Winter returned with unheard-of fierceness, bringing with it the kind of blizzard that transformed their familiar neighborhood into an odd place with howling winds and tall snowdrifts. Grace learnt that their family's resilience would be put to the test in unexpected ways when the electricity went out on the second night of the storm.
Max said, looking at his phone's rapidly dying battery, "the electricity has been out for six hours now, and the utility company says it could be days before service is restored."
"Are we going to freeze?" James's tone betrayed more interest than terror, but he inquired with the directness that defined his attitude to potentially catastrophic situations.
Grace comforted him, "We have the fireplace, warm blankets, and each other," as she mentally listed the
