(advent) Tuesday, December 17

It was Tuesday, but Molly had decided that her kitchen at the bookstore was better suited to finish baking the gingerbread pieces than her home kitchen.

 

“Besides,” she explained to Aunt Margie, who had stopped in to get a cup of tea. “I have everything here already. Why should I schlep it all the way to the apartment, just to bring it back? It doesn’t make sense.”

 

Aunt Margie nodded. “And since Sarah’s here, you are free to work, rather than fill tea pots. I understand.” She looked at the board that covered part of the island. “What is that for?’

 

Molly pointed to the pile of gingerbread pieces next to it. “For that.”

 

“Which will be?” Aunt Margie prompted her.

 

“A castle for the Snow Queen. Which needs to be done for Thursday.” Molly finished her cup of tea and stretched before taking the last two trays of gingerbread pieces out of the oven. “And since these are now done, I can get started putting it together.”

 

“How long do you think it will take you?”

 

“I have no idea,” Molly admitted. “Hopefully, not until Friday.”

 

Aunt Margie laughed and left her to it. Schrodinger was snoozing out in the tea room, which was a good thing. Molly realized that putting together the castle was a bit more complicated than she’d originally thought, and she didn’t need any distractions. By the time Lily, Jack and Zoey showed up and woke him up, she had the first floor and half the second floor put together.

 

“Oh wow,” Zoey said, when she caught sight of the gingerbread castle. “You really are a witch, Molly.”

 

“At this point, I’m a tired witch,” she confessed, putting the bag of royal icing aside. “And this needs to sit and cure.”

 

“Cure?” Lily said, furrowing her brow. “What does that mean?”

 

Molly took the discarded bag of icing and piped a little out. “This is called royal icing,” she told them. “When it sits, it turns rock hard and holds everything together. It’s called curing.”

 

“Cool,” Zoey said. “It’s like magic.”

 

“It is,” Molly agreed. She put the icing back in the top of the bag, then twisted it up and put it in the fridge for later. “Now, who wants to find out what the Advent Calendar has in store for us today?”

 

“Me!” all four of them chorused, and Molly laughed as they rushed over to the wall to see who could find the number first.

 

Oh, there it is! Schrodinger said, after a few moments. In the tree!

 

He pressed the number with his paw, and they all looked anxiously as the snowflake came out. It hovered in front of them, and Zoey held out her hand. Out tumbled a note, and she squinted at it.

 

“I hope you have mittens and scarves,” she read haltingly. “It’s cold on the ice!” She looked up at Molly. “The ice? Are we going out on the ocean?”

 

“I don’t know,” Molly said, her eyes twinkling. “Why don’t you let me get my warm stuff on, and we’ll see where it leads us?”

 

“Hurry!” Lily urged. “Hurry!”

 

“Okay, okay!” Molly laughed and got her coat, making sure she had put her mittens in her pocket. She crammed her hat on her head. “I’m ready!”

 

As if it had been waiting for that, the snowflake zoomed out of the kitchen towards the front door. Molly grabbed Schrodinger’s coat on the way out, knowing he’d want it later.

 

“Look, it’s Pavel!” Zoey said, as they tumbled out of the bookstore into the street. The dashing pirate captain was leaning against the side of his black sleigh, talking to Drew, a scarlet scarf draped around his neck. “Pavel! Are you taking us on another adventure?”

 

“I am, lovely lady, I am!” Pavel said, sweeping his hat off and bowing to them. The snowflake swirled around them, and then settled right in front of the horses.

 

“Let’s go!” Lily said excitedly, climbing into the sleigh, and then pulling Zoey up with her. “I can’t wait!”

 

Schrodinger jumped in, followed by Jack, and then Drew helped Molly in. “Are you sure your horses can pull us all?” she asked Pavel, who was climbing up into the driver’s spot.

 

“Are you doubting my fine steeds?” he said, mock-outraged. “We’ll show you!” And he slapped the reins against the harnesses, causing the horses to leap forward. Drew, who had been almost in his seat, was thrown back into the pile of blankets, and Lily and Zoey dissolved into gales of laughter.

 

The snowflake led them down the street and out of town. Drew, once he managed to struggle into a sitting position, put his arms around Molly and asked quietly, “How’s the castle coming?”

 

“It’s a bit more ambitious than I realized,” she admitted. “I’ll have it done, but it’s going to take a lot to do so.”

 

“I know you can do it,” he said. “And so does she.”

 

Molly chuckled, and leaned her head back against him. “I should be working on it now, but I was starting to go cross-eyed.”

 

“Are you going to work on it later?”

 

“Depends on how tired I am,” she said. “I should, but I’m not going to push it.” She looked up towards the front. Lily and Zoey had climbed up to sit right behind Pavel, and from the looks on their faces, he was telling them some sort of story. Molly couldn’t make out his words, but she could guess. He didn’t have that many stories that were kid-friendly, after all.

 

The horses turned down a wooded lane, still following the snowflake, and about fifteen minutes later, a lovely winter scene opened up in front of them.

