Midwinter Mischief Magazine

The Portable Snowplow ...... 40

Longing for Winter ...... 46

Recipes

Chocolate Mousse ...... 48

German Snowball Pastry (Schneeballen) ...... 48

Maple Syrup on Snow...... 49

Frosty the Snowman ...... 40

Banana Bread with Chocolate Cake ...... 50

Who We Are

The Poets and Writers Coalition is an organization created to support the artistic community at San Jose State and the outlying Bay Area public. We strive to support any artistic avenues as a community of writers from all backgrounds who come together and write! We welcome all majors and levels of experience. We do casual group prompts, larger events such as Murder Mystery Night, and the Legacy of Poetry festival.

"Snowball

fights and computer lights!"

Our Staff

Editor in Chief: Rebecca Lee

Managing Editor: Ryan Wada

Art Director: Kelsey Ward

Contributors:

Bianca Rader*

Rebecca Lee+

Samantha Denny+

Sky Ly+

Katharine Taddei*

Kelsey Ward+*

Yeebing Tse+

Alex Lee*

Ryan Steel+

Mel Urciuoli+

Louie McDonough*

Katarina Ayson*

Catherine Ngo*

Cynthia Lee*

John Paul Amaral+

Special Thanks to:

Professor Alan Soldofsky, PWC Advisor

Dr. Noelle Brada-Williams, SJSU English Department Chair

Contributor Bios

Samantha Denny is a first year Creative Writing MFA student trying to harness her imagination for her short stories. She coaches young swimmers and loves baking delicious treats!

Rebecca Lee is the President of the Poets and Writers Coalition writing poetry, stories, and silliness. She really likes osmanthus tea.

Mel Urciuoli is a fourth year English Major aiming to teach middle school and write queer romance. She has way too many hobbies, including baking, sewing, and playing D&D with her friends.

Yeebing Tse is a first year Advertising major with a passion for fictional writing. A large chunk of her free time is spent on her Switch playing Miitopia or Hollow Knight.

Kelsey Ward is a fourth year animation major, which might be why most of her hobbies are art related. She’s recently been on an early 2000’s alt rock music binge, and spending too much money on vinyl art toy collectables.

Catherine Ngo is a second-year Animation/Illustration student interested in the visual development pathway. She loves learning new recipes, graphic design, and wants to learn to play the guitar.

Bianca Rader is a second year animation/illustration major, with an interest in character design and storyboarding. She enjoys playing Stardew Valley as well as learning piano and guitar.

John Paul Amaral is an SJSU Graduate with BA in History and Minor in Native American Studies, and a love for storytelling, poetry, and jewelry making. He enjoys working with volunteers to provide tours about local history.

Poets and Writers Coalition

Jackie Friedland is a grad student in the Library Science program that loves to write stories with those good comfy angsty vibes. They enjoy reading books and webnovels of dubious origin when they are not drinking a cup of hot cocoa.

Louie McDonough is an SJSU Student who is working towards a masters in Psychology. He enjoys art as a hobby and formally took animation classes at SJSU. He has a love for music, internet culture, politics, and media analysis.

Sky Ly is a second year studio practice art major. They like to listen to music, especially music from the Undertale game.

Cynthia Lee is an artist inspired by nature and the world around her. She enjoys hiking with her dogs and playing the ukulele.

Kat Ayson is a fourth year Animation student at SJSU with an interest in character and environment design. She likes to play a variety of video games from Valorant to Animal Crossing and Stardew Valley when she’s not drawing or painting.

Ryan Steel is a first year graduate student in the MFA in Creative Writing program with ambitions of publishing and teaching at the university level. Outside of writing and teaching he enjoys running, badminton, water sports, folk music, and playing Resident Evil 4.

Kat Taddei is a fourth-year Animation/Illustration major. She enjoys drawing, crocheting, and cuddling cats.

Alex Lee is a second year CIS major interested in software development and AI. He enjoys playing badminton, Valorant and League of Legends. He likes drawing and using photoshop as a hobby.

Dear Readers,

Winter reminds me to take care of myself and others. Reminds me that maybe, the next time I get up the sun will be up a little longer. And then we’ll remember how much the world continues to move, even if it’s different now. Winter can be a fresh, crisp start to something new. The coldest it got in San Jose this year was a light frost. There was hail in some parts of San Jose as well. Other than that, we measure winter by the chill in the air and the realization that there are things to look forward to.

I was excited to write and create with this group for this issue, and I think that it turned out really well. With every new version of the magazine, there are new ways to showcase our work. Everyone is welcome to participate, and all forms of writing are included.

We chose the theme of this magazine as a group because it inspired the most ideas and writing breadth. This issue is all about the adventures that happen in winter. It talks about wonder and growth and relationships in the world. I hope this magazine continues to bring the best of its contributors. I hope that there are always new things to learn and write about.

Rebecca Lee Editor In Chief

Written by Samantha Denny

Illustrated By Kat Taddei

Wings like gossamer fluttered as she landed gracefully on the windowsill and peered into the house. It was busy inside, filled with people everywhere she looked. Some were sitting down and watching a moving picture made of bright colors, but there were more moving around in the kitchen. She could see a great big tree by the moving picture, decorated with the baubles and shiny things that the humans loved to put up every year around this season. The tree was covered in the same human-stars as the rest of the house, the ones that could be turned on and off at will. There also seemed to be a fence of some kind around the base of the tree, but she lost interest in it and turned her attention back to the kitchen. There were all sorts of confections and sweets being made in the kitchen, and she wondered at the time and energy it must take to make them all. It certainly explained why they all seemed so frantic in their kitchen.

Snowdrop shuffled sideways along the windowsill and shook her wings out to throw off the snowflakes from the flurry outside that she’d flown in on. Frost twirled out from where she pressed her hands against the glass to get a better look inside. Snowdrop could see some movement out of the corner of her eye, but she had little interest in taking her gaze off the human confections. She pressed her cheek against the window, huffing at the inconvenience of it before—BAM!

Snowdrop shrieked and fluttered back, her wings beating furiously to

keep her in the air. She looked back at the window, and her eyes narrowed at the mangy beast of a dog that these humans kept as a pet. It pawed at the window where she’d been standing, barking accusingly at her and demanding that she leave!

Well!

Snowdrop straightened out her skirt of frost and tulle and huffed at the unwelcome interruption to her night. She could see a couple of the smaller humans hurrying to see what their dog was fussing about. Snowdrop cast her gaze about the house for an idea on how to punish the beast, and then she spotted one of those little doors that the humans had for their pets. Yes, that would do nicely.

She turned back to the dog and beckoned it with a finger and a grin, laughing to herself when it followed her away from the window. Silly, stupid beast, thinking it could tell a fairy to go away!

She landed with a bounce in front of the pet door, and she quickly threw her arms down to freeze the door to its frame.

“Topper, where are you going?” someone cried inside the house, and Snowdrop watched gleefully as the dog raced towards its door, barking and ready to catch her.

Finally, the dog rammed into the pet door, only to find itself coming to an unsteady halt when its door stayed sealed shut. The dog, Topper, snarled and barked, scrambling back to its feet while Snowdrop stuck her tongue out.

“No, boy, you can’t go outside, it’s too cold,” someone else said, and the children tugged the resisting pet away from the door. Snowdrop shot the sullen dog a smug little grin before she flew up back into the blowing snow and found another snowflake to perch on.

About an hour later, her snowflake brought her to another decorated home, although this one had far fewer human-stars on it. Snowdrop hopped off her snowflake, letting it go to join the ones on the roof while she landed on a windowsill. She laughed to herself at the gap between the bottom of the window and the sill, but a sort of netting prevented her from slipping into the house.

This house didn’t have a tree inside of it, but it was still warmly dec-

orated with the many baubles these humans seemed to possess. A large group of humans were seated together, watching a moving picture of their own, and Snowdrop huffed. She just hoped that these people didn’t have a beastly dog like that ‘Topper’. Fairy dogs were much more well-behaved.

There weren’t as many confections in this kitchen either, but the ones that were there looked delightful to Snowdrop. If she could only get through the netting, she would have liked to try one.

Music from the bright moving picture filtered through the house as Snowdrop sat against the netting, spreading frost over the material with gentle sweeps of her hands. Something jingled in the kitchen, and the fairy found herself facing a cat with a collar embroidered with bells. She laughed at the sight, dropping to sit on the windowsill as the cat examined her intently. It must have been humiliating to wear such a thing!

The cat purred and batted a paw against the netting, and Snowdrop considered it. She carefully pressed a hand against the netting and hit the cat in the paw with some frost, making the creature chirp and jump back in alarm. Snowdrop burst into laughter at the jingling of the bells around the cat’s neck, and she cheerfully pushed more frost and snow through the netting and onto the surface below the window. The humans were fools for leaving the window open during a winter storm, it wasn’t her fault that she decided to teach them a little lesson for it.

