"Shh," Heather whispered.
"Don't let grandma see us," everly replied.
Everyone else was skiing except for Owen, Teddy, Everly and Heather. Heather had a bad ear infection over Christmas and ruptured her ear drum, Annie and Josh had decided that even though the infection was gone it was safer for Heather not to ski this time. Heather was disappointed but Owen and Teddy had promised a fun snow day. They no longer skied more than one day of the ski trip finding that as they got older it hurt more after and they had as much fun playing with Everly. Nisha and Faroke were coming up that night for New Years and Nisha, who still didn't ski, would stay at the cabin with Everly and Heather.
"It's on the top shelf," Heather groaned.
"Pick me up," Everly suggested, "on your shoulders."
"Why," Heather asked.
"I can reach it with my extendable arm," Everly stifled a giggle.
Heather crouched and Everly got on her back she reached with her crutches for the container Teddy had hidden the chocolates in. She was able to hook her crutch around it and wiggle it to the edge when Owen found them.
"Girls," Owen asked.
"Hi grandpa," Heather smiled.
"What are you doing," Owen questioned.
"Nothing," Everly replied.
"Really," Owen asked, "your crutch is around the candy container. Ev want to try that again?"
"We were pushing it back, it looked like it was going to fall," Heather tried to lie.
"Nice try ," Owen chuckled, "leave the candy container alone."
"We weren't," Heather argued.
"Girls," Owen asked, eyebrows raised.
"We didn't do anything I promise," Everly replied.
"Ev get down lets each have one then we'll go for our adventure," Owen promised.
"Where are we going," Heather asked as Owen reached into the candy container and pulled out three treats, he silently handed one to each of the girls.
"You'll see," Owen smiled, "go get dressed. You need sweatshirts and warm socks."
"What's going on," Teddy asked as Everly crawled quickly down the hall leaving her crutches behind.
"Nothing," Owen shrugged.
"You have chocolate on your teeth," Teddy laughed.
"We did nothing," Owen smirked.
"You, are, trouble," Teddy giggled.
"So," Owen shrugged.
"Being a grandparent really softened you Major Hunt,' Teddy teased, 'or old age."
"Old age," Owen asked, "who are you calling old Major Altman?"
"We are Hunt," Teddy sighed.
"I am," Owen agreed.
"I'm older Owen," Teddy replied, "but we did it. Three kids, a life together, five grand kids."
"It's good Teddy," Owen replied, "come on we were going to take the girls to drive through and walk the fairy forest."
"They're getting old for it but I think they'll like it," Teddy replied, "I have their snow gear do we have the toboggan for Ev?"
"We do," Owen assured, "she might not need it if the paths are cleared."
"I'd rather have it than you carry her or her fall," Teddy argued.
"We have this year and one more," Teddy started.
"With Allie home ya," Owen said, "and she's talked about wanting to go away out of Seattle for residency. Annie went to UBC then Harvard, Leo went to Stanford then Texas and she stayed. I think they should go if she matches out of town. It's time for them to spread their wings."
"It is," Teddy replied, "I just don't want to see them go."
"I know," Owen sighed, "a year before we have to worry though."
That afternoon Allison, Josh, Leo, Ellie and Cartrina came back into the cabin wet and cold.
"Mom," Everly shouted, "can we go swimming."
"Let your mom warm up a bit," Asher suggested.
"What did you do today," Allison asked as she hung her wet coat and snow pants near the fire.
"We went to the fairy forest and for a pony ride," Everly beamed.
"Mom Dad," Allison asked.
"We said we had them for the day don't question us," Owen said, "we wanted them to have fun two so riding and the fairy forest was perfect."
"And lunch," Heather said, "we had burgers."
'That sounds like a good day," Allison agreed.
"How was your day," Teddy asked.
"Good," Allison said, "I had a wipe out and my knee hurts. It's not dislocated or anything major just bruised."
"Do you want to go sit in the hot tub," Teddy suggested.
"Maybe," Allison said, "I think ibuprofen will help."
"Are you alright," Teddy asked.
"I will be," Allison assured, "I think I'm also tired. We were up a couple times with Ev."
"We heard," Teddy replied, "that hasn't happened in a while."
"It's down to about once a week," Allison answered, "how was she today?"
"Happy," Teddy assured, "Allie you've done a good job. She's a good girl."
"We're not done yet," Allison said, "we have that court date in 5 days."
"You'll win," Teddy assured, "you will be fine."
"I hope so,' Allison replied, 'it has to go well for Ash's sake. Mom it's killing him."
Teddy nodded.
"Can we go swimming,' Everly asked.
"After dinner,' Allison promised, 'I'm cooking tonight with Ellie and Catrina."
"You three oh no," Teddy joked.
"We've gotten pretty good, " Allison said, "I'm still the attending, they're my senior residents and Heather and Ev are the interns."
"Okay," Teddy laughed, "the first time you did it it didn't go well."
"I was like 4 months pregant," Allison said, "I was tired, hormonal and feeling left out."
"I know," Teddy replied, "what are you making?"
"You'll see," Allison smirked, "get your wine and stay out of the kitchen."
"Okay," Teddy laughed.
"Does that apply to me bean," Annie asked.
"Yes get out," Allison laughed.
Ellie and Catrina joined Allison in the kitchen and Catrina turned the music on.
"So Lettuce Wraps, chicken and veggie stir fry, rice, and ginger beef and frozen sweet and sour pork," Ellie said, 'what do we need to do?"
