The Winter Between Us

Chapter 2.

I feel the weight of my words as they hang between us. There’s no going back now. Something has shifted, something I can’t ignore. I’m not sure what will happen next, but for the first time, I feel like I’m standing on my own two feet. And it’s terrifying.

Ben opens his mouth to say something, but I don’t wait for him to finish. I turn away, heading toward the porch steps. The cold night air hits me once more, and I wrap my arms around myself, the chill now an ally against the storm brewing inside me.

As I walk away, I can hear Ben calling my name. But it’s too late. Something inside me has broken, and I’m not sure if it can ever be fixed.

The wind bites at my skin as I stand on the edge of the porch, staring out into the snowy landscape. The cold night air feels sharp against my face, but I don’t care. The numbness of the cold is nothing compared to the hollow ache in my chest. I wrap my arms around myself, trying to hold it together as the weight of the moment settles over me.

The door to the cabin creaks open behind me, and I don’t have to look to know it’s Ben. His heavy footsteps crunch in the snow as he approaches, slow and cautious, like he’s afraid of pushing me further away. I can hear the hesitation in his breathing as he comes to a stop beside me.

“Violet,” he says softly, his voice edged with something I can’t quite place. Guilt? Frustration? I can’t tell. “Please, talk to me.”

I keep my gaze fixed on the horizon, the distant lights from the party barely visible through the snowflakes falling from the sky. The silence between us stretches out, thick and uncomfortable.

“Talk to you?” I finally turn to face him, my voice steady but distant. “What is there to talk about, Ben? You made your choice.”

He flinches at my words, his face tightening with something like pain. “I didn’t make a choice. I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Oh, really?” I take a step back, my hands shaking slightly as I cross my arms over my chest. “Because from where I’m standing, it looks like you’re more interested in her than in me.” My eyes narrow as I gesture back toward the cabin, where Sophia and the others are still laughing and talking.

His face goes pale. “Violet, I—”

“No, Ben,” I cut him off, my heart hammering in my chest. “I can’t do this anymore. I can’t keep pretending like everything’s okay. I came here to celebrate, to tell you something that would change our lives, and you… you were too busy flirting with some stranger to even notice.”

“I wasn’t flirting with her!” His voice rises in frustration, but I don’t flinch. “I was just talking to her, Vi. It’s not what you think.”

“Isn’t it?” I take a step forward, getting closer to him. “You were laughing with her. Touching her arm. Talking to her like you’ve known her for years. While I’m standing there, alone, wanting to tell you the most important thing that’s ever happened to me.”

Ben’s jaw tightens, and I can see the anger flicker in his eyes. “You’re overreacting. You’re always overreacting.”

My breath catches in my throat, the sting of his words hitting harder than I expected. “I’m overreacting? Really?” I laugh bitterly, shaking my head. “You’re the one who’s been acting like you don’t even care about me. You’re the one who can’t put his phone down for five minutes or stop looking at her for a second. I’m not some… some afterthought, Ben. I’m your wife.”

“I know that, okay?” he snaps, his fists clenching at his sides. “But you can’t expect me to just ignore everyone else when I’m trying to have a good time. I’m not some robot, Violet. I need to have fun too.”

I feel my stomach twist. His words feel like daggers now, sharp and unforgiving. “You think I’m asking you to ignore everyone else? I’m asking you to pay attention to me. To care about what’s happening in our lives. To care about the fact that I’m carrying your child.”

For a moment, his expression softens. But just as quickly, it hardens again, and I see something dark in his eyes. “You’re always making everything about the baby. Can’t we just have one night where we don’t have to think about all of that?”

My blood runs cold at his words. I can feel the anger rising in me again, but this time it’s mixed with something deeper—disappointment. “One night? Ben, this is our life. This is the rest of our life. And if you can’t even care enough to be present with me now, then what does that say about us?”

I can see the shift in his eyes, the way his expression falters. He knows he’s losing me. “Violet, I… I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it like that. I just… I just wanted things to feel normal again.”

Normal. The word hits me like a punch. I never realized until now how much I wanted more than normal. I wanted a life with meaning. A life where we cared for each other, where we were a team. But it seems like Ben’s idea of normal is different from mine.

“I can’t keep pretending, Ben.” My voice shakes now, and I take a deep breath, trying to steady myself. “I can’t keep ignoring how I feel, how distant you’ve become. This… this isn’t the life I signed up for.”

His face softens, and I see the guilt in his eyes. But it doesn’t make me feel any better. It’s too little, too late.

“I don’t know what you want from me, Violet,” he says, his voice low. “I don’t know what I’m supposed to do to make this right.”

I want to scream. I want to tell him that it’s not about doing something to make it right. It’s about us both wanting it to be right. But I know that’s not something he’s ready to hear.

“I don’t know either, Ben,” I whisper, the words heavy with finality. “But I can’t keep living like this.”

His eyes search mine, desperation creeping into his voice. “Violet, please. Don’t do this. Don’t walk away.”

I step back, the cold air filling my lungs as I shake my head. “I need space. I need to figure things out. I can’t stay here tonight. Not with you.”

His face crumples, and I feel a pang of guilt in my chest. But it’s not enough to make me stay. Not anymore.

“I’ll pack a bag,” I say quietly, already turning away from him, my heart breaking with every step I take.

“Violet, wait…” His voice trembles, but I don’t stop. I don’t look back.

I don’t know where I’m going or what I’m going to do, but I know I can’t stay here, not in this place, not with him. Not like this.

The snow falls gently around me, blanketing the world in a quiet, frozen stillness. As I walk away from the cabin, away from the life I thought I had, I feel the weight of everything crashing down on me. The dreams, the hopes, the future we built—it all feels like a distant memory now, something slipping through my fingers like sand.

I don’t know how long I walk, but when I finally stop, I’m far from the cabin. I stand on the edge of a frozen lake, the dark expanse stretching out before me. The snow is thicker here, the silence even deeper.

I pull out my phone, my fingers numb as I scroll through my contacts. I don’t want to call anyone. I don’t want to talk to anyone. But I can’t stay here alone in the dark, with nothing but my thoughts.

I press the call button, and it rings once, twice, before the voice on the other end picks up.

“Violet? Is everything okay?” It’s Milton. His voice is warm, concerned, and for the first time in hours, I feel a flicker of something like relief.

“I—I don’t know,” I say, my voice breaking. “I don’t know what’s happening anymore.”

There’s a pause on the other end, then a soft sigh. “Where are you? What’s going on?”

“I… I’m not sure. I just needed to get away. I needed to clear my head.”

“I’m on my way,” he says immediately. “Just stay where you are. I’ll be there soon.”