Many of the parks in London were quite lovely in the springtime; vibrant flowers lined the dark pavement walkways that wound around, meeting tiny ponds along the way. All the adults swore that there was no grander sight than the regal statues and marble fountains. However, the children much preferred the parks in chilly winter when water turned to ice and snow. The young girls and boys marveled at the crisp snow that blanketed the ponds and covered the pathways until they were too slick to walk on without help. Nothing was more satisfying to them than running through the snow, ruining its pure white layers with small, clumsy steps.

"Maybe you would beat me if you didn't run like such a baby!" Anima yelled as she raced through the snow, giggling as she ran.

"Not fair," Tom whined after her, panting as he struggled to keep up. "If you told me we were racing, I would have tried harder!"

They arrived in a hilly place where many other youngsters were laughing and playing in the fresh snow that fell the night before. Some of the kids were throwing snowballs at each other near a big snow drift by a bridge.

"Let's build a snowman!" Anima declared.

"Alright, but put him over here, so those kids won't come and ruin him," Tom pointed to a clearing separated from the snow-battle that raged on.

It was a cold, crisp day even for London, and the snow reached up to the children's knees as they busied themselves trying to move through it to prepare the base and middle of their snowman. Anima being the perfectionist she was at her age, wanted her first snowman of the year to look absolutely perfect. Tome, however, being a young boy, didn't care as much for perfection.

"Toooom! You're doing it all wrong! You made the middle too big. Now we gotta use it as the bottom," Anima scolded. "Can't you get it right?!"

Tom sighed dramatically and rolled it to their designated spot. "You're such a girl. Is this be-" he was cut off as Anima tackled him into the snow. He squirmed as the icy snow slid down his coat collar and against his skin.

"Don't be a meanie, or I'll tell your momma on you!" she snickered as she let him up.

He squealed at the coldness creeping down his coat and to his jeans. "You think my mummy scares me?" he pouted, jogging over to their snowman.

"I know so," Anima laughed, shaking her hips and putting her hands on them like the girls on the TV did at home.

Huffing and puffing, Tom didn't argue with her. Instead, he began packing snow to make the snowman head. Eventually, the pair had their snowman built and ready for examination. The bottom was more of a squashed oval or a too-big pancake, with some mud smeared at the bottom. The middle looked neat, with five toy soldiers used for buttons. The head was a little big for Anima's taste, but they hid it with stick and twig hair. By the time they were done, Tom's mum came looking for them. She too was bundled up, and Emma was with her.

"Tom! Anima! We're leaving!" she called out. "Come along, or I won't make you hot chocolate."

At the promise of a hot, sweet drink, both children were racing up the hill. This time, it was Tom who was in the lead. When they got to Tom's house, he and Anima shuffled their way through, shedding their coats, scarves and boots as they went until they were down to sweaters and jeans. Laughing and teasing, they made their way to Tom's bedroom before ducking into his bed and curling up under the blankets with a Thor comic his mum bought him the week before. Tom's mum brought two steaming cups of hot chocolate with a plate of cookies to share once they finished it though.

"I wish I could hold Thor's hammer," Tom said staring into his mug. "I'd fly to America with you when you left in the summer. That way I wouldn't be so lonely."

"It's not that fun over there. It's actually kind of boring and hot. My grandparents don't do much, but they have cows now," Anima said, shoving two cookies into her mouth. "Besides, you couldn't pick it up even if you wanted to."

"Could too," Tom said, stifling a yawn.

"Nuh-uh. You aren't worthy to hold it. That's Thor's job. Duh."

They slowly ended up on the bed, cuddled under Tom's blankets while sharing his one Jurassic Park pillow. Anima snuggled the blanket closer to her and tugged Tom close enough to feel his body heat. She was still chilly, and she didn't like to be cold. Tom hugged her and smiled sleepily. "I'd use it to find you, silly. That makes me…worthy," he said, taking her hand in his.

Anima yawned tiredly before shutting her eyes. "Whatever, Tom."