I ran tonight again, but this time, for the first time in about three years, I ran on a track. \u00a0Not on a treadmill. \u00a0We’ll see how my knees feel tomorrow.<\/p>\n
Then I came home and wrote. \u00a0I’ll be writing tomorrow morning too, and I’m hoping to be caught up by Friday. \u00a0That’s the goal, anyways!<\/p>\n
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><\/p>\n
\u201cExcuse me?\u201d Drew blinked, not sure he was hearing what he thought he\u2019d just heard. He looked over at the doorway to the kitchen, where Old Man Winter stood waiting for his answer. \u201cWhat did you just ask?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI asked you who was delivering Molly\u2019s ornament today,\u201d Old Man Winter grumbled, but his voice lacked bite. It was odd. Very odd.<\/p>\n
\u201cWho told you about the ornaments?\u201d Drew said, disconcerted.<\/p>\n
Old Man Winter sighed. \u201cDo you think I wouldn\u2019t know?\u201d he said. \u201cHonestly, boy, I have eyes. Did you think I wouldn\u2019t see them? You\u2019re sending ornaments to Molly, one a day. I don\u2019t know why, but I know you\u2019re doing it. So who is giving her today\u2019s ornament?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cLuke is,\u201d Drew said, dazed.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat is today\u2019s surprise?\u201d Old Man Winter continued.<\/p>\n
\u201cLunch, at work.\u201d This was going way too fast. \u201cLuke\u2019s bringing her pizza from Giovanni\u2019s, because she loves it, but never orders it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI haven\u2019t had pizza in years,\u201d Old Man Winter mused, a faraway look in his eyes. \u201cWhat\u2019s her favorite kind?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBarbaque chicken, with fresh mozzarella, spinach and broccoli,\u201d Drew said. \u201cAnd Schrodinger loves pepperoni, bacon, cheddar cheese and cranberries.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cCranberries?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s odd,\u201d Drew said, grinning. \u201cYou get used to it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Old Man Winter grunted. \u201cI guess.\u201d He turned to go, and then paused, looking back at Drew. \u201cCall your friend.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd tell him\u2026?\u201d Drew\u2019s voice trailed off.<\/p>\n
\u201cTell him I\u2019m going to be taking Molly lunch.\u201d Old Man Winter walked out, leaving Drew gaping at him.<\/p>\n
He sat there for a good five minutes, looking at the empty doorway as his mind spun. What was going on? What had happened to Old Man Winter?<\/p>\n
Then Drew shook himself and pulled up a window on the computer screen in front of him. Luke had the morning shift today, and he needed to catch him before he went to Giovanni\u2019s. Or before Old Man Winter shows up and scares the crap out of him\u2026<\/em> He tapped a few keys and logged into the Gate Station\u2019s instant messenger program.<\/p>\n \u201cHey, dude, you still there?\u201d he sent to Luke.<\/p>\n \u201cYes, for the moment,\u201d Luke typed back after a minute. \u201cGot to get to Giovanni\u2019s soon.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDid you order the pizza already?\u201d Drew typed.<\/p>\n \u201cNot yet.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHeads up: Old Man Winter is headed your way.\u201d Drew paused, wondering how to phrase his next message. Just do it,<\/em> he decided. \u201cHe\u2019s decided he wants to take the ornament to Molly, along with lunch.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAre you okay with that?\u201d Luke typed.<\/p>\n I wasn\u2019t aware I had the choice. \u201cI guess. In a way, it says to me that he is warming to Molly. Just be aware he\u2019s coming to see you. Give him the ornament, and order the pizza for him.\u201d The thought of Old Man Winter trying to pay for pizza was both amusing and frightening. Did he have money? \u201cPut the pizza on my tab – Giovanni knows I\u2019m good for it. Actually, you might want to go along with him.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat could possibly go wrong?\u201d Luke typed. \u201cDon\u2019t worry, I\u2019ll shepherd him through the town and make sure he gets the right pizzas.\u201d There was a pause, and then more words spilled across the screen. \u201cHe\u2019s here. Don\u2019t be surprised if Mal sends you a cranky email later about him showing up without notice.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI had no idea he could move that fast!\u201d Drew typed, but Luke was gone. He stared at the blinking cursor and hoped it worked out okay. Like he said, what could possibly go wrong?<\/em><\/p>\n His brain, ever helpful, began to provide answers to that question almost before the thought was fully formed.<\/p>\n <><><\/p>\n Molly was coming down the stairs from the second floor when she paused, inhaling deeply. The normal scents coming from her kitchen were both sweet and savory, but this\u2026this was something else entirely. Something that made her mouth water.<\/p>\n \u201cWho is the wonderful person who brought pizza?\u201d she demanded, swinging into the kitchen. Then her eyes widened in surprise.<\/p>\n There was pizza – her favorite pizza, her nose informed her. There was Schrodinger, sitting on his stool with his own favorite pizza in front of him. But instead of Luke or one of the Trio, she saw Old Man Winter, in a lumberjack\u2019s plaid shirt, his beard combed and trimmed neatly.<\/p>\n He brought you lunch!<\/em> Schrodinger said happily.