John’s glare could’ve melted ice. "He’s five years old! Kids say nonsense—why are you interrogating him?" His lip curled. "What’s wrong with you? Menopausal rage?"
Only Lily stood beside me, tiny fists clenched. "Stop yelling at Mommy! Ethan’s the bad one! He’s the brat!"
Ethan lunged, swinging wildly at Lily’s head. "SHUT UP! YOU’RE the worthless girl! Nobody wants you!"

I caught his wrist mid-swing, my voice low and dangerous. "Who taught you to hate your sister?"
John yanked me backward. "Siblings fight! Stop making everything a drama! You spoiled them rotten!"
​​*"AHHH!"​​*
Sarah’s scream sliced through the argument. She’d slipped on the icy RV steps, clutching her belly dramatically. "John… it hurts…!"
John shoved past me like I was debris. "SARAH!" He cradled her, then snarled over his shoulder, "Emily! Get your useless ass over here NOW!"
I moved deliberately slow, helping him hoist Sarah up. "Careful," I murmured. "Black ice everywhere."

Sarah seized my arm, nails digging deep. "Your fault! If you hadn’t distracted John—!"
John’s face was sheet-white. "Inside! NOW! I’m calling 911!" He fumbled for his phone.
"I’ll call," I said flatly, pulling out mine. "You get her settled."
His laugh was bitter. "Finally acting human? If this baby dies because of you, I’ll make sure you never forget it!"

I dialed, listening as dispatch confirmed the grim truth: nearest ambulance—65 minutes minimum. Snow choked the highways. My knuckles whitened around the phone.
Inside, Sarah writhed on the bed, moans crescendoing with every glance John gave her. "The pain… John, the baby…!"
He whirled on me. "WHERE’S THE AMBULANCE? SHE’S EIGHT MONTHS! SHE COULD LABOR RIGHT HERE!"
I met his panic with icy calm. "Shocking, isn’t it? Almost like… bringing a high-risk pregnancy on a winter road trip was reckless."
​​*CRACK!​​*
His palm exploded against my cheekbone. Stars burst behind my eyes. "YOU SELFISH CUNT!" he roared. "SHE’S SUFFERING AND YOU SNARK?!"
I touched my throbbing face, stunned. "You hit me… for another man’s wife?"
John stared at his hand, momentarily shaken—then hardened. "A warning. Hurt that baby, and I’ll finish what the snow starts."
Lily shrieked, "DADDY, STOP!"
Ethan pouted, pointing at me. "Mommy made Aunt Sarah fall! She yelled and scared her!"
Sarah gasped between theatrical sobs. "D-don’t hit her, John… We still need her… to drive us home…"
He sneered. "She will drive. Or she can rot here instead of seeing her precious parents for Christmas." He jabbed a finger at me. "WELL? ANY SIGN OF THAT AMBULANCE?!"
"Highway’s a parking lot," I spat. "Thirty minutes. Minimum."
The wind howled, needle-sharp snow stinging my exposed skin. I reached for Lily’s frozen hand. "Come inside. Warm up."
John blocked the RV door, a human barricade. "No room. You two wait outside. Watch for the ambulance." He pulled Ethan into the warmth. "Son, get Aunt Sarah water. She’s real family."
I clutched Lily tighter, disbelief choking me. "It’s negative fifteen out here! You’d let your daughter freeze?!"
He didn’t look back, dabbing Sarah’s dry forehead with a towel. "Bundle up. Consider it… penance." The door slammed shut. The lock clicked.
As night fell completely, all the other stranded travelers had retreated to their vehicles. Only I remained outside in the bitter cold, holding my shivering daughter.
Night swallowed the highway. Tail lights glowed like dying embers in other cars. Only we remained—two shadows abandoned in the blizzard’s teeth, the RV’s sealed windows glowing like a cruel, distant hearth.