II.V Dead of Winter

After our first time together, Song and Claire were rarely apart. It didn't matter if they were laying down for bed at night or if Claire was trying to get a shower in the morning, Song seemed to be there and...eager to love her in every way possible. She wouldn't lie and say she didn't enjoy it.

But then in the day, they spent their days in the park, working with their instruments. They were both masters with the guitar and Song was branching out. He figured it might bring in a bigger audience. Claire just enjoyed her time with him - or she was trying to. Her mind was always drawn elsewhere when they were outside.

It was late fall already. The leaves were gathering at her feet. A fear was building in her belly...The fear of the future - the fear of the coming winter. She never looked forward to it. She wished the summer was longer.

And the winter came...It was an unstoppable force and it came before she was ready. She stood, watching the snow fall, feeling a chill that had nothing to do with the cold.

"Claire?" Song's voice stirred her from her dark thoughts. She didn't turn right away, her fingers touching the glass gently, feeling the cold through it. She recalled her hand, holding it against her body as if the winter had hurt her.

Song pulled her into his arms and held her tightly against his warm body. He searched her eyes for a long moment, as if trying to find the answer to what was wrong without asking. She bit her lip.

"Why do you hate the winter?" He finally asked.

"It's such a long story, Song" She said softly.

"Tell me" He prompted.

"I'll show you"

"My mother was pregnant." She said as they walked up to the graves. A trail was left behind them, slowly being swallowed by the falling snow. "I was just a little girl and we were living at the inn..." She took a deep breath, looking down at the graves. "She got sick...father took her to see the healers, but there was a bad storm, They made it there, but they couldn't make it back..."

Song looked down at the third grave which had a tattered teddy bear sitting on it. The grave looked like it had not been disturbed in a very long time.

"Your...sibling, died as well?"

"Yes...I lost my mother, father and sister all in one night. I was alone"

"How old were you?"

"Ten"

She began to sob, just thinking of the death of her mother and father - of the sister she had never met. She hated winter...She hated that she had not done something to stop her mother and father from leaving. She wished she had gone with them. Song hugged her and whispered comforting words in her ears. Eventually he calmed her and took her hand, leading her away from the graves.

They ended up at the burnt docks. They stood looking at the water for a long time. They were both silent. Claire thought the water looked...kind of pretty, with the snow all around it. But she still wished they could go back to the inn already. She hated being out in the snow.

Song didn't let her brood for long, grabbing her hands in his, a silly grin on his face. "The water, is so pretty, isn't it?" He asked her.

"I guess"

"Shall we take a dive?"

"What?! No!" She couldn't believe he even suggested it.

He pulled her into a hug suddenly. His arms were tighter around her back, keeping her firm against his chest. She smiled despite herself.

"Hey Claire...You're not alone anymore. You'll never be alone again. I promise"

Her smile widened, because she knew her silly husband wouldn't lie to her. He was alot of things, but he wasn't a liar and he loved her. And she loved him as well. She knew that he would protect her and keep her happy. Just as she hoped she could do for him.

"Winter is kind of pretty, isn't it?" Claire asked, looking up at the sky a few days later. She and Song had come to the old garden where she had once played as a child while her mother gathered food for them to eat. She hardly came here after her family died. She felt a weight lift off her shoulders since she had told Song what had happened.

Song loved the snow. He was constantly outside playing in it. They couldn't play outside with the weather how it was, but they played at the tavern at night. That left the day for them to explore and play in the winter wonderland the world had become.

Claire found she loved playing in the snow too. It was cold but she couldn't believe that she hadn't had time outside her whole life. She had locked herself inside the inn that last winter, but now she felt she was really enjoying the season.

"Want to know the best part of building this?" Song asked her after they were done.

She was betting she already knew though.

....

The next day, Claire and Song moved her family's graves to the graveyard. Claire cried, but for once she felt as if her family was with her. She didn't feel so alone anymore. 

"Thank you Song! Thank you!" She sobbed. 

"You don't have to thank me at all, love" He replied. "They needed this. You needed it"

He embraced her tightly, and she found comfort in his arms. Things were looking better for them, soon they'd have enough money to buy their own lot of land and their lives would be completely their own.