Zoe took a stroll on the stone pathway. There were more plants and vases in the garden, giving it an abundance of life even in winter. Her late mother’s painting was hung on the marble porch.

The living room, however, was completely redone. The furniture was all changed but it retained the previous fashion. The carpets were changed as well. There was a giant mural behind the couch.

In the painting, the skies were decorated with stars and a very young Zoe was sleeping in the tent in summer.

She stared at it for a long time, only leaving the place when her eyes were tired. The snow was falling heavily by the time she came outside. Some of them fell on her eyelids akin to white feathers in the dark of night.

One of the winter jasmines in the corner bent from the weight of the snow piled on top of it. Its yellow petals looked more tender and lovely in sharp relief against the white of the snow.

…

After Zoe left, Mason returned to the private room and ate dinner listlessly. Ava came