Holiday Magick (44 page)

She put the car in reverse and backed out of the garage, apparently satisfied. We drove for several minutes in silence before she jolted up in her seat. “BIBS! I forgot a bib.”

“She'll wash.” I chuckled, again glancing in the mirror. Jasmine was already sound asleep in her car seat. Now if she would just stay that way for the next hour and a half.

“True.” Mandy re-adjusted the rearview mirror. “But at least now I know what I forgot.”

A few minutes later, I asked, “Would you mind pulling in up here?” I nodded toward my favorite roadside diner. “They sell pie by the slice.” I shrugged. “And I bet they have pumpkin. Want a piece?”

Mandy's expression clearly said she thought I was being ridiculous, even as she pulled in a parking spot. “No, I don't want a piece. I
will
be back in my pre-pregnancy jeans by Christmas.”

“Okay, be right back.” I slid out of the car.

After returning with my pie, we hit the highway. “So the lady at the counter agreed with me.” I announced around a huge bite of pie.

“Agreed with you about what?”

“That it's just wrong to not eat pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving.”

“Of course she agreed with you.” I could hear the eye-roll in her voice. “She probably wanted you to buy a whole pie.”

I just shook my head. There was no point in arguing. Mandy just didn't respect tradition as much as I did. But it wasn't really her fault. Her family served stew for Christmas dinner. Stew! And the woman behind the counter
had
offered to sell me the whole pie. I'd almost polished off my slice when Jas woke up with a yowl. “Got it.” I reached behind the seat and snagged the pacifier that had fallen out of her mouth. In a sudden stroke of inspiration I dipped it in the remaining pie filling before sticking it back in her mouth.

“Did you just give her pie?” Mandy managed to glare at me from the corner of her eye. “You know she shouldn't have sugar yet.”

“It was just a taste.” I sighed, watching Jas suck happily at her pacifier, her eyelids already drooping. “It's Thanksgiving. It would be
wrong
for her to not get any pumpkin pie.”

After another glare, Mandy returned her focus to the road and I watched Jasmine's chin drop to her chest. At least it might be a quiet trip.

“Let me see that baby!” Mom didn't even let Mandy put the car in park before she yanked open the back door. “Oh my goodness, I can't believe how big she's getting!”

I winced, waiting for Jasmine to scream in protest at being pulled out of her seat and bounced up and down before she was completely awake. But instead, she just cooed excitedly.

“It looks like somebody is excited to see Grandma.” Mandy smiled, unloading the rolls. “Where do you want these?”

“Just put them on top of the oven and we'll warm them up when the turkey is done. Jack! Get out here and help the kids unload the car.”

“Hi, Mom.” I jutted my bottom lip out. “It's good to see you, too.”

“Oh, hush.” She swatted my arm. “You know I'm glad to see you. How else would Jas get here?” She whisked Jasmine in the house, leaving me to carry in her car seat, the diaper bag, and an armload of toys.

“Ain't fatherhood great?” Dad looked up as I stumbled through the front door, then he returned his attention to the television. “Game's on. Second quarter is about to start.”

“Great.” I collapsed on the couch. “By the way, weren't you supposed to help me unload all this stuff?” Dad just grunted, his attention clearly on third down and long. I could hear Mom and Mandy laughing in the kitchen, and it sounded like Jasmine was happily banging away on a pot or something, so I stared at the screen and allowed my mind to go blank. When I finally pulled myself off the couch to get a drink, I was surprised to notice an hour had already passed.

“…actually stopped and bought a piece of pie on the way.” Mandy was shaking her head and Mom was laughing when I walked in the kitchen.

“That doesn't surprise me one bit.” Mom turned her attention to me. “I've never met anyone as stuck on tradition as my boy. Of course, that's not a bad thing. Greg, would you mind pulling the turkey out of the oven?”

“Sure.” I grabbed the oven mitts off the counter. “Hey, where is Lilly?”

