don’t you and the kids go on up and use it? That way you won’t have to come back tonight, and you can have a full day’s skiing tomorrow.”
“Oh, but—”
“No, no buts. We insist,” Zinnie said, digging into her capacious handbag and hauling out a ring of keys. Sorting through them, she found one and removed it, then slapped the key into Sharon’s hand. “There. It’s yours. Go ahead and enjoy.” She explained how to find the chalet, and then added, “But listen, what plans do you have for the kids once you’re back at work? What do they do?”
“I have a woman who comes in. She’s really nice and they like her.”
“Okay, but I have a better idea. What if we meet you up there tomorrow afternoon, and then stay on with the kids until the end of their Christmas vacation? We normally go up there for a few days at this time of year and spend New Year’s Eve quietly on our own in the chalet. We’d really enjoy having the kids with us, though, wouldn’t we, Harry?”
He beamed. “You bet! Hey, it’s a long time since we’ve had kids up there. Come on, Sharon, say yes.”
The two children stood there, big, dark eyes, pleading with their mother, silently urging her to agree.
“But that’s a terrible imposition!”
“Mom!” Two pained voices rang out.
“Imposition, nothing. We’ll have a ball.” Zinnie frowned. “Unless you don’t feel you know us well enough yet to entrust us with your children. It’s okay, dear. I understand.”
“No! No, of course it’s not that, Zinnie. After all we’ve been through together, those terrible days and nights of waiting for Jeanie and Max to be found? I feel I know you as well as I know my sister. Certainly I trust you with my kids, but it just seems like an awful lot to ask of you. They’re very active and will wear you out.”
“Hah!” said Freda with a sniff. “these two never wear out.”
“It’s true, Sharon.” Rolph swung an arm around her, bumping her up against him in a brotherly fashion. “They ski circles around me every time we hit a mountain together. If I didn’t have to fly to Lisbon tomorrow to look at that ketch for a client, I’d be joining them, and believe me, there’s more than enough room for two little kids. Come on, whaddaya say, sis?”
“Ohhh!” Sharon felt tears flood her eyes and blinked hard to clear her vision. “You people are so darned good to us! Thank you. We accept.”
“Great! Then we’ll see you tomorrow afternoon. Don’t bother packing any groceries except fresh stuff like milk and eggs. The cupboards and freezer are full, and we expect you to help yourself like any of the rest of the family. Understand?” Zinnie said.
And then the McKenzies were gone in a flurry of kisses and hugs and thanks. Sharon leaned back against the door and stared at her kids. “Wow!” she said. “What a super new family Aunt Jeanie brought us, huh?”
“Yeah,” Jason said, his face aglow. “It’s just like having a grandma and grandpa must be, huh, Mom?”
She nodded and turned away quickly so he wouldn’t see the new spurt of tears in her eyes. There had been many times over the past nineteen years when she had missed her own parents so desperately, she didn’t know how she’d make it through another day. And now, it seemed, her sister’s in-laws were going to make a very big stab at filling that huge gap in her life.
“Come on,” she said. “Roxy, you collect up all the hats and gloves and goggles. Jase, you bring the skis up from the basement. I’ll get the rack on top of the car. If we hurry, we can be on the slopes before lunch.”
“Mommy, this is the best Christmas ever,” Roxy said, leaning on her mother as they rode up in the chair lift. “I’m a good skier, now, aren’t I?”
“You sure are. Better than last year. Here we go, time to dismount.” Together they skied off the lift and headed down the hill after Jason, who had been in the chair ahead. Roxy was better than she’d been
“Oh, but—”
“No, no buts. We insist,” Zinnie said, digging into her capacious handbag and hauling out a ring of keys. Sorting through them, she found one and removed it, then slapped the key into Sharon’s hand. “There. It’s yours. Go ahead and enjoy.” She explained how to find the chalet, and then added, “But listen, what plans do you have for the kids once you’re back at work? What do they do?”
“I have a woman who comes in. She’s really nice and they like her.”
“Okay, but I have a better idea. What if we meet you up there tomorrow afternoon, and then stay on with the kids until the end of their Christmas vacation? We normally go up there for a few days at this time of year and spend New Year’s Eve quietly on our own in the chalet. We’d really enjoy having the kids with us, though, wouldn’t we, Harry?”
He beamed. “You bet! Hey, it’s a long time since we’ve had kids up there. Come on, Sharon, say yes.”
The two children stood there, big, dark eyes, pleading with their mother, silently urging her to agree.
“But that’s a terrible imposition!”
“Mom!” Two pained voices rang out.
“Imposition, nothing. We’ll have a ball.” Zinnie frowned. “Unless you don’t feel you know us well enough yet to entrust us with your children. It’s okay, dear. I understand.”
“No! No, of course it’s not that, Zinnie. After all we’ve been through together, those terrible days and nights of waiting for Jeanie and Max to be found? I feel I know you as well as I know my sister. Certainly I trust you with my kids, but it just seems like an awful lot to ask of you. They’re very active and will wear you out.”
“Hah!” said Freda with a sniff. “these two never wear out.”
“It’s true, Sharon.” Rolph swung an arm around her, bumping her up against him in a brotherly fashion. “They ski circles around me every time we hit a mountain together. If I didn’t have to fly to Lisbon tomorrow to look at that ketch for a client, I’d be joining them, and believe me, there’s more than enough room for two little kids. Come on, whaddaya say, sis?”
“Ohhh!” Sharon felt tears flood her eyes and blinked hard to clear her vision. “You people are so darned good to us! Thank you. We accept.”
“Great! Then we’ll see you tomorrow afternoon. Don’t bother packing any groceries except fresh stuff like milk and eggs. The cupboards and freezer are full, and we expect you to help yourself like any of the rest of the family. Understand?” Zinnie said.
And then the McKenzies were gone in a flurry of kisses and hugs and thanks. Sharon leaned back against the door and stared at her kids. “Wow!” she said. “What a super new family Aunt Jeanie brought us, huh?”
“Yeah,” Jason said, his face aglow. “It’s just like having a grandma and grandpa must be, huh, Mom?”
She nodded and turned away quickly so he wouldn’t see the new spurt of tears in her eyes. There had been many times over the past nineteen years when she had missed her own parents so desperately, she didn’t know how she’d make it through another day. And now, it seemed, her sister’s in-laws were going to make a very big stab at filling that huge gap in her life.
“Come on,” she said. “Roxy, you collect up all the hats and gloves and goggles. Jase, you bring the skis up from the basement. I’ll get the rack on top of the car. If we hurry, we can be on the slopes before lunch.”
“Mommy, this is the best Christmas ever,” Roxy said, leaning on her mother as they rode up in the chair lift. “I’m a good skier, now, aren’t I?”
“You sure are. Better than last year. Here we go, time to dismount.” Together they skied off the lift and headed down the hill after Jason, who had been in the chair ahead. Roxy was better than she’d been
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