Happily Ever Christmas

~Eighteen~

Mazie was truly amazing, we soon discovered. She really could whip up whatever treat you wanted most.

"Look, Mommy, it's cinnamon nachos with cream cheese frosting!" Bradley proudly displayed his favorite treat of all time. My son already had an affinity for stoner snacks, wasn't that just lovely?

Olivia's favorite was a banana split with extra fudge, extra strawberry sauce, extra butterscotch sauce, extra whip cream, sprinkles, and nuts. There were even little slices of candied strawberries.

Mazie, the head kitchen elf, was beginning to remind me of some of the perfectionist teachers that I'd had in pastry school.

"And for you, Emberly Faust." She came back from the oven with a tray that she set on the stove to cool. "I whipped up something extra special!"

I gazed down at the dish; it was a simple treacle brittle, but my heart instantly began to sing and weep with a bittersweet kind of joy.

I couldn't help breaking off a piece to pop into my mouth and I closed my eyes and moaned softly because it tasted exactly like the treacle brittle that my parents had used to make me and my sister when we were little girls.

I had always loved it the most out of any other dessert because it was the one thing that my parents would make together.

"How did you do this?" I asked Mazie faintly. "It's exactly how I remember my parents making it." I said for my kid's sake, who were watching me with curiosity as they munched happily upon their own treats.

Mazie gave me a small smile and a wink. "Why, with magic, of course, my dear!"

                                                                               *~*~*~*

Once the glow of the desserts had worn off, however, I had to start asking Mazie some rather pertinent questions.

When my kids had run off to make use of the facilities, I sipped a glass of water and studied old Mazie. And she did seem old, though her skin was flawlessly smooth. It was just something about those deep green eyes; eyes that had seen centuries and no doubt things that I couldn't even begin to fathom.

I nervously gulped down more water.

"What is it, dearie?" She asked in a benevolent fashion. All the elves seemed to be in a consistently good mood. I suppose it was hard not to be, in this warm, sugary environment full of magic and perpetual good cheer.

"Uhm...so do you happen to know...what he wants with me, exactly?"

Mazie was busy at the stove, as well as running the bustling kitchen full of elves dressed in white chef jackets. She was currently in the middle of whisking up multiple caramels, all different flavors. "Who do you mean, dearie? Oh, ha ha, the Time Master! Yes, Nick, he has his own plans. You should wait to have him tell you, dearie. Aye, that would be best, yes, yes!" And she would maddeningly say no more on the subject.

I sighed, but I had no choice but to let it go for now.

My children soon returned and Mazie turned over her caramels to her sous chef and took us on a tour of the larger kitchens, down a short corridor and through a set of swinging double doors.

The commercial size kitchen beyond excited me greatly, I couldn't deny it. They were producing vast quantities of assorted chocolates, cake pops, hard candies, taffy, pastries like festive petit fours and little eclairs; all to be boxed up with pretty ribbons at the back of the room.

The smells from this room were even more compelling than the smaller kitchen and once again I found myself face-to-face with the blatant use of magic.