Chapter 166


    3rd Person


    “Okay, so how’re we gonna do this?” Paisley asked, sitting around arge piece of construction paper


    with her siblings. Ryder -who had the best handwriting of all four – had written “Operation Santa” at the


    top of the page. Other than its title however, the page was entirely nk.


    “Well, we know the North Pole’s at the top of the world, right?” Riley asked, waiting until the others


    nodded in agreement before continuing. “So if we just keep walking north then eventually we’ll have to


    get there!”


    “Yeah but that could take ages!” Parker cautioned. “


    The Dark Moon pack is north, but there’s at least two other packs between us and the pole.”


    “Tha’s a good point.” Ryder agreed, “So maybe if we travel to one of the other packs and start there?”


    “Yeah! But we can’t take too long, we have to make sure we can get there and back afore Christmas.”


    Paisley warned.


    “Maybe we can get a ride back with Santa!” Riley suggested, her eyes sparkling with excitement.


    “Wow, that would be amazing!” Ryder giggled.


    “Okay so what do we need?” Paisley asked. “Really warm coats, snow boots, snacks..”


    “Maybe some fish in case we need to d’stract any pr bears.” Parker mused aloud.


    “Ooh, good idea.” Riley nodded, starting a list o their paper.


    “We should also take hot cocoa, and marshmallows, to help stay warm.” Ryder added. “I wish we knew


    how to ski, that would make getting there a lot faster.”


    “How about a sled” Ryder asked, “if we make friends with one of the pr bears, they might even pull


    us!”


    “This is the best n.” Paisley praised, grinning.


    “We still have to figure out how to get north first.”


    Riley reminded them, “it’s gonna be miles and miles before we get anywhere near the arctic.”


    “Hmm, we’re too little to drive.” Parker remarked thoughtfully.


    “We can’t drive a car,” Riley agreed, “but we could easily drive a sleigh. What if we ask Mommy to go


    back to the tree farm, just for the bonfire one night. She’d probbly agree, and then we could take one of


    the horsey sleighs from the stables.”


    “That’s stealing.” Paisley protested, crinkling up her little nose in distaste.


    “We’d only be borrowing it.” Ryder reasoned, “we’ll leave a note promising to bring it back.”


    “Then we definitely need apass.” Parker added,


    “I don’t think horsies have GPS.”


    “Good point.” Riley noted. “Do you think we should leave a note for Mommy too – so she knows we’re


    with Santa and she doesn’ need to worry?”


    “I dunno – you know how Mommies can be, they worry ’bout everything.” Parker countered. “Member


    what Dr. Nora said? Mommy would do anything for us.


    “Yeah, if we leave she might try toe after us anyway.” Ryder agreed. “She doesn’ know how well


    we’ve nned everything. She’ll think we’re in trouble.”


    “i don’ wanna scare her. If we get a good enough head start then she won’t be able to catch up.”


    Paisley frowned.


    “Okay, let’s do it!” Riley chirped. “Ryder, you write the , Parker you get the s’pplies. And Paisley and I


    will ask Mommy to take us for the bonfire. Deal?”


    The others grinned, “Deal!”


    That night Jane bundled up the pups and returned to the Christmas tree farm. She’d been hoping they


    would decorate the tree together that evening, but she was just d the pups wanted to continue doing


    activities together. They’d been through such a difficult ordeal that she was willing to do just about


    anything to raise their spirits, besides, they were starting school in the new year, she wasn’t going to


    have as much time with them once they became kindergarteners.


    When they arrived they headed straight for the bonfire, and Jane retrieved ingredients to make s’mores


    before cuddling up with the pups in front of the fire. The trees surrounding them on all sides had been


    strewn with lights, and it truly felt like a winter wondend. She tried not to think about Ethan, about


    how wonderfully he would have kept her warm if he’d been there with them.


    Instead she focused on her babies, praying they didn’t ask to go back and ask Santa to reunite their


    parents again.


    “Have you thought any more about what you want for Christmas?” She asked, gently guiding Paisley’s


    hands to avoid sticking the marshmallow she had skewered on a stick directly into the mes of the


    fire.


    The pups shrugged, not realizing she’d overheard their conversation with Santa. They knew exactly


    what they wanted, but they also realized she wasn’t going to get it for them.


    “Hmm,” Jane hummed thoughtfully, “How about one of those big beautiful art sets they have in the craft


    store?” She asked Ryder, stroking his hair back from his eyes. “You love to paint.”


