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“We’re both in New House?” I said, falling in behind the two girls as they went through the living room and headed for the side door. I was a little surprised as historically the unmarried boys and girls had been split up between the Old House and New House, the two main buildings of the “Parnell Cabin Complex.”

“Yeah,” Kaia said. “Mike and Jenn wanted to keep their kids all together this year, so it works out better if they’re in the Old House. Don’t worry. You were going to be stuck with Jorgie, but he ended up leaving this afternoon to stay with his biological mom or some such.”

“Gee, that’s a shame,” I said, allowing the sarcasm to drip out once I was sure no one else was close enough to hear.

Kaia turned, walking backward, and gave me a knowing smile. “So you get the Observatory to yourself, you lucky dog.”

The Observatory was the New House’s finished attic. Having it to myself would be nice, though it was one of the coldest rooms in the complex. I’d just need more blankets. The privacy and view of the lake would make up for any shortcomings.

“You’re in the Duck Room,” Kaia said, flipping back around to talk to Avery. “Leaving me the Red Room. Your parents have the first floor bedroom.”

Most of the rooms in the complex had earned nicknames. The Duck and Red rooms were named, respectively, for their wallpaper and paint. Both were ugly by modern standards, yet had a certain quaint history to them. And, more importantly, the girls weren’t sharing rooms with anyone else, either.

“Who’s all doubling up, then?” Avery said.

“Oh, I think this is the first year our numbers have declined,” Kaia said. “Some of the cousins are off with their significant others’ families. Was bound to happen.”

I chuckled. “I think we could drop a dozen before I’d start to notice.”

Kaia snorted. “No shit.”

Kaia led us through the breezeway — a glassed-in room that connected the two buildings. The floor was tiled and cold, and two tables in one corner held the fridge overflow. On the other side of the room was the Christmas tree, lit up cheerfully in the darkness, with a staggering number of wrapped gifts around it. The room was usually opened up in the summer, with screens allowing for a nice cross-breeze without the bugs, and eligible for hanging towels and swimsuits. In the winter, it was usually only heated on Christmas Day while the rest of the time it tended to hang just above freezing from heat bleeding off the houses.

The New House was new only in the sense it had been built after Old House. It was still older than the three of us by a wide margin. It was, however, the quieter of the two thanks to the dearth of little kids. I had to admit, our stay was looking better than I’d expected. On entering, it had the feel of being completely empty.

I followed the girls up the stairs, shamelessly checking out Kaia’s legs and ass. Her tights showed both to good effect, though her legs definitely stood out from a somewhat flat butt. If there was one thing my sister could claim over Kaia in the body department, it was her perfect butt. In her tight jeans, it was no contest. And why was I also checked out my sister’s backside? Because it was there and I was bored and that’s where my idle male mind went.

Kaia stayed with Avery as we passed her Duck Room and I headed for the stairs to the attic at the end of the hall. Kaia called out to me that dinner was ready as soon as we were. I acknowledged and resigned myself to diving into the frenetic fray of family.

#

Dinner was like all other meals here — a buffet-style free-for-all with people rotating into seats at the dining room table or wherever else a plate could be set. The little ones went first, then the adults cycled in as opportunity permitted. I was half-done before the girls got there and by then I was busy talking school life with one of my uncles. Afterward, I got roped into playing a game with the kids followed by a few party games with the adults that went well into the evening.

Kaia and Avery played for a bit but somehow managed to slip out between games. I was a little jealous but was having a good enough time that I stayed, showing the flag for my niche of the generational spectrum. When things finally wound down around ten o’clock, I called it a night and retreated to the New House. Upstairs, I saw Avery’s room dark and Kaia’s with the light on but the door closed. I was naturally curious as to what they were up to but didn’t want to barge in on them. Probably just catching up and talking about school and boys.

I walked quietly past, slowing as I approached. If they were talking, it was in a whisper, which seemed odd. Then I heard some giggling. Whatever. I rolled my eyes and went upstairs to the Observatory.

The room was long, narrow, and smelled of old wood. It had a low ceiling, but not so much that I couldn’t stand upright in most of it. Several single beds lined one wall, all but one destined to be empty this Christmas. Times were changing. How much longer would the families come here for the holiday? Would it last after grandma passed? Given her good health, that might be a long way off.

I grabbed my toothbrush and went back to the second floor to use the bathroom across from the girls’ rooms. I heard another brief outburst of giggling. They had to know I was here now given the squeaking of the stairs. Again, I just sighed and got ready for bed.

I won’t pretend I didn’t take benefit of having a room to myself that night. I needed some relief to fall asleep and fresh visions of Kaia in those tights and sweaters were all it took. I know, bad cousin.

#

The girls’ doors were closed and quiet the next morning. I grabbed a shower and still saw no sign either was up. I dragged things out for a bit before finally going over to Old House for breakfast. Unsurprisingly, the young kids were early risers. Thankfully, they’d talked uncle Joe into taking them outside to play in the snow. By laying low while eating my plate of waffles and bacon, I didn’t get recruited to help.

My dad, however, caught me and asked if I could help dig through the Closet for some old yard decorations that haven’t been used in years. The Closet was like a mini-attic over the breezeway, used more for storage than either of the real attics.

By help, he meant I could do it myself. I was fine with that as it kept me busy and away from the crowd. The only downside was that it was chilly in the Closet, but I figured if I kept moving, I wouldn’t need my coat.

The Closet, I discovered, was far messier than I’d remembered. Granted, it had probably been a few years since I’d been up there. Boxes were everywhere and most unlabeled. I spent the first fifteen minutes just clearing paths through the mess.

I heard footsteps coming up the stairs and assumed it was my dad coming to check on my progress.

“There you are,” Kaia said, surprising me as she looked in.

“Hey! Here to help?”

This morning, Kaia was again in leggings, but these were gray with stripes. She wore another form-fitting sweater, this a gaudy green and red Christmas one that had the word “Naughty” across her chest. And speaking of chests, I couldn’t help noticing just how conspicuous her nipples were. Damn! When she walked into the room, there was a certain bounce to her breasts that screamed braless. Seriously? That was bold, especially in the family setting.

“That depends,” she said. “On whether I have to lift anything heavy or touch anything dusty.”

I looked around at the room and sighed. “Guess not, then.”

Kaia chuckled as she wandered around looking at the old junk. Fuck, definitely braless, and fantastic handfuls. I’d be seeing this again in my imagination for years. Then she turned and I got a nice view of her thigh gap. I almost wondered there was a hint of camel toe going on, but forcibly ripped my eyes away before getting caught.

“Well, I can lend moral support,” she said. “Cheer you on, run for help if you get crushed beneath something.”

“Sure,” I said with a laugh.

Kaia was actually cool, chatting like an old friend. We caught up with each other’s college experiences and swapped a few good stories of life as school freshmen. I enjoyed just talking and learning more about the woman she’d grown into.

As we talked, she did lend a hand with some of the searching. I kept stealing glances at her every chance I got, especially her chest. I knew I shouldn’t, but there were limits to one’s resolve as a guy my age.

“Fuck, it’s cold up here,” she said, pausing to rub her arms. “Gonna poke holes through my sweater at the rate.”

NSFW: yes

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