(advent) December 6

Saturday, December 6

She did WHAT?

Schrodinger laughed at the expression on his best friend’s face. The half German Shephard, half blue tick hound stared at him, his tongue lolling out of one side. She seriously did, the CrossCat assured Jack the hound, Lily’s dog. She threw an apron at him and then had him mixing up biscuits.

Jack shook his head and then laid his head on his paws. Wow. I wish I’d seen that.

You’ll see more than that tonight, Schrodinger said, mimicking his position. They were both curled up on large pet beds next to the fireplace in the living room. It wasn’t cold enough that Molly had the fire going, but it was still the best place for the two of them to keep an eye on things. Right now, those things were the two little girls who were busy working on their homework as they sat on the couch. Lily Barrett was Molly’s niece, and was absolutely inseparable from her best friend Zoey Allard, who was celebrating her second Christmas in the Cove. Last year, they’d shown her that Christmas magic really existed. Schrodinger figured that between her and Old Man Winter, that was where Molly’s reputation for bringing people around had come from. Then again, Jack Frost might be her toughest challenge yet.

Why, what’s happening tonight? Jack demanded, bringing Schrodinger’s attention back to the present.

Jack’s coming to pizza night, Schrodinger told him, and the hound’s tongue lolled out again. And Molly told him he has to be polite to everyone.

That ought to be interesting.

Indeed. Schrodinger looked over at Lily and Zoey again, who were whispering about something. I can’t wait to see what he makes of them.

Jack snorted. I can’t wait to see what they make of him.

Schrodinger couldn’t disagree with that either.

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Molly looked up as the back door opened, stiffening, then relaxed as her best friend Sue Elder slipped into the kitchen.

“That was an interesting reaction,” the brunette chuckled, putting the large grocery bag on the island. “Who were you expecting?”

“I’m not sure I should tell you,” Molly teased, grinning. “It might spoil the surprise.”

“Oh, we have surprises, do we?” Sue said, running her hands through her hair. She’d cut it short about two weeks ago, to everyone’s shock, and still seemed to be getting used to it. “What do you need me to do?”

Then again, Molly thought, if I cut nearly a foot of hair off, it would take me a while to get used to it too!

She handed over a cutting board and a small paring knife. “You got tomatoes, right?”

“Yep.” Sue fished the package out of her bag.

“Then slice them thin, please,” Molly directed, peering into the bag. Sue had done well, as always, and there was a large bunch of basil and two large chunks of fresh mozzarella in the bottom. Molly pulled them out and began to slice the cheese into rounds. The pizza dough she’d made that afternoon at the bookstore was rising on the back counter, protected from drafts, and there was a small pot of homemade sauce bubbling on the stove.

“What are we drinking?” Sue asked as she sliced tomatoes.

“Drew was in charge of that,” Molly said. “He was going to pick something up on the way home.” She heard the front door open and close. “That might be him now.”

It wasn’t just him, but Pavel and Jack. Sue’s eyes widened as she looked at the tall spirit, who looked moderately uncomfortable in jeans and a white cotton shirt. Pavel looked splendid as always, his black leather pants worn and soft, tucked into equally soft boots and setting off his scarlet shirt to perfection. He also had a bottle of wine in his hand, which he presented to Molly with a flourish. “I was informed you enjoyed this the last time,” he said, and she smiled in genuine pleasure as she saw the label.

“I did indeed,” Molly assured him, kissing his cheek in thanks. “Drew, can you get glasses and the corkscrew?” She passed him the bottle. “Corrine and Nathan should be here soon.”

“They were right behind us,” Drew said, taking glasses out of the hutch. At his words, the front door opened and closed again, and her brother and sister-in-law came into the kitchen a few moments later.

Molly looked around her kitchen, now filled with laughter and warmth, and smiled. Her apartment kitchen had been small, and while she’d never minded it before, having enough room for she and Sue to be working at the island while the others gathered around the table filled her heart with joy.

And then she noticed that Jack was hanging back, watching everyone with an odd look on his face. Loneliness? Or something else? She caught his gaze, and he raised his chin.

“Would you like to help us?” she said, offering him a way in. “We need some basil torn.”

He shrugged but came over. “What do I do?”

“Like this.” Molly demonstrated what she wanted him to do, and then chuckled as he lifted a leaf suspiciously to his nose. “Haven’t you ever had basil?”

“I don’t actually need to eat,” Jack reminded her. “I can eat, but it’s not a necessity.” He sniffed the basil again. “What is this used for?”

“It’s an herb.” Molly took a piece of the basil and placed it on top of a slice of mozzarella, then placed everything on a slice of tomato she took from Sue. “Here, try this.”

He looked suspiciously at it, then at her, but took it and bit it cautiously. Molly and Sue watched as he chewed, then swallowed, and took another bite.

“I think he likes it,” Sue said to Molly, who nodded.

“It’s green,” Jack said, after he finished the slice. “I’ve never really tasted green before.”

