A Slice of Christmas Magic Read online

  “I’ll go with you,” I said.

  “No, you need to stay here and keep everyone distracted so they don’t notice that I’m gone.” She grabbed her keys and was out the back door before I could protest.

  “Where’s Erma?” were, of course, the first words out of Lena’s mouth the second I came back from the kitchen.

  “She just had to …” I wracked my brain for an excuse “… run upstairs to the bathroom,” I finished lamely. “Her last meal was not sitting so well.” I patted my stomach and gave a sympathetic grimace.

  They accepted my explanation without further questions.

  Sorry, Aunt Erma, I thought.

  Aunt Erma returned quickly. She was a little flushed as she rushed back into the room.

  “How are you feeling?” Mr. Barnes asked.

  “Fine,” she said.

  I raised my eyebrows and gave her a look that I hoped would say, “Are you sure about that?” I patted my stomach a little.

  “Did you drink that ginger tea I brought you?” I asked.

  “Oh yes, that was extremely helpful,” she said smoothly. “I’m all better now.” She took a sip of her champagne.

  She’s a skilled liar, I thought.

  Henry came in. “I heard there’s a celebration going on,” he said.

  Lena poured him some champagne, and the topic switched from Erma’s newly broken spell to Flora’s birthday dinner the next night. Her birthday had been shoved to the back burner with everything else that was happening, but now that Aunt Erma was back, they’d decided the show must go on.

  “We can use that time to strategize a little more,” Flora said. “We have to stop the IMPs so we can stop living in fear.”

  “Susie’s friend Josh is going to be there,” my mom reminded everyone.

  I noticed Henry’s eyebrows go up ever so slightly, but the rest of his face remained neutral.

  “We’ll have to be discreet, then,” Flora said.

  ***

  The next day was busy with preparations for Flora’s birthday dinner and making pies for the shop. Customers buzzed with the excitement of the upcoming holidays. They were able to focus more on Christmas and less on the potential evil takeover of our town.

  I was in charge of taking Flora Christmas shopping. Apparently if she was allowed to remain too close to the vicinity of the party, she was at risk of helping with preparations. That was against the rules.

  A gentle snow was falling when I crossed the street to meet her at the bookshop. I turned my face up to the flakes and felt a small ripple of excitement. Flora’s birthday party was offering a preview of Christmas. Even the pre-preparations that were happening before I left were already loud and enthusiastic. I had always thought Christmas was magical, but this year was the first time I’d be celebrating with more than a few people and I couldn’t wait.

  “I’ll be right there, Susie,” she called from somewhere in the store. I was never quite sure how she knew it was me.

  I browsed for a few minutes before Flora appeared all bundled up and ready to go out.

  “Are you sure they don’t need any help?” she asked, peering across the street.

  “They’re just fine.” I grabbed her arm and steered her in the opposite direction. “Where would you like to go?”

  “Sally’s Gifts-n-Things,” she said.

  Sally’s was a multi-story shop on the other side of town. She had bins and shelves full of all the random crap that no one ever needed, but you suddenly felt you wanted more than anything in the world the minute you walked through the door.

  “Who do you have left to shop for?” I asked.

  “Oh, I’ve had everyone done for weeks now,” she said.

  “Are all of your gifts wrapped already too?”

  “Of course,” she said, as though she couldn’t imagine a universe in which someone would still be Christmas shopping this close to Christmas.

  “I still have to find something for Henry.” I looked up to the sky, suddenly feeling a wave of guilt.

  “Well, we’ll find him something today.” She patted my arm reassuringly.

  Walking into Sally’s was like an assault on the senses after being in the peaceful snow outside. The front of the store was packed with items that demanded attention with their flashing lights, Christmas songs, and dance moves.

  I glanced over at Flora, who to my surprise looked delighted. She immediately went over to a table and pushed every button to make every item on the table dance or talk or spin around. I wandered back to a quieter section of the store. I picked up a small wind-up car and quickly set it down again when I realized I was thinking what a perfect present that would be for Josh. It looked just like one he’d had when he was a kid, complete with a red and blue stripe down the side. He showed me a picture once. He had lost the car, but still talked about it and how many fond memories he had of playing with it in his driveway.

