Page 8 of Holly and Ivar
“Of course,” she muttered.
She’d need the matching carry-on.Reaching for the closet shelf again, she hit the edge of the bag with her fingertips, knocking it farther back.With a sigh, she retrieved the stepstool from the garage, climbed up, and peered over the top shelf.
And froze.
There it was.
Not the carry-on, though it was there too, but her broomstick, tucked neatly behind it.
For a long moment, she simply stared at it.How many years had it sat there, untouched?Six at least.She’d placed it there soon after taking over NED and never thought about it again.
At one time, it had meant the world to her.
She reached out, fingertips brushing the chipped and rutted wooden handle.A faint hum rippled through her hand.The room stilled, and suddenly she was somewhere else.
Sunlight spilled over a long wooden table.The scent of basil, roasted tomatoes, and warm bread filled the air.Laughter and music drifted around her like a breeze.
It was the end of her apprenticeship in Italy, her farewell banquet.Everyone had gathered, the Santa and Befana branches of the family together, their differences forgotten over shared tiramisu and espresso.
As the evening drew to a close, La Befana herself rose from her chair.Conversation quieted as her kind, sharp eyes fixed on Holly with such intensity, it was as if she could see straight into her soul.Then, with deliberate grace, she lifted the broomstick and held it out.Holly accepted it with trembling hands and a rush of gratitude.
In Italy, La Befana would fly on her broomstick, delivering sweets to good children and sugar coal to the bad ones, so that even the naughty children got something in the end, signifying that even past mistakes can lead to fresh starts.
Unlike Santa’s Christmas Eve delivery, La Befana arrived on Epiphany Eve, sweeping away the old year with her broom and making way for the new one.Closure and renewal.Magic could transform, not only deliver.That fascinated Holly and was the reason she’d chosen to apprentice there.
But reality had a way of intruding.In California, she’d spent two years as an assistant Santa, sneaking midnight flights over San Francisco.When she transferred to NED, she’d taken it out only once.On her first night there, she’d flown through New York City, weaving through skyscrapers and shadows.After that, the workload piled up, and the broom had slowly moved from her office corner to her home, and finally to the top shelf of her closet.
Now it looked more like a relic than a piece of her own heart.
Her fingers tingled from its touch.And for a fleeting second, she wondered if she could fly to Winterwood.It would be efficient after all.
But she pictured herself arriving at the Winterwood Inn, hair windblown, luggage nonexistent, trying to explain to a polite innkeeper why she hadn’t come by car.
Not practical.And definitely not discreet.No, the broom would stay where it was.
She dusted the carry-on, packed the remaining clothes, and zipped it up without further incident.Within ten minutes, everything was ready.
If she woke at six, she’d be on the road by seven and reach Winterwood by nightfall.
And as she double-checked her reminders one last time, the broomstick was quickly forgotten.
She was getting ready for bed when her phone buzzed with a text.
Rita: Don’t forget to pack your wonder along with your computer.And try to have some fun.I hear Vermont forests can be quite spectacular this time of year.I’d say, call me if you need me, but I know you’ll be in touch.Daily.Probably hourly.X O
Holly smiled despite herself.Rita’s sentimentality was both endearing and baffling.Wonder wasn’t something you packed like an extra sweater.It either existed or it didn’t.And right now, with her division potentially being split apart, wonder was the least of her concerns.
6
stumped for words
Ivar
“Mom,canwebeexcused?”Wyatt asked.
“Sure,” Liv said.
Wyatt elbowed his younger brother, and both boys carried their plates into the kitchen.