Footsteps heralded the arrival of a grown human woman, who scooped the cat up and asked, “What’s wrong, Dumpling?” She seemed to catch sight of the snow and frost piling up in her kitchen, because a frown crossed her face and she turned to the ones watching the moving picture. “Guys, who left the window open? There’s snow everywhere!”

Snowdrop stood and brushed herself off as the humans scrambled to sweep away her work, and she flew up to find another snowflake to ride. One more house visit for the night, then she’d settle down for some rest in a nice grove of wildflowers and trees. Or perhaps an unoccupied birdhouse. Those could be quite cozy now that their regular residents had gone away for the winter.

Snowdrop rode the storm to a tall house covered in snow, and she fluttered up to a grand, wide window that stuck out from the side of the

house and was firmly sealed shut. Tendrils of frost crept across the glass where she pressed her hands up against it to peer inside, and she fidgeted her feet on the windowsill.

There were a lot of humans in this house too, but they weren’t watching a garish and bright moving picture like the others. In fact, Snowdrop thought that she could see one of those game boards set up on a table, with some younger humans seated around it, and some older humans sitting higher up and watching them. It felt…tender. Her curiosity had led her to many a window to peek into, and these humans never failed to surprise her. Just when Snowdrop thought that she had seen the sum of human love expressed, she would find a new home and find herself amazed by the ways in which they showed tenderness for one another. It was what made spying on them so fun!

A faint hum filtered through the window, but Snowdrop jumped back in surprise when a new human child burst into the room, wearing a bright and glittery, strange looking outfit and disrupting the quiet atmosphere of the room. She returned to her perch and ruffled her wings to shake off shards of snowflakes and the dust of frost, and she tried to get a better look at the blur of a child racing around the room. She could make out a skirt, something delicate like her own, an abundance of shiny glitter, and something attached to the child’s back by fabric bands—oh!

Didn’t the humans say that imitation was the sincerest form of flattery? Well, consider Snowdrop very flattered. The child was dressed like a fairy! And what excellent taste the child—a girl—had, for her outfit looked like Snowdrop’s dress.

On that note, Snowdrop didn’t think that this house was deserving of her antics like the other two of the night were. In fact, the fairy stretched her hands up against the glass of the window and let her frost cover it entirely. She flew up to the middle of the window and set to work, pressing her hands into her frost and dragging them through it until she got the shape that she desired. Flying back a little, she nodded to herself and took off to find a place to nap. Behind her, she could hear the delighted cries of the humans inside the house at the sight of the heart painted in the frost she had left behind.

Winter Rayne

Written by Jackie Friedland Illustrated by Louie McDonough

It was early in the morning as usual as Domino waited in line for her morning drink. She resisted the urge to check her watch every 30 seconds impatiently. It was one thing to understand that she had no control over how fast the line moves during rush hour but another thing entirely to internalize it. She checked her watch and frowned slightly at the time. Would she still make her bus with the speed of this line? Domino glanced outside for a moment to see another girl run up to the coffee shop in a whirlwind, the cold making her breath fog up in front of her, only to notice the line. The disappointment was obvious underneath the giant fluffy scarf tied in a cute bow around her neck. She looked down at her stomach in dismay before walking away from the coffee shop to stand outside the bus stop, dejected. It was clear that she had run out of the door without breakfast in hopes that she could grab something on the road instead. Domino felt herself frowning at the sight of the rather cute girl leaving so sadly. She must have been really hoping that the morning rush wouldn’t be so bad. Or that it was so cold outside.

The girl in question seemed to be doing a strange dance of rubbing her hands together while hoping to stay warm. She didn’t seem to even notice the other people waiting for the bus giving her a wide berth. “Oi, are you gonna order or not?” said an impatient businessman. Domino snapped out of her daze to realize that the line in front of her had disappeared suddenly. “I am so sorry! I’ll move now.” said Domino to the businessman behind her. He gave a curt nod as Domino rushed to the front, the line moving from out the door to inside the building in a mere minute. Domino gave a slightly panicked smile to the barista “ I would like my usual please Rin.” “One large cup of hot chocolate and a goat cheese spinach croissant coming up! Anything else?” said Rin with a smile.

Domino hesitated for a moment, the sight of the girl outside the bus stop coming to mind. She clearly hadn’t eaten anything. But would she even accept anything from a total stranger? The line behind Domino made grumbling noises. “Add a second cup of hot chocolate and croissant. The ham and cheese one.” Domino said. Rin gave a smirk as she rang Domino up. Domino rolled her eyes as she walked over to the waiting area. She could not help but let her eyes wander over to the girl at the bus stop’s antics. She seemed to be so vibrant and full of life, not letting the depression of a cloudy cold day get to her. Even her irritation seemed nice to Domino. It felt authentic. A slight smile graced her face without her knowing. “ Order for Domino!” shouted Rin, breaking Domino’s stupor. Domino turned away from the girl and grabbed her order. She pushed out of the coffee shop into the cold. It was terribly cold outside, with the heavy overcast sky looming ominously. Domino frowned as she looked down at the ground. She could’ve sworn that she felt a drop of water. That is the moment when the sky decided to open up and unheave the entire contents of all the moisture it had been accumulating on to her.

The people around her began to scream, panicking at the sudden onslaught of water from the sky. Domino ran towards the bus stop, drinks and pastries in hand. Suddenly, a panicked traveler bumped into her. She felt herself falling, gravity slowing down around her. Her work shoes did not allow for dodging. Domino almost dropped her drinks but held on. The rain poured down on her as she sat in the rain, watching the bus arrive before her very eyes. There were so many people in the way and only one door. Domino wanted to cry. Why was it so hard to have a good day?

Suddenly, a sunny yellow umbrella blocked her view. “Excuse me, are you alright?” said a concerned voice. Domino looked up to see the cute girl

she had been watching from the coffee shop above her. Her eyes widened as she tried to organize her jumbled thoughts. “I-I yes?” she stuttered. She could feel her cheeks blushing. “Here, let me help you hold that. Kinda hard to get up with your hands full.” she said. Domino calmly handed over the drink and pastry she bought in passing for her then got up. She ignored how drenched she was by the rain and focused on the sunny girl in a scarf in front of her. “ Thank you for your help. And the cover.” said Domino. The girl grinned “Oh, no problem! I always bring my trusty umbrella just in case something falls from the sky.” Domino gave a nervous smile back and blushed harder. The girl gazed back at Domino, cheeks red from her jumping. Just for a moment, the cold and rainy day around them seemed a little bit softer. A little warmer. Until a growl interrupted the moment. The cute girl smiled sheepishly, embarrassed at the interruption. “Sorry about that. I skipped breakfast.” “Would you like some hot chocolate and a croissant? I got some extras from the shop today. Rin likes to give them out.” offered Domino. “ Are you sure? I wouldn’t want to take away from your meal.” she said. Domino smiled “ Just have it. Consider it my thanks, Miss?” “Rayne! Thank you for the food!” Rayne said. The two moved under the bus stop together to share the drinks and food as they waited for the next bus to arrive, watching the rain fall around them.

Tale of Thirteen Cats

Written by Yeebing Tse Illustrated by Katarina Ayson

The final battle lies upon us. The one that determines the very fate of this universe, and whether we would be allowed to continue living.

Claire, the Metallic Artificer, stood in the middle of the frigid, snow covered woods, looking back to notice thirteen cats following behind her. Twelve of them were dressed in fancy clothes that indicated their abilities, while the remaining one was completely naked.

Why the Prison Master wanted to include thirteen cats in their campaign of Prisons and Pegasi, including a regular cat that was completely useless, was beyond her. But this was the game they had chosen, and Claire didn’t want to question it. After all, she was on their territory. And by the laws of the land, she had to go along with whatever they had planned. It would be unfair otherwise.

The great creature, Demon Queen Henrietta Kitty Fantastico, Morningstar of Salem, has appeared within our wake. It is still winter inside of the forest, and we are surrounded with nothing but dead trees.

Claire examined Demon Queen Henrietta Kitty Fantastico, Morningstar of Salem, who was sitting in the middle of the forest. She was a black cat, wearing a witch hat paired a white blouse and vest, alongside a black cloak and matching boots on her back paws.

She’s around the same size as the other cats. Why is this the final boss? Did the Prison Master run out of ideas or something?

Claire ran over to punt the cat, but one of the other cats ran in front of her to stop her.

“Mother!” the orange tabby cat, Tigger the Rogue, said, “We are not aware of her stats! It would be unfair to attack now.”

Claire sighed, staring up at the sky before speaking to it.

“What are the stats of Demon Queen Henrietta Kitty Fantastico,

Morningstar of Salem?”

A rectangle appeared next to the cat, showing off its stats. Claire took a look, only to realize question marks were in place of where numbers normally were.

“Well then!” Tigger said, “I will attempt to pilfer Demon Queen Henrietta Kitty Fantastico, Morningstar of Salem’s inventory! Perhaps she possesses a suit of armor that provides immunity, which we may use to our advantage.”

