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We wait until she comes back with a large blue-glazed glass orb. It’s so big, she has to use both her hands to hold it.
“You can open the top,” she says, unscrewing the top half of the globe. “You can put in chocolates, holiday cards, or any little surprise inside the ornament, and hang it up on the tree. On Christmas morning, the kids can have some fun while they’re opening their presents.”
“We can put a ring inside it too,” Jacob says, picking up the ornament.
Kai and I exchange a look and grin. Jacob pretended to overthink about proposing to Winter but he’s just as desperate as us to keep her with us.
“We’ll take them all,” I tell the shopkeeper.
“Oh, wow! Thanks!” she says, her eyes lighting up with excitement. “Give me a couple of minutes and I’ll pack them up for you.”
I pop a chestnut in my mouth and savor the sweet, nutty flavor. It’s been a while since I’ve felt this happy to be out with my brothers.
“Let’s put these in the car and come back for some crepes,” Jacob says as the shopkeeper places about a dozen boxes on the counter for us.
“How about we skate too?” Kai suggests, scooping a couple of boxes in his arms.
“Sure,” I say, excited by the prospect of skating again.
“We should do this more often,” Jacob says as we head toward the parking lot. “Other than work stuff, we rarely hang out anymore.”
“We have to thank Winter for bringing us together,” Kai says with a warm look in his eyes. “Without her, we’d never hang out like this outside of work. She makes our bond stronger.”
I nod, agreeing with him wholeheartedly. Popping another chestnut in my mouth, I desperately wait for her to come back to us.
It’s late in the afternoon when we finally hear from Winter. Putting my coffee cup down on a bench, I pick up her call.
“Hey, are you okay?” I ask breathlessly.
“Yeah, I’m all right,” she says in a relaxed tone. “What about you guys? Have you gone back home?”
“No, we’re still in town,” I reply, glancing toward my brothers. “We’re hanging out at the fair. It’s starting to get crowded again, so if you’re still looking forward to skating, you should come here right away.”
She chuckles. “I’m planning something else for you guys. Wait for me by the benches near the tree, okay? I’ll get there in fifteen minutes.”
Before I can say anything, the call disconnects abruptly.
“What’d you think she’s planning?” Kai asks as soon as I put my phone away.
I shrug. “Whatever it is, I’m sure it’ll be fun.”
“Let’s wait right here until she finds us,” Jacob says as he glances down at his watch. “After that, we’ll go wherever she wants to take us.”
“You should’ve asked where she was,” Kai says, crushing his coffee cup. “We could’ve picked her up.”
“Just be patient,” Jacob says in a grim tone. “You don’t want her to feel like she’s being controlled by us all the time.”
“I’m not trying to control her,” Kai says with a hurt look in his eyes. “I just want to see her sooner.”
Slapping his back, I wrap my arm around his shoulders. “Don’t worry about her. She’ll be here soon.”
Raucous laughter erupts around us as a couple of school kids amble onto the scene. They’re all holding lit cigarettes as they giggle uncontrollably.
“They don’t even look old enough to be driving,” Kai mutters, glaring at them.
“Forget about them,” I say, choosing to ignore the loud brats.
“They’ve probably skipped school to be here,” Jacob says, watching them as they gather around a nearby bench.
