing that love without demeaning each other. Can we do that?" Lucy looked away and took a deep breath before returning her gaze to her son. "Alexander... I know that the name of your college is Julliard and I brag to people about it and you and your success all the time. I really do. I don't know what comes over me sometimes when we're together, though. I just seem to find fault in everything. You have always been a good son and I try, I really do try to be a good mother, but... I guess that's just another failure." "We can change that, mom," Alex squeezed her hands gently and looked into her eyes. "If we both decide to change, then we can change." "Alright," Lucy shrugged. "Alexander, I will change. I want to have a good relationship with you, so... I will change. I promise." "Good," Alex said. Then he stood and gave his mother's hands a pull to help her stand. "Can we start with a hug?" Lucy smiled and gave him a hug ? not a huge hug, mind you, but it was an embrace and that was the first embrace from his mother that Alex could remember getting since the day she dropped him off in New York City, three days before his first class at Julliard. "Now, may I ask you a question?" Lucy asked as she released Alex. He nodded, so she continued. "No judgement, mind you, but... if you have perfectly good boy' clothing to wear, why aren't you planning on wearing it tonight?" Alex looked down and considered that question for a moment before looking back up, into his mother's eyes. "No judgement. Ok. I know this may sound... odd... but... I've always felt... wrong in boy's clothes, mom. Like I was... not right. The clothes either made me uncomfortable or I just looked silly in an overly tailored suit. Now, I've never put on women's clothing before the night before last ? and those were just fairly gender neutral pajamas ? and I never put on a dress before this morning, but... I don't know... I just kind of... like it. Like... I feel good in these clothes. Nice, I mean. Like... I like how I look and how I feel in them, you know what I mean?" Lucy didn't know what he meant, but she nodded to both encourage him to continue and to live up to the 'no judgement' pledge she'd just made. "You know how you came into the rehearsal room and I was teaching Maddie how to play that Chopin piece? I don't think I could have done that in my normal clothes. If I'd been dressed as a guy, then Maddie's first impression of me would have been as a freak of some kind. A tiny guy who plays piano, that's what I get everyday ? BUT ? in a dress, she just accepted me and I felt comfortable enough to sit next to her, chat, learn a song, teach a song... whatever. It was very nice freeing. "So, are you dressing like a girl forever?" Lucy asked. Alex smiled, "I don't know, but I am for now, anyway." Lucy looked at her tiny offspring in his silky, lacy, petticoated slip and had to admit ? he looked right in these clothes. "Ok," she nodded. "If this makes you comfortable, I will support it." Alex hugged her much more suddenly and much more tightly than she expected. She let out a surprised, "Oh!" "So," Alex smiled as he stepped back from her, "can we have a bit of mother-son bonding time, then?" Lucy's first thought was 'Wasn't what we just did mother-son bonding time?' but she refrained from saying that and said, "That would be nice. What would you like to do?" Alex ran to the closet and pulled down the zippers on the garment bags looking for the dress that most looked as if Veronica had chosen it for him to wear on Christmas Eve. When he saw one made from green velvet, he pulled that dress, garment bag and all, off the rod and neatly laid it on his bed. Then he he smiled at his mother and said, "I need you to help me get ready for dinner. I'll wear this dress, but... could you, maybe, help me with my hair and, maybe, a little makeup?" Lucy looked a little surprised that this was what Alex was considering 'bonding time,' but smiled and said, "Ok." While Alex removed the slip and hung it and the sailor dress up in the closet, Lucy took the green velvet dress out of its garment bag and looked at it. It was not overly fancy, but it was classically beautiful. A long sleeved dress made of a soft velvet. A fitted bodice and straight, loose sleeves with a wide circle skirt. What made the dress pop, though, was the white Peter Pan collar and large, white, faux- French cuffs, as well as the pearl sized buttons that ran up the back of the dress. "Oh," Lucy said, in spite of herself, "that is absolutely precious." Alex chuckled. "You like