Resting the pile on the back of a loveseat, he made his way around the fireplace and kissed each child on the forehead. Miriam kicked at Margaret under the table and widened her eyes. Laughing out loud, Margaret rubbed her shin lightly, "Good morning, son. Is Cherish awake?" She asked.
Jack handed Simon the squeeze tube of baby food for Jasmine and a bright plastic spoon his way. Simon nodded as he sat down, “Yeah, she’s awake. She just got out of the shower and getting dressed now.” He answered.
A smirk crossed Margaret’s lips as she thought about her son seeing Cherish in the shower. Seeing her mischievousness, Miriam perked up at Simon's presence and pushed more of the dark purple liquid into her grandson's mouth, "How did you sleep?" She asked to distract him.
Squeezing out apple and pear flavored mush for Jasmine, Simon fed her spoonful by spoonful while he munched on a piece of bacon for himself; repeating the process, “Great, the mattresses here are as good as the reviews say.” He answered.
As the conversation continued, Cherish finally emerged dressed in two shirts, a pair of leggings, jeans, and Simon’s sweater. Entering the kitchen, she was greeted with an eruption of good mornings, which only caused her to slow down. Everyone smiled at her over exaggeratedly except for Simon, who wore the same look of confusion as she. Cherish slowly turned her head away and grabbed a plate, “…good morning.” She replied. She glanced over the eggs, bacon, cut fruit, and pancakes, “Wow, this is a lot. You guys didn’t have to make all of this.” She said making her plate.
Margaret clasped her hands together and rubbed them, “Of course we did. There’s so many of under one roof, we must make sure we’re all fed and accommodated for. Are you ready to get out on the slopes?” She asked.
Cherish sat down beside Simon all while Jr. began to kick his feet and lean over Miriam for her. Miriam ignored what he wanted and scooped another batch into his mouth to keep him quiet. Cherish flicked a glance to Simon before she rocked from one side to the other and situated herself, “I don’t think ready is the word. I believe it’s terrified, but I trust that I won’t be buried under an avalanche or go careening off a cliff, right?” she asked. Margaret quickly lowered her head while the other parents refused to look in her direction. Simon gave her a clueless shrug because they acted weird to him too. Cherish glanced over at him and nudged his arm, “Right?” She asked again.
He thought about the actual risks, tensed his jaw, and looked away from her, “Yeah, about that…” He wiped his mouth and gave Jasmine another spoonful, “…there shouldn’t be any issues, but let’s just make sure to be safe.” He answered with a reassuring smile, “We’re not going to any cliffs and we’re not in an avalanche zone. We should be fine.” He added. She looked at the parents again and finished her meal quickly.
The chatter went off to normal topics like weather and temperature. Cherish had eaten her food and decided to top Jr. off before the group began to get dressed up in their heavy gear.
The babies were on the floor kicking their feet and babbling as per usual while Cherish lifted one heavy coat to another. She tried on a hunter green one, but the sleeves hung over her fingers. Everyone else was roaming around and gathering what they needed while she took off the coat and tried on a black one. This one barely hung over her behind and that’s the last thing she wanted cold. Sighing, she pulled it off and sifted through the others.
Simon watched her silently before deciding to join the effort to help. After a minute, he felt as though he’d found the right one. It was a dark red woman’s coat with fur cuffs, looped buttons, and a wide flare around the hips. Holding it open, he helped her put it on, “I think this is the one.” He said. Cherish tugged on the flaps of the jacket and nodded. This one felt better than the others. Simon smiled, “You got it.” He stated.
Bending over, he pulled out a couple of hats and squinted one eye. He tried to picture either of them fitting over her hair, and after trying the biggest one, it was clear they weren’t going to work. This caused her to laugh out loud because she could feel how awkwardly it sat on her mane of hair. He chuckled lightly while tossing the hat aside and grabbing a pair of earmuffs. He fit them snugly over her head and onto her ears. Her curls puffed out from all directions, but her ears felt much better. Getting gloves, Simon took her hand and fit the fabric around each finger. He took great care to be sure that they were on right before he slid a mitten on top. Even he couldn’t stand cold hands.
She stared at him with each hand and rolled her lips in quietly. The way his glasses slipped down his nose caused her stomach to twist.
When she was practically disabled, puffy, and snug, he tilted his head while stepping back, “Hm, you look warm, but there’s something missing. Got it.” He snapped his fingers before he grabbed a scarf and wrapped it around her neck. He bunched the thick fabric around her mouth and nose with enough space to breathe. Backing away from his creation, he got a good look at her, “Perfect.” He said. A goofy smile fell over his lips as he pulled out his phone and took a picture, “You’re so cute. How do you feel? Are you boiling yet?” he questioned.
She