“Really? You don’t eat at all?” Molly asked him.

“Not really,” he said, tearing apart the basil.

“Then how do you nourish yourself?” She had to know. “I mean, everyone needs to get nourishment somehow.”

“It’s different for us,” Jack told her. “Our element nourishes us.” He saw her frowning, and explained, “I’m a spirit of fall, right?” She nodded. “So when I walk through a fall realm, that nourishes me. The energy of the air, the feel of the cold and rain against my skin – it all keeps me going.”

“Interesting.” Molly thought about that as she continued to cut mozzarella. Once she was done, she went over to the oven and opened it, checking on the pizza stone inside.

“Now what?” Jack asked, and Sue seconded him. “We’re done.”

Molly grinned. “Now the magic happens.” She picked up the pizza peel from the counter, and sprinkled a bit of cornmeal on it, then pulled one of the oiled balls of dough out from the bowl it had been rising in. She turned and crooked a finger at Jack. “Come here.”

He raised an eyebrow at the tone and scowled a bit, but then he looked and saw the steel in her eyes, so he came over to her side. “What do you need me to do?”

Molly offered him the ball of dough, and then took another one out its oiled bowl. “Like this.” She deftly turned the pizza dough in her hands, spreading it out gradually into a circle. Jack watched her for a few moments, then began to imitate her. To her surprise, he was very good at it.

“Nice!” she said, laying her pizza circle on one of the prepared peels. He followed her directions, laying tomato sauce, sliced tomatoes, mozzarella and basil in concentric layers. “Now, in to the oven, on the stones, and in twenty minutes, we’ll have pizza.”

“Yay?” Jack said, and Molly chuckled.

“Definitely yay,” she said. “If nothing else, I am determined to give you a good grounding in delicious food. How you have never had pizza is beyond me.”

“There is more to life than food,” Jack told her.

“Agreed.” Molly lifted her wine glass to her lips and took a sip before setting it down and reaching for another ball of dough. “But food is a very important part of life to most people. It’s more than sustenance.” She nodded over to the table, where Nathan, Corrine, Sue, Drew and Pavel were talking animatedly about something. She’d put out bowls of mixed nuts and dried fruit before everyone had shown up, and everyone had handfuls. “Food connects people. It brings them together and helps them relate. It’s like glue, in a way.”

Jack pondered that as he watched her put another pizza together. “So it’s not just the food, then,” he said finally. “It’s what the food means.”

“Yes.” Molly squinted through the oven window at the pizzas inside. “But the food itself is important too.”

“I don’t understand.”

She stood up and stretched, then reached for her wine again. “All this food is fresh. You and I put in time to make it. We show our love in the time we spend to make it.” Molly smiled a little ruefully. “Of course, I’ve spoiled them. They’d wonder what was wrong if I’d just ordered pizza, or put a frozen pizza in. But for some others, even just making an order of pizza to be delivered, that means someone is thinking of them.” She cocked her head at Jack. “Does that make sense?”

“Not yet, but I think it will.” Jack watched the group talk, and Molly watched him puzzling through it. “You humans are more complicated than I thought.”

“Most things are.” Her tone was thoughtful, not sarcastic. “Can I ask you a question?”

“Go ahead.”

Molly had been thinking about what Old Man Winter had told them, and about the hot wind that had chased her and Schrodinger down the Road. It had been waiting for them when they came out again, but Old Man Winter had given them a ride on his sledge, and the powerful reindeer that pulled it had outrun the evil spell. Old Man Winter had been of the opinion that it was an air spirit, seeking a way into the Snow Queen’s realm for its master.

“Who is Caliban?”

Jack flinched, as if the name itself had been a physical blow. “He’s a salamander,” he said finally, as he saw that she wasn’t going to say anything else. “A spirit of summer, and of heat.”

“How did you and the Snow Queen get involved with a spirit of summer?” Molly asked, setting her wine glass aside and taking the first of the pizzas out of the oven.

“How does one choose friends?” Jack asked, and there was a sadness in his voice that she hadn’t expected. “We were young.”

“And you met?” Molly had no idea what young spirits did.

“Our parents were all acquainted,” Jack said, and then gave her a sideways look. “It’s not something that is normally discussed with mortals, you understand. It’s just…”

“Some things need to remain mysterious?” she suggested, when he trailed off. “You met. That’s fine. And you were friends?”

He nodded, apparently happy that she wouldn’t pursue it. Molly figured she could ask Old Man Winter later. “Yes. We were the only ones interested in exploring, really, so we tended to go places together. We always wanted to see what was behind the next Gate.”

“And then you discovered the Cove?” Molly said, sliding the last pizza in the oven. Then she pulled out her pizza wheel and cut the two hot pies into pieces.

“Jade did, and she couldn’t wait to share it with us,” Jack said. The faraway tone in his voice made Molly look over at him. There was a half-smile playing around his mouth as he obviously remembered something that made him happy. It made him look less severe – more human. As he smiled, Molly thought she saw what had made the Snow Queen fall for him in the first place.

