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and motioned for Daniel to join her outside. “There’s something I want to show you.”
    “What is it?”
    “It’s a surprise, silly. C’mon.”

CHAPTER
SEVEN
    The night sky was clear of clouds, and even with the moonlight, this far out in the country the stars were bright. From where they stood he could see the sky in three directions but north was hidden from view by the house.
    “What do you want to show me?”
    By the light of the porch nearby, his breath was visible.
    “Come here.” She took his hand and led him around the side of the house where they had a clear view of the northern sky. “Look up.”
    He did.
    Flickering green streaks shifted and shimmered high above them in the silent sky as the Northern Lights danced across the heavens. Elegant.
    Mysterious.
    Beautiful.
    In this part of the state, especially without light pollution from being near a bigger city, you could see the aurora borealis pretty well, and the best time to check them out was in the winter.
    Faint bluish and yellowish streaks flicked briefly before disappearing, but the rolling ribbons of green light remained there, whipping and curling through the sky as if they were alive.
    “They’re stunning,” Nicole said softly. She was still holding Daniel’s hand.
    Which was okay by him.
    “You know what causes them?” he asked.
    “Doesn’t it have something to do with the earth’s magnetic poles?”
    “That might be part of it, but from what my dad said, they’re caused by electrically charged particles colliding. They come from the sun and hit particles in the earth’s atmosphere.”
    Nicole eased closer to him. It was barely noticeable. Barely—but he could tell.
    Also not a problem.
    “So, when the two of them come together,” she said, “sparks fly.”
    “Yes.”
    Okay, some more symbolism there that no one needed to point out to him.
    The night embraced them and time meant nothing as the y stood there beneath the ethereal beaut y of the Northern Lights.
    At last, the shivering braids of light faded away and the stars and the moon had the sky to themselves.
    For a long moment neither Daniel nor Nicole said anything, then finally, still holding his hand, she led him out onto the lawn. “Make a snow angel with me.”
    “Well, you know, I’m not really a snow angel kind of guy. I’m more into snow snakes.”
    “Snow snakes? How do you make them?”
    “I’ll show yo u in a sec. First, yo u go ahead with the angel.”
    Nicole laid on her back on the blanket of snow covering the yard, with her feet together and her arms out to the side, then flared her legs out and drew her arms above her head and back down to brush the snow aside.
    Then, she pushed herself to her feet and the two of them looked at the impression she’d left in the snow. Where she’d moved her arms it looked like wings; where she’d moved her legs it looked like a dress or gown.
    “Okay,” she said. “Let’s see your snow snake.”
    “It’s not just any snow snake. It’s a snow anaconda .”
    “Oh.” She was acting impressed. “Now you’ve got me curious.”
    Daniel walked forward, dramatically pulling one foot through the snow in a slithery pattern for about fifteen feet. Then he swept the snow aside at the end to make the head a little wider than the rest of the snake.
    “That’s it?”
    “It’s harder than it looks.”
    “Really.”
    “Yup. There’s an art to it.”
    “An art to dragging your foot across the ground?”
    “Takes years of practice.”
    “Is that so?”
    “Maybe I can teach you—if you’re willing to work with me, put in the long hours of practice.”
    “Hmm.” She joined him near the snow anaconda’s head. “And I would have to spend all that time under your tutelage?”
    “Sounds like a Kyle word.”
    “Busted.”
    “So?”
    “I might be able to force myself to do it.”
    “Is that so?”
    “Mm-hmm.”
    Stillness nestled in between them.
    Comfortable.
    Sparks flying.
    There was just enough light