"Well?"
"John! What are you doing out there? I can't even see you."
"That seems to be one of your habits recently."
She drew him inside, and leaned against the door, closing. "Is it going to be like that tonight?"
"Maybe." His face was steeped in cold.
"Please. Not the day before you go."
The white crystals on his hair melted into drops, and a sudden warmth strained all harshness from his voice. "No, you're right, Mary. Not the day before I go."
Pushing him toward the fire, Mary took his cloak. "Didn't you notice?"
"What?"
"The table, silly. It's 'Happy Homecoming' tonight!"