Ready for more of Molly and Schrodinger? I know I am!

And if you like the story, definitely share it! I’m hoping lots of folks are enjoying it!

And now, without further ado…

December 2

Thursdays were Molly’s second day off, and she and Schrodinger enjoyed sleeping in. Thus, it was nearly 9 am when she finally wandered into the kitchen and started the coffee pot. Schrodinger followed her, and she made his breakfast while her tea brewed. Then she looked out the window. “Oh lord, it’s a good thing we didn’t have any plans,” she said.

It was white out – tiny white snowflakes, falling fast and furious to land on the already frozen ground atop the snow that had fallen on Thanksgiving. Carter’s Cove, situated on the coast of Maine, usually enjoyed a white Christmas, but Molly wondered how much snow they’d have this year.

“We should make a snowman today,” she said to Schrodinger. “It could be fun.”

Is it the right kind of snow? It feels too cold to stick together.

“I’ll see when I get the mail. If not, maybe we’ll do snowman cookies for the store tomorrow instead.” The more she thought about it, the more Molly liked that idea. Although the idea of making a snowman in her front yard still thrilled her too. “You know what, cat? This winter, I’m getting out more.”

Schrodinger looked up from his bath. What do you mean?

Molly settled herself at her table and looked out the kitchen window at the small backyard she shared with the other two tenants in the brownstone. “I haven’t gone skating or sledding in years,” she said, cradling her tea mug in her hands. “Not since college, really. Or riding in a sleigh.”

They do that here?

“Oh yes. Dr. Robbins hitches Daisy and Shredder to his sleigh and gives rides to anyone who wants it.” She grinned as she remembered going in the sleigh when she was younger, she and her friends snuggled under layers and layers of blankets, shrieking Christmas carols at the tops of their lungs. “And caroling. We should go caroling.”

Done with his bath, Schrodinger wound himself through the legs of her chair, rubbing up against her pajama legs. What brought this on?

“I don’t know,” she said. The snow shushed against the window, the barest sound breaking through the silence of the small town. The plows hadn’t gone by yet, and the world lay blanketed in icy quiet. “I just feel the need to.”

They sat, watching the snow fall, as she drank her tea. The minutes ticked by, but she didn’t care – she hadn’t planned anything more strenuous than addressing Christmas cards today, so there was no time frame. Although I should make my gift list…

It was nearly 11 before she ventured outside to shovel the walk, only to discover that her downstairs neighbor Henry had beaten her to it. He’d even sanded the flagstones, so she wandered out to the mailbox to check.

The brilliant red envelope stuck out from the box’s dim interior like a stop light, and Molly paused, chilled. Who is this? How do they know where I live? And then she stopped, her common sense reasserting itself. Moron, everyone in the Cove knows where you live. It’s not that big a town. She pulled the envelope out – her name, in the same gorgeous calligraphy, winked up at her. Metallic ink.

“Christmas cards already? Damn, someone’s on the ball.” The comment shattered the silence building around her, and Molly looked up to see Drew McIntyre coming up the sidewalk, his boots crunching on the snow. He grinned as he came up to her, then the grin faded. “Everything okay, Molly?”

She smiled, glad to see him. “Yeah, just a bit of a mystery.” Offering him the envelope, she continued, “This is the second envelope I’ve received like this – they left the first on the wreath at the bookstore. Weird, huh?”

Drew took the envelope. “Definitely. The calligraphy is amazing.” He hefted it in his hands. “What’s inside?”

“If it’s the same as yesterday, a mini CD,” Molly said. “Yesterday’s had a Christmas carol on it.”

“Someone’s sending you mini CDs of Christmas carols.” Drew surprised her by throwing his head back and laughing. It was a hearty, unselfconscious laugh that bounced off the nearby buildings, and Molly couldn’t help but join in. “Wow, that’s awesome!”

“Awesome? You don’t think it’s weird?” she asked, still giggling a bit.

“Nah, I think it’s cool.” He handed the envelope back to her. “Go ahead, open it. I want to see.”

“If I open it out here, Schrodinger will kill me because he won’t get to see.” She turned back to her door. “Are you busy? If not, come on in and we’ll see what SA has sent me this time.”

“SA?” Drew said, following her up the path.

“Yeah, that’s how the last one was signed.” She filled him as he followed her up the stairs, pausing beside her as they both pulled off their boots on the landing outside her door on the second floor. Drew was taller than her, and rangy; one of the few folks in town from “not around here” that wasn’t looked at with suspicion. Of course, it helped that he’d come from another Crossroads town out in the Midwest. Crossroads folks stuck together, especially where the Gate engineers were concerned.

“So why were you walking down the sidewalk, by the way?” Molly asked, opening her door. “Aren’t you supposed to be down at the Station?”

Drew made a face and started to reply, then stumbled and fell over as Schrodinger rushed by Molly and jumped up. Drew! Drew! Merry Christmas!!!

“Merry Christmas to you too,” Drew wheezed, trying without success to suck more air into his lungs. The problem was Schrodinger, standing on top of his chest. Molly tried to help, but she was laughing so hard that her efforts to move the CrossCat failed for the first few moments. Eventually, she got Schrodinger off, and offered Drew a hand.

“Sorry,” she said. “He’s obsessed lately.”

Because if I wish everyone a Merry Christmas, Santa will bring me the best present, Schrodinger said.

“Oh?” Drew said, following Molly into the living room. “And what would that be?”

“Schrodinger, look!” Molly said hastily, trying to distract the cat. “I got another envelope!”

It worked, to her relief. Schrodinger zeroed in on her. Is it from Santa?

Molly slipped one finger under the flap of the envelope. “Let’s see.” As she’d expected, another mini CD was inside, along with another scrap of parchment. She handed the parchment to Drew and put the CD into her CD player.

“Dear Molly, I hope you like the snow as much as I do. SA,” Drew read out loud, and then, as if on cue, Michael Bublé’s voice filled the living room.

I’m telling you, Santa is sending these, Schrodinger said, curling his tail around his feet. He must be.

“Margie thinks I have a secret admirer,” Molly told Drew.

“SA equals Secret Admirer.” He nodded. “I can see that. But I guess Santa’s a valid theory too.” He looked out the window and sighed. “Sadly, I can’t stay and help you guess who it is. Mal sent me out to find a Road that we got a traveler on, but the Road vanished ten years ago.”

“Fun.” Now Molly knew why he’d been out walking. He was trying to find where the Road came into Carter’s Cove. “Would you like something hot to take with you? It’s tea, not coffee, but it will keep you warm.”

“You’re a goddess.” Drew hugged her. “I wouldn’t say no to a cookie or two either.”

SA sent Molly one of my favorite Michael Bublé songs. Enjoy!