Thanksgiving morning dawned bright and cold. Savannah slid the big beauty of the bird into the hot oven, ensuring plenty of leftovers for Sylvene and Jolene at least for the next week. The evening before, Savannah whipped up several pounds of mashed potatoes, stuffing, and butternut squash. Molly and her mother baked pies, and Savannah also made sure to get plenty of cider and a special vintage of Thanksgiving wine for Jolene. Molly alerted Jolene to Mrs. Claus’ delivery, but Savannah made them promise not to tell Sylvene, as this was a special surprise for the thoughtful little girl; a visit from Mrs. Claus on Thanksgiving Day.
A tingle of happiness raced through Savannah as she set the timer and made sure she had plenty of basting stock. It was one of those fleeting feelings of happiness that only lasted for a moment and didn’t come very often but when it did, Savannah had the feeling that anything that once seemed impossible was now the exact opposite.
“Oh, if only that feeling could be bottled,” she said, wiping her hands on her apron, bagging the fancy paper plates and utensils. It was a feeling quick as a shiver, and no phrase described the feeling better than ‘live in the moment’—a brief and ephemeral twinkle of happiness, which could easily be forgotten until the next flutter, and when that would happen was impossible to predict.
That quiver of happiness was enough to sustain Savannah as she prepared her feast. Tomorrow, Howardson’s would be ramping up the Christmas spirit, and Mrs. Claus would have her hands more than full. She eagerly anticipated her own holiday grand finale, and as soon as The Enchanted Land of Claus closed for the season, she would be off to The Blue Spruce Inn.
“It’s going to be a busy month, Hon,” she said to the photo of Bradley that she kept on the kitchen windowsill above the sink. Her finger gently traced the outline of his face, and Savannah suddenly noticed something was missing—there was no sting of tears at the back of her eyes when she looked at his handsome face—but instead a feeling of gratefulness. She was grateful that she and her husband built a life together, raised a child, and knew the love of a family. Bradley would always be with her, but right now there was no sadness when Savannah looked at the photo, and the deep, dark feeling of anguish she usually felt in the pit of her stomach was replaced by a flash of happiness. She felt the touch of his celestial hand guiding her out of grief and showing her the way back to some kind of peace and tranquility.
Savannah took the photo from the windowsill and gently kissed the picture of her husband.
“Thank you, my love. I know you are always with me.” And this time, no tears fell when she looked into the loving face of her deceased husband.
Savannah gave herself the once over in the full-length mirror bolted behind her bedroom door. The Enchanted Land of Claus costumes were not allowed outside of Howardson’s, but Fern gave Savannah special permission to take the dress home with her on Wednesday evening. She never really got to see how she actually looked in the dress as she was just jetting to Howardson’s from her full-time job, quickly shedding her work clothes, and slipping into costume. She barely remembered how it looked during the first fitting, as so much had happened since then, but now she had the chance to really see what others saw. Fern was an absolutely brilliant seamstress, and she had sized Savannah perfectly simply from Matthew’s description. The billowy skirt hit just at her knees and made a pretty swishing sound as she moved. The velvet top shaped her nicely and the seed pearls sparkled like starlight. It was a masterpiece created just for her, or actually Howardson’s Mrs. Claus. She spun around and the skirt billowed in the breeze it created, and she felt like Cinderella at the ball.
“Amazing how a dress can transform plain Savannah Brady into glamorous Mrs. Claus,” she laughed, the skirt rising and falling like the ocean tides as she spun. It was nothing short of magical, and although she still felt like old Savannah Brady, she swore she could feel the spirit of Mrs. Claus. Somehow this legendary lady Savannah invoked entwined with her own psyche, and with the combination of the two, Savannah felt as if she could grant wishes and perform miracles while wearing that dress. It was most definitely infused with an extraordinary sort of Christmas magic.
“Don’t forget the hat,” she told herself as she placed it on her head and adjusted the snowball of a pompom until it was perfect, just as Fern would.
“Here goes nothing,” she said to her Mrs. Claus reflection, and giving herself the thumbs up, Savannah carefully packed the holiday dinner into large bags, and she was off to make a little girl’s Thanksgiving wish come true.