#Chapter 116 – Snow Day

“Mama.”

I blink, my son’s little voice waking me what feels way too early on a Tuesday morning. “Mama, wake up,” Alvin says again.

“Baby,” I murmur. “What time is it?”

“It’s 5 o’clock,” he says, and I groan, turning my head back into my pillow.

“Come back later, baby,” I say. “Mama’s still sleeping.”

“But mama,” a new voice says. My other son. My other demon, I think, cruel in this moment as my sleep is stripped from me. “Mama, it has snowed.”

At this, I open one eye. “Really?” I ask, curious. My two boys are there, looming over me, nodding their sleep-touseled heads excitedly. “How much?”

“Sooooo much!” Alvin shouts, spreading his arms wide, as if to encompass all the snow in the universe.

“Buckets and buckets of snow!” Ian says, laughing and jumping to his feet, bouncing on my bed.

I laugh with him, unable to help it, and sit up to peer out my window. I gasp at what I see.

The boys are right – at least two full feet of snow cover the landscape. The trees are heavy with it, their boughs sinking towards the ground under their alabaster burden.

“Oh my god,” I say, turning wide eyes towards my boys and pretending a seriousness I don’t actually feel. “Boys, you know what this means right?” I keep my face grave.

“What.” Ian says as he stops bouncing, suddenly worried.

“Can’t we go make a snowman?” Alvin says, equally concerned.

“It means,” I say, ominously. And then, quick as a snake, I snatch each of them by the waist, yelling and pulling them down to the bed. “Snow apocalypse! Snow day forever! So much snow we’ll never get out!”

The boys laugh hysterically, riotously, as I tickle them – kicking and screaming with the pure simple joy of a little boy’s snow day.

I laugh along with them, newly excited for the day. I lay back against my pillow, still laughing, but let them catch their breath.

“What does it really mean, mama,” Alvins says, catching his breath first.

snow for anyone to do anything or go anywhere, so the whole city will take a break. Everyone will stay home and

on,” I

only had one snow day before, on Christmas, and today is their first real snow. I want them to do it

shoveling down

I had sent him a text last night, but so far

wake up. The doctor told me you’ll be fine – you just

grandpapa?” Alvin asks, equally bright, distracting me from my phone. “And Uncle Rafe and Mimi

this one, and he sees

Alvin pleads, Ian joining

wide. “We just want to spend our snow day with our

sigh. “Fine!” I say, acquiescing. It’s their day, after all. I tap

Evelyn: Are you up?

I breathe a sigh of relief as a reply

– but I’m fine. I’m sorry to have

It’s okay. Glad you are better. Snow day today! The boys want everyone to participate, so get your butts out in the

don’t have to wait long for a

captain. All hands

like two happy little marshmallow men in their puffy snow suits. As

being a lovely affair, with everyone getting along more than Evelyn thought possible. The boys spend half their time outside getting so cold and wet that they can’t feel their fingers anymore. When that happens, they come inside to be wrapped in

their every whim. If they want to sled, they sled, with Archie chasing them down the hill with every pass. When the boys want to build a fort and have a snowball fight, he orders the Beta team to build the most impressive fort they can against them. Then, Victor and

wrapping a blanket around her shoulders, Evelyn goes outside. “Come on, boys!” She calls to the three.

chagrin – for they are tired – the boys all trudge in, again soaked to

with their gear and begins

eat with pop pop?” Alvin asks, watching her spoon macaroni

like you to,” Evelyn says, looking at Alvin curiously out of the corner of her

after. Henry, earlier in the day, had asked to be transferred into his favorite comfortable recliner. Ian climbs onto one of its wide arms and Alvin onto the

their plates suspiciously. “I don’t

says, smiling

and indeed, the boys shovel the food into their mouths at

sit together peacefully for a while, watching TV,

that Uncle Rafe made for papa? We want to be good chess

to

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