Page 44 of Once Upon a Winter
Looking concerned, Cooper said gently, “The only consequence will be cleaning it up.” He went to the kitchen then returned moments later with a broom and dustpan.
Unable to watch, Laura paced in front of the fireplace. “I’m sorry.”
Cooper glanced up. “It’s fine. I’ve got this.”
“I was talking to the snow globe.”
Cooper froze for a moment then finished sweeping up the glass.
Laura stopped pacing and followed Cooper to the kitchen while he threw away the last of the pieces. She grabbed his arm and whispered, “Don’t you see? The snow globe brought us together, and now that it’s broken, we’re broken, or we will be soon enough.”
She could see in his eyes that he thought she had lost it, but she was sure that the fractures in the glass were symbolic of deeper fissures to come in their relationship. Already, Cooper had abandoned his efforts to reassure and comfort her. Instead, they stood in silence amid the ruins of what could have been a magical night, leaving Laura to wonder if the enchantment that had once bound them together was already lost.
Laura glanced around the dimly lit room, her breath catching in her chest as she struggled to hold back her tears. “Maybe this was all just a fantasy and it never was real.”
Cooper’s face fell, hurt flickering in his eyes. “Laura, you can’t possibly believe that.” He took a step closer. “Yes, the snow globe played a part in our story, but it wasn’t the foundation of our relationship. And I’m sorry, but it just wasn’t magic. It was—is—real.”
“Is that really true, though?” Laura had a desperate edge to her voice. “Or is it just what we want to believe?”
“Of course it’s true!” Cooper insisted, his voice firm yet gentle. “You know I’ve been here for you since we met, since before the snow globe came into our lives. And I thought you felt the same.”
“There wasn’t a time before the snow globe for us. It’s always been there. That’s how we met.” Laura shook her head, the weight of her frustration bearing down on her. “It’s our foundation, and I’ve broken it.”
“Objects don’t make or break relationships.”
“I hear what you’re saying, and logically, it makes sense. But this has gone way beyond logic. I can’t even believe I just said that, but that’s how much this has shaken my world.” She wasn’t sure how to read Cooper’s expression except that he looked gravely serious.
“Laura…” He looked down thoughtfully. “There’s a lot going on. You’ve just moved. You’re changing jobs. And as much as we like to think of the holidays as happy, they can be stressful and emotional.”
“Great. So you think I’m too emotional?” She wanted to leave and avoid what was bound to come next. But the storm howled outside as if to remind her that she couldn’t go home yet.
“No. I just think there’s a lot going on.”
“So, you want to break up?” She paused then looked up. “Are we even together? I don’t want to assume.”
He put his hands on her shoulders. “Slow down. Let’s just give it some time.”
“It?”
“Us.” He was practically smiling, which Laura took as a flicker of hope.
Maybe Cooper was right. Maybe love was strong enough to weather the storm and mend the fractures that had formed between them.
“Give it some time?” Her heart pounded in her chest as she tried to imagine it.
He gently said, “Yes.”
He was so impressively calm, and she wasn’t. She heaved a sigh. “Maybe you’re right.”
“Let’s start by picking up the pieces, and I’m not talking figuratively.” His eyes lit up with amusement, as if life were really that simple. He reached out and gave her hand a squeeze. “I’ll grab the broom. You do the dustpan.”
And that should have been it, except Laura couldn’t let it go. She had the same feeling she got when books wouldn’t balance. In her job, everything had a solution. Even when she couldn’t find it, she knew it was there. She just had to persist.
She followed Cooper to the kitchen while he emptied the dustpan. “The thing is, how can we know it was real?” Part of her knew she should have left things alone, but fear gnawed at her. “It’s always going to be in the back of my mind.”
“There’s no way you’ll believe that my feelings are real?” Cooper’s voice sounded tense with frustration. “So everything we’ve shared was just an illusion?”
“Maybe.” Laura fought back her emotions. “And I just broke it.”
