Chapter 2 - The Warmth of Elsewhere
The drive to my sister Sarah’s cabin in the Wisconsin woods took nearly three hours through the worsening blizzard, but the heater in my car was blasting, and the roads were beautifully empty.
When I finally pulled into her gravel driveway, the cabin looked like something out of a storybook. Warm golden light poured from the wide windows, illuminating the snow-laden pine trees surrounding the property. Smoke curled lazily from the stone chimney.
Before I could even turn off the ignition, the front door flew open. Sarah stood on the porch, wrapped in a thick wool blanket, her face lit with a massive, relieved smile. Behind her stood her husband, David, holding a mug of steaming apple cider.
"Clara!" Sarah cried, running down the steps despite the snow. She threw her arms around me the moment I stepped out of the car. "You actually came. When you called from the highway, I thought you were joking."
"I don't joke about escaping a frozen marriage on Christmas Eve," I said, hugging her tightly. The scent of her—cinnamon, pine, and pure, uncomplicated sisterly love—made my throat tighten for the first time all day.
"Get her inside, Sarah, before she turns into an icicle," David laughed, taking my heavy suitcase from my hand.
Inside, the cabin was a sanctuary of heat and life. A massive stone fireplace crackled in the living room. Their two young boys, seven-year-old Leo and five-year-old Toby, were sprawled on the rug, surrounded by building blocks and half-eaten gingerbread men.
"Aunt Clara!" they squealed in unison, running over to wrap their small arms around my knees.
For the first time in four years, I didn't feel like an afterthought. I didn't feel like I was occupying someone else's space. I was just Clara.
"I brought presents," I said, pointing to the boxes David was carrying in.
"But these are wrapped for... Lily? And Daniel’s parents?" Sarah asked quietly, reading the labels as she set them down by their tree.
"They didn't want the giver, so they don't get the gifts," I said, taking the warm mug of cider David offered me. I took a deep sip, letting the sweet, spiced heat chase away the last of the suburban chill. "I’ll re-label them tomorrow. Leo is going to love the telescope."
Sarah looked at me, her eyes soft with a mixture of anger on my behalf and deep, protective pride. "He really did it, didn't he? He actually left you behind for them."
"He didn't leave me, Sarah," I said, sitting on the plush sofa and letting Leo climb up beside me. "He just showed me where I stood. And I decided I’d rather stand somewhere else."
As the boys opened the telescope early, marveling at the lenses and pointing it out the window at the snow-filled sky, my phone began to vibrate in my coat pocket.
I pulled it out.
Daniel (5 missed calls) Daniel: Clara, where are you? The house is dark. Why aren't you answering? Daniel: Clara, this isn't funny. Your car is gone. Where did you go?
I switched the phone to silent and slid it back into my pocket.
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"Come on, Aunt Clara!" Leo tugged at my sleeve. "Help us align the mirror! We want to see if we can find the North Star through the clouds!"
"I'm coming, buddy," I smiled, kneeling down on the warm rug beside him. The radiator clicked, the fire crackled, and for the first time in a very long time, I felt completely at home.
