The night was dark and cold and the power out. I sat by the fireplace. The embers burning inside were hardly enough to keep me warm. I couldn’t turn on the lights or TV to keep myself entertained. My cellphone vibrated with a text from my dad. ‘b home in 5’ it read. I watched the winter snow through the bleary window. The neighbor’s lights were off. I curled closer together, the cold seeping in through the small openings in the blanket. I peeked out the window again. I checked my watch. The time read 8:42. Probably four more minutes until he arrived. By now the fireplace was just a black hole with miniscule red flecks. I closed my eyes, shivering and tried to sleep. Suddenly, I was bathed in a brilliant white light. I looked out the window and saw the silhouette of my dad’s sedan. He was home! I jumped out of the sofa, ignoring the immediate cold that surrounded me. I sprinted to the door and unlocked it. He hobbled inside, briefcase bumping against his thigh, hung up his full-body coat that reminded me of a detective or spy’s jacket. We sat together, sharing eachother’s company. About forty-five minutes passed before the lights came on and the TV buzzed to life. By then, it was time to go to sleep. I said good night and trodded up to my room, exhausted from the cold that had ruined my day off.