“Are you sure? This really seems like a win-win. I can help you with your financial problems. You can help me with my inheritance.” His eyes are lit up and hopeful, and every people-pleasing cell in my body screams at me to agree to this ridiculous plan. But I can barely handle a maybe-date without getting completely shit-faced to numb my anxiety. I can’t imagine how I’d survive… whatever he’s suggesting. Even if that’s a life-altering amount of money.

“Andrew, I just… can’t.”

He chuckles. “Oliver, have you ever done anything spontaneous in your entire life?”

It’s the Moscow mule that answers him before my sober self can stop it. “I once fell in love with a woman over the course of a single snow day.”

That revelation renders him speechless, his mouth hanging open in shock like that of a very attractive idiot.

Actually, Andrew’s mouth is always open about a half an inch. I can’t tell if it’s because he thinks he looks hot that way, or if he’s just a mouth breather.

Either way, I do find it kind of hot.

“Well, not love,” I backpedal, “just very intense like.”

“Talking about someone else on a first date.” He releases a low whistle. “Bold move.”

“Did we officially decide this is a date? I was getting more unload-emotional-baggage-at-each-other vibes.”

Andrew leans back in the booth. “I’m okay with those vibes. Tell me more about your snow girl.”

Snow Girl. That was what I called her when I poured my heartbreak and grief into the panels. I hadn’t planned to draw a ten-episode web series about that day—hadn’t wanted to immortalize those twenty-four hours—but after everything that happened, I needed some way to cope. So I turned to art, as I always had.

I changed names and identifying details, told the story to myself to try to figure out where it all went wrong. Then I posted that art anonymously on Drawn2 because isn’t the purpose of art to make yourself and others feel less alone?

“Do you remember last Christmas Eve?” I say to Andrew. “When we got that freak snowstorm?”

“I was at my parents’ cabin for Christmas, but yeah.”