Stella and I sing along with the holiday tunes as I make the last turn down the snowy street that leads to the cabin. Snow! It’s quite the change of scenery from when we left Valley University, only three hours ago. The sun had been shining and we were sweating by the time we loaded up our Jeep for the holiday break. But here, it looks and feels like winter. I love it.
“I can’t wait to sleep in tomorrow.” My twin sister rolls the window down, letting in the blistery cold air. “We survived our first semester of college!”
“Yeah, we did.” The smell of pine trees and brisk air fills the vehicle, and we breathe it in with matching smiles.
“This was a great idea. We can snowboard, ski, snowshoe, and—”
I cut in to add, “Read by the fireplace, bake cookies, watch movies.”
Stella laughs. “We’ll do all of it. It’s going to be amazing.” She rolls the window back up. “Have you heard from Felix?”
“No. I texted him before we left, but no response. Are we terrible for ditching him for the cabin this weekend?”
“Are you kidding? He probably has plans to throw a party at the house every night until Mom and Dad are back.”
I nod my agreement, but I still feel a stab of guilt.
Our parents are in Cabo until Christmas Eve, taking a much-deserved vacation. They’ve been saying they were going to take one for years, and they finally did it.
It’s weird not rushing home to do all the usual holiday festivities, though. I look forward to it all year—making sugar cookies and decorating them, watching all our favorite holiday movies, and just lounging around and enjoying my family.
Stella and I decided that since Mom and Dad are gone, we’d spend the weekend at our family’s cabin in Flagstaff, unwinding after the long semester before going home. She likes to ski. I like to sit by the fire and read. It’s going to be so much fun. Different, but fun.
Our brother Felix goes to Valley U too, but he finished with classes a day earlier than us and headed home to Scottsdale to housesit while Mom and Dad are gone. And Stella is right. He’s probably stocking the fridge right now and preparing to throw a party.
We’re quiet as we pass the ski resort. The parking lot is packed, and people walk to and from the front with skis and snowboards, dressed in warm layers.
“Ah, it just got real.” Stella bounces in her seat, sending her ponytail swinging around her shoulders. “Tomorrow we should sleep in and then go up to the ski resort and buy passes for the weekend before they sell out.”
“I don’t know if I’m going to be doing that much skiing. I should probably stick to ice skating and snowshoeing.”
“I’ll go on the bunny hill with you until you get the hang of it again.” Her excitement is contagious.
“Deal.”
As the cabin finally comes into view, a familiar orange vehicle catches my eye.
“Uhhh. Are you seeing what I’m seeing?” I ask as I pull the Jeep to a stop behind Felix’s Corvette.
“What is he doing here?” Stella gapes at our brother, standing on the porch of our grandparents’ vacation cabin and wearing a Santa hat but no shirt.
“Freezing to death, from the looks of it.”
He isn’t alone. A group of people fill the small front porch. A couple I recognize as his football teammates, but the others I’ve never seen before. Knowing Felix, he’s already made friends with the neighbors in the short amount of time he’s been here. My brother can and will talk with everyone he meets. And he knows how to throw a party, so people tend to flock to him.
I kill the engine, and the holiday music we’d been listening to on our drive up from Valley U. The mood has officially deflated.
Stella hops out first, and with a grin that’s half annoyed and half pleasantly surprised, shouts, “What the hell, Felix?”
She slams the door behind her and marches toward the cabin. People stare at her as she approaches. I slink down in my seat.
Felix looks surprised, but still smiles, even as Stella continues to shriek at him. His response back is muffled. They hug, but I can tell Stella is still worked up by the way she waves her hands around as she speaks.
Felix walks back to the car with her. I roll down my window and the cold air bristles against my face.
“Holly!” My brother greets me. His eyes are glossy, and he smells like he’s been drinking for the better part of the day. “I can’t believe you two are here.”
“Same. I thought you were taking care of the house for Mom and Dad while they’re in Cabo?”