Behind me, the overhead garage door started to hum as the electric motor drew the heavy wooden panels up along the steel ceiling tracks.

Julian backed his dark silver Audi out of the bay, the twin red taillights staining the frost on the gravel driveway a deep crimson.

He gave his horn one light tap, a polite little beep telling me to get off the asphalt.

I didn’t step back onto the lawn.

I walked straight down the middle of the driveway toward the mailbox at the curb, my boots crunching quietly and steadily on the frozen gravel.

Julian lowered his driver’s window three inches and rested his elbow on the black vinyl trim.