Randi and Frank had a very enjoyable and interesting dinner. They have already acknowledged what The Wizard predicted. They are very much in love with each other. Randi knows that she can’t keep any secrets from Frank. She is going to have to tell him about her origin. Her fears are never realized. Randi meets Frank’s parents and is immediately accepted.

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If you haven’t read the previous stories about Cindy, Bobbie, and the rest and how they arrived where they are now, you should probably read them. Start with An Incremental Journey, Cynthia and the Reluctant Girlfriend, Cynthia and the Dumpster Diver, Cynthia and the Moment of Truth, Cynthia and the High School Years — Parts 1 & 2 & Bobbie and the Glass Ceiling.

I have researched the Spell’s—R-Us Universe diligently and cannot find anything that violates it, other than that The Wizard is a bit kinder and gentler than sometimes reported. Don’t get me wrong. Given an opening, The Wizard could resort to some of his more ironic and nasty transformations. I’m sure that could happen at any time.

Holly did an outstanding job of fixing my punctuation errors and occasional wanderings into gibberish. She does a great job figuring out what I really meant.

This work is copyrighted by the author and any publication or distribution without the written consent of the author is strictly prohibited. This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance of the characters to persons living or dead is coincidental.

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Randi and the College Professor, Chapters 3 and 4
 

Chapter 3 — Family Secrets

When they embraced again at the front door, the kiss had even more passion in it than the first one. It went on and on. Finally, they pulled apart, and Randi looked up to see his eyes fixed on hers.

“Mom’s in the kitchen with a guest. Would you like some coffee? She made a big pot.”

“Does your mother always wait up for you?”

“No, I can handle myself quite well. We girls have had some interesting encounters over the years and we have given The Wizard a lot to do. I think Mom just wants to talk with us. Ever since she found out about the power she has, she has taken an even greater interest in the welfare of her children. She is still a bit resentful about what happened to Cindy. She understands why it had to be done, but she has never forgiven them for the hurt they did to her. We’ll explain that situation soon enough.

“We’ll go in, in a minute. Do you think you can get rid of that thing by then, or do you want a little help? I’m afraid this is not the place to do it like I should. I can make it just go away if you want.”

“Well since it is partially your fault, I guess it would be alright if you did.”

Two seconds later, the rather prominent lump in his trousers returned to normal.

They saw the light from the kitchen as they entered the foyer and heard the clink of spoons and coffee cups over a muffled conversation. A rattle of toe nails on the hardwood floor preceded a huge canine coming around the corner. He was grinning as dogs do, and his tail was wagging vigorously.

“My goodness, that’s a big dog!”

“Actually, I’m a wolf, but that’s an easy mistake to make. I trust you had an enjoyable evening?”

“Aren’t you the talkative one?” Randi laughed. “Yes, we had a very nice evening. I’m sorry there weren’t any bones for you.”

“Well, the silent treatment hasn’t really worked since I blew my cover that Christmas. So, I just limit my talking to the magical and their friends. Next time, get a couple of porterhouses. I really like those.”

Rounding the corner, they came upon Marissa and The Wizard enjoying a cup of coffee and some pastries. The Wizard stood as they entered.

“Your Wisdom, this is Frank Deere. But, of course you knew that.

“Frank, this is His Wisdom, The Wizard. We think his name is Aloysius Bettencourt, but he’s never confirmed that, so ‘His Wisdom’ will have to do.”

The Wizard extended his hand and he and Frank exchanged firm handshakes.

“I think this is quite an honor for having known this family for only a few hours. That’s certainly an interesting shop you have.”

“I’m glad you got to see it today. I’m afraid I’m not much of a house keeper, but Randi always neatens things up for me when she’s working there. I have trouble getting used to that. I always felt that the dust and cobwebs added to the ambience.

“Okay, about today: as Randi guessed earlier, you were both set up. We never know how these things will work out, or even if they will, but hoped you would meet some day, and the opportunity was there, so we just facilitated things a bit. If things hadn’t worked out, you might have gone your separate ways, probably never to meet again, and never be the wiser. As Randi told you earlier this evening, we cannot ‘mess’ with your minds. Love either happens, or it doesn’t.

“Now about this other thing: I knew your great grandmother many times removed. The story has been embellished a bit over the years, but I did help her escape from the prison. You are the last one in that line to carry the magic trait. If this hadn’t worked out, we might have tried to find another witch or carrier for you to meet. However, our hands are tied as far as magically creating love or forcing marriages. There have been a number of failures over the years, and several magic lines have died out. Real love is one bit of magic we have never really figured out.”

