Mr.Pelton and His Five Children

Frostbites

The hotel on the ski mountain the Wilton's and Pelton's were staying at, held an annual snowman building competition for all ages. Lots of people stopped by and many participated, seeing that it was a fun family and individual activity to partake in.

"I'm going to make a snowman so big you won't even see the sky!" Oliver said as he pulled on his gloves.

"Mine will be bigger than yours." Thomas said, pulling on his boot.

"We'll see. Loser does whatever the winner asks for an entire day. Deal?" Oliver held his hand out and Thomas shook it.

"Deal."

"Hey, have you seen where my fluffy socks are?" Grace walked into Annabel's open room. She was pulling a toque on.

"Should be stuffed to the side in your suit case."

"Okay, if I can't find it can I borrow one of yours?"

"Maggie's will fit better."

"Good point." And she walked out to ask Maggie to borrow a pair of her fluffy socks instead of looking for her own.

"So you're right." Mr.Wilton said to Tiffany while they sat on the couch in the living room.

"I'm always right, but what is it for this time?" She asked.

"Richard and Annabel, it's clear as day."

"Yes! I knew you would see it. So, will you help us?"

"You and George? I'll try my best. I too don't like Ms.Von Eckerman too much and think Annabel would be a better choice."

"I could always count on you, father." Tiffany kissed his cheek, got up and ran to Mr.Pelton's side of the floor to tell George the good news.

"We're leaving in five! The competition is about to begin!" Richard called out to everyone and they hurried to the elevator to take them down to the bottom floor. They had to do it in two go's because of how many they were so which ever family gets to the elevator first goes down and the second one has to wait. 

The children were the first to the elevator and beat everyone down, so when it came back up, the adults all squeezed in.

Mr.Wilton bumped Annabel so she was standing next to Richard. One side of her was pressed against the elevator wall and the other was against Richard. Mr.Welton smirked and stood on the other side of Mr.Pelton, slightly stepping in his personal space so he shifted even closer to Annabel.

"Sorry, excuse me." Richard said under his breath as he was pushed against Annabel even more. He had to lift a hand and rest it on the wall beside them so he wasn't pressed against her too much and his shoulder wasn't uncomfortable, but that just made things even worse. His shoulder was a lot more comfortable, but now she was standing right underneath him. Her intoxicating smell wafted up his nose and he couldn't help but take another breath of it.

He heard his friend Austin Wilton snicker from beside him and he turned his head to give him a look only to find that he was victoriously smirking at him.

*

It was a day full of fun and laughter for everyone as they all built their snowmen, threw snowballs at each other and drank hot chocolate.

"Grace! This is for you!" Annabel called out and Grace ran over to her.

"What do I need a carrot for?" She took the long carrot in her hands and examined it.

"For the snowman's nose of course."

"Oh yes! I forgot about that!" She ran back to her snowman and stuck the carrot into its face.

"You don't happen to have an extra carrot nose do you?" Richard approached her.

"I ugh, I actually do. It's just small." She pulled out the carrot from her pocket and handed it to him.

"Thank you. Which ones yours?" Richard didn't want to leave just yet, he wanted to keep on conversing with her.

"That one over there. Tam, Margot and I are working on it together."

"And Sam?"

"He's found a new group of friends and they're building a very big one together, just over there. And look, over there is James, Tiffany and George. There's is quit good."

"It is, how about mine and Rebecca's, what do you think of it?"

"Which one is it?"

"Oh, I thought you would have known seeing that you know where everyone's snowmen are." He grinned at her and she smiled back.

"Only the childrens. I'm keeping track of them, I don't need to keep track of the adults."

"Right. That one over there."

She looked to where he was pointing and saw Rebecca try to carry the middle part of the snowman onto the bottom part and when she placed it on top, it cracked and both balls crumbled.

"Well, it needs some work that's for sure. But I'm sure it will look great once you're done with it." She patted his chest and went back to help the girls with their snowman.

Richard rubbed where she just patted him and grinned. When he went back to Rebecca she asked him why he was all smiley.

"I got us a carrot for his nose." He held up the carrot and he showed her, but his eyes trailed back to Annabel and Rebecca saw that and understood the real reason to his sudden happiness. Annabel probably gave it to him.

To say Rebecca was bothered by Annabel was an understatement. She was full on jealous of her. She didn't understand how her fiancé could ever look at someone of such lowly class like Annabel's. She couldn't see what he saw in her and she was beyond confused how he didn't pay much attention to her like he did to Annabel. She was far better looking and had a better upbringing and her family was deeply rooted in the society. She had ties and connections, while Annabel had none of that. Yet, when ever she walks in a room Richard gets captivated by her. Whenever she laughs, Richard smiles. Whenever she's taking care of the children in front of them, he's looking at her with the most loving gaze a women dreams of receiving. When he fired her, it was clear that she was the only person on his mind. Rebecca couldn't understand how someone who didn't have anything, still had more than her.

*

Margot suddenly began crying hysterically.

Richard sprang up from rolling the snowman's head and ran to his daughter which was already in Annabel's arms.

"Hey, you're okay. It's okay. Can you tell me what's wrong? Are you hurt? Where does it hurt Mar Mar?" Annabel pulled Margot's head down to her chest and placed a hand on top of her head for comfort as the girl continued to cry.

"Hey. What happened? Is she okay?" Richard fell down to his knees next to Annabel and put a hand on Margot's back in comfort. Panic coursed through him at the thought that something might be wrong or hurting his daughter.

Margot continued to cry but she held up her hands for her father to see. He quickly took off his and her gloves and held her hands.

"Oh God. They're freezing." He inclosed his hands around hers and tried to warm her up.

"She'll get even worse frostbites if she stays out here. I'll take her inside." Annabel began to stand up and Richard stood up with her.

"I'm coming."

"What seems to be the problem?" Rebeca walked up to them.

"She has frostbites." Richard said. He bent down and picked up the gloves.

"Oh poor thing. Here, let me take her. I know just how to make her feel better." Rebeca held her hands out and Annabel hesitantly handed her Margot. Richard was about to say something about how Annabel should help Morgan but he bit his tongue.

"It will be okay Morgan." Rebeca held the crying girl and made her way inside with Richard.

"Her names Margot!" Annabel called after her.

"Will she be okay?" Tam tugged on Annabel's snow coat.

"I hope so."