  I was here for Henry. Think of Henry. I glanced back at the car as though it were at fault for my momentary lapse in judgement.

  I wandered around the store with a growing sense of panic. Nothing in here seemed right for Henry. What in the world was I supposed to get him? If I knew what he’d gotten me, I could better gauge what to get him. Maybe he’d just bought me a mug. That would take some of the pressure off. But from what I’d heard around town, Henry was a world class gift-giver.

  I was sorting through a bin of doll clothes because I’d gone completely off my rocker and was hoping something in there would inspire me when I heard Sally boom, “What can I help you with?” Sally was just as over the top as her store. She was a large woman with wild red hair, dark eyes, and a voice that would fill any room. Her outfits usually consisted of so many patterns and colors that it was hard for the eye to take in.

  “Just looking for a gift for Henry,” I said. She looked down at the bin of doll clothes and then back up at me with her eyebrows raised. I dropped the pair of tiny lace bloomers I was holding and took a step back.

  “You might have better luck over in that section.” She pointed to a cluster of shelves on the other side of the store.

  “I like your necklace.” I paused to examine the green teardrop necklace she was wearing.

  “This old thing?” She waved me off and tucked the necklace into her shirt. “It’s nothing.”

  I felt as if I’d hit a nerve. Maybe it was from an old lover. I shrugged it off and went over to the shelves. I had to focus on finding the perfect gift.

  An hour later Flora and I emerged from the shop. She had an armload of bags.

  “I thought you had all your Christmas shopping done,” I said.

  “I do,” she responded. “These are birthday presents for the year.”

  How in the world could she have Christmas and birthdays taken care of while I was on the edge of a nervous breakdown just from buying one present tonight? I glanced into my own bag, pathetically small compared to Flora’s haul.

  “I’m not sure about this,” I said. I reached in and touched it. Sure, it was soft, but a sweater? How clichéd could I get? I tried to picture Henry’s face when he opened it. I was sure he would be appreciative, which would make the lameness of the present all the more painful.

  “It’s a good gift,” Flora assured me. Her assurance felt a little stiff, as though she was trying too hard.

  ***

  I have to admit, I would have been more excited for dinner if I weren’t so nervous about Josh and Henry sitting in the same room. I could already feel the tension, and neither of them had arrived yet. Maybe it will be fine, I told myself. Right, and maybe Santa and his elves will come to dinner.

  I had been dying to ask if Santa was real, but I was pretty sure I would never live down the ridiculing if he wasn’t. Maybe I could try asking Flora some time. She was least likely to laugh in my face.

  My new dog friend was eager to help. I was in charge of the salad. The kitchen in the apartment was small, and as I walked from one side to the other he tried to
anticipate my every step so he could take it first. I didn’t know if he was trying to help or trying to kill me.

  Flora’s only request for the night was that everyone dress festively. Once the salad was made, I changed into a red tunic and green leggings and patted myself on the back for my Christmassy outfit.

  My mother, of course, was in a classy maroon skirt and white blouse. Aunt Erma wore a sparkly red jumpsuit with a large Santa pin, or, as I mentally called it, “My Segue into the Santa Conversation” pin. She had gold bells hanging from every button on her jumpsuit, and she topped the outfit off with her large antlers.

  Everyone had done an amazing job decorating the front of the pie shop while I was off distracting Flora. They’d blown up balloons, hung streamers, and draped garlands of paper flowers around the pie display case. Lena had brought over a banner that she’d made that said, “Happy Birthday, Flora!”, and Mr. Barnes had brought extra fairy lights to wrap around everywhere. The place looked even more magical than usual.

  My mother, Aunt Erma, and I were putting the finishing touches on the room while we waited for everyone to arrive. Much to their delight, the dogs had been invited to join the fun tonight. Mitzy ran around sniffing every corner of the pie shop in search of stray crumbs, and No Name set up camp in front of the food table. He lay there with his head between his paws looking pitifully at anyone who made eye contact with him, as though he hadn’t just eaten a giant bowl of dog food upstairs.