it?" "I do," Lucy nodded. "For the record, I liked the sailor dress, too. It was just a big surprise to see it on you. Maybe I over reacted." She removed the dress from the hanger, finding another, simpler slip under it. Alex took the slip and checked the pocket in the garment bag, finding a pair of shoes as well as a new set of panties and a matching bra. It didn't look as much like the old fashioned training bra he was wearing. Instead, this one looked like a women's small bra with a little bit of padding in it. Not much. Just enough to give the impression of a 'AA' cup. Alex turned his back to his mother and asked, "Can you undo me?" Lucy bit her tongue to refrain from saying something negative, but as she undid the clasps on the bra we was wearing, she looked at Alex's smooth, hairless skin and small shoulders. If this weren't her son, there would be no reason to not assume that this was a very young woman. She undid the hooks and eyes and Alex slid the training bra down his arms, immediately replacing it with the 'AA' cup bra. Without thinking, Lucy just linked the hooks into the eyes, closing the garment around her tiny son. Alex kept his back on his mother and he dropped the panties he'd worn all day and slipped on the fresh pair, taking a moment to tuck himself as best he could before turning to face his mother. She was unbuttoning each of the tiny, pearl buttons. "These buttons are beautiful, but they were never designed to be worked by the girl wearing it. Just a warning, once you put this on, you're not getting it off by yourself." Finally done unbuttoning, she held the dress low for her son to step into it. He put his arms onto the sleeves, pulling the front of the dress up to his shoulders and he heard his mother sigh. "What's the matter?" Alex asked. "Doesn't it fit?" "I think it fits fine," Lucy said. "I'm just trying to work up the energy to button it back up again." As she buttoned and buttoned and buttoned the dress, Lucy began talking. "Your father was a musician, too, you know?" Alex hadn't asked about his father in a decade or more. It was taboo subject growing up. "What did he play?" "He was a piano player, too. He played with a rock band. They put out a few albums and had a couple of minor hits, but they never made it big." Alex looked in the mirror, watching his mother buttoning him up. She was involved in her chore and, for the first time in his whole life, she was talking to him. REALLY talking to him. "I didn't know that." "He was..." Lucy sighed. "...he was not a happy man. He... he drank, Alexander. He drank a lot and when he was drunk... he was mean. Very mean." "He didn't hit you, did he?" Alex asked. Lucy stayed focused on the buttons, but kept sharing. "He tried. We were only together a couple of months, really, even though we were actually married for almost two years. He'd get drunk and come banging on my door in the middle of the night. It wasn't easy." Alex almost felt like crying. He had no idea his mother had gone through all of this. "I know it's a horrible thing to say, but... well... I'm glad you never knew him." She was approaching the buttons on the top of his back. Alex asked, "Is he still alive?" "No," Lucy said, matter of factly. "You were only about three years old when the police came to the door early one morning. Apparently, he was driving drunk, drove off the road and... that was that. His license still had our address on it, so they assumed we were still married. After they told me, I don't think I even reacted. I just nodded and closed the door." She tapped his shoulder. "All done." Alex turned and looked at his mother. Then, without warning, threw his arms around her and hugged her tightly. "I'm sorry, mom. I didn't know any of that." Lucy shrugged and looked at her son's hair. "Let's go to my room. I have some things to help with your hair." Alex slipped his feet into a pair of dyed-to-match-the-dress silk shoes that his mother referred to as 'flats,' but there was a very small heel on them, and they walked to Lucy's room where she spent twenty minutes or more using a curling iron to create dozens of vertical curls in his hair, including vertical curls in his bangs. When his whole head was covered in tube shaped curls, she began brushing them out, until, at last, she had created a controlled, full bodied, mass of wavy hair. "What do you think?" She asked as she pointed to the mirror, halfway across the room. "I love it!" Alex exclaimed. "Makes my hair look so thick." Lucy grabbed a can of hairspray and said, "Close your eyes," and