(advent) December 16

Wednesday, December 16

“Hey, Molly, got a minute?”

Tim ducked his head through the open kitchen door, a quizzical look on his face.

“Absolutely!” Molly said, waving him in. “Come on in!”

He came in and shed his coat, along with a large amount of snow. “Sorry about that,” he said. “I thought I’d brushed it all off.”

“No worries,” Molly told him. “It’s December in Maine. We’re used to snow.” She grinned. “Take a seat and have some tea with me. Did you eat lunch?”

“I grabbed some crackers and peanut butter while I was finishing up a project,” Tim admitted, flushing a little. “Does that count?”

“No,” Molly said. She went to the pantry and got a mug, calling out, “What kind of tea would you like?”

“Something black and fruity,” he said, and she reached for the black spiced pear that she’d gotten earlier in the month from one of her favorite vendors. It would go perfectly with a grilled cheese sandwich, especially if she pulled out some of the apple-walnut-raisin compote that her mother had made to put in said sandwich.

“Try this,” she said when she came back out, handing him the mug (after filling it with hot water, of course). Then Molly went to the bread box and pulled out a loaf of soft rye bread she’d made that morning, and cut six slices off.

“I’m flattered, but do you think I’m that in need of fattening?” Tim said, looking at the stack of bread.

“Schrodinger and I haven’t had lunch either,” she admitted. “We just finished the lunch rush, so I was about to make us sandwiches.”

“Gotcha.” He watched as she pulled out the jar of compote, a package of fontina cheese, and some of the soft butter from one of the farms on the outskirts of town. “So what are we having?”

“Just grilled cheese,” Molly said.

“I have yet to have anything that’s come out of your kitchen that I would describe as ‘just’ anything,” Tim said a little skeptically. “And since when do you put jam on a grilled cheese?”

“Since it’s my mother’s famous compote,” Molly said, and then called out, “Schrodinger, you hungry?”

Yes, the CrossCat said, coming into the kitchen and hopping up on another one of the stools. And I smell a new tea!

“It’s the pear tea that Jay brought on her way through at the end of November,” Molly said. “When she stopped in to bring Aunt Margie the new books.”

Interesting. Can I smell it closer?

Tim pushed the mug towards Schrodinger, who sniffed it delicately. “It’s got a good flavor, if you like spice,” he said.

I’m not sure. I think I’ll take my usual. But thank you!

Molly had already put a large mug of Earl Grey in front of him, then turned back to the sandwiches that were on her griddle. “I thought you might say that,” she said. “You’re not usually a fruity-tea sort of person.”

No, but sometimes I like to walk on the wild side.

“Fruit tea is the wild side?” Tim said.
I lead a quiet life, Schrodinger allowed, and both Molly and Tim stifled laughs. What? I do! Cats prefer a quiet life.

“I hate to break it to you, Schrodinger, but Carter’s Cove does not qualify as quiet,” Tim said. “Quiet does not include telepathic animals, Spirits of any season, or Gates that go to other worlds, believe it or not.” He cupped the warm mug of tea in his hands. “I can’t think of another place I’d like to be, though. This is a special town.”

On that, we can agree, Schrodinger told him. Then the CrossCat tilted his head. You didn’t grow up in a CrossRoads town.

“No. I’d never even heard of a Gate before I met Doug,” Tim said.

How is that possible that you never even heard of them?

“My hometown is a little place, smaller even than some of the communities around here,” Tim said. “It’s very insular, and very religious, and not in a good way. Anything that is ‘different’ is anathema.”

“Which is why you left, I’m guessing,” Molly said, bringing over plates of sandwiches.

“Which is why I left,” Tim agreed. He set down his mug and picked up one of the halves of sandwiches, taking a bite and groaning in pleasure. “And this is why I’ll never leave.”

Molly laughed. “Doug probably won’t be happy if you throw him over for a grilled cheese sandwich, you know,” she teased.

“He’ll understand when he has one of these,” Tim said. “He’ll totally understand.”

After they finished the sandwiches, Molly refreshed their tea mugs and said, “I’ll bet you’re here to pick up that gingerbread house you asked me to make.”