“Go ahead.”

The words “STEALTH CHECK” flashed in front of them, and a twenty sided dice fell out of the sky. Tigger batted it, and it landed on a 1. Tigger was immediately shot with a laser, turning into ashes. Before Claire could be given time to process whatever the heck happened, the ashes formed into an urn.

“Did he just…”

What in the name of the Prison Master is going on? She’s just a regular cat! Where did that laser even come from?

Claire turned back to the twelve remaining cats, who were all meowing and hissing in horror. The sole exception was Kat, the naked cat, who was busy licking itself. Claire then turned back to Demon Queen Henrietta Kitty Fantastico, Morningstar of Salem, who was now staring directly at her.

We don’t actually know if she’s that strong... we just don’t know what her stats are.

Maybe we should deal with that laser thing first.

Claire examined the sky as Bucket the Paladin cat, Zimo the Fighter cat, and Pudge the Barbarian cat charged at Demon Queen Henrietta Kitty Fantastico, Morningstar of Salem, aggressively batting the die that would fall from the sky as it landed on a 1. She flinched as lasers shot down from the sky, instantly killing all three of them.

Remember... this is not real. None of this is real. You’re playing a game of Prisons and Pegasi with thirteen cats. The only thing that’ll happen if you lose is that... you lose! And losing is for people who are incompetent! You

can’t lose! Especially not against the Prison Master! “Darn it.”

“Do not fear, Mother!” Marshmallow, the Cleric Cat, said, “I shall cast Resurrection and revive our fallen comrades!”

A die fell next to Marshmallow. She batted it, and it landed on one. Marshmallow attempted to cast the spell regardless, but her staff exploded and turned her into an urn.

“Well, that’s…”

It doesn’t matter. They don’t matter. It’s not like Marshmallow being dead would affect the way this battle ends. No, no! Everything is fine! We can still win this!

“Inconvenient…”

“Mother!” Layla, the Bard Cat, said, “Marshmallow is dead and your only concern is of the inconvenience? Does Marshmallow not mean anything to you?”

“Well…I’m sure we can…resurrect her? You can do that, right?”

“MOTHER! That is completely disrespectful to Marshmallow! But yes, I shall make an attempt at Resurrection! I shall-”

Claire screamed, vaguely seeing a flash, and grabbed Layla as the flash almost hit her. She then looked over at the other magic cats, Snowball the Wizard Cat, Linda the Warlock Cat, and Spot the Sorcerer Cat, who were all casting spells. But before they could release them, Demon Queen Henrietta Kitty Fantastico, Morningstar of Salem, moved out of the way and shot a massive beam of dark magic at them, prompting Linda to become an urn. Olive the Ranger Cat shot an arrow at Demon Queen Henrietta Kitty Fantastico, Morningstar of Salem, only for it to bounce off of her fur and land on the ground.

“No!”

Claire ran towards Olive as Demon Queen Henrietta Kitty Fantastico, Morningstar of Salem, shot a beam at the Ranger Cat, prompting her to become an urn like the other dead cats. Demon Queen Henrietta Kitty Fantastico, Morningstar of Salem, then turned to Snowball and Spot, turning them into ashes as well.

“How is she killing us so quickly?

Claire approached one of the dice, picking it up before it could disap-

pear. She examined its sides, noticing that each of the twenty sides only had one number…with all of them being the exact same.

“All of these dice have only 1s!”

Claire placed Layla down and angrily turned to the sky as Ruppert the Druid Cat shapeshifted into a demonic beast and tried to punt Demon Queen Henrietta Kitty Fantastico, Morningstar of Salem, only to shapeshift into an urn.

“What kind of twisted game is this?” she shouted, “Do you think this is funny?”

Layla started playing intense instrumental music as Claire turned to Demon Queen Henrietta Kitty Fantastico, Morningstar of Salem.

“This is the only way to defeat the game, is it?” she said, “Fine! But we’re using an actual d20 dice this time!”

A new twenty sided die fell out of the sky. Claire was about to look at it, but Kat, the regular cat, ran in and hit it before she could even touch it. Claire looked at the number, noticing the sky shaking.

Nat 20.

Claire watched as a bubble shield formed around Kat, who proceeded to levitate. Kat slowly began rotating, balls of elemental magic forming around it, before speeding up as the balls of magic threw themselves at Demon Queen Henrietta Kitty Fantastico, Morningstar of Salem. An extremely large number formed above her, and she disappeared into oblivion, leaving behind her hat. Claire picked it up and placed it on Kat’s head.

“I guess you weren’t useless after all, huh?”

Kat meowed, and the atmosphere faded to return them back into a small cabin, surrounded by fourteen cats and zero urns. They were the thirteen cats who were with Claire earlier in battle, plus the cat that played Demon Queen Henrietta Kitty Fantastico, Morningstar of Salem.

Claire turned to face the person on the other side, the person who called themself the Prison Master. They were dressed in a similar fashion to Demon Queen Henrietta Kitty Fantastico, Morningstar of Salem, except with the addition of pants.

“See?” they asked, “Wasn’t that fun?”

“I’d rather we fight normally next time.”

“Seriously? That’s no fun at all! And it’s very violent!”

“Maybe if you stopped wrecking havoc I wouldn’t have to do this!”

Claire looked over at the cats, which were now crawling on the table and licking themselves.

“You should probably return the cats to whichever shelter you kidnapped them from.”

“Oh, they aren’t from a shelter!”

Claire’s eyes widened as Demon Queen Henrietta Kitty Fantastico, Morningstar of Salem knocked one of the player tokens down, then proceeded to take a nap on top of the board. The remaining cats started running around aimlessly and licking themselves, and Claire watched as Olive coughed out a hairball.

“Well, I’m going to go,” she said, getting up, “But I’m choosing what we’re going to do for our next battle.”

“You sure? I have another campaign I wanted to try!”

Eh, why not?

It’s not like you have anything better to do today.

“Fine,” Claire said, sitting back down, “But no cheating this time, okay?”

Drawn To You

Written by Mel Urciuoli

Illustrated by Kat Taddei

Hadley wasn’t really surprised to be driving the last few hours to her parents’ place alone with the radio. Gianna had started to fade after they’re last food stop, so hadley just kept sipping her massive coffee and forging ahead. They were about an hour and a half out when she noticed a few tentative snowflakes starting to float down outside the car. By the time she pulled onto her old street, it was fully dark out, and the snowfall was heavier and starting to stick.

“Here we are,” Hadley said quietly as she parked. She looked over at her. Gianna was still asleep, her arms curled up against the window to cushion her head. Hadley smiled to herself even as nervousness sat like lead in her stomach.

She’d been telling herself for months that she was definitely going to say something. She couldn’t keep making clumsy romantic gestures with no clear communication to accompany them. But surely bringing Gianna home for the last festive week and a half of the year was a little obvious, right?

Hadley nudged Gianna’s shoulder until she stirred.

“I’m awake,” the freckled girl murmured. Hadley smiled and hopped out to open the backseat, reaching for her backpack but glancing up when she heard a gasp. Gianna was standing by the car, door still open, staring up at the fat snowflakes falling lazily through the air. Hadley remembered again that her friend was from Southern California, and had only ever seen snow in movies until now.

“It’s so peaceful,” Gianna said absently, her eyes full of wonder and a delighted smile spreading across her face. Hadley paused getting their bags out of the car to watch quietly, committing as many details to memory as she could: the little dimple at the corner of Gianna’s lips, the way some flakes settled on the fuzz of her sweater and dark braided hair, the way her cheeks flushed from the cold. She was angelic.

Hadley shook her head, trying to clear her mind. “I still can’t believe this is the first time you’ve seen snow,” she joked.

“And I can’t believe you’re not freezing.” Gianna flashed a cheeky smile and pulled her scarf closer around her neck as she came around to help carry their things into the house.

“We’re here!” Hadley called as they entered the house.

“Hey sweetie,” Hadley’s mom poked her head out of the kitchen with a warm smile. “And you must be Gianna, it’s lovely to meet you hun. I’m kind of busy at the moment, but we’ll spend more time later. The guest room is set up if you’ll be needing it.” She vanished back into the kitchen and Hadley turned to look up at Gianna.

“Where do you want to be?” she asked, trying not to give away that she was hoping for a certain answer. Gianna hesitated.

“Um…with you?” The taller girl shrugged.

“It’s okay if--”

“With you,” Gianna repeated, more confident. Hadley almost choked on air.

“Okay,” Hadley’s voice cracked slightly as she suppressed a nervous, relieved laugh. “Okay. Um, follow me then.”

Hadley turned down the short hallway and led the taller girl to a door on the right. The room was just as she’d left it: turquoise walls she’d picked the color for in middle school, a double bed in the corner, a lesbian pride flag on the wall surrounded by various art prints and pieces of her own.