 

“Indi’s!” Lily squealed. “Look, Zoey, it’s just like the gingerbread!”

 

“Wow,” Zoey said. “It’s really real.”

 

Indi Sarabian had taken advantage of the natural curve of the gentle ElizabethRiver, named for Captain Carter’s favorite daughter, and put in what had become THE skating destination for the residents of Carter’s Cove and the surrounding realms. Each year, Indi and her family made improvements to the skating rink. This year, Molly saw she’d added an actual warming hut in addition to the bonfire on the shore, and she’d re-lit the bonfire in the rock outcropping in the middle of the cove. The day had been overcast, so the white, blue and green Christmas lights glowed in the evergreen trees that ringed the cove.

 

Pavel helped them out of the sled, and Molly led them over to the original shack, where Indi herself was handing out skates. “Hi Molly!” she said cheerfully. “How many today?”

 

“Five total,” Molly said, and one by one, each of them told Indi their size. She collected skates the way Molly collected tea cups, and they were all in excellent condition. Molly helped Lily and Zoey with theirs, and then let Drew drag her out on to the ice.

 

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“But what about Jack and Schrodinger?” Zoey asked, looking at Lily and then at the ice. “They can’t go out there.”

 

“No,” Lily agreed. “But Indi’s got them taken care of.” She pointed to the bonfire, where one of Indi’s younger children had brought out a large cushion and put it near the warmth. Immediately, Jack and Schrodinger jumped on it and laid down.

 

“Oh, cool.” Zoey stood up on her skates and walked carefully down to the ice. She stepped onto the frozen surface and pushed off, gliding across the ice as her mother had taught her the year before. Then, as she turned, she saw Lily standing unsteadily by the beach. “Come on!” she encouraged her.

 

“I’m trying!” Lily said, and pushed off. She wobbled her way over to Zoey. “How’d you get so good at it?”

 

“Mom taught me.” Zoey took Lily’s hands. “Like this.” She started to skate backwards slowly, and said, “Just let your feet go. Gently. Gently.” They went around once like that, with Zoey holding Lily up so that her friend could concentrate on her feet.

 

“This is hard!” Lily said, after one route. “Let’s go sit next to Schrodinger and Jack for a bit.”

 

“Okay.” Zoey led her back over to the bonfire, where Jack and Schrodinger made room for them on the cushion.

 

You did really good! Jack said, nosing Lily on the cheek.

 

“It’s hard!” she said again. “Zoey’s really good at it, though.”

 

“I’ve had more practice,” Zoey said, snuggling in next to Schrodinger. “I bet by the time we leave, you’ll be better than me!”

 

“I don’t know,” Lily said, leaning back and watching Molly and Drew skate together. “Don’t they look good together?”

 

They do, Schrodinger agreed, putting his head down on his paws and watching them. Drew was saying something to Molly, and she threw her head back and laughed. Zoey thought it was an enchanting sound. Now all we need to do is have him ask her, and we can get moving on some important things. Like planning the wedding.

 

“Oooh, do you really think he’s going to?” Lily said, bouncing on the cushion. “That would be awesome!”

 

I think it will be soon, Schrodinger said. He’s getting ready. He sighed. I wish I could get on the ice. It looks fun.

 

Zoey was about to answer when she noticed the snowflake. It hadn’t vanished, as she’d thought, but it was hovering near Jack’s head. “Look,” she said, pointing. “The snowflake is still here.”

 

“Huh,” Lily said, looking over at it. “I wonder why.” She raised her voice a little. “Snowflake, do you have something else for us?”

 

As if it had been waiting for that question, the snowflake dipped low in front of them, and then began to spin. They all held their breaths as it spun, and then it exploded into a veritable storm of glowing snowflakes that hit the ice and formed…

 

“A sleigh!” Zoey said excitedly. “With skates as runners! Look!” She got up and skated over to the sleigh, and then pushed it back to the others. “Jack, you and Schrodinger can get in to the sleigh, and Lily and I can push you around!”

 

The CrossCat and the hound jumped into the sleigh, but Lily looked doubtful. “I’m not that good,” she reminded them.

 

“Yes, but you can hold on to the sleigh like this,” Zoey said, demonstrating. “We can push together. Come on, Lily, come on!”

 

Yes, Lily, come on! Jack and Schrodinger chorused. You can do it!

 

“Okay, I’ll try,” she said, surrendering. Zoey skated over and led her to the sleigh. Then, they both grasped one of the handles and looked at each other.

 

“On three,” Zoey said. She set her toepick in the ice and looked over to see Lily mimicking her. “Ready?”

 

Lily nodded.

 

“Okay, one, two, three.”

 

On three, they both pushed off, and glided over the ice. “See?” Zoey shouted to Lily. “Much easier this way!”

 

“You’re right!” Lily agreed, laughing. “This is fun!”

 

As they pushed Jack and Schrodinger over the ice, Zoey thought it was the best time she’d had skating in a long time.

Originally published at The words of Valerie Griswold-Ford. You can comment here or there.