Wednesday, December 16<\/p>\n
\u201cHey, Molly, got a minute?\u201d<\/p>\n
Tim ducked his head through the open kitchen door, a quizzical look on his face.<\/p>\n
\u201cAbsolutely!\u201d Molly said, waving him in. \u201cCome on in!\u201d<\/p>\n
He came in and shed his coat, along with a large amount of snow. \u201cSorry about that,\u201d he said. \u201cI thought I\u2019d brushed it all off.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo worries,\u201d Molly told him. \u201cIt\u2019s December in Maine. We\u2019re used to snow.\u201d She grinned. \u201cTake a seat and have some tea with me. Did you eat lunch?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI grabbed some crackers and peanut butter while I was finishing up a project,\u201d Tim admitted, flushing a little. \u201cDoes that count?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo,\u201d Molly said. She went to the pantry and got a mug, calling out, \u201cWhat kind of tea would you like?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSomething black and fruity,\u201d he said, and she reached for the black spiced pear that she\u2019d gotten earlier in the month from one of her favorite vendors. It would go perfectly with a grilled cheese sandwich, especially if she pulled out some of the apple-walnut-raisin compote that her mother had made to put in said sandwich.<\/p>\n
\u201cTry this,\u201d she said when she came back out, handing him the mug (after filling it with hot water, of course). Then Molly went to the bread box and pulled out a loaf of soft rye bread she\u2019d made that morning, and cut six slices off.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m flattered, but do you think I\u2019m that in need of fattening?\u201d Tim said, looking at the stack of bread.<\/p>\n
\u201cSchrodinger and I haven\u2019t had lunch either,\u201d she admitted. \u201cWe just finished the lunch rush, so I was about to make us sandwiches.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cGotcha.\u201d He watched as she pulled out the jar of compote, a package of fontina cheese, and some of the soft butter from one of the farms on the outskirts of town. \u201cSo what are we having?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cJust grilled cheese,\u201d Molly said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have yet to have anything that\u2019s come out of your kitchen that I would describe as \u2018just\u2019 anything,\u201d Tim said a little skeptically. \u201cAnd since when do you put jam on a grilled cheese?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSince it\u2019s my mother\u2019s famous compote,\u201d Molly said, and then called out, \u201cSchrodinger, you hungry?\u201d<\/p>\n
Yes,<\/em> the CrossCat said, coming into the kitchen and hopping up on another one of the stools. And I smell a new tea!<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s the pear tea that Jay brought on her way through at the end of November,\u201d Molly said. \u201cWhen she stopped in to bring Aunt Margie the new books.\u201d<\/p>\n Interesting. Can I smell it closer?<\/em><\/p>\n Tim pushed the mug towards Schrodinger, who sniffed it delicately. \u201cIt\u2019s got a good flavor, if you like spice,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n I\u2019m not sure. I think I\u2019ll take my usual. But thank you!<\/em><\/p>\n Molly had already put a large mug of Earl Grey in front of him, then turned back to the sandwiches that were on her griddle. \u201cI thought you might say that,\u201d she said. \u201cYou\u2019re not usually a fruity-tea sort of person.\u201d<\/p>\n No, but sometimes I like to walk on the wild side.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cFruit tea is the wild side?\u201d Tim said. \u201cI hate to break it to you, Schrodinger, but Carter\u2019s Cove does not qualify as quiet,\u201d Tim said. \u201cQuiet does not include telepathic animals, Spirits of any season, or Gates that go to other worlds, believe it or not.\u201d He cupped the warm mug of tea in his hands. \u201cI can\u2019t think of another place I\u2019d like to be, though. This is a special town.\u201d<\/p>\n On that, we can agree<\/em>, Schrodinger told him. Then the CrossCat tilted his head. You didn\u2019t grow up in a CrossRoads town.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cNo. I\u2019d never even heard of a Gate before I met Doug,\u201d Tim said.<\/p>\n How is that possible that you never even heard of them?<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cMy hometown is a little place, smaller even than some of the communities around here,\u201d Tim said. \u201cIt\u2019s very insular, and very religious, and not in a good way. Anything that is \u2018different\u2019 is anathema.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhich is why you left, I\u2019m guessing,\u201d Molly said, bringing over plates of sandwiches.<\/p>\n \u201cWhich is why I left,\u201d Tim agreed. He set down his mug and picked up one of the halves of sandwiches, taking a bite and groaning in pleasure. \u201cAnd this is why I\u2019ll never leave.\u201d<\/p>\n Molly laughed. \u201cDoug probably won\u2019t be happy if you throw him over for a grilled cheese sandwich, you know,\u201d she teased.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019ll understand when he has one of these,\u201d Tim said. \u201cHe\u2019ll totally understand.\u201d<\/p>\n After they finished the sandwiches, Molly refreshed their tea mugs and said, \u201cI\u2019ll bet you\u2019re here to pick up that gingerbread house you asked me to make.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAre you a mind reader too?\u201d Tim teased her, grinning.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, since I\u2019m assuming it\u2019s for Doug, and he\u2019s still at the school, and you\u2019re here\u2026\u201d She let the end of her sentence trail off.<\/p>\n \u201cActually, I\u2019m sending it to my parents,\u201d Tim said, and Molly blinked.<\/p>\n \u201cI thought you didn\u2019t speak to them?