Slowly, surely, I’m getting caught up! \u00a0Slowly!<\/p>\n
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Molly looked around the kitchen one last time. \u201cI think everything\u2019s all set.\u201d<\/p>\n
It\u2019s not like you haven\u2019t written everything down for them anyways,<\/em> Schrodinger observed from his stool. You\u2019d think you were leaving for a week or more, not just one day.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cWell, I wanted to make sure I\u2019d covered every possibility,\u201d Molly said. \u201cThey\u2019re being wonderful in covering for me tonight. Especially tonight. I don\u2019t know how they swung it, since it\u2019s the night before the Ball.\u201d<\/p>\n The Snow Queen\u2019s Annual Christmas Ball was potentially the most important event of the Christmas season in Carter\u2019s Cove. For one night, the entire Cove shut down, and everyone donned their best clothes to dance on a magical ballroom floor in the middle of the Snow Queen\u2019s clearing. The fact that Mal had agreed to let Luke and Steve leave the Gate Station to cover the tea shop for three hours before Aunt Margie closed the store for the night was nothing short of amazing. Especially since they were already short-handed without Drew.<\/p>\n It\u2019s because they asked,<\/em> Schrodinger said. And because it\u2019s for you.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cYou make me sound like someone important,\u201d Molly told him, pulling out the box of spare mugs from the pantry and putting it on the island. \u201cI\u2019m just me.\u201d<\/p>\n You\u2019re the one who makes sure everyone is happy,<\/em> Schrodinger told her. You\u2019re the one who goes out with cookies and baked goods when someone isn\u2019t feeling well. You\u2019re the one who is always able to help out with cookies or cupcakes or something at the last minute.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cNow you\u2019re making me sound like a saint,\u201d Molly said, laughing a little because she was blushing. \u201cI\u2019m most definitely not. I\u2019m just Molly.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNever just Molly,\u201d Luke said, coming into the kitchen. There was snow in his dark hair and covering his jacket. Steve, coming in behind him, looked frozen and miserable.<\/p>\n \u201cJust Molly,\u201d she said firmly. \u201cLet me get you guys some tea to warm up.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBless you,\u201d Steve said, shedding his jacket. \u201cI\u2019ve never been so cold in my life. I don\u2019t know how you guys handle it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s been really cold this month,\u201d Molly said, pouring hot water into two of her bigger mugs. She set the large tea box in front of them. \u201cColder than usual.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s what most folks have been saying,\u201d Steve said. \u201cI thought they were just pulling my leg.\u201d<\/p>\n She shook her head. \u201cNo, I don\u2019t remember it being this cold in a long time.\u201d<\/p>\n You really don\u2019t know why it\u2019s been so cold?<\/em> Schrodinger said, and all three of them turned to look at him. Really?<\/em> When they shook their heads, he sighed. Old Man Winter has been in and out of the Cove for the last ten days. Did you think he was just called that for no reason?<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cPoint,\u201d Luke said. \u201cSo he really IS Old Man Winter? I thought he was a myth.\u201d<\/p>\n How many myths walk into this store every day?<\/em> Schrodinger said. How many come through the Gate?<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cI guess I never really thought of it that way,\u201d Molly said. \u201cWell, at least we\u2019ll have a white Christmas.\u201d She didn\u2019t finish the sentence out loud, not wanting to worry Luke or Steve, but in her head, she wondered if it would be the last Christmas the Cove would celebrate.<\/p>\n \u201cMolly?\u201d Luke was looking at her, and for one minute, she thought she\u2019d voiced her fears out loud. Then he held up her note, and she smiled. \u201cYou\u2019re not expecting us to bake, are you?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo.\u201d Molly chuckled, and took the recipe she\u2019d left on top of the note from him. \u201cI need to take that home. There\u2019s plenty in the tins behind you. Here\u2019s the tea.\u201d And she tapped the box in front of them. \u201cAunt Margie says she\u2019s closing at 6 tonight, so you should be all set to run back to the Station.\u201d She patted another box on the counter. \u201cTake this back with you. It should salve some of Mal\u2019s annoyance.\u201d<\/p>\n Both Luke and Steve\u2019s eyes lit up at that. \u201cIs that\u2026?\u201d<\/p>\n She nodded. \u201cHomemade sugar cookies and almond brittle.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ll make sure he gets\u2026some,\u201d Steve said, and Luke grinned.<\/p>\n \u201cHe knows it\u2019s coming, so make sure they don\u2019t all get eaten,\u201d Molly said, and laughed as their faces fell. \u201cThere\u2019s plenty, I promise!\u201d She shrugged into her coat, and picked up her backpack and her gloves. \u201cI\u2019m going to be home, so feel free to call me if you need anything.