"Cut up all of the veggies," Allison said, "we have to do that first. And heat the oil for the spring rolls. I bought frozen ones."
"Okay," Ellie replied, "I guess I have veggies to chop."
"We all do," Allison replied, "Ev can you go find dad and ask him to grab my water bottle from the truck?"
"Yep," Everly replied.
"You okay Allie," Catrina asked.
"I have a lot going on," Allison admitted.
"What can we do," Ellie asked.
"Be here," Allison replied, "and I need a baby sitter on the 5th for Ev but you're both back at school so that doesn't help."
"I don't go back until the 7th," Cat replied, "I can."
"That would be great," Allison replied, "we have to go to court with his parents that day and I need Ev with someone she loves."
"We'll go have fun," Catrina promised.
"You're not driving," Allison replied, "you had an accident two months ago and a speeding ticket last week.'
"I was rear ended, it doesn't count," Catrina replied.
"Fine," Allison huffed.
"We'll be fine,' Catrina replied, 'so married life? Two years is it all it's cracked up to be?"
"Two and a half and yes," Allison replied.
"Better than being single," Ellie agreed.
"Reliable," Catrina said.
"Loving," Allison replied, "it's hard to explain."
In the living room Annie sat with Teddy and Megan, "remeber the first time they did this?"
"They got so mad at eachother and Cat was asking all sorts of out of line questions," Megan remembered, "I grounded her for that. It took me everything I had not to spank her."
"You've never spanked your kids," Teddy gasped.
"Faroke and only once," Megan replied, "he was six and he beat up another child and I did what the people around me said and spanked him and his little face I couldn't do it again. I sat that night and realised I had hit him for hitting and that didn't make sense. The next time he hit another kid I told him to hit me after and he seemed to learn. I will never forget the look on his face the one time I did. It was only a little swat on his butt but still."
"I've wanted to," Annie admitted, "when they push my buttons but I used to hate it as a kid."
"Who spanked you," Teddy asked.
"Leslie and her parents," Annie replied, "grandmere got me with a spatula spoon once."
"A wooden spoon," Megan asked.
"Dad, Chris and I were up at the fish camp and I went to grab a piece of bannock off the griddle and grandmere swatted my hand away with the spatula she was using. She did it to all of us when we interfered with her cooking she'd swat in your direction with the spoon but she only made contact a once or twice with all of us. Leslie's grandma used her cane, great grandma's cane hurt.'
"You got caned,' Megan gasped.
"Just once on the backs of my legs I was 5," Annie replied, "dad was livid."
"They spanked you," Teddy said.
"The 90s were a weird time," Annie shrugged.
"Mom you remember the 90s," Matt asked.
"I was born in 1990," Annie replied.
"So grandma," Matt asked.
"I remember them well," Teddy smiled.
"The fashions were odd," Megan replied.
"The weird outfits in my little kid photos how did you not want to tell them to pick better clothes," Annie asked.
"You were adorable," Teddy replied, "I loved the pictures. I was happy with any picture of you."
"What were the 90s really like," Matt asked.
"I was Ev's age," Annie replied.
"It was an interesting time,' Megan said, "I was in school then almost as soon as they ended we were in Iraq."
"You never talk about it," Matt said.
"I don't like to Matty," Teddy said, "grandpa and I do with each other but it's hard. We lost a lot of people we really cared about."
"I just saw this movie about the Iraq war," Matt said, "they showed an army doctor making an operating table out of a blow up truck."
"Grandpa did that one time," Teddy smiled.
"He worked with a lady but they were dating," Matt said.
Megan laughed, 'everyone thought they were but they didn't until like 10 years later."
"1o years and two kids," Teddy smiled.
'Your girls," Megan smiled.
"Was it as cool as the movie," Matt asked.
"No," Teddy replied, "it was terrifying. Matt I can't describe it and I'm not going to try."
"Grandma," Matt asked.
"No Matt," Teddy said, "not today. I'll talk about my years in Germany but I won't talk about Iraq. Matt it's very hard for me to talk about and there's things about that time I hope you never have to know."
"What the movies show are the exciting moments," Megan replied, 'the glamorous parts but Matt that's a very very small part of it. And we can't talk about it, there's parts of it I have never told anyone. Just keep in mind that the movies show a very small picture of what happened."
"Okay," Matt replied, "but the truck operating table was grandpa?"
"He did something like that,' Teddy said.
"I remember that," Megan smiled.
"Mom I'm hungry," Everly complained in the kitchen.
"Have some peppers," Allison offered.
"Can you carry me," Everly asked.
'I can't and cook," Allison replied, "but we will have lots of snuggles later."
'I'm tired," Everly said.
"I know you didn't sleep well last night," Allison replied, "you can go sit with Grandma or Auntie Meg or Auntie Annie."
"I want you," Everly whined.
"I know," Allison said, "you can sit here with us but I'm cooking."
"Mommy," Everly whined.
"I'll finish up Allie,' Ellie offered.
"Quick hug then I have to finish up," Allison said, lifting up Everly who laid her head on her mom's shoulder.
"Hey," Allison whispered, "you're okay. I know you're tired and worn out. Relax princess."
"I got her," Asher said, joining them in the kitchen.
"No," Everly whined.
"Ev,' Catrina asked, peeking around Allison's shoulder, "you want to sit with me munchkin?"
"Mommy,' Everly tried.
"Okay,' Allison said, "I guess Cat and Ellie are going to have to cook."
"We've got it," Ellie assured.
Allison held Everly closer, enjoying that her daughter still wanted snuggles and to be held.