Chapter 46: The First Snowfall

December unexpectedly brought a rare, breathtaking dusting of pristine white snow to Cortis, turning the dusty roads and sprawling live oak branches into a postcard-perfect winter wonderland that had the entire town buzzing with seasonal excitement. Local school was officially canceled by noon on a Thursday, prompting an immediate migration of excited teenagers toward the steep dirt hills situated right by the railway tracks- the very same hills James and Lily had conquered on sleds made of flattened cardboard boxes a decade earlier.