Snow falls gently from the sky and sticks to the ever-growing blanket of white. It coats the ground and the trees, smothering everything in sight. Ember is bursting with energy and running around the house while Mary and her mother clean the dishes. Claire is sitting on a chair in the living room reading a book and their dad is in his study doing a crossword puzzle.

Everything seems fine, except for the fact that Claire has been acting as if Mary doesn't exist all week. She plays with Ember and chats happily with everyone else, but she refuses to acknowledge Mary.

Mary tries to ignore the sinking feeling she gets when Claire does this, but it doesn't want to go away and instead it's settled into her soul. She doesn't understand why Claire is being so rude. It isn't her marriage and she's her sister. She's supposed to be helping and not pushing her away. Sure, she probably isn't making the most rational decision, but she doesn't want to measure her love in loss if there's something she can do to renew what was once there. People aren't always lost.

The dishes are done and Mary decides that it will be good to get Ember outside. The cold will slow her down a little bit and her energy will fade as she runs around in the thick snow. Ember loves the fluffy white product of nature and it's a good way to spend time with her daughter without boring her.

Ember's currently finishing another lap around the house. Mary decides to duck down by the couch in the living room and wait for her. Ember doesn't notice her mommy by the couch and screams as Mary catches her in her arms.

"Got you!"

Ember giggles loudly and writhes in her mother's arms, "Mommy!"

Mary slightly loosens her grip and presses a sloppy kiss to Ember's cheek, "Emmy!"

Ember hugs her the moment she lets her go. "What are you doing mommy!?"

"Kidnapping you so we can play in the snow!"

"Yay!"

Ember runs down the hall to grab her coat and Mary follows her at a slightly faster than normal pace. She's happy to get outside and do something with her mommy instead of sitting around coloring and playing with her grandparents' puppy. Playing in the snow is one of her favorite things to do, but her mommy hasn't let her go out in a couple of days because she had a bit of a runny nose.

She's so excited that she puts her coat on the wrong way and her mommy has to help her. Mary helps Ember put on her warm clothes as quickly as she can before donning her own and racing her to the door.

Mary lets Ember win, but her parent's doorknob is too high and she can't reach it. Ember ends up waiting longer than she wants to before she barrels outside and into the snow like an excited puppy.

The fluffy white ice isn't falling anymore. Ember doesn't mind because there is plenty of it for her to play with all over the ground. It's still cold even though she's wearing about four layers of clothing, but she hardly pays any attention to the chill as she plops down in the snow and waves her arms and legs to make a snow angel.

Mary closes the door and plops down next to her daughter, the snow dramatically adds to the cold air and chills her bones instantly. She doesn't mind the feeling as much as she's grown accustomed to hating the things that remind her of the ice that's halted her marriage.

As they stand up and admire their masterpieces, snow clings to their hair and embeds itself in their clothing. Ember's proud of her creation and she's got an idea, but she has to move while her Mommy is distracted or it won't work out the way that she wants it to.

She sneaks off so that she's far enough away to throw and not miss or hit her Mommy too hard with the snowball. Ember quickly scoops up a handful of snow and pats it into a ball before calling her mother.

"Mommy!"

Mary turns slowly in Ember's direction, she knows that her daughter is going to throw a snowball at her because she saw her run off. She's pretending that she doesn't because she doesn't want to spoil her fun.

The moment that she's facing her, Ember lets the snowball fly from her hand and it hits Mary in the chest. She feigns surprise as Ember giggles and starts to run in the opposite direction. She knows her mommy with either catch her or return her snowball.

And she's right to run. Mary decides that it's far more fun to run after her and playfully threaten that she's going to get her revenge.

"I'm gonna get you, Emmy!"

Ember laughs and runs around the back of the house in hopes of running inside before her mommy catches up with her. She barely makes it to the door before she shrieks. Mary grabs her and hugs her tightly from behind.

"Got you! Now you get to suffer through my kisses!"

She peppers Ember's face with kisses and Ember is a giggling mess after only a few moments. Mary lets her go after about a minute and, if it's possible, the ice that's accumulated in her heart steams when she sees the smile on her daughter's face.

"Can we build a fort, mommy?"

Mary smiles as she stands up and holds out her hand, "Of course we can!"

They trek back into the front yard and start piling and shaping snow until they've created a structure that looks a like a lopsided pile of sand with an opening. Ember thinks it's wonderful and they end up inside, praying that the ceiling doesn't cave in and burry them.

Ember's cuddled up next to her mother and she's thinking about what happened back home. Why her daddy isn't here with them. She knows that it's a subject that her mother doesn't like to talk about, but she's little and she's curious and a little scared of what's going on. What happens if they don't ever get along again?

"Mommy? Why isn't daddy here?"

Mary closes her eyes, counts to six, and takes a deep breath. She watches her breath create a thin screen of fog the air in front of her. "Daddy doesn't like grandma and grandpa, and he really doesn't like how cold it is here."

Ember frowns. "Why doesn't he like grandma and grandpa?"