Randi looked at her mother and noticed some tears. “Mom, I think you are going to have to plan another wedding.”

Marissa looked at Frank who gave a little nod.

“We’ve hardly had time to talk about any plans, but I think we both know it’s right. Frank needs to know more about us, though. We might scare him off when he finds out how strange we are.”

The Wizard finished his coffee and said goodbye. He and Wolf left by the back door. Had anyone bothered to watch, they would have seen the pair disappear as they neared the driveway.

“Frank, do you have anything going on tomorrow?”

“If I did, it’s forgotten.”

“I think I would like to take a little drive. I need to show you something.”

The little cemetery was a few miles out of the way. It was well maintained, and the plots were shaded by maples and elms. Randi led Frank up the slight hill to the grave. A beautiful spray of fresh flowers was in an urn at the foot of the grave, and the fragrance of roses and gardenias filled the air.

“My parents paid for the plot and marker. Mom was pregnant with me at the time Randy passed away. He had been in a war overseas, and it had been very difficult for him. He’d seen many deaths, and he’d seen extreme heroism and bravery. When he came home, he was suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. He became homeless as a matter of choice, and wandered for most of the rest of his life.”

“What war was that? I don’t recall any wars at that time.”

“There weren’t any; at least not in this universe. That’s what that comment means. Randy was born in a different universe, a parallel Earth. Something happened: we think it was a combination of things, including a lightning strike that caused him to fall into this world. Cindy and Bobbie, not yet in their teens, took him under their wing, so to speak. He was a real mess. He wandered all over the place and was very sick. Some bad booze had destroyed his kidneys, and he had an inoperable brain tumor.

“Mom and Dad took him in, and it was only a few weeks before he died in the guest room. Before he died, he said those were the happiest days of his life.”

Frank looked at the marker: Randal Christopher Mantooth. He looked back at Randi and then back to the marker. Christine Miranda (Randi) Lewis: he could see it on her card.

“You … you were Randal Mantooth?” The question was almost a statement.

“No, I am Randal Mantooth, but I am Randi Lewis, too. I am that person. You have to understand that I was always a woman, even then. It was just that I was in the wrong body. I lived with it pretty well, but the PTSD and the brain tumor drove me to near insanity. Cindy and Bobbie saved me. They were only ten or eleven at the time.

“When they knew I was going to die, The Wizard arranged for my spirit to be placed in the embryo Mom was carrying. So in a way, I was a witness to my own funeral. Cindy and Bobbie thought their friend was gone forever. I called them my angels.

“I had to die. The Wizard’s magic couldn’t save me in my body. I hadn’t been here long enough to be assimilated into this universe: my atoms were a mix of two universes. Any attempts to cure me with magic would have literally turned me into hamburger. It would not have been pleasant.

“I started remembering things about the time I was four or five. Only Mom and The Wizard knew up to then what had happened. Needless to say, Cindy and Bobbie were ecstatic when they found out.

Her voice started quavering, “What do you think?” She barely got the last sentence out before she started sobbing.

He held her firmly and protectively, bestowing gentle kisses on her forehead, softly pushing her hair away from her eyes. He gave her his handkerchief, and she blew her nose.

“Frank, I don’t want to lose you. I’ve never been able to get close to anyone outside the family before now. I felt I had to tell you even though Mom didn’t want me to. She said it would be too much too soon, but if I didn’t tell you everything, I’d be scared to death that you’d find something out and not understand what we are about.”

“I think I am a very lucky man to have found you. Look at it from my perspective. I decided to go shopping for something to tell a girl that I might be interested in starting a relationship. I entered a strange little shop and was confronted by the most beautiful woman I have ever met, and she knew all these things about me. She was so warm and friendly. God, Randi, when you took my hand, I was a lost cause. Whether you intended to or not you had me at that moment.

“After telling me everything that is wrong about Betty, and when I thought about it, I knew you were dead on, you told me we had reservations for dinner. You programmed my GPS to make sure I got to your home. I met your family and friends and they are all magical and wonderful too. How could I not accept everything?

