The drive home
was slow, but Bruce didn't mind. The softly falling snow painted the world in a
dreamy haze, covering every tiny branch on the trees and muffling the usual
sounds of traffic. He rolled down his window, allowing the crisp winter air to
fill his car, and breathed in deeply, savoring the quiet beauty around him.
"So
beautiful," he murmured under his breath, mesmerized by the tranquility
and serenity of the snow-covered landscape. The trees stood tall and proud,
adorned in shimmering white with delicate icicles hanging from their branches.
The bushes were transformed into round, fluffy shapes, looking like they were
wearing cozy winter coats.
As he pulled
into his driveway and got out of his car, a chorus of silver bell laughter
greeted him. His daughter, Sammy, ran to give him a hug followed by a group of
her first-grader friends. They all looked like little snowmen with their hats
and mittens and rosy cheeks.
"Looks
like your play date is going well," Bruce chuckled as he hugged Sammy
tightly and took in the heartwarming sight of the bundled-up children playing
in the snow. It was moments like this that made braving through the cold winter
worth it.
"Yes,
daddy, we're having so much fun!" little Sammy shouted; her voice filled
with pure joy. Her mittens were covered in snow as she excitedly showed off
the snowman they had built together.
Bruse smiled as he watched his daughter play. The winter sun cast a
warm glow on the children's rosy cheeks and their laughter echoed through the
snowy backyard.
As he looked
up, he saw his wife Sarah walking toward him with a content smile on her face.
He pulled her into a hug, feeling grateful for this moment of blissful family
time.
But then he
noticed Muffin, their beloved St. Bernard, sitting behind the sliding door longingly staring through the glass. "Aww...why didn't you let that poor dog come outside to
play? Look at that sad face!" he pointed out to his wife.
Sarah sighed
and explained, "I wanted to, but one of Sammy's little friends started
crying as soon as she saw Muffin. She got scared by her size, so I had to leave
her inside. Don't worry, we'll play with her after the parents pick up the
kids. They should be here in about half an hour."
Bruce nodded
understandingly but couldn't help feeling a twinge of sadness for their gentle
giant who just wanted to join in on the fun with her family.
With a glance
at the forlorn dog, Bruce joined the
children in their winter wonderland. Giggles and shouts filled the crisp air as
they rolled snow into balls, stacking them on top of each other to create a
makeshift snowman with a carrot nose and flowerpot hat.
As the sun
began to set, Sarah noticed how red-cheeked and tired the children had become.
She dropped down onto the soft, powdery snow and spread her arms, creating a
perfect snow angel. The children eagerly followed suit, flattening out the snow
until there were a dozen snow angels scattered across the backyard.
Just as they
were finishing up, cars started pulling into the driveway, signaling the end of
their snowy playtime. Amidst excited shouts of thanks and goodbyes, the yard
fell silent.
Sammy ran up to
the door and let Muffin out, who wasted no time bounding over to Bruce and
Sarah. The dog showered them with slobbery kisses before joining Sammy in
rolling around in the remaining patches of untouched snow. They played chase
and tug-of-war with Muffin's beloved blue toy bear until all three of them were
panting and out of breath from laughter.
The cold air
nipped at their faces as Sarah shouted for Sammy to come inside and
have some hot cocoa. The trio made their way toward the warm, welcoming door,
but when Sarah turned around to see if Muffin was following, the dog hesitated
and headed off in a different direction.
"Let her stay a little longer. Maybe she needs to do her business," Bruce suggested, a slight smile on his lips.
"She'll let us know when she's ready to come in."
After they
changed into dry clothes and huddled by the fireplace, Bruce ventured to the
sliding door with a steaming cup of cocoa in hand. As he peered outside, his
eyes widened in amazement. "Sarah, Sammy!" he called out, trying not
to startle them. "Come quickly!"
Panicked, Sarah
rushed to the door and asked, "What's wrong?"
"Look!"
Bruce whispered, pointing at Muffin who Buster from down the
street with a nose rub. "Her friend came to play."
They watched as the best friends chased each other in the snow, and then Muffin plopped down onto her side and began moving her legs up and down, creating a snow angel. Buster sat beside her,
watching intently before bursting into his own flurry of snow-kicking fun.
"Aww...they
look so happy," Sarah gushed, her heart warming at the sight.
Sammy smiled in delight. "Muffin is teaching Buster how to make snow angels!"