Mary doesn't know what to say. She's not going to tell her five-year-old that her dad is cheating on her and he doesn't like them because they don't like how he's treating her. She knows that Ember is smart enough to understand and she chooses her words carefully.

"Daddy's made some bad decisions and grandma and grandpa don't let him forget about those decisions."

Ember remembers the fight they got in when she went to see her teacher. "Do you still love daddy?"

Mary wasn't expecting her to ask that question. She still loves Alec, even if he doesn't love her anymore. She wishes that she didn't.

"Of course I do, sweetie."

And it's true. No matter what he does to her, she knows that there is some part of her heart that will always belong to him. She knows that he doesn't love her the way that he should anymore, but he loves her in some way because he hasn't entirely walked away yet. Or maybe he doesn't and he's just caught up in the routine of what's supposed to be a normal life.

Ember hears the waver in her voice and hugs her a little tighter. "I love you, mommy."

Mary closes her eyes and holds her daughter a little closer. "I love you too, Emmy."

They lay together in the snow for a little while longer before Mary decides that it's time to go inside. Ember is shivering and it's almost time for dinner. As soon as they step inside, the snow melts and forms tiny oceans on the floor.

Ember thinks it's funny and Mary ends up laughing with her. It is kind of funny how quickly such small flakes turn into pools to bathe in. The laughter stops quickly. Mary doesn't want Ember to get sick and rushes her into the bedroom to dry off and change.

After dressing, they sit in the living room and color until dinner is ready. Mary's nervous because it's Christmas Eve and Claire still hasn't said anything. It feels like her sister is a landmine and she's afraid to find out what happens when she takes a step too far.

Dinner is ready faster than she anticipates and she's almost too afraid to sit down with the family again. She knows her sister and she knows that she's going to say something eventually. Ember, on the other hand, is incredibly excited because she loves Christmas dinner and she's glad that they didn't make her wait another day to enjoy it. She's already waited all year for this and making her wait another day would just be mean.

For a while, everything is fine and everyone is getting along without any awkwardness. Ten minutes pass and the plates are starting to empty and the silence swoops in like a bird of prey, ready to sink its talons into an unsuspecting victim, or in this case, a suspecting victim.

Mary's practically holding her breath after only thirty seconds of silence. Claire is stabbing at her food like she's trying to murder it again. Mary knows Claire is going to say something, she just doesn't know what.

Their mother is glaring at Claire and silently demanding that she leaves things alone and keep her mouth shut. Claire doesn't seem to care.

Suddenly, she drops her utensils. She doesn't look up at Mary right away. Instead, she stares at her plate like it's a piece of art she's trying to decipher. "Why won't you leave him?"

Mary tenses and rolls her lips. She doesn't want to do this on Christmas Eve and in front of her daughter. She doesn't get why Claire is so invested in it. It isn't her life and it's not really affecting hers at all.

Claire meets her eyes and this time, instead of being upset, Mary's angry. She's angry that she would do this in front of everyone and on Christmas Eve and she's angry because Claire just can't leave it alone and let her make her own decisions.

No one in her family seems to understand that it's not so easy to just give up and walk away from your first love. She's given Alec everything and she can't just leave him like they want her to. She believes that there's always a chance that someone can change...and she's hoping that he'll change some day. Optimism has always taken a strong hold of her heart and it hasn't gone away yet.

"Because I still love him and I'm not going to take him away from her." She looks at Ember to make it clear that she's talking about her daughter and not his mistress. Ember doesn't need to be directly brought into the conversation and she doesn't want to upset her by making her think that her father is leaving for good.

"He's not even there for her in the first place! What difference is it going to make!?"

Ember's looking at her mother with wide eyes and Mary suddenly wants to go home. She wants to fly away and hide under her covers while pretending that this is all just a bad dream and her life is much happier.

She can't stop the way that her voice raises or how her lips tremble. "It makes a difference because he's her father! Did you really have to do this tonight and right in front of her!? It's not your decision, Claire! Stop trying to pressure me because it's my decision and it's not your life!"

There are rivers in her eyes. She's lost the slight hold that she had over her composure. Everything is silent again and this time she can't even stand being in the room with her sister. The anger within her rises and swells like the ocean and if she doesn't leave soon, she'll drown.

Mary rises from her seat and brings her plate with her into the kitchen. She makes sure to give the scraps to the dog before setting the plate in the sink and returning to the dining room to apologize to Ember and give her a kiss before she goes outside to get some air.

Ember's pouting and pushing her food around on her plate when she walks back into the room and crouches beside her.

Mary pushes Ember's hair away from her face and tucks it behind her ear, "I'm sorry, sweetie. I didn't mean to upset you. Mommy's just going to go for a little walk. I'll be back soon, okay?"

Ember nods although she's still pouting and she doesn't want her Mommy to go. She knows that she needs to and that she'll come back for her because she always does. Her Mommy would never leave her. She can't say the same about her daddy, but she's absolutely certain about her mommy. Her mommy will never leave.

"Okay, mommy."

