We're Having Our Baby

Twenty Six

Harry's P.O.V. December 19th

I haven't heard back from Tristan yet and I'm getting antsy. I don't get why she can't just take the money and tell me what's going on. My family has been keeping my mind off of it for the most part, which I'm grateful for. The girls, minus Charlie who's asleep in her crib, all left to go last-minute Christmas shopping, so it's just Jared, Jamie, Mason, and I.

"Uncle Harry, do you play guitar?" Mason asks when he spots one of my acoustics that I left out from a few days ago and have yet to put away. I was playing for Charlie but in the middle of a song she desperately needed a nappy change and I forgot all about the guitar.

"I do," I answer.

"Can you teach me?" he asks. I didn't think Mason was into music much like Jamie is. I also can't imagine him sitting down long enough to learn an instrument. I love him a lot, but I don't know if I'd have the patience to teach him. I haven't even been playing for that many years, so I'm not sure how good of a teacher I would be.

"Maybe when you get a little older, Mace," Jared spoke up, probably thinking the same things I am.

"Aw, okay," he says, and then thinks of an idea. "Can we play in the snow now! Please!"

Since they've lived in Southern California all their lives, Jamie and Mason have never seen snow before. They've been asking to play outside ever since they got here, but we didn't have the proper snow trousers and mittens for everyone. We have some now though, and the boys won't stop talking about it.

"I want to play outside!" Jamie chimes in. Jared and I find the coats and such that Em stored away in a closet yesterday, and we dress ourselves and the boys in warm enough layers to go outside.

Once everyone is bundled up in their scarfs, hats, and mittens, we wobble to the backyard and Mason and Jamie try as hard as they can to run in their insulated trousers and into the snow.

They both fall flat on their faces, but they just laugh it off. There's quite a bit of snow on the ground, so I'm not worried about them getting hurt.

"Daddy, catch!" Mason picks up a handful of snow to throw at Jared, but it just falls from his hand when he lets go.

"Here, I'll show you how to make a snowball," I walk to where Mason is and gather a small ball of snow. "You have to pack it like this... and then when you throw it... it flies!" I threw my snowball into a dead bush, but once Mason gets the hang of making his own, he throws them at all of us.

"Can you teach me, too?" Jamie tugs at my leg, so I squat down to show him as well.

Only ten minutes into our snowball fight, the yard is covered in footprints and piles of snow in various heights. Mason of course accidentally hit his brother in the face with the snow, so that causes a bit of a fight between the boys, but Jamie forgives Mason and moves on.

Although they fight sometimes, and they have completely different interests, the twins get along very well. Mason won't acknowledge it, but every night I hear him whisper to Jamie, asking if he needs to potty before bed. It's not because he doesn't want Jamie to wet the bed while they're both in it, Mason genuinely wants to help Jamie. I'm glad Charlie has them to look up to as she grows up.

"I'm getting cold," Jamie says after another half hour or so. I don't blame him; he's not used to true winter weather. I'm honestly surprised at how long the boys have been able to handle the cold.

"Let's go inside now. I'll make hot chocolate for everyone," I say and Jamie and Mason's eyes light up at the word "chocolate."

"You know what movie we have to watch?" I ask the boys as Jared and I help pull off their snow boots.