I’m sorry – this weekend was NOT my best, but I’m working on catching up, now that I’ve beaten my migraine back and I can eat again.<\/p>\n
This is the 16th – I’m hoping to be caught up by Thursday!<\/p>\n
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\u201cDo you two have any idea what you might have done?\u201d<\/p>\n
Drew and Pavel looked at each other, then back at the Snow Queen, who was glaring at them. With her hands on her hips, her silver-blue eyes flashing fire at them, she was quite intimidating.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat were you thinking?\u201d she continued. \u201cYou promised you wouldn\u2019t get in contact with Molly!\u201d She rounded on Drew. \u201cYou promised!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI made a promise to her first,\u201d Drew said. \u201cAnd besides, there was no harm done.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat you know of!\u201d Jade snapped. \u201cYou\u2019re just lucky that Old Man Winter was busy with the dragon.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe dragon promised he would be,\u201d Pavel said, not flinching when she whirled on him. \u201cI promise, Your Majesty, this has had only positive consequences.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cPositive consequences?\u201d Jade spit the words at him. \u201cWhat are you talking about?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou know as well as I do that Drew isn\u2019t the one you\u2019re hoping will convince Old Man Winter,\u201d Pavel said, ignoring Drew\u2019s look of surprise. \u201cMolly is. And Molly was losing her will to do that, thanks to Drew not being there. That one half hour has revitalized her. And her determination to save the Cove and get him back.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI hope so.\u201d Jade glared at both of them again. \u201cDon\u2019t do it again.\u201d<\/p>\n
They watched her stomp out of the room. Then Drew turned to Pavel.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did you mean, I\u2019m not the one who has to convince Old Man Winter?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t tell me you haven\u2019t figured it out yet,\u201d Pavel said. \u201cCome on, Drew! Why wouldn\u2019t she stop Molly from contacting Old Man Winter in the first place, if she wanted you to convince him? She could have, you know. She could have kept Schrodinger looking for him for the entire month.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBut then why keep me here?\u201d Drew countered. \u201cWhy not just let me go home?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause it gives Molly just that much more incentive,\u201d Pavel said, shrugging. \u201cShe\u2019s not only fighting to keep him from destroying the Gate, she\u2019s trying to get you back. Besides, I\u2019m sure it appeals to her girlish side too. Girls get mushy over love stories.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m not sure the Snow Queen has a girlish side, but you\u2019re right about Molly.\u201d Drew sighed. \u201cDammit. I just wish I could help her.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou are,\u201d Pavel said. \u201cYou\u2019re staying here.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat seems so\u2026trivial.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNot to Molly.\u201d<\/p>\n
<><><\/p>\n
\u201cSo Drew was out there?\u201d Sue exclaimed. \u201cHow romantic!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHow dangerous,\u201d Noemi corrected her. \u201cIf Old Man Winter had found out\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe didn\u2019t,\u201d Molly said, not looking up from the tray she was filling with cookies. \u201cAnd that\u2019s all that matters.\u201d She finished filling the tray. \u201cNow, if you guys would put these out on the tables upstairs, I\u2019ll bring up the box of mugs for the hot cider and the hot cocoa.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sue, Noemi and Lai all grabbed trays and headed out, while Molly went into the pantry for a box of cups. She made sure it was just mugs, no saucers; there were plates upstairs already for the goodies. Then she brought it back out into the main kitchen and nearly ran into Old Man Winter.<\/p>\n
\u201cOh, I\u2019m so sorry!\u201d Molly cried, as he stumbled backwards. She put the box on the island and rushed over to him. \u201cAre you okay?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m fine, I\u2019m fine,\u201d Old Man Winter said, getting his feet back underneath him. \u201cI should be the one apologizing, not you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI almost ran you over,\u201d Molly said, but kept her hands at her side. \u201cI\u2019m sorry, I didn\u2019t hear you come in.\u201d Then his words registered. \u201cWhy should you apologize?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause I treated you very rudely the other day,\u201d Old Man Winter said. He wasn\u2019t in the dark suit he\u2019d worn before, but in something that looked rather Russian in flavor. Not the furs he\u2019d been wearing when he first came to the Cove, but something similar, just more polished. And his beard had been trimmed, she noted. \u201cAnd I shouldn\u2019t have. It was pointed out to me that the only reason you asked was because your young man had promised to take you to that wedding. And I made him break that promise.\u201d<\/p>\n
Molly refrained from telling him that Drew had indeed shown up, but simply smiled up at him. \u201cI accept your apology. Would you like some tea?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI would love some.\u201d Old Man Winter looked faintly hopeful. \u201cAnd some cookies?\u201d<\/p>\n