“Then wonderful little Silky and Chloe greeted me and demanded my attention. This is fabulous, and I don’t ever want this magic to end. If I had been afraid of what you folks are about, I would have run like hell yesterday afternoon. Lose me? I don’t think so. You would probably have to turn me into a frog to get rid of me.”

He paused for a moment and then somewhat seriously asked, “Can you do that?”

“Probably, but it’s not allowed. Any corporal transformations involving humans have to be approved. The Wizard does most of those, or at least he is the facilitator. As far as what anyone sees or experiences, he is the one that does them.” She didn’t tell him that her mother was now also allowed to do transformations under special circumstances.

“I do a lot with spatial distortions. You could walk from my bedroom closet to the Schmedlaps house in one step. I did a little trick with a pet door so that there is no space between the two halves. I figured that out when I was about six. I could put a basketball court inside a bedroom. I have to be very careful about that sort of thing, though.”

“Wait a minute. I just realized something. You weren’t born until ….”

“May fifth, 2008: yeah, I’m not 21, but remember, I’ve experienced nearly fifty years. I guess I could have you jailed for serving liquor to a minor, though. I received my bachelor’s and master’s degrees in four years. I tested out for all my lower division courses. I signed up for them all, but I was doing research and taking some of the classes I didn’t have a good background for. I did all the class work, but I just never went to most of them except for the tests.

“I could have done it for most of my upper division courses, too, but they sort of frowned on that. I still spent most of my time with Myrna and Avery.”

“So you graduated from MIT. I was wondering. Four years for two degrees in chemistry at MIT, wow! That’s quite an accomplishment.” Frank was beginning to realize what a treasure he had found. “Wait a minute; you started college when you were 16?”

“I was doing high school at the same time. I kinda finished everything early. You have to realize it wasn’t work. I had a lot of fun, and it kept me out of trouble; well most of the time, anyway. There’s so much to learn.

“Could we just go for a drive for a while?” Frank was holding her hand firmly in his as they leisurely strolled down the gentle slope. They were closer than ever. There was still a month of summer left, at least by the calendar, but a few leaves were already giving up, having released their grips on the trees, and were chasing each other across the path in the breeze. The two lovers didn’t notice them. “How fast do you want this to go? I’ll finish the work on my doctorate later this year. Things are really almost done on that. I know there is a lot of work that I want to continue in the area I’m working on. You’re just starting work on yours. It’s going to be a busy few years.

“I’ve thought about coming to, or working jointly with MIT to continue some post doctoral work. I’ve even sent a letter to Dr. Mankowitz concerning some things we’d seemed to be converging on. I think there is a chance that I can get a professorship there.”

“I think you’re asking, do we want to get married, and if we did, how soon?” Any doubts Randi might have had had disappeared. She was more certain than ever about what she desired.

“I think you’re right; however, I better make it official before your spell wears off, not that I think it ever will.” He stopped at a concrete bench that was in the shade of a large sugar maple. He had her sit, and he sat next to her. Taking her hand in his, he gazed into her misting eyes. “Randi, I can’t imagine my life going on without you in it. I’ve been looking for you for a long time; however, I’ve been looking in the wrong places. We both know this is fast, but I think we know it’s right. Would you please honor me by being my partner for life? Christine Miranda Lewis, Randi, would you grant me the distinct pleasure of being my wife?”

She nodded, “Yes, but why did you take so long to ask?”
”ƒ
Chapter 4 — New Acquaintances

Frank’s parents lived in a nice older neighborhood that was considerably closer to the center of the city than where the Lewis’s lived. The streets were lined with giant American Elms that towered above the 1920’s bungalows (Dutch elm disease never entered the US in this universe). The neighborhood was one of those that had survived city flight and was now very desirable for the upwardly mobile, and it wasn’t unusual for someone to put several hundred thousand dollars into updating one of the bungalows. The neighborhood was so desirable that it wasn’t that unusual to see someone pay close to a million dollars for a property, and then raze it to construct a new larger, more elaborate home in its place.

“I grew up in this neighborhood and it still feels like home, even though I’ve been away for much of the last eight years. Mom and Dad bought here before it became really popular. We were very fortunate. My brother and sister were just starting school when I came along. Mom was teaching school. She still is, and Dad’s a neurosurgeon.”

After leaving the cemetery, they had just driven around for a while. Randi had raised the center arm rest and moved in next to Frank. It was not the most comfortable spot on the front seat, but Randi just wanted to be closer to him. She had spent a sleepless night, tossing and turning, and repeating the previous day’s events over and over in her mind. Falling in love had not been on her punch list, but there it was and she couldn’t deny it.

