New York City, December 25, 2017

★★★ The frozen matter falling in the night had put a festive whiteness onto nothing but the cushions of the rooftop furniture on the luxury building. The sunlight shone into uncluttered and tastefully empty apartments. The wind played its flute notes on the building. Down below, sparse traffic and sparser pedestrians cast shadows toward uptown. The lowering sun scattered pink among the clouds. Outside the night air hissed through the shrubbery. Idling engines made pained ticking sounds. Bare skin could still withstand the cold, for now.