The first snow of the season fell in fluffy snowflakes that melted on the ground, creating a slippery sludge. This was not exactly a beautiful postcard Christmas scene. The city looked dirty, and the people exhausted from shopping for gifts.

Having been too busy with her work, Emily didn’t even have time to fly back east to see her parents. Following the fashion competition, her products were much more in demand, and she could barely keep up, even when she hired more ...