Page 111 of Run, Run Rudolph
Someone was approaching, the dawn light at their back. “He won’t recall anything from the magical world, or anything related to it.”
Estelle. Her look of soft sympathy crushed me even further.
“He’ll remember nothing?”
She nodded, her hair still singed from last night’s banishment.
“But we fell in love last night…” I was sure we had. Shouldn’t that overcome everything else?
“I’m sorry, Tamara. You know that rewinding the night to let things play out without you hitting Rudolph was the only way to safely extract you. He was a bystander, and all bystanders lose their memories when we do time mending. It’s a very minor consequence.”
“No.” I stood, shaking my head. I couldn’t imagine the cruelty of me remembering the fun we’d had, and Haden being oblivious to it all. “I still remember.”
“Would you like your memories erased as well? I have the ability to wipe them, but the head fairy thought you would want them as a memento.”
“No! You don’t understand. He has to remember, too. He has to!”
Estelle sniffed, avoiding meeting my eyes. “Santa and his entourage are all okay, and have been returned to the North Pole. Christmas will proceed as usual, thanks to your wish, and whatever you said to Mrs. Claus. She is proceeding with Christmas, and you have been removed from the naughty list. Very well done.”
I waved off her compliment. Mrs. Claus had only needed someone to make her see her own self-worth, and how much she was loved.
“I want to make a wish.”
“A wish?”
“Just one. Help me get Haden’s memories back from last night, so he remembers falling in love with me.”
“I can’t.”
“We can skip over the magical interaction stuff. Just let him remember that he loves me, and remember that I also love him. Something—anything along those lines. He doesn’t have to remember being here, or Rudolph, or any of that stuff. Please.”
“I can’t. I’m sorry.” Estelle gave me a sad frown. “This is where we part ways.”
“What do you mean? Why? I’ll pay for the wish. Whatever it costs. I’ll find a way.” The idea of losing Haden was horrible. What if I couldn’t get him to love me without the magic of last night? What if I wasn’t enough on my own? “I need your help. Please, Estelle.”
“You’ve been banished,” she said softly.
“Banished? No, I haven’t. Look at me. I’m not singed or sunburned.” I held out my arms to show her. I likely looked a mess, but I hadn’t been scorched like she’d been.
“You’ve been forbidden from having any interactions with the magical world, including making wishes.”
“But…”
“You got off easy. I’m sorry.” Estelle turned and walked back out of the barn.
A sob rushed up my throat, escaping before I could catch it.
Chapter 34
~ Tamara ~
“What are you still doing in bed!” My mom had to be standing right over top of me, given how loud her voice was. I scrunched my eyes tighter and pulled a pillow over my head. “We have to be at Oma’s in fifteen minutes.”
She tugged at my pillow, and I groaned, rolling out of reach.
Oma’s Christmas Eve brunch. I used to look forward to it, especially the rice and pineapple dessert she’d make for me with the half-melted mini marshmallows in it. She only whipped it up once a year, and she always did a double batch, just for me. She’d made it every year since I was thirteen, and only once had she tried making something else—a chocolate log. To me, nothing said Christmas like her rice dessert, and I’d been so disappointed in the log that she’d gone straight into the kitchen to rush out a batch of the rice dessert.
It had made me feel guilty, spoiled, but also so very cherished and special.
