Page 55 of Twins for the Silver Foxes

“Family.” Liddy shot us a look, then scanned the yard. “Lots of family.”

Of course. I swallowed the lump of emotion balled up in my throat and worked on following Liddy’s orders.

Hannah and Arthur carried on a conversation out of earshot, both of them noticeably relaxing by degrees as they spoke. Megan had joined us for dinner again last night, and for the first time, she kept her temper in check and almost seemed to enjoy herself. It was agony waiting for the other shoe to drop, the moment she decided she’d had enough and made it her mission to destroy Arthur again. But it never came.

“Hey, Liddy.” Scott finished his snowman and slapped powder from his hands. “Have you ever been sledding?”

Her nose scrunched in an exact replica of Hannah’s when she found something disturbing. “Nope.”

“Want to try it?” Scott dragged the sled out from behind the swing and pointed. “We can go down the hill.”

We’d tested it already to make sure Liddy would be safe. The low hill offered enough speed to be fun but was slow enough that we could maintain control of the sled.

Hannah walked up behind Scott and hugged him. “I’ll go.” She rested her chin on his shoulder. “Wow. I’ve never seen the city like this.”

I turned to follow her gaze. The valley below us stretched out for miles, our mansion on the hill offering a crisp view of the city covered in snow. Lights twinkled, winking in and out as a cool wind whipped down the valley. “It’s like being in a snow globe.”

Hannah smiled her agreement. “It truly is. Alright. Who’s sledding first?”

“How about a race?” Scott grabbed the handle of another sled. “You and Ryland, versus me and Liddy?”

“Deal.” She slapped him on the shoulder and hauled the sled toward me.

Liddy scrambled to climb onto the sled and giggled when Scott dragged her around the yard for a few minutes before lining the sled up at the top of the hill and climbing on behind her. We shot down the hill at a decent speed. Hannah gripped my knees and leaned into my chest. Her laughter lifted my spirits more than any sound had the right to affect me. I relished every pop of joy and every giggle from her and Liddy. They were the only bright spots in my life aside from my friendship with Scott and Arthur. Soon, we’d be adding two more to our group.

As soon as we reached the bottom, Liddy jumped up from her seat. “Again, again!”

“Let’s make snow angels instead.” I hopped up and walked over to a clean patch of snow, falling over backward in the soft landscape.

Liddy squealed and ran over to join me. “Me too. Me too.” She fell onto her back and waved her arms and legs. “Look, Mama. I’m a snow angel.” She ended up throwing more snow than a puppy, but it brought out a smile in Arthur, and that was always a win.

Snow angels complete, we trekked back up the hill and rode down in the sleds a couple more times. Frigid air burned my cheeks and I laughed until my ribs ached, but I’d never felt more alive. Every day with Hannah and Liddy was a blessing. This time next year, we’d be preparing for one year old birthday parties and our first Christmas with the twins. My heart galloped at the thought that we’d created our own little family.

“Mama, can we make cookies and hot chocolate?” Liddy licked her chapped upper lip and pushed her furry hood away from her forehead. She’d changed so much since we first met, in her speech as well as growing from a toddler to a little girl in such a short span of time.

Hannah’s teeth clacked together and she rubbed her arms. “Great idea. I’ll make Dad’s famous Christmas cookies.”

“The frosted sugar ones?” I spun Liddy around by the arms and plopped her into a pile of snow, sending it spraying up into the sky. “You know the recipe?”

“Of course. We make them every year.” Hannah held out a hand to Liddy. “It’s tradition.”

Liddy skipped ahead of us into the house and had already removed her snow boots and coat by the time I closed the door. She ran into the kitchen and climbed onto a stool. “Me and Scott can decorate.”

Scott arched a brow. “We can, huh? What if I want to eat all the frosting?”

“Then you’ll get a tummy ache.” Liddy rubbed her belly. “Mama says so.”

“That’s right.” Hannah moved with her usual grace to the stove and began preparing homemade hot chocolate. She pointed the bar of chocolate at Scott. “No cheating, either. Liddy’s tried everything, but none of it works on me.”

Scott made a perfect pouty face, sticking out his lower lip and scrunching his forehead. “Aww, but it’s Christmas.”

“Precisely why I don’t want anyone getting sick.” She turned back to the stove and added the chocolate to the milk as it warmed. “Ryland, will you grab the flour, sugar, and eggs please?”

I jumped up to do her bidding and hauled Arthur over when he hesitated in the doorway. “Don’t be an ass,” I whispered under my breath. “Try to enjoy yourself.” He opened his mouth, an objection rising in his eyes. I punched his shoulder and he snapped his teeth together. “It’s not Hannah’s and Liddy’s fault nor is it yours. You deserve to smile and laugh. It’s Christmas for fuck’s sake.”

Arthur’s nod was almost undetectable, but he followed me to the pantry anyway and helped carry cookie ingredients over to the kitchen island.

“The trick is to mix everything by hand.” Hannah pulled an apron over her head and tied it behind her back. The baby bump poked out a tiny bit, and it took my nails biting into my palms to keep from pulling her in for a kiss. She might not mind, but we’d decided to keep things casual when Liddy’s around. “Dad always said that cookies, especially Christmas cookies, are made with love.” She pushed her sweater sleeves up to her elbows then measured out flour and sugar in separate bowls.

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