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December 15
Schrodinger curled up in his bed next to the fireplace on the upper level of Crosswinds Books and contemplated the universe. Specifically, the slice of the universe he could see without moving his head from his paws, which included Drew and Tom as they sat in a pair of easy chairs and talked in low tones.
It didn’t matter that they were across the room from him, and that the fire was crackling merrily behind him – if he wanted to, he could listen to their conversation. CrossCats had a number of talents, and the ability to hear across the Roads was one that was vital for survival. But Molly had taught him etiquette and he knew that listening in wasn’t appropriate.
And so he dozed, content to listen to the soft Celtic harp Christmas music Marge had playing, ignoring the words swirling around him, until the word “Molly” pierced his semi-sleepiness. Especially as it was said in a very urgent way.
Without moving his head to give away that he’d heard anything, Schrodinger swiveled his ears slowly, seeking out the voice he’d heard. His eyes, only open a slit, saw Drew and Tom, still talking, and Marge and Father Christopher, also deeply involved in a conversation. Who had it been?
Hard to tell, since he heard both Marge and Drew say her name again within moments of one another. Since he didn’t worry about Marge, Schrodinger decided to concentrate his attention on the two Gate techs.
“She’s going to have to make a choice,” Drew was saying, and Schrodinger’s mental eyebrows rose. “I just want to make sure at the end that we don’t all lose friendships.”
Tom nodded. “I agree, and so does Luke.”
“Luke I’m not worried about,” Drew said. “But we all know how much you love Molly. Hell, the whole town knows.” Tom grimaced, but didn’t say anything, and so Drew continued, “Will you be okay seeing her with someone else?”
Tom hesitated, but before he could answer, Schrodinger heard Marge say, “Besides, she’s finally getting into the secret admirer game,” and he zeroed into that conversation.
“Which is a blessing,” Father Christopher said. “I was worried for a bit. Especially with the blow-up she and Tom had when he came back.”
“That’s behind them, luckily. She said they had a wonderful time at the party last night.”
“And she’s still planning on going to the Snow Queen’s Dance on Saturday, yes?”
Marge nodded. “We’re closing the store early, of course. And she bought a dress yesterday. She’s going to look like a princess.”
“And her secret admirer will be there,” Father Christopher said. “Do you think she’s guessed?”
“She says she hasn’t, although she’s got suspicions,” Marge said. “But then again, if she hasn’t got at least suspicions, then she’s blind. And that’s one thing Molly isn’t.”
“What about SA – does he know what he needs to do that night?” Father Christopher asked, and Marge laughed. It was a bright sound, very much like Molly’s – one of Schrodinger’s favorite sounds, truth be told.
“That boy has known what he was going to do since the day he came up with this scheme,” she said. “I have no doubt that anything he sets his mind to, he’ll get.”
“She could still refuse him,” Father Christopher said.
“She could, but she’d be a moron to.” Then Marge sighed. “No, actually, then she’d be the Molly we all know and love. Always too willing to put others ahead of herself to see how it’s affecting her own life.”
That, at least, Schrodinger could agree with. He loved Molly, but she didn’t seem to want to take care of herself very much. That’s why he’d asked Santa for someone for her. It seemed like Marge and Father Christopher had done the same.
He was still staring at Drew and Tom, and although his eyes saw what happened next, his brain didn’t quite catch it. Or didn’t believe it. Drew and Tom shook hands, and a flash of red passed from one to the other. It could have been a small envelope, but Schrodinger couldn’t be sure. What he was sure of was that both Drew and Tom stood up, adjusted their coats and walked out. Not together – Tom headed into the stacks, while Drew went towards the stairs.
So it IS one of them, Schrodinger thought. Unless someone gave them the envelope. He shifted in his bed, pondering that. No, I think it’s one of them. Then his mind gave him a picture of Luke, pulling up in the snowmobile, and he sighed. I wish I could figure it out. I could help…
Then his head came up. I could help!
