Page 75 of Bear Creek Valentine
All five heads nodded in agreement as the bell rang, and Orrin opened the door.
“Welcome friends. Come on in.”
Dash and Aiden stepped inside carrying multiple bags of wrapped gifts and a grocery sack filled with ice cream. The kids jumped up and down, shouting “Uncle Dash! Uncle Dash!”, and surrounded the pair to scent them. Orrin finally intervened.
“If you go wait by the Christmas tree, we’ll be there in just a minute, all right?”
The cubs ran off to the living room and Orrin gave Dash and Aiden a quick scenting of his own.
“They’ve been talking about this all week. I can’t tell you how much it means to them.”
Both men smiled and Aiden revealed their secret.
“Dash is already an experienced uncle, and I’m still in training. The truth is, we enjoy spoiling them.”
“Honestly, they need some spoiling, so it works out for everyone. I also want to thank you for the soft mats you sent over for the basement floor. Now that they’re playing indoors more of the day, I don’t have to worry as much about bumps and bruises.”
Dash was particularly pleased.
“Exactly. Aiden thought it would be safer and keep their feet warmer down there, too.
While Orrin had their attention, he shared a quick update.
“I’ve received several inquiries about the cubs, and at least some may have new homes soon. I expect more to take their place since the nearest BSA house is over capacity.”
Aiden somehow managed to look both delighted and sad at the same time.
“I’m sure they’ll be happier with families of their own, but it must be really difficult for you to get attached and then have to say goodbye.”
Orrin shrugged.
“I’m not looking forward to it, but I knew this was part of the job. We better get in there before they decide to come looking for us. Let me take this to the kitchen, and I’ll be with you and the kids in a minute.”
Orrin put away the ice cream, part of their dessert later on, and joined everyone in the living room. The cubs were all wide-eyed with anticipation, wondering what their honorary uncles had brought with them. Evidently, they’d helped decorate the Christmas tree; covered with homemade ornaments, paper chains, and strings of popcorn. Fortunately, the lack of symmetry was overshadowed by its charming authenticity. Several wrapped gifts already resided underneath—probably things Orrin had purchased for them.
Aiden and Dash consulted with him ahead of time regarding gift ideas. The list purposely didn’t include candy or food items. The cubs were used to foraging in the wild—eating anything edible and without concern for others. Gradually, Orrin was teaching them about regular meal times, sharing, and good table manners. Most had wandered alone in bear form before being brought to the Cub House, and learning how to live in their human skin took time and patience.
Orrin instructed the cubs to sit on the floor in a big circle and wait until all the presents were distributed. Aiden and Dash began handing them out until each had a pile of their own to open. Most of the gifts were things any child might enjoy, though some were specifically suggested by Orrin for particular cubs. They wiggled and giggled with curiosity, and the sheer number of presents caused more excitement than what might be hidingbehind the pretty paper. To prevent spontaneous combustion, Orrin didn’t make them wait any longer than necessary.
“Okay, I want each of you to pick one and then open it on the count of three. Ready? One, two, three, GO!”
Aiden stifled a laugh as the sound of ripping paper competed with the pleasant rumble of seven shifters purring up a storm, including Dash. Ooohs and ahhhs mixed with squeals of delight and radiant smiles as the cubs expeditiously opened all their presents first, without paying much attention to what they were. Curiosity was hard-wired into the ursine psyche, and the kids simply couldn’t stand not knowing.
Once the paper came off, they examined each of their gifts and then demanded to know what everyone else got, too. There were books, simple games, handheld toys, stuffed animals, stickers, bath bubbles, combs and brushes, building blocks, warm socks and sweaters, and puzzles—among other things. Each child also received a backpack for outdoor fun or for hauling their stuff around.
While the kids were busy with their loot, Dash placed one additional gift for each cub, and several for Orrin, under the tree. The kids noticed and asked what they were for.
“Well, if you open everything now, there won’t be any gifts under the tree on Christmas day. Now you and Orrin have something to look forward to.”
Orrin hadn’t expected any gifts from his friends, and their generosity meant a great deal. He directed the children to pick up all the paper, which they tossed in a big garbage bag, and then reminded them to thank Dash and Aiden for the presents. Of course, they rushed at the pair en masse, giving hugs and shouting over one another in a jumble of limbs. Orrin rescued his friends by redirecting the cubs’ attention to dessert.
“Who wants cake and ice cream?”
The entire lot of them thundered out of the room like a herd of wildebeests, leaving a shocking silence behind them. Orrin took advantage of the opening with a loaded question.
“So, are the two of you planning on having kids someday? I might know someone who could help with that.”
Dash huffed a couple of times and Aiden grabbed his hand for a squeeze.