“This is it,” she said awkwardly, settling her bags in front of the closet.

“I like it.” Gianna’s tone and smile were genuine as she set her things next to Hadley’s and pulled her into a hug. “Thanks for bringing me.”

“Hm? I mean of course!” Hadley returned the hug and prayed she wasn’t blushing as hard and she felt she was. She held on until Gianna let go first, which was a little longer than she would have expected but she tried not to read into it. “So, um, do you want to see the studio I worked at in high school?”

“Heck yeah.” Gianna ruffled her hair before she stepped back, patiently waiting for Hadley to lead her back to the car.

The studio in question was downtown and acted as an after school program for elementary and middle schoolers who were interested in art. Hadley had done there all the time as a kid, and when she’d started high school, the owners, a sweet old couple named Gretchen and Charlie, had offered her a job as an extra mentor to the kids. It was the first place where Hadley had come out and had the space to get truly comfortable in her identity.

Which meant she maybe should have anticipated Gretchen’s interpretation of her bringing in a girl she’d met at college.

How exactly are you supposed to react when someone assumes you and the person you’re trying to woo are already together? Do you let it

slide? What if that makes the other person uncomfortable? But what if they were hoping you would let it slide and then you don’t and make it seem like you’re not interested when you definitely are?

Yeah. That was an awkward thirty seconds before Charlie swooped in and offered to help show Gianna around the space.

From there they went to Hadley’s old favorite cafe up the block, and Gianna insisted on paying for both of them. They say inside, gloves and hats set aside on the table, Gianna with her double shot mocha, listening, and Hadley with her hot chocolate, telling stories about growing up in town, where her favorite places were, places that had closed and what had taken their places.

Finally they landed back at the house, at dinner with Hadley’s parents. It wasn’t nearly as awkward as Hadley had been afraid it might be since she’d never brought anyone home before. Her dad talked to Gianna about physics and did his best to understand her when the topic shifted to gaming.

Eventually everyone shuffled off to their respective rooms, though per tradition, they left a quiet Christmas CD on in the living room. The two students went about their routines quietly, changing into pajamas separately but standing side by side in front of the sink to brush their teeth. Hadley cracked a joke about being consistently shocked at their height difference--she was more than a full head shorter, despite being several months older--and Gianna laughed and threw an arm around her shoulders, giving her a squeeze before taking it back.

Hadley rushed to lean over and spit, hoping Gianna wouldn’t realize how flustered she was.

Once they settled back in her room, Hadley sat hunched over her sketchbook as she sketched out the best replica she could muster of Gianna watching the snow. Gianna sat next to her on the bed, frowning in concentration at a gaming console in her hands. The boss fight music playing from it mixed oddly with the Christmas music drifting in from the living room.

“Finally!” Gianna relaxed as her game went to a victory cutscene. She dropped the console into her lap and her head onto Hadley’s shoulder.

“I’ve been trying to beat that thing for ages—is that me?”

“Yeah,” Hadley blushed. “A bunch of these are, you know that.” She flipped through the book, showing the proof: pages and pages of sketches, some of flowers or hands or animals, but at least half were of Gianna. Laughing, painting her nails, sitting on the floor surrounded by notes and

homework, curled up with her games. Hadley felt Gianna smile against her shoulder.

“You always make me so pretty,” Gianna mumbled.

“I just draw you how I see you.” Hadley felt her face heating up further.

“Gay,” the Physics Major said, her smile growing cheeky.

Hadley gave an exaggerated, joking sigh. “Seriously?”

Gianna started giggling into the girl’s shirt, and soon they were both laughing uncontrollably, rocking back and forth and reaching for each other to stay stable.

Eventually they calmed, Gianna settling with her head back on Hadley’s shoulder.

“I’m tired now,” she murmured.

Hadley glanced at the clock. “It is getting late.” She brought a hand up to rub gentle circles on Gianna’s upper back. After a moment, without speaking, they separated, putting away their things and climbing into bed, Hadley snuggled into Gianna with the shaved side of her head nestled into the crook of the taller girl’s neck.

“Good night.”

Gianna drifted off almost immediately, her breathing across Hadley’s ear becoming slow and even. Hadley, on the other hand, was wide awake with nerves as she traced little circles on the other girl’s shoulder with her fingertips. The plan was, if the trip went well, even just okay, she would make the leap and confess her feelings once they got back to campus. That way, it was out there, but if it wasn’t mutual, they weren’t stuck with each other. Hadley told herself it was a solid plan, that even if her crush wasn’t requited, Gianna was a good friend and wouldn’t be mean. They would stay friends. It might be a little awkward at first, but it would be okay.

Hadley could feel herself starting to sweat, but she refused to move to avoid bothering Gianna. Instead she watched the shadows cast on the wall by the snow falling outside in the moonlight. Gianna shifted slightly, nuzzling Hadley’s close-cropped hair in her sleep. It would be okay, the artist reminded herself, hoping the thought would stick eventually. One way or another, it was all going to turn out okay.

***

Hadley woke up to Gianna’s arms wrapped around her waist and face buried between her shoulder blades. The smaller girl’s heart fluttered a little at the feeling, but she was also hungry. With a sigh, she started to shift in the bed, trying to extricate herself as carefully and inconspicuously as possible.

It wasn’t enough, and Gianna grunted in protest, slightly tightening her hold around Hadley’s tiny midsection.

“Don’t go,” the Californian mumbled. “It’s too cold; I need my space heater.”

Hadley frowned slightly. “Space heater?” Gianna nodded against her back, eyes still closed. “You. Stay.” Hadley laughed, letting her small pale hands settle on the tanned arms around her. She lied there for a little longer, quietly imagining that they were together, nervously allowing herself to bask in the idea that his could mean to Gianna what it meant to her. She felt warm. And then she felt too warm.

“Come on.” Hadley started to wiggle out of bed again, trying to disguise the nerves in her voice. “There should be enough snow for a snowball fight. Wanna see how long it takes your physics brain to beat the kid who grew up here?”

Gianna groaned, but sat up and nodded. “Yeah,” she said, looking at Hadley with what the shorter girl hoped wasn’t concern. “That sounds fun.” They got dressed separately again and met back up in the bedroom. Hadley inhaled as if to speak, but couldn’t think of anything to say. She looked Gianna up and down, bundled up as she was, and just let out the breath and nodded.

“Um, okay,” was all Hadley could manage to say before leading Gianna out into the yard. As soon as they got outside and far enough from the house to not be overheard, Gianna caught Hadley’s arm.

“Are you okay?” She asked in a low voice. “You seem like something’s been on your mind.” Hadley’s mind raced for a split second. This was too soon. This wasn’t the plan. But if things were off anyway…

“I have feelings for you,” she blurted.

Gianna froze for a moment before letting go of the other girl’s wrist. “Are you saying what I think you are?”

Hadley hesitated. “What do you think I’m saying?” Gianna looked down, examining the snow stuck to her boots. “Are you asking me out?”

“Yeah.” Hadley shuffled her feet. “You can say no, it’s okay. I promise it’s okay if we stay friends—”

“Are you kidding me?” Gianna’s voice was louder now, more confident. “I’ve had a crush on you since Spring Break. I just wasn’t sure you felt the same way. I didn’t think I was good at hiding it, but I wasn’t sure if you were reciprocating, you know?”

Hadley tried to look serious as she listened, but she couldn’t help sti-

fling a laugh.

“I literally brought you home for Christmas.”

“People bring friends home for holidays,” Gianna insisted.

“We’re sharing a bed! We even cuddled!”

“I don’t know!” Gianna’s cheeks were deep red now, and Hadley could feel her own face flushing too. She tramped through the snow until she was directly in front of Gianna and reached for the taller girl’s hands. Gianna chewed her lip and brown eyes met hazel. “I didn’t want to assume.”

Hadley stifled another laugh. “I draw you constantly.”

“You’re an Art Major.” Gianna looked away and shrugged shyly. “You need practice.”

“But I have other friends and I only draw you,” Hadley blushed.

“And I snuggle you all night and call you my space heater,” Gianna countered. “Maybe we’re just both oblivious.”

“Fair,” Hadley laughed. “So...now what?”

“What do you mean?” Gianna’s eyes were wide as they met hers.

“I mean...are we together now? Is that what you want?”

“I...” Gianna dropped her gaze again. “Yeah? Yes. It’s just,” She sighed heavily before squeezing Hadley’s hands and continuing. “We’re graduating in a few months, and I don’t know what’s going to happen after that. And...” She brought her hands to Hadleys shoulders as a blush crept up her neck.

“ I like you, a lot, and I want to try, but I’m nervous about what happens after this.”

“I’m nervous too.” Hadley’s hands slid around to Gianna’s back, pulling her close. “How about we go slow and worry about that when it comes? Does that work for you?”

“Yeah,” Gianna murmured, pressing a small kiss to the shorter girl’s forehead.

