“I met my third husband on top of the Eiffel Tower,” Mrs. Finn confided afterward to Miriam and Noelle. “He was about to propose to someone else when he looked up and saw me. He was my favorite husband, Robert. I probably should have kept him, but life is short.” She paused. “Well, not my life! Mine’s been long as hell!” She cackled to herself while she wheeled off to another activity.

“I’ve never wanted to be anyone so badly.” Miriam dropped her chin into her hands.

“Are we free now? Can we go do something that isn’t forced togetherness and merriment?” Noelle asked, hopefully.

Noelle needed to get out of the stifling confines of the room, which had felt perfectly big enough until Miriam sat down next to her and pressed their thighs together while they worked. Why did Miriam’s mouth have to be so wide and interesting, and her lips so full? It made it impossible not to stare at her.

She fled to her trees so she could remember how to breathe.

The first snow snuck up on them. On Sunday they woke up to a world blanketed. It was the day they were supposed to get an answer from the Rosensteins, and everyone was tense and snapping at each other. So the Matthewses sent Miriam, Noelle, and Hannah off sledding.

Mrs. Matthews shoved them out the door, saying, “Do not come back into the house for four hours, or I am quitting. Your anxiety is giving me hives.”

They bundled up in every layer of protective snow gear that could be found in the entire inn, walking around like abominable millennial toddlers.

“Oh my gosh, Nan, the snow!” Miriam cried in astonished glee. “I forgot about the snow!” She giggled as she ran her hands under a pile of white fluff, throwing it up in the air. “Oh shit oh shit oh shit it’s cold!”

Noelle doubled over laughing.

Hannah looked at Miriam and gave the sort of wicked, trouble-making grin that Noelle hadn’t seen on her best friend in a long damned time.

“Oh no, I know that look,” Miriam said, waving her arms in a desperate attempt to stop whatever was coming. But as Noelle knew, there was no stopping Hannah when her mischief was up.

“I declare—” Hannah paused dramatically, raising one finger high in the air in proclamation.

“Don’t do it!” Miriam cried. Noelle watched them, back and forth, beginning to see how they must have been as children and teenagers. The way Miriam’s presence eased something in Hannah made Noelle’s heart flip over.

“—a Shenanigan!” Hannah finished. Then, all in a rush, she said, “I declare a Shenanigan!” She threw back her head and laughed at the still-snowing sky. Miriam fell to her knees in mock anguish.

Hannah put her hands on her hips, a triumphant smile lighting up her face. “You know the rules, Miriam Blum.”