You can't, Alinno

After spending a few hours organizing the luggage to be stowed in the car's trunk, the four of them got into the vehicle, all set to go. They had woken up quite early to start the trip and finish packing the last few remaining items.

—Where are we going?—the youngest asked excitedly, leaning a little toward the front seats. She looked at her father, who was driving—Are we going to Whistler again?

—No, we're going somewhere else this time— her mother replied, looking at her daughter.

—That’s not true!— she replied, maintaining the same attitude.

—They’ve packed up the things we’re taking there— Yes, but it’ll be a different place," her father added, without taking his eyes off the road ahead—I won’t say where we’re going; it’ll be a surprise.

—Is it a long trip? How many hours will it take? Is it nice?

—Yes, it’s nice, and it won’t be long—though you should enjoy the journey anyway— the woman replied—Are you excited?

—Yes!—her smile widened—I’ve been looking forward to this day; I hope we get there soon.

Her daughter’s enthusiasm amused her, but a few seconds later, she turned her gaze toward her son, and her smile slowly faded—Eirian.

—Yeah?—He looked up at her, appearing a bit tired—Put the phone away; we’re just starting the trip— she ordered—What are you doing on your phone?

—I was just checking the time; a friend just sent me a message— he said listlessly, weighed down by fatigue.

—You can answer it later; put the phone down and turn it off."

—Leave it right here in the front—the driver ordered.

—Fine—He frowned, slightly annoyed, but obeyed his father's command; he turned off the phone and placed it where instructed. Then, he leaned his head back against the seat and gazed out the window.

The person beside him was laughing silently at him—You're an idiot; you should have used it when no one was looking.

—Your tablet too, Julie.

—I didn't bring it.

—You didn't?— The teenager smiled faintly, glancing at the object—Then what is that thing next to you?

—Julie, do as I say—her mother demanded.

—I hate you—she joked as she handed the tablet to her mother.

It had been a long journey, taking them several hours. During that time, those who weren't driving dozed off occasionally, chatted with one another, and rarely stopped at any service stations.

Upon arrival, he parked nearby; the passengers in the back looked at the location in confusion, as it wasn't quite what they had imagined.

—Where are we?— Eirian asked, never taking her eyes off the window beside her sister.

We rented a cabin— his mother remarked—Do you like it?

—Yes, we like it—her son replied, though he didn't sound entirely convinced, as the sleepiness hadn't quite worn off.

—There’s nowhere to go for a walk here; there’s nothing— Julie said aloud, voicing what they were both thinking as she looked around—Although, there’s plenty of space in the snow—we could play.

—The town center is nearby; we’ll go for a walk there— the older woman clarified—Our relatives will be coming to visit one of these days, too.

—My cousins are coming!?—she sounded happier upon hearing the news, moving closer to her mother.

—Yes, they're coming. This spot will work—she said, interrupting as she parked the car near the woods.

—Eirian, you're going to help me unload everything.

—Coming.

They were already out of the car; Eirian and his mother were carrying the bulk of the load toward the cabin, while Julie carried only the lightest items. After emptying the trunk, Royce headed toward the cabin where his family was.

—I call this bed!— The youngest girl lay down on the bed next to the television, which was situated in the area surrounding the kitchen.

—Where am I going to sleep?— The brown-haired young man looked at his mother; he was holding his suitcase and had his backpack on his back.

—Over there—he pointed—there’s a spare room with the bathroom nearby, and the one close by will be ours.

—I’ll go put my things away.

Once inside the room—which wasn't large but was big enough to accommodate the items she had brought—she started by hanging all her clothes in the closet so she could empty her suitcase and set it aside; finally, she placed her personal belongings on the nightstand next to the bed.

—Eirian! Shall we go play outside?—Julie appeared unexpectedly, quickly opening the door and waiting for her brother's answer with a wide smile.

—We just got here—not right now—he replied—I'm tired; I'm going to sleep for a bit.

