Later that morning, Nina came back to Snow Miser's. He excitedly greeted her outside in front of the castle. "I've got a surprise for you!"

"You didn't have to-"

"Close your eyes."

She did so, and Snow Miser led her to the backyard. "Okay. Open them."

Nina opened her eyes and stared. A small brown shed with a blue roof set on a patch of lone green grass amongst the icy land. Two rosebushes in full bloom were planted on each side of the door. She gasped with delight. "Snowy...this is amazing."

"Go on in." He opened the door for her, and Nina went inside.

The interior of the shed was small and had only one room, but it was cozy. The walls were painted a light blue, and the floor was made out of wood. A couple of potted plants dangled from the ceiling. There was a white couch against one of the walls and a matching coffee table in front of the couch. On the opposite wall hung a shelf that had animal figurines on it above the only window, and it was on the same wall as the door. A bookcase was on another wall and only had some empty notebooks on the top shelf, along with a box of pencils and pens. Next to the bookcase was a wooden desk and chair.

Nina came back out, overjoyed. "It's beautiful! I don't know what to say."

"I thought you'd like having a spot of your own where you can warm up when you need to. Kinda a home away from home."

"I appreciate it. Thank you so much. How did you do it?"

"Well, I had some help," Snow admitted, reluctantly.

"Your brother built it, too?"

Snow nodded, lazily pointing to the castle. "He's inside if you want to say thanks."

They went into the palace, where Heat Miser was casually sitting on Snow Miser's throne. "Get out of my chair!" Snow shouted, exasperated.

Heat hopped off. "Don't lose your head, snowcone."

"Thank you both for the shed," Nina told them, ignoring their spat. She hugged Snow Miser, then Heat Miser, whose eyes widened. His muscles tensed up but gradually relaxed, and he lightly patted her back with one hand.

When Nina pulled away, she asked, "What do you guys want in return? It must have taken you all morning to fix that up."

Snow Miser held her hand and pulled her close. "Nothing. It's a gift for you, from me...from us, I mean," he told her, glancing at Heat, who narrowed his eyes.

"Yes. WE made it for you, so enjoy it," Heat emphasized. "I need to get home; I can't stand being anywhere below 90°." He then left in a hurry.

Snow Miser kissed Nina after his brother disappeared. "So, how did it go at Mr. C.'s?"

"Well, I told him I'd make some of the deliveries for the charity. He and Mrs. Claus said I could take the first one over next week."

"That's great, honey. How long will you be gone?"

"Just a couple of days." Nina held his hands. "Don't worry; I'll try not to be gone longer than a week at a time."

Snow kissed her hands. "Take as long as you need; I won't keep you here."

"I don't want to be away from you for too long. I just got you."

He chuckled. "I'm not going anywhere. You don't have to worry about me."

Nina kissed his cheek. "I know. I love you."

He pulled her close and kissed her lips, deeply. "I love you, too, my snow angel."

Over the next week, Nina spent time with Snow Miser, used her shed, and planned the route to deliver the packages. For the first time in her life, she had a clear path and felt stable. She believed that she was in the right place at the right time, and she was thankful for how fortunate she was. She hoped that she could soon help other people feel at least some of the peace she herself experienced.

On the morning that Nina was to leave, the elves helped her load her airplane. She thanked them, then had a last-minute discussion with Santa about the journey. She said goodbye to him and Mrs. Claus, then approached Snow Miser and kissed him. "I'll be back soon."

"Please, be safe," he told her, caressing her cheek.

Santa and Mrs. Claus watched the two, then smiled and looked at each other.

"I will," Nina said. "I love you."

"I love you, too."

As Nina began to get into the cockpit, a rush of pain pierced through her side. She cried out and lost her balance and fell backwards.

"Nina!" Snow Miser caught her, his reflexes quick as lightning.

"I'm fine. I'm fine," she insisted through gritted teeth. She tried to stand on her own, but couldn't regain her balance because of the injury.

"Here, let's get the doctor to look at you," Santa gently told Nina.

"But...the deliveries..." Nina protested.

"Your health is more important. The deliveries can wait."

Snow Miser gently carried Nina inside and laid her down on the couch while Mrs. Claus called Dr. Bobbin.

Nina looked remorseful. "I'm so sorry," she told Santa, who sat near the couch she was laying on.

"Don't be," Santa told her. "It's not your fault. You have nothing to apologize for."

"I let you down."

"Nonsense. You did no such thing."

The doctor soon came over and examined Nina. Gruffly, he told her, "You still have that pain in your side, and it seems to be getting worse. You'll have to go to a hospital and get it looked at."

"I can't go now. I have too many things to do," Nina objected, sitting up. Doing this aggravated the pain, and though she tried to hide it, it was obvious that she was in a lot of discomfort.

Snow Miser sat down by her and helped her lie down again. He held her hand. "Nina," he said with a worried look on his face, "you're hurt and need care right now. Everything else can wait. Please. This is important. YOU'RE important."

Santa said, "I'll take you to the nearest hospital."

"I'm going with you," Snow Miser immediately told them.

"Snowy-" Nina started.

"I won't take no for an answer."

Santa nodded. "Alright. The three of us will go."

"Are you sure? Won't people bother you guys?" Nina asked.

"Don't worry about us," Snow told her, smiling.

Santa got the sleigh ready, and Snow Miser carefully carried Nina to it and sat in the back with her. He took off his scarf and wrapped it around her neck and held her close. They took off, and Nina couldn't bear to look at anyone's faces as they left the ground. She had disappointed everyone, and all the plans that she had made had to be put on hold, at least for a little while. Discouraged, she leaned against Snow Miser, trying to ignore the pain in her side.