#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.

down today,” I say, shrugging. “There’s too much snow for anyone to do anything or go

out of bed. “Come on,” I say, heading for my door. “Let’s go make our snow day

the boys ask a million questions about what they’ll do today. I am pleased by the prospect of it – they’ve only had one snow day before, on Christmas, and today is

Ian asks, shoveling down his

him. I had sent

told me you’ll be fine – you just need sleep – but I’m worried. Please

distracting me from

this one,

pleads,

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

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

Evelyn: Are you up?

few moments later and I breathe a

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

better. Snow day today! The boys want everyone to participate, so get

to wait long for

Aye aye, captain. All hands on

the yard, looking like two happy little marshmallow men in their puffy snow suits. As promised, Victor and his family are there, ready for

by 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

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 the boys together assault the Beta fort and the Betas, Evelyn sees, graciously

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

a bit of chagrin – for they are tired – the boys all trudge in, again soaked to the bone with

with their gear and begins to prepare

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

at Alvin curiously out of the

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

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

says,

eat to fast to drop any,” Ian says, and indeed, the boys shovel the food into their mouths at an almost-alarming

together peacefully for a while, watching TV, when Ian catches

“Can we have some of the tea that Uncle Rafe made for papa? We want

“We want to be like the Russian grand

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