LAYLA! & THE UNTOLD STORIES OF LOVE

𝐂𝐇𝐈𝐋𝐃 𝐈𝐍 𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐄- chapter thirty three

(Disclaimer: I did not write this story. This is an original story created by a Tumblr user named theangelwithabrokenwing. I am just uploading this to Wattpad due to my dislike of the Tumblr system. If you would like to support the original author, please follow the link in the comments in the first chapter: go favorite, like, and comment on her work on her blog.)

Feb 12, 1994

"Did you hear knocking" I ask lifting my head up from the pillow.

"Yeah, must be James.  Come in," he calls.

The door slowly opens revealing James in his pajamas. "It snowed," he says cheerfully.

"It sure has," Jimmy exclaims as James joins him at the window facing the garden, "There has to be four inches at least."

I absent-mindedly sit up to look outside, when I realize I'm naked and quickly grab the duvet to my chest before James turns around.

"Can we go sled riding, Daddy......and can Lexi come too?"

"Yes....and let's ask her.  Alexia will you come?"

"For a Saturday morning of sled-riding?  You couldn't keep me away." 

"Come on let's go get dressed," he says taking James hand.   "Thank goodness she said yes, because  if you want to sled down the biggest hill we need Alexia to go with you....she's the daredevil," he says winking at me as he leaves the room.

I put on a robe and go to the bathroom to shower then put on my "sledding clothes" - leggings, t-shirt, bulky sweater and boots - and take the back staircase down two flights to the kitchen.  The coffee maker is brewing and I'm making hot chocolate for James when my two boys enter the kitchen.  Jimmy and I discuss where to go and decide on Parliament Hill, which is a lot higher than Primrose Hill.  After a quick breakfast, we load the sled in my trunk and off we head for the wilds of Hampstead.

********

We take turns climbing the smaller hill with the sled in tow.  First me, then Jimmy careen down the slope with our arms wrapped around James. After a few runs James and I conspire to get Jimmy to move to the bigger hill.

"Just imagine you're Steve McQueen in Bullitt," I laugh as I give them a running start down the steep incline.

Suddenly he grabs hold of my hand and I have no choice but to jump on the sled wrapping my arms around his shoulders and holding on for dear life as we tear down the hill at a breakneck speed.  Reaching the bottom Jimmy and I fall off the sled, laughing so hard tears run down our faces.  James looks at us like we're a pair of loons, which I guess we are.  "You guys are silly," he giggles. "Can we go again?"

"You and Alexia go, I'm going to stay here and recover," he says reaching in his leather bomber jacket for his cigarettes.

After a couple of more runs down the big hill our stomachs start to growl. We rejoin Jimmy for the walk back to my car and decide to once again go to "Henry's" for lunch. "Do you remember when we went sled-riding before, Lexi," James asks from the back seat.

"Yes that was the day I first met you and then we went and had hot cocoa, remember," I continue.

"Uh huh and THEN we went and saw Jurassic Park and I told you when all the scary parts were so you wouldn't be scared," he giggles.

"Except for that one time when the Velociraptor came out of nowhere and I jumped in my seat," I laugh.

"And THEN Alexia let me keep my arm around her for the rest of the movie," Jimmy says with a smirk.