When Does The: Winter Start

Leo nodded, his eyes soft. “That’s a good one. A sad one, but a good one.”

He patted the ottoman next to his chair. Elara came and sat, pulling her own blanket over her legs. This was a ritual. A story. when does the winter start

Elara looked at her father’s face, at the lines around his eyes that weren’t there a year ago. She looked at the tree, stripped and still. She looked at the snow, finally committing to the fall. Leo nodded, his eyes soft

Leo didn’t answer right away. He took a slow sip of his cold tea, made a face, and set the mug down. “The calendar says December twenty-first,” he said, his voice a low rumble. “The winter solstice. Shortest day of the year. That’s the official answer.” Elara came and sat, pulling her own blanket over her legs