Snow shed violently over the vast land of the ranch, piling upon several feet of the white blanket. Sevika stepped into her home, slamming the wooden door shut and locking the hatch as she stomped the snow off of her boots. She removed her hat, hanging it onto the hook on the wall. The house was cold, the stove sat dark with un-lit wood.

Gathering a few small logs, Sevika opened the wood stove and tossed them in along with a lit match. The embers of the fire lit up the living room, beginning to send hot air throughout the house.

It was a quiet day on the ranch, the blizzard causing Sevika to harbor up into her home for the remainder of the day. She began a pot of soup, standing in the kitchen as she chopped up a few carrots.

Living in the country side wasn’t exactly difficult. She’d grown up there, gotten used to the labor and lonesome. No need to go to grocery stores up town where all the rich snobs pranced around—it was good. It worked for her.

As she continued working on her dinner, a frantic knock was heard on the front door. Huh? Who could be out in this weather? Not to mention her closest neighbor was a few miles away.

Confusion etched on her face, Sevika approached the front door, clicked the hatch open and swung the door ajar. And once she looked, she saw a woman. Around her age, a bit younger, but she was wearing this beautiful dress. Her snow-covered hair in pretty curls. She was an up-town girl. Goddamnit.

“Now why in the hell are you all the way out here, sugar?” Sevika spoke over the wailing winds of the blizzard, looking down at the shivering girl. Her voice held a mix of concern and annoyance. She’d rather not have a snobby priss-face at her door during a snow storm.