    “Maybe.” He replied, his attention focused on his own marshmallow. The pups were determined to put


    their n into motion, but they’d all agreed that there was always time for sweets.


    “How about you, Parker? What would you think about a chemistry set – you could do all sorts of


    experiments?”


    “Mommy you don’ have to get us fancy things.”


    Paisley insisted, “Santa will take care of our presents.”


    That’s what I’m afraid of. Jane thought bitterly. She hated knowing she couldn’t give the pups what they


    truly wanted, and it didn’t help that it was the only”updated by jobnib” thing she wanted too. She’d


    gone to her first therapy session the other day, and her doctor had advised her to acknowledge and


    address the fact that part of her fury with Ethan was because she still loved him sopletely. She


    wanted him for Christmas too, and she knew they were all in for a disappointment.


    “I know Santa is on the job.” She tried to smile, “but I want to get you something too. Riley, any


    thoughts? Riley peeked up at her with a sly smile. “How ’bout a pet bunny?”


    “A pet bunny?” Jane eximed, internally thinking how adorable her mischievous daughter was. “I


    don’t know about that – you’d have to take care of it.” She had to admit that a bunny was less work


    than some other pets, but she was pregnant and any new pet with a new baby in the house was going


    to multiply the work. “Pets are lots of responsibility.”


    The suggestion had gotten all of the children’s attention, and they were now mbering around her.”


    Please Mommy! We promise we’ll take extra special care of it.” Paisley begged.


    “We’ll be so ‘sponsible you’ll never have to lift a finger.” Ryder added.


    “Hmm, are you sure you Wouldn’t rather have some new socks?” Jane teased. “So your feet will


    always be cozy?”


    “Mommy no one wants smelly socks!” Parker eximed.


    “What about a nice mop, so we can always keep the house clean?” Jane joked.


    “Mommy that’s cwazy!” Ryder objected, “Mops aren’ fun.”


    “Yeah, bunnies are fun.” Riley remarked pointedly.


    “Alright, alright. I”‘ll think about it” Jane agreed with a grin, “Now pay attention to your marshmallows or


    they’ll burn.”


    Jane felt a thousand times better now that she had an idea for making her children’s first Christmas


    together extra special. However she was having an increasingly hard time sitting still by the fire. The


    baby was pressing on her dder, and she desperately needed the restroom. “How about a bathroom


    break, little ones?”


    She suggested.


    “But Mommy, the ‘smores are almost ready!” Parker objected.


    “I know, but Mommy has to go.” Janeughed, truly amused to have the tables turned on her this way.


    “Can’t you hold it?” Riley asked.


    “Not really.” Jane admitted.


    N?velDrama.Org ? content.


    “Then just go, we’ll stay right here.” Paisley promised. “We won’ move any muscles.”


    “I don’t know.” Jane frowned, not liking the idea of taking her eyes off of her babies so soon after


    getting them back.


    Fortunately, there was another mother with small pups next to them, and she offered Jane an


    understanding smile. “Don’t worry, I’ll keep an eye on them.”


    “Okay munchkins, be good – I’ll be right back!” Jane vowed, evicting Ryder from herp so she could


    go take care of business.


    Little did she know that this had been precisely the opportunity the pups were waiting for. As soon as


    Jane walked away they hatched their n, making a distraction for the other mother by knocking her


    toddler’s marshmallow into the fire. They felt badly, but they knew it was necessary. While she tended


    to her wailing child, they snuck off towards the stables.


    When Jane came back from the restroom a few minutester the other mother was looking around in


    shock and horror, realizing that her four charges were no longer sitting around the fire. Jane stopped


    dead in her tracks, feeling her heart stop beatingpletely. “What happened, where are they?” She


    hissed.


    “I’m so sorry! I don’t know what happened, I turned my back for one moment and they were just gone!”


    She cried. “I’m so, so sorry.”


    Just then the other woman’s child piped up from the fire, “Mommy, what’s this?”


    The little boy was holding a small folded piece of paper, and Jane gently took it from the child. When


    she unfolded it she immediately recognized Ryder’s neat handwriting.


    Mommy,


    We went to the North Pole. Don’t worry. We’ll be safe with Santa and we’ll get a ride home from the rain


    deer.


    See you soon – love,


    Parker, Paisley, Riley and Ryder.


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