Page 108 of Into the Mountains
“I promise.” She turns to me and wraps her arms around my waist.
“Pretty soon you won’t be able to reach around there,” I joke.
“You’re right. The little one won’t let me eventually.” She takes her hands back and lays them over her stomach. I follow her lead and place both of mine over hers.
“Alright, Elias, move aside for Auntie Avery.” I step around to Charlie’s side, my hand coming to rest at her lower back as she takes my place to fawn over the baby.
“As long as Hudson lets Aunt Charlie take that sweet baby from his arms.”
“No chance in hell, Char.”
“Hand her over, Hudson.”
Maybe Charlie didn’t need a baseball bat. She just needed to mention holding his baby and that’s all the ammunition she needs. I don’t think I’ve ever seen Hudson so reluctant to do anything.
But he reaches his two-month old daughter out to Charlie, who coos over her instantly. “I’m setting a timer for five minutes. As soon as that goes off, you’re giving her back.”
“Alright, deal.” She pauses and stares down at our niece for a few seconds before looking up at her friend. Her sister. Even though we aren’t really all related in any way now, by marriage or otherwise, we are all still a family. Avery and Charlotte were a family before this town and they’ve fit right in since they’ve come here. We are all better off for it.
“Avery, she is absolutely beautiful.”
“You say that every time you hold her.”
“I know, but it’s true. She’s the perfect little mix of both of you.”
She sleeps soundly as Charlie holds her. That is, until her other aunt arrives and startles her awake. Her blue eyes shine, but the dark hair is all her father’s. She’s mostly unbothered by it though and goes right back to sleep.
Hudson’s timer goes off and like he promised, he wastes no time coming to grab Sunny. His sister beats him to it though. “Sky, I had a timer.”
“And? You get time with her all the time.”
“You get five minutes.”
She rolls her eyes, but doesn’t argue. I leave Charlie’s side for a second to shake Jacob’s hand. “Thanks for coming.”
“Wouldn’t miss it. And if you need a kitten for the little one, I just so happen to have a mom who is ready to give birth any day. Would be ready to go home by the time the baby is born.”
“Okay, you and Ethan need to stop conspiring against me. At this rate, you shouldn’t have wasted all the money on an expansion considering I’m taking all the animals.”
He laughs and pushes further. “It would be perfect though, just putting it out there.”
Putting it out there.Sure.
“It was supposed to be a bit smaller, but I think Hudson got carried away,” I hear Charlie say.
“Actually, you can definitely blame me.” Hudson tries to stop Avery, but she waves him away and turns to Charlotte. “I know you wanted something small, and it still is small, I promise. I just invited the people you love and who love you so much to celebrate. But the way you’re going to find out is perfect.”
Charlie doesn’t say anything. She just pulls her friend in for a hug and they stay like that until both of them have tears streaming down their faces. Hudson’s timer goes off again and he gathers Sunny back into his arms. I can see his shoulders relax, the tension leaving his body in waves.
“I hope that timer means the party is getting started now that we’re here.” Fran’s voice comes from the side of the house where she and Cordie are slowly making their way to the back.
“We could never start without you.”
“You’re too sweet lying to two old ladies, dear,” Fran says as she walks to Charlie and pats her gently on the cheek. She sits in one of the open chairs and rests her cane next to her. She had a fall a few months ago and broke one of her hips. It’s been harder for her to get around, but her companion, Mr. Camp, the head of the local ski lodge has been helping her more recently, eventhough he’s been around a lot over the last six years since they started seeing each other.
“No, you mean they wouldn’t actually start without us,” Frank says from the back porch, his parrot—also named Frank—perched on his shoulder, and his wife, Bea, on his other side, holding his arm.
I walk to the porch to help them down. “Never in a million years. We wouldn’t be here without you two.”
