When he reached Aileen’s house, he went inside and stood there for a minute, the world quiet around him.
In his duffel upstairs, an old sketchbook waited.
Down the road, in a workshop that smelled like sawdust and cocoa, the boy he’d drawn was still awake, cleaning brushes, or humming along to the radio.
I know enough, Noah had said.
Eli closed his eyes.
“Just for the season,” he whispered.
But the truth was already bigger than that.
He just wasn’t ready to say it out loud.
Chapter Eleven
The next morning,Eli woke to silence.
Not the peaceful, pre-dawn kind, but the heavy, ominous kind that meant the weather had done something dramatic.
He shuffled out of the guest room, squinting. The house felt muffled, as though someone had stuffed cotton in its walls. Aileen was already in the kitchen, her phone in hand, the aroma of freshly brewed coffee filling the cozy room.
“It looks like a bad blizzard out there,” he muttered as he helped himself to a mug.
She didn’t even look up.
“It’s bad, all right, but it’s worse than a blizzard.” She turned her phone so he could see the morning alert.
A NEAR-WHITEOUT STORM ADVISORY
ROADS CLOSED IN THREE DIRECTIONS
USE CAUTION, TRAVEL NOT RECOMMENDED
“That means zero visibility. The only saving grace is it’s not windy.”
Eli blinked. “Oh.” He’d known about the approaching storm, but he hadn’t expected its arrival would have such a drastic impact.
That’s what you get for spending all those years in the big city. They wiped out all your memories of past weather disasters.
Yeah, he’d well and truly handed in hissmall-town boycard.
“Thatalsomeans everything’s delayed.” Aileen sighed. “Deliveries, meetings, Santa-related shenanigans… By the way, Noah texted. All town square work is now canceled.”
He tried not to react to that last part. “So we just hunker down?”
“We hunker,” she agreed. Then she paused. “Noah also said he’s stuck at the workshop. The power’s still on but the roads are iced over. He’s heard the snowplows going by.”
Eli stilled. “Is he okay? Does he have enough supplies to last as long as the whiteout does?”
“He’s fine.” She studied him. “Youcouldcheck on him. If you wanted.”
“I—” Eli’s voice caught. “He’ll be busy.”
“He’ll also be alone,” she said gently.
That last sentence managed to pierce Eli someplace deep.
