Winter Wonderland

seventeen: winter walk

*

It took a while for things to settle down after Gray's announcement. Breakfast turned into a mix of a quickfire quiz – When did they find out? (Two week ago.) When's it due? (Start of August.) Was it planned? (Surprisingly, yes.) – and an emotional mess, when Jen cried and that made Navya cry so of course Gray ended up in tears. Even Tad got teary-eyed when Gray teased him about how he'll be a grandad before he's forty-five.

I don't know what the plan was for today – if there was one, it's gone out the window now. After breakfast, Jen whisked Navya away to a coffee shop for a ladies' talk and Tad and Gray went for a walk together so Storie and I have ended up on Jasper duty. He's very easily amused. There's not much to it.

"I can't believe it," Storie says as she digs out a coat and wraps a scarf around her neck. We're heading to the beach, because what else do you do in thirty-degree weather? "I mean, I kind of can, considering everything I've walked in on them doing." She laughs. "But wow. They're going to be parents. That's just ... wow."

"You're gonna be an auntie," I say as I wrestle Jasper's feet into boots that he's struggling to wrangle on his own. "Hey, Jaz, you're gonna be an uncle!"

"Aw," Storie coos as she rifles through a box of hats and gloves to find a pair that'll fit her brother's hands. She comes up with a pair of mini mittens and says, "Such a tiny little uncle."

"I'm a big boy!" he argues, holding his hands up so Storie can put the gloves on for him.

"Okay, well, big boys wear hats and scarves because it's pretty freaking chilly out there, so wrap up," she says, handing him a scarf. I've borrowed one of hers, her scent wrapped around my neck, and I pull on a fur-lined hat. Because I'm a big boy too.

*

It's fucking freezing outside. It must be five degrees colder by the water than it was at the house because the air feels like icicles, every breeze dragging its knuckles across my cheeks like nails on a chalkboard, and I can barely talk, my teeth are chattering so hard.

"Why did we come here, again?" I ask, trying to take the smallest steps possible along the sand so my legs can keep each other warm. I was walking hand in hand with Storie, until Jasper decided he wanted to walk between us and hold both our hands, so we look like a family right now.

"Because it's good to get fresh air," Storie says through clenched teeth, her shoulders hunched to ward off the cold. "And Jaz wanted to come to the beach." She looks down at her little brother. "Why did you want to come to the beach in this weather, Jaz?"

"I like the beach!" he cries out, throwing his hands up. Storie snags the opportunity to swoop him into a cuddle, stealing the warmth of his little body for herself.

"Two more minutes," she says, "and then we're going home and making hot chocolate."

Even two minutes sounds too long. I'm sure my balls have shrunk back into my body and my nipples are frozen and I know it's not that cold, respectively, but I'm built for warmth. Give me ninety degrees over this shit, any day.

When Storie lets Jasper down, he finds a stick and delights in drawing in the sand. I sidle close to her, slipping my arm around her waist, and lean down to press my cheek to hers. She laughs.

"I get it, it's cold," she says, lacing her gloved fingers with mine.

"This was a terrible idea."

"At least the house will feel a million degrees warmer when we get back," she says, rubbing her cheek against mine before turning her head to kiss me, turning her body to hug me.