From the Draft Under the Door — Jack Frost

My dearest Emma,

I came through last night while everyone was asleep and I did the windows. All of them. I do not get asked and I do not take requests, but I did put a bit of extra work into one particular house, because of who sleeps in it: EMMA.

Go and look at the glass before the sun gets to it. Those are not scratches and nobody drew them. That is water deciding, very fast and very carefully, exactly where to freeze — and every single pattern is different, and none of them have ever been drawn twice in the whole history of the world.

You have about an hour, Emma. Then the sun comes round and it is all gone and it does not come back. That is not a sad thing. That is the point of it. Some things are only beautiful because they are not going to last, and a person who learns that early gets a great deal more out of mornings.

I nipped your nose on the way past. You are welcome.

See you at the window,
and do not bother chasing me —

Jack Frost

Keeper of the First Cold Morning

P.S. — Breathe on the glass and draw in it with your finger. I will not be offended. I started exactly the same way.