Ready for more of Molly and Schrodinger? I know I am!<\/p>\n
And if you like the story, definitely share it! I’m hoping lots of folks are enjoying it!<\/p>\n
And now, without further ado…<\/p>\n
December 2<\/p>\n
Thursdays were Molly\u2019s 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. \u201cOh lord, it\u2019s a good thing we didn\u2019t have any plans,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
It was white out \u2013 tiny white snowflakes, falling fast and furious to land on the already frozen ground atop the snow that had fallen on Thanksgiving. Carter\u2019s Cove, situated on the coast of Maine, usually enjoyed a white Christmas, but Molly wondered how much snow they\u2019d have this year.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe should make a snowman today,\u201d she said to Schrodinger. \u201cIt could be fun.\u201d<\/p>\n
Is it the right kind of snow? It feels too cold to stick together.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll see when I get the mail. If not, maybe we\u2019ll do snowman cookies for the store tomorrow instead.\u201d 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. \u201cYou know what, cat? This winter, I\u2019m getting out more.\u201d<\/p>\n Schrodinger looked up from his bath. What do you mean?<\/em><\/p>\n 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. \u201cI haven\u2019t gone skating or sledding in years,\u201d she said, cradling her tea mug in her hands. \u201cNot since college, really. Or riding in a sleigh.\u201d<\/p>\n They do that here?<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cOh yes. Dr. Robbins hitches Daisy and Shredder to his sleigh and gives rides to anyone who wants it.\u201d 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. \u201cAnd caroling. We should go caroling.\u201d<\/p>\n Done with his bath, Schrodinger wound himself through the legs of her chair, rubbing up against her pajama legs. What brought this on?<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know,\u201d she said. The snow shushed against the window, the barest sound breaking through the silence of the small town. The plows hadn\u2019t gone by yet, and the world lay blanketed in icy quiet. \u201cI just feel the need to.\u201d<\/p>\n They sat, watching the snow fall, as she drank her tea. The minutes ticked by, but she didn\u2019t care \u2013 she hadn\u2019t planned anything more strenuous than addressing Christmas cards today, so there was no time frame. Although I should make my gift list\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n 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\u2019d even sanded the flagstones, so she wandered out to the mailbox to check.<\/p>\n The brilliant red envelope stuck out from the box\u2019s dim interior like a stop light, and Molly paused, chilled. Who is this? How do they know where I live?<\/em> And then she stopped, her common sense reasserting itself. Moron, everyone in the Cove knows where you live. It\u2019s not that big a town.<\/em> She pulled the envelope out \u2013 her name, in the same gorgeous calligraphy, winked up at her. Metallic ink.<\/p>\n \u201cChristmas cards already? Damn, someone\u2019s on the ball.\u201d 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. \u201cEverything okay, Molly?\u201d<\/p>\n She smiled, glad to see him. \u201cYeah, just a bit of a mystery.\u201d Offering him the envelope, she continued, \u201cThis is the second envelope I\u2019ve received like this \u2013 they left the first on the wreath at the bookstore. Weird, huh?\u201d<\/p>\n Drew took the envelope. \u201cDefinitely. The calligraphy is amazing.\u201d He hefted it in his hands. \u201cWhat\u2019s inside?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIf it\u2019s the same as yesterday, a mini CD,\u201d Molly said. \u201cYesterday\u2019s had a Christmas carol on it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSomeone\u2019s sending you mini CDs of Christmas carols.\u201d 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\u2019t help but join in. \u201cWow, that\u2019s awesome!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAwesome? You don\u2019t think it\u2019s weird?\u201d she asked, still giggling a bit.<\/p>\n \u201cNah, I think it\u2019s cool.\u201d He handed the envelope back to her. \u201cGo ahead, open it. I want to see.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIf I open it out here, Schrodinger will kill me because he won\u2019t get to see.\u201d She turned back to her door. \u201cAre you busy? If not, come on in and we\u2019ll see what SA has sent me this time.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSA?\u201d Drew said, following her up the path.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, that\u2019s how the last one was signed.\u201d 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 \u201cnot around here\u201d that wasn\u2019t looked at with suspicion. Of course, it helped that he\u2019d come from another Crossroads town out in the Midwest. Crossroads folks stuck together, especially where the Gate engineers were concerned.<\/p>\n \u201cSo why were you walking down the sidewalk, by the way?\u201d Molly asked, opening her door. \u201cAren\u2019t you supposed to be down at the Station?\u201d<\/p>\n 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!!!<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cMerry Christmas to you too,\u201d 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.<\/p>\n \u201cSorry,\u201d she said. \u201cHe\u2019s obsessed lately.\u201d<\/p>\n Because if I wish everyone a Merry Christmas, Santa will bring me the best present, <\/em>Schrodinger said.<\/p>\n \u201cOh?\u201d Drew said, following Molly into the living room. \u201cAnd what would that be?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSchrodinger, look!\u201d Molly said hastily, trying to distract the cat. \u201cI got another envelope!\u201d<\/p>\n It worked, to her relief. Schrodinger zeroed in on her. Is it from Santa?<\/em><\/p>\n Molly slipped one finger under the flap of the envelope. \u201cLet\u2019s see.\u201d As she\u2019d 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.<\/p>\n \u201cDear Molly, I hope you like the snow as much as I do. SA,\u201d Drew read out loud, and then, as if on cue, Michael Bubl\u00e9\u2019s voice filled the living room.<\/p>\n I\u2019m telling you, Santa is sending these,<\/em> Schrodinger said, curling his tail around his feet. He must be.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cMargie thinks I have a secret admirer,\u201d Molly told Drew.<\/p>\n \u201cSA equals Secret Admirer.\u201d He nodded. \u201cI can see that. But I guess Santa\u2019s a valid theory too.\u201d He looked out the window and sighed. \u201cSadly, I can\u2019t 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.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cFun.\u201d Now Molly knew why he\u2019d been out walking. He was trying to find where the Road came into Carter\u2019s Cove. \u201cWould you like something hot to take with you? It\u2019s tea, not coffee, but it will keep you warm.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re a goddess.\u201d Drew hugged her. \u201cI wouldn\u2019t say no to a cookie or two either.\u201d<\/p>\n