Summary

It's just after Christmas and there is a massive storm expected in the narrator's area. So far, there has been only strong winds, and the narrator goes out and collects the fallen branches around her home to feed her fire. The narrator's father calls her from another country to ask how she is holding up in the storm. He has a new family and is now raising young children. The narrator does not speak with him very long and only provides him with the most basic of details concerning the storm. She glances around her cottage, noting her hatred for Christmas decorations and how ridiculous it is that everyone is expected to participate in the holiday by decorating their homes. She, herself, purchased some holly for her mantle, but she threw it in the fire with pleasure just days after Christmas...