\u201cWhat is that?\u201d Molly asked, as Aunt Margie came into the tea room holding a large box. Behind her, Uncle Art had an equally large box. \u201cAnd what do you expect me to do with it?\u201d
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou? Nothing.\u201d Aunt Margie set the box on the nearest table and wiped sweat from her brow. \u201cThese are for the children when they get out of school.\u201d
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Schrodinger had been watching from his cat bed. Now he got up and padded over to them. Are you planning on shipping us somewhere?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNot yet,\u201d Uncle Art said, winking at Molly over Schrodinger\u2019s head. \u201cThat depends on how you guys behave.\u201d
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNonsense,\u201d Aunt Margie said, elbowing her husband in his large belly. \u201cWe\u2019re doing nothing of the sort. These are from my friend Ruth.\u201d
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Molly\u2019s eyes widened. \u201cYou mean the lady who makes those gorgeous quilts?\u201d
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Aunt Margie nodded. \u201cThat\u2019s not all she does – she\u2019s got a craft store in her house, practically, and thought that if you guys were going to decorate this year, you might need some supplies.\u201d
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Oooohhhhh! Schrodinger stood up on his hind legs and sniffed the boxes. I wonder what\u2019s in there!
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cKnowing Ruth, it could be anything,\u201d Aunt Margie told him. \u201cBut you need to wait until the others are here.\u201d
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Scarcely had the words left her mouth when two things happened simultaneously: the front door crashed opened and Lily and Kaylee, followed closely by Zoey, Gideon, Jack, and Aurora came piling in; and DC called Aunt Margie\u2019s name from the back of the store.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBoss, it\u2019s here! Shall I have them bring it up?\u201d
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYes,\u201d Aunt Margie called back. \u201cGo ahead.\u201d
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cCan they use the front door? It\u2019s a straight line to the stairs that way.\u201d
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYes, send them in.\u201d Aunt Margie and Uncle Art went to hold open the door, leaving Schrodinger and Molly to explain the boxes to the amazed children.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Or start to, anyways. The large blue mailbox coming through the front doors quickly gathered everyone\u2019s attention.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s here, it\u2019s here!\u201d Kaylee shouted. \u201cSanta sent the mailbox!\u201d
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Of course he did, Schrodinger said. Did you think he would forget?
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It was well-known that Santa Claus and Aunt Margie had a special friendship. Every year, the big blue mailbox would appear up in the upper level of CrossWinds Books, and there was a table set up for anyone who wanted to send a letter to Santa. Molly had often wondered how her aunt seemed to have (and had always had) a direct line to the North Pole. Aunt Margie and Uncle Art never said, but the Santa that had come to the store to hear the requests of young and old since Molly had been a child was never a substitute, and the four little men who carried the mailbox on a litter as if it were a head of state were most definitely not human. Pointed ears stuck up around their knit caps, the bells on the tips of their curly-toed shoes jingled merrily, and their cheeks glowed red in the cold. There was a slightly taller man in front of them, his tunic frosted with silvery snow and golden bells, and he led them up the stairs through the hush that had fallen upon the crowd. Usually, the mailbox came in when the store had yet to open, but just like it seemed everything was this year, they were apparently running late.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As the procession disappeared up the stairs, Molly shook herself out of her trance and turned back to the children. \u201cLet them put it down before you go running up,\u201d she said.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe can\u2019t go up yet anyways. We have to do the calendar,\u201d Gideon said.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYes! Maybe we can go back and see what that weird lot was,\u201d Kaylee said, clapping her hands. \u201cLet\u2019s go see what\u2019s in the next room!\u201d
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They all went into the kitchen. The cat in the Advent calendar was asleep on the seat of the sleigh. Zoey said, \u201cGood afternoon, little cat! What do you have for us today?\u201d
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To Molly\u2019s surprise, this woke the cat up. It sat up and blinked, then wiped a paw across its whiskers and stretched, a long, languorous extension of its back and claws. Then it jumped down, nosed the rocking horse in farewell, and padded into the next room. This attic room, in addition to having stairs going down to the next floor, had a fire place with a fire burning merrily in it, and there were bookcases all around the room. It rather reminded Molly of the bookstore, except for the fact that instead of books, the shelves held an entire town of ceramic houses, nestled in clouds of white snow. Lights twinkled in the dim room, the only other light the fire in the grate. The cat moved to a desk that was sitting near to the fire and jumped up on the chair.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMaybe he\u2019s going to write a letter to Santa too?\u201d Lily said, her voice soft.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It looked possible. The desk was an old roll-top model, richly polished wood. When the cat nosed up the lid, they saw it was liberally stocked for any writing needs: there was a pot of ink, stacks of what might have been parchment or vellum, along with envelopes, stamps, and feathered quill pens stuck into the various cubbie holes in the back. After a few moments of considering the options, the cat reached out with a delicate paw deep into one of the holes that Molly had thought was empty, and tugged. Whatever it was resisted a little, but after a few moments, a rolled piece of paper came out attached to one claw.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Using its paws to hold the top two corners down, it nimbly jumped up and unrolled the scroll using its back paws. Once the sheet was flat (courtesy of a cat butt sitting on it), it looked out at the children and winked, then tapped the parchment with its paw. The expected smoke floated up and out of the paper.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cTime to write your letter for Santa! This should help!\u201d
