uma did not care for snow. she craved sand. warm, soft sand beneath her bare feet. bright sunshine. the intoxicating scent of the sea. but here she was, stuck in ivywood, absolutely nowhere near the beach. as soon as she graduated, uma planned to put this place in her rearview mirror — once and for all. for now, she’d have to deal with yet another winter. huddled in her oversized coat, she huffed in irritation. “ if i never see another snowflake as long as i live, i won’t complain, “ she muttered aloud, flexing her hands inside her mittens to stave off the cold.