she spayed a liberal amount onto his hair to make the hairdo stay put. Lucy looked closely at Alex's face and thought out loud. "You still look like a little girl, so we don't want to go crazy on makeup. Maybe just a little color on your eyes and some lipstick. I think we can go a little darker than that baby pink you wore all day." "Ok," Alex said, happy to be sharing this ? sharing anything ? with his mother. He felt the brush passing over his closed eyes, then the waxy feeling of lipstick being applied to his lips. "One last thing," his mother said, as she opened up her travel jewelry case and pulled out a short string of pearls. "They're not real," she said, almost apologetically, "but they're pretty and nobody's ever noticed they were fake when I wore them." She stood behind her little son and ran the string of faux pearls so that they traveled around his neck, under the Peter Pan collar of the dress, then appeared from the collar in front and seemed to complete the circle that the open fronted collar implied. It was a very pretty effect. The short string would probably have been a choker on his mother, but it hung loose and pretty on Alex. Lucy looked at her handiwork and smiled. "I think we're done. Go look in the mirror." Alex got up and walked towards the mirror. The circle skirt of his dress just covered his knees and above it, the field of green velvet traveled up his body uninterrupted until it reached his white cuffs, white collar and white string of pearls. His hair was thick and wavy and his lips were a rich coral color and they had a soft shine to them. It was a darker pink than what he'd worn that day, but not garish or too close to a harsh red. What really surprise him was his eyes, though. The color was an almost imperceptibly subtle green with flecks of silver glitter sparking on them. "My eyes," Alex gazed in amazement. "They look amazing." "I'm glad you like them," Lucy smiled. "I bought the glitter for a New Year's Eve party in Florida. It seemed like a nice way to make you look like a pretty Christmas tree ornament." She walked over and stood behind Alex and he swayed from one side to the other, trying to see how the dress fit him. "You look beautiful, Alexan... Alex." She said. "Truly. I am sorry that I didn't see it before." "Thanks, mom," Alex smiled. "Now," Lucy smiled and crossed her arms, "I hate to shoo you out of here, but I need to change and I'm afraid I'm just not ready to get changed in front of my son. Even if he is wearing a dress." Alex laughed. "Ok." He started to go, but stopped and turned to his mother and said, "Mom... thank you. Not just for the help, but... well... thank you." Lucy nodded and smiled. "Alex... Ali... I like that. Ali. Ali... I'm sorry and... thank you, too. This was nice." Alex went back down the hall to the master bedroom and knocked on the door, but there was no answer, so he headed towards the staircase. As he walked, he felt the warm, soft material of his dress playing around his knees and he noticed how much extra material had gone into making the loose fitting circle skirt. It seemed almost wasteful to have so much extra material, but it sure made the skirt bounce playfully around him in a way that he found wonderful. He bounced and watched the skirt blossom and relax again and it made him giggle. Then, he looked around and saw no one anywhere nearby, so he spun on the ball of his left foot and watched the skirt fan out around him, then fall in a twist around his legs and relax again to sit prettily around his knees. The feeling was so wonderful that he did it again, and again, and a third time before he reached the stairs and grew self conscious that someone may appear down stairs and see him. He was about to descend the stairs, but he heard some voices coming out of the first bedroom beyond the foyer. He walked across the landing and listened for a moment, hearing Veronica and Maddie talking behind the door. He knocked, for no other reason than to let Ronnie know that he'd be downstairs. The door opened a few inches and Veronica smiled when she saw him. "Holy Moses, look at you!" She smiled. "Did you do all of that by yourself?" Alex smiled at the compliment. "No. My mom did it ? I know, shocking, right? Long story, but it went well. Did you find something for Maddie to wear for dinner?" Veronica pulled her head back in and looked behind the door. "Did we find something for you to wear?" Alex heard Maddie's voice from inside the room. "We sure did! Wait till you see it! If my father saw me he'd have a heart