  “While we wait for everyone, let’s get this party started,” Aunt Erma said, hitting play on the boombox. I had tried to get Aunt Erma to upgrade her music system a couple weeks ago, but I hadn’t got very far.

  “You could go digital and make playlists of your favorite songs,” I had mentioned to her.

  “But I have my favorite songs on CDs,” she’d replied.

  “With digital music, you don’t have to keep switching your CDs to hear all your favorite songs in a row.”

  “Why are you trying to take away my CDs?”

  “This would be even better than CDs.”

  Blank stare. “Never mind.”

  “Holly Jolly Christmas” began playing and Aunt Erma and I danced between the tables. Mitzy jumped around our feet, her tail wagging excitedly. The other dog just watched us from his spot sprawled on the ground. My mother suddenly got very busy rearranging crackers on a tray, but I caught her doing a little shimmy when the tempo really picked up.

  Flora and Lena arrived together. Lena’s sweater had a Christmas tree across the front complete with lights that lit up. Flora was dressed up head to toe as an elf. “I’m wearing the clothes of my ancestors,” she said.

  “Flora, your ancestors didn’t dress up in green pointy hats and bell shoes,” Aunt Erma said.

  “Don’t ruin my fun,” she replied. She did a little jig and the bells on her shoes jingled.

  Violet came in a dark green business suit. I had a feeling that was the most festive thing she owned. Mr. Barnes arrived with his bright red fedora and a matching vest over a bright green shirt and brown pants. He topped off the look with a snowman bow tie.

  Josh was close behind him. “I didn’t have anything festive enough,” he said. “So, Mr. Barnes lent me these.” He took off his jacket, revealing glittery candy-cane suspenders.

  “Classy,” Flora said approvingly.

  I greeted Josh cautiously. I was pretty sure he would be well behaved tonight, but the last thing I was ready to handle was a public proclamation of love. Lena and Flora seemed almost giddy and were watching Josh closely. I think they were enjoying the show.

  Henry texted that he was going to be late. Some fiasco was happening at the nursing home. “Don’t ask,” he texted. It must be bad.

  We poured drinks for everyone and sat down. I carefully seated myself between my mother and Lena. My mother hopped up so quickly, I was surprised she didn’t get whiplash.

  “Josh, sit here. I’m going to take a spot closer to the kitchen, so I can keep an eye on the food,” she said smoothly.

  I wanted to glare at her, but it seemed too obvious. Josh sat down next to me. I pretended to be engrossed in a conversation Mr. Barnes and Flora were having about his ingrown toenail.

  “Merry Flora’s Birthday,” Josh said, bumping his knee gently against mine.

  “Yeah, you too,” I said. I smiled tentatively at him. Maybe he wanted to talk to me because he wanted to tell me that he’d been wrong when he’d professed his love to me. It was as if some huge mistake had been made, and he just wanted to be friends again.

  “Remember last year when the Butler family hired us to hang Christmas lights all over their house, including around the toilet in the bathroom?” he asked.

  “That part wasn’t so bad. I thought the inside of the closets was a bit excessive though,” I said, laughing. Soon we were talking like the old friends we were.

  I almost didn’t notice when Henry walked in. He was wearing a bright blue sweater with a giant snowflake on it.

  “Henry,” voices chorused, bringing Josh and I out of our conversation. He looked tired but gave the room a giant smile. He came over and squeezed my shoulder. “Hey, you,” he said. Then turned to Josh. “Good to see you again. How are you enjoying our town?”

  “I love it here,” he said. “The people here are so nice. I really feel welcome.”

  “That’s so great,” Henry said, but there was something in his voice that made me think he might not be thrilled Josh was feeling so at home in Hocus Hills.

  I glanced up and noticed that Flora, Lena, Violet, Mr. Barnes, and Aunt Erma were all openly watching the conversation. The only thing they were missing was popcorn. At least my mom wasn’t gawking, I thought, until I looked over and saw her watching from the kitchen doorway. She was holding a potato masher and an empty bowl.