“That works for me.”

All Grown Up

Written and illustrated by

Kelsey Ward

I stepped out into the evening air, a sharp contrast to the syrupy heat of the house. The night breeze biting my exposed ears like a playful kitten. Weather in the outskirts of Los Angeles county was mild, even in the dead of winter. I hadn’t snuck out of my parents’ house since high school. I guess that's why I felt like a teenager again, but tonight I wasn’t on my way to illicit activities.

Tonight, I was out because I couldn’t sleep. When I was small, I could never sleep on Christmas eve, and in that way tonight felt like the olds days. The biggest difference was that my insomnia wasn’t as much of an occasion lately. What was new tonight was the silent whisper in my bones that beckoned me outdoors.

I looked down the street in both directions. The neighborhood was mostly familiar, just with a few new coats of paint. For how badly I had wanted to leave the suburbs years ago, I strangely found myself appreciating them now. I rarely left my shoe-box-sized city apartment on foot after sundown, and when I did it didn’t feel like this. Here there was no aroma of ripe garbage or fermented urine, no suspicious strangers. The streets were empty, save for myself.

I stretched as if waking from a long nap and set out through the maze of quaint uniformity, making my way to the park, but found myself weaving an unintentionally circuitous route. It slowly dawned on me that I had forgotten where the park was. In a last ditch effort I went back to the main road and let it lead me, to my relief, there at last.

I had to climb a chain link fence that I could have sworn wasn’t there when I was young. I knew I risked some kind of trouble by being here, but an intangible magnetism drew me in. I perched myself on a squealing swing, to my unfamiliar discomfort, my legs settled tightly bent against the ground. It didn’t feel right, but I needed to be here. I wasn't sure why.

My fathers voice from earlier that evening echoed in my head.

Thisnewjobyou’redoing,thepromotion.Thisisthereasonyoudoit.It’s therealdeal.You’vemadeit,youknow.Youshouldbeproudofyourself, son.

But it didn’t feel like the real deal. Hell, I hardly felt real most days. I had been coasting, scraping by. One of the several hues of my life I had long since given up talking about after a few repeat lectures on determination, “grit”, work ethic, and “growing up”. So I went jumping from one thing to another in hopes that doing more might make me feel like I was more. And when I came home I gave the family broad strokes, the highlights only. Yet, I was one bad afternoon away from it crumbling down around me. One morning meeting away from leaving my phone at home, driving my car up the interstate till it ran out of gas, and sitting there waiting for a good samaritan to kindly helped me push it into the nearest ditch.

I had hoped that hearing his appreciation of all that I did would make me feel new again, and bring us closer. At the very least I had hoped it would make me feel a shred of content inside. Tonight at dinner when he said those words, all I could manage to find inside me was a growing sourness in the pit of my stomach and sharp words I strained to contain behind my teeth.

Twilight of Splendor

Written by John Paul Amaral Illustrated by Kelsey Ward

Do not bathe yourself in flickering, Kissing tongues taunt to their Tallow pedestals fit for princes.

Hidden amongst their contempt mocking

Are the ensnared, enraptured By comforting curiosities.

Lending an ear to their frantic, Boisterous chatter exposes such Careless hearts interwoven in time.

Each one acts as a mistake, Disrupting cyclical throws in tides

Set long before their birth.

Self-consumed, they eat at their souls Until what little remains of their existence

Concludes in wailing hisses.

Divulging in their pitiful cries at brief moments Comforts the chandeliers supporting Grieving symphonies to the begotten bastards.

May the blessings in the Twilight of Splendor Invite you while in your departure from their Seasonally ecstatic misgivings. Freedom sustains the softer, Kinder persistence under the dulcet Reflections within a star’s shadow.

Midwinter Mischief

Peer into this eventide’s pallor and pace yourself

While wandering through woods both birch and poplar, Their limbs are brushstrokes against the rising sky.

Mirror glades span aglow from slopes to valleys

Where sanguine streams pool freshwater pearls

Along deposits strung at its every turn.

Write your existence of letter and print

Due in footfalls marking a new stone-laid path

And crested puffs from each breath.

Take pause and give thanks to illuminating bliss

Abandoned by those who forgone consideration

While you venture into Winter’s parlor.

Reflect on what given light proceeds you, feeds you

For the ever revolving Astrodome

Speculates and draws the Aurora curtains.

Parted and swinging, the soaring Gods, Donna Selene, and the 400 Brothers

Share their Festival of Lights.

The rippling dancers exchange partners along rivers

Harping icicles pluck each glittering cord

And tapping twigs crackle and sway in time.

Rafters streaked by outstretched arms, Both those dressed or exposed, Uphold shifting, monochromatic silver-laced mosaics.

Flurries tosses sparks into the air

And coats the highlighted trails

Others shared and crossed.

Spend time amongst anticipation

Before it shatters by the dissolution

Of ungrateful footsteps marred by candlelight.

A Message Back

Written by Rebecca Lee Illustrated by Alex Lee

The snow is stronger when you’re excited for your destination but Lila hunched her shoulders with the letter tucked snugly into her coat. Her mom swung her hand back and forth in the wind. The sidewalk glinted slightly as the day’s melted snow froze back over and the passing people laid their feet carefully. They stopped in front of the outgoing mailbox and Lila’s mom looked expectantly at her. Lila took the letter out of her coat and put it in the mailbox. Her mom grinned at Lila, “It’s on its way! Time to go back home.”

“Can we see the lights now?” Lila asked.

Lila’s mom sighed dramatically and said, “Yes, but you have to be patient until next week after this.” Lila nodded and pulled her mom towards the bright houses with fairy lights and decorations on their street. When she reached the house with the flickering lights, she let go of her mom’s hand and ran ahead. Her mom called, “Be careful!” Lila kept going and waited for her mom to catch up at a particularly sparkly house.

They opened the door to the building and started climbing the stairs. Lila’s mom knocked snow off of her boots as they walked up the stairs. She pulled out her keys and unlocked their apartment. Lila pulled off her boots and shed her coat. Lila’s mom took her own coat and picked up Lila’s to hang it up in their mudroom.

Lila’s mom started clearing the letter decorating items away. They’d left the pens, paper, and stickers out when they went to deliver the letter. Lila wanted to send her aunt sand art along with the letter, but Lila’s mom was wary of how quickly it would spread throughout the small apartment. Along with the supplies, Lila’s mom put the slip of paper with her sister’s address on it away.

This was not what happened.

Unfortunately, Lila’s aunt Ilane had moved the year before to a new house. She had her family over for a housewarming party and everyone was aware of the move. She’d even written down her new address so that her mother or siblings wouldn’t forget. However, the new slip of paper and the old slip of paper looked very similar. Lila’s mom hadn’t read the letter closely enough to notice, and gave Lila her aunt’s old address to copy.

Unaware of this mix-up, Lila’s mother called her sister to say that Lila’s letter was in the mail. She shuffled the craft bin into its corner and pulled out some sandwich ingredients. After a few rings, her sister picked up, “Hey Ilane!”

“Hi May. Lila and I just got back from sending your Christmas letter, so it should be on its way. Making sandwiches for us now.”

“That’s great! I’ll keep an eye out for the letter. What kind of sandwiches?”

“They’re going to be grilled cheese sandwiches after I grill them.” May added the cheese on the sandwiches.

Ilane said, “Did you let her use glitter this time?”

May shook her head even though Ilane couldn’t see it. “She wanted to do sand art this time, if you can believe it. It’s the middle of winter and it’s snowing.”

They continued chatting as she switched the stove on and added butter to the saucepan. Lila rustled in and out of the rooms as her mom made lunch. She thought about a full lunch and decided to make some veggie soup as well.

***

The letter is shuttled along mail routes and passed from bin to hand to mailbox. The letter arrived, but not where it was expected. It arrived in a small townhouse. It sat in a shaded mailbox after it was delivered.

A man arrived with a mail key and unlocked one of the sections of the mailbox. There were taped labels on each section so the residents could tell them apart.

Jordan slid the mail from his box, and examined each as he locked the mailbox and started up the stairs to his home. He paused when he saw an unfamiliar name. He muttered, “This one’s addressed to Santa Claus? And it doesn’t have a box number.” He flipped it over and entered his house. He realized the letter wasn’t his but it could belong to one of the other residents, so he brought it inside.

“Hi Dad! You’re home,” his daughter greeted him. She’d thrown her backpack over a chair and spread her homework over the table. Allison looked grateful for the distraction and shoved a paper towards him.

“I can’t figure out the main export of Italy. Mr. Baer said that it’s in the text but I’ve read it twice now!”

He set the mail on the table next to her and asked, “Did you look through your notes Allison? Let me see.”

He scanned the paper and leaned over her textbook to check her work. It had been a long time since he’d been quizzed on geography. He tapped the page, “Check this part kiddo, it’s a pretty good bet it’ll be in there.” He moved to the kitchen to set out groceries.

