Chapter 29: A Charming Carriage Ride, Part 3

Corey glanced in Serendipity's direction and could instantly tell that she already knew what he was not yet willing to admit to himself; he fit in the latter category. Was he happy? Of course not. Was he doing what he wanted to do with his life? Well, he had never imagined himself doing anything else.?He changed the subject. "Let me tell you a bit about our facilities," he began.
"Why?" she asked that right eyebrow arched again. "I'll only be there for a few moments, just long enough to collect Pozzletot."
"True," Corey replied, swallowing hard. "But it is part of my job to do so, and doing my job makes me quite happy, and you do want me to be happy, don't you, Serendipity?"
There was that charming grin again, and she couldn't help but laugh. "All right then," she acquiesced, smiling in return. "I shall humor you."
"Very good," he said, continuing to smile. "Each of the toymakers comes from afar to join us in the North Pole. Residence of the North Pole, whether human or not, live much longer lives than they would have otherwise. Should you choose to stay, you should plan on living for quite some time--hundreds of years in fact. It's all part of the magic. Toymakers all have their own lodging, as big or as small as he or she chooses. Those who bring a family with them naturally want more room."
"You may bring your family with you?" Serendipity asked, surprised at everything he said, but especially this last bit.
"Oh, yes, of course, if you choose to do so, and if your family would like to come." She nodded, and he continued. "You will also have your own shop near the town square."
"They have--not I will have," she corrected him.
"Right, of course. Not you--as you are not staying.?Forgive me." She chuckled, and he continued. "The artists have a team of elves that work exclusively with them. The artist designs the toys and can be as involved as he or she wants to be. So, you--or they, whichever you prefer--could choose to continue to make the toys alongside the elves, or leave it up to them. You would have total freedom over how you choose to run your shop so long as quotas are met--and they always are."
She was still listening, her hand resting on her chin beneath the blanket.?"There are several shops in the Village, as there are in other villages, and anything you might need or want can be procured.?It's quite lovely--decorated for Christmas year-round as you can imagine. There's also the stable, where I'm sure you would want to spend a great quantity of your free time, that is, if you were going to stay."
"Which I am not," she reminded him.
"Which you are not," he repeated, his hand absently smoothing the peak of his hair.
"It all sounds quite wonderful," she admitted. "I'm sure that most people who come here stay."
"Everyone who comes here stays," he corrected her.
"What's that?" she asked, not sure she heard him correctly.
"At least since I've been in charge of recruiting," he clarified. "Not one person has ever chosen to leave."
"Oh," she said, the surprise evident in her voice. "I'm sorry to hear that," Serendipity continued.
"Why is that?" Corey asked, looking directly at her now.
"Because I should hate to be the one to ruin your perfect record."
"Then don't be," he said smiling.
For a moment, Serendipity lost herself in his eyes, and she began to wonder what it might be like to stay--to make her dolls in the North Pole, to work for St. Nicholas, to play with the reindeer and enjoy the sunshine, perhaps even to be friends with Corey, who seemed to be much more intriguing than she initially thought. And as she began to ponder the slight possibility of giving it a go, he asked another question.
"Do you think your family would like to come?"
And the window slammed shut.
"I haven't a family," she replied, turning away from him.
Corey realized his mistake only a moment too late. Of course, he knew she didn't have a family, knew what had happened to them. He was so used to asking the question, it slipped out before he could stop himself. She had turned away from him, but he could see she was wiping away tears. He had been so close, almost had her, and then this blunder. He had likely ruined his chances. He slipped his hand into his pocket and felt the ice-cold glass flask he had received from Ingrid. He had been hopeful he wouldn't have to use it. Now, however, it seemed inevitable. They were approaching the edge of the dome, and he knew he only had a few more moments to talk her into staying. Sure, there would be other chances once they landed, but the carriage ride was always where he was most successful at convincing recruits to stay. He needed to think of something to say--something intelligent--and do so quickly. Finally, he said the only phrase that seemed to make any sense at all. Placing his hand gently on her shoulder, he said quietly, "Serendipity, I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have said that. I wasn't thinking.?I apologize."
It took her several moments to respond.?She had been swiping away at tears, absently wondering how long it would take for them to freeze.?The feel of his hand on her shoulder brought her back out of the abyss.?She turned to face him, and whispered, "Thank you."
He smiled at her, but this smile was different. While still charming, it seemed sincere.?It was as if he truly felt her pain and understood what it must be like to have lived with her consequences every day for these past eight years. She took a deep breath and looked away, leaning back in her seat, and Corey removed his hand as she did so, taking the reins in both hands now. They rode on, both lost in the solace of their own minds.