  “Do you need any help in there, Mom?” I asked, jumping out of my chair.

  “Let me help too,” Henry said. I noticed he shot a look back towards Josh as he followed me.

  “Go ahead and take a seat, Mom,” I said. I took the masher out of her hand. She hesitated but then went to sit down with Josh. I breathed a sigh of relief, and Henry snuck a quick kiss.

  “Be careful,” I warned. “That’s violating the health code.”

  “I’ll risk the fine,” he said, kissing me again.

  “How was your day?” I asked.

  “It was Christmas cookie baking day,” he said with low dread in his voice. “I had to go home and shower before coming here. I had flour in places I didn’t know I could have flour.”

  “Oh no,” I laughed.

  “It wasn’t as bad as your most recent cookie experiences though, so I really can’t complain.” He helped me drain the potatoes, so we could start mashing them.

  “What cookie experiences?” Josh appeared in the doorway of the kitchen.

  “I had a minor feud with a woman who owned a cookie shop in town,” I said. “She’s not here anymore though.” I kept my eyes on the mashed potatoes, only glancing up once to see how he was taking my vague story. He just nodded.

  “Could you put these on the table?” I asked, holding out the giant bowl.

  We all sat down at the crowded table. I sat next to Henry, but directly across from Josh. Flora was at the head of the table.

  Flora clinked her wine glass with her knife to get everyone’s attention. The group quieted down, except for Lena, who began composing her symphony by clinking all the glasses around her with her knife. She bobbed her head to the beat.

  “It’s going to be your job to take away her wine glass,” Flora told Josh with a wink.

  “Oh no, I would never touch another person’s wine glass,” he said, holding his hands up.

  Lena wrapped up her song and gave us all a serene smile. We turned our attention to Flora.

  Flora gave a heartfelt toast about how lucky she was to be surrounded by such wonderful friends and family. I glanced around the table. Through my tears I could see I wasn’t the only one get
ting misty-eyed. Henry was using his napkin to wipe away a tear on his cheek, and Mr. Barnes had removed his glasses. Aunt Erma and Lena were both sniffing. Violet was blinking hard. My mother was staring intensely at a spot on the ceiling. Even Josh’s brow was wrinkled with emotion. When she was done, we all cheered with tears in our eyes.

  Dinner was delicious. The chatter was so loud I could hardly hear the Christmas music in the background.

  After everyone helped clear the table, the strategy sessions began. The groups began to rotate so that at least one person was always watching Josh. My mother seemed more than happy to keep him in a magic-free zone. She kept trying to pull me into their conversations. I thought she was still hoping that I would leave this magic life and return home to marry Josh. I wouldn’t be surprised if she began calling him “son” after one more glass of red wine.

  “The ice show is tomorrow,” Violet told me, Henry, Flora, and Aunt Erma while Mr. Barnes regaled Josh and my mother with tales of his last yoga retreat. “They might try something there. It’s a big town event. After the snowman-building competition, the last thing we need is to have a bunch of ice skaters attacking the crowd.” Lena shuddered at the thought.

  We kept rotating into different groups as we made a plan – it was like a giant game of telephone, and the more wine that was consumed, the more jumbled the plan got. In the end I thought Henry and I had volunteered to stake out the ice show and keep an eye out for any IMP activity. Violet recruited Lena and Aunt Erma to help her watch the security-camera feeds from around town, and Flora and Mr. Barnes would drive around town looking for anything strange that the security cameras might miss. I hoped one of us would remember the plan.

  “Goodnight, everyone,” I said a little too loudly as they all shuffled out the door some time after midnight.

  Josh lingered for a minute, but so did Henry. After an awkward moment, Josh said a quick goodbye and left.

  “I can’t wait to go to the ice show with you,” Henry said once we were alone. Well, kind of alone. Aunt Erma was in the kitchen and there were two dogs sitting in the middle of the room, tails thumping as they wagged. Their unblinking eyes stayed fixed on us.