“You know what I was thinking?” I turned from my laptop screen to face Austin with a tiny smile on my face. We were sitting on the pull out couch; he was leaned back into the back of the couch looking through his phone.

“Mmm?” I questioned.

“What if Christmas morning we went to the Aspire & Create store and had kids who didn’t have a place to spend Christmas with come?”

My eyebrows rose as I looked at him, surprised he had said that.

“Is that a bad idea?” He asked looking up from his phone.

“No!” I said catching myself. “No! Not at all, I was just surprised you said that.”

“So you think it’s a good idea?”

“Yeah! Of course!” I smiled leaning over to kiss him.

“Alan just texted me, they just got to the hotel.”

“Mmkay.” I said with a smile turning back to the computer.

Tomorrow we would meet up with Alan and Maddie and I would show them around town more. The funeral had passed but Austin had loved Vermont so much so far, he had wanted to stay a bit longer and had invited Alan and Maddie out to join us for a couples vacation and to help me get my mind off the death my of grandmother.

He had been so thoughtful in the last week, constantly making sure I was okay and helping my mom out around the house whenever he could. He and my mom got along great, which made me so happy
and I couldn’t wait for Alan and Maddie to get here.

The next day we got up early and drove over to the little bed and breakfast I had recommended to Alan. He and Maddie came out of the building as we pulled up and hopped in the back seat.

“How does anyone live here? It’s so fucking cold!” Alan cried rubbing his hands together in the hopes he’d be able to warm them up.

“It’s not that bad!” I laughed. “It’s only like 32 degrees.”

“Only 32?” Alan asked with disbelief as I pulled away and headed towards town.
“How was the flight?” Austin asked leaning over his seat to talk to the two of them.

We had lunch together and then spent the afternoon shopping in the little shops in town. After dinner we rented skates and went to the little ice rink that was put up in the middle of town every year.

Maddie and Alan were down at one end of the rink goofing off and trying to push each other over, their laughter carrying out over the rink.

“It’s so beautiful here.” Austin said stopping short right in front of me.

“I know. I love it here.” I said with a smile looking up at the big ski mountain in front of us. Austin’s
arms wrapped around my body from behind and I smiled. “I skied there once.”

“Oh yeah?” He laughed, his chest rippling against my chest. “What happened?”

“The snow was super fluffy and I had never skied in that before. It was really hard, I lost my glove. I ended up taking off my skis and walking down the mountain, losing one of my favorite gloves in the
process…my grandmother had to come and pick me up.” I giggled recalling the story.

“I like being here, Rae.” Austin said after a few minutes making me turn to face him.

“Really?”

“Yeah, it’s just so you. It’s nice seeing this.”

Smiling I leaned up and kissed him.

“Hey! You want hot chocolate?!” Alan screamed to us making us turn towards him and Maddie.

We got off the ice and got four hot chocolates from the little vendor that was near the rink. Maddie and I took a seat on a bench while Austin and Alan started an all-out snowball fight.

“They’re so ridiculous.” I laughed. “They’re like little kids.”

“I know!” She said smiling.

“Hey, Maddie?” I asked looking over at her. I couldn’t hold back anymore. I had to know the truth.

“Did I do something to you?”

“What?” She laughed. “No.”

“I’ve just gotten the impression you don’t like me.” I confessed. Realization struck her features hard
and she smiled sadly.

“I should be honest.” She admitted slowly and I braced myself for her answer. “When we first met, I
thought you were trying to get with Alan…”

“What!” I laughed almost letting hot chocolate come out of my nose.

“I know.” She said letting a chuckle of her own escape. “Ridiculous, right? But then I realized you and
Austin had a thing and I felt really stupid. But I had to keep up my act because it would have been
weird if all the sudden I was just happy go lucky.”

“Understandable.” I said laughing and taking a sip of the warm liquid.

“I’m really sorry.” She said. “I hope we can be friends?”

“Of course!” I said pulling her in for a hug she didn’t expect. “I’ve never wanted any weird emotion between us! Especially since those two are dating anyway.” I said with a laugh gesturing to Alan and
Austin who were now wrestling in the snow trying their hardest to white wash the other.