The big guy clapped a hand on Ethan’s shoulder, gaining his attention completely. “Listen carefully to Lux,” he spoke like a military officer giving an order, and his voice carried through to Ethan’s brain. Nick nodded emphatically.
“Who are you?” Ethan asked.
“Call me Quik.”
Even with his kinder voice, Ethan didn’t want to tick him off.
Lux pointed at the laptop. She’d gone from green to white. “Look!”
They gathered around. Not wearing his Santa suit for once, Nick stood close to Ethan. The cold melted off of Ethan like snow in the spring, which was a good thing considering he’d run out of the house without his coat on.
Lux pointed at the green curling ribbon. “That’s Collin’s wish that his mom would come back for Christmas. Your first wish lined up with his, and things worked out fine.” She pointed to the white one. “That’s Valerie’s wish that she’ll never be alone at Christmas.”
He gasped, and his heart broke for her. What kind of loneliness did you have to experience to make that your Christmas wish? “She invited me to the ranch.” The immensity of that invitation washed over him, and he felt shame for his reaction. She’d opened her heart, and he’d thrown a stick of dynamite inside of it.
“Your second wish lined up with hers,” Nick explained. “Not meeting Pearl meant you could build a life with Valerie free of entanglements. But–it also meant that anything related to Pearl didn’t happen–including having Collin.”
Ethan rounded on Nick, ready to pound his jolly face until he promised to bring back his son. Everything Ethan had ever done, he’d done for Collin. Getting his electrician’s license allowed him to have flexible hours and be a dad. He bought the house so that Collin would have a home, and on and on.
“No Pearl. No Collin,” Nick said apologetically.
“The green ribbon is disappearing,” Lux practically shouted. “Valerie was the last person to meet Collin, so she was the first to forget him.”
“I told you to think hard about that second wish,” Nick reminded him.
“This is not my fault!” Ethan shouted. Around them, last-minute shoppers raced from store to store in a buying frenzy.
“If the green ribbon runs out, there will be no getting Collin back,” Quik said solemnly.
Ethan grabbed the front of Nick’s shirt. “How do we fix it?”
Lux blinked in that way that said she was thinking hard. Quik tugged on his bottom lip.
Nick brightened. “We have to find a way to make both Collin’s and Valerie’s wishes come true,”
Lux cocked her head to the side as she thought about his solution. “It could work.” She blinked. “Wait–. The math doesn’t add up.”
Quik shook his head. “Special relativity throws it off.”
“Right!” she agreed.
Ethan had no idea what they were talking about.
“Neither do I,” added Nick as if he’d read his thoughts. “But that’s why I bring them along. They do it all in their heads. They’re brilliant and know more about Christmas Magic than anyone else.”
Quik snapped his fingers. “Instead of trying to grant two wishes, we must tie them together. The wishes are trying to twist–why not help them along?”
Lux brightened. “Brilliant.” She turned on Ethan expectantly.
A wish that twisted the two together? His mind went blank. “What do I wish for?” he demanded.
Two faces held utterly still in masks of anticipation. Lux looked like she was waiting for him to catch up.
“If you know the answer, tell me!” he demanded.
She shook her head so fast that her glasses slipped. “I can’t. If it doesn’t come from your heart, it doesn’t count.”
If the situation weren’t so serious, he would have laughed. But this was no laughing matter. His son was being erased.