“How was your day?” he asked while starting the stove under a pot of water. He pulled out some pasta and ground meat for dinner. Allison started telling him about her school assembly that day and the latest developments in her class plant’s growth. She’d gotten very invested in the little mint plant.

Steam wafted off the simmering pot. Jordan ran water over the spatula and stirred the surface of the pot as he listened to Allison’s story and occasionally reminded her to work on her homework as well. He caught sight of the stack of mail and turned back to it. He took a photo of the unfamiliar letter and texted it to his landlord. “Found some mail that isn’t ours. It’s to Santa. The best thing to do is probably to send it back to the return address,

but let’s make sure.” Kyle, their landlord, didn’t respond and Jordan went back to his sauce.

He shooed Allison off of the dinner table and pulled out three bowls and utensils. She went to put her backpack away before their guest arrived. Jack was another tenant in the townhouse who attended the local community college. He’d rented a unit from the landlord. Jordan knew the boy’s mother from their own college years, and they’d run into each other while he was moving in. He seemed unsure and defensive in the new space. Jordan had invited the kid to eat with him and Allison on Wednesdays, and they’d gotten down a nice routine.

Jack arrived back at his home and pushed the door closed. He clicked the light switch and put down his long winter jacket. The bus was always packed on the way back from classes, even if he tried to avoid rush hours. It was Wednesday, so he put down his backpack and checked the time. He gathered his things and rushed over to Mr. Tekt’s house.

Jordan heard a knock at the door, and Allison went to answer it. She unlocked it and pulled it open a tiny bit to peek through. She said, “Jack! I’m in fraction division at school already.”

Allison let him inside and he greeted her. “Hey Allison! There are 7 bones in the body that break when you meet a sheep.” Allison laughed and said, “No they don’t! Last week you told me llamas come in different colors like fish.”

Jordan called out, “Hi Jack! Is this your letter? I got it but I think it might belong to someone else.” Jack walked over to the mail that Mr. Tekt indicated and shook his head confusedly.

“No, that’s not mine. I sent some letters to my cousins, but I don’t think they’ve responded yet.” Allison picked it up from the table and looked at it closely.

A city away, Lila’s aunt hasn’t forgotten the letter. She’s still waiting for the letter, but in the meantime wrote a letter in return. She wanted to be sure it would arrive on time, so she sealed and sent it. She included a frogeyed umbrella she thought Lila would like and a scarf for her sister. After-

ward, she called her sister to tell Lila she should expect a package. They are all waiting for a letter.

Jordan Tekt ladled out pasta and sauce to each bowl. Jack listened to Allison describe a new game from her classmates at the table. They started eating and Jack updated them on his own classes and life. A week goes by faster in memory, but there are always things to talk about. Jack pushed his chair back after finishing his food and went to wash his bowl. Allison passed hers to him. She was happy that Jack always offered to do the dishes afterwards.

Jack asked, “What are you going to do with the letter?”

Jordan stood up to put the rest of the pasta away for leftovers. “I’ll send it back. You’re really not supposed to open other people’s mail.”

There was a slight paper rustle. Jordan looked over to see Allison, wide-eyed, who had just dropped the open letter. “Allison! That’s not ours.” Jack was alarmed and looked quickly between Mr. Tekt and Allson. “There’s no helping it now, she just wanted to see what it was.”

Allison hunched her shoulders, “I wanted to see what they wrote to Santa. I know you used to write back to me when I wrote to Santa and I thought we could do that too.” She’d been really upset when she’d found out that her dad was the one returning her letters and not Santa. He’d tried to bluff that he was just Santa’s go-between but she’d gone into a tantrum.

Jordan sighed, “That’s a nice thought, kiddo. It’s still private though. We can’t be mad at you if you didn’t know I suppose.” Jack dried his hands and picked the letter up to skim it.

Upstairs, the landlord picked up his phone to check it and saw a new message. He read the question from Jordan Tekt in unit 3, and opened the photo. He recognized the letter. It must be for the former resident of unit 12, but they’re gone now and didn’t leave a return address. Kyle texted Jordan. “It’s for Ilane from unit 12, but she moved a bit ago. If you send it back it should be fine. Here’s her number if you want to get in touch. - Kyle”

Jack exclaimed, “Oh I know this address!” He had been checking the

open envelope with the letter in his other hand. There was another address written on the inside “TO Santa Claus 123 Elf Road, North Pole, 88888”.

He looked up, “The addresses are switched! My cousins send mail to this address to send to Santa. My aunt told me when I got old enough. It’s called the USPS Operation Santa where kids can send letters and then the mail people take out the info and someone else replies.” He smiled at the thought of his little cousins’ excitement when they received the letters and gifts. He felt a pang of homesickness for their company.

Jordan thought about what to say. “I guess we have to read it then, if she’s expecting a response. We can send it back afterwards.” Allison skidded over to see the letter as well. They unfolded the crisply folded letter and revealed two pieces of paper with one folded inside the other.

The brightly colored letter reads - -

Hi Aunt Ilane, Mama said that you are over there in the snow too, and we’re going to go see the lights after!

Did you know that the moon gets smaller sometimes? My teacher told us at storytime. It hides behind the clouds but there’s a big monster taking bites of it and then baking new parts.

Merry almost-Christmas! Can you tell Santa that I want the light-up shoes like Eric and maybe a bird. Mama’s gonna make cookies with me so we can eat some and leave some for Santa, but don’t tell him that. He might not want them if they’re nibbled. They’re going to be red and green and blue and rainbow cookies. Last time I got to eat a lot - a lot - a lot of chocolate chips. Are you coming to have cookies with us for Christmas this year?

Love Lila

Jack pulled the other piece of paper out. It was noticeably neater and had less decoration. The other page reads - -

Hi Ilane, thanks for writing with Lila. She’s so excited about Christmas and I had to stop her from completely covering the envelope in stickers. She’s said that she wants new sneakers, a bird, a candy necklace, and a para-

chute. She can’t have a bird, I don’t even have the space for a hamster. And I’m not getting her a parachute, so the candy necklaces or sneakers would be great. Her shoe size is 10 Kids. I’m going to get her some new sweaters. I’m never getting the syrup out of the other one. I’ll call you later.

May

They decided to send the letter back with a note from them. Jack thought of his own family and said, “Can I send it tomorrow? I can pick up a candy necklace or two on my way to campus and send it together.” Allison nodded and asked her dad, “Can I send her a sticker too?” He looked at her and nodded. “That’s a good idea. I think she’d appreciate it. I’ll text her aunt first to make sure though.”

He reached over to his phone and opened a text to the new number. “Hi, this is your old neighbor Jordan Tekt from unit 3, I got your number from Kyle. We got a letter that seems to be for you and my daughter opened it, we’re really sorry.” He sent the first bit and waited for a reply as he thought of what to say next.

As he typed, a response arrived. “Hi Jordan, nice to hear from you! Is it from May or Lila?”

Jordan typed back, “Yes, it’s from Lila. Should we send it to you or back to them? We want to send Lila a little candy too for Christmas. My daughter seems excited to write back.”

Ilane thought about it. Lila would be excited, and Ilane had known Kyle for a long time before she’d moved. She had met Jordan a few times before and they were friendly enough as neighbors. She replied, “That would be fine! She’s allergic to peanuts, so don’t send any peanut candy though.”

Jordan smiled, “We were thinking of a candy necklace if we can find any in the store. Thanks Ilane! Happy Christmas.”

Ilane put her phone down and laughed. “So that’s where the letter ended up. No wonder it was taking so long to arrive. Good thing I sent an-

other.”

Jordan looked up from his phone, “Her aunt told me it’s ok to send it back! She used to live here.”

Allison cheered and ran off to get an envelope and stickers. She got her leftovers from sending holiday letters. She organized the supplies on the table and Jack settled in as well. “To consult with you on the letter, boss.” He grinned at her and she picked up a marker.

Jordan found up a pencil and another sheet of lined paper to write a short note to Lila’s mom explaining the situation. He wrote - -

Hi,

I’m your sister’s old neighbor and Lila’s letter reached us instead of her. My landlord gave us Ilane’s number and I texted her to ask if it was alright to send something back. My daughter opened the letter and she was really excited about writing Lila back. Ilane said it was alright. Sorry about the mixup and merry Christmas!

Sincerely,

Jordan Tekt

Jordan looked over to Jack and Allison, where he was patiently spelling out a word she was struggling with. The paper was covered with changing handwriting and colors. Allison had decided to decorate as Jack was writing and they each signed at the bottom. Allison handed it to her dad.

He started reading it over and handed Allison Lila’s envelope and the new envelope. “Copy the address in the corner into the middle, so it’ll go back to them.” Allison copied down the address and Jordan signed it. Her dad checked it over to be sure that the address was correct and wrote their address as well. He passed it over to Jack who considered it and added more scrawling ink decorations.

