"Three apparently," I said around a mouthful of peanut butter.
I wasn't sure she bought my explanation, but she stopped asking questions.
"Is this how it looked when you lived here?" Ayla asked, her legs folded crisscross.
I looked around the room. I'd left the couch and coffee table. There wasn't a TV, but there was a computer on the coffee table. I wondered if they streamed shows on there. "I had more furniture and a TV. No tree though."
"You don't get presents from Santa?"
"That's usually reserved for kids." I looked at the tree. "The house is much nicer with one."
"There's so much space and a yard. We could get a dog now," Ayla said to her mother.
"This is just temporary. I wouldn't want a pet in an apartment. Unless it was something small like a cat or a fish."
"Can't we stay?" Ayla whined.
I finished my sandwich and cleared their dishes. When I returned, Ayla looked a little upset, which was not my goal for the day. "When I lived here, it was really empty because it was just me. You are what this house needs again. You're filling it with love and laughter."
"Yeah?" Ayla asked.
I nodded. "Let's turn up the music to get us back in the holiday spirit. And I brought a puzzle from the store in town if anyone wants to do it with me. It's Christmas themed."
Ayla turned up the music, and I set the box on the coffee table.
Angela opened it and opened the bag of pieces. "I love puzzles. We used to do these a lot when I was a kid. I was an only child, and I'm not sure my parents knew what to do with me half the time."
"So you did puzzles?"
"Yeah, it was a nice way to spend the time. And I felt closer to them when we worked on one."
"That's a nice memory." Was it crazy I wanted to make new ones with her?
Ayla sat next to me and patted my knee. "I wanted to see."
I handed her the box top, and she turned it over to see the picture. "Santa's workshop."
"Yeah, it seemed like a good one with a lot of things to look at. I try to avoid the ones that are all the same color or image. This one will be more fun."
"Can I do Santa?" Ayla asked, starting to sort the red –and-white pieces from the rest. Unfortunately, the elves were wearing red and green, so there might be some overlap. I helped turn over the pieces and sorted them.
We passed the time, and I got up and replenished their hot chocolate when it was empty. It was a great way to spend the afternoon.
I knew my brothers were going to give me hell for staying inside while they were working in the cold. I'd probably owe them more than food and beer. But it would be worth it.
It was just starting to get dark outside when I stood and stretched. There was a knock on the door. "I'll get it."
I crossed the room and opened the door.
Maverick lowered his voice. "We're done."
"Let me get the girls."
His brows raised at my word choice. I hadn't called themmy girlsat least.
I went into the living room. "You ready to see my second surprise?"
Ayla jumped to her feet. "There's another surprise?"
