Re: *Winter's Present* - serialized

On Tue, 17 Feb 2026 18:20:27 -0600
Bryan Simmons <[email protected]> wrote:

> On 2/17/2026 5:15 PM, Bryan Simmons wrote:
> > 
> > 
> >              Winter’s Present
> >                     .
> >                Bryan Simmons
> > 
> >      Table of Contents
> > 
> > Silver    9
> > Winter    23
> > Fast    29
> > Wearing White    49
> > Sex Kitten    59
> > The Party    73
> > Turkey Claus    101
> > Boy Talk    121
> > Scorpions    131
> > Ann    147
> > Lady Bear    173
> > Cinnamon Buns    189
> > Sandy Beach    205
> > Our Tricycle    235
> > Queen of Love    249
> > Art    279
> > Pillow Talk    291
> > A Pink Line to Burritos    297
> > Making Love    309
> > Solomon    317
> > Wearing White Again    323
> > Change is Hard    333
> > The Letter    337
> > The Vapors    365
> > Performance Issues    373
> > Somebody Else's Daughter    391
> > Love Kiss    399
> > Bigamy    411
> > Equality    425
> > Anniversary    439
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > Copyright 2014, 2025 by Bryan Simmons
> > 
> > 
> > This book is dedicated to my wife, Betsy, and to my muse, who shall 
> > remain nameless.
> >                     Winter  
> 
> It was a three hour drive to meet the train, so they left about 6:30, 
> and went through the drive through at Burger King.  Winter got lost
> in her own thoughts--*I usually don't eat like that, fast food
> breakfast, and I'd lobbied for McDonald's because I was mostly
> interested in another coffee, but Dad was driving, and (admittedly)
> better food won out over better coffee.  I had one of those crescent
> roll things with extra sausage.  Drives with my parents aren't bad.*
> As soon as NPR started crackling, Winter's father, Richard, stuck in
> one of his mix CDs.  It started out with the 3rd movement of Brahms
> 4, by the Berlin Phil, then some New York Dolls.  After that were his
> favorite Rossini overtures, and then, no surprise, Sugar, Sugar.
> *Yeah that one. Dad always joked that Sugar, Sugar perfectly
> expressed his "deepest, innermost feelings."  No wonder why Mom fell
> in love with him pretty much instantly.  Eric always chimed in with
> comments like, "This man is wise," or "My father is the most
> spiritually evolved man on the planet," or some other silly way of
> seconding the notion.  That apple didn't fall far.*
> 
> *I had been happy enough without a father, though we really were
> pretty poor.  I had only met Dad a few times when Mom told me we were
> moving in with him.   "I'm getting laid off, Winter."  I asked her
> what we were going to do.  She said we were moving in with her
> boyfriend, and that we really didn't have any better option.*
> 
> Natalie:  You know how I think that everything happens for a reason?
> 
> Winter:  No.  I know *that* you think that, but not how, or why.
> 
> Natalie: Smartass.
> 
> *In retrospect, she hit that one out of the park.  About a week after
> we moved, some government grant, or contract, or something...I don't
> know, but she went back to work.  I was nervous at first, but I got
> my own really nice room.  Mom and I had shared at the apartment.
> They put me upstairs, in my new dad's old bedroom, and turned one of
> the downstairs rooms into a master bedroom.  They were newlyweds, or
> soon to be newlyweds, Eric said, and that's why they wanted the two
> of us as far away as possible.  Several years on, the newlywed thing
> doesn't appear to have run its course.*
> 
> When the train arrived, Eric and Chloe were among the first ones off. 
> "Mom, Dad," said Eric, "This is Chloe."
> 
> After an exchange of perfunctory pleased-to-meet-yous, Eric said,
> "And this is my sister, Winter."
> 
> Winter looked Chloe up and down, then said, "Damn bro.  You said she
> was gorgeous, but all I can say is you're lucky you saw her first."
> 
> Dad said, "Winter!" but he was holding back a laugh.
