Caught in a snowstorm, Elina and her mother-in-law, Laura, find themselves on a journey fraught with tension and unresolved grievances. But, as the storm grows more dangerous, an unexpected event forces them to confront their differences in a way that will change their relationship forever.
Elina walked back and forth across the living room, her steps quick and restless. She kept glancing at the clock, the minutes dragging like hours.
“Where is he?” she muttered under her breath, her frustration growing with each passing second.
She stopped by the window for the umpteenth time, her eyes scanning the empty driveway, hoping to see the familiar headlights of Mark’s car.
But there was nothing. She sighed deeply, her hand instinctively moving to rest on her round belly, feeling the faint kicks of the baby inside.
Elina’s mind wandered back to when they planned this trip. She was adamant about going despite being so close to her due date.
“It’ll be our last chance for a while,” she’d told Mark, brushing aside his cautious protests.
“Well?
Is he back yet?” Laura’s voice rang out sharply from the other room, breaking the tense silence.
Elina clenched her jaw, trying to stay calm. “No,” she called back. “Not yet.” She stared at her phone for a moment, then groaned in frustration and pressed Mark’s number.
He answered almost right away.
“Hey,” she said, her voice clipped. “Where are you?”
“I was stuck at work,” Mark replied. “Then I got caught in traffic.
It’s bad out here. It’ll take me at least another hour and a half to get home.”
Elina felt her pulse quicken. “So what does that mean?
We’re leaving in the middle of the night now?”
“I’ve been thinking,” Mark began carefully. “Maybe you and Mom could head out without me. I’ll join you there later.”
Elina’s eyes widened in disbelief.
“Are you serious right now? Four hours in a car with your mother? Alone?” she hissed into the phone, lowering her voice.
Mark sighed.
“I know it’s not ideal. But your parents and my sister will be waiting when you get there. It won’t be that bad.”
Elina exhaled slowly.
“I won’t survive this.”
“You’ll be fine,” Mark said, trying to reassure her. “There’s a snowstorm coming. You should leave now.”
“Fine,” she said, her tone icy.
“Thank you.
I love you,” he said softly.
“Love you too,” Elina replied and hung up, still fuming.
Elina inhaled deeply, steadying herself before stepping into the living room. Laura sat on the couch, her eyes glued to her phone.
“Mark’s running late,” Elina said firmly. “He said we should leave without him.”
Laura looked up, her face tense.
“What happened? Is my son hurt?”
Elina shook her head, trying to stay patient. “No.
He’s fine. Just stuck in traffic.”
Laura put her phone down with a loud sigh. “Well, I don’t know how I’ll manage four hours in a car with a cheater,” she said.
“But if it’s what Mark wants, I’ll endure it.”
Elina clenched her fists, forcing a smile. “Let’s just go.”
Elina and Laura set off on their journey. The snow had started falling lightly, covering the edges of the road in white.
Inside the car, the silence was heavy, as if both women were too afraid to speak and break the fragile peace.
Laura sat upright in the passenger seat, her eyes fixed on the view outside.
Elina glanced at her briefly, sensing the unspoken tension that had lingered since they first met.
Laura’s disapproval had only grown after Elina’s pregnancy.
“Where are you going?” Laura asked sharply as Elina turned the car.
“The GPS says to go this way,” Elina answered, her voice tight.
Laura shook her head. “We’ve been going to this cabin for nearly 30 years. I know this isn’t right.”
Elina gripped the steering wheel harder.
“Then tell me, where should I go?” she snapped, her patience slipping.
Laura snatched the phone, her movements brisk, and re-routed the GPS. “There,” she said firmly, holding the phone out.
Elina sighed, her frustration simmering, but she turned the car around without a word.
Her doctor’s voice echoed in her mind: Stay calm, avoid stress. She placed a protective hand on her belly.
This baby had been a result of years of patience, fertility treatments, and hope.
She couldn’t risk anything now.
The new route stretched before them, empty and eerie. Snow fell faster, thickening the white blanket over the narrow road.
Elina glanced at the dashboard clock. “We haven’t seen another car for half an hour,” she muttered, unease creeping in.
“Are you sure this is the right way?” Elina asked, her voice tense.
Laura smirked.
“If I can tell my husband apart from another man, I think I can manage directions,” she said, her tone dripping with sarcasm.
Elina’s patience snapped. She pulled the car over abruptly and turned to face Laura. “Do you actually think I’m carrying a child that isn’t Mark’s?!” she shouted, her voice shaking with anger.
Laura met her glare calmly.
“I’m 99% sure. That’s why I’ll be asking for a DNA test once the baby is born,” she replied.
“Why would you even think that?!” Elina demanded, her frustration boiling over.
Laura crossed her arms. “I didn’t like you from the start.
Then, when Mark had surgery, you disappeared. You left him all alone,” she said accusingly.
Elina’s mouth fell open. “He had an appendectomy!
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