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“See, this is how you do it.”
Nick glared. “Kiss-up.”
“Try-hard,” she replied.
“Okay,” I interjected. “Where are the good ones? We can fix this thing.”
“In the cardboard box in the closet.”
“You put those beautiful ornaments in a cardboard box?” Amma gasped.
“They were out of ornament boxes!”
“I found them,” Dad said, pulling them out. He opened the box. “Man, I remember some of these.”
“Which is why it’s a crime that he didn’t use them.” Amma shook her head. “Now, where’s the step stool? I want to get these ones from the top off.”
“It’s back here,” Nick said.
“Don’t you dare hand that to Amma,” I interrupted. “I’ll climb.”
“Aren’t you sore, dear?” Amma asked. “I saw you take quite a few spills in the snow.”
“No, actually—” I paused. “Wait, did youwatchus?”
“Sometimes. Alden, I hope your hip is okay.”
The tips of his ears went red. “It’s fine.”
“Why were you two out in the snow?” Nick asked.
“We had to findsomethingto do, and Amma had sleds.” I set down the ladder, eager to change the subject. “Now, which ornaments are going?”
“All the blue ones. Then throw them away.”
“Hey, I paid good money for those!”
“They’re the cheapest plastic you can find. There is no way you paid good money for them.”
“Inflation exists, Amma.”
“All the more reason to use the ones I gave you.”
I laughed at their exchange and plucked a few from the top branches. Winnie worked on the ones at the bottom as she went along with Amma’s antics.
I was focused on not falling. But then there was one a few feet away that I leaned for, only for the ladder to lean too.
A pair of hands steadied me.
“Careful,” Alden said. He had to have been watchingveryclosely to see me nearly fall.
“Good catch,” Amma replied. Our eyes had been locked, but I looked at her, only to see a grin on her face. “What do you think, Nick? Was it a good catch?”
“Yeah,” he grumbled. “It was.”
I could detect his annoyance from across the room.
“Stella, you okay?” Winnie asked.