Lovely chapter, Barbara. My absolutely, hands-down favorite part of it is this:
It was a bit like coming into a living room or - more precisely - coming into the living room of good old Auntie Elsie. There were various styles of furniture, antique sofas of all kinds and miscellaneous tables. Nothing seemed to fit together, but at the same time it was the only possible combination. In the middle of the small place was old Aunt Elsie.
Wow, Barbara, the sheer, utter magic of this! I felt aboslutely and totally as if I'd entered a magical fairy tale world, where old Auntie Elsie is the good fairy godmother.
“What’s that?” Becca asked, inhaling the scent that emanated from her cup.
“Magic potion!” Auntie Elsie whispered, mysteriously. “Try!”
Becca took a sip. The cream left white spots on her lips. Becca grinned, broadly. “Yummy!”
Of course it's a magic potion.
Clark somehow doubted that this strange woman existed outside Christmas. She was a bit like a female Santa Claus.
I'll bet!
And that whole kiss... oh, Auntie Elsie is the perfect matchmaker. She is, I think, an embodiment of the Chistmas spirit as well as of the dictates of the universe, and her mission is to bring Lois and Clark together. Wow, that kiss. Barbara, you've got to come back with more soon!
Ann
