That long stretch between Christmas vacation and Easter break seemed interminable even for Millie who loved school. When she was a little girl, she loved to play in the snow both at home and at school. It broke up the school day. Some days she still liked it but other days it seemed so childish. She didn't think Freddy childish for still loving playing in the snow. She had watched him help her clean the heifer pen. He was strong and he didn't seem to get tired. He may still like to do childish things but no child could be as strong and durable as Freddy. Just as she now saw herself as a young lady, she saw Freddy as becoming a young man. Just now, watching Dallas and him playing in that big snowdrift, she was overcome with feeling of love for her brother. She didn't give it much thought but watching Dallas also gave her a feeling. It wasn't love like with Freddy but it was a good feeling. It confused her. She left the window and tried not to think about it. Was she thinking of Dallas as a boyfriend? She liked Dallas but she wasn't sure she wanted a boyfriend. But, if she ever did, Dallas would make a good one. She sat on the couch and thought about it.
Her mother was after her to learn knitting. That, to Millie, seemed as old fashioned as her name. She read her book.
Nothing ever happened during the doldrums, a word Millie had adopted for that long wintry stretch of time. That was another of her mother's words. Millie was proud of her mother and, now that her feedbag dress had made such a hit at the Halloween party, she was even proud of that dress.
By the first of February, Millie was sure this was going to be the doldrums. Last year she'd had fun playing in the snow with Freddy and sometimes she did this year. But she never knew what she would feel anymore. It annoyed her. Last winter she just did things, did what she wanted to do. She knew that she could do that this year. The problem was that she frequently didn't know what she wanted to do.