Page 98 of Rise After Fall

The day is filled with joy. Joy the students feel when they learn to stop on skis or land a new jump or increase their speed. Joy in seeing my parents enjoying the slopes together.

The joy of freedom.

Mom informs me that Dad changed their flight home because they wanted to spend more time with me and because they did not want to be on the same flight as Tobias.

Langford invites my parents and me to join him, Weston, Morris, Corbin, Maxi, Graham, Taeli, Tucker, and Caleb for private nighttime fun on the tubing hill, so after a quick dinner in the Cantina, we walk over to find them.

Langford clicks on the lights that illuminate the runs and turns on the carpet conveyor and the sound system.

Christmas music fills the air, and all the men groan.

“Hey, you guys might as well get used to it. This is the season,” Taeli chimes.

Isley pulls up, and Langford helps her out of the SUV and over to the refreshment stand.

“Fresh hot cocoa, coming right up,” she calls to us.

Tucker and Caleb shout their approval.

Langford gestures for us all to pick out our inner tube of choice, and Mom, Taeli, Maxi, and I go for the neon-green glow-in-the-dark tubes.

“Have you guys heard from Morris?” I ask Taeli.

“He and Weston had to run an errand this afternoon, but Weston called Graham about an hour ago and said they were headed back and going to swing by and pick up Anna and Kaela. He wants to take her down the tubes while it’s not crowded. They should be here shortly.”

Once we are all outfitted and ready, we form a line on the conveyor and climb the hill.

“How fun is this! To have it all to ourselves,” Mom exclaims.

Dad, who is standing behind me, places his hand on my shoulder.

I look back at him, and he nods toward Mom, who is ahead of us.

“I haven’t seen her this happy in ages.”

“It’s that Misty Mountain magic,” I quip.

He smiles down at me. “It must be.”

We make it to the top, and I watch as Morris’s truck pulls into the lot.

A thrill shoots through me.

When did I become this girl?

“Ready?” Mom shouts as soon as the coast is clear.

I nod.

We take off down the slick, snow-covered hill, our tubes bouncing off the walls of the run. I can hear her giggles the entire ride.

At the bottom, we crash into the inflated wall and fall into a heap. Mom, Taeli, Maxi, and I help each other up, and as we make our way back to the carpet ride, I catch sight of Morris and another man with tubes in their arms.

Patrick?

I fling my tube to the side and sprint toward them and leap into my big brother’s arms.

“Whoa,” he says as he drops his tube to catch me.