Page 27 of Blame It On the Secret Santa

Eighteen

Sean

“Okay, where to next?” I asked as I looked down at both of my nieces holding my hands. I had no idea how I had gotten roped into this, but I also found that I didn’t mind one bit. While my relationship with my brother was strained, there was a love deep inside of me for these two little girls and I wasn’t about to let my issues with him taint my new relationship with them.

“Can we go feed the reindeer again?” Carly asked, looking up at me with blue eyes that mirrored mine.

“I think the reindeer are too full to eat anything else right now,” my mom said from behind us.

I glanced over my shoulder to find her with her phone pointed at us as she took a picture.

“I’m tired of not having the memories I want to cherish,” she explained with a stern look, not that I was going to object. If anything, I would be sure to find somewhere festive where the girls and I could sit so she could get a better picture. Then, I would bug her until she printed a copy for me to hang proudly in my house.

“We could go get some lunch,” Stephanie suggested as she and Declan walked beside my parents.

It felt weird being at Frosty Fest in general, but even more so being there with my entire family. We had plenty of people stop us to say hi and meet Declan’s girls, but it was almost as if the past twelve years had passed in the blink of an eye.

“That’s not a bad idea,” Declan agreed. “They turn into little monsters when they get hungry.”

The girls started giggling as he reached forward and tickled their sides.

“I’ll get Joceyln, and you get Carly. Whoever gets there last is a rotten egg,” he said, nodding to me. I had no idea what he was talking about, but then he reached down and pulled Jocelyn onto his shoulders. She laughed even harder as he held onto her hands to keep her steady.

“Oh, we’re racing now?” I said, surprised by the joy that was pushing a smile across my face. “You ready to beat them?” I asked Carly, looking down at her as I realized I was unsure how to get her on my shoulders without hurting her.

“Here, let me help you,” Stephanie offered, clearly seeing the dilemma I was facing. I bent down, waiting as she carefully put Carly on my shoulders. Following Declan’s lead, I held onto her hands and made sure she was steady.

“On your mark. Get set. Go!” my mother said, squealing as I almost bumped into her to get around my brother.

It was too packed in the mall to be doing this, but the way the girls were laughing kept me from caring. We zoomed in between tables, neither of us sure where to go.

“Over there,” Carly instructed, pointing to a sign with a chicken wearing a hat.

“You got it!” I held her tightly as I weaved around a few tables and then jumped into the line before Declan could.

“Sucker,” I teased, glancing over my shoulder as he came up behind us, out of breath like I was.

“You cheated.”

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