Life, Death, and Time - A Books Of Beginning Collection

Oneshot: Snowballs And Pine Trees

Background: The first winter after the Black Reckoning. Canon applies.

Content: The Wibberly family learns to have fun after a lifetime of tragedy.

BAM! A snowball collided with Michael's face, coating his glasses in wet, icy crystals. A few yards away, Emma burst into laughter, and though Michael could not see her, he could hear the mocking sound of her voice.

"You good, son?" Richard Wibberly called from his spot on the front porch, "that hit you right in the nose."

"Yeah, I noticed," Michael said, wiping his eyes, "but I'm ok."

"Good," Richard sighed with relief. Michael and Emma exchanged frowns even as Michael put his glasses back on. Richard was treating them like they were kids again, being overprotective even though this was just a harmless snowball fight.

Michael and Emma tried to be understanding during the many, many times their parents acted like this. But it was really grating on their patience and making it hard for them all to bond. It was also taking a toll on Kate, who was the sibling expected to manage her parent's behavior the most.

All three siblings agreed that their parents needed to let them live, and learn to live a little themselves. But it was hard to make that happen.

"Dad, they can handle themselves," a new voice said with a heavy sigh. Kate had come onto the porch, and she looked exasperated. She was bundled up for the snow, just like her siblings, and her hands, clad in black gloves, worried the edges of her green scarf.

"I know Kate, I'm just worried. I don't want anyone catching a cold," Richard replied.

Kate closed her eyes, and both her siblings knew that she was counting to three to keep her patience. But when her eyes opened again, she had forced her face to be pleasant, "they aren't going to catch a cold."

"Oh I don't know," the voice of the children's mother floated across the yard as she too joined the family, "it's freezing out here. I should've double-layered my mittens."

"Do you want me to run back into the house and get you another pair," Richard fretted over his wife.

"No, I'll just keep them in my pockets," Clare responded.

"Still, we probably shouldn't be out here for too long..." Richard said.

Kate, Michael, and Emma all exchanged glances. They knew their parents were protective and a bit afraid of everything after the ten years they had spent in captivity. But this was a snow day for goodness sakes, not a battle for their lives! This couldn't be allowed to continue.

Emma, being the most daring and reckless of the siblings, took the lead. She scooped up some snow and began molding it into her best snowball of the day. Then she wound her arm back, and launched it... right at her mother. It smacked Clare in the shoulder, spraying her blue jacket with a burst of pure white snow.

Emma began to grin, and her siblings followed suit, as Clare turned slowly to them.

"Did you just throw that snowball at me?" Clare asked, her voice deliberate and measured.

Emma nodded, "you bet I did."

Clare took her hands from her pockets, and began bending down to make her own snowball, "you're going to regret that."

Emma was practically giddy, even when Clare hurled a snowball at her. Emma was able to turn some, so it struck her side and not her chest, where Clare had been aiming. She began to laugh, "come on, anyone could do better than that! Well, maybe not Michael, but..."