That night, Winter’s dreams were shaped by long-forgotten memories. Snowy forests. Frozen ponds. River’s laughter. She awoke with a start at the realization that she’d met George Gordon once before.
Three years earlier, River was eighteen and had already spent a year working at the factory. Fourteen-year-old Winter spent several months bemoaning how bored she was without him around in the afternoons to play card games or read her stories. His help with her schoolwork was missed, too, as their father was considerably less patient when Winter was confused. Her complaints about River’s absence only stopped when she got sick of her parents’ lectures about bills and adulthood and supporting the family.
She gradually got used to her brother not being home when she returned from school, got used to him only being around in the late evening, got used to him already being gone when she woke up in the morning. The two tried to make the most of the weekends, but he spent most of those resting up from his days of hard labor.
It was an unusually sunny Thursday in the middle of December when River shook Winter awake. She blinked at him in confusion as her dreams faded from her mind. She had the days leading up to the end of the year off from school, but he was supposed to be at work.
“River?” Winter rubbed her eyes. “Why are you still here? Are you sick?”
“Nope. I’ve got the day off.”
He quickly explained that, as an incentive to encourage employees to work harder and faster, the employee with the highest productivity at the end of each month would receive one paid day off. And River was the latest winner.
That news was enough to chase off Winter’s grogginess. She sat up. “So, you’ll be here all day?”
“Well, not exactly.” One of River’s arms had been behind his back, and he moved it forward to reveal the two pairs of ice skates he held by the laces. “I thought we could enjoy the nice weather, while it lasts.”
“You got us both ice skates?” Winter asked incredulously. She’d been begging her parents for a pair for nearly a year now, to no avail.
“We’re only renting them,” River explained. “It was that or buy one pair, but they’ve yet to invent shoes that can change size, so…” He lifted the ice skates higher. “You in?”
Winter grinned, already envisioning herself twirling on a frozen pond, like the skaters she’d seen in the town square once. The fountain at the square’s center had broken and flooded the area, causing it to freeze over and draw in the skaters who ordinarily had to venture to ponds outside the city proper. Winter had been helping Mom carry home groceries when they saw the skaters.
Mom had been too busy to let Winter stand around watching the performance for long, but the sight had stuck with her.
“Obviously, I’m in,” she told River. “But where are we gonna go?”
“One of my friends at the factory gave me directions to a pond that’s not too far from Oak Street. It’s supposed to be great for skating.”
River left to wait in the kitchen while Winter changed out of her pajamas into clothes more suited to the temperatures outside. She knew better than to let the blindingly bright sun deceive her.
She finished zipping up her coat as she walked out to the living room. River was by the door, putting the ice skates into a bag for easier transport. Mom was apparently already off to work. Dad sat on the couch reading the newspaper.
He didn’t so much as glance up from the paper as Winter crossed the room to join River. But he did speak. “Take the dog with you.”
“Planning on it.” River turned toward the corner of the room where a mass of white and red-brown fur was dozing contently. “Daisy! Wanna go out?”
The Saint Bernard was on her feet in an instant. She lumbered over to where River and Winter stood by the door, tail wagging behind her. Winter dropped to one knee in front of her and scratched her behind her ears. “Lucky you, already nice and warm in that fur coat of yours.”
No leash was needed to keep Daisy at Winter’s side as she and River left the family’s apartment and took the stairs down to the street.
“I wish we could have the snow without the cold,” Winter said as they began the trek to the edge of the city. “I bet ice skating would be more fun if I weren’t wearing fifty layers to keep myself from dying.”
River laughed. “You’ll forget all about the cold once we’re out there.”
They walked ten minutes to the city’s edge, then another fifteen along the trail to the pond. Between the snow-dusted pine trees, an expanse of ice took up most of the small clearing that waited for them at the end of their journey.
“This is the pond you were so excited about?” Winter asked as they entered the clearing. “I thought it’d be bigger. Isn’t the one south of the city supposed to be huge?”
“That one’s more dangerous. It doesn’t freeze as deep. People have fallen in trying to skate on it.” River moved to a log at the clearing’s edge and sat down. As he slid off one of his shoes, he added, “Of all people, I’d think you’d be the most concerned about freezing to death in a pond.”
“I guess,” Winter grumbled. She settled onto the log next to him and began pulling on her skates. Despite the pond’s small size, she was still excited to get on the ice.
Daisy interrupted by resting her head on Winter’s lap. Winter laughed and pushed her back. “I’m trying to put my shoes on, girl. Hold on a moment.”
River grinned. “Too bad they don’t sell dog ice skates.”
Winter snorted. “Yeah, that would go over well. Are you trying to break her ankles?”
“I think she’d be very graceful.”
“Daisy? Graceful? Where have you been the past ten years?”
While River laughed, Winter briefly found herself dwelling on how long they’d had Daisy. Ten years was probably near the end of her lifespan, wasn’t it? She didn’t seem to have as much energy as she’d had even just a couple years earlier…
River rose to his feet. “Come on, enough staring off into space. The pond is waiting.”
