Disclaimer: See #1 for it.
#7
Cold
The temperature had dropped into the low twenties and ice crystals were forming on the windows of the house four people shared.
Alice Pleasance was upstairs in her room, going through her closet.
Clothes were strewn all over her bed as she attempted to find something to keep her warm.
The power was out, so the furnace wasn't working.
Ari appeared in her doorway, dressed in several layers, wearing a thick knitted hat and a scarf, and a thick quilt wrapped around her shoulders. "The boys have the fire going finally. I've gathered up pretty much all the blankets and pillows in the house so we can camp out in the living room. You find anything warm to wear?"
Alice pulled off yet another sweater and turned to face Ari. "Nothing is keeping me warm."
Ari's eyes danced merrily in the candlelight. "I bet I know what can keep you warm. It's downstairs, or rather, he is downstairs tending to the fire and making tea."
Alice giggled. "I'll be down in a minute. Just need to put all this away."
"Leave it until the power comes back on. It's too cold up here. Your fingers will freeze up." Ari disappeared from the doorway.
On cold nights Alice would go through every sweater she owned, only to come back to the same conclusion every time: nothing warmed one up like a nice cozy hat..ter.
She pulled her knitted cap on and left the room without a backwards glance at the pile of clothes on her bed after blowing out the candles. She had a nice warm Hatter to curl up with on the loveseat with a cup of tea and a book neither needed to read to recite waiting for her downstairs.