Now they were driving down a pleasantly shaded lane to meet his family. Randi was very comfortable with how she felt about Frank. She knew her judgment of him was correct; however, she had no idea how his parents and older siblings would react.

They finally turned into a driveway of a pleasant cottage that could have come out of the English countryside, but for its closeness to the other homes on the block. A middle aged couple was working in the garden. Frank’s father was edging the lawn with a string trimmer, and his mother was getting rid of some unsightly branches in the azaleas. She turned as Frank shut off the car.

Realizing who the woman was, Randi had the most pleasant surprise. Up until that moment, she had not wondered who Frank’s parents might be. There she was, hardly changed over the last thirteen years. Frank’s mother had been her second grade teacher. Randi wondered if Mrs. Deere would remember her.

Frank’s mother removed her gloves, sticking them into the pocket of her gardening apron, a smile growing on her face as she appraised Randi. Suddenly, there was recognition.

“Oh, my dear boy, what have you done?” she said enfolding Randi in a firm hug.

She released the hug, but refused to let go of Randi’s hands. “So, my dear, are you just as out of control as you were in second grade?

“Frank, you probably don’t remember my talking about her, but this young lady caused me more tears and smiles than the rest of the students in her class put together.”

By this time Franks father had approached and was giving Randi the once over. “Harold, this is ‘Little’ Randi Lewis; that precocious little imp I used to tell you about.”

Harold extended his hand, “Harold Deere. Now I see why Frank was so eager to leave this morning. It’s hot out here. Let’s go in a get some fresh iced tea. We just made a fresh jug. Besides, my fun meter is just about pegged out for the day. Let me put these tools away and I’ll be right in.”

“So young lady, how did you and Frank meet? He came back from shopping yesterday walking about three feet off the floor. He said he had a date with the most remarkable young woman, but wouldn’t say anything else.”

Randi and Frank’s mother (“Call me Flo.”) were sitting at the little table in the breakfast nook. Frank had gone to take care of something, and Harold was taking a quick shower.

“It was at the shop where I work part time. I help a friend out on weekends. He came in looking for a gift for someone, and we just hit it off. The next thing I knew, we had a dinner date.” Details might come later.

“So, you are in retail? I would have thought you would be in college or working in some laboratory by now. You had such great potential.”

“Oh no, I just do that to help out. I have a Bachelors and Masters in chemistry and have started work on my PhD. I’ve just been resting over the summer.”

“Well that’s more like the Randi I thought you were. So now that you’ve know Frank for all of a day, what do you think of him? He’s a bit of a stuffed shirt at times.”

“Well, ….” Randi wasn’t sure how to put it in words. This was her future mother-in-law; at least she hoped she was. “Erm, Frank and I are in love. We realized that rather early on yesterday. I don’t think there was one thing we didn’t connect on. I know that sounds preposterous, but it’s true.”

Surprisingly, Flo didn’t seem to be the least bit perturbed. “So, did he propose already? Harold proposed to me on our first date. I didn’t accept, but we continued to date, and I never dated anyone else. He was such a … I guess today you would call him a nerd, but such a sweet nerd.”

“So, you didn’t fall in love with him right away?”

“Oh no, he had me, figuratively, on that first date. He was going to medical school, and I waited about a month before I let him seduce me. We both knew for sure by then. Frank’s brother and sister didn’t have very long engagements either; however, Frank never seemed to connect with anyone. Oh, he talked about some undergraduate at Princeton, but I don’t think he had dated her.

“I guess I’m rambling a bit. So, did he propose?”

“Yes, he did, and rather sweetly, I might add.”

“And, you accepted?”

“Definitely: I scolded him for being so slow about it.”

“He’s a good boy. You won’t be sorry.”

“I already know that. You know how quick I am to make decisions, and you also know that even in second grade, I didn’t make many mistakes. I know he’s the right one, and I hope you feel the same about me.

“Oops, here they come.”

“So, I imagine Mom has revealed all my secrets,” Frank said as he pulled up a chair while pouring a glass of tea.”

“I don’t think there are any secrets worth revealing; at least not at this time.” She knew she had probably said too much, but his parents would have to know someday.

They mostly made small talk for the next hour. Frank, too, knew that Randi and her families and friends magical background would have to come out sooner or later.

