Chapter 22 - The First Snow
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Winter arrived in the city with a sudden, breathtakingly beautiful blizzard that blanketed the streets in pure, shimmering white snow.
At the old Oakridge estate, a snowstorm meant absolute isolation and terror. Dominic would lock the gates, drink heavily in his study, and fly into violent rages if the house wasn't kept perfectly silent.
Today, in our new home, the snow meant absolute, unadulterated magic.
It was a Saturday morning. Leo woke me up at six o'clock by jumping onto my bed, waving a pair of thick red mittens in my face.
"Mommy! It's snowing! It's everywhere!" Leo shouted, his eyes wide with pure joy. "Can we build a giant snowman? Can we?"
"We absolutely can, you little wildman," I laughed, pulling him into a tight hug and burying my face in his warm pajamas. "Go put your snow pants on. I'll make the hot chocolate."
An hour later, we were bundled up in heavy coats, standing in the middle of our sprawling, snow-covered backyard. Buster the puppy was losing his mind with excitement, bounding through the deep snowdrifts and burying his face in the frozen powder.
Leo and I spent two hours rolling massive, heavy snowballs, stacking them carefully to build a towering, slightly lopsided snowman.
"He needs a nose, Mommy," Leo demanded, patting the snowman's icy belly.
I pulled a large, bright orange carrot out of my coat pocket and handed it to him. Leo proudly jammed it into the center of the snowman's face.
We stood back to admire our work, our breath pluming in the freezing air. I felt completely exhausted, freezing cold, and happier than I had ever been in my entire life.
We went back inside, leaving our snowy boots by the door, and curled up on the plush living room sofa near the roaring fireplace. I handed Leo a mug of warm hot chocolate filled with tiny marshmallows.
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"Is this the best winter ever, Mommy?" Leo asked, taking a messy sip of his cocoa.
"It is the absolute best winter ever, sweetheart," I promised, resting my chin on top of his head, feeling the profound, unshakeable safety of our beautiful home.