attack!!! Let her in!" Veronica, knowing the age of the girl she was dressing and the age and sex of the pretty creature in the green dress in the hall, said, "No. We want it to be a surprise." She looked back through the door at Alex and smiled. "She'll be another ten or fifteen minutes. Then I have to get myself ready." "Yeah, that's fine," Alex nodded. "I'll be playing the Chickering, ok?" "Okee doke," Veronica winked. "I'll send your little friend down to keep you company when she's ready. Ok?" He laughed and turned to walk away, but Veronica called after him. "You're making that dress work, little girl!" He didn't turn, but said, loud enough for Ronnie to hear, "Yeah, I am!" Down in the rehearsal room, Alex played a few of his usual warmups. Scale studies, arpeggio exercises, chromatic runs, but he really wanted to play a piece. He'd had this song playing in his head for hours and he was desperate to play it. Although, not originally written for piano, Alex had acquired a piano transcription of Prokofiev's brilliantly melodic piece 'Troica,' and that's what he started to play. There was a lot of flashy playing in this arrangement in order to emulate the sound of the full orchestra. One critic who'd review Alex playing this in concert, paraphrased Shakespeare in his review by stating that 'Mr Claremont's version of the orchestral piece was filled with sound and fury and signifying nothing ? except a great deal of joy.' Alex had to admit, the critic had nailed it and, feeling as he did ? happy and pretty ? he really wanted to transmit some joy into the world through this great instrument. He played with complete abandon, enjoying every note, every flourish, every chord, and when he played the finally chord, he was actually flushed with joy. "Holy shit, Alex," a voice came from behind him, making him jump, "that was unbelievable! You should be on TV!" "Oh, thanks," Alex said, as he turned. "Holy cow, Maddie! You look beautiful! Like a grown up!" The fifteen year old girl was wearing a strapless, dark blue, vintage cocktail dress, with a plunging, cupid neckline that made her moderate breasts look much more impressive than he'd expected. The tight fitting bottom section of the bodice looked like a series of wrapped bands of the same material, and, even though it was reminiscent of a man's tuxedo's cummerbund, it had an elegant femininity to it. Below that, a high waisted skirt of row after row after row of dark blue lace cascaded down to her knees. It was an old fashioned look to be sure, but absolutely beautiful in its execution and Maddie looked amazing in the dress. Beyond the dress, her hair had been coiffed into beautiful, constant waves that Alex recognized as Veronica's handiwork because he'd seen her hair done the same way many times. Her makeup was perfect with subtly smoky eyes and bright, shining red lips. The three inch heeled, pointy toed pumps made her taller, leaner and more statuesque. If Alex didn't know that the girl was fifteen, he'd have guessed she was twenty nine or thirty. Maddie smiled at his compliment. "Thanks. When Ronnie asked me if I wanted to get dressed up it sounded like fun, but she really takes it seriously, doesn't she?" "She's a diva," Alex laughed. "Diva's take dressing up VERY SERIOUSLY!" "You look adorable, too, though," the girl complimented Alex. "Come here. Let's take a selfie together." "Oh," Alex saw danger signs, "I'm not really supposed to be on social media." "Just for us, then," she smiled. Alex stood beside her, a bit shocked at how tall her shoes made her, while he was still in the flats. Maddie took seven or eight pictures and then showed them to Alex, promising to send him copies when the cell towers were working again. Alex kind of loved the pictures and kind of hated them, too. He loved that both he and Maddie were smiling and happy in the shots and that they both looked so nice in their dresses, but he kind of hated that this fifteen year old looked so much more beautiful and elegant than he did. That second part made him wonder if he was actually jealous of how pretty she was. When the mothers, both in festively bright dresses, but neither as grand as Maddie or Alex, came down stairs, they found 'the kids' in the rehearsal room while Alex taught Maddie to play a few simple pieces. She was a good student, enthusiastic and smart, and a very nice person. Alex enjoyed teaching her and, strangely enough, he enjoyed the way she always spoke to him so sweetly, as if he was her little sister, or something. It made him feel... nice. "Ladies," June