—I'm not tired.

—That's because you slept the whole trip.

—Just a little while!— he insisted.

—Later—she repeated, raising her voice slightly—Use your tablet or take a nap—I don't know.

—How boring—he said as he walked away, rolling his eyes, and finally shut the bedroom door.

The occupant of the room sat on the bed; having already arranged personal belongings, they waited for their cell phone to turn on. Once it powered up, they checked every notification and replied to messages from friends, then set the phone on the table and took off their sneakers to rest.

Only the woman was in the cabin's kitchen, organizing the supplies and putting some food away in the refrigerator. Julie walked over to her after leaving the spot where her brother was.

—Mom, can I go outside?

—Is your brother going with you?

—He doesn't want to.

—Not right now, then—she said, closing the fridge and going to get another one of the bags.

—Just for a little while, Mom!— she pleaded—I promise I won't go far; I'll stay close by.

—First, help me put everything away, and then you can go out.

—Okay!—she agreed enthusiastically, and went to open the last remaining bag.

After a few minutes, the bags were empty; the younger girl was left on her own then, as her mother had gone to lie down in the bedroom where her father was. She had finished bundling up, and upon stepping outside, she saw nothing but snow; she simply sat in front of the cabin and decided to build a snowman.

She didn't make a large one—she hated being alone—so she lay back in the snow and gazed at the sky. She stayed outside a little longer, making a few more snow figures, before eventually going back into the cabin and lying down to play a game on her tablet; within minutes, however, she had fallen asleep with the device still on.

A few hours later, three of them had woken up, but Julie was still asleep; seeing this, her mother took the tablet and set it aside.

—Where are we going?— she asked, looking at her husband as she put on her coat.

—We'll find somewhere for dinner, then go for a walk— he said—Has Julie woken up yet?

She suddenly looked at her daughter, trying to wake her with a gentle shake of her shoulder—Julie, get up—we're leaving.

She frowned before waking; her eyes remained closed, and she moved sluggishly, reluctant to leave her sleep behind—Just a little longer.

—I'm going to get the car; when I come back, I want to see Julie awake.— She glanced at her son, who was standing beside her—Will you come with me?

—I'll go—she replied, then quickly followed her father to the car.

—Come on, Julie!—she said, shaking her more vigorously and raising her voice—We're going out—your father is waiting for you!

—Where are we going?—she asked, barely opening her eyes.

—To get something to eat and go for a walk; you need to bundle up and brush your hair—hurry.

—What should I wear?— she asked as she got up, still dazed from sleep.

—What you were wearing is fine— her mother replied somewhat hurriedly—Put that on, along with your sneakers, right now.

Just then, the car horn honked; Julie quickly got dressed, and finally, her mother tidied her hair a bit. It took only a few minutes for them to leave and get into the car waiting in front of the cabin.

They headed toward the city center; the drive took just a few minutes, and they parked in a parking lot. There were several eateries nearby, so they stopped to look at them.

—Should we check out all the places, or just go into one?—Esna asked.

—Let's take a look, then we'll pick one.

After discussing it, they crossed the street and looked at each of those shops before entering one of them. They had dinner and chatted there; afterwards, they left the establishment and walked through the downtown streets.

During their walk, they looked at every shop in the area and bought a few things they had taken a liking to, spending a few hours downtown before returning to the cabin.

At that moment, Eirian was in his room, placing the bags containing his purchases under the wooden table. His family was getting ready for bed, and he was doing the same; the main light was off, leaving only a lamp on as he used his phone while lying down.

He found several messages from his group of friends—who were spouting nonsense and constantly changing the subject—and even received a private message from one of them. He chatted with them for a while before bed, and the conversation even managed to bring a smile to his face.

Feeling tired, he turned off his phone when there was a delay in their replies; then, to ensure a peaceful rest, he switched off the lamp and tried to fall asleep.