Molly laughed. \u201cCertainly. Let me just bring these upstairs and I\u2019ll be happy to get you both tea and cookies.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat is going on upstairs?\u201d Old Man Winter asked, and Molly noticed the grumpiness of his voice was less than normal. What has happened to him?<\/p>\n
\u201cCrossWinds Books hosts a Carol Sing every year,\u201d Molly said, picking up the box again. \u201cFather Christopher brings the choir over, and we provide drinks and food for everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMay I come up and listen?\u201d Old Man Winter said.<\/p>\n
\u201cOf course!\u201d Molly led him out of the kitchen and upstairs to the large second floor, where the choir was setting up.<\/p>\n
This year, as last year, the crown jewel of the choir was Sharsha. The lovely Mareesh girl had grown more confident in the year she\u2019d spent studying in the Cove; instead of hiding next to Father Christopher, she was chatting with Lai and Noemi as they set up the trays of cookies on the food table.<\/p>\n
\u201cHere are the mugs!\u201d Molly said, setting the box down next to the three large drink coolers. She made sure all three were labeled correctly (hot cider, hot water and cold water), and that the tea and hot chocolate boxes were full. Then she turned to Sharsha. \u201cIt\u2019s so good to see you again!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd you,\u201d Sharsha replied, but her huge eyes with their peculiar star-shaped irises were focused on a point over Molly\u2019s right shoulder, where Old Man Winter was looking at the spread of baked goods with something suspiciously akin to glee. Molly couldn\u2019t be sure, because her back was to him, but she bet he had a smile on his face.<\/p>\n
It would explain the odd expression Sharsha had.<\/p>\n
\u201cIs that who I think it is?\u201d the Mareesh asked her quietly.<\/p>\n
\u201cOld Man Winter,\u201d Molly confirmed. \u201cIn the flesh.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIs he coming to choose his sacrifice?\u201d<\/p>\n
Not if I can help it,<\/em> Molly thought, but only said out loud, \u201cNo, he\u2019s come for some tea. He does that from time to time.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIndeed,\u201d Old Man Winter rumbled, and Sharsha\u2019s eyes widened as he looked over at them. \u201cAnd cookies. I must admit, I might be addicted to Molly\u2019s cookies.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou wouldn\u2019t be the first,\u201d Lai said, winking at Molly. \u201cI hear the United Nations is considering labeling them deadly weapons.\u201d<\/p>\n Molly stuck her tongue out at Lai. \u201cYou only say that because you want more to yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDarn right.\u201d Lai grinned, unrepentant. \u201cDid it work?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo,\u201d Molly said, and Lai\u2019s grin turned into a pout. \u201cThat won\u2019t work either.\u201d She turned to Old Man Winter, who had a mug in his hand and was leafing through the tea box. \u201cWould you like a suggestion?\u201d<\/p>\n His face was thoughtful. \u201cI\u2019m looking for a good robust black.\u201d<\/p>\n She picked out one of the Assam packets. \u201cThis one will fit that bill. Or did you want a flavored tea?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, just straight black.\u201d He took the Assam and added it to his hot water, then selected three of her orange-thyme sugar cookies. \u201cThank you.\u201d<\/p>\n The words were sounding less forced. Molly wondered what had happened since Thursday, but she wasn\u2019t going to question him. \u201cYou might want to find a seat,\u201d she suggested instead. \u201cThey\u2019re going to start soon.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou won\u2019t be sitting?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n \u201cNo, I need to make sure everything stays full.\u201d Molly moved to the back side of the tables as the choir gathered near the fireplace.<\/p>\n She loved when the choir came to sing at CrossWinds Books. Besides the star-eyed Mareesh, Father Christopher\u2019s choir this year included singers from several of the realms that the Gate connected Carter\u2019s Cove too, including a couple of wood elves, an older centaur and one dwarf with a resonant baritone that Molly remembered from a few years ago.<\/p>\n Father Christopher stood to one side of his choir and cleared his throat, getting their attention. He raised his right arm, and the music began.<\/p>\n For the next hour, Molly listened as she kept the coolers full and the trays covered with sweet treats. She watched Old Man Winter as well; he lounged in the arm chair he\u2019d claimed, sipping his tea and chewing on cookies, apparently enjoying himself. It was\u2026odd.<\/p>\n After the music ended, Father Christopher came over to the table and accepted a cup of tea from Molly. \u201cThat\u2019s him, huh?\u201d he asked quietly, after she complimented him on the concert.<\/p>\n \u201cYes,\u201d Molly said, in an equally low voice.<\/p>\n \u201cI hope he enjoyed the concert,\u201d Father Christopher said.<\/p>\n \u201cI think he did,\u201d Molly said, handing him a plate of cookies. \u201cHe seemed to.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGood. Oh, I almost forgot!\u201d Dipping into his pocket, Father Christopher handed her a lovely dark blue ornament, with sparkling silver beads punctuating the blue netting. \u201cHopefully, he\u2019ll soon be home to give these to you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI hope so.\u201d Molly cradled the ornament in her hand. \u201cI hope so.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" I’m sorry – this weekend was NOT my best, but I’m working on catching up, now that I’ve beaten my migraine back and I can eat again. This is the 16th – I’m hoping to be caught up by Thursday! <><><><><><><><><><><><><> \u201cDo you two have any idea what you might have done?\u201d Drew and Pavel …<\/p>\n