6:20 P.M — Harry
"Where'd the two of you run off to?" My mum asked, with a smirk on her face as she joined me on the couch. Peter was curled up against my lap, his LeapPad keeping him busy.
"Oh, we just went for a walk." My mother was much smarter than I gave her credit for.
"Of course you did." I knew my smile was giving my lie away, my dimples always did. "Cheeky boy." I chuckle and shake my head.
"I don't know what you're going on about, mum. I really haven't the slightest clue."
"Mhm." Her hand reaches over me and her fingers run through Peter's scruffy bangs. I look down at my son.
"Pete, why are you not wearing your jumper? What happened to it, mate?" He shrugs and his blue eyes gaze upwards. I'm still very unsure as to why he and Rosie both ended up with these big, incredible grey-blue eyes. I'm not normally the boastful type, but Nora and I made two gorgeous kids. We really did. "Bud, it's snowing, why don't you go put something on."
"Do I have to?"
"I'd like it if you did, yes." He groans and I nudge him up. As he saunters away, my mum turns to me, more seriously this time.
"Is Nora alright, love?"
"Why do you ask?" She has a look of uncertainty in her eyes.
"She just seems...off, I suppose." I inhale and exhale, deeply.
"She's...she's going through some stuff, mum."
"Anything I can help with?" I'm torn, because she's my wife, and I'm not sure whether it's breaching privacy to fill my mother in, but if anyone could really help Nora, it'd be Anne. I mean, she really loved her like she was her own daughter, and I admired that. They got on amazingly. But Nora had confided in me. That had been between the two of us, and only the two of us.
"Maybe." I lean over and kiss her cheek. "Let me speak to Nora first, yeah?"
"Alright, darling." We both stand up. While we were gone to the guest house, someone had gone around and cozied up the huge home. The fireplaces were all alight with soft, warm flames...candles were burning, and the smell of both baking and cooking filled every room. Upon walking into the kitchen, Eric had baby Sam, who quite literally slept his little infant life away. Lara was at the stove, and Nora, Lola and Rosie were all rolling cookie dough with their hands.
"Help us make cookies, Uncle Harry!" Lola says the moment she sees me. Eric shoots me a good luck look and I roll up my flannel sleeves.
"Welcome to the party, baby." Nora greets me with a sweet kiss.
"M'glad to be here." Just before I can ask where the rest of the group is—Elijah, Nick, a second trimester pregnant Gemma and Michal—they walk into the kitchen. The guys are bundled up, and Peter is behind them.
"Dad, they're going to sledding, can I go?" He asks, walking up to me and gripping the bottom of my shirt. I look to Nora and she nods. Lola and Rosie both step off their stools and hop up and down, saying that they want in.
"Why don't you go with them, we'll finish up in here?" Nora suggests, and it seems like a good enough idea. Rosie, as I nod, jumps into my arms and I sit her on my hip.
"Alright, let's go get dressed, Rosie-Posie." Lola follows us. "You too, Lolo." Luckily, we don't have to go far. Just on the other side of the house, there's a large hill that rolls into a meadow of sorts, perfect for sledding. Nora sends me off with a smile, and Eric follows us up stairs.
Nora.
Dinner was in the oven, cookies were in the refrigerator, ready to be put in the oven, and I was tightening my faux shearling coat, ready to go meet everyone outside. Well, not everyone. Anne, Gemma and Lara opted to stay inside with Sammy, who I believe was still sleeping—to no one's surprise. The frigid air hit me as I opened the back door, but the sound of hollering and laughter made me slightly warmer inside. When I saw them, I smiled. Harry was getting ready to slide down with both Lola and Rosie. I wolf-whistled at him as my dad wrapped his arm around my shoulders.
"You guys having fun?" I ask and he laughs.
"It gave me a good ol' rush of adrenaline. You gonna try it?"
"Hell yeah, whenever a sled becomes available." I wait for a few minutes, mainly for Harry as he treks up the long and fairly steep hill. When he finally does, I'm pulled into his arms as he kisses me. His lips are like ice, but I enjoy every lasting second.
"Take a ride with me, baby?" I nod and he has me sit down in front, while he brings me flush up against his crotch from behind. The ride is fast, faster than I had anticipated, but it's terribly fun. He and I both roll off when we're down at the bottom and he rolls me on top of him. "This thing is too cozy, and the snow will ruin it."
"Aren't you just the sweetest!" I mock, playfully, before smooching him. We stand up together and I brush his backside off.
"Hey...come here." I take a couple of steps towards him. "Mum asked if you were alright...do you want me to tell her? Or would you mind if I told her?" I don't exactly know what to say. "I just feel like...dunno, she loves you and she's good at stuff like that. I feel like she could help." I shrug my shoulders, not knowing whether I agree with him or not.
"I don't know, Harry..."
"It's fine if you want me to keep it just between us, but...yeah, I don't know."
"The last thing I want is for her to think that I'm being...overly-emotional or something."
"She'd never think that, Nora. She loves you."
"She could love me and still think that."
"She wouldn't think that." I make my decision, and I'm sure it's the right one.
"I don't want her to know, Har...please. I don't want anyone to know." He nods. "Dep—" I lower my voice, though no one is around us. They're all at the top of the hill. "It's not something I'm proud of, and it's not something I want to flaunt. You're my husband and I love you and I trust you. But it's no one else's business, not even your mom's."
"I won't mention it again, okay?" I hug him.
"You know I love her so much...she's been there for me through everything since my mom passed away and she's the closest thing that I have to mother, I just don't want her to know that I'm feeling this way. At least not now. Maybe, you know, a little ways down the road, when I have a handle on it...I wouldn't be against telling her." I feel the heat of his breath against my hair. "I know how hard the holidays are now, with Robin gone. I don't want to give her anything to worry about." I pull out of his grasp now and tug him back towards the hill.
"Are we going again?" He jogs after me, catching my hips in his hands.
"Of course, we're going again." The snow was falling steadily and I had sprinkles of it dusting my hair and eyelashes. As we waited for our next turn, he gazed down at me.
"You...are positively adorable. My little snow bunny..."
"Your snow bunny?"
"Yes, Nora! My snow bunny. My S.L.S.B."
"I'm sorry, your what now?"
"My sexy little snow bunny, obviously." I giggle at his ridiculousness.
"I do hate you sometimes, I really do." He laughs with me. Before we can take our turn again, Lara calls to all of us, regarding dinner being ready. I grab my snow-covered Rosie and Harry lifts Pete onto his shoulders, while Lola and Eric grab the sleds and Elijah, Michal and Nick follow.