With her thermos of peppermint tea, Savannah was ready for the day. Having the thermos would enable her to slip into the break room for a quick sip whenever she felt the need for a pick me up, along with a bite of some homemade biscotti or chocolate drizzled pretzels that the elves kindly left in the kitchen. Her assignment today was to command the central hot cocoa stand, and when she arrived, huge sterling silver urns were already in place on each end of the table, full of creamy thick hot chocolate delivered from the Yellow Pumpkin. There were several smaller cocoa stands scattered throughout The Enchanted Land of Claus, but Savannah was stationed at the main one, where hot chocolate would be served, as well as huge gingerbread cookies ready to be decorated.
“May I decorate a cookie, please?” Savannah had been busy setting out the cookies and decorator icing when she glanced around and saw herself looking down into the prettiest pair of brown eyes she had ever seen. They were perfectly round with gold flecks and large black pupils, like sweet balls of milk chocolate. The little girl had hair to match that was pulled into a long ponytail and tied with a festive, red ribbon. She was dressed in her holiday finery—a pretty tartan red and black skirt with black tights with tiny, embroidered candy canes. She had on a red woolen coat with a reindeer pin at the collar of brown fur, that perfectly matched her eyes and hair. Savannah felt her heart give the familiar tug of melancholy that only a child could do to her, as it made her realize how much she missed her son, her little boy son, especially at this time of the year.
“You certainly may. I’m just about done setting everything up and you, young lady, are my first customer.” The Enchanted Land of Claus had just opened, and the crowds were yet to come. Fern told her, from experience, not to expect a large crowd until later on the second day and Savannah had to admit she was grateful for the quiet.
Savannah stepped out from behind the table, and saw the little girl held the hand of a teenage girl.
“Are you Mrs. Claus?” the little girl asked. Savannah looked up at the older girl who smiled.
“Why, yes, I am.” Savannah couldn’t help but smile herself. For a quick moment she felt silly referring to herself as Mrs. Claus, but when a bright smile spread across the little girl’s face, the feeling vanished and her motherly instincts kicked in, as she bent down and was eye level with the girl.
“May I ask what your name is? I love your coat. I had one like that when I was little except mine had black furry cuffs and collar.”
The little girl looked up to the older girl, who nodded affirmatively.
“I’m Sylvene. And this is my neighbor Molly. She takes care of me sometimes when my mom’s at work.”
“Well, I am pleased to meet you, Sylvene. And you as well, Molly.”
Savannah turned her attention back to Sylvene.
“That’s a very pretty name you have,” Savannah said softly. It was unusual, but it seemed to fit the little girl.
“Thank you. It’s my grandmother’s name and my mom’s. My grandma is Sylvia and my mom is Jolene. That’s how I got named Sylvene!” She smiled a sweet, toothless smile.
Savannah almost blurted out the history of her own name but caught herself as she remembered she was not Savannah Brady while at Howardson’s. She was Mrs. Claus.
“Can you make wishes come true, like Santa?” Sylvene’s brown eyes became as wide as chocolate saucers.
“Well, you can tell me your wish, Sylvene, and then I can let Santa know what it is. How’s that?”
“But this isn’t a Christmas wish,” Sylvene said, knitting her brown eyebrows together in seriousness. ”It’s a Thanksgiving wish!”
“Sylvene, I think Mrs. Claus only helps with Christmas wishes,” Molly said. Savannah noticed the gentle shake of Molly’s head as if she was trying to let Savannah know she did not have to grant a Thanksgiving wish.
“I’d like to hear your Thanksgiving wish, Sylvene.” She winked at Molly, letting her know that she was happy to hear Sylvene’s wish.
“See, Molly, I told you she’d want to know!”
Savannah was level with Sylvene’s chocolate eyes. Her cheeks had a faint blush on her pale face as she leaned in closer to Savannah.
“Mrs. Claus,” she whispered, ”my mom is hurt, and she won’t be able to cook our Thanksgiving dinner. My wish is for my mom to have a nice Thanksgiving. She loves it so much and she loves cooking it, but she can’t. Not this year, anyway.” Sylvene put her head down and a tiny mittened hand wiped away a tear.
“Who wants to decorate a gingerbread cookie?” Fern’s twinkly voice sang from behind the giant snowman from where she seemed to have magically appeared.
“I heard there was a little girl here who wanted to do a little Christmas cookie decorating.” Fern held out a large gingerbread man. ”This guy here needs some eyes, a nose, a mouth, some toes…”
“Oh, I’ll help!” Sylvene danced behind the table with Fern, who also supervised the sprinkling of colored sugar, among other cookie decorating delights. Sylvene then stopped and turned to her babysitter.
“Is it okay that I decorate a cookie, Molly?”
Molly looked toward Savannah for approval, ”Mrs. Claus, can Sylvene decorate cookies?”
“She sure can, as long as she makes one for me, too. I get almost as hungry as Santa!”
“Wow!” Sylvene exclaimed excitedly. ”Then you might need at least ten!” Fern took the child’s coat and gently hung it over a chair, which she moved far enough from the table so no stray icing would hit it. She then took one of the many red and green aprons she had sewn and tied it around Sylvene’s waist.
“I’m sorry about that,” Molly said, looking over at a very busy Sylvene. A couple of other children were invited to join Fern’s decorating party.
“Oh, don’t be sorry. What’s the matter with her mother?” Savannah felt her heart break at the little girl’s wish for her mom.
