We went straight home and as we arrived, all my brothers and sisters and cousins were waiting for us with our uncles and aunt. They ran to us, hugging us all excitedly. James and Megan looked right at home in the middle of them all—laughing, being tackled, and immediately getting dragged into whatever chaos the others were stirring up. I think they needed this as much as we did.
We made it to the kitchen and I hugged Evelyn and Sarah, immediately taking a cup of Evelyn’s coffee and relaxing as it finally felt like home. My bones ached less the second I smelled that roast.
Then I heard it.
That wild, familiar rhythm.
The soft rustle of paws. The deep harmony of breath. The air shifted.
I turned—just as Aspen pounced.
He tackled me to the floor, his thick white fur glowing like snow in