Schrodinger jumped up and trotted over to where Father Christopher was sitting alone now, Marge having gone to attend to something or other. The chair she’d been sitting in was still warm, and Schrodinger leaped gracefully up into the seat.
“Hello, Schrodinger,” the priest said, closing the book he’d been reading. It was large, with an elaborate picture on the front; some sort of tapestry, Schrodinger thought, but the book didn’t interest him as much as it might have otherwise. “How is your day going?”
Good, Father, Schrodinger said politely, sitting straight up and wrapping his tail around his paws. I need to talk to you.
“Oh? About what?” Father Christopher looked a little surprised at the seriousness in the CrossCat’s mental voice.
Schrodinger leaned forward. I want to help, he said.
Father Christopher blinked. “Help with what?”
I want to help SA win Molly, Schrodinger said. I know you know who he is, and that you think he’d be good for her. I trust you, so he must be. And so I want to help.
“You do.” Father Christopher regarded him for a few moments, chewing on his bottom lip. “But tell me, Schrodinger, can you keep a secret from her? Because that’s what it’s going to take.”
I can.
“And if she asks you who it is?” Father Christopher pressed. “Could you lie and tell her you didn’t know?”
No, Schrodinger admitted. But I won’t have to. I don’t want to know who he is. I just want to help deliver things, and those, I can get through you. He cocked his head. Unless you’re SA, of course. But don’t you think Molly’s a little young for you?
Father Christopher laughed at that. “I can promise you that SA is not me,” he said. “But I’ll let him know you want to help. That’s all I can do.”
Schrodinger nodded. Good. Thank you.
Okay, so today’s song doesn’t show up at all in the episode, but that’s okay. I’m sharing it anyways, because it has to be shared. And I needed to get Schrodinger some more face time. So this is the one SA sent today.
Bonus track! This is the Glee version – I don’t watch the show, but my sister gave me the Christmas album and I really enjoy it. So I give you a new version too.
Schrodinger curled up in his bed next to the fireplace on the upper level of Crosswinds Books and contemplated the universe. Specifically, the slice of the universe he could see without moving his head from his paws, which included Drew and Tom as they sat in a pair of easy chairs and talked in low tones.
It didn’t matter that they were across the room from him, and that the fire was crackling merrily behind him – if he wanted to, he could listen to their conversation. CrossCats had a number of talents, and the ability to hear across the Roads was one that was vital for survival. But Molly had taught him etiquette and he knew that listening in wasn’t appropriate.
And so he dozed, content to listen to the soft Celtic harp Christmas music Marge had playing, ignoring the words swirling around him, until the word “Molly” pierced his semi-sleepiness. Especially as it was said in a very urgent way.
Without moving his head to give away that he’d heard anything, Schrodinger swiveled his ears slowly, seeking out the voice he’d heard. His eyes, only open a slit, saw Drew and Tom, still talking, and Marge and Father Christopher, also deeply involved in a conversation. Who had it been?
Hard to tell, since he heard both Marge and Drew say her name again within moments of one another. Since he didn’t worry about Marge, Schrodinger decided to concentrate his attention on the two Gate techs.
“She’s going to have to make a choice,” Drew was saying, and Schrodinger’s mental eyebrows rose. “I just want to make sure at the end that we don’t all lose friendships.”
Tom nodded. “I agree, and so does Luke.”
“Luke I’m not worried about,” Drew said. “But we all know how much you love Molly. Hell, the whole town knows.” Tom grimaced, but didn’t say anything, and so Drew continued, “Will you be okay seeing her with someone else?”
Tom hesitated, but before he could answer, Schrodinger heard Marge say, “Besides, she’s finally getting into the secret admirer game,” and he zeroed into that conversation.
“Which is a blessing,” Father Christopher said. “I was worried for a bit. Especially with the blow-up she and Tom had when he came back.”
“That’s behind them, luckily. She said they had a wonderful time at the party last night.”