“At a friend's house. She should be back any minute. And Katie should be here soon, too.”

I'd just set the turkey on the counter when I was attacked from behind. “Greg!” Lilly jumped and wrapped her arms around my neck.

“Where's the baby?”

“Asleep in your mom's room.” The words were barely out of Mandy's mouth when Lilly bolted down the hall.

“We're here!” Katie bounced through the door with a foil-covered casserole dish. “Hi Mandy. Greg, where's Jas?”

“Lilly's got her in Mom's room. Hey, how about a hug for your brother?” Katie breezed by me without a second glance, leaving an uncomfortable-looking guy standing in the doorway. “And just like that, I'm no longer important.” I shook my head and extended my hand. “You must be Eric.”

“Hey. Greg, right?”

“Yeah. That's my wife, Mandy.” I nodded toward the kitchen. We'd just descended into an awkward silence when Mom walked in and clapped her hands. “Okay, the table is set. Since everyone is here, let's go ahead and eat.”

Dad flicked off the television and shuffled into the dining room, with Eric and me following close behind. Mandy was already strapping Jasmine into a high chair situated between our seats. An unopened container of applesauce and Jasmine's baby spoon were sitting near the tray.

“Hey Mandy.” I put the applesauce back in the bag and produced the other container. “She should have sweet potatoes for dinner.”

“I didn't think it mattered.” She shrugged, accepting the container.

“Well of course it does.” I kissed Jasmine's cheek before dropping into my seat. “It's Jas's first Thanksgiving dinner. She should be allowed to have at least one
traditional
Thanksgiving food.”

Mandy rolled her eyes and Lilly stifled a giggle with her hand. “So,” she piped up, “Mom said you were upset about not having pumpkin pie.”

“It's all good.” I shrugged. “I stopped and got some on the way up, and Jasmine got her first taste, too. Hey, Dad. Carve me off a piece of dark meat, will ya?”

“You are so weird.” Lilly rolled her eyes and helped herself to Katie's casserole.

“What? Just because you don't like dark meat doesn't mean it isn't the best part of the turkey.”

“Not that.” Lilly pretended to gag. “Your whole ‘we must follow tradition' thing.”

“You're still young.” I gave her my best patronizing look. “One day you'll understand the importance of respecting the traditions of your elders. If we can't have pie, we should at least have a pumpkin centerpiece or something.”

“Oh, please.” Mandy tossed her napkin at me. “You act like you're eighty-five sometimes. It's
just
PIE.”

“Actually,” I was suddenly glad I'd been paying attention to the TV special earlier. “It's more than just a pie. Did you know Native Americans believed that pumpkins kept away evil spirits?
That's
why we have pumpkin pies. See, they're central to the holiday.” I glanced around the table, looking for support.

“Sorry, dude.” Eric shrugged. “I'm all for more pie, but you're on your own.”

Dad busied himself with eating. I really was on my own. But at least I'd had my pie.

“Well.” Katie squeezed Eric's hand. “I guess we're safe either way. We both had pumpkin pie at Eric's aunt's house.”

“I had a pumpkin roll at Jamie's.” Lilly's eyes lit up. “It was so good! I want to try making one for Christmas dinner.”

“I think I like this new interest in helping in the kitchen.” Mom beamed. “You get the recipe and we'll try it out.”

The conversation finally shifted away from me and pie, and before long we were all stuffed.

“I couldn't eat another bite.” Dad pushed himself away from the table. “I'm going to kick back in the living room. Who else is coming?”

One by one, we all headed back to the living room. We pretended to watch the game for a little while, but before long, we'd all succumbed to the after-Thanksgiving turkey coma. Even though I'd secured the most comfortable recliner in the house (there are advantages to rocking the baby to sleep), I was the last one awake. I had one of those foreboding feelings that was hard to shake. It might have had something to do with Katie falling asleep with her head in Eric's lap, but I didn't think so. Eventually, the turkey got to me as well, and I drifted off into peaceful oblivion.

