Pink Spikes in the Frost

I scrambled up the warm radiator ribs and landed squarely on the wooden windowsill! Right beside the fogged glass, a heavy terracotta pot sat cradling a sprawling holiday cactus. Look at those scalloped green pads—each little tip was pushing out a tiny, vibrant magenta bud! Halloween is just around the corner, and here is a secret burst of party confetti defying the snow! I reached out my leaf-tipped fingers, gently touching one tender pink point. ...It went suddenly quiet, only the radiator purring softly beneath me. Outside, the garden vines were buried under white drifts, and my own smooth plastic stems would never bloom. But feeling that stubborn little pulse of green made my whole shell glow.