“Dad!” he called out. “Yes, son?” “What do I do? I can’t hit her because she’s a girl,” Asher complained. “Hey! Just because I’m a girl doesn’t mean I can’t fight. I dare you to a snowball fight!” Martine told him. “Dad?” Asher asked. “It’s okay, Ash. She knows what she is doing,” Finlay told him. The snowball fight was on. Finlay and I watched the chaos. There didn’t seem to be any teams, just everyone against everyone. Lilly hadn’t figured out how to make snowballs, or maybe she had but liked her way better. She used her smallness and sneaked up on her victims and stuffed snow up their jackets from behind. “She is so your daughter,” Finlay told me as he chuckled. Yeah, I couldn’t deny it. After almost an hour, we had managed to calm them down so we could eat. I was grateful for the break. After lunch, we built snowmen. Lilly and Asher made a cat. They had been nagging us to get one ever since they had learned their cousins had gotten a bunny. ‘Should we just get them one?’ Finlay asked in a mindlink. ‘I thought you were afraid it would scratch them,’ I reminded him. ‘I still am. But maybe we can teach it not to.’ I smiled and kissed him. He would give the pups the moon if they asked for it. “I think it would be nice,” I agreed. We snuck away and changed into our wolves. The final chase was always fun, and the pups giggled in joy as they chased us around. Before I knew it, it was time to head back. It got dark early this time of year, and the smaller ones hadn’t really gotten their night sight yet. Finlay and I mindlinked the parents, and they stood waiting for us as we got to the pack house. “You didn’t lose anyone this year either,” Sam said as he lifted Samie into his arms. “No, they all behaved,” Finlay told him. Both Meadow and I rolled our eyes. “Come along,” I told my little monsters. “Dad has promised to make dinner, so I thought we would call Grannie and Grandad,” I told them. “Yes!” they both called out and rushed towards the house. “Where do they get the energy from?” I said. Finlay put his arm around me as we followed. “Tired?” he asked. “No more than what is to be expected. How about you? Are you up for cooking, or should we just get food from the kitchen?” “I will cook. It’s relaxing,” he assured me. We got home and got the pups out of their jackets and shoes. I lit the fireplace and sat down on the couch. Asher and Lilly got onto the couch on each side of me. I called my parents. “Pumpkin, hello,” my dad answered. “And if it isn’t Sprout and Ladybug. It looks like you had a lot of fun today,” he added. My mom came into view, and Dad pulled her down in his lap. “Grannie!” Lilly called out. “Hi there,” my mom said. Asher and Lilly started to tell my parents about their day. My mom and dad listened like it was the most interesting thing they had heard in their life. I was lucky to have as amazing parents as I had.

The pack adored them, and they loved the pups. Once a Fidei, Becky, Mino, and their youngest son Kohe came over. It was always fun, and the adults got along great. Famen and Carat were also invited along with their son Max. Max was a year younger than Ash, and together with Mino and Kohe, they formed a fight-club group. When Lilly came along, the four boys banded together to protect her. It was really amusing to watch. My parents came to our pack once a year, which meant it never went more than six months between seeing each other. Sometimes Eller and his family came as well. When Asher and Lilly had talked to their grandparents, they stayed for a while as I talked to them, mom telling me about a new type of garden bed she had seen online when Finlay came walking. He lifted Asher up and sat down with him on his lap, which our son didn’t enjoy as he thought he was too big for that.

Far Finlay and I would take the pups to see them. We would spend a couple of weeks in my dad's pack with my parents.