We line up our sleds side by side, the boys counting down with exaggerated enthusiasm. At “Go,” we push off, speeding down the pristine hillside. The cold air whips past, stinging my cheeks, but all I can focus on is James beside me and how his laugh carries over the snow.
He hits the jump, catching impressive air before landing smoothly. I’m not so lucky. My trajectory is off, and I hit the edge of the jump, sending my sled into a wild spin before tipping over. I tumble into a snowbank, snow flying up around me.
Before I can even catch my breath, James is there, kneeling beside me. “You good?”
“Show-off,” I mutter, brushing snow from my face.
“Jealous of my sledding dominance?”
“As if.” I scoop a handful of snow and fling it toward him, but he catches my wrist as gently as he did that night in the sunroom.
For a heartbeat, we stare at each other, our faces inches apart.
His eyes, in the bright morning light, shine as green as summer leaves, searching mine with a look so endearing that when I open my mouth, I laugh so hard I snort. The loud, horribly unattractive sound that escapes only when I’m genuinely, truly happy.
“I’ve been wondering how I could hear that sound again.” James smiles, brushing snow off my face.
With my free hand, I grab a handful of snow and shove it down the back of his jacket.
He jumps up, pulling his layers away from his body. “You'd better run, or I can’t say what I might do in response.” Mirth shines in his eyes.
We spend the next hour racing down the hill in various combinations—sometimes competing against each other, sometimes with the boys, once with Jules insisting on riding toboggan-style with all of us piled onto one large sled, resulting in a spectacular crash that leaves us all rolling in the snow with laughter.
As the morning wears on, the boys’ energy flags. We gather around Jules’s blanket, passing the thermos of hot chocolate.
“Best day ever,” Leo announces solemnly, his cheeks rosy from cold and excitement.
“Seconded.” James raises his cup in a mock toast.
Jules checks her watch. “As much as I wish we could stay, Grandma needs help with dinner.”
Begrudgingly, we pack up. With the boys running ahead with Tom, Jules falls in beside me, while James stays behind, rummaging in his backpack.
“Are we still pretending nothing is going on between you two?”
My head jerks up. “Jules—”
“Don’t Jules me.” She holds up her hands. “I’m saying what I see. I’ve never once seen you look at my brother the way you spent the last hour looking at James.”
“You need to get your eyes checked.”
She studies me for a long moment. “Okay, Syd. Keep lying if you need to. But this was one of the only times all week you looked likeyou. Not the tired mom version, butSydney Wallis, the woman I know. The one who glows like she’s lit from the inside. You want to know the other time? The sunroom. Dancing.”
She squeezes my arm gently before jogging ahead to catch up with Tom and the boys.
I trudge alone to the cars, holding tight to the warmth still burning in my chest. James comes up beside me and hands me a small bag.
“It’s for Anna. I saw it yesterday and thought of her.”
My heart twists as I take the small package. Nestled inside is the softest little ladybug, its hazel eyes lined with thin golden rings.
“The eyes,” I whisper, not realizing the words had escaped.
“Same color as hers.” He pauses. “Exactly like yours.”
Warmth floods my cheeks, and I can’t help but wonder if my eyes are flashing now, the way he described yesterday.
“Why are you giving this to me here?” I finally tear my eyes from the toy.
