Page 6 of Have a Bear-y Little Christmas

He shook his head. “No, I think I’m up-up.”

“Okay then.” I paused, trying to think of something sedate we could do because I really wanted to save Max’s physical stamina for when we went to see the lights. I had a walker for him and a wheelchair if he needed it, but it still took a toll on him if he was really exhausted. “I’m a bit tired, though, so would you mind reading me a book while we wait for it to get dark?”

“I can do that! Do you wanna pick?”

I loved how happy my son was at the suggestion. All too soon, he would be too busy with high school and teenage stuff to want to narrate something to his uncool mom, but I was incredibly grateful he’d get to that phase.

Just… not quite yet.

“You can pick, Maxi-Bear.”

He got off the bed and walked on unsteady legs. I watched him go with pride. We hadn’t had an easy journey so far, but this Christmas was our time to start over and forget all the stress and pains of the past.

It was our do-over, and I was going to make the best of it.

Chapter 3

Remington

Endless Activities

“Daddy,can you tie the ribbon bow on this all pretty-like?”

“Sure I can, Eva,” I said, taking the present from my daughter. “Do you have a color request?” I made a broad gesture to the three different spools of ribbon I had beside me, and Eva stared at them like she was about to pick her career path for the rest of her life.

“I think…”

“Red would be a complementary color to your—” Addy started, but I cleared my throat.

“Let’s have Eva decide on her own unless she asks us for advice.”

“Right.” Addy nodded her head twice firmly, something she did when she was trying to encode something into that wonderful brain of hers. “I knew that.”

“It’s okay, Addy. I know you were trying to help.”

“Purple, please, Daddy,” Eva said.

“Okay, but I want you to watch how I do it, so you can try next year.”

“Okie dokies!”

Grinning, I cut off a length of ribbon and tied it into a bow before grabbing another length to wrap around the center of the box, and then another. After a few cuts and a staple, the gift was done up like it was something from a movie.

It wasn’t exactly a skill most would expect from a burly landscaper who was over six feet tall, but my wife had insisted I learn from her. She said there would always be celebrations to be had, and part of the present was thepresentation.

Of course, I didn’t argue with her, which was how I’d ended up on bow duty when her hand tremors got too bad.

I had to admit, she was right—she always was. It was a special thing to see people’s eyes light up when they saw the fancy wrapping. Kids tore into it with gusto, while adults carefully peeled at the corners, everyone grinning like mad. It was a little thing, but it meant the world to me. It was an amazing way to honor my wife’s memory.

“I’m done with my last present,” Addy said, handing over the gift.It was one of the tie-blankets the three of us had made together for several of their aunties, all with different-patterned fleece that related to something about the family member. Although we shifters ran hot, I had learned over the years that we didn’t run hot enough for the older women in our family not to want more blankets.

“You did a great job, Addy, thank you. Do you want to help me with the rest of mine?”

“Nope!” she said, popping the P and giggling slightly. Some people thought Addy was too serious, perhaps even taciturn, but that was just because they didn’t get her humor or personality.

“What, why not?” I asked, wondering what joke I was missing—I generally understood what tickled my eldest’s funny bone.

“Because there aren’t any more, silly!”