Page 86 of Holly and Ivar
Try not to mix up Vancouver, BC and Vancouver, WA this year, Martin!
Sleigh the night, everyone!
Okay Santas—check your lists, check your GPS, and for the love of cocoa, hydrate.
epilogue: the clause effect
ChristmasEve,andWinterwoodwas buzzing with the kind of cheerful chaos that meant the season had fully arrived.The Town Hall Kids’ Breakfast with Santa was in full swing: carols playing, cocoa steaming, and at least two dozen children vibrating with sugar and belief.
The only problem?Santa was sick.
Liv was near panic when Holly and Ivar arrived.“The suit’s ready, but there’s no one to fill it,” Liv said, wringing her hands.“The kids will be heartbroken.”
Holly looked at the empty chair on the stage, the red suit hanging behind it, and smiled slowly.“I might know someone.”
Ten minutes later, the doors swung open.
“Ho-ho-ho!”
Every head turned.The children squealed.Parents blinked in astonishment.
Santa had arrived with a big bag of presents hanging from a… broomstick?
The suit fit perfectly—red velvet trimmed in white, the beard full and glossy, the boots gleaming.But it wasn’t just the costume.This Santa hadpresence.The air shimmered faintly, the scent of peppermint and pine growing stronger with each step.
“Good morning, Winterwood!”Santa boomed in a voice so jolly it could’ve powered the sleigh itself.“I hear there are some very good boys and girls here today!”
The room erupted in cheers.
“Santa” sat in the big chair as the line of children formed.Each child climbed onto the red velvet lap, whispering wishes in tiny, eager voices.And somehow—impossibly—Santa already knew their names.
“Hello, Daisy.How’s your new puppy, Sprinkles?”
“Connor!I hear you’ve been helping your mom shovel the driveway.Very impressive!”
“Emmy, those mittens look wonderful.Did you knit them yourself?”
The children’s faces glowed, and parents snapped photos through tears and laughter.And when each child left, they carried a small wrapped gift—exactly the thing they’d asked for in their letters.
Behind the crowd, Ivar leaned against the doorway, arms crossed, brow furrowed.Holly was in the suit, but he could hear that Santa voice she’d done in his cabin.Most unnerving.
Did no one else notice that the five-foot-four woman had a voice like James Earl Jones?
Liv stood beside him, taking pictures.
“Am I the only one who finds that weird?”Ivar asked.
“Finds what weird?”
“How Holly can—” he stopped.“Can I see the pictures you just took?”
“Sure.”
He scrolled through them.While he saw Holly, the rest of the room saw Santa.
He handed the phone back to his sister.
“Did you know about these new gifts?”Liv asked him.“These aren’t the ones we ordered.In fact, the order never went through.The money’s still in the town’s account.”
