Page 78 of The Neighborhood Witch

“What is it?” Alice asked.

“I don’t know, but I think it’s a storage box.” He unfolded the paper.

Hugo,

Difficult tasks can be accomplished with a little help.

-Nicholas “Santa” Claus

His eyes read the words over and over. He examined the box and the indentation. He studied the perfectly round shape. Smooth to the touch. This was a box made by a master craftsman. So intricate in design that he couldn’t even see where the wooden hinges attached the two halves together. His left thumb circled the indentation. He caught a glimpse of the ring on his hand. He now understood the purpose of the box.

His heartbeat quickened. A bead of sweat rolled down his back. He was short of breath. Memories flooded back. Elizabeth’s name echoed through his mind like he was haunted by the ghosts of Christmas past. The room spun. Alice’s grandfather clock chimed on the hour. Each strike of the bell rang through Hugo’s soul. A voice grew louder after every strike.

The voice chanted his name, “Hugo.”

It was unmistakable. His name. Another strike of the chime.

“Hugo Dodds.”

That voice. That familiar voice.

“Don’t forget me, Hugo Dodds.” It sounded like Elizabeth.

Each strike of the chime chipped away at the happiness that was healing the broken wounds in his soul.

His eyes closed, and he focused on the day. The events that led him to this very moment. The memory he burned in his mind of Alice blowing him a kiss under the mistletoe. The opening of special gifts. He felt the weight of the key in his pocket. The chimes stopped, and the voice vanished.

Hugo opened his eyes and found Alice. She was slowly pulling her index finger from her mouth as she lapped up the melted streaks of chocolate. She paused for a moment, like a kid caught with her hand in the cookie jar before pulling her finger out with a loud pop.

“What?” she asked.

Hugo focused on her emerald green eyes, trying to center himself. Restore himself. His breathing slowed. His heartbeat returned to normal. He focused on those emerald eyes.

“You okay?” Alice asked. “You’re starting to worry me.”

Hugo glanced down to the box. “Can I ask you for one more Christmas present?”

“It’s kind of late for that.”

“For this one, you don’t have to get me anything,” he said before focusing on her eyes once again. “I need you to help me with something.”

Alice squinted her eyes in a puzzled gaze. She placed the cookie box back into her stocking. “Sure. What is it?”

“I need you to help me remove my ring.”

Alice gawked at Hugo, frozen by what he was asking. “Are… are you sure?”

His gaze never wandered from Alice’s eyes. “I’ve never been more certain of something in my life.”

Alice approached Hugo. Each step was soft and slow as if she was giving him time to reconsider, but his mind was already made up.

“You don’t have to take it off if you don’t want to.”

“No.” He held out his left hand. “I want to. I need to. I’m ready.”

Alice grabbed the black onyx ring. She twisted it a few turns as Hugo had done countless times.

Tears formed in his eyes. He had played this moment in his mind over and over. He stopped himself every time he thought of removing the ring. He never had the strength to do it himself. He clutched the note tightly with his other hand. He took in two large breaths to fight back the tears he knew were coming.

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