Page 43 of Reindeer Flames
CHAPTER 22
HART
April stretched into May,and our weather improved drastically. The snow melted and the bushes in our backyard sprouted green leaves, and then beautiful pink and yellow blooms.
Instead of staying in the den for my calisthenics and yoga, I took the eggs outside, setting the basket on the little stone stoop. While I knew the babies couldn't see me working out, I hoped they understood how important physical fitness was to me. I stayed fit for more than my job. I loved everything about my physical body, and I enjoyed pushing it to new limits of speed and endurance. Too many people I knew, including my granddad, had ignored their bodies outside of training season, and he'd retired early because of it.
My dad had also retired early to become part of the worldwide logistics team the Santas created when they realized how stressful the team position was. Santa 30 had offered the position to Jax Donner first, since he'd done such excellent work, but Donner had just started his family and wanted the extra time off at the beginning of the year.
I appreciated the time off, as well. Spending the warm spring days with the eggs was the highlight of my vacation. While Iknew they couldn't see the bees flitting around the willows, I hoped they could hear their buzzing wings.
"Fancy finding you here," Santa called through the wrought-iron gate leading to the front yard. "I have that book Silver wanted."
"Hello!" I picked up the basket, resting one handle against my hip so I could reach through to take the book, and then open the gate for Santa. "Thank you. He has so many questions about the vault."
"It's the perfect place for a nest, I hear." He winked. It should have freaked me out to know he was always watching, but it never seemed inappropriate. Santa was just … Santa.
"Would you like to come inside to see it?"
"Oh, no. I'm late to try some new cookies at the bakery. I considered taking the book over there, but I have a feeling Silver would have forgotten it."
"Forgotten it?" That sounded unlike my conscientious mate.
"You'll see. Have a good day, and enjoy your little ones. They grow so fast! So fast." I stared after him as he closed the gate and walked back to the lane.
"That was weird, right?" I asked the eggs as I carried them back inside.
A few hours later, movement caught my eye. At first, I thought something on the television screen must have popped up, but when I went back five seconds, I didn't see it again. I kept the show paused. It was a lesson I'd already watched about overcoming confirmation bias.
I stared at the paused screen, anticipation mounting in my gut. Did we have a mouse in the house? It was the wrong time of year for it, but anything was possible.
The next time it happened, I heard it before I saw anything. A rustling sound. I peered into the basket, and the purple eggrocked gently from side to side, the scalloped shell catching on the blanket and making the sound.
"Ooh!" I grabbed my phone from the side table and closed the video screen to pull up my text messages with Silver.
"The purple egg moved!"
"I'll be right there!"he responded almost immediately.
He arrived fifteen minutes later, out of breath as though he'd run from the hub. "Santa said I might need to leave early, so Gold was on phone duty," he said. "Has anything else happened?"
"Not yet."
"Aww. I can't wait to meet you, little ones!" Silver bent down over the basket, and the opalescent egg shook.
"They're both moving!" That was me, Mr. State the Obvious. Now that Bopp wasn't here to make fun of me for it, I didn't care. I'd been telling our eggs every little mundane thing since I'd started egg watch in January. Why would I stop now?
"We're going to have so much fun!" I said. "Daddy's going to feed you all the sensible foods, and I'm going to stuff you full of cookies whenever he's not looking!"
Silver rolled his eyes. "That is not what we agreed. I'm going to stuff them with cookies. You're the health nut."
"Nuts are healthy," I whispered over the top of the purple egg. "Even your daddy's."
Silver blushed and shook his head. "Already teaching them things that will get them kicked out of nursery school."
"Who me?" I batted my eyelashes. "I've already taught them how to regulate their emotions, and how to do fractions."
"Nobody taught you about child development, apparently." Silver scooted closer to me and kissed my temple. "Let's get them upstairs to the vault."