> 
> Winter turned to Chloe and said, "If it wasn't a biological 
> impossibility, I'd want you to have my baby."  Then Winter winked and 
> flashed a little sideways smile, and Chloe lost it.  Everybody did,
> even Mom.
> 
> Eric was poking Chloe in the arm and saying, "Dishes, dishes."  When
> the merriment died down, Eric said, "I told her that when she met
> Winter that she'd be laughing within two minutes, and that she'd fit
> in great with my family because she laughs all the time.  She said
> she bet she could keep herself from laughing, and said she'd even
> double it to four. We bet dishes for a week."  He turned to Chloe,
> "You didn't make it past one."
> 
> Eric got the middle of the back seat, and Winter put on a fake pout
> and said that she was sad because Eric didn't trust her.  Chloe
> followed that by asking Eric, "Is your sister really that girl crazy?"
> 
> Eric looked toward Winter, then back to Chloe, "Girl crazy, boy
> crazy, crazy crazy.  She likes the word, 'gusto,' but I prefer crazy."
> 
> On the drive back, they detoured in Columbia, Missouri's big
> university town, and stopped at a pizza parlor.  "Let's get the
> Masterpiece," said Winter.  Chloe said she thought that sounded
> great.   "I'm so relieved," said Winter, "because you always worry
> when a new person comes into the family, that there's going to be
> something really weird about them, and vegetarian is weird."
> 
> "Don't listen to her, Chloe," said Eric.  "Her best friend is a 
> vegetarian."  Chloe locked eyes with Winter, and sensed acceptance.
> It was as Eric had assured her.  Winter trusted his judgment without
> doubt. They sat at a table and waited for the pizza.
> 
> "Well there has to be something because you're way too pretty for my 
> brother."
> 
> "So, Mom, Dad, I've got some happy news. Chloe and I are getting
> married next week, and there's a reason why I'm the only one who's
> having a beer."
> 
> Winter jumped up and exclaimed, "I knew it.  She's an alkie!"  Winter 
> and Chloe both laughed themselves silly.  The other three didn't.
> 
> When some degree of order had been restored, Eric continued, "We're 
> having a baby, and we're both as happy as we could be."
> 
> Natalie looked like she was about to burst, and she threw her arms 
> around Chloe, "I'm so happy too.  When Richard and I met, we fell in 
> love that fast.  Except for these fine children we produced with
> other mates, I almost wish we'd met when we were your age."
> 
> Winter added, "She used to say it without the qualifier, until I 
> objected, and pointed out the implications for my existence versus 
> non-existence.  I am exceedingly fond of my existence."
> 
> On the drive back to St. Louis, they mostly just talked, with no
> music or radio until Winter requested Sugar, Sugar.  Richard was
> happy to comply.  Everyone but Natalie sang along.  After it ended
> Winter asked her dad how he felt about the song.  "Winter, you know
> how I feel.  It's the one song that really describes my deepest,
> innermost feelings."
> 
> Winter looked at Eric, and he said, "And your son has also chosen to 
> follow that path to bliss."
> 
> "Hey, speaking of bliss," Winter asked, "where's the wedding going to
> be?"
> 
> Chloe answered, "We're just going to the courthouse.  We'll have 
> another, more formal wedding in a few months, but we want to make it 
> legal before the end of the year.  It works better for taxes."
> 
> Winter spoke just softly enough to seem like she was thinking aloud,
> but made certain that Eric and Chloe could hear.  "So little time to 
> identify and expose her fatal flaw, and save my brother from whatever
> it is he needs saving from."
> 
> 

The tension establishes and builds...

At least save him from the Archies!

https://youtu.be/j3plj_Xplus?list=RDj3plj_Xplus

Maybe some Monkees?

https://youtu.be/xvqeSJlgaNk?list=RDxvqeSJlgaNk