“What was it like?” she asked, but before he could answer, Zoey and Lily came sprinting in from the living room, Jack and Schrodinger hot on their heels.

“We smell pizza!” Lily shouted, and Jack barked in joy.

“Did you finish your homework?” her mother asked, and both girls nodded. “Okay, then yes, it’s dinner time.”

Zoey was looking at Jack curiously. “I don’t remember you,” she said, fingering the bow on the end of one of her braids. “Are you new to the Cove?”

The spirit looked a bit startled that she’d spoken to him, but he said gravely, “Yes, you could say that.”

Zoey, however, was not the type of child who would just let statements like that go. “What do you mean? Either you are new, or you aren’t. Which is it?”

Molly had to turn to cover her smile at that. Jack blinked and said, “I was here a very long time ago.”

“Longer than Uncle Art?” Lily said, coming over to them. “He’s the oldest man I know, and he’s been here forever.”

“Yes, older than your Uncle Art,” Jack told her. “I remember when the Cove was still very new.”

Both girls’ eyes went wide. “You must know Old Man Winter then!” Lily said excitedly. “We know him!” Zoey nodded. “We made cookies with him last year! And he came to my ballet recital!”

“Okay, girls, come on if you want pizza,” Nathan said, coming over and corralling the two, bringing them over to the table. Jack looked almost pathetically grateful for the rescue.

Sorry about that, Schrodinger said to Jack, looking up at him a bit apologetically. They can be a bit enthusiastic.

Jack looked like he’d been hit by something, but managed a nod despite the dazed look in his eyes. “They’re young,” he said after a moment, watching the two girls chatter at Pavel, who was laughing at whatever they were telling him.

“Very,” Molly said, offering him a plate with a piece of pizza on it. “And this is their favorite time of year.”

“Why?” Jack asked, accepting the plate. He sniffed the pizza cautiously, as if it might jump up and bite him. “And how do you eat this?”

“Like this.” Molly picked up her own piece and took a bite. Hot sauce, ripe tomatoes and mild cheese exploded in her mouth, with the bite of fresh basil and the oregano she’d stirred into the sauce following close behind.

Jack imitated her and his eyes widened. Molly watched him as he chewed and swallowed, wondering what he would do next. He picked up the piece of pizza but didn’t take another bite. Instead, he studied the piece minutely, as if he was trying to figure it out.

“What?” she said finally, unable to deduce his thoughts. “Is it that bad?”

“No,” he said. “It’s that good, and I can’t figure out why.” He shook his head. “But now I understand why Pavel was so insistent about coming today. Do you normally eat like this?” He took another bite.

Molly grinned. “Not exactly like this, but yes, I try and make dinner every night, even if it’s just something in the crock pot. Or I’ll do what I’m doing now.” She nodded towards the other bowls of dough. “I’ll make those up, and then freeze them, so if we want, Drew and I can just toss one in the oven. Makes it easy.”

Jack mulled over that as he continued to eat, watching the table. “You humans are more complex than I thought,” he said finally.

“Most things are,” Molly said. “Even love.”

His gaze dropped. “I’m learning that.” Before she could say anything else, Jack put his plate on the counter and went out the back door.

Molly started to go after him, wondering if she’d said something wrong, but a hand on her arm stopped her. She looked up into Pavel’s dark eyes.

“Let him go,” the pirate said. “He needs to process some things.”

“Did I say something wrong?” Molly asked.

“No.” Pavel shook his dark head. “It’s hard for him to be back here, Molly, and he’s trying to sort his feelings out. The last time he actually ate was here. When he was banished, he went into full spirit mode for a very long time. I haven’t seen him in corporal form for this long ever. It’s hard for him.” He gave her a gentle hug. “Thank you for dinner. I’ll go make sure he gets back to the ship safely. And thank you.”

“For what?” Molly said.

“For agreeing to help him.” Pavel looked out into the warm darkness. “Whether or not this actually works, he needed to be reminded that there’s more to life than dying leaves and snow.”

“Pavel, why doesn’t he feel cool when I touch him?” Molly suddenly realized that she didn’t feel the same way she felt when she was around Old Man Winter.

“That’s not for me to say,” Pavel said, and she heard the sadness underlying his words. “But I will say that there’s more than one life on the line here.” Then he tipped his pirate hat politely to her, and went out after Jack.

Molly was still standing at the open door, looking out at nothing but dark evergreens, when Drew came over. “You okay?”

“I think so,” she said, shaking herself out of her reverie. “Just thinking.” She smiled up at him. “Want to help me make the rest of the pizza?”

“Sure!”

But before she turned back to the bright, cheerful kitchen, Molly looked out into the dark night one more time. A owl hooted somewhere in the darkness, and she shivered slightly.

Things had definitely gotten more complicated.

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