It's the winter holiday season now and while still maintains the slim hope that one day she'll meet Charles again, she continues her daily life as a hair stylist in a salon managed by an older man, Maxence.

As an attempted final decision she decides to follow Maxence to the French city of Nevers where the salon franchise has a new managerial role waiting for him.

Between the spare accommodations and the lack of emotional support, Félicie decides the decision was a huge mistake days after her arrival.

On New Year's Day, she decides to just go home with Élise and not spend the evening with Loïc - again being quite frank and open about her lack of interest in him as a life partner.

Charles explains that the woman was just a casual friend he sees in Paris and the family is reunited when Élise refers to him as "Papa."

A watershed moment for Félicie in the film is the viewing of The Winter's Tale during her brief relationship with Loïc; specifically the predicament of Queen Hermione, who has been accused of having an illegitimate daughter with another man, is put on trial and flees to Bohemia.

The city of Paris, in the dead of winter, represents the statue-gray, bundled up, restrained and a complete loss of romantic freedom.

[4] Roger Ebert included A Tale of Winter in his "Great Movies" series in 2001, writing, "What pervades Rohmer's work is a faith in love—or, if not love, then in the right people finding each other for the right reasons.

"[5] Vincent Canby of The New York Times wrote: "At least part of the comic appeal of Mr. Rohmer's work is the complete confidence, clarity and decisiveness with which he dramatizes the utter confusion of his emotionally besieged heroines.