When I looked for a rental property, I wasn’t pressed about being in the center of the action. Yes, I had the money to get something nice, but I needed to be smart. Being self-employed is a risk, and spending money like it grows on trees is not what I need to be doing. But as luck would have it, I got us a house on Mt. Komorebi, right in front of the bunny slopes! I couldn’t believe it!
Alessia was awfully quiet, so I watched her while Luca and Ali talked. Her eyes were fixed on the slopes. She didn’t even look terrified, like she was at home, so I asked if she wanted to sled with me. She nodded, and we trekked up the hill for our sledding adventure.
I was super excited about playing in the snow all weekend, especially because I never got to live out my snow dreams properly when I lived in Brindleton Bay. But as much as I was excited for snow time, having more fun with my daughter was at the forefront of my mind. Our dinner date the other night was the beginning of a new chapter for us, I think. It’s weird because we don’t fight or anything. Our relationship has always been good minus the standard hiccups here and there. But we struggled to find our rhythm. To be honest, we’re kind of weird around each other a lot. I don’t want to upset her, and she pushes the boundaries to see how far she can go. But I think we’re on our way toward a healthier relationship now, and I couldn’t be happier.
We got our sled and prepared to board. I looked down at it, realizing how low to the ground it was. Alessia caught me staring and heckled me.
“You’re not gonna chicken out, are you?”
I laughed. “I was just trying to figure out how I’m gonna get back out of this thing. My knees aren’t what they used to be.”
Luca and Ali eventually caught up with us. It’s always cool to see how alike they are when Luca does something similar to Ali. But when they are together, it’s uncanny…and kind of annoying. It’s like hanging with a pair of brothers or two best friends. The trash-talking duo slid next to us with cheeky grins, armed to the teeth with big talk and hollow insults.
“I bet we’ll beat you down the hill,” Luca said.
Ali snorted. “They look scared.”
“This isn’t for wussies.”
“Come on, Luca. Let’s leave them in the dust.”
Alessia rolled her eyes. “Boys are so dumb!”
“They sure are. Let’s go before they get back.”
I pushed us off, and we were on our way!
We coasted down the hill at a nice, relaxing pace. Alessia gripped the handles kinda hard, though.
“You okay, babe?”
“Y-yeah! This is fun!”
The joy in her voice eased me, and I enjoyed the ride better. That is, until we reached the bottom of the hill.
“HOW did my face end up in the snow, Less?”
“I don’t know. Are you okay, though?”
I rubbed my back. “Yeah. If this keeps happening, I’m gonna need several trips to the hot springs.”
“Okay, good, cuz I wanna go again,” she said and walked off.
We went for another round—which went smoothly, by the way—and Ali and Luca went their separate ways. Ali stuck with sledding while Luca tried his hand at snowboarding. I love watching him try new things. But honestly, I think I enjoyed seeing Ali smile more. He’s been in deep pain for so long. It’s nice to see him live again.