“Jolene is a nurse and she hurt her knee. She was lifting a heavy patient last week when she tore her anterior cruciate ligament in her knee. She’s on bed rest at least for another few weeks and then she needs a series of tests for possible surgery. But right now, it’s strictly rest. We live in the same apartment building, and I babysit Sylvene when her mom works late. I go to City College and when I get home, I try to spend time with Sylvene so Jolene can get some rest. As good as Sylvene is, she’s still a kid, and Jolene is adamant that she not stay in and worry about her all the time. And I love being with her. She’s like the little sister I never had.”
“Do they have any family nearby to help?” Savannah asked as she watched the little girl carefully frost a cookie under Fern’s expert direction.
“No. Sylvene’s dad isn’t in the picture and Jolene’s parents live in Tennessee. Jolene hasn’t even told them that she’s hurt. Jolene’s sister lives in Texas, and is having a high-risk pregnancy right now, and she didn’t want to worry them. They’re both so sweet and Jolene is so kind. Sylvene’s her whole world. I try to help as much as I can because I really love both of them. We’d have them for Thanksgiving, but we’re visiting my grandparents in Rhode Island. My mom’s going to bake some pies for them, that we’ll drop by before we leave on Wednesday as Jolene said that was all she wanted. I just wish there was more I could do.”
Savannah was touched by the young woman’s concern for Sylvene and her mother, and she patted Molly’s shoulder in understanding.
“Of course you do,” she said thoughtfully, watching the little girl laugh with Fern as if she didn’t have a care in the world.
“Molly, I’d love to help them. I know you don’t know me but I’d like to help them with their Thanksgiving meal…”
“You’re Mrs. Claus,” Molly interrupted with a bright smile, ”It would mean everything to Sylvene if her mom has a happy Thanksgiving. If you give me your number, I can text you Jolene’s information.”
Savannah pulled out her phone and the two exchanged numbers.
“Well, if Mrs. Claus has anything to do with it, they will have a wonderful Thanksgiving.” Savannah resolved that it would be nothing less.
Fern sent Savannah home that evening with two large gingerbread cookies and filled her empty thermos with hot chocolate.
“I hate to waste it, and I don’t think you had much to eat all day. Take this home, take off your shoes, and put your feet up and enjoy.”
Fern was correct about Savannah not eating, as the day was as busy as ever, and there was no time, save for a sip of tea here and there, for Savannah to take a break. Not that she wanted to—being Mrs. Claus—walking amongst the shoppers, talking with them, decorating cookies, and even listening to the wishes of the younger children who were too scared to visit Santa himself.
It made Savannah realize how much of life she had been truly missing out on, especially during this time of the year when the sun sank lower and faster with each passing day, and darkness descended by four thirty, quickly turning afternoon into evening all too soon. This time of the year was Savannah’s hibernation time, as she referred to it. Like an old mother bear, as soon as she got home from the office, she put on her pajamas, curled up with one of Patrick’s old stuffed animals for company and slept for no less than ten hours each winter night. But The Enchanted Land of Claus was alight in shimmering colorful Christmas lights that glimmered festively throughout the store like the aurora borealis on a northern winter night, instantly brightening Savannah, and she felt herself awakening from her hibernation as if it was springtime again, albeit in December.
Savannah switched on her small electric fireplace and watched the orange flames dance merrily behind the screen. The soothing heat surged onto her bare feet and she felt her muscles loosen and her body relax from the flow of warm air emanating from the heater.
After speaking with Molly, images flashed throughout Savannah’s mind of the little girl’s face, those eyes the color of Hershey kisses and hair as brown as a baby mink’s, and the simple wish of a happy Thanksgiving for her injured mother. She hoped it had not distracted her too much from the other customers, and as Fern predicted, the afternoon was much busier than the morning.
At least she had a few days off now and could recuperate until The Enchanted Land of Claus reopened on Friday afternoon. Fortunately, Savannah was able to arrange her work schedule, working longer days Monday through Thursday and leaving earlier on Friday, enabling her not to dip into her vacation time, which she saved so hard for so she could spend a relaxing two weeks at The Blue Spruce Inn.
She abruptly jumped up and grabbed a notebook and pen from her desk as holiday dinner ideas suddenly popped into her head. She had no Thanksgiving plans this year, but now things had changed. Suddenly, there was a turkey to roast, potatoes to mash, and cornbread to bake. At least Sylvene and her mom would feast like royalty if Savannah had her way, and she quickly began making a list of Thanksgiving Day items she would need at the grocery store.
As visions of stuffing and turkeys danced in Savannah’s mind, she was deep in thought about Thanksgiving preparations when the shrill ping of her phone made her jump. She reached over the ottoman to retrieve it and saw Matthew’s name flash on the screen.
“Another great day, Mrs. Claus. Rest up these next few days. You’re gonna need it. Thanks for a job better than well done. MB.”
“Rest?” Savannah laughed. ”Not Thanksgiving week. I have a dinner to prepare!” Any holiday doldrums that had previously seized Savannah were suddenly unlocked, as the thought of preparing a Thanksgiving feast invigorated her, and her melancholy mood dissipated into simple joy.
Savannah always loved holiday cooking and baking when Patrick was growing up, and never even minded the post-feast clean up. It was the moments she fondly recalled like showing Patrick the turkey in the oven every half hour when she basted it, watching it turn from a light brown to a golden honey bronze to always bestowing the honor of giving her son that first piece of tender roasted meat. The look of appreciation and gratitude on her little boy’s face and his oohs and ahhs were all Savannah needed for a happy Thanksgiving. Now, she could do this for a little girl and her mother, making Savannah feel thankful, realizing that her life had taken a most unexpected turn—one for the better, for a change—and she couldn’t wait for Mrs. Claus to make her first delivery of the holiday season.