Ellie sees Joel's house, festooned in flowers. She'd told Maria how dumb it was, keeping a greenhouse for flowers in winter, what a waste of resources, couldn't they grow strawberries and mangoes instead? But she'd said it was important to respect beauty, and in the dark winter that took Joel, Ellie had finally understood. The knowledge would die with her, though; everyone else understood, except Joel, and now she'd never convince him. She'd never get to talk to him again. A life is squandered when you freeze it out, leave it in the ice and ignore it. She'd never fill their words with flowers.

"That's not enough." The words leak out between her teeth, like the tears trying to bud on her eyelashes.