Jack and Allison had written - -

Hi Lila,

We got your letter by mistake and wanted to say hi! Your aunt used to live where we live. We’re your aunt’s old neighbors! I’m Allison and I live with my dad. Jack is visiting for dinner and we found your letter. Do you write a lot of letters?

In case Santa’s busy, we decided to send you some fancy candy necklaces! They are the very very best candy necklaces Jack could find.

I’m Allison, and I’m in 6th grade. I want to be a zookeeper and see flamingos all the time, but I’m really good at Science. If you are looking for a bird, there are a lot of pigeons outside my house. My dad put the ornaments up and I made paper snowflakes for the windows. What is your school like? What do you like to do?

I’m Jack and I’m a first year in college. It’s like 13th grade and I’m the oldest cousin in my family. We wanted to send a present like the ones I send my family around Christmas.

Enjoy!

Allison Tekt, Jordan Tekt, Jack Lan

The next day, Jack walked through the automatic sliding doors of the convenience store. The temperature was abruptly warmer inside and he wandered over to the candy aisle. He scanned the available candy and found a few candy necklaces to choose from. He chose one with a shiny candy pendant. He thought about it, and picked up another as well. “Only two, so she’s not too hyper or getting too much candy from a pen pal.” Jack checked out and sent the letter.

Days later, Lila waited for her mom to return, and heard the door open. She went to say hello to her mom and show her the picture she’d drawn. Her mom’s eyebrows were pushed together and she looked confused. Lila’s mom called her sister and asked what she sent while she walked home. Her sister told her about what had happened and said it was alright to open both packages. Ilane said, “It’s a bit strange but they seemed to mean well. They do live with my last landlord anyways. I knew some of them before I moved away.” May agreed that it was alright with caution.

She said, “We have mail Lila! Your aunt’s package arrived. And an extra.” She went to grab scissors and Lila patted at the packages. She was excited because her aunt always sent something fun.

Lila’s mom made sure to let Lila open Aunt Ilane’s package first and opened the other package herself. Lila cooed over the frog umbrella and waved it around. She opened it and poked at the plastic eyes. Lila’s mom examined the candy necklaces and the letter. Lila looked curiously at what her mom had and started asking about them. Her mom handed them over and Lila was even more impressed with her aunt’s planning.

Lila read it and put one of the candy necklaces on. She insisted on pulling out the letter writing craft supplies to write them back and send a sticker for each person. Her mom agreed and sat with her. May already knew Lila would be occupied for hours. She got up from the low table to start making the Christmas cookies. Soon, the house was full of baking cookies. A city away, the Tekt family and Jack finished weekly Wednesday dinner together again. A call away, Aunt Ilane put apple tarts into the oven and sent her sister a photo. And the mail trucks run on.

The Portable Snowplow

Written by Ryan Steel Illustrated by Catherine Ngo

This is the first time I’ve ever felt the need to write a review here and that’s saying something! I would give “The Portable Snowplow” zero stars if I could! It pains me to say so too, because I thought that it was a great idea that showed a lot of promise. Heck, the kid who done created it, Ricky Thompson, sweet kid, or so I thought, lived a few blocks down the street from me. Ricky played hockey with my son, I helped him out with his Eagle Scout project and told him that I wouldn’t mind a fella like him taking my daughter to her senior prom. My little sweetheart ultimately had to go to prom by herself, which she said was fine because she and the gals were going to have a good time no matter what, but when she got home that night, she locked herself in her room and hasn’t talked about it since. I went on to find out Ricky couldn’t go to his senior prom because that weekend he was flying out to Los Angeles to appear on Shark Tank, you know, the show on ABC? He was reaching out to some mucky-muck big shots to get funding for his invention, “The Portable Snowplow,” the very one I’m reviewing today. Now initially, I was happy for little Ricky, he was following his dreams, getting out of North Dakota, gonna make something of himself, unlike my son, who never really pulled himself up by his bootstraps after he blew out his knee and lost his hockey scholarship. That summer when the episode of Shark Tank aired featuring “The Portable Snowplow” was the first time I even learned that little Ricky was interested in entrepreneurship, I could’ve shown him a thing or two! I’d been regional manager down at the Hank & Sons hardware store for the past fifteen years!

The judges loved him, especially the lady judge with blonde hair, and why not? He was handsome, clean-cut, shaven, had a firm handshake, and didn’t have blue hair or painted fingernails like all these other lazy kids I see running around the neighborhood nowadays. Supposedly this here, portable snowplow was a spray that came in a can and around the blistering winters of North Dakota, could be used to clear up your driveway of snow and even prevent new snow from collecting. You know, so you don’t have to keep clearing the driveway before work? Sounded real nifty if you asked me. He was always working on his little science projects, but he

didn’t have too much street smarts if I knew him right.

I went next door the very next day to congratulate the kid on landing a multimillion-dollar deal with 15% equity, offer him some help with the management side of things, you know? Just to make sure he isn’t getting jerked around by all the big-shots with their fancy suits and limousines. Mr. Thompson came to the door and told me he had already packed up and took off to Los Angeles to start the manufacturing process of “The Portable Snowplow,” so it’d be ready to hit the market that winter. Sounded like a pretty sweet deal if you asked me because that winter was to be a doozy!

A couple of months later things weren’t doing so great on the home front. The missus was blaming me for what a disappointment my two kids had become.

“Heck! It’s only been a few months! Sometimes kids just need to get their legging!’

And we didn’t have the money to send them to some fancy-pants college all on our own. To make matters worse, my daughter started dating some real rough and tumble older fella that lived in a trailer and sold crystal methamphetamine. You know? Kinda like the stuff from that Being Bad show? The missus and I watched it back when we could afford cable, a little too artsy for me, but it made my old lady happy, so heck I enjoyed it too. Problem was my son fell into a deep depression on accounta things not panning out the way he wanted them to. I tried to make him feel better by reminding him that even if he did play hockey in college, making it to the pros is a whole other ordeal and if he didn’t get a wake-up call then, he’d have to learn it four years down the line. This only made him feel worse. Heck, you try your best to provide a better life for your family than you ever dreamed of as a kid, but things done changed so much since I was growing up.

That winter as I was getting ready to close shop some feller from some sort of shipping department came in with boxes full of some goods for the store and I was double dog-darned to see that “The Portable Snowplow” was here and ready to hit the shelves. I bought myself a whole case, didn’t even use my manager’s discount, wanted Little Ricky’s company to hit the ground running!

I got home excited to show my family Ricky’s invention, but they had gotten some seasonal depression to go on top of their existential depression and it was really just starting to stink up the place. The only thing I could get the missus to say on the matter was:

“Maybe if you showed this kind of enthusiasm for your own kids, they would be doing better right now.”

A fellas gotta know when to fold em’ so I paid her no mind and instead went right out to my driveway and tried out little Ricky’s invention, and woah boy, did it work like a charm!

The only work I had to do was spray the driveway once a week and just like that, I was ready to go! I was so excited I even sprayed it all over my lawn that way I could show off my perfectly mowed lawn off to the neighbors all year long. Everyone knows I take care of my lawn better than just about anyone you ever did meet and now I got to take pride in it all year long. Great because I really needed something to take pride in at that time in my life.

But would ya guess what? As springtime reared its head around the corner, I realized that “The Portable Snowplow” didn’t just get rid of the snow but completely obliterated my once beautiful lawn. The grass, the soil, the ferns on the side lawn, all destroyed by chemicals so thick and potent that I would have to dig up my entire lawn eight feet deep to replace the soil and grow new turf without it dying. It was some real scientific stuff, a subject I didn’t know a whole lot about. I was so livid; I hadn’t noticed that my old lady had been falling out of love with me over the past nine months and I guess being more upset about my deteriorating lawn than my deteriorating family must’ve been the final nail in the coffin. One day I came home to discover the car and the rest of her belongings were all gone. I asked my Son, who was on the couch eating a bag of Chips a-Hoy cookies, a mighty fine cookie if you ask me: “what gives?” He just unenthusiastically informed me that the missus was moving in with her sister all the way out in Bakersfield, California and I should be expecting some papers in the mail soon.

Unlike my lazy son, I wasn’t one to wallow in self-pity, so I made the best of the situation and thought I’d do something I couldn’t do in my married life: drink fine whiskey. I hadn’t hardly had anything to drink in twenty-five years since I didn’t want my kids to see me inebriated but hell, they were adults now, my daughter has done way crazier things than me at this point, so I thought: “hey! I’m just taking the edge off with a little Wild Turkey, no harm in that.” Wild Turkey was my favorite, a little strong for folks with a weak pallet like my sissy neighbor Mr. Thompson. I was willing to bet his son had a sissy pallet as well, a thought that made me smile for the first time in months. Well, gosh darn it though, one drink turned into at

least ten bottles over the course of two weeks.

