Chapter 3 — Stuck

We had finally gotten Emma calmed down when a knock came from the front door. We heard mumbles coming from outside but couldn’t understand what was said. Then a tap came on the bedroom door. “What?” Ethan asked as he opened the door slightly. “I need to talk to your mother if you don’t mind,” Kirt said as he tried to push his way into the room. Unfortunately for him Ethan was taller and much stronger than he was. Ethan was on his school's football team which he enjoyed because he could use the school's weight room anytime he wanted. “Just say what you want she can hear you, but you can’t come in,” He told his father coldly.

With no other options Kirt yelled into the room. “That was the caretaker at the door warning us that another blizzard is heading our way and that we should stay put."

“Okay, well thanks for the update,” I called back. “Ethan you can shut the door now,” He did as I asked and shut the door in his father’s face. I gave a little smile. “Great we are stuck here longer with that asshole,” Ethan groaned loudly.

“Ethan,” I snapped. “Language. He is still your father and you still have to show some respect to him. Plus you need to set a good example for your little sister,” I said pointing towards Emma who had fallen asleep on the bed. “Do I need to remind you of what he has done to this family,” Ethan argued. I shook my head. “I do but I will handle your father and he will answer for what he has done to us. I need you to look after Emma. She is still too young to understand what is going on,” I explained in my calm motherly voice.

“Yea okay but I’m still not going to talk to him."

“Thank you and you don’t have to, that is your prerogative.” I told him with a smile as I left the bedroom.

“I’m going for a walk before the storm hits,” I called out making sure everyone heard. I walked deep into the forest for over an hour until I found a plant with berries on it. “I could use these in a desert,” I said aloud to myself. I thought about taking the whole plant, but since I didn’t have anything to carry it in, I decided to just take some of its berries. Having no clue what I was going to do with them I shoved them into my coat pocket for safe keeping.

As I trudged back to the cabin in the snow I went over everything that has happened in my head. From how I thought I had the perfect husband, the perfect children, the whole dream of having the perfect family. Unfortunately that was all but a lie. I fell right there in the soft, wet snow and cried my heart out. My heart was broken into little pieces like shattered glass.

I lay back into the snow looking up at the sky and yelled “Why did you do this to me God what did I do to deserve this,” I laid there not wanting to move until I heard someone walk up. “Excuse me Ms. is everything alright,” An older man with a long dark beard and weathered skin asked. “Yea I’m alright just upset is all thank you though,” I said politely as I sat up. “Do I know you?” I inquired, looking at this stranger over again. “Well I don’t think you know me but if you're married to that man that is staying in that cabin over yonder then you have seen me. You see right after you rented the cabin I ran into your husband walking around and he gave me some money to peak into the windows to scare you. He said it was for a joke. So I obliged him.” The stranger advised.

“Actually I hate getting scared and I didn’t think it was funny one bit. No wonder Kirt didn’t want to do anything about it he wanted me to take the kids and leave so he could have his mistress show up. Oh hell no he isn’t getting away with this,” I fumed hotly.

The poor old man looked upset with himself after I told him that. “I’m so sorry Ms. I didn’t know I wouldn’t have done it if I had known please forgive me,” He cried clearly upset with himself. “You have nothing to be sorry about sir it’s my dumbass husband who has a lot to be sorry about,” I said comfortingly. “Thank you if you need anything I am just down the way there at the next cabin and you might not want to eat those berries,” He said pointing to the ones that had fallen out of my pocket. "They are very poisonous."

“Thank you,” I yelled to him. He raised one hand in acknowledgement as he walked off.

I was more furious with Kirt with this new information. This man has simply gone on the deep end is he really that desperate to get me and the children out of his life. Well I hate to tell him it isn’t going to be that easy to get rid of me.

When I finally made it back into the warmth of the cabin I went straight to my children’s room. “Did you have a nice hike?” Ethan asked as he looked up from his game. “I had a very interesting walk,” I declared sheepishly. Seeing an interesting story starting he stopped playing his game and sat up giving me his whole attention. I started my story from when I met the old man and finished when he told me that if I needed anything to go to his cabin. “So he was hired by dad to scare us out of here so he could get his girlfriend down here,” Ethan whispered so he wouldn’t wake his sister. “That is exactly what I was thinking when he told me,” I concluded sympathetically.

He stood up and headed for the door. “Well if anyone is going to leave in this weather it’s him."

“Ethan, if he leaves, we will be stuck here without a vehicle to go home in when the storm passes. Plus, if we leave, we might not make it home, and I’m not willing to risk your or your sister's life to travel in this blizzard. No matter how big of an ass your father is.”

Ethan and I decide that we will stick it out until the blizzard is over then decide what we will do then.