announced from the doorway, "dinner is served in the dining room." "What about Veronica?" Maddie asked. "Miss Veronica will meet you in the dinning room." June was also dressed up in a very nice pants suit. It was navy blue, but she had on a bright gold blouse beneath it. It was a very handsome look. When they reached the dinning room, it had been decorated as well. Tasteful wreaths with bright gold balls hung on the walls. It looked, and smelled, wonderful. On the table was a dazzling assortment of food. Ham, Turkey and pork roast, along with several soups, every vegetable imaginable and a selection of pies on the side table. It was like Christmas out of a movie! The table was set for ten people. Veronica, Maddie, Eva, Lucy and Alex made five. The staff was joining them that evening, and they all dressed nicely, too. So, June, Rebecca, Melissa and the small Asian woman that everyone call 'Cook,' brought the party to nine. June directed everyone to their seats, but asked them not to sit just yet. The head of the table was reserved for Veronica. To her left sat Eva, Lucy, Melissa and Cook. To her right, Alex, Maddie, an empty chair, then June and Rebecca. June pulled out her cell phone and smiled at us all. "Ladies and... well... ladies... I give you our hostess for the evening. Miss Veronica Harrington." Then she touched her phone and Jean-Joseph Mouret's famous 'Rondeau' played loudly through Bluetooth speaker so that Ronnie could make her silly, pretentious entrance. She was waving like a queen as she floated in, looking like a goddess in the most beautiful dress Alex had ever seen. It was Christmas red with a top that barely touched her shoulders, but fell in loose pieces to imply sleeves that ended at her elbows. The tight bodice must have had a built in corset of some sort, because she appeared to be braless, but her breasts were held high and beautifully surrounded by the red lace of the plunging neckline. Lace also covered the rest of the tight top before the dress exploded into a skirt wider than any wedding dress that Alex had ever seen. Layer after layer of deep red silk fell in waves from her hips to the floor as she moved like a princess from a Disney movie towards her chair. Her hair and makeup were perfect, of course, as well. Part of Alex, a very unfeminine part, stiffened within his panties as he gazed lustfully at this amazing woman, but another part of him wished that someday he too might be beautiful enough to wear something that gorgeous. Just as they were putting food on their plates, they heard a voice call from the hallway. "Hello!? Where is everybody hiding?" June jumped up and hustled out into the hallway, returning a few moments later with Sergeant Hammond following. "Daddy!?" Maddie said, surprised and bit concerned at what his reaction to her outfit would be. He stopped and made a show of blinking at his daughter. "Is that my barn-rat of a daughter dressed up like a supermodel?" Maddie blushed, both flattered and embarrassed. "Your little girl is all grown up and beautiful," Veronica smiled, proud of her handiwork. "Like hell she is," Jim laughed as he kissed his daughter's cheek. "You look gorgeous, baby, but you're making me feel awfully old." He glanced at Alex and put his hands on his shoulders. "This is how I picture my little girl ? looking like a respectable little thing ? not like a grown up, beauty Queen!" Everyone laughed at his teasing, but it left Alex wanting to look more like Veronica and Maddie. It also left him confused as heck! Maddie leaned over to Alex and said, "He'll always think of me as a middle schooler." Alex nodded, refraining from mentioning his Bachelor's and Master's degrees. Instead he whispered, "I think he likes how you look. He's just making dad jokes." Throughout dinner, June mentioned how wonderful it was to have music back in the house and Jim thanked both Alex and Veronica for how kind they'd been to Maddie. Then he looked at Lucy and said, "You must be incredibly proud of your little girl. Does she get her talent from you or her father?" Lucy smiled just a little and wiped her lips with a napkin. "She certainly doesn't get it from me," she chuckled. "Ali's father was a keyboard player in a rock band, but.. Ali's talent is Ali's talent. She's worked harder than anyone I've ever known to get as good as she is and, yes, I am extremely proud of her." Alex was almost light headed with the feeling he got from receiving a compliment like that from his mother. He couldn't believe he'd actually heard her correctly. He smiled