“You had a friend whom you were very close to, if I remember correctly,” Flo was reminiscing again.

“That would be Ginny Chronister. We don’t see each other that often, but we talk on the internet almost daily. She’s finishing up her teaching credentials in California. She married her high school sweetheart when they were in college, and they have a little boy. They started quickly. She balanced raising a child with getting an education. Her husband has just completed a degree in wine culture. They live in Modesto, and she is happy beyond imagination.”

Flo’s question brought back many happy memories.

Randi, Charli and Ginny had been having a sleep over at the Lewis’s home. Randi had seen to it that Ginny got her ‘sea legs’ when she had returned to school after that fateful Christmas when a dying old man, a store Santa, had become Ginny (Virginia) to replace the original Ginny who had died of the swine flu several weeks before. The Wizard had Ginny’s DNA from a hair he had lifted from her mother’s purse, but he didn’t have some of her early memories. He gathered what he could from her parents and brother, and he also had installed Randi’s memories of her from before she died. He didn’t tell Randi until several years later what he had done. When he did, Randi kissed him. He used to try to avoid those displays, but Cindy had cured him of it many years before. The Wizard had also installed some generic memories, the types he thought little girls should have.

Ginny did have the memories of her previous life; however, they had been hidden away until she was old enough to be able to handle them. There was no reason to destroy the old memories, however she just didn’t need to be bothered with them until she had had the chance to grow up as the girl she had been all along.

Early on, she remembered that Cindy and Bobbie had been Santa’s helpers. The thing was, many of her memories were a bit like a dream. She seemed to be a lot more involved with Santa than just a little girl sitting on Santa’s lap in Toyland. There were a few times it was almost as if she were Santa. Well dreams were always a bit strange, anyway.

Eight years later, Cindy and Bobbie had been married for four years. Cindy was just finishing medical school and Don was in his first year of practicing law. Bobbie was making a name for herself on the LPGA circuit, having already won twenty-five tournaments. Her startling career was really just starting. Her husband, Andy, was playing on the PGA tour. He hadn’t won yet, but he was doing quite well. They picked their tournaments and would sometimes caddy for each other, especially for the important events. Bobbie had already won all five of the ‘Major’ tournaments on the LPGA, and had repeated winning three of them.

The girls had had dinner with the entire Lewis family. Randi’s older brother Tom was taking a break from his work on his Master’s degree. Stan Jr. was going into Jr. High School the next year, and Martha Louise (Marti) had just finished first grade. She was already showing some of the talent that Randi had shown early on.

Cindy and Don had made the trip from Boston. There were a few weeks before Cindy would start her residency, and she and Don had arranged to take some time off. They would be going to their little retreat out west in two days. Cindy had been very persuasive when she had talked to Don’s supervisor at the law firm. It wasn’t normal to give a junior member much time off; however, no one seemed to mind. They really did need some personal time together away from their nest in Boston.

Ginny, Charli and Randi were carrying on like they usually did, when Ginny suddenly got a funny look on her face. She was considerably quieter for the remainder of the dinner.

Ginny had always been boisterous and a bit of a dare taker, probably something picked up through her association with Randi. She was an outgoing, vivacious young lady and some would say she was as cute as a bug. She was just a little over five feet four inches tall, dark haired with brown eyes, slender with a pert bosom, and legs to die for. She loved to wear tight Levis that accentuated her delightful behind.

Charli was also very outgoing and had the good fortune of having Lucy Brewer and Randi as ‘big sisters’. Charli and Lucy went to a different school than Randi and Ginny’s. Randi, a year older than Charli, had been given strict orders not to interfere with Charli’s magic training; however, when the two got together, there was quite a bit of magic interchange. The one rule that Randi never violated was that she never advanced Charli’s training beyond the point that The Wizard, Marissa, and Sally’s training had taken her. Randi was not beyond showing her some shortcuts though. The opinion among Charli’s mentors was that she was going to be a very skilled witch.

After dinner, the three BFF retreated to Randi’s bedroom. They had been going to experiment with makeup, and were just getting out Randi’s stash of makeup when Silky, Petra and Selene trotted into the bedroom from Randi’s closet. “Hi girls, what’s going on?”

“Petra wanted to see Cindy and Don. She missed them the last time they were here. Is Maddy down stairs?”

“She was hiding behind the couch last I looked.”

