She didn’t have to decide yet. The first thing was to shower and get dressed. She couldn’t do anything in her pajamas. As she pulled her clothes out of the drawer, she found a fishing lure she’d bought Jake after that terrible blind date discussing fly fishing. She had thought it would be a funny present. It was a bright blue feathery lure. She found string and tied it to the lure. She put on her coat and boots and then opened up the sliding door of her balcony, with difficulty because of the heavy snowfall. Her boots crunching in the snow, she stepped out and tied one end of the string to her balcony railing and then lowered the lure into his yard, so that it was hanging in front of his glass door, bright blue against the snowy white background. It looked like a bird flying there. It should catch his attention. She felt more hopeful now that she’d done something. Baited her hook.

She went back inside, took off her coat and boots, and left them to dry near the heater. She put on a black turtleneck and black pants—her New York armor. Then she ate breakfast, but she didn’t have much appetite. Too nervous at the thought of going over.

She’d put on some make-up first. She looked in the bathroom mirror as she applied mascara. She couldn’t believe she was wishing a water bug would appear, giving her an excuse to go to Jake’s.

A loud banging on her sliding glass bedroom door sounded. She stuck her head out of the bathroom door and saw a large snow-covered figure at the door. She gasped, startled, until she also saw a snow-covered dog—Biscuit.

She ran to the door. She wasn’t sure she’d be able to open it, given the snow, but she managed to—to be greeted by cold rush of air. A large snowman with his dog entered her bedroom.

“Are you okay? What’s wrong?” she asked.

“No, I’m not okay. I was wrong. I’m so sorry. I’m sorry I was some caveman boyfriend who asked you to choose between your career and me. My mom said maybe you shouldn’t even take me back, but I hope you do. I miss you.”

His face was so dear to her. She couldn’t help reaching out to touch his face and brush off some of the snow. He caught her hand and held it against his cool cheek.

“I miss you too,” she said.

“So much,” he added. “I’ve been looking for an excuse to come over, so with the snow, I thought I should do the neighborly thing and, you know, check on you.”

“Your boy scout training?”

“You could say that.” He seemed to want to say more, but hesitated. “Plus, I saw a bright blue lure hanging from your balcony. That gave me hope.”