and said, "Thank you, mom." Lucy smiled back. Veronica reached over and squeezed his hand. "We're all very proud of our little Ali." Following dinner, once Jim had returned to work, Alex and Veronica performed a few pieces for everyone. It was a very merry evening and one unlike Alex had ever experienced before. The feeling of warmth and acceptance made him feel better than he'd ever felt. Afterward, they all sat around the Christmas tree sipping mulled cider, some of them adding a little rum to their mugs, and admired the tree. It was a quiet, relaxed, oddly feminine experience. As Alex grew tired, he found his head leaning on Veronica's shoulder. She put her arm around him and gave him a squeeze. "I think I'd better help my little accompanist up to her bed." "She'll need help getting out of that dress," Lucy said. "There's about a thousand buttons up the back." "But it looks adorable, doesn't it?" Eva giggled, her speech a little slurred. "I'll help her," Veronica smiled and stood. "Come on, little girl." "Is it ok if I stay up for a while longer?" Maddie asked, uncertain of the protocol. "As long as you'd like," Veronica nodded. Then she looked at everyone else and said, "Merry Christmas, ladies!" Once they were upstairs, Veronica unbuttoned each of the tiny buttons, then helped him undress to his skin. Without asking, she slipped the elaborately pretty nightie he'd worn the night before over his head, then took him by the hand to lead him to the master bedroom. "Shouldn't I wash my face?" He asked. Veronica grinned hungrily. "Are you kidding? All evening I've been looking at you and thinking how wonderful it would be to have sex with someone wearing glitter eye shadow." Alex smiled and unconsciously licked his lipsticked lips. "Yeah?" "Oh, yeah." She beamed and led him across the hall. She closed her door securely and told Alex to get on the bed. Then, she lifted all of the skirts she was wearing and took off her panties. "Did you have a good evening, Ali?" Alex smiled up at her as she lifted his nightie to expose his penis. "I did." "You looked so pretty, Ali. So, so pretty, in that perfect little dress. Like a good, little lady." She lifted all of her skirts and climbed onto the bed, straddling her little lover and lowered herself onto him, devouring his organ into her as she spread her skirts and petticoats over him, devouring him in the folds of her elegant gown. "You liked it didn't you? Being my little girl?" He didn't need to answer, she already knew. "An entire day of softness. Of silk and lace and velvet, and now... you're covered in the prettiest dress I've ever worn. It's wonderful, isn't it?" Alex closed his eyes and felt every sensation around him, especially the warmth that surrounded his manhood. Veronica saw the look of approaching ecstasy on his face and she focused on tightening around him and increasing her movement just enough so he could lose himself in his overloaded senses. "My sweet girl. My sweet little girl with the glitter eyeshadow and the beautiful nightie. I love you so much." At that moment, Alex exploded deep within her and set off her own orgasm warming her from her core. He closed her eyes and she milked him until he'd gone limp, again. She smiled down at him and he smiled up at her. "Best Christmas Eve, ever," he grinned. "You think Christmas Eve was great," Veronica smiled, "just wait till Christmas Day. Santa is bringing some very nice presents. Veronica's song in German (another American Soprano' Dawn Upshaw ? Richard Strauss' Lied der Mignon - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PxByXlGarlc Veronica's song in Italian by Russian/Austrian Soprano Anna Netrebko ? Giacomo Puccini's Un Bel Di Vedremo - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RIXjFdkA6VU Veronica's song in English by English Soprano Norma Burrowes ? Gilbert and Sullivan's The Sun Whose Rays Are All A Blaze - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lpVPGk257Tc Pop song played by Maddie. 'Say Something' by A Great Big World and Christina Aguilera https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=-2U0Ivkn2Ds The song that Alex taught Maddie. Frederick Chopin's Piano Sonata No. 2 Mvt III. Lento (Funeral March) performed by Arturo B Michelangeli. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oL_HFnnywEU Song that felt like Christmas to Alex ? 'Troica' by Sergei Prokofiev - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=naz7PJ5YYvI Jean-Joseph Mouret's Rondeau - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7oJ2ImdHxg