Of Ice and Hopitals

Chapter 16

December 24th, 2007

Thick layers of white powder overlaid the frozen winter floor and bent the naked branches of the marvellous Albertan trees as the morning of Christmas' Eve peaceably rolled about.

Nearby lakes and rivers shone with the yellow luminescence of the sun as the largest star of the solar system hit their pristine iced surface without causing the crystallized water to melt, as the outside temperature was well under the freezing point.

It seemed that nature itself took its sweet time to wake; barring the occasional smothered sound of small mountains of snow falling from their resting place in trees or roofs due to the glacial winter wind, the area was quiet.

Inside the log cottage of the Manoban', however, the night's silence had long been gone.

As was apparent through the illuminated windows of the modest residence, the family had risen up with the sun, which was not a rare occurrence when living with a four-year-old.

A fire was already releasing slender clouds of white smoke from the chimney while pancake batter was thickening and turning golden in the pan, emitting mouth-watering smells of apple and cinnamon all over the house.

An excited little girl with long brown hair and big, deep blue eyes was sitting on top of the large kitchen island, her short legs dangling impatiently as she expectingly watched the tall man flipping pancakes next to her.

"Daddy, when can we eat? I'm starving!"

The girl's father chuckled, his voice deep as his light blue-green eyes crinkled while he stirred the caramelized apples in the other pan with ease. "Aren't you always? It'll be ready in five minutes tops, I promise, Little Lady."

Satisfied with his answer, the preschooler in the snowflake-patterned, pastel blue pyjama turned to face the woman leaning on the counter with her forearms. "Mommy, where's Lisie?"

The woman with wavy, light blonde hair lovingly combed her hand through dense chocolate-brown curls as she smiled at her youngest child. "She went outside to walk Loki. She should be back soon, my darling."

The four-year-old wearing rainbow striped fuzzy socks pouted, crossing her small arms over her chest. "I want to see Lisie now."

As if she heard her baby sister's words, the sixteen-year-old teenager came through the door with an enthusiastic Blue Merle Australian shepherd in tow.

"Lisie!"

"Why hello there, Lisa, don't you look cute with your red cheeks!" the man with short, almost black hair that had a few wavy locks at the top exclaimed as his daughter entered the kitchen once she had stripped from her winter attire.

The brunette rolled her eyes as she filled up their dog's water bowl, crouching down to give it to Loki, who licked her on her cheek to show his appreciation before he gulped down the transparent liquid, thirsty from his walk. "I am sixteen years old, dad. I am not cute ."

Her father took her head in his hands and loudly kissed his oldest on the top of her head, earning a begrudging smile from the girl who had inherited his eyes. "Yes, you are. Isn't our Lisa the cutest, Eleanor?" he asked his wife who was watching the scene in front of her with adoration in her royal blue eyes.

The older woman nodded sincerely, squeezing her other daughter as the little girl hugged her side. "She is."

Her husband, who was wearing black sweatpants and a white t-shirt, smirked, his chest puffing with pride. "She gets that from me. I'm charming. Dashingly handsome, might I add," he said as he put the last of the pancakes on the stack of others resting on a plate and turned off the stove.