#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.

anything or go anywhere, so the whole city will take a break. Everyone will stay home and have

with excitement as I pull myself out of bed. “Come on,” I say, heading for

do today. I am pleased by the prospect of it – they’ve only had one snow day before, on

shoveling down his cereal at

had sent him a

be fine –

bright, distracting me from my phone. “And Uncle

hesitate at this one, and he sees

Alvin pleads, Ian

mama,” Ian says, his eyes wide. “We just want to spend our snow

It’s their day, after all. I

Evelyn: Are you up?

I breathe a sigh

sorry. Just woke up. Very groggy today – but I’m fine. I’m sorry to have

you are better. Snow day today! The boys want

have to wait long for

captain.

looking like two happy little marshmallow men in their puffy snow suits. As promised, Victor and

more than Evelyn thought possible. The boys spend half their time outside getting so cold and wet that they can’t feel

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

out the window, as the sky starts to grow dark. Then, wrapping a blanket around her shoulders, Evelyn goes outside. “Come on, boys!” She

are tired – the boys all trudge

Alvin off with their gear and begins to prepare their

Alvin asks, watching

would like you to,” Evelyn says, looking at

grabbing his plate and carrying it into the living room, where their grandfather is watching the news on television. Alvin follows eagerly after. Henry, earlier in the day, had asked to be transferred into his favorite comfortable recliner.

careful, you two,” their grandfather says, eyeing their plates suspiciously. “I don’t want you to drop

won’t!” Alvin says,

to fast to drop any,” Ian says, and indeed, the boys

sit together peacefully for a while, watching TV, when Ian catches Alvin’s eye.

we have some of the tea that Uncle Rafe made for papa? We want to be

“We want to be like

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