“I know, I know,” Milo said loudly, cutting through their grumblings. “If those of you at the front can just move forward a little more so the ones in the back can see better ....”
Wade still couldn’t believe that Milo—and a couple other members of the Elf Mafia—had come back for today. TheArbogasts were giving everyone their Christmas Eve pay whether they worked or not, so they could have just had the paid time off with no worries. But all some of them had needed to hear was that Wade and Mira had a plan to save the Christmas Village, and that had galvanized them into action.
“Do. Not. Shove,” Milo bellowed.
Good kids. And, thanks to their mafioso-like ruthlessness, surprisingly great when it came to crowd control.
“All right,” Milo said, calmer now. “Then we’re ready to start.”
Wade hoped Milo remembered how Wade had privately told him to introduce Mira. It was a small gesture, but he wanted to take all the awkwardness she’d felt (and all the confusion she’d faced) as the mall’s strayLord of the Ringself and turn it into something better, something that fit her natural beauty and grace.
“I’m sorry to say that Santa’s not available today,” Milo said. “He had to fly back to the North Pole to do some last-minute arrangements for tomorrow. But he’s left us a friend from the North Pole as a substitute—a friendly polar bear, escorted by the one and only Lady of the Winter!”
That was their cue, but Mira, who hadn’t known what Milo would call her, went still.
“Lady of the Winter,” she said softly. She touched his fur. “I’m guessing you’re the one who came up with that?”
Wade nodded. It suited her, especially today, when her gown seemed more snowy white than ever and her face was lit up with joy and anticipation.
Mira knelt down and hugged him. “Thank you,” she said in his ear, the words just for the two of them.
Then, before the crowd could break into open riot, they headed outside.
A hush fell over the Honey Brook plaza.
Wade could understand why. What everyone was seeing was a gorgeous woman who looked like she’d stepped out of a fairy tale, her hand lightly resting on the back of an enormous polar bear who trundled along at her side like there was nowhere else he’d rather be ... because there wasn’t.
Everyone seemed to breathe in at once, completely wonderstruck.
Then some guy in the back said, “Holy shit, that’s a real bear!”
“Kids!” Milo hissed at him. “Watch the language!”
“It’s not a real bear,” Mira said. No—theLady of the Wintersaid. She was doing just a little bit of a voice, silvery and musical like bells. “He started off as a toy in Santa’s workshop, but Santa liked him so much that he let him stay at the North Pole for good. He’s my friend.”
“Does he have a name?” one child called out.
They really should have thought of that beforehand. He could almosthearMira struggling to think of anything besides “Wade.”
“Snow,” she said finally. “His name is Snow.”
I don’t mind that,Wade’s polar bear decided.I was afraid she’d say Tim.
Wade couldn’t decide whether the more pressing question here was “why would she say Tim” or “what do you have against the name Tim,” but he didn’t have time to ask anyway. Besides, he guessed his polar bear was as entitled to random bugbears as everyone else.
“Snow, stand up,” Mira said. She cast a significant look at all the parents, as if willing them to understand that this was just how they said things like, “Siri, call home.”
Wade stood up on his hind legs, rising to his full height. At almost nine feet, he towered over the crowd, and this led to even more gasps.
“I know he’s big,” Mira said soothingly, “but I promise there’s nothing to be scared of. Snow, shake hands.”
They had rehearsed this bit to make it look just unnatural enough that the parents would go on believing it was all fake. Wade just stuck out one paw at first and held it there. It was only after Mira firmly grasped it that they shook properly.
Sure enough, he heard one wife whisper to her husband, “Oh, it just senses when you grab it.”
Bingo. That was exactly the impression they wanted people to have.
“Can he dance with you?” a little girl said.
