Chapter 48: Salvation, Part 3

"There's something else, my dear," Mrs. Claus said, her hands resting on her knees. A smile played around her rosy cheeks as she took a deep breath and continued. "As you may know, in my former life, I was a schoolteacher."
"Oh, yes," Serendipity nodded. "I had heard that was the case, though I imagine that was several years ago, seeing as though you've been Mrs. Claus for all of these years." Serendipity responded, wondering where this conversation was going.
"Did you know, darling, that there are many other intelligent, famous, successful, well-known people who also struggled their whole lives with the tasks of reading and writing?" Mrs. Claus continued, leaning forward to look more closely at the young lady.
"What?" Serendipity asked, glancing from St. Nicholas's smiling face back to his wife's "Whatever do you mean?"
"Oh, yes! People like Leonardo de Vinci, who had a habit of writing backward, George Washington, who was never much for the pursuit of academics, and even your beloved Hans Christian Anderson--all of them struggled to read and write, much like you, but their creative minds allowed them to think so differently than others, which helped them become the successful legends they are today." She stood then, and walking over to Serendipity, she put her hand on her shoulder, and looking her in the eye, she said, "You see, my child, though this difficulty has always been an awful burden to you, I think, perhaps, it is, in fact, a gift. And with the right type of work, we can teach your brain to read and write. And along with the other talents you so obviously possess, I think you, too, will someday be a legend, just as those who have overcome this divine obstacle before you."
Even as Serendipity listened to the words of this sweet, loving woman, she could feel the tears coming down her face. "You mean, all this time, I struggled with reading and writing because there's something different about my brain not because I'm stupid?"
"Oh, no darling, far from it," Mrs. Claus assured her, smoothing her hair with the delicate touch of a mother. "You are extremely intelligent, my love, and I know you can learn to read, if you will allow me to teach you. May I?"
"You want to teach me to read?"
"Yes."
"And write?"
"Yes."
"And you think I can learn?"
"I know you can, darling. What do you say? Can we give it a go?"
Serendipity burst into tears then, with the familiar phrase. "Oh, yes," she said, throwing her arms around Mrs. Claus's neck. "Oh, however shall I repay you?"
"There's no need, child. Just stay here and make your dolls for the children of the world, and that shall be thanks enough," Mrs. Claus assured her.
"Now, Serendipity," St. Nicholas interrupted, pulling himself to the edge of his chair, "if you feel up to it, I believe there is a young man waiting outside that door to speak to you."
"Oh, yes," Serendipity replied, suddenly remembering how desperately she wanted to speak to Corey. With one last fond look for Mrs. Claus, she leapt up out of the chair, the magical hot cocoa restoring her health entirely, scooped up Pozzletot, who had also recovered nicely, and with a last courtesy of thanks to her host and hostess, she propelled herself out the door.
Corey was waiting in the great room outside of the cozy study, near the globe, his hands thrust deeply into his pockets.
"Hello," he said quietly as she slowly approached. "How are you feeling?"
Serendipity smiled at him shyly. "Well," she relied. "I am feeling quite well now, thank you."
"Good," he responded. She stopped a few feet from him, still holding Pozzletot in her hand. "And your mouse friend?"
"Oh, Pozzletot is just fine," she assured him. "I think he was more frightened than anything else." She glanced down at her little friend who was chirping away in excitement at seeing the delightful Christmas decorations all around them. She kissed him lightly on the head and then tucked him back into her coat pocket so that she may have the use of both hands, though once she had done so, she found herself interlacing her fingers in front of herself, not sure how to continue the conversation she needed to have with the gentleman standing in front of her. After several moments of nervous silence, she said, "I'm so sorry I ran off in such a tizzy. I must have frightened you as well."
"Well," Corey replied, shrugging his shoulders, "I wasn't sure where you had gone. I couldn't find you anywhere. The only thing I could think to do was to return to the barn and ask for assistance from Snowshoe and the from Rudolph."
"It was a wonderful idea," Serendipity assured him. "If you hadn't thought so quickly, who knows what might have happened to me. It was so cold up there on the mountain. Even in the cave. I think I might have frozen to death if you hadn't found me."
"Thank God that didn't happen," Corey remarked, his eyes showing just how much he meant those words. "If anything should have happened to you, Serendipity, I wouldn't have been able to live with myself."
"I know," she replied, placing her hand gently on his arm. "Believe me, I know. The weight of a guilty conscious is enough to stifle every last dream and destroy every last hope. I shouldn't wish that upon you for anything in the world, Corey."
"Then, you realize, at last, sweet Serendipity, that you should no longer carry the burden of what happened to your family?" he asked, removing her hand from his arm, and holding it in between his own as if it were a precious relic made of fragile glass.