“The pond’s been there for centuries, I’m sure. It can wait a few more minutes.” Winter went back to tying her laces.
Finally, she was ready to go. She rose to her feet and took a shaky step toward the edge of the pond. Then another. So far, so good.
Her first step onto the ice was far less dignified than she’d imagined it would be. Her foot slipped out from under her, and she landed hard on the pond’s surface with a yelp of surprise.
River stepped onto the ice next to her and kept his balance just fine. “Are you okay?” he asked.
“Ow. Yeah, I’m okay.” Winter climbed back to her feet with a slight groan. Her blades slipped across the ice a little, nearly making her fall again. “How do people do this?”
“Practice.” River held out his arm. “Here, hold onto me while you figure out how to move.”
“I’m just going to bring you down with me.”
River laughed. “No, you won’t. Come on.”
Winter grabbed her brother’s arm and inched forward. He kept pace with her as she figured out how to move her feet in a way that would carry her forward without sending her crashing onto her back.
Daisy settled down at the edge of the pond, content to watch the two struggle across the ice.
“See?” River said once they’d finished a loop around the pond’s edge. “Not so bad, once you get used to it.”
“Yeah. I still don’t understand how those skaters in town square did all those tricks, though.” After a moment’s hesitation, Winter let go of River and tried moving forward on her own. When she didn’t immediately fall, a smile crept onto her face, and she pushed herself to go a little faster.
Gradually, Winter got the hang of gliding over the ice. She wouldn’t exactly call herself graceful, but she was doing loops around the pond at a speed that she thought was pretty decent. River was definitely better, but even he slipped a couple of times trying to push his limits. Winter laughed at him both times. The second time, he responded by grabbing a handful of snow from the grass, shaping it into a snowball, and chucking it at her. She laughed even harder when he missed.
They got to enjoy the pond for half an hour before they were interrupted.
“There you are, River!”
River and Winter turned their heads as the man emerged from the trees. The dark green coat he wore was thrown on over a business suit that looked out of place in the wild forest. As he approached, Winter found herself inching closer to River, overcome with an apprehension she couldn’t explain.
“Mr. Gordon?” River’s brow furrowed. “What’s so important that you’d come all the way out here looking for me?”
“I would have sent one of the supervisors, but they’ve got their hands full keeping things from falling apart at the factory.” The man—Gordon—stopped at the edge of the pond.
Daisy rose to her feet and let out a low growl.
River glanced at her and lifted a hand. “Daisy, it’s okay.” Daisy stared back at him for a long moment before sinking into the snow and resting her chin on her paws. Her eyes stayed fixed on Gordon.
River glanced at the man that Winter figured must have been his boss. “What’s happening at the factory?”
Before Gordon could answer, Winter jumped into the conversation, eyes narrowing. “And how did you know we were out here?”
“Winter—” River started, a warning in his voice.
“I went to your apartment to find you, and your father told me you’d come out here,” Gordon replied.
Winter didn’t like that this guy knew where they lived.
Gordon returned his gaze to River and continued. “Eight people called in sick today. We could really use your help.”
River hesitated. “Are you asking, or…?”
“We need dependable employees at the factory, River. Are you someone I can count on?”
“Of course, sir.”
“River!” Winter hissed. “You’re supposed to have the day off!”
River responded in a low voice. “Sorry, Winter, but I have to go help them.”
“No you don’t!”
“I could lose my job.”
“Can’t you just get another job somewhere else?” Somewhere that wouldn’t snatch his days off away from him when they’d barely begun?
“You know Mom and Dad would be upset,” River replied, and Winter couldn’t argue with that. “And it’s better to stay at one job for a long time than to jump around. Especially after all the time I spent training.”
“Whatever.” Winter stormed to the edge of the pond as dramatically as she could manage without falling.
“I’ll make it up to you, all right?” River promised as he followed.
“You’d better,” Winter muttered. She dropped back onto the log with a heavy sigh.
While Winter started taking off her skates, River waved to Gordon. “I’ll be right over, sir.”
“Thank you, River.” With one last look at Winter that made her stomach turn, Gordon left.
River joined Winter on the log. “Would you let Dad know where I went?” he asked.
Winter nodded.
River changed back into his boots quickly, and Winter was still pulling hers on by the time he stood up and put the skates back in his bag.
“I have to go. Are you okay to walk back home?” he asked. “I wouldn’t let you go alone if you didn’t have Daisy.”
“Yeah, we’ll be fine,” Winter told him.
“Okay. See you tonight.” River walked backwards and waved. “Love you!”
“Love you, too.” Winter had to fight to keep her annoyance out of the words. It wasn’t really River’s fault. He was doing his best.
River had disappeared from view by the time Winter was ready to go. She stood up. Nearby, Daisy mirrored the motion and moved to her side. Winter gave her head a quick pet and sighed. “Come on, Daisy. Guess it’s just you and me, now.”
Together, they returned home.