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The words spun together and arrowed out of the attic room into the kitchen, where it paused briefly before shooting up the stairs to the second floor of the bookstore, the children in hot pursuit. Left alone in the kitchen, Molly looked over at the cat sitting on the desk. It was now cleaning its paws.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI don\u2019t suppose you could tell me who stole the calendar, could you?\u201d she said.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She wasn\u2019t expecting an answer, but the cat winked at her, and patted the parchment again. More smoke, and the letters said, \u201cDon\u2019t worry. It\u2019s Christmas, after all.\u201d
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And then they dissipated. While she watched, the cat yawned, and curled up to sleep again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIs that MORE stone?\u201d Drew asked, watching the truck rumble through the Gate arch. He and his best friend Luke were standing by the control panels, making certain the Gate cycled properly through its various Roads.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYep. New building going in downtown,\u201d Luke said, his fingers dancing over the keyboard in front of him. \u201cThere should be two more trucks behind this one.\u201d
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There were, and Drew checked them off on his tablet, waving the driver through. He watched the behemoths trundle out into the cold Cove air. \u201cIsn\u2019t it weird to be building in the winter, though?\u201d he said. \u201cI mean, seriously, won\u2019t it be difficult?\u201d
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Luke looked up and raised his dark eyebrows. \u201cConsidering they\u2019re using dwarven stone, not really. I\u2019m betting they\u2019ve got stone masons coming from the mines, or the nearby village, to work it. I would, anyways.\u201d
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBut it\u2019s cold out,\u201d Drew said.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s winter in Maine. If it was warm, I\u2019d be worried.\u201d Luke shrugged. \u201cDon\u2019t forget, it\u2019s magic. They don\u2019t worry as much about the weather when they\u2019re doing things like that.\u201d He turned back to his schedule. \u201cLooks like we\u2019ve got passengers next.\u201d
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cFrom where?\u201d Drew asked, craning his head to see the notes on the screen.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cRovaniemi, according to the manifest.\u201d Luke tapped a few more keys. \u201cLooks to be a winter realm as well, not quite Earth-adjacent, but nearby. Humanoid, high magic, major exports are handcrafts and reindeer herding. Makes sense that they\u2019d be relocating here.\u201d
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cRelocating?\u201d
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYeah, there\u2019s a message from the town council that they\u2019ve been approved to move to the Cove,\u201d Luke said. Because of the Gates in the Cove, there was a bit more to moving to the Cove than just moving, especially from other Realms.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWell, I\u2019ll have to let Molly know, so she can bake something.\u201d Drew traced a sigil on the tablet he was holding, spinning the Gate to connect with another Road. Once the lights on his tablet turned green, he said, \u201cWe\u2019re good to go.\u201d
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Luke tapped on the keyboard, and Drew watched as a large cart pulled by two immense reindeer came through the stone arch. \u201cGood lord,\u201d he breathed. \u201cIs that where Old Man Winter gets his?\u201d
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It certainly looked like it. The two reindeer towered over him as he stepped up to the cart, and Drew wasn\u2019t exactly short. Muscles rippled under their shaggy grey coats and they stamped their cloven hooves as if impatient to be on. Long leather straps of brown and dark red connected them to the cart.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To his surprise, it was an older woman driving the cart, her face nearly hidden by the large woolen hat that drooped low over her sparkling eyes. \u201cSure, and this is a welcome!\u201d Her voice was rich and full, with hints of laughter peeking around the edges. \u201cI think I shall like this place!\u201d
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She stuck out a mittened hand, and Drew, a little bemused, took it. \u201cWelcome to the Cove,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019m Drew McIntyre, deputy Station Manager, and if you need anything, please let us know. Do you have a place to stay set up?\u201d
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSure do,\u201d she said, shaking his hand briskly. \u201cMy friend Brynna is expecting me. Name\u2019s Kris, and I\u2019m very pleased to meet you, Drew McIntyre. You\u2019re friends with young Pavel, correct?\u201d
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Drew chuckled a bit to hear Pavel called \u201cyoung,\u201d but said, \u201cYes, ma\u2019am, I am.\u201d
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAin\u2019t no ma\u2019am here,\u201d she corrected him. \u201cJust Kris. Is your wife the kitchen witch, then?\u201d
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And how am I not surprised she knows of Molly? \u201cShe is. She\u2019ll most likely be by with a welcome package of her own, especially if you\u2019re friends with Brynna.\u201d
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Kris\u2019 smile became even broader and she nodded. \u201cGood, good. She\u2019s special, and I\u2019m dearly looking forward to meeting her.\u201d Then she cocked her head. \u201cIs that it, then? I\u2019m good to go?\u201d
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYes,\u201d Drew said, backing up a bit. \u201cEnjoy your stay in the Cove!\u201d
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOh yes, I intend to.\u201d Kris shook her reins, and clucked to the reindeer. As she moved off, he heard her say, \u201cI most definitely intend to.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
\u201cWhat is that?\u201d Molly asked, as Aunt Margie came into the tea room holding a large box. Behind her, Uncle Art had an equally large box. \u201cAnd what do you expect me to do with it?\u201d \u201cYou? Nothing.\u201d Aunt Margie set the box on the nearest table and wiped sweat from her brow. \u201cThese are …<\/p>\n