I stood by the window, staring out into the yard, where the snow poured down in torrents, blanketing everything in its path. It was strange, how the world seemed to slow when the snow fell like this. The lawn, the trees, even the house—it was all disappearing under a heavy layer of white, as though winter was intent on swallowing the entire landscape whole. The wind pushed the flakes around in swirling gusts, making the storm feel endless, but in a way, it was calming too. Everything out there was covered in a uniform blanket, as if the world had hit pause.
Behind me, I could hear the quiet rustle of Jem flipping through the pages of a book. It was one of the things she always did when she didn't have anything else to focus on. A soft crackle from the fireplace was the only other sound in the room, the warmth from the flames a stark contrast to the biting cold outside.