Mary kisses Ember's cheek before she leaves to let her know that she won't take too long. She hates leaving Ember alone when Claire is still there, but she needs to get out. She feels like Claire has just declared war on her.

It's a good thing that they're in Alaska and the sun stays up for a long time. In her haste to leave, she's forgotten to grab a flashlight.

The wind is blowing and the incredibly cold temperature has gone up to dangerously cold within only a few minutes. Mary's near the point of shivering as she starts her walk through the woods that line her parent's property.

She's focusing on watching her breath fog in the air in front of her and her steps. If she moves just a little more she'll be much warmer. Five minutes pass before she's finally calmed herself down and managed to walk at a pace that keeps her moderately warm.

All she can think about is Harry telling her that she can call whenever she needs, or wants, to talk and Alec accusing her of cheating. She's conflicted. She knows that he'll listen and that he'll say something that will make her feel ten times better, but she also knows that if she calls him she's opening the relationship she has with him and that terrifies her.

He's so wonderful and she really likes him even though he's Ember's teacher. She's married and she shouldn't feel like this about someone else. And the most terrifying thing about the thought is that she knows he feels it too.

Mary's hands are shaking and she's pulled out her phone. The screen is dark because she's been staring at it for an entire minute wondering what the hell she's doing and if she wants to continue this dangerous relationship that she feels bursting into existence between her and Harry.

Before she's made up her mind, her phone starts ringing and she nearly drops the device in the snow. Harry's name is flashing on her screen and she can't help but to smile.

"Hello, Harry."

There's something about the way that she greets him that has him smiling from ear to ear as he steps outside and onto the back porch of his parent's house.

"Hi, Mary. I just wanted to call to wish you and Ember a Merry Christmas! I didn't want to bother you tomorrow. I know how busy things can get."

Mary allows herself to get lost in the calming tone of his voice as she walks through the snow capped trees. She likes him more than she should, but his voice is soothing and incredibly comforting. She doesn't feel like stopping herself this time.

It's so incredibly sweet of him to call and wish her and Ember a Merry Christmas that she finds herself wondering if he's got sugar running through his veins again. He's making himself a little obvious, but it's a cute obvious.

Her cheeks are burning. "You're so sweet. Thank you! Ember's back at the house right now, but we both wish you a Merry Christmas as well."

Harry hears a hint of something unpleasant in her voice and finds himself asking, "Is everything alright?"

He knows that something has happened by the way she pauses. He wonders if it's about her husband or her sister. Maybe it's both. Relationships are never just black and white.

Mary sighs and decides that she's going to use this opportunity to talk to him. The last time she did it helped so much and she needs a friend more than anything right now.

"Not really. My sister's been avoiding me all week. Tonight at dinner she finally decided to talk to me. But she did it so dramatically and she asked me again why I won't just leave my husband. I...I don't like to talk about my marriage and she knows that, but what bothers me the most is that she did this in front of Ember. God, I snapped at her and my sweet little girl was there for it all, Harry."

He wishes that he was there to tell her that it's okay and that she and Ember will be okay and to hug her, but he isn't. The best he can do is try to translate that into something she can feel through the phone.

"I'm sorry that happened, but you're a strong woman and Ember is a strong little girl and I know that you'll be okay. Your sister's probably just concerned about you, but she's going about it the wrong way. You didn't do anything wrong. It's human to snap and break a little. Ember knows that and I know that she loves you so much, even if she's seen that side of you. Don't let this one moment define you, Mary. There's so much more to you than that."

She's told herself that she should cry less often because she cries so much, but she's so used to it that it just happens. It's like flipping a switch. Except she's lost control of the switch. Harry is talking to her like he's her husband and, while that makes her tremendously happy, it also feels like a bullet to the chest. Her husband doesn't do that for her anymore. He's become an emotional vacuum. Someone else shouldn't have to make her feel better because her husband doesn't care.

A small laugh escapes her lips, "Are you sure you're not a councilor?"

Harry shakes his head and laughs, "Positive. So, if Ember's back at the house, where exactly are you?"

Mary tells him that she's in the woods and explains where she is so he doesn't think that she's just wandering around in the dark. She ends up telling him all about the Alaskan experience and how Ember loves it here because of all the snow and the sunlight. They end up talking for about an hour before she realizes that Ember's probably worried about her because she told her that she'd be back soon.

"I'd love to talk more, but I told my little girl I would be back soon and I have most definitely exceeded the 'soon' time limit. I feel like every time we talk I thank you, but thank you for talking to me for so long. It really helped a lot."

She's making her way back with a bright smile on her face and a tint to her cheeks while he's got his hand on the sliding glass door, an equally bright smile on his lips. "You do, but I don't mind. Anytime, Mary. I'm just a phone call or a text away. Tell Ember that I said hello and Merry Christmas! I hope that the two of you enjoy the rest of your holiday!"

"I certainly will! Enjoy your holiday as well!"

They each say their goodbyes and the entire walk back Mary is lost in thoughts about Harry and how he might just convince her to change her mind about Alec.