He bolted to the balcony faster than I could follow his mind. I sat up and saw him standing in frozen awe at the glass door.
“It’s snowing!” Ben stared at the white clumps that fell all around the building, landing on the balcony.
Not only was it snowing, but it was sticking awfully fast. I checked my phone, expecting to see some random cold front alert of an unexpected storm rolling in. Instead, my weather app said it was 48 degrees.
What the hell?
“Can I see it?” Ben asked, feet dancing with antsy anticipation as he held the sliding door handle.
Every cell in his body wanted to touch the snow, taste it on his tongue, feel it between his fingers, but he knew the rules. Ben needed permission before stepping out onto the balcony, and only if one of us was home. Sheamus never counted as a chaperone, no matter how protective the dog was.
I nodded to Ben’s request, and he rushed outside, shivering immediately at the snowflakes landing on his skin. Sheamus joined him, biting at the air to catch snowflakes. Charlie meowed and ran to the back of the penthouse to escape the chill that entered the house. Carlie, on the other hand, held her ground, laying on the top of the couch and thumping her tail with annoyance.
“I know, I know,” I said to her, grabbing one of the throw blankets for her to bundle up with. “How dare we humans make this home less accommodating to your delicate needs.”
Carlie let out a groaning meow, then kneaded the blanket before cuddling up for warmth.
I joined Ben on the balcony, folding my arms to stay warm and standing under an awning to avoid the snowflakes. It was odd. The weather seemed far too warm, and I swore there was a sliver of sunlight cutting through the nearby clouds.
My pocket buzzed, and I retrieved my phone.
“Hey, guess who got off work just in time for a snow day?” Milo’s voice was particularly cheery. “Bring Ben to the park.”
“Ugh, it’s probably not going to last that long,” I said. “By the time we’re dressed and ready and downstairs, then walk to the park, it’ll all be melted.”
“Not a chance. Consider it a clairvoyant guarantee.”
Milo hung up before I could further protest.
Reluctantly, I got ready. It didn’t take much to convince Ben or Sheamus. Ben held my hand, skipping through the snow while Sheamus pranced beside him, imitating the human joy.
Thankfully, we had a nice park a few blocks away, perfect to bring kids and play at.
By the time we got to the park, the snow was sticking everywhere. Milo stood on a nearby hill, waving a hand and calling us over. He had sleds.
“How the hell did you manage to get sleds this quickly?”
Milo smiled. “I had a hunch.”
“It’s a big hill.” Ben’s eyes widened as he watched other children plunge down the kiddie hill.
“Me and Sheamus will keep you safe.” Milo slapped his face against the dog’s, showing off their matching scars, and somehow soothing Ben with the reminder.
Milo and Sheamus were twins now. They were strong, and they’d always be there to protect Ben. He didn’t have to fear the world with Milo nearby, he didn’t have to worry about beingalone with Sheamus at his side, and he didn’t have to miss his family with me around.
I turned away, eyes watering slightly as those thoughts filled Ben’s mind. I took a lot of pride in how much Ben had grown to trust us, love us, but I still worried for him so much. Every little thing needed to be perfect. I didn’t want to fail him any more than the world already had.
Milo and Sheamus took turns riding down the hill with Ben. Each of them helped steady the sled so it’d go faster than the others and jump ever so but always land with ease. Ben laughed and screamed and ran up the hill again and again. It wore Milo out pretty quickly.
By his tenth trip, Milo tapped out and took a break while Ben and Sheamus continued.
I let my mind wander as I took in the snowy park, cheering children, and serendipitous snow day.
The thoughts of a nearby woman called out, her mind fixated on the perfect temperature as she channeled her magic.
“Did you seriously hire a Weather Witch?” I turned to Milo, who had the goofiest grin, then tried to blink away his surprise.
Weather Witches were rare and almost exclusively hired by the government. It was one of the most useful cosmic magics in the world, and with their sophisticated skillset, they helped avert many natural disasters by taming the weather. They’d push hurricanes back out to sea, rain down thunderstorms on out-of-control fires, and bring the sun to carve through deadly blizzards.