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cJust one thing before you go,\u201d Luke said, dipping his hand into his pocket. He pulled out a small white box and handed it to her. \u201cI promised I would get you this.\u201d<\/p>\n Molly frowned. The box was too small to be an ornament. \u201cWhat is it?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cLook,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n She opened the box and gasped. Inside, nestled on black velvet, were a glistening crystal snowflake necklace with matching earrings.<\/p>\n \u201cHe said he didn\u2019t know what color dress you were wearing this year, but figured this would be something that would go with everything,\u201d Luke said.<\/p>\n \u201cIt would,\u201d Molly agreed, drawing one finger along the slick surface of a snowflake. \u201cIt definitely would.\u201d<\/p>\n <><><\/p>\n Drew pulled the scarf up around his mouth to keep the icy wind from sucking the very air from his lungs and plunged out into the snowstorm that had blown up overnight. He could barely see in front of him, but he had to make sure the horses and Ember were holding up okay. Luckily, the courtyard wasn\u2019t that big, and he could see the vague outline of the stables.<\/p>\n After several minutes of straining against the wind, he stumbled into the stable doors and managed to get himself inside. The wind howled outside, but the stable was still warm.<\/p>\n You didn\u2019t have to come out,<\/em> Ember said to him, as he shook off the snow. This stable is very solid.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cTrue, but you can\u2019t get the food for the horses,\u201d he said, stomping his feet to get warm. \u201cThey don\u2019t mind you staying on your side of the stable, but I think they\u2019d go insane and hurt themselves if you tried to fill their grain buckets.\u201d<\/p>\n You\u2019re a good man, Drew,<\/em> Ember said, watching him fill the grain buckets and water buckets for the horses. They would have been okay, though.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cDepends on how long the storm lasts,\u201d Drew said. \u201cI\u2019d rather not have to go out more than once.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cStorm will blow over before morning.\u201d<\/p>\n Drew turned as Old Man Winter stepped into view, smoke from his long pipe hanging lazily in the still air. It was amazing, really – how the air in the stable was so peaceful, in contrast to the howling outside the walls. \u201cThat\u2019s good to know,\u201d he said, and finished filling the grain buckets.<\/p>\n \u201cThought you might like to know, since you\u2019ll be leaving.\u201d Old Man Winter turned to go.<\/p>\n \u201cWait, what?\u201d Drew stepped towards him. \u201cWhat did you just say?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re leaving tomorrow,\u201d Old Man Winter repeated, puffing on his pipe. \u201cYou might want to pack.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI thought I had to stay here until you made a decision about the Gate,\u201d Drew said. \u201cHave you made a decision?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNope,\u201d Old Man Winter said.<\/p>\n \u201cNo what?\u201d Drew watched as Old Man Winter walked out into the back part of the stables. \u201cNo what?\u201d<\/p>\n There was no answer. Drew ran back there, and then cursed.<\/p>\n Old Man Winter was gone.<\/p>\n <><><\/p>\n Molly and Schrodinger walked home through the cold air and the softly falling snowflakes. It was a quiet afternoon, and not too many people were out. Even her footfalls sounded muffled.<\/p>\n You\u2019re very quiet,<\/em> Schrodinger said.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s not much to say,\u201d she replied. The box with the crystal necklace and earrings weighed heavily in her pocket. \u201cAnd it\u2019s too nice to talk.\u201d<\/p>\n He\u2019ll come home. He promised you that he\u2019d be at the Ball.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cI know.\u201d She was getting tired of saying that, but what else could she say?<\/p>\n They turned the corner and walked down the block towards their own home. Molly opened the mail box, pulled out the letters and a small box addressed to her, and then went up the stairs.<\/p>\n Inside her apartment, she put the mail on the table near the small tree with its hand-beaded ornaments, and hung up her coat. Schrodinger went into the living room while she sorted through the mail.<\/p>\n The box was wrapped in brown paper, with her name and address printed on it in black ink. There was no postmark, no return address. Molly frowned and opened it.<\/p>\n Inside, a little black and silver ornament lay cushioned on packing peanuts. No notes, no nothing. Just the ornament.<\/p>\n Molly sat and looked at the falling snow in silence for a long, long time.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Slowly, surely, I’m getting caught up! \u00a0Slowly! <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> Molly looked around the kitchen one last time. \u201cI think everything\u2019s all set.\u201d It\u2019s not like you haven\u2019t written everything down for them anyways, Schrodinger observed from his stool. You\u2019d think you were leaving for a week or more, not just one day. \u201cWell, I wanted to …<\/p>\n