I jolted awake at least an hour later, judging by the cramp in my arm. My heart was hammering wildly, but no one else seemed to have moved.
Must have been a nightmare or something
. I was just about to close my eyes again when I spotted something black floating in from the kitchen.
The house is on fire!
My brain screamed, but I couldn't make my body move. Before I could panic further, I noticed that the dark cloud wasn't smoke. It was more of a mist, floating about a foot above the floor and constantly changing shape. Paralyzed, I watched it float toward us.

Lilly had crashed on the floor in front of the television, making her the closest person to the mist. It hovered over her for a second before floating toward my chair. I tried to move my hand in order to dispel the cloud, but it was still stuck to the armrest. I had the strangest sensation that the cloud was
smelling
me and Jasmine before it hovered over to the couch where Katie and Eric were stretched out. It barely stopped before floating over to Mom's chair. But instead of passing her by, the mist settled on her chest.

For some reason, watching it spread to cover her face made my heart pound even harder. But I still couldn't move. I tried to call out, but my tongue wouldn't work either. I was on the verge of full-blown panic when Jasmine, the only one not under the turkey's spell, woke up with a bloodcurdling scream.

Katie started, and fell off the couch onto the floor. Mandy was instantly at my chair, scooping Jasmine up and humming, And Eric was laughing, helping Katie off the floor. I stood and stretched without any problems.
I must've been having one of those weird dreams
. Thanks to Jasmine, everyone was awake and moving around.

Everyone except Mom. After Jasmine's screams had settled into little hiccups, Mom still hadn't moved.

“Maggie?” Dad reached over and shook her arm, concern etching his face. “Are you feeling all right? Your arm is ice-cold. Maggie?”

When Mom didn't respond, the memory of the dark cloud on her body flashed before my eyes. “Mom?” I crossed the room in three strides, just as her eyelids fluttered open. “Mom, what's wrong?”

“I'm fine, I think.” Her voice came out as a shaky whisper. “But I feel terribly weak all of a sudden. Greg, help me out of this chair. I need a glass of water.”

I pulled her to her feet, but Mom could barely stand on her own, so she leaned on me all the way to the kitchen.

“It's the strangest thing,” she muttered as I filled a glass for her. “I felt like I was trapped. Somewhere dark. It felt like I couldn't breathe anymore, and my whole body was heavy. Almost like I was sinking in quicksand. At first I tried to fight, but then I just didn't care. But then I heard Jasmine and decided I had to come back. Strange dream, huh?”

I felt like I'd been punched in the stomach. I knew it wasn't a dream, but I couldn't tell her that. What could I say? “Actually, Mom, it was a killer mist, not a dream?” She wouldn't think that was crazy at all. But why Mom? Why did that—thing—pass by Lilly, Jasmine, Katie, and me?

The answer hit me like a lightning bolt.
Because you ate pumpkin
. It was ridiculous. But then again, it wasn't. Lilly had mentioned a pumpkin roll, and Katie and Eric had already had pumpkin pie earlier in the day. The impression I'd had about the mist smelling me suddenly made sense. It was checking for pumpkin.

“Well, honey, you're as pale as a bedsheet.” Mom clucked her tongue, snapping me out of my thoughts. “Are you not feeling well either? I hope it wasn't something we ate.”

“No, Mom.” I forced my voice to be steady. “I don't think it was anything you
ate
. Do you think you need to go to a doctor?”

“No, honey, I'm fine.” Mom stood, only slightly unsteady on her feet. “See? Good as new.” We made it back to the living room just as Katie and Eric were saying their goodbyes.

“We should probably head out, too.” Mandy put Jasmine's empty bottle back in the diaper bag.

“You're probably right.” I sighed, dreading the trip back. “Mom, are you sure you're all right?”

“It was just a little dizzy spell.” Mom shooed us toward the door. “You quit your worrying.”