As I came to discover during my two-week bender, I called my boss and told him that I knew more about hardware than he did and done got myself fired. But worse, I filed a lawsuit against little Ricky and his “The Portable Snowplow” company as payback for ruining my life, but wouldn’t you know it, the fine print specifies not to use the spray on natural terrain as it only promises to clear driveways not yards. Ricky didn’t counter-sue, so I mean, way to be a big man I guess, but I think he was just avoiding unnecessary turmoil because wouldn’t you know it, he had gone out for some dinner with my now ex-old lady the first month she got to California and the two were going steady now. Kinda peculiar young men chasing older women used to go the other way around. Come to think of it, the two did act kinda odd around one another during his Eagle Scout project. I was down and out so what did I do? The only thing that made sense. I went to the store to buy more Wild Turkey, but wouldn’t you know it? I got pulled over on the way back from the liquor store and found myself spending the night in jail, the first time back since I was nineteen. The sheriff was this dork I used to mess with in high school and I guess as payback, he thought he’d be a real wise guy and put me in a holding cell with a real scary-looking white-supremacist looking fella, supposedly going down for blowing up a trailer while the owner was still inside. Didn’t feel too safe catching any shuteye that night.

The whole experience sent me to the hospital for one of those detox programs on accounta I still had a lot of booze in my system, and I could have died from the withdrawal symptoms. Was sorta looking forward to being waited on hand and foot for once in my life but wouldn’t you know it, my daughter who I hadn’t talked to in months was in the very same detox. Now I was having a real good time in the hospital, caught up on my reading, found out the Milwaukee Bucks were having a mighty fine season, and thought maybe things were starting to look up. My daughter sure didn’t wanna talk to me though which made me feel a little sore. Figured she just needed her space, so I let it be. The final night before I was to be discharged to make a sturdy attempt at rebuilding what was left of my life, my little angel finally stopped by my room to let me know that she was sorry for everything and was confused because she’d never been in love with a boy before. Apparently, that older feller she was with had some bad blood with some of his competition, and the ruffian, one of those white-supremacist types, went right ahead and blew up his trailer while he was still in

it. She said they got the feller who did it so that helped her sleep at night, but the police found her running down the interstate looking for help after she saw the fire. Thank God she wasn’t hurt. I was proud of my girl for checking herself in to get off that awful methamphetamine stuff they got down there. I just wound holding her as she cried and apologized, just like when she was little. One of the nurses done came by after about an hour or so and said we couldn’t be in each other’s rooms. I told her of our relation, but she just told me: “rules are rules sir, can’t be giving special treatment around here, it’d be a real madhouse.” I’d reckoned it already was.

My baby girl was in detox a little longer than me, so I got her old room ready and wound-up finding work doing what they call “freelance” making yard repairs for folk in the neighborhood. Kinda got a knack for it and started making better money than before without some boss who didn’t know as much about hardware as me. I really got put through the wringer there but I’ve gotta admit, I’d say things are better now than before. I got my little girl back and even got my own business. My son moved to L.A. to live with his mother and her new fancy pants millionaire boyfriend

Little Ricky Thompson, which is mighty strange if ya ask me? If my own mother went steady with some kid I went to school with, I’d give him a real piece of my mind, and by that, I mean I’d sock him right there in the jaw. But I’ve been going to a counselor to work on my outbursts and hell if I get a brand-new life out of the deal, I guess my ex-old lady deserves to be happy too and holding a grudge against that there Ricky Thompson wasn’t going to do me any favors. But my lawn is still in ruins and because of that, I in good conscience cannot recommend this product to anyone.

Longing for Winter

Written by Coco Illustrated by Bianca Rader

It’s that time of the year again, my favorite season. Fall fades away, replaced by winter.

Most of the trees are bare while some trees are still yet to shed their colorful leaves.

I switch around the clothes in my closet, getting ready to wear thick layers including my favorite frog sweater.

My dad turns on the heater, it will get colder. The day is getting shorter while the night is getting longer.

I’m expecting snow, but what do I expect? It’s Cali and in Cali, it never snows. Well, except for that one time where it suddenly hailed.

I remember back to 10th grade.

I was in my 6th period class, English class. We were at our desk writing when someone outside screamed. We looked outside and it was hailing. My English teacher let us outside and we stood among the hail. The size of the hail was the size of the tip of a push it pin. After a few minutes, most of my classmates went inside. My English teacher said that we’re welcome to stay outside if we want. I stood outside among the hail before coming inside.

Today, every now and then, I want it to snow or I want hail in Cali. Of course, this is impossible as the weather in Cali is usually warm, but one can dream.

Beside snow, what’s the best part of winter? Hanging out with loved ones.

I don’t care whether it’s shopping or eating out. There’s also the best part- Secret Santa exchange. I know what I’m going to get and the fun part is exchanging gifts. I get to know who’s going to give me my gift and I’ll see the person that I’ll give their gift to. After the gift exchange, we’ll hang out.

With the gift exchange done, I return home, surprised to see a filled plastic bag on the door knob and the present inside is for me.

I walk in and lock the door behind me. Putting the gifts on a table, I turn on the heater before sinking into a rocking chair.

Life is good.

I spend the rest of the evening sitting there before I got ready for bed.

Before going to sleep, I turn down the heater a bit. I don’t know what will happen tomorrow, but tomorrow is another story.

Recipes

Chocolate Mousse

Recipe by Samantha Denny

100 grams Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

4 Tbsp Sugar

4 Eggs

1 Tbsp Unsalted Butter

1. Melt chocolate and butter over a pot of hot water, let cool slightly.

2. Separate eggs.

3. Beat egg whites to stiff peaks with 2 Tbsp of sugar.

4. Beat egg yolks with 2 Tbsp of sugar.

5. Add chocolate mixture to egg yolks.

6. Fold in egg whites with rubber spatula.

7. Pour into a serving bowl and refrigerate.

German Snowball Pastry (Schneeballen)

Illustrated by Alex Lee

2 Eggs

4 Egg Yolks

9 Tbsp Heavy Cream

1 Tbsp Sugar

2cl Kirsch Schnaps (Optional)

1 Dash Salt

750 g Flour

Clarified Butter, Refined Coconut Oil or Sunflower/Canola Oil for deep frying

1. Heat oil to 180 c or 370 F. If you put a wooden spoon in the oil, there should be small bubbles.

2. Combine all ingredients to make a dough. Knead until the dough is smooth.

3. Refrigerate for at least 30 min.

4. Roll the dough into squares or circles (8 inches diameter).

5. Cut strips into the dough that stop ½ inch before the ends of the dough. It should all be attached.

6. Weave the dough together with alternating stripes.

7. Form the dough into a ball. Place into the snowball tongs or tea strainer.

8. Deep fry the balls for 6 min in the hot oil.

9. Place the balls on kitchen paper, dust with powdered sugar or a mix of sugar-cinnamon.

Maple Syrup on Snow

Illustrated by Cynthia Lee

Pan of Clean Snow Maple Syrup

1. Boil the maple syrup over medium-low heat, stirring with wooden spoon.

2. Measure with candy thermometer until syrup reaches 235-245 F.

3. Pour maple syrup on the snow in thin lines.

4. Put a popsicle stick or lollipop stick in the strip of syrup. Once it cools, about 3 to 5 seconds, pick it up, wind it around a popsicle stick, and eat it. The consistency should be sticky like taffy.

Frosty the Snowman Recipe

Illustrated by Cynthia Lee

Magic Hat

Corncob Pipe

Button Nose

Two Pieces of Coal

Scarf (Optional)

Broom Friends

1. Assemble snowman, recommended: one large ball for body, one small ball for head.

2. Decorate snowman as desired. Save magic hat for last.

3. Sing the Frosty The Snowman song with friends. Recommended: Hold hands while singing.

4. If the snowman doesn’t come to life instantly, sing it at max volume.

5. If that doesn’t work, disassemble the snowman, add one more large ball for part of the body and follow step 2 and 3.

Banana Bread with Chocolate Cake

Illustrated by Sky Ly

1/2 cup softened butter

2/3 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs, room temperature

3 bananas (ripened)

½ tsp vanilla extract

1 ½ cup all purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Butter and flour a bread loaf pan (9.25” L * 5.25 “ W * 2.75” D) (or you can line the bread loaf pan with parchment paper)

2. In a mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar together. Add 2 lightly beaten eggs.

3. Mash banana with a fork until consistency of chunky applesauce and add them to a mixing bowl along with ½ tsp vanilla extract. Mixed until blended.

4. In another bowl, whisk 1 ½ cup flour, 1 tsp baking soda and ½ tsp salt. Add to the mixing bowl and mix until incorporated.

5. Fold in ¾ of chocolate chip, and then transfer to the prepared bread pan. Sprinkle remaining chocolate chips and bake at 325 degrees fahrenheit for 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes clean. Let banana bread rest for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool.

Note: If you don’t like it really sweet, you can either put a small amount of sugar, no sugar, or you can use dark chocolate chips.