Shaded Amethysts - Ann Omasta Page 0,1

puppy years. I smiled down at the persuasive animal. How could I resist her when she was so heartbroken to see her kids leave?

“Oh, okay. Go get your leash.” I could swear that dog was smiling as she ran to where her leash hung. Her tail flapped loudly on the ground as she waited for me to pull it from the hook.

As I passed by the kitchen, I said to my brother, “I’m taking the dog, too.”

Rather than responding to me, he leaned close to his wife and waggled his brows. “Mm… We get the house all to ourselves.”

“We can be adventurous,” she purred suggestively before tipping up on her toes to kiss him.

I gave an exaggerated shiver of disgust and said, “Eww. Wait ’til we’re gone.”

It’s really not fair that I have to be surrounded by nauseating lovebirds when I’m all alone. I must have some shitty karma to compensate for, but I sure don’t remember what I did to deserve this.

My oldest niece, Hannah, was a huge help in getting the wiggly little ones strapped into their car seats. With three kids and a dog along for the ride, I needed a soccer mom’s minivan, instead of my little car.

Somehow, we made it work. As soon as I parked near the pond, we all spilled out, like clowns emerging from a tiny vehicle.

Hannah and I put on our ice skates, but I told the little ones it was best to play and learn to glide with their shoes first. The pond’s ice wasn’t as smooth or cleared off as a rink’s would be, so I thought that might make it easier for them than trying actual skates.

We weren’t there long before Molly and her crew showed up. I felt a bit guilty when I saw Grant’s wheelchair stop as Molly and Scout continued toward us. This location wasn’t ideal for his chair, but I had already told the kids what we were doing when Molly called. I didn’t want to risk my ‘awesome Aunt Avery’ status by changing plans on them at the last minute.

We had a blast sliding, twirling, and throwing snow. We all had red faces, except for Pepper. Hers was almost completely white from burying it in the fresh powder along the edge of the pond.

Grant seemed to become distressed about something as he talked on the phone on the shore, so Molly asked me to watch her son, too, as she went to see what was wrong.

I was holding onto Hannah’s hands and teaching her how to do a pair spin when I heard the deafening crack of the ice.

Hannah and I had been moving slowly enough that I was able to quickly stop us. We both stood there, barely daring to breathe, as we tried to figure out where the weak spot was.

Pepper and the younger kids were still playing, oblivious to the terrifying potential meaning of that particular sound.

My frightened gaze locked with Molly’s from across the distance just before sweet little Scout fell through the ice.

2

Avery

Panic froze me in place as I stared in horror at the scene before me. This can’t be happening. My mind went into autopilot as I scrambled forward, determined to rescue the little boy as I yelled back for Hannah to get her siblings and head to shore.

Pepper beat me to the hole in the ice and somehow––miraculously––snagged the child’s puffy coat collar with her teeth before he sank into the dark abyss.

From the corner of my eye as I hurried forward, I saw Molly sprinting in our direction. As frightened as I was, I couldn’t imagine the terror my best friend must have been feeling. Poor Grant was stuck on the shore, likely feeling helpless, but I couldn’t worry about him right now. My only priority was doing whatever it took to save their little boy.

As Pepper struggled to hold onto the child with her teeth, more ice gave way and she crashed into the water. I opened my mouth to scream, but no sound came out, as the dog and child went under the inky water.

Fear nearly strangled me as I awkwardly ran the final steps to them on my skate blades. Some corner of my brain heard the deep voice shout, “Lay down on the ice and spread out your weight.”

The last thing I wanted to do was take the time to follow that sage advice, but I was still rational enough to know that if I fell into the frigid water, I