Page 68 of When in December

I rubbed the back of my neck. “I don’t know what to do with kids.”

“They aren’t that tricky, Aaron. Stick them in front of the television if you must. Their tablets are packed in their stuff, too, if you get desperate. Let them play games. They’re self-sufficient—mostly. Except for Gavin in some cases.”

“In some cases?” I asked.

“Make sure he doesn’t wander off and that he doesn’t stand too far away from the toilet bowl when he has to pee.”

“You have got to be kidding me.”

“Their pajamas are in the bag for when they fall asleep. They really shouldn’t give you any problems.” She bit her bottom lip. It might be the first time I saw the beginnings of my sister about to beg. “I’m not asking the world of you right now. Let the kids spend time with their uncle they’ve barely met. I’ll be back in the morning to get them.”

I heard the crunch of snow behind me. I’d forgotten that I hadn’t closed the mudroom door.

I knew who it was by the way my sister’s eyes widened. “You got a dog?”

“No,” I said before promptly correcting myself. “Yes. I don’t know.”

She raised an eyebrow at me so high it would soon disappear into her hairline. “You don’t know?”

“It’s …”It’s Vassar’s dog,I was about to say. Instead, I glanced down at Oz. “Yeah. Guess so.”

“Is he … safe?”

“No. You should probably take the kids and leave now before he starts going completely insane.” Right now, Oz looked more likely to take a roll in the snow. I waved a hand at him, and he went frolicking to the closest tree to take a piss. “He’s fine.”

“Are you sure?”

I stared at her and raised my eyebrows this time. “Don’t you need to unload your precious cargo and get out of here?”

Sarah glared before turning to the car, waving through the window. “Liana. Gavin! Grab your stuff and get out of the car and inside Uncle Aaron’s!”

The side doors of the car burst open. Out tumbled a small glob of a boy in a navy-blue puffer coat. He nearly fell over twice before he tugged his overnight duffel bag, which was as big as he was, out from under the back seat. He lugged it through the snow by the handle before his eyes widened at the cabin.

The Christmas lights hanging from the gutters were on since it was still dark.

“Whoa!” Gavin exclaimed, dropping his things. He took off toward the house. “This is like Santa’s house!”

Sarah picked the abandoned overnight bag up and brushed it off. She extended it to me.

Taking the bag, I hiked it over my shoulder, adjusting my stance for the weight, feeling the pressure down my hip. How much was inside this thing? Did this kid pack bricks?

My sister turned to her daughter, slamming the car door shut. I had met Liana a few times before. Now, she was twice the size. Tall, with her dark hair twisted back into a complicated braid. She looked nearly identical to how I remembered my sister when we had been kids.

“Mom,” Liana moaned.

“I’ll be back in the morning,” my sister repeated to Liana.

She swept her daughter up in a big hug. After she pulled back, the little girl pressed her lips together. The look must’ve been genetic.

“Be good,” Sarah warned, then turned to look up at me. “You be good.”

“I’m nothing else,” I said.

Sarah glanced between me and the kids again as if she was already starting to regret her decision. “Keep them safe.”

“Here I thought, I was going to take them out bear hunting.”

“Aaron,” Sarah warned.

---