Emma, still watching Liam, whispered, “Did she just kiss you?”
He cleared his throat, ears turning red. “Focus on the snowman, squirt.”
She hurried back to their team, scarf raised high. “Victory!”
“I think you won more than a scarf,” Kit replied with a laugh.
Maybe I did, Cassidy thought to herself.
“Don’t we have a snowman to build?” Cassidy quickly replied.
They got to work immediately. Madison and Zoe began rolling the base while Cassidy and Kit gathered extra snow, determined to keep up with Liam’s team, who were already building a snowman so big Emma was trying to climb on it to adjust the crown.
“You think we can beat them?” Kit asked, eyeing Liam’s towering snowman.
“We have to,” Cassidy said, breathless, snow in her hair. “We can’t let him win.”
Across the yard, Liam lifted Emma onto his shoulders so she could carefully place a button eye, and Emma squealed with delight, her boots swinging in the air.
Cassidy found herself watching them, unable to look away.
Liam’s easy smile tugged at something deep inside her, the way he steadied Emma with careful hands, gently reminding her not to drop the button, letting her take her time.
He laughed at something Emma whispered, the sound soft and genuine.
And for a moment—a single, raw moment—Cassidy let herself imagine what it would be like to have that with him. To havethis. A snowy afternoon, a yard full of laughter, a warm, steady man who would teach a child how to build the perfect snowman while she made cocoa in the kitchen, peeking out the window to watch them.
The thought squeezed her chest tightly with the realization of how badly she wanted that family life. The life that had been stolen from her.
“We’ve got to go bigger!” Kit shouted, snapping her out of her thoughts.
“You’re right. More snow!” Madison agreed.
Thankfully, the storm yesterday had left them with plenty to work with.
Cassidy joined Madison and Zoe in rolling the middle ball, packing it tight and rolling it until it grew nearly too heavy to push.
“Wait—we’re never getting this thing up there.” Kit groaned, eyeing the massive snowball they had created.
“Yes, we are,” Cassidy said, brushing snow from her gloves. “If we all work together! Ready?”
“I don’t know if that’s such a good idea…” Zoe said, the lone voice of reason.
“What? We’ve got this. On three. One, two, three?—”
OOF!
They barely lifted it before dropping it back into the snow with a dull thud.
“My back,” Madison wheezed, hunched over.
“My pants!” Kit yelped, reaching behind her to make sure she hadn’t split them.
“Told you it was too much,” Zoe muttered.
Cassidy shook her head, determined. “That was just a trial run. We can do this. One more time!”
Before she could rally them again, a familiar voice cut in.
