December 25 – Molly
Once Jade had hung the little pirate ship, she turned back to Molly.
“Are you ready?” she asked.
Molly blinked. “Ready?”
“Yes.” Jade smiled at her. “You’re the final piece of the spell. Didn’t you realize that?”
“Is that why I’ve been seeing things?” Molly blurted out the question before she could stop it. Well, now I’ve just been found out. Crazy lady, aisle 1.
Not crazy. I saw them too. Schrodinger came up to them.
To Molly’s surprise, the rest of the Cove didn’t react. She looked around, and the crowd seemed frozen in place. Except for herself, Schrodinger, and the four magical beings on the dias.
“It’s part of it, yes,” Jade said.
“But why? And why me?”
“Because you’re very much a part of the magic of the season here. And because this year has been very hard on everyone. We needed a bit more of a boost to the wards around the Cove.” Jade held out her hand. “With your ornament, we’ll be able to settle the protections. “
Molly reached into her pocket and pulled out the small beaded ball. The green and silver beads flashed in the tree lights, reminding her of the Christmas season that Drew had managed to lift her spirits, even as he had to miss most of the Advent season.
“I couldn’t imagine choosing anything else,” Molly said. She looked past Jade to Old Man Winter. “And if it’s going to be the cornerstone of a protection spell, so much the better. This is a reminder that love really does conquer all.”
Old Man Winter smiled. “One of the many reasons you personify the heart of this town, Molly. I can’t imagine a Christmas without you. And your orange shortbread.”
Molly laughed. “You and your shortbread!”
Jade took the ornament and hung it among the others. As she did so, Molly and Schrodinger saw ribbons of silvery-white energy explode from the tree and snake out over the town they loved so much, settling into a net that covered Carter’s Cove.
As the light faded, the world started again. Molly, Schrodinger, and Drew stepped back as Jade raised her hands. “Thank you, all,” the Snow Queen said. “May this Christmas be what your heart desires