Everything felt crisp and new outside, like a fresh start. The snow sparkled in the light of the streetlight. She started shoveling in front of the garage, pushing the snow to the sides. It was a thin layer and dry, so it wasn’t hard to do. She liked it, in fact. It felt good to do physical work. Ted was down at the bottom of his driveway, scraping where it had turned icy. She tried to think of something to say. “Hope the plow doesn’t push it all back again,” she said.

“What?”

“The snowplow. You know how they block driveways sometimes?”

Ted stopped shoveling. “Is that a threat?”

“No! It’s just—you’ve done such a nice job, is all. I hope they’re considerate. That’s what I mean.” She smiled hugely, to show she came in peace.

Maybe she should ask him for shoveling advice. Men liked to be asked for advice. They would go back and forth exchanging pleasantries for a while, and then she’d ask everyone over for cocoa and cookies. That would be the beginning of the end of all the anger. The garage door hummed open, and there was Nick.

“Someone to help me. Hurray,” Kaye said. “I was starting to feel like the little red hen. Remember? From the story?”

“Who?” Nick rummaged around in the garage.

“I’ve got the shovels out here,” she called. “You know, the little red hen. ‘Who will help me mill the wheat . . . then I shall do it myself.’ Remember?”

A motor started up, and Nick pushed the snowblower onto the driveway.

“No need for the big guns. There’s only like an inch here,” she called, but he started blowing snow from the driveway onto the lawn.

Ted stopped shoveling. “Hey,” he called out.

Nick kept blowing snow.

“That’s really loud,” Ted yelled, his gloved hands cupped around his mouth.

Nick kept blowing.

“Cox!”

“What?” Nick turned toward the Millers’, spraying snow on the part of the driveway Ted had already cleared.

“Cut it out,” Ted called.

Kaye reached for the snowblower’s handle; Nick steered away from her. He walked across the lawn, spraying snow as he went. The Millers’ driveway was turning white again.

Ted picked up a clump of snow and threw it at Nick. It hit his neck.

“Why you . . . ,” Nick said, blowing snow right at Ted.

“Don’t!” Kaye yelled.

Jillian and Adam had stopped packing snowballs. Ted threw another snowball at Nick.

“Don’t, Daddy!” Jillian said.

Nick picked up a handful of snow and rubbed it in Ted’s face. Ted grabbed him by the neck. Kaye shouted for them to stop. Jillian ran inside, yelling for her mother. Meanwhile, the snowblower’s motor screamed for attention. When Allison came out, the men let go of each other and looked at the ground, like kids caught in the act.

“Unbelievable,” Allison said.