Parallel construction means that A. both sides of an argument are presented in an essay. B. the first paragraph and the last par
agraph of an essay have the same number of sentences. C. the same grammatical construction is used in all similar headings throughout an outline. D. each paragraph of an essay begins the same way.
The answer to your questions is: 'the housemates sit / around a radiant fireplace'. It conveys the sense that people experiencing the storm may view it positively, since they are warm, near a fireplace.
