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13

GRANT

December 11

Letters to Santa & Hot Toddies

Snow · Wind

Supper: Shepherd’s pie

At supper, Blake asked us all to meet at the lodge around eight for a game and hot toddies. Ivy added that it was mandatory if we wanted to keep getting fed. Thus, we gathered in the lobby of the lodge in front of a roaring fire. Couches had been moved around to make a three quarter circle around the hearth. The entire gang was there, including Carol and Ivy’s folks, Gus and June. Blake’s co-videographer Nick was lurking about with his camera, blending into his surroundings until we all forgot he was there.

When everyone had a hot toddy and taken a seat, Ivy situated herself in front of the fire, an envelope in her hand.

“Thanks for coming tonight,” Ivy said. “I have a surprise and a game. Everyone ready?”

A murmur of consent came from the crowd.

I glanced over at Luci, who was sitting opposite me. She sent me a quick, secretive smile.

“Blake, can you tell them how you came up with the idea for tonight?” Ivy asked.

“Yes, sure.” Blake smiled, looking around the circle. “My stepmother—number two—recently sent me a box of memorabilia from the time she was married to my dad. In it were letters to Santa during the three years she was with us. Which prompted an idea. I thought it would be fun to somehow acquire letters from each of you from the same year.”

Ivy nodded, bouncing on the tips of her toes. “That’s right. By the grace of God, all of our mothers had kept our letters to Santa at age ten. Other than Luci, who was seven.”

“How did you get them for those who didn’t have a mother?” Rhett asked.

“Carol had yours and Holly’s, plus her own children,” Ivy said.

“That’s right,” Carol said. “I can remember you all sitting at our little table writing them. I kept them all.”

“Really, Carol?” Rhett asked. “You kept mine too?”

“Do you really have to ask?” Carol winked at him. “You’re mine.”

“I remember being there,” Holly said.

“That’s right. And I called the rest of your mothers,” Ivy said. “Asked them to send what they had. The years might not be perfectly matched, but it’s close enough.”

I knew I was off the hook. My mother would never have kept a letter to Santa, if I’d even written one.

Ivy continued. “All right, so what’s going to happen is I’m going to read them out loud and we can all guess who wrote it. Here’s the first one. ‘Dear Santa, I am probably on the naughty list, but just in case I’m not, I would like a whittling knife and guitar lessons. P.S. Bring Gramps a new truck. His is always broke. Please.’”

“That one’s too easy,” Madeleine said. “Knox for sure.”

Knox laughed, shaking his head. “I can’t believe my mom had that.”

“Did you get what you asked for?” Luci asked.

“Whittling knife. No guitar lessons. And no truck for my Gramps,” Knox said.

“But you weren’t on the naughty list,” Holly said. “So there’s that.”

“That’s how we know there’s no Santa,” Knox said.

Everyone laughed.