“Are you a mind reader too?” Tim teased her, grinning.

“Well, since I’m assuming it’s for Doug, and he’s still at the school, and you’re here…” She let the end of her sentence trail off.

“Actually, I’m sending it to my parents,” Tim said, and Molly blinked.

“I thought you didn’t speak to them?”

“I don’t, but I’m thinking that it’s time someone dragged them into the 21st century.” Tim shook his head. “I know it’s probably a long shot, but I don’t want to go through life knowing that I could have reached out, and didn’t. And who knows? Maybe they’ll actually try and change.”

“It’s definitely worth a shot,” Molly said, touching his arm gently. “Let me get the house.”

She brought out the little cottage she’d made for him. It was a twin of the Cape that he and Doug had bought when they moved out to the Cove: a small red house, with lights hung around the edges of the roof and a little red mailbox outside that said “The Mathewsons” in script. There was a snowman that waved from near the front door, and Molly had even put a wreath exactly like the one they had given the couple over Thanksgiving.

“Oh, Molly, it’s perfect,” Tim said, drinking in the sight of the sculpture. “Look, you even put the hat and scarf we found at the Goodwill on the snowman!”

“Of course!” Molly said, remembering helping him and Doug make the snowman, while Ryan played in the snow. “And if you look, the snowman’s nose has a bite taken out of it.”

Because that’s what Ryan had done – and they’d decided to use the carrot anyways. Tim’s eyes went misty with tears.

“Thank you,” he said. “Even if they hate it, I love it.”

Molly put her hand lightly on the cottage roof and closed her eyes. Invoking her special gift, she made sure that the house would arrive at its destination perfect as it was now. “If you tell Marilyn at the post office that it’s traveling far, she’ll package it safely.” Molly put it in a cardboard box and handed it to him as he put his coat back on.

“Thank you again,” Tim said. “I’ll go now.” And he went out of the kitchen, cradling the precious box in his arms.

Why do people get so upset at who someone loves? Schrodinger asked her.

“I don’t know,” Molly said. “I really don’t know.”

They finished their tea in silence, and then he went out for a nap next to the wood stove. Molly took advantage of the quiet to do some planning for the January menus, which was how Pavel found her when he poked his head in.

“Tea?” she offered, and he shook his head.

“I’m only in for a minute or two,” Pavel said. “Mother sent me into town to get her a few things, and I stopped by the Station, so I’m running late.”

“Then why are you still here?” Molly asked. “Shouldn’t you be heading home?”

“I will, once I ask if you had plans for tomorrow,” Pavel said, grinning. “Or can I steal your husband from you?”

“I didn’t have any plans,” Molly said, after thinking for a few minutes. “Just doing some holiday baking, probably. Why don’t you bring your mother over when you pick Drew up, and then you two can go do the Christmas shopping that I know he hasn’t done yet?”

“This would be why I don’t want a wife,” Pavel said. “How did you know that’s what we were planning?”

“Because I know my husband.” Molly winked at him. “Did he also ask you to find out what color dress I was wearing to the Snow Queen’s ball?”

Pavel flushed, and Molly laughed. “I knew he was desperate, but that’s pretty low,” she said, when she was able to stop her giggles. “Tell him I’m wearing our wedding colors. That’s the only clue he gets. And no, Schrodinger won’t tell you, or him.”

“You can’t blame me for trying, and I never admitted to anything,” Pavel said, trying to salvage his dignity. “But I’ll pass along the information.”

“You and your mother are coming, right?” Molly said.

“Of course. I wouldn’t want to miss it. Although I think dress shopping with her scarred me for life.” Pavel shook his head. “I can’t imagine how you women do that.”

“It’s the price we pay to look good for you guys,” Molly said.

“Point.” Pavel looked as if he was about to say something else, but decided not to. “I’ll see you guys tomorrow then, and I promise to tell Drew that he needs to ask his own questions from now on.” Then something seemed to occur to him. “Why didn’t he just look in your closet?”

“Because the dress isn’t there.” Molly looked a bit smug. “It’s at Lai’s.”

Pavel laughed. “You two are hysterical, you know that, right?”

“Hey, we need something to spice up our lives.”

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