Much later that evening, as the glowing embers burned out and the snow storm finally dwindled down, Mina and Sana lay in each other's arms in front of the fireplace and watched the gentle snowfall. They were whispering into each other's ears, matching the silence of the falling snow, quietly talking about everything and anything and nothing at all.

Mina's attention was focused on the drifting snowflakes just outside the window as Sana placed a kiss on the underside of her jaw, and Mina idly wondered out loud how it was possible that she was nineteen years old and had never played in the snow before. It was just a passing thought, one that was a bit self deprecating in nature. Mina laughed a bit darkly at her lack of experience and encouraged Sana to do the same. But to Mina's surprise, Sana didn't laugh. Sana didn't make light of Mina's story or try to empathize or pity the past. Instead, Sana carefully sat up so that they were facing each other, and then Sana smiled at Mina in a way that the younger girl could only describe as "healing".

"Do you wanna go play in the snow with me?" Sana asked Mina gently, her words as warm and as kind as the expression on her face.

Mina felt like she wanted to cry.

They dressed each other carefully, withdrawing from their pile of discarded clothing in reverse until they were both fully clothed again. Sana finished pulling Mina's shirt down over her head and then they smiled at each other furtively, joking that it was like they had turned back the clock to two hours ago, to a time before they had slept together; except they both knew that it would be impossible for either of them to forget the taste of summer and autumn that lingered on their tongues.

As Mina formed and held her first snowball in her hands, she looked down at it with resentment building in her chest. She thought of all of the things she had given up unwillingly in her childhood, including the opportunity to play in the snow as a kid. But then a snowball caught her in the side of the head. The wave of resentment disappeared as suddenly as it had come. And the subsequent laughter from Sana, innocent and carefree, reminded Mina of how much she had managed to regain in just three months of knowing Sana. As Mina watched Sana scurrying through the snow in her puffy winter jacket, squealing with excitement and full of limitless energy, Mina had a suddenly moment of calming clarity where she realized that she was prepared to do whatever it took to give Sana the world.

The snowballs flew quickly after that epiphany, with Mina and Sana pelting each other hard and fast as though they were hardened enemies and not newly minted lovers who had taken each other for the first time just hours ago. Mina had never imagined that something as simple as throwing handfuls of compacted snow at another person could be nearly this much fun. But then again, Mina had never imagin