“Here I am,” said the beautiful, short legged little cat as she came through the door. “Hi, Ginny, hi Charli.”

“Er, hi Maddy.” Ginny turned, a look of disbelief on her face.

“Uh, Randi, since when do cats talk?”

“Oh, they always could talk. Well, at least Maddy, Silky, Petra, Selene, and Chloe can talk. You know Chloe; she’s Bobbie’s cat.”

“Well, yeah, but they never talked before.”

“They did, but they just never talked when you were around. Something happened tonight, and I think I know what it was. You’re starting to remember things, aren’t you?”

“Yeah, it’s strange. I’ve been having some weird dreams. I was looking at Cindy tonight, and suddenly I remembered her and Bobbie working with me. I think I was real sick and there was this guy who looked like Albus Dumbledore.”

“Well actually, they’re just cousins, but there is a resemblance. Yeah, you were real sick. You were dying. Do you remember who you were?”

“I … I think I was an old man. I … I was Santa Claus at Dillard’s. I’d been doing it for years. Cindy and Bobbie started working with me, then one afternoon they took me back to that old man’s office in the back room.”

“We call him His Wisdom to his face. He’s known as The Wizard, and he is a great friend.”

“They told me I was dying, but if I wanted to, they could fix it so that I could be the girl I always knew I was. I think I said yes, and the next thing I knew, Barry and Mommy and Daddy were there and they took me home.

“After Christmas, I went back to school. I was kinda lost and scared, but you took my hand and kept me from getting too lost ….

“That really did happen, didn’t it?”

“It really did, Ginny. It really did. You don’t have to remember if you don’t want to. I know this. You were a great Santa Claus. Everyone loved you. There were several hundred people at your funeral. Cindy still hasn’t figured out how they did that. According to all the records, you passed away in your sleep Christmas Eve and were buried next to your wife.”

“Is that why I hardly remember anything before I was six?”

“You have to realize that ‘they’, but please don’t ask me who ‘they’ are, had to do a lot to make this work. The original Ginny died from Swine flu. There was a really nasty outbreak, and it was really bad for some young people. They fixed it so that as far as the world was concerned, Ginny didn’t die. You just were very sick. You got encephalitis from the flu, but you recovered; however, you had suffered some minor brain damage, and that accounted for your memory loss.”

“How do you know all this?”

“I figured a lot of it out on my own, but they told me everything later on when I asked them to. Ginny, I’m a witch. Charli’s a witch. My sisters are witches. Bobbie is, too. So are my mom and Bobbie’s mom. The cats are our familiars or associates. The reason I can tell you this is because it’s time.

“I want you to meet someone.” Randi led Ginny to her computer.

“Your Wisdom, do you have a moment?”

The screen flickered to life. “Sure Randi, what’s going on? Oh, hi Ginny, how are you and that big brother of yours?”

“Barry’s in college, but he’s home on summer break. Omigosh, it is you! I remember you at the store. I’m remembering all sorts of things all of a sudden.”

“Does that bother you? I can fix it if it does.”

“Can you fix it so that my memories are there if I need them? I don’t want them there just under the surface. I’m a girl, and that’s the most important thing.”

“Okay, it’s done. If you need the knowledge from that other life, it will be there for you, and of course if you and Randi or the rest of this group want to talk about it with you, you will be able to.

“Randi, don’t overdo the makeup. You and Ginny are very beautiful without a lot of help. That goes for you, too, Charli. I didn’t see you there. Just be natural. That will always be the best way for you. Ginny, if you ever have any questions about anything, just ask for me at your computer. I’ve fixed it so you may reach me. Don’t forget this: Bobbie’s grandmother lives in Visalia, California. She will be there for you, too.” With that, the screen went dark.

Ginny never talked about it again, but Randi knew she never forgot what happened. Randi was Ginny’s Maid of Honor, and Bobbie and Cindy were bridesmaids. Ginny’s family wondered why the older women were asked to take part, but Ginny explained that they had always been close to her, and always would be. That was the end of the discussion. No one questioned her about the old man who sat at the rear of the sanctuary with his rather large dog. The old man and the bride hugged for a long time at the reception, and the dog had a very large piece of wedding cake.

Every year, Ginny was a volunteer ‘elf’ for the local department store Santa.

Next time: Randi and Frank spend a fabulous weekend in New York City. They become closer and closer. Frank has a very special surprise for Randi. Danger and evil are lurking just around the corner — literally.