By Sarah Beauregard and Johannie Dufour / Translated by Katya Teague
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Once upon a time, in the town of Mount Christmas, a couple from the big city had recently arrived. They鈥檇 come to visit a re颅lative who lived at the local retirement home. Courtney and Lewis were in a great mood as they walked up to the reception desk at the Mount Christmas Motel.
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The pair talked excitedly with the clerk as he looked for their reservation. When he handed Lewis the keycard, he advised that the couple write down 鈥淒-8鈥� since the room number wasn鈥檛 written on the card. Then, he wished them a pleasant stay.
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The tourists thanked the clerk and went to park their car in front of their room. Carrying a heavy suitcase, Lewis was just about to slide the keycard through the slot when the door opened to reveal a young woman holding a baby.
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鈥淨ue faites-vous 脿 ma porte, monsieur?鈥� she asked in French, sounding confused.
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鈥淯h鈥� sorry, I don鈥檛 speak French,鈥� Lewis stammered.
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鈥淭his is our room,鈥� Courtney said slowly and clearly. She pointed to the keycard and then to the number on the door. 鈥淯hm, notre place,鈥� she tried.
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The French woman shook her head as she pulled on a pair of boots. Wrapping a blanket around herself and the baby, she stepped outside and closed the door. Using her own magnetic keycard, she unlocked the door without a problem.
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The woman closed the door again and looked at Lewis, pointing to the card in his hands. Lewis understood, but when he inserted his keycard, the door wouldn鈥檛 budge.
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鈥淢a chambre,鈥� said the young woman, smiling.
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鈥淚 still don鈥檛 understand,鈥� Lewis muttered.
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Just then, a bright red bird landed on Courtney鈥檚 suitcase. It was Octave, the magical cardinal who watched over Mount Christmas. Since the bird spoke several languages, he offered to translate.
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With Octave鈥檚 help, the French woman introduced herself as Sandrine. She explained that when she heard a car pull up outside, she thought it was her husband, Laurent, who鈥檇 gone to buy milk. This had been their room for the last three days, she added.
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Lewis and Courtney confirmed that they鈥檇 also been assigned to room B-8. Perhaps the motel had made a mistake and rented the room twice. Leaving the luggage at the door, the group headed to the reception desk to find out what was going on.
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鈥淏-8?鈥� the clerk said incredulously after Lewis explained the problem. 鈥淪ir, I think you misunderstood. Your room is D-8.鈥�
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Embarrassed, the couple apologized to Sandrine, who laughed and said it wasn鈥檛 a big deal. They thanked Octave for his help and returned to B-8. Sandrine waved from the door as Lewis and Courtney got back in their car and drove over to the right room.
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The next day, the couple headed to the retirement home where Courtney鈥檚 grandmother lived. They found her playing cards with another elderly woman, a young man holding a baby and鈥� Sandrine!
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Surprised, the French woman greeted the couple and explained to her husband that these were the people she鈥檇 met the day before.
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鈥淲hat a coincidence that our grandmothers are friends,鈥� exclaimed Laurent, who spoke English since his grand颅mother, whom he鈥檇 come to visit, grew up in the area.
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鈥淲ow, what are the chances?鈥� Courtney shook her head in wonder.
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The newcomers joined the group, and they all enjoyed each other鈥檚 company so much that they decided to celebrate Christmas together.
