Blizzard was resting to the right of the fireplace with Snowball. The wolf raised his head and wagged his tail. “That's Blizzard's way of saying he's happy to be getting a roommate.” Peppermint smiled.
Ralphie could barely believe that Blizzard actually wagged his tail for him. “Ayo, so maybe you ain't such a bad wolf after all.” Blizzard wagged his tail again. He had a way of knowing what lived inside of a person's heart.
Before anyone could speak, Betty walked into the library. “I'm off to bed,” she called out. “I need to find a book to read first.”
“Ms. Vance, you came to the right place...and guess what?”
“What?” Betty asked Ralphie, obviously seeing that he was excited.
“Peppermint and I are going to be roommates. I'm moving my bed into Peppermint's room—”
“Our room,” Peppermint quickly corrected Ralphie.
“Ayo, that's right...our room. I'm moving my bed into our room tonight.” Ralphie smiled. “Peppermint and I are going to watch game shows and eat pizza and donuts. Guy stuff…stuff theCalzonelikes. I said what I said. Botta bing.”
“I see.” Betty pretended to be impressed. “Well, Ralphie, I'll be sure not to bother you and Peppermint when you're having guy time.”
“Ayo, Ms. Vance, it's nothing personal. We guys...you know how it is...we need time away from you gals.”
“I understand,” Betty promised Ralphie. She looked at Candy and Chris. They smiled at her.
“Well, Ralphie, we’d better get upstairs and get you moved into our room. I never liked the bedroom that was chosen for you anyway...uh...too drafty.” Peppermint nodded at Candy and Chris. “I'll let you know when Ralphie is settled in. You might want to check on Sandy.”
Candy read Peppermint's voice loud and clear. It looked like Peppermint wasn't the only one who was going to end up having a roommate. “I'll go check on Sandy right now.”
“She's in the dining room with Marty. Those two are really hitting it off,” Betty explained and then wandered off to find a book. Betty knew before next Christmas arrived, a new book would be in the library...a new book about an island that healed many lost hearts.
Chapter 4
“Like, this is so totally rad.” Sandy smiled as she settled under a heavy, warm blanket. “I never had a roommate before. Like, it's going to be so cool doing all kinds of girl stuff together. We can, like, paint each other's fingernails and eat chocolate and watch romance movies and talk about our dream husband.”
Sandy spoke with the same childlike excitement that Ralphie had spoken with after Peppermint asked him to be his roommate. It was clear as a bell—just like Ralphie—that Sandy did not want to sleep in her assigned bedroom alone. The young woman was happily tucking herself under a warm blanket in Candy's bedroom. That was fine with Candy. She felt a closeness and connection to Sandy that could not be put into words. “We’ll do all those things.” Candy smiled back at Sandy as she removed a pair of warm bunny slippers. It felt nice being back in her pajamas and preparing for a good night's sleep.
“Like, totally.” Sandy beamed. She hugged the top of her covers with grateful hands. “Your bedroom looks a lot like the one I was put in, but the air is, like, different in here. The air is warmer...and like, you know...comforting. The fire you started in the fireplace...it's totally cool. I feel like I'm in a storybook.”
“Me, too,” Candy admitted as she slid under a thick, blue blanket. Candy's bed—a queen-sized bed that she had ordered from a business in Pine Snow—faced Sandy's bed, another queen-sized bed. The beds were nothing fancy. Simple and modest. Candy supposed beds that Ebenezer Scrooge would hide in from three Christmas spirits might be more suitable for the castle, but she believed humility was good medicine for the heart. “Well, here we are, all tucked in, a fire is going in the fireplace, the winds are howling outside, the castle is quiet, and everybody is in bed for the night.”
“Want to talk?” Sandy propped herself up on her right elbow and looked at Candy. She wasn't sure if Candy was up to some girl talk or not.
Candy hungered for sleep—but Sandy seemed to need to let the wind in her sails weaken some more before she could fall asleep. “Sure, honey.” Candy supported herself on her left elbow. Her bed was close to a large window covered with a heavy drape. Outside the window, a powerful snowstorm howled and moaned. To Candy, the storm sounded much like the one that prevented Santa from delivering toys, and Rudolph's bright red nose was needed to save Christmas. All that was needed was a little heart and imagination. “What do you want to talk about?”
Sandy looked around the bedroom. It was large and made of stone. A few furnishings—two sitting chairs, a bookshelf and a writing desk along with a bed—had been added. The floor consisted of green marble that made Sandy think of Christmas trees. “This castle is, like, beautiful and all, but it needs some life. All this stone can be depressing...totally.”
“This wing of the castle was completed, but other parts were not able to be renovated. I agree that the bedrooms need a touch of life. All of them are made of stone, and all the floors are made of marble, but in time, we will turn the entire castle into a Christmas wonderland. These stone walls will start to sing with the heart of Christmas. I promise.”
“Yeah, like, we can add Christmas lights and decorations...just like the library.” Sandy happily nodded her head. The idea of transforming gray stone walls into cheerful Christmas images delighted Sandy's heart. “Like, the castle isn't exactly depressing. I like it, and in time, like, this place will become home.”
“Speaking of home...” Candy dared to touch a sensitive subject. “Sandy, you don't seem to miss your home back in Los Angeles in any way.”
“Like, why should I?” Sandy asked in a simple voice. “It's like I told you, my parents threw me out. Totally not rad. And all because I didn’t choose their lifestyle or spent my time at the bars.”
“Is there another reason?” Candy asked.
A heavy sigh left Sandy's heart. “Yeah...I kind of, like, told my parents they needed to stop messing up. That, like, didn't go over so well.
Candy watched Sandy run a tired hand through her hair. Sandy was so beautiful and innocent—a little on the ditzy side, but that was okay. “Sandy, did your parents...ever...hurt you?”
“Like, are you asking did they ever physically abuse me and all that?” Sandy asked. Candy nodded. A painful shadow came into Sandy's eyes. “Like, all the time when I was growing up. They'd like, get drunk...and then when I would fuss at them...they'd yell at me and hit me. Like, asking for food in my house on Friday nights was a death sentence.”
