Snow day [Open]

School was out due to the massive snow fall through the night and instead had the kids sought towards the park to play the day away. Not a single minute were to be wasted! Not when there still was a small chance that school would want them back to learning multiplications and grammar while sitting still on hard chairs for what surely felt like eternity for some of the more energetic students. But now they could have recess for the whole day! And with three much younger brothers to her name, Maeve Poe had been given the role as recess supervisor.

“One more time! Come on, sis, you’re so slow.” Sawyer, the 8-year-old one of the bunch was without a doubt the one with the most amount of energy. He hated sitting still unless it was in front of a screen with either some high-action video game or movie. He had been the one shouting the loudest that morning when their mother had told them that the school had called and cancelled classes. Of course, all of them had been overjoyed. Even Jonathan, the more academically interested 11-year-old boy, who actually seemed to like his educational classes, had been shimmying to get outside. Collin, the youngest of the boys, didn’t hate school either, but for him, what he liked about it, was all his class mates and friends. People he’d get to play with no matter if school was out or not, so he was as fast into his snow suit as the others. The outgoing extroverted 6-year-old boy started to remind her more and more of herself…
Suddenly Maeve felt hands on her lower back as well as a push from a small weight, pushing her up towards the top of the small hill, the youngest generation of the Poe-family had found a little deeper into the park - a place where there weren’t an overfill of other people playing in the snow. All the while she was getting pulled by the hand. “Hey hey! I’m coming, I’m coming, no need to…” she couldn’t help but chuckle at her brothers’ communal efforts in getting her up as quick as possible so they would quickly get to the business of sliding back and feel that addictive suction in their tummies. “Alright!” With a breathy, yet determined word, the short brunette pushed through the last bit. Leaned forward and began to run - as well as one could in deep snow and thick boots. The youngest boy, who had been pushing her, not needing to push his sister anymore, started running himself, getting through the snow much easier, which wasn’t fair! The second brother tried the same, but he was just no match for the Boss, the great Maeve Poe, and although she was heaving for air at the top, she still beat him to it.

Collin didn’t even look affected by the tough exercise that was playing in the snow. Neither was Sawyer actually. Maybe she was just getting old. “Are you ready?” Collin called on them, standing ready by the edge until Sawyer dragged the sled over. “Okay, but this is the last one, okay?” she announced as she with heavy legs joined them. Sawyer had naturally taken the front seat on the sled. Followed by Collin with Maeve in the back, where she could hold on to the smaller one with one arm and onto the sled with the other.

Maeve was the only one who squealed a bit on the way down. Sawyer was sat leaning forward like he imaged professional snow sled’ers did and Collin was just one big grin, leaning slightly up against his sister. The hill was far from the tallest in the park but it was steep enough for them to get a big of speed and when they reached the bottom the sled hid a nook of hardened snow and tipped over, making the whole lot collide down into the ground. No harm was done, luckily. And they were all laughing as they laid still in the snow for just a moment to catch their breath. Maeve more than the two boy. While they were quick on their feet, she stayed down. Collin put his knees on her stomach, nearly making her gasp. “Again!” “Wha-?” Her laugh bellowed again. It felt so great. Laughing. “Nooo, no no. I said this would be the last for today. I’m dead. I think I’ll keep laying here. Your poor older sister can’t go on anymore.” She closed her eyes, still with a big smile on her face. She spread her arms and legs out as if to make a snow angel. The boy kind of looked back and forth between her and his brother, who was already putting the sled right side up, ready to mount the hill for another trip. And then he lifted his weight from her stomach and she could hear his running steps going away from her.
She then breathed out. Her chest still rising and sinking remarkably, visible even through the thick layer of her snow suit. She was still smiling, although it had turned more mellow. It was so nice, just lying there, feeling the cold. Both her cheeks and her nose were as red ad bright roses and her breath came out as opaque clouds of white smoke. It had been a while since she had felt this exhausted and content at the same time.