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t, but I\u2019m thinking that it\u2019s time someone dragged them into the 21st century.\u201d Tim shook his head. \u201cI know it\u2019s probably a long shot, but I don\u2019t want to go through life knowing that I could have reached out, and didn\u2019t. And who knows? Maybe they\u2019ll actually try and change.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s definitely worth a shot,\u201d Molly said, touching his arm gently. \u201cLet me get the house.\u201d<\/p>\n She brought out the little cottage she\u2019d made for him. It was a twin of the Cape that he and Doug had bought when they moved out to the Cove: a small red house, with lights hung around the edges of the roof and a little red mailbox outside that said \u201cThe Mathewsons\u201d in script. There was a snowman that waved from near the front door, and Molly had even put a wreath exactly like the one they had given the couple over Thanksgiving.<\/p>\n \u201cOh, Molly, it\u2019s perfect,\u201d Tim said, drinking in the sight of the sculpture. \u201cLook, you even put the hat and scarf we found at the Goodwill on the snowman!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOf course!\u201d Molly said, remembering helping him and Doug make the snowman, while Ryan played in the snow. \u201cAnd if you look, the snowman\u2019s nose has a bite taken out of it.\u201d<\/p>\n Because that\u2019s what Ryan had done – and they\u2019d decided to use the carrot anyways. Tim\u2019s eyes went misty with tears.<\/p>\n \u201cThank you,\u201d he said. \u201cEven if they hate it, I love it.\u201d<\/p>\n Molly put her hand lightly on the cottage roof and closed her eyes. Invoking her special gift, she made sure that the house would arrive at its destination perfect as it was now. \u201cIf you tell Marilyn at the post office that it\u2019s traveling far, she\u2019ll package it safely.\u201d Molly put it in a cardboard box and handed it to him as he put his coat back on.<\/p>\n \u201cThank you again,\u201d Tim said. \u201cI\u2019ll go now.\u201d And he went out of the kitchen, cradling the precious box in his arms.<\/p>\n Why do people get so upset at who someone loves?<\/em> Schrodinger asked her.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know,\u201d Molly said. \u201cI really don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n They finished their tea in silence, and then he went out for a nap next to the wood stove. Molly took advantage of the quiet to do some planning for the January menus, which was how Pavel found her when he poked his head in.<\/p>\n \u201cTea?\u201d she offered, and he shook his head.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m only in for a minute or two,\u201d Pavel said. \u201cMother sent me into town to get her a few things, and I stopped by the Station, so I\u2019m running late.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThen why are you still here?\u201d Molly asked. \u201cShouldn\u2019t you be heading home?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI will, once I ask if you had plans for tomorrow,\u201d Pavel said, grinning. \u201cOr can I steal your husband from you?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI didn\u2019t have any plans,\u201d Molly said, after thinking for a few minutes. \u201cJust doing some holiday baking, probably. Why don\u2019t you bring your mother over when you pick Drew up, and then you two can go do the Christmas shopping that I know he hasn\u2019t done yet?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThis would be why I don\u2019t want a wife,\u201d Pavel said. \u201cHow did you know that\u2019s what we were planning?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBecause I know my husband.\u201d Molly winked at him. \u201cDid he also ask you to find out what color dress I was wearing to the Snow Queen\u2019s ball?\u201d<\/p>\n Pavel flushed, and Molly laughed. \u201cI knew he was desperate, but that\u2019s pretty low,\u201d she said, when she was able to stop her giggles. \u201cTell him I\u2019m wearing our wedding colors. That\u2019s the only clue he gets. And no, Schrodinger won\u2019t tell you, or him.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou can\u2019t blame me for trying, and I never admitted to anything,\u201d Pavel said, trying to salvage his dignity. \u201cBut I\u2019ll pass along the information.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou and your mother are coming, right?\u201d Molly said.<\/p>\n \u201cOf course. I wouldn\u2019t want to miss it. Although I think dress shopping with her scarred me for life.\u201d Pavel shook his head. \u201cI can\u2019t imagine how you women do that.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s the price we pay to look good for you guys,\u201d Molly said.<\/p>\n \u201cPoint.\u201d Pavel looked as if he was about to say something else, but decided not to. \u201cI\u2019ll see you guys tomorrow then, and I promise to tell Drew that he needs to ask his own questions from now on.\u201d Then something seemed to occur to him. \u201cWhy didn\u2019t he just look in your closet?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBecause the dress isn\u2019t there.\u201d Molly looked a bit smug. \u201cIt\u2019s at Lai\u2019s.\u201d<\/p>\n Pavel laughed. \u201cYou two are hysterical, you know that, right?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHey, we need something to spice up our lives.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Wednesday, December 16 \u201cHey, Molly, got a minute?\u201d Tim ducked his head through the open kitchen door, a quizzical look on his face. \u201cAbsolutely!\u201d Molly said, waving him in. \u201cCome on in!\u201d He came in and shed his coat, along with a large amount of snow. \u201cSorry about that,\u201d he said. \u201cI thought I\u2019d brushed …<\/p>\n
\nI lead a quiet life,<\/em> Schrodinger allowed, and both Molly and Tim stifled laughs. What? I do! Cats prefer a quiet life.<\/em><\/p>\n