Apricity (noun): the warmth of sun in winter

The snow fell like the feathers of an angel.

Silently, the ice crystals painted the road and trees with a thin veil of white. Her own scarf also took on a white sheen as she made her way through the snow-covered path to her home.

“Oh! You’re back!”

A tiny child charged through the snow and slammed into her, the little pom-pom on his beanie quivering with excitement.

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She couldn’t help but laugh. “Yes, I am. And you know what that means…”

The kid almost rocketed off the ground. “Snowman!!”

With that declaration, the two of them began construction.

The seemingly melancholy cold felt welcoming to her. She’d spent plenty of months under the warm, shining sun of California, but the chilly snow here felt more like a home than sunshine ever was. Here, her little brother awaited her with admiration. Here, her parents must be in the house with hot chocolate. Here, she was loved.

Three large spheres for the body, a carrot for the nose, some rocks for the eyes and mouth… The siblings gave their own accessories as the finishing touch: a flowing scarf around its neck and a beanie with a fluffy pom-pom on the head.

Overhead, precious beams of light poked through the clouds.