<\/p>\n \u201cI asked Drew what your favorite lunch was,\u201d Old Man Winter said. There was just the hint of a smile (a smile?) on his face. \u201cWhen he mentioned pizza, well – I haven\u2019t had pizza in a very long time.\u201d<\/p>\n Molly walked over to the stove and put the kettle in her hand onto a burner. \u201cNo one delivers to your place, huh?\u201d she asked lightly.<\/p>\n \u201cNo. I might have to find a place that would.\u201d Old Man Winter handed her a paper plate with two slices of pizza on it. \u201cI wonder if this Giovanni would.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe delivers to the mines,\u201d Molly said, sinking onto a stool. \u201cI don\u2019t see why he wouldn\u2019t deliver to you.\u201d Unless you destroy the Gate, her mind added, but her mouth was full of pizza, luckily.<\/p>\n \u201cDoes he now.\u201d Old Man Winter chewed thoughtfully on a slice of pizza (Schrodinger\u2019s pizza, Molly noticed). \u201cHe gave me a menu. I think I shall keep it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI have to ask,\u201d Molly said, after her first slice was gone. \u201cWhat did you pay for this with?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt was on Drew\u2019s tab,\u201d Old Man Winter said. \u201cI offered to pay, but Giovanni said it was taken care of.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDrew\u2019s tab?\u201d Molly and Schrodinger exchanged glances. \u201cYou mean you\u2019re delivering this for Drew?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI am.\u201d Old Man Winter wiped his mouth off, and reached into his pocket. \u201cHe said you don\u2019t often take care of yourself, especially during the Christmas season, because it\u2019s busy here. And that you love pizza, but don\u2019t often order it.\u201d He handed her a small box. \u201cAnd, since I couldn\u2019t help but notice he\u2019s been sending you ornaments all month, I volunteered to bring today\u2019s.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cVolunteered, huh?\u201d Molly said wryly, putting her pizza down and opening the small box. Inside the tissue paper nestled a beautiful orange ball, with silver beads glinting in the light. She pulled out the ornament and the little red envelope.<\/p>\n \u201cMay I see it?\u201d Old Man Winter asked.<\/p>\n \u201cOf course.\u201d She passed over the ornament and then opened the envelope.<\/p>\n \u201cTake some time to take care of yourself this week,\u201d the card said. \u201cDon\u2019t forget to eat, especially!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s beautiful.\u201d Old Man Winter handed the ornament back to her. \u201cWhere did he get them?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe commissioned them from a local artist,\u201d Molly said. \u201cTo make me feel better.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cFeel better?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s been a rough fall,\u201d Molly said, picking up her second slice of pizza. \u201cRougher than it\u2019s been in a long time.\u201d<\/p>\n Old Man Winter didn\u2019t press her, which was good. For a bit, she\u2019d been able to forget the deaths, and the illness. She pushed the memories away again. Now just wasn\u2019t the time to bring them out.<\/p>\n I love pizza!<\/em> Schrodinger announced, breaking the growing silence. We should have pizza every night!<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cNo,\u201d Molly said. \u201cIf nothing else, I can\u2019t afford it.\u201d<\/p>\n We could make our own\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cNo,\u201d Molly repeated, smiling in spite of herself. \u201cBesides, if we had pizza every day, we couldn\u2019t have Chinese food.\u201d<\/p>\n Schrodinger cocked his head to one side, considering. Then he said, I know! We could have both!<\/em><\/p>\n Both Molly and Old Man Winter laughed at that. Old Man Winter\u2019s laugh was rusty, but it was real, and it lifted Molly\u2019s spirits to hear it. \u201cMaybe,\u201d she said to Schrodinger. \u201cAnd if we did that, we\u2019d be rolling you home.\u201d<\/p>\n Not me,<\/em> Schrodinger said. I\u2019d run it all off.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019d get sick of it,\u201d Old Man Winter said. \u201cTrust me. Eat the same thing every day for a month, and you\u2019ll never want to see it again.\u201d He bit into the pizza. \u201cThen again, if you put different things on the pizza each day, I guess it wouldn\u2019t get old as fast.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t give him any ideas, please.\u201d Molly finished her slice and sighed happily. \u201cThank you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re welcome.\u201d Old Man Winter surveyed the remains. \u201cAnd you have enough to take home.\u201d He stood up and stretched. \u201cI think I shall go back and bring Drew some pizza as well.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe likes pepperoni and sausage,\u201d Molly said.<\/p>\n Old Man Winter smiled at her. No, he grinned, and the expression didn\u2019t look out of place. \u201cI guess I\u2019m heading back to Giovanni\u2019s, then.\u201d He nodded to both of them and went out.<\/p>\n What happened?<\/em> Schrodinger asked, once they were alone.<\/p>\n \u201cI have no idea,\u201d Molly said. \u201cNo idea at all.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" I ran tonight again, but this time, for the first time in about three years, I ran on a track. \u00a0Not on a treadmill. \u00a0We’ll see how my knees feel tomorrow. Then I came home and wrote. \u00a0I’ll be writing tomorrow morning too, and I’m hoping to be caught up by Friday. \u00a0That’s the goal, …<\/p>\n