That Time of Year

Three years earliers...  Natasha sat on the patio's swing, watching her young daughter play and fuss in the snow with the other children that were friends of the family and neighborhood that her and her siblings had been raised in. A soft smile rested on her tired face. She looked calm and swaddled into the holiday and homely vibes... However, in her heart and mind, it was a whirlwind of pure f****d-up-ed-ness! The minor reality reminder made her once relaxed face begin to morph with emotion, that she could only cover her mouth with her sleeve to hide it. A small whimper escaped her. "Ugh! No, Natasha. Do not lose it right now." She pep-talked herself, failing. The only things running through her mind were the words exchanged through it all. "Denise, don't leave! I'll set it straight now!", "Why would you not call when you were coming home?!", "Just take the baby with you. I've got to deal with this shit." Not only had she caught her high school, college sweetheart, but (now) husband, David, cheating. The day they were to leave for their first Christmas holiday in Cicle. The smallest town near the biggest ski-resort in America, Dodge Resort... a.k.a, his family's business. |They had been there for 2 days now. It was Christmas Eve. She was running out of excuses. Joe, her stepfather, stepped outside the house's chaos and shrugged on his coat, holding a glass of dark amber liquid. When he spotted her on the porch, his look softened, and he trudged over to the spot beside her. He kissed her forehead and started to watch the kids with her. "I remember when you first came to the snow..." He began. Joe was a great man. A big burly, scary-looking man. But goodness, he was the best father she and her brother, Dawson, had only ever knew, and nothing could top it. He took them in wholeheartedly when he began dating mom. And then they had her siblings. "... And now I am blessed to be able to see you again in the snow." Joe smiled and looked at Natasha. She knew she couldn't look at him without it being a fact that she would cry. "Well, she's way better than me." Natasha said, her voice almost giving out on her. Joe watched her, then grabbed her hand, "She's only made up of the best parts of you, Nat. She couldn't be so amazing without you in there." Natasha let a tear fall and finally looked at Joe. That's when she surprisingly could not cry, but smiled. "And if that son of a b***h can't see that..." Joe added, making Natasha's whole face warp like she'd been caught red-handed! "Joe...," Natasha gasped, the dams that were her eyelids losing to the roaring tears behind them. Joe's eyes look glossy too, "I heard from someone over yonder." Natasha rolled my eyes, letting some tears release over the barrier and scoffing a laugh. Mom, Natasha thought. She always knew when something was up, and will find a way. "... You and baby girl can come stay and work in the shop with me. We can figure it out." Natasha's heart boomed. "He went after her and not us..." Natasha said, as tears fell more and more. She was letting it go. Joe pulled her close. Hugging her tightly, letting her cry it out. "Mi hija, siempre mejora." She nodded at his reassurings and let all her pain go. After Joe talked to Natasha and mom was informed, she had escaped to the bathroom to clean up her face and get herself together. She checked her phone and still nothing. It made her begin to cry again. Suddenly, the bathroom door swung open. Natasha whipped around in shock, silent. It was a tall figure. When they turned, the face revealed Alex, her brother Dawson's best friend. His big green eyes widened, "Oh s**t! I'm so sorry, Nat." She relaxed, trying to remain calm, "You're all good, Alex, really I was just..." His eyes found Natasha's, making her sentence hault. He could tell she had been crying. She could tell the small difference in his eyes... His big eyes were the softest thing about him and they showed he knew something - if not all of it - and something more Natasha couldn't quite understand. "I'll get out." He said simply and doing so, but before he shut the door and Natasha had turned back to the mirror, his voice low and serious, he said, "Please don't cry. You're too beautiful to and too good for him." And the door closed softly. Natasha smiled. That had made her feel good to hear. Not a whole lot to take in, no threats given like Dawson, no coddling from mom or Bianca, her sister. Simple and soothing. And she left the bathroom, feeling at ease. As the night went on, Natasha finally was able to sneak away after they had had dinner and dessert. Everyone was still out in the den, laughing and celebrating. Natasha went to check her phone. No new notifications. Her heart sunk in sadness. Though, after her cry with Joe, she'd felt better. She wouldn't lie if someone asked her if she was okay, because she wasn't. Not even in the slightest still. Natasha plopped on the daybed in her old room, where her and her daughter were staying in. And just like a Chrsitmas Miracle, the phone buzzed. Natasha's eyes widened. And she answered so fast, she paused after. "Hello? Natasha?" Derek said on the other end. "Yes..." Was all she could say and her voice gave out at the end. "Hey, I wish you had called when you guys got there safely..." He said. Cursing as he was fumbling and doing other things as well on the other end. "Is that really the only thing you have to say to me right now?" Natasha's asked, baffled by his lack of caring after not only finding him ass-naked in their kitchen with his mistress! But not hearing anything from him over the last 3 days and this is how and when she hears from him. "I wanted to know you got there safely at least." He said. Silence rang loudly over the call. "Look, Natasha, it's a mess... I don't want to lose my daughter..." He continued on this big rant. He was sorry but he was unhappy, she was not 'keeping herself up', he was bored with the s*x, and blah blah blah! And he only cared to hear about his daughter and plan for that. Which Natasha wasn't mad about. He at least cared about her. That's when something had snapped in Natasha. Almost like a glow-stick, and nothing but not giving a f**k anymore filled her veins. Men were going to be men, do men things and not even if their your first or last, they can potentially not care. Natasha had dropped out of college, moved out of home, and sacrificed all that it took and Derek asked for... Just for this. "I don't really give a f**k, Derek." She said simply. "I beg your pardon," He gasped. "I'm staying home. You can figure out the basics. When you come home, you can drive down and pick her up and she can spend those weekends with you and we'll work out a schedule for holidays. Aside from that, take your pardon and shove it where the sun don't shine," and she hung up her phone. She watched as the snow was falling outside. This time of year was supposed to be beautiful ad fun and loving... But Natasha was furious, hurt and drained. She would never love again. Not now, not ever. Especially if someone of his calliber in the level and depth she knew him could do this, anyone could and will....