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She took one last deep breath, holding it for a moment before closing her eyes and exhaling slowly. She concentrated on the cold wind against her face, attempting to become one with her surroundings. She opened her eyes and took in the snow covered cars parked across the street, abandoned for the moment, peaceful. She almost smiled in spite of herself—this had always been her favorite time of year. She listened to her neighbors complain about the frosty Wisconsin winters, and she would always nod in agreement (it's the complaining and the sense of having lived through something together that bonded citizens, after all) but she would always secretly relish the first snow fall of the year, the way the snow would glisten under the street lights on silent early evenings, the way the icicles hung from cars all the way to the street below. Something about having to pile on layers of clothing before heading to the grocery store or school felt exciting, like one was preparing for a great adventure. Even brushing off the car and scraping the ice could be comforting, a sort of ritual, a reminder that nothing good comes easy, that we were all in this together, as neighbors scraped off their own windows, cursing the temperature—

"Mommy!" A voice cut through her thoughts and she was immediately transported back to the icy, gray morning. She sighed.

"Mommy! What are you looking at?"

"Nothing sweet pea. Are you buckled?"