“And she’s still planning on going to the Snow Queen’s Dance on Saturday, yes?”
Marge nodded. “We’re closing the store early, of course. And she bought a dress yesterday. She’s going to look like a princess.”
“And her secret admirer will be there,” Father Christopher said. “Do you think she’s guessed?”
“She says she hasn’t, although she’s got suspicions,” Marge said. “But then again, if she hasn’t got at least suspicions, then she’s blind. And that’s one thing Molly isn’t.”
“What about SA – does he know what he needs to do that night?” Father Christopher asked, and Marge laughed. It was a bright sound, very much like Molly’s – one of Schrodinger’s favorite sounds, truth be told.
“That boy has known what he was going to do since the day he came up with this scheme,” she said. “I have no doubt that anything he sets his mind to, he’ll get.”
“She could still refuse him,” Father Christopher said.
“She could, but she’d be a moron to.” Then Marge sighed. “No, actually, then she’d be the Molly we all know and love. Always too willing to put others ahead of herself to see how it’s affecting her own life.”
That, at least, Schrodinger could agree with. He loved Molly, but she didn’t seem to want to take care of herself very much. That’s why he’d asked Santa for someone for her. It seemed like Marge and Father Christopher had done the same.
He was still staring at Drew and Tom, and although his eyes saw what happened next, his brain didn’t quite catch it. Or didn’t believe it. Drew and Tom shook hands, and a flash of red passed from one to the other. It could have been a small envelope, but Schrodinger couldn’t be sure. What he was sure of was that both Drew and Tom stood up, adjusted their coats and walked out. Not together – Tom headed into the stacks, while Drew went towards the stairs.
So it IS one of them, Schrodinger thought. Unless someone gave them the envelope. He shifted in his bed, pondering that. No, I think it’s one of them. Then his mind gave him a picture of Luke, pulling up in the snowmobile, and he sighed. I wish I could figure it out. I could help…
Then his head came up. I could help!
Schrodinger jumped up and trotted over to where Father Christopher was sitting alone now, Marge having gone to attend to something or other. The chair she’d been sitting in was still warm, and Schrodinger leaped gracefully up into the seat.
“Hello, Schrodinger,” the priest said, closing the book he’d been reading. It was large, with an elaborate picture on the front; some sort of tapestry, Schrodinger thought, but the book didn’t interest him as much as it might have otherwise. “How is your day going?”
Good, Father, Schrodinger said politely, sitting straight up and wrapping his tail around his paws. I need to talk to you.
“Oh? About what?” Father Christopher looked a little surprised at the seriousness in the CrossCat’s mental voice.
Schrodinger leaned forward. I want to help, he said.
Father Christopher blinked. “Help with what?”
I want to help SA win Molly, Schrodinger said. I know you know who he is, and that you think he’d be good for her. I trust you, so he must be. And so I want to help.
“You do.” Father Christopher regarded him for a few moments, chewing on his bottom lip. “But tell me, Schrodinger, can you keep a secret from her? Because that’s what it’s going to take.”
I can.
“And if she asks you who it is?” Father Christopher pressed. “Could you lie and tell her you didn’t know?”
No, Schrodinger admitted. But I won’t have to. I don’t want to know who he is. I just want to help deliver things, and those, I can get through you. He cocked his head. Unless you’re SA, of course. But don’t you think Molly’s a little young for you?
Father Christopher laughed at that. “I can promise you that SA is not me,” he said. “But I’ll let him know you want to help. That’s all I can do.”
Schrodinger nodded. Good. Thank you.
Okay, so today’s song doesn’t show up at all in the episode, but that’s okay. I’m sharing it anyways, because it has to be shared. And I needed to get Schrodinger some more face time. So this is the one SA sent today.
Bonus track! This is the Glee version – I don’t watch the show, but my sister gave me the